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888sss · 2 years ago

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All you had to do was knock

This is NOT proofread, because I'm lazy, and just thought of this so I sat down and typed away.

Theo nott x (Slytherin)reader

(I think I have a crush on all TV characters named Theo)

the title is related to something Theo says, idk if it even makes sense

It was Christmas time, and snow had just begun to fall, you were walking with Astoria, through the shops of Hogsmeade.

"Everyone knows what it means to ask a 'friend' to Hogsmeade," says Astoria. Her brown hair hung over the sides of her face and she looked down at the ground.

"I know! He might be an introvert, but Teddy isn't stupid that's why I'm upset. Pansy even thought Teddy liked me, and then he turned around and asked her on a date." I said.

Theo and I were really close, and jokes about our friendship were often made by our other friends, due to how close we were. I'd liked Teddy for ages, but recently he had started asking me to hang out individually, and sitting next to me at meals in the great hall. He even switched with Blaise to be my potions partner, and I suck at potions. Of course, I didn't mind the extra time spent with him, and I loved his company, but now I regretted it, I felt like I had let him lead me on.

"I'm sure he does like you, Y/N. I haven't seen Theo spend this much time with anyone since, well, never." Astoria reassured me. I'm not sure how she could say such a thing when Theo was literally on a date with another girl right now. We walked into Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and looked to see what new ideas the twins had come up with. Astoria wandered to a display table towards the left wall, "You could buy this, and Theo won't even remember Pansy's name." She held up a glass with a sparkly, heart-shaped label that read, "Love Potion". I smiled and gave her a look of disapproval.

"Too soon?" she asked.

I opened my mouth to say something, but I heard the door open, and a cold breeze made the hair stick up on my arms. I turned to the door and saw Pansy walking in, but rather than Theo behind her, it was Enzo. He scanned the store and waved at Astoria and I.

"Y/N, Astoria! Hey guys what are you doing here?" Enzo asked as he was on our side of the store in a few strides, Pansy following close behind him.

"Hey guys," Astoria gave them both a quick hug, "we're just shopping around, y'know?" Astoria holds up the love potion so that Enzo and Pansy can see it.

"What're you buying that for?" Pansy asks reaching for the glass.

"I'm not buying it, y/n is!" Astoria joked.

"I am not buying that, put it back!" I told Astoria, quickly taking it from Pansy and putting it back on the shelf we got it from.

"Trust me y/n if you're buying it for 'you-know-who' then you do not need it," Enzo said raising his eyebrows, exaggerating his tone on certain words. I punched Enzo in the arm,

"I'm not buying it," I said sternly, I knew they were all just joking, but now was a bad time, especially since Pansy was literally right next to me. "besides, Teddy and I already get along just fine, why would I need a love potion? We're just friends."

"So if me and Draco share a bed, you wouldn't think that was a little bit weird?" Enzo asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well, not if you guys were both cold, and one of your beds was all the way down the hall," I told them, understanding the message they were trying to send.

The topic of the discussion changed many times before we got back to the comfort of the fireplace, surrounded by green couches, and various books. I sat in an armchair closest to the fireplace, before getting up to use the restroom. When I walked down the hallway I could hear the laughter of my friends, and faintly hear their voices. When I finished up, I looked in the mirror and ran my fingers through my hair, the hat I had taken off messed it up, and no one had thought to tell me. I walked back into the common room and saw that Teddy had returned from wherever he had been, and taken the seat I was sitting in before I got up. Without much thought, I sat down on the arm of Theo's chair and ruffled his hair.

"Hi Teddy," I sang, and seeing him for the first time today, I had almost forgotten I was mad at him, "where have you been?"

The room had gone silent and our friends all watched our interaction. I quickly noticed our proximity and moved to an empty spot on a couch, near his chair so I could still listen for his answer.

"Just around," He spoke softly, "nowhere special."

I was surprised by his answer and looked over at Pansy to see if her expression would show that she knew anything more than he let on, but she had turned back around and was talking with Mattheo about who was the better quidditch player. Theo obviously didn't have much to say, and by the bags under his eyes I could tell wherever he had been, had left him exhausted, so I let him be, and decided that I should get some rest myself.

Morning came, and despite being under water I could tell the sun had risen by the dim rays shining through the windows. I showered, and got ready for breakfast, putting on a jumper and some trousers I'd pulled from a drawer. When I left my dorm and walked into the common room, I could see Draco and Astoria waiting on the couch, tossing a hair tie back and forth as they continued in conversation.

"Good Morning!" I said as I approached the couple.

"It's about time," Draco said as he pretended to be annoyed, "If you took any longer I might've died of hunger."

"I'm actually early today, Malfoy so maybe save your starvation for another day." I laughed.

We made our way down to the great hall, and the rest of our friends made space for us at the table. Pansy was in her normal seat between Blaise and Enzo, rather than next to Theo, which confused me since I thought they liked each other, but I didn't think much of it.

As I took my usual seat next to Theo, an owl flew above our heads and dropped a letter down right in front of me.

"Y/N, you have mail!" Mattheo yelled from a few seats down, as if I couldn't see the envelope land in front of me. Blaise hit him on his had and mocked him for stating the obvious.

"Open it." Theo nudged my arm urging me on.

I turned the paper over in my hands and didn't see a name, other than my own so I ripped open the envelope. A piece of parchment was folded inside it,

'Hogsmeade? 2:00 - Harry Potter'

"Harry Potter, as in the Chosen One, you've got to be kidding me, mate." Draco sighed as he shoved his face into his hands.

I laughed and looked across the room at Harry who was already looking at me, I nodded at him, and he smiled in return, turning back around and saying something to Hermione and Ron.

"You're going to go?" Theo said to me, shocked that i assented to the idea of a date with Harry.

"Yeah, why not? He's cute and popular, he probably just needs a favor anyway," I said "Plus, you can go on dates why can't I?"

Theo's jaw dropped, and then closed again, and he got up and left.

"He deserved that," said Pansy, "I told him no, by the way, I wouldn't go out with him because I know you like him."

I wanted to curse Pansy at this moment for announcing to everyone around us that I liked Theo but decided I would appreciate her rare kindness.

Time passed quickly, and before I knew it, I was dressed up to meet Harry. I zipped up my snow boots and heard a knock at my door, "Come in!" I called whoever it was.

I quickly kicked the clothes next to my bed, under it, in hopes whoever it was, wasn't a professor, or Harry. The door opened, and when I looked up it was Theo.

"Hey Teddy, what's up?" I asked, wondering what he was here for, I had barely seen him the past few days and assumed he was done with his attitude.

He didn't say anything, he took the chair from under my desk and sat down, looking at the ground. I stared at him waiting to see if he was going to say anything.

"You can't go on that date," he said finally meeting my eyes.

"Are you kidding me, Theo? That's what this is about because I'm going out with another guy, you want to show up in my dorm and act all possessive?" I shot at him. He had rarely talked to me in two days, and this is what he came to say.

"Please, you just- you can't go," he stood up, moving in front of me to hold my hands in his.

"So, let me get this straight, we've been just friends for months, and when you decide to ask Pansy on a date it's okay, but when I get asked out on a date you can just come to my dorm, demanding me not go?" I reiterated. I was hurt that Theo genuinely thought I would be okay with this.

"My door was unlocked," he whispered.

"What?" I asked. I felt like I had asked him so many things and hadn't gotten one response.

"I waited for you to see if you would try to talk me out of going, and ask me to stay with you instead." Theo said

"Teddy why would I talk you out of doing something that you obviously wanted to do, I want you to be happy," I told him. I was extremely confused by his intentions.

"Just please don't go y/n I'll take you to Hogsmeade myself, just don't go on a date with Harry Potter of all people." He begged me.

"But why, Theo?"

"You know why." Theo insisted.

"Say it."

"Because I love you y/n, I'm in love with you, and if you go on that date with Harry, you might start to like him, and then I'll have to move to be alone," he confessed.

I was speechless. Not because I didn't reciprocate his feelings, but because I didn't understand.

"So what about Pansy? You just asked her out to see if I would come knocking on your door?" I scoffed.

"It was her idea, I'd ask her to Hogsmeade, so you'd get jealous, but we didn't go by ourselves, Enzo and Blaise came along, that's why Astoria went with you, to make sure you didn't run into us as a group." He explained

Theo was standing so close to me that it felt like his tall figure was hovering. I could feel his breath on my face and looked up at him. He took my face in his hands and crashed his lips into mine. His hands moved down to my waist, and I kissed him back, moving my hands to his hair, pulling at the roots.

"You're really good at that," I said when we finally separated for air, moving my hands to the back of his neck.

Theo smiled down at me, "better than Potter?" he asked with a smirk. I jokingly pushed him away and sat down to write Harry a letter about how I'd be canceling our date last minute.

#harry potter #theodore nott #theodore nott x reader #theo nott #slytherin boys #theodore nott x y/n

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starwarsmum · 1 month ago

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Chapter 7 of a Fresh Start

Link to AO3

The next time Black Cat was on the WatchTower Damian, Tim and Dick approached him as informally as they could. It had been a month since Marinette had received the call from Adrien that spawned their suspicions and they had been researching Adrien specifically to see if they could find a link to where the Miraculous were now.

“What's up bird boys!” Black Cat said enthusiastically, smiling at them winningly. Damian tried to shove aside the dislike he felt for the man and greet him cordially, but it was hard. “Man, I am psyched to be up here again, I really think I'm going to make a difference.”

“We're lucky to have you with us,” Dick said cheerfully. If anyone could match the Cat's energy it was Dick, and they were counting on him to make Black Cat comfortable. “I mean, it's not often we get magic users on the base, they usually end up in JLD.”

“Hah, yeah, I'd heard that. Probably because I'm not actually a magic user,” he said blithely, seemingly oblivious to the way their attention sharpened. “I used to use a magical artifact, but I wasn't what they called a true cat, so I didn't keep any cool powers after I stopped.”

“Aw, man that sucks,” Dick said, sounding genuinely sorry for him. “Pretty brave of you to carry on the fight without powers when you started out with them.”

“Yeah, it's a hell of an adjustment, that's for sure! But you all manage without powers, right?”

“Wow, you really know your stuff,” Tim said. If Damian didn't know the man so well he wouldn't be able to pick out the sarcasm. As it was, he had to fight to keep a smirk off his face as the Cat preened at the ‘compliment’. “Not that we should be surprised, you were part of the team of teenagers that took down a supervillain.”

“We did a pretty good job, right?” If Damian wasn't wearing a mask that covered his eyes, he would have had to really focus on not rolling them. “Ladybug and Master Fu did a pretty wicked job of choosing allies.”

“You got that right!” Dick was the only one capable of answering as Tim and Damian had scented the blood in the water. In none of their research had they turned up a ‘Master Fu’ and it sounded like this was the person who held the Miraculous. “You had a few different civilian aides, right? Rena Rouge, Carapace…I could never keep track of them!”

“I wish I'd known their identities,” Black Cat said wistfully. He seemed to get lost in a thought as he continued and Damian almost didn't dare breathe. “I only found out about Marinette's because she detransformed in front of me after a battle and- wait, ignore that, we should probably talk about what missions I'm likely going to be on!”

The topic change was anything but subtle and Damian's heart sank. They'd been given two leads within a minute of each other and one of them was something they could definitely follow up on. Having gotten information they could use, they let him change the topic and followed the conversation until he was pulled away by Elaine.

The three bats sat in silence for several minutes after he left. Damian could feel his brothers watching him, knew what they were going to ask him to do and he hated it. They had been together for nearly four months now and the thought of abusing her trust to get the information they needed made him feel ill.

They were interrupted before either of his brothers could broach the topic with him, in the form of Wonder Woman and Batman approaching them with information about the League of Shadows attacking a remote village in Asia.

_ _ _

Marinette's day had started out pretty well but it was taking a weird turn. Damian had messaged asking if he could visit that evening and she had responded yes enthusiastically. They had flirted a little through text until she had felt an odd pull in her chest and then Louis had demanded her attention.

Since then everything seemed to be slightly off: she had been absent minded during lunch and served Louis her lunch by mistake, had forgotten to put him down for the nap and carried him around instead, had misplaced her phone for long enough that she lost all track of time. And through all of this, something had been setting off warning bells in the back of her mind.

She recalled that something similar had happened a couple of days before, a panic that wasn't her own settling in her veins until she had had to call Penny to watch Louis for an hour. She wondered what was causing it, when she had enough presence of mind to.

She was practically vibrating when Adrien finally called for their monthly catch up. She had tried to get him to be more consistent so she didn't have to keep too many secrets from Damian and he had agreed. It didn't stop him from forgetting some days and having to rearrange with her, but she had sworn that she wouldn't pick up a call without an accompanying text with an emergency code outside of scheduled times, which helped him be more reliable.

“He~y Mari,” Adrien said, eyes shifting away from her as he said it. Immediately she knew he had done something he shouldn't have and she swallowed a growl. “Oh, wow, Louis you're so big now!”

“Hi papa,” the toddler said dutifully, fidgeting in his seat. Adrien didn't seem to notice that the boy didn't meet his eyes, chattering about his month until finally Louis couldn't stand it any more and wandered off.

“What did you do?” Marinette said as soon as Louis was busy playing with his toys again. Adrien blustered and she leaned forward and glared into the camera. “Adrien, I am not in the mood for this. I've been on edge for days so if you have something to tell me, do it.”

“Um, well, you see, I was up on the WatchTower again a couple of days ago and a few of the other heroes were chatting to me. They were really nice, said we did a great job with the whole Hawkmoth thing so that was cool. But, uh, they mentioned something about Rena and Carapace and…well, I don't really know why but I mentioned that…that you'd been a hero once. I didn't use last names or anything! But, um, if they look for a Marinette that was a teen around then…”

“So I can expect a couple of heroes to show up and interrogate me, is that it?” Marinette couldn't believe this. A decade after her tenure as Ladybug and Adrien had managed to out her to random heroes. “Right, well there's nothing we can do about that I guess. But as long as it's heroes on the WatchTower, I probably have a bit of time to get my side of things polished up.”

“The thing is…it was kind of some of Gotham's heroes?”

“You outed me to the world’s greatest detective team?!” She was going to murder him, through this screen.

“There's no guarantee they even picked up on it,’ Adrien explained hastily. “I managed to steer the conversation away from it pretty quickly so you might be absolutely fine!”

“Oh, sure, they definitely don't save that sort of information for later,” Marinette hissed sarcastically. “During this absolute cluster- nightmare, did you accidentally let slip which hero I was?”

“Give me some credit, Mari,” Adrien pouted, looking injured. “I was thinking of Multimouse when I said it, so it should be fine anyway! Besides, they're heroes, so it's okay, right?”

“Adrien, something has been up for the past couple of days for me - they could be watching me! I just- I can't believe you did this. I have to go, Damian's coming over for dinner tonight and I need to get started.”

She hardly let him say goodbye before she ended the video call. Her instincts hadn't been wrong, she could potentially be on a list somewhere and it was a matter of time before the Gotham vigilantes broke down her door for answers. One thing she had learned during her time in Gotham was that the Bats were relentless when looking for information.

She was slowly working herself into a full spiral when someone buzzed at her door. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Damian's handsome face on her doorbell cam, buzzing him in. She hugged him tightly as soon as he shut the door behind him and he hugged her back.

“It's good to see you, Marinette,” he murmured into her ear, pressing a kiss to her temple as Louis finally noticed him. The blond child tackled his knees, babbling excitedly. “I don't think I've ever seen the full collection of dolls before. These are all handmade?”

“Mhm! Some heroes, some akumas…Louis loves them all,” she replied, heart settling as she walked back to the kitchen to make their dinner. “I'm planning on making tofu fried rice, is that okay with you?”

Damian agreed and sat down on the floor with Louis. He ran a critical eye over the dolls, trying to pick out any he didn't recognise of the dolls. If Marinette had only been a hero once, it stood to reason that she might not have made it onto the internet.

It took a while but eventually he came across one that made him pause. It was a grey and pink heroine, who had space buns and a jump rope around the waist. Impeccably made, as were the others, he could see the resemblance to Marinette. It was interesting, without any of the supposed Miraculous magic obscuring features, it was painfully obvious who this one must be.

“Maman!” Louis cooed as he spied what Damian was holding and that solidified the thought in Damian's mind. He was both pleased with his sleuthing and annoyed that it had been so easy. Why was Marinette making dolls of the heroes if it gave away her identity as one of them? “Bug!”

Louis was brandishing Ladybug at Damian now and he happily swapped. His heart softened as the boy cuddled the miniature Marinette. Chat Noir might have been the favourite, but the little grey and pink hero was also well loved.

“Oh, wow, you haven't played with that one in a while!” Marinette laughed as she came through. Damian looked up at her and she grinned at him, wiping her hands on her apron.

“It's a lovely one,” Damian said, nodding towards it. He forced himself to keep his voice light, mildly curious at best. “Is it styled after you? I don't remember there being a hero like that on the akuma website.”

“Ah, yes, I did,” Marinette replied, her eyes shifting away. Damian noted the avoidance and hated that it meant she was hiding things. She had every right not to tell the man she had been seeing for less than half a year about her heroic endeavours, but it still meant he had to find out more.

“I think you would make a very good…rat?...hero.”

“Mouse,” she corrected automatically, face flushing as she seemed to realise what she had done. But she scrunched her nose adorably and pouted at him. “Mice are far cuter than rats.”

“An egregious error, I'm sorry,” he said with a nudge of his knee against hers. “It is very good work, regardless. Honestly, all of them are fantastic, and very true to the likenesses I've seen online. Did you get to spend time with them to create these?”

“Hard to avoid the heroes when your class is constantly targeted by a madman,” Marinette muttered, her eyes cutting towards him warily. Carefully, he thought. He couldn't screw this up, too much depended on his ability not to make her suspicious. He refused to lose her.

“That makes sen-”

There was a flash of light and Marinette screamed something. Damian had a split second to make a decision and he dove for Louis, covering the boy's head with his hand and turning him away. He turned his own eyes back, desperately, and found Marinette sitting on the floor where he had left her - holding a circular box.

“No…” Marinette whispered, eyes wide as she ran her fingers over it. Her hand covered her mouth but she didn't say anything else just then. Her eyes finally flitted to Damian and he could see panic in them. “This can't…Fu…”

But before he could ask, she set the box aside and rushed over to Louis and Damian. She looked her son over first, tilting his chin and checking his extremities for injury. It was efficient and Damian marvelled at the clinical approach she took. Then she turned her eyes to Damian and his breath caught.

“Are you alright? I'm so sorry, that…I'm not entirely sure what just happened. I'm sorry if I scared you when I screamed, I was just startled.”

“That was rather…intense. Is everything alright, Marinette?”

“Honestly? I don't think so,” she said, a tremor in her voice before it dropped into a whisper. “I don't understand, it's been ten years, this was supposed to be over.”

“Ten…am I to presume that you were more involved in the situation in Paris than you led me to believe?”

“I don't know how much I can…how much I should tell you,” she answered softly. She was clinging to Louis who was looking up at her curiously. She wasn't looking at Damian and it was crushing his chest the longer it went on. He didn't dare move towards her but he longed to hold her tightly.

“You don't have to tell me anything,” he said firmly. Forget his brothers, his mission; Marinette needed him to be her boyfriend first right now. When she was done with whatever crisis was stopping her, he could review. But his heart stopped in his chest when her eyes darted sharply to his own, the warm blue giving way to stormy distrust.

“...why aren't you demanding answers? The living room literally lit up with magic and a box appeared out of nowhere. You should be suspicious, or at the very least freaking out. Who are you, Damian Wayne?”

“Marinette-”

“No, don't try to placate me right now,” she said, edging between him and the box. But the thing that hurt more was the protective way she held Louis, as if he would hurt him.

“We both have things we haven't discussed,” he managed to say past the lump in his throat. “I'm not pushing you for answers because I don't want to ruin what we have. You- you're incredible, Marinette, and I know that having secrets isn't the worst thing in the world. Please, I would do anything you ask me if it would help you to trust me.”

“I do trust you.” It was barely more than a breath but her grip on Louis loosened. Remarkably, Louis didn't seem upset at all and went back to playing with the dolls. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't…I should have given you a chance to explain.”

“You wanted to protect Louis and yourself, I can't fault you for that.”

“It's a little bigger than that,” she murmured, turning back to the box and pulling it into her lap. She tapped it and a drawer slid out seamlessly, displaying a pair of black and red spotted earrings. Marinette stared at them before sighing and picking them up.

Immediately a light blinked into existence, pink and small. It twirled, like a very agile firefly until it ended at Marinette's eye line. She didn't flinch, her brows furrowed as a red bug thing stretched before flying at her cheek.

“Guardian!”

Marinette froze again, her eyes glistening as she brought a hand up to comfort the bug. She took a deep breath before asking, “Tikki, what's going on? Where's Fu?”

“Oh Marinette, it was awful! There was an attack on the temple, Fu only just got away with the box but he was bleeding horribly. He got to Paris but then one of the assassins caught up to him and he had no choice but to relinquish the box. Don't worry, they won't be able to get any answers out of him, giving up the guardianship means any memories linked to the Miraculous are gone.”

Tikki pulled back from Marinette and Damian finally got a good look at it. He swallowed his surprise, though he couldn't help how his eyes widened as it turned to him. He tried not to flinch away when it got close to his face, scrutinising him.

“And who is this? I would have expected Chat to be here, given how you both mooned over each other.”

“Tikki! Sorry, Damian, she's a tiny god and it means she forgets her manners sometimes. Besides, Chat is in England right now, so you're not likely to see him any time soon.”

“Maman, pretty!” Louis had waddled back over and was gazing raptly at Tikki. The tiny god squealed and flew down to him, landing on his head. He shrieked happily and Damian couldn't help but smile at the pair. Marinette apparently felt the same because she was smiling softly at them.

“So you were more involved in Paris’s villain issue than you led me to believe,” Damian remarked in a low voice. She blushed and shrugged, glancing up at him from beneath her lashes.

“Maybe a little. But it sounds like I'm not the only one keeping things back. But I'm going to trust you, and explain why people finding out that I have this is a bad idea.”

#maribat #mlb x dc #daminette #damianette #damian x marinette #marinette x damian #ao3 fanfic #ao3 #dc x mlb #fanfic #a fresh start #chapter 7 #identity reveal #adrien spills some beans

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room-surprise · 9 months ago

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do you think the lamb stew kabru mentioned could be some variation of rogan josh?

omg anon I'm so sorry, you sent this message just when my life was going completely insane (tree fell on house, living in a hotel, etc), and I wanted to answer you but I just didn't have time... So I forgot.

And then another anon (or maybe it's still you!) sent me another, similar ask!

Which reminded me that I needed to answer you-- and now them, too!!

Food is not an area of expertise for me, so I had to look up all of these dishes. I'd heard the term "gorkhali" before, and heard of rogan josh, but that's as far as my knowledge went.

Let's talk about what we know about where Kabru comes from and what foods he likes, the food culture of South Asia in the real world, and then we can discuss if any of these dishes might be Kabru's childhood lamb stew!

I've written about the real world cultural references Kui has made with Kabru's character before. Evidence that Kabru is from a fantasy version of South Asia (India/Nepal), and Where exactly in fantasy South Asia is Kabru possibly from?

Two additional data points that suggest Kabru could be from a fantasy version of South Asia are his love of tomatoes, and mutton stew being an important dish from his childhood. What does that mean?

THE CULTURAL OVERLAP BETWEEN INDIA, NEPAL AND TIBET

An important thing to note while discussing the cultures of this region is that all three modern countries have a lot of cultural overlap. So many of the foods eaten in one country are also eaten in the other two, with minor variations.

I'm attempting to generalize and speak broadly as best I can, but I am not an expert, so I apologize for any errors on my part. Sometimes finding English-language information on these topics is challenging.

The cuisine of Nepal is a mix of Nepal's own unique culture, plus the influence of its neighbors, India and Tibet.

The Nepali diet primarily consists of rice, wheat, corn, lentils coupled with fresh vegetables and meats. A typical Nepali every-day meal can be characterized by Dal (lentil soups), Bhat (steamed rice) and Tarkari (vegetables), also known as "The Trinity", supplemented by some meat.

STEW OR CURRY?

Though many people think of them as two distinct things, curries are a type of stew, so I think it's valid to look at both stews and curries when trying to identify Kabru's childhood stew.

TOMATOES IN THE CUISINE OF THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT

Tomatoes turn up in dishes all over the Indian subcontinent, but they are not a traditional ingredient in the local cuisine. Europeans introduced New World foods like chilies, potato and tomato to the region in the 16th century, at which point they were added to the food culture, and in many cases the modern version of these recipes has completely eclipsed the traditional one, both on the Indian subcontinent and abroad.

But while potatoes and chilies were adopted almost immediately, the tomato did not catch on until centuries later, in the 1860s, and they did not become a widespread part of the local culture until the 1960s.

Because of this, the popular global idea of food from the Indian subcontinent often has tomatoes in it, while traditional recipes do not... And this is interesting because Kui tells us Kabru's favorite food is tomatoes! I'm guessing she chose tomatoes because of how common they are in modern Indian food.

Did Kui not know that tomatoes aren't a native part of the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent? It's possible her research didn't go that deep and she just assumed the modern food isn't that different from ancient food.

It's also possible that Kui knew that tomatoes aren't native to the Indian subcontinent, but that Dungeon Meshi has already experienced their version of the Colombian Exchange, because the east and west have had extensive contact with each other for (probably) thousands of years, so then the use of tomatoes in the West (where Kabru is from) would make sense, and doesn't need any further explanation.

MUTTON IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT

Mutton (the term for goat, sheep or lamb meat) is the most consumed red meat in the Indian subcontinent. Goat is the most popular, most likely because it is the cheapest out of the three.

MUTTON IN NEPAL

Like in the rest of the subcontinent, mutton is very popular in Nepal. It is considered a major delicacy, and goat stew/curry is often eaten by Nepali families during important holidays, and for many Nepalis, goat stew/curry is associated with big family gatherings, similar to how Americans think of eating turkey for Thanksgiving, or ham for Easter.

Let's talk about some of the dishes anon(s) asked me about!

ROGAN JOSH

Rogan josh is an aromatic curried meat dish originating from Kashmir. It is made with red meat—traditionally mutton—and colored and flavored primarily by alkanet flower (or root) and Kashmiri chilies. It is one of the signature recipes of Kashmiri cuisine.

A number of origins/meanings of the name have been suggested, such as "stewed in ghee" or "red meat/red juice."

Its characteristic deep red color traditionally comes from dried flowers or root of Alkanna tinctoria (ratan jot) and from liberal amounts of dried, deseeded Kashmiri chilies (lal mirch).

Many modern interpretations of this dish add tomatoes to the sauce. This is especially common with ready-made pour-over cooking sauces to the point that Rogan josh is often described in the modern day as a tomato-based dish.

GORKHALI LAMB

The word Gorkhali (गोर्खाली) is historically synonymous with "Nepali," so Gorkhali lamb could also be called Nepali lamb. The name change, from Gorkhali to Nepali, occurred in the 1930s.

(In the modern day, Gorkha is usually used to refer specifically to military units in the British or Indian army that were made up of men from the North Indian/Nepal region. Starting in 1816 the British East India Company frequently recruited these men as mercenaries, and over time the Gorkhas became very distinguished as exceptional soldiers.)

I couldn't find much about Gorkhali lamb aside from recipes, most of which just echoed the same information, and many of them didn't seem to come from very authentic sources.

From what I've been able to piece together, you make Gorkhali lamb by marinating lamb meat (usually meat on the bone) and cooking it over a charcoal grill. Once it's done, you coat the grilled lamb with a sauce made with chilies and tomatoes, and serve with rice or roti.

I'm not an expert, but it seems like Gorkhali lamb isn't a stew or a curry, it's a sort of marinated, grilled lamb with a sauce. If someone knows more about Gorkhali lamb, please let me know!

Like the Rogan Josh, the addition of tomatoes is a modern invention.

THUKPA

Thukpa is the Tibetan word for any soup or stew with noodles. Thukpa can be prepared in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian variations; the most popular non-vegetarian variation includes chicken, but it is sometimes made with mutton as well.

The Nepalese version of Thukpa is predominant vegetarian, and has a spicier flavor. The protein ingredients are replaced with vegetarian alternatives such as various types of bean.

However, non-vegetarian thukpa is also enjoyed in Nepal, and egg thukpa is probably the second most popular type.

Thukpa is made like most other noodle soups. Some modern recipes include tomatoes in the soup paste, most likely a modern addition.

INDIAN MUTTON CURRIES

There's many different variations of mutton curry (Kosha mangsho, Mansa kasa, Tapelu, Rezala etc.) throughout the entire Indian subcontinent. Some recipes include tomato, some don't, and as with everything else in this post, the tomatos are a modern addition.

NEPALI MUTTON CURRY

As I said before, mutton is incredibly popular in Nepal. It's reserved for special occasions and celebrations, like Dashain, Nepal's biggest festival. There are many different types of stew and curry in Nepal that feature mutton, and mutton is a popular meat to use in momos or fried rice as well.

SO WHAT IS KABRU'S GOAT STEW?

Unfortunately we still don't have enough information to give a definitive answer.

However, I would say that thukpa and Gorkhali lamb can both be ruled out, since noodles are the core of thukpa and Kabru doesn't mention that his stew is missing noodles. Meanwhile Gorkhali lamb doesn't seem to be a proper stew.

So then what we have left is Rogan josh, and Indian or Nepali mutton curries. Based on all the little tidbits we know, I'd be inclined to assume Kabru's stew is one of these Nepali curries, since they are so iconic of Nepali cuisine and are a big part of the local culture, and that seems to match what Kui tells us in the manga - that this food is a cherished childhood memory.

I've sprinkled some links throughout this post, but you can read more about Nepali mutton curry, and other Nepali food at all of these sites:

https://nepalicooking.tripod.com/lamb.htm

https://www.buzzfeed.com/anupkaphle/here-we-goat-again

https://www.buzzfeed.com/anupkaphle/keep-calm-and-curry-on

https://www.foodpleasureandhealth.com/nepali-style-goat-pakku/

MUSHROOM POSTSCRIPT: I have seen some people get confused by the goat stew page in the manga. They think that when Kabru says "my mother used to make this stew for me" he is talking about Milsiril, the elven woman who took care of him after his birth mother was killed.

Though we do not know 100% for certain, I think this is an objectively incorrect reading of the text. I may make a more comprehensive post about this another time, but:

Kabru says he ate this stew as a child, that he hasn't had it in a long time, and that he's looking forward to having it again. He says he is relying on childhood memories in order to make the stew.

If this stew is something Milsiril made for him, why did she stop making it? Why hasn't Kabru had it in a long time? Was there a goat blight for the last 10 years? Did she stop making it to punish Kabru for wanting to leave her? This seems like important information Kui would have told us.

The much more logical assumption is that Kabru's birth mother, who died when he was 7, is the one that made lamb stew, and that's why Kabru hasn't had it in a long time, struggles to remember how to make it, and also why he's so excited to eat it.

This is in direct contrast with the elf fruit cake that Milsiril forced Kabru to eat as a child. Kabru's birth mother made him something he loves, that he is eager to eat again, while Milsiril forced him to eat elf cake so often that it has become his most disliked food.

Kabru and Ryoko Kui never refer to Milsiril as Kabru's mother, the phrase “foster parent” (養母 or 育ての親が, lit. meaning “parent who raised me” in contrast with a birth/blood parent) is used instead in both the manga itself and in the World Guide.

There are several other things like this (how Kabru talks about Milsiril) which I think makes it clear that Kabru probably doesn't call Milsiril mother willingly, and that he goes out of his way to put distance between her and himself. He doesn't hate her, but he doesn't want her to be a part of his life.

Milsiril is a wealthy noble in a society where women are equal to men. It's unlikely that she personally does much cooking, and even if she does cook as a hobby, it's unlikely that Kabru watched her butcher a goat - servants or the butcher would prepare the meat for her.

Milsiril is a fussy eater, and hates most foods. Goat tends to have a strong flavor and is sometimes gamey. I don't think she'd eat goat... Meanwhile, as I stated previously, goat is a delicacy in Nepal, so it would make perfect sense for goat to be a special treat Kabru grew up eating.

Yes, Milsiril sometimes does things she doesn't want to do because Kabru asks... But both examples we have of this, she tries to turn it into a punishment. She explicitly says she's training Kabru so that he'll give up, not because she wants him to get strong and succeed. She wants him to fail. She takes him to her family reunion to prove to Kabru that it's unpleasant, so he won't want to go again. Both times this tactic doesn't work, but she clearly states that this is her intent.

I could go on about this for hours, but this post is really about goat stew!!! But just wanted to throw that in there in case anybody is confused about who exactly cooked goat stew for Kabru.

As I said, there's always the possibility that I'm wrong, but I think the evidence is pretty overwhelming that when Kabru says "my mother cooked this for me" he isn't talking about Milsiril.

#dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #kabru #dunmeshi #talking mushroom #dungeon meshi research #kabru of utaya #kabru dungeon meshi #analysis #The Essay #Dungeon Meshi Research

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basingstokemercury · 25 days ago

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Mirror Of A Man:

Identical twin episode!

Interesting, but not all that brilliant - and too focused on guest stars over Cartwrights for my liking.

Joe saying "I've been so stupid" was fun... First time you notice that, kid?

And it was interesting that the good twin supports and respects his wife while the bad one is a Man Who Doesn't Care About Women's Things.

That ending, though... Ben came off awfully callous, watching a man kill one of his sons to save the other. They could have found a different way to go for that message.

My Brother's Keeper:

Will I get in trouble for saying I didn't like it?

Too depressing, for one thing. But it's not just that I don't like to think of Adam leaving, there are critiques of the plot and storytelling in plenty.

The premise? Brilliant. Adam thinking he might have killed his brother... Wow. So much could have been done.

And wasn't.

I'll start with the good points.

The way Adam just lets fly at the wolf when Joe's hurt, the horror on his face taking his self-hatred out on something else..

Panicking and desperately apologising, Joe saying he's all right in an obvious attempt to comfort Adam...

Adam carrying Joe wrapped in his own jacket...

And stroking Cochise when he's brought back, which more could have been made of ("more could have been made of it" is my theme for this review)...

Getting the bullet out and praying he isn't making things worse and knowing he's hurting his baby brother as he cuts into Joe's flesh trying to save him...

And Joe deliriously calling for Adam, showing the fear and pain he hid for Adam's sake when fully conscious, and wanting him there the moment he's out of danger...

And if that had been the episode, I'd have been delighted. But it wasn't.

So many extraneous factors, these guest character friends and the villains and all the talk about whether Adam really fits in the West (which made me sad).

Also where's Doc Martin? What happened to him? Only one doctor around suddenly?

So much telling and not showing happening, too. That scene with the Riordans going on about how Adam blames himself and is such a sensitive man and you can see the agony on his face? Writer people. You have Pernell Roberts. You don't need to worry about the audience not understanding what Adam's feeling.

You know what would have made for a great episode?

Adam accidentally shoots Joe, and they're alone in the wilderness or forced to shelter at a stranger's house. Maybe some danger or bandits lurking in the background.

A story focused on Adam and Joe's relationship, Adam's self-blame and grief and worry over Joe and Joe trying to say it wasn't his fault but being so hurt and frightened himself...

We hardly got anything of their bond or love for each other or Adam's protectiveness or Joe's awareness that Adam is more sensitive than he lets on or Adam just being so helpless against a disaster of his own making...

They could even have done something with the way Adam sees Joe hurt and rushes to reassure he didn't mean it, the way he often seems worried about whether Joe really cares for him or whether he's as good a brother as he should be...

But we have to go all philosophical about a completely different topic, and I still don't quite get what the Thoreau bit was supposed to mean. Is Adam living in quiet desperation? Well, I'd say he's likely depressed, but aside from the constant danger and possible mental illness he seems to be in a pretty good place - loving family, stable home, plenty of laughter and hijinks... Yes, the West is often a pretty awful place and he well knows it. Is giving up the answer, though? How's anything going to improve if the good, intelligent, sensible people all leave for safety and stability?

(also the "savages" line specifically felt a bit racist. I'm sure it was meant to refer to white people acting inhumanely but with that context... um. maybe don't.)

The ending? Yeah, that's sweet and all. Joe calling for Adam and suddenly the mystery of why he stays is solved.

But "why does he stay" was the wrong question for this episode. Honestly.

I had such high hopes.

#bonanza #pondering the ponderosa

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sealofarchives · 1 year ago

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Oneshot scenario: Leo x GN!Reader - Late Hour Conversations

Prompt: A surprise visit from Leo when the reader couldn't make it to the lair due to pms (tone can be viewed as platonic or romantic)

Warnings: mostly towards the topic of pms (nothing too graphic though) and a slight mention of throwing up (again not too graphic)

Close to 2 am...

You just woke up from an accidental nap in attempt to get rid of the monthly menstrual headaches. Your phone was a few inches away as you winced grabbing it.

Sorry Leo, I can't make it to the lair today.

I couldn't sleep because of pms and I still have a terrible headache because of it...

The electronic screen laid out the messages you sent a few hours ago. You looked for some other video to watch while adjusting your head back onto the pillow.

The sound of a light blue portal appearing close to your bedside immediately caught your attention. As you tried to sit up while the red slider turtle almost dropped a plastic bag, slightly startled that you were still awake at this hour.

Leo cleared his throat but, still held on the bag filled with menstrual products, attempting to hide the worried look on his face.

"The store ran out on what you usually use so... Think you can manage a few days with these?"

"Its fine thanks but, you're not using this time to skip out on the night patrols?"

"Its been kind of a slow week so not much was happening. Until we all saw your message."

"When you mentioned the headache part, we didn't want to risk making it worse. Since we can get a bit rowdy and I dunno, just one turtle checking up on you seemed like the best idea."

"I'm guessing you guys were panicking when it happened to April."

Leo rolled his eyes as he made himself comfortable sitting in a nearby chair.

"I wouldn't call it panicking if we ended up getting pale faces with how Splinter explained it. At least April can make it sound like something out of a scary movie."

The turtle took notice towards a cup by your desk before looking back at you.

"I'd hate to bug you about staying hydrated at this hour but, if the headache's back, I could go grab a refill for you."

A sly smile showed up on your face as you briefly paused the video.

"When you say it like that, you're almost starting to sound like Raph."

Leo got up from the chair as he stuck out his tongue at you, taking the empty drink.

"You and Donnie always forget to eat breakfast right before Raph or Mikey wake up. Just be lucky I haven't told them about it."

The turtle returned back with the glass of water just as you readjusted yourself sitting by the edge of your bed. You briefly muttered a thanks with a remark.

"If you did, you'd be whining about missing a few hours for your well needed beauty sleep."

Leo sat beside you but, ignored the comment. Feeling his face heat up as you sipped your drink.

"You still kind of scared us when you were close to throwing up in the turtle tank. Just taking a shortcut away from reaching your favorite fast food place."

You muttered a geez under your breath, realizing it was a month ago when that happened.

"Don't remind me, I would have to be Donnie's helper for a few weeks if I ended up making a mess on his prized vehicle."

Leo lightly chuckled relaxing his shoulders as he began to stretch.

"I'm pretty sure Donnie will ease up on the workload. The fact you can keep up with his neverending tangents helps a lot. But, in case he gets a little too over his head, just get a spare beach ball-"

You lightly pinched Leo's cheek before going back to finish your drink.

"Yeah no, I can hold my ground against Donnie if he's gonna be stubborn about taking breaks."

"When he claimed, he can surpass my messed up sleep schedule by noon. Around 9 am, when I placed a pillow close to his keyboard. He was already snoring on top of it."

Leo rubbed his cheek while crossing one of his legs on to the edge of the bed.

"I guess any beach ball pranks are out of the question because..."

"I can already imagine you rushing to defend Donnie from those 'dreaded colorful spheres.'"

A light hum and smirk surfaced your face as you pretended to ignore Leo.

"If you keep bringing up it, I'll mostly spare Mikey and Raph and just aim for your face instead."

"Hey, I was kidding about that?! I wouldn't go that far to scare Donnie!"

The red slider turtle pouted as you laughed but, not loud enough to draw attention to your room.

"I know, just wanted to see if you're still keeping up to being the face man of the group~."

"Uh duh, its still part of my image. I don't need to be reminded-"

"Unless you want to keep pestering me about it~."

You playfully pushed Leo away but, grinned back at him.

"I guess I owe you a pizza since my headache hasn't come back to bite me."

"So, thanks Leo..."

Leo almost froze from the hug but, nuzzled near your shoulder because of your high body temperature.

"Are you gonna hate me if I really want pineapple toppings?"

You poked his face with your empty cup as Leo hid his head from your annoyed smile.

"I'll glare at you if you don't give me something in return..."

Leo gave a quick thumbs up before hurrying out of the door to refill your drink.

After a couple of days, both of you reached a compromise on an empty rooftop building, trading the pizza box for your favorite food. You still silently judged Leo's choice of pizza toppings.

However, he was more content that he got to see a genuine smile from you.

Bonus drawing:

I couldn’t draw the body without making it too wonky so here’s a quick sketch of a POV where you don’t notice Leo acting almost soft around you > /// <

#rottmnt x reader #leo x reader #rise leo x reader #I kind of did a similar prompt in one of my oneshot books on watt///pad #but its like really old and I don't feel like redoing it #this is slightly self-indulgent because I tend to be a mess before and during pms so TT w TT #finally reached the 950+ words ; w ; (used to write around 1k words before taking a break from that site but still)

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going-to-ikea-for-the-fries · 1 year ago

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I've seen my name being thrown around, and I'd like to dot my is and cross my ts on this once and for all.

Gonna preface by saying this:

No one said that glossysoap, groguspicklejar or soapskneebrace told their anons "GO HARRASS THIS RACIST" - that's just, once again, y'all misinterpreting our words. All that was said was "You are a big blog that accidentally created a witch hunt amidst your followers and even though you didn't mean to, you need to realize you still have influence over them, so you need to make amends";

I also made a very big point of pointing out that when soapskneebrace posted those screnshots, they acted as if their blog was an "island" and that it was safe to make a comment like that because they believed it would stay 'contained' within their friend group or followers. And that they should've known better because this is the internet, they're 28, and they should know stuff **doesn't** stay isolated. All things can be accessed.

Another thing I'd like to point out is that soapskneebrace/Madi has admittedly a history of their followers/anons harassing people in their inbox. I don't care that the circumstances are different. They *know* their followers have done such a thing and as a creator (yes, this is not a normal social media, yes, none of us are 'influencers' with proper check marks that make giant moves on the platform, but we all STILL have an influence) they should've known better.

(Their own words below 👇)

I'm sorry for the way I spoke:

Yes, the tone I used was aggressive, cheeky and on-the-offensive and the hashtag I used was in poor taste. I could've handled my **tone** better as well as the way I tried to make my point across. I realize that now once I've had time to cool off and I apologize for the way I spoke.

I recognize that I didn't help the issue by being as aggressive as I did and, in fact, just caused a bigger commotion. That wasn't fair, and the tone I used wasn't nice or helpful.

I'm not a trained psychologist or anything, and I reacted like any normal person should/would, in my opinion. Saw an injustice that was preventable and got upset about it. I promise to thrive to not let my emotions get the better of me, nor to let my tone ever be that aggressive again.

That's not to say that I don't stand for the things I said. I don't take back what I did. I consider myself an honest person... and if nothing else, it would be dishonest of me to go back on my word. I apologize for my tone but not the message.

About Bunny:

That being said, I'd like to point out that half of the blogs currently talking about this topic (specifically @ceilidho and @391780) giving their opinions and sharing it with their followers are doing so behind 'closed doors' (aka by blocking the two of us) and doing exactly the same thing soapskneebrace accidentally did: they are accidentally pinning their followers against us by providing a retelling of events and hoping their followers go read up more on their own, despite knowing they have a huge influence and that people on the internet are not gonna do that, and are just gonna take their word for it.

And frankly I don't think that's fair. I'm not even speaking for myself. I couldn't care less about the abuse coming my way or any boycotting to my future posts or current ones.

I just wish you both/all would stop putting me and bunny in the same category. You wanna get mad at someone? Get mad at me.

Bunny handled this with not just a lot more maturity than me, but also a lot more elegantly. Bunny strived to educate and to speak respectfully and in a way that was informative when she tackled all the creators involved.

If you go read her replies to the blogs in question, they were measured, understanding, respectful, kind and polite. She made sure they understood all she was seeking from them was some form of accountability, and never meant them any harm.

It's not fair that she's being 'lumped' together with me and getting any harrassment or torment over the fact *I* was aggressive, when she wasn't.

She has always, ALWAYS strived to make her blog a positive space, a safe space too. She has always strived to keep people informed and safe, and to tackle topics in her fics that she sees are lacking in the community.

Bunny has plenty of anons who reach out to her to discuss mental health, disability and other topics of the sort because she's trained for it, and now she's not free to open her inbox anymore because people are also spouting abuse at her.

I just want you all to stop going after her. She deserves your admiration, not your hatred.

Again, you need someone to yell at? To get mad at? I'm right here and I can fucking take it.

My inbox and the anon button are not gonna ever close, just so you all still have a place to go yell at me through while keeping your precious anonymity that emboldens you so.

Kind Regards,

Kea

#ikea talks #i know you're gonna get this to those creators #and I hope if nothing else you do what I ask and leave my friend alone

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midstofroses · 1 year ago

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Love Me Like That

❝𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆— 𝑶𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆.❞

♡

Pairing: Jeong Yuno-Jaehyun (nct) x (fem!oc) Original Character

» Genre: one-shot, soft-angst, underlying suggestive– reader discretion advised ▪︎ ex to lovers » Disclaimer! This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, events or even other fictional stories is purely coincidental

Sienna stepped into the room, the aroma of pizza lingering in the air. "You're just in time. Did you bring the pizza?" Her friend– Nabi asked, revealing the items she had bought. "Yeah, and got some chicken too," she smiled excitedly.

Their living room was transformed into a haven for a movie marathon, a night to savour their well-deserved chill and create fond memories. Nabi's eyes sparkled with excitement as she accepted the food. "Well, then you should go clean yourself and come back here so we can start our movie night."

"I'll be quick," Sienna chimed.

After a brisk wash, the refreshing feeling enveloped her. A slight relief washed over her, even though her raging hormones from that time of the month still caused her physical discomfort.

While picking up her pyjamas, she noticed a mountain of clean clothes at the edge of her bed. Sighing, she decided to restore order before rejoining her friends. Sienna's frustration grew when the drawer refused to close. It wasn't as if she had bought new clothes for her drawer to betray her.

After several failed attempts, she couldn't contain her anger and punched the drawer in frustration.

"I missed him," she mumbled, catching her breath. The reason for her inconvenience dawned on her – her clothes weren't folded the way they used to be when he was around. How foolish of her.

Leaving her dark room, Sienna went to the kitchen where Kai noticed her friend's slightly bruised hand. "Oh? What happened to your hand?" she asked in confusion.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just need to run water on it," Sienna replied, brushing off the concern.

"Make sure you put ointment and bandage it after cooling it off," Kai advised.

"Yeah, will do," Sienna responded, putting on a brave smile beneath her troubled emotions.

"Oh, by the way, Jaehyun came by this afternoon looking for you," Nabi announced, interrupting the moment. Kai recalled the earlier encounter, suspecting a disagreement.

"Did you guys fight?" Kai asked, and Sienna's expression grew timid. She didn't want to discuss him; it was giving her a headache.

"He brought red velvet cupcakes," Nabi added, trying to lighten the mood. Sienna glanced at the coffee table, spotting the cupcakes – a favourite treat of theirs.

"You mentioned it's your first day of 'red days.' I guess having Jaehyun be part of your monthly flow app is so useful," Nabi giggled, proud of the gesture despite the situation.

"Heh, I guess so," Sienna chirped, trying to keep the conversation light while tending to her hand. "Why does he always have great timing?" she pondered, glancing at her phone with unread messages from Yuno piling up.

As they settled into their movie night, Kai brought up the topic of sharing expenses in a relationship. The conversation flowed, intertwining with the movie's background noise.

"I totally agree with you gals, but if the guy made you feel uncomfortable throughout the date, I'd rather pay my half and be done with it," Sienna commented, sharing her perspective.

Kai expanded on the aftermath, "So he wouldn't have the chance to point stupid things. Such as he paid the whole time, but he would act like a sad boy or an ass since the date didn't end well, right?"

"Exactly! Ugh, that's the feeling I hate," Sienna raged, hugging a pillow. After her emotional outburst, she finally indulged in the red velvet cupcake she had been craving.

As the night deepened, the snow outside intensified, creating a cosy atmosphere in their little bubble of friendship. "But if you think about it like this, he wasted your valuable time." Kai offered a new perspective. “So you at least did not waste your own money”

"But that's not what she came for in the first place," Nabi pointed out, settling the situation. “Besides we all know we can earn more money than to live like that.”

"I'd still rather drown myself than give him the privilege to think he spoiled me with his own money," Sienna expressed her feelings, hormones adding a touch of intensity.

The three friends continued their night, sharing deep conversations and appreciating each other's presence. Unbeknownst to them, Sienna was truly grateful, even amid the challenges she hid behind her facade.

As the last days of spring dwindled, Yuno felt a magnetic pull towards the enchanting nights, eager to grasp the remnants of the season before the relentless heat of summer took over. The crisp wind, a balm for his cluttered mind, whispered promises of clarity.

"This feels nice," he murmured, eyes fixed on the captivating night unfolding in the park by the river. Soft lights adorned the streets, and cherry blossoms, in their final dance, swirled around, accompanied by the gentle melody emanating from his headphones.

On a whim, Yuno invited Johnny for a spontaneous bike ride, half-expecting a decline. Much to his surprise, his best friend agreed, and they found themselves in a nearby park, a place etched with memories of their shared adventures.

Yuno, seeking an escape from the confines of home and work, embraced the freedom of riding through the city. The wind carried untold stories, and the cityscape unfolded its secrets.

"Hey, there's no one in the court," Johnny observed, diverting Jaehyun's attention. "Wanna play?" Jaehyun suggested.

"Yeah, it's been a while. It's going to be fun," Johnny agreed, infusing the atmosphere with infectious enthusiasm. After a few spirited rounds, they decided to take a breather, relishing the camaraderie that defined their friendship.

Perched on a bench around the court, they savoured water and ice cream. Johnny playfully teased, "Jae, not to sound like a jealous second babe, but don't you usually ask Sienna for these?" Laughter bubbled up, but beneath the banter, Jaehyun grappled with emotions threatening to surface.

START OF FLASHBACK.

The dark room lit up with the moonlight and the desk lamp near her, Yuno smiled seeing Sienna was waiting at his place.

He closed their proximity by hugging her. Yuno always takes this kind of opportunity whenever she waits for him to come home after a long day from work. He feels relieved from his stress even with just one hug from his favourite person.

After letting him hug her, Yuno stared at her with curiosity “You’d spend the night here?”

Sienna gulped avoiding his gaze. "You went over my head and paid for my University fees without telling me." Her voice was monotone, standing up from where they were sitting.

"Oh, I guess it's too late for a surprise now." He looks up at her, smiling giddily. But, he recognizes her demeanour changes negatively, making his face drop in worry.

“Let me remind you, I'm not a girl who you could just simply pay for, Yuno.” She scoffs painfully. “If you think your grand gesture was cute, well news flash I’m disappointed.” Sienna attempts to calm her voice down, “You didn’t even bother to have this conversation with me!” But alas her blood boils with her tears slowly falling from her eyesight becoming an ocean of pain.

Yuno stood up straight. “It’s just money, Sienna.” He chortles, brushing his hair out of his face.“I don't want you to be stressed because of money.” Yuno huffs out, confused by her action. “I could always make more money for me– for us.” Yet he strives to get close to her, cupping her face with his hands softly caressing her stained cheeks. “And I can help you with that, can’t you see it? I want to support you so you can reach your goal!” His voice and face emitted torment, he hated how this situation occurred.

Her birthday was coming up, and all he wanted was to do something that alleviated her burden.

She removes his hands from her face aggressively, moving away from him.

“You think my family and I can’t handle our shit?” she sarcastically laughed, trying to stop her sobbing, though it was difficult to execute. Anxiously she bit her bottom lip harder.

He could sense her walls starting to appear once again, his nightmare slowly coming to life.

“Sure I'm struggling, my family is struggling.” The young lady asserts, “But I've experienced far much worse than this bullshit and we’ve survived.'' Sienna picked up a pillow and slammed it on the coach. “Why can’t you believe in me?!” With every word she screams out, the pillow gets slammed on the coach. Relinquishing her anger through the use of this method. She stopped her antics, breathing heavily. Sienna peer dead in the eyes of him. “I just needed more time to accomplish things, not all plans can sail smoothly.” Her voice cracked, eyes were gradually forming to puff.

“Sienna, I know how much you want to study again, despite not having it as your first choice with this course.” His body quivered, tears heavily forming as he scanned her figure.“Whenever I see how you recall your memories with your friends or when you help them study, you always have that spark.” He carries on describing his affection towards Sienna and how he witnessed her in the past years of their relationship. “I just want to bring that spark back.” He’s not the type who would just sit down on purpose. If he indeed has the means to help her out, even just a little he would do it in a heartbeat.

Life is hard and he desires to be a partner where she can lean onto him safely.

Yuno wanted to come closer to her, yet she immediately flinched and it broke his heart into pieces seeing her first instinct was to run away from him.

“Jeong Yuno, You’re not getting the point here.” Sienna sniffles as she shakes her head while gazing down on the floor. “We’re over.” she declares, with his furrowed brows “No.” He sternly demands.

She sneered, “After all of this, I'll do the grand gesture to finally break this relationship off.” With her last remark, her body evacuated from his place.

Yuno followed her out but she was too fast and he was too slow to handle the situation, he got lost finding her.

END OF FLASHBACK.

Jaehyun just bared his soul to Johnny, revealing the painful truth of his recent breakup with Sienna, a wound haunting him for three months. It marked a vulnerable moment for Jaehyun, who, until now, had grappled with the harsh reality and denial.

Unbeknownst to Jaehyun, Johnny already knew the heart-wrenching details. A week earlier, Kai, Johnny's girlfriend, had shared the relationship's demise with him. Though Kai hadn't intended to spill the beans, the weight of the secret pushed Johnny to convince her to share the truth.

The revelation left Johnny stunned. Sienna was dead serious with Kai, She didn’t want to entertain questions about them so only a few people got to know the real state of their relationship. Johnny unwittingly became one of those few.

Now, faced with Jaehyun's raw emotions, Johnny wrestled with the delicate balance between concern for his friend and utmost respect for their privacy. He had upheld his end of the bargain, bearing the weight of their shared secret. As a pillar of support, Johnny stood ready to help Jaehyun navigate the emotional turmoil, recognizing Yuno's need for that gentle push.

"How did you cope up?" Johnny delicately probed, shattering the unspoken barriers.

"After that night, every week I'd visit their house, hoping to find her. Eventually, I had to stop when a big project came my way. But I kept leaving messages, calls, even emails," Jaehyun confessed, his unwavering dedication to Sienna palpable. Two years into working with an architecture company, Sienna had been his anchor.

"Sometimes I'd order stuff to be delivered to their home. But after two months, I received a message from her. One message that I thought was my chance to come back into her life, and then I saw it." Jaehyun sighed deeply, the raw pain reflected in his eyes. "She sent: 'It's about time you stop this, don't tire yourself out."

That broke Yuno once again. It snapped his brain, and I focused on work, endless work, stuck at his place, never having an inch to socialize.

Earlier that morning, Jaehyun had grappled with anxiety before a crucial presentation. He dialled Sienna's number, seeking support, but as he hesitated his thumb hovered, preparing to drop the call. To his surprise, her mom picked up, offering words of encouragement and cheering him on.

"She hasn't told them," Johnny stated bluntly.

"No, and obviously I didn't have the heart to either," Jaehyun admitted, the weight of his emotions palpable. The conversation with Sienna's mom provided a brief respite, helping him get through the day and close a deal with clients.

"You're so down bad for Sienna," Johnny remarked, understanding the depth of his friend's emotions. As Jaehyun struggled to contain his feelings, Johnny encouraged him to let them out.

As if on cue, Jaehyun lets himself slowly reveal the emotions that’s been wanting to gush through his walls.

Well, to be fair, this wasn’t his first time crying. He sure had those little episodes in the craziest random time of the day where Yuno would have a mini breakdown remembering his situation with her.

Believe it or not, there was a particular night when he devestatedly couldn't sleep. He tried everything.

First, Yuno got himself up for a quick jog for him to wear out and took a warm shower, though it only made him feel more alive. So he resumed by drinking some wine as he watched a movie, played soothing music, and even read a book. But, it all went down the drain due to his brain failing to focus.

His last resort was masturbating. With no brainer, of course, he would think of her. Although, the fact that he remembers their moments together, he instead ended up crying that night and which made him fall asleep.

It was not the expected way, but it worked.

"I know I fucked up," Jaehyun confessed, tears flowing freely. "But how exactly? To the point she ended up breaking up with me?" The wounds deepened as he confronted the reality of his mistakes.

Johnny, offering comfort, reassured Jaehyun that Sienna's situation was tough. However, he pointed out that Jaehyun's well-intentioned actions were not executed correctly.

"Always remember this, Yuno. As much as you want to help people, you also have to remember where they're standing from. A good honest deed has a chance to appear as insensitive and patronizing," Johnny advised, hitting the core of the issue.

In the real world, complexities surpassed those of fairy tales and movies. Jaehyun realized he should have communicated with Sienna before assuming he could magically alleviate her problems.

Entering the diner, the music from the speakers greeted her. Setting the vibe already makes her feel at ease with the atmosphere where she’s hanging out tonight. Her gaze stopped wondering as she saw Kyujin and Minghao already sitting. Meanwhile, Seokmin was standing up talking on his phone. He has the right hunch that his friend has work left to discuss.

They greeted her as she put herself comfortably on her seat. She’s with one of her old university buddies. Due to her problem, she couldn’t keep up with her batch graduating on time. Nonetheless, they kept strong connections with each other even if they are now working and she’s back with her University life.

“Seokmin should have left his phone on aeroplane mode,'' Kyujin remarked as she shook her head from side to side. Minghao nodded, however, he pressed the thought “Well to be fair, it might be an emergency with work that he needs to mend.”

“At least he is paid though.” Sienna chimed smiling, Her friends knew for over those two years of her not attending university she was working on her corporate days before and tended to overtime as well. It’s not so different with her university work taking her life after hours, the only thing she was not paid to do overtime may it be her university and unfortunately her corporate days.

“Sorry about that, but no worries it won’t bother our dinner.” he smiled at them, “Give me your phone” Kyujin, as the mom of this group Seokmin simply followed her. “There.” his phone successfully turned out to be in aeroplane mode.

Sienna snorted, Seokmin was astounded by what her friend doing “I said I’m sorry” He pouted “Fine keep it on aeroplane mode. If there’s anything I’ll handle it tomorrow.” he said proudly, “Yeah, handle it on your working hours.'' Minghao, who is also a big advocate of work and life balance, reminded him as he patted his friend's hand.

As the night settles with them, Seokmin opens the topic “Nabi is out right with Jaemin’s family?” On the table while they started to eat their order.

The girl next to her nodded as she ate the cheezy fries ``Yeah and Kai, She has this workshop she needs to attend." She starts to explain her housemate's situation "So basically both of them will not be back until next week.''

With the new information, Kyujin excitedly clapped. “Well then, you have no excuses not to come. It’ll be fun. Besides, Mingyu deserves to have some OG guests.” Kyujin is always amazing at pursuing people and Sienna is always weak for her friend.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to drink this week, take this chance with us. It has free drinks and food anyway.” Comically his brows go up and down. “And you know what free food and drinks taste like.” He ends his last speech of temptation.

“A hit or miss.” She put her tongue out as she deadpans her friend.

Minghao laughed at the banter between Sienna and Seokmin. “We’re aware that you're not reliving the song ‘Stuck with U’ by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber for letting yourself feel stuffed for a whole month in your apartment. ” He finally joined, even has the gut to make a joke out of her situation pulling a quote-unquote with his hand gestures. However, they were right Sienna when given a chance to stay at her comfort home would make the most out of it.

Although now she's on a dinner date with them; After a month of hibernation, she just now greeted the outside world properly. “It's not my fault that my subjects are eating me up. Besides, earlier I had to attend University onsite so plus points to that and now I’m already with you guys, here eating dinner.” Sienna puckered her lips, still up for this debate despite being conquered by those trio.

Seokmin snorted at Sienna’s last comment “Yeah, right!” letting his hand grab her head and squeeze it as if he was a crane and she’s a toy.

“Sizt no!” Kyujin pouted and shook her head daintily. “How about this since you’re already out of your cocoon, just try to spend some of the days this week outside.” she negotiates with the girl who does not care one bit about Seokmin’s antics as she’s busy munching her ice cream.

“Exactly, just end your week with good vibes, you’re no guard dog.” Minghao with his witty brain could not let her go, when those three come together it’s like Sienna is fighting against the world.

She sighs in front of them, letting her head roll over to her left side finally expressing her being defeated.

As if an accomplished couple made their child have nowhere to go but listen to them, Kyujin and Minghao high-fived each other and held their hands shakingly. It’s their mini-victory move. “If you guys keep being cute, I feel like ants would eat us up.” She joked.

Seokmin looked at the girl next to her cheekily “Oh Sienna, Sienna, Sienna” repeating her name in a sing-song tone, whilst shaking his head playfully. “You just miss someone.”

Minghao covered his mouth, acting surprised. “Offt Seokmin dropping the bomb.” Kyujin teased the fire, showing her actions with her hands dropping.

It’s been 8 months since the breakup.

Sienna squinted her eyes as if throwing daggers at him. “Oh, shut up.” She smacked his left shoulder.

Leaving them chuckling at their antics.

Quickly changing the subject, Sienna sits properly. “Fine, this Saturday I’ll attend Mingyu’s place.” Rolling her eyes dramatically “The booze should be great, or I'm out.”

Despite a busy schedule, Yuno got dragged out for a coffee successfully by his work partner Jungkook before they would drive to meet their client onsite.

Yuno’s eyes glanced at the interior of the cafe, and he stopped when he saw a familiar physique after a long time. It was Sienna focused on her laptop, wearing her signature hoodie with her glasses.

He and Jungkook sat near the cafe counter waiting for their order. The guy simply watched her and couldn't help but still have a longing feeling of adoration.

Of course, she’s not alone, she’s with two people that look like her classmates.

He smiled at his thoughts thinking she also might get dragged outside as well, which she truly needs. Sienna always tends to trap herself in her room, especially on a weekend; little sunlight isn’t enough for her.

Sensing that one of her classmates was about to look around, he avoided his stare at her and exactly with that their little buzzer turned on letting them know that their orders were complete to go.

On the other hand Sienna did mini stretches to her arms as Her eyes slowly looked outside the cafe and saw a familiar back, she steadily recognized when the view of the man got a good side view. “Oh it's Yuno...” she whispered, then it truly sank at her making her eyes widen, almost choking herself while she drank her matcha frappe.

“Omygod— Sienna!” Both of her friends reacted frantic, Giving her all the tissues they have to her.

"You good now? What happened?” Jungwoo queried and looked to where she was staring earlier, but failed to recognize what made their friend go nuts.

Sienna shakes her head “Oh no it’s nothing..” she tries to cover her tracks, could not even think of a proper excuse.

Seungkwan oozes suspicion with the younger girl but lets her know that it’s fine to not be forced to tell.

“I have this event I need to attend.” Jungwoo didn't prolong the weird air, taking the chance to express his dread.

Sienna laughed at the poor puppy. “Isn’t your parents' fundraising event?” Seungkwan recalled their conversation back then. “That's tough. Knowing your parents, they would want it to be perfect.” Sienna bluntly says. “Exactly, it’s going to be a pain in the neck.” Jungwoo rolled his eyes with exaggeration.

She isn’t well into those kinds of grand parties either. It only reminds her back then when she felt she was out of the picture whenever with Yuno.

The only thing she cares about is to support Yuno in whatever journey he has to accomplish, that's why she lets him take her in these events.

Nonetheless, some of the invitees couldn't be bothered hiding their expressions.

It continued until she ended up walking on eggshells while attending these events. She's well aware those people were irrelevant, and Sienna needed to be stronger.

However, with the compilation of Backhanded comments she receives:

"Well in your generation, love matters more."

"Oh darling, you'll have your time."

With those gazes, she could just disappear into thin air as if she were prey.

Little by little it consumed her.

Sienna’s train of thought snapped immediately.

"Earth to Sienna."

Seungkwan patted the girl's shoulder, bringing her back to their conversation.

"Sorry, what?"

Jungwoo pouted more than he could do and continued to ask them. "Are you guys free to be my dates this Saturday?" Hoping that they would agree to be together with his misery just to make something out of it and not worry about socializing much in the event.

"Pass." Seungkwan quickly replied while shaking his head left and right to his friend, "I got other things to assemble from our course organization seminar."

Sienna couldn't help but chuckle at Jungwoo's reaction when he started begging with his actions through his hands. "Sorry, but I have a party to attend as well." Pursing her lips tightly.

Seungkwan grabbed Sienna's left arm, wanting her to mimic the way he waved goodbye towards Jungwoo, "Be strong, Soldier." She played along with the guy next to her and both shared the same smiles with their two cents.

Sienna dressed up a bit, well it’s a party, after all. Her cute black mini dress complimented her heel loafers. She’s not going to lie it’s been a while for her to dress up, and it feels good.

As she stepped into the dimly lit venue, bathed in hues of purple and blue lights, a familiar voice cut through the atmosphere. "Sienna!" Kyujin’s excitement radiated as she embraced her. "Are the other two here already?" she inquired after the warm hug.

"Yup, we can huddle over there, it's much more comfortable."

Navigating their way to the living room, Sienna spotted Minghao and Seokmin, who were already in high spirits, sitting side by side with welcoming smiles.

"For a minute I thought you backed out." Minghao teased, earning a giggle from Kyujin.

Minghao's knack for reading people was, as always, on point. Sienna was hesitating for a moment at the entrance, with her heart pounding with uncertainty. The decision to attend this gathering had been a last-minute contemplation. She knew a few faces in the crowd, but it was the ghost of him that lingered in her thoughts. Earlier that day, an unexpected wave of nostalgia engulfed her, triggering what she reluctantly dubbed a "Relapse." She found herself tumbling down a rabbit hole of old photos and videos, relics of a time when they were entwined in each other's lives.

As she stood there, the weight of unanswered questions pressed upon her. Were the people around her aware of the demise of their once-shared world? A shiver of anxiety ran down her spine at the mere thought of being questioned about a love that now existed only in fragments of the past.

Eight months had passed, yet the grip he held on her heart remained unyielding. The invisible threads of their history continued to bind her, leaving Sienna entangled in a web of longing and unresolved emotions.

"Aye, don't be like that," she chuckled, waving her hand dismissively. "I even brought snacks." Seokmin, ever observant, noticed the packaging. "Oh! I guess the lady at that sweet shop was your mom then."

Sienna looked curious to him wanting him to continue. "Your mom was carrying a navy blue handbag right?" Sienna vividly remembers making her head nod.

Seokmin already felt proud with his keen eyes, no wonder the lady was familiar to him.

"I was in front of the store parking lot and got a glimpse of your mom Entering the store." He pointed out the sweet shop's name.

Her mom visited her earlier to personally break the news that her mom's land had already been sold with a very great offer. She expressed how she was so thankful that they waited and did not rush the selling of their property which led them to accumulate a huge deal.

In celebration, her mom remembers her daughter tends to like honey biscuits as the reason why she was at a sweet shop. Little did her mom know that the reason why she liked them was because Jaehyun influenced her since it was his childhood favourite sweets.

That was the trigger for her to this party since she had the feeling she would just dwell on her emotions at home alone. Distraction is highly needed.

After a couple of hours, Jaehyun arrived at the scene of the party. Mingyu greeted the guy and pointed to where Sienna was located.

Earlier, Mingyu had noticed Sienna alone in the corner of his sofa, engaging in a conversation with herself. Even to the untrained eye, it was apparent she had indulged a bit too much in the festivities. Her body tends to flop side to side with her head spinning lightly.

The three musketeers that she was with beginning at the party left earlier, and because of still not wanting her to leave early she stayed besides she put an excuse that some of the people she knew here she wanted to catch up.

Out of concern, he immediately contacted Yuno. Mingyu is one of those people who are not updated with the situation of the two people.

Yuno swiftly appeared in front of the lady, whose now trying her best to stay awake by softly slapping her cheeks and opening her eyes wide. In response, Jaehyun sighed and approached her, wrapping his flannel around her—his way of acknowledging how chilly she could get.

“You’re drunk, let’s go home.”

Sienna, with a pout, insisted, "I'm not drunk, just tipsy... I can still take it." She reached for her cup, but Jaehyun lightly caught her hand. "Sienna, please..." he pleaded. Reluctantly, she let go of the cup, covering her face with her hands. "Ugh, you're so boring; I don't want to go home yet." Despite her wobbly stance, a stark contrast to her claim of sobriety, she stood up.

Giggling, she attempted to stare at Jaehyun. Her brain, clouded by sweet toxins, transformed her surroundings into a hazy spectacle. Jaehyun, seizing the opportunity, gently gripped her figure securely and let her follow his body towards the exit. “You can get whiny when you're drunk.”

She bit her bottom lip, staring at him as her eyebrows furrowed. “N-No, I'm not” she chirped yet Jaehyun could still hear her as how close their bodies were now, he was left only to chuckle at her attitude.

Jaehyun was wearing his beanie and glasses, matching them up with the dim party lights, as to why Sienna has slow recognition due to her alcohol influence. However, her sixth sense just lets her guard down due to familiarity.

Pulling up to the car, Sienna settled herself comfortably in the front passenger seat. Jaehyun reached for the blanket tucked at the back and gently draped it over her figure.

“Can we open the window?” Sienna peered outside, where the street lights cast a soft glow. Jaehyun obliged, clicking the switch to let in the cool night air.

“Better?” He questioned, as he eased the car into motion.

She closed her eyes, letting the refreshing breeze envelop her. After stealing a glance at Jaehyun, she responded with a serene, "Yeah."

Fully aware now that she was in the company of Yuno, Sienna marvelled at how her instincts had effortlessly guided her away from the crowd and toward him.

“Is anybody at your home right now?" Hearing him, Sienna shakes her head slowly, her eyes remaining closed to contain the lingering dizziness.

"Both of them are out of town."

Jaehyun hummed in agreement, his thoughtful expression barely visible in the dimly lit car. "I can't leave you alone at your house. You should rest at my place instead, He declared that if there's an argument needed to be brought up it would be useless.

With Sienna's mind in its current state, his decisiveness didn't bother her. It was a welcome assurance amid the swirl of emotions she grappled with.

They both slowly entered Yuno’s place, easily passing by the lounge area to his private room. Letting the lady sit as he turned on the lamp next to his bed.

He took some cotton pads and makeup remover. It's been a while since he opened this particular side of his nightstand, back then it was her side of the bed anyway.

His hands gingerly swipe the damped cotton throughout her face, she looks entrapped by his aura, The way his eyes twitched and and his bottom lip bitting due to his hyperfocus, it might not be obvious but with her hazy view she could see behind his glasses are eyebags that has been a bit more obvious. With this situation, it brings back memories as if it were only yesterday.

"They're all clean." he huffs proudly as he returns the essentials to its container, "Let me get you some water." Before he could even get up, Sienna stole a kiss from him, jaehyun was caught off guard he flinched and stared at her flushed self. His eyes roamed from her sombre eyes gradually to her lips, breathing against each other– the air thick with anticipation.

Leisurely discarding his glasses, he leaned toward her. Eventually, his instincts couldn't resist the magnetic pull of the moment, and he found himself reciprocating the kiss. His dominant hand found the nape of her neck, while the left rested on her waist tightly.

Amidst the fog of sweet alcohol lingering from her system invading his space of mind. the kiss deepened, and their bodies drew dangerously closer within seconds.

With that snap of realization, Yuno stopped the act, dazed by her.

He would do anything for her, he constantly yearned for her even after all that happened. Yet, he refused to take advantage of her vulnerability. As he struggled to formulate the words he needed to convey, he grappled with the elusive thoughts.

He wanted to reassure her, to make her understand. But his brain seemed to be on strike, rendering him helpless.

Cold sweats build up over him, He suddenly feels like a teen boy who's in front of his huge crush.

"Sienna, I—" His words were abruptly cut short as she averted her eyes, rising slowly. As she hastened away, he found himself perplexed by the startling shift, his body instinctively following her.

Realizing the toilet room lights were open, he moved fast behind her. Already hiding how flustered he is.

Efficiently gathering her hair into a ponytail as she faced the toilet— letting out the toxins from her system. he offered a comforting rub on her back. His eyes fell on the drawer beneath the counter, remembering the hair ties she had left behind. He snatched one and secured her hair.

Perhaps, it had always been the right choice not to clean out the stuff she kept in his place.

"Take it easy," he hummed, attempting to access a smaller drawer, anticipating a towel within. All the while, he continued to rub her back, providing solace amid the discomfort.

With the final flush from the toilet, she ceased her ordeal. Jaehyun proactively used the towel to dab at her mouth. "Feeling better?" he asked, focused on the task.

She nodded, touching his hands and prompting him to halt. "I'm sorry.." she sighed, closing her eyes and braving the persistent dizziness. His gaze softened, taking in her dishevelled appearance, the messy ponytail he had made, her droopy eyes, and her flushed figure.

“Let’s go to bed—” he cleared his throat “Let’s take you to bed, you need to rest up hmm?.”

Her body went near him, and put her head on his chest “Don’t leave….” He looked down, already feeling his shirt getting drenched.

She is already crying.

He patted her head. "I won't," he assured, breathing heavily. "I won't leave you alone… so let’s go to bed." With a controlled but strained voice, he subdued the surging emotions.

Carrying her to bed, he tucked her in gently. Although he yearned to lie beside her, this wasn't the moment. He settled beside the bed on his rug, holding her hand, watching over her. As he hummed softly, he moved strands of hair away from her face, his quiet presence coaxing a serene expression onto her face.

Even in mere proximity, he found solace.

The sunlight tiptoed into the room, gently rousing Sienna from her deep slumber. A momentary panic seized her when her eyes landed on a head resting at the edge of the bed. Quickly regaining composure, she realized Yuno was sleeping on the floor beside her. His head lay on the mattress, while his body occupied the floor.

Her heartbeat slowed, confusion swirling in her mind as she tried to make sense of the situation. Battling a hangover headache, she opened her eyes gently, fixating on the man's face. It had been too long since she allowed herself to bask in the sight of him, and the ache of missing him resurfaced.

Almost by instinct, her hand lightly caressed his bangs, now dyed in a darker shade. Moving to his eyebrows and eyes, the familiarity felt both comforting and oddly unfamiliar after all this time.

His eyes twitched slightly, signalling his impending awakening. As her brain flashed fragments of memories from the previous night, embarrassment coursed through her.

Jaehyun's eyes fluttered open, meeting hers. Sensing her staring fixed on his lips, he gently grabbed her hand, preventing her from retracting her actions. "You're awake," she timidly said, attempting to downplay the significance of her actions.

She didn't get an immediate response, but now it was Yuno's turn to observe her. Despite having done the same the night before, this morning ritual fed his yearning for the simple moments they used to share.

"Do-Don't just stare at me like that," she uttered, biting her bottom lip.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. After a comfortable silence, she replied, "Don't bother, it's not like it's a big thing," avoiding his piercing stare, her cheeks flushing with warmth.

He shook his head slowly. "I have a lot to say sorry for."

Puzzled, her mind hinted at their last fight, the night they broke up. "I understand. It's not my decision to make."

"I should have talked with you before acting out my will with this, especially when it’s strongly sensitive for you… “ His voice became small but he needs to take accountability.

“I was selfish. I figured since I have the privilege to save up, all I could think was part of my savings was all about you."

"I should have known better."

Sienna always loved how pure this guy can get. She recognized the sincerity of his intentions. “I was too defensive and insecure to begin with every time I could see how people view us. I love how they take pride in you for what you do, but when I’m in the picture with you I could feel they always have this impression in our relationship that I’m not enough for you."

"I felt embarrassed, my inferiority complex burst." her eyes welled with emotion.

"You know I struggled to ask for help, and I always tried to conquer that, but when our last fight happened, it got me overwhelmed. It was an extreme gesture, and it felt like you were forcing me to be someone I'm not prepared to be." With his sincerity, she felt attacked and unsafe at that time. She was clouded by her negative thoughts and forgot she had him all this time – he was there to pick her up when she was feeling blue.

Yuno softened his gaze at her, “I’m sorry. I was so blinded and didn’t reassure you enough about our relationship, that it got to your thoughts. I don’t care about them, and I know it will be tough for you to immediately not care. So I’ll do my best to be there for you– reminding you to think of me and only me when you doubt, and I will never get tired of making you feel secure.”

She nodded and continued, "I’m fully aware that I have a lot on my plate, especially back then, working to support my family and myself." Her voice cracked as she struggled to compose herself. "And it's just so embarrassing how I know you so well. You’ve always wanted to help me— you’ve always been there, whether I’m struggling financially or whatever situation I'm facing. I just couldn’t take the bullet of reality that I needed to accept. “

Her eyes continued to sting. With every word she spilt, tears flowed down her cheeks.

He was the sunshine she couldn't handle.

"But I broke it. I promised you a slow and steady relationship."

Sienna looked at him stunned, he remembers.

“See you’re a guy who has a light that shouldn't be tainted.” she blurted out, sniffing.

Jaehyun shook his head slowly. Vividly his dimples, and a reassured smile carved his lips. “Sienna when I’m with you. I’m only a normal guy, a guy who loves you deeply, who wants to be with you.” He caressed her cheeks, gingerly wiping away the tears that streamed from her eyes.

Heart fluttering, realising once again that's she is truly in love with this person.

"I'll do better to make myself be deserving of you; I'll work hard.” She firmly stated, Her innocent orbs now filled with passion. “You did receive the money earlier, right?” After meeting her mom, Sienna transferred the money he paid for her university fees.

"You're more than enough, and I will always support you." Jaehyun held her hand tightly, bringing it close to his mouth. “And then, for the meantime, I’ll keep the money in my savings. That will be for us in the future.” He planted a soft kiss on her hand as if sealing a promise of his commitment.

“Besides, all I ever want is for you to spend your time with me – grow old together.” He whispered, his eyes reflecting a future filled with shared unwavering love. With those words, he painted a canvas of a lifetime. Sienna's heart swelled with a mix of emotions, and as they embraced, they both knew that their love story was not just a chapter but a timeless journey of growing old together.

I hope you guys enjoyed it!꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

103 notes · View notes

saltminerising · 10 months ago

Note

Anon from this ask here: post/759290297876365312/as-a-white-person-on-the-internet-i-always-feel

I do understand that it's not someone else's job to educate me or anything if they find something rude but it's just something I'd personally appreciate. I didn't mean for it to come off as though I was expecting someone to step in and just eloquently write me a message about what I should do to change or anything. Ofc if someone approaches me in a rude way I'll just deal with it, not like there is any other choice lol

I also am not afraid of "someone on the internet calling me racist" I am anxious about someone telling me I am a cultural appropriator which I feel is kind of different but if they are the same I would like someone to explain why? I always was under the impression that a cultural appropriator uses aspects of other cultures and doesn't quite show effort in learning or respecting traditions and other aspects of the culture. And then that racism is discrimination and prejudice against someone just because of their race. Genuinely would like to know if I am in the wrong here and have something mixed up

Another thing I am a bit confused of is what part of my message made it seem that I think that poc are some spooky existence and will constantly be offended by me? I am not meaning to be rude when I say this but I wasn't generalizing any particular race coming after me or anyone else, any race or gender can make a callout online and it's still a callout. The post I made had no mention of races or anything and I am confused why it was construed in a way that made it seem I was thinking like that? Tone is something I struggle with so I might have missed the mark and that's on me. I am only talking about culture, not race. Ofc most cultures also seem to be divided by race but there can be two people of the same race in different cultures. For example, I am a white american but that is not the same as a white british person or a white irish person. We all share the same race but we have different cultures.

To bring this all back to Flight Rising, my main worry was someone seeing me, a white person (granted I don't disclose my race usually because I don't feel the need to), using say one of JMP or MV's umas and thinking I am appropriating those cultures. I know for a fact that this worry is not rational, you don't have to tell me that haha. I just wanted to express how the discourse made me feel about someone who uses imagery from other cultures in their lair as I don't mean to disrespect anyone at all.

Anyways, it's probably not good for my mental health to stay on this topic anymore than this so this is the last you'll hear from me 😅

#long post

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sapphire-weapon · 2 years ago

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I think people tend to ignore Leon fucking up (like with Shen May), because they have the mindset of "oh no, that's my favourite character! So he can't do anything wrong or have any flaws!" It's such a limiting way to think. I mean, I really like Leon too, but I'll openly say that he often gives me the fucking ick, lmao. The Shen May scene had me recoiling. Man's a stereotype of "that creepy guy at the bar" and he exudes that a LOT. I'm glad he was turned down. Even the characters we love need to be humbled when they're full of shit, because it's realistic and interesting. It's okay to think outside of the caveman "he good! no bad!"

Also, tacking on, because despite it being a different topic, I may as well stick to a singular ask. Jilleon is such a weird concept to me, lmao. I think for the most part it's treated pretty lightheartedly, but I'm confused because I couldn't really identify where it came from, other than that they're both attractive. I love Jill, but I don't see her reciprocating any attraction. Like, remotely. They get along fine, but I can't even see a close friendship. Maybe I'm biased though, cause I love her and as much as I enjoy Leon, dear god above he doesn't need another love interest. Also Capcom please just grow your balls and properly address Valenfield. We all know they're either a couple or have been pining for several decades.

I'm not gonna lie, if OG Leon asked me out, I'd have told him I had a boyfriend, too. Or maybe just even told him I wasn't interested in men all together. His approach is so... old-fashioned in a bad way. It's evidence that his development was arrested in 1998; he hasn't matured past that point, so he thinks that it's still a thing to just go up to a cute girl and ask for her number right after getting her name.

So like. I'm not surprised that it's pretty much exclusively early 20s and younger ppl who don't think he's trying to ask her on an actual date, because no one does that shit anymore. That was already out of fashion by the time I was in high school, even, and I entered high school in 2003.

But for any tiny childrens who are reading this: yes this is literally how relationships would start in the 80s and 90s. Out of nowhere and on a whim between complete strangers and just hoping it works.

Re: jilleon

Prior to Death Island, I would have agreed with you. 100% I didn't understand what the basis for it was, and I didn't think she'd be interested in him at all.

Then I watched Death Island. And I'm 85% sure that they've already slept together LMAO Chris dropped the ball between RE5 and DI, and Leon just kind of slid in there and took his shot and actually seems to have made it???

If I'm not mistaken, Jill is the only person other than Remake Ashley in the entire series who actually laughs at Leon's jokes. And she actually gets him to laugh out loud in return -- which is almost unheard of for him.

They just seem very comfortable around each other in general. Jill seems more at ease in his presence than she's been in Chris's since... Lost in Nightmares? And Leon is definitely more comfortable being with her than he is being with Ada or Claire. Like, Jill seems as comfy as a presence for Leon as Chris and Ashley are.

I just really like their dynamic in general. I don't think of them as romantic, but I see them as very, very good friends who just fuck every once in a while.

Like, Chris is still Leon's best friend, but their relationship is a lot more intense. But Jill is the person that Leon first thinks to call when he needs to nerd out about movies or to just bullshit in general. And then every so often, a text message conversation happens like:

"Gonna be in DC for a weekend for BSAA shit. Pick me up from the airport?"

"Sure. What hotel?"

"Staying with a friend actually idk if you know him. Leon Kennedy? In the DSO. Brown hair, blue eyes, giant cock?"

"Never heard of him. Sounds like he's in for a fun weekend though."

#resident evil #leon kennedy #jill valentine #jilleon

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northwest-cryptid · 1 year ago

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I don't think people understand that you gotta make mistakes and grow from them by being educated one way or another about how to not make the mistake or why it was a mistake in the first place.

The internet is built around flash in the pan drama and unfortunately that has poisoned the minds of people who mean well on much more important topics.

You see someone sharing an opinion on a topic, that is just horrible; perhaps racist, sexist, or just generally bigoted. Your first instinct is to attack them, lash out; let them know how wrong they are, not why they're wrong; just that they are in fact wrong.

Make sure you really make it clear you want them dead, don't let anyone question that you might sympathize or seek to actually better this individual. They aren't worth it, they won't listen; you know this because the internet tells you so. Others "like them" have already poisoned the well and now you know the rules too well to give this one the time of day.

Prove to them that you are exactly what your enemies make you out to be, prove to them that you see them as nothing more than a horrible immoral person that doesn't deserve respect.

Sure they might come to resent you, they might in fact view everything you stand for in the same light; you may be a detriment to the very movement, people, or thing you stand to defend; but don't let that bother you... look the people on the internet love you, you get notes, you get the dopamine of knowing people think you're cool because you stood up to the bad man.

This is how we are now.

You know when I was probably just 16 I fucked up pretty minorly, like literally for context I'll just admit to this shit openly, don't talk about it much but I need you to understand the scope of this. When I was like 16 I wasn't artistically talented so I just casually traced shit, didn't know it was wrong to do so.

Tumblr however, made it clear I had fucked up, daily anon hate; mostly the generic "kill yourself" and the like; do you know what I learned from that experience?

I learned that I shouldn't listen to those people, who reacts like that? I was a kid, I still didn't know what I had done wrong, no one would explain. I was simply a target for hate; and when I'd ask for advice I'd only get further hate. I had "fucked up" online, and that was that. There was no allowance for growth. I was literally being told to fucking kill myself at 16 because I fucking traced over some deviantart shit. Can we just rationalize that for a second?

Now I need you to understand that this is how we respond to everything on the internet. It just feels far more justified when it's about something that actually matters. But hang on, let me go back a second; what did I just say I learned from that experience? Right, that I shouldn't listen to those people.

You realize the only reason I understood what had happened was because a very good friend of mine at the time sat me down, and I will never forget that the first words she spoke to me were:

"Don't listen to those assholes, it's not a big deal."

Before she ever explained to me what I had done, or why it could be hurtful; or the impact that it could have. Prior to offering me any guidance on how to actually learn art and such so I wouldn't repeat the same problem; the first thing she had to tell me was those people don't deserve to be heard.

And I needed to hear that before I was going to listen to ANYONE about anything at that point, because getting upwards of 30 - 50 anon messages telling me I was a waste of oxygen, that I needed to off myself and just do everyone a favor; that I was a mistake, every hour or so; well let's just say that really doesn't make a kid see your point of view and I don't think it works any better with adults for that matter.

Can you imagine if I didn't have someone like that to set me straight? Do you think I'd have learned anything positive from that situation? Do you think I'd have come out of it understanding what I had done wrong? Absolutely not, I'd have just thought everyone was too sensitive or some shit, whatever bullshit the people who picked me up after would tell me. Oh and that's the thing isn't it, if you make someone a victim; you've done half the work for your opposition to come in and convince this hurt individual that they are in fact correct; that you are in fact a bad person and that this individual needs to side with them because they wouldn't treat them this way.

It's easy to recruit someone who is starved of anything positive, who hasn't heard someone agree or even sympathize with them; someone who was trying to do something good and got burnt for not doing it right.

You know, I really do get it, I absolutely understand the want to just blow up and say some shit. It's fine to have emotional, speak from the heart kinda moments, it's fine. However when you're speaking on an issue that matters, when you're talking about the lives of individuals, when you're discussing what to do and the change that you want to bring you ABSOLUTELY, under no circumstances; lash out.

Because that's exactly what those who want to see you dead are looking for, you cannot afford to give them anything to work with.

It's why I lose my shit every time I see someone at those LGBT rallies screaming and causing a scene and being aggressive. Because that's the very thing people say we are, that's the very thing they use against us; and you're just giving them that, you're just letting them have that. Why? What does it accomplish!? Sure you get to feel like the big man right now, but you're hurting the very cause you stand for, and yea I hear you

"So what, do you want me to shut up and be quiet and do nothing"

NO I want you to conduct yourself like a fucking adult, I want you to show these people who might stand in the middle, who might not pick a side; that everything that a homophobic asshole has to say is wrong; I want you to prove to the world that we're just people, I want you to go forth and show people that, without being exactly the stereotype that's used against us! I want you to stop feeding people more to use against us, I want you to think before you act.

Because here's the truth, I might just be an individual to you, but to someone who sees Natives in a bad light, I could easily become an example of "see this is how Natives act" and you DO NOT give them that, you do not let them make that claim; you do not allow them to use you as an example.

If you are fighting for something, you represent the whole of that entity to those who oppose it, and you CANNOT afford to let them see you as something that isn't reasonable, that doesn't deserve the right to be heard.

You can't afford to be 50 anons in my inbox telling me to kill myself.

You need to meet people on a level they understand, you need to meet them halfway and explain it to them; you need to be willing to educate them even when it's not your fucking job. Because the alternative is being all talk and no action, the alternative is never seeing your goal come to light, the alternative is that we may as well just roll over and die.

When you can't conduct yourself with respect and dignity you act for the opposition. That's just the unfortunate truth. Trust me I've wanted to say some very choice words to some very specific people before, and I have had to remind myself that when I am in a situation where I speak for the whole I cannot allow myself to act on impulse and emotion alone; lest someone make an example of it and use it against everyone who stands with me.

This is why I say we need to educate people, this is why I say we have to approach even conflict with the idea of explaining to uneducated masses the truth about the shit they say.

If someone came to me and told me all Natives were savage killers who can't be civilized and all that shit; sure you absolutely bet I'd love to just knock em cold where they stand. Is that not exactly what they would expect from a savage? Is that not exactly what they expect a Native to do?

Sure I could cause a scene, I could fight; I could yell and scream and make a problem of it. It would only prove them right. Instead I could always educate them, explain things to them.

"But they won't listen."

Doesn't matter then, it's not for them then; it's for everyone who sees it; it's for the masses around us, who see this man approach me telling me Natives are all savages who can't be civil; because the sane among them will see a Native there who can be civil; and suddenly all that man has to say becomes nonsense.

You need to be able to disarm them with understanding, education, and fucking kindness. You need to understand how to make your enemy understand you until they're your friend, and then when it comes time for their actions to take a side, you can bet your ass they'll side with you because it would be insane for them not to; not when they know everything that you know.

We see on the internet, this constant bickering of elementary school kids; just on much more important topics.

We can't discuss shit like politics anymore, it becomes "yes" "no" "yes" "no" "yes" "no" instead of making any real progress one way or another. I know some people are VERY stupid, do you know how many times I've been VERY stupid? How many times I've been uninformed? It's a lot.

It's a LOT, and it's a lot more than I care to admit.

However I was lucky, because I was around people who actually cared about what they were saying, about the messages, about the causes they stood for. I was around good honest people who were understanding, and who taught me better.

Not as someone who was bad and needed to be fixed, but as someone who didn't know any better because I was never taught in the first place.

I was given respect, I was shown kindness, and as such I was better for it.

People talk about "converting people to your cause" and all this shit, that's not it; you don't need to convert someone, once they know what you know they will make up their mind.

If you show them that you are someone worth fighting for, that your cause is in the right; they will fight for you.

I used to be homophobic, it kept me from understanding a lot about myself, it kept me from making some very good friends; it made me a pretty awful fucking person. I didn't know, I had no clue, I didn't understand the scope of what I had been taught. That didn't change until I grew up and met other queer individuals like myself who were able to show me that everything I had known was all homophobic lies.

Not by demonizing me, or "proving me wrong" but by just being good honest people, who meant well; and acted with kindness.

The internet has unfortunately poisoned the way people engage with real social issues; and as I get older it becomes harder and harder to stay quiet about it.

There's a huge difference by the way, between this; and punching a nazi.

You should absolutely punch nazis. I'm not going to say they deserve kindness.

And by that same token, there's a time and place for that sort of militant aggressive push-back. You need to learn where to draw that line, and how to draw that line before you go making an ass of yourself and smearing the name of the cause you stand for.

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