#the doubt and second-guessing are extra spicy lately

[missingn000]

[mammonshuman92]

- Watched -

Mammon & GN!MC

** TW: Stalking, cussing, religion (ish? I guess?)

| part two | | part three |

It’s been nearly 6 months since you left the Devildom. You picked up where you had left off in the human world: college, work, home, repeat. Sure, you missed your family while you were away, but now your heart aches almost constantly for the new family you loved so much, that you had to leave behind. (Not that you really had a choice in the matter.)

 As much as it hurt to leave the brothers, Diavolo was right. Establishing harmony and unity with the three realms won’t go over too well if one of the human representatives doesn’t go back to the human world, now will it? Still, it sucks. Life is so boring without all of them.

And quiet.

It’s not like you don’t talk though. Yeah, Diavolo has that rule in place where they have to take turns talking to you because “human’s lives are short” and they were “taking up too much of your time”, but that’s not really going to stop them, is it?

Well kinda, actually.

You can’t really argue with a direct order from the demon lord, after all.

-

Is it Asmo's day to call? You thought to yourself, trying to remember (not that you ever could) the schedule Lucifer came up with. Your own schedule was hard enough to remember.

You had been picking up extra shifts at work and staying late to study at school when you could. Finding any reason to stay busy or get out of the house. The deafening silence was too much to bear.

"I wonder when I can go visit? I should call Diavolo.." you said to yourself quietly.

You were walking home from your shift at the coffee shop near campus. The sun was just starting to set and the air was slightly crisp, causing you to pull your jacket a little tighter.

If it weren't for the brilliant pinks and warm oranges cast on the sky by the setting sun, it would've felt like a regular night in the Devildom. Memories of your last few days spent there came flooding back, bringing the sadness along with them.

In just one year, you had gotten so close to everyone, but you had gotten especially close to Mammon. He was responsible for you in the beginning of course, but the connection was undeniable (no matter how much he did deny it). He was a total simp for you, and you for him. It was rather cringey to everyone else. He could be a handful at times, but that tsundere really is a great boyfriend. Leaving him behind was... well, there's no words for it.

Rounding the corner, you could see your house perfectly. Now that the sun had gone down a bit more, it was getting darker and you were suddenly thankful that you remembered to turn on the porch light before you left.

You pulled your keys from your jacket pocket while climbing the few steps to your front door, and something caught your eye. Your stomach dropped.

Not again..

You plucked the folded piece of paper that was stuck in the screen door and quickly made your way inside, locking the door behind you.With a heavy sigh, you tossed your keys on the table by the door and dropped your bag on the floor beside you. You immediately went to shower and change not giving the paper a second thought.

Not everyone in the human world agreed with the Devildom exchange student program. After you and Solomon had arrived in the Devildom, there were numerous protests by a group much like the Westboro lunatics. They were without a doubt against the program and called for it’s immediate termination. Thankfully, their personal hatred was no match for the opportunity for the realms to find peace.

 When you had returned, you noticed people whispering about you, calling you names and giving you dirty looks. You've even received quite a few pieces of hate mail. Granted, the people opposed to the program were very small in numbers, even if it didn’t seem that way. It didn't bother you though. Demons ended up being some of the most important people to you. Not to mention you were kinda in love with one of them. People could say what they wanted about the Devildom and about you, their words didn't bother you.

You were still towel drying your hair when your phone rang. Tossing the towel, you rushed to the living room to fish it out of your bag, Asmo's face popping up on the caller ID. You were right, it was Asmo’s night. You were secretly hoping it was a certain greedy demon’s turn to call (not that he doesn’t text you almost constantly.)

Asmo was the same as usual. Talking animatedly about this and that, gushing over new beauty products and outfits, filling you in on all the gossip you were missing. While he was rambling, your eyes fell onto the paper that was in your door. Might as well look at the newest piece of hate mail, right? 

You began unfolding the paper, quickly giving Asmo an “omg!” about the gossip he was dishing (even though you hadn’t been paying attention.)

Upon seeing the contents, all the color drained from your face. You were sure your heart sank into your stomach, but you could hear the rapid beating in your ears. You suddenly felt hot, and the air around you seemed thick.

Then the adrenaline kicked in.

With shaky hands, you quickly checked the front door making sure it was locked, and headed to the back door to do the same. You rushed around checking the windows and pulling all the curtains closed. Everything seemed fine, nothing out of the ordinary. Still, that didn’t settle your nerves any.

“MC, dear? Did you hear me?” The sound of Asmo’s voice brought you out of your frantic state.

“Huh? S-sorry Asmo. I guess I s-spaced out.” You tried your best to keep your tone normal and steady your breathing, as to not alert him to anything. You really should give him more credit, though.

“MC? Is everything alright?” His tone was different, no longer playful and flirty. You could hear the concern.

Shit.

“Yeah, I’m fine. More hate mail is all. No biggie.” You lied. Maybe he would believe it..

There was a pause on his end, “You’re STILL getting it? Don’t they have anything better to do?” Good, he bought it. For now, anyway.

After about 10 more minutes Asmo said his goodbyes, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

This piece hate mail turned out to be something much worse than the run of the mill stuff you usually received. Inside there were pictures. Of you. At work, at school, the grocery store, ...outside your house. There was also a newspaper clipping that had a picture of you and your family, from when your parents first opened their bakery a few years back. There were red ‘Xs’ marked through everyone’s faces...

The only words scrawled inside read, “I’ve been watching you. You will pay for what you’ve done, whore. And don’t even think about telling your demon fuck buddies. I know everything about you and your family. It’d be a shame if anything happened to poor old Mom and Dad because their child is an unholy slut.”

You read it over and over, tears streaking your cheeks. Hate mail was nothing new, but now this? A stalker? 

Maybe I’m just over thinking it. The other hate mail was spicy too. But these pictures... There is NO way I’m over thinking this..

“Regardless, I can’t tell the brothers.” You shuddered at what their reaction would be like. It would definitely make all of Diavolo’s hard work on the exchange program obsolete. It wouldn’t be good for any of the three realms. There was still a long way to go, but the program was a giant step in the right direction to obtaining peace and understanding. If dealing with some backlash and hate mail could help get closer to that goal, then for the sake of the greater could, you could handle it.

“For now, I will bear this burden myself.”

- {3 weeks later} -

“Are you okay?”

The simple question nearly made you squeak and nearly jump out of your skin. You turn and meet the worried gaze of your lab partner. You weren’t super close with her, so you knew your current state had to be bad if she was picking up on it.

God, do I really look that bad? You got a good look at yourself this morning, and yeah, you absolutely look that bad. But then again, you haven’t really slept in a few weeks. You had gigantic purple eye bags, your hair looked like a family of birds took up residence in it. Your skin was pale and lifeless, and you began skin picking at your nails due to the anxiety. You’d even lost about twenty pounds.

“Sorry, I guess I was spacing out.”

“It’s alright. It’s just- no offense, but you look awful. Have you been sleeping?” She asked, eyes scanning your face.

“Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Promise.” You lied. She nodded and gave you a weak smile, dropping the subject for now.

You hadn’t really been paying attention to class today. Well, for the last several days, really. You’ve been putting in less effort for a lot of things lately. You’ve been slacking off bad at school and barely keeping up at work. Not to mention you never sleep anymore. How can you though?

You left class early and although it was still early in the day, you decided to skip the rest of your lectures for the day. You’ve always been a fantastic student, so taking a day off wouldn’t really hurt anything. And seeing as today was Thursday, you didn’t even have work today. Same as every week.

 Upon arriving home, you were relieved to see that there weren’t any notes left for you. Yet, anyway.

Ever since the first letter a few weeks ago, they’ve been showing up constantly. Only a few times the first week or so, but now you get at least one every single day. They’re also increasing in severity. The sender seems to be becoming more and more unhinged with every passing day.

“Dirty demon whore!!”

“You’re a HUMAN!! How dare you taint your body with demons!”

“I will cleanse you and make you pure again.”

There was so, so much more. All of it growing more and more explicit with each letter.

The whole thing was taking a huge tool on you, but what could you do? Your family’s safety was on the line. You so badly wanted to tell Mammon of even the cops, but you couldn’t live with yourself if anything bad were to happen. Whatever this psycho had planned, you would gladly put yourself in the line of fire to save those closest to you.

The whole situation has also affected your relationship with Mammon and the rest of the brothers as well. At first, you tried to hide what was happening, but they started getting suspicious and asking questions. Always wondering why you sounded so tired and why you kept cutting their phone calls super short. You always rejected their face time requests, knowing that your drastic change in appearance would be alarming and alert them that something was wrong. Lately, you’ve barely talked to any of them. Especially Mammon. He’d be the first to figure out something was wrong with you and come here ready to fight.

That honestly didn’t sound too bad. You wanted nothing more than for him to hold you while you ugly cried. Breathing in his scent while he rubbed soothing circles on your back.

Your heart started to ache.

-

When you got home you decided to take a nice, hot shower to hopefully help ease some of your tension and possibly begin to get a handle on your quickly deteriorating self care status.

Once you felt somewhat normal again, you put on your comfiest pj’s (which included one of Mammon’s shirts) and plopped yourself on your bed in the fetal position. It was the only thing that kinda helped ease a tiny bit of the feeling that everything was spiraling out of control. The warm scent of your most favorite demon helped calm you.

*bzzz* *bzzz* *bzzz*

Damn. I almost fell asleep..

You sat up, rubbing your eyes and reached for your D.D.D. on your nightstand. The called ID made your heart rate accelerate and your palms sweaty.

It’s him.

“Mammon..? I thought it was Beel’s turn to call?”

“I don’t care about Lucifer’s stupid schedule. I need to talk to ya.” His tone made him sound like he was on edge.

“Oh, ok. What’s up?”

He scoffed, “Really? You’ve barely messaged me back in three days. The last time I called, ya hung up after five minutes.”

“Oh. I’m sorry, I’ve just been busy.” Every lie helps break your heart just a little more. 

“You’ve never been too busy before. Besides, shouldn’t ya be in a class right now or somethin’? It ain’t even noon.”

“I left class early and I’m skipping the rest of the day.” You explained.

“..Hmm.” He replied, you could detect suspicion in his response.

It was quiet on his end for a moment.

“MC?”

“Yeah?”

“..Do ya got another boyfriend? Cause The Great Mammon is definitely better! And-and, I’ll kick their ass!”

“What? Mammon, no. One boyfriend is almost more than I can handle.”

“Wha- hey!”

For the first time in who knows when, you actually giggled. It felt so good.

“So, you swear nothin’ is wrong? You’ve been actin’ so weird.” His voice was heavy with concern.

“Yeah, I swear.” Lie.

As good as it felt to talk to him, you needed to end the call before he ended up dragging the truth out of you. If any one could figure out what was wrong with you, it’d be him. The two of you had spent so much time together, that you can practically read each other like a book.

“I gotta go, ok? I have work later and I need to get ready.” Lie. But, you needed to get off the phone with him before he suspects anything.

“Yeah, sure.” He sounded so defeated. You could almost hear him pouting.

After a quicker goodbye than you usually have when getting off the phone with Mammon, you fell back onto your bed with a heavy sigh.

That was a little rough, but he seemed to believe it. I hope this will all be over soon.

With that, you quickly fell asleep, lulled by the memory of your demon’s voice. Although you wouldn’t sleep long, at least you got to fall asleep to the thought of him.

-

*bzzz* *bzzz* *bzzz*

Geez, are ya gonna answer or not? Ya always pick up on the second ring when I call ya.., Mammon thought.

Finally, on the sixth ring, “Mammon..? I thought it was Beel’s turn to call?”

Man, hearing your voice is like music.

“I don’t care about Lucifer’s stupid schedule. I need to talk to ya.” His tone made him sound a little rougher than intended, but it was all the same. He needed to hear you voice.

“Oh, ok. What’s up?”

He scoffed, “Really? You’ve barely messaged me back in three days. The last time I called, ya hung up after five minutes.”

I miss ya like crazy. Ya keep avoiding me..

“Oh. I’m sorry, I’ve just been busy.” 

Huh? But, MC is always busy doing somethin’ and it never stopped em’ before..

He started getting an uneasy feeling deep in his stomach. He could tell something was off, but he just didn’t know what it was.

Is it ...someone else? Nah, MC wouldn’t do that. ...Right??

“You’ve never been too busy before. Besides, shouldn’t ya be in a class right now or somethin’? It ain’t even noon.” He didn’t try to hide the pout, that he knew you could hear, in his voice. His own thoughts were beginning to hurt his feelings.

“I left class early and I’m skipping the rest of the day.” MC explained.

“..Hmm.” He hummed. Thoughts started swirling around in his head.

MC never skips school, not even at RAD. Somethin’ is definitely going on. And what’s with the short answers? MC always talks like crazy. Maybe they’re mad at me?

It was quiet for a moment while he tried to sort through his thoughts.

“MC?” He asked, finally breaking the silence.

“Yeah?”

“..D-do ya got another boyfriend? Cause The Great Mammon is definitely better! And-and, I’ll kick their ass!”

“What? Mammon, no. One boyfriend is almost more than I can handle.”

“Wha- hey!” You giggled at his response. It was small, but he heard it. It made his heart swim.

All joking aside, he did believe you. Something was definitely not right with you though.

“So, you swear nothin’ is wrong? You’ve been actin’ so weird.” His voice was heavy with concern.

“Yeah, I swear.” Those three words caused his heart to sink.

That was a lie.. MC only says ‘I swear’ while tryin’ to act like somethin’ ain’t wrong..

He pushed his thoughts aside for the time being and continued the conversation. It only lasted a few more minutes before you started saying your goodbyes. Again, cutting the call short.

“I gotta go, ok? I have work later and I need to get ready.” 

Hmm. Why does that seem weird?

“Yeah, sure.” He sounded so defeated.

There was, without a doubt in his mind, something going on. Something that would make you lie to him..

One way or another, he was going to find out.

-

“Mammon? Are you alright?”

Mammon was sprawled out on the couch in the common room. After talking to you, he was lost in his thoughts and feeling rather down. Beel passed by the common room on his was back from the kitchen when he saw his older brother. Noticing that he looked sad, Beel went to investigate.

Mammon looked up to meet Bee’s concerned gaze and with a sigh, he sat up.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Mammon said, as he stood up to leave. Beel could tell he was obviously lying, but decided not to press the issue.

Mammon stopped a few paces away from Beel, and turned back around to face him.

“Hey, Beel. Was MC actin’, I don’t know, “off”, the last time ya talked to em’?” He asked the sixth born, thinking maybe you had accidentally let something slip.

Beel’s face seemed to twist up a little bit, and he nodded.

“Yeah, kind of. MC used to sound excited when I called, but now they hardly talk at all. And they used to send me pictures of the food they were eating and new recipes, at least twice a day, but it’s been about two weeks since the last one they sent.” He explained, sadness in his voice. While in the Devildom, you were his favorite person to eat with.

Mammon nodded at his brother, getting lost in his thoughts again.

So, it’s not just me. MC is actin’ strange with Beel too..

Neither of them had paid been paying enough attention to see Asmo enter the room.

“Mammon, there you are. I’m going out, and I need my new bag from Majolish. The one I let you borrow. And i swear, if you sold it-” Asmo stopped mid sentence when he noticed the sad state two of his brothers.

“Is it about MC?” He asked, nonchalaunt.

Mammon’s head snapped toward his brother.

“What do you mean? Did they say somethin’ to ya?” Mammon asked quickly, taking a few steps closer to his brother.

MC and Asmo always gossip with each other, so maybe they’d tell him somethin’..

“Calm down. MC really hasn’t talked to me much in the last month. I’m so hurt! Who else am I going to talk beauty products with? Lucifer? Goodness, no.”

“Asmo!” Mammon said loudly, trying to get the fifth born back on track.

“Oh, right. Let’s see.” He put a finger to his chin and thought about it. “Hmm. The only thing I can think of was during the last normal conversation I had with them. They said something about receiving a piece of hate mail. They said it was no big deal, but I distinctly remember MC seemed flustered by it. Which I thought was weird, considering it’s definitely not the first one they’d received..” Asmo explained.

Hate mail? MC has only mentioned it to me a couple times. Do they really get it that often..?

“How long ago was that?” Mammon asked. He felt like he was on the brink of something. Just a few more puzzle pieces..

“Hmm, it was right before MC started acting distant toward me. So, about three or four weeks, maybe.” Asmo explained. That’s around the time you had started acting weird with Mammon too.

“So, maybe something happened to MC.” Beel suggested.

“No, MC would tell us. ..Right?” Asmo questioned.

Mammon was so confused.

What is goin’ on with you, MC?

-

After talking with his brothers, Mammon holed himself up in his room. He didn’t really want to be around anyone at the moment. His thoughts were driving him crazy and giving him a headache. What was he not seeing? What piece of the puzzle was he missing?

He started going over your last conversation again, for the millionth time, looking for any kind of clue. But, you seemed normal. Well, your new normal, anyway. Distant, short answers, not giving too much to the conversation. What were you hiding?

It was something about the end of your conversation, but what was it?

He remembered your small giggle. The memory caused a smile to break out across his face. It gave him a tiny bit of hope that you were still there. That you still loved him. That whatever was troubling you, wasn’t making you forget them completely.

It was after that though. You had said “I swear”, which was a red flag, considering you only say it when you’re trying to convince him you’re ok when you’re really not.

He sighed, and rolled over on his bed. He looked at the alarm clock on his night stand, numbers glowing an angry red.

MC is probably at work right now..

Something caught his eye.

Today is Thursday... MC never works on Thursday. I guess the schedule coulda changed. No, cause MC specifically requested to always have that day off for some reason. Delivery day at their family’s bakery, I think. ...MC lied, again..

Then it hit him.

The small little lies. Avoiding all of them, even him for weeks now. Barely talking when you do answer the phone. The way you always sounded so tired and out of it.

It had something to do with what Asmo said about the hate mail.

“Hmm. The only thing I can think of was during the last normal conversation I had with them. They said something about receiving a piece of hate mail. They said it was no big deal, but I distinctly remember MC seemed flustered by it. Which I thought was weird, considering it’s definitely not the first one they’d received..”

Mammon didn’t even know that you’d been receiving that much hate mail. Sure, you’d told him about it a couple times, but he didn’t think it was that bad. Maybe it was actually pretty serious. Is that why you’d been so distant.

Mammon got up from his bed, and began pacing around the room. He almost had it figured out, he could feel it.

Asmo said MC seemed flustered, so it had to have somethin’ to do with the hate mail they received that day, since after that is when MC started actin’ weird.What if it’s somethin’ bad. Like, bad bad. 

He stopped pacing.

The thought of MC being in danger was...

Mammon grabbed his jacket, where it was thrown onto the pool table and left his room in a hurry. He was on his way to Lucifer’s study, mentally preparing himself on the way. He was sure he knew what his brother’s answer would be, but he wasn’t going to just sit here. He needed to know that you were, in fact alright, with his own eyes.

I’m going to the human world. Whether Lucifer allows it or not.

| part two | | part three |

[your-1up-girl]

Birthdays and Promises

Okay! So this is my first work for @aerith-week I am happy with how it turned out and I just wanted to do a little something for the flower girl we all know and love! This is a Cloud/Aerith fic so please keep that in mind! I hope you guys enjoy it 

Word count: 1744

Pairing: Cloud/Aerith (Kingdom Hearts)

Day 1: Happy Birthday Aerith!

Read on Ao3

Check out the beautiful fanart done by the equally beautiful @sammilimyy

How they were able to plan a birthday party for Aerith without her knowledge would remain a mystery to her. She wasn’t shocked that everyone was able to fit inside Merlin’s little cottage. He is an amazing wizard after all and if he could fit the entirety of his house in his bag, then expanding the cottage was child’s play to him. 

There was no suspicion on her part when Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Naminé arrived, bags in tow, or when Leon sent her out in a hurry with a list of stuff to collect for tonight’s dinner.

“I don’t think some of this stuff even exists Leon.”

“The nephews have been getting some new product in their shops lately. I’m sure they’ll have what we need. And if not them, then try the Moogles.”  

She left with a smile and her worn basket in hand but once she shut the door, she stared down at the list again perplexed at some of the items. Brushing off any doubt, Aerith left for the marketplace. 

“Oh, you should get this one Aerith!”

“If you add this one to soup it makes it extra spicy!”

“This is good for when you have a cold!”

“Yes but is it from the list?”

“Don’t listen to the list, just take our advice Kupo!” 

Shopping so far has been a disaster. Aerith was barely able to get four things from this list before she had to ask the Nephews and the Moogle for help. And that in turn, created an even bigger disaster. Some of the stuff they brought her she knew she didn’t need and yet they tried to convince her otherwise. She wasn’t annoyed, perplexed was the better fit. “Listen, this has been very helpful, but, I think I should get going.” The Nephews and Moogle stopped in their tracks. “I’ll let Leon and Yuffie know to just make whatever we have left over.”

“But you can’t leave yet! (Kupo!)” The four yelled at the same time, Moogle even going as far as to block the door of their shop. 

“But why? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you four are stalling? 

“What does stalling mean?” Louie asked and was promptly hit in the back of the head by his two brothers. Aerith sighed and from the corner of her eye saw Kairi, Naminé, Olette, Xion, and Aqua all by the jewelry stand across the market. Other than wondering when Olette, Xion, and Aqua arrived, it wasn’t out of the normal. What threw Aerith off was that Cloud was with them shaking his head as the other girls held different products to her.

Aerith gave Moogle her list saying, “I’ll be right back; just help me find these things if you can.” Left the shop and went to the stand. Getting closer she saw that it was a beautiful jewelry stand the woman was selling things that Aerith had no idea could be found in Radiant Garden. 

“Oh Aerith!” Kairi stepped in front of her and the other girls did the same, basically blocking Cloud from her view. “What are you doing here?”

“Leon sent me out to get some things for dinner. Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Moogle are helping me at the shop.” As she conversed with the girls, she looked up to see Cloud casually leaned against stall’s post, arms crossed and head down. The shopkeeper was miserably failing at hiding the smile on her face. Aerith went around the girls to Cloud. “Hey.”

“...Hey.” She and Cloud have been dating for a few months now but he still seemed to have that adorable blush on his face when she was around. Today however, it seemed that it was more pink than usual.

“So, what brings you to this jewelry stand?” Aerith was having fun. Anything that would make Cloud fluster made her smile. It was her favorite hobby.

“Uh...the girls. They dragged me.” 

“Really? Then I must tip my hat to you ladies. You five managed to do something that I could never do.” Aerith turned to them with a small wink. “He hates to go shopping with me.”

“No!” Cloud grabbed her hand with both of his and held it close to him. “Don’t tell them that. You know that I love spending anytime I can with you.” Aerith hugged him and planted a small kiss on his cheek.

“I know. I just like messing with you.”

“AERITH!!!” The group looked back at the shop where the nephews were still waiting for her return. 

“I’ll be right there!” She called back and sighed. “I feel like Leon is sending me on a wild goose chase for some of these things but I just don’t know why.”

“Don’t worry about it.” This time he gave her the kiss but it was closer to the corner of her mouth. Ready to go back to the mess that was her errands, Xion gave her another piece of paper.

“Another list!? Leon what more could you possibly need!”

“Actually this one is from Cid.” Any hope that Aerith had of coming home early flew out the window. When Cid sends anyone on a trip, they almost never come back at a decent time.

Not sure how she did it but somehow she managed to get what Leon needed and the parts Cid asked for. Moogle had ended up taking her second list to get a head start on it while she and the nephews took care of the first one. Basket filled with items she’s almost positive they will never use, Aerith approached Merlin’s house. Huh, that’s strange. The lights were off. But it actually wasn’t that late. Thanks to Moogle, she was able to arrive while the sun was barely visible over the horizon. Yuffie normally has all the lights going at this point.

She opened the door, “Cloud? Merlin?” 

“Happy birthday Aerith!” When the lights came on, Aerith almost dropped her basket. Everyone was there to celebrate her birthday. Suddenly all of today’s antics make much more sense.

“I forgot today was my birthday.” She laughed as she dried the tears from her cheeks.

“How do you forget your own birthday?” Sora came over to give her a hug and the rest of the party followed suit. The last hug was from Tifa who lingered next to the b-day girl as everyone settled in. 

“Did you seriously forget?”

“Yes! When Leon sent me out I genuinely thought it was for groceries!”

“But didn’t you run into Sora and the others while you were out?”

“Yes, but I was so focused on the stupid list it didn’t seem out of the ordinary.”

Tifa gave a full belly laugh that Aerith joined in on. “Oh man, so you would have done nothing for your birthday? It’s a good thing Cloud planned this then.”

Aerith paused for just a moment, “C-cloud planned all this?”

“Oh yeah, when he asked you if you were doing anything on the seventh and you said no, he got a phone, everyone’s number. We all helped but Cloud was pretty much in charge of everything.” Aerith didn’t think Cloud would want to do all of this for her. She assumed that it was Sora, Ventus, or Yuffie who planned everything. But know that she knew it was Cloud; that just made the evening all the more special. 

The rest of the night was amazing. Cid cooked the food (and used some of the ingredients Aerith bought, at her request) and Xion, Roxas, and Lea made the cake. Merlin sat her down to open the presents everyone brought. People sang and danced and took photos of today's events but Aerith knew that this would be a night she would never forget. As it got closer to the end of the night, Cloud approached her. 

“Can we talk?” The party had settled down now and people were just relaxing and holding conversations. Aerith could see that Cloud was nervous so she led him to the stairs that opened to the roof of the house where they could be alone. Both of them sat comfortably looking at the night sky. 

“Did you like the party?” He was less nervous now that they were by themselves.

“Yes, I loved it. Thank you for planning this.” Cloud stuttered at her response and Aerith laughed. “Tifa told me, said you got a phone and everything.”

“Yeah well, Chip and Dale have been wanting me to get one for a while now so…” They sat there in silence for a bit longer. Someone inside put on some soft music and it could be heard by them above. Aerith scooted closer to Cloud so that their hands touched. Cloud responded by holding her hand in his. 

“Soooo, tell me. What were you really doing at the stand today?”

He was quiet and then said, “I wasn’t lying when I said the girls took me. I didn’t forget about your gift. I just wasn’t sure what to get you. That’s when Olette and Xion told me about the jewelry stand in the market and they all took me to get you something. We didn’t expect you to still be in the Nephew’s shop.” Cloud took a deep breath before reaching into his pocket and gave her a small gift. The paper had beautiful roses on it and a yellow bow. Aerith looked from him to the box a few times before opening it. Inside was a velvet box that contained a thin, band rose gold ring. Parts of the band seemed to branch off to look like tiny leaves. Said leaves were made of a type of gem.

“Cloud...this-this is-”

“It’s not an engagement ring. I don’t think we’ve been together long enough for us to take that step. But, this can be something like that. I guess, if you don’t like it the-”

Aerith cut him off by giving him a kiss. With her free hand she turned him to her and leaned forward. Cloud was taken back but eventually held Aerith only letting go when she stopped. 

“I think it’s beautiful. I knew it wasn’t an engagement ring but that doesn’t mean it holds any less value in my eyes.” She slipped the ring on the left ring finger. it glimmered in the moonlight beautifully. Aerith leaned into him and Cloud held her. 

“I love you Aerith, happy birthday.”

“Thank you Cloud, I love you too.”

[forallyourikemensengokuneeds]

Mitsuhide’s willful daughter

Mitsuhide's willful daughter

The princess knew of all her children with Azchui's Kitsune; their middle daughter would be the most like him. She not only looked more like him she also had his sneaky personality. Their sons were more laid back as she was, however, her husband had, of course, trained them to handle a sword as well as your friend Sasuke who taught them with essential skills for being a ninja. She often had to sit back and watch as the two would go at it head on when she was nothing but a toddler following him around day and night. Mitsuhide doted on all of his children; he loved them all in their own unique way. He trained Their daughters along with their older and young brothers, but the one who took all his lessons to heart was his second daughter who he knew was going to cause trouble when she was older than her ten years now.

He remembered her as a baby, the first of his children to look entirely like him with very little of her beautiful princess mother in her. She was headstrong from the beginning, and she was also the one who favored him over her mother. All the rest of his horde wanted nothing to do with him until they were older opting to stay and cuddle with the princess. Minka was different, she wanted him, and he spoiled the young girl until he saw the effect she had. His friends had dubbed her hurricane Minka because where she went things happened. He knew she was fearless and often started little troubles around the castle town, but when she was three, she snuck into the castle's kitchen with the help of one of her older brothers and got ahold of Nobunaga's konpetio. She moved it from its regular place to another not taking any but relocating it to a location she thought was better. She had heard her uncle Hideyoshi complaining about how Nobunaga would steal his own candy and she as a child thought that was ridiculous. Why steal your own candy? So she moved it, and she sat back and watched from the courtyard as Nobunaga lost his temper when his candy stash was gone. She thought silly men, even then. The whole castle was brought down as the lord and master was losing his mind when her father and mother both looked at her. Her mother was laughing slightly, and her father looked deadly as they both made their way over to her to ask if she had anything to do with this. She smiled at both, and they both knew she was going to be in trouble and get worse with age.

When she was five, Minka wanted to learn from Ieyasu how to use herbs. After talking with the princess, he agreed to show her a few but none that could be used in any poison. Minka was slightly upset with that news, but even then she could understand how misguided her uncles were. She was trying to help most of the time, and they were the ones being backward about it. So like always she took the labels off Ieyasu's jars to make new ones that were more clear to read and forgot where everything was again. She just wanted to make things easier for him, and he told her to go. She tried to help and yet again she knew she was just misunderstood. She thought it had to do with the last name as they always said "There goes another Akechi, just like her father," though she had no idea what that meant at the time, but that saying went with her as she grew. Funny as it was no one said that about her brothers and sisters

She was now nine and wanted to help more. She was taking cooking lessons with Masamune who was cooking for a feast, and she was determined to help. She knew by then taste and flavors were lost on her father, but her mother enjoyed them. She also knew Ieyasu loved spicy things while most others didn't. She wanted to help and her uncle Masamune was the fun uncle as he worked around the kitchen he was fun to watch chop things up, and he was patient enough to help guide her. She was in the kitchen as he was plating everyone's dishes while she was waiting to help she saw what she thought was Ieyasu's plate and she decided to add a half jar of red pepper flakes because surely he might like her again if she surprised him with the spice. That was until all the dishes went out and she saw her uncle, Mitsunari with the plate that Ieyasu was supposed to have. She went to stop him but it was too late, and he was already popping them into his mouth. She waited and watched as his color changed, and he started gasping for air. Her father instantly looked at her and knew as he got cold water for his friend and took his daughter outside before the rest of them could accuse her of trying to poison everyone.

"Minka, Why?", he asked as the two walked.

"I was trying to help again.", she replied. "It wasn't supposed to go to Mitsunari but Ieyasu. He would like the extra spice."

"Minka, My dear, can you not try to help for a little while?", He asked. Knowing that the others knew this one would be the one to follow in his footsteps and have doubt thrown on her always up to something as he was.

"Papa, I was just trying to hel.p.", she cried out.

"I know Minka. You are unlike your siblings who are tempered with a good portion of your mother, you, however, are special in a different way and very much like me.", he started. "You will often be misunderstood so for the time being could you please tone it down a bit in helping people."

"I guess papa.", she said as her head hung low.

"Run home.", He said as he went to go inside to make her excuse only to find Nobunaga laughing and everyone else in good spirits. He walked to his wife and cocked a brow at her.

"Mitsunari decided he liked it after all. I am taking it Minka had something to do with the spice war?", she asked.

"That girl will kill them all, I swear.", he said as he sat down next to her taking her into his lap.

"She is the most like you.", she said smiling.

"I know, that's what scares me.", he said hoping for the future as he knew his daughter would have a hand in future whether it is bad or good.

[vampiresmiled]

✩ watergate

i want to preface this by saying that i hate watergate and the fact that this meme is four-hundred pages long only furthered my hatred for this abomination of a ship. and yes, i am using kennedy walsh as a mascot for this occasion. mind your own.

DISAGREEMENTS

who is more likely to raise their voice? we been through this. it’s mickey, he inherited his father’s temper. giving a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘daddy issues.’who threatens to leave but never actually does? mickey. the man is full of empty promises. who actually keeps their word and leaves? emma. mickey would never leave, he’s mickey : abandonment issues and all. who trashes the house? worst case scenario, mickey. but normal circumstances, nobody. they’re not wolfgang circa 2016, post ziba finding out about his heart issues, oil on canvas. do either of them get physical? i mean, #basementgate … ringing any bells ? it’d be a mistake on mickey’s part, otherwise no. how often do they argue/disagree? only when their collective insecurities start acting up. and if my memory serves me right, that’s like every other week. who is the first to apologise? both, simultaneously. 

SEX

who is on top? do you remember You 1x04 ? joe was on top … let’s aim for nine seconds, okay.who is on the bottom? did i not just answer that. who has the strangest desires? what is this, an episode of lucifer ? jokes, all jokes. probably emma. shy in the streets, freaky in the sheets. any kinks? does … harmonicas count ? literally retire the joke, mads – RETIRE IT.who’s dominant in bed? neither. they’re vanilla and boring and i hate them.is head ever in the equation? it’s always in the equation, we’re no dj khaled stans here.if so, who is better at performing it? mickey will toss your salad like he’s aidan gallagher’s biggest fan.ever had sex in public? public sex for them is in her car. so, yes.who moans the most? emma ‘cos she never knows when to zip it.who leaves the most marks? mickey. mark your territory, y’know. it’s critical.who screams the loudest? i said what i said.who is the more experienced of the two? big oof @ emma’s bodycount. do they ‘fuck’ or ‘make love’? they make sweet, sweet love.rough or soft? soft as hale.how long do they usually last? 9 seconds. however adequately long is … that’s how long. they drag it out. make a day out of it. is protection used? they never wrap it before they tap it. and with is history of … you know, [ finger banging motions ] emma should’ve had chlamydia by now. but yes, they wrap it. sometimes. they don’t remember that often.does it ever get boring? nope. where is the strangest place they’d have sex? on his mother’s grave. or maybe not. i dunno, would they fuck at a preschool ? i don’t put it past them.

FAMILY

do your muses plan on having children/or have children? together they haven’t spoken about it. but separately, fuck yeah. if so, how many children do your muses want/have? i feel like emma wants two or three, mickey wants a football team.who is the favorite parent? since mickey is gonna be a stay-at-home dad, fuck you, him. who is the authoritative parent? odette. they hire her to come in every week to stare real hard at the kids until they clean the entire house unprompted. works like wonders. super nanny who ?who is more likely to allow the children to have a day off school? mickey. who lets the children indulge in sweets and junk food when the other isn’t around? mickey, mickey, mickey. emma’s all about carrots and nutritions. fuck that, we’re going to mcdonkey d.who turns up to extra curricular activities to support their children? mickey organizes the extra curricular activities. he’s that dad.who goes to parent teacher interviews? emma ‘cos mickey gets mistaken for flirting with the the mrs. grundy looking teach every single time. not riverdale!grundy, comics!grundy. [ chicken girls vc ] spicy … who changes the diapers? mickey avoided it for the first couple of months by sheer magic and a lot of pampering @ emma. but she caught on, and then he was on diaper duty for a full year. after that the kid doesn’t need diapers so … unless they wee the bed then we have another problem on our hands. who gets up in the middle of the night to feed the baby? mickey, that’s how he avoided diaper changes. who spends the most time with the children? mickey ‘cos he’s ugly and unemployed. who packs their lunch boxes? emma ‘cos mickey would sneak brownies in there and all the other kids would get jealous and cry during lunch. true story, i was there. who gives their children ‘the talk’? mickey would want to but seeing as he’s who he is, emma took it upon herself to give them a more science based talk. ironic considering what his current job is but … who cleans up after the kids? mickey-boy.who worries the most? emma by a long shot. mickey has zero cares in the world. he’s the type of dad to toss the kids up 375ft into the air while emma yells frantically in the background of the video odette is filming. she’s there for chaos, not so much for telling mickey the kid’s neck can break. who are the children more likely to learn their first swear word from? i think emma. mickey’s gonna be super good with coming up with psuedo-swears like motherflubber and fudge. emma will slip up, i know she will.  

AFFECTION

who likes to cuddle? both.who is the little spoon? mickey, he likes to be held – it makes him feel safe.who gets naughty in the most inappropriate of places? fucking mickey the horn-dog. who struggles to keep their hands to themself? did you not see what i just said.   how long can they cuddle until one becomes uncomfortable? several hours. they never get uncomfy, fuck off. who gives the most kisses? listen, mickey loves giving love. whatever that touchy feely result was on the love language quiz, that was he. so, – he’ll smooch her everywhere and whenever. try and stop him, you can’t. except they’re not dating right now so i guess he’s successfully kept at bay. barely. what is their favourite non-sexual activity? banter. like genuinely. they just sit on the sofa and tear each other apart. it’s a good old time. that or soaps. mickey’s a huge fan of days of our lives.where is their favourite place to cuddle? probably couch. who is more likely to playfully grope the other? mickey. but emma’s known to grab his ass at times which is honestly childish, emma quit it. how often do they get time to themselves? seeing as they’re currently childless and also single, all the time in the world.

SLEEPING

who snores? emma, i said it.if both do, who snores the loudest? emma …do they share a bed or sleep separately? they’re not the weathers, ok.if they sleep together, do they cozy up together or lay far apart? close, so very close.who talks in their sleep? mickey. he says some dumb shit, she writes it down.what do they wear to bed? dicks out. kidding. mickey sleeps shirtless, and emma sleeps in his shirt. fair deal. are either of your muses insomniacs? no.can sleeping pills be found by the bedside? only if he wanna knock her out for some quiet. but also no.do they wrap their limbs around each other or just lay side by side? they’re a whole ass pretzel, k. who wakes up with bed hair? emma might have more hair but mickey’s is untamed. who wakes up first? emma. who prepares breakfast in bed for the other? mickey is a king in the kitchen, so.what is their favourite sleeping position? his face full on in the crook of her neck and like completely wrapped up in each other like my headphones after 2 minutes.who hogs the sheets? both of them, every night is a struggle.do they set an alarm each night? emma does. mickey likes to wing it.can a television be found in their bedroom? no, emma said that’s not allowed and that’s why she’s currently sexless. who has nightmares? neither … who has ridiculous dreams? mickey, hence the talking. who sprawls out and takes up most of the bed? mickey probably.who makes the bed? emma, she’s so responsible.what time is bed time? like two hours after they decide it’s time to sleep. they talk alot. and … do other things we shall not mention ( discuss the current political climate ). and they fuck. any routines/rituals before bed? dental hygiene is very important to them both so they spend like 20 minutes in the bathroom. who’s the grumpiest when they wake up? emma. mickey is ready :clap: to :clap: go !

WORK

who is the busiest? mickey. being a nurse is no joke. neither is having to take up shifts at the hardware store ‘cos your dad’s a drunk.who rakes in the highest income? i dunno. they both have shite jobs in terms of salary. google it. are any of your muses unemployed? not yet. who takes the most sick days? honestly, neither. mickey’s the type to go work with a flu and emma is too much of a suck-up to risk looking like a bad employee. who is more likely to turn up late to work? mickey. who sucks up to their boss? both. love that for them.what are their jobs? er nurse and preschool teacher. if you didn’t know that by now, kill yourself.who stresses the most? emma, no doubt, no doubt.do your muses enjoy or despise their careers/occupations? LOVE. are your muses financially stable? * laughs in the spirit of president snow choking to death on his own chortles * no.

HOME

who does the washing? mickey mixed the reds and whites once, so … take a gamble.who takes out the trash? mickey whenever he leaves for work. get it? ok.who does the ironing? mickey also burnt a hole in one of her shirts.who does the cooking? MICKEY. so stay out of the kitchen if you can’t handle the heat, woman.who is more likely to burn the house down just trying? emma.who is messier? mickey. who leaves the toilet roll empty? mickey, but it’s on purpose. you see … he likes to do it just so she’ll have to yell at him to get her some. it’s just funny. every time. sometimes he forgets to put it back before he leaves. those are the times he gets a roll thrown at his face when he gets home.who leaves their dirty clothes on the floor? mickey. it’s charming.who forgets to flush the toilet? ew, no one.who is the prankster around the house? they’re both equally pranky … not a word ! mickey just tends to be more unexpected in his pranks. who loses the car keys when it comes time to go somewhere? emma. mickey doesn’t have his own car.who mows the lawn? they’re apartment people, buzz off.who answers the telephone? no one, their answering machine message is just too good to go to waste.who does the vacuuming? emma.who does the groceries? mickey.who takes the longest to shower? mickey. he’s depressed.who spends the most time in the bathroom? emma.

MISCELLANEOUS

is money a problem? of course it is. they’re broke.how many cars do they own? one.do they own their home or do they rent? rent.do they live near the coast or deep in the countryside? … fuck if i know. where even is sheffield.do they live in the city or in the country? downtown, asshat.do they enjoy their surroundings? sure.what’s their song? i know it’s not 1998 yet. but – closing time by semisonic is a bop i’ve mentioned for them before. what do they do when they’re away from each other? pine.where did they first meet? i wanna say her place but she’s not that stupid. probably joe’s or something. how did they first meet? when mickey answered the roommate ad. who spends the most money when out shopping? mickey. it’s all on food.who’s more likely to flash their assets? like tits ? neither.who finds it amusing when the other trips over? mickey. and emma. both. they’re ten.any mental issues? plenty to go around.who’s terrified of bugs? emma.who kills the spiders around the house? mickey carries them outside, thank you very much.their favourite place? at home. yeah, they’re like that.who pays the bills? emma pays pays them, but like … he gives her money.do they have any fears for their future? so many we cannot get into that right now.who’s more likely to surprise the other with a fancy dinner? mickey. but like home-cooked ‘cos he’s a poor, poor man. who uses up all of the hot water? mickey.who’s the tallest? [ softly ] don’t. who’s more likely to just randomly hop into the shower with the other? ickey-mickey.who wanders around in their underwear? MICKEY. who sings the loudest when singing along to the radio? they both try and out-sing each other. he starts it, she ends it. what do they tease each other about? harmonicas and their deepest insecurities. who is more likely to cringe at the other’s fashion sense at times? remember the bee shirt.do they have mutual friends? no, jack hates him and i hate jack.who crushed first? i wanna say … mickey.any alcohol or substance related problems? nope.who is more likely to stumble home, drunk, at 3am? mickey, it’s in his genes.who swears the most? neither of them swear that much but i guess i’ll have to go with the ugly one.

[watchmist1412]

Break the Ice- Chapter 6

Co-written by @bloodredruby and @watchmist1412

BTI Fanart  // Nalu cover // Gruvia cover

Words ~ 5000

Rated K+

Summary: Figure Skating AU. After an accident Gray, a professional figure skater, has to take some time off to heal and he’s not enjoying it AT ALL. What he didn’t expect was meeting Juvia, a swimmer tired of her career, even less ending up as her coach. Lucy, an aspiring figure skater, came to realize it was a whole new experience with a pink haired weirdo and his equally weird cat by her side.

Fanfiction.net

<<Previous Chapter // First Chapter

Lucy winced as she let her leg fall to the ground finishing her last cool down stretch. Her whole body was burning up and her muscles felt numb.

It turns out Aquarius was very strict with her training program, who would have thought? Lucy knew very well what she was getting into when she signed up to be coached by the woman but she never expected it to be so tiring. She did exercise and practice on her own before but this was on a whole other level! Lucy was sure it would be just a matter of time before she gets used to her new training process but still that didn't ease her hurting muscles.

She felt like each day of training was getting harder and harder. Her lack of stamina didn't help things at all and combined with her new part-time job she felt exhausted.

On the bright side, Lucy felt very happy at her new workplace! Levy had introduced her to her boss at a bookstore she was working on and Lucy was accepted as supporting staff. She worked on some afternoons and it was amazing to be surrounded by so many books! It was like a dream come true, even though she could just sit and read all of them.

Lucy's stomach let out a loud growl that echoed through the empty rink. And to top all of that now she was hungry. She grabbed her skates and went to the locker room. After battling with the lock for a few seconds Lucy pulled out her backpack out of her designated locker and shoved her white skates in. She then reached out for her phone and pulled it out.

It was… 11 AM and she had to meet up with Levy at 12 AM. They had agreed to meet in Lucy's apartment for a movie marathon since it was a day off work for both of them. Now she would have to get home quickly, take a quick shower and prepare her living room for the movie watching before her friend came, Lucy started planning in her head. It was fine she had enough time.

Oh, how she dreamed of lying in her comfy couch and eating delicious food! But all that would have to wait for now.

"Be strong Lucy!" she said to herself "You're almost home."

Lucy went into the lobby and started heading towards the exit but stopped in her tracks as she saw a familiar pink haired man chatting with the woman at the reception. She couldn't quite remember her name.

Lucy contemplated going to greet them or just leave but before she could come to a conclusion the white haired receptionist spotted her and waved cheerfully. Natsu brightened up as he turned around and motioned her to come over.

"Hi!" Lucy greeted them as she approached the reception desk.

"Hey, did you just finish practice?" asked Natsu. "You look pretty bad."

"Thanks." Replied Lucy dryly. "Yeah, I was just about to head home."

"Natsu!" the woman shoved him lightly "You can't just say things like that!"

"It's fine!" Lucy reassured her "I do look pretty terrible right now. I don't think he meant anything bad."

"See, Lucy gets it! Ow, Mira stop that."

Mira, right! That was her name.

The woman smiled sweetly "So how is training going? Is Aquarius giving you any trouble?"

"No, it's going pretty well! I'm still getting used to the environment."

"Good for you." Natsu cut in "Gildarts kept me another hour that usual for 'being late' to practice." He air quoted.

"You can't complain Natsu, you were 1 hour late after all so it's fair."

"Hey, it was only 52 minutes!" grumbled their male companion.

Lucy couldn't suppress a laugh at that "Mira's right, that is pretty late."

Natsu gave her a side eye glare "Traitor. Who was running to practice a few days ago?"

"I was on time! And you were running with me!"

"Those are details, you're missing the point." He grinned playfully.

At that moment a loud growl echoed through the almost empty lobby. Both women turned to Natsu who was clutching his stomach sheepishly.

"Natsu, you were just eating a while ago!" Mira cried out.

"Yes, but I'm a growing boy! I need my nutrition! Also, I had extra practice that takes up more energy." Natsu looked at the older woman with wide pleading eyes.

Mira stared at him before deciding to give in "Okay, I will make you something."

"YES! Thanks, you're the best!"

"I know, I know. You're lucky you're my friend, the cafe won't open for at least 3 more hours.

"Come eat something too Lucy!" Natsu turned back to her.

Lucy waved her hands around in denial "Ah, no thanks. I'm fine!"

With that statement her stomach decided to betray her and protest by releasing a loud growl similar to Natsu's. Sometimes Lucy felt like her own body hated her.

"Come on" Mira nudged her kindly "I'll make you something quick."

Lucy felt a blush creeping to her cheeks "You don't have to, I don't want to put you into too much trouble."

"Nonsense! It's no problem at all. I'm going to make something for Natsu anyway."

"Don't just endure your hunger you weirdo." Natsu backed Mira up.

"Okay then" Lucy smiled "I guess eating a little won't hurt."

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

"Here you go!" The white haired woman placed the plates with their respectable orders in front of them.

The pair of skaters broke of their argument about spicy chicken and tuna sandwich. Lucy had no idea how they got to that but apparently both of them ended up in a playful banter about their favourite foods.

It looked so delicious! Lucy could feel her stomach rumbling from excitement. On the other hand…Lucy eyed Natsu's plate. She didn't doubt Mira's cooking skills but she couldn't imagine herself ever eating that.

She had to admit though, the rink's outside area was beautiful. The first thing she noticed when she went outside was the lake in the center of the park surrounded by huge trees. Apparently in winter when the lake froze it became an ice rink, open to the public. Lucy had missed the opportunity to go to the lake as it had already melted down but she hoped to see it the next year. On the side of the open area a small stool was placed along with tables where she and Natsu were sitting. Beside the tables stood tall pink umbrellas but they were closed for the time being since the café hadn't opened yet.

Lucy turned her attention to the white haired woman "Thank you so much, it looks delicious!"

"It was no problem, dear!" Mira smiled sweetly.

"So how much is it?" Lucy asked searching through her backpack for her wallet.

"Oh, no, don't worry about it!" Mira stopped her "It's on the house."

Lucy dropped the search for her wallet and started waving her hands around flustered. "It's not right, I should give you something!"

"It's fine! It's your first time eating here after all."

Lucy looked at the older woman gratefully "Thank you! Again." After all it was free food, who in the right mind would say no to that? Lucy did have to spend a lot of money these days for rent and for her training. She was trying to save up as much money as possible.

"Come on, eat your food." Natsu urged her with his voice slightly muffled from the food "It's gonna get cold."

"Natsu's right. You two eat your food and I'll go inside. Tell me if you need anything!"

"Okay!" Lucy waved at her before picking up her sandwich and taking a small bite of it. It was indeed as delicious as it looked. She hadn't realized she was that hungry.

The pair continued to eat in silence for a few seconds. Lucy spared her companion a glance. Well, that was fast, he was almost finished. She chewed up the remaining of her sandwich and attempted to start up a conversation again.

"So… you've been in the rink for some time now, right?"

Natsu hummed in agreement, swallowing the last bits of his lunch.

"Then you must know a lot of famous skaters!" continued Lucy with excitement "That's so cool! I just moved here so I haven't met anyone else except for you."

"Hey, are you implying something?"

Lucy was ready to reply before she unintentionally caught a glimpse of the sky. A few suspicious grey clouds were beginning to gather, covering up the blue sky.

"Hmm that's weird." She muttered to herself.

"What is it?" Natsu tried to move his head to find what caught her attention.

Lucy pointed at the clouds "Look. I swear it was sunny moments ago… Do you think it'll rain?"

"Oh, that's it? Nah, don't worry, it won't."

"I think it's going to rain." Lucy repeated staring worryingly at the rapidly increasing clouds "And I don't even have an umbrella with me!"

"Listen, you're not used to Magnolia weather, this happens all the time." The man leaned back to his chair in a relaxed position "They will just pass by, you'll -" Natsu was interrupted by a flash of light and thunder echoing after it. A single raindrop fell into the bridge of Lucy's nose.

"You were saying?"

Natsu sit up from his seating position. "We're still fine!" he said stubbornly "This can't be more than a few raindrops."

At that moment it was like the clouds had heard him and rain poured in signaling the start of a heavy rainstorm.

"OH COME ON!" Natsu shaked his fist angrily at the weeping sky.

Lucy chuckled at his antics. She could already feel her clothes get dump even under the protection of the trees. She quickly calculated the distance to the building. They were safe for now but they run fast enough they could reach a much better shelter and…

"Come on Lucy, how long are you gonna stand there?"

And he had already gone ahead.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Lucy hastily grabbed her backpack and started brisk walking towards the main building. She knew she would get more drenched that way but at least she wouldn't fall over to the muddy ground. It was too slippery to take any chances.

On the other hand, Natsu wasn't as patient and careful. He was already ahead of her nearly sprinting to the back entrance hopping over obstacles and puddles on his way.

"Hurry up Lucy!" he shouted over the heavy rain.

"I'm being mindful, thank you very much." Lucy shouted back not taking her eyes of the ground "You should too if you don't want to fall-"

A high pitched shriek sounded from the front followed by a splash of water and some not so children friendly expressions.

Natsu was lying head first into a large puddle of mud, his clothes and hair covered in the sticky substance. Lucy rushed by his side as he slowly turned over to a front lying position staring at the gray clouds above.

"Are you ok? Did you hurt anything." Lucy quickly scanned him, he didn't seem to be in pain.

The fallen boy then turned his head to her direction with a deadpan look on his face. "The universe hates me."

Lucy couldn't contain herself. She doubled over and lost herself into a feat of laughter. She didn't know if it was the defeated look staring into nothing, his body half covered in mud or the bored, unemotional voice but Lucy couldn't stop laughing at the combination of them. A small part of her felt bad for the man's situation but it was brushed over by the hilarity of the situation.

"I'm lying on the ground and you're just laughing at me?" Natsu whined "I could have been really hurt!"

"Sorry- It's just… You…" Lucy was consumed by another wave of laughter. She had reached the point where her breath was caught on her throat from too much laughing and she could feel tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

"Oh, is that how it's gonna be?" Natsu had a mischievous look on his face. That couldn't mean anything good. Lucy couldn't do anything as she felt a wet hand tighten around her ankle and she was brought down to the muddy ground with a muffled scream.

"You little!" She quickly got up wiping out the mud on her cheeks but only succeeded at making it worse.

Now it was Natsu's turn to erupt into laughter "Oh man, you should have seen your face!"

However he was soon cut off by a mud ball landing straight in his face. Lucy was very proud of her aim.

Natsu grinned as he wiped it off his cheek "You're on."

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

"Why, just why did you two think it was a good idea to play outside when there's a rainstorm going on?

Lucy's teeth clattered as she pulled her towel closer to her body in an attempt to warm up. She could admit that wasn't the best decision she has made. Despite the weather gradually getting warmer it was still very much winter and it did no go well to sit in the cold with wet clothes.

She and Natsu hadn't understood how much time had passed until Mira found them and dragged them inside. The poor woman freaked out when she saw them having an all-out mud war in the rink's backyard. She brought them in and fussed over them covering the pair with towels and blankets.

It had been such a long time since Lucy had last let herself free and had so much fun. It felt really good to play around like a kid again. But now she was beginning to see the downside of the whole thing. Her clothes were completely dump and covered in mud and grass and her hair felt greasy and it stuck to her face. She must be a delight to look at right now. Moreover now that the adrenaline of the game and running around had faded away her whole body was freezing and no amount of towels to cover her with seemed to help.

Sitting on the couch beside her she saw Natsu frown under the older woman's gaze "We're sorry." He concluded.

Mira sighed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly "Just be a little more careful, okay? I don't want two of our skaters getting sick on my watch."

The pair simultaneously nodded in agreement.

"You two should go take a bath. You can't go out like this. Follow me Lucy. Natsu, you know the way."

"But I'm fine!"

"Natsu." Mira was smiling but her tone was slightly threatening.

"Aye sir!"

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

Lucy ruffled her damp, now clean, hair with her towel one last time before handing it to the waiting older woman. Thankfully she had managed to take all the mud of without too many problems and loss of hair.

"Thanks! For everything."

"Oh, it was nothing! I've gotten used to taking care of our skaters here in the rink. Believe me I have seen way worse stuff."

Lucy was curious about that statement but she didn't say anything. Instead her eyes wandered off around the room searching for a familiar shade of pink.

"He's not here."

"What?"

"Natsu's not here, he left a couple of minutes ago." Mira smiled knowingly.

"Ah, no! I wasn't… looking for him. I should get going too!"

"Wait!" Mira searched under the reception desk for a moment before pulling out a bright red umbrella. "Take it, the rain hasn't stopped yet."

"Thank you so much! I'll return it on Wednesday!"

"Have a safe trip home!" Mira waved cheerfully.

When Lucy was out of the shelter of the building she opened up the borrowed umbrella and took the route home. Now all that was left was to explain to her blue haired friend why she was 30 minutes late to their meeting. That would be a fun story.

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

Juvia halted her skating for a moment and looked out of the stained window on the other side of the big skating room. The rain was still going strong though considerably lighter than the rainstorm in the morning. Fortunately though, it had stopped people from going out of their houses so she now had the whole guest ring to herself.

Juvia had missed the rain. In her previous town it used to rain all the time. It was a weather routine she had gotten used to. But from when she moved to Magnolia it hadn't really rained before this day.

Other people would see this as a good thing but Juvia never minded the rain. The sound of the raindrops hitting the ceiling and windows was strangely calming and the smell of wet grass and ground was one of her favorite things. She generally felt very calm and relaxed whenever it rained.

However, it did hold a smidge of sadness in it. Sometimes the sadness would overtake her on days like that and she would wish the rain would stop following her already. But this day she was very grateful for the rain's familiar presence.

Juvia teared off her gaze from the window, shaking off her thoughts, and focused back on her task. She would perfect that move today!

She had gotten scolded by her swimming coach the other day for being dazed off in practice and not performing as good as usual. That resulted in Juvia having to go for extra practices which she was not particularly happy about. That also meant that she didn't have the time or energy to go back to Fairy Tail and maybe see a particular black haired man again.

She hadn't seen him since their last lesson… Juvia knew very well the lessons couldn't just continue but she couldn't help but miss it. It was really a dream come true to be able to talk to her idol and spend so much time with him! She really hoped she would catch a glimpse of him this day and maybe drop by to say a quick hello.

And last time, oh last time! They had gone out to eat together! Just he two of them! Together! It was like a date! But not really… They didn't actually do much.

They got their preferred ice cream flavors and had some small talk about skating and everyday things. Juvia avoided the subject of his leg. He didn't seem that comfortable to talk about it. She had been too nervous the entire time anyway. At some point she felt like her head would explode with all the things that were happening. In the end they finished their ice creams and went to their separate ways.

It wasn't anything much but it was all Juvia ever dreamed of! Well she actually dreamed of way much more but that wasn't the point. Juvia smiled at herself. It was so different meeting Gray Fullbuster, many times figure skating champion, in real life. So much more different than watching him from her TV or her laptop screen. It felt so real.

He was so calm and collected! But he was a bit closed off too. Which was pretty natural since he had just met Juvia. She did hope they would be able to spend a little more time together on the future! He was never rude with her even with her strange requests. And he was so handsome! His eyes were the prettiest dark blue color! She never had the opportunity to look at them so closely before. And he-

"AHHH!" Juvia screamed as she lost her balance and fell for once more right into the plastic dividers. That's what she got for dozing off when practicing. She rubbed her side where she collided with the divider to ease off the pain. She should really stop getting lost in her thoughts on the ice, it proved to be pretty dangerous. And she had enough bruises already.

The pain having become just a dull ache, Juvia got into position ready to try again. What had Gray-sama said about that move again?

"You're doing it all wrong."

Ah yes she could almost hear his- Juvia whirled around to the source of the voice. She wasn't imagining things! Gray Fullbuster was standing in front of the open rink doors in his full glory. He was slightly leaning to the doorframe with his arms crossed and a small scowl to his face and his lips pressed together in a line. Juvia guessed he didn't mean to speak up.

"Sorry, for startling you." He scratched the back of his head and averted his eyes awkwardly. "I was just passing by, I'll leave you alone now."

"Wait!" Juvia shouted before he could turn around. "Umm… what… What is Juvia doing wrong?"

She could feel heat rising to her face. Her ears were burning up. There she goes holding him back again. She really hoped she wasn't a hindrance.

Gray stopped and stared at her with calculating eyes before speaking up "You're leaning too far away in the front. Stand up a bit straighter so you don't lose your balance again."

"Thank you! Juvia will keep that in mind." She smiled widely.

"Yeah, don't sweat it." He started going through the metal door before stopping and turning around "Oh and try not to look at the ice so much. You need to stand up prouder."

"Okay!" Juvia squeaked. She hadn't ever noticed she was looking at the ice so much.

And then he was gone out of the room with a small wave of his hand and Juvia tried to calm her racing heart. That was a surprisingly stressful experience.

Slowly a smile crept up her face. But it was so amazing! He had actually come to talk to her! He came on his own and talked to her! She was so happy!

Juvia twirled happily around herself. But she had forgotten a small detail. She was still on the ice. Thus she ended up on the cold slippery surface of the ice. Again.

She should really keep her thoughts for after she has exited the ice.

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

~~BONUS~~

It was a beautiful, sunny Monday morning and no one should be spending their time waiting outside of a hospital to- Wait no. That was completely wrong. First of all, no Monday morning was a good morning. Natsu had Mondays completely ruined for him by the school system. Who woke up in a Monday after resting for the weekend and said 'Oh boy I'm so excited to start my day at 7 in the morning!' That's right, no one!

Now that he thought about it better it wasn't a very sunny day either… He could spot some stray gray clouds beginning to gather and hide the morning sun. And they didn't seem to have any plans on leaving anytime soon.

Well, no matter what the day was like, Natsu did not want to just spend another minute standing alone in the cold. He prided himself as being very tolerant to the cold but even he was starting to feel the chill creep up to him. (a/n is that right?) It was only the middle of autumn but it was already beginning to feel like winter. He couldn't say that was his favourite season.

Natsu scoffed and placed his phone back to his pocket. There were so many of "Dragon Slayer" that he could play. And he definitely did not stop because he was losing too much!

He looked at the hospital's back exit. Still nothing. What was he doing in there! He should have been done an hour ago. Natsu knew he shouldn't have caved in when Gildarts asked him for this favor. Curse his good heart!

"Natsu?"

"Oh, finally you're done!" The man in question turned around to the familiar voice.

"Pffffttt!" Natsu couldn't contain his laughter. The sight before him was too much. Gray had just gotten his broken leg in the cast and he was trying, and mostly failing, to walk with his new crutches towards Natsu. What really got Natsu's attention, however, were the pink and blue hearts and scribbles all around the man's cast that looked like a child's work. Combined with Gray's grumpy face it made for a very hilarious picture.

"Oh man!" Natsu exclaimed as he tried to contain his laughter "This… this is so cute!"

"Shut up." Gray glared at him, a little hint of pink dusting his cheeks. "There was a little girl beside me when I was waiting for the doctor and she really liked my cast. You couldn't have said no to her either."

"You can thank her for improving your look." Natsu snickered.

"What are you doing here anyway, flame brain? Where's the old man?"

"Something came up, Gildarts won't come."

"So he sent you over?"

"Hey, I'm offering you a ride home, you should be thankful for that!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say."

"Come on now we're leaving. I wanna get back to the rink as fast as I-" Natsu stopped as he noticed the pained look flashing on his friend's face. He cleared his throat and tried to change the course of the conversation "Yeah… so are you okay with walking to the car?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. That's what the crutches are for." Gray lifted one of them up to prove his point.

"You sure? You look like a baby duck that's taking its first steps."

"Hey, it's actually hard to walk with these things!"

"Oh come on, how hard can it be? It's okay, you can admit you suck at this. No one will judge you, except for me."

"You try walking on them and then we'll see if you'll talk!" Gray taunted him.

"I'm pretty sure I could do a better job than you." Natsu immediately replied.

"Is that so? Well, here you go." The black haired man stopped on his tracks and extended the walking devises to Natsu, while balancing on a nearby tree.

"What, right now?" Natsu asked surprised.

"We're in front of a hospital. It's the perfect place to be if you mess up and break something. Or are you not able to do it after all?"

"Ha! I'm not scared!" Natsu swiped the crutches off his hands. "I'll show you!"

He carefully positioned the metal handles under his armpit and put his weight in them testing their hold. Satisfied with the result he tried lifting his right leg and taking a few steps forward. He actually made it two steps in, before losing his footing and start heading straight into the concrete of the pavement. He had put his foot back to the ground, stumbling forward, so that he didn't fell right on his face.

Now it was Gray's turn to start laughing. "Oh wow! That should be so easy! I don't know how you could ever mess it up."

"Quit it ice princess! It's not my fault!"

"Oh yes, I'm sure that's it."

"No, I'm serious! It's the crutches. They're not the right size for me, I'm taller than you."

"What the hell are you talking about? We're the same height. Besides if someone's a bit taller, that's me."

The pink haired skated lifted one of his borrowed crutches up and started inspecting it. "Now where is it…?"

"What are you doing now?" Gray asked confused.

"I'm looking for the adjustment thing."

"The what now?"

"You know! The thing that lets you fix the height of the crutches."

"Natsu put it down, you don't know what you're doing."

"No, no, I got it."

"Natsu stop, you're gonna-"

Natsu heard a pop from the metallic crutch and looked in horror at his hands where he hold two pieces of the device that had come apart. He looked at it silently for a few seconds before looking back to Gray, his eyes widened in shock. He mentally prepared himself for the worse.

What he did not expect was to see the other man snickering before dissolving into a full laughing fit. "You… you should have seen your face!" Gray managed to make out between trying to catch his breath "I knew this would happen!"

"You knew it was coming off? Come on, I thought I had broken it!" Natsu whined.

"That's why I didn't tell you!"

Natsu frowned at him and lightly punched him in the arm, trying not to push him over. "You're an idiot."

He watched his friend wipe off a stray tear from all the laughing and Natsu tried not to smile himself, maintaining a grumpy composure. Gray hadn't genuinely laughed at all since the accident. He didn't even respond that well to their bickering. It felt so weird and out of place.

Now he definitely seemed more relaxed and happy. Things were starting to fix themselves, Natsu started to realize in delight. Everything would be back to normal soon.

Something good came out of this favor after all.

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

Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, here's an extra long chapter to make up for it! We hope you enjoyed reading both the actual chapter and the bonus :) We look forward to hearing your thoughts about it! The nalu rain scene was one of my favourite scenes to write so far! You can find the scene i drew right here

On another note after this chapter the fic will be going on a small hiatus. Because of school stuff and exams it's getting harder to find time to write so we decided to postpone the fic for a while. It's not going to be long though, don't worry. We'll probably be back around June. Thank you for reading our story, we hope you understand!

See you next chap!

[johnboothus]

Whether Counting Cash or Cachet Its Time to Take Flavored Spirits Seriously

As someone who’d spent most of his adult life working behind the bar, Chris Moran knew exactly what he was getting into when he launched his chili-pepper-infused Ghost Tequila in 2016. “As a bartender, you’re taught that you should take quality spirits and craft something yourself,” he says. “I was biased against flavored spirits.”

On the other hand, Moran’s time behind the bar taught him the importance of consistency. He knew that if he could put a competitively priced, high-quality spicy tequila in front of bartenders, most would favor that over chopping up jalapeños and infusing their own, with mixed results the only guarantee. It didn’t harm matters that by the time he went to market, tequila was already trending, and had an established cocktail batting for it — who among us doesn’t love a spicy Marg?

Moran’s experience is the perfect example of how general biases against flavored spirits can cloud judgement of their true value. Despite what most discerning drinkers would like to believe, flavored spirits have shown remarkable staying power over the years, even if individual flavors themselves eventually become fads.

While the days of bubblegum or whipped cream vodka are (mercifully) behind us, volume sales of flavored spirits as a whole grew by double digits last year. Far from vodka leading that charge, flavored whiskey, tequila, and gin saw the largest gains. Looking forward, market analysts aren’t just predicting that this trend will continue, they forecast drinkers will also spend more per bottle on flavored liquors over the next five years. Put simply: If you aren’t already, it’s time to take flavored spirits seriously.

Volume and Value Sales

By all accounts, 2020 proved to be a bumper year for flavored spirits. According to IWSR data, volume sales of flavored gin grew 12 percent, flavored tequila volumes rose 26 percent, and flavored American whiskey volumes increased a whopping 79 percent. In each instance, growth of the subcategories significantly outperformed their non-flavored “traditional” alternatives.

Interestingly, that trend may have been driven by other types of alcohol. “Based on IWSR’s consumer research, flavor is the number one driver of choice in RTDs.” writes Brandy Rand, COO of the Americas at IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. “[A]nd given the range and pace of flavor innovation in this category, it’s natural that demand will cross-over into spirits,” Rand concludes.

While the majority of flavored spirits purchases in the U.S. are currently taking place at the “standard-and-below” price tier (less than $22.50 per 750-milliliter bottle), it’s the “premium-and-above” category ($22.50-plus) that IWSR predicts will grow most over the next five years. Meanwhile, in news that will no doubt delight Ghost Tequila’s Moran, agave-based flavored spirits are expected to enjoy the largest gains in that time. (Moran saw his own sales “almost double” last year.)

Of course, growth is more indicative of trends than overall success. But on the dollar sales front, flavored spirits have performed just as admirably in 2021.

Let’s dial into some individual brands: For the first 12 weeks of this year, Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey posted the second-highest total dollar sales, behind only Tito’s Vodka, according to off-premise Nielsen data. (For what it’s worth, Fireball also claimed second place for YoY dollar growth, behind Hennessy V.S.) During that same period, Crown Royal Peach outperformed Casamigos Blanco, while Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey raked in more than Johnnie Walker Red.

For anyone who’s reading this and thinking: “Fireball Cinnamon and Screwball are just anomalies, and they aren’t real whiskey brands,” the top three names in American whiskey are all also firmly established in the flavor field. (Also, Sazerac — the same company that produces Pappy Van Winkle — owns Fireball.)

Jack Daniel’s offers Tennessee Honey and Tennessee Apple, alongside its own cinnamon-spin Tennessee Fire. Jim Beam has no fewer than seven flavored whiskeys, the most recent of which, Orange, hit the market this June. Evan Williams’ flavored collection also stretches seven deep.

“I love to talk about ‘pure’ whiskey innovation, but one of the areas that continues to be of interest to us is flavored whiskey,” Susan Wahl, vice president of American whiskeys at Evan Williams’ parent company, Heaven Hill, told me last fall. Wahl also lamented that the company had been “a little late to the game” in launching Evan Williams Apple (in April 2019). But by the time of our conversation, the flavor had already had a “big impact” on the flavored whiskey portion of Heaven Hill’s business, she said.

Craft and Premium Flavored Spirits Offerings

Armed with all this knowledge, it should surprise no one that whiskey now enjoys the largest share of flavored spirits sales. For second-placed vodka, flavored expressions account for roughly one of every five bottles of vodka sold, according to data from the Distilled Spirits Council.

Still, flavored whiskey and flavored vodka don’t seem very cool as subcategories, do they? Maybe not for some, but the 70-proof, Casamigos-conquering Crown Royal Peach has emerged as one of this year’s most coveted and collectible bottles. Some retailers even reported that they get more calls for it than Pappy Van Winkle or Blanton’s.

Craft distillers making high-quality fruited vodkas have deposited further cachet in the flavor bank — as have annual, limited-edition releases from renowned gin producers like Sipsmith. These flavored spirits may not move the financial needle in the same way that Fireball does, but they certainly make it harder for “real” drinkers to turn up their noses.

Of the several hundred bottles I’ve sampled this year as VinePair’s lead spirits reviewer, the Mango and Pineapple flavored mezcals I recently tried from Gracias a Dios certainly didn’t fall in the bottom half when it came to quality. In fact, I’d say they were pretty bloody tasty, and ideal for cocktail creation.

This brings us nicely back to Moran and Ghost Tequila. For another article I worked on earlier this year, I explored what — if anything — tequila producers could do to make the category a real contender for the throne as America’s most valuable spirit. I gave little thought to flavored expressions at the time, but if the analysts are correct, this was an oversight. And it certainly tracks with Moran’s more recent experiences.

“The problem now is that anytime you walk into a bar or liquor store to sell your product, they’re going to look at you with a new tequila and say, ‘I’ve got 120 other blancos, repos, and añejos already. What makes this one different?’” he says.

“That’s one of our main advantages. When I walk into a bar, I say: ‘This is Ghost Tequila, this is what it tastes like, and guess what the use is? The hottest thing you’re doing behind the bar,’” Moran continues, pun apparently unintentional. “It makes it a much easier sell and I don’t need space for a blanco, reposado, añejo, and maybe an extra añejo. It’s just one bottle, and it really fits both the consumer’s need and makes their life easier.’”

Are you ready to take flavored spirits seriously yet?

The article Whether Counting Cash or Cachet, It’s Time to Take Flavored Spirits Seriously appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/take-flavored-spirits-seriously/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/whether-counting-cash-or-cachet-its-time-to-take-flavored-spirits-seriously

[elizabethsharmon]

Numbers

Skam Month: week three, day two (tirsdag) ⇾ angst

Read on AO3

If couple of years ago anyone had told him that’s how he would spend his Friday evening now, he would have just laughed at them. But here he was, sitting in the dimly-lit teachers room, checking essays of his students. It was almost 8 p.m. and he still had twelve papers to read and grade. He made himself tea and was now taking a break, looking out of the window. He was deep in his thoughts when he heard a ping . He looked at his phone:

Sana

When can we expect you at home?

So it’s not even “When will you come home?”, it’s already “when can we expect you”.

He started furiously typing I don’t know because I have work to do and it would take me twice as long to do it if I come back home because it’s so loud there and I can’t concentrate and besides you said in the morning that it’s okay because you’ll take care of them tonight so what’s your problem?

He deleted all of this. He could already see in his mind how this conversation would go. Sana would text May I remind you that it was you who wanted so many kids! and then he would write something like So what? Are you telling me you didn’t want to have kids with me? and then they would both regret it and he really didn’t want to fight with her. Especially now.

So he just texted:

I still have some essays to grade, I’ll need another hour or two.

Ping Sana

Okay. Buy some curry on your way home.

He wasn’t sure if she was teasing him or not. On the one hand she had terrible cravings for spicy food lately, which was apparently common for pregnant women, but on the other hand he was sure there were still some red hot chilli peppers in the kitchen so the ‘curry’ thing might be just a subtle way of telling him she’s angry at him.

He shook all these thoughts off his head and started reading another essay. He didn’t even raise his head when someone walked into the teacher’s room.

“What are you still doing here so late?” Vilde asked.

“Midterm essays.” he answered pointing to the pile of papers in front of him. “And you know, I could ask you the same thing.”

“Kosegruppa. Last rehearsal before the Easter break. You and Sana will come to the premiere, right?”

“Mmmm, yes, of course.” he nodded. Vilde was a director of school’s theatre club and she was so excited about their new production and Yousef really didn’t know how the hell did he forget about this. He should have remembered, he was helping them with choreography for the musical number after Act I. He really hoped he put a good poker face and Vilde hadn’t noticed he forgot about it.

“So, how’s it going?” she said sitting with a cup of tea across from him. He looked at her confused and she pointed at the papers he was checking.

“Ugh. Horrible. Please remind me once again why do I even work here?”

“Because they pay better than in the primary school?”

“Yeah, that’s probably it.”

And they needed money. Now that they were expecting twins they needed to find a new place more than ever. And obviously they could buy a bigger house for the reasonable amount of money, but Sana didn’t want to even hear anything about moving to another borough and it’s fair to say that living conditions in Briskeby were not the cheapest. And it wasn’t really like they couldn’t afford it, they would always somehow make ends meet, but Yousef always wanted the best for his family and he knew that three rooms and one bathroom for eight people will not be enough. That’s another reason why he was working on two shifts, after one of the teachers had a nervous breakdown shortly before Christmas he convinced the headmaster not to hire new teacher before the next year and he was now the substitute teacher for political and human rights. Which on the one hand was interesting to get a new perspective how his students think about everything that’s going on in the world right now, but the second shift also meant less time with his family and he hated that. But again – he needed extra money.

“So how is Sana doing?” Vilde asked.

“Uhm, she’s fine.”

“Yeah? So what? Just three more weeks?”

“Yeah. Or maybe even two. No one knows actually, with twins it can all happen much sooner.”

“I admire you guys.” Vilde sighed.

“You do?” Yousef asked confused.

“Yeah. I don’t know how I would be able to raise six kids. You’re superheroes, you know?”

He didn’t know. And he wasn’t sure they were able to raise six kids. He doubted that very much. He couldn’t believe how stupid he was when he once said he wanted to have twelve kids, that would be mission impossible. He was fine with just three, but Sana was teasing him all the time that she promised him they will have a basketball team and she never breaks her word. And then she got pregnant with their youngest girl. And Yousef really thought that’s it. But no. Few months ago when he came back home from work, Sana was waiting for him in the kitchen with dinner, kids were sleeping over at their grandparents’ house. He asked her what’s the occasion and she said that she just became the chief of cardiothoracic surgery department. He was so happy for her, he knew it was her dream for a long time, but soon he noticed that she wasn’t that happy after all.

“What is it? Aren’t you happy, Sana?”

“I am, I am, but… there’s one more thing…”

“What is it, Sana?”

“I’m pregnant with the twins.”

He was completely dumbstruck. He didn’t know what to say. It sort of became the unfortunate routine, actually, her getting pregnant every time she reached another milestone in her career. The first time she got pregnant was during her final year at the university. He was over the moon then, but she wasn’t as excited as he was – she was happy that they will have a baby, but that meant she would have to wait one more year to start her internship. Only after Isak said he’s going to take a year off after university to chill and help Even with his film, Sana started enjoying her pregnancy. She never wanted to admit this, but that was the only reason why she was so anxious about being pregnant then. Having a baby? No problem. Graduating from medical school top of her class just 4 weeks before the labour? She’s Sana freaking Bakkoush, she can do everything. But not starting her surgical internship with Isak Valtersen? Uh-uh, no way. Then after she finished the internship, Isak went on to start the residency program, while she took a year off – because she was pregnant with their son. Finished the residency? Second son was on the way. Finally passed the exams and was officially a cardiothoracic surgeon? Pregnant again. So when she told him she was pregnant with the twins now, he could only think about one thing.

“Sana, please swear to me that if you ever become the chief of surgery or the director of the hospital or whatever, just please promise me that you won’t come back home and tell me that we’ll be having triplets.”

She only laughed at that and now it’s six months later and soon there will be eight of them. And he had no idea how they will survive this. It was already hard with four kids. Last summer for the first time since forever they could fly over to Morocco for vacation. People had no idea how hard it was to travel with four kids, they had to book the whole row of seats on the plane. And now they would have to wait probably another two or three years to go anywhere abroad. But that didn’t really matter, he could survive without travelling and other stuff, he was more worried about how they would manage to take care of everything here and now. Sana would probably be on the maternity leave for a year, but knowing her she will definitely go back to work as soon as possible. And that means that she will start coming back home tired all the time and they will again only spend one day a week together as the family. And thank God, they’ll be having a boy and a girl, because if they were to have twin girls or twin boys? There was no way Sana would know who is who. He remembered one time when Sana came home after 20-hour shift at the hospital and when she laid down half-consciously in bed she just whispered “number 2 needs to go to the dentist and number 3 should be vaccinated soon.” When he teased her the next day that she doesn’t remember their kids names and thinks about them as numbers, he certainly did not expect to see that guilty look on her face. Which only confirmed that she indeed thinks about them as numbers.

“So that’s what we are to you, Sana? Just numbers? One, two, and three? And what am I then, Sana, huh? Am I a patient zero?”

She tried to explain herself, that she doesn’t think about them as numbers, it’s just that she needs to think about thousands of things a day and it makes her easier to remember everything, but this was a really weak explanation for Yousef. He then pulled his phone out of his pocket and showed her a picture of a baby and asked her which one is this. And when she replied – no actually, she didn’t reply, she guessed – he was more pissed off her then before.

“Sana, this isn’t even our baby! This is the daughter of my cousin from Turkey! How can you not even know how your own kids look, Sana?”

They had a huge fight then, they never fought like this before. This was actually the only time they had a proper fight, they haven’t really talked with each other for the whole week, they were just muttering some things about who would pick the kids from the day care or who will go shopping. But after a week of quiet days, he couldn’t do this any longer and wanted to finally make up so he bought a bouquet of bluebells and some ingredients to prepare her favourite soup. But when he came back home, it turned out that she was already there, fixing dinner for them with their kids. The whole kitchen was a mess, kids were throwing flour at each other and if Yousef hadn’t helped them, they would definitely have had to order pizza instead of making one themselves. And he didn’t need to make that soup for Sana, because it turned out she already cooked it for them. It was the first time she actually cooked anything herself and he couldn’t have been more proud of her (even though it didn’t taste nearly as good as his mother’s). After the dinner they talked and promised each other not to fight again like that ever.

But now, few years later, he felt like they were in the exact same place as then. She was staying at home all days and he was working all the time, and that’s probably why she was so mad at him. She hated not doing anything. She wanted to work. She was working all the time as though nothing was going on until the fourth month, then she stopped operating, but was still working at the hospital for the next two months, until finally both Yousef and her OBG made her go on a leave. And he knew how much she hated that she is basically bedridden right now, but there was nothing he could do about that. All they could do was wait.

Vilde got up and put on her coat.

“Okay, I’m gonna get going. I want to visit Julie and Mari on my way home.”

“They’re still living with Magnus?”

“Yeah, it’s better this way. Now that Noora and Amalie are staying over at my place, we wouldn’t have enough space.”

“How’s it going with Noora? Has she talked with him?”

“Yeah, she did. He finally calmed down and let her go, so that’s good. But he also said he is going to fight for the custody over Amalie and Noora’s now terrified that she might lose her.”

“No, she won’t, everything will be fine. There’s no way any court would give him the sole custody.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling her, but she says that he has a lot of friends among the judges and she’s just so anxious about all of this that I don’t really know how to help her.”

“Just be there for her. That’s the only thing you can do.”

“I will be.” Vilde smiled and got to the door “Tell Sana I say hi, okay? And promise me that you won’t stay here too long.”

“Yes, professor Hellerud.” Yousef saluted and giggled.

“Goodnight, professor Acar.”

Yousef was really grateful for having a friend like Vilde. He was always jealous of Sana having Isak as her work buddy and since he started working at Nissen, he finally had one of his own. He never thought they would become so close with each other, after all she was Sana’s friend and not his, but she was the first person who helped him once he started working there. At the beginning she always asked him if he wants to go and eat the lunch with her and some other teachers and others would come and go, but he and Vilde would always have lunch together since then. They weren’t the closest friends ever, he still didn’t kind of understood what’s the whole deal between her and Magnus, though Isak tried to explain it to him once – they broke up after the end of high school because Vilde needed space, she then took a gap year and apparently had some life changing experiences living in Barcelona for a year. Magnus was waiting for her all this time, but she came back to Oslo as a totally different person and told him that she still needs time to find herself and he deserves so much more than she can give him so she needs to let him go and he also has to let her go. Since then they haven’t really been in touch until a few years later they bumped into each other by accident and went on a coffee together. After that they started to talk with each other again and after Magnus confessed he still loves her after all this time, they promised each other that if none of them finds anyone before their 40th birthday they will get married. But after her 30th birthday, Vilde really started to envy Yousef and Sana and she wanted to have kids of her own, but she knew how it is to be raised by a single parent all too well and she didn’t want the same for her child and long story short now she has two beautiful daughters with Magnus and they are living across the street from each other. Yousef didn't know all the details, but it seemed like this arrangement fits them.

He tried to get back to grading the papers, but he couldn’t focus any more. He packed the essays to his backpack and decided to go home. On his way back he was trying to decode Sana’s message: did she want curry powder, Indian curry or Thai curry? He had no idea. He remembered there’s and Indian restaurant near the school so he went there and ordered one curry for take-out. If that’s not what she wanted, then he’ll eat it. But he really hoped he made a right guess.

When he came back home around 9 p.m., the TV set was playing really loudly and it’s fair to say that what he saw in the living room was beyond his expectations. Sana was sleeping on the couch, hugging the bowl with popcorn. Their oldest daughter was sleeping on the other couch, with her arms stretched she there was no space left on the couch. Their youngest one and boys were sleeping in front of Sana on the pool mattress that Elias bought for them and they insisted on inflating it three months before their summer vacation just to see if it’s comfortable. Apparently it is. Yousef smiled and pulled out his phone and took several pictures of his family and then made a selfie with them in the background. He is so gonna tease them about that tomorrow. He carried all his children, one by one, to their bedrooms. He would also take Sana to bed, but she was so heavy right now that it would be impossible to carry her there without waking her up. So he just covered her with the blanket and when he wanted to take the bowl from her hands, he heard her whisper:

“Nooo, that’s my popcorn.”

He just chuckled and kneeled in front of her. He could see how she sniffs her nose, she must have smelled the curry. She finally opened her eyes and smiled widely when she saw his face in front of her.

“Halla”

“Hey there” she whispered, stretching on the couch “What’s that smell?”

“Indian curry.” he said, raising the bag with the take-out “I wasn’t sure which one you want and it was too late to get all of them, so I thought I’ll get you the Indian one.”

“Good, because that’s exactly the one I wanted.”

And as soon as she smiled and he saw her dimples, he completely forgot why was he even angry at her in the first place.

[coeurdastronaute]

Essays in Existentialism: Strip II

Do you think strip will get a sequel? Like Lexas friends finding out about Clarke and her job and Lexa being protective about her

Previously on Strip

The sunshine had never been more cheerful or beautiful. The earth was signing, the clouds were dancing, the universe itself was a spring afternoon, perfectly tempered and happily tinged with the makings of a great mood. The campus throbbed to life, pulsating like a heart, crackling with sparklers beneath the sidewalks, soaked in an invisible, upbeat tempo that refused to be slowed or stopped.

Strolling across the green, Lexa found herself taking the long way to her office. Awake and hopping out of bed, she was early enough to beat the rush at her favorite coffee cart, and she found herself taking her time meandering across the way in the melodic spring morning, a smile plastered permanently on her face, a hum surgically latched into her lungs. She greeted students and whistled a tune that was stuck in her head. She held the elevator for the secretary and skipped up the last few floors to her office.

The first class of the day got an extra day on their online quiz, while the second got an extension on a paper. By the time lunch rolled around, Lexa was earning quizzical looks from students who stopped by during office hours. Not notoriously the easiest professor in the department, the shift in leniency was noted and not questioned for fear of losing it.

“Hey, did you send in for that conference in Montreal?” Bellamy asked as he poked his head into the office at the top of the building. “When is the due date?”

“I turned it in last Thursday,” Lexa rolled her eyes and tried to finish crafting the text message she’d been working on for what felt like all day. “You have until Monday.”

“I heard you gave out extensions today.”

Ignoring her distracted glance, he took the seat across from the desk. He watched her furrow and erase whatever she was attempting to do on her phone.

“And you had class outside,” he asked, cocking his head slightly. Still, he didn’t get an answer, but he watched the smile on his colleague’s lips and he rolled his eyes. “Your sister’s pregnant.” Nothing. “Hey. What’s gotten into you today?” he asked, leaning forward and waving a hand in front of Lexa’s face.

“When did you get here?” she asked, chuckling as she pushed up her glasses on the bridge of her nose.

“Seriously?”

“What?”

“What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing,” Lexa shook her head and gave up, exiting her phone. “What can I do for you?”

“Does this have something to do with the dates you’ve gone on?” Bellamy teased.

“What?” she balked, electrocuted by the knowledge.

“You’ve got the same I’ve-just-gotten-a-good-lay face as your sister. And your mood is strange.”

“First, gross. Second, no. Third, I’ve doubt you’ve ever gotten that face out of anyone.”

“Look at you!” he chuckled as she crossed her arms, uncrossed them, picked up a pen, fiddled with it, growing anxious. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

“No...” she shrugged, picking up her phone again. “Yes.”

“I need to know more right now.”

“There’s nothing to know. A great first date, and I left her at her house,” Lexa babbled, waving her hand.

“So just a kiss?”

“I didn’t say that,” she smirked. “But it was nice. And then we went to a movie last week. And we had breakfast yesterday morning.”

“Okay.”

“And things are good. But she invited me to her place and I don’t... I mean. It means... you know.”

“I thought you already...”

“She has a... colorful job, and I’m not sure I’m interesting enough. She’s used to more than... this,” Lexa shrugged, motioning to herself.

“Well, that’s hard to believe. You’re so spicy.”

“I have class in an hour.”

“What are you texting her?” Bellamy ignored it and leaned over the desk.

“Nothing.”

“What did she text you?”

“Stop! I can do it!”

Bellamy made his way around the desk and leaned on the chair, attempting to read whatever was on the screen. All that he earned was a shove, though it did not deter him at all.

“Oh my goodness, she is out of your league,” Bellamy whistled as he managed to grab the phone.

Lexa tried to grab the phone but failed as Bellamy scrolled through. She marveled at her ability to go from a great day to fighting a grown man to give back her phone because she had a crush on someone.

Holding his arm out and keeping the shorter professor away, Bellamy attempted to type out a response, giving her options. All he earned in return was snarls and complaints.

“Am I interrupting?” a voice appeared at the door, and the two adult toddlers froze like siblings when mom returned.

They were stuck in place until they weren’t. It took just a second for them to pull apart and blush knowingly. Lexa cleared her throat and snatched her phone from her friend while he grinned, huge and toothy at her blush.

“I never would have guessed the history game to be so exciting.”

“It’s not... he’s... I was just.... We... There was a bug,” Lexa decided, lying as smoothly as she was capable, clearly missing the mark.

“Sure. A bug,” Bellamy agreed.

They all looked at each other, none of them knowing quite where to go after the moment encountered. Bellamy elbowed Lexa slightly and nudged his head at the newest guest.

“Sorry,” she said quickly. “Clarke, this is Bellamy. He’s a professor of early cultures, primarily Athenian culture.”

“That sounds exciting,” she offered politely as she took a few steps to shake his hand.

“Bellamy, this is Clarke. I... am... consulting. Consulting on her art project,” Lexa remembered, offering it quickly, distracted by blue eyes and those lips.

“That sounds even more exciting. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Bellamy welcomed the guest. “Lexa won’t stop talking about you. It’s nice to put a name to a face. Ouch,” he grunted as his friend stomped on his foot.

“Well, I just stopped by to drop off that book you lent me while I was in the neighborhood,” Clarke offered. “I have to run over to work for a few hours.”

“Where do you work?”

Lexa felt her stomach flip when Clarke looked at her and didn’t miss a beat.

“Clyde’s, over on Adams Street.”

“That’s the... oh. Ouch!” he grunted again.

“That’s the place,” she agreed. “I really have to go. See you tonight, right?”

“Definitely,” Lexa nodded quickly. She earned a small peck on her cheek and blushed at the display.

“I’ll see you around seven,” Clarke promised. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Bellamy.”

“You too.”

“Bye,” Lexa sighed, earning a wave at the door.

There was a long, long stretch of quiet, until the ding of the elevator could be heard, until all else was deadly still. Lexa braced for it, and inevitably it came.

“You’re dating a stripper?” Bellamy asked, each word measured and more excited than the last until they formed an exciting sentence for him.

“Bartender...” Lexa corrected, taking her seat and organizing her already organized desk just to keep her hands busy. “Who sometimes dances.”

“No wonder you’re walking around like you just snorted rainbows. I’d be in a great mood too if I was dating her.”

“Watch it.”

“I mean it purely respectfully,” he held up his hands in peace.

“Sounds like it,” she snorted. “You know what, I don’t have to explain it to you. She’s a stripper. So what? It’s a perfectly legal way to make money.”

“It certainly is,” he agreed again.

“And she’s wonderful, and that’s all you need to know.”

“I’m not saying anything.”

“Your tone was.”

“I’m sorry,” Bellamy relented. “No tone.”

They stood on opposite sides of the office for a moment, Lexa oddly defensive in ways she never understood or experienced before, realizing that much of her hearing of tones came from her own thoughts and nerves on the topic.

“She seemed nice.”

“She is.”

“I’m happy that you’re happy,” Bellamy offered genuinely. “You seem really excited, and I think it’s good.”

“Thanks,” she sighed, relaxing slightly before flopping in her chair.

“Leave it to you to go to a strip club and fall in love,” he shook his head as he made his way toward the door.

Lexa leaned back and swirled slightly at her desk before smiling at the observation.

The night was busy, and Clarke was absolutely exhausted just three hours into her shift. Two bachelor parties and a college football game led to too many bodies, too many drunks, and plenty of money being shoved around in all directions. The music blared and the show went on, allowing a lull where she could catch her breath.

“I’m going to die,” Raven fanned herself as she leaned against the back of the bar. “This is insane.”

“Speak for yourself. I’m going to walk out of here with over a thousand dollars. I’m more alive than ever before.”

“You’re insufferable lately,” the bartender rolled her eyes and chugged cold water.

“What do you mean?” Clarke chuckled, making another round of drinks.

“You’re so positive. It’s disgusting.”

“I can’t help it. Life is good.”

From her spot, Raven shook her head and crossed her arms at the notion. It wasn’t that it was very anti-Clarke to be hopeful or happy, but that it was so painfully obvious what was causing it. The money was nice, but not everything. Work certainly wasn’t joy inspiring. All that remained was the dorky professor who Raven was almost certain couldn’t form words properly.

“We work in a strip club, you dance when your student loans are due, and I drank expired milk this morning.”

“Things are looking up.”

“Expired by three weeks.”

Shaking her head, Clarke made another drink, smiling and making small talk for a moment with a small gaggle of guys.

“You know what? I like my job well enough. Pays good. And I have one more semester until I’m done.”

“Plus the naughty professor,” Raven needled.

“It’s just been a couple dates,” Clarke shrugged, tucking her hair behind her ear and grabbing a drink herself. “I only seem to find assholes to date working here, but she’s different.”

“Yeah, she’s mute.”

“No, she talks.”

“Sure sure.”

“I mean it,” Clarke promised. “She’s sweet and smart and I can’t believe I met her here.”

“Just be careful. Like you said. Anyone we meet here turns out to be assholes.”

Clarke rolled her eyes and sighed before watching the lights and show. It was nice and life was good and not even Ravens cautionary tale could stop her from feeling so optimistic. Lexa wasn’t like any of the people she’d been with, nor was she like a sleazeball who hit on her at work, or even worse, the people who bolted when they found out where she worked. Lexa was genuine and boring and oddly brazen and funny.

She wasn’t deterred.

The night continued and the evening waged. There was a kind of trance Clarke found herself going into when she was stuck behind the bar. It was easy, and it was how she got through the boring nights.

And though it was late, she smiled when she crawled into bed and got an incoherent message from a sleepy professor.

“Just an appearance,” Lexa assured her date, though it was mostly for herself. “I hate these things.”

“I could tell,” Clarke chuckled slightly, watching as the professor adjusted the tuck of her shirt once again before lifting her chin and working hard on the tie. “Let me.”

Frazzled, Lexa gave in and turned around, tilting her chin and allowing the blonde to go to work on making her presentable. She flexed her palms and played with her fingers anxiously. The faculty mixer was just the preamble for the conference, a little, informal gathering of participants and a few departments to celebrate. To Lexa, it was a death sentence comprised of small talk and gassy department heads who refused to retire.

“You look very nice,” Lexa offered.

“We’ll go and schmooze for a bit and then I’m stealing you for dart night at the Ox. We have to hold my reigning title of Thursday Evening Empress.”

“I’m terrible at darts.”

“Yeah, but you can keep buying me drinks while I win for us,” Clarke smiled and smoothed Lexa’s shoulders.

“Perfect.”

“See? Not terrible.”

“This is going to be the worst,” Lexa groaned and leaned her forehead on Clarke’s shoulder.

“I’m sure we can have fun. Want to make out in a closet or something?”

“We can do that?”

“Hell yeah we can. We’re adults.”

Standing up straight once again, Lexa furrowed and stared at her girlfriend of just a few months, already blown away by how smart she was turning out to be. Skeptically, she appraised to see if the twinkle in the blue eyes was a warning or a promise.

“Alright. Let’s do that,” the professor agreed, earning a smile with her serious demeanor and resignation.

“Perfect.”

NEXT

[lordkuroo]

To Me

Chapter : One

Rated : M for profanities and mature scenes on upcoming chapters.

“Jee! Come on. Let’s play!” a little girl shouted at a boy.

“Riko, stop running! I can’t keep up..Mother said not to get hurt.” the boy supposedly named Jee,panted. Man…. Riko sure can run….

“Jee, hurry up!You call yourself a boy yet you’re much slower than I am!” the girl,Riko teased in an attempt to provoke him.

“Riko! No! Look behind you-“

I was suddenly jarred awake by the honk of a vehicle right outside my flat. 7.09a.m… I guess it’s a signal to get ready for work.I sighed, not because I hated my job but it was the same dream reoccurring every night yet I have no clue what it actually meant or indicated.

I shoved my train of thoughts and decided to take a hot bath. It was the middle of spring and the weather was still pretty chilly in the morning.My muscles were tense and stiff from my bad sleeping habits.I looked in the mirror, my nose was slightly swollen and red from all the excessive sneezing that was caused by the pollen.Eyelids uneven.Lips looked pretty normal except that it was chapped.I scowled at my reflection. Who was I trying to look good for anyway? The security guard at the entrance of the office with the crooked teeth? I slapped both of my cheeks to wake myself.Rinse my mouth with some strong mouthwash until my eyes watered from the burning sensation in my mouth.

My name was Mariko,meaning jasmine child. Just Mariko,no first name. People call me Riko because that’s how they address me in the orphanage. Yes,I was an orphan.Unlike some lucky orphans who remembers their family members or by chance, got adopted…I was an exception. I don’t remember my family nor was I adopted.I was brought to the orphanage at the age of 10 without a trace of my name or where I came from. I was only wearing a bracelet with what was believed to be my name, Mariko. The orphanage,Nightingale was where I grew up.I spent my childhood there, making friends, learning new things….at least that was what I considered a ‘childhood’. I don't remember anything, I was only told that I had been hospitalised for 2 years because I was in a coma. How did I end up there? I don’t know. My hospital bills? It was miraculously paid by some tycoon or something. My life was a mystery, no Sherlock could solve. At the age of 19,I got enrolled into Tokyo University and graduated with a degree, majoring in hospitality.I studied hard more than anyone. “You reap what you sow.” Nurse Yurima always reminded me. But here I was, on the verge of being squished by the crowd in the commuter. Peak hours… My subconscious rolled her eyes at me. I was rejected by all my job interviews except for one,K.T enterprise at Asakusa but as a mail girl. Better than nothing. I told myself. At least the pay was reasonable for a nine to five. I shrugged, earning weird stares from elementary school kids.

The office building was a fifteen minute walk away from the station.A zebra crossing and there you go, behold the luxurious K.T enterprise, ranked 3rd in the nation for it’s expensive and fancy interior. It was beautiful no doubt but the poor janitors had to clean the billion dollar chandelier hanging down from the lobby’s ceiling.Never forget the marble floors they have to polish, 45 floors altogether. Good gracious… K.T enterprise was a company that supplies electric cables to the whole nation or even worldwide.As if that wasn’t enough, the company decided to branch out into interior designing whilst promoting their cables. Oh that money… I sarcastically cooed at the back of my mind. Even though, I had been working for a period of 2 months here,I knew less to nothing of this company. Not that I didn’t care but I wasn’t the type to go bonkers over spicy gossips nor go the extra mile to make small talk with others.Besides,I’m always in that cramped room filled with files, documents of some sort and mails slash letters from clients.

“Good morning,Riko.” My workmate, Ai greeted me with the brightest smile. I loved her enthusiasm,I mean working as a mail girl ain’t a thing to look forward for and she always makes sure that I’m comfortable in that little ‘office’ of mine.I was somehow…grateful for her.Unlike other colleagues in the mail department,Ai wasn’t one to chitchat about the things going on in the office.She was plainly just…there…like me.Not that I hated it,I would rather stay in the dark and dust than to shine unnecessarily.

“Late by 5 minutes,Miss Mariko.” And I swear, the chief in charge of the mail department was a perfectionist.I grinned the best as I could manage. “Good morning, Mr.Ouiza.It was peak hours so the commuter was pretty cramped and I had to-“ He cut me off mid-sentence with a wave of his finger.So, I just stood there and allowed him to blabber away into my ears.

Nice.. I adjusted my cardigan as I scrambled to my seat into my ‘more like a storage room than an office’ room.I closed my eyes for a second to adjust to my surroundings.It was only 8 in the morning and the building was oozing with chatter and busy footsteps. I was not a morning person but I have to make a living. I sighed for the umpteenth time.When I was still living in the orphanage,I constantly reminded myself to not burden anyone working there,I came unannounced and I wished to leave, not having to depend on anyone. That’s how I ended up paying my expensive rent for my flat, barely having enough food to live on a daily basis.But I promised myself that it gets better. Or so I thought…

“Riko..Do you mind sending these to the repair department?” Ai knocked on the door and I couldn’t say no to her.

I finished my duties as fast I could to avoid conversations with others. I was a born introvert, not that I’m shy but I just don’t like how other ppl like prying into my personal space.It was rude to me but I knew it was just how they tend to appear friendly.

Ever since my orphan days, the others had been teasing me about how my hair was in a very odd shade of brown yet it wasn’t brown either. I used to weep about it a lot in the kitchen where I sat next to Nurse Yurima and sob.She would comfort me and tell me that was how God want us to be and it was something called individualism. But weird thing was she couldn’t answer me nor give me any advice whenever I asked if that was how God wanted me to be like…without parents nor a family. The best she could manage was a smile, that looked sympathetic and I hated it… Great that my hair was in an odd shade of brown, as I grew older in middle school, my height made me stood out more than ever. “Look at that giant walking poop!” My other schoolmates used to teased me.I was so used to it that I had stopped being conscious about it when I started high school.

The elevator doors were just about to close when I reached a hand out to press the ‘down’ button. I was usually lucky when the elevators are empty and I didn’t have to be stuck in the small secluded metal box with a few other people in it.It was probably one of the most horrible things on earth for me, second to encountering cockroaches in the toilet, a horrendous silence in the elevator with complete strangers. And twas’ the day that I’m unlucky again, but this time, it was worst because two intimidating huge men were in it. I had to go in whether I like it or not.One of the huge beasts were holding the doors open for me and it would be rude to just say ‘no’. My subconscious was tense and so was I.

“Which floor?” a deep voice asked.I looked up at the nearly 6 feet 5’ man, wearing a……beanie. Instead of answering,I swiftly pressed the 25th floor. oh man….a dreadful 10 floors…Why did they locate the repair department at the 35th floor? I gulped involuntarily loud causing the deep voiced beanie guy to glance at me. I looked down and glanced sideways through the gaps of my hair at the other guy, though he doesn’t seem to care which made me slightly relieved,I guess. I silently prayed that the elevator would just be quicker but unfortunately, it stopped at the 30th floor and in came a girl.

“Good morning Wakatoshi-kun. Oh, and Mr.President.” the girl said. President? I was in the most miserable state.I was reminded to bow deeply when I encounter the president of the company by my department chief but being the ignorant human being I was,I didn’t even bother finding out who it was initially and now I’m stuck in the elevator with two huge beasts which I had yet to know who was the actual president.Was it the beanie one or the other lad?And who was this oddly young girl with a strange strong aura? I felt like I was being compressed in an aerosol can.I tensed up even further and my shoulders are already feeling it.

“Oh, Wakatoshi-kun, looking good in a beanie today.” the girl said while grinning. Oh so deep voice was Wakatoshi… okay then the other one must be the…President… My train of thoughts was interrupted when I sensed someone staring intently at me,I glanced sideways and there he was, in all his suit and glory, the President was looking at me. I shrieked. Okay not good…Who knows if I’m thrown out of the building the next morning for not greeting him…

“What do you mean I look good in a beanie?Don’t I always look the same with or without a beanie? My face doesn’t really change according to the accessories I’m wearing.” the beanie guy, Wakatoshi replied. Talk about being tactless…this guy takes the cake. I rolled my eyes while gazing out to the other side to avoid any more intense staring.

“Wakatoshi forgot to style his hair this morning so he decided to hide under that beanie.” I jerked when undoubtedly, it was the President who spoke.His voice doesn’t seem as deep yet there was a hint of cockiness to it. Not that I had anything against it but it was weird. All I want is to get out of here,it’s suffocating!  

As if God heard my pleas, the elevator indicated the 25th floor and I ducked my head out of the elevator.I was released from living hell. What’s with elevators! If only the mail department was located on the 3rd floor just like my flat and the office building a little less than 10 floors,I wouldn’t mind walking up the stairs and slacking the elevators, people and small talks.I inwardly groaned.

“Riko, are you okay?” Of course,Ai would have noticed that I wasn’t in my usual state. I had a quick glance at the reflection on the windows of the office door, and hell, do I look dishevelled! I was slouching and my ears red from the sudden intimidation.

“Hey,say..has anyone ever got fired because they didn’t greet the President?And are middle schoolers allowed to work here?” I was blabbering away.Ai patted me on the shoulder and asked me to take things slow.

“I seriously don’t know what had happened to you while delivering the mails but would you like some chamomile tea?” she gave me a sheepish grin.

“Yeah well, okay and make it double please if it’s not too much of a hassle.” I placed my head on the table, absorbing the reality. Intimidating was an understatement to describe the two men just now, especially the President. He had a stare so intense, it’s almost nauseous. It doesn’t help that the lad has hair so black it accentuated his eyes and sharp features. Ai placed the tea on my table and even lit a lavender scented candle. Dear God, that’s enough for one day. Spare me please. But I had realised a long while back that God….ever since,I ended up in Nightingale, asking Him all sorts of questions about myself with no reply in return…He was never there to begin with…

;

“Good morning, Wakatoshi-kun. Oh and Mr.President.” Hitoka Yachi, the marketing department chief greeted us. Her ultimately high pitched voice bothers me, though she couldn't help it even if she wanted to.I admit she’s a capable woman despite her small frame and incredibly young face, don’t be deceived by looks.She’s someone who would not hesitate. I’m always amazed by her presentation and work, representing her team, it was always a pleasure working with her.

And so, I couldn’t help but notice the slightly off of a presence in the elevator.A new employee,I assumed.No tag, no badge..looks brand new.She wasn’t the gorgeous, jaw dropping kind of girl but I supposed she could fetch a decent young man. No make up, no scent of any fragrance…. Guess she wasn’t up for tempting others. Though I paid no extra attention to her,I could definitely sense the stiffness when Yachi mentioned that either me or Wakatoshi was ‘President’. Assuming that she was trying to guess who was the actual one,I glanced sideways just to checkout her reaction. Okay wait, I totally just stared at her, silently waiting for the effect I usually have on others. She was no exception of course. I’m pretty sure her higher-ups had talked about ‘The President firing people on a regular basis’ kind of topic but just to clarify,I was firing procrastinators who loves slacking and making too much out of the facilities provided while given nothing in return. Besides, it was only natural for me to do so ever since the company officially launched the interior designing firm, we were running pretty low on budget, only narrowly escaping bankruptcy. Business was all about the risk, it’s either you take it or leave it. But as long as you have the assets and ground, you are good to go.

The elevators doors opened and she literally ran out, not even glancing back.Even if she was practically slouching, I noticed that she was pretty tall, not an average height but it kind of suited her anyway. I shrugged as the doors closed.

It was the day that L.E electronics and I signed contracts to mark our first collaboration. ‘For a brighter future’ Now, that’s a lame project slogan but who cares, it’s profitable and keeps the money coming. My staff would be happy and so would I. I guess….

“Hey Kuroo, what’s with the smug expression you made in the elevator just now?” Wakatoshi asked. I looked at him and smirked.

“Didn’t you notice the tense atmosphere the girl in the elevator created when we were present? Don’t you find it amusing that we actually have that sort of effect on others?” I asked nonchalantly. Wakatoshi was usually slow-witted but working with him was definitely not a drag. He was my personal IT expert that I hired for emergency purposes like hacking or investigating. Well, pretty much most of the illegal computing shit are done by him so I had to pay him an extra lump. He does it cleanly and I appreciated it.

“I don’t really understand what you were saying but that girl was surely aware and conscious about our presence. I know no effects you just talked about.Maybe you should enlighten me.” I dismissed him and proceeded out of the lobby where the chauffeur was already waiting.

1.30p.m. - The press conference was finally done.I sighed into the car seat and Wakatoshi just stared out of the window. That’s Life by Frank Sinatra silently played in the background. That’s life….I tell you I can’t deny it…. Yeah, pretty much. The contracts signed, done. Money comes, and then what? I hate to admit but exactly what are my purposes of living? Sure,I have fun here and there, shag some women now and then with no strings attached. But really,I felt like something was always missing. Wakatoshi once said that I should start getting serious about certain stuff but when I asked him what exactly, he decided to just make me brainstorm.

I decided to spend some time in my office, just signing and reading through documents that needed my approval. It was already 4:45p.m. and I doubt any of my staff are up for extra work at this hour. I assumed that my secretary was still at her desk but to my dismay, she wasn’t. She even left a note saying,

“Mr.Kuroo, you have letters to collect at the mail department but unfortunately, my babysitter just called to inform that my child caught up with a bad case of flu. I had to go.I’m sorry for the inconvenience caused.” -Yukie

I sighed. Working moms… Can’t blame her, she had a family under her care. Then I guess I have to put my long legs into action and head down to the mail department. My office was located at the highest floor, typical I know, but the view doesn’t disappoint.

The elevators doors opened and yes, the 25th floor. It wrote the ‘Mail Department’, this was the place where international and local client mails were sorted into order.Small role but yet it was also a department that the company depended on the most or else, each department would have to sort their own mails themselves.So, my secretary did told me once that my personal letter and mails were always delivered to the chief’s office then only to mine so that it wouldn’t get jumbled among other mails. I strode into the darkly lit hallway of the department and headed straight into the chief’s office. And she was right, I saw my letters sprawled on the table.Not a lot but it was a handful.

I was about to leave when I heard music echoing throughout the hallway.That totally just piqued my interest. I silently walked towards the back of the hallway until I reached a brightly lit room. I guess some staff appreciate working hours more than others.. That room was small and it was stacked with documents and files, there was literally no space in that tiny molecule of a room.

She was glad about it…no doubt about it…She isn't sure where she's gone No time to think about what to tell them….No time to think about what she's done…And she was.. A girl was twisting and turning, arranging the documents into the shelves as the music blasted through a rather cheap and old looking speaker. Hmm… a passion for Talking Heads… not bad… I remembered this song,I used to play it during my school days. I was more of retro rock band music kind of person but not many people enjoyed my pick of music genre.Not many people knew of Talking Heads because their music was one of a kind.

I continued my inspection of this girl, she looks rather trashy. A white camisole and body fitting skirt that ends just right above her knees.Not really curvy but not too boney either.Just right,I guess. I’m assuming that she initially wore a cardigan since there was a purple one laying on the table.She tied her hair into a bun though some of the strands were falling out of its arrangements.I guess it was pretty stuffy in there, no air conditioner, just a ceiling fan, draped in dust.

Her back was facing me the whole time, i have yet to peer at her face and all I had was time anyway. This must be the place by Talking Heads started to play.Again, another one of their songs. This girl has some sense in music.. I raised my brows as she finally turned around.

It was Ms. All-tensed-up-in-the-elevator. What do you know, she could move those limbs too, very well. I smirked. My staffs are getting more and more interesting. Now that I took a closer look, damn it, she was quite a catch. Dancing to Talking Heads and all. She was odd alright but that’s definitely attractive. She was grabbing her cup and was ready to leave the room and I took that as my cue to leave. Show’s over..

I sunk into the plush furnitures of my office.I laughed inwardly at the memory of witnessing Ms.Rigid dancing in the cramped room. That was a sight. Not back after a long day of work.

A/N : Now that took long enough! 7 page fic..not bad as a start! Tadaa...the male character’s Kuroo! <33 ofc it had to be him. And Wakatoshi as an IT expert/intellectual...sweet af. I’m updating on Tuesdays,i guess..If i could manage...ofc .Thanks for sparing time, reading this.

[supermysanju-blog]

Here I am on my way back home and the last thing I feel is homesick. What just happened? Disoriented, overwhelmed, nostalgic, I can barely contain myself as a multitude of feelings launch at me all at once. I pulled the plug on routine and found myself in the middle of virgin Himalayas.

A week back my relentless search for beauty brought me to a piece of nature etched by the gods themselves. The Rupin Pass, tucked away in a far corner of the great Himalayas, a trail along the humble Rupin River through hanging hamlets, gushing waterfalls, endless forests, crisp green meadows, pebbled rivulets, magical valleys, snow bridges and I feel tempted to give the plot away already.

Day 1: Dehradun to Dhaula

We began our journey up the winding roads of Mussourie. The ever-changing scenes that rushed by us charged us up for the week that awaited. We gazed down Yamuna and the trippy patterns of tall forest pines. We were slowly beginning to lose our connectivity to the world, one bar at a time. By the time we got to Dhaula, the rain gods emptied their stash of monsoon showers upon us. Curious us, we explored the modest campsite that lay by the river Rupin despite the spell of rain. A group of 18 strangers sat huddled in a tent that was soon labeled the hangout area. The group was a great mix of people across ages and different walks of life. I’d been assigned a tent that I’d share with Archana, a fellow first-time trekker. Meanwhile, the nip in the air was as real as it could get. Made me realize how spoilt I was by the convenient weather in Bombay. Minutes after the introduction and a quick debate on the trek, I found myself panicking about being hit by AMS or having the required levels of stamina to scale a height of 15350 ft, Rupin Pass being one of the country’s most difficult treks. I’d underestimated the whole affair. I crept inside my assigned tent at 8:30 and then inside a cozy sleeping bag and slept a sound sleep, something that evaded me for months.

Day 2: Sewa

Woke up at 5am after what seemed like a decade and rushed to get my backpack ready! Yummy pancakes laced with honey awaited our appetite, who’d have guessed such a delish treat at a remote campsite!

I was asked to line up with our pilot (Treppan a.k.a. 53) for the trek up ahead and off we began our week-long hike. We were immediately flanked by terraced mountain meadows on our right and rugged hills to our left and the foamy waters of rupin kept us company all along.

And then we were met by the first steep climb of the day. I remember thinking, I push myself at the gym, run every other day till I smell sweat. But none of that compared to climbing a small piece of the great Himalayas. I got to the top and collapsed on the nearest rock. Noticed that the guys in the group already got there before me. Before I could catch my breath, we were rushing off to climb another patch of heights. My muscles shivered, my mind drained, body screaming as I got to the top. Two minutes later I stood up to find myself staring at another majestic scene. Yep, it was worth it. We gorged on the juiciest peach before rushing off again. We weren’t even half way through.

This time around I lost the rest of the trekkers. It was just me, the mountains, the sound of the river echoing miles below me. I walked for an hour before catching up with them again. My back stung from the heavy weight of my backpack, despite having packed light. A quick lunch break and we were off to the little village of Sewa. Oh, did I mention the sea of red greens en route to Sewa? Beaut! Still trying to figure what they’re called.

I spotted a tap amidst all the afternoon heat at Sewa and went running to Rhik, our trek lead. Asked him if I could indulge in a hair bath. I couldn’t. No hairwash. No bath for the next week. Cold Water = Pneumonia. 😦 We spent the rest of the day playing Mafia in clever disguise of getting to know each other. Two servings of bhajiyas, a fun donkey ride and a dinner later, we gave in to sweet well-earned slumber.

This had mentally been the toughest day, perhaps because we didn’t know what to expect.

Day 3: Jiskun

Up again at 5am, maybe I could get used to early mornings after all? We began our trail through neck high farms of mountain weed and greeted the river Rupin at its pebbled bed. Somewhere along the way, a very hyper four-legged babe latched on to us. I christened him Rupin a little later in the day, it seemed like he meant serious business with all the tailing us. After a quick hello to the lush banks of Rupin, we set sail again and crossed the bridge that separated Himachal Pradesh from Uttarakhand. This time I was racing ahead of the pack. Maybe to prove a point, girl power! The climb got tougher. I had to keep stopping to catch my breath. My friend, P1, kept reminding me to stay hydrated and sip on water. We emptied a packet of glucose into both our water bottles, bought a few candies for the journey at the first shop we’d spotted since Day 1. After the first patch of relentless climbing, the trail straightened up a tad bit to bring some temporary relief to our aching knees and thighs. I picked some speed again as we whizzed past the loveliest greens. Up ahead a recent landslide played spoilt sport owing to which we were left with no option but to climb a steep patch of fallen rocks and a slippery mud hill. Our trek pilot a.k.a. 53 pulled me up in a fashion I was left feeling like a sack of feathers (I am not).

Post the little adventure; we parked our tired asses at our second home stay of the journey. A beautiful wooden abode perched atop the edge of Jiskun, a little hamlet. We gazed up at the naked mountains, made peace with the fact that we won’t be greeted by snow at the Rupin pass. We didn’t let this dampen our spirits though. Compensation came our way in the form of Maggi  Mahaan noodles, a yummy local delicacy at Jiskun along with some hot spicy momos with a side serving of good ol’ mountain conversations. 🙂

That night we slept like babies while it rained down on Jiskun. A surprise awaited us on the other side of ‘morrow.

Day 4: Saruwas Thatch

And it snowed! Pristine white snow laced the mountain caps at a distance as we stepped down for some brekky next day. Rain at our current altitude translated to snow at our ultimate destination. Yay! Energy pumping through our veins, we begun our next trail however we had to bid adieu to Subhash & Archana from the group. I’d grown fond of their company but their departure meant I was the only girl left in the group. A bout of self doubt crept back into my mind.

Two hours into our trek and we arrived at the hanging village of Jhaka, where houses literally hung off the mountain edges. We hung out at one of these quirky houses before resuming our journey. A daunting climb at every juncture, this was slowly proving to be one of the most difficult trails on our trek. While the ever changing scenes took my breath away, the thinning air with every little climb was quite literally taking my breath away too. Stay away from me, AMS, I barked in the quiet of my mind and went back to drooling at the greener landscapes around me!

After lunching by the Rupin river, we found ourselves creeping along the walls of the mountains that flanked us, high above the river. The trail was only wide enough for a single foot. Tricky that. We spotted the first snow bridge, jumped over logs of wood, climbed further up the hills, collapsed on random stones, got up again to run and climb and walk!

Late afternoon we camped by the forest at Saruwas Thatch. We battled the shivering cold to collect wood for a bonfire however our plans went down the drain much thanks to the rains! We had to initiate an unplanned hike to cross over higher up the river and across a daunting snow bridge in the evening. Our campsite for the day had to moved to a different location owing to bad weather and logistics issues. We embraced the change in plans!

My warm clothes were drenched after the climb, the temperatures dipped further and so did my confidence. Any remains of energy and enthusiasm I had left in me, waved goodbye! I was convinced I’d need a miracle to complete this. P1 lent me an extra pair of fleece from his towering backpack. It was a painfully cold though short journey back into my little tent. My hands were so cold, they trembled as I struggled to open up the sleeping bag. The bag was drenched on the outside, uninviting and cold. I fought every nerve in my body to slip into it and forced some sleep upon myself. The following day proved to be my toughest.

Day 5: Dhanderas Thatch (Lower Waterfall Camp)

At 5 AM, I scrambled out of my sleeping bag and froze. How was I supposed to crawl outta my tent and brave that cold, get past breakfast let alone the trek. My hands begged for some warmth, out came the leather gloves. I momentarily contemplated skipping the meal over a few extra minutes of warmth in my tent.

We’d only just begun the climb for the day, and I found myself breathing heavier than sedated monkeys! I stopped two minutes into my hike and let the others pass me by. I needed to breathe. My thighs refused to support my climb. I had three full days of climbing left to reach the top before we begun our descend into Sangla. Nothing qualified as legit motivation at this point. I perched myself on a huge rock and watched the others go past me. A few moments later, Arvind came up to me and chimed in, ‘Chalo Reemaji, dheere dheere chalo. Pohoch jaoge!’ I wasn’t going to succumb to petty tears of self defeat. Despite being without will, I got to my feet and took the tiniest and slowest steps in the history of forever. This continued for a good 60 minutes during which I halted at every other twist and turn. I resigned to the assumption that the rest of the guys had probably completed the trail and were perhaps already napping for the day.

After pushing myself for a few more miles, we saw 53 running towards us! We’d somehow managed to catch up with the group. They’d halted to grab a bite. Somehow in that moment, seeing everyone raring to go, hearing them go, ‘Don’t give up!’ lifted my spirits. I looked around me. When did we arrive here, at this unreal beautiful juncture in our journey. My eyes had to witness the scenes atop the Rupin pass. Picked myself up again and walked across the most beautiful display of pebbled Rupin waters, climbed higher up the hills, crossed a slippery snow bridge and found myself in the middle of the greenest meadows peppered with cows on the moo. 🙂

I jogged my memory to check if I’d seen something more beautiful than what surrounded me in that tick. Nah! This was the BIG HIMALAYAN SHOW OFF. The landscapes stood around us as proud paintings etched in hues borrowed from paradise.

We stood and just stared. So beautiful. I would never do justice to that beauty with my shabby words. The journey had all been worth it. I remember Uncle Colonel telling me that I’d make it. He said let the others pass by, you enjoy the trail at your own pace, but don’t give up! We’ll all be up at the pass together.

That night, I found myself singing a song to a huddled group of hikers around a bonfire and the silence of the mountains. I’d never find the courage to do this back home. The steepest climb stared down at us the next day but I was going to try and focus on the happy vibes!

Day 6: Rati Pheri (Upper Waterfall Camp)

Today, we were going to quickly gain 1000 mts in height. I knew I’d make it. My immediate neighbours, Chohan and Harish gave me the last remains of their Gatorade to help me conquer this next climb that had been labeled as the toughest yet. 🙂 I’d already won the battle against my mind the previous day, I plunged head first into this day with a truck full of confidence.

The climb had been broken down into three waterfalls, one above the other. It was tough but so was my resolve. Quick small steps, aching muscles, couple of water sipping breaks and we were through to the top of the third waterfall. A few DDLJ poses and a lunch later, we set off to scale the last flash of height.

What we didn’t anticipate was that this was going to wreck us! We were looking up at a damn near 90 degree steep climb. Soon, an acute headache entered my world! That mixed with breathing trouble and muscle ache made a terrific combo. The climb didn’t seem to end. Every little patch I’d somehow finish conquering would immediately say hello to a new pile of height. This was definitely that same damned eternal beanstalk poor Jack had to climb in a fairytale. No clue how it got here.

I climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed some more. Hello? Anything upstairs? I have been played by the Himalayas, I screamed. Oh, the pain!

After what seemed like an agonising eternity, I reached the campsite and how. It was a basin locked by beautiful barren mountains laced with snow. Thank goodness I reached when I did, ‘cause minutes later we found ourselves at the epi-center of a hailstone shower. Tiny shiny little morons! If I subtracted the chill from the scheme of things, then I’d probably admire their icy beauty. All hail the mountains! Soon little flakes of snow crashed the party too! The campsite had slowly turned into a semi-white wonderland. Acclimatisation. Check.

Shivered I did, for the rest of the day. That evening, I managed to win a round of Mafia as the mafia for the first time since meeting my comrades! :p

I refused to go seek my tent, ‘twas colder than ever! I would turn into cold slaw. I couldn’t possibly put my family through that. Not to mention, the horror stories that plagued the campsite.

But the porters traveling with us needed a place to sleep too, so after dinner we evacuated the activity tent and crept into our respective little plastic dens. I slipped into 5 layers of clothes that night. Brr!

We were almost there! I could barely wait! 🙂

[spare-aka-nanashi74-blog]

Banba, Lin, and the Carrot Conundrum (work in progress fanfic)

Note: The following is a fanfic is inspired by Chiaki Kisaki’s mini-story ‘Secret Ingredient’ for the New Days vegetable campaign. Kudos to @kimi_no_tsuki on Twitter for providing an English translation of the story!

As for my fic, it’ll probably be done by Monday or Tuesday this week (ETA: Sorry, I need to do a few more edits, so I’ll be posting the whole fic Wednesday tomorrow!). But here’s a sample (Fanfic complete! Read it below or at AO3):

An hour after the Calamitous Carrot Cake Banba Detective Office

Banba's just finished cleaning the rice cooker when his brown eyes light up. “Hey, hey,” he exclaims, light bulb practically appearing beside his head, “you know what, Lin-chan?”

Narrowing his own eyes at Banba, Lin warily replies, “What?”

The detective holds a forefinger up. “Carrots are like feelings.”

“... Huh?”

“If they're too much for ya to handle on your own,” Banba explains, looking well pleased with himself, “it's best to share them with other people.”

Lin folds his arms. “So we should give these carrots away; is that what you're saying?”

“Yep,” says the man. “I mean, let's face it: there ain't no way we're gonna cook 'em all up ourselves.”

“No thanks to you,” Lin sourly returns. What kind of weirdo adds spicy pollock roe to cake? Honestly. “Let's give the guys a call, then. At least most of them ought to know better than to add mentaiko to dessert.”

“Hey, it came out pretty good!” Banba insists. “Your taste just ain't refined enough to appreciate it.”

“No, it didn't.” Lin glares, stomping his foot. “And my taste's way more refined than yours.”

Damn Ban-baka.

So Lin and Banba contact the rest of the Tonkotsu Nine, telling them that they've got far too many carrots than they know what to do with, and to come to the detective agency if they want some. Please. And to give them more carrot-laden recipes while they're at it.

After all, 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,' as the saying goes. But when life gives you carrots?

“Make carrot juice,” Enokida answers over the phone. “It only follows, doesn't it? Oh, and could Banba-san send me the recipe for his 'spicy' carrot cake? There's a contest for the craziest—er, the most avante garde—”

Lin ends the call before the Mushroom could finish.

“Other than just eating them raw? Carrot soup,” is what Dr. Saeki suggests, happily collecting a bagful of the orange root vegetables. “Carrots are excellent skin food, as everyone knows. You should thank that client for gifting you a whole box.”

“And on that note, thank you,” chimes in Yamato, having also come along to help himself to a bag. “I've been wanting to make yakisoba. Maybe I'll send you guys some if it turns out good.” A pause, and then the host adds, “Or edible.”

Saitoh drops by barely an hour later with a good-sized sack for himself and Old Man G. (“Pickle the darn things,” the old stall owner had asked Saitoh to tell them. “Slice them carrots into strips along with daikon; sprinkle with rice vinegar, salt, and sesame oil. Perfect side dish fer jus' about anything.”)

“And me?” Saitoh appears to think hard. “Well... vegetable gratin, I guess?” he replies. “My folks sent me a recipe I could try.”

“I'll be making carrot tempura,” Shigematsu informs them when he next comes around. “Tasty, goes well with beer, and pretty hard to mess up if you know what you're doing. You two should try it.”

“Maybe we will.” Banba nods in agreement, seeing the officer off. “Tempura goes well with mentaiko, too.”

Lin snorts. “Anything goes well with mentaiko to you.”

“Only 'cause it's true,” Banba rejoins amiably. “Like, did ya know there's mentaiko-flavored ice cream? We gotta have that some time, Lin-chan!”

Like hell. “Have it yourself.”

“You sure? Enokida-kun's texted the address of the shop that sells it. 'Seems we get a discount if we come as a cou—”

“No.” Lin is adamant.

“But—”

“No.”

That damn 'Shroom.

“Carne guisada—that's what we call 'meat stew' back home—is what I'm gonna cook,” says Martinez, hefting the sack of carrots he's come to pick up. “'Though I doubt it could compare to what my abuela used to make. In any case, I've written down the recipe at the back of Jiroh's. He and Misaki-chan send their regards.”

Sure enough, they find the cooking instructions for Martinez's grandma's special Carne Guisada at the back of the last page for Jiroh & Misaki Tanaka's Love-Filled Omelet Rice <3.

“... They both seem kind of hard to prepare,” Lin remarks, reading through each recipe. “The omurice seems to take a lot less time, though.”

“Omurice, eh?” Banba strokes his chin, his gaze turning wistful with nostalgia. “I reckon the last time I ate one was back in middle school.”

Oh. “Then it's decided.” Lin holds up the recipe for omelet rice. “Banba, let's try making this next.”

Luckily, they still have plenty of eggs, milk and flour left over from their recent 'rice cooker carrot cake' attempt, as well as cooked white rice from this morning.

“So, carrots aside, all that's left is—” Banba quickly consults the list. “Onions, bell peppers, the meat—oh, and ketchup, too.”

Back to the supermarket they go to buy the rest of the ingredients. This time around, to match their new aprons, Lin also gets them some oven mitts and head scarves. (“Such a cute couple,” one store assistant whispers to another. “I saw them earlier today, too. I think it's sweet, them wanting to cook together.”)

It's already late in the afternoon when Banba and Lin return to their apartment, purchases in tow. Donning their respective aprons, they immediately set about preparing the omurice.

“'Guess we need to chop the vegetables first,” Lin notes.

“Leave that to me,” Banba volunteers.

Lin purses his lips. “You better not try to sneak in spicy pollock roe this time.”

“Really now.” Banba (so-not-cutely) pouts. “Ya say that like it's a crime, Lin-chan.”

“It should be.”

“Welp, the omurice I used to have always had mentaiko in it, I'll have ya know.”

Why am I not surprised? “... I guess we could put some in, if you really want,” Lin concedes, handing Banba the chopping board. Unlike with the cake, combining mentaiko with egg and rice seems perfectly all right. “But not too much; I don't want it overpowering the taste of everything else.”

“Just a quarter-cup or so should be fine,” Banba replies, breaking out into a smile. “Aww, Lin-chan, so ya do—”

“Less talking, more chopping,” Lin cuts in.

“Yes, dear,” Banba intones teasingly, and reaches for an onion.

Lin himself starts to heat the pan to cook the bacon in, ignoring the heat suffusing his own cheeks. Damn Ban-baka.

The next half hour or so elapses quickly. While daunting at first, Lin soon finds that making the omelet rice is simple enough, if you think about it as divided into three main stages:

1. Make the fried rice (A). 2. Make the cream sauce (B). 3. Make the omelet and put (A) and (B) in it.

Lin fries the rice in a bit of oil with the meat, carrots, and other vegetables. (“Looks like we can eat this as is,” he comments once he's done.) Banba makes the sauce, straying a little from Jiroh's recipe by crumbling and mixing two heaping spoonfuls of spicy pollock roe instead of cheese into it. (“We'll be using the remainder to garnish the omelets with,” Banba tells him.) The omelets themselves end up being a joint effort, Banba pouring the egg mixture to coat the interior of the pan while Lin—once the bottom part of the omelet has solidifed enough, naturally—spreads a portion of fried rice and the mentaiko sauce over roughly half of it.

“Then ya go and fold the uncovered half of the omelet over the other, easy does it—” Banba states, demonstrating accordingly, “—and we're done. Well, for the most part. We still gotta plate it, pretty it up with mentaiko and ketchup and such, but that's one good-sized serving of omurice with creamy mentaiko sauce.”

Together they slide the omelet rice onto a plate.

“Smells good,” Lin declares. He watches Banba put a piece of mentaiko the size of a marshmallow over the omelet, then squeeze out some ketchup to draw a heart around it. The result is a bright yellow, half-moon-shaped omelet, fluffy and piping hot, with a reddish-pink mentaiko 'dot' and tomato ketchup heart decorating it.

Now it looks good, too.

“Looks mighty appetizin', don't it?” Banba says.

“... Kind of,” Lin stoically returns, trying not to drool at the enticing aroma of egg, fried rice, and spicy pollock roe.

After making a second omelet for Banba, the two settle themselves on the usual L-shaped couch to eat.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Lin takes his first bite of the omelet rice.

His eyes widen in surprise. The salty-spicy taste of mentaiko, perfectly counterbalanced by the cream; the fried rice, bursting with the richness of the meat and the tart, crisp yet tender vegetables; all of it creating a harmonious medley of flavors encased in a silky layer of egg, delicate and mildly sweet.

“It's delicious,” Lin utters, amazed.

“Told ya it would,” Banba rejoins. “After all, it's got the secret ingredient.”

“I know.” Lin sighs, smiling in spite of himself. “Mentaiko, right?”

“Nope.” Banba shakes his head. “That ain't really a secret this time, Lin-chan.”

Lin blinks at the man. “Then what is—?”

Banba's grin is bright as the sun. “Love, of course.”

And with that, Banba takes a bite of his own love-filled omelet rice with obvious gusto.

***

~ Extra ~ A Future Text Exchange, Or: Mentaiko. It's Always Mentaiko.

[ Banba ] Lin-chan, are you mentaiko?

[ Lin ] ...? I don't think I want to ask 'why'. ... You're still gonna tell me anyway, aren't you.

[ Banba ] Ya know me so well. ^o^ Btw, the answer is: 'Cause I can't ever get enough of you.~<3<3<3

[ Lin ] ... . . . ... You're so lame, Ban-baka. But... Thank you.

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

~ The End ~

[howlettga-blog]

The Annapurna Circuit

I spent 11 days completing the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. This is a popular trek in the Himalayan mountains and as a result there are plenty of blogs and information about the general experience of the trek. It was one of the best experiences of my life and without a doubt some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. I would highly recommend it for anyone who is an avid hiker. I ended up walking 110 miles to a maximum altitude of 17,769 feet. Here is my day by day log of my personal experience and thoughts while completing the trek. It is not intended as a guide or anything like that.

DAY 1

This day was mostly driving. First five hours to Besisahar which is the start of the trek. I decided to take another bus to Nadi Bazar because the three hour walk there is along a dusty, albeit bumpy, road that has decent vehicle traffic. I got off a little ahead and walked about 30 minutes this day. I figured why not save the walking for the mountains. That meant I arrived at 3 pm and I decided to just stay there for the night since the suggested route guide I had suggested it. In retrospect, I could have walked a few hours and gotten a head start and found another guest house on the way.

DAY 2

I left Nadi at around 7 am with the intended destination of Jagat. I thought I would take lunch in Ghermu. I came across signs stating the town of Ghermu about an hour early and it was a pretty small area. A Swiss group assured me this was Ghermu so I sat down for a light second breakfast and kept walking. Sure enough, I came across the real town if Ghermu in about half an hour with plenty of guest houses and restaurants. Oh well! This turns out to be pretty common occurrence where the signage says you’ve reached a village before you actually do. I kept walking till I hit Jagat. I arrived in Jagat around 1:00 pm. I decided I would have a real lunch and got my first dal bhat. They're expensive but they also also give you as much as you want. Since this was so early in the day, I decided to scrap basing my route on this guide and try to make the trek in quicker time. I'll probably still do the main days at altitude in about the same time but I can shave off a few at the beginning and end. After four more hours of walking I arrived in Tal starting to feel it in my legs. The guest house I stayed at was much nicer than the night before but I didn't have much cash left that I had allocated for the day, having already eaten three meals. I tried to negotiate a dinner price with what I had but with little English the woman running the kitchen wasn't having it and not eating dinner really made her mad. Guest houses along the circuit generally charge very little for a room and a lot for their food with the intention of you eating there. So when I didn't eat she doubled my room rate. We'll see how breakfast goes the next morning.

Day 3

Well day three is in the books and it felt like a long one but I know there are going to be longer and steeper days. I started pretty early from Tal, leaving around 5:30 am before sunrise. Tal marks the start of the altitude trekking and there were certainly some steep parts. I'm writing this from 2650 meters. The morning started well enough, albeit a little slow, until I hit a patch of water in the path I couldn't cross over and thus got my shoes wet. The cheap synthetic hiking socks I picked up in Pokhara didn't handle this well and in about an hour and a half, when I arrived in Daripani, I had a blister on my toe. The timing wasn't too bad considering this is where I planned to stop for breakfast so I could rest for a bit and figure it out. Luckily it was big enough of a village to have a shop that carried band-aids because I didn't bring any bandages. This set me back a bit more in time but the sun was coming up and I could switch into my sandals for the rest of the day. I took a few extra breaks today as I decided to eat more crackers throughout the day as they can be obtained on the trail for relatively cheap compared to cooked meals. As I ascended the prices kept ascending too! Portions aren't that big either in my opinion, but luckily the dal bhat meal is all you can eat. I pretty much eat a decent breakfast, small and super cheap lunch, and then a huge dinner since I'm trying to stay on a small budget. Dinner is the one I eat a lot with the unlimited dal bhat since the guest house owners expect me to eat a lot. And they always like it when I eat with my hands haha! Around noon I realized I was also developing blisters on my hip from my bag which really surprised me. I have been using this backpack for two months around India without any problems. But I guess I haven't been using it so long and aggressively, nor probably with this much weight.  Oh well, a bit of adjustment and I was back on my way. Originally I thought I could reach Chame by 1 pm and continue through after lunch. Later I thought I would arrive around 2. I reached Chame a little after 3 pm which was my intended destination for the day, but this meant it was a little late to make my stretch goal of the next town. All for the best: Chame is a big town and I needed to get some supplies and rest. My shoulders are really starting to feel sore now! Plus I hadn't eaten a proper meal since breakfast so I was ready to chow down. The views really opened up today for some beautiful sights. Towards the end some of the Annapurna range came into view. And as I went up, the temperature kept dropping. Even at the height of the day it was a little chilly walking in the shade; I'll have to start wearing my cold gear tomorrow. It's quite cold in Chame right now as the sun starts to set and I'm sure night will be freezing or close to it. This did create the concern over my shoes since I'm just wearing trail runners. If I encounter snow on the trail up higher, it could cause problems. I picked up some gaiters here in Chame but I'm not sure they'll do the trick. We'll see how things go, I'm hoping I can jerry-rig something with my large garbage bag or it will be so cold that it ices over and getting wet isn't an issue. Cold doesn't really concern me, just water in my shoe. I went to bed late due to drinking a pot of black tea for dinner. This guest house is really nice though and internet connection was nice to have for the night. It is freezing out though. Two large blankets we're enough to keep more warm as I slept but anytime you moved to where there was no body heat it was cold.

DAY 4

Waking up a bit on the late side today is fine since I don't plan on another ten hour day today. It's very cold in the morning and getting everything ready is very slow going. I'll have to keep this in mind when I have to leave around 4:00 am higher up the mountain. Wow what a day! I woke up a bit late today since I didn't plan to go as far and only to Pisang. It was very cold in the morning in the guest house. I had breakfast and bought some warmer pants and was off around 8:00 am. About this time, so was everybody else! After feeling quite alone for the last two days the trail felt quite flooded with people, and apparently it gets more crowded as one goes higher. The morning trek was brilliant. I was told Chame to Pisang would be an uphill climb but it felt like a cakewalk. The views were great and there was a long luscious forest section. I arrived in upper Pisang way earlier than I expected at noon instead of 2 or 3 pm. So I figured why not keep going and see if I could close in on Manang like I had hoped the day before so that I could arrive in the morning and avoid taking two nights to acclimatize. But first up to the temple. There is a beautiful temple at the top of upper Pisang that was burnt down in the nineties and then rebuilt from local donations. Because I was arriving at noon, chanting was going on and lunch was being served. Free dal bhat! This was a delicious surprise and the women serving were so nice. They warned me about the chile, some telling the lady giving them out not to give me one, but I said I liked spicy food and took it. Oh my gosh was it hot! The hottest thing I've had in India or Nepal and close to the hottest I've ever tasted. Of course, I did eat it the whole thing in one bite. My mouth was burning and my eyes were watering and the men and women laughed. It was a good time. They offered me more rice but the meal was already huge and as I had planned on a light to no lunch I had already been snacking. This was a fantastic treat and it amazes me how the people with the least can sometimes give the most. I donated to the temple and left upper Pisang around 1:00 pm. I was headed to Ghyaru with the intention of continuing on to Nawal if I arrived early. I was a bit worried I was going the wrong way so asked a couple Germans heading from that direction (some of the only people I saw as at this point everyone I had left Chame with seemed to have stopped in Pisang). They said I was going the right direction but pointed out the shortcut path on my map they took to go straight to Nawal. Awesome! I hit the split where that trail started but then somehow missed the next turn and started heading up the mountain. As the road cut back and forth without continuing on to the next mountain I started to feel I was headed to Ghyaru. Sure enough I land in Ghyaru the same time as another couple and I was mad. Not only did I miss the shortcut, I took the winding vehicle road instead of the trekkers path and so lost time just getting to Ghyaru. Plus I had ascended 200 meters in an hour for nothing. I just kept walking, not wanting to stop here and thinking I could still get to Nawal in time. It was about 4:30 pm and I had been walking along the ridge of these mountains without civilization insight. The views were the best I had seen yet as I could see Annapurna II and IV as well as quite a few other snow capped mountains. I took a lot of photos but the sun wasn't in the best place for good lighting. At 4:30 with the sun behind the mountain I was getting concerned I had made a big mistake and changed into some warmer gear, mentally preparing myself for several more hours walk in the cold and possibly dark. Sure enough, as soon as I turned the corner Nawal came into view and I was a short walk to the village. The guest house reaped warmth and other guests to talk to which was nice. And Manang is apparently only three hours away! I can wake up early, make it there in the morning, acclimatize and rest for the day, and then head to the lake the following day! The frustrations of the past couple hours at my mistake quickly melted away.

DAY 5

Today started pretty early in Nawal. I was up and ready for breakfast at 5:30 am as agreed upon but the guest house owner didn't wake by 6 so I left. Making it to the town of Humde (or Ghirsang or something) at 7 am I hoped to get some breakfast but the two restaurants weren't open here either. Continuing on I made it to the town of Manang a bit later than expected at 9:30 am. I can see the appeal of staying here, it's a big town with lots of people and great food. I had a big breakfast with a delicious apple strudel and was able to get some supplies. I didn't feel like staying a day in Manang to acclimatize was necessary or worthwhile. Nawal is a higher altitude than Manang so it seems to me to be a waste of time. So around 10:30 am I pressed on for Shiree Karka. On the way I met some other people headed that way. I arrived in Shiree Karka around 2:30 pm and didn't feel any need to try and push for the lake base camp. The people I met on the way up are in a big group of eight staying here as well and headed all the way to the lake tomorrow, staying the night at base camp. Another group is planning on going all the way to the lake and back here all tomorrow! I'll probably go up with one or both these groups and see how things go at base camp. No one else here is on their fifth day like me, although I met one person on his sixth. I'll just have to feel it out at base camp but so far I haven't felt like I'm feeling the effects of altitude sickness or anything. It's been really nice meeting people, especially those my age. Because I've been pretty much on my own thus far, which has precipitated my fast pace.

DAY 6

Icarus flew too close to the sun but landed safely. I might have done the stupidest thing in my life today! I could barely sleep at all last night, which is supposed to be a symptom of altitude sickness. I woke up super early as planned but took my time eating a big breakfast and getting my stuff packed. I had planned to head out from Shiree Karka to Lake Tilicho Basecamp, drop my stuff off, and ascend to Lake Tilicho. But after not sleeping a wink I was really worried about altitude sickness and regretting not taking an acclimatization day in Manang. I was thinking about staying in Shiree Karka, but where Manang had cheap and good accommodations, delicious food, and different day hiking opportunities, Shiree Karka was expensive and offered little. I didn't want to be stuck here for three days either. Deliberating over breakfast, I decided I would at least go to basecamp; it's only about 100 meters higher. The big group I met who was going to ascend to Lake Tilicho today changed their minds overnight and was taking it easy and only going to basecamp. They woke up late so I went to basecamp myself, a bit late leaving at 7:30 am, and arrived around 9:30 am. After checking in my room, luggage, and eating a big lunch, I was feeling pretty good. I had been drinking a lot of water and electrolytes as well. So I decided I would start my way up to Lake Tilicho and see how it goes. I wanted to at least hike a bit higher today so I could sleep at a lower altitude than what my body would be used to. Lake Tilicho is about 800 meters higher than basecamp. Most of the trek went very well and I got probably 700 meters up without a problem. But then the altitude really started to hit me. I felt lightheaded a few times and my breathing was really heavy and my heartbeat was pounding. I kept asking people how much higher I had to go and was really worried I pushed my body too hard. I seriously considered turning around but I was so close. In the end I decided to take it a little bit at a time. I took a 5 minute break every large gain and was taking about a 20 second rest every 20 yards or so. It was a bit perilous as my symptoms would quiet with rest, then flare up with any physical exertion. The worries we're amplified by my realization that I was the last one climbing up for the day. I was assured by people leaving there were still a few left coming from the lake, so at least I wouldn't be completely alone up there. Slowly and finally I got to the plateau where the ground slowly descended towards the lake. I was still taking it slow but seemed to be in the clear. And low and behold, Lake Tilicho! What an amazing sight. This is the highest lake in the world and one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I was ecstatic I made it and didn't turn around. I stopped for a big snack and water and then stayed for a while to try to get my body to adjust to a really high altitude. The descent back to basecamp was relatively easy although hard on the knees. I'm glad to be back and ready for a big dinner. Hopefully I can sleep well tonight and I plan for a much easier day tomorrow. But it seems like I say that every day...

DAY 7

Today started late as I needed the rest and didn't sleep great. Better than the day before but not very well. Taking breakfast around 8:00 am I left Tilicho base camp at 9:15 arriving in Shiree Karka at 11:00 am. I was tempted to stay here for the night but it wasn't too far to Yak Karka, which is two days from Throng-La pass and a bit lower in altitude. Plus I knew a group already there who are fun to hang with and I know are planning the same route as me ascending. The four or so hours to Yak Karka were not too bad after the previous days and went by fairly quick. There was on steep downhill that hurt my knee but I was happy to arrive in Yak Karka about 3:30 pm. The lodges were pretty full but I managed to get a room to myself and have some time to hang out. I am just praying I finally get a sound night sleep because I know I will not tomorrow. Tomorrow should be a short trek up to Thorong Phedi (low camp) with the plan of arriving early in the morning. This will allow us to get a room as early as possible and rest and adjust to the altitude. Apparently very few people can sleep well there. After that it will be off to Thorong-La pass so it is approaching quickly. We'll see how things go tonight and how my body is feeling.

DAY 8

Today marked my shortest day yet, preparing for the big day of the pass tomorrow. I left Yak Karka about 7:00 am and took it super slow to arrive in Thorong Phedi (lower camp) about 10:30 am. It's been a fun day, just chilling out and playing cards. I've also eaten a lot of food. Nothing much eventful, but tomorrow will be a 4:30 am leaving time to ascend 1000 meters to the pass. Im hoping I get some sleep tonight but it's doubtful.

DAY 9

Over the hill boys...! Today was the big day of the pass. I started early waking at 3:30 am and leaving Thorong Phedi a little before 4:30 am after a coffee. The first leg was 400 meters up to high camp. It was dark and freezing but the stars were amazing and I managed to get in about 5:15 am. Had to stop for a few big breaths occasionally but all went well. After having a big breakfast at high camp I met up with the group I was with, leaving after me, and we set off for the pass at 6:00 am. The next two hours up to Thorong La pass were relatively easy compared to the Tilicho trek. Besides a few stops for deep breaths I didn't experience any altitude issues. The walk itself wasn't nearly as good a view as the previous days, being mostly barren and mountains nearby not having much snow. I got to the pass at 7:45 a.m. which wasn't much of a spectacle besides the altitude and prayer flags. We waited a bit less than an hour at the top waiting for the rest of the group and taking photos before the wind really started picking up and it got cold. Next was the four hour hike down. We took off at 8:30 a.m. headed for Muktinath. The way down wasn't quite as steep and perilous as I had expected but the length going downhill after already having completed the pass was taxing. When I missed a trailhead and ended up walking down a road filled with massive rocks I was really not enjoying the route and decided to put in headphones for the first time. The walk compared to the previous days offered very little in terms of visual pleasures so I was happy to get into Muktinath around noon. In Muktinath we got a really nice guest house compared to all the previous ones and I ate so much. Blew my budget out. The food was very westernized compared to the Dal bhat I had been having regularly up till Muktinath and tasted good after so much trekking. It was a nice rest day including my first shower all trip and plenty of cards and fun.

DAY 10

We slept in at Mukitinath after a late night by the current standards and after a big breakfast didn't hit the trail until 9:30 am. I was expecting a pretty light and easy day heading down hill to Jomsom. The first third was considerably more uphill than I thought it would be, and although it wasn't too difficult it was harder than planned. After taking a brief lunch, the wind really began to pick up and blew the hardest I've felt all trek. It still wasn't too bad until the path led right into a cliff overlooking the road. The construction of a road to Jomsom had gone right through the Annapurna Circuit trail leaving almost no way of getting through. Finding a place to climb down and make our way onto the road, the last third of this day was pretty miserable. High winds on an under construction road meant lots of dust in your face and plenty of vehicles passing by. The terrain had been pretty barren and bleak all day but now we barely appeared to be in nature. We arrived in Jomsom about 2:30 pm, I recon. I didn't think much of this city either, baring the signs of industrialization and the overall brown and dustiness that came with it. We were still too high for much vegetation but most of the beautiful mountain views were gone. It didn't help that rooms cost the most they had all trip here and all transportation out was very expensive. I wasn't going to pay to fly out of Jomsom and after the previous day's walk, continuing down wasn't very appealing. I was originally thinking of getting a mountain bike to ride down to Tatopani but with the prospect of high winds and more dust with worsening weather, plus the possibility of large amounts of uphills requiring pushing, I opted just to take a bus down to Pokhara the next morning. Part of my group is planning to head to poonhill from Tatopani as one last excursion in Annapurna to end the trip on a high note which sounds inviting. But having finished the circuit in about 10 days and having 5 more weeks now in Nepal, the idea of getting back to Pokhara and planning out where else I could go and see and my upcoming timeframe was more inviting. A warm night compared to the previous was a plus and the plan is to catch the bus at 7:00 am the following morning.

DAY 11

Today was just a bus ride. Rather than finishing out the trek from Jomsom, I decided to just get to Pokhara so I would have more time in other places in Nepal. What a bus ride though! I think it lasted about twelve hours total and was definitely the most perilous ride I’ve been on to date. I thought we might fall off a cliff multiple times. The first leg was extremely uncomfortable as I was jammed into a tiny seat with no leg room. Add in the continuous bumps and stops and reversals for other cars to pass coming up and it was not enjoyable. The second half was not bad at all but it was long. It was nice being back in Pokhara for some rest and relaxation.