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weaselle · 4 years

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cooking for people who have no idea what they are doing (or are just, like, real depressed)

Okay, I’m a professional cook, but also, I get depressed. This is the cooking I do when I’m depressed, because I need the simplest path to a whole meal.

This is not for vegetarians, because, while I wholeheartedly support people choosing vegetarianism, and also enjoy cooking for vegetarians, for me, the simplest path to a meal includes meat. Perhaps when I am less depressed I will work on options.

A lot of recipes focus on achieving food that is in some way special, using special techniques, or using a precise list of carefully measured high-end ingredients... and that’s not this, this is all the parts of cooking that are not those things.

First, shopping

Meats Starches Veggies Sauces Breakfast/Snack

For a whole week you’re going to want

3 kinds of meat, with five portions each. So, for example, five chicken breasts, 10 sausage links, and 2-3 pounds of ground beef. Other possibilities include pork chops, salmon, some kind of steak, whatever.

You’re going to want up to 3 starches. Honestly I usually stick to just rice, but you can go with rice, potatoes, and pasta. If you want to use quinoa or polenta or something, thats on you.

And, you’re going to want about 3 types of vegetables, again, about 5 portions each -- and try to stay green. So personally, I usually get 5 medium zucchini, 2 medium heads of broccoli, and then either yellow squash or mushrooms. A bag of salad greens is also a good option, and I have an easy way to make a good salad, which I will do as a separate post.

Next pick something easy that works as either breakfast or a snack. For me this is a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and a bunch of bananas. Sometimes it’s nice to have an additional option here, like cereal or yogurt.

Last, you’ll want 2-5 sauces in bottles. I would definitely recommend a low sodium soy sauce be one of them, and maybe a BBQ sauce for the other. I usually also include worcestershire and sriracha but go with whatever you want, teriyaki sauce, A1, whatever you know you’ll eat. Hell, you can use Italian style salad dressing as a cookable sauce if you really want.

Oh, and If you don’t already have some at the house, you’ll need pan lube: butter and/or some kind of cooking oil.

Okay! we’re done shopping! Affordability isn’t the main focus here, but is undeniably important -- I live in a very expensive area, this shopping trip is going to feed me well for a week and costs me about $100 bucks. When I was living in Alabama, it probably would have cost me more like $70. You won’t need to get stuff like the sauce and rice and peanut butter every week, so you’re definitely looking at a monthly grocery bill of something like $300 depending on where you live, and that’s not too bad.

Prep

hell no, I’m depressed, the only prep I’m doing is putting two packages of meat in the freezer and the rest of this stuff in the fridge. You CAN box or bag each portion of meat separately so you can really alternate what you eat -- me, I’m gonna eat chicken for two or three days, then beef for two or three days, etc.

and listen, don’t fuck around with microwave settings or running water on things to defrost them. If you package the meat all up separately, just move a portion from the freezer to the fridge each time you cook dinner. Or, if you do like me, move the whole package when you go to cook your last portion of the previous stuff, and just deal with the fact that it will probably still be a tiny bit frozen when you go to cook next.

Tip: When you cook dinner, you’re going to make enough for lunch. That just leaves you one small meal - I often smear peanut butter on a peice of bread and wrap it around a banana like a taco - fast, easy, practically no dishes, relatively healthy

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Cooking (this is going to take about 25 minutes)

You’re going to need

ONE frying pan, medium size w/ lid ONE boil pot, medium size w/ lid knife, a spatula and a cutting board.

If you want to be fancy, you can include a big spoon. Looks like this

No matter what the specific ingredients you’ve chosen, the basic format is going to be:

Start your starch heat pan, put meat in the pan flip meat and add veggies, cover with lid remove meat and add sauce finish starch put everything on a plate while it is still too hot to eat and you are standing in the kitchen anyway, wash the like, 4 dishes you’ve gotten dirty. eat.

Okay, before you even get everything else out, start your starch. For rice this means rinse the rice and put it in the cold water and set it on high heat, for pasta this means put your salted water on the stove on high heat. For potatoes, you can use my perfect mashed potatoes recipe (I’ll do that as a separate post) or, honestly, you can wait until you’re halfway done with the rest of everything and microwave the sucker for like 8 minutes. I would never do that in a restaurant, but trying to feed my lethargic depressed ass? Absolutely.

easy rice: Fill your smallest coffee cup with rice, put it in the pot. Rinse. Fill the same cup twice with water, add to rice. Bring to a boil, give a good stir, turn heat all the way down, put a lid on it for something like 15 more minutes.

Okay, now lube your pan. Butter, olive oil, whatever. You’re probably looking at an amount more than a teaspoon and less than a table spoon of whichever you use. Personally I try to use as little olive oil as possible, so I pour a large coin sized amount (a quarter in the U.S.) into the pan, ear off a piece of the paper towel I’m going to use as my napkin for the evening, fold it up tight, and sort of paint the oil around so a little goes a longer way.

Pan lubed? Great, turn your burner on. highest heat will work but is not ideal, medium heat will work better but is still not ideal. Halfway between the two is perfect for chicken, a little hotter for beef, a little lower for fish.

Now remove two portions of your chosen protein (that way you’ll have tomorrow’s lunch too). By the time you get the packaging open and stuff, your pan is probably hot. If it’s not, let it get hot. You don’t want the oil to start smoking (warning, butter will burn faster than oil) but if you shake a single drop of water off your finger into the pan, you want it to sizzle.

If your pan is hot, put your meat in. The more you do this, the more you’ll perfect the timing, but you’re going to cook it for ~about~ 7 minutes before you flip it, maybe a couple minutes longer if it’s chicken or pork, maybe a couple minutes less if it’s beef.

Now that your meat is in, prepare your veggie. Rinse it off, cut off any part of it you don’t want to eat, and then cut what’s left into pieces the size of a large bite. Don’t worry, it’s going to get a little smaller when you cook it. Take your time, you’ll probably finish in less time than the meat needs.

Time to flip your meat? Great. Do that, and then dump your chopped up veggie in the pan. It does not matter at all if the pieces are not touching the bottom of the pan -probably most of them will not be, a bunch will be on top of the meat, that’s fine.

Put a lid on it. Now add your pasta to the water, or put your potato in the microwave, or check your rice. If following my perfect mashed potato recipe, mash now.

Rice tip, checking: eat a grain, you want zero crunch. If it’s not done and there’s no liquid, add a splash of water and stir. It it’s done or close to done, but it is still very wet, give it a big stir and leave on the stove with the lid off for a couple minutes.

Your meat still has like, at least 4 minutes, so rinse off your cutting board and chef knife, get out a plate, table knife and fork.

Meat done? Great. Take the meat out of the pan, leaving the veggies in. Add sauce to the pan. I like to also use a little wine, because it’s usually already in the house, if you have some and want to, pour a large swallow of wine in the pan with the sauce. I’ll often mix a couple sauces, like worcestershire and soy (makes something similar to teriyaki) or hot sauce and BBQ

Stir the sauce around with the veggies. This, called deglazing, is an important step for two reasons, 1: it will get up a lot of the flavorful stuff that has stuck to the pan and make your sauce better, and 2: it will make washing the pan much easier. Okay, put the lid back on for one to two minutes, maybe stir a couple times. Basically you want the sauce to stain the veggies.

Your starch should be done, turn off the burner, put a portion on your plate, and stick the rest in a ziplock or tupperware or something. Go ahead and throw the second portion of meat right in there with it.

Turn off the stove and scoop the veggies onto the plate, and pour the sauce from the pan over everything.

Now, while it’s too hot to eat, and you’re standing in the kitchen anyway, wash the pot, pan, and spatula. It should be very easy because of the way you used the sauce and because nothing has had a chance to harden. This usually takes me about 2 full minutes.

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OKAY! it’s been 20-25 minutes, you’ve got dinner and tomorrow’s lunch (just add another cut up veggie, pour a different sauce on, and put it in the microwave for two or three minutes) AND there’s no danger of dishes piling up on you :) You can even add “washing last night’s plate and fork for use tonight” to where you rinse the cutting board to really keep it full circle.

It’s not gormet. It IS accessibly healthy, affordable, and easy.

If you are extra depressed, forget the starch and use more veggies; this cuts what little work there is by up to half

Using this format, you can have three good meals per day and only spend 30 total minutes a day in the kitchen — including clean up! (dishes piling up tends to exacerbate my depression and makes cooking your next meal harder)

And it’s easy to give yourself a wide variety, from soy glazed chicken, zucchini and rice one night; to steak, mushrooms and pasta the next; followed by BBQ pork chops, brocoli and potatoes... I suck at math but there’s probably a hundred options

Just to recap, because I know I was very detailed and this might seem overwhelming, once you read through the above to answer any questions you might have, simply

-Start your starch -lube & heat pan, put meat in the pan, about 7 minutes -flip meat, add veggies, lid, about 7 minutes -wash knife and cutting board -remove meat and add sauce to veggies, re-lid, 1-2 minutes -finish starch, refrigerate extra meat and starch -put everything left on a plate -wash pot and pan -eat.

#cooking #food #depression meals

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saint-ambrosef · 3 years

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As a broke student who didn't grow up learning how to cook, any "how to cook and eat cheap for newbs" tips would be MUCH appreciated

Ask and you shall receive!

Meal Planning:

Figure out what you enjoy eating. That can mean cuisine or specific ingredients; for instance, I love Indian and Mediterranean food. It helps with planning meals.

Plan your week's dinner ahead. If you're just starting out, that can be intimidating, so just plan 2 or 3. Use the above tip as a guide to figure out what dishes you can make, but I will also suggest my favorite easy dishes below to get you started. Make a list of ingredients you need for your weekly meal.

Keep a list of recipes you like -- I have a google doc for this purpose. Then when it's time to plan my weekly meals, I just scroll through my list, pick a few, and write down the ingredients.

If you're living by yourself, you can totally cook less frequently in larger batches, and just eat leftovers on in-between days.

Shopping efficiently:

Part of this is just learning your grocery store. When you get used to shopping for ingredients every week, you will quickly learn where most items in your store are located.

When drafting my grocery list, I often take the extra five minutes to organize it by category. And after a little experience, you can order it sequentially based on the store layout. E.g., my store entrance is by the vegetables, so I'll put those first on my list, then all the fruits, snacks, dairy, etc.

Always check your list against your fridge/pantry before you leave the house, so you know already what you do/don't have.

General Cooking Tips

Cold onions won't make you cry. Keep a few in your fridge.

The finer you mince something, the quicker it cooks -- and burns. That is why recipes add garlic at the end.

Most meats can be substituted for each other, especially if it's cut up/ground. It'll taste different but still good.

Frozen spinach can be added to basically any sauce-y or soup-y dish as a veggie source. Spaghetti sauce, lentil dahl, chicken soup...

If you're scared of overcooking/undercooking, slow cookers are your best friend. You can get them at thrift stores for like $5.

The most versatile dried spices to keep stocked: cumin, chili powder, paprika, cinnamon, and oregano. Next would be basil, thyme, ginger, garlic powder, bay leaves.

Fresh spices to keep stocked: garlic cloves, limes, lemons. Seriously, constantly ask yourself if the food would taste better with some fresh citrus juice. The answer is almost always yes. Cilantro, too, if you like a lot of Latin, South Asian, and Middle Eastern cuisines.

Prep all ingredients before you start cooking - chop, dice, etc.

Below are some of my go-to meals when I was in college and didn't have a ton of time to cook. At the time, I lived on roughly $20/week for groceries, so they're also extremely cheap (although your cost might vary depending on where you live and shop). I've included my rough price per [hearty] serving.

I don't have the recipes to share, because I kinda just eyeball everything now, but any recipe you find online should be easy due to the simple nature of these dishes. I can share my own specific recipes upon request.

Chicken Korma: Just chicken, onions, coconut milk, tomato paste, and spices served on whatever rice I have around. Super tasty at about $1.50/serving. Lentil Dahl is very similar but sub chicken for lentils.

Beef Stroganoff: Ground beef, onion, sour cream, beef bouillon, egg noodles, mushrooms, frozen peas, spices. $2.00/serving.

Greek Meatballs: Seriously so good. I usually do half ground turkey, half pork sausage, bake them, and serve on rice and greens with tzaziki sauce. Easy to make a ton and freeze for later. $1.75/serving.

Turkey Chili: Literally dump a bunch of stuff in a slow cooker. Top with sour cream, cilantro, corn bread. like $1.50/serving.

Fried Rice: Just fry leftover rice with whatever veggies are on hand. So cheap. $1.30/serving. Throw in an egg for protein.

Burrito Bowls: Or tacos. Make great lunches, too. $2.00/serving.

Mac and Cheese: The homemade stuff. So enriching and only $1.75/serving. Great with frozen peas, too.

Learning how to budget for groceries is a whole different topic that deserves its own post. But I hope this is at least partly helpful for getting started!

#shad cooks #apparently

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blue-bird-kny · 3 years

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This took way to many days to write for absolutely no reason, but I liked it in the end so please, enjoy~Amanda

Warnings: N/a

Words: 2.4k+

↳{Fluffy first baths together are nothing short of what you’d expect with Inosuke}

The gentle pitter-patter of water droplets drizzling down bamboo shoots and swaying green leaves filled the otherwise quiet space. The welcoming scent of dew and greenery danced through the night air as you overlooked the outdoor bathing area, “absolutely perfect” you thought as your muscles cried in despair. You, along with your team of idiots and sweet Nezuko, had walked miles in search of a home bearing the Wisteria crest, everyone in desperate need of some rest, repair, and (hopefully) lots of delicious food. “Come in, young child, as weary as you may be, your body needs food to begin the healing process” a grainy voice beckoned. An elderly woman, just barely 5 feet wrapped in purple with shimmering silver hair, waited patiently beside the open door, “I think my husband was too excited to greet you all because he got carried away and made far too much food” she continued. “Oh don’t worry, my boys are very capable of eating you out of house and home, especially my boyfriend” you giggled while climbing the wooden steps to meet her.

You walked side by side to the dining room, the smell of beef stew and rice already reaching you, “Thanks again, to you and your husband, we’ve spent weeks running around and I know we desperately needed the break” she chuckled, “No need child, my husband misses the thrill of battle even in his old age, so we are thrilled to have you.” your eyes widened slightly but before you could ask the shorter woman of her husband's past, a loud crash could be heard behind the thin sliding door. Behind its papery protection was a scene that couldn’t be anymore hilarious; wrestling on the floor was an older man, thick and burley with round rims sliding down the bump of his nose, hovering over a wailing Zenitsu whose body was being forced into a backbend with his head held tightly in a choke-hold by the man’s hairy arms. Tanjiro stood beside the duo desperately trying to pull his friend out from under the other, trying to talk over the hefty laughter and screaming, while Inosuke stood cheering the man on as if this were some sort of cage fight.

You could feel the twitch in your eye act up, ready to pull them apart but before you could open your mouth the elderly woman cleared her throat, causing the wild bunch to freeze. Her husband's eyes slowly fell on hers as fear overcame them and as for the other three, they couldn’t help but shiver at the dead set look on yours. “What’s going on here?” the women commanded, her steel set tone sending the group scrambling into seated positions as she prowled into the room- you followed slowly behind her. Tanjiro croaked first, “W-well Mr.Shimura was telling us about his days in the force and he just wanted to show us some of his, uh, moves'' Tanjiro's voice wavered a bit at the end, not sure if ‘moves’ was the right way to describe assault. “Y/n! Please don’t let this man torture me anymore, he’s crazy!” the blonde rushed to your side with teary eyes and a tight grip on your arm. The women pulled her large husband up by his ear, “Don’t worry, you children enjoy your food, my husband,” she tugged on the lobe for emphasis, “and I will be off to bed” she turned to you, “I assume you’ll be able to find the bathing area and your room?” “Of course” you assured. The moment the couple became shadows behind the door, you could hear the wife’s grumbling- you couldn’t help but chuckle.

Unsettled by the silence, you turned to find all eyes on you, waiting for a reprimand you had no intention of delivering, “Oh ease up, eat before the food gets cold'' a collective sigh could be heard around the table, your hand gentle releasing the part of Zenitsu that was still clinging your clothes. The spot open next to Inosuke was as inviting as the mouth-watering scent of a hot meal that had been calling your name since further down the hallways. Your fingers faintly fell on the tuft of your boyfriend's hair, ruffling them a bit, before diving into your own bowl of rice and soup. While Inosuke felt your small act of affection and craved it a bit more, he only offered a messy smile as he shoveled spoonfuls into his mouth.

Ceramic dishes once filled with hand-cooked deliciousness were now cleaned empty, stacked into small towers all across the wooden table in some sort of toppling city. The room was almost empty too, Zenitsu and Tanjiro both eager to wash the wear away and to finally allow themselves to be consumed by uninterrupted dreams, had already taken off for the night. “I’m going to die,” the bloated heap on the floor cried, his duo-toned hair sprawled out around him and his robe strewn on the ground. You laughed, “No, Inosuke, you aren’t going to die” you laid on the carpet beside him, propped up by one elbow. As the man heaved and sighed as if he were going into labor, your nose caught a whiff of something salty and musty and earthy and gross, “I swear if you don’t go shower right now, my eyes are going to melt from my skull” you complained nasally as you pinched your nostrils shut; You were met with only louder moaning and heaving. “C’mon everyone else already-” you stopped yourself short, an idea too good to pass up crossing your mind. “Since everyone else is already tucked away, why don’t we bath together?” before you could even finish the question, Inosuke sat up faster than light, his eyes challenging yours as if saying “Are you playing me?”. “We never get to do anything just us so if you're up for it, I’m down” you concluded slightly smug as he clung to each word you uttered like a puppy waiting for a treat. You stood to leave, crouching down once more to balance your fingers below his chin, forcing him to face you, “But, no funny business”.

You didn’t even have to look to see Inosuke was following, his second set of steps echoing yours as if they were the thunder that follows lighting; two things equally as powerful, yet relied on the other for strength. Again, you were greeted by the soft flow of water streaming into the natural spring, the brilliant moonlight above lighting the large basin carved from polished rock that sat in the middle of the space. “Turn around” you asked, to which Inosuke surprisingly compiled too with only a tiny grumble. You slid your filthy clothes off layer by layer, the black garments piled together as you tip-toed into the warm water, the steam instantly feeling irresistible on your skin. “I-I’ll close my eyes so you can get in, too” you stuttered, the heavy realization of the intimacy that was to come next, an intimacy that had never been shared before. “Whatever you want, we’ll be naked anyways in the water” Insouke pointed out as he too discarded his smaller pile onto yours, however, you didn’t dare peek before you heard the breaking of water as he climbed in, didn’t dare breathe as he groaned in relief. Slowly, you uncovered your eyes, trained steadily past the demon slayer's face; awkwardly and in unusual silence, you two sat five feet apart, waiting to see who dared to move first.

Well of course it was Inosuke who shuffled through the water first towards you, “You can look at me, ya know” he said with a sort of want in his voice, as if your gaze offered an approval he sought from only you. Whether the pink that painted his skin was from the temperature or the heat of the moment, you couldn’t tell, but you didn’t dwell on it for long because other things piqued your interest. While the number of times you’ve seen Inosuke wear a shirt was almost non-existent, the steam rising from the water altered his scarred chest into something else; it was more chiseled, more tanned, each dip and mark was more perfect, the reflection below somehow glowed in a way that was more than you had every painted Inosuke to be and it took your breath away. “What are ya looking at?” he asked defensively, fidgeting in an almost timid way; it reminded you that you shouldn’t be nervous around him, “You, ya dummy”. He scoffed at your bluntness, grateful to hear the normal bite in your tongue instead of the disgust he feared you’d feel towards him. His stunning pair of green orbs watched as you leaned closer to him, arms stretched as you grew even closer, “What the hel-” he panicked slightly only to be fooled as you grabbed something that was behind him; two bottles waved in front of his face as you teased, “What? Afraid of some soap, piglet?”. He muttered a string of complaints, ‘tease’ and ‘mean’ being the only two you could work out.

You squeezed the white shampoo into your open palm, setting it down somewhere on the edge of the bath, “May I?” you asked, hovering your hands beside his head. He sucked on his teeth before mumbling a raspy “fine”, easing himself between your awaiting limbs. You worked the suds into his scalp, gently massaging his dark roots with the pads of your thumbs before working your way down to bunch his falling strands, lathering them in the floral-scented soap. As you worked to cover every last inch of his scalp in bubbles, Inosuke struggled to keep quiet; his half-lidded eyes fluttered with every circular rub, his mouth slightly agape as he relished in your touch and had to work at suppressing the purrs that threatened to escape his chest like a cat.

“Bend down a little, will ya” you pushed against his head till he was close enough to the water that when he tipped back, his long tresses would be covered. You rinsed his hair gently, taking your time to enjoy this rare chance with your loved one (along with the funny faces you knew he was making). Inosuke wanted to say something, anything would do really, but he just couldn’t put syllables together as if with every trail your fingers followed, you sucked away his ability to think. You had already rid his scalp from the soap, however, you weren’t ready to let go just yet; you ushered him out of the water so you could use your nails to push the soaked strands back, twirling them into a loose bun at the back of his head. Inosuke was so close, he was sure he’d make it out of this without any weird noises but the subtle scratching against his skin was too much for any man. A low rumble emerged from his throat followed by a relieved sigh, “If I knew all it took to tame this wild boar was a few head scratches, I’d have started a long time ago” you giggled, sliding your palms down the length of his neck to rest on his shoulders, “all done”. His brows furrowed at the weight behind his head and the lack thereof on his back, “It’s a bun” you explained, “Yea, well I feel bald” “Don’t knock just yet, it helps keep your hair from your face when you’re fighting, plus I think you look hot with it” you tightened your hold on him for a second as a blush crept its way onto his skin.

“It's getting late, you can get out if you want, I’m going to wash up” you reached for the same bottle of shampoo, tipping it over to collect its contents, but before the suds could touch your skin, Inosuke’s grip caught your wrist. “I’ll do it” he stated firmly, “You don’t have to-” “I’ll do it” he repeated, already taking the bottle. A glop of shampoo slapped against his palm as he rushed to spread it between his two hands. You closed your eyes, ready to be serenaded by his sweet touch when you were quickly reminded of who you were dealing with here- the furthest thing from sweet. Water splashed haphazardly as Inosuke drilled into your skull, roughly kneading your scalp. “Ouch! Stop it! Is that what it felt like to you?! Any harder and I’ll be the bald one!” you yelled, moving away from his hands still hanging above the water. Inosuke shrunk a little, visibly upset as he looked to his right at nothing specific. Instantly regretting your reaction, you acted to fix the situation, “Here” you gently placed his thick fingers against your scalp once again this time placing yours above his, easing them into a gentle, rhythmic massage. “See,” you sighed, “not everything in life is a race.”

Inosuke looked at the way your face fell at the feel of his fingers gently working against you, he almost had to double-take to make sure it was his touch that was providing you so much pleasure- in fact, it sort of inflated his already bulging ego. Although he spent less time washing and rinsing your hair as you had hoped (you could have sat there for hours) the water was growing cooler and time was nipping at both your ankles, reminding you of the sleep you oh so needed. Washed and feeling refreshed, you reached for his shoulders, using them to glide through the water until your chest was pressed against his, becoming more familiar with the feel of his warmth against yours. Your arms dangled over his shoulders with your head buried in his neck, while his large palms found themselves holding your waist, “this was fun” you whispered into his skin. Inosuke grunted, exhaustion creeping up on him too. “Let go to bed” you yawned ready to detach yourself reluctantly from the strong man when you were suddenly carried above the water, exposed and shivering you wrapped your legs instinctively around him. “What are you doing?” you asked embarrassed and flushed red. A wide grin overtook his face as he held you tighter, “Figured you’d be too weak to walk after I almost put you to bed with my magical fingers” he replied as he trudged through the water and out the bath, two towels already waiting to dry your skin.

Later that night as you both lay covered in cotton robes and silk sheets surrounded by the gentle buzz of the others snoring around the room, together on one futon with eyelids as heavy as stones, something occurred to you. “Hey babe?” you whispered, getting a half grunt in response, “you never took that bun out, did you?” the arm that was holding you securely to his side flicked you gently, “hush women” he breathed. You chuckled low, snuggling closer into Inosuke's warmth, falling effortlessly into a peaceful sleep.

Thank you~

Masterlist

#demon slayer #demon slayer x reader #kny #kny x reader #inosuke #inosuke x reader #inosuke hashibira

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1plus1kiyoomi · 4 years

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Chapter 9: Fried

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You groan as you look around your room, scattered paperwork and schoolwork all over the place. You have so much to do but you don’t know where to start. Out of frustration, you breakdown. Rice hears your sobs so he runs to you, and licks your arms. You take him into your arms, hugging him. He starts barking, worried about you.

“(Y/N), what’s wrong with Rice?” You hear Kita ask from outside of your room, causing you to cry harder.

The two of you haven’t been in touch lately since you’re trying so hard to distant yourself from him. You’ve always reasoned to him that you were busy, because you were, and you still are. But you’d be lying if you say that he isn’t one of the reasons of your breakdown.

You miss him so much. You want to cling to him like always. But you also seek reassurance from him. You need a label to your relationship. You’re afraid that he’s just leading you on because of his ex. What if he hasn’t moved on from her? Moving on from 7-year relationship is not easy, and from his friends’ words, he loved her a lot. Maybe he still loves her.

“I’m coming in,” Kita says and slides the door open. You grab a pillow and cover your face with it. You hear him sigh, and go around the room, probably picking up the pieces of paper. You feel him sit in front of you, so you jump in your mattress and hide under the blanket. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just tired,” you say in between your sobs. Rice jumps on top of your covered face, making you pull the blanket down so the dog can see you. He gives you a puppy look, whimpering. You cry again, burying your face on Rice’s fur.

Kita stands from where he was sitting, then leaves the room. A few minutes later, he comes back with a tray of food. “Eat first, then get some rest.”

“I’m really fine,” you assure him, wiping the tears off your cheeks. He sets the tray down on the floor and you hold Rice tightly, not wanting him to devour the food. He takes a spoonful of rice with a piece of beef on top, then feeds you. “Thank you. I can feed myself.”

“No. It’s fine. You seem really busy nowadays. This is the least I can do.” He feeds you soup this time, which you reluctantly accept. You feel like you’re being babied and you feel a little bit of ease. “I know you have a lot on your plate right now, but you shouldn’t forget that you’re the most important dish on your plate.”

The metaphor he used makes you chuckle, completely stopping your eyes from tearing up. You nod enthusiastically, taking another spoonful of what he’s feeding you. The three of you stay silent as he feeds you and sometimes Rice. The silence is comforting. You can even say that it’s helping calm you down.

Finally finishing your dinner, Kita tucks you in bed. “Rice, let’s get out. Let your mom rest.” Kita orders the dog, but you and your furry son look up to him with pleading eyes, begging him to let Rice stay in your room. “Fine. Just for tonight.” Kita gives in, ruffling the tops of your heads.

Kita heads to the kitchen to the kitchen, leaving the dishes by the sink. He takes a seat on one of the cushions, then says his thanks before he starts eating. It has been exactly 10 days. 10 days since he last ate dinner with you. If it weren’t for Rice, he would have eaten alone.

Knowing that you’re busy, Kita doesn’t push you to eat dinner with him. He sometimes feels lonely, but you should prioritize your work. He admits that he misses you clinging to him and you annoying him every chance you get. He wants to tell you that he wants to share your burden with you, but it seems like you don’t give him the chance to talk.

Kita isn’t stupid. Aside from your busyness with the shelter and school, he’s aware that you’re avoiding him. You aren’t so subtle about it. Who stays at school until midnight? He also knows you’re purposely coming home after his bedtime. He waits for you every night just to make sure you come home safe.

Confusion is what he feels. He knows what you’re doing, but he doesn’t understand why you’re doing it.

After eating, Kita does the dishes then heads to your room. He checks you and Rice, and the two of you are sleeping soundly. He picks up your schoolwork, then decides to do them for you. It’s a little thing he can do to help you ease your stress.

“I’ll start with this,” Kita quietly says, taking your worksheet for Engineering Math. He takes his phone out and looks for a Youtube tutorial on how to do the topic you’re assigned to.

The next morning, you wake up without Rice around anymore. “He and Kita must have gone to the fields already.” You stretch your arms and see your schoolwork and paperwork arranged and in order. A note is on top of your binder so you read it.

(Y/N)

I finished doing your tasks for school. I also wrote some notes for your Systems Software class. I read that you have a test on it. I’ve also highlighted important notes in your other classes in case you have a surprise quiz.

Don’t forget to eat breakfast. I prepared a bento box for your lunch. Make you eat it. I will check later. Take a break, too. Stop overworking yourself. If you need help, I’m just there.

Rice and I are off to work. I hope to see you at dinner.

I miss you.

- Shinsuke

Tears come out of your eyes as you read his note. “What am I even doing? Why am I aimlessly avoiding him? He must have spent all night doing these.” You take your phone to check the time and you see that it’s almost lunch, which means all your morning classes are finished. “Kita is going to kill me.”

After a long day at school, you head home. You look for an easy recipe online, in hopes that you can make a decent dish for Kita. It’s your first cooking. You don’t even know why you thought of making him dinner as an apology gift. The kitchen is one of the places you’re forbidden to go to but here you are.

“Is 2 tablespoon really enough?” You ask yourself. You shrug, then pour more soy sauce. You forget about the recipe and make the dish using your instinct. If it’s meant to taste good, it’ll taste good.

“I’m home!” You hear Kita from the front door. Rice comes running to you at the kitchen, excitedly jumping on your legs.

“Hello, little boy. How was the fields today? Did you miss mom?” You coo at him, lifting him from the ground.

“You’re actually here,” you hear Kita say, making you look up towards him. Putting Rice down, you go to him. You wrap your arms around his waist, smiling at him with your signature grin. He missed that smile.

“Well, of course, baby. You said you miss me so I’m here,” you tell him, snuggling your face on his chest.

Kita hugs you back, placing his chin on your shoulder. The two of you stand like that for a minute. You realized that last night, it wasn’t the silence that was comforting you. It was Kita. His presence is enough to make you feel less stressed. He gives you a light squeeze before pulling away from you. You look up to him and see that his eyes are on the dining table.

“I made dinner. Look at my rice! It’s perfect!” You proudly say, pulling him to the dining area. He stares at the food you made, and you nervously wait for his comment. He takes a spoon and tastes the supposedly curry dish. “How does it taste?”

Kita doesn’t answer you but looks at you emotionlessly. “It doesn’t taste that bad. It’s edible.” You sulk but start eating anyway. “How was your quiz?”

“I got a perfect score thanks to your notes. You’re really smart! Were you in the top of your class in high school?” You compliment him.

“I had a scholarship,” Kita answers and your jaw drops. How can he be so perfect at everything? He’s athletic, he’s handsome, he’s talented, he’s smart, he’s well-mannered, his soft spoken. He has probably not sin. But he has to be bad at something. But what? Is he a virgin? Is he bad in bed? He seems like the type to wait after marriage. So you’ll have to marry him to find out. Your cheeks heat up just from the thought.

Due to your daydreaming, you don’t hear Kita talking. “Hmmm? What did you say baby?”

“I said I like my eggs fried in the morning,” he repeats in his usual nonchalant voice. His words cause you to short circuit, unsure of what you heard.

“Why are you suddenly saying that?” You hide your face in embarrassment, flustered by his words. Rice is at side, staring at you as if he’s judging you. He probably is.

“You asked 3 months ago,” Kita explains, eating as if didn’t say anything.

“I know I did! But why say it now?” You glare at him. He puts his chopsticks down and bore his eyes at yours.

“Because I like you back now.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Facts:

Resting is very very important. No matter how busy you are, please spare some time to rest. Staying hydrated is as important. Don’t forget to drink your liquids. <3

Sleep is important in processing and committing new information to memory through a process known as memory consolidation. So pulling an all-nighter for a quiz isn’t really the best thing to do.

Sleep is important to overall well-being and mood. Sleep deprivation can often cause irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness.

Rest does not only involve physical relaxation, but mental as well. Mental exertion can also affect your body’s ability to cope or keep up and can cause you to feel overwhelmed and physically exhausted.

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#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu smau #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu series #kita shinsuke smau #kita shinsuke x reader #kita imagines #kita x reader #kita smau #haikyuu kita #kita shinsuke

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trashytummiez · 4 years

Text

Beef and Belly Rubs

I came up with this idea after seeing some old Haikyū!! drawings @dumdumdrawstumtums did of Bokuto and Akaashi. I love his art a whole lot and wanted to make something with these two for a while. <3

“Akaashiiiiiiii, I’m starvin’ heeeeeeere!” Bokuto whined and rubbed his stomach hungrily through his grey, sleeveless sports top. He had on sweatpants and no socks as he typically did whenever he was home and relaxing.

“Delivery will be here any minute, stop whining,” Akaashi said to his exuberant boyfriend while sitting on their couch. But the latter kept whining when all of the sudden, his stomach grumbled loud enough that even Akashi went slightly wide-eyed. “When’s the last time you ate?”

Bokuto tilted his head and looked up in thought. “Uhmm, like two hours ago?”

“Could you not think with your stomach for six seconds?”

“Sure!” Bokuto exclaimed and paused, as if he was listening intently. “...Hmmmh, my brain says I’m hungry too!”

Akaashi merely pinched his brow and huffed through his nostrils.

Still, for the grief he gave Bokuto, Akaashi had to admit, he was pretty hungry too; evident when his own stomach rumbled enough to make him blush. He gently rested a hand against his T-Shirt clad stomach and rubbed it softly.

But mercifully, the delivery guy came before Akaashi could have any more choice words for his gluttonous boyfriend or before his own stomach could embarrass him. Between Bokuto’s ravenous hunger and his own gnawing hunger pangs, he made it a point to order a considerable, extra amount of BBQ beef and steamed rice. It was Bokuto’s favorite dish and Akaashi had to admit, he was partial to it himself.

The spiky-haired boys mouth was practically drooling at the smell of the food. Akaashi set everything down on the floor where the two always sat to eat. Bokuto didn’t waste a second. He opened his takeout box and immediately dug in before Akaashi could even grab his own box. All Akaashi could do was watch his gluttonous boyfriend become a human trash compactor for food. It was like he was literally inhaling his meal of beef and rice with his chopsticks shoveling everything in his gaping mouth like one would shovel snow.

Akaashi didn’t think anyone loved food as much as Bokuto.

Still, fair’s fair. The beef was really good, especially when paired up with rice so fluffy and steamy.

Akaashi at his own pace while Bokuto ate like a cartoon on fast forward. He finished his first takeout box in record time and was already downing the contents of his second box. How the boy managed to eat so much all the time yet stay so fit, Akaashi chalked up to a great metabolism and their constant athleticism. Professional Volleyball in Japan was one of the most demanding sports one could ever play after all.

The meal went on with Akaashi moving onto his second box. In truth, he didn’t tend to eat this much, but he skipped lunch today and was really hungry. Bokuto, on the other hand, was already three boxes in and onto his fourth. How anyone could eat so much was a mystery to the raven-haired Akaashi, but it didn’t matter. Not when the end result caused Bokuto’s normally lean stomach to bulge out like that. His sleeveless sports shirt was naturally puffy as they tended to be, but even that wasn’t enough to mask the bump in his midsection that was growing tighter against his shirt with every mouthful swallowed down.

Akaashi had no clue why seeing his boyfriend eat so much always seemed to make him a little hot under the collar. But whatever the reason, the composed of the two volleyball players had accepted that he liked what he liked. Though, as their meal went on, Akaashi himself was starting to feel heavier than usual. He grimaced with discomfort and rested a hand against his own stomach and, much to his surprise, it was very noticeably pushing out; felt tight to the touch too. Akaashi blushed, not realizing he was eating so much. But he figured he was almost done, so he might as well finish what he had left.

The meal was eventually finished and the two athletes sat on the floor surrounded by empty takeout boxes and nursing their overstuffed bellies. Bokuto pronounced the completion of his gorging the way he always did; he slumped back and let out a huge burp. Akaashi rolled his eyes at Bokuto’s crudeness but blushed a little, both at the gross but impressive display, and especially the end result of Bokuto’s gorging. Bokuto had eaten so much that his stomach was partially exposed from under his shirt; it had bloated out by nearly two feet.

“Ahhh, man, I’m stuffed!” Bokuto exclaimed contently, patting his belly.

“Ungh, for once, you’re not the only one,” Akaashi complained, rubbing his own achingly full stomach softly. His t-shirt barely contained his middle, which pressed out by over a foot more than it usually did. Whereas Bokuto was sporting a sizable potbelly, Akaashi’s stomach looked like it had a prominent food baby; appearing very tight to the touch.

Akaashi blushed some more when he realized how bloated he was. He could eat when he was hungry, but he tried his best to make a point of not eating so much if he could help it. The only solace he took was the fact that, for as much as he ate, Bokuto still ate way more. A point Bokuto was more than happy to emphasize with another big, lengthy belch. He sighed when it ended and smacked his lips with a grin. “Not too shabby, amirite?”

Akashi simply glanced back at his boyfriend and was about to call him a pig. Instead, a burp of his own rolled out of his mouth the second he opened it. A loud one too. Akaashi’s eyes bugged out and he immediately covered his mouth while blushing immensely.

Bokuto blinked, then laughed heartily. “Gyahahahahaha!!!! Dude, that was epic!” Bokuto exclaimed, slugging his mild-mannered boyfriend in the arm.

Akaashi glared but it did nothing to quell his blush. “...That wasn’t epic,” Akaashi said with embarrassment. He would’ve said more, but he had to keep his mouth shut with a fist pressed against his lips as another burp tried to work its way up Akaashi’s throat. This time, he was able to hold it back, but it still rumbled in his mouth and made his cheeks puff up.

Bokuto saw Akaashi’s embarrassment; saw his cheeks redden even more, then decided to cut him a break with a sly grin. “Hmmm, y’know what? You’re right, that wasn’t epic at all. This is epic...”

Akaashi watched Bokuto swallow some air; saw his throat bob and heard it gurgle a little with his throat muscles hard at work getting that air down. Then, once Bokuto had enough air in his gut, he thumped his chest and let loose a resounding belch that dwarfed Akaashi’s in volume, length and rumble. It rolled out of him with such force that Akaashi almost felt like the ground itself shook, but that was probably because he was sitting right besides the burping boy.

Bokuto sighed loudly with relief and gave his belly a resounding pat. “Whew! Now that was a good one!”

“You’re an idiot,” Akaashi replied, but he said it with a grateful smile, which Bokuto met with his joyous grin.

“You know ya love it,” Bokuto teased.

“Doesn’t mean you’re not an idiot,” Akaashi responded, neither confirming nor denying Bokuto’s claim.

Though, that confirmation was made when the black-haired boy scooted over next to Bokuto and slid his hand underneath Bokuto’s shirt in order to rub Bokuto’s bulging belly.

Bokuto hummed and leaned back with his hands pressed up against the floor for support which made his stomach stick out more for Akaashi to rub. His hand ran up and down the bulging flesh, kneading into it while Akaashi stroked gently. Akaashi could hear Bokuto’s belly burbling deeply in tandem with his delicate touch. It was as if Bokuto’s belly itself was genuinely gurgling with pleasure at the treatment Akaashi was providing.

“Ohhhh man, that feels good,” Bokuto moaned out loud.

Akaashi knew what he was doing. He ran his palm in circular fashion all across Bokuto’s middle, digging his fingertips into the rounded top of Bokuto’s gut and making him moan a little louder. Then his hand drifted to Bokuto’s lower belly, which required Akaashi to tug his sweatpants down to expose more of that burgeoning stomach. There, Akaashi felt up Bokuto’s belly, stroking its underside from side to side.

Bokuto’s stomach churned deeply, which made Bokuto squirm a little uncomfortably. He sat up and tightened his face a little. Then, he grabbed his stomach with one hand and let loose a rumbling belch that rolled out of his for a few seconds. “Ungh, man, I’m feelin’ gassy today...”

When Bokuto said that, a thought occurred to Akaashi. Experimentally, he moved his hand to the center of Bokuto’s bulging belly, and pushed his palm deeply into it. Bokuto lurched but then threw his head back and burped again; a thundering, rumbling belch. Akaashi could actually feel the gas circulating up from Bokuto’s belly since his hand was pushing right up against that bloated stomach. He couldn’t help but blush again.

Bokuto gasped loudly and grinned a relieved but satisfied grin. “Gaaaah, dude, that felt good...! Thanks, man!”

Akaashi simply bowed his head and patted Bokuto’s belly then went back to rubbing away.

But as Akaashi rubbed, he froze in place when out of nowhere, Bokuto’s own hand slid underneath Akaashi’s t-shirt and started to rub his own belly. “...W-What are you doing...?” Akaashi asked, feeling flustered.

“Well, you’re always givin’ my belly some love, it’s only fair I repay the favor, right?” Bokuto explained, pulling Akaashi’s shirt up and exposing his bare stomach. He squirmed even more when Bokuto unbuttoned Akaashi’s jeans and pulled his zipper down to give his own bloated stomach some room to grow.

“...Th-That’s not-”

Akaashi couldn’t finish his sentence. The second Bokuto’s hand started rubbing circles against the center of Akaashi’s bloated stomach, the black-haired boy moaned with pleasure. It felt so shockingly good that he was almost stunned.

“...So that’s what that feels like...” Akaashi mused, settling down on the floor and relaxing, even while still stroking Bokuto’s much larger belly.

Bokuto snickered. “Yep! Sure is!”

Both athletes sat together, both gingerly stroking each others bellies and humming with delight. The belly rubs made Akaashi more relaxed than Bokuto had ever seen him. It brightened Bokuto’s day to see his boyfriend enjoying the treatment so much, so he kept at it.

His hand gently stroked up Akaashi’s belly, reaching his lean chest, and down to his underbelly. When he stroked up again, Bokuto kneaded around Akaashi’s belly button, which got quite a reaction from Akaashi himself. His cheeks darkened and he bit his lower lip at the feeling, which Bokuto took as a sign to keep going, even if Akaashi’s own rubbing halted in that moment. Bokuto continued kneading around Akaashi’s navel and got a pleased moan from the boy.

But that turned into a groan when Akaashi’s belly churned loudly again. He turned his head and muffled another burp, blushing afterwards and excusing himself.

Bokuto snickered. “Y’know, your stomach’ll feel a lot better if ya just let it out, dude. It’s just us. Ya don’t hafta be so polite.”

“I’m not just polite if people are around me or not,” Akaashi corrected.

“Whatever, man. Ya wanna feel better, don’tcha?”

Akaashi glared back at Bokuto, but when a sour, sickly gurgle bellowed from his belly and made him recoil, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t looking for some relief. So, when his gurgling gut gave him more grief and he felt some pressure coming up, against his better judgement, Akaashi turned his head, held a hand over his mouth and burped. It was pretty deep and brought a sliver of relief, even if Akaashi felt embarrassed to let it out like that.

Bokuto grinned. “Nice, but I think you can do better.”

And to prove his point, Bokuto grabbed Akaashi’s belly and pressed it down.

There was a hefty rumble that erupted from Akaashi’s stomach in response. He lurched again and was unable to hold back the huge burp that erupted from his throat. It was loud enough that it could’ve almost been mistaken for one of Bokuto’s and actually lasted a few seconds too.

Akaashi would’ve been embarrassed if letting out such a big one didn’t feel so good.

He slumped back and moaned loudly. “Ahhh, wow, that’s...that’s a lot better...”

Bokuto grinned. “You’re welcome! Heh, hey, why don’t we grab some sodas’n get a burping contest going? Ya always say no whenever I challenge you, but now, ya seem to be gettin’ in the spirit of things.”

Akaashi just glared back at his boyfriend. But in spite of himself, that adorably happy grin of his was impossible not to smile at. “...I’ll go get the sodas,” he conceded. But before he did, Akaashi leaned forward and planted his lips against Bokuto’s by surprise. Now it was Bokuto’s turn to blush.

“What was...umm...what was that for?” Bokuto asked timidly.

“For being the big idiot I know and love for some reason,” Akaashi exclaimed and pushed himself up to head over to the kitchen.

Bokuto, who was still blushing, nonetheless smiled. “And I’m more than happy to be your idiot...”

#akaashi #bokuto #akaashi x bokuto #haikyuu!!#belly rub #belly kink #i ship it #burping #burp kink #stuffing #bloating #boyfriend #gay #haikyū!!#manga #anime

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papermoonloveslucy · 3 years

Text

ROUGH ROAD TO TOP

August 16, 1953

(1)

One of the more famous CBS-TV shows is “I Love Lucy.”

Its two chief characters - Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz - have had a rocky road to their present status as one of the top comedy teams in the country.

At the end of Lucille's first year in dramatic school she was told by her teachers that she was wasting her time and money, that she would never become an actress. She was fired from all four of her first jobs as a chorus girl. Later, as a model, she almost lost her life in an automobile accident and was told she would never walk again.

Revolution Factor

It was a revolution in Cuba and a mishap in World War II which were fateful turns in Arnaz’ trip to stardom. The Cuban revolution destroyed his family’s wealth, drove them to the United States. World War II got him a broken kneecap in basic training, and since he had been a professional entertainer, he was placed in limited service and assigned to entertain hospitalized G.I.s'.

Columbia Pictures gave Lucille a contract as a stock player, and, convinced that her luck finally had turned, she sent for mother, grandfather, and sister to join her in California. But, the morning after she wired her family, the studio decided to dissolve its stock company. When the family arrived, Lucille was working as an extra at Paramount.

Bit parts and extra roles in a number of pictures kept Lucille busy, but not prosperous, until she was cast in ’"Roberta.” RKO officials, impressed by her work, gave her a contract. When not busy before the cameras, she was a mainstay of the studio's Little Theater. (2)

Offered Stage Lead

Her performance in the second lead in “The Girl from Paris" (3) drew Broadway's attention to Miss Ball and she was offered a lead in the musical "Hey Diddle Diddle.” After satisfying her yen to perform on the Great White Way (4), she returned to Hollywood for "Stage Door” and “Too Many Girls.” In the latter picture, she was costarred with Desi Arnaz. They were married Nov. 30 1940 in Greenwich, Conn.

Back from her honeymoon, Lucille walked into her first really big break a role in "The Big Street,” based on a story by Damon Runyon (5). Overnight it made her a star.

Her first assignment at M.G.M. in 1942 was the title role in the Technicolor production "Du Barry Was a Lady” (6). Stellar roles followed in "Best Foot Forward” and "Meet the People" (7). After completing "Easy to Wed” with Van Johnson (8), she headed for New York to be with her husband, then out of the army and on his way to success in the orchestra business.

Starred on Tour

Shortly after completing "Her Husband’s Affairs,” (9) Miss Ball went on tour as star of Elmer Rice's play "Dream Girl” (10) then worked with Sonny Tufts and Victor Mature in "Interference” for R.K.O. (11)

Lucille, Desi, arid their year-old daughter Lucy Desiree, live at Desilu, their five-acre ranch at Chatsworth, Calif. They raise cattle, chickens, dogs, and cats and dabble in farming. Enthusiastic fishermen they spend a lot of time on their boat.

Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha was born in Santiago, Cuba, son of the mayor. Desi’s mother, Dolores de Acha, was considered among the 10 most beautiful women In Latin America.

Three ranches totaling 100,000 acres, a palatial home in the city, a private island in Santiago Bay, speedboats, a fleet of motor cars, and a racing stable were all at the command of the youthful Desi during the pre-revolutionary days. His father, after eight years as mayor of Santiago, was made a member of the Cuban congress In 1932.

On Aug. 12, 1933, came the revolution. Congress was dissolved. Its members jailed. The Arnaz property was confiscated, the homes burned to the ground. In 24 hours everything was gone except $500 Desi's mother had hidden. Desi and mother fled to Miami, devoted the next six months to efforts to free Papa Arnaz. from prison. They were finally reunited in Florida.

For Desi, life in these United States for several years was hard but interesting: he worked at truck driving, train yard checking, taxi driving, bookkeeping, and, of all things, bird cage cleaning. Desi’s father managed to launch an importing business. It went broke when a shipment of fruit spoiled in transit.

Show business at this point finally caught up with Desi. His first job was playing guitar and singing with a seven-piece rhumba band at Miami’s Roney-Plaza Hotel (12). Xavier Cugat (13) spotted him, was impressed with this Cuban boy who was to be dubbed "The Tempo” by critics of modem music. After a year as featured vocalist with the Cugat band, Desi organized his own group of musicians and moved into the swank La Conga Café in Miami (14).

George Abbott's Broadway hit "Too Many Girls” (15) was Desi’s next step up the ladder, in 1939. He played a Cuban football player, one of the leads, and played tropical drums. RKO bought the film rights and signed Desi to play his stage role. When the shooting was over Desi married the leading lady, Lucille Ball.

He spent from Feb. 1943 to Nov. 1945 in the Army, after which he toured the nation with his band playing theaters, dances, night clubs. He hasn’t been without a band since. In 1948, Desi made the Columbia film "Holiday in Havana.” (16)

He made a vaudeville tour with Lucille Ball and that convinced them they’d do well as a husband-and-wife team on television. The tour inspired the CBS-TV show “I Love Lucy,” which has been highly rated since it started. (17)

Desi Arnaz’s personality is as vibrant as the music he makes. He is friendly, direct in manner, has flashing dark brown eyes and brown hair. He’s an avid fisherman, rides and swims expertly: his tennis is the envy of his San Fernando Valley neighbors, Sue and Alan Ladd, Francis Lederer, Jackie Oakie, and the Andrews Sisters. (18) A good cook, he specializes in such tempting dishes as Ginger Beef and Bouillabaisse.

# # #

FOOTNOTES FROM THE FUTURE

(1) The photo is from “Be a Pal” (ILL S1;E2) aired on October 22, 1951, nearly two years earlier. There’s one thing missing from this file photo: Vivian Vance. The success of the show was its foursome, not threesome! If you look closely you can see the hands of the other poker players, Richard Reeves (Hank, left) and Tony Michaels (Charlie, right).

(2) Lucille did several plays at the RKO Little Theatre under the direction of Lela Rogers (above), Ginger’s mom. When Lucille later bought RKO, she dubbed it the Desilu Playhouse, a training ground for new young performers, often hand selected by Ball herself.

(3) “That Girl from Paris” (not “The” as the article states) was Lucille’s 33rd film. The light-hearted musical romance earned an Oscar nomination for Sound Recording. It was released on the first day of 1937.

(4) Lucille was indeed cast in the Broadway-bound comedy (it was not a musical, however) “Hey Diddle Diddle!” It opened in Princeton, New Jersey, the first of several out-of-town stops on the way to Broadway. What Lucille’s publicity omits is that the show never got further than Washington DC due to the serious illness of its leading man, Conway Tearle. So Lucy’s Broadway debut would have to wait - until 1960!

(5) “The Big Street” opened on September 4, 1942. It was based on a Damon Runyan short story about a night club singer (Lucille) embittered by an accident that left her in a wheelchair and her romance with a naïve admirer (Henry Fonda) named Pinks. Lucy later said it was her favorite of the many films she made. It was her 55th film.

(6) “Du Barry Was A Lady” premiered in August 1943. It was Lucille’s 57th film, but her first for MGM. She nabbed the role from her friend Ethel Merman, who had done the Cole Porter musical comedy on Broadway. It was filmed in color, and was the film that earned her the nickname “Technicolor Tessie” because of her bright orange hair - a color she committed to from then on, despite her roots! This is the film that introduced Lucy to the song “Friendship”, which she would also sing on “I Love Lucy.”

(7) In the musical comedy “Best Foot Forward” (1943) Lucille Ball played herself. It was her 58th film. “Meet The People” (1944) was a romantic comedy for MGM, Ball’s 60th film.

(8) In 1946 she released her 63rd film, “Easy To Wed” co-starring Van Johnson and Esther Williams. Lucille and Van had appeared together in “Too Many Girls” and he would appear on Lucy’s television shows.

(9) “Her Husband’s Affairs” (1947) was a romantic farce with Lucy teamed with Franchot Tone. It was her 69th film.

(10) Back to the stage, Lucille accepted the leading role in a revival tour of “Dream Girl” a fantasy comedy by Elmer Rice. Once again, the play launched in Princeton, but this time Broadway was not the goal. It had already played the Great White Way two years earlier. The play toured the country at select cities, landing Lucille back in California in late 1947. In one SoCal gig she was appearing simultaneously with Desi and his band just a few blocks away. No doubt this was by design.

(11) RKO’s “Interference” was re-named “Easy Living” (1949) and dealt with the world of professional sports, namely football. It co-starred Victor Mature and Sonny Tufts. It was Ball’s 71st film.

(12) The luxurious Roney Plaza Hotel in Miami Beach was located on the corner of Collins Avenue and 23rd Street. It opened in 1925 and was demolished in 1968. The resort attracted a who's who that included Hollywood stars and even the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. The hotel's Bamboo Room & Restaurant was the place to be seen on the Beach for decades.

(13) Xaviar Cugat (1900-1990) was a Spanish musician and bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. A trained violinist and arranger, he was a leading figure in the spread of Latin music. In New York City he was the leader of the resident orchestra at the Waldorf–Astoria before and after World War II. He was a mentor and friend to Desi Arnaz, who kept his name before the public by making him a rival of Ricky Ricardo on “I Love Lucy” where his name became a punchline. In reality, Desi was grateful to Cugat, not jealous of him!

“I learned a lot from Xavier Cugat” ~ Desi Arnaz

(14) La Conga Café was located in New York City, not Miami, although the article may be referring to a different, lesser known establishment where Desi Arnaz performed. He became a regular headliner at La Conga, even issuing a record titled “La Conga” in 1939.

(15) Speaking of 1939 New York, Desi appeared in his only Broadway show in 1939, Rogers and Hart’s “Too Many Girls.” When the film rights were purchased by RKO, Desi was hired by director George Abbott to recreate his role. It was while filming this movie that he met Lucille Ball.

(16) “Holiday in Havana” was a Columbia picture released in October 1949. The film is about a Cuban hotel busboy (Arnaz) who dreams of becoming a composer. His love interest was not Lucy, but Mary Hatcher.

(17) The Tour incorporated some of the same routines seen in the “I Love Lucy” pilot as well as early episodes of the series, most notably the “Cuban Pete / Sally Sweet” duet. The tour culminated at the Roxy in New York City, where Desi was playing when he married Lucille in 1940.

(18) Before moving to their Beverly Hills mansion, Lucy and Desi lived on a ranch in Chatsworth in San Fernando Valley. They dubbed their ranch home Desilu. About their neighbors:

Alan Ladd (1913-64) was a chorus boy when Lucille was an Earl Carroll showgirl in Murder at the Vanities (1934). He was married to Sue Carol (1906-82) from 1942 until his death. Carol’s name was mentioned on “I Love Lucy” in “The Fashion Show” when Lucy selects the same Don Loper original that Carol has chosen to wear in the fashion show. She does not appear on screen.

Francis Lederer (1899-2000) was a Hungarian-born actor. In 1960 he did an episode of Desilu’s “The Untouchables”. From 1941 until his death he was married to Marion Irvine.

Jackie Oakie (1903-78) did four films with Lucille Ball between 1934 and 1938, including both “Annabell” movies.

The Andrews Sisters were the pre-eliminant close-harmony girl group of their time. The consisted of Patty, Maxine, and LaVerne. They were mentioned on “I Love Lucy” in “Be a Pal” in the same scene that the photo at the top of the article came from. In 1969, Patty Andrews guest-starred as herself on “Here’s Lucy”. Lucy and Lucie played the other two Andrews sisters.

#Lucille Ball #Desi Arnaz #1953 #I Love Lucy

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katsuflossy · 4 years

Text

The Guys With A Jamaican S/0

Pairings: Bakugo Katsuki x reader, Todoroki Shoto x reader, Shinso Hitoshi x reader

TW: A whole lot of obscenities, suggestive themes, a threateningly good time

A/n: AYYEEE A WEH MI SEH. My cousin decided to challenge me to make a Jamaican reader and so I delivered (poorly cause I only come to this in a sleepy state) but there’s little to no rep for di island gyals so Imma give some love. Hope you like it biddies!💖

P.S. all characters are in their 3rd year meaning they are 18.

💥 You were an international transfer student in the support course

💥He busted through the doors screaming about someone messed up the wiring for his arm cannon.

💥 He just kept going and going and going until you couldn’t take it anymore.

💥 “ALL MIGHTION PEACE, BREDDA BILL PAN E SHOUTING NUH!” (1)

💥 Man was shook. One, because he did not understand a word you had said and two, what language did you even utter because it wasn’t complete English and three, did you just scream at him.

💥 Regardless, you took the cannons and fixed them. He noticed the Jamaican flag on top of your work station.

💥 Soon you’re telling him about your country and how proud you are to be a yaadie (what Jamaicans refer to themselves)

💥 He loves teasing you just so he can hear what you’re going to say—bc he in love with da accent☺️

💥 “My yute, if yuh tap revv off mi ear dem ma guh box yuh cross yuh head side.” (2)

💥”Big head bwoy, weh di bumboclaat yuh lef mi alone man.” He’s just so interested in the language.

💥 Give him some ackee and salt fish with fried dumpling. You got him under a spell now.

💥 IN LOVE with Jamaican food. He demolishes some jerk chicken, peppa shrimp, Rasta pasta, the list goes on. All because you guys were competing on who’s curry was better 🤦🏾‍♀️.

💥 Have a crate of beef patty and coco bread? Half of that is for him now. Some spice bun and cheese? Break that like five loaves and two fishes. Because everything’s being shared now.

💥 You’re not allowed to go to ANY party/dance/fete etc. without him because you act all the way up.

💥Shenseea comes on? He gives you one look and presses you against his front.

💥 Doesn’t stop you for whining and grinding but you ain’t going on your headtop around him. You start to go on your knees, head pressing against the ground; he snatches you before you could balance on your neck and stands you straight up.

💥 “For fuck sakes (Y/n) you don’t listen!” “Kastuki, mi a bad gyal, mi neva ago listen.”4

💥 Basically with your mouth and his attitude, it’s UA’s most catastrophic couple™️.

(1) “Oh my God, bro chill on the shouting!”

(2) “ My guy, if you don’t stop talking my ears off I’m going to slap you.”

(3) “Big head boy, why the hell you don’t leave me alone, man.”

(4) “Kastuki, I’m a bad (unruly, untameable) girl, I’m never going to listen.”

🧊 Total culture shock when he saw you. And then a second aftershock when he heard you SPEAK.

🧊 Just kept staring at you ever since you transferred into the class.

🧊 Then your mouth 🤦🏾‍♀️ had a mind of its own. You turned to him, got all up in his face and said “Big man, why ya pree me so hard? Neva seen a nigga before?�� (5)

🧊 He was flabbergasted. Eyes wide, unable to say anything until he physically cooled himself down. Then he gon ask you to repeat ‘cause did he understand a word you said? No.

🧊 But he loves the accent. And by love I mean love.

🧊He asks you to talk to him in patois (“pat-wah”) more so the thing you say is “Guh suck yuh madda.” He just smile, nodding as he continued what he was doing. 💀 this was so rude.

🧊 You call Aizawa “Don” and All Might “Brogad” (6)

🧊 You flirt with him in patois and sometimes he’ll try to decipher what you’re saying.

🧊“Babes.” He looks up from his work and at you. “Yes?” “Yuh know seh mi love you like cook food.”

🧊 The gears in Todoroki’s head are working hard for this one. Unexpectedly, he frowns. “But not all food is cooked. Like sushi...I thought you loved sushi? So you don’t love me?”

🧊 His sad, puppy dog eyes had you rushing to console him, telling him it was just a regular saying and that Jamaicans just love homecooked meals.

🧊Speaking of food. He’s never going to touch cold soba again after having some pigtail with rice and peas, gravy touching every inch of the dish.

🧊He’ll sit at the kitchen, tapping his foot, very happy about whatever you’re making.

🧊 He’s observant too and will bring any and everything to shorten the time it takes for the food to get on his plate.

🧊 “Hey Sho, can you pass the—“ He got the curry seasoning already in his hand, offering it to you. “—um thanks?”

🧊He’ll be on your back as you’re cheffing it up, reggae music blasting through the area.

🧊 It’s a good life for Shoto.

(5) “Big man, why are you staring at me so hard? Never seen a nigga before?”

(6) Brogad is a highly respected “bro”.

(7) “Go suck your mother.” (basic insult in Jamaica. Would not recommend saying it to an actual Jamaican? It will not end well for you.)

(7) “You know I love you like cooked food.”

🔮 He met you in his extra secret place he goes to smoke.

🔮All he sees is some black girl lighting her blunt and wondering “how tf did she find this place?”

🔮 He was about to leave, pissed off that he has to find a new place to blow some air until you offered him your own blunt.

🔮 Very cautious about taking a hit because yo shit may have been laced but after that puff? Nigga went to another galaxy.

🔮 “How the fuck yo shit so strong?” “An mek you gwan chat pan mi? Naw, come link me if you want a spliff or two.” (8)

🔮 So it was a smoking buddies-to-lovers trope. He’ll come over to your dorm everyday until his high ass admits he likes you— and your high ass did the same.

🔮Alkaline is his top artist now. You’ll catch him vibing to “Juggernaut” or “Just the Style” on a daily.

🔮 He’s gotten use to you whining everywhere. He’ll sit, reading a book while you’re bumping and grinding to some soca or dancehall.

🔮 Although completely unphased, he’ll smack your ass as you’re throwing it back on him jokingly.

🔮 After you and Shinso became a couple, group smoke sessions were never the same.

🔮 ANY Kranium song comes on; the place will get steamy.

🔮 “Last Night” starts to play while you, Shinso, Kaminari, and Sero were going through that oui’d.

🔮 Next thing they know, you’re straddling Shinso’s hips, giving him that waistline like it’s carnival. He’s whining back; your bodies grinding against each other as his hands palms your ass.

🔮 Meanwhile Sero and Kaminari smoking the last blunt, ready to leave because they already know what’s gonna go down.

🔮 Sero: “They don’t see us?”

🔮 Kaminari: 🤷🏼

🔮Sero: “You see me?”

🔮 Kaminari: “Yes I see you. You see me?”

🔮Sero: “Hell yeah I see you. Both of us looking like two big Barneys we see each other.”

🔮 They just packed it up and left so they don’t have to see anything too drastic.

(8) “So you can tell on me? Naw, talk to me if you want a blunt or two.”

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koala-otter · 4 years

Note

Hi! This is the main blog for hurricanezukka and thank you for the fic rec and making me aware of your amazing writing last night! I saw you were taking prompts and was wondering if you could do a cute short fic about my headcanon that Zuko does The Dance™ when he eats food he likes and Sokka seeing it for the first time and having a gay meltdown bc it's too cute for him to handle? Either way thank you for cheering up my night! 🥰

Oh my gosh hi again!! Thank you so much! I’m so happy you liked it! And I hope you’re feeling better :)

I love this headcanon a lot a lot, and I really wanted to do it justice. I hope it’s everything you imagined!

Zuko does The Dance™ when he eats 1.2k words

It’s going to be a long night, Sokka realizes on his way to the Fire Lord’s chamber, and Zuko likely hasn’t eaten, so he asks one of the attendants at the door to bring dinner for the two of them.

“Something easy,” Sokka explains as he strides into the chamber, “that Zuko will definitely like. Maybe komodo chicken?”

He doesn’t think about it again until later, after he’s been ushered through the antechamber into a salon where Zuko sits on the floor in front of a low table. A pile of scrolls lies in front of him, and he keeps looking at the topmost one as he fills another sheet of paper with his carefully practiced characters. Sokka sits across from him and covertly moves the inkstone and stick away from Zuko’s sleeve.

Zuko looks up at him in alarm.

“Wow, look at you, it seems like you’ve gotten a lot done already on your own,” Sokka says encouragingly. He grabs the stack of papers on the far side of the table and hefts them meaningfully, raising his eyebrows at Zuko.

“There’d be more done if you got here earlier,” Zuko says pointedly, though they both know he isn’t actually angry. He avoids the view of Sokka’s contracting biceps he knows is meant to distract him.

“Hey, you asked me to take the meeting with the Hubei governor,” Sokka reminds him. He drops the stack on the floor next to him with a thud reminiscent of a camelephant foot hitting the ground.

The left side of Zuko’s face quirks up in a grin. “And now that you know him so well, you can be the one to respond to his letter,” he says. He hands Sokka his own sheet of paper and one of the scrolls.

“You’re joking,” Sokka says. He unfurls the scroll. “He sent one, too?”

“Everyone’s sending congratulations, Sokka,” Zuko says, borderline impatiently. “There’ve been hawks coming every hour since your dad made the announcement.”

Sokka sighs. “I guess this is what I get for being engaged to the Fire Lord.” Sokka hears a huff and looks up to find Zuko with his one eyebrow raised, unimpressed. Sokka breaks into a toothy grin. “Not that it isn’t absolutely, completely worth it.”

Zuko lowers his face back down toward his paper in an attempt to hide the small smile on his face, and Sokka looks smug as he picks up his own brush and starts writing.

Only a little while later, the double doors open, and a litter of servants enter the salon bearing several trays. Zuko stares, his mouth agape, as an attendant sets a soban table next to the two men, and the rest of the litter begin laying dishes on its surface. There is not only komodo chicken, but also squirrel-fried fish, sticky rice and komodo rhino sausage wrapped in lotus leaf, fresh green cucumber with garlic and red chilies, hippo-beef dumplings, and even Zuko’s favorite Earth Kingdom delicacy, fried dough filled with sweet red bean paste. One last servant presents them with a bowl of elaborately sliced mangoes, bananas, and cherries, and a pot of jasmine tea, before going to stand with his colleagues.

“I hope these humble leftovers will be to your liking—” The senior attendant pauses; Sokka’s term of address is still a little ambiguous, especially in light of his recent engagement to the Fire Lord. Does one still consider him an ambassador, or is his status now that of a royal? “Sir,” the attendant finally settles on.

Zuko finally regains his ability to speak. “What is all of this?” he asks. He stares at the spread in a daze.

“It’s for you,” Sokka says kindly before turning to address the attendants. “This is great! Thank you.”

The attendants bow and leave the room, closing the doors quietly behind them. Sokka resumes his writing. Zuko still stares at the food.

“Why?” he finally asks.

“I figured you needed to eat,” Sokka says simply. He gestures to the dishes with the back of his brush. “You should start.” He grins cheekily. “I’ve still got a lot of catching up to do on my letters.”

“You do,” Zuko agrees, and he considers waiting for Sokka to join him, or insisting he start eating first. But the fragrance of the rice calls a little louder, and Zuko picks up his chopsticks and eagerly analyzes the dishes before him for his first bite.

For a while, all Sokka hears while he writes his replies is the stroke of his brush on paper and the sound of Zuko’s chopsticks occasionally tapping together. But then there is something else, something he’s never heard before and that he cannot place, like a rustling of fabric, but not quite as loud and more regular. and Sokka raises his head slowly out of curiosity.

Zuko looks sleepy, as he normally does when he stays up this late, with half-lidded eyes and a looseness about his shoulders. But he is also smiling. Contentment softens the lines of his face as he chews his food and his chopsticks float above the dishes, preparing for his next selection. Each bite is rewarded with a brief squeezing of his eyes shut, and a little sway, before he resumes a curious motion Sokka doesn’t understand at first glance. Zuko bobs up and down to some silent beat, his head moving in one direction and then another, and his free hand idly moving in tandem with the rest of his body.

Sokka realizes all at once that Zuko is dancing.

His mouth drops open slightly and his chest seizes at the sight of his betrothed, one of the fiercest firebenders in the world and the most powerful man of his nation, dancing during his dinner. If he were a crying man, Sokka would be moved to tears, but he’s instead simply, painfully overwhelmed with the desire to sweep Zuko into his arms, or to tie him to the bed, or just cradle him and keep him from the rest of the world. The little movements of his body, the sweet joy of his gaze on the food, the sway of his hair are all too much for Sokka to think about literally anything else, and the scroll slips from his hand and falls to the ground, forgotten.

Zuko stops dancing at the sound and looks up at Sokka, blinking slowly.

“Sokka?”

Sokka's mouth doesn’t work yet, and he simply gazes at Zuko, pure adoration shining from his eyes.

Zuko misreads it.

“What, is there something on my face?” he asks self-consciously. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, worry furrowing his brow. “It’s not my fault there’s so much sauce on squirrel-fried fish.”

Sokka finally shakes himself out of his reverie, and he smiles lovingly at Zuko. “You’re perfect,” he says earnestly, and he leans across the table to kiss Zuko soundly. He tastes like garlic and chilies and salt. “I really love you.”

Zuko looks a little dazed when Sokka pulls back, and a light blush colors his cheeks. But he looks pleased. “I love you, too,” he says, his voice a little hoarse, and he laughs, short and sweet. He points to the food, barely any less abundant than when he began. “Now will you please eat with me?”

“In a minute,” Sokka replies, picking up the scroll once more, “I just really want to finish this.”

Zuko nods and tucks back into one of the bundles of sticky rice, sighing and dropping his shoulders as he relaxes anew.

Sokka smiles as he waits patiently for the dancing to start again.

#atla #atla fanfic #zukka #zuko #sokka #my writing #ask #marvelkitten42 #zukka fanfic

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jaybug-jabbers · 4 years

Text

Meal Ideas for College Students

Ok, so. As a college student, I’m compiling my own list of easy meal ideas. I have a bad habit of skipping meals, like many students do. A list of ideas helps a lot when you’re busy, stressed, tired, and/or not feeling up for much.

This post will prioritize quick/easy meals, ideas for relieving meal monotony, food that gives energy that sticks with you throughout the day, and meals that are generally healthy and balanced.

Note: This list of ideas was made with myself in mind. Everyone has their own dietary needs and/or preferences to keep in mind! Still, you might find something useful here. :) Also, check out my other post of recipes for more specific ideas.

Lunch/Dinner Ideas

1.) Soup/Salad/Sandwich.

-Not many canned soups are worth eating in my opinion, but a few taste acceptable (split pea’s pretty good), and sometimes grocery stores have containers of fresh soup. Those are almost always better tasting then canned!

-Salads ideally are more then just plain romaine lettuce and croutons/salad dressing. They can have all kinds of crap thrown on: nuts, seeds, tortilla strips, dried fruit, fresh sliced fruit, cheese, chicken, even some pasta noodles.

-It’s better to buy heads of greens and wash them yourself, as the already-washed bags of greens go bad quickly and have been prone to e. coli outbreaks. A little salad washing bowl speeds up cleaning greens. In either case, try to get a mix of darker, vitamin-rich greens.

-Sandwiches can use the healthier lunch meats but also leftover cooked chicken, or just a grilled cheese sandwich. (Use different kinds of sliced cheese.) Fancy mustard, pesto and horseradish can really punch up a sandwich; so can bread that actually tastes good.

2.) Pasta.

There are a lot of options of what to put on top of pasta; just adding some marinara sauce to spaghetti noodles is only the beginning.

-If you do use red sauce, I suggest adding mushrooms, sliced sausage or ground meat, or lots of cheese on top to bump up the protein.

-If you do something else, stir-frying some veggies (fresh– zuccini, mushroom, celery, carrot, snappeas, etc. frozen– frozen stir-fry veggie mix) and adding a light sauce is good; even dumping vinegarette salad dressing on it can be tasty.

-Other options include frozen shrimp, meatballs, leftover chicken, tofu or a cheese casserole.

-Try other kinds of pasta noodles, because even that can relieve some food monotomy. You can even use cheap ramen noodles, because why not? Just skip the spice pack they come with and add other things instead.

-Raviolis or tortillinis are also great for a light dinner or lunch.

-Sides for pasta include bread/garlic bread, salad, and fruit.

3.) Tacos/Burritos/Tostadas.

Canned beans, cheese, a bit of shredded lettuce, some jarred salsa, a tortilla, presto. Also great for using leftover ground meat or baked chicken. If you are lucky enough to own an avacado, please use it for this.

4.) Nachos.

This is basically when you have canned beans but you ran out of tortillas. Dump everything on top of corn chips instead.

5.) Enchilada Casserole.

Ground meat (or shredded chicken), canned black beans/red kidney beans, shredded cheese, canned enchilada sauce, corn tortillas, and a casserole dish. Dense and lasts you for a long time. Freezes well, too.

6.) Baked chicken.

There’s about a million different ways to prepare chicken. What’s more, the leftovers are so useful for so many things.

7.) Homemade pizza.

-They sell those kits at the store with the shell and the pizza sauce all ready. Just add your desired toppings and cook. A million times better then frozen pizza and worth the five extra minutes of work. You’ll need to invest in a large cutting-board and a pizza cutter or a large knife, but that’s it.

-If you want emergency personal pizzas, you can even use English Muffins for the task.

8.) Hamburger.

If you don’t care for ground beef, ground turkey or chicken works just as well; you can cook them insanely fast and easily on a Foreman grill, but still cooks pretty fast in a regular pan too. Adding some fixings goes a long way: pickles, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pineapple rings, etc. Good sides: salad, fries/potato, peas or beans.

9.) Baked frozen fish/salmon.

Again, you’re unlikey to have the time to buy and prepare fresh fish, which needs to be cooked and eaten quickly, but you can buy a filet of frozen fish. Good sides: rice, easy risotto, boxed couscous, broccoli, bread, etc.

10.) Fajuitas.

Steak strips/chicken strips that are pan-fried, plus stir-fried mushrooms, asparagus, zuccini, etc. Lime juice and avacado add a lot of flavor.

11.) Chicken, mustard, mushroom, garlic, spinach and swiss hot sandwiches.

Bake ‘em after assembling them for melty goodness.

12.) Smoothies/shakes.

This is a great addition to breakfast or lunch if you’re not very hungry or running low on food supplies; only if you have a blender, of course. Ice cubes, plain yogurt, fruit (fresh or frozen), shredded coconut, honey, fruit juice or ice cream, and blend. Experiment to find what works best.

Breakfast Ideas

Bulk up on breakfast if your schedule demands it!

1.) Oatmeal loaded with nuts, dried fruit, powdered proteins, flaxseed, and a dash of maple syrup/honey

2.) A plain yogurt parfait loaded up in a similar manner, plus granola

3.) Bagels or toast with cream cheese, nut butters, jam/honey, or avacado

4.) Stir-fried potatoes, potato pancakes, hashbrowns

5.) Low-sugar muffins

6.) Breakfast burritos

7.) Omlettes

8.) See above for smoothies!

General Tips

1.) Always make large portions when you cook so there are leftovers. When you bake chicken for dinner, you can use the leftovers the next day or make a sandwich or a taco or whatever. If you’re going to invest your precious time and energy into cooking, get the most out of it. If you have TONS of leftovers, freeze them in portions that are easily taken out, bit by bit, to use later on.

2.) See if you can locate a microwave on campus. This expands your options for what to pack for food, in case sandwiches a million times a month gets tiring. Pack things into microwavable tupperware or bring little paper plates and plastic utensils. Plastic bento boxes are also handy ways to pack things other than sandwiches. You can even bring soup, pasta, or ramen with you in a thermos.

3.) Frozen vegetables help a lot. You may not have the time to buy, clean and cook fresh veg, but grabbing a bag of something frozen is easy to make sure you have balanced meals. Steam them in the microwave easily in a bowl with a plate on top; avoid the ‘steamer’ plastic bags if you can, which tend to taste gross imo and may not be super healthy. (zapping plastic may create toxins.)

4.) See what’s in season for fruit. That way you can buy cheaper organic fresh fruit such as grapes, melons, berries or even exotics like kiwi. If you get them in bulk and need to use fresh fruit up before it spoils, try smoothies or put them on cereal/oatmeal or even make a fruit salad.

5.) Consider investing in a crock pot or insta-pot cooker. This opens up options for a lot of low-effort recipes, where you can just toss crap in and come back later and it’s done.

6.) Invest in spices. It’s worth the money and effort to get a variety. Get in the habit of tossing them into things. It can punch up just about anything and is way better then just salt. Even scrambled eggs can be punched up with some Sriracha sauce or some spices, or a little bit of shredded cheese.

This is a repost on a new blog. The original post was on Nov 4, 2019.

#mycontent #college survival

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miracleboiz · 4 years

Text

Making a Home Ch. 7

Kita Shinsuke had experienced a lot in life. He had been raised with his grandmother, a loving foster parent and for some time he followed in her foot steps before finding his own path. He thought his foster care license had expired before getting a call at three am with two small boys thrust into his arms. Miya Osamu and Atsumu, from broken homes but still fighting. Thirty days before his license expires. Thirty days to make a choice, keep the boys or let them be separated into different homes. Thirty days to fall in love with them.

Words: 4k

Relationships: Gen

Warnings: Mention of past child abuse, non-graphic abuse

Not from Kita, but it is mentioned. I will post any warnings before any panic attacks or vague descriptions of abuse.

Read below or on AO3

Shinsuke was just finishing the last of the dumplings as the doorbell rang. Osamu looked up with confusion, hair now dusted with flour.

“Akagi? Can you go see who that is? It’s probably Oomimi.” Shinsuke called, turning to wash his hands off in the sink and help Osamu copy him. “Aran, Atsumu can you set up the table? I already have the pot on the table.”

Aran paused the game and tossed Atsumu an easy grin, putting the controllers on the coffee table. He stood as Akagi skipped towards the front door with a cheer and led Atsumu into the kitchen.

“ ‘Mimi!” Akagi screamed and there was the sound of someone falling against the door quickly followed by a soft greeting.

Osamu and Atsumu both froze, staring at the doorway until Oomimi walked in with Akagi holding tightly to his back. Akagi waved at the staring group before tightening his hold on the suffering social worker.

“.... Here you are Atsumu.” Shinsuke said, turning away from Akagi to pass the plates of thin meat slices to him. Aran snagged the bowl of dumplings and some sauces before leading the way over to the table and starting to place them within arms reach for all of them.

A soft tugging on Shinsuke’s shirt revealed Osamu blinking up at him.

“Can I help too?” He asked, nearly bouncing when Shinsuke grabbed another sauce and offered it to him. “Thank you Shinsuke-san!”

“I’m assuming everything is going well then.” Oomimi said in his slow voice as he carefully closed the front door and made his way to the kitchen without removing his newly attached mushroom.

“They’re good kids, they’ve just had it a little rough.” Shinsuke nodded, glancing over at the two trying to get the cushions out again. Aran had stepped up behind them to grab some himself and had somehow managed to knock them all over and he was currently on the floor.

“Aran-kun died!” Atsumu called helpfully when he saw Shinsuke looking. He was quickly knocked on the ground himself as Osamu pulled a cushion off of Aran and slammed it into his brother.

“ ‘Tsumu died!” Osamu cheered, squealing as Atsumu scrambled to his feet and tackled him. They fell to the ground, laughing and shoving at each other as Aran slowly sat up.

“Dead people don’t move.” Akagi yelled from Oomimi’s back, happily clinging on with his legs as Oomimi tried to dislodge him for a moment. “Woah now! What if I died? Then where would my new nephews be? Huh ‘Mimi? What’s wrong with you?”

Oomimi didn’t bother to respond, carefully bowing to Shinsuke in apology before lifting up his grocery bag.

“I brought the vegetables.” Oomimi murmured as Shinsuke took the bag before grabbing a knife.

Shinsuke didn’t bother to look over at the boys again as he started to slice the fresh ingredients. It was Aran looking after them after all, if he couldn’t be trusted then none of them could.

Shinsuke finally brought the last plate over as the sun was starting to drop beneath the horizon, the last remnants of the early morning snow still glowing slightly as they stopped melting. Oomimi had finally rid himself of the parasite and had put Akagi down at one end of the table before taking his usual spot beside Kita on the other end of the table. Normally Aran took the other side but today they had their guests who squeezed themselves into the space between their newly acquired Oji-san and Shinsuke-san. Aran, instead, was forced to take the position to keep Akagi from harassing Oomimi.

“Aran…. Aran… Aran just lean back a little, I can see the edge of ‘Mimi’s shirt.” Akagi stage whispered and Aran let out a long suffering sigh.

Shinsuke turned his head down to hide a smile that was trying it’s best to escape as Akagi started sliding his hand over a tired looking Aran. He checked the pot, making sure it was boiling before leaning back and turning to the twins.

“What would you like to eat first?” Shinsuke asked the boys, offering the lid to Oomimi who was quietly filling up his side with noodles and tofu to cook..

“Noodles!”

“Rice!”

“Osamu, you have a bowl of rice in front of you dear. If you boil it it will just get soggy, would you like some noodles as well?” Shinsuke asked as Osamu’s lips drooped slightly. He looked up at the offer, hesitating before slowly nodding and Shinsuke grabbed both of their shares and dropped them in.

“You can add things on top of the rice or we can pour some of the broth over it if you like,” Shinsuke hummed as Osamu perked up and started to dig a small hole into his rice, “now, if you two want to drop a few things in you can.”

Atsumu went directly for the meat dropping in the thin slices of beef with near wild abandon and Oomimi quietly pushed the meat back over to Atsumu side. The child hesitated before snagging two pieces of salmon and stared the pot down as he lowered it down over his own noodles and looked up at Oomimi for approval.

Oomimi smiled and nodded, blinking in surprise when Atsumu seemed to brighten as he fell back with a vibrant smile. He nudged Shinsuke and tilted his head curiously, before he caught a drifting piece of tofu and saved it.

“They’re still recovering, I don’t know the last time they had kind human interaction so they’re just trying to make you happy. I told you, they’re good kids, they’ve just had a hard time.” Shinsuke said softly, watching Osamu lean half over the table to lay his own few slices of beef down.

“ ‘Samu watch out-” Atsumu nearly shouted as Osamu lost his balance and his hand fell on the corner of the sauce plate, splashing it up and over the table.Osamu gasped and dropped the beef into the pot with a splash as he jerked back.

“It was my fault,” The words were out of Atsumu’s mouth before he even realized, arm protectively spread in front of his brother. If anyone was going to be punished, Atsumu thought, he was going to take it.

“Atsumu,” Shinsuke said softly, heart aching at the obvious fear in both of their eyes.

“P-please don’t hurt him, it was me.” Osamu tried to insist, pushing his brother’s arm down.

“Little one, nobody is going to be hurt,” Shinsuke said as he stood, quickly making his way to the kitchen and grabbing a few wet cloths before returning and passing one to Akagi who started to mop up the table.

Atsumu and Osamu watched him like cornered animals, their hands finding each other immediately. Even after all day, they still reverted to their terrified mindset after an accident.

It’s still only day one, Shinsuke reminded himself, we have a long time to help.

“Let me see your hand, Osamu.” Shinsuke said, moving to kneel beside him and holding out his hand for him. Slowly, ever so carefully, Osamu lifted his hand and let Shinsuke take it by his wrist.

“You’re not in trouble, Osamu. It was just an accident,” Shinsuke promised as he ran the wet cloth over his damp hand, “I promise you’re not in trouble. It’s just soy sauce, we can get some more, can’t we Aran?”

“It’s okay,” Aran agreed, moving slowly to his feet and scooping up the dish. He disappeared into the kitchen as Shinsuke finished cleaning off Osamu’s hand and checked it over.

“Well you’re not hurt, so there’s no need for tears right?” Shinsuke said slowly, not sure if the tears were from fear or relief at this point.

Osamu choked out a yes, reaching up to scrub at his eyes. He took a shuddering breath, looking down as Shinsuke finally moved away from him to check on Atsumu. Shinsuke paused for a moment wondering if he should say something before letting the matter drop as he moved to his seat again.

“You can put more in the pot,” Akagi tried to encourage him as Aran returned with the now refilled dish and placed it back in its old spot. Osamu looked up for a second before shaking his head, still shaken.

“Would you like one of us to put things in for you?” Oomimi asked softly, inclining his head slightly at Osamu’s look of confusion. “I don’t mind, I have a few more dishes over here. Do you like carrots?”

Osamu nodded slowly and Oomimi carefully scooped up a few pieces before dropping them in. They went carefully over each item, Osamu nodding or shaking his head with each item and letting Oomimi lay it into the pot to cook.

Atsumu moved to add his own before he sank back down, hand still firmly clutched in Osamu’s. Aran noticed and spoke up before Shinsuke could.

“Would you like dumplings?” He offered, holding one up with a soft smile on his face. Atsumu hesitated, glancing at Shinsuke and then Akagi before he slowly nodded and let it add to his pile.

“What about any vegetables?” Aran asked when Atsumu shook his head at each of the offered pieces. Atsumu’s lips curled in a disgusted frown and Shinsuke had to fight back the urge to laugh in case he startled the child.

“Do you not like them?” Aran asked carefully, eyes on the child when Atsumu flinched.

“I’ll… eat anything you give me…” Atsumu said slowly and the adults frowned, glancing at each other.

“Atsumu, if you really don’t like them we won’t force you to eat them. We just have to find some vegetables you will eat, so you don’t get sick.” Aran explained but Atsumu just shrugged. Perhaps it was that explaining how vegetables worked didn’t quite matter to a six year old, or perhaps Atsumu was still trying to be as obedient as he could.

“I’ll eat them for you.” Osamu tried to whisper, shying away from the glance Akagi gave him.

“It’s okay… I’ll eat them…” Atsumu insisted, turning to Aran. “Please put them in.”

Aran paused, glancing at Shinsuke. Shinsuke could see the question in his eyes, this wasn’t Aran’s child or duty but he still had an idea. Slowly he nodded, staying quiet until he was needed. It was good for the boys to know they had more than just their parent to rely on.

“When I was little, I didn’t like vegetables either. They were so soft and mushy when my parents cooked them that it just made them gross.” Aran said as he watched Atsumu’s eyes widen slightly before they looked away again.

“They’re… they…” Atsumu started, glancing up at Shinsuke.

“You can tell us anything Atsumu, you won’t be in trouble for explaining yourself.” Shinsuke reached out to him slowly and, when Atsumu didn’t flinch away, he brushed away the hair falling into his eyes until it was parted opposite his brothers. Atsumu blinked up at him and then nodded, turning back to Aran as the hand slipped out of his hair.

“It… gets… stuck…” Atsumu explained, reaching up to touch his throat. “And it’s all soft and feels bad on my tongue… I don’t like them.”

“Have you ever eaten them raw?” Aran asked, snagging a piece of broccoli from the small dish. Atsumu blinked at him, head slowly tilting to the side like a dog’s.

“You… can eat them without cooking them? I’ve… had carrots but they just taste weird.” Atsumu asked, glancing around the table with confusion as Shinsuke started to pull his and his brother’s noodles from the pot and dish them up.

Shinsuke nodded to his question, carefully spooning Osamu’s vegetables into his rice hole. He checked on their dumplings before laying them on the side of Atsumu’s plate and turned to look at Aran who was cutting into the broccoli.

“Yep, though I can’t blame you about carrots, sometimes they’re sweet and then sometimes they’re dry so I don’t like carrots either. I do like tomatoes a lot though when they’re all chopped, or cucumbers. Potatoes too.” Aran said, slicing off the head of the broccoli and holding up just the green stick. He leaned over to offer it to Atsumu.

“Try it like this, and if you still don’t like it then we can try and find something else. I’m sure your dad- I’m sure Shinsuke wouldn’t mind. He likes cooking new things.”

Shinsuke tried to pretend that his heart hadn’t skipped more than a few beats at the comment. He tried to silence it, reminding himself that he wasn’t actually their father, just a temporary guardian. Yet as he looked around his dinner table, with Akagi happily dunking his dumplings into the pot and covering it with pork, Oomimi quietly taking bites only to hiss at the heat and do it again, Aran looking so gentle and endeared with the children, and both of the twins staring at the uncooked piece with absolute fascination, he found that it was a new feeling of home that he never wanted to give up.

Atsumu reached up with his own chopsticks to snag it. He stared at it for a minute, watching like it might strike him, before he finally popped it in his own mouth and chewed it.

There was silence as they all watched and Shinsuke was starting to feel bad making Atsumu the center of attention when Atsumu’s frown twisted into a smile instead. He looked up at Aran, eyes sparkling like he’d found the truth in the world.

“That wasn’t super gross!” Atsumu chirped happily. “Can I have some more like that please?”

“Oh, can… can I try too Aran-kun?” Osamu asked, gasping when Aran nodded and pulled more broccoli onto his plate to chop the heads off.

Oomimi watched for a moment before his and Akagi’s chopsticks both flashed and snagged the heads. Aran gasped dramatically, smacking Akagi’s chopsticks away as they went in for another bite only to lose two pieces to Oomimi.

“You guys are terrible bullies.” Aran snapped without fire and the twins laughed quietly at the scandalized look on Akagi’s face.

“I am not a bully, I am an angel that has been gifted to you from the gods themselves, all the gods. Every single one of them, including Kita!” Akagi argued back, whining when he was denied another broccoli head. Aran popped them in his mouth and then the hot pot before passing the now headless pieces to Oomimi to give to Shinsuke who quickly split them up between the two boys.

Shinsuke sighed and shook his head as he started to cook his own meal, keeping an eye on the twins as they started to eat. Atsumu didn’t seem to mind the vegetables at all just like he’d said, though Osamu was quick to pass the raw broccoli over in favor of his soft carrots.

As dinner passed, the boys started to relax again. Quietly laughing as Akagi regaled them with stories of wild adventures out of the country.

“So I’m sitting there in Australia right? And there’s this huge spider like… the size of your head,” Akagi was saying as he popped another dumpling in his mouth as the boys listened completely enraptured. “And I’m like thinking it’s going to eat me and the dude next to me just goes ‘Eh? What’re you doin? Get out of here, this isn’t a hotel for ya’ to the spider and the spider just stares at us and I’m sure I’m going to be gobbled up until the spider turns and runs down the street. Scariest moment of my life.”

Atsumu was nearly pressed against Shinsuke’s leg by the end of it, hand clutching Shinsuke’s wrist like he was afraid Shinsuke was going to leave him alone with the spiders. Osamu, on the other hand, was chowing down on the dumplings while completely entranced in the different stories.

“Shinsuke-san… I never want to see a spider again.” Atsumu whispered and Shinsuke reached up to pat his hair. He gently stroked the thick strands as Akagi started another story about bees.

“Okay okay, enough of the bug stories. It’s very late and we still have to get baths in.” Shinsuke said as Atsumu squeaked and rolled completely into his lap to hide from the story. Osamu whined, though when he saw his brother he stopped and crawled over to pat his back.

“I won’t let the bugs get you.” Osamu said soothingly, smiling when Atsumu’s head peaked over his shoulder to glare at him.

“You can’t stop a bug that could eat Oji-san.” Atsumu snapped, shivering and moving back to his hiding spot as Osamu gasped.

“I could too!”

“Enough you two, come on boys. Let’s go get a bath and if you’re still awake maybe your… Oji-san can pick out a movie before bed.” Shinsuke said, gently patting the boys’ backs until they were standing. Osamu was already yawning so he doubted they would get further than the actual bath.

“Aww, but I wanted Aran-kun to introduce them to volleyball.” Akagi whined, ignoring Aran’s confused look.

“What’s volleyball?” Osamu asked as he slipped over to the table again. Though Shinsuke wasn’t sure if he was hoping for another story or more rice and dumplings.

“It’s only the greatest game ever invented, that all your Oji-sans and your dad- Shinsuke-san played in high school.” Akagi said, already sitting up to explain more before Aran reached over and covered his mouth. He pointed to Shinsuke who was watching him with a half glare and Akagi wilted slightly.

“I’ll show you boys later, okay? Maybe I can teach you a few things while Shinsuke-kun is working or after school okay?” Aran said, letting his hand drop after a moment. His lips pursed and he turned to wipe the drool back onto the culprit’s shirt.

“You’re a twelve year old.”

“I’m your favorite twelve year old, right ‘Mimi?” Akagi chirped while Oomimi turned tired eyes on Shinsuke.

“Save me.” Oomimi said and Shinsuke rolled his eyes. They were all twelve year olds, that's why they all got along so well.

“I’m getting the boys clean, you three clean up.” Shinsuke said, careful not to leave any room for negotiation as he made his way to the wet room. He turned to the two, sighing at the sight of Osamu’s hair finally starting to wilt.

“Okay, we’re just going to take a quick bath after the shower okay? Are you okay if I stay in here?” Shinsuke asked and the twins glanced at each other. They seemed to be talking to each other and Osamu groaned before turning and nodding.

“Yes sir… But ya gotta make sure Atsumu washes his feet! He has gross feet!” Osamu insisted, turning his head away when Atsumu gasped and shoved him.

“You have stinky breath! Stinky breath baby!” Atsumu chanted until Shinsuke hushed them, reaching down to seperate them.

“Enough you two. We’ll scrub our feet and brush our teeth.” How on earth they managed to start a fight over a bath, Shinsuke had no idea. It was honestly almost impressive.

He turned and started to fill up the tub, ordering the twins to strip when another sound came from the doorway. Shinsuke looked up at the sound of plastic rustling to find Akagi holding a bag.

“I bought some bath supplies.” Akagi explained, passing the bag over with a smile at the twins.

Shinsuke opened it and sighed. Shampoo and conditioner were fine but… bubble bath and bath crayons were going to be the death of him. Before he had the chance to hide them away, the twins had already stepped over.

“Oh! Oh! We can have a bubble bath?” Atsumu gasped, turning to Akagi and bowing before he nearly fell on his face from the pants around his ankles. Shinsuke’s arm shot out and caught him, reaching down to tug the pants out from around his feet.

“Sorry Shinsuke-san. Thank you Oji-san!” Atsumu chirped, looking far too vibrant for so late at night. Yet Shinsuke couldn’t say no to that face.

“Alright, we can have a bubble bath, but only once we’re clean…” Shinsuke said, lips twitching at the cheers that rose up from both of the boys. He snagged their clothes, passing them to Akagi.

“Toss these in the boys’ hamper and bring some dry pajamas and leave them next to the towels okay?” Shinsuke passed them over, rolling his eyes at Akagi’s salute.

It wasn’t long before the water was at a decent temperature and the boys moved to sit on the stool under the shower head while Shinsuke turned the bath off and covered it to keep the heat. The shower itself was quick, though it took the combined efforts of Shinsuke and Atsumu to finally get rid of the last of the hair gel.

The boys were soaked and bouncing, accidentally spraying Shinsuke a few times with the water that slipped off their skin, though he didn’t care much. He shuffled them into the bath, pouring in the bubble bath and stirring it until it was completely covered in white clouds.

The twins squealed with delight, smacking at the bubbles quite cheerily. Shinsuke passed over the bath crayons with a vague sense of terror before allowing himself to relax. Whatever happened would happen.

Atsumu was currently drawing the world’s fattest rabbit as Osamu did his best to detail what looked like a pill bug on a piece of paper. Shinsuke settled beside the tub, keeping an eye on them.

“Tomorrow’s probably not going to be as much fun as today.” He said slowly, watching them glance at him before they went back to their drawings. “I have to go to work, but you’re more than welcome to join me or stay with Akagi at home. And you will be starting school next week.”

“Do we have to stay home?” Atsumu asked, adding a tail and then scribbling his own name between it’s ears. “Can we visit the bakery? They have muffins and a little boy just like us!”

“Actually they have three.” Shinsuke said, watching both of them look up excitedly. His heart cracked slightly at their hopeful gazes. They had been pulled away from their last school and now had no friends or a way to contact the old ones, it was probably exciting to know they lived right across from some who might want to be their friends.

“And yes, if you wish you can visit the bakery. But only with me or Akagi until you know the street a little more and the owners can recognize you, okay?”

“Yes Shinsuke-san.” The twins chirped together and Shinsuke watched Osamu glance at Atsumu’s characters before scribbling his brother's name and drawing an arrow to the bug.

“Atsumu’s a bug!” Osamu said with a smirk only to yelp as his brother splashed him and the bug started to melt off the wall. “My bug! Atsumu you bully! Shinsuke-san.”

Shinsuke sighed internally, though he felt incredibly fond of the two already. He never really understood the desire to antagonize one’s fellow child. Even when he was a kid and he met the new foster children his grandmother brought in, he much preferred to get along with them. Perhaps though, it was a way of pushing boundaries because the two clearly loved each other more than anything.

“Atsumu, don’t erase his work. Osamu, you know Atsumu doesn’t like bugs so don’t tease him about it- why are you staring at me?” Shinsuke blinked at the two of them, leaning back as they lifted their markers.

“Shinsuke-san.” Osamu said slowly.

“Yes?”

“Can we draw something on you?” Atsumu continued, making swirls in the air.

Shinsuke froze, taking in the wide eyes that fluttered with innocence. There was absolutely no way in hell he was letting two six years olds draw on his face. He had principles, a reputation, a-

“Sure.” A giant weakness for the sweetest two boys he’s ever met that were already chipping at his heart.

“Do not say a word.” Shinsuke said when he exited the wet room, two half asleep boys in fresh pajamas holding onto his legs. Aran had come to say something, only to freeze halfway down the hall.

His lips were pursed, clearly trying not to burst into laughter but soft snickers were escaping anyways. He turned, a snort echoing down the hall before calling for Oomimi.

“What is it-Oh my god, JoJo’s Circus is here.” Oomimi dead panned, quietly lifting up his phone and snapping three photos. Shinsuke closed his eyes, trying not to let the exhaustion win.

“Come on boys, time for bed.” He said, patting down their mostly dry hair.

“But… you said we would get to watch a movie…” Osamu insisted, only to yawn into his fist.

“Osamu, if you watch a movie now you’re going to fall asleep in it. Let's wait until tomorrow okay? Oji-san will still be here.” Shinsuke soothed, bending down to scoop him up into his arms as he led Atsumu down the hall.

“Oji-san is here-” Akagi said, popping his head out of the kitchen only to freeze at the sight of Shinsuke. “Oji-san is gone, I repeat Oji-san has been killed.”

The howl of laughter made Atsumu jump before he was stumbling trying to keep up with Shinsuke’s longer legs. Shinsuke paused to grab him but Aran stepped forward instead.

“Mind if I carry you to bed?” He asked and Atsumu shook his head, toddling forward to wrap his arms around Aran’s neck. Shinsuke watched as Aran’s face twisted in shock before melting into a look of complete adoration and affection as he scooped the child up.

Together they carried the twins to the bedroom, Osamu was already dead asleep by the time he was being laid down. He whined when Shinsuke pulled his arms from around his neck before he curled against the pillow.

Atsumu sat up though, yawning and rubbing at his eyes. He squinted at the two adults in the room, like he was trying to recognize them.

“What about… Ki-chan?” He asked and Shinsuke tilted his head at him until Atsumu patted the espeon beside his bed. “Osamu’s… sleeping buddy.”

“Oh his fox… Aran, it’s on the couch under the blanket, fetch it for me?” Shinsuke asked, waiting for him to leave before moving to Atsumu’s side. He stroked through his hair as he sat on the edge of his bed, watching his face relax and droop closer to sleep.

“Atsumu. Let me know if you need anything okay? You remember where my room is?” Shinsuke asked, nodding when Atsumu mumbled out the directions. Aran slipped in quietly, nodding to Shinsuke as he pressed the fox into Osamu’s arms and moved back out.

“Good… Get some rest, little one. I’ll see you in the morning.” Shinsuke murmured, though he was sure Atsumu was already asleep as he stood up and walked out.

“Normally I’d insist on talking with you like we usually do… But I think you just need a nap.” Oomimi said lightly, putting away the last of the now dry dishes. He tilted his head towards the couch where Akagi had put on a movie of some sort.

“Will you be going to bed or joining us?” Aran asked and Shinsuke wanted to decline, shake his head and smile before heading to bed. Stronger than that however, was the loneliness that had crept into his chest at the idea of his house falling silent again and it had only been a day.

“I’ll join you.” Shinsuke murmured, allowing himself to be pulled along. He was settled in between Akagi and Aran, Oomimi having stolen the large armchair for himself.

Later, Shinsuke couldn’t tell you what movie it was or what happened. He just remembered falling to his side and a warm body tucking him closer while someone else leaned on his other. Then waking up again slightly to someone carrying him to his bed, murmuring a goodnight before it was all dark again. He woke up at three am to his shirt smelling strangely of a familiar deodorant and the scent of spray on pain reliever like his old volleyball days. When he drifted off again, he couldn’t help but notice the smile that wouldn’t leave his lips.

#HQ #haikyuu!!#Miya Atsumu #Miya Osamu #Arankita #Kita Shinsuke #Inarizaki #fluff #fanfiction #Making a home AU

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mcalhenwrites · 4 years

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My OCs, Basil and Cassidy, eat a lot of spicy food. They live on the seaside, in a tourist town just barely south of a volcano. There’s a dragon/sea serpent-like creature that’s said to live in the volcano, and she turns all the creatures white. The rivers might have white pike and white toads, all not natural. (It’s leucism, btw, though they often mistakenly call it “albinism”.) This is the reason for the tourism: everyone would like to see the local sea creature and her effect on the wildlife. The area is mountainous. Cassidy works part-time as one of the tour guides for a cave. The volcano itself is closed off to the public, but there are beaches, an aquarium (Basil works here in the gift shop), and plenty of local cuisine inspired by the volcano! This means there is heat in that food, because... Well, volcanos have heat, right? A lot of food involves peppers. Anyway, I decided to try my hand at crafting one of the popular dishes in the book! This is a fictional world, and I thought it might be fun to make the wraps that they so commonly eat. It’s called a “Nagano wrap” (not to be mistaken with Nagano in Japan, again this is a fictional world I made up, but Nagano is the name of the volcano). It’s a popular street food, but it turns out it takes a ton of preparation time! (Not much time to fix it once the filling is done, though! Easy enough to make a huge batch, too...)

I had to start with soaking the red beans yesterday. Those soaked for a few hours, I rinsed them, and then I put them in with a tender roast, some spices, a tiny bit of water, and some beef broth. That simmered overnight and most of today.

I let it cool a little, but I burnt my fingers a bit on separating the beef from the fat and straining out all the broth into a container to use to cook rice in later! (Add some mushrooms and rice and it’s HEAVENLY.) I did use a little of the strained broth in the mixture, and I added some tomato paste, more spices, and eventually green chilis (I meant to add these sooner, so they’re not pictured in the image I’m about to post). The mixture usually has a lot of fresh peppers in it, but I’m not well-versed in peppers to know what to add, so mostly I used ground varieties.

I let that simmer for about three or four hours before I started making the “wrap”, and I cheated a little because it’s supposed to be fried, and the only thing I’m really familiar with is fry bread. So I used fry bread. They eat plenty of fry bread in this story, anyway. I made the dough, let it sit to rise/fluff a bit, and then spread it out with liberal amounts of vegetable oil on my hands and the cutting board. These are supposed to be less round and more square/rectangle shaped, but I’m a newbie. I’m not an experienced chef from my story!

They were huuuuge! This is about the size I imagine, but I only used one scoop from the spatula per one. It made six of them! Unfortunately, out of the two people I could share these with, one of them doesn’t like roast beef much, and I don’t think he’s big on cumin, either. (Cumin is an important ingredient for this.) So only two of us ate these - and loved them!

Excuse the mess on the counter. I imagine these are usually fixed at a stall or one of those food trucks, where it’s open-aired and everything is already greasy. They’re often wrapped in a paper a bit like a crepe or something, and handed off to eat as more of a finger food than fork/knife, but I eat hamburgers with forks/knives so too fucking bad. :P And that’s just what I made with the fry bread. The filling? I only used a little portion. I’m going to freeze some of it in ziplocks when it’s a little more cooled off, and then thaw and make these in future weeks. I’ll probably make another batch tomorrow or the next day, though. I still have some of the actual wraps leftover, too... This makes a LOT of food! Honestly, I can see what Basil and Cassidy get these while eating out (which they do a lot). Basil makes them as well, but he must be making them for large groups of people! Someday, I’ll know more about peppers and breads to make “true” versions closer to what I imagine in the story, but for now, this works! It’s delicious and easy to eat. It’s also... not super expensive to make, not when it honestly will feed so many. Not to say they’re healthy. Nope, not at all. All that oil, red meat, flour...? Delicious, but not healthy. :’D

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love-fireflysong · 4 years

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Day 19: Domestic

Fandom: Tales of Phantasia Character(s): Chester Burklight, Arche Klein Words: 1309 Rating: General (minor swearing) Author’s Notes: It’s more Tales! Yay! Tried something different here, cause it’s not often I try to write dialogue between two people who absolutely love to tear the shit out of each other verbally, but still obviously really like and respect each other. I’ve noticed when reading other stories about them talking, that they tend to come across as them hating each other, just using the worst insults ever, with a sudden shift to ‘oh shit, I think I’m in love with you actually’. So I tried to find a nice middle ground but I don’t really know if I hit it.

“I seriously cannot believe that you’ve over a hundred years old, and you still can’t cook for shit.”

From where she was standing next to Chester in their kitchen, Arche poked him none to gently in his side, laughing at the way he squirmed to get away. “And I can’t believe that you’re still a rude little ass who insults his elders like this.”

Chester rubbed his side with a glare. “What elders? I don’t see anyone like that here. All I see is a pink abomination who acts like a six year-old.”

“Hey! I am a mature older woman, with years of knowledge and life experience behind me.”

He couldn’t help the snort that came out as he looked at her incredulously. “Mature? You? I’m definitely more mature then you are, and you’re like six times my age!”

Arche narrowed her eyes. “I’ll show you mature.” She abruptly pounced on him, tugging at both of his cheeks as she dragged Chester down to her level. He didn’t take anytime in returning the gesture in retaliation, and soon the both of them were standing in the kitchen and tugging at each others faces as they continued to insult each other.

“How is this proving you’re more mature?”

“You’re fighting back aren’t ya? That means you’re nothing but a child!”

“Child?! You’re the one that managed to burn the potato stew to the pot!”

“Not my fault you have crappy cookware!”

“Not my fault you’re a crappy cook!”

“Bastard!”

“Shrew!”

Neither is quite sure who let’s go first, but before they know it, they’re both glaring at the other, cheeks bright red from the constant pinching as Arche is now grabbing onto the sleeves of Chester’s shirt and he’s holding firmly onto her upper arms. They hold the the glare for as long as they can, but soon enough the both of them break down laughing, foreheads pressed together, and their grip on the other the only thing keeping them from collapsing to the floor in their giggles.

Soon enough, that too tapers off and the two of them are left standing in the middle of the kitchen, wide smiles on their faces. She’s been missing this banter between them even more then she thought she would over the last hundred years, and if anyone has learned to make every moment count, it’s her. So, taking advantage of the moment in question, Arche steals a quick, but firm, kiss. One that Chester barely manages to return before she’s let go of his shirt and turns back to the pot of what was supposed to be potato stew. But instead of chunks of white potatoes, carrots, and onions in a rich, brown, pork sauce, all that was in there was misshapen lumps of charcoal in a black, viscous sludge that had managed to burn to the edges of the cast iron cooking pot. She could only groan in dismay and make an exaggerated pout at the sight.

"I really thought I had it this time too...”

With his own groan, this one in grim acceptance of his fate, Chester grabbed at the pot and extinguished the flame from the stove. “And this is why I’m the one who cooks in this relationship. I cook, you clean. And then I clean up after you.”

Arche stuck her tongue out over her shoulder, but grabbed her broom and made to follow Chester outside. “Maybe it’s still salvageable, or edible. I mean, it can’t be a complete loss can it?”

When he reaches the door that lead to the outside of the the house, he turned to face her with a look of disbelief and disgust. “I say this with full offense intended, but I would have a better chance of survival fighting Dhaos alone and naked, then eating this crud.” Arche made to smack him in his ass with the handle of her broom, but he was already outside dumping the black concoction into the hole that had been so-loving dubbed ‘Arche’s Cooking Pot’ when she had first tried making a quiche a few weeks back. She debated on smacking Chester with the broom anyway, but decided that it might send him into the hole too and she wasn’t nearly that mean. Or angry.

“You think a Fire Ball would help to burn some of the gunk off?”

The snort that Chester made was so sudden, that he almost dropped the pot into the hole with the stew. A good thing he didn’t, he had a strange feeling that the combination of Arche’s ‘cooking’ failures would manage to eat through the cast iron pot almost instantly. “I think a Fire Ball would help to destroy our only cooking pot we have left.”

She frowned, knowing that he was right but didn’t want to admit it. She watched in silence instead as he scraped out as much of the charred food as he was able to before sighing. Unfortunately for her, there wasn’t a whole lot that her magic was gonna be able to do for them here. So she turned to go back inside and see what they could manage for supper with any ingredients they still had leftover.

“Hey, Arche.”

She stopped and looked over her shoulder a little hesitant and distrustful. It was never a good thing when Chester let his voice get that soft and thoughtful. Usually meant he was thinking about Ami, or that he was thought he was being too harsh with her. She didn’t like soft, caring Chester nearly as much as hot-headed, brash Chester. Soft Chester had his time and place to be sure, but Annoying Chester was much more fun to deal with. Annoying Chester she likes. She really likes him a lot, actually.

“Yeah...?”

“I think we still have some rice left over from when we did hashed beef a couple of nights ago. Go see if Cress and Mint have any tofu. I’ll make some Mabo Curry tonight.”

Arche winced. Ami it was. “Sure. No problem.”

She hears Chester sigh and braces herself for whatever is coming next. “And see if their willing to let you have some fruit too.” Apparently it was a two-fer tonight. Just her luck. Man, she really messed up on that potato stew.

“You gonna have enough time to make both the curry and a fruit dish?”

“Nope. That’s why your in charge of the dessert.”

Arche scoffs and tries to defuse the tense atmosphere building. She can’t salvage supper, but she can try to salvage this at least. They can have that talk later tonight. “Thought you said I was a shitty cook.”

He turns his head to look over his shoulder at her, still scrapping methodically away at the pot, though he’s almost done at this point. “You are. The worst cook I have ever met. Pretty sure you’re gonna poison me one day.” He see’s her open her mouth to rebuke or argue or something and cuts her off. “That being said, unless you’ve somehow gotten worse over the past hundred years, I do remember you being at least half-decent at those fruit desserts.”

She mentally pats her back in victory and can’t help the grin that comes to her face. “Oh, just you wait. I’ve gotten even better. I’m gonna knock your boots off with my fruit cake! You’re gonna regret ever calling me an awful cook.” Arche hooks her leg over her broom and fly’s towards the house where Cress and Mint are staying, but manages to overhear Chester’s next sentence as he practically yells it out to her.

“I’m already regretting asking you to help in the first place.”

With a wave of her hand, she sends a small Stone Blast towards Chester over the pit and laughs at his startled swear and the finger he sends up to her in retaliation.

#pride month prompt challenge #my writing #tales of phantasia #arche klein #chester burklight #archester #i am single handily bring life back to the top tag arent i?#god the poor people following that tag must be sick of me by now

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