#might be because chives are not my thing

[cinnonym]

Regarding jacket potatoes: I think it is perhaps because they are still wearing their little jackets, or skins. As opposed to some other situations where they would be peeled. This seems like what the US calls a baked potato, except we have slightly different toppings: cheese, sour cream, chives, bacon bits. Lots of butter, of course.

Oh!! That is an excellent theory and makes total sense to me, thank you for weighing in!!

[myfandomrealitea]

I know there's a lot of advice for handling things like depression and its so fucking easy for people to say "just do this and you'll feel better!" and I hate that, I fucking despise it, but I'm also gonna throw in my two cents about what is personally helping me get out of bed some days and genuinely, not kill myself.

Its taking care of nature.

Seriously. It sounds stupid and some days it feels stupid, but I put up bird feeders because I live in a semi-rural area where human activity is decimating the local bird population and options for safe feeding. So I put up bird feeders. And now I have like 83 different birds flocking to my garden on the daily and screaming at my window if the feeders are empty. And I've seen generations of baby birds brought to my garden by their parents because this is where the food is.

And I researched what plants and flowers were native to my area and I spent like $5 on a few different seed packets and sprinkled them around the grass and the sad empty flowerbeds and the lawn because the bees have nothing to eat and that's awful and it turns out wildflowers will fucking GROW the moment you look away, but now every spring and summer my lawn is a pretty little multi-colored bug haven.

And I've even gotten the chance to save a few little bug lives because of it. I've taken in cold-shocked bees and given them a warm little tupperware to recover in. I've fed bugs sugar water to get their energy back to take their food home. I've given dying bugs a sheltered, safe place to spend their last moments.

I planted a veggie garden. And I know I'm very lucky in that I have the space to do that, but also, you can grow a lot of things indoors. My friend has literally the smallest apartment you can imagine but she grows chives in her bathroom and grows five radishes at a time in a pot in the kitchen. Literally five. But it makes her so happy every single time she pulls them up or trots off to the bathroom to snip some chives.

I pick trash up every two weeks. The pick stick was like $4 online and I just put the bag out with my bi-weekly trash pick-up and its disgusting but but nobody else is gonna do it and I've only got finite time on this earth. If nobody else is going to pick up that can, I will. Because some innocent wild animal doesn't deserve to get hurt by human ignorance, and I deserve to walk home and see pretty flourishing nature instead of depressing discarded trash like I feel like most days.

I've left water out for the wildlife and watched hedgehogs, local dogs on their walks, squirrels and all sorts stop by to take a drink, because humans are fucking selfish and we're making something as basic as water so hard to access for anyone but ourselves, but I can fix a little bit of that just by putting out a bowl. Sometimes I don't even have to remember to fill it because the rain will fill it for me, and its kind of like nature's way of saying "you're helping me so I'm going to help you out too." Which is neat.

Like most days I do not want to be living on this earth but my god earth did not get a choice about us living here, and we're ruining it, and it actually feels so good to help stop and un-do a little bit of that destruction.

And you don't even have to try everything I do. If the only thing you've got the spoons to do is buy one bird feeder and you only remember to fill it once a month, its still something. That once a month could mean the difference between starvation and a full belly to a bird.

Again, none of this is obligatory and I'm not saying at all this is some magical cure for depression, but personally these things are things which are helping me slowly find things to keep getting out of bed for and things to feel a sense of self worth and satisfaction over. I feel better both in and about myself when I feed the birds, when I see the bugs in the garden, when I pick up the trash.

If its something you haven't considered yet, it might be worth a try.

[little-lost-lamb]

The Sting of Envy Pt. 2

CW: GN!MC, hurt/comfort, angst, occult practice, fluff, Demons Being Overall Taller Than Humans On Average, Mention of Israeli food, and - of course - jealousy. Please let me know if there is anything I didn't think to add!

<- Part 1

I want to thank everyone for their support of my first part! I've been out of the writing game for a long time, and it really helped motive me to continue!

_____________________________________________________________

Beelzebub 

Beelzebub tells anyone who asks that his favorite food is cheeseburgers, but this is not quite true. His favorite food is your cooking. So when you keep serving him warm, fresh-baked bread and crispy spinach salad topped with handpicked flowers and nuts and creamy, piping hot wild mushroom risotto and seconds and thirds and FOURTHS, he is in the Celestial Realm. He supposed the menu was carefully thought out, showcasing ingredients locally in season for the spring. He loved human realm food. It reminded him of you, and not just because it’s native the human realm - human cuisine had the capacity for both the sinful and the divine. Just like you. And so, the meal had him nearly moaning in ecstasy against his spoon.

“This is incredible, MC.” Solomon says, meticulously scooping a perfectly balanced bite of rice, cheese, mushroom, and chive. “This is even better than the risotto we had in that little place in Rome. What was that place called?” Solomon looks at you and thoroughly cleans the risotto off his spoon with his mouth. You laugh.

“Solomon, no, no way! That stuff was next level!”

Solomon shrugs before going in for another bite off his plate. “I’m telling you, yours is better.”

“When were you in Rome?” Lucifer inquires, cocking his head with interest. “When did you have the time?”

“Couple Tuesdays ago, I think.” Solomon muffled between bites while Barbatos shot him a look that told him to chew before speaking. Solomon shrugged it off. “Sometimes when we feel like eating out, we’ll go wherever the cuisine strikes our fancy. MC takes me to this Israeli restaurant in New York City about every other week!”

Beel’s brow furrows as he goes in for another bite. It sounds like before you left, what you and he used to do together. Schedule permitting, you were always down to take him wherever his stomach led him. Hell’s Kitchen for the third time that week? Sure! That brand new place with the deep fried vampire bats on sticks? You bet! They restocked flame-charred bone flavored ice cream at the stand down the street from RAD? You might even be willing to skip Chaos Theory to go with him! 

Your foodie dates were one of his all-time favorite things you did together.

“Pfft. You know I can’t do teleportations that big or that frequently yet. You take me.”

Like how Beel would take you all over town, farther if they had some spare time, to try all that the demon realm had to offer. You couldn’t always eat it, you didn’t always like it, but you were always down to try demon cuisine. Try new things in general. He loved that about you.

“Agree to disagree.” Solomon leaned a little closer to you. “I just appreciate you escorting me on so many dates.”

You shrug nonchalantly. “I’m just in it for the falafel.” 

Solomon chuckles and smiles fondly at you. He gently tucks a pesky piece of hair behind your ear, keeping it from flying into your mouth with your bread. “Try the hamin next time. I think you’ll like it.”

The heat rose in Beel cheeks, and he subtly sighed out some of his frustration through his nostrils. He glances briefly over to Belphie, and they communicate something to each other with their eyes. Finally, Beel puts his spoon down and Belphie shrugs, picking up another bite with his own.

“I’m done.” Beel says softly.

Not full. Never full. Done.

After everyone has finished with ample time for conversation, you shuffle back to the kitchen to get the desserts. You had prepared an assortment of fresh berries and cream with honey cakes. 

“Beel! Can you help me carry this?” You shout, and you lean casually against the counter to wait for him.

“Carry what?” Beel walks in to help and looks around for the heavy item only for his eyes to fall on the light-weight desserts. “Just…need some extra hands?” Beel asks as he reaches for the dish, but you stop him with a hand on his.

“Are you okay? You didn’t eat much.” You look up into his face, recognizing sadness in it. 

“I ate 5 or 6 plates.”

You raise an eyebrow. Beel sighs, gently reaching for your hand and holding it firmly in his own to ground himself.

“You don’t…like the food here more than in the devildom, do you?”

Your brows furrow with concern. “You…know I do. Most of it won’t kill me.”

Beelzebub shakes his head quickly. “My fault, bad question. New question: do you enjoy…” Beel’s voice cracks ever so slightly. “Do you like eating with Solomon more? You know…than me?”

Yours eyes widen in horror and your heart cracks. All you can think to do is throw yourself into his enormous frame. You bury your face into the soft fabric of the shirt before turning your head to speak, still resting your cheek against his quickly-thumping chest. 

“You’re upset because you and I go out on foodie tours and stuff too, right? It’s our thing.”

“It’s our thing.” Beel answered, wrapping his arms around you firmly. You feel the point of his chin rest against the top of your head.

“And it will always be our thing. Solomon and I eat out so often out of necessity. I don’t always have the energy to focus on planning and making our meals, and the man can’t cook, Beel. Then the human realm's food will kill me.”

You got a smile out of Beel on that one.

“But with you, we go out, and we shove things I once couldn’t even conceptualize down my gullet. You show me fun and fantastical foods I wouldn’t try on my own. That I couldn’t try. We don’t have that stuff here. It’s an experience. You are an experience. And you’re my favorite.”

You lean back just a little, separating only enough to see a wide grin and misty eyes. You reach over and stick your clean finger into the bowl of cream before smearing it playfully on Beel’s lips. 

“Oops!” You exclaim, smearing it on his lips. You raise up and squish the cream against Beels lips with your own. You hear a dreamy sigh from him before he pulls away and licks his lips. A giddy giggle escapes his creamy mouth. He reaches for the cream too, except he takes a thick glob and smears it from your cheek, across your mouth, and down your neck. 

“Oops.”

He starts with your neck.

Belphegor

They said to make himself at home, so he will, thank you very much. Now where was MC’s bed?

He passes the bathroom and opens the knob to a door nearby, figuring this was probably it, and he pushes it open with the subtle crack of the doorframe. He is immediately punished with a wave of Solomon’s scent - a musky mix of exotic spice and  incense smoke. Yours was thickly mixed into the sorcerers, the fusion of smells emanating from one bed in the center of the room. 

No. 

Belphie suddenly feels the irritated flick of his tail and the weight of his horns that have appeared against his will on his body. Shove it down, Belphegor.

He peels himself from the glue that binds his feet to the doorway and steps hesitantly into the room. The room reeks of Solomon, and not just from his scent. Glistening suncatchers whimsically dangle from the ceiling, one wall is adorned with old, dusty books from floor to ceiling, magical trinkets rest precariously on the edges of drawers, nightstands, and any other surface, and plants large and small sprout from the pots scattered around the room. There are countless empty mugs he has forgotten to bring back down to the kitchen shoved onto any previously vacant surface.

Belphie’s attention moves from one piece of junk to the next before focusing on the bed itself. It looked to be what the humans call a “full sized” bed, big enough for two humans to fit, though Belphie figures it’s only as big as he and Beel’s beds back home. Must be a tight squeeze for two. The fluffy blankets are crumpled disproportionately to one side while the other side is draped primarily with just the sheet. He presses a palm into the mattress and it sinks less readily than Belphie would like in a nest. He pictured the two of you picking it out together. 

“Now, MC,” Solomon would say in his smarmy tone, “It’s best to have a mattress that is somewhat firm. It deters one from oversleeping, and it will be good for your spine in the long run. Trust me, I know from experience that you’ll wish you had taken better care of your bones when you’re old.”

Belphie groans at the thought before dipping down into the side that smells most like you. Your scent is thick and fresh, as if you had slept there just last night. Belphie snarls and immediately jumps up, the propulsion of the springs hastening his movement.

I bet he doesn’t even take the time to nestle into their pillows Belphie thought to himself as he glared daggers at the side that smelled more like Solomon. To inhale their pheromones and feel enveloped their scent and appreciate it. 

Since you left, it wasn’t uncommon to catch even Lucifer resting in your bed on occasion. They were all guilty of it. It still retained your scent, and the brothers found that comforting late at night when they cannot escape their respective longing for you. Recently, though, the aroma has begun dissipating, a combination of time and the brothers’ own smells erasing your scent clinging to the fabrics. Belphie had been excited to take a few moments at least to dive into your sheets and smother himself with your scent. He could bring it home with him and savor it for at least a week if he didn’t wash his jacket. He could cling to the hoodie he wears tonight during his slumber and pretend you were still there with him, nestled against his body and in his bed. But it turns out the scent of your bed was contaminated.

Fortunately for his sanity, he didn’t smell certain hormones or fluids or anything to indicate any funny business happened between the two of you in these sheets. That’s for the best. If Belphie had been hit with the scent of lust mixed with the scents of the two of you, he thinks he would have vomited directly on your comforter.

“Did you find my bed? I knew you’d go looking for it.” You tease, clutching the rail as you stare innocently at him from the stairs. 

“Uhm. Yeah. I found it.” Belphie turns to face you from the room, and his eyes motion to the bed in front of him. He makes no attempt to hide the displeasure on his face. Surprise answers it on your own.

“Nope, that’s Solomon’s room.”

“I can smell you, MC.” Belphie’s eyes narrow as he  replies, pointing to the side piled with blankets, “You sleep on the left.”

“I hang out on the left.” You say, climbing the last few steps and joining him in Solomon’s room, “but I don’t sleep here, not usually anyway. I pass out sometimes, but we just watch shows and play games here a lot.” 

You point casually at the TV shoddily hung on Solomon’s wall opposite the bed. Wires poke haphazardly out the bottom and trail their way to a couple of consoles buried in junk beneath.

“There’s this cartoon I’ve been obsessed with recently that makes me think of you, actually. It’s about these kids who are cute little animals, and they go to camp on a magical island. It’s so soft and cozy and comforting…I keep falling asleep when I turn it on. I wish I could watch it with you. Maybe next time I’m in the demon realm, we can set it up in the attic.”

You pap on his bicep and signal him to follow you, flowing from Belphie’s side, out Solomon’s door, and to a second door Belphie had yet to open. 

Oh.

As you push the door in, a current of your sweet smell crashes like a wave over Belphie’s face. Your scent is like an intoxicating mixture of coffee, books, whiskey, and sugar all mixed together. You smell like home. A contented smile forms and he makes his way to you, careful to seal Solomon’s scent away with the bedroom door on his way out. 

You’re suddenly thrusted into a brief whirlwind of confusion as you’re grappled by Belphie, knocked off your feet and plopped down unharmed into the comfort of your bed. Your bed is the opposite of Solomon's: soft, fluffy, warm, and oozing with you smells. Belphie raises himself up to gaze at you lovingly before playfully nuzzling his face into your neck and inhaling deeply. He releases his breath with a satisfied sigh and melts himself into you. 

“Much better.”

He peppers your cheek with soft, sleepy kisses until he has you a grinning, giggling mess. 

“Let’s take a nap until dinner is ready. Barbatos can finish the rest.”

Barbatos

This was not part of Barbatos’ plan, but he could reassess and regroup. After all, this was only temporary. He would assure that.

Step 1: Serve Lord Diavolo to the best of his ability while he brings about the integration and unity of the three realms.

Step 2: Assure the swift and successful coronation of Lord Diavolo. King Diavolo. 

Step 3: With King Diavolo’s rule solidified and the King’s word absolute, any dissension against angels or humans in the devildom would not be tolerated. The streets of the demon realm would be safer - safer for you to reside in the devildom permanently.

Step 4: With the realm made a better place for you, you live with him, in his care, for the rest of your days. He thought perhaps an emerald in the ring would be best, accented with black diamonds. He had not yet decided whether silver or gold would look best for your band, but he was more than happy to admire you for as long as it took to decide what best suited your coloration.

For now, however, his face remains unwaveringly pleasant as he silently makes note of the dusty floorboards and spattered kitchen counters. He knows Solomon. Solomon doesn’t clean. Not to Barbatos’ standards for your living accommodations, anyway. He watches silently for a few moments as you work alone in your kitchen, smaller than he thought you deserved to have access to. It would have bothered him that Solomon offered no help had Barbatos not also known  he would have rendered each and every item on the menu inedible. All your hard work ruined.

You see him because he allows you to see him. While his presence would ordinarily be welcomed, today your cheeks flush in shame.

“Listen, I know it’s not the cleanest.” You shyly return your attention to the onion you skillfully chop against the cutting board. “I haven’t really had the time to deep clean, not with lessons and work and preparing for the party and…” You trail off, exhaustion lacing your voice. Your eyes seem misty.

“Please, MC, allow me to help. Do the mushrooms still need to be sliced?” Without waiting for an answer, Barbatos swiftly saunters over, scoops the mushrooms off the counter beside you, and drops them gently on the counter in front of himself. One mushroom considers bouncing off the counter, but decides it wouldn’t dare under Barbatos’ watchful eye. You realize your face must betray your emotion.

“Barbatos, I’m fine, really. It’s just the onion.” You point to the onion with your chef knife, and you plead, “you are my guest. I won’t make you work.”

“I am your friend.” He responds, his face focused on the task in front of him as he reaches for the utility knife in your set. He begins quickly and expertly chopping the mushrooms into perfect, uniform slices. “And you are overwhelmed. Your home is dirty because Solomon does not help you with cleaning like he should, yes?”

You remain silent for a moment, considering if you should out Solomon for not doing his share. Barbatos does not allow you to refute it.

“It has been centuries,” Barbatos interjects your thoughts before you can argue. “but Solomon was once royalty. He is independent now, yes, but he never learned how to clean as he should. I fear he is slipping back into the comfort of being taken care of without taking care of you in return.”

You look up at him, and for a moment, you think you see the flash of a scowl before his expression is once again carefully moderated. You had seen it because he had allowed you to see it.

“And of course,” he continued, “you must be doing all of the cooking as well. If he had any part in it, you would certainly be dead by this point.” He finally glanced us at you, his lip curling ever so slightly into a playful smirk. 

The joke catches you off guard and you honk out a laugh.

“One time,” you say through your laughter “I caught him trying to clean the bathroom with bleach and ammonium. Unreal. The man is a master alchemist, and yet he accidentally makes mustard gas in the toilet!”

Barbatos laughs earnestly along and shakes his head. He finishes the last mushroom with a flourish and plops the pieces into a bowl, ready for their future use. He turns around and leans his tall frame against your small counter, assessing your space for a few moments. 

“If I were Solomon,” he mused, almost to himself, “I would ensure your accommodations were immaculate. I would prepare you healthy, delicious meals. Perhaps I would allow you to join me in the kitchen, if only for us to spend the time together. And I see your garden needs attention. I would gladly serve you tea made from those rose petals there once I had finished with the pruning.” He speaks wistfully.

You chuckle. “It does sound nice to be taken care of every once in a while. What with the brothers and Solomon, I can be spread pretty thin. Not a lot left to take care of myself, you know?”

“Perhaps one day, I’ll have the pleasure of doing it for you.” Your eyes widen and your cheeks flush. You look up at him, and he gives you a knowing glance. You hated when he did this. You always wonder: is he teasing, or does he know?

“I have not looked into your future if that is what you are wondering…though I admit, I have considered it once or twice.” You turn to face him fully, the surprise evident on your face. Barbatos chuckles and looks you right in the eyes. “It would ruin the sweet surprise. It will happen because I will make it happen. Your current arrangement is temporary, I assure you.”

Before you can comprehend what is happening, the soft fabric of his gloves are against your cheeks, the warmth of his hands permeating through. He leans in slowly and lovingly plants a petal-soft kiss on the tip of your nose. He holds himself there a moment. You hold your breath until he lets go.

“Now, what do we do with these mushrooms?”

Diavolo

“Yeah, I’ve been doing well!” Lie. “It’s kind of nice to be home, you know?” Lie. “It’s refreshing to be around my own species again.” That one was presented as a joke, but it was still, factually, a lie. Did you usually lie this much? Diavolo hadn’t noticed if you had. And he would have noticed.

It was ultimately his fault, and he understood that. The devildom was under his rule, and had his whims overtaken him, he could have ordered you to stay. It just wasn’t time. Not yet. There was still so much work to be done.

Step 1: Bring about the integration and unity of the three realms.

Step 2: His swift and successful coronation.

Step 3: With his rule solidified and the King’s word absolute, no one would dare go against him when he appoints you as Human Ambassador to the demon realm. With such an important position within the new government system, so much as a finger lifted against you would be treason in his book. He would make the realm safe for you.

Step 4: Argue to the council that it is a political marriage. 

That’s the dream that keeps Diavolo going, anyway. His golden orbs lift from the mushrooms he unceremoniously shoves to the side of his plate (subtly, so he didn’t hurt your feelings, of course) over to Barbatos, who watches you with a genuine smile as you speak. What were you saying? Something about a stray cat? Back down to the mushrooms.

He knew the likelihood of this plan succeeding was low - just a dream to keep him working at his goal of unification. What will probably happen is that he will have a spouse chosen for him. Someone he might not yet know, whoever the council sees as the most advantageous choice. Likely a female, as is tradition. Likely traditionally pretty, the boring kind of pretty. Barbatos would intervene only enough to ensure he doesn’t dislike his appointed queen. Maybe Diavolo would even grow to love them one day. But it isn’t what he wants. Who he wants. He would be expected to produce a line of heirs - full-blood demon heirs - and cambion mutts just wouldn’t do. Not his words, of course. That’s what the tabloids said the last time the two of you were seen in public together. They called you his concubinatus. The writer of the article is longer there. No one knows where they are now except Barbatos.

“There's not really anything preventing MC from marrying me, right? Since we’re both humans and all." Solomon’s words echo in Diavolo’s mind, his smug grin still burned into the back of Diavolo’s retinas. The brothers had been more than willing to marry you into the devildom, but Diavolo had not allowed it. If anyone was going to marry you in, it was going to be him. He knew the likelihood of your union going smoothly was slim, but it would not stop him from trying. He was not above monopolizing you. He was the demon lord, not the lord of selflessness. But you were out of his hands here and settled in Solomon’s. He couldn’t stand it.

“Do you think you’ll ever get married, MC?” He later asks you casually as he helps you prepare the bonfire. Barbatos had half-heartedly attempted to dissuade him, as his suit could get dirty, but Diavolo insisted. He hadn’t gotten any alone time with you today, and he likely wouldn’t see you again for a while. He didn’t care about some frivolous suit. You drop the stick you’re holding, but it tumbles into the fire pit, so you figure you can leave it be. 

“Where did that come from?” Your flushed face is camouflaged well by the fading sunset. You quickly grab another bundle to continue building the fire. Diavolo casually swirls the wine in his goblet and peers in, probably inspecting some aspect of the wine that you have no eye for. The sunset hides his own flush from the alcohol. He remained silent, expecting an answer.

“U-Uhm. I suppose that depends on if I find the right person.” You fumble with a few sticks in your grasp before dumping them beside the fire. You crouch down and begin strategically arranging the sticks around lumps of kindling. 

Truth.

“Could you…” Perhaps he shouldn’t ask you this. He’s admittedly afraid of the answer. “...see yourself marrying Solomon?”

“What?”

Silence.

“I…” You thought for a moment, laughed, and shook your head. “I don’t think so.”

LIE. 

Diavolo expertly shoots the rest of his wine like it wasn’t at least half a goblet.

“We aren’t together or anything, if that’s what you’re trying to figure out. You aren’t being very subtle, you know.” You tease.

This was true.

“I guess I could see marrying Solomon if things didn’t work out, but…there’s someone I have my eye on.” You shove some dry grass between the logs, trying to hide behind your task.

True. 

“I don’t see how it would work. I don’t think I would be anywhere near his radar, but…” Perhaps it’s the sunset, perhaps it’s the wine swimming around in your blood, but you felt a bit bold. You look up, directly into his eyes, slightly luminous in the encroaching darkness of the night. “...The heart wants what the heart wants.”

Oh shit, wait, what? Are you coming on to him? Right now?

“Do…I know this person?” Perhaps it’s the wine he just downed, but he too is feeling bold. The corner of his lip quivers ever so slightly in the attempt to hide a grin threatening to spread across his face, just in case he’s wrong. But he doesn’t think so. 

“You do.” You stand up and dust your hand off on your pants.

Truth.

He tries to bite his lip to keep his face in line, but his lip rolls beneath his fangs and the corners of his eyes crinkle. The way you’re looking at him, there’s no way he’s misinterpreting it. You take a shy step closer, your eyes flit from his eyes to his fangs and quickly back up.

“Is it…me?” Diavolo asks playfully, now inches from your face.

“No.” You shrug. You casually toss a few more sticks into the fire pit.

With a snap of his fingers, the fire is lit. It roars to life and lights up your faces, your goofy grins and reddened cheeks on full display. The warmth of the blaze is matched only by the warmth of Diavolo’s arms snaking around your waist. 

“Liar.”

His mouth envelops yours in an instant.

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@dokidokidemons, @ourfinalisation

[vikkirosko]

Hi, enjoy reading your writing every single day. If it isn't too much can I ask for heck cannons, with Glam, Chive, and Dee reacting to finding out that their fem s/o is pregnant. How would they react? What would they do when s/o is dealing with morning sickness? How would they react to feeling the baby? And how would they react to seeing the small baby bump for the first? Sorry if I overdid it I'm just really curious and Metal Family is one of my favorite animated series.

Headcanons Pregnancy

💖 Glam x fem!Reader 🎸

Glam has always taken family planning seriously. He was in no hurry to propose to you, and even more so to have children. He didn't tell you, but secretly he was afraid that he would become like his father. The last thing Glam wanted for his children was such a future. But when you told him that you were pregnant, he was happy. He had never imagined this moment before, but he was genuinely happy that you two would have a baby

Glam took this issue very seriously. He started studying books about pregnancy and also looking for a home for you. The term of your pregnancy was still quite small, so you had time to prepare for everything, but pretty quickly the first signs of pregnancy began and nausea became the main one. You started to feel sick even from the smells of food that you usually liked. Glam cooked healthy food for you and made sure that you ate well and followed the regime

When your pregnancy period became a little longer, you got a small tummy. It was as if it was proof that the fact that you were expecting a baby was not a dream. Every time he put his palm on your stomach, he felt sincere happiness. He never thought that expecting a child would be such a joyful and exciting event in his life. You were preparing for the birth of a child together, buying everything you need and preparing a nursery in your new home

The closer the day when you were supposed to give birth became, the more he was sure that you would have absolutely nothing like it was in his childhood. He intended to be a better father than his father was. He wanted to make you and your child happy, so that you didn't need anything and that you had the best of everything

📚 Dee x fem!Reader 📱

You and Dee have never thought about children. You were about to graduate from high school and go to university and you both thought to focus on this, but your plans went to waste when you, clearly excited, told me that you were pregnant. You were practically panicking about it. You were afraid of what Dee might say, you had no idea how to tell your parents about it and you didn't know what to do, so Dee hurried to calm you down. He wasn't going to break up your relationship, especially now that you were pregnant

You sat together for a long time and discussed your plan of action. You understood that hiding your pregnancy would not work for too long, but Dee firmly decided that he would take responsibility and that together you would be able to combine studying and raising a child. You have been thinking for a long time about how to tell your parents about this, but your body itself reported it when you started toxicosis. Your parents were shocked that you were pregnant, and only the fact that the father of the child was Dee calmed them a little, because they knew Dee as a smart and responsible guy whom you loved and who loved you

Right after graduation, you bought an apartment. You had savings and your parents added money to you and now you could prepare for replenishment. When you got a little tummy, Dee was ready to cry. He would never admit to you that your pregnancy caused him so many emotions, but you yourself saw how his expression changed when you looked at your little tummy in the morning

You and Dee had a lot of difficulties ahead of you that you had to overcome together. You had no idea how you needed to raise a child and how to combine it with studying, but you were not going to stop. You were scared, and even though he didn't admit it, Dee was scared too. But you were sure that together you could handle everything

🧄 Chive x fem!Reader 🎸

You and Chive have been together for a long time and there has never been a conversation about children between you. It seemed like something far away than something that could happen to someone else, but not to you. However, when you started to feel sick often, Chive joked that you were pregnant. You both took it as a joke until you took a pregnancy test and it turned out that you were really pregnant. You were both surprised, but Chive quickly changed from surprise to joy. Even though your pregnancy was not planned, but you were still happy

You and Chive didn't really know how to raise children, but you had a home and a job and you could provide your unborn baby with everything necessary. He tried to help you cope with nausea as well as with a hangover, but this method did not work very well, so we had to look for new methods. When you went to the hospital together, they looked at you askance, as if you were guilty of something, but you didn't pay attention to their looks. Sometimes passersby also looked askance at you, but you didn't care about it

Gradually, the duration of your pregnancy has become longer and you have a small tummy. Chive began to touch your tummy often and smile. Then he started talking to the baby in your tummy. You laughed softly, saying that your baby was still too young and couldn't hear him, but Chive kept talking, and when Glam visited you, he proudly told his best friend that you were expecting a baby

You and Chive weren't model parents, but he was going to be the best father for your child. He remembered his childhood well, he remembered his mother who was often drunk and with whom he often quarreled, so he wanted your child to never experience what he himself experienced at the time

[themaladaptivewriter12]

Title: (They'll be calling me) Royalty

Part 4 of my “The Lion's Den” series! Part 1, 2, and 3 here!

Parings: Implied Leona x Mirai but not really. They're getting there tho

Summary:

“Because what?!” Mirai yelled. “Because I was tired,” Leona yelled. “Be-Because I'm tired of always being second! No matter what I do, I’ll always be second best! I was born second, my dorm is second, even in the sport I’ve been playing for as long as I can remember I’m second! I’m always second!”

cw: Overblot Leona, canon injuries, Mirai get's injured, nothing severe, hurt comfort,

a/n: I also might have listened to Jonathan Young's cover of "Be Prepared" on loop while writing this lololol. Also, title inspired by Royalty by Egzod, Meastro Chives, Neoni!

a/n: This is not a "Bullies to lovers". Just putting that out there. I wanna show Mirai's and Leona's process of trust and eventual love.

Reblogs are appreciated, just use my custom tag, #TheMaladaptiveWriter12, if you do!  (─‿‿─)♡

Cross posted from my Ao3: TheMaladaptiveWriter12

It's kinda long, sorry. I might break this one up, but who knows ┐(´∀｀)┌

Classes for the day were uneventful. Ace, Deuce, and Grim bickered like they normally did, Coach Vargas was loud as always, and lunch was as it always was. But the school seemed to have a certain buzz about it, and Mirai couldn’t figure out what it was, so he thought to ask Ace and Deuce about it.

“The annual fall Spelldrive Tournament is coming up,” Ace said excitedly, “How did you not know?!” 

“Gee,” Mirai said sarcastically, “I wonder why I wouldn't know about such a huge NRC event?”

Sometimes it irked Mirai with how much everyone here forgot that one, he didn’t know magic, and two, that he wasn’t from their world. I mean, how could they forget when they were around him every single day?!

“Sevens! What crawled up your butt today?!”

“Did you forget that I’m not from here? How am I supposed to know what’s the norm around here?”

“That’s all you had to say,” Ace sneered, “Why you gotta take it out on me?!”

“Maybe because I expect my best friend to remember something so important about me,” Mirai growled out.

“Alright,” Jack soothed, “calm down. It’s alright.”

Mirai and Ace both grumbled to themselves, their arms crossed petulantly. 

“The Spelldrive Tournament is between the dorms or the school,” Epel supplied.

“Each dorm fights for the bragging rights of having the best Spelldrive team, and Diasomnia has held the spot for the past three years! No thanks to Lord Malleus, of course,” Sebek boasted.

Ace groaned and rolled his eyes.

“Every dorm will appoint their best players and train until the end of the month,” Jack said. “Housewarden Leona has already made his team.”

“So it’s an enchanted version of football, got it,” Mirai muttered. 

Maybe that was why Leona had been so distant lately? If this was as important to the school, then maybe Leona just had his head in the game is all?

“What’s football?” Jack asked.

“Okay, so, you have two teams,” Mirai began.

The next day was as eventful as any school day goes. In Professor Trein’s class, they were doing a unit test. Mirai was pretty sure as always, he was gonna score just over passing, keeping his grades at a constant C. The test wasn’t hard, but that was what Mirai was afraid of. He was pretty sure he butchered that last half on magic in the Briar Valley, and at lunch, Ace, Deuce and Grim had their complaints about it.

“If I don’t pass this test, Ima be benched again,” Ace sighed, head in his hands. 

“I told you guys to study,” Jack chided. “Epel and I had a study session last weekend.”

“Who wants to spend their weekend studying?” Grim grumbled.

“If you wanna pass, you do,” Sebek shouted.

“I think I did pretty good,” Deuce said.

“Oh?” Ace taunted, “What makes Juice so sure?”

“It’s Deuce! Not Juice,” Deuce grumbled angrily. “And I got some help from Trey yesterday. I’m not saying the whole thing was easy, but I feel I did a good job for the majority of it.”

“That’s good,” Epel nodded with a smile, “I hope it all goes well for you.”

“Thanks,” Deuce smiled. 

Ace scoffed, annoyed. 

“What about you, Mirai?” Jack asked. “Mirai?”

Mirai was sitting with his chin resting in his hand, eyes staring off and out the window.

“Mirai?” Grim asked, paw tapping Mirai on the shoulder.

“Ah,” Mirai jumped, “Yeah? What is it?”

“You okay, Human?” Sebek asked.

“He’s probably bummed out because he failed that test,” Ace teased.

“I did not,” Mirai shot back. “The only part I had trouble with was the Briar Valley.”

“How was that even hard?!” Sebek shouted.

“Dude,” Deuce sighed, “You live in the Briar Valley.” 

“And cut Mirai some slack,” Epel pouted, “he’s not from here, remember?”

Sebek grumbled, turning his head away from Epel. 

“Then how do you think you did?” Ace asked, smirking slyly.

“I bet I just passed,” Mirai said, as if just passing was something to be proud of.

Ace, Deuce, and Grim busted out laughing.

“Oh yeah,” Ace laughed, “because “just passing” is anything to be proud of.”

“At least I won’t be benched.” 

The rest of the group had to stop Ace from lunging over the table at Mirai. 

Mirai didn’t see Leona or Ruggie that day either.

Wednesday was another bummer day. In gym class they were playing dodgeball in the indoor gym and it was pure torture. A couple of students on the opposing team decided to make it their goal to get Mirai and Grim out first. That promptly resulted in a trip to the infirmary for Mirai after he got a ball to the face, a scolding from Coach Vargas after Ace and Deuce both chucked a ball at the perpetrator's face, and yet another scolding, but this one was for Grim because he tried to set the guy on fire. Well, at least Sam had gotten a new shipment of cheesecake, and was saving a slice just for Mirai.

And when Thursday afternoon came around, Mirai wanted to do nothing but go buy some junk food from Sam and go binge watch a show that Cater had recommended. Grim, Ace, Deuce and the dodgeball guy were all punished for the rest of the week, the four of them stuck cleaning the gym, and as for Mirai, his face still hurt. His nose wasn’t broken, just a tad bruised, and to top it all off, his head also hurt, but it was nothing a couple of painkillers couldn't fix. 

As the days went by, things surrounding the Spelldrive Tournament started to go sour, but, then again, when did things go smoothly in a place like Night Raven College? Soon after the teams were picked, and the students from all dorms were getting pumped for the competition, multiple students from multiple dorms started to get injured. First it was a couple of students from Heartslabyul, even Trey, and then it spread like wildfire across the campus. 

Students were falling down the stairs, burning themselves, cutting themselves, and even the Vice of Scarabia had been affected. At that point, it started to look like sabotage more than an accident. But the weird thing is, all of the students affected had the same story, it felt as if they had no control of their bodies. Well they were just gonna have to get to the bottom of it, even Mirai really didn’t want to.

Mirai walked the empty halls of the main building. It was always so peaceful, when there were no classes in session, no students walking the halls, no one to bother him. The golden afternoon always looked best on campus, covering everything in its warm glow. With all that’s been going on, the Spelldrive Tournament, and playing detective by order of the Headmage, Mirai was tired.

They went to almost every dorm to try and find the culprit, which didn’t go well at all. The twins from Octavinelle chased them, and then when they entered Savanaclaw, the dorm tried to fight them, and Leona, who was more territorial than usual, challenged them to an unfair spelldrive match. All of this was honestly getting out of hand. Mirai could care less about Spelldrive, Mirai didn't get the big whoop about it, and he honestly didn’t get why Grim wanted to play so much. But then again, maybe that was Grim’s way of trying to fit in. Mirai could understand, he wanted to fit in as well, he was tired of being the outcast.

Mirai made his way to an empty classroom, and looked out the window. From here, he could see the street where the vendor's stalls were being set up for game day. Game day. The day of the tournament, the day they would take action. Mirai sighed once more. What should have been a day of fun and togetherness, not that Mirai would think these guys would come together for anything, is now a day of uncertainty that was leaving a knot in his stomach. And it was all because of Savanaclaw.

It didn’t take long to finally trace it all back to Savanaclaw, to trace it back to Leona, and honestly, Mirai didn’t know what he was feeling. Why? Why would Savanaclaw, Ruggie, Leona, hurt all those people? They hurt Trey, they hurt Jamil, and everyone else. They lied to them, sent them on this wild goose chase, they stole from them, and what about their plan?

Why would they plan to put all those people in danger? What about the innocent students, the innocent supporters? The children who might be there? And for what? Because Savanaclaw didn’t have the guts to play fairly? Because Leona didn’t have the guts to play fairly? And for what?!

Mirai’s phone buzzed in his pocket, shaking him from his thoughts. “What’s up?” Mirai answered.

“Where are you, man?” Ace asked from the other end. “Where meeting up to go over the plan one last time.”

“Where are you?” Mirai asked, leaving the classroom.

“Courtyard.”

“I’m coming,” Mirai said, hanging up.

Yelp, Mirai guessed he’d get his answer tomorrow.

It was the day of the tournament and their plan had worked. The remaining teams were saved, the lay people were safe, and they had backed Ruggie and Leona into a corner. Mirai didn’t know what to feel. He knew who was behind all of this, he knew, and yet, seeing it up close, hearing it with his own ears, it was like a slap in the face. He thought his friends were better than that, but to put innocent people in harm's way, Mirai couldn’t ease the betrayal he felt.

Mirai didn’t know what to make of the cold, sadistic smile Leona held as he turned Ruggie into sand. He didn’t know what to make of bitterness that seeped off of the Beastman in waves as his plans were foiled right before his eyes. 

Leona laughed bitterly, “Yeah, you're probably right. No, you're exactly right! I will never become king. No matter how hard I try!”

He should be angry like Jack was, he should feel betrayed like Ruggie did, he should rub this in Leona’s face like Lilia just did, he should be smug like Ace and Deuce were about being one step ahead of the Beastman, but he couldn’t. 

“I've been loathed since the day I was born. I've never had a place, never had a future,” Leona grit out, a dark dreadful atmosphere seeping around the group. “None of my hard work is ever rewarded! How could any of you possibly understand? My disappointment?! My pain?!”

Leona roared, the sound was so loud, Mirai felt as if the entire stadium was falling apart with it. Leona screamed in agony as he held his head in his hands, the ground cracked and fissured beneath him, a dark black mist emitting off of his body. The group watched in horror as Leona’s screams turned into morbid laughter, and when he looked up at them, his hands were covered in the jet black ink, just like the ink-like tears that were dripping from his eyes. 

Mirai wanted to reach out to him, tell him that it was okay, that he was there for him, but he couldn’t, because that would be a lie. He was never there for him, and things were far from okay. Those words, compared to Leona's feelings, were null. He couldn't move his feet from that spot, he couldn’t get any words out, they were stuck in his throat. Just like Riddle, he was Overblotting.

The winds began to pick up, carrying sand around with them. They began to vortex around the Savanaclaw Housewarden, and suddenly, the atmosphere changed. It washed over them as quick as an exhale. It felt like a thunderstorm, it felt charged, yet so calm, like the moment right before a lightning strike. Not a second later, the winds caved, then exploded, with dark magic, sand, and debris, the gust sent everyone flying, as the group tried to shield themselves from the blow. 

“You guys okay?” Riddled coughed, brushing himself off.

“A-okay here,” Cater muttered, picking himself up.

“I thought I was a goner,” Grim whined, rubbing his furry face into Mirai’s shirt.

“Guys?” Deuce called wearily, “look.”

Standing in the middle of the clearing as the smoke and dust cleared was no longer Leona, certainly not the one Mirai had come to know. Dark magic and blot oozed off of him in waves. It swirled and spiraled with sand, dying everything around him black. He was different, even his clothes were different.

“I dunno what's going on, but if we hit Leona hard enough, maybe we can snap him outta it?” Jack more like stated, readying himself. 

Ruggie staggered forward, coughing as he tried to steady himself, “I-I'll help too. N-No way I'm t-taking what he said lying down!”

“Take it easy, yeah?” Mirai asked.

Ruggie waved the Prefect off, pulling out his magic pen.

“So even the lowly hyena turns against me?” Leona laughed snarkily with a scoff, “What an absolute joke!”

“Ya think Ima just, just bow my head after that s-stunt you just pulled?!” Ruggie rasped. “Notta chance!”

Leona growled as lunged at them, his first attack coming in fast.

“Guys,” Mirai yelled, “He’s coming for us!”

Leona pounced on the group, and they all scattered. Mirai tried to dodge the attack the best he could, but he wasn’t quick enough, the shockwave sending Mirai flying as he rolled to a stop a few feet away.

“You okay, Human?!” Grim called, running to Mirai’s side.

“Yeah,” Mirai smiled, petting the little monster’s head, “I’m fine.”

“Hate to break up the precious moment guys, but we got trouble,” Ace shouted as Leona came at them again.

The group sent a flurry of attacks at Leona, and yeah he was taking quite the beating, but that didn’t stop Leona from standing his ground and dishing out some attacks of his own, every single one of them more powerful than the last.

“H-He, he just won’t go down,” Ruggie heaved.

“Take it easy, Ruggie,” Jack said, placing a hand on Ruggies shoulder. 

“I’ll take it easy when things are back to the way they should be.”

“You okay, Ruggie?” Mirai called from where he was hiding behind one of the bleachers.

“A-Okay,” Ruggie said, flashing Mirai a smile.

As the fight waned on, the group was beginning to falter. Between spells being casted wrong, missing their target, and more than a few close calls, they all needed a plan, and fast.

“You idiots think you can beat me?!” Leona roared, sending a powerful wind attack into Ruggie, sending the poor Hyena tumbling. 

“Ruggie,” Jack called, running to his side.

Leona leapt to Ruggie and Jack, but suddenly he was blocked by a wall of fire. He turned his green eyes to Riddle, who was standing a few ways away to his right.

Leona sneered down at Riddle, voice sarcastic, “Oh, I quiver with fear!”

The Beastman turned his attention to Riddle, sending his Blot Incarnate to attack, the mangled lion beast slashing at Riddle. The Heartslabyul Housewarden dodged the attacks, fending them off with his own.

“You don’t deserve the throne, and to be quite frank, I hope you never get to sit down on it,” Ace sneered, moving to guard his Housewarden.

“I will be king,” Leona yelled, stomping his foot down, and suddenly a barrage of green lightning struck the ground from the dark skies, the sandy Earth shaking with every hit.

“Look out,” Riddle yelled.

The group jumped in every direction, dodging the powerful strikes, the ground singed and burnt in its wake. They were split up, Cater with Riddle to the far left, Ace, Deuce, and Grim to the far right, Jack still was guarding Ruggie’s injured form ways behind the Group, and Mirai was left alone, smack dab in the middle. 

“Guys,” Mirai called from his hiding spot, “Take it easy! We can’t fall here!”

Leona locked eyes with Mirai and began to advance on him. 

“Mirai,” Deuce yelled. “Get away from him!”

Mirai scrambled to his feet as he tried to dodge all the attacks sent his way. A ball of wind magic exploded on his left, then a ball of lightning on his right, both sending the Ramshackle Prefect across the sandy field. 

“Mirai,” Cater yelled. 

“I-I’m, I’m alright,” Mirai coughed, stumbling away from the Overblotting Housewarden.

“Where are you going, Herbivore?” Leona sneered, stalking after him.

Mirai didn’t know what was scarier, the Housewarden himself, or the fact that he was walking instead of running behind him. Pulling himself up the bleachers, Mirai sprinted up the stairs, tripping over his own feet as the ground shook from Leona’s Blot Incarnate’s attacks.

“Over here you oversized house cat,” Ace yelled, shooting a ball of fire at Leona.

Leona growled, getting down on all fours, dodging the attack. He jumped up onto the poll to his left, and using the balls of his feet, Leona pushed himself off it, landing on the bleachers next to the Ramshackle Prefect. Mirai’s head snapped beside him with a gasp, not waiting a second more to scurry up the stairs and inside. 

“Mirai,” Cater shouted.

The guys tried to go up and stop them but Leona sent his Blot Incarnate after them, the beast blocking the path.

“Mirai,” Deuce yelled, trying to round the monster, but got pushed back.

“We have no choice,” Riddle huffed, readying himself.

“Bu-”

“There’s no time,” Cater gruffed, eyes steely and narrowed. “If we split up now, we’ll fail.”

“The Prefect will be fine,” Ruggie huffed, voice hoarse.

“He better be,” Grim grumbled.

 Mirai ran down the hall, the only light being the open archway behind him. It was unsettling with how quiet it was in there, even with all the chaos outside, the only sound Mirai could hear was his own breathing and footsteps. The sandstorm outside made its way in here as well, sandy grains coating the floors, the dust filling the air, making it hard to breath and the floors slippery.

The ground shook and a dark shadow loomed over the hall, Mirai didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was. “Why do you run from me, Herbivore?” Leona called, “Scared?”

Mirai didn’t answer, picking up his pace as he veered right and down another hall. The lights flickered eerily, casting deep shadows along the walls. Leona walked along behind him, the lights began to flicker out, not coming back on at all, the hallways behind them a pitch black. 

“Come on, Herbivore, join me,” Leona chuckled, “I know it sounds sordid, but just think of how you’ll be rewarded, when at last I am given my dues.”

Mirai twisted every knob, pushing every door he passed to get away from the lion. He was getting tired and the blows he had indirectly taken earlier were taking a toll on his back. Mirai’s breathing was haggard and the dusty air was burning his eyes and his chest. 

“You can have anything you want,” Leona persuaded, “gold, respect, it’s all yours. You’ll never go hungry again!”

Mirai pulled open a door, and ran inside, it was a locker room. Mirai sprinted through the rows of benches and lockers, hiding around the corner. Mirai tried to quiet his breathing but the burning in his chest was unbearable. He could hear the door open, swinging shut, and Leona’s maniacal laughter echoed through the room.  

“I can see it now, I’ll be all time adored,” Leona rambled, the distortion in his voice sending chills down Mirai’s spine. “And you will be right beside me since that little scavenger lost his chance. What do you say?”

Mirai scooted down the aisle, moving away from the direction his voice was coming from. Mirai was scared, and he was pretty sure Leona knew that as well, and for the first time, Mirai was wondering if he was gonna make it out alive.

“Answer me,” Leona roared, a loud banging sound rattling the lockers. 

The room suddenly lit up with green and by the time he figured out what it was, Mirai’s entire being was electrified. Mirai cried out, falling forward, his hand clutching his chest. He couldn’t describe the feeling, but Mirai knew for sure that he never wanted to feel it again. It was worse in his prosthetic, and Mirai wanted it off. As best as he could, Mirai ripped the metal limb off, his body collapsing onto the floor. 

Mirai could still feel the magic coursing through his veins, his body spasming with every beat of his heart. He couldn’t catch his breath, as he heaved through the pain. He couldn’t see through the tears in his eyes, and his blood burned, the magic feeling like liquid fire in his veins. 

Loud footsteps echoed off the walls, and Mirai didn’t have the strength to look up at their owner. “Why do you struggle?” Leona growled, his clawed hand clamping around the back of Mirai’s neck.

The grip was strong, it was cold, void of the normal warmth it had, and wet with ink. It ran down Leona’s arms and coated his hands, black droplets dripping from the points of his nails. Mirai didn’t struggle as Leona lifted him, forcing him to look up at him. Mirai could feel the dark power emitting off of him, he could feel the wet of the ink, running down his neck, staining his shirt in little rivulets.

“Submit to me,” Leona muttered, pulling Mirai close, “Stop fighting me.”

“N-No,” Mirai git out.

“Why not? Why do you resist me? I can give you the world! Just you and me above all.”

“I don’t want that.”

Leona dropped to his knees, holding Mirai by his arms, “Then what do you want? Tell me.”

“I want Leona back,” Mirai pleaded. “Please stop this.”

“You have me,” Leona growled, his grip getting tighter, “I’m ten times the man he ever was!”

Mirai flinched at Leona’s tone of voice, his eyes closing in fear. Ink dripped down Mirai’s arms, it was hot, it was nearly burning his skin. Mirai didn’t like the look in Leona’s eyes, he didn’t like the way he was treating him, he was scared.

“Y-You’re hurting me,” Mirai gasped, Leona’s claws suddenly prickling his skin.

“Then behave, and I won’t have to hurt you,” Leona smirked, running the back of his finger along Mirai’s cheeks, leaving black streaks in its wake.

“I thought I understood you,” Mirai grit out, “I even saw you a-as a friend! B-But this?! All of this is not what I expected from the guy I respected.”

Leona seemed taken aback, and Mirai used that lapse in his attention to reach behind him and grab a handful of sand. The chances of this working were slim to none, but he had to try, he had to get out of the room. As quick as he could, Mirai threw the sand into Leona’s face, and much to Mirai’s luck, Leona immediately let him go with a shout, his hands flying to his eyes. Mirai felt bad as he shot up, grabbing his arm, rushing out the room and down the hall, but Leona deserved it. He wasn’t gonna talk to him like that, he wasn’t gonna treat him like that.

Mirai didn’t get far when the locker room before the door flew from the hinges, slamming against the opposite wall. Leona was fuming, a vortex of sand and lightning swirling around him.

“I was gonna let you go, Herbivore,” Leona sneered, “but now, you’re first.”

Mirai yelped, jumping down to the ground as the door was kicked into his direction, flying over his head, and into the far wall at the end of the hall. Stumbling to his feet, Mirai turned the corner, the archway he had entered coming into view. The lights flickered on and off, and when Leona turned the corner, Mirai’s stomach dropped.

“Get over here,” Leona yelled, sending a gust of wind down the narrow hallway. 

Mirai braced for impact as the magic slammed into him, sending him flying out the door and into the air, over the bleachers. 

“There,” Ruggie yelled. 

“Ace, Cater,” Riddle commanded, “Catch him!”

“Yes, Housewarden Riddle,” the two card soldiers nodded.

With a gust of wind, Ace and Cater sent themselves flying, Cater catching the Prefect and Ace lessening their fall. 

“You okay?!” Deuce asked.

“Y-Yeah,” Mirai stuttered, clearly shaken.

“After decades of denial, this is simply why I'll be king,” Leona laughed, the sandstorm getting stronger, “undisputed, respected, saluted, and seen for the wonder I am! Long live the king!” 

The group dodged more and more strong attacks, it didn’t seem like Leona was getting any weaker, in fact, it seemed as if he was stronger, which was concerning. If they couldn’t stop him, it meant that all the innocent people would be in trouble, it meant the entire school would be in trouble, and far worse, it meant Leona would die.  

They needed a plan, and fast, and Mirai thought of one. Leona’s attention was on the rest of the group, and that meant Leona didn’t care where Mirai was. One of the bleachers gave way and sitting next to him was a very large metal pipe. That would do. Mirai crept his way up and around the bleachers, making his way behind Leona and his Blot Incarnate. Mirai would have to make sure it didn’t see him before he got to Leona. 

Riddle, Deuce, Cater, and he had been shouting at each other, trying to figure out their next move, when Ace had seen him. Ace didn’t know whether Mirai was plain stupid or had a death wish. Why was Mirai, Magicless Prefect of Ramshackle Dorm, making his way to Leona with a pipe?!

Ace nudged Deuce and and subtly pointed, and when Deuce caught wind of the situation, his face went pale. The others noticed the change in mood and Riddle went red in seconds.

“Fynya?!” Grim screeched, “Stupid human! What are you doing?!”

The others began to shout at Grim, and Leona snapped his head around, his and Mirai’s eyes meeting. Mirai’s heart stopped, his breath catching in his chest. Mirai couldn’t even catch his breath before he was snatched up and lifted off his feet, the pipe clattering to the ground.

The guys shouted and screamed out for Mirai as they threw a barrage of attacks at Leona, only for his Blot Incarnate to block them all and send the group flying with its charged attack. 

Leona chuckled darkly, a sadistic smirk on his face. “I don’t know what's more insulting, you nobodies thinking you can defeat me, or you, Prefect, thinking you could stop me.”

Mirai struggled in Leona’s grasp, his battle for air more important than the harsh words Leona was spitting at him. 

“It’s pathetic, really. Did you forget your place? You can’t beat me. If I can’t have the world, then I’ll just have to turn everything to sand. And I’ll start with you.”

Mirai skin started to burn, it felt as if it was being rubbed with sand paper. Mirai gasped, his hands clawing at Leona’s. 

“L-Le-Leona,” Mirai gasped. “L-Let g-go, le-let me go.”

“Why should I?” Leona growled out. “You're just like them. Look down on me like I'll never be enough, you pity me.”

“N-No, I don’t. I don’t, I don’t p-pity you.”

“Lies,” Leona roared.

Mirai winced at the noise, coughing as the grip got tighter. “Y-You’re better than th-this. The Leona I-I know wouldn’t stoop this low to get what h-he wants. You’re smarter than th-this.”

“You know nothing about me.”

“But I want t-to, I want to, so bad. I-I want to know yo-your favorite foods, your favorite c-color. Your p-past times, your goals, your, your wants, your needs. I-I want the Leona I fell f-for in, in the Bo-Botanical Gardens.”

“You think your honeyed words are gonna sway me? I hate people like you the most. Always sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong, always saying the right things to get what they want,” Leona growled out, his voice wavering. “You think I haven’t heard that before, that I haven’t dealt with people like you before? You’re no different. I will never have what I want, I’ll always be second best.”

“You will never b-be second best to m-me,” Mirai smiled, voice faint and breathy, “Y-you will always be my number one.”

Leona faltered, his eyes going wide at the words.

“Don’t hate me after t-this, y-yeah?”

Before Leona could comprehend what happened, Mirai was swinging his leg back and kicking the Beastman in the face. Leona growled out with a shout, dropping Mirai as he held his face. Mirai dropped to the floor, coughing as he caught his breath. Leona stumbled back pulling his hand away from his face, the black blot ink mixing with red.

Leona roared, “Why you-”

Mirai picked up the pipe and swung at Leona, the metal making contact with his midsection, knocking the wind out of him. Leona stumbled backwards, doubled over as he held his abused stomach. Mirai pulled back and whacked the downed lion upside the head, and Leona was down for the count.

And like that, the sandstorm stopped, the skies slowly becoming blue once more. The blot monster screeched as it eroded away, the blot that bubbled and boiled fizzled into nothingness, and so did Leona’s blot, and in its wake was Leona, their Leona, lying on the ground.

“Leona,” Mirai rasped, rushing over to Leona’s unconscious form. 

“Mirai,” Deuce yelled, rushing over to his friend, “Stay away from him!”

The group rushed over to the two, where Mirai was frantically looking over the Savanaclaw Housewarden.

“Mirai,” Ruggie called, “You okay?”

“Me?” Mirai rasped out, coughing when it hurt. “I’m not the one who just Overblotted.”

“You’re hurt,” Jack said lightly.

“I’m fine,” Mirai warbled. 

“Leona,” Mirai called out, shaking Leona slightly, “Wake up. Please wake up.”

Leona would move, he didn’t stir, and his breathing was shallow.

“Leona, please wake up.”

“Oh, Mirai,” Cater called, realizing that his magicless freshie was crying.

“I killed him,” Mirai sobbed. “I killed him!”

“You didn’t ki-”

Leona stirred, and slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the blazing midday sun. “Whatsit, what is it?” Leona muttered.

“He’s awake,” Jack gasped.

Leona looked up at the group looking down at him, and his eyes immediately found Mirai’s tear filled ones. “Herbivore?” Leona called, ears flattening atop his head as he reached up to thumb away the tears on Mirai’s cheek. “Why are you crying?”

“Y-You Overblotted,” Mirai rasped out, “and you wouldn’t w-wake up. I though, I though-”

Leona sat up, vision going blurry with the dizzying headache that hit him so suddenly. “I-I-I Overblotted?” Leona muttered to himself, “Me? Ain’t no way I-”

“Mr. Kingscholar, your negative energies accelerated your blot accumulation, inducing an overblot episode.” Headmage Crowley said, seeming to appear out of nowhere, cutting to the chase. “Were you responsible for the series of injuries sustained by competing players?”

Leona stood up slowly, wobbling as his knees threatened to give out. “Yeah, that was me,” Leona admitted quietly. “All of it.”

“Very well. Then to begin with, Savanaclaw House will be disqualified from this year's tournament. The rest of your punishment will be decided after I discuss it with the victims. Are we clear?” Headmage Crowley asked.

“Understood.”

“Headmage,” Riddle called, “W-Wait. A word, if I may?”

In the end, Riddle ended up persuading the Headmage to let Leona and the rest of his team play, and as punishment, he was to play as he was. Of course that didn’t end well due to his overworked state. But in the end, Grim got to play like he wanted, but sadly, Mirai couldn’t witness the rest of the games. One second Grim was hollering about a special move and the next, Mirai was waking up in the infirmary. 

“Wh-Where, where am I?” Mirai croaked.

“Hey,” Grim called, “Mirai’s up!”

Ace and Deuce rushed to Mirai’s side, Deuce expressing their relief.

“I’m so glad you’re awake,” Deuce sighed. “You were out for so long, we were beginning to think there was some long lasting damage.”

“What happened?” Mirai asked, confused.

“You don’t remember?” Ace asked.

Mirai shook his head.

“Grim threw the disk straight at your head and knocked you out at the beginning of the second half.”

“I was tryna steal our victory,” Grim said nonchalantly. 

“More like steal his life.”

“Hey!”

“You amateurs gotta work on your disk control,” Jack gruffed.

Ace rolled his eyes, “Yeah, you missed the whole thing. They are cleaning up now.”

“How did Savanaclaw do?” Mirai asked. “No, wait, where’s Leona?!”

“Calm down, Herbivore,” Leona gruffed from the other side of the room. “‘M fine.”

Mirai looked over to the other side of the room and spotted Leona in one bed and Ruggie in the one next to him. The Hyena looked far worse than Leona, but that was expected after the days earlier events, but all in all, Mirai was glad everyone was okay.

“But as for the game, everyone we went up against didn’t care for the game, they just threw magic at us,” Leona scoffed.

“We were dead on our feet by the time we went up against Diasomnia,” Ruggie chimed in, “They ended up taking first place.”

“That sucks,” Mirai muttered. But it was kinda deserved for what the two of them had done.

Leona scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“How are you doing, Ruggie?” Mirai asked the Hyena.

“I’m fine, quit ya worrying,” Ruggie dismissed.

Jack began fussing over his Housewarden and Ruggie, while Ace, Deuce and Grim, started talking out the game. Apparently Diasonmia’s team was a force to be reckoned with, their dorm head being the strongest one there. 

“Unca! Unca,” a shrill child-like voice yelled, “There you are! I finally found you!”

Mirai turned to the door where his eyes caught sight of an orange and yellow blob as it launched itself across the room and into Leona’s lap.

Leona groaned, “The little screech box found me.”

“Who’s the kid?” Grim asked.

“Unca Leona?” Jack muttered.

“That little furball is my Brother’s son, Cheka, my nephew,” Leona gruffed.

Mirai was surprised. He didn’t know Leona was an Uncle.

“I saw you play, Unca! You were so cool! Next time I visit, teach me how to play,” Check yelled. 

“Okay, okay,” Leona sighed, “I get it, and how didja get in here?! Where are your attendants? They gotta be pulling their hair out looking for ya.”

Cheka giggled, “I left them behind so I could find you.”

“Of course you did.”

Mirai chuckled, “He’s cute.”

“So when are you coming home to see us, Unca? Today? Tomorrow? Next week? And when's the next time after that? Did you read all the letters I sent you? What about the toys? Do you play with those?” Cheka rambled, bouncing on top of Leona.

“Look, I toldja, I'll be back for the holidays—Ow! Get offa my stomach, that hurts,” Leona shouted, eyebrows knitted together.

The room erupted in laughter at Leona’s demise.

“Ooh! Ooh! Unca! Who are they?! Are you guys Unca’s friends?!” Cheka squealed.

Ace laughed, “Yeah, sure we are! We're your Unca's besties! Ain't that right, Unca Leona?”

“That’s cool,” Cheka chirped, “Unca has so many friends!”

The group’s laughter got even louder.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” Leona gruffed. “Just y’all wait, Ima be on ya like a buzzard to a carcass.”

“Yeah, whatever you say, Unca,” Ruggie teased, face red with laughter.

Mirai and the others fell into another fit of laughter, and Ruggie ended up doubled over in pain as it hurt to laugh.

Well, even if the day started out like a nightmare, its ending was so bad. Even if Mirai did have a headache. 

It was late when Mirai woke up again. It was still dark outside, and the room was dark. Mirai blindly reached for his phone and powered it on. It was three in the morning. Mirai sighed as he lied back down. He wondered when he’d be able to go back home. 

Mirai had been in and out of sleep since visiting hours ended, and at some point, the Nurse let Ruggie go, and the last thing Mirai remembers was Ruggie saying his farewells. But he and Leona were a different story. Mirai still needed to be monitored for his head injury and Leona needed to be monitored for his blot accumulation. 

Mirai peered over at the other side of the room, trying to make out Leona’s form. He couldn’t. Mirai sighed, his throat still raw and scratchy. Mirai coughed, his throat burning. He tried to clear the prickly feeling, but it kept coming back, then he fell back into a coughing fit once more.

“You okay?”

Mirai jumped, eyes darting to the other side of the room, where a pair of glowing green eyes were looking back at him. 

“Y-Yeah,” Mirai croaked, his voice sounding raw and abused.

“You’re not,” Leona muttered. 

“And you aren’t either.”

Leona sighed and didn’t say anything else.

Mirai sat back in his bed and stared off into the darkness. He really didn’t know what to do now. He was awake, his throat was killing him, and now it was awkward knowing that Leona was right there in front of him. 

“Drink.”

Mirai jumped with a gasp at the sound of Leona’s voice being so close to him. 

“Le-Leona,” Mirai stuttered, “Y-You, you shouldn’t be up. Go lie down.”

“I’m fine. Drink,” Leona said.

Mirai twitched when he felt a cold glass of water being pressed into his hand.

“Careful,” Leona murmured, “Don’t drop it.”

“Thank you,” Mirai muttered, taking a sip, and boy did it feel glorious. 

Mirai tried to gulp down as much as he could handle, but it wasn’t much since his stomach filled in seconds. Mirai reached out for the table beside him once he couldn’t drink anymore, but was met with Leona’s stiff form.

“You done?” Leona asked, taking the glass.

“Yeah,” Mirai nodded.

There was silence again and Mirai wondered if Leona was still there. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Mirai hoped that he was.

“Those bandages,” Leona started, his voice coming from the other side of the room. “on your neck. It was me, wasn’t it? And the same with Ruggie’s arm?”

Mirai wanted to lie, and tell Leona, no, they weren’t, but they weren't there the day before, and lying about it wouldn’t make the situation any better. 

“Yeah,” Mirai admitted quietly.

There was silence yet again, and Mirai felt as if his heart was in his stomach. Bandaged fingers came up to fiddle with the bandages that were wrapped around his neck. Mirai didn’t know when those were put there, most likely when he was out cold, and Mirai was wondering how he didn’t notice until now. He ran a finger down the length of his throat, and Mirai wondered how it looked, wondering if it looked as bad as it felt. Mirai just hoped it didn’t scar, he didn’t need any more of those, and he definitely didn’t want a sore reminder for Leona to see every time he looked at the Prefect.

“I never thought I’d hurt you, I never intended to,” Leona started, “You, you were supposed to stay in the stands, you were supposed to just let all this happen. You-”

“Whoa, whoa, y-your not gonna pin this mess on me,” Mirai rasped, voice rough. “It wasn't me who cheated.” 

“If you, if you just minded your fricking business-”

It became my business when my friends started getting hurt! It became m-my business when t-the Headmage held this whole fiasco over my head like he always does when things go sour in this stupid school!”

Leona went silent from his side of the room. Mirai sighed, coughing once more, his throat burning.

“Why?” Mirai muttered.

Leona stayed silent.

“I know you can hear me, you bastard. Why?”

“Why what?” Leona gruffed.

“Why'd ya do it?”

Leona growled lowly in warning.

“I ain't scared of you,” Mirai rasped angrily, “and growling still doesn’t answer my question. Why?”

“Because,” Leona said petulantly.

“Because what?!” Mirai yelled.

“Because I was tired,��� Leona yelled. “Be-Because I'm tired of always being second! No matter what I do, I’ll always be second best! I was born second, my dorm is second, even in the sport I’ve been playing for as long as I can remember I’m second! I’m always second!”

“All you had to do was try!”

“And you think I haven’t?! You think I haven’t busted my butt for the things I want?! I’ve tried, and tried and tried, over and over, and over again! And for what?! I’ll never beat the bastard Malleus at anything, I’ll never sit on that throne, I'll always be second best! So I stopped trying!”

“I’m sorry,” Mirai muttered.

Leona sucked his teeth in annoyance, “Quit apologizing. Ain't nothing you can do to change anything, and feelin’ sorry for me ain’t gonna make me feel any better,” Leona gruffed, sighing.

“You know, you’re right,” Mirai said snarkily, “It’s you who should be apologizing, and I know a whole bunch of people who you can start with.”

“Bastard.”

“Thanks I try.”

Leona growled lowly, “You’re lucky, you’re lucky I’m already on thin ice.” Leona sighed, laying back against the pillows on his bed. “Look, ‘M sorry, alright. This whole thing was stupid. I was stupid. I’m sorry.”

Mirai sighed, “You know, I shouldn’t forgive you-”

“You shouldn’t.”

“But I do, forgive you, Leona.”

“And that’s the stupidest thing you’ve done yet.”

“That ain’t-”

“You could’ve died, Mirai,” Leona shouted. “You understand that right?! I could’ve killed you! They all told me what happened when you were out, that I choked you, that I tried to turn you into sand!” 

“I know that,” Mirai scoffed, clearing his throat, “but who hasn’t tried to hurt or kill me since I was dropped in this nightmare of a world?”

“You’re a blithering idiot!” Leona’s voice broke, as he looked down at his hands. “I-I did what everyone said I’d do. I’ve become what they said I was, a-a monster.”

“You're not a monster,” Mirai rasped.

“You don’t get it, you never have! I’ve always hated my Signature Spell, it’s a curse. I am the very thing that the Sunset Savanna fears, that the Sunset Savanna hates, a drought. They’ve always told me I was a monster, they feared me. They always said it would be a matter of time before I’d hurt those around me!” Leona grit his teeth, his fangs bared, “If I were born first, I’d be praised. If I were born first, I’d be called a prodigy. I would be loved, not feared.”

Mirai huffed angrily as he slowly slid off his bed and onto the floor.

“D-Don’t-What are you doing? Sit down,” Leona scolded. 

Mirai ignored him as he teetered his way over to Leona’s side of the room, stopping after a dizzy spell hit him. Once he made his way to Leona’s bed, he crawled on top.

“Herbivore,” Leona growled, “Get away from me! I don’t want to hurt you anymore than I already have!”

For once, Leona looked small. He never looked small in Mirai’s eyes, he was always so big. He was always so sure of himself, so prideful, so confident, but now, he looked like a mouse, like a kid who was being scolded by his parents. Unsure and scared, Mirai didn’t like it, it didn’t suit him, Leona Kingscolar, Hoausewarden of Savanaclaw, Second Prince of the Sunset Savanna.

“And I haven’t?” Mirai scoffed.

“What are you-”

“Look, you were right when you said that I didn’t get it, what it was like to be you,” Mirai said hoarsely, “but it doesn’t mean that I need to be you to know what it’s like to feel worthless. I will never know what it’s like to walk in your shoes, to be a Prince, to be second in line, those are your experiences alone. But I know how you feel.”

Leona scoffed, “Enough the flowery words. Don’t need ‘em.”

“I know what it's like to have everything, and nothing at all. I know what it’s like to want to be wanted.” Mirai out the window behind Leona. “That, that thing, that wasn’t you back there. The things you said, the things you did, the you I know, would never do those things, would never say those things.”

“But it was me,” Leona corrected. 

“Then say it.”

Leona looked taken aback.

“Say it, look me in the eyes and say it,” Mirai badgered, “Say you hate me, say you want me dead, say that you never once cared for any of this. Say it. Say you hate Ruggie and the others, say you’d rather turn everything to sand, prove me wrong.”

Leona looked down in defeat, his ears falling.

“It’s hard to say such hurtful things to the people you care about that you actually don’t mean, isn’t it?”

“But I did all of that,” Leona muttered, “I’m the one who tried to cheat my way to the top, I’m the one who hurt everyone around me.”

“And it was stupid. I don’t like what you did to your schoolmates, but there, in that stadium, was beyond your control.”

Leona balked at Mirai frank words. 

“When I told you that you were better than that, I meant it. That’s why I forgive you.”

“You shouldn’t, I don’t deserve it.”

“I don’t think that’s for you to decide, is it?”

Leona growled at Mirai. “Well if everything’s fine now, you can leave me be.”

“What about here?” Mirai asked, poking the Beastman in the chest. “Is everything fine?”

Leona went silent.

Mirai was familiar with signs of depression. The withdrawal, the lack of motivation, the masking, they were symptoms Mirai knew all too well. And Mirai couldn’t act like he didn’t notice, that he didn’t care, because he did, and he wasn’t going to allow Leona to continue to suffer alone.

Mirai reached forward and slowly pulled Leona into a hug. 

“Wh-What are you doing?” Leona stuttered, going rigid in Mirai’s hold.

“Push me away if you hate it,” Mirai muttered, holding the Beastman tighter.

Leona didn’t say anything, but he didn’t return the hug either.

“And even after all of that, it still hurts, doesn’t it?” Mirai whispered.

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” Leona gruffed.

“I know one hug doesn’t fix the thousands you’ve needed, and I know I may not be worth anything, that I may not be what you want,” Mirai sighed. “I know I can’t give you what you truly want, but I’m here for you, Leona. I care.”

Leona choked back a sob.

“It’s okay to cry, it always feels better when you do. You’ve been strong, holding on for so long, but that’s okay. It means you’ve overcome something, that means you can pick yourself up and keep going.”

Leona sobbed into Mirai’s chest, and Mirai held him through it. Leona clawed at the back of Mirai’s shirt as his tears soaked through the fabric, and Mirai stayed there, holding Leona even tighter.

“You may not have been born first, and you may never be king, and I will never have the answers to your questions, but I believe you’re so much more than you think,” Mirai whispered, “You are smart, you are strong, you are resilient, you are beautiful. You are Leona Kingscholar, and don’t let anyone take that from you.”

“I-I hurt you,” Leona sobbed.

“I know,” Mirai muttered into Leona’s hair.

“I’m sorry,” Leona whimpered, pressing his nose up into Mirai's neck.

“And I forgive you,” Mirai croaked.

[bonefall]

Oh, clanmew day! I translated the names of a few of my ClanGen cats that I'm fond of a while back :)

Boragestar - Palfshaipmashai (Borage is apparently also known as "starflower", so I translated it as palifuh-shai-ponma, purple-star-flower. "Shai" might be a bit too holy for the ordinary plant, but in this case it felt like it fit as I was doing a bloodline challenge and Borage was the daughter of the previous leader, and thus of a holy bloodline. Poor girl had to take over leadership of a rather brutal clan after her tyrant of a mother unexpectedly lost all her lives. she does not have the harsh temperament expected of her and things have not gotten better for her)

Chivenose - Palfpeskrchoop (I went for a physical description of Chive for my translation; palifuh-peske-kiyyr, purple clustered-flowers grass. She was Boragestar's sister, who was taken by twolegs early on in their apprenticeship. She didn't find her way back until a full year from when she was taken, she was pretty surprised to find her mother and brother Eaglepaw both dead and Borage in a leadership position she didn't want. I had no idea they were both named after plants with purple flowers until I went to make translations, it's such a cute coincidence and I'm so glad I found that out)

Dustystripe - Fesgrryrrseek (I translated "Dusty" as "fes-grryrr", "dust-contains". More interesting is her (retroactively created gjkfgbjkdsf) dishonor title! She's a healer, but she had a litter of kits. She was lucky that Boragestar was in charge and also her friend, she managed to convince the clan to let her, her mate, and her kits remain, but Dusty got a dishonor title (probably from her former mentor Bluescar/Lubroyach, Borage's other parent, who was not very fond of her or Borage in general). The title was "Mwssepaseek" (poison-soil longstripe), translated as something like "Taintedstripe", trying to evoke a strip of earth that poisons whatever grows in it. Not only has she "poisoned" her own link to StarClan with her actions, her kits will be "poisoned" as well.)

Bellspeck - Rriirriulfbwoo (Bell - rrirri (mimicking the sound of a collar-bell) - small objects that make soft, high-pitched ringing sounds when moved. Technically not Clanmew but a loanword from Townmew or some equivalent as Bellspeck's mother was a former kittypet. Speck - Ulfbwoo - ulfaf-eeb-woowoo - single-strand-of-fur small spotting-pattern, single small spot. This one feels a bit scuffed but I couldn't figure out anything better lol)

Molefleck - Bosgoeebkark (I decided to lean into the definition of "fleck" as "very small bit of some material" instead of just "small marking(s)" since just "speck" was bad enough without having to make it distinct from marking-fleck. Pretty simple, just "eeb-kark". Her nickname was Bosgee :)

I am planning to do a scent expansion along with this BIG entry I'm going to be doing on "How Scent Works," including a ton of unique Clanmew words for various, important scents. So I'll give you two interesting smells that might work VERY nicely for Dustystripe if you'd like;

The dusty, stale smell of a long-abandoned burrow = Moese SPECIFICALLY one you can immediately tell has not been lived-in for a while. Any other scent in this burrow is muted and negligible, possibly only something you can pick up with your jacobson's organ (Fech, in Clanmew). Similar to the "dusty" smell of an attic.

Hot, dry scent of flammable kindle = Ksek ESPECIALLY important in WindClan, because if the gorse starts to smell like this, the conditions are very dangerous. Very dusty, dry brush would smell like this.

Moese could make a super interesting with that dishonor title in mind; the idea that she's gone back to being an abandoned (but safe) burrow, having moved on from her old mistakes.

And up next, chives! I'm gonna give you ALL OF THE ONIONS while we're at it!

All four of these plants are deadly to Clan cats. They're used universally as bad-insect repellents and good-insect pollinates, but just like mint, they have a serious reputation as being poison.

Some cats will also use them to hide their own scent, especially Rebels. Deerfoot was the pioneer of using garlic to mask the scent of himself and his cats as they sabotaged TigerClan from within.

This lead to there being a generic name for these plants; Aupeqi. From a contraction of Deerfoot's Essence (Augpwaio en Qim). This was something he picked up from Lizardstripe, who initially came up with it to hide that she'd been hanging out with cats of other Clans.

Ramsons (Allium ursinum) = Ssufpon Full, distinctive white flowers that grow in big, bursting clusters. A patch of ramsons can easily hide a patrol's worth of cats. Comes from scentmark + flower.

Angled Onion/Three-Cornered Leek (Allium triquetrum) = Oosk A delicate, drooping bell flower similar to a snowdrop, but much stinkier, especially when crushed. Comes from Bell + White. NOTE: this plant has many names, I've included leek and onion so you can choose to translate it at your discretion!

Wild Garlic (Allium vineale) = Fafhoo Comes from Fur + Clock, "clock" as in the mature, seedy, fluffy ball stage of a dandelion. Turns into a bizarre, smelly disco ball thing and ABSOLUTELY REEKS. Tends to poke through the leaf litter of a forest in "scrags" rather than "patches" like ramsons.

Chive (Allium schoenoprasum) = Sifaw Comes from Friend + Solitary Bee. A favorite of bees, but a repellent of other insects, with pretty purple flowers that remind Clan cats of a very stinky clover.

AND. LASTLY.

Borage (Borago officinalis) = Shioo From Star + Bell. I am actually going to be banning this as an herb in my guides. It is INCREDIBLY toxic to cats, worse than the onions earlier. It irritates skin, causes liver damage, and absolutely destroys its victim.

There's actually a ton of plants in this family, including the famous Forget-Me-Not. But for now, here is the word for plain-and-simple borage!

[thestalwartheart]

James Bond's Scrambled Butter Eggs.

James Bond's famous scrambled egg recipe comes from Ian Fleming's 007 in New York, a short story which primarily features Bond bitching about American food and drink. It was originally published in a collection with Octopussy and The Living Daylights. By Fleming's own admission, the collection's grim view of New York might "shock or depress some of my readers." Rather than offering an apology for that, Fleming seemed delighted by the prospect of upsetting some Americans.

(That marks the beginning and the end of the things Ian Fleming and I have in common. I do love a good transatlantic roasting.)

The various James Bond Fandom websites disagree on the fictional attribution of the recipe. One website credits it to May, Bond's housekeeper. Another credits it to Bond's secretary, Loelia Ponsonby. Whatever is true in canon (and I'm sure someone will tell me!), I quite enjoy the thought that Ponsonby despised the state of Bond's paperwork so much that she sought to kill him before the age of forty by way of cholesterol problems.

Because what other possible explanation could there be for using five to six oz of butter? (A translation for the un-Imperial measurers among us: that's 140 - 170 whole grams. Gordon Ramsay, modern king of scrambled eggs, uses 15 and that is why, unless he implodes from screaming at a terrible restaurant owner, he'll live to a ripe old age).

This recipe is a slow death. It's also, unfortunately, very good.

Recipe and notes.

For four individualists. (Fleming's words, not mine.)

12 fresh eggs Salt and pepper 5-6 oz. of fresh butter

Break the eggs into a bowl. Beat thoroughly with a fork and season well. In a small copper (or heavy-bottomed saucepan) melt four oz. of the butter. When melted, pour in the eggs and cook over a very low heat, whisking continuously with a small egg whisk.

While the eggs are slightly more moist than you would wish for eating, remove pan from heat, add rest of butter and continue whisking for half a minute, adding the while finely chopped chives or fine herbs. Serve on hot buttered toast in individual copper dishes (for appearance only) with pink champagne (Taittainger) and low music.

---

I topped my eggs with dill. Though I would have preferred chives, dill was what I had in. It was frugally-minded of me, which is extremely antithetical to the James Bond Experience. Heretic, even, as was my decision to have coffee over champagne, and not to bother with copper pots.

The low music did feature, though. I put on a Nina Simone record, which my cat took great joy in yelling over. Ah, Saturdays.

I also added hot sauce. If you speak to Ian Fleming, tell him it was caviar, won't you?

[tenebrius-excellium]

Dream

It is March, it's when the daisies and dandelions are out.

It's when the sky is blue and the clouds are running over the hills at rapid speeds, and everything is as cold as it is sunny and windswept.

I have sown seeds today - planted mallows and chives and sunflowers. The garden does not belong to me, but I sow in hope. Hope that with the gardening skills I learn today, I WILL end up having my own garden one day. On a different patch of land, with soil just as rich and black as the one I turned over with my hands today.

My soul sings. The person living across the street has put a silver wind chime in their window. It blinks and glitters and beckons with every gust of wind, be it strong or soft. It makes me think of flying.

My soul remembers all the things it has been fond of since long ago. My soul sings, and grieves for what has been, and longs, and yearns for a future in which the beauty that I secretly dream about might just still be possible. The line "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return" by Leonardo Da Vinci never leaves my mind. I keep thinking of birds. I keep thinking of that fateful day when we went on a walk through the woods, and when we got out on the other side, there was the amazing view of the snow-capped mountain range right in front of us. Endlessly vast pastures stretched before us, and overhead there seems to be a frequented airplane route, because a metallic bird passes over our heads every couple of minutes. I went back to check the same spot two summers ago... the planes are still flying overhead when you reach the end of the forest and step out into the clear there.

It was that day back then - there was no doubt about it somehow - where I knew that one day I would fly just like those planes. In the very same instance, on that very same day, we discovered that I had poor eyesight. I have become a different girl that day. Withdrawn. Different. A dreamer, but never a doer, for what use is a pair of eyes when you can't do everything your brother does, and not even what you yourself want. You can't fly airplanes with bad eyesight. But the dream isn't dead. Ah yes, let your ambitions fly high, but keep your reality grounded, isn't it like that. What if this was my reality.

What if I don't even want to fly airplanes. But what if I didn't even get the chance to try it out to see if I like it. I still dream of the wind. I take a look at the clouds above me and whisper "great day for flying" or "strong winds, dangerous for flying" (details on Hiccup's map) under my breath. I'd still like to get the chance to try it out. When, doesn't exactly seem to be up to me. I'm still fine with that. For now.

So in the meantime, I do what I can do. I stay on the ground. I stay grounded. I watch the first bees of the year and taste the nectar of lamium nettles. I check whether the public water fountains have been turned on again, which means that the likeliness for nightly frosts has waned. I take a walk and lie in the wet, muddy grass and look up at the blue sky and bask in the warm Spring sun. I greet the Red Kites that come around and whistle sweetly, announcing that summer is near.

My dream is alive. I am alive. Life is abundant. Here's to flying.

[thelustdevil]

Fueling those café au’s in my head... Part 2!

This time let’s look at what baked goods they would enjoy. 🫶🏼 (based on what I offer in shop & some new ideas!)

Part One: Drinkies!

Hitoshi S.

Will buy the cute seasonal sugar cookies, especially the cat themed ones during the spring & fall. Otherwise a blueberry muffin will suffice. If he’s really hungry a baked cheese & plant “sausage” turnover.

Denki K.

Frosted muffins, loaves & scones. The frosted matcha & vanilla crème Swiss roll is a favorite of his. But the frosted strawberry scone is a good second choice. Will be the one to order a breakfast bagel when super hungry.

Katsuki B.

He enjoys spice over sweet that much is true. He’s not one to order baked goods often, but there’s a hatch chili bread released during the later fall season that he will buy a slice or two of. If not, a savory maple sausage pull-apart roll every once in a while never hurt.

Izuku M.

Flaky pastries!! Always always. Chocolate croissant? Yes. Spinach feta croissant? Also yes. Spiced ham & pepper Jack cheese blossom? … yes. Quiches with buttery crust. Biggest yes. It’s used in so many dishes and so yummy in his opinion.

Shoto T.

Plain/simple flaky pastry or biscuit. Usually something to go along with his tea. There’s an orange blossom and currant biscotti that he’s grown fond of thanks to midoriya’s suggestion. Will have some quiche if offered. Not the meat heavy ones though.

Eijirou K.

Sweet boy loves some sweet loaf slices. He will indulge in pumpkin spice during the season. Otherwise the spiced loaf or apple crumble loaf are great choices. Will get the warm breakfast sandwiches on fresh bread.

Hanta S.

Contrast to his drinks and similar to bakugo, Sero likes the more savory pastries. The rosemary & tomato tart is the perfect snack. While the chili, egg & spinach blossom is a good breakfast option in his eyes.

Tenya I.

Cinnamon roll, no raisins but yes to cream cheese icing. Only once in a blue moon though. He allows himself to enjoy this with his classmates. Otherwise a buttery croissant will do, there’s no need for the excess sugar all the time.

Dabi

Again this mf doesn’t go to coffee shops… Will take warm bread, he likes the softness of it when it’s freshly baked. The topped toast options are usually what he goes for. The special spices Ogura jam with everything bagel seasoning is a go to.

Hawks

Learned to like the Ogura jam pastries because of Dabi. Will get the baked Ogura & sea salt stuffed rolls. There’s also a seaweed flakes croissant he enjoys with a sweet plum jam.

Mirio T.

Loves to try just the most American sounding baked goods. Apple strudel with cinnamon, strawberry & rhuebarb blossoms, Canadian bacon and cheddar boomerang? All yeses! Tamaki has told him countless times that two of those things are decidedly not American but Mirio is too busy ordering to hear him.

Tamaki A.

Is less shy when it comes to ordering pastries from his favorite bakery. Enjoys trying the new seasonal items. The sweet Sakura dango was a big hit with him. Will also get the milk bread toasted with a semi-runny egg & chives on top.

Shota A.

A bagel. He enjoys trying to different toppings but prefers having something easy to eat between classes and napping. Open to trying different kinds of bagels as well. Hizashi once bought him a breakfast bar and he enjoyed it. Still gets bagels though.

Hizashi Y.

Much like Tamaki, Hizashi likes trying the seasonal pastries. It only makes sense if he’s trying the seasonal drinks too! It’s the full experience. The toasted coconut & pineapple loaf was a surprising new favorite. So was the miso & cucumber tea sandwich.

*based on my view of them & their personalities*

Might do this for JJK or another fandom next. This has also given me new ideas for some trial goods in the bakery next week…

[mamawasatesttube]

I gotta know your Kon headcanons. I Must. But also, how about some Jon headcanons?

YESSSS THE BROS <3 kon first!!

Headcanon A:  realistic

inspired by talking with @lemontongues: he practices with his ttk by getting really into fibercrafts, particularly making bobbin lace!! after a while he can control so many moving parts all at once doing so many things and it's pretty incredible to watch.

this also does result in him having so much lace and not knowing what to do with it all. he sells some at markets with ma, learns to sew once ma says they really have enough doilies, bookmarks, etc., so he can make her pretty dresses, and starts adding lace to his own wardrobe too. call that grannypunk.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

he loves max mercury's chives, and as a farm boy, is delighted to discuss gardening whenever he visits bart's family. bart is like NO NO PLEASE TAKE MORE CHIVES. MORE THAN THAT. EVEN MORE!

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

he's terrified of himself and the amount of power he has. especially as he grows older and comes into his own properly. the idea that, as a fully-realized kryptonian with ttk, he might genuinely be able to take down clark - superman - is genuinely terrifying to him.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

clark actually does offer to share the superman mantle with him when he's a little older! (they're flying side-by-side; kon is so shocked he falls 500 feet before he remembers how to fly again.) he ruminates on it a bit and finally says no, because he'd like to forge his own identity, but the fact that clark offered means the world to him.

AND NOW BABY TIME:

Headcanon A:  realistic

he takes after his mom a lot more than people realize. he's got her scheming mind. got all that cunning and guile under his dad's big baby blues and general goodboy demeanor. but when it rears its head, oh man. you can really tell yeah, that's lois lane's son alright. sometimes kon likes to wind him up and set him loose on people just to stand there and giggle while jon verbally eviscerates some hapless asshole.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

teenage jon came home from school one day and immediately put a dollar in the swear jar. when lois raised an eyebrow, he blinked innocently at her and explained, "lex luthor gave a speech at school today, and when he asked if anyone had questions, i raised my hand and called him a bitch."

lois thought this was so funny she gave him his dollar back. kon, when he heard, thought this was so funny he gave jon an additional 20 bucks.

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

he accidentally broke pa's favorite mug one morning while pouring coffee for ma. yes, he did cry about it.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

he actually gets to have a childhood! sometimes he comes home and calls kon up to complain about a bunch of middle school drama and kon just sits there like. ???. ?????. and then jon is like. oh right you're like eight :/ never mind. kon is always like "HEY!" and jon thinks it's funny, so he never stops saying it.

[craftpunktabby]

So this is my Welcome Home OC Nurse Tilly Luna Chiroptera (I just really wanted to give her a name with the initials TLC and could not come up with a last name. So just used the scientific name for bat) the fruit bat. She is Nurse for all, so she's also a vet (and possibly a mechanic if sentient cars are a thing). She's most comfortable in her clinic and is a lot more confident and peppy while working than she is out of work. She's still cheerful outside, but she's not quite sure what to do with herself in social situations at times.

I really like the world of the neighborhood and the art for it :) All this was made for fun and based on what's currently out.

Welcome Home belongs to @partycoffin

The art in the 3rd image was done by @zip-toonz.

Tilly doesn't believe in Vampires, but most of the town thinks she doesn't realize she is one. In their defense Tilly has a lot of vampire traits. Such as her allergy to garlic (but she's also allergic to shallots, chives, and leeks), her sensitivity to light, her ability to turn into a smaller bat form that she can fly around in (also helpful when she needs to work on smaller creatures) she eats by sucking the juice out of fruit through her fangs. Also for fun, her cheeks change color based on the color of the fruit she last ate :). She doesn't fly often, mostly because she's so lite in that firm that it is very easy for her to get swept away by the wind. She has had to get help getting down from trees she got stuck in by other residents.

She's an incomplete puppet that didn't make it into the show after the pilot and her existence is in this gray area. As long as everyone remembers her existence and she doesn't realize she isn't supposed to be there she'll continue to exist. Along with her existence hinging on other's remembering her, her eyes change depending on who is looking at them. Her puppet doesn't have eyes whether because they ran out of time, couldn't decide on how they should look, or didn't bother since her bangs would be covering them anyways, she doesn't have any. But it's acknowledged in the show that she has big eyes that give powerful puppy dog eyes that are hard to resist (which she primarily uses to get patients to take their medicine if they're being difficult). So everyone's minds fill in the blank space with whatever eyes they think she would have because they can't process their absence. In reality it's just a black void underneath her bangs. Even Tilly doesn't realize she's missing eyes and can see normally. The realization that she might not supposed to be there comes with her realizing that she can't remember what color her eyes are. Her general reaction to this is trying her best to not start crying. Not just so she can stay calm since panicking won't do her any good, but she's more scared of where her tears will go if she doesn't have any tear ducts for them to get out of.

[breadraptor]

what i ate in toronto last week

felt like food blogging hehe

Day One

The first thing I got was a tea and donut bites from a new donut stand in the Portland airport. Yum! Then I remembered I had a long day of traveling ahead of me and went back to the Tillamook store for some real sustenance. Honestly I thought a chive biscuit egg sausage cheese sandwich would be a slam dunk but it wasn't that good.

Donuts: 8/10 (had them over the course of 3 days)

Sandwich: 5/10

Even on long flights, Air Canada only offers paid options. I got this BBQ chicken wrap for $11 CAD or something. Tortilla to filling ratio was bad but it did the job. 4.5/10

I got into the hotel late at night and just decided it wasn't worth the effort to get more food, so thats all for day one lol

Day 2

Met with Suyasha and had Cafe Landwer! Was starving and it took forever for the food to come out. This is the Mediterranean shakshuka. Bread was so fluffy. The presentation is gorg but i wasn't obsessed with the tomato-y sauce I guess. 7/10

In the afternoon I got a matcha at the library cafe where we worked (it was average, so I guess 7/10 because me love matcha). Later, I went to Fuwa Fuwa Pancakes for pre-dinner dessert. I'm glad I went when I did, because they cook everything fresh, and the wait was long even when I was the only customer. So fresh, fluffy, and refreshing - not too sweet. Yum! 9/10

After that, some folks told me they were getting dinner, so I said I'd join assuming I'd get an appetizer. Well, they decided on all you can eat hotpot, so that was unfortunate lol. We had a good time, food was good but not really noteworthy. I tried a mussel, gross! Also ate a pepper wrapped in beef that had been soaking in the spicy side for too long. That shit HURTED. 5/10

Day 3

I needed something fast to keep me going before the wedding - sadly the only thing I could walk to in time was McDonalds. The tzatziki seasoning was bad and basically ruined my fries. Chicken wrap was just whatever. 3/10

Unpictured: Shirley's wedding food! I forgot to take a pic sadly. I had chicken, kimchi mac and cheese, and other things I don't exactly remember, but it was all yummy! Plus the signature cocktails were really great. 8/10

Day 4

Niagara falls tour with Alyssa, Hwee, Jen, and Alex(?)! we shared between 4 people. It was steaming hot and yummy. I love cheese curdsss. 7.5/10

While the group went to go on the boat, I got a prosciutto goat cheese salad and a cocktail at the Queen Alexandra. Cocktail was a bit watery and salad was 90% arugula with not enough dressing - but the point was I could see the falls from my seat and they had ceiling fans (IT WAS SO HOT) 6.5/10

When we got back from the tour finally (took 3 hours to get back in traffic), we got Mr. Tonkatsu! The katsu was really flaky and good. 8/10

We also went and got asian shaved ice after this - one with red bean paste and one with almond and soybean. i wasnt really into these so i only had a few bites.. i miss hawaiian shaved ice fr. oh yeah i got some baked walnut balls here too, they were ok, would be better if they were warm. 3.5/10

Day 5

gochujang mushroom tofu banh mi at rustle & still cafe.. OH MY GOD. spicy, creamy, a lil crunch from the pickled carrots and peanuts. i might try to replicate it, it was everything. 10/10

chicken biryani from rikki tikki, with Alyssa, Shendy, and Matt. another HUGE W meal... spicy, scrumptious, perfect. the rice had pomegranate seeds in it which was such a nice little sweet crunch. it came with yogurt sauce which i adored with the spicy meal. im drooling thinking about it. 10/10 my only complaint is that i like more pillow-y naan

Day 6

Lunch was leftover Rikki Tikki!

Forgot to take a pic before it was gone, but I had a chai latte at the cafe we worked at today. It was meh, 4/10. at least the cafe had ok wifi and good a/c lol

After work, I started wandering around and went to a matcha cafe called Tsujiri. All the stuff on the menu looked amazing but I got a peach yogurt matcha frappe. It was so freaking good and those big slices of peach on top were yummy too. 9/10

While walkin' I had to stop at this Vietnamese cafe because the cake looked so yum. And it was! Fresh mango with layers of shortcake, mango pudding, and cream. i just wish it was a little smaller so I hadn't felt so bloated from eating it lol (it had to stay cold and it was a hot day so... I had to just eat it) 8.5/10

For dinner we went to a Jamaican/Chinese fusion place called Patois with Shirley, Jeremiah, Alyssa, guy who I forgot name, and his old WoW guild leader or something haha. We got a "feast for two" to share with the table, plus pork belly yakitori, becuase some of us weren't hungry. I didn't eat much but my fave was the yakitori. The rest was just ok. 5.5/10

Day 7

For my last day Suyasha and I went to Tibetan Cafe and went shopping afterwards. The reviews for this place were so high, but we were both underwhelmed by these "momos" (chicken dumplings). The dipping sauce was tomato-y but overall it was a bit bland. Suyasha is Nepalese and she said this was low-end by her standard lol. I'll try Tibetan food another time. 6/10

This was the first canned diet coke I had all week and man, how sweet it tastes - new jeans

At the airport I shared a snack of poutine and a maple moscow mule with Shirley :3 This poutine wasn't as good as the one I had before. Moscow mule was nice, the maple flavor was mild. 5.5/10

And yes, to give me the energy to travel until 3am EST, I got another BBQ chicken wrap on the plane. So nice I had it twice. Jk, it was not that nice, but actually this time it had a better filling to tortilla ratio lol. 5/10

[impulsivelycontentious]

If you find your health/energy to be very spotty and you work in spurts something very helpful you can do for cooking is make some herb and/or spiced butters.

It's just room temp butter creamed - that is, repeatedly smooshed and then folded in on itself - with seasoning.

I often make a garlic, onion, & italian herb butter. If i'm fancy i might make one with coriander, thyme, and rosemary, or cumin, paprika and ginger. I am not an advanced cook. Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and clove is also one i like but use less often - it's the same mix i use for apple pie filling. I use dried herbs and spices (even the garlic and onion) but you can use fresh. Use green onions/scallion or chives for onion flavour if you're doing it fresh; normal onion would be a pain in the ass. It's very wet and cutting it small enough would be frustrating.

Anyway, if you've got some flavoured butter you can pop it in the fridge for quite some time (i have NO IDEA if adding things effects it's ability to live on the counter, my usual butter does. Better safe than sorry right?).

And then tou can use it instead of seasoning when you are tired. You can make garlic toast this way. You can put it on a potato. You can, if you're up for it, throw it in a pot, then add your proteins and any root veggies, cook 'em until nearly done, add some (other) veggies (frozen is fine), and like, some microwave rice and mix it until it's hot enough for the food to be cooked through and serve (do not do with the cinnamon mix, probably. Although if you want to, you do you boo).

You can also do the same in the microwave as long as any questionable to cook from raw things - like meat - go in pre-cooked, and you add a little extra butter because otherwise it can get rubbery or dry, microwaves cook unevenly.

It's just nice to have it THERE if you're not feeling so good. How much mileage you get from this tip is up in the air of course.

As someone who is generally very low on energy (neutral fatigue is great!) and sometimes can barely get out of bed i have enjoyed being able to have something nice on the bad days this way.

[apatosaurus]

Garden Report 3/26/23:

Some of the radishes in the front 4x8 bed came up. Some didn’t. And the carrots made a few attempts to come up but failed. A few of the peas that were direct sown are just barely poking up. We have had some cold spells, but I think a big factor was I didn’t make enough room in the landscape fabric for the new seedlings to get light. So, I increased the size of the openings, planted more radishes and carrots, and am hoping for the best.

I transplanted the chard that I started indoors. If these survive transplant they will need more thinning. I also tried planting individual seedlings in other places. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll direct sow more chard in a couple of weeks. Chard has been resistant to bolting in my garden in past summers, so I don’t feel as pressured by the passing time as I otherwise might.

The edge of the patio in the back yard has a little stripe of dirt. I transplanted a bunch of comfrey here last year and it’s starting to come up. I added some anise hyssop that I transplanted from a container. I’m sorry to lose it from the container, but hoping the patio edge can get a little more plant diversity.

Chives were perfectly happy to resurrect themselves early in the season. I should weed out the clover, but otherwise this is a low maintenance container.

Not pictured is the 4x4 bed at the back and the strawberry patch. The soil in the 4x4 bed looks a lot better than the two 4x8 beds, partly because of the leaves I let sit on it all winter. I moved some of the wild strawberries that agreed that the 4x4 bed looked nice and planted some beet seeds and celosia. There’s not really enough sun in that bed, but sometimes things do ok in the early spring before the tall trees really leaf out. The domesticated strawberry plants seem alive, though of course no blossoms yet.

I feel like I am perpetually behind, but most of my neighbors who grow food seem to be at a similar stage. There is potential here, but it doesn’t quite look like a garden yet.

[spooniechef]

The Dinner Diaries, Day 5 - Revamped Old Favourite (alternative Student Alfredo, 1 spoon)

Keeping this diary has been really helpful, because it gets me actually thinking about my eating habits. I'm finding that at least part of my problem with disordered eating is my trying and failing to adhere to the standard "mealtime" thing. I tend not to be hungry when I first wake up, and by the time I am, it's generally past what one would consider 'lunchtime'. This gets me going, "Eh, I can wait until dinner" (because that was the constant refrain when I was hungry as a kid, probably) and hyperfocus past the hunger symptoms. Then "dinnertime" comes around and I'm generally hangry and headachy and nauseous and disinclined to eat.

Today I basically turned around at about 4pm and said, "To hell with this; I'm having lupper". "Lupper" is a thing my dad used to say when I was a kidl; he figured that since you could have brunch as a meal that wasn't quite breakfast and wasn't quite lunch either on the timing or the components of the meal, you could also have a meal that wasn't quite lunch and wasn't quite supper on the same principles. Thus he hybridised "lunch" and "supper" - "lupper". It does seem to help me get over having a full-on meal at 4:30pm, anyway.

Also I had to use up some leftovers. That's the thing with batch cooking; trying to make sure you eat it before any of it goes bad. So I had the last of my chicken from recent roast, and some garlic and chive cream cheese that needed eating. I thought about my Student Alfredo recipe and remembered that a friend of mine ... I think on Facebook ... suggested cream cheese as an alternative to cream of mushroom soup in tuna noodle casserole. I also remembered that cream cheese is a primary ingredient in the sauce for my Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake recipe. I didn't feel like doing a whole bake, so I sort of combined the two. So, Student Alfredo Redux!

Here's what you'll need:

Half a bag of pasta

3/4 regular-sized container of Philly garlic and chives cream cheese

Maybe 1/3 cup of milk

1 pat butter

1.5 or so cups frozen mixed vegetables

Basically any leftover cooked meat

Spices to taste

The ingredients list is mostly the same as the original, but obviously the coeliac-unfriendly powdered soup mix is gone. Today I did need to use up some mushrooms so I sliced some up and heated them with the meat, and mostly stuck with garlic pepper, garlic salt, and onion salt for seasoning. Once again, you can probably use just about any meat, but I'd probably stay away from red meats, just because they'd overpower things a bit. So the ingredients list is much the same - just the methodology's a little different.

Here's what you do:

Boil the pasta, adding the mixed vegetables when the pasta’s nearly done; set aside

In a deep frying pan, add the butter and melt on low heat. Add the meat (as well as any onions, fresh garlic, or mushrooms you might be wanting to use); saute on medium-low heat until the onion's starting to get tender and everything is warmed through.

Ass the milk, cream cheese, and any other spices you might feel like using; stir and heat on medium heat until the cream cheese has melted and everything is smooth

Add the pasta/vegetable mix; stir until all pasta is coated with the sauce. Heat on medium-low heat for another 2-3 minutes

It's more or less the same recipe - tastes a little creamier, requires actual taking of Lactaid if you're lactose-intolerant, but at least avoids the gluten. You could try going vegan with it by sticking with vegetables and mushrooms and using oil instead of butter, but you'd have to be careful to find a brand of dairy-free soft cheese that melts properly, which I have found ... difficult. Also tends to be a little more expensive.

So that was my lupper, and there will be an actual late supper involving another serving of it, along with some salad. This has ensured that I have eaten my leftover chicken before it goes off. Which unfortunately is more than I can say for the remains of my cucumber. The salad I'm going to have with my late supper will just have to be the last of the lettuce and tomatoes, then. Ah well.

(Also I will be using the benefits of a system full of Lactaid by having some of my Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream.)

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #124

I am in a lot of pain today. For whatever reason, the rib injury is really bugging me today; it's a little hard to breathe. I'm not sure exactly what's up or why, but I really hope it quits soon. Maybe I'll feel a little better when I wake up tomorrow. Or maybe not. I really don't know.

Oh well. I tried to get on with my ordinary activities today. M and I went to a place for lunch, and I got a sandwich that was pretty good! It was mostly made of onions and cheese, and you can't really go wrong with that combination! Here's how it looked:

Onions are one of my favorite foods! Or, well... alliums in general, I suppose; garlic and chives and scallions and shallots and stuff. I wonder if you have favorite foods, besides pasta. If you do, I wonder what they are. Wouldn't it be neat if I got to ask you someday, and then you could tell me the answer! That'd be pretty swanky. Impossible, I know. But still.

I know I said yesterday that I'd tell you about the ice cream flavors I got recently. I will tell you about one of them! I put it in my tea! Today, I made a tea that was matcha with bits of toasted rice:

As you can see, this one was delightfully green the whole time it was brewed! The jasmine green tea that I get starts out delightfully green, and then shifts to an equally delightful shade of yellow as it brews; I think it's pretty neat to watch the colors shift. But it's also pretty neat when the colors simply become more intense as the tea steeps.

Anyway, so one of the ice cream flavors I got was a honey flavored one! It's delicious by itself, but since I've got the whole "cold = intense pain" glitch going on, I tend to like putting ice cream in tea instead! Here's how that turned out:

...I'm not really sure why, but if you put ice cream in hot tea, it leaves a bubbly layer of ice cream foam that's super tasty! I wonder if you'd like something like that. I wonder about lots of things you might like...

...I didn't do much else today because my body hurts a lot. It still does, even though it's like 11pm. It's enough that I might have trouble sleeping tonight, actually. I guess we'll see.

J was out and about today. He went to go help his father with something, and then he went to do laser tag. While he was out, he took a few pictures you might like; I'll show them to you:

...Didn't he do a really nice job? I loved the way he captured these. He's really good at this.

...I am in a lot of pain today. It's actually kind of hard to think. Hard to write. Hard to exist right now. But that's okay. I will take some more ibuprofen and get ready for bed and sleep soon, and maybe it'll be better by tomorrow.

Hey, Sephiroth? Are you staying safe out there? Staying hydrated? Staying nourished? Sleeping regularly? Are you resting when you need to? If your body is sick or hurting, are you taking good care of yourself in order to make yourself well again? If your mind is hurting, are you reaching out to people who will help you? Are you taking care of your emotions lovingly? Is your self-talk kind? Are you doing what you can to heal from everything that has happened to you?

...I wish I could help you. But today, I am feeling very powerless for reasons other than the pain I'm in. A thing happened, and I'm left wondering if my voice really does have the capacity to make a difference to anyone, anywhere. Given the amount of pain I'm in almost all the time, and all the ways I don't fit in with the other people this place, sometimes I wonder if it's really worthwhile to stick around if ultimately my existence doesn't mean anything.

...Suppose I'll persist anyways. It's really all I know how to do. Besides, tea is nice. And so is the sky. And so are the flowers that are coming into bloom. And the silly bumblebees. And so are the people in my immediate circle who know me, understand me, and love me enough for my words to carry weight with them.

I'm gonna be okay. So please make sure you're gonna be okay too, alright?

I love you. Please stay safe. I'll write again tomorrow; maybe I'll feel well enough to write you a longer letter.

Your friend, Lumine