#insert lighthearted tone indicator

[foolondahill17]

wasn't it deancrit casgirls saying dean is misogynist? how did this end up being about Sam being actually worse?

Almost definitely it's deancrit cassgirls being the loudest misogynist!Dean posters, but I think they align in a lot of people's minds as Sam-sympathizers or Samgirl-adjacent.

As for why it ended up being about Sam being worse...it's because Sam unfortunately is worse 😔

[hopesangelsprite]

♡ Mine ♡

Illumi x black!chubby!reader

Summary: Illumi's tired of worrying about losing you... so he decides it's time to change that forever.

Warnings: language, lighthearted murder threats; other than those it's pretty domestic.

"We should get married."

Any traces of fatigue in your body vanished after those words fell upon your previously resting ears. You stayed still, waiting for any indication that what you'd heard was a mistake on your part. There was nothing but silence and the barely audible sound of your lover's breathing. Then that silence was broken once again.

"What do you think?", Illumi questioned from his spot draped across your stomach. What'd you think... what did you think? Well, you were wondering what had brought such a question about and how random its utterance was. Before he'd spoken, the two of you had been cuddling for about 3 hours prior. Technically, Illumi had come in unannounced and sprawled across you unceremoniously before shimmying down so that his head could rest on your abdomen. Occasionally he'd poke or pinch you out of boredom, now and then he'd nibble at you just because he could, and you wouldn't do anything about it.

The atmosphere had been comfortable. Nothing in the air alluded to the impromptu proposal that had just been made. "I'm just wondering where that question came from honestly.", you finally spoke while sitting up to peer down at Illumi. He simply hummed at repositioned himself so that he was practically sitting in your lap, which you'd be sure to tease him about later. "We've been seeing each other for about a year now, and my parents somewhat approve of you. It's time we make it official that you're mine.", he stated matter-of-factly. You blinked at him, and he blinked back.

He wasn't wrong. Your one-year anniversary would be coming up in a month and neither of you had any intentions of leaving each other whether it be in the near future or otherwise. It was true that Silva and Kikyo liked you enough not to kill you, it'd taken Killua a while to warm up to you but once he had he considered you as his older sister. He'd even gone as far as to warn Illumi never to hurt you "or else", which you both found adorable. The thought of marrying Illumi didn't sound bad at all, in fact, it filled your heart with that warm fuzzy feeling people sang about in love songs. Still, you were in a silly goofy mood and felt like pulling his chain.

"And what if I said no?", you questioned. Illumi stopped separating your curls to glare at you softly. "I'd kill someone.", he answered after a beat of silence. You smirked and rested your hands on his waist before tilting your head. It was a vague answer yet one you'd expected. "Who?", you pressed further prompting him to think for a moment. "One of those idol singers you like so much, maybe (insert fave idol name).", he replied while fluffing up your hair like a pillow. You scoffed, offended at his words as well as his blatant attack on one of your favorite humans.

"You wouldn't."

"Fuck around and find out."

"Language!"

Illumi rolled his eyes and released your hair to lean back on his palms. His change in posture offered you a wonderful view of his abdomen, toned muscles littered with barely visible scars and lipstick stains from earlier. "Where's all this attitude coming from, mister?", you inquired earning another eye roll. "Don't play with me. It's so not worth it, bro.", he warned. You gawked, thoroughly shocked at his use of your favorite phrases against you. He was in a silly goofy mood too it seemed. A chuckle escaped you as you shook your head. This was going to be a very long and entertaining marriage. "I'm gagged.", you muttered under your breath forgetting how heightened Illumi's sense of hearing was.

"Not as much as you should be... but that's fixable.", he sighed painting another shocked expression across your face. You shook your head vehemently while throwing yourself back onto your pillows. "Nope, I'm done. No way I'm marrying a man sassier than I am, there's simply no way.", you huffed out. Before you could say anything else, Illumi caged you in with his arms now straddling you properly. His hair fell around you two to create a dark, silky veil. "How about now?", he asked while gesturing to his left hand. You tilted your head to see an open ring box.

The ring inside it pushed all thoughts of where he could've been hiding the box from your head. Bands of expertly crafted and delicate silver had been woven to encircle the biggest emerald diamond you'd ever seen. It was a thing of true beauty, nothing like you'd ever seen or would ever see again anywhere else in the world. "I've changed my mind, when's the wedding date, pretty boy!", you cooed while wrapping your arms around your future husband's neck.

Illumi dealt you another eye-roll before pressing a kiss to your lips. You smiled into his cool lips and tucked some of his hair behind his ears while reciprocating the kiss. The kiss broke after a few breathless moments and Illumi rolled off of you to cuddle into your side. Gently, he took your hand and slipped the ring onto your awaiting finger. It fit perfectly.

You beamed brightly and tucked your face into the crook of his neck. "Crazy that I had to show you a diamond to convince you to marry me.", he spoke into your hair earning a lighthearted smack to his arm. "Shut up, you already knew I would marry you because I love you. Unlike you who's marrying me for my good looks and backside.", you teased. Silence followed your statement, yet you could practically hear the smirk on his face.

"Motherfucker."

"Language, my love."

Yeah, agreeing to marry this idiot would probably be the greatest mistake of your life, and you wouldn't have it any other way.

[campingwithmonsters]

🫀Welcome To The Campgrounds… I’ve Never Actually Been Camping…🫀

INTRODUCTION POST

🌼A BIT ABOUT ME🌼

🫀Kiwi/Goldie

🫀21 y/o

🫀She/They

🫀I make art! I very occasionally write. I also make a couple overly edited memes sometimes. I also do video edits. Most are just lighthearted silly things to try and get a laugh from people but I do still like to make more serious, organized videos like animatics.

🫀My YouTube Channel is Camping With Monsters if you wanna see some of them!!

🫀I’m into a couple different fandoms… (will edit if I think of any more + get into any others)

— Pokémon

— Don’t Starve

— Cuphead

— My Singing Monsters

— Undertale

🫀My inbox is open if you ever want to shoot me a message!! I don’t always wanna chat to random people though so don’t get worked up if I don’t respond immediately or at all.

🫀I also really like shiny hunting. I’ll try to post more clips of my shiny encounters!

🫀 I also have an original story called “Duck Duck Goose” which revolves around “twisted” fairy tales (either twisting the meanings of the stories or things like Grimm fairy tales.) I’m super ambitious about!! I will also not shut up about it ✌️😁 (this story is also open to making OCs for, so feel free to ask about that if you’re interested at all…?)

❌DNI/DNF❌

— Basic DNI criteria

— Pr///oshippers/C///omshippers (y’all are the same. They’re synonyms. Stfu.)

— Z///oophiles

— L///oli or Sh///ota

— TERFs

— K///nk Blogs, but especially pregnancy k///nk blogs considering I’m creating a story featuring a pregnant protagonist. There’s a time and a place for that, but it’s not here.

— Dr///eam supporters

— AI “artists” or AI “art” defenders

— NFT/Cryptobros

— Yandere fans/supporters

— H///zbin H///tel, H///lluva B///oss, and all things V///vziepop.

— If you support I///sreal.

🏷️Important Tags🏷️

The Kiwi Draws — My art tag. Find my art here

The Kiwi Speaks — Occasional banter/ramblings

The Kiwi Makes Videos — Usually for, of course, any videos I make, be it memes, animatics, etc

The Kiwi Shines — Shiny hunting clips or general shiny hunting shenanigans. Eventually going to properly tag all of my shiny hunting posts.

❗️Disclaimers❗️

🫀 I have Tourette’s and Anxiety (officially diagnosed) and Autism (self diagnosed for now, I’ll see about getting an official diagnosis, but with the healthcare system, I might just continue without.). I probably have ADHD and/or OCD as well tbh

🫀 I do have some communication issues and can often stumble upon my words or say the wrong thing, please just be patient with that. I try to clarify when I don’t have a proper way to explain things.

🫀 I sometimes have OCD-related issues with typing and may occasionally uses speech-to-text. If random words in my sentences are capitalized or very strange typos occur, that’s because having this issue for such a long time has uh. Actually fucked with my phone’s keyboard’s predictability! It’s not fun!

🫀 Please use tone indicators with me!!

🫀 Some of my drawings may contain potentially sensitive media ((I.e. Blood/Gore or Drugs)) but it’s usually tagged with Tw (insert trigger) or // (insert trigger) , usually both.

🫀 I do occasionally roleplay, but if for whatever reason we were to roleplay and I don’t respond for a while or stop responding entirely, please do not pester me to respond. Sometimes I get tired of typing narratively and not very good at communicating about doing other things.

🫀 I uuuuuhhhhhh pull all-nighters sometimes ✌️😁

🫀 I SWEAR A LOT. I SAY FUCK A LOT. THIS ISN’T THE TOURETTE’S BTW THAT’S JUST ME LOL.

FREE PALESTINE 🇵🇸🍉

🌻OKAY BYYEEEEE🌻

[corpulentcarbs]

‘Would you kindly’ plop your bare gut on the restaurant table and belch out loud Hyunjin?

"Jeez, already jumping the gun I see. Asking a big girl like me to burp on the first date, how perverted of you. But since you agreed to take me out tonight I suppose you do deserve a reward though."

After her date insisting on this duty, Hyunjin spoke in a lighthearted tone, poking fun at her date. She's going to show off a little since it runs in the family, if it wasn't already clear. Even though it took her some time to exit the booth, she eventually managed it by wobbling forward and centering herself while holding onto the table for balance.

She inserted her doughy fingers into the pale bulk of her stomach, raised it as high as it would go, and then thumped it down into the table's strongest part. The impact of the inital thud left a definite indication of how many dinners had been crammed within the depths of the almost bottomless pit throughout their shared time.

"UUUURRRRRRPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!”

"So, how's that hehe... bbbrruuuaaaapppppp... Aren't you glad we reserved our meals for a later time?"

[secretpeachtea]

Onigiri Miya Tidbits Ch 5

Title: the graduation celebration

Genre: gen fic, reader insert

Word Count: 5.9k

Summary: Onigiri Miya is now hiring and you just happen to be the right person for the job. The business has been gaining popularity since its grand opening, and many customers travel from different cities just to have a bite of Miya Osamu’s delicious recipes. You did expect some craziness from working in food services, but what you didn’t expect was to be bombarded with frequent tomfoolery from a bunch of attractive volleyball players during your shifts.

disclaimer: manga spoilers

A/N: IM BACK. this literally took me a whole month to write and i hope there aren’t too many mistakes. if there are mistakes, feel free to point them out to me! other than that, hope you enjoy!

Previous///Next

Your back was aching from standing at the register for such a long time, so you decided to take a seat on one of the two chairs set up behind the counter for times like this. There was only a little over an hour left before closing, and there weren’t any customers at the moment, so taking a quick break wouldn’t hurt. It seems like Osamu was thinking the same thing as he plopped himself next to you languidly.

Your boss rests an arm on the back of your chair. “You tired?” 

“A little bit, but it’s nothing I can’t handle,” you reply back with a sigh. “How about you?”

Osamu takes off his cap and runs a hand through his hair before placing it back on his head. “Nah, I’m good. Just feeling a bit dazed. It’s been a pretty slow week, so I guess I’m just lacking some energy boost.”

“Yeah, I guess. We haven’t had any interesting customers come in for a while, huh.” You think back to the time when you had to babysit a certain volleyball team and when you interacted with a specific gamer during work. “Although, I can’t really tell whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

Your conversation was interrupted when you both heard the entrance slide open indicating the arrival of a customer. Or, rather, customers. A group of young men walked into the shop while also engaged in their own chatter. 

“We meet up after such a long time and you decide to come here?” A man with light brown, uneven bangs shoved his hands into his coat while sporting a blank expression. “Although, I can’t really say I’m surprised, Goshiki.”

The one addressed as Goshiki scowled in slight frustration. “I don’t trust any of the other options you all pitched in! I didn’t want to eat spicy ramen from the convenience store when we haven’t met up all together like this in so long! I won rock paper scissors too so it’s my choice, Shirabu-san!”

Another man with a crimson-tinted buzzcut chipped in with a lighthearted tone, “Are you sure you didn’t want to just come here ‘cause you heard about the cute register girl?”

“N-no! That’s not true, Tendou-san!” (yes)

“You’re so easy to read, Tsutomu! Isn’t that right, Wakatoshi-kun?”

Broad shoulders on a tall figure turned towards the redhead. “I suppose it is easy to understand Goshiki as if I were reading the gardening section of the newspaper.”

The fourth person of the group had a guitar strapped to his back with an...interesting outfit that you would not normally see someone wear voluntarily. “You guys sure haven’t changed at all. I can’t really say I expected to come here either.”

The last two people to enter the shop chuckled as they listened to their peers. One had a spiky undercut and slanted eyebrows, while the other had large, defined lips and tan skin. The latter spoke up, “Well, it’s not too bad, Semi. Plus, we’re here to celebrate Shirabu’s graduation and acceptance into medical school.”

You and Osamu are now standing behind the counter but the group of seven had yet to notice you both. You do a double take when you glance at the one who just spoke. Covering your mouth with one hand, you whisper to your boss, “Okay. I see what you meant by Benkei.”

Osamu just quietly chuckles.

It didn’t take long for one specific person to direct his attention at you as he walked to the counter. “Ah, (Surname)-san. How have you been?” 

At the sudden greeting, the rest of the group ceased their conversation.

You just gave the familiar face a small smile. “I’ve been doing well, Shirabu-san.”

“SHIRABU-SAN KNOWS THE PRETTY REGISTER GIRL?!”

You’re a bit taken aback by the loud exclamation by Goshiki, so you just stare at him with wide eyes. A couple people burst out laughing, mainly Tendou, Yamagata, and Semi. The poor boy’s entire body flushes red as he tries to get the guys to stop laughing. Shirabu just lets out a sigh and turns his attention back to you. It seems like the other two who weren’t part of the boisterous bunch also turned their focus to where you were.

“Sorry about that. I told you I would visit soon, but I didn’t expect to come with my former teammates,” Shirabu apologized.

“No, that’s okay. If that’s the case, then these guys must be the Shiratorizawa alumni you mentioned before.” You shook your head in understanding. You turned towards the others. “Nice to meet you guys. I’m (Surname) (Name), Shirabu’s college classmate.”

“Hellooo~ (Name)-chan!” Tendou joyfully greeted after listening in on the conversation. Goshiki was now hidden behind Ushijima’s large stature to avoid any awkward encounters. Yamagata and Semi rejoined since they were also curious as to how you knew their former setter. After some brief introductions, you had learned all of their names before going into detail of your relationship with Shirabu.

“(Surname)-san and I went to the same university and had a couple classes together since our majors were similar. We were both fairly diligent in our studies, so we often grouped up to do assignments.”

“Oh? What did you major in, (Surname)-san?” Ohira asks.

“I majored in Anatomy and Physiology. I plan on going to grad school for Sports medicine.”

You hear a small gasp behind Ushijima and a quiet, subtle statement of “She’s pretty and smart!”, but you pretend like you didn’t hear anything in hopes to spare Goshiki from any more embarrassment. Osamu seems a bit intrigued since he’s never really heard you speak about school but stays silent off to the side.

“Have you decided on where you want to go? I know you once told me you applied to a special Sports medicine program.” Shirabu asks.

You feel a wave of negative emotions at the question but try your best to control your facial expression. “I...um...was waitlisted from the program and was rejected from all the grad schools that I applied to…”

Your former classmate’s eyes widened a bit in surprise and lifted his hand to his chin in thought. “I see.”

You try to brush off any unnecessary thoughts by waving your hands in front of you. “There must have been a reason for that. My resume wasn’t all that great and they probably thought I was lacking in a lot of ways.”

“Nonsense. From the couple of times we’ve worked together, I know that you’re a very well versed and competent person.” Shirabu crosses his arms and looks straight into your eyes.  “I’m sure you’ll be able to come across a good opportunity with your capabilities.”

You were quite touched by Shirabu’s firm words and he’s managed to slightly lift up the corners of your lips despite the heavy weight in your heart. He’s fairly blunt and doesn’t like to sugarcoat words, so you know his words are genuine.

“Oh? How romantic~” Tendou commented. Shirabu just glares at the tall redhead and remains silent.

A sudden low rumble echoes into the air from Semi’s stomach. “Oh, sorry guys. I’ve been composing all day, so I haven’t gotten around to eating yet.”

“We should order now,” Ushijima advises. The rest nod their heads in agreement. As the Shiratorizawa crew puts in their orders, Osamu sets up his workstation to accommodate. The entire order came out to be quite a lot since most of the guys were heavy eaters and some ordered additional side dishes.

“Will this be all in one order or is everyone paying separately?” You ask.

Shirabu opens his mouth to answer but is interrupted by Tendou. “Since we’re here for a celebration, we can’t let the man of the hour pay for anything!”

“Are you suggesting that we split the cost of Shirabu’s meal or have one person pay for it?” Yamagata looked up thoughtfully. 

Tendou raised a finger into the air and wiggled it in denial. “Just one person will pay for all of the food!”

“It’s fine, Tendou-san. Onigiris do not cost that mu-”

“Nuh uh~ That’s not an option!”

“Alright. Then, how would we determine who pays?” Semi looked a bit weary at the suggestion.

Tendou clapped his hands together. “We’ll play some games to determine who the ultimate loser is! The winners from each round will be exempt from the next one! There will be three games in total. Whoever loses every single game and remains as the last person will be the one to pay for all of us!”

“Seems simple enough,” Yamagata comments. The other guys nod their heads in agreement. 

“This is a great idea!” Goshiki in particular seems fired up. “I will defeat you, Ushijima-san!”

“I look forward to your efforts, Goshiki.”

As if there was some kind of telepathic signal between the guys, everyone but Ushijima, Shirabu, and Goshiki look at one another. Sly smiles and pitiful expressions begin to form as they take a quick glance at where Goshiki and Ushijima were standing before turning back to each other in mutual understanding. It seems like the majority has come to the conclusion that one specific person will be walking home with a lighter wallet.

Shirabu, who’s already used to his former team’s antics, doesn’t even try to stop them. Once they start, it’s difficult to halt their chaos unless he wants to hear them complain about it for the next couple weeks. Although, he does make the effort to face you and Osamu. “I know they’re getting ahead of themselves, but is all this okay? I know you haven’t closed yet, so I wouldn’t want to disturb your business.”

Your boss just waves his hand to brush off the concern. “Nah, you’re good. It’s been a slow day and I was planning on closing a bit early anyways. Feel free to hang out and have fun as long as you clean up after yourselves. I’ll be preparing the food in the meantime.”

“Yeah, as long as I’m not mopping up someone’s vomit off the floor, I don’t have any problems with it either,” You reply.

With the final yes from the owner of Onigiri Miya, Tendou sports a wide grin and faces his peers. “I already have some game ideas, so all we need to do is set up everything like I ask!”

You’re just about to return to your previous seat behind the counter before the Shiratorizawa boys entered, but Tendou waved at you to get your attention. “(Name)-chan! Would you mind being the referee for the games?”

Bewilderment is evident on your face as you try to decipher the redhead’s intentions. You’re a bit cautious since the group is so unpredictable. “Oh, um, wouldn’t it be better if Shirabu-san watched over you guys? I think I prefer watching you all have fun from afar.”

“Aw~ That’s a shame.” Tendou pulls out a small box wrapped in a bright blue ribbon from the bag slung over his shoulders. “I was planning on sharing these gourmet chocolates with the person who volunteered to be a referee.”

“Huh?” There was a small glint in your eyes.

The lanky man gently pulled off the ribbon and opened the lid. Inside the box were 5 pieces of chocolate all laid out on top of a plastic mold. Each of the chocolates had intricate designs that hinted at the work of delicate hands and showed the amount of care that went into making them. The surfaces of each piece shined under the fluorescent lights and the delectable, mouthwatering aroma permeated the air. “I gifted some chocolates for our lovely graduating friend but had a couple chocolates leftover, so I made an extra box. It’s too bad that it’ll go to waste since no one will claim them.”

“...”

You stay frozen for a moment as you eye the exquisite sweets in front of you. “...What do you need me to do?”

Tendou lets out a small shout of happiness at your response, and you took one of the chocolates out of the box. You plopped it into your mouth and immediately tasted a burst of flavor. A soft, content sigh leaves your lips as you savor the dessert. There was a soft chuckle next to you and you assumed it was Osamu but decided that you were just going to savor the moment.  After gushing over two more pieces, you decide to save the rest for later and make your way around the counter to where the rest were waiting. 

Tendou briefs you on some of the games and you can’t help but sweatdrop at what he has planned. As you look to the side, you see Shirabu sitting on his own since he’s the only one exempt from participating in the competition. The other guys just seem to be waiting for Tendou to fill them in as well.

Goshiki notices your presence and starts to make his way over to you. “(Surname)-san! W-what are you doing over here?”

“Tendou-san asked me to be a referee for your games, so I’ll be watching over all of you from here,” you reply nonchalantly.

“What?!”

Tendou snickers beside you and places his hands on the younger boy’s shoulder. “Now, now! Let’s get ready for the game, Tsutomu!”

Since all you really had to do was monitor and keep track of the losers of each game, you take a seat next to Shirabu who just has a bored expression on his face and acknowledges you with a short nod. Tendou has now gathered everyone else into one big group and begins to gesture his arms wildly. “The first game is called ‘Pass the Napkin’! There will be two teams of three people, and it’ll be a competition to see which team passes more napkins in one minute.”

The guys just looked at one another with contemplative faces. This game seemed simple enough...or so they thought.

“There’s one special rule!” Tendou’s eyes glinted under the lights. “You can only pass the napkin with your mouths! No hands! No other body parts!”

Many faces grew pale at the “special” rule. Yamagata brings a hand up to his forehead regretfully. “I knew this wouldn’t be easy.”

Ignoring his former teammate’s exasperation, Tendou continues his explanation. “Each team will have two baskets: one full of napkins and one that is empty so that you can place the ones you’ve successfully passed. Team A is gonna be Wakatoshi-kun, Tsutomu, and Reon! The other two including me will be on Team B! Perfect even teams with 6 people!”

Ohira takes a brief moment to think. “Now that you mention it, Kawanishi isn't here.”

“He said he had a date, so he couldn’t make it today,” Semi answers. Although, Kawanishi’s absence seems to be in his favor at the moment.

“Let’s get started!” Tendou passes you his phone with the timer app opened as all of the teams make their way towards their respective napkin baskets. “Please count us off, (Name)-chan!”

All of the guys are staring at you as they wait for your signal, and you let out an inaudible sigh. “3...2...1...Start!”

Ohira and Tendou, who are the first people in their respective teams, begin inhaling a napkin with their mouths. The game has begun.

In Team B, Semi looks mildly uncomfortable, but Tendou spares no time and immediately passes the napkin to the former’s mouth. The redhead doesn’t even give Semi any time to comprehend anything as he goes for another napkin swiftly. As Semi turns to the last person in the group, Yamagata just shrugs his shoulders and takes the napkin quickly before blowing it away into the other basket. The three seem to realize that passing the napkins in rapid succession shortens the time of contact between each other and increase their pace with each napkin.

Team A doesn’t seem to be going as smoothly. Goshiki is the middleman and hesitantly receives each napkin from Ohira with flushed cheeks that only seem to be getting darker as time passes. There is an evident pause every time the youngest team member needs to pass the napkin to Ushijima. For some reason, Goshiki also seems to make frequent eye contact with you as he’s passing the napkin to the older pro athlete before quickly averting his eyes with an even deeper blush. As a result, Goshiki drops the napkins several times.

“S-s-sorry, Ushijima-san! I’ll get the next one!”

Both teams continue transferring napkins from one basket to another for a couple more seconds. Glancing at the timer, you see that there are about 10 seconds left. You open your mouth to start counting down the remaining seconds but a sharp, horrified gasp stops you. As you direct your attention towards the source of the noise, Goshiki’s posture is tense and he’s making a strange face at the opposing team. Shifting your gaze to his line of sight, you understand what had caused the poor boy to be in such a state of shock.

A lone napkin flutters onto the floor as silence creeps through the air. Yamagata is leaning forward in Semi’s direction while the latter has his hands anchored onto his teammate’s shoulders. Their lips are connected with nothing to separate the physical contact, but both males are too shocked to make any motion. Mortified expressions from Yamagata and Semi tell you that this predicament was not intentional.

“Oya?~”

Tendou’s sudden disturbance seems to break everyone out of the trance. The timer goes off at this moment as well and a cacophony of noises fill the room. Semi and Yamagata jump away from each other aggressively. The grey-haired male sprints to the bathroom to scrub down his mouth as Yamagata vigorously rubs a handful of napkins onto his lips. Tendou begins to cackle rather loudly while Ohira just lets out an amused chuckle. Goshiki becomes a sputtering mess, red spreading across his whole body. Ushijima blinks absentmindedly.

You watch the chaos unfold and notice Shirabu closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose in disappointment. It takes a minute for everyone to get their bearings and Semi returns from the bathroom bashfully. He glances at Yamagata briefly. “That never happened?”

“That never happened,” Yamagata firmly agrees.

Tendou seems to have calmed down a bit because, before you know it, he already has both napkin baskets in his arms, one obviously more full than the other. “Team B is the winner!”

Ushijima is the only one to start clapping while everyone else just sweatdrops at the redhead. Tendou puts away the baskets and turns towards the group once again. “All of Team A will be moving onto the next game since they lost! Team B is exempt from paying!”

You watch as the lanky man saunters over to the counter and Osamu hands him a tray with three small rice balls. You make eye contact with your boss and he just gives you a smirk.

Tendou proceeds to explain the next game. “For the next round, there is one rice ball filled with delicious seasoned meat while the other two are filled with wasabi! The three participants must pick one of the rice balls to eat. Whoever chooses the tasty rice ball will be exempt from paying and the other two people will move on to the final game! (Name)-chan will pick a random name from this conveniently premade bag of names to see who will choose a rice ball first! Everyone will eat the rice balls at the same time though for fun!”

Yamagata gestures you to put your hand inside of a small black bag filled with what you assumed were the three names from the losing team written down on pieces of paper. You reach in and grab one of the papers and take it out of the bag before reading out the name. “Ohira Reon.”

Ohira makes his way over to where the tray was and picks up the rice ball in the middle without hesitation. He seemed pretty confident in his decision, but you didn’t really get the chance to question it as Tendou grabs your attention once again. “Please pick the next name!”

You turn back to Yamagata and reach out to grab another name out of the bag. Your hand stops right as your fingers graze the hem. You blink once and realize that the bag looked a bit different from before; it now seemed to be a more navy blue color. Wasn’t the bag black before?

Noticing your reluctance, Yamagata shoves the rest of your hand into the bag and gives you a suspicious yet pleading look. You inwardly sigh and proceed to pick out a name. “Ushijima Wakatoshi.”

The tall volleyball player chooses the rice ball to the far left leaving Goshiki to take the last one left without a choice. Tendou placed the tray down with a satisfied smile. “Now that everyone has a rice ball, it’s time to eat!”

Ushijima, Goshiki, and Ohira all consumed their rice balls in one bite. There were only chewing noises as everyone waited for any reactions. All of a sudden, Goshiki doubled over and threw a hand over his mouth.

You panicked. “Woah! I wasn’t joking about the vomit! You better not throw up on this floor!”

Terrified by your warning, Goshiki immediately ran towards the nearest trash can and practically stuck half of his head into it. Although he was able to control himself enough to avoid regurgitating everything in his stomach, he desperately spit out the entire rice ball with wasabi and tried his best to get rid of as much residue as he could.

You turned your attention back to the other two people who had eaten a rice ball, curious to see the other victim. Ohira wiped his hands on his pants with a content smile as he continued to savor his delicious snack. Ushijima, on the other hand, stood in his usual stoic stance.

“That was quite spicy.”

It truly is a wonder how someone could remain so composed in situations like this.

“The losers are Wakatoshi-kun and Tsutomu! Get ready for the last game to see who will pay for all of the food!” Tendou exclaims excitedly, completely ignoring the younger boy that’s now leaning over the counter in despair. “The final round is called ‘Find the Volleyball’! The two players will both be blindfolded and they will need to search for the volleyball that we will hide in this room. Whoever finds the volleyball first wins the game and the ultimate loser will be the one to pay for everything!”

Tendou takes out two sports towels and a volleyball from Ushijima’s duffel bag. He passes the towels to Ushijima and Goshiki so that they could begin blindfolding themselves. The others are just lounging around and waiting for the next game to begin. You notice that Ushijima is having some trouble keeping the towel over his eyes as he tries to tie it behind his head. Without thinking too much, you walk over to where he’s standing. “Ushijima-san, do you want some help?”

“Ah, yes. I’m having some trouble keeping this in place. Do you mind holding the towel over my eyes?”

“Yeah, sure!” For a moment, you take in his tall stature and smile sheepishly. “But, you might have to bend down a bit for me. You’re quite tall.”

Ushijima complies to your request and slightly bends his back as he places the towel over his eyes once again. You bring up your hands to his face and your fingers gently brush against his as you replace his hands with your own over the towel. The blindfold starts to fall a bit so your hold on the male’s face reflexively tightens a bit, your hands practically cupping Ushijima’s face. You start to lean forward to get a good look at the blindfold to make sure there are no gaps, not realizing how close you truly were to the volleyball player.

On the other side of the room, Goshiki’s eyes widen at the suggestive position you and Ushijima are standing in. He was just about to wear his own blindfold, but was struck by a great idea. “(Surname)-san, can you-”

“Tsutomu! You look like you need some help!” Tendou swiped the towel from Goshiki’s hands and immediately covered his eyes forcefully. “I can help you!”

Goshiki gasped in discomfort. “Ah! Tendou-san, you almost poked my eyes!”

Ushijima was finally able to successfully tie the towel around his head and you took this as your cue to pull away. He straightened his back and nodded his head in your direction. “Thank you, (Surname)-san.”

“No problem,” you reply with a grin.

Since both males were properly blindfolded, the game was ready to commence. However, instead of hiding the volleyball, Semi held onto it. You were a bit confused since you remember that the rule was to find the hidden volleyball, but at this point, you don’t even want to question these guys anymore. Tendou stood off to the side and projected his voice loud and clear, “The game starts…Now!”

Semi immediately passed the ball to Ohira and some of the guys who weren’t participating began to pass the ball amongst each other silently. Ushijima and Goshiki both reach out their arms in front of them cautiously to protect themselves from running into things. Although, their efforts were in vain as Goshiki stubs his foot on one of the chairs with a yelp and crouches to the ground in distress. Ushijima manages to knock over a bottle of soy sauce from the counter, but he doesn’t seem to realize what happened as he turns around and continues his search. Fortunately, the bottle didn’t shatter, but there is now a puddle of soy sauce coating the floor. You sigh as you grab a handful of napkins and make your way towards the mess. 

Goshiki seems to have changed strategies and is now crawling along the floor with one arm in front of him. He bumps into another chair and lifts his arm higher to steady himself. Suddenly, his hand came in contact with a round object that felt firm like a volleyball. “Yes! I found it!”

At his exclamation, everyone in the room shot their gaze to where Goshiki was and paled. Ushijima raised the towel obscuring his vision to see what was going on. Even Shirabu’s jaw dropped substantially. At this moment, Yamagata was in possession of the volleyball that was definitely not anywhere near the younger boy. 

In broad daylight, Goshiki’s right hand was placed on your butt. You felt every one of your nerves kicking into overdrive as soon as your body overcame the initial shock. Spinning around abruptly, you deliver somewhat of a roundhouse kick to the poor, blindfolded boy’s body and he ends up tumbling backwards dramatically. His pained groans snap you out of your exasperation and immediately kneel down to check on him. “Oh, sh-! Are you okay, Goshiki-san?”

With your help, Goshiki is able to take off his blindfold and sit upright. “W-what happened? Where’s the volleyball? Did I beat Ushijima-san?!”

“N-not exactly…” You play with strands of your hair unconsciously out of embarrassment. “Sorry about kicking you so hard.”

“But, I thought I felt the ball just now? Why does Yamagata-san have it? What else could I have been touching? And, why did you kick me? Unless…” Goshiki’s expression suddenly shifts from confusion to absolute horror as he starts to connect all the dots. He begins to shriek at the realization and he almost slams his head onto the floor in order to bow in apology. “I’M SO SORRY, (SURNAME)-SAN! IT WAS A COMPLETE ACCIDENT!”

You try to reassure Goshiki that you’re not angry at him. “I-it’s okay. I know it wasn’t on purpose!”

“Nice kick, (Surname)-san.”

“10/10.”

“Would pay to see that again.”

As voices fill the air, that’s when you realize that you were still in a room full of other people and your cheeks flush pink once again. The rest of the guys were observing the whole interaction between the two of you in amusement. 

Tendou gave you an apologetic smile but still seemed satisfied with how this ‘competition’ went. He cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Alright! Congratulations to Tsutomu for winning the game!”

“Huh? I thought neither of them found the volleyball in the end,” Semi commented.

“Well, Wakatoshi-kun took off his blindfold first before anyone found the volleyball, so he automatically forfeited.” Tendou faced his best friend. “It’s for the best. You make the most money out of all of us, Wakatoshi-kun!”

Ushijima nodded his head in acceptance and proceeded to take out his wallet. “I cannot deny that.”

“WAIT A MINUTE!” Suddenly, Goshiki jumped up from his position and pointed at his peers. “WERE YOU TRYING TO MAKE USHIJIMA-SAN PAY THIS WHOLE TIME?!”

“Yup.” Four males voices all answered at once.

“THEN, WHY DID WE PLAY THE GAMES?!”

“‘Cause it’s fun.”

The four males continue to tease their youngest friend and you sigh for the umpteenth time today. Ushijima walks over to stand next to you and hands you the total payment for the food. “I believe this is enough to cover everyone.”

You spend a couple seconds counting the money before looking back up to the broad shouldered man beside you. “Yup, looks right to me. Thanks.”

Before you could make your way to the register, you feel a light tap on your shoulder. Turning your head, you see Ushijima’s hand inches away from where you felt the sensation and you’re surprised by what he says next. “Are you okay?”

“What do you mean?” You blink in confusion.

“You looked very uncomfortable before.”

It doesn’t take you long to realize that he’s talking about what had conspired during the last game. “Oh, yeah. I’m okay. Thank you for asking, Ushijima-san. You don’t have to worry about it too much. I wouldn’t mind if you or your other friends came by again after today either. I had a good time overall.”

“Ah. Then, I will take your word for it.” Ushijima gives you a small smile and then turns to walk back to his group of friends. The volleyball player doesn’t seem like the type of person to show much concern for other people due to his naturally stoic and aloof demeanor, but you were pleasantly surprised by his caring nature.

“Order’s ready, guys!” Osamu places multiple bags of food onto the counter. “I don’t mean to mess with your outing, but we are about to close, so you won’t be able to stay for too long.”

“No worries. I think we’ve extended our stay here long enough.” Shirabu assured your boss after being quiet for quite some time. “We’ll probably head over to Goshiki’s apartment anyways.”

“What?!”

Everyone ignored the boy’s outburst and started to grab all their food. As the Shiratorizawa alumni started walking out of the door the night air was filled with shouts of byes and thank yous. Shirabu turned to you one last time before following his friends. “We should keep in contact, (Surname)-san. You still have my number, right? I can also let you know if I hear about any other programs for graduate schools during my internships.”

“I do! I really appreciate it. I’ll see you again sometime, Shirabu-san!” You give him a final wave and he leaves through the exit lifting up a hand behind his shoulder in acknowledgement.

Today was definitely not what you expected from what started out as a slow, normal week.

“Still tired?” Your boss questioned you once again.

You smile as you remember him asking the same question a few hours back. “Exhausted, but strangely refreshed. Is that weird?”

“Definitely a contradiction.” He laughed at your answer. “You got yourself roped into an interesting group of people today. Didn’t know you had a sweet tooth though.”

A mild blush spread across your face as you start to stutter. “I-I normally don’t, but…”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Your boss gives you a thoughtful look and subtly smirks at your reaction. 

Recovering from your flushed appearance, you gesture a hand towards a certain box on top of the counter. “Did you want to try one of the chocolates? You’ll understand once you get a taste of it.”

“Why not?”

After quickly washing your hands in the sink, you slide over the box Tendou had given you and open it on the counter space next to Osamu. Your fingers snatch up a star-shaped chocolate and casually bring it up to his mouth. The taller male doesn’t think much of your actions and allows you to feed him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. After everything that happened today, your mind can only briefly sense that your fingers made contact with your boss’ lips. Although, your heart does linger on the fact that Osamu’s lips are much softer than what you expected.

Once the chocolate is fully consumed, Osamu lets out a satisfied hum. “Those Shiratorizawa folks sure know what they’re doing despite the craziness that follows them. Actually, there’s something else I want to ask you. You said you went to the same university as Shirabu-san, right?”

“Yup!”

“When did you graduate?”

You look up to the ceiling as you think. “Um...Maybe around a week ago?”

There’s a slight pause as Osamu takes in what you had just told him. “What?! I had no idea! Did you celebrate with your friends too?”

You shook your head. “Nah, I never really had a lot of friends since I was working so much in college and the ones that I’m close with are all overseas already.”

Osamu nodded his head in understanding. “Well, I got nothing against spending some relaxing alone time, but did you at least treat yourself with a cake or something?”

“I’m not really used to buying things for myself. It’s fine, though. I’m pretty used to pushing aside stuff like this.” You shrug your shoulders to emphasize your carefree attitude. Although, your eyes held a hint of sadness that Osamu would’ve missed if he didn’t have his full attention on you. “Plus, I didn’t even get accepted into grad school, so there’s not much to celebrate there.”

“How come it never came up in any of our conversations?”

“Oh, uh, I didn’t think anyone else cared.”

“...” Osamu stays silent and a slight somber atmosphere permeates the air. He contemplates about something for a moment before suddenly snapping his fingers. You look at him curiously and he just gives you his signature grin without telling you what he just thought of. Instead, he places a hand on your head and begins to pat it gently. “I don’t know how much it means coming from me, but you did well. I’m sure you’ve worked hard, (Name)-san.”

You felt a slight sting in your eyes and lowered your head so that your boss couldn’t see how much of an effect he had on you. “Thanks, Osamu-san.”

A/N: make way for ushiwaka everyone. and yes, osamu loves to just sit back and watch all the chaos unfold

taglist: @dinablossom​

[izumisays]

dear yuletide author

Thank you so much for reading this and taking part in this wonderful annual conspiracy!


First of all, I hope you have a lovely time! If any of the fandoms below pique your interest, I’m delighted already, and ready to hear all the stories you want to tell.

Fandoms:  Chihayafuru, Nirvana in Fire, Thunderbolt Fantasy

As for reading preferences, I’m happy with a wide variety of tones and genres, of any rating, ranging anywhere from lighthearted antics to dramatic casefics. But the core of all the stories I love has always been character interaction and interplay of their competences.

How the characters play off each other and bring out their best/worst, how they’d react to a divergence of events, how true they’d stay to themselves in a different setting – I love fanfiction for allowing us to reconnect with our favourite stories time and again by asking these questions. And there are so many ways to do it! To name a few favourites, I’m always game for POV hijinks, a missing scene, a casefic, canon expansion, backstories and what-ifs.

You may notice that quite a few of my requests lean towards shipfic – those, too, are welcome in a variety of tones – but I also tried to include openings for gen ideas if that’s your jam. Additionally, while it is not usually my top interest, I don’t have anything against AUs if there is something that you are itching to explore: I tend to enjoy them for a new aesthetic that fleshes out the favoured character dynamics in a new light, or a fusion that redefines the playing ground to allow the characters to exhibit their core competences in new and exciting ways.

I would be very grateful if you could avoid a/b/o and similar kinktropes, played-straight soulmate fic, and character interpretation that runs contrary to their core values. If in doubt, please reach out to me on anon - the askbox is open!

CHIHAYAFURU: Mashima Taichi, Wataya Arata, Suou Hisashi

You don’t have to include all three characters, but I’d love to see a fic that explores the connections between them better. I’m up to date with all manga scanlations.

Wataya Arata/ Mashima Taichi

In the immortal words of Henjin Meijin, Arata is that person for Taichi whose opinion makes or breaks him. (His wording may have been different, but if I go rummaging into the chapter archive to find the exact quote, I’ll end up binge-rereading year three into the night again, and then where would my Yule sign-up be?) (On that note, what kind of a MASSIVE LOSER waxes poetics about Taichi’s boyfriend problems to Taichi’s MOTHER, whom he JUST met? Suou Hisashi, that’s who.) Needless to say, that paramount opinion was not always great, and neither was Taichi’s general wellbeing.

Good news is, Arata is confident in his manliness, and he has no problem acknowledging Taichi’s ridiculously pretty and not too bad at karuta these days, and he’s also moving to Tokyo. Taichi’s definitely pretty and has an apartment in Tokyo, where a country bumpkin of paramount importance may possibly stay over until things are sorted out… eventually. Hint hint.

Jokes aside, I pine for the dynamics between the two of them. I nearly lost it, reading the Meijin semifinals — and if you can show me a person who saw them bawl as they crawled into each other’s laps on Japanese national television and didn’t bawl in response, well, that person is sure not me.

I’d like to see a story that lets them build and explore that connect. I do not object to eventual OT3, but I think Chihaya is on a quest to find her own footing and pursue other goals at the moment, and I’d really like it if she was allowed to do this (join forces with Shinobu to drag karuta into a professional league, girl!). I’d like to think that in that space, different bonds and relationships can develop and strengthen, starting with Arata and Taichi.

Taichi the overanalyzer, the hardworker and the looker, the golden boy who at some point surely hit that red button, meme-style: you will be perfect at everything, you will have everything, except the one thing that you want above all. Arata appears to be his perfect foil: steady and serene where Taichi’s scrambling and flawed, adorably awkward and disarmingly sincere where Taichi’s groomed, smooth and miserable about his own deceptions. But they don’t see it like that! And they keep tripping each other up so beautifully!

I’d love to read your take on them growing closer and hopefully smooshing their faces together. Roommates in Tokyo? Long-distance friends? Figuring out how to tell your flatmate you’ve been in love with him since you were 12? Established relationship while hijinks happen? AWKWARD THIRDWHEELING WITH SUOU?!

On that note:

Suou Hisashi & (or / - wejustdon’tknow.gif) Mashima Taichi

I cannot believe that ridiculous man. Did you see a grown ass adult swoon because his unrequited disciple I mean not-friend I mean Taichi just up and went to meet his relatives??? To  help reconnect them?? One can do things like this?? What next, being able to make phonecalls like an adult??

Does not compute.

I was there, Gandalf. I was there when the story first indicated that we might be getting an unlikely team-up of the world’s weirdest Meijin and Tokyo’s most miserable overachiever. But even in my wildest dreams I did not dare hope to see them sprawled on the carpet on a humid summer afternoon, Taichi comfortable in his own skin and Suou, erm, probably not very comfortable with his fascination :D He did not sign up for this. He, a grown ass man in what must be his early twenties, is too old for this youthful seishun sakura bullshit. And yet it is he who mournfully accosts Taichi’s mom to talk about how this other boy is paramount in Taichi’s universe. He who gets offended because Taichi knowing how to adult and work the social ropes is too sexy and competent. He who finds something compelling in the painful struggle of genius and skill.

Arata - Taichi - Suou

For maximum indulgence of yours truly, bring those into one place. Arata coming to Tokyo and finding Suou a fixture in Taichi’s life how?! Suou being infinitely pissy at the Fukuyi upstart and yet dragging himself to socialize with the boys regardless like a totally-not-pathetic adult with a social life of his own? Arata being mildly puzzled about the antagonism, but in there for the sweet snacks?

You tell me! I delight in my anticipation.

NIRVANA IN FIRE: Mei Changsu, Xiao Jingyan

Is this a complex, narratively inevitable historic tapestry strangling people with its treads, full of delicious politicking and identity porn? Yes, it is.

Is my burning – nay, primal – desire so simple as to smoosh two faces together and watch them kiss? Yes, it is :’)

I mean, I will obviously not say no if the kissing is giftwrapped in the said tapestry of beautiful, politicky plot, but the fever I can’t get out of my system is this: LET THEM KISS, GODDAMMIT. LET THEM BE HAPPY. I welcome canon divergences, alternative endings, fix-its, insert eps and codas where it looks like they would have kissed (erm, or at least confronted each other in a way that would inevitably end with them making out) if only Mei Changsu wasn’t so caught up in self-loathing and fluffy foxfur coats, and Jingyan didn’t talk too loudly about his so dead, so very dead beautiful ex to hear Mei Changsu weep stoically into his beautiful white furs.

I adore Prince Jing. He is 90% cheekbones and 20% heartbroken pouting over his so very dead friends, and all of it noble and awkward and stubborn and deserving of happiness. Mei Changsu is ridiculous, and capable, and twisted into pretzels of his own creation: not above gloating over his enemies while daintily dipping cookies into his tea, he gets too caught up in weaving the tapestry to notice he is a part of it.  Pull him off his high horse, Jing! Render him helpless by being yourself! Do something about being hopelessly charmed with each other, through resentment, loss, bitter pining, and narrative inevitability! JUSTKISSALREADY.gif!!

THUNDERBOLT FANTASY: Rin Setsua; Sho Fukan

I LOVE THIS SELF INDULGENT WUXIA NONSENSE AND I CANNOT LIE!

Sanfan is a mixture UTTER GLEE and deep fondness for the genre staples, self-aware and masterful playthrough of all the wuxia tropes in the book, and one goddamn well-constructed story. It plays the tropes straight, calls them out with a knowing wink, walks the tightrope between the two with panache, and just as you are relaxed and enjoying this trapeze show, it grins cheekily at you, sets the discoball on fire and pulls a bunny out of a hat.  It’s DELIGHTFUL and fun and lovingly crafted, just like a good passion project should be.

I want anything that capitalizes on the absolutely hilarious dynamics between Rin Setsua and Sho Fukan (and while personally I end up using the Japanese versions of their names more often, please feel free to go with the Chinese names if you prefer). Sho Fukan does not want any of those heroic quests, he’s the human equivalent of been there, done that mood, and he just wants to REST and hopefully dump a bunch of magical murderswords someplace safe. Rin Setsua is a Totally Respectable and Non-Villainous Member of Society, of which he will inform you firsthand in the most high spoken and verbose way possible, and maybe even produce paperwork that has definitely not been tampered with. He harbours no ulterior motives, ever, and does not trail behind Sho Fukan for any reason beyond the pleasure of his company, and his mission to personally victimize and cockblock every morally derelict villain in two countries, by no-one’s request.

Whether you go shipfic (yiss!) or canon levels teamup circus (also yiss!), don’t hold back your horses. Everything about this is Extra, and should continue to be so <3

I am okay with both expanding the canon and playing with AUs/crossovers/fusions for this one, provided they retain the character dynamics. I love the extended cast as well: any characters including the Seiyou gang (and on that note, if you want to write the Seiyou backstory for Shou’s gang that has no Rin in it, you’re welcome as well), reappearance of the familiar faces from Touri (read: Rin’s victim list, past, future and present), original characters lined up and waiting to be screwed over (guaranteed) and rescued (the administration does not bear any responsibility etc etc).

Thank you for taking the time to read the letter, and I’m greatly looking forward to reading your story — and hopefully, getting to chat about these ridiculous and wonderful characters post-reveals :)

[tmarie82]

Sweet Nothings

Pairing: Drake x MC (Emma Warner-Walker)

Book: The Royal Romance (Future)

Word Count: ~2,150

Rating:  PG-13 (b/c Drake was feeling frisky)

Author’s Note:  This incorporates two separate anonymous fic prompts for 12 baking together and #49 volunteer together for Drake and Emma.  No cupcakes were harmed in the making of this story, although I did have to eat one for inspiration. 😘

Please let me know if you would like to be added to my tag list.  You can find all of my fics here - MASTERLIST

~~~~~~~~~~

“Mix three cups flour and one tablespoon baking powder in a separate bowl.  Gradually add the egg sugar butter mixture, ensuring that it’s- Drake!”  Emma’s warning comes a moment too late, as Drake turns on the electric mixer and sends a cloud of flour into the air and all over himself.

“Oh, shit!” Drake reacts quickly, turning the mixer off before surveying the mess all over the counter and his front.  

“Honey - It says gradually, not dump the whole bowl in at once.”  Emma rubs her hand along her forehead, trying her best to keep her tone calm.

“Well, I'm glad you insisted on an apron.”  Drake shrugged, then grabbed a damp towel to start wiping things down.

Emma chuckled and grabbed a towel of her own to help her husband with cleanup duty.  “Yes, that apron not only shows off your manly physique, it also actually has a functional purpose too.”  She swiped a small pile of the flour into her hand, then dumped it in the trash.  She studied the contents of the mixer, assessing the damage as Drake finished the improptu cleaning session.  “So I don’t think we lost too much of the ingredients, we just need to mix this in manually to get all the ingredients moist before we attempt to use the mixer again.”  She turned to her husband and handed him a large wooden spoon, cocking her brow and nodding towards the mixing bowl.  Drake groaned under his breath but didn’t argue before taking it and proceeding to the unfinished cupcake mixture.

“So why are we baking these from scratch again?  Couldn’t we just order some from the store?”  Drake asked in a relatively innocent-sounding voice.

“Drake Walker, you said you wanted to get involved at Harper’s school!  And since neither of our schedules allow us enough time to be president of the parent association, I think the least we can do is bake some cupcakes and volunteer for the spring bake sale.”  Emma reviewed the rest of the recipe and turned the oven on to preheat while Drake continued his mixing.

“Okay, okay ... but that still doesn’t explain why we’re the ones baking right now.”  

“Drake, don’t you want to do something 100% for Harper?  Show her that even though we have servants to do things and money to buy things, we are still regular people that can bake things ourselves?!?” Emma spoke with great bravado, hand gestures and all ... definitely more passionately than was reasonable on the topic of baking.

Drake’s eyebrows raised as he listened to his wife’s lecture, continuing to fold the dry flour mixture into the cupcake batter.  He cleared his throat, unsure how to ask his next question delicately.  “Em ...” he started in a gentle sing-song voice.  “You’re not trying to prove anything, are you?  Perhaps to a few certain uptight women in the parent association?”  

Emma scoffed, shaking her head and tousling her dark hair piled on top of her head in a messy knot.  “Agh, no!  Don’t be -“ she marched around their humongous kitchen, fetching more butter from the fridge.  “That’s just ridiculous, Drake. I-“ she cut herself off, internally searching for a believable explanation.  “I just want to ...” her voice trailed away and she finally raised her eyes to find Drake watching her tirade with stifled amusement hidden behind his features.  He knew her so well ... it was very annoying at times.  “Fine, maybe a little.”  Her shoulders dropped in defeat and she slumped against the counter, unable to suppress her embarrassed sneer.   Her husband set down his stirring and waltzed around the kitchen island, halting in front of her to loop his hands around her waist.

“Em, you have to cut yourself some slack ... you run an entire Duchy, for goodness sakes!  Do you really think people will judge you for not baking cupcakes from scratch?”  He caught her eye and cocked his head in question, a sly smirk on his lips.  

“Well, no ... I suppose not.”  Emma sighed heavily as she melted into his embrace, cheek pressed against his shoulder.  “I guess that’s one of my impractical female tendencies ... I want to do everything perfect all the time.”

“I think volunteering in the first place shows how hard you try.  And anyone who doesn’t see that isn’t worth impressing.”  Drake pressed a kiss to the top of her head while stroking her back.  

“Ugh, you’re right.  I hate it when you’re right.”  Emma giggled and tilted her head upward, watching his eyes sparkle as he snickered proudly.  “But don’t think you’re getting out of helping me with these cupcakes, Mister!”  She swatted his shoulder playfully.

Drake leaned forward, allowing his lips to graze hers as he spoke softly.  “I was hoping to distract you ... entice you with a different kind of dessert that doesn’t require any baking.”  

Emma pushed him away just before he got the chance to nip at her earlobe.  “Unh uh ... we have work to do.  And if you’re good, maybe I’ll distract you later.”  She winked at her husband who groaned audibly in feigned dissatisfaction, despite the lighthearted grin on his face.  She turned him by the shoulders toward his abandoned mixing bowl and sent him to work with a quick pat on his backside.

Emma began prepping the cupcake pan with liners while Drake finally finished stirring the batter well enough to kick the mixer into full gear.  Once the mixer was done, Emma took over and began ladeling spoonfuls of cupcake batter into the liners while Drake helped himself to a glass of whiskey.  If he was going to spend his evening baking cupcakes, he was definitely going to need a stiff drink.  He leaned back against the counter sipping his beverage and admiring the look of concentration on Emma’s face as she carefully poured the thick, sugary liquid into the pan.  With her furrowed brow and pouty mouth, she looked rather intense completing the task at hand.   Absolutely adorable, yet intense ... and easy to mess with.

“So, how do you know when they’re done?” Drake inquired nonchalantly.

“Usually when the timer goes off that’s a pretty good indicator.”  Emma quipped sarcastically as she continued her assignment.

“But what do they look like?  Are they firm?  Or are they still moist?”  Drake smirked mischievously to himself.

Emma stood upright as she finished filling the last of the liners, wiping her hands off on her jeans.  “Well, they shouldn’t be gooey but the cake should be moist, fluffy yet firm ... I usually test by inserting a knife ...” Emma’s eyes widened and darted to her husband as the implications of his question dawned on her.  “Wait, did you seriously just use baking terms as an opportunity to talk dirty to me?!?”  

Drake shrugged his shoulders and raised his arms in a sarcastic ‘what, me?’ motion, but his snarky grin gave away his playful tone far too easily.  “Get your mind out of the gutter, Em ... I’m just learning how to bake here.”

Emma shook her head, unwilling to satisfy his joke with a response.  She picked up the baking pan and slid it into the oven, squatting down to set the timer.  As she rose from the oven, she bumped into a solid figure standing directly behind her.  A figure smelling faintly of flour and whiskey and mischief as his hands ghosted over her hips and pulled her body flush against his own.

“I like watching you bend over like that.”  He murmured in a husky tone against her ear.  “Did you sit in a pile of sugar?  ‘Cause you got a pretty sweet ass.”  She snorted at his horrible joke, but the jest was forgotten quickly as he nipped at her lobe.

“Mmm ... you’re just determined, aren’t you Mr. Walker?” Emma turned to face him, running her palms over his chest as she pushed him backward to the kitchen island.  “Do you really think I’m so easily persuaded by your dirty ideas?”  She peered up at him innocently, softly brushing her fingertips along the collar of his t-shirt.  “We have a messy kitchen you need to help me clean up.”

“Hmm ...” Drake hummed against her slight touch, his eyes closed as he savored the teasing friction.   “You keep touching me like that and this kitchen’s about to get a whole lot messier ...” He opened his eyes to meet her stare, his gaze full of hunger and delight.  “You’re baking me crazy.”  

Emma choked out a giggle, unable to hold back the roaring laughter as she buckled over against him.  She felt the vibrations of amusement in his own chest as she pressed her forehead against him, trying to steady herself in her fit.  “Seriously Drake, that was horrible!”  

“You know there’s only one way to make me stop, right?”  He gave her a wide-eyed plea and that cocky smile that never failed to make her knees weak before grasping her face in both hands, pulling her lips to his in a fervent kiss.  

She moaned into his mouth, her senses intoxicated by the taste of whiskey on his tongue and the fragrance of baked goods in the air.  She knew resisting was futile as soon as his hands skimmed down her sides, that delightful tickle of pleasure pulsing through her limbs before the rough pressure of his fingers when he gripped her thighs.  Then she went willingly, wrapping her legs around his waist as he lifted her to the counter, pressing her against him as he whispered sweet nothings into the bare skin of her abdomen.  “Now let me show you how I can frost your cupcake, Betty Crocker ...”  And quickly she was lost in the throaty moans and warm giggles as Drake delivered on his delicious threats.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Why Duke and Duchess Walker, how thoughtful of you to volunteer time from your busy schedules for the school!”  Emma glanced up from the table of sweet treats to find Ada Carmichael, the two-faced parent association president herself, approaching them.  She quickly bit back her snide response and pressed a forced smile to her face.  

“Of course, Ada, we’re always happy to help when we can!”  She responded enthusiastically, hoping to hide her distaste.  “And the whole bake sale experience has really been fun.  Drake even helped with the cupcakes.”  

“Mmmhhmmm ...” Ada nodded slightly as she studied the contents of the table.  “And which of these goodies did you two bring so I can try one?”

Emma opened her mouth to respond, but- “Mommy and Daddy made these ones right here!”  Harper chimed in proudly.  “All from scratch, no mixes or anything!”  She pointed to the generously-frosted vanilla cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting.  Emma tried to suppress the slight tinge of embarrassment in her cheeks at the obviously homemade and unevenly-shaped cupcakes her daughter had just identified as their creation.

“Ohhhh, homemade?”  Ada raised an eyebrow as she observed the platter of treats.  “How cute.”  

Emma balled her fists, biting her tongue when she felt Drakes hand slip around her waist as he stepped forward.  “You should really try one, Ada.  Not only is Emma’s frosting to die for, we made these cupcakes together with a lot of love.”  He smiled warmly, pinching her side when she muffled a laugh with a fake cough.  He picked one up with his spare hand and handed it to Ada.  “Here, my treat.”

“Oh, well ...” Ada stumbled over her words, surprised by Duke Walker’s intervention.  “Why thank you.  How thoughtful.  Well, you two keep up the good work!”  She spoke in a cheerful voice but was unable to hide her smug expression as she rotated to walk away.

As soon as Ada was out of hearing range, Emma turned to her husband and gave him an exasperated look.  “Drake ...” She didn’t have to continue her statement, her eyes said it all.

“What, I merely spoke the truth!  Your cupcake- I mean cupcakes- are delicious.”  He flashed her a devilish grin, leaning in closer to murmur into her ear.  “You didn’t want me to mention the part about defiling our kitchen while these were baking, did you?”  He winked as he leaned back, immediately facing their daughter before allowing Emma a chance to berate him.  

“Now, Harper, I believe I promised you a trip to the playground!  Why don’t we get out of Mommy’s hair for a bit?”  Harper jumped up in excitement, grasping his hand tightly and waving a quick “Bye Mom!” as she tugged Drake towards the door.  Before he allowed himself to be chauffeured outdoors, he leaned in quickly to press a quick peck to Emma’s cheek and whisper in her ear.  “Later, Sweet Cheeks.”  He chuckled proudly at his wife’s new nickname before following his daughter to the playground.

Emma merely grinned as she watched them walk away, then sat her sweet ass down to manage the bake sale.  

END

~~~~~~~~~~

Tagging: @simplyaiden-blog @mfackenthal @lizeboredom @walkerismychoice @boneandfur @laniquelove @choices-fanatic @liam-rhys @mariamatsuo @the-everlasting-dream @client327 @kamybelen-blog @butindeed @enmchoices @drakelover78 @kamilah-sayeed-xoxo @parkerattano @asprankle @innerpostmentality @jadedpixiescribbles @crookedslimecreatorpasta @choiceswreckedme @debramcg1106 @mymandrake @alesana45 @christopher-powell @eileendannie @diavolosprincess @lazychic28 @clarissafics @blackcatkita @bella-ca @writtenbycandy @stopforamoment @mind-reader1 @snyggflicka @pbchoicesobsessed @miss-cordonia @mrswalkerwrites

[becauseinternet21]

Internet Politeness

In relation to tone indicators, people online often use acronyms to make their messages softer, and kinder. Starting off a message by saying “btw” (by the way) or “imo” (in my opinion) are ways of politely changing the subject or inserting your own opinion in a situation that makes it seem like you aren’t interrupting the recipient. I find myself ending almost every message with “lol” just to give the message a more lighthearted tone, a trend that many of my friends also use. Another way to show politeness over text is to include an emoji, or more recently a text emoji such as “:)”. Using real emojis like the laughing face have become somewhat stigmatized recently (another example of how netiquette is constantly changing).

[sparda3g]

Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma Chapter 215 Review

As a person who is lagging behind meme or trend, and still am, I didn't think about what the chapter's title was referring to. In fact, I thought it was referring to Soma after coming off with a big win. After reading it, well, now I know. Beside the point, it's back to Julio and Isshiki's face off with a lighter note than the last with different expectations.

After the win, I was expecting everyone turn head and start feeling like they're in the wrong to believe the only winning formula path; that didn't happen, though it would appear it's more of a stepping stone, especially if you have two other competitors that is guaranteed to get squashed. So I'm fine with this approach, especially if the last page indicates a surprising humiliation. At least, we get reactions from others on Soma's victory.

I like how each of them have their own charm, including on how Soma reacts. Megumi's is like a friend congratulating another; Takumi's is like a rival being told that he reached a higher level; Kuga's is like an old wise mentor approves his student hard work in which Soma looks baffled. It's done in funny panel placements. Truth be told, I was waiting for Erina's turn, so when Soma is like "Oh yeah! *stares Erina with a high five ready*" Sadly, he got denied. Baby steps, Soma...baby steps...

I like how Rindou reacted too quickly for Nene, because she assumed that she will start crying and brag about the result. It's just that Rindou did it before Nene could even start anything. At least she's looking at her team, I suppose. Funny, if Tsukasa did have Soma as his assistant, a page would be plastered with the word "The End" a long time ago. But that's all with the reactions; it is back to the next part of the battle: Julio vs. Isshiki.

Interesting that Nene is sticking around to watch her lov--- I mean rival in a battle. Granted, this is still the first round, so of course she will standby, though it's more of her focus on Isshiki could lead to more of her character's progression, especially he's the one that told her off of her weakness. It's possible that she could learn a thing or two from this battle. Well, there goes a potential girl for Soma's harem as one would suggest, but that's fine with me.

As for the battle, Julio goes first to present his dish to judges. Man, he really wants to lose this bad. It's such strange timing to see eel as his dish to serve yet not long ago. I just remember joking that people eat them and get electrocuted for each bite. Yeah, how childish of me. Anyway, it's actually neat for me to see how you can dish out with eel as I never ate one; in this case, Capitone n Umido.

It continues to provide discrete details of its recipe, only this time it’s with eel. It also describes the difference with capitone and a normal eel. Yes, capitone is technically eel, but the difference is its mass. It’s like the largest of its kind and its meat is very thick; therefore, it has a large advantage (no pun intended) to bring out the greatness. What’s more is the special tomato sauce that Julio uses on his dish that brings the best possible flavor (to his knowledge at least) of capitone: san marzano. Now I am craving for some of those, or at least I want to try eel for once. I should ask for recommendation.

The chapter’s title, joking aside, reflects the ideal of capitone and its advantage. One can bring the juicy flavor when done correctly in which Julio clearly have done so with its special sauce. The advantage is the thickness and when it comes to meat, yeah, I can vouch the same as well. That all said it does segue to rather “sneaky” move of Tsukuda when dealing with foodgasm. As a person who is still learning the slangs and internet words, it appears that Saeki, the illustrator, is aware of the use of term “thick,” so it’s only appropriate to show the “thickness” of Anne. I don’t know if that was clever for fan service use, but it makes sense in a funny way. Yeah, I said it.

The chapter is lighter tone than the last battle with the humor of Soma getting a high five and denied by Erina. The battle is going a faster pace due to not being the main focus, rather more about Isshiki and the showcase of his excellence…I think. The foodgasm is about the thickness, so it was rather smooth move to insert the fan service with a bit of an insult to Anne. Hey, the food is so good that it helps a body to be “thick” for guys. Thick is justice. It’s funny to see Anne talking to her boobs like pets though, like what the hell. I’ll be afraid if they start talking…moving on.

The cliffhanger is rather funny yet questionable. Usually, the audience tends to question the process of a dish, especially with Soma, but hardly on the outcome. This time around, I’m actually with them on the outcome. Unlike Soma who likes to troll around, Isshiki comes off looking cool, badass, and awesome…with a dish that is smaller than lunchable snack. I have no idea if his dish is somehow folded a lot or he’s taunting that a small serve is all he needs. That or he purposely forfeit by serving a “weak” dish. If it’s the former, then he’s no joke.

It’s an enjoyable chapter that is a nice break from the last couple of chapters. It’s more lighthearted, details of capitone are neat, and Isshiki has prepared for a dish that could bring an ironic way of a big upset. Whatever it is, it’s time for Isshiki…or not.

[wristwatchjournal]

Hands On With The Timex X Peanuts 70th Anniversary Collection

On October 2, 1950, the world was introduced to Charlie Brown for the first time as Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts” comic strip made its debut in seven newspapers across the United States. Over the years, Charlie Brown, his beloved beagle Snoopy, and the rest of the colorful “Peanuts” gang have made themselves an indelible part of American collective consciousness, leaving their own takes on everything from the proper way to kick a football to the true meaning of Christmas. As part of its ongoing partnership with the “Peanuts” brand, Timex has launched a trio of new models across the Marlin, Q Timex, and Timex Standard series to celebrate this 70th anniversary in style. The Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary collection offers a playful yet surprisingly restrained take on classic character watch concepts.

The largest hit from the new collection is likely to be the Q Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary model. As the standard production Q has sold out regularly since its introduction, becoming a fashion statement piece even out of watch enthusiast circles, this special variant should have no trouble connecting with fans. The ‘70s-style 38mm stainless steel faceted tonneau case with its hooded lugs is intact here, while the bidirectional diver-style bezel is fitted with a two-tone navy blue and orange insert. There’s a nice balance here between keeping the tones muted and allowing for vibrant contrast, and while finishing on a timepiece in this price range may not be spectacular, it does feel distinctive and fun.

The dial is obviously the largest departure from other Q Timex models, and beyond the inclusion of Snoopy, there’s one major step that helps to refine this beyond its standard stablemates. While the indices still take on the classic diver shape, the standard printed versions are replaced by polished applied indices. This small touch goes a long way toward helping the Q Timex design feel more refined, and while the use of faux patina lume is still contentious for some, the light shade used here complements the rest of the color scheme nicely. The sitting Snoopy illustration at 6 o’clock is also an applied element, and the added touch of depth does add some visual weight to the illustration, focusing the eye towards the bottom of the dial. The quartz movement and complex multilink bracelet are also carried over from the standard Q Timex series. This bracelet remains a surprisingly nice addition to the overall design, and while finishing remains simple the tapering form flows handsomely into the main case body to maintain a continuous line from crown to clasp.

While the Q Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary might turn out to be the most popular of this commemorative series, the Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary Marlin is the mechanical flagship. The 40mm stainless steel Timex Marlin series has gained its own cult following in the past several years, emerging as a solid and affordable interpretation of classic ‘60s dress watch cues. The combination of the slim short lugs and the polished sloping bezel leading up into the high domed crystal feels timeless and full of personality, giving an almost UFO-like appearance from the side profile. Worth noting as well is the display caseback. While there may not be much in the way of decoration on the movement within, Timex is one of only a handful of brands offering this option at this price range. Likewise, the lightly domed silver dial with its baton hands and matching applied indices feels elemental and balanced, especially with the lack of dial text outside of the Timex emblem. This leaves the pensive typing Snoopy illustration at 6 o’clock plenty of room to breathe, resulting in a mature, minimalist variation on the character watch theme.

Timex powers the Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary Marlin with the Miyota 8215 automatic movement, a rugged and affordable option that provides a decent 40 hour power reserve at a 21,600 bph beat rate. Timex completes this minimal midcentury look with a simple black leather strap, for a versatile and restrained combination.

Lastly, there’s the Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary Standard, which brings a Charlie Brown touch to one of Timex’s most enduring styles. The 41mm chrome-plated brass case of the Standard has become an iconic piece of design in its own right (even if the material is somewhat archaic in today’s watch market), with its soft rounded bezel, rounded straight lugs, and large onion crown. Outside of a commemorative etched caseback, this form is left untouched. The white dial is designed for maximum easy legibility, with simple baton hands, large rounded Arabic numerals, and a bold outer seconds track. Interestingly, this is the only one of the three to actually feature Charlie Brown, with the printed 6 o’clock illustration featuring Charlie dancing with Snoopy for a playful, lighthearted flair. The quartz movement here is carried over from the regular production Standard model, and Timex pairs this with a simple black leather strap.

With the trio of Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary models, the brand has broken the common mold of “character dead center, with arms as hours and minutes hands” cues for character watches to deliver something subtler and more contemplative, but no less fun. These are only the first group of special Peanuts themed releases planned for Timex through the end of the year, as each month from September to December 2020 is expected to bring new holiday-themed “Peanuts” watches for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. All three models of the Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary collection will be available through Timex’s site in late September 2020. MSRP for the Q Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary stands at $189, while the Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary Marlin is priced at $249, and the Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary Standard carries a price of $99. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.

The post Hands On With The Timex X Peanuts 70th Anniversary Collection appeared first on Wristwatch Journal.

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