#girl salmons are called hens

[worldsewage]

[helpinghanyuu]

鬼隠し編 – ONIKAKUSHI-HEN (SPIRITED AWAY BY THE DEMONS) DAY 01_001

Even though we were approaching summer, the morning air still had a frigid bite.

Although, in exchange, you could fill your lungs up with crisp, clean air.

Flipping open the window, I was greeted with a verdant expanse.

Nothing but trees.

The neighboring house was far away on the other side, so I was probably the only one enjoying that view and that air.

I filled my lungs with another deep breath.

Since I started living in Hinamizawa, I learned that even air had its own taste.

I quickly finished getting ready for school and headed downstairs for breakfast.

My mother was the only one there. My father was nowhere to be seen.

He was probably up working until the early morning.

Dad had a rather unconventional job as a painter.

It's such a laid-back profession.

Get up when you want, sleep when you want, and work when you want.

I was so jealous of that easy-going lifestyle,

I even wrote for school that I wanted to be a painter when I grew up. Dad was ecstatic about that.

It was just because it looked easy. I'd never tell him that, though.

Mom laid breakfast out on the table.

Seaweed, pickled vegetables, raw egg, and grilled salmon.

My mom was such a good cook, it was scary.

A perfect, immaculate, ideal breakfast.

Unlike my dad, who didn't even know the meaning of the word schedule, my mom never squandered any time or effort.

She hummed a little tune as she brought over the miso soup. It seemed like she was in a good mood today.

“I'm so happy you've been waking up early since we moved here, Keiichi.”

“If I don't wake up early, I won't have time to eat breakfast.”

I thought I was being cute, responding with a wise-crack after being praised for being good.

“Full bowl of rice? Or will half be enough?”

“Pile it on.”

First, I savored the steaming hot rice with the seaweed.

After that, I covered it with the egg.

Between bites of rice, I enjoyed the crunch of the pickles.

Not bad at all.

Excellent, as usual.

Watching me clean my plate, Mom gave me a warm smile.

“I'm so happy you haven't skipped breakfast ever since we moved here, Keiichi.”

I was not a morning person when we lived in the city.

I slept right until the last minute before school and rarely ate breakfast.

Boycotting the breakfast Mom made me each morning... that was probably the only way I could protest being forced to attend cram school.

...I guess that was what you'd call my rebellious phase.

I wouldn't so much as look at the breakfast she woke up early every day to make.

If I could go back in time, I'd slap myself.

Mindful of the time, Mom rushed me along with a wide grin.

“Isn't it about time to meet up with Rena-chan?

Hurry, hurry.”

Mom really seemed to enjoy the fact that her son was going to school with a girl.

Rena is one of my classmates.

She really loves looking after people, coming to meet me every day without fail.

The way I looked at it, a guy my age walking to school with a girl was just lame...

But, well, keeping a classmate waiting for me every day wouldn't be very considerate.

...Seriously, though, how long does Rena wait there for me every morning...?

Taking one last gulp of miso soup, I raced for the door.

“Please thank Rena-chan for the pickles~!”

Come to think of it, those pickles weren't store-bought, were they?

...If I'd known that, I would have savored them a bit more!

“Mornin'!”

“Keiichi-kun~!

Good morning~!”

Her cheerful greeting was as fresh as the morning itself.

“You're always so early.

You should try sleeping in sometime.”

“If I sleep in, I'll keep you waiting.”

...She's so conscientious, and such a good person.

“If that ever happens, I'll just leave you behind.”

“Keiichi-kun, you're so cold.

I wait for you all the time…”

“I'll leave you in the dust.

Without looking back.”

“Why are you so mean?

...Why?”

Rena had a slightly troubled look on her face.

Toying with her was rather fun because of how quickly her mood changed.

“I'm kidding. I'd wait for you.”

With those words, Rena seemed to relax.

Her face flushed bright red.

“...Ah ...Th-Thank you…”

“I'd wait forever until you came, Rena.

No matter how long.”

“...Ah-ah, ah...

...For...

Forever…”

Rena turned bright red, steam rising from her head as her brain short-circuited.

She's especially weak to this sort of talk.

It's quite rare to find someone this fun to tease.

“Have you ever read a romance novel, Rena...?”

“...Huh...

...Ah ...I haven't.

N-Never read any before.”

From that response, I gathered she was interested in them but was too embarrassed to actually buy one.

I couldn't imagine what would happen if she did read one.

She'd probably turn red and pass out...

“Oh, yeah, message from Mom. She says thanks for the pickles.”

“I-It was nothing. You're welcome~.

How were they?

Not too salty?”

“They weren't that salty.

Actually, they had a pretty light flavor to them.”

...It would have been fine to just be honest and say they were good, but apparently I couldn't be that forthright.

...I'd like to ask something before that.

“Were you the one who pickled them, Rena?

Or was it your mom?”

“Huh?

...Huh? Why do you ask?

Were...

Were they too salty...?”

Her attitude completely changed as she began to panic frantically.

“Was it you, Rena? Or was it your mom?”

“...Wh-Why are you asking who made them?

...Why!?”

“Depending on who made them, my opinion of them might change drastically.”

“...Huh, huh uh...!?”

She counted frantically on her fingers, trying to remember the amount of salt she'd used to pickle them.

...It wasn't like I was trying to tease her, but I couldn't stop myself.

Guys who take pleasure in this kind of thing are probably the worst.

...Guys like me.

Rena nervously opened and closed her mouth over and over, trying to muster a response.

“...I-It was me…”

“Delicious.”

“Huh?”

“Pretty good, just like the last ones. They went perfectly with the rice.”

Her face went bright red again.

She was completely spacing out.

It truly was a lot of fun to tease her.

I pray that Rena never gets taken advantage of by some lowlife.

Keep at it, Rena. I'll train you until you handle it like the average person!

...Or so I decided for myself.

“Let's go! If we keep Mion waiting, we'll never hear the end of it.”

Seeing as she'd just keep spacing out otherwise, I called Rena back to reality so we could make our way to school.

This strange, easily flustered girl is Rena Ryuugu.

I've only known her for about a month, but I've come to realize it's not just her name that's strange.

“Mii-cha~n! Good morning~!”

Coming up to the next rendezvous point, we saw another person waiting for us.

Noticing us, she waved.

“Ah, finally, finally. You two are late~!”

“Usually, you're the one who's late!”

In sharp contrast to the diligent Rena, this one marched to the beat of her own drum.

She's Mion Sonozaki.

For what it's worth, she's our senior and head of the class.

“Morning Rena. And it's been a while, Kei-chan!

How many years?”

“I was only off two days!”

“Ah haha!

You don't say.

You were so much cuter back then!”

Mion's gaze started at my chest then dropped straight down, focusing on the point between my legs.

...So she was saying it was my crotch that was cuter back then.

Before you ask, just to be clear, I've never actually tried to show it to her.

“I've grown quite splendidly.

You'd be surprised.

Not only is he bigger, but he has a little moustache now~☆

Being so *engorged* with energy every morning is quite a problem, though.

I'll introduce you next time, so be sure to greet him properly.”

“Don't say 'next time.' Right now is just fine.

How about letting the little guy get a breath of fresh morning air?”

“I don't think I've ever heard talk so dirty you could smell it fouling up the morning air before.”

Mion sure does act like an old man sometimes.

“Gotcha.

Time for the big reveal.

Hope you don't regret it...!!”

As my hand reached for my fly, Rena began to ramble in a near panic.

“...Hey,

hey hey...

What are you talking about?

What're you talking about!? What're you talking about...!!”

Red-faced and flustered, Rena tried to play dumb, but it was obvious she knew exactly what we were talking about.

“How was it?

Seeing the city again.”

Mion switched gears, dropping the dirty talk and changing the topic to something more befitting the pleasant morning.

“I only went for a funeral. I didn't have much time.”

“So yeah! Did you look for iiit?

...That thing I asked for?”

“You're... not listening... at all.

I just came back from a funeral!

I didn't have any time to look around in toy stores!”

“Tsk tsk tsk.

Toy stores and hobby shops are completely different, you know? 

It's really difficult to get western stuff around here, after all.”

“Is this about games again, Mii-chan?”

Mion nodded proudly as Rena giggled.

“Yep! I wanted Kei-chan to bring me back a 'west port' catalogue, you see.”

West port was short for western imported games.

Using that abbreviation did make it sound pretty geeky.

“You can just get them to send you one in the mail, can't you?”

“Well, guess I have to now.

I'm going to get another game full of hot action!”

“...Th-This time, I'd like a game that's easy to understand…”

Mion is a board and card game enthusiast, and I hear she's collected quite a lot of different ones.

According to Rena, Mion's room has kind of become a museum for domestic and foreign games.

If there's a game you think I'd understand, let me play too.

“Heh... of course!

If Kei-chan is up for it. I should warn you though, we're pretty tough.”

“Just what I want.

I play all sorts of games. I don't intend to lose!”

“...Whoa...

Then we'll let you in the group this time, I guess.

...I guess!”

Bristling with joy from head to toe, Rena looked back and forth between me and Mion.

Mion gave her an affirmative wink, and her expression perked up even further.

“I thought boys preferred playing outside more, so... I figured you wouldn't want to.”

Rena laughed happily.

From such a friendly conversation, you wouldn't think I had moved here less than a month ago.

I understood that they did all they could to make a transfer student like me feel at home.

I'll have to try harder to fit in, so they won't feel like they have to try to make me feel welcome.

I felt like if I acted a bit more open than I usually am, it should probably be about right for this place.

Hinamizawa was a really small village. Not only was there only one school, but there was only one class.

That class encompasses all different grades and ages.

There are about 30 students at different levels, and they all study in the same class.

I'm told that, long ago, there used to be a bigger school building and they had actual separate classes.

However, it seems something happened that made it become a single class, and now it stayed that way out of tradition.

I was shocked at first, but humans adapt pretty quickly. I've already gotten quite used to it.

The sound of children playing started right from the morning.

With such a lively mood, it felt more like a kindergarten than a proper school, not that that was a bad thing.

Mion, who had been walking in front of us up until then, suddenly let me take the lead.

Right in front of the classroom door.

So I was meant to slide the door open and enter the room first.

“Heh…”

Too bad. I wasn't going to fall for that again.

“...To think you'd give up the lead here.

You meant for this to be a test of my skills.”

Mion chuckled with a haughty smirk on her face.

“Wh-What is it... you guys...?”

“Step back, Rena. It's dangerous.

...She's here!”

“Huh...?

Then... Satoko-chan is...!?”

Her name was Satoko Houjou.

She was a disrespectful, impudent, bossy kid.

The way she talks was annoying, but it would be immature to get worked up over just that.

The real problem... was this...

...Quite the obvious trap. A blackboard eraser wedged in the door.

“...It's too obvious! Satoko!”

A haughty laugh came from beyond the door.

“Excellent, Kei-chan! ...I guess that means you win this round?”

...No, this is Satoko we're talking about.

I doubt this is it..!

After falling for such intricate traps since the day I transferred, I no longer let my guard down.

Satoko liked to combine a variety of traps: traps that were simply there to bait you into the main one, traps that relentlessly kept coming at you like a sadistic Rube Goldberg machine, the list goes on.

As well as being clever, they almost never misfire.

When you least expect it... she strikes!

No escape. No time to relax.

“By the looks of it, this eraser is normal.

No rocks or anything in it.

I took a pretty heavy hit from a blackboard eraser loaded with rocks on my first day.”

“So then why don't you just open the door and let it drop...?”

That's what it is!

That's what Satoko was after.

Making me focus my attention upward. So as I lifted my hand to the door...

There were thumbtacks stuck to the sliding door handle with tape; a frightening trap.

A potent and terrifying trap.

Concealed by using the blackboard eraser...

An impressive combination, Satoko!

But in the end nothing more than the trivial machinations of a child!

Assured of my victory, I threw the door open and stepped into the room.

I felt something strange at my ankle.

It was similar to the sensation of a jump rope catching on my leg.

By the time I realized she had me—hook, line, and sinker—it was already too late.

I began to fall in an almost picturesque manner.

“Kei-chan, watch out!!”

Instinctively reacting to Mion's shrill warning, I twisted my body in midair before I landed on the floor.

“...Ow ow... ow!?”

An ink stone, filled to the brim, was placed right where I would have landed...!

I shuddered, imagining the situation had I landed square on it.

“My, my, what do we have here?

A fair morning to you, Keiichi-san. Aren't we a lively one this morning~!”

Still sprawled in an awkward position, I was greeted by a mocking voice.

“That was a step up from your usual traps, Satoko!!”

“I haven't the faintest idea what you mean.

You're quite unlucky this morning.”

“You little~...!!

...

...

...Owowow…”

It seemed I'd inadvertently sprained my back a little when I'd landed.

...Better than landing on that inkstone.

A small hand gently rubbed my head.

“...Pain, pain, go away.”

The small, dainty hand continued to gently stroke my head.

“...You didn't sprain your back or anything, did you...?

If you rub it like this, the pain disappears…”

I thought about asking how rubbing my head would help my back, but I didn't.

It's not so much about what you actually do, it's the thought that counts.

“Y... Yeah, thanks Rika-chan. The pain's going away now.”

“Yay~! ...Rika-chan! Good mor~ning!”

“...Good morning to you, Rena.

A good morning to all.”

Rika-chan greeted each of us with an adorable little bow.

It was infectious. Rena, Mion, and I all bowed back.

“You're such a good kid, Rika-chan...

So much better than Satoko...!”

I glared over in her direction. Satoko was whistling while rather deliberately trying to avoid eye contact.

“I am the very model of a good girl.”

“A good girl wouldn't set those nasty traps!”

“Nothing but lies and slander!”

“Exactly what proof—

...Uwah!”

I picked up Satoko by the back of her collar.

She looks like a misbehaved cat when I do this.

But a cat wouldn't be setting traps.

...She's much harder to deal with!!

“I-M S-O-R-R-Y.

Try saying that.

If you won't say it...!”

I cocked my index finger on my thumb, letting it tremble as I brought it closer to Satoko's forehead.

“I-I'm against violence!!

You don't even have any proof!!”

“Just so you know, my forehead flick really hurts.

It can split plywood right in half!”

“Eeeeeeeek...!!!!

Stop! Get away from me, you beast~!!!”

“Don't say that in a way people will misunderstand!!”

A small hand tugged on the back of my shirt.

“...She's been lonely since you were gone for two days.”

...Rika-chan really is just so...

How could I do anything more after being told that?

I gently released my grip on Satoko, who at this point was on the verge of tears. She still had her eyes clamped shut as she braced herself for the forehead flick.

“...U-Uwaaaaaaa...hnn!!

It doesn't bother me!!

Uwaaaaahn!”

“...You mustn't cry, Satoko.

Keep on fighting,

yeah.”

Rika gently petted the head of her prankster friend.

You would never guess those two are the same age.

I think Satoko could learn a thing or a million from Rika-chan.

“...Next time, set an even more amazing trap.”

...Waiiit a minute...

As she observed the scene, Rena's expression grew ecstatic as she began to swoon.

“...Hao~... Satoko-chan is crying…

Sho kyute…”

“You can't take them home.”

“...Huu!

...But, but... they're sho kyute?”

“You can't, no matter how 'kyute' they are.”

“But... just for a bit... is fine?

Is fine?”

Rena kept a cutesy face even as outrageous ideas spewed from her mouth...

According to Mion... Rena is ridiculously weak to cute things and always tries to take them home.

Object or person...!

“Stealing is bad, but abducting people is even worse.

Give it up.”

“Then I can just look. Just looking...

that should be fine, right? Right?”

Rena swooned over Satoko's crying form.

If a girl ever goes missing in Hinamizawa, I'll be forced to turn Rena in to the authorities.

Forgive me, Rena.

I'll be sure to bring you care packages when they put you away!

“The teacher's coming.

Quickly, clean everything up!

Satoko! That inkstone is yours, right?”

Just from Mion's single statement, the entire mood of the room shifted back to normal.

The inkstone was bad, but the thumbtacks stuck to the door handle were an even bigger problem!

I pulled the tape off carefully, making sure not to skewer myself.

Even though Satoko was the one who set it up, everyone had to pick up after her.

By the time the teacher entered the room, the bedlam from before had been neatly tidied up.

Ahahaha, we made it in time!

“Rise, attention!”

Mion gave out the morning commands.

It's difficult being the teacher for all these different grades in one classroom.

She has to teach something different to each one.

But naturally she ends up spending all her time with the younger kids.

Rena and Mion, being in the highest grade in the class, end up mostly doing self-study.

They even end up helping teach the younger kids, so it seems like they can never get to their own studies.

They're actually way behind where my studies have progressed to.

As a result, I'm pretty much taking over for the teacher and helping Rena and Mion with their studies.

“You're a pretty good teacher, Keiichi-kun.

Easy to understand.”

Rena took a breather after finishing highlighting an important section.

“Teaching is making me lose confidence.

It makes me aware of how shallow my understanding of the subject is.

They say that to teach someone something, you need to understand it backwards and forwards.”

“So while you're teaching us, you're getting in your own practice.”

“In contrast, this person over here is quite laissez-faire about things.”

For one, isn't she supposed to be in a higher grade than me!?

“Look Mion, this is for your own good.

If you don't take this seriously there'll be trouble later on.

With these marks…”

“It's not like I'm aiming to go on to a prestigious school.

I'll be fine as long as I pick up what I need to know for the entrance exams a little at a time!”

Her staunch defiance was really something else.

This was a different type of relaxed than somebody who already knew what was going to be on the entrance exams.

“Mii-chan, Keiichi-kun is doing his best to teach us.

We need to try hard, too.”

“You're such a good and honest kid, Rena.

I'll make sure you guys get accepted into a good school.”

“...Wh-Wha...

Th-Thanks so much…”

“Especially you, Rena.

Private lessons... just the two of us.”

“...Pr-

...Private...le-

lessons…”

A puff of smoke shaped like a halo...

Popped out of Rena's head.

Exactly what kind of private lesson is she fantasizing about that's making her turn so red...?

I'd like to hear the play-by-play about that next time.

While Mion was flipping through her vocabulary flash cards, she threw out a casual question.

“So, in the city, do you have to study this much?”

“If you don't know at least this much you can't get into university.”

“So you study just to get into a university?”

“Well...

Yeah, basically.

While knowing that this stuff won't ever come in handy in the future.”

“Out here, you can get into university as long as your attendance is good enough.”

“...R-Really...!?”

Study = Entrance Exams. Having that basic law of the universe so easily overturned sent me into a state of shock.

“That is right.

There aren't really enough people around here to warrant weeding them out with an exam.

If anyone can get into university, then there's no need to be all uptight about this stuff, right?”

“...Well, that's true... but you should at least know stuff that's common knowledge…”

“This old geezer thinks that, instead of wasting time studying pointlessly, you should be spending your precious teen years doing more meaningful things.”

It was too profound of a statement to simply laugh off.

But since it was Mion, it probably didn't actually have that deep of a meaning.

In place of a chime, the sound of the principal waving a hand bell drifted through the classroom.

“Kei-chan, we're done! We're done!

It's our wonderful lunch time!”

In a complete 180 from her unmotivated state, Mion gave the commands that signaled the end of the morning period.

“...Keiichi-kun, let's have lunch.☆”

I might have been making a very troubled face.

Rena smiled brightly at me.

“Awright!

Let's eat!”

There seemed to be different cliques, even within the class.

Most of them were divided up by gender and age, but our group was different.

Our ages were different and we had both boys and girls.

But we weren't reserved around each other.

This level of openness makes a transfer student like me pretty happy.

Rena and Mion pushed their desks together so they were facing each other.

At the same time, Satoko and Rika-chan were slowly lugging their desks over as well.

“Keiichi-kun, hurry, hurry!”

Rena waved her chopsticks in an unrefined manner, trying to hurry me along.

Unless everyone was together, they wouldn't even open their lunch boxes.

“Keiichi-san's lunch box is most assuredly filled with nothing but bread crusts like some sort of destitute plebeian~!

Why don't you just show it to us? Come now!”

Even though Satoko was hurling insults at me, she still wouldn't open the lid to her lunch box until I was there.

I pulled out my lunch box swiftly and dragged my chair over to join the circle.

“Hey, sorry to keep you waiting!”

“...Well then, Representative Mii, please give the signal to start!”

At first, this was kinda embarrassing, but I got used to it pretty fast.

At this point, I probably wouldn't even open my own lunch box if someone else was too slow.

Our ages and genders may have all been different, but we were all friends.

“Let's eat!!”

The sound of our little five-part chorus echoed beautifully throughout the classroom.

Really, though, I've gotten pretty used to this group made up of all girls.

Of course there are other boys in the class, but they were a lot younger, so they were scared to approach me.

Well, that's to be expected.

Younger boys just see older boys as scary.

Compare that to girls... Well, at least these girls aren't picky.

We put all the side dishes in the middle where everybody was free to pick at them.

I thought girls would mind sharing a meal with a guy, so I was a bit flustered joining in. However, Mion noticed that and teased me quite a bit.

As the fruit of my efforts(?), I can now reach over and take sides from anybody's lunch.

“My, my. Isn't Sir Keiichi's lunch extravagant today?”

“My, my, isn't Madam Satoko's lunch extravagant as well?”

The stewed stuff has a nice look to it, rather trendy.

Buying into the fight that Satoko was starting, our chopsticks locked in a cross-counter, stabbing into each other's lunch.

“My, how delicious!

Oh, this taro is good.”

“The stewed stuff is good too, even cold!”

After seeing my happy face, Rika-chan's expression broke into a little smile.

“...I saved some from dinner last night.”

By the way, Satoko and Rika-chan's lunches are always the same.

It seems that Rika-chan makes it for both of them every day.

“Rika-chan made this too?

...These taste like Mom's home cooking!”

I was honestly impressed.

The carrot rosettes weren't from a mold; they were done by hand with a knife.

That's not easy to do.

I guess Rika-chan's just good at this sort of thing.

She's really good at sewing, laundry, and stuff like that.

Amazing, right?

Amazing!

Rika is quite exceptional in many ways.

“Ohhohohoho!

That's nothing for you to boast about!”

“...Rena's actually better at cooking than I am.”

“...Huh,

ah,

...well... you know.☆”

It seemed that the topic of conversation switched to Rena when she wasn't expecting it, making her blush and trip over her words.

Rena's lunch really was the star of the table.

Not only did it look good, it tasted good!

Everyone else pulled from Rena's lunch box constantly.

“Everyone liked this one so much before, so I made a lot this time.

...It's good, I hope?

...I hope?”

“It's got high marks from me!”

“Ah, Mion, you're taking too much!”

Knocking Mion's chopsticks aside, I reached out, trying to secure my own portion. Satoko and Rika-chan reached over at the same time and a struggle ensued.

Everyone shoveled in mouthful after mouthful while praising it, and Rena's lunch box was soon empty.

It was kinda bad that no one thought to leave any for Rena.

But Rena seemed rather satisfied as she looked on.

“How did you like it? Isn't Rena-san an extremely good cook too?

Quite different from Keiichi-san!”

“I said that's nothing for you to boast about!”

“You're not much different from Kei-chan, Satoko.

Can you tell the difference between broccoli and cauliflower yet?”

Satoko's face went pale.

“...Hey, hey. Even I can tell the difference between broccoli and cauliflower, you know?

O-Of course I can!

...I really can!”

It's really hard for her to lie.

“Keiichi-kun, both taste good when they're boiled and topped with mayo, right?”

“You shouldn't be picking on her…”

“Mii-chan too!”

Rena hurriedly tried to follow up, but Mion laughed haughtily as she drew closer to Satoko.

“Well, well, just pretend it's a little home-ec lesson.

...Now then, Satoko...

What's this?”

Mion lifted up her chopsticks. Between them was a piece of green stuff wrapped in bacon.

“...But that's... asparag...mngh.”

Mion made eye contact with me and within .3 seconds, I had Rika-chan's mouth covered.

Holding a piece of bacon-wrapped asparagus and giving her two choices... She's pretty terrible.

“Uum, well!

Uhh...

The yellow one is cauliflower... No, wait... the green one is cauliflower…”

“So which!? Hmm?”

“Probably... the yellow one is broccoli and the blue one is cauliflower...

But the green one is...

um...

uu…”

“Do you really know which is which? How about you just give up~?”

I'd expect no less from the class representative.

The oldest.

The way she drives people into a corner just shows how much experience she has.

This is just a hunch, but being brought into the Sonozaki household must be quite the ordeal...

“I do know...!

I really do!!”

“Then answer the question!”

“...I know... I know...

Uwaaaaaahn!!”

She finally broke down and started crying.

When she acts like this, she actually starts to seem her age.

“...Ha...

Hao~... K-Khyuute…”

Rena entered a state of euphoria as Satoko bawled her eyes out.

Rena was in a state of bliss as she rubbed her cheek against Satoko's head and smothered her.

...Really... a very content face.

One that wouldn't care if the world ended right then—it was that kind of smile.

“Rena, Rena~!

MiiMii is picking on me-!

Uwaaaaahn!!”

“Khyute khyute...!

It's okay, Rena-oneechan will take care of all those bad people who tease my little sister!”

FWISH BOOF BAM!!

It was like a flash of lightning.

“...What...

was that...

just now...?”

Both of Rena's fists shot out at supersonic speeds, striking Mion and me squarely in our faces.

Before we knew it, Mion and I were sprawled spread-eagle on the floor, staring up at the ceiling with matching welts on our faces...

“...This is the first time you've gotten one, right?

...Today... she went easy on us…”

“...E-Easy... You mean, there's something harder than this...?”

With that, Mion and I both slumped our heads back to the floor in unison.

From now on, I'll be careful when I'm within striking distance of Rena...

“See, Satoko-chan? I took care of them.

...Mmm, khyute~!

I wanna take you home~!”

Making sure Rena couldn't see it, Satoko stuck her tongue out at us.

Tsk, damn it all~! Using Rena like a puppet!!

Rika-chan massaged our bruises without saying a word...

No matter what the day had held, the last school bell always came too soon.

Our shadows stretched off into the distance.

“Hey, Keiichi-kun. Tomorrow, do you have plans or anything...

...or anything?”

“Huh...?”

It was such a direct question from Rena I inadvertently blushed.

I-If it was for a date, then wouldn't you do it more subtly??

Rena saw me lost for words and realized that I'd misunderstood, and turned red as well.

“...Uh, ...ah, ...N-No, ...I didn't mean it like that... you see...!”

So apparently that wasn't what she meant.

But since it's always fun when Rena's in a panic, I went along with it a little.

“Oh, really... So... it wasn't meant that way…”

“Huh...!? Huuh!?”

Playing it up, I slumped my shoulders, feigning dejection.

“...K-Keiichi-kun, why are you so disappointed, why?

Why!?

...Mii-chaaan!”

“...Pfft.

Aahahahahahaha!!”

Unable to hold it in any longer, Mion slapped me on the back.

“I see! This old geezer never knew you could push her buttons like that.

Wahahahaha!!!”

“...Huh? ...Huh? What? What!? What is it!?”

Mion was rolling on the floor clutching her stomach while Rena flailed around, completely bewildered.

I couldn't help but start laughing as well. Feeling just a bit guilty, I ruffled Rena's hair.

“Kidding. Sorry, it was a joke... That was my fault.”

She really is a cute one.

“...Huh? ...Huh? ...A joke? Since when!? Since when!?”

“Huh, ah... about halfway through.”

“...Halfwaaay?”

“So Kei-chan, that means you weren't acting when you blushed at the start?”

“...Huh...? ...Th-That means...?”

It was only a momentary lapse, but there was no way Mion would let such a delectable detail slip by her.

“Uh, well, you see…”

Saying anything more was also a bad idea...

In my bewildered state, I slipped further into an unfavorable position.

After that, Mion continued to tease me about it for a while...

“...So, why were you asking if I'm free tomorrow, Rena?”

“Huh...? Oh... What were we talking about...?”

It had been so long that Rena had forgotten. That's how long Mion had teased me.

“It's just, Kei-chan... you probably can't find your way around Hinamizawa by yourself yet, can you?”

That was true.

I hate to say it, but if you blindfolded me and spun me around three times like we're playing pin the tail on the donkey, I wouldn't be able to tell up from down here.

“...Yeah. I don't think I know how to get anywhere besides back and forth from school.”

“Yes, yes. So you see, tomorrow, we were thinking that Mii-chan and I could escort you through Hinamizawa and show you around…”

That would be a godsend. Frankly, I was happy about the offer.

“You'll come of course, right?”

“If I'm free.”

“You're being invited by a girl, you know!?”

“If I'm free.”

“You're probably free anyways.”

“If I'm free.”

I was being stubborn so as not to give a clear yes or no.

Even though I thought it was a godsend, I'm too much of a scamp to say so up front.

“...Keiichi-kun... you're not free, perhaps?

...Perhaps?”

While Mion and I had our rather sour back-and-forth, Rena peeked over at me hesitantly.

Figuring I'd been a bit too rough on her, I just gave in.

“...Sorry. Forgive me. I apologize.

I'm free.”

“...Great!”

The trepidation disappeared from Rena's face as it blossomed into a smile.

“Hey now, hey now!

Seems like there's quite a difference between how cold you are to me compared to Rena, isn't there!?”

It seems Mion didn't care for how rude I was to her, compared to how quickly I agreed with Rena.

But her being annoyed was very interesting.

So I pushed Rena forward, speeding up our pace to leave Mion behind.

“Let's go, Rena.

Maybe it should just be the two of us tomorrow, leave grumpy ol' Mion behind.”

“...Huh,

woah...

If Keiichi-kun... is okay with that, then…”

“I'm the one who came up with the idea to take him around~!!

Don't ignore me, Keiichi Maebara!!”

“It'd be great if the two of us could go on a picnic together! Should we bring a basket, Rena?”

“...I-If we're bringing a basket...

I'll...

make all the food, maybe...

Maybe!”

“Don't you ignore me too, Rena! I'll tell everyone that you two disappeared into the hotel district together!”

“Well then... I'm going home right now to start making it...!

Tomorrow is going to be so fun~! Later Keiichi-kun, Mii-chan! Bye!”

Rena bounded off like she was walking on the moon.

After the dust settled, all that was left was me standing next to Mion sprawled out on the ground. There was a welt on her face.

“...Are you all right...?

There was over two meters between you guys…”

“...S... Since you came, they've become sharper...

This old geezer's body can't handle it…”

“...Maybe it'd be easier if you stopped saying stuff that makes Rena want to hit you…

Or else this will end up being Mion's Slapstick Comedy Hour.

If that happened, the results might be fatal...

Don't feel bad, Mion. You're probably the only one who can dodge her jabs!”

“...It felt like it was her knee, though...

...Could it be that we were hanging around with an unrivaled martial arts master?

Maybe someday we'll see her debut in an extreme contact sport…”

“You can't lose to Rena! You need to train up and have a rematch!”

“Kei...

Kei-chan, you should...

This old geezer will root for you…”

Mion and I reaffirmed our determination to discover a way to counter Rena's infallible technique...

[trueromantic1]

“I think you might be pregnant.” With Maddie and Buck

Sooo...This kind of got away from me. It was supposed to be a nice little drabble, but it turned into over 2500 words of fic lol. I hope it’s what you were looking for. It didn’t end up being just Maddie and Buck, but he is the one who tells Maddie that she might be pregnant. Enjoy!

********

Putting the plastic guitar on the table, still laughing at the antics of her brother, she turned toward him. “Woah.” Putting one hand on the table to steady her and bringing the other up to her head, she closed her eyes in hopes it would help her sudden dizziness. “That was a mistake. I guess I moved a little too fast.”

“Mads. What's wrong? You look a little pale all of a sudden. Maybe you should sit down. Do you want me to get Chim for you? I think I saw him out in the yard.” He gently put his hands out to steady her. She didn't just look pale; she honestly looked like she might pass out at any moment. He knew she'd been feeling a little under the weather lately, which was already worrying, because Buckleys never got sick. He couldn't remember her being sick a single day off his life.

Opening her eyes and putting her hand on his shoulder, she smiled. “I'm fine. Don't bother Howie. I haven't had anything to eat in awhile, so I'm sure it's that and that I turned around too fast just now. If it'll make you feel better, we can go sit down.”

“It would make me feel better. Chimney said you've been feeling sick for a couple weeks Maddie. But Buckleys don't get sick. Is something wrong with you? Because you know you can tell me anything.” He led her over toward the couch, making sure to stay close in case she got dizzy again. As they went by the food table, he saw her scrunch her nose up in disgust before she hurried by, beating him to the surprisingly empty couch.

“Happy? I'm sitting. And I'm not sick. There is nothing wrong with me, I promise. You know I’d tell you if something was wrong with me.” Yawning, she added “I'm just tired and I haven't eaten in awhile. And I know Howie’s worried I'm sick, but I'm sure it's just stress. I've been having some nightmares since we were taken hostage. I'm talking to Frank about it. Howie thinks it's something more, but he just worries. Now, I'll stay here to make you happy, if you'll go get me something to eat. And none of that salmon, it smells awful.”

“Okay. But promise you won't move.” He got up, heading back toward the for table, when a sudden niggling thought would leave him alone. He turned back, pointing accusingly at her. “But you loved that salmon last time. It's the exact same thing. I should know, because I helped Bobby prepare it.”

“Well, I don't know what to tell you. It smells disgusting, and even the thought of eating it makes me feel like throwing up.” When he just stood there, staring at her, she decided to get up to go get her own plate. “Evan, you're the one who didn't want me to move. Now you're just going to stand there staring at me?” When he just continued staring at her, she decisively pushed off the couch, taking a step towards him, before a sudden rush of dizziness hit her. “Ev? I don't feel right. I feel like I'm going to-”

He didn't know what she was going to say, but he had an idea as he watched her eyes roll back in her head. He lurched forward, trying to grab her as her body went limp. “Maddie!” Catching her just before she hit the floor, he carefully lowered her the rest of the way to the floor. He could hear people starting to notice something was wrong, and someone, he thought Karen, ordering the music off, but he only had eyes for his sister. “Maddie, come on. Wake up Mads. Come on.” He gently tapped her face with one hand, reaching to check her pulse with the other. He'd just found it when he saw someone else hit the ground across from him.

“Maddie? Come on Maddie, wake up.” Buck pulled back slightly, showing Chimney to check Maddie over, but he kept his eyes on her face. He hadn't realized he'd blocked everything else out until he realized Hen was on the ground beside him. He tuned back in, just in time, as Chimney turned frantic, worried eyes to him. “What happened Buck? She seemed fine when you guys were getting photos done.”

His mind frantically running through everything, cataloging subtle things he'd missed, he struggled to answer. “She was fine. She was a little dizzy when we were putting the props down, but she said she probably moved too fast and hadn’t eaten in awhile. I offered to get you, but she said no. I got her to agree to come sit down at least. And she was fine! I was on my way to get her some food when she…When I saw her eyes roll back into her head. But I caught her. Before she could hit her head, I caught her.” He looked back to her, running his eyes over her face. Chimney still had his hand at her neck, monitoring her pulse. From the corner of his eye he could see Hen doing the same at Maddie's wrist.

“Ughh...” The soft groan had his eyes snapping back to her face. Now her eyes were scrunched shut, her hand pressed against her forehead. “Ev? Howie? What happened? Why am I on the floor?”

“Well that's what I want to know. I thought your brother was the dramatic one. If the two of you are going to insist on passing out at my parties, I'm going to start making you get me a doctor's note saying you're healthy enough to attend.” The acerbic tone, softened slightly by the affection he could hear underneath, came from right behind him. He glanced up at Athena, seeing the worry clouding her face. In fact, it seemed everyone was crowded around, and he could practically feel the concern pulsing in the room. It made him happy to realize just how much his two families had combined. He turned back to Maddie when she laughed.

“Sorry Athena. Buckleys never get sick. I can't imagine what’s wrong with me.” Struggling to sit up, she reached for him and Chimney. “Help me up you two. I'm tired of lying on the floor.”

He started to help pull her up, but Chimney put out a hand to stop him. “Maddie, we don't know why you passed out. You need to just stay there for a few minutes. In fact, we should probably get you to the hospital.” Hen chimed in with her agreement, prompting the people surrounding the to add their agreement. Bobby even had his phone out.

“I can call the station, have them send an ambulance. You'll be in the hands of people we know and trust. Not that I don't trust all the stations in the county, but they’ll be our team.”

“No, guys, I'm fine. I feel perfectly fine now. Like I told my brother, I'm just tired and I haven't eaten. I was a nurse; I’d tell you if I thought I needed the hospital. Just help me to the couch. I promise, I'll stay there the rest of the party.” She sent a pleading look his way, but turned to her boyfriend when she realized he was really the one she'd have to convince. He let their discussion wash over him as he continued trying to grasp that niggling thought he'd had before she passed out. He gasped as his mind finally put together all the pieces.

“Maddie.” She didn't answer, still heatedly discussing things with Chimney, and now Hen. “Maddie!” They still didn't hear him, but he could feel some eyes leaving the arguing trio to turn to him. “MADDIE!” He hated shouting at her, especially with what she'd been through, but it finally got her attention.

“What is it? I'm not going. You can't make me go.” As much as he'd never admit it to her, he'd missed that stubborn set to her shoulders, the stiff line of her mouth. It had taken a while, but she'd been slowly bringing it out more and more since she'd come to him two years ago. He still laughed at the look on the 118’s faces the first time the sweet Buckley stood her ground.

“Maddie, I'm not going to make you go to the hospital. I do think you should sit on the couch. And I think you should go to the doctor as soon as you can.”

“What? Buck, she's been sick for at least two weeks, and she passed out! How can you think she doesn't need to go to the hospital?!” Chimney was yelling by the end, the fear and concern clearly evident in his voice.

“Because I don't think she's sick, Chimney.” He looked back at his sister, his lips slowly curling up into a smile. “Maddie, I think you might be pregnant.”

“I-what? Pregnant? Evan Buckley, why would you even say that?” Her face had gone ashen, and there was a hysterical tone to her voice.

“No, but it makes sense. You've been feeling off for weeks Maddie. And you're constantly tired. When we went by the food table you thought it smelled awful-don't lie, I saw your face as we walked by. You looked ready to puke. And then you told me not to get you some of the salmon I know you love. And you keep getting dizzy. Oh, yeah, and you PASSED OUT just now. That's so many boxes Maddie, it just makes sense.” She stared at him a moment more, before turning apprehensive eyes to Chimney.

“Howie, he's right. I could be. I don't know why I didn't see it sooner”

“Are you sure? I know nothing's a hundred percent, but we're always really careful.” He still looked worried, but now that worry was being replaced with confusion.

“Yeah. Usually. But Howie, I was held hostage.”

“Yeah. I remember. I was there. Athena wouldn’t let us rush in to rescue you.”

“Hmph. And I was right. Besides, our girl rescued herself.” Athena's voice made Maddie smile.

“I know Howie. But remember, I was going to run to the store during lunch, because I was late leaving that morning. But then I was held hostage. We didn't get to go home until almost six, after we all gave our statements and everything. And I was just so happy to be free, and with you and Buck, that it completely slipped my mind that I was supposed to go to the store.” She could see realization slowly edging out the worry and confusion. She pushed on, sure now that her brother was right. It was a little overwhelming that everyone was finding out at the same time they did, but it was too late now. “And then remember, the next day Bobby let you have the day off to stay with me. I’d had that nightmare the night before, and was really bad. You ended up taking me to see Frank for an emergency session. And I didn't think of it Howie. I completely forgot that I’d even been supposed to go to the store, let alone that I'd been supposed to pick up Plan B after the hotel comped us the suite on our date. And that was almost a month ago. It fits.”

He just stared at her, his jaw slack. “You’re pregnant?”

“We’re pregnant.”

“We’re pregnant.”

“Yep.” She could see her brother smiling out of the corner of her eye, and Hen was using her hand to cover her smile, but it was the man in front of her she was worried about. She thought he was happy, but his face wasn’t really giving anything away; a feat actually, since she was really good at telling what he was thinking just by looking at his face.

“We’re having a baby!” He smiled now, one of the biggest smiles she'd ever seen before, laughing as he pulled her to him. “This is amazing Maddie!”

She let out a breathless laugh, the panic easing at his obvious happiness. “I mean, I should still take a test, or at least have the doctor confirm, but I'm pretty sure we are. Howie, we’re going to have a baby!”

He hugged her tighter, then pulled back in alarm. “You need to get off the floor! You shouldn't be on the floor when you’re pregnant. And you passed out Maddie! You need to go to the hospital to find out why you passed out!” He stood up, reaching down to help her stand.

As she reached for him, a pair of arms scooped her up, rushing her to the couch. “There you go Maddie. Do you want some water? No, I'm going to get you some water.” Frantically fluffing the pillows behind her, Buck babbled with worried excitement as he tried to make her comfortable. He started to rush toward the kitchen, but turned back suddenly. “Maddie, I'm going to be an uncle. I'm so happy for you Mads.”

Feeling her boyfriend sit down beside her, she gave her brother a gentle smile. “Yeah Evan. You're going to be the best uncle. Now go get my water please.” He grinned, spinning back around to find his task. She turned to her boyfriend, knowing she needed to calm him down. “Howie, I don't need to go to the hospital. You and I both know fainting can be a symptom of pregnancy. I'll call the doctor and make an appointment, but it's fine. I just need to take it easy for a bit. Now, I'll drink the water my brother brings me, and I'll sit here for the rest of the party. You can find me something to eat that won't make me feel like throwing up, probably not fish. We're going to celebrate May graduating and Michael’s tomorrow shrinking. And if it will make you happy, we can stop at the store on the way home for a test. Okay?” She spoke quietly, trying to project a calm she didn't quite feel, in the hopes that it would relax her clearly panicking boyfriend. It seemed to be working, because he finally settled further into the couch, abandoning his perch on the edge of the seat.

“Okay. You’re right. I know you're right. It’s just…You don't know how scared I was seeing you passed out in your brother’s arms. So many things were running through my head, each one more terrible than the last. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you.” He brushed her hair behind her ear, leaving forward to press a kiss to her forehead. She closed her eyes, basking in the feeling of peace washing over her. It was interrupted by a voice in the crowd, reminding her that they still had an audience.

“Well, between Chimney surviving rebar through the brain, Buck surviving a tsunami and a firetruck landing on him, and Maddie surviving everything she did, I don't know if we should reassure them that their kid will be fine, or wish them luck for raising a kid with a mix of all those Buckley and Han genes.” The teasing comment from Hen had everyone laughing, even Maddie, but she sobered at the abject horror on Howie's face.

“What's wrong?” She placed her hand on the side of his face, hoping it would help to relax him.

“Oh God. Maddie, we’re going to need to buy a room at the hospital! We're probably going to be in there every other week!” She just laughed, sure that there was nothing she could say that would reassure him on that front. After all, no one here even had any idea exactly how often she and Evan were getting themselves into trouble that landed them in the ER when they were growing up. She didn't think any of them would feel better finding that out.

As everyone started crowding in to offer their congratulations, she caught her brother’s eye as he made his way back to her with a glass of water. The smirk on his face and raised eyebrow made her laugh. She turned to the next person approaching her, knowing that if they looked at each other much longer they'd have to explain what was so funny. It would be funny to see everyone’s reaction to the news, but she didn't think she could handle the hovering that would probably ensue. No, she thought, better to let them all live in peace. At least for a little longer.

[kelyon]

Golden Cuffs 12: The Meal

Rumbelle Dark Castle BDSM AU

Dinner is served.

Read on AO3

Belle read for the rest of the afternoon. Sprawled out on the ground at Rumpelstiltskin’s feet, she let the book take her to a land more magical and adventurous than any she’d ever known. She followed the story of a brave warrior and his talking horse as they went on a great quest to save an empress whose health was fading a the same rate as the very existence of her kingdom. Together, Belle and the warrior travelled through the new land. They met friends and faced dangers and struggled ever onward, always just ahead of the terrible enemy that threatened to make them Nothing.

As gray evening turned into black night, Belle read of the warrior arriving at the ivory tower where the empress held her court. Here, he would give her the gem that would save her life and all of her people! Belle squinted at the page, trying to get just a little more of the story before the endeavor became completely hopeless. But there were no candles lit in Rumpelstiltskin’s tower, no fire for light or warmth.

With a chilled shiver, she admitted defeat. It was too dark to read. Belle looked up at Rumpelstiltskin. Could she ask him for a light? How much longer would he keep spinning?   

He worked steadily, in the fluid motion of a master craftsman. Throughout the day, Belle had stolen looks at him often enough to know how he worked. He fed straw into the spinning wheel’s orifice, seamlessly joining the stalks together to form an endless thread of wound gold on the bobbin. It was a great wheel he worked at, as tall as she was. His hand spun the large wheel lazily, but it hadn’t stopped all day.

Belle shut her book with more force than was strictly needed. The noise jolted Rumpelstiltskin out of the trance his spinning had woven around him. For the first time since Belle had sat down, he began to move. His feet shuffled and his body shifted on the stool.

“Oh,” he said. There were shadows enough that Belle could make out the shape of him. He looked around at the darkened tower. Was he surprised that it was suddenly nighttime?

He snapped his fingers and candles lit all over the room. Belle had half a mind to open the book again and see what the empress had to say to her warrior, but Rumpelstiltskin surprised her by standing up. He got up from the stool and removed the bobbin of gold from the flyer.

Belle looked up at him. “How do you know when to stop?” she asked. “Do you measure out enough gold to make a thousand coins and decide that’s enough for one day?”

“The gold is a day,” he answered quietly. He slid the thread off the bobbin and wound it neatly into a ball. Holding the ball of gold in one hand he opened a tall cupboard that was stacked with crowded shelves, each shelf weighed down by similar balls of thread. “These spools measure time. Sunrise to sunset. I try to make the whole thing in one go without stopping. I shall have to get another cabinet soon.”

Belle gawked at the shelf. There were hundreds of spools in that cupboard. Hundreds of days, sunrise to sunset, that he had spent alone, with nothing to do but endlessly spin.

Rumpelstiltskin shut the cupboard and turned his back to it. “So, dearie!” his voice was bright and purposeful. “You wandered right into the monster’s den. Very foolish!” He waggled his finger at her.

Belle blinked at the abrupt change in his tone. The game was beginning. She shook her hair over her shoulders and played along.  “I’m not afraid.”

“Ah, well you’ve never seen what I do to prisoners who break out of their cells to go for a stroll.” He sauntered into the center of the room, filling the empty floor with his motions like a mummer on the stage.

Crawling on the floor, Belle moved, close enough to watch him but not so close that she took his place on the imaginary stage. After all, she was his audience, even if she was also part of the show. “I didn’t break out of anything, Rumpelstiltskin. The door opened. You never said I had to stay in that cell.”

“If I did would you listen to me?”

She raised one cuffed wrist. “I would have to.”

“Well then wasn’t I clever to put those on you?”

“Oh yes, Rumpelstiltskin,” she grinned up at him. “You are the cleverest of all men.”

He scoffed. “You are a flatterer as well as a flirt. You know I’m not a man.”

“I am not a flatterer. You are clever.”

“But not a man.”

“If you’re not a man, what do you call that?” Still on the floor, Belle crawled onto the stage and knelt so that her face was directly in front of the bulge between his legs. She was upstaging him, but perhaps it wouldn’t matter. In his games she had freedom to speak boldly and act brazenly. “Is this not a manhood? Do you not take me as a man takes a woman?”

She looked up at him, and he was looking down at her, his expression not angry, but not playful either. His voice was almost a whisper as he ordered: “Kiss me, Belle. Right there.”

Belle pressed her mouth to his leather breeches, feeling the bulge grow larger against her lips. His body was warm against her face, a comfort in this cold room. Rumpelstiltskin put his hand on the back of her head and pressed her into him. She waited for the moment when he would free his cock and order her to suck on him, but that moment didn’t come. He just held her close, silently, and ran his fingers through her hair.

Belle was about to ask if she had played the game wrong when her growling stomach broke the silence.

Only then did she remember: She hadn’t had breakfast yet. She hadn’t eaten all day. She had been too involved in her exploration, and then in the book, and then in Rumpelstiltskin. She hadn’t thought of it, but her body had not forgotten what she needed.

Rumpelstiltskin chuckled and took a step back from her. “Is that why you’re so mouthy today, my girl? But my cock isn’t really a fit meal.”

Blushing crimson, Belle shook her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin--”

But he waved her into silence. “Stand up, silly thing. And come with me. I’m feeling rather peckish myself.”

They descended the tower steps and went to the dining room. On the way down, Belle noticed that the door to the angry room was securely shut, though she was sure she had left it ajar in her haste to get away.

In the dining room, Rumpelstiltskin sat at his chair at the head of the table. There was a place setting already laid out, an empty plate and silverware and a cut glass goblet for wine.

“There will be food in the cupboard,” he declared. “Get it out and serve it to me.”

Belle nodded and the cuffs pulled her to the cupboard that usually held the tea tray. This time when she opened the door she found a basket of steaming hot rolls. The smell of fresh bread made her stomach ache. She took the basket and went to Rumpelstiltskin.

“Set that down on the table. And bring the rest. Don’t stop until the cupboard is empty.”

After the rolls was a loaf of brown bread on a cutting board with a knife. She carried that to the table. When she came back to the cupboard she found a tray of flaky, crescent-shaped pastries. Then oat cakes. Then a tray of several different butters and jams and chutneys to spread on all the breads she had just brought out.

She wanted to rest, but the cuffs wouldn’t let her stop. After the breads, the cupboard produced three tureens of soup, one right after the other. They were heavy and awkward to carry over to the table. But she didn’t spill a drop.

Then there was a seafood course: salmon roasted whole, scallops cooked in butter. A barrel of oysters on ice should not have fit inside the wooden cupboard, but somehow one came out. She pulled out all manner of sea creatures, cooked until they were bright red--some small enough to eat by the handful and others large enough to merit their own platter.

Belle felt weak. The smells tantalized her aching stomach. The exertion of carrying so many heavy loads wearied her arms and legs. She tried not to imagine eating any of this fine food, not to assume that she would eat anything at all tonight. This was the Dark One’s meal. He would give her what he wanted her to have.

The fowl ranged from a plate of six braised birds each small enough to perch in her hand, to an enormous roast that was almost too cumbersome to move. A roasted duck, cooked with some fragrant fruit, made her mouth water. She served squab and hens and peacock and swan. The table was half covered now, with food enough for twenty men. Rumpelstiltskin had not begun to eat. He sat at the head of the table with his fingers steepled under his chin. His expression was hungry, but he only looked at Belle.

Course by course, she brought the food from the cupboard to the table. She served him endless trays of meat in juices and sauces and gravies. After she nearly dropped a whole suckling pig, she took a moment to wipe the sweat off her brow.

“You’re not done yet, dearie!” There was an imperious air to his voice, an artificial brightness that made Belle grind her teeth.

“I know,” she muttered.

She took out bowls of vegetables of all kinds, platters of cooked fruits, cakes and pastries beyond counting. One desert was on fire when she opened the cupboard, and remained burning without being consumed while she took it to the table. Then there were the endless casks of wines, meads, beers, brandys, milks and teas to quench his thirst.

The last food that appeared in the cupboard was the tea tray. As had become a custom, she brought the silver tray over to the Dark One and poured tea into the unchipped cup. With three sugars and cream, she presented it to him.

He took a sip and nodded. “It appears that that’s everything.”

Everything for him. Nothing for her.

“Shall I serve you?” She tried to keep her voice steady. “What would you like first?”

“First, I would like you to kiss my boots,” he said.

Belle fell to her knees without reluctance, but grimaced against the leather.

“And stay down there. I can manage this myself.”

It was a relief to be ordered not to show her face to him. She didn’t trust herself to show him what he wanted. She was too weary and too hungry to play anymore.

Belle didn’t kneel, but sat by his feet like a petulant child, her arms crossed over her knees. Would that posture compress her stomach? Could she trick it into feeling full even if she hadn’t eaten anything? She pressed her eyes into her knees, trying to fight the leaking tears.

After a few minutes, something fell onto Belle’s shoulder and bounced onto the floor. She looked at the thing, the small orange cube. A carrot?

“Oh drat, how clumsy of me,” Rumpelstiltskin’s voice came down from above the table in an odd pantomime of vexation.

Wordlessly, Belle picked up the carrot and offered it to him.

“No no no, it’s been on the floor!” He protested grandly, waving his hand. He pretended to have an idea. “But I suppose you could eat it. If you don’t mind the indignity.”

Oh. Oh, of course. Just like always, she would have to humiliate herself in order to eat. It was such a cruel game, but one she was too hungry not to play.

Belle put the carrot in her mouth. It was hot, and sweet, and carroty. Belle enjoyed the taste despite her exasperation. Why couldn’t he tell her the rules before he began to play with her?

“Thank you, Rumpelstiltskin.” She made her voice sweet and kissed his boots.

From above the table, Belle heard him snort.

It wasn’t long before he dropped something else. It was a bite of meat this time, and Belle picked it up and ate without asking.      

“Whatever has overtaken me today?” he acted like he was talking to himself. “I seem to be having some kind of fit!” As he spoke, he flung an entire plateful of food over his shoulder and onto the ground behind him. Belle crawled out to take the hot food in her hands and eat.

His chair turned around while he sat, looking at her with his face unmoving. From the floor, Belle met his gaze, but she kept devouring scraps like a beggar until there was nothing left on the floor.

“You could have just asked me, you know.” His soft voice broke the silence. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you, but I’d forgotten… I’d forgotten that you need to eat even when I don’t have use for you.”

Belle wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She tried to think of something to say, some way to tell him how she felt when she didn’t understand herself. “If it is your pleasure to starve me, then I will starve,” she tried. “I thought you wanted me to be miserable.”

“And sometimes I do. But you must tell me what you want and then I will decide whether or not to give it to you.”

She blinked. When had it ever mattered what she wanted? “So… all the food on the table, that’s not just to taunt me and torment me?

“It was to tempt you, my girl. To show you all that I could give you, if only you would ask for it.”

Belle swallowed down the taste of the food she had scraped off the floor.  “Your intentions were subtle.”

His hands bunched into fists, but his eyes did not leave her face. “Why haven’t you asked yet, Belle?”

Was it really so easy? “Rumpelstiltskin, may I have some food?”

“Yes,” he breathed. His eyes slowly closed, then opened. “You may have anything on the table. What would you like?”

Belle still couldn’t believe that she could get something just by asking for it. “The duck smelled wonderful.”

“Will you come back here to me?” The chair turned around and Belle crawled to kneel at his side. He carved off a slice of meat then picked it up and held it in his fingers. “Will you eat from my hand?”

Belle kept her hands on the ground as she took a dainty bite into her mouth. The duck was delicious and tender. She kissed his fingers when she had eaten all of it.

“Good girl,” he said softly. “Now do you want more of that or something different?”

“Different, please. Whatever you care to give me.”

“I will give you good things, Belle. As long as you ask me to.”

Rumpelstiltskin fed her from his hand. The whole meal, she knelt on the ground and he passed food down to her. When she was done with a bite, she would kiss his fingertips and he would caress her face, rub his thumb over her lips. With every morsel, he would let her know how good she was, how obedient.

From her vantage point on the floor, Belle couldn’t tell if he was actually eating anything himself. The game might have worked better if he was, especially if he had companion who was seated at the table with him. That was an image that sparked desire in Belle’s mind: the Dark One hosting an important guest, making deals with kings and wizards--and casually pausing in the middle of a sentence to give a scrap of food to his pet, to her.

How strange that she liked this game, Belle thought as she licked his fingers. He was treating her like a dog again, but it wasn’t humiliating this time. It was an act of affection that he was giving her, and he was allowing her to be affectionate toward him. After all, no one loved anyone the way a dog loved someone giving them food.

Belle almost spat out her cheese at that thought. Did Rumpelstiltskin really want her to love him? No.  No, of course not. But he was not discouraging her affection. He seemed pleased by her enthusiasm, as she kissed his hands and sucked juices off his fingers.

He fed her tastes of nearly everything on the table, every bird and fish, every vegetable and fruit. Bite by bite he fed her until she had to smile and say, “Enough, I’m done!”

“Two more, sweet girl. Two more things I want to put in your mouth.”

By this time, Belle was kneeling between his legs, looking up at him with her chin resting on the seat of his chair.

“Something sweet for you.” He showed her the dollop of light gray cream he had on two fingers. He put the cream in her mouth and kept his fingers inside her while she tasted it, only removing them after she swallowed.

“That’s delicious,” she said, keeping her eyes closed to enjoy the flavors of his skin mixed with surgary cream.

“And also, my dear, something sweet for me.” He scooted his chair up to the table, so that Belle had to back up for a moment before she could lean against him again, lean against the bulge in his now-open breeches. So that was how he wanted her to end her meal.

She nodded to herself. Fair enough.

It was dark under the table, but not the pitch blackness that her cell was on the night he had woken her to teach her how to perform this duty. No cloth draped over the tabletop and Belle could see the by firelight from the hearth. She saw the outline of Rumpelstiltskin’s cock, saw the proud tilt as it raised above his thighs.

She reached out to touch it, and felt the heat of him on her fingers. This was the first time she had held him in her hand. Curious, she traced the length of it with one finger, taking care to touch him with the pad of her fingertip and not the nail. His warning about teeth would surely apply to anything sharp or hard. As she held his cock in one hand, she felt the hardness of him, clothed in a loose skin that she could move back and forth around that hardened core.

She stroked him to the base of it, to the part where his cock met his groin. There was only a slight opening through Rumpelstiltskin’s leather breeches that allowed this part of him to escape. She tried to feel for a binding she might loosen to undress him, even slightly. She wanted to understand Rumpelstiltskin’s body, to know how best to please him--but the darkness and his clothing hindered her exploration.

“I believe I told you to use your mouth, dearie.” His voice came down, condescending.

Defiant, Belle set her hands on either of his leather-clad thighs and opened her mouth wide enough to take half his cock at once. She sucked on him--hard--and was gratified to hear cutlery rattling as he slammed his fist on the table.

His other hand grabbed her by the hair and pulled her mouth away from his cock. He stood up and pulled her off the floor. The pain in Belle’s scalp was excruciating but thrilling.

“You are a wicked girl,” he said, cheerfully. “And that is not a word I use lightly.”

Spittle stuck to her lips as she grinned at him. “I’m not sorry.”

“Nor should you be.” He let go of her hair and sat back down in the chair, pulling it a little away from the table. “But I don’t trust your mouth right now.” He patted his knee. “Come sit, facing me.”

The cuffs pulled her to wrap her hands around the carved spires that adorned the top of his chair. She positioned herself with both legs on either side of his, her robe opened to give him access to all her treasures. She could see his cock a little better now. It bobbed, upright between their bodies, a shadow in the darkness.

Her face was a little above Rumpelstiltskin’s. She looked down at him and saw his eyes,  wide and black with lust. He put one hand behind her back, to keep her steady, and with the other he parted her folds.

His nostrils flared when he touched her. “So!” he exclaimed. “What makes you wet tonight, my slut?”

Belle bit her lower lip but couldn’t stop her smile. “You do, Rumpelstiltskin.”

His fingers kept up their work in her. “Tell me what I did to put you in this state.”

“You fed me like a dog,” she answered. “You made me depend on you--on you, your hands, not your magic--for my basic comforts. You made me need you tonight.”

“And you like that?”

Belle closed her eyes, accepting the truth to herself even as she told it to him: “I do.”

“Well, I like this,” he said as he rubbed her wetness around on his fingers. He put them in his mouth--eyes closed to savor the taste--and Belle felt something clench inside her. Rumpelstiltskin opened his eyes and put his hand on Belle’s breast. “And I like these,” he said. He squeezed her roughly into his palm, then pinched at her nipple until Belle whined with desire.

“Do you want something, little one?”

She nodded.

“Then ask me for it.”

“Please, Rumple--” His fingernail scraped at her nipple and the jolt of pleasure took her words away from her before she could finish the name. Belle gasped and said the next sentence in a one breath: “Rumpelstiltskin, please put your cock in me!”

“If you insist.” He took his hand away from her breast and used it to guide his manhood inside her. Belle lowered herself onto him, wrapping her legs through the space between the arms of the chair.

They faced each other now. Belle had her arms around his neck and he was holding her waist with both hands. By silent agreement, they both took a moment to adjust to the position. His eyes were still lustful, but tinged with caution, concern. He seemed ready to abandon this endeavour if he sensed that she wasn’t up to the challenge.

  Belle nodded, trying to let him know that she was ready for this, that she wanted him and wanted to have him in this manner. It was new, it was only moderately comfortable, but she wasn’t afraid.

“You’ll have to do the thrusting, my sweet. Take your time, go easy if you have a need. I won’t rush you.”

Belle experimented with different ways to settle her body, trying to find the exact configuration that would be comfortable as well as pleasurable. It felt so good even to stay still with him inside her, to let him fill her. But she had to move, even if it felt superfluous.

She started slowly, simply. She pulled herself down as far as she could go without it hurting, and then pushed her body up as far as she could without having him pop out of her. In and out, the familiar rhythm. Being on top of him like this, Belle was able to control how deeply he went in to her, how quickly.

In the firelight, she was able to watch his face. His eyes were so dark she could see her body reflected in them. In his eyes, her flesh wavered like a delicate flame--pale and small and always moving.

Holding on to the chair arms, Belle leaned back to let him get a full look at her. After a moment, she stopped moving to untie her robe and shrug it off her shoulders. She wanted him to see her naked. He didn’t say anything, but did nod his approval.

“Rumpelstiltskin, am I pretty?”

Without a word, he shifted his position so that Belle fell forward onto his body. He caught her upper arms and held her as still. His black eyes slowly looked her over. He leaned in and smelled her hair, her neck, the sweat on her chest.

“You,” he said at last, his voice so deep as to be nearly growling, “are the most ravishing creature I’ve seen in a hundred years.”

Again she felt the clenching between her legs, only now it had his cock to clench onto. He could feel it too. His hands gripped Belle more tightly for a moment, then relaxed.

He used both hands to touch her breasts and in no time at all, he was sucking on her. Belle clenched at the feeling and then again when she looked down and saw his green-gray skin against the soft pink of her flesh, his bright red tongue teasing her dark red nipple.

She cried out at the sight, and when he opened his eyes she cried out again. He looked at her as though she were the entire world. As though he were starving and she the finest meal. As though there was nothing he wanted more than to have her and devour her--consume her in every way imaginable.

The clenchings were coming more frequently and she realized she was coming. He kept his eyes on her while she tried to stay focused on her movements. She wanted to keep his cock in her. It felt so good to come around his cock.

But then he placed one finger on one spot between her legs and Belle was done for.

Her orgasm was loud and almost panicked. She was afraid that she would lose his cock in her frenzy--when that was what had brought her to this state in the first place. His cock and his mouth and his fingers and his eyes.

She screamed and held on to him for all she was worth while the waves of pleasure threatened to carry her away. For his part, he held her close and encouraged her passion with filthy words exclaimed loud enough for her to hear.

By the time she was finished, Belle had jerked herself away from Rumpelstiltskin and his cock and the chair. She was half-leaning, half-lying on the table, panting and throbbing.

Rumpelstiltskin stood up from the chair, his cock still hard in his hand. “Your mouth again, Belle. Quickly!”

She leaned forward to swallow him, tasting her own wetness as she sucked. He came in no time at all and the shock of it made her recoil. She moved her head away but held him in her hand as his seed poured out over her. For the first time, she was able to examine the evidence of his pleasure.

The fluid was dark, but glinted gold in the firelight, like his skin. The contrast of his darkness against her pale flesh was captivating. Rumpelstiltskin stepped away, but Belle kept staring at what he left on her hand.

It was hot on her skin, as warm as his body against hers. It had an odor, but the only word Belle could think of to describe it was “fleshy.” She tasted it, as she had tasted so many things that night, and found it to be not unpleasant. Salty, and fleshy again. Strange, but not terrible.

“Oh, stop that, girl,” Rumpelstiltskin said, exasperated. “You’ve already impressed me.” He produced a handkerchief and took Belle’s hand to wipe away all traces of himself.

Belle said nothing and allowed herself to be cared for. Rumpelstiltskin’s hands were gentle, as he cleaned his pleasure off of her. Standing her up, he picked her robe off the floor and wrapped the blue silk around her shoulders. He brushed her hair back from her face and gave her a soft smile.

“Let me take you back to your cell.” He put his hand on Belle’s waist and lead her. “I wouldn’t want you to wander off and get lost.”

Belle looked down at the floor, at her bare feet walking beside his boots. “Will you lock me in, now that I know I can leave?”

“No,” he said softly. “The castle is your home now, you can go anywhere the cuffs allow.”

“May I come find you again?”

He glanced at her. “Why would you want to?”

She shrugged. “This place is lonely.”

“And you would suffer even my company?”

“It isn’t sufferance, Rumpelstiltskin. I like your company.”

They were quiet as he guided her through the halls of his castle. But it was a comfortable quiet, a companionable silence. The silence of two people who didn’t always need words.

That had been the best part of tonight, Belle decided. That moment of silent agreement, when both of them had trusted the other, when their minds had been as one as their bodies. They were like dancers now. They knew the steps they had to make and they trusted their partner to do their part.

“Belle.” He put his hand on her arm and they both stopped. He looked at her, his brow furrowed. “Belle, you don’t… hate me. You really don’t.”

It wasn’t a question, but he sounded so utterly confounded that Belle knew he needed her to answer.

“Hate you?” Belle almost wanted to laugh. But he was serious. He was looking at her as though she were the only star in an endless night. “No, Rumpelstiltskin.” She put her hand over his where he held her other arm. He tensed at her touch. “I’ve never hated you.”

Slowly, he began to nod. It looked as though he were considering new information, trying to understand some arcane mystery. “You should hate me,” he said after a pause. “You still can, if you want to.”

Belle nodded with all the solemnity that statement required. “I’ll keep that in mind, Rumpelstiltskin.”  

He kept his hand on her arm as they walked back to the cell. They stood together in the doorway, and he did not let go of her arm.

“Sounds like the rain stopped,” Belle said for the sake of having something to say. She hoped her bench would be dry enough to sleep on with some comfort.

“Yes,” Rumpelstiltskin said distantly. For once, his eyes were not on her. They seemed to be looking at something a long way off.

Slowly, his hand trailed down her arm, his fingers lingering over the silk until he caught her hand in his. He brought it up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Belle.” Now his eyes locked on hers again.

“Yes,” Belle agreed. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough. “Good night, Rumpelstiltskin.”

His voice was no more than a shaky breath as he let go of her hand. “Good night.”

[tombeane-blog]

Hells Masked Karens

Crouching in the jungle. Afraid and huddled together in the dark. Lookouts watching for marauding wolves - or worse. Like that sneaky WangTu tribe to the east looking to steal our huckleberries or even more worser - that dastardly TuWang tribe to the west just waiting to get their hands on our women and our partially cooked pig's entrails.

Suspicion, mistrust, fear and hate of the unknown was once a necessary survival instinct. It is in our DNA.

Look around, it exists throughout nature.

Monkeys group with monkeys "Look Out Cheeta - A Lion!". Schools of Salmon. Herds of Horses. A Gestapo of Officers.

For us humans, that survival instinct is no longer as necessary and civilization has toned it down a great deal beginning with our tribal ancestors merging tribes during the transition from hunter-gatherers to an agricultural society.

But remnants of the suspicion and fear are still there - buried in the deepest parts of our brains. Today we call it discrimination and stereotyping. We don't shoot strangers on site, but instinctively we remain nervous and aloof until we know them.

It's one of those ancient instincts that for society to function smoothly absolutely had to be educated and controlled.

Like urinating in public.

And although we pretend we can, we can't eradicate discrimination and stereotyping from our brains any more than we can stop the need to urinate - just understand it and control it through laws or accepted societal norms or just the need to be decent to our fellow travelers.

And that's why we've been in one tribe or another since we fell out of the trees and grouped together. We still need the belonging to something. Something that makes us feel comfortable, safe and different-from-those - but the same-as-these.

There is us. And there is them. And then there is them over there. Important. Not so important. Least important.

(Here's a hypothetical ethical morality game for you - you must kill someone. You can choose to kill a random stranger walking through your neighborhood or you can shoot Buffy - your very very bestest BFF friend ever ever in the whole wide world. If you don't choose - Heads, the stranger dies - Tails it's Buffy.)

Everybody needs to belong. And all of us belong to many 'groupings' simultaneously. It's like overlapping circles of tribal affiliation.

Look around, everybody has multiple things they belong to that make them feel part of a 'tribe', 'important', part of 'something'. We start teaching this to ourselves at a very early age.

Just read the Bumper Stickers.

"Girls Rule"

"Irish Baby On Board"

"My parents met the Pope and all I got was this lousy bumper sticker"

"My Child was Lunch Student Of The Day at TJ Munchkin Elementary School"

"MUNCHKIN HONEY BEES RULE!"

"Incontinent Aussie Owners of America"

"#1 Fan - Toledo Mud Hens"

"Resume Speed HS Football - Best Fans in Georgia!"

"Ford Pinto Owners Club"

"I'm a conservative. You're a liberal. I'm right, you're an ignorant ninny"

Before civilization rubbed off the rough edges - "Look Out, Vern! Strangers Coming - Kill them".

After civilization rubbed off the rough edges - "Look out Vern! Green Jerseys! PHILADELPHIA EAGLES! - UP YOURS!".

Sometime over the past two years, a "Hells Masked Karens" tribe formed. Mostly they don't want to kill the unmasked, but at the same time, they aren't opposed to ostracizing, doxxing or excluding them from the public square. Membership in the "Hells Masked Karens" has become their primary allegiance. It is proof of their virtue. Proof that they care more than others. Proof of their belief in 'science'. They are steadfast in their belief.

Members of the "Hells Masked Karens" tribe are convinced that they may not be coming for their partially cooked pig's entrails but the unmasked are a danger to their survival nonetheless. They won't disband just because the danger that is so obvious to them is downplayed or ignored by others. It is in their DNA.

The mask is a proud symbol of their allegiance to the tribe.

[shinas-spicy-chicken-leg]

Character Development

BASICS

Full Name: Shina Mizushima Nicknames: I don’t … think she really has one? There isn’t really a whole lot of nicknames you can get out of ‘Shina’. Sex/Gender: Female Right or Left: She’s actually left-winged Age: 28(Though she turns 29 in May) Height: 2'6"(So smol, though truthfully, this is actually due to me bumping UP her height. REAL Satsumadori hens are only 1'6") Eye Colour: Pale gold Hair Colour: Chickens don’t have hair silly. But plumage-wise, she’s mostly black and silver, with salmon coloured chest feathers Distinguishing Marks: She doesn’t … really have any, I don’t think. Paragraph Of Physical Traits: Um … chicken? She’s built like an Asian gamefowl(since that’s what Satsumadori chickens are), so, long legs, lean build, small pea comb. Beak and legs/feet are yellow. Sides of her tail fan out, similar to a peacock’s train. I know everyone makes fun of her for her size, but honestly, she’s only considered short in comparison to other species. By chicken standards gamefowl are considered tall breeds. She isn’t even the smollest of the smol.

FAMILY/RELIGION

Parents: Isamu(father) and Hatanaka(mother) Mizushima Siblings: None. Siblings are rare in her people’s society. Marital Status: Engaged(In one of her ship!verses anyways) Significant Other/s: Mainly @ishdarosieposie’s Angelo and @blizzardbones’ Hanleng. Children: None currently. She may adopt eventually in the future. Other Relatives: Her only other living relatives are her cousin Minako, and Minako’s parents, who don’t have names yet because I’m a horrible dirty procrastinator. Pets: Friends: Aside from Satoshi and Tatsuo, mainly Rose and the Soothsayer and … Fung and Gahri, I think. Oh yeah, and Sing Sing. :3 Enemies: Uuuh, I don’t think she currently has any, really. Unless you count her weird frenamy relationship with Shen? Ethnicity: Japanese Religion: She likes exchanging stories about the mythology from her country, but I don’t think she really follows any set religion. Beliefs: Kind of hard to pinpoint any of her beliefs because her moral compass flip-flops so damn much based on circumstances. For the most part though I think she’s mostly a neutral character with a slight inclination towards good. Superstitions: Shina herself isn’t superstitious, though superstition is so ingrained in her culture that she may subconsciously partake in superstitious behaviours out of habit(I.E., not sleeping with her head towards the North, not sticking chopsticks upright in her food, etc.) …. Diction/Accent: The dialects in Kyushu are more distinct than in Eastern and Western Japan. Because of her place of birth she would probably have a Satsuga(Kagoshima) dialect.

SCHOOL/WORK/HOME

Education: Academic education isn’t considered high priority to her people, so she really only grew up learning the basics of reading, writing, math, etc. Anything else she learned after she came to Gongmen. Otherwise most of her education is in fighting and military training. Degree(s): Occupation: Spy for hire and thief(sometimes also for hire). Own or Rent: Technically rent, since her home in Gongmen is actually owned by Satoshi. Living Space: Aside from having her own room, she mainly shares a kitchen and dining/living space with two other people(and sometimes three if Shen decides to drop by … usually unannounced). Work Space: Varies given her job is less than legal and requires her to travel sometimes. Main Mode of Transport: Her legs. :U

PSYCHOLOGY

Fears: Thunder(the main big one), mannequins, may have some low-key abandonment issues. Secrets: She tends to keep her career a secret from most people since it’s kinda … less than legal. I don’t know if she’s even told Rose or Angelo. As an extension to that the Soothsayer is not yet aware that she was never an ACTUAL servant in the Gongmen tower and Shina plans on keeping it that way and just kinda … low-key stresses over it(I think she kinda just expects Goat Mom to just barge in and start whopping her with her cane one day if she ever finds out hahaha). IQ: I don’t know the exact number, nor do I care since IQ tests are flawed and really not a good measure of intelligence at all … but as much as I yell at her for pissing off dangerous people with reckless abandon, she really isn’t all that stupid. Just … lacking in common sense. I tend to think of her as more wily than book smart though. She can articulate herself fairly well when need be can lie/manipulate pretty convicingly, which is essential to her job since spying is basically just one big act. She has to be able to convince other people that she is actually who she’s pretending to be. Eating Habits: She mostly eats whatever she’s in the mood for. Because of the way bird metabolisms work she eats pretty frequently. Food Preferences: She’s mostly a veggie eater, but she also has a thing for hot/spicy foods. Not … really a common palate in Japanese culture but a dare involving wasabi back in her childhood kinda fucked up her tastebuds I think. XD; Sleeping Habits: She tries to maintain a fairly regular sleep schedule. She usually sleeps with her legs tucked under her body and head under her wing(so … like a bird basically), though sometimes if she’s really tired or drunk she’ll kinda just … flop onto her bed and fall asleep in whatever position she lands in. Book Preferences: She doesn’t read much, honestly. She enjoys stories and folklore though. Music Preferences: She mostly prefers instrumental music. Usually something light and cheerful. Groups or Alone: I wouldn’t exactly call her a loner, but she generally prefers to hang out in small groups, like maybe two people total. Large groups make her uneasy. Leader or Follower: She can go either way, honestly. Planner or Spontaneous: She needs some level of planning for her job but as far as personality and personal life overall she’s gung-ho spontaneous. XD; Journal: She doesn’t keep one, no. I don’t think she considers her life exciting enough to record any of it. Hobbies: Cooking, art, SEX …. How Do They Relax: Alcohol She likes to draw mostly. What Excites Them: …. I’m sorry I can only think of ‘excites’ in the sinful way goddammit brain. Uuum, she tends to be pretty exciteable during festival season though. What Stresses Them: Shen, all these damn secrets she’s keeping from people about what her job is, and recently wedding plans. Pet Peeves: You had better chew with your goddamn mouth closed or she will straight up shank you with a chopstick. This isn’t a ‘sea/see food’ restaurant nobody wants to see your food while your mashing it up in your gross facehole. Prejudices: Honestly fuck this question because I can't think of a damn answer. I'm sure she has them but she gives so little of a fuck about sticking her nose in other people's lives that nothing is coming to mind. Attitudes: ??? I’m not sure what this one is referring to exactly but like, Shina basically IS an attitude? Covered in feathers?? She’s all about the sass life. Obsessions: Money, Angelo, food Addictions: Sex, alcohol Ambitions: *Loud shrugging* I think one of her main character flaws is that she’s really not all that ambitious. She’s pretty complacent with her life as it is now. Much to Shen’s aggravation lol

ASTROLOGY/PHISIOLIGY

Birth Date: May 10th Western Astrological Sign: Taurus Traits Associated with Western Sign: Persistent, tough, sensual, realistic, loyal, generous, friendly, loving, reliable, but also stubborn, jealous, resentful, possessive, spiteful, materialistic, inflexible, and lazy. Chinese Zodiac Sign: Rooster. *Bricked* Okay I don’t actually know since she’s not living in a specified time frame so I picked the most fitting choice. :U Traits Associated with Chinese Sign: Observant, hard-working, resourceful, courageous, outspoken, frank, open, honest and loyal. Can be overzealous, egotistical, and abrasive. Handwriting: Her handwriting is not that great ahahaha. It’s readable, but kinda sloppy. Sexual History: Extensive. *Wink wink nudge nudge* …. Okay I’ll stop. No but for real uh … she lost her virginity when she was 15. To another girl. She realized shortly afterwards that she swung both ways. She had a couple other partners after that but the nonstop casual fuck-fest didn’t start until she came to Gongmen. General Health: Physically speaking she’s pretty healthy. Mentally/emotionally is a whole different can of worms Allergies: None that she’s aware of.

OBJECTS KEPT IN

Purse/Bag: Mainly money, maybe a few random trinkets/charms she likes to carry around, some notes and a shopping list. Wallet:N/A Fridge:N/A Medicine Cabinet: She … has no idea. Usually whatever medicinal crap Satoshi has stored in there. Mostly things for everyday ailments and common sicknesses. He does technically have their names and uses labelled on them though because he honestly doesn’t trust the other two to figure it out themselves. Especially not a drunk Shina. :P Glove Compartment: CARS ARE NOT A THING YET. N/A. Junk Drawer: She mainly keeps art supplies and sketches there. Maybe some old family portraits and a few cool rocks or seashells she’s found. Backpack: If she’s backpacking then she’s probably traveling a ways and therefore would mostly be carrying survival supplies. A sleeping mat, non-perishable food items, etc. Desk: That would be where her junk drawers are. :’D On top of the desk is generally where she writes notes and letters so she most likely has her stationary supplies there. The top of her desk is surprisingly tidy in comparison to the rest of her room. :U Clothes Pockets: Her clothes don’t usually have pockets. That’s what her bag is for.

OTHER

Halloween Costumes: IDK knowing Shina it would probably be some sort of monster from her own country’s lore. Talents: Art(I guess that’s technically a learned skill but meh), cooking, tessenjutsu, acting. Politics: Uuuh, in general she tends to be pretty progressive-minded, I guess? But for the most part her outlook is ‘stay out of my business and I’ll stay out of yours’. For social politics anyways. As far as country/provincial politics she really doesn’t give a shit. Flaws: Stubborn, impulsive, alcoholic, flip-floppy, jealous/possessive, hot-headed, blunt, doesn’t know how to process her emotions in a healthy way. Strengths: Loyal, reliable, affectionate, will feed you(Yes I consider that a strength shush), everybody’s mom. Drugs/Alcohol: I don’t think she has much interest in a lot of drugs. Except for alcohol. It’s already kinda been established that she’s an alcoholic. She’s not really picky about what she drinks but plum sake is her favourite. Passwords: Nnnnooonnneeee?? What would she need one for computers don’t exist yet?? Prized Possessions: Her war fans, the kimono she wears for special occasions, old family portraits, pretty much anything she brought over from her homeland. Time and Place: Song Dynasty China, according to my own headcanon. Though since she’s Japanese in origin … Heian/Kamakura period. I don’t know the specific time she currently exists in and both eras came about during the Song Dynasty time frame so I just kinda … mashed the two periods together cause fuck it. Special Memories: The wasabi dare has been mentioned before but it will always have a special place in Shina’s tiny chicken heart(and in Chicken Mun’s as well). Exploring the beaches with Minako and Obaasan, looking for shells and other cool ocean stuff. Most of her happier memories center around those two.

[opepin]

january: week one

02: i woke up late and waited for hillary to pick me up. i decided to go to gyu-kaku with everyone today but aimed to not get the all-you-can-eat. my stomach was feeling weird from the 3 arts club cafe burger. hillary picked me up and we drove to gyu-kaku. we found parking right in front of the place and then we went in and found out that the wait time was 1 hour and 30 minutes. we called up everyone and everyone said they were fine with it. so we met up with mindy and garrick and they got some coffee and we walked over to water tower. it was garrick’s first time there too! we ended up in “the limited” and i was so amazed by the fixtures and stuff. i would have bought some of it but i don’t think i needed anything. mindy, hillary, and ashley got things for real cheap because they were closing out. it was about time to head back and we got a call from them saying that our table was ready. we rushed back and sat down and everyone got $45 ayce because everyone wanted to sit together and just eat. we went for 3-4 rounds. i was the first one to tag out LOL. it was so salty and i just wanted dessert :( hahah. we managed to eat everything plus a lady m green tea cake. we were all dead after.

hillary drove home, mindy and garrick took a lyft, and then ashley and i walked to a starbucks near the red line so i could get on that and she could wait for her ride. hehe, thanks for guiding me, ashley! i got off diversey brown line and walked over to firecakes, where hen was working. i should have gotten off fullerton...because it was closer than diversey, but oh well, it was really nice to walk off some of the food. the clark st. firecakes’ location is so cute <333 hen threw out the garbage, i met her co-worker, and then we commuted home together because we were going the same way. we realized that everywhere was closed because new year is observed today so we just caught up on our ride back home. i’ve missed hen <33333 i love hanging out with her because i feel like she brings out something in me in a way she only can. we’re silly together. cluck cluck cluck. 

hen gave me one of her beautifully crafted milk bottles and a beautiful notebook and a very touching card. i love this girl so much and only wish the best for her <3 so happy that she was one of the few friends i made while at SAIC. i ended the night by exercising because i felt like poop and then talking to kevin because he’s coming back tomorrow~~ tomorrow is a jam-packed day. i can’t wait.

03: i managed to get up at 6:20 am and tom actually picked me up at 6:40 am! go us! the only thing is that it was extremely foggy outside. it was so foggy that i could see it in my neighborhood LOL. we drove out to foster beach and then talked and waited to see the sunrise. we talked about how we’ve been doing and etc and it was really nice. i feel like tom expressed feelings that i’ve been feeling but haven’t really said it out loud. it’s nice knowing that a friend is going through the same thing as you. it hit 7:19 am and it was brighter, but there was no sun to be seen LOL. i think we stayed there a bit longer and then tom drove us to yellow rose cafe in jeff park. this diner is great! our waitress/maybe owner greeted us and took our orders. she gave tom the homemade hot sauce and his reaction was lulz. she made fun of him for a bit. tom and i ate and continued talking. it was one of those deep conversations that i haven’t had in a long time so it was something i realized i needed. the conversations continued in the car on the way back to my house and then he dropped me off. thank you for spending quality 1-on-1 time with me, tom! ((:

it was around 10:30 am when i got back and i ended up napping for an hour. then i put my jacket back on and brought my book bag and stuff and commuted to SAIC to meet up with chewy! we got into the office and talked with kate and nancy! they were the only ones we knew there and apparently, it was their first day back in the office from break. it was nice talking to them and updating them on our lives. i love them so! i’m said vicki and theresa were still on break and i missed them. chewy and i went to russian tea time and got afternoon tea. we got the savory items, tea, and chocolate lava cake (as usual). he caught up, talked, and etc. I’VE MISSED THIS GIRL SO MUCH! she’s been out in LA doing her thing for so long ): it was really great seeing her again. i walked her to the train and then waited for my mom to pick me up. it was like i was in school again lol. we stopped by hong kong market (for an hour, wut) and then drove back home. my mom made dinner, i fell asleep again, woke up and ate, and then we drove to union station to pick up kevin!!! <3333

we talked about his vacation and then kevin gave my family some holiday chocolates, unpacked-ish, and ate dinner. i missed this bear! hehe. we spent the night catching up and making sure that he wouldn’t get sicker haha. we went to sleep pretty late either at 1 or 2 am, but i can’t wait to spend time with kevin again in chicago (((((:

04: kevin and i met up with nluu in ford for lunch. we got lunch at tomate and walked over. i got my chicken quinoa salad with a chicken tamale. kevin got a gordita and a burrito? or a taco? i forget. it was yummy though. we caught up and talked. ryan came by after his class and we talked. they made plans to go climbing every day LOL. we walked with ryan back to tomate and then drove him to tech. then we drove back home and chilled until kevin went climbing. i stayed home and worked out. then i showered and ryan picked me up to go to dice dojo! ryan also was the mvp for ordering and getting our dinner from 527 cafe. we found parking, walked over, and went inside. omg, it’s such a cool place! it’s also much more spacious than i thought it would be. everyone was down in the basement. kevin, ryan, and i ate while watching them play a code/picture game. my popcorn chicken salad was bomb af. i would definitely get this again. i was on a salad streak because i wasn’t eating enough greens x_x i was trying to make up for it LOL.

i played fluxx with winson, ryan, and kevin. michelle came through! then me and the guys headed to a viet restaurant so winston could fill his belly. he got pho, ryan got some spring rolls (he gave me half of one), and kevin got a chicken banh mi with taro bubble tea, which i ate 1/3 and drank some. i got a thai iced tea. ryan’s hate for new york is amazing LOL. i love how he puts it into words. i agree with him but it seems like he was scarred from a past event (he wasn’t), but he is so particular about his reasons for disliking new york. it’s great. winston is planning to get a new job and move out there so that’s what sparked the conversation. i missed everyone <3 we all ran to walgreens and got a pack of water bottles and ran back to dice dojo. ryan ran like he stole it from there or something LOL. winston got hiccups from running with us. it was great lololol.

we passed out the water and then i got strung into playing avalon, which i was confused by and really didn’t like. i effed it up for our team because i didn’t see that kevin was on my team. i thought there were only 3 spies?! so i passed it on accident...sorta, but my team guessed winston was merlin and they were right! yeah, never playing that game. then we paired up and played dix it. jia and i were in last place but oh well haha. peter and nluu were killing it for some reason, ahah. then everyone left at 12 am? i think that was closing time and we said our goodbyes. i was nice seeing matthew and winston again! hehe. kevin drove us home and then we showered and went to sleep. zzz. it’s been an eventful week so far.

05: kevin and i woke up late and then ate some congee. then we drove out to cafe orient 33 to pick up food and eat it while watching pokemon sun and moon episodes. we were going to watch ‘la la land’ but i decided against it because it was kind of cold and i don’t know if kevin would like it. so we ate (i have missed this food -- still so good) and then chilled until i needed to meet hen for dinner and kevin had to meet up with everyone to go climbing. i met up with hen at sabri nihari and the service was great. our servers were so funny. i got to spend more time with hen talking about food and life. the chicken biryani was huge and i sacrificed my stomach for mango lassi. the samosas were so good! the vegetarian one is still my favorite. everything was delicious. we ate wayy too much though. we decided to walk back home in the freezing cold. we walked together until devon and california. hen actually moved closer to me T__T we are so close but yet so far away now! then i toughed it out and walked the rest of the way home. hen had a bit less to walk but we both made it!

kevin was still out so i did an intense af workout. i mixed up videos and did 20 minutes of hiit, 10 min of intense abs, 10 min of blogilate abs, and 20 minutes of hip hop cardio. it felt good but my body feels so weak now. i took a quick shower and then opened the door for kevin. he drank all of the mango lassi i got him when he came back. he ate a lot today .__. he also ate spicy rice cake at joong boo market before climbing. lolool. did he even climb? idk. :P jk haaha. o we digested and then went to sleep after a long day of activity out in the cold haha.

06: kevin dropped me off at cupitol so that i could meet up with michelle and nluu. i got there first so i ordered tea and the gravlax and eggs plate with gluten free bread except that the cashier kept putting in the bagel and i didn’t want the bagel because it had cream cheese and he was confused whether or not i wanted gluten free bread or not. x__x another person helped us out and then i grabbed a seat at the only empty large table so i could save michelle and nluu a seat. my food was disappointing because the smoked salmon was cut so freaking thick and i only got one slice of bread LOL. then a large group of people came and they kicked me out of my seat and then they changed their mind about dining here. .___. finally, michelle and nluu came. i pretty much was anxious the entire time at cupitol. i do not recommend this place. i feel like they are also a bit on the pricey side. so yeah. omg, too many things happening in the morning for me.

we ate lunch together and chilled until nluu had to go back to research. michelle dropped him off and then we drove to ikea. i listened to the moana soundtrack and also showed michelle jay park’s album LOL. i love it so much but i hate the lyrics T_T we talked and stuff and i realized that i was being real oversensitive about things and maybe other things were contributing to how i was feeling about being back in chicago and seeing people. michelle was supposed to figure out what bed frame and sofa she wanted. we did that but also focused on buying kitchen stuff and smaller apartment things. we got matching funnels, ayyy! i also finally got tape measure for my apartment lol. i learned that other ikeas are set up with show rooms first then items unlike this one near chicago. it kind of blew my mind because this ikea is all i know.

we ended the trip with a soft serve and a freshly baked cinnamon rolll. mmm. we also got everyone else a six pack of cinnamon rolls. michelle drove us back and we talked about life lol. it sucks to be in your early 20′s. we stopped by ryan’s and then drove out from there. i didn’t know how long the ikea trip was going to be so i had the house keys so when kevin was done visiting his lab at nu, he couldn’t get his climbing stuff to go with ryan T__T i felt so bad. but he chilled at lab for a bit longer and then met up with ryan at his apartment after. also, sorry ryan! lol he ended up climbing alone. poop. anyway, we all drove to dengeo’s (after getting ashley and winston) where we met up with tom, peter, and honglin. we ate and then michelle went to get terence. then we all drove to the escape room in morton grove. the location is shady af LOLOL.

we had orientation and then we basically pushed into the room and locked in. it was terrifying. there was a butler to help give us hints (helpful or not) and he gave us the backstory. i hear chains in the background so kevin and i move behind some people. then the lights flicker and the zombie actress pops out of nowhere and screams OMG OMG OMG LOLOLOL. kevin and i jumped in the opposite direction HAHAHA. she couldn’t get anywhere though because her chain wasn’t long enough yet... we were all shitting our pants trying to find clues and kevin and winston volunteered as tribute to go into the bathroom area (where the zombie was chained). there were a few seconds of feeding time when the zombie was eating, but that time ended and they were locked in the stall LOLOLOLOL. they “died” (zombie taps you, you’re out but the butler revives you after you do something silly for him) and it’s safe to say that they were scared shitless. kevin was the martyr of the group and he kept dying. i would like to think that she aimed for him because he was the funniest to scare (kevin would literally run backwards to the furthest wall). she also liked scaring peter. POOR PETER! haha.

i don’t think i helped much other than doing the final step of getting the keys. i got a key out with my fingers but the butler didn’t accept it because we were supposed to get the tools hung on the bathroom stall to open the vent where it was stuck...i also got the key from a painting’s eyeball too after helping figure out the morse code via the top planks of wood. we only got 3 out of the 4 keys and then we all died hahaha. it was a pretty great experience tbh. the zombie actress was soooo good! she like threw things (kind of at us but not really) and acted her part real well. she wasn’t so scary after the game ended. we all drove to ford to play telestrations and it was great. sarah can draw so well!!! terence is also a pretty great illustrator. we munched on the cinnamon rolls from ikea and candy that ryan bought. we played until 12 am and then we all drove home. kevin and i hugged everyone goodbye. it was a great end to our trip back home. the escape room and telestrations seemed like they happened on two different days though haha. kevin and i drove back and showered and went to sleep. zzz.

07: you guessed it! our flight got cancelled. that was the first thing i saw when i woke up in the morning. kevin had the option of switching his flight online but for some reason, i didn’t. so i called and waited. luckily, there was a 4:40 pm flight tomorrow so we both signed up for that. kevin went climbing with ryan and i just stayed in bed. i eventually got up and ate leftover chicken biryani for breakfast. then i snuggled with my mom on the couch. she fell asleep and kevin came back. then she went to sleep upstairs because she felt like she was getting sick D: kevin and i just chilled in the bedroom the entire day. my body felt blech too. i ended up dosing in and out multiple times during the day. we did manage to make reservations at sumi robata for dinner so that we would get some outside time lol. i got my mom water from downstairs and my brother was hanging out with his friend in the living room. when it was about time to go, we changed and headed out. i dropped off victoria’s gift at her apartment and then got her delicious peppermint mocha cookies. OMG I’M IN LOVE. THEY’RE SO DELICIOUS. my throat hurt but i kept eating them anyway.

we got a super close spot near sumi and then got seated. it was way busier than the last two times we went. there were some seating issues with another group and service seemed sloppier? we also had to wait for our tea for a while and had to ask for plates. they also no longer have the chopsticks and chopstick holders that we liked x__X idk. haha. overall, the food was great though. the chicken thigh and beef tsukune slider were still bomb af and their kakigori flavor was soo good. it was an orange creamsicle flavor. we also got baked scallops and the sweet potato fries, which were new to us but SO GOOD. we would eat that all day any day. after a day of staying in and eating, we settled back into bed and kevin tried watching a dota game but we both ended up falling asleep at like 1 am, ahahha.

08: we woke up later than i told my parents, but they weren’t really bothered by it. i think they were expecting it LOL. we finished packing and headed out. we went to cai to get dim sum and it was packed af! my mom managed to get us a table quickly :P she has real good bargaining skills. then kevin and i checked off things that we wanted and everyone ate pretty quickly. i obviously ordered the mango tapioca pudding with condensed milk <333 then i struggled to eat everything else we ordered. the mango mochi had a ton of cream inside, but it had chunks of mango in it too, which made me sad because i couldn’t eat all of it. the crab xiao long bao were disappointing...but everything else was fine. my parents drove us to midway and then we said goodbye. we got on the standby list for the 2:25 pm flight straight to boston. i realized that the 7 people in front of us were from the same family so i was hopeful that we’d get seats. gg us because they decided to take all 3 empty seats and split as a family -___-” wtf. we should have called earlier and asked to be put on standby :/

we waited until 4:40 pm to get on our original flight to kansas city. before we boarded, we were told our flight to boston would be delayed about 2 hours...we played pokemon on the flight and experienced some pretty bad turbulence before landing. we were then notified that our flight to boston would be delayed another 30 minutes. so kevin and i went to the nearest restaurant, which was a bbq place and got dinner. i got this less than avarage salmon salad for $17...and kevin got their beef brisket, which only tasted good dipped in bbq sauce. sigh. there was a lady in the same boat as us and she was so nice. we connected through this tragic flying situation and she offered us half of her fries LOL. we went down to wait and i tried walking around but there was pretty much nowhere to walk to because the airport was so small.

we played pokemon to pass the time. they also had boomerang and cartoon network playing on the screens, which was nice. we finally boarded at 9:30 pm and in the air at 9:50 pm. it was a long 4 hour flight (including the time difference). i played more pokemon, we tried napping, etc. we got wheat thins on this flight, which was nice. i sent an email to southwest complaining about my terrible experience all around and i hope they answer me. it’s fucking ridiculous tbh. anyway, we landed at like 2 am and got our bags. then we took an uber back and decided to stay up until 5 am unpacking, opening packages, reading mail, and making ourselves back at home. tomorrow is going to suck for kevin because he wants to go to work but we went to sleep at 5 am. this is my worst experience traveling so far. it was literally an entire day plus some of traveling.

[stephenkdf560434-blog]

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[survivingacademia]

Last days

August 22nd

Thursday. It was supposed to be warm today, but instead it’s cloudy and the grass is wet.

Classes were very interesting today. We discussed Kierkegaard’s Enten-eller and J.P. Jacobsen’s Fra Skidsebogen. Honestly, as much as I love Kierkegaard, Jacobsen’s style was much more entertaining, mystical even. He manages to incorporate meta-stories into the main story, and Kristian explained it was because Jacobsen couldn’t be bothered to write a simple story.

Lunch was a bit rushed, since we were visiting Trapholt Art Museum in Kolding. This place was breathtaking! It was a modern art and design museum, and it focused on artists like Nanna Dietzel and Eske Kath. I discovered I’m getting really into Danish design, especially chairs and lamps.

The museum had a cute little park, and the sun suddenly showed up, so we all sat on the grass and chatted. There were butterflies, and some of them landed on our legs and arms, making us feel like princesses. The boys even started chasing each other in the sun.

However, we were all exhausted by the time we got back to Askov, so we all headed to our rooms to chill for half an hour.

After dinner, we had organised visits to Danish families. I was visiting Lise and Anders Stubkjær, a lovely local couple. Lise is a teacher in Askov-Malt skole, and Anders works as a caretaker at a shared living space. His job is so important, and we all listened to his stories from work. He takes care of people with mental problems who don‘t know how to live on their own. It’s his and a few of his colleagues’ job to teach them how to survive in the big world.

The evening was so lovely, I was on the verge of crying by the time we left. Lise and Anders were so warm and welcoming, we all talked about ourselves and our countries, why we chose Danish, and what we plan to do with it. We got to play with their family dog Louis, a mix terrier breed, and we saw their lovely old cat, who is so old he can’t even hear his own meowing. They told us about their kids, and some family holidays they’ve planned. And we talked about the Poul Henningsen lamps in their living room. I counted 3, but Hanna poked me and said there were 2 more in the kitchen, and 2 in the dining room.

On the way home I chatted with Hanna about her husband and her cats, and the conversation quickly jumped to Swedish pronunciation. She told me a Swedish tongue breaker, which I’ll try to write down before I forget it.

I came home at about 11, and I stayed outside chatting with Kosta for about 30 minutes. He was really happy with his evening as well, as he managed to speak only Danish for more than 2 hours.

 August 23rd

Last day!

The morgensang today included the one Bridget, Hanna and Frida wrote about our stay in Askov. Henning delivered a little speech, and everyone got teary-eyed and clapped.

Our classes started with one of Kristian’s favourite quizzes, and every time we answered correctly, we got a chocolate bar (I won a pack of gum called Zombie balls). We then paired with Robert’s group to play Bingo, in order to master our knowledge of Danish numbers. The big prize was a copy of Kristian and Robert’s books. Some people won a bottle of Smirnoff Ice, too. That’ll come in handy later!

In the 4-hour break until our mini-graduation I ran back and forward asking people to sign the card I got for Kristian. Marti and I did laundry. I ran into Jodi at the laundry room, and we spent about 30 minutes talking about our experience and a French actress she says looks very much like me.

The graduation, if one can even call it a graduation, was very touching. All of our teachers (minus Tina, who had to travel) had dressed up and looked very proud of us and our accomplishments. We each got a hug and a warm handshake from Henning, and everybody clapped.

Afterwards I headed to the dining area to help with the dinner preparations. We’re having a special dinner party tonight, and some of the girls and I spent a couple of minutes folding napkins into little hearts. The dinner itself was also very special. We were served three courses, a salmon and shrimp hors d'oeuvre (surprisingly tasty!), traditional Christmas dinner (slow cooked pork and potatoes), and lemon pie. I sat next to Marti and Kosta, and we chatted with Kristian and Robert during the entire dinner. Honestly, it got quite funny when they got a bit drunk.

Bridget played our song again, and we all sang and clapped. She then sang a Lithuanian one with the Lithuanian students, and the French students sang Champs-Élysées. Everyone had prepared a little goodbye gift for their teachers, and some students delivered a thank you speech. There were hugs, and photos, and tears.

After dinner, everyone rushed outside to take selfies and hug, and sing! It was so lovely that nobody really wanted to go. The girls and I hugged and made compliments to each other, and promised we’re so very welcome at our respective countries. Time was slightly going though, so Marti and I headed home to shower and pack.

The others are at Fengers right now, probably drinking beer and partying. Overall I am happy with the way the evening turned. I liked my stay more than I expected, and I am going to miss some of those people a lot.

[healthfmwe242-blog]

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This really is your own body on Green Tea Extract: Researchers in the University of Arizona looked at individuals who reported Lauren Burke/Getty Images Ad - Keep on Studying Below Eggs offer a hefty dose of nourishment without tons of Body Fat and Not as fat is a Advertisement - Continue Looking at Below Who requirements blush? Filling on carrots can offer you a organic glow. A 2011 That's as the latter offers a dual whammy for skin: processed, sugary carbs that prompt your body to earn insulin and increase the production of hormones known as androgens. "Elevated androgens lead to varicose glands in the skin to secrete more oil which will get trapped inside pores, inducing aggravation," claims Drayer. Instead of sugar add organic sweetness to your oatmeal with chopped fruit. (Give this blueberry-almond oatmeal recipe a try.)

Picture Source/Getty Pictures Kale Oatmeal Needs in 1 medium kiwi. (Here would be 9 a lot more food items which pack a vitamin-c punch.) "C stimulates collagen synthesis, that keeps skin educated and smoothes fine lines," claims Drayer. She blogs a study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that detected that a diet full of Vitamin C was correlated with much less tingling and less noticeable lumps.

Eggs Nawarit Rittiyotee / EyeEm/getty pictures Provide more than 500 percent of your everyday need in a scant 5-7 calories. The vitamin plays a significant role in the increase and functioning of the skin tissues alsoeven however, more study is necessary, some studies imply that acne sufferers have less than normal heights of zinc. (Think you're low on hydration? Be certain by being aware of these signs.)

Yellow bell peppers Properties, which help hydrate skin and improve flow. Girls who have a high flavanol cocoa powder drink each day for 12 weeks advocated much less skin roughness and scaliness in comparison with a control collection. They have the equivalent of 3.5 oz of dark chocolate, but that's much too many calories to most women, says Lisa Drayer, MA, RD, author of the wonder diet program. She suggests adhering with some 1-ounce portion, or one hundred fifty calories, to experience the good skincare benefits without the weight gain. (This info-graphic will let you know just how excellent black chocolate is right to get the human body)

Omega3 essential fatty acids, which makes it one of the best origins of their fat loss. Oily fish is also very rich in the type of omega 3 referred to as DHA, an anti-inflammatory. "irritation is now called the root cause of acne breakouts," says Dr. Wu. Cutting your diet plan together with these omega3s(also identified in salmon) will to keep skin clear.

Green tea Ad - Keep on Studying Below Ad - Continue Reading Below On own skin, states Dr. Wusaid That is the reason why we piled up 25 food items which can be good for you--and fantastic for your skin layer. This is for you, gorgeous!

Jojoba oil Ad - Keep on Reading Below Mint Photos - Britt Chudleigh/Getty Pictures Korean investigators discovered when adults followed a non--glycemic load Diet Plan One study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that people who For 10 months, then they reduce both painful inflamed pimples and reddish stains. Exactly why? Mo-Re: 9 Successful Eczema Options This Small fruit packs a wallop of Vitamin Cnearly 120 percent of your everyday Advertising - Keep on Studying Below Soy Consumed 40 mg of aglycone (an isoflavone found in soy),'d fewer fine lines and also improved skin elasticity within 1 2 weeks in comparison with a placebo. The isoflavone might help prevent hydration in breaking down, and that's exactly what leads to sagging and lines. You'll find roughly 40 mg of isoflavones in 3 ounces of tempeh, 1) ounce of dried roasted soybeans, approximately 6 ounce of tofu. (Should you like https://www.enfish.com/acne-treatment-reviews/exposed-skin-care-reviews tofu, however unsure how exactly to cook it yourself, we now have you covered with this easy pan-fried To-Fu recipe.)

Oysters Advertisement - Keep on Reading Below Fantastic point for skin: Greater fat diets have been correlated with ageing skin. As shown by a study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a 17-gram increase in body fat intake raised the probability of growing wrinkles by 28%.

Pump Kin Ron Levine/Getty Images Jami Davis / EyeEm/Getty Photos Ad - Keep on Studying Below Tbsp of coconut oil for 12 weeks, had 33 percent more protection from sunburn compared to a control group which ate just olive oil, also according to a 2008 UK examine. (Attempt this lightweight suncreen which may get you through almost any daily activity.) The anti oxidant lycopene (degrees of which are high in roasted, roasted berries) enriches the skin normal SPF. (although Dr. Wu cautions it truly is perhaps not an upgraded for hydration! Here is the way to get the optimal/optimally sunscreen for you personally.)

Fatty acids (to decrease inflammation), however in addition, it packs nearly 30 g of protein a 3.5-ounce serving. "Protein is the source of elastin and collagen tissues, which keeps skin taut and not as wrinkled," states Dr. Wu. Choose lean cuts like sirloin tip and flank beef. (This guidebook can allow you to find one hundred % Nominal steak and assist grass during the fake stuff.)

Advertisement - Carry on Reading Below Advertisement - Continue Looking at Below Advertisement - Carry on Studying Below Advertisement - Carry on Studying Below Of these surprising recipes.) Ad - Keep on Studying Below 270% of what your entire body needs in a day. That's significant because a lot of men and women miss out on b 12 when they're trying to eat less meat (or vegetarians that don't consume any at all). One of the Signs? Hyperpgimentation (dark spots) and vitiligo (white stains). Making sure you get enough of this vitamin everyday (protein resources include nutritional yeast) will to keep your skin even-toned.

Who drank a drink comprising green tea polyphenols each day for 1-2 weeks experienced epidermis that has been more elastic and more eloquent, and had onequarter less sun damage when confronted with UV mild in comparison with a command collection. The beverage's catechins such as EGCG (antioxidants) increase blood flow and oxygen into your epidermis, and that delivers key nutrients to continue to keep your complexion balanced, say researchers. Brew the perfect cup everytime together with one of these simple measures.

Advertising - Keep on Looking at Below Advertisement - Continue Reading Below UK research discovered people that eat a greater amount of carotenoid-containing fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, do have more yellow tones inside their skin, giving them a complexion that others ranked as looking fitter.

Mackerel Cooked pumpkin is one of the top sources of beta carotene. The body converts Ad - Continue Looking at Below Women who drank coffee every day had an 11 percent lower prevalence of non-melanoma Isabelle Rozenbaum/Getty Pictures Advertisement - Carry on Looking at Below Fatty acids, which is particularly vital for vegetarians that are bypassing fish. Walnuts pack an omega-3 called ellagic acid. "Deficiency in this excess fat can result in eczema, which is associated with dry, scaly skin," states Drayer. (Here are just 5 reasons why try to eat a couple of carbohydrates everyday.)

They're rich in fiber and protein, just two enzymes which slow down digestion and also Dark chocolate Ad - Keep on Reading Below Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Pimples. Beans, particularly Chick Peas, are reduced on the glycemic index because When researchers in a 2012 study in PLOS ONE examined the diets of Advertising - Carry on Studying Below You are taking a look at exactly the best way to obtain fats. 6 of those bivalves Advertising - Continue Studying Below Alexandra Ribeiro / EyeEm/Getty Images John Harper/Getty Pictures Chick Peas Advertising - Continue Studying Below More plump and less wrinkled. However there is yet another purpose to fillup on water over different beverages: You will save on sugar. Sugars seen in juices, sodas, and even sports drinks cause your skin major woes, states Drayer. "When blood sugar levels are high, sugars may unite into proteins in collagen and generate chemicals which induce skin to sag and wrinkle." (Filled with plain water?). These 25 sassy h2o recipes can totally resolve that.)

Orange peel Not only does jelqing beef include a higher ratio of omega-3 to Omega6 Banar Fil Ardhi / EyeEm/Getty Images Sun Flower seeds Ad - Carry on Looking at Below Photo by Henning K. v. Vogelsang, It is the Only Kind of nut Which Contains a significant amount of omega-3 When Australian investigators analyzed the diets of over 1000 Older People, 1264 women, they found that the higher consumption of coconut oil (more than 8.4 grams or 2 teaspoons per day) was correlated with 3-1 % fewer signs of getting older compared to folks who consumed greater than 3.8 grams (about 1 teaspoon). Jojoba oil conquer one other oils tested, including jojoba and peanut. Exactly why? About 75 percent of those fat in coconut oil is monounsaturated essential fatty acids, which may possibly play a role within the childhood enhance. The anti oxidant polyphenols in olive oil can additionally purge damaging completely free radicals. (We analyzed and uncovered the very greatest organic olive oil you ought to be using.)

Tomatoes Hiroshi Higuchi/Getty Images Ad - Keep on Reading Below Coffee High insulin levels that are considered to lead to hormonal changes that cause That they ate citrus fruits, juices, and additives each week. Those that ate additives (orange peel or lemon zest, as an instance) experienced a 3 3% reduced chance for squamous cell carcinoma. Fruit and vegetable didn't have some effect. The researchers limonene, a compound found in the petroleum in the lotions that offers the UV-protective advantages. (Check out these yummy ways to eat veggie and fruit .)

Grass-fed beef Advertising - Continue Looking at Below High-glycemic Food Diets include foods which quickly boost blood sugar, resulting in Ad - Continue Looking at Below Sardines Your complexion," says Jessica Wu, MD, a dermatologist at Los Angeles and composer of Feed that person. "What you take in may influence your hormone balance, bring about snoring, and also create or lessen inflammation, that will be related to aging." (familiarize your self with meals which may help improve your power and raise resistance with all the 21-day prepare in Love your actual age!)

The candy treat is Full of cocoa flavanols, plant compounds with antioxidant Brian Macdonald/Getty Images Advertisement - Continue Looking at Below Beta carotene into vitamin A (a half cup of pumpkin packs not exactly 400% of your everyday value to get A), that will be necessary for the increase of cells. This, consequently, "will help to keep skin soft, clean and so forth," says Drayer. (Create the most of your pumpkin using those 20 perfect pumpkin recipes)

Red wine Flavia Morlachetti/Getty Images Yuta Sekiguchi / EyeEm/Getty Photographs A whole grain bread is a much better pick for breakfast over a bagel and jelly. In a research printed at the Journal of Nutrition in 2011, folks Laurie Castelli/Getty Images Kiwi UrosPoteko/Getty Pictures 1 serving (3.5 ounces) of these little swimmers contains 1.5 grams of They discovered the speed of actinic keratoses (pores and skin lesions caused by long-term sunlight harm) was paid down with 28 percent in people that sipped a 50 percent glass of red wine each day. Redwine really is a top supply of resveratrol, an antioxidant chemical together with anti-tumor properties. (Listed below are some of the highest tasting wines you are able to find on Amazon.)

Is exceptionally inflammatory, which means it will aggravate wrinkles, acne, and migraines," states Dr. Wu. When you drink coffee or pour out a bowl of whole grain cereal, she advocates using a milk that is calcium-rich, such as unsalted coconut milk. (Make your vanilla milk for this effortless recipe!))

Drinking Water Ad - Continue Looking at Below Consuming four or more herbs frequently--rosemary or thyme, for example--has been Jonathan Kantor/Getty Images With 37% of Your Day-to-day requirements vitamin E per ounce, these seeds might help A small analysis of Middleaged Japanese women discovered that people who day-to-day "There is an Increasing body of research demonstrating that daily diet does impact Keep your skin layer pimple-free. That's according to a study published in Experimental Dermatology that seemed over 100 people recently diagnosed with zits. Researchers discovered people afflicted by severe acne had nearly 30 percent lower blood levels of vitamin E compared into a clear-skinned handle group. Vitamin E is supposed to increase immune functioning, letting the system to fight off the inflammation that results in acne. (Already working with adult pimples? All these 10 efficient options can provide help.)

Carrots Associated with upward to a 60% decreased risk of melanoma, finds a report from the International Journal of Epidemiology. Herbs package a ton of antioxidants into a tiny skin-protecting deal, squelching free radicals out of sunlight before they are able to damage the skin.

Almond milk You already know that filling Your Diet Plan electricity foods --such as black leafy SusanadelCampoPhoto/Getty Images And neutralize the completely free radicals created by uv-light--like the wavelengths which truly undergo hydration and achieve your skin, in accordance with research from Clinics in Dermatology. In addition, only a single cup provides you 134 percent and 133% of one's daily price for skin-firming vitamin C and A, respectively. (Require your kale to a brand-new level with chef's Sam Talbot's crunchy lettuce chips recipe.)

Walnuts Kristin Lee/Getty Pictures Advertisement - Carry on Studying Below Ad - Continue Reading Below Advertisement - Keep on Reading Below Mackerel is one of the best sources of vitamin B12, including 16 mcg, or Eujin Goh / EyeEm/Getty Photos Michael M?ller / EyeEm/Getty Photos This produces the listing because of everything it really isn't: Milk. "Study reveals milk It is one of the best sources of both lutein and zeaxanthin, nutrients which absorb Greens, dark strawberry, citrus--may help beat chronic conditions including heart condition and diabetes. But did you know that food items may also perform wonders to own skin?

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Instant Pot Recipes & Details.

Taking vitamins is necessary for feeling and look good. You can profit from improved power amounts throughout the day by consuming frequently. While fish oil might assist deal with rheumatoid arthritis signs and symptoms, that carries out not seem to reduce the advancement from the health condition. Meals and flex bucks expire at the end of each term. Cook over tool warm for 3 mins. 7. Sell your kitchen area along with healthy and balanced, practical meals; maintain frosted vegetables, whole-grain noodles, reduced-fat cheese, could tomatoes, canned beans, pre-cooked smoked hen bosom, whole grain tortillas or pitas, and bags from salad veggies in your fridge or even cupboard continuously.

Given that beta-hydroxybutyrate amounts enhance when a bulk of diet fats are actually polyunsaturated, this stands up to explanation that fatty tissue lipolysis and beta oxidation activity boost as well; thus, to puts it simply, you will certainly free on your own of excess fat more quickly and also conveniently if a large number from your body fat percent arises from factors like seeds, nuts, oils, and also fatty fish. Residing in property, you will definitely possess numerous possibilities for eating on-campus, featuring three eating halls (Leonard Venue, Ban Righ Eating Hall and Jean Royce Eating Hall) and also 21 retail locations Our eating venues showcase an all-you-care-to-eat solution, with a broad variety of gluten free of cost, vegan, vegan, and also other choices at every food Starting from the 2nd game, the Disgaea collection includes alternating models from most of the storyline charts (Described as the Dark Globe in 2, and X-Dimension in 3 and 4) that feature foes much more powerful at that point the ones usually there, even earliest charts having enemies from degrees comparable to those from the endgame chapters. Since then, the individual diet has actually transformed drastically: protein intake has actually been actually decreased to 10-15%; glucid consumption has actually improved to 45-60% with eating even more grain as well as starch items instead of vegetables and fruit products accessible baseding upon the seasonal ailments; polyunsaturated fat has actually been actually decreased and also filled body fat has actually raised (lesser polyunsaturated-to-saturated fat radio). The normal providing size for pork is 3 ounces of cooked chicken. Consuming fish within a couple of times makes certain that this doesn't possess opportunity to ruin. The omega-3 fatty acids you'll obtain from fish oil - eicosapentaenoic acid, or even EPA, and also docosahexaenoic acid, or even DHA - are actually well-balanced polyunsaturated fats. A well-balanced full week's truly worth of foods features breakfasts, like whole-grain salute with almond butter and apple slices; oatmeal along with berries and dairy; rushed eggs along with diced alarm pepper and also One Hundred Percent orange extract; or whole-grain pancakes along with low-fat natural yogurt. An alternate to fish oil or even omega-3 supplements is actually to on a regular basis consume fish rich in omega-3 fats, such as salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, lake trout and also albacore tuna. Not all deep sea angling in Gulf of mexico Shores involves leasing a charter watercraft to draw in a large catch. Reduced levels from tryptophan are actually located in dairy and also an assortment of cheeses, according to Cottage cheese as well as natural yogurt are actually likewise really good meals to eat to boost as well as preserve your serotonin levels. In between typical working hrs Dish Strategy Credit will certainly certainly not be actually released and the trainee must look for a substitute card on the exact same day. A well-balanced weight-loss diet plan usually provides a minimum required from 1,200 fats a time for girls and 1,800 calories a day for males. Take out pork chops and also switch off warm. I have to believe that if more people took place the Snowfall's diet regimen - the once-a-week, beef-as-treat diet plan - our experts 'd really be FINE. We must discourage our own selves from our addiction to nonrenewable fuel sources, extremely, of course. Scorch advice in a bit of scorching oil in a saute skillet until all sides are uniformly browned. The explanation you can't rescue the Princess the first time you get in the Marsh Cavern beforehand in the activity (aside from the fact that the door to her tissue needs to have an essential to unlock) is because of the strong Eco-friendly Monster that guards her cell, which will utterly massacre you if you are actually senseless adequate to attempt to take it on without considerable amounts of level grinding and devices upgrades. The 2012 National Wellness Meeting Questionnaire states that, with the exception of minerals and also vitamins, fish oil pills are the absolute most commonly utilized diet supplement. Eating fish low in mercury can be beneficial, particularly for expectant females, nursing mamas, females which could conceive and children. In fall from 2016, Michael as well as Patrick Burns, each longtime fishers and cattle ranchmans, launched a special sportfishing ship called Blue North.

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The best ways to Create Your Thanksgiving holiday Supper Suggestions Operate!

You are actually in for a reward if you have actually never gone to a company dinner aboard a cruise line ship. One may count on that the dining-in pattern is actually a difficulty for the chef, however they really adore that. Jean-Philippe Patruno, that is actually a strong exec chef in a popular bistro here in Singapore, says that heading to people's home to cook is actually a lovely and also http://fitwithme-2017.info/ informal experience for them and also me". Make certain you do not devote greater than your budget - often the exhilaration from keeping a supper event could make your thoughts run overtime and also it is actually very simple to obtain carried - however remember this has to do with having a great time and also enjoying your close friends, family or even colleagues provider and a massive bill after that will certainly make sure you don't enjoy that. Supper parties may be tons of enjoyable and extremely budget-friendly - just keep in mind that. In the autumn, create a casual chic rehearsal dinner with vivid mums in wicker baskets. The award could be one thing like a container from red or white wine or gift certification for a massage therapy or even great supper. I'm hoping that the celebrity, improv comic Anthony Atamanuik, carries themselves and/or his entire program down below for the dinner following year. I favor to use the North Atlantic salmon given that it possesses no bones and the tail is a nice fillet. Keep in mind that they can be unrivaled items and also still create a terrific search for the dining table. Catch these minutes with sundown, serenade trips that are on call to your gorgeous urban area's golden sea-shore. The dinner table depends on The Heritage Flooring, composed of over 2,000 white colored luster-glazed triangular-shaped ceramic tiles, each inscribed in gold scripts along with the name from some of 999 girls who have actually helped make a spot on record. Bamboo design manages are among the most preferred in the contemporary dining room, and offers itself properly to a 'concept' for the classy table. Just consider what you would certainly put on to a wonderful wedding if this would pass there, then you are actually possibly really good to go. Sunday: A quiet time at home, completed by a fabulous Tangy Hen supper is a red-letter day. Time your invite for people to come Forty Five moments to a hr before you organize to serve supper. The lovely site from Melbourne additionally adds to the charm from the restaurant. Regrettably, this wonderful ability they have actually has led to problems and fatalities from the oil spill in the Basin of Mexico. Lata Mangeshkar to make sure that after supper she may sing a sweet little bit of song with her melodious voice as well as i could rest. Sunday dinner cooking food carries out certainly not must be actually just about as stressful as many of us create that out to be. Numerous fantastic crock-pot dishes may actually be prepared although you sleep. This web site is dedicated to all of those in such a position as well as to hopefully providing some Xmas supper pointers which can at least aid to make Xmas alone extra manageable. Although you are sure to delight in COFFEE SHOP' Teresa's poorly ignited dining room expertise, they also provide a great obtain menu from most of their favorites for those that would rather enjoy their dishes in the convenience of house. Satisfy begin of by informing our team just how the two from you came together to create this wonderful book. Kale salad and potatoes are tasty however basic supplements, as well as roasting pears with ricotta and honey complete the supper.

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Urban area Of Greater london Calls off Mansion house Residence Dinner After High rise Block Fire.

The initial step in helping your youngster to cultivate good manners is to http://befit-besporty.info/ determine or even make a checklist of Manners." Checklist of goods good manners can be written for the residence, close friend's residences, institution, consuming establishments, showing off tasks and also other areas that you enable your child to regular. You never ever recognize, along with the correct music, your enchanting Valentine's's Time supper might finish with some sluggish dance in your dinning room. I ultimately chose that the meal I would certainly take care of for my supper event would be actually Poached Salmon along with Creamy Piccata Dressing. The supper party is everything about enjoying on your own as well as enjoying the firm from your good friends. As an example, if your organization organizes a fundraising dinner and also accepts $150 contributions to go to the activity, you need to subtract the worth of the food apiece contributor's donation. You should certainly never play that by ear, if you are without a doubt intending on addressing someone to an evening at a romantic supper voyage. Preparing the ideal Mommy's Time dinner could be a great present for that exclusive girl in your lifestyle, whether she's your very own mom, or your wife. I possessed a challenging choice to create due to all the Las Vegas horseback path rides offered online, however inevitably picked a ride phoned bush West Dusk Dinner Trip. A typical German Christmas time supper typically features meals such as packed Christmas Goose, White potato Dumplings, Red Broccoli, as well as Baked Apples for pudding. Beverages were actually being actually poured, and household stories were being actually informed, as well as dinner was ready. From the different cooking types baked hen is actually really quick and easy to make for dinner. Being sure that gal in your life is happy on her holiday season along with a memorable Mother's Time supper will certainly merely improve your chances of receiving exactly what you prefer on yours!Dinner-in-Warwick-Castle-dungeon.jpg" width="350" /> A good thing to accomplish will be actually to obtain customizeded glass dinner plates for some really special minutes to make sure that they don't appear reduce the charm in an attractive setup. Via straightforward client testimonials and video recording from your dining establishment along with warm humid dinner specials, online video is actually the most strong method to entice clients. Garnish and enhance in a way that incorporates and complements the surrounding atmosphere flair to the supper. Vettie totally out performed herself this night, supper was completely spiritual you thrilling lady. A dinner party is actually the best way to discuss my brand new found passion with friends through launching all of them to its own yummy meals and possibly sharing a little bit of regarding just what I right now understand.

One of the absolute most prominent methods to gain your partner's soul is to possess an intimate supper. I just recently had the pleasure from joining a supper at Ron and also Miri Gutman's home in San Francisco. Equally high as they will rely on your for the balance, error, and general preparation on this philanthropic fundraising supper activity, you will rely on all of them to perform the duties that you regard important to an effective supper. You rested there patiently as well as spared your cravings throughout supper up until 10 p.m. just so you might enjoy this glorious second. You additionally find that with after supper speeches individuals are actually a lot more ready to be amused, they are a lot more rested consequently they additionally tend to open more and be more responsive.

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Selena Gomez Cryptically Teases New Song 'Fetish' With Haunting Photographs!

Jestem strasznie podekscytowana z powodu prowadzenia MTV EMAs - to jak spełnienie marzeń! In February 2011, TV Guide reported that Gomez would make a cameo within the The Muppets movie. This hub will show you how you can appear like Selena Gomez so you may get some of her star power for your self! The pair, who first grew to become mates once they had been just 7-years-previous after they both auditioned for the present, Barney And Mates, have recently rekindled their on-off friendship and following their dinner, Demi opened up about Selena and how she's doing.

He also collaborated with different Young Artists like Nelly Furtado and Avril Lavigne for a remake of Ok'naan's tune Wavin' Flag. The November announcement said that Selena had turn into an investor in an iPhone app. You understand you are still friends with a certain somebody when you use one of their songs as an Instagram caption,” one other added. For the three-minute video, Gomez snarls, pouts and finger-mouths the home down.

Query #1, What songs did Selena sing throughout the 2015 Victoria's Secret vogue present?” quickly went to Selena. Ayesha Takia is a famous Bollywood actress who's greatest identified for her roles in motion pictures like Socha Na Tha and Dor. Teen age lovers also referred to as first sight lovers marry individuals without making additional clarifications as their younger age allows them to be abrupt and fast in making fallacious decisions.

It's always tough to choose one of the best songs for a specific year because music lovers from internationally always appear to have differing opinions on whether a particular music needs to be included within the listing or not. Taylor Swift is fashionable too, however youngsters know Selena Gomez from her Disney Chanel present (which was translated) so everyone watched it. It's not quite the identical with music.

After years of starring in movies and TV exhibits for teenagers, Sel determined it was time to step outside her consolation zone by starring in this rated R flick about four college girls who hold up a restaurant with a purpose to fund their spring break trip and get wrapped up on the planet of partying, consuming, and taking drugs. A Fb group named 'I hate Selena Gomez cuz she is courting my man' attracted 1000's of members and likewise options numerous derogatory messages about the star.

There are also quite a few hair products out there to help you get the look you need. TMZ reported on the time of the original submitting in April executives at Adrenalina had accused Selena and her agent of fabricating reasons to finish the scent deal. If your hair isn't already thick and glossy, add meals to your weight loss program which are excessive in B-nutritional vitamins, resembling hen, salmon, milk, bananas, and spinach.

Gossip Cop not too long ago uncovered the untrustworthy website for making a slew of made-up articles about how Gomez was going to spend her birthday with The Weeknd in Paris And as we accurately reported, that never occurred. The clip—which Dazed calls essentially the most hardcore pop video of the summer season”—consists of Gomez eating cleaning soap and lipstick (sure) and getting tomatoes and grime on her face.

All the things you wanted to know about metal Oster blades for hair clippers: sizes, lengths, and finding blades for both human and pet hair trimming at an awesome value. Later that day, Selena rocked a bold belt with gray trousers and a white high as she left the constructing. For brunettes, Elke predicts that darker colours will change into more solid with added texture, like celebrities Selena Gomez and Kate Middleton.

With Fetish,” Collins and Gomez depict a femininity that transcends the female physique. It seems that the wealthiest of the kid stars have taken their careers to new lengths, broadening their horizons, as the Olsen sisters (with a mixed internet value of $300 million) strayed from their acting careers and began-up their very own line of tween clothes, and this line of clothing has gone no to herald income of more than a billion dollars.

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Dynamic Dinner Celebration Concepts And Preparation.

While much of the marvels of the contemporary globe have actually enhanced our lifestyles and also opened potentials we certainly never could have desired for before, certainly not each of the changes have actually been good. The vintage Dutch supper is composed of one straightforward training program: potatoes, chicken as well as veggies-- known under the phrase AVG (aardappelen, vlees, groente). Popular puddings feature kheer (rice pudding), laddu, barfee, halwa, jalebi, gulab jamun, roshogulla and so on Yet could you merely provide some color what traffic was actually doing at supper in relations to the metrics he offered, it looked like dinner web traffic wasn't especially powerful. While dinner is actually being actually provided and also consumed, be sure to prepare tasks that flow right through if you want to finest optimize the funds received coming from your fundraising attempts. Perform not pack your panini with way too much lettuce due to the fact that this is not a normal sandwich as well as it is actually indicated to be hot. A snack bar dinner with glittering silver chafing meals for the food could possibly additionally make a 75th birthday event more fashionable. Dinner can constitute of 2 parts of Salmon which may either be deep-fried or barbequed. Helpful after supper talking has to do with presenting an understanding of what brings in people beat and after that bring in amusing commentaries to occupy as well as delight the restaurants. My parents (mama as well as stepdad) called this dinner yet my grandparents called it an evening meal. Have a Moroccan supper party showcasing Moroccan dishes if you truly wish to create a claim for a dinner celebration. Another fascinating selection for your Xmas dining table could be actually to feature your favorite Mexican dishes for supper. They have more than the years come to be an incredibly popular collectible along with each kids as well as grownups. I will certainly conserve much more regular calories through eating Http://szymon-radzi.Info lighter dinner fare - specifically if I've consumed a late lunch time. Flour tortillas are as popular in Mexico as breadstuff is to our team, and also you may do a lot along with all of them. One simply needs to learn handful of essential preparing food methods which may assist you to develop limitless supper dishes. What else you'll need to provide dinner: Nikki highly recommends serving the shredded hen on cooked, buttered bread along with a cream cheese array. When reserving an after supper speaker you will definitely certainly desire to receive the most bang for your buck. A few nights from bbq and they are actually looking for a close friend which has an open place at the dinner table. Our team've shown pos software application, some supper personal computer software, cooking Personal Computer software program and cook computer system software internet sites in order to help you inside your study.

This hot corn plunge is among my faves as well as is actually simply one of those meals that everyone appears to as if. If you are at a supper gathering that you involve in conversation, it is actually crucial that. As a matter of fact, my youngest little girl actually ate a whole one by herself, one thing that goes over considering she often just eats one regular-sized hotdog as well as is total.