#hes all vikas 💕💕💕💕

[enden-k]

azai: [kills saran so he doesnt have to see him get whisked away by someone else and away from him]

saran: [falls in love with someone else anyway]

vika: 🐻 [← the someone else]

[romanpaulov]

Dear manulovers! Me, my wife Vika and Zelenogorsk wish you a Happy New Year!🎄

Though 2022 was pretty harsh, it became a year of Manulization! In the dawn of 2022 we uploaded a video with Zelenogorsk, and he became a world-famous manul-star and one of the main symbols of manul-community, and many people fell in love with Pallas's cats💕

In 2022 we created Manulization to join all manulovers to inspire each other and to make this world a bit kinder and fluffier.

Thank you for being with us this year!

We wish everyone kindness and peace! Keep yourself and your loved ones in warm soft fluffiness, as manuls keep their paws on their tails!

We hug everyone! Happy New Year!

[ruiyuki]

Some 86 OST impressions bc this is all I've been listening to all week:

▶️ 86 ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK on Apple Music here 🎶

⚠️ Light novel & side story spoilers under cut ⚠️

SPEARHEAD and Trigger or Die are just,,,, so fucking cool. Always takes me back to Ep 16 👀👌🔥

pianoVIIIVI-i has the same melody as Avid,,, just slowed down and instrumental. They played for both the fireworks scene and letter scene. I think it's safe to say that's Lena's melody 😭💔

Shin's theme (4N) is so,,, sad. There are three movements in the whole 7 minutes and the anime did a really good job of highlighting each section in Eps 13, 14, & 16, 18. I hope his theme gets remixed in the next OST to include some of Lena's melody if they cover Vol 4+ 🥺

Every track on this album is beautiful and so good but my soft spot goes to Hear My Voice that played for the farewell chase scene in Ep 9 😭💔

Aye gonna be real with yall, if Avid doesnt play at some point when Shin and Lena meet at the end of this season Imma fucking riot. Anything else is unacceptable.

Frederica's theme (The Last Empress) is really cute and whimsical. I hope we get the snowman side story from Vol 5 animated with it.

Talk to you for when Shin walks Lena back from the Vol 6 "war conference" with Zafar 😌

Alive Today for when Shin gets back to Lena safely after the Vol 6 Dragon Fang Mountain operation 😭💕💕

Underneath the Sky for that Vol 5 scene where Shin brings Lena up to the observatory 🥺💕

The Nameless Tragedy for when Vika flashbacks to Lerchenlied's death 😭😭

Canon sidestory: Vika knows how to play the piano. Headcanon: Sometimes he'll play pianoVIIVI-iv at sundown when he needs a mental break at the Rustkrammer base. Lerche is usually found standing to the side quietly listening. Eventually a small audience forms with Lena, Anju, Theo and other processors joining in to listen.

[regensia]

@distopea​ / Mika sent . . .

💕 Vika!

send 💕 to me and i’ll list 5 things my muse would do special for your muse if they were a couple!

1. Pay his bills. He never meant to embrace the sugar daddy life, but he genuinely doesn’t want Mika to worry about money ever again. He’s got plenty to spare so it isn’t a problem in any capacity, and it’s twofold in that if being financially secure keeps Mika away from doing dangerous jobs, he’ll feel better knowing he’s safe.

2. Give him a house key. (x2) Not that he usually locks his apartment door, especially with his habit of leaving it entirely unlocked when he’s home, but it’s his way of inviting Mika into his life. He will also give him a house key to that mansion tucked away in Maine, with the trust that he wouldn’t be throwing huge house parties out in the middle of the woods or anything. It can be their little getaway place together and whatever else Mika might need of it.

3. Stop working when Mika wants attention!! You know this is a big deal for a workaholic like him who uses work to pass the unending time he experiences. He can’t focus very well when the other is whining and being needy anyways, but he won’t fight the distraction anymore. Work is always there; it can wait until later. He wants to enjoy his time now with him.

4. Share more secrets. Another big deal for someone who hordes his secrets like a damn dragon! It physically can pain him to open up because it really is that hard for him, and he expects the worst every time when he does. So far all it’s done is bring them closer, so he’s more willing to open up about things he went through during those eight centuries or so that Mika was away.

5. Learn a bit of physical therapy and stock up on massage guns and the like. Muay Thai isn’t a kind sport to the body. Although his initial instinct is to protect Mika from everything, he also knows he’s tough and goes to watch him fight when invited. He wants to be there to support him no matter the outcome, so he’ll read up on good stretches and exercises for certain needs to help prevent or to treat injuries. Also, Mika gets free massages, first with the gun for deep muscle treatment, then with the hands just for intimacy.

[sagesolsticewrites]

hi pookie! happy spring!!!!

can I have “What are you staring at?” & Freshly baked bread for Jules x Brady

Cherry blossoms & Spring cottage for Vika x Benny please!!! 🥰🥰💕

happy spring bestie beloved!! 💐 blurbs under the cut to save space 🫶

spring prompts 💐

“What are you staring at?” & Freshly baked bread, Jules x Brady

Juliet Brady grins, feeling her husband’s gaze track her around the kitchen.

“What are you staring at?” She asks, not even pausing as she slides one loaf of bread out of the oven and replaces it with the second pan of dough.

“Nothing,” comes the simple reply, and she can hear Johnny smiling.

“Really, what is it?” She gently insists, turning to face him once the pan is settled to cool on the counter. One hand rests on the bump protruding at her midsection, smile blossoming for a moment at the now familiar fluttering she feels underneath. Any day now…

“Just…” John’s eyes scan over her, taking her in: dark curls pulled back under a scarf, a sweet pink dress bringing out the flush in her cheeks, bright spring sunlight dancing through the window, bringing with it the scent of gardenias and roses mingling with the warm, buttery scent of freshly baked bread… the bump that held the child they’d be welcoming soon.

“You.”

His voice is heart-meltingly fond as he says it, bringing a shine of happy tears to her eyes.

One horrible, awful year ago, the mere idea of this had all been a distant pipe dream— the thought of getting back to her got him through the stalag and the march and every awful thing that happened since he went down, but this? This bright, golden, sweetly domestic life they’d built together had been unimaginable, and on days like today…

John Brady wanted to soak in every detail, impress them into his mind so on the hard days he could remind himself we made it, we’re okay, we’re here.

So, yes, he was staring unabashedly at his wife as she went through the now weekly ritual of baking as much bread as she could (their future little one had a liking for freshly baked bread, apparently, as Juliet had been craving it for most of her pregnancy).

Jules’s smile glows bright as the spring sun as she steps toward him and plants a sweet kiss on his mouth.

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

Cherry blossoms & Spring cottage, Vika x Benny

Vika lets out a contented sigh, shifting in Benny’s arms as she tries to force herself back to sleep.

Unfortunately, the sunlight streaming into the room prevented that, nice as it was.

“Good morning,” Benny murmurs gruffly, voice muffled in the pillow.

“Morning,” she hums, forcing one eye open to see Benny already staring at her, gaze soft with sleep.

Finally accepting that sleep is no longer an option, she looks around at the unfamiliar surroundings she hadn’t gotten a proper look at the night before when they’d arrived. The whole gang had decided to go off to a sweet little cottage for a weekend getaway, but it was difficult to judge just how sweet it was when they’d arrived well past sunset.

Vika zeroes in on the window, looking out at a well-kept lawn, flowering lilac bushes, and…

She gasps happily, seeing a tree absolutely covered in delicate pink blossoms— they used to have a cherry blossom tree on the hotel property, but it had to be cut down when she was young. It had been so long since she’d seen one, let alone one in bloom…

Benny follows her gaze, the joy in her eyes prompting a smile of his own.

“Wanna check it out?” He asks, gesturing to the tree.

At her shy nod— she doesn’t want to wake the others, but it’s too lovely to not take a closer look— Benny springs up out of bed and tugs her outside, Vika clutching her robe closed as Meatball chases after them no doubt wondering what all the fuss is about.

“Oh it’s beautiful,” she gushes as they stand underneath it, paying no mind to the dew dampening the hem of her nightgown.

“It is,” Benny agrees softly.

She turns to shoot him a knowing smile, knowing she’ll find him staring at her instead of the gorgeous cloud of pink above them.

Cheeks turning a shade matching the cherry blossoms, Benny reaches over and carefully snaps a small twig from a nearby branch, teeming with delicate blossoms. Stepping closer, he gently tucks it behind her ear, nodding in satisfaction at his handiwork.

“Beautiful,” he smiles, leaning to press a kiss to her cheek, “both you and the flowers.”

In lieu of a response, Vika rocks up onto her tiptoes to capture his lips in a tender kiss.

“Come on,” she beams, turning to gently snap off a few thin branches, “We should be able to find a vase for these inside, it’ll be such a nice surprise for everyone when they wake up.”

[sagesolsticewrites]

pookie!!!! from the prompts could I have ⁷⁾ thighs imprinted from plastic deck chairs for Vika x Benny and ²¹⁾ ice lollies melting down hands for Jules x Brady 💕💕💕

bestieee!! I had so much fun with these omg 🤭 so much so that I’m toying with an alternate ending to the second one 👀 hope you like them!!

summer prompts

⁷⁾ thighs imprinted from plastic deck chairs, Vika x Benny

“Really?” Benny says incredulously, “You’ve never been on a rollercoaster?!”

Vika just shrugs and shakes her head, shifting a little in her chair to remain in the shade of the porch. “Jules invited me on a trip to Coney Island for her birthday once and tried to get me on one then, but I wanted no part of it. I still don’t.”

“But they’re so fun!” Benny insists, “Like— like—”

“Like flying?” Vika can’t resist a grin. He may not like talking about the war, but there’s no hiding the sparkle in Benny’s deep brown eyes when the conversation turns towards flight training.

“Honestly, yes.”

He turns a grin of his own on her, turning only his head, the rest of him utterly relaxed in the chair next to hers.

“I’ll take you one of these days; flying or rollercoaster, whatever you want. You haven’t lived ‘til you’ve experienced at least one, and you’ll have me to keep you safe.” His gaze softens for the briefest moment, “Promise.”

“I… I think I’d like that.”

Then, through the crashing of waves and the squawking of seagulls, comes a new sound.

“Alright, lovebirds!”

Olive’s cheerful yell shatters the peaceful silence around them as she bounds up the porch, grinning in her wet swimsuit and sunglasses. There’s no time for Benny or Vika to protest the lovebirds remark as she turns her shaded gaze on Vika.

“Vika, you haven’t been in the water at all today, it’s time we fixed that.”

“Oh, but—”

“No buts! Benny, you can have her back later. Come on, chicken.”

It’s with some effort that Vika peels herself from the warm chair, and when she looks down she’s alarmed to see imprints on her legs from the frame beginning to poke through the fabric. Surely she and Benny hadn’t been sat here talking for that long…?

“Come on, girlie!”

Olive grabs her hand and tugs her over the sand towards the water, leaving her only enough time to wave at Benny.

Benny, who’s now far enough away that she can’t tell his gaze is fixed on the rare sight of her legs exposed in her swimsuit.

²¹⁾ ice lollies melting down hands, Brady x Jules

The sun beat down on the concrete back patio of the Forest Inn, where the Book Club Girls and their male counterparts had congregated. When Vika had been unable to join their last few get-togethers thanks to the hotel’s busy season, her friends had decided to bring the get-together to her. So now— after some pleading with her mother— here they all were, lounging in chairs in the shade or in the patch of grass nearby, soaking up the sun.

Darling Vika had taken it upon herself to dig up some popsicles after the lunch her friends had brought, every one of them grateful for the cold treat in this heat wave.

“I wonder if you could make a martini popsicle,” Jo asks aloud, to eager sighs all around.

“That would be divine,” Jean agrees, “Unfortunately I think you’d have to add quite a bit of water to get them to freeze. I could always run in and whip us up some fresh ones…”

“We’re alright, but thank you Jeanie,” Jo assures her, “But next time, maybe…?”

“Next time.”

Jules watches this interaction happily from her place tucked next to Johnny, grinning around the lemon popsicle melting in her mouth. A martini does sound wonderful right about now…

“Ah, darn it…”

Her attention is pulled towards her husband as the orange popsicle in his hand begins to melt, leaving streaks of bright orange down his palm and fingers. Jules reaches for a napkin to shove into the hand currently searching blindly for one as her husband

transfers the popsicle to his other hand and drags his tongue over his palm and between his fingers, trying to keep it from dripping anywhere else

She rolls her eyes, shoving a handful of napkins towards him.

“Honestly darling, you’re as bad as Livvy sometimes.”

An affronted look crosses his face— their sweet toddler was notorious for making a mess of her meals, no matter how neat they tried to make them.

“Hey! Blame the sun, not me, sweetheart,” John retorts playfully, trying his best to save the rapidly melting dessert in his hands as Juliet neatly finishes hers off.

“I think this may be our cue to head inside,” Vika laughs, “I can see if there’s space in the lobby or the bar, Mammi should be alright with us staying there as long as we’re not too disruptive.”

“You heard our host, boys,” Jules says, turning a stern eye on them as the group begins gathering their things, “Best behavior.”

To her amusement, she hears Dougie and Curt audibly gulp.

“She’s scary when she does the teacher look,” Curt stage-whispers to Val.

“She won’t be as scary as I will if you don’t behave,” she hears Val whisper back, “Remember Thanksgiving?”

“Yes ma’am.”

[sagesolsticewrites]

hi pooks!!! can I request 'a kiss on the top of the head' for Vika x Benny and 'a kiss on the cupid’s bow' for Jules x Brady 💕💕💕💕

lovie!! sorry for the wait, but thank you so much for these! had an absolute blast writing them 🤭 i hope you enjoy!

spots to kiss prompts

blurbs under the cut to save space <3

a kiss on the top of the head, Benny x Vika

“You’re sure you two don’t want to stay the night? We have space,” Juliet asks again as she hugs Benny and Vika goodbye.

The question is directed more towards Benny, as Vika is just a touch too in her cups to reply with anything but a sleepy but eager “sleepover!”

“No, but thanks, Jules. We’ve got Ma’s birthday breakfast tomorrow, can’t miss it.”

Their hostess nods in understanding, urging them to “drive safe” as she and her husband wave them off, and Benny is left to gently herd Vika into the car.

“T’night was fun,” she mumbles, leaning against him as he starts the car and his senses fill with her familiar scent— jasmine perfume and the spices that seem to cling to her wherever she goes.

“Yeah, you looked like you were having fun, tesoro,” he chuckles. Jean Crosby had kept the girls’ martinis topped up throughout dinner, bringing out an open, giggly side of his wife— until her third one, which left her sweetly affectionate and more than a little sleepy after dessert and coffee.

He chances a glance at her as they pull out onto the road— hair tumbling loose from her updo, the rumble of the engine and the gentle rocking of the car already making her eyelids droop.

“Why don’t you go to sleep, sweetheart,” he murmurs, promising, “I’ll wake you when we’re close.”

“No,” she whines, almost childlike in her efforts to keep her eyes open, “Can’t keep you company if I’m asleep.”

Won’t be with you if I’m asleep, he translates in his head.

He bites back a smile; it’s almost unbearably cute, how clingy she gets when she’s like this.

“I’ll be with you in your dreams,” Benny hums, pulling her close. “Sleep, Vika.”

Sighing, she burrows closer, eyes already closed.

“Love you, Benny.”

He presses a kiss to the top of her head.

“Love you too, tesoro.”

• a kiss on the cupid’s bow, Brady x Jules

The moonlight turned John Brady’s eyes more silver than blue, Juliet noted as he pulled the car up to her dorm.

Their third date had taken them to dinner and a movie. Jules hadn’t been able to hold back her smile when he’d surprised her with tickets to Rebecca starring Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier— an adaptation of one of her favorite books, though she was sure she hadn’t mentioned it that often. He’d been a perfect gentleman the whole time, just as he had their past two dates, though… had it been her imagination, or had his gaze strayed to her lips more than once over the course of dinner?

The mere thought made her heart flutter.

He shut off the engine and hurried around to the passenger side to open her door, offering her his hand as she stepped out.

Their conversation was soft, idle as he walked her to the entrance to her dorm, hand clasped securely in his the whole time; how nice dinner was, remarks on the clear night, the classes and papers and tests they had coming up. Juliet managed to refrain from talking about the movie and how it compared to the book— her date had endured enough of that in the theater and as they were leaving and on the drive back to Cornell.

All too soon, they were standing at the front door.

“I had a wonderful time tonight,” she smiles.

“I did too.”

There was a moment of silence where it seemed like he was going to say something else… but the silence stretched on, and Juliet figured that was the end of it.

“Well… goodnight.”

She said it reluctantly, keeping the smile plastered on her face. It had been a good night, and she was loath for it to end.

“Wait—”

He reached out, fingers brushing hers as if to pull her back.

“There’s a… we’re having a concert, next Saturday. The school band, I mean. I’d love to see you there.”

Juliet’s smile grew. She knew he played saxophone, but she’d never actually heard or seen him play, and now here he was inviting her to one of his concerts!

“I’d love that.”

“Great,” he beamed, nodded, and then there was that silence again.

Just as she was about to bid him goodnight again, he spoke.

“Canikissyou?”

The words tumbled out as one, taking her a moment to decipher as he stared at her with those wide, hopeful blue eyes.

Her reply came out just as rushed, breathless, eager.

“Yes.”

He leaned in slowly, as if giving her time to change her mind— a gentleman through and through— and then their lips met.

Well, mostly.

His mouth had landed closer to her cupid’s bow than her lips directly, slightly north of their target, but that didn’t matter a bit because John Brady was kissing her.

She’d read about kisses plenty, but this—

It may have been well after dark, but her body was flooded with sunshine, something warm and giddy and sweet coursing through her veins.

Some unknown amount of time later— an eternity? only a few seconds?— he pulled away, beaming, and she was sure the dazed smile on his face matched her own.

She felt warmth stroke along her cheek, realizing that at some point his hand had drifted up to cup her face. She leaned into the touch briefly, squeezing his fingers before reluctantly stepping away— she could already hear the squeals and giggles of her roommates who were surely watching from the window on the third floor.

“Goodnight,” John murmurs, the word so fond that she nearly melts on the spot.

“Goodnight,” she whispers back, barely able to speak around her smile.

Slipping inside, she presses her back to the door and touches her fingers to her lips, a giggle bubbling out of her as she makes her way up the stairs, bracing herself for the tidal wave of questions from her roommates.

[sagesolsticewrites]

hi darling!! from the march prompts, can I please have ¹⁸⁾ a wild daisy in a buttonhole for Vika and Benny, ¹⁰⁾ jazz at midnight for Jules and Brady? 🥰💖💕

bestie!!! thank you for these, I had a blast writing them! 🥹🫶

march prompts

blurbs under the cut to save space

¹⁸⁾ a wild daisy in a buttonhole, Vika and Benny

“It’s beautiful here.”

Benny took in his surroundings— a clear blue sky above, grass and wildflowers at his feet as far as he could see, not another soul for miles— and then turned to take in the girl next to him.

Vika beamed up at him, her hair down in loose curls that he somehow knew were natural rather than the set, smooth waves she normally wore. She glowed in the sunlight, clad in a soft orange dress that set off the brown of her hair, her skin, her eyes.

He was momentarily at a loss for words, his breath catching in his throat before he replied softly, “It is.”

He wasn’t talking about their surroundings and, judging by her shy smile, it seemed like Vika knew that.

She leaned down to pluck a bright white daisy from the ground.

“Did you know daisies mean new beginnings?” She said, twirling the stem between her fingers.

“They do?”

She hummed an affirmation, nodding.

“Kind of like us meeting that day in the street. A new beginning for both of us.”

It was, in a way. Meeting Vika, the friendship they’d built, it had been a fresh start for him after the war. A new friendship with a clean slate, with none of the pressures of trying to be who he’d been before, and it was freeing, in a way.

“I guess so.”

He smiled, and his breath hitched again as she stepped closer, and his lungs were filled with her jasmine-and-spices scent as she tucked the daisy into the top buttonhole of his shirt, the tiny petals tickling his skin.

He expected her to step away, but she stayed right where she was, barely two inches between them. Her brown eyes sparkled up at him as they shared one, two, three breaths, and then she was getting closer—

Wait, was she… pawing at him?

Benny’s eyes opened to a shadowy mass standing over him, Meatball’s familiar whine greeting him as the paw hitting his chest pulled him out of sleep.

“Aw geez, wha—” his voice is thick and slow with sleep as he tries to make sense of where he is, still half in that lovely, sun-drenched dream.

“Meatball, what is it?”

He forces himself to sit up and watch as the husky hops off the hotel bed and pads over to the door, looking back at him expectantly.

With a sigh, Benny reaches for his coat, the last dregs of the dream fading as he makes his way over to the door, giving a nod to Vika’s Uncle Ronny as he leads Meatball down and out to the little-used patch of grass out the side door of the lobby.

He is not disappointed to see that Vika’s not on the night shift tonight. No sir, not at all.

¹⁰⁾ jazz at midnight, Jules and Brady

It was the music that woke her.

Mellow, winding notes that didn’t coalesce into any song she knew— but she knew the sound of John Brady’s saxophone when she heard it.

Juliet Brady slipped out of bed and padded downstairs, robe held tight around her against the chilly night air, and followed the sound to the back porch.

There her husband stands, soft notes drifting from the brass of his instrument, seemingly not caring for the hour or the chill.

“Johnny?” She says softly, not wanting to startle him.

The music stops abruptly as he turns at the sound of her voice, and she scans his gaze carefully— it’s clear, albeit a bit tired, but he recognizes her. 

With the reassurance that this isn’t another one of his episodes, Juliet relaxes a bit.

“It’s midnight, honey, what are you doing up?”

John shrugs, “Couldn’t sleep. Felt like I needed to do something, and I didn’t wanna wake you, so I came out here. Kept it quiet so I didn’t wake the neighbors, don’t worry.”

“Thank you,” she says at that last comment— the last thing they need is Betty finding another topic for her passive aggressive little quips during the neighborhood bridge game— “You’re sure you’re okay, Johnny?”

He smiles.

“I’m fine, I promise, sweetheart.”

“Well, as long as we’re out here,” she settles onto the little wicker sofa they set up on the porch, patting the cushion beside her, “Play something for me?”

John sits next to her, his warmth staving off some of the chill.

“Always. Any special requests?”

Juliet shrugs, “Anything at all. I just like hearing you play.”

His blue eyes sparkle in the light of the moon, nimble fingers at the ready, and Jules leans into her husband as the beginning notes of You Stepped Out of a Dream drift out into the darkness.

[enden-k]

Hiiiii! Loving all the Amygdala stuff, it feeds my soul. It’s as though everything that gets siphoned from Vika is fed into my lifespan 😌

I have a question, why did Vika start smoking? My impression (as admittedly a non-smoker) is that smoking gives you a dopamine increase, making you feel nice. But if Vika can’t feel sensations (other than Saran), what’s he getting out of it? Did he start at some point because he was desperate to feel anything at all? Does he still get addicted, like does it still affect the pathways in his brain even though he’s not consciously aware of the sensation it brings?

I’ve been so curious about this since the very first drawings you shared where he smokes!

Wishing you a lovely day 🐙💕

//🧷anon

WAAA ANON 💕

i already answered it before and linked it in the masterpost, i hope you dont mind if i just link it again !

he tried it and jsut stuck to it. he still smokes, altho just as a habit since he cant taste anymore. his senses grow worse over time

but yea its also correct that vika did lots of things out of desperation regarding his numbing senses, mostly for anything involving sensation. its lit why he did SH etcetc

[sagesolsticewrites]

pookie! can I have ⁹⁾ blackberry jam for Jules and Johnny and ¹⁵⁾ a half-full milk carton for Vika and Benny? ilysm!!!!! 💝

Winnie darling!! So sorry for the wait honey 😅 Tysm for the request, love you pooks 💕

From this prompt list!

blackberry jam, Brady x Jules

There was a package waiting for him at the APO on the way back from that day’s practice flight.

They’d been at Thorpe Abbotts for about three weeks now, and while John Brady had gotten a (very long) letter from Jules already, this was the first time he’d had an unassuming brown box waiting for him.

“Treats from home already, Brady?” Hambone grinned, gold teeth glinting in the sun.

“Be nice and maybe I’ll share, Ham,” he retorted with a smirk, though there was no malice in his voice.

Back at their barracks, Hoerr, Hambone, and Croz quickly split off to their own bunks, eager for some semblance of privacy as they opened their own letters from home.

Brady examined the box in his hands, giving it a careful shake. There was a sort of light rattle on one side, while something weighed the cardboard down on the other. He wanted to tear it open, but forced himself to take his time, deliberately peeling away the paper and slicing through the tape that sealed the cardboard shut. Lifting the flaps revealed a thick wad of neatly folded paper, a small blue tin and a bundle of… fabric?

Further examination revealed the wad of paper to be yet another letter from his Juliet, describing her preparations for the new school year and time spent with his parents in delicate cursive script. A postscript was included, he noted with a grin, a full page of his mother’s familiar neat handwriting, detailing how much they missed him, how they hoped he was staying safe, and how kind his girl was to keep them company so often since he’d shipped out.

She’s a keeper! His mother teased, and he could nearly hear her laugh as he read it.

According to the letter, the tin held a batch of his favorite shortbread cookies, accompanied by— his grin grew wider— a jar of blackberry jam made by Juliet herself.

Your mother did most of the work, she’d insisted in her letter, but his mother assured him that Juliet had done it nearly all on her own.

Setting the pages carefully aside, he turned his attention to unwrapping the bundle of thick fabric, peeling back the layers that protected it on its journey over the Atlantic until he held a glass jar about the size of his hand filled with a thick, dark jam. He opened the blue tin next, grinning at the tiny golden cookies stacked inside.

Warmth filled his chest at the thought of his mom and Juliet in the little kitchen at home, talking and laughing, setting aside a good portion of their rationed sugar just to send him a taste of home.

He didn’t have utensils, but that didn’t bother him as he unscrewed the jar and dipped a cookie in.

One bite, and he was transported back to being a kid in Victor, New York, wriggling impatiently at the table as his mother fixed him a snack after school.

“Brady— hey, Brady—”

The memory was cut short as a voice drifted in from his right, and he turned to see Hambone grinning at him hopefully.

“Whatcha got there?”

With a good-natured roll of his eyes, he held out the tin to his friend.

“Shortbread. You can have one.”

The tin was passed around to his crew, all of them soon singing their praises of Ma Brady’s cooking, and John tucked the letter into his footlocker with the one he’d already gotten.

With any luck, he’d be home to see Jules and his mother side by side in the kitchen by this time next year.

half-full milk carton, Benny x Vika

Vika woke with a start, a sinking feeling in her chest. She wasn’t sure what had woken her, but as she glanced around trying to get her bearings, one thing stood out to her.

This was not her room.

A shifting at the end of the bed revealed a furry mass, and she froze until a familiar sleepy whine reached her ears.

That’s right. She was spending the night at Benny’s.

The tightness in her chest eased somewhat as Vika reached down to give Meatball a pet. Her eyes strayed to the other side of the bed, revealing a thrown-back duvet and rumpled sheets.

Her heart sank. Another nightmare?

Wrapped in her robe with Meatball trotting at her heels, she slipped out into the hall, following the dim moonlight to the sounds coming from the kitchen.

“Benny?”

The silhouette, backlit by the light of the fridge, jumped in surprise. Benny turned to face her, his face still half in shadow.

“Vika,” he said, his voice soft, “What are you doing up?”

“I could ask you the same question,” she replied gently, crossing the tiled floor to stand next to him. She asked tentatively, “Nightmare again?”

He looked down, avoiding her eyes as he focused on Meatball weaving between their legs, “Something like that.”

She hummed, scanning him over. He didn’t seem to want to talk about it, and she wouldn’t force him. So, she turned her attention to the fridge.

“Any luck finding a midnight snack?”

Even in the dim light, there was a trace of relief in Benny’s face at the topic change.

“Not yet.”

She took stock of the somewhat sparse contents— a few meals from his mother, the last of a hunk of cheese, slightly wilting greens, a half-full milk carton—

“Can I suggest something? You don’t have to try it if you don’t want.”

“Please do, I can’t seem to make a decision,” Benny said with a soft laugh.

She pulled out the milk carton and snagged what was left of the loaf of bread on the counter.

“This is what my mother made for me before bed every night when I was little,” she explained, pulling out a small saucepan and two bowls, “Bread dipped in warm milk seemed to always do the trick when she needed me to go to sleep.”

Benny hummed, watching her flick on the stove and set the milk at a gentle simmer. She shot him a wink as she added a rather generous pinch of sugar to the milk, stirring all the while.

“I’m technically only supposed to put in a little bit, but… I think we can make an exception just this once.”

“I won’t tell a soul,” Benny found himself promising with a grin, and soon there were two steaming bowls of warm, sweet milk set in front of them, along with a slice of bread each.

Benny dipped one corner in, eyes widening at the simple but indescribably comforting taste. Something loosened in Vika’s chest, seeing his soft smile as he ate— thank goodness he liked it. It gave her an odd sense of pride, introducing him to something that held such dear memories for her and seeing the opportunity to build memories with him as well.

He ate it like her father did, she noted. Leaving the slice whole, dipping a corner at a time. She favored her mother’s strategy of tearing off pieces one by one and dipping them— useful for slipping some to Meatball, who was whining at their feet not wanting to be left out.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Benny’s voice drifted in from her right, softened by the hour and by a slight sleepiness creeping in.

He wasn’t just thanking her for the snack, she knew.

Still, all she did was give him a tender smile, lifting the bowl to her lips to drain the last bit of sweetness at the bottom.

“You’re very welcome, Benny. Now how about we go back to bed?”