#the fruit is based on screw pine

[dokupine]

awawawawaawawawawa!

[piinkyypriincess]

SOUR CHERRY

Luke Castellan x OC

"Fuck the God's, angel, you're mine."

Main Pairing ~ Luke Castellan x Daughter of Oizys!OC

Warnings ~ Depressing themes, failure, anger, and anxiety.

Spoilers ~ A Ton‼️

Masterpost ~ Here.

Beta Read/Edited ~ No (No beta lmao)

Word Count ~ 940 Words.

Chp Summary ~ December 21st, 2005. The day of the Winter Solstice, Luke Castellan's dark eye's scorned the God's as they argued. Usually, he smelled like sweet, fruity nectar; a concoction his own success and greatness. That day, he smelled like sour cherries.

Chp 1 ~ Failure and Success, Only One Step Apart

Failure smelt like a field of ripe strawberries and raw sap from pine needles.

Nisha thought she could smell failure because she couldn't taste success. Perhaps failure smelt so good, so sweet, because success was meant to be on a tongue. Victor's with glory tasted success and savored it on their taste buds, whilst failures smelt the sweet aroma only.

That was their punishment, the smell, not the taste, because a failure isn't good enough to have pleasantries on their tongue.

Failure and success were only one step away from each other after all.

No, failure didn't actually smell like the sweet labors of nature. Strawberries and pine was what Nisha with no last name associated it with though. It's how she smelt. Everyone's success and failure smelt vaguely different, Nisha just had a talent of picking out the scents.

Failure smelt like raw sugars with sour base notes.

It was unfiltered and not as sweet as success that smelt like a candy factory. It was as if the God's teased that failure smelt good, but not that good, so others should keep trying for success that smelt even better. It tasted even greater.

Lucus Castellan smelt like fruity, sweet, nectar. He smelt better than ambrosia hovering over her face and tasting like fresh strawberries. He is a true Demi-God prodigy that smelt like the embodiment of success.

However, on the night of December 21st, he smelt like wilting flowers, decaying tree bark, molding fruit, and ozone.

All those smells weren't necessarily bad, but they weren't great. It's like it poured from the tall teens pores though, etched into his skin as the Winter Scholastic ended in panic.

Nisha didn't allow the panic around her to consume her body or brain. Chiron ushered campers out of Olympus, and the God's angrily conversed in ancient Greek as the children fled. The only person in all of Olympus that smelt oddly good was Ares, the God of War.

Tears threatened to well up in Nisha's amber eyes as the smells of anxiety, despair, and sadness filled her nose. Her brain was hardwired to feel negative emotions deeper than anyone else as she could feel everyone's negative emotions. She fed off of failure, off of anxiety, but in the same breath she was riddled with it.

A Demi-Gods strength is a curse.

Nisha blinked her amber orbs and bit down on the plush flesh of her bottom lip. Campers talked worridly over head, not noticing her there. She had an essentially invisible presence if she didn't make herself known. Bile threatened to climb up her throat as Zeus yelled partially loud and lightning crackled around the room.

“My Master Bolt is gone, Apollo!” He screamed in ancient greek at the sun God. Apollo's blonde brows formed a crease in the middle of his golden brown forehead, his angelic features screwed up angrily.

The brown girl could smell sandalwood, unripe mandarin oranges, decaying red currants, and burnt moss. The prophetic healing God of the sun's thousand rays, was frustrated.

Campers flinched away from Zeus’ bright lightning and thunderous tone. He made startled yelps go around as campers filed through the sacred Olympus headquarters doors, and down the elevators in groups.

Nisha swallowed thickly, and took a deep breath, daring to focus on Ares, who smelt like a burning forest, gasoline, musky leather, and exotic lilies. The God smelt joyous, he was excited, and that was all the more reason for Nisha to be even more afraid.

Positive emotions were harder for her to sniff out, but it wasn't impossible.

Lucus Castellan wasn't far from her eyesight, his head was welted down to the floor as he carefully walked amongst his fellow campers. The Hermes cabin counselor ushered the younger campers out the large doors of Olympus with concern. He looked seemingly distant in presence, a far away look in his eyes as he was lost in thought.

Nisha separated herself from the two last groups of campers to peel from Olympus and down from the 600th floor of the Empire State Building. She crept next to Luke, who gestured his hands to keep the Demi-Gods moving.

He didn't notice her, nobody would, and that was just fine with Nisha. She blended into the shadows neatly, and kept up with the emotions flitting around the area.

Luke's dark curls were ruffled downwards, as If he had a hat or helmet covering his head prior to the incident. His orbs were dark like a clear night, and a gentle gleam of soft lilac shone underneath his downturned eyes. A sickly green color tinged his usually tan skin with a mulberry color blossoming on his jaw.

Nisha questioned how nobody noticed the boy's frazzled form. Her question was answered as the ignorant God's yelled in their mother tongue, and the centaur Chiron led children down the elevator. Ignorant is what they all were, it would be their downfall, Nisha suspected.

Luke takes one last look at the God's and his saddened scent of wilted flowers, decaying tree bark, moldy fruit, and essence of ozone washes away promptly. His eyes harden over like the night glaring down at cooled obsidian; the sharp igneous rocks attempt to cut at the Gods, who argue amongst themselves.

His plush lips were chapped, and when his hooded monolid twitched, his lip curled into a sneer of disgust, of anger.

Nisha can smell dead willows in full force with the undertones of rancid nuts and base notes of sour cherries.

That's what his fruity smell was; he smelt like cherries, and the ripe sourness of it promised wrath.

[heintran25]

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[writing--references]

hala: Pandanus odorifer, a native shrub used to weave mats and sails

Common names: hala, screw pine, pu hala, pandanus, walking fences

Hala is endemic to (at least) Kauai and naturalized on the major Hawaiian islands. It is commonly found in the lower forest areas and along the wetter shorelines and is abundant from sea level to 2000 ft elevation in Hawaii.

This impressive, rounded tree grows to 20–30 ft in height and has a similar canopy spread. Hala is known for the many conspicuous, thick prop roots (ule hala) near its base. These roots provide support when, with age, the tree becomes top-heavy with leaves, fruit, and branches. Its 2-inch wide leaves (lau hala) grow 3– 4 ft long. The leaves are light green to gray-green, are sharp pointed, and have prickles along the edge. The foliage is arranged spirally along the trunk and in tufts at the ends of branches. There are male and female versions. The fronds of each have long bent leaves and the female produces an 8 inch pineapple looking fruit in the center of the fronds. The male tree produces 1-inch long fragrant flowers (hinano) surrounded by narrow, white bracts. Hala grows best in full sun, but young plants tolerate partial shade. Hala was well appreciated by the ancient Hawaiians, who used almost every part of the plant. Hala provided materials for housing, clothing and textiles, food, medicine, ornament, fishing, and religious uses. (Source.)

The flesh of the ripe fruit is edible – like a pineapple, you have to get through the fruit’s tough exterior to the sweet edible part inside. Early Hawaiians used the fruit medicinally, to restore women who’d just given birth, as a laxative, and more. Pandanus fruit can also be used to make lei, although early Hawaiians did not give lei made from pandanus to others because it was seen as a gesture of malice. (Source.)

See also: Native Plants Hawaii.

[reinerispretty]

groceries. (sokka x f!reader) modern AU

hello!!! i have been wanting to write this for a while. this is based off of one of my favorite songs :) i am sorry if you don’t like modern au’s but i just thought it would make more sense with the song!! it is called groceries and it’s by mallrat!! give it a listen :D

read part 2 here!

Real sorry about your broken heart I'm trying to walk on broken glass Do it all again for art Like had to write a song about it

(Y/N) walked up the concrete steps and four flights of stairs to Sokka’s apartment. By the time she reached his hall, her legs were aching, but she pushed through and walked down the hall to the dark grey door with the golden 4D loosely hanging from a screw. She knocked hard against the door, just in case he was listening to music, and tapped the hanging metal to make it swing. 

The door slowly opened to reveal Sokka, wearing a baggy light blue sweatshirt and grey sweatpants. (Y/N) smiled sadly as she stared at him. His eyes were puffy, like he had been crying, and he wouldn’t meet her eyes. Her fingers tightened around the bag that was slung on her shoulder. 

“Can I come in?” Sokka shrugged, letting her into his apartment. It was oddly...clean. She had been here many times before and had never seen it this clean: no take out boxes strung across the counters, no clothes strung across the floor. It was like he didn’t even live here anymore. 

“Katara told me what happened,” she said quietly as she took a seat on the couch. Sokka scoffed. 

“Katara needs to mind her own business.” 

“Your business is her business, Sokka. She cares about you.” He stood with his back to the door, still not looking at her. She stood, dropping her bag on the floor and moving into the kitchen. “Have you eaten anything?” 

He shrugged. “I need to go to the store.” (Y/N) opened his fridge to find a single papaya on the top shelf. 

“I’ll take you.” She slung her bag over the shoulder. “Come on, it’s only a block away.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“It looks like I do.”

I'll go if you go, if you're cool with that I'll go if you go, I have hope that you know that I'll go if you go, if you're cool with that I'll go if you go, I have hope that you know that

Sokka sighed, grabbing his keys and wallet before they both went down the stairs. When they got outside, Sokka winced at the bright light. “When was the last time you went outside?” He turned his head away from her, avoiding her gaze again. It broke her heart, seeing him like this. Sokka was normally the sunshine in everyone’s day. Funny, outgoing, optimistic. She couldn’t remember the last time he hadn’t smiled at her. 

They walked down the sidewalk side by side. She could tell that his mind was elsewhere, as she had to pull him out of the way of people on multiple occasions. “Thanks,” He mumbled as he pulled his arm away. (Y/N)’s fingers curled into her palm, which dropped to her side. She checked her phone to avoid having to start conversation. A message from Katara: Is he opening up yet? 

(Y/N) dropped her phone back into her bag as they walked into the grocery store. Sokka grabbed a cart, slumping over the railing as he followed (Y/N) through the store. She grabbed him the usual: bread, some cereal, fruits and veggies. She turned back to look at him. “What else do you need?” 

“Um...” He gestured lazily to the other side of the aisle. “Fruit snacks.” (Y/N) smiled, just a bit. 

“Mott’s or Welch’s?” She held up both boxes. Sokka thought for a moment before answering. 

“Welch’s.” (Y/N) scrunched her nose in disgust. “What’s wrong with Welch’s?” 

“Nothing, if you have bad taste.” She tossed the box into the cart, laughing at Sokka’s hurt expression as they moved onto the next aisle.

I just wanna get groceries I'll pray you wanna get close to me I'll give it some, give it some, give it some time But I think we're supposed to be And if you wanna get groceries And if you wanna get close to me Just gimme some, gimme some, gimme some sign I think that we're supposed to be

They moved onto the freezer aisle. (Y/N) grabbed almost every frozen meal under the sun. She returned to the cart with her arms full, dropping the meals on top of the rest of the groceries. “That’s a lot,” Sokka said. 

“It’ll be easy to pop in the microwave,” She explained. “From how your apartment looked it seemed like you couldn’t be bothered to feed yourself.” 

Sokka looked down at his hands. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.” (Y/N) stared at him for so long that an old lady grumpily scooted her cart past them. 

“Sorry,” (Y/N) said quietly, but she wasn’t sure if she was apologizing to Sokka or the old lady. 

They checked out at the front and then carried armfuls of groceries back to his apartment. As they walked up all the stairs, (Y/N) wished that Sokka would move to a building like Aang’s, with a nice elevator. Instead he chose the building with the most stairs in the universe. 

They finally reached Sokka’s apartment and placed all of the groceries on the counter. (Y/N) began putting things in their proper place. She had been here enough times to know where he liked his things. 

“You don’t have to do that,” he said quietly. She didn’t turn back to look at him this time. 

“I know. I want to.” She moved to the stove and put a teapot on the burner. “Sit down, I can make us some tea.” 

He would normally argue playfully with her, but this time he didn’t say anything. He sat on the couch quietly and pulled his feet up, resting his elbow on the armrest. 

“Why’d you come?” 

“Because Katara called me. Asked me to check in on you.” 

“But why you?” (Y/N) cleared her throat. 

“She knows I care about you.” The teapot started to shout, so she took it off the burner and poured it into two cups with tea bags. She brought one over to Sokka and sat in the rocking chair beside the couch. There was so much space in between them. It wasn’t normal. They used to be so close. She remembered sitting on that exact same couch with him, laughing at one of his jokes while something on Netflix played in the background. Now it felt like she was sitting with a stranger. 

I wish that I could let it pass I don't mind that you put it last I made it worse, I put you first We're laughing like it didn't hurt I'm in the dirt, I'll make it work though

Sokka stared at the mug in front of him. It was a cheesy souvenir shop mug that read “World’s Best Boyfriend” and as sad as it was, it brought tears to his eyes. He used his sleeves to wipe them away before (Y/N) saw, but he was too late. She came to his side immediately and sat close to him. She didn’t want to encroach on his personal space, but she wanted to let him know that she was there. 

“I didn’t read the mug before I gave it to you, I’m sorry,” She whispered quietly. Sokka shook his head. 

“It’s fine, really, I’m fine.” He gave one large sniff before turning toward her, but he still wouldn’t meet her eyes. 

“Sokka...” She pulled her knees up on the couch. “It’s okay to not be okay.” 

“I just-” He wiped his nose. “Why did she have to leave?”

(Y/N) let out a large sigh. The distance between her and Sokka wasn’t without reason. After years of pining, he and Yue finally started dating. They were a cute couple, (Y/N) had to admit, but it hurt her too much to see them together. She had been in love with Sokka for as long as she could remember. They had even kissed once, a year ago, at Zuko’s birthday celebration. There had been alcohol involved, but (Y/N) had thought it might change things. A week later, he and Yue started dating and (Y/N) stopped coming around Sokka’s place as much. She would see him at gatherings and act like she was happy, but on the inside her heart was heavier than ever. She separated herself from their friend group for a while and whenever anyone asked she just claimed she was really busy from school. It was easier that way, not seeing anyone.  

But just as quickly as they got together, they separated. Yue packed all of her belongings and left without so much as a goodbye. And while she felt a little relieved when Katara had told her their relationship had ended, she couldn’t help but feel so sad for Sokka. He was the kindest human she had ever known and he didn’t deserve to feel like he had done something wrong. 

“Maybe she needed a fresh start,” (Y/N) said. 

“Without me.” He played with the frayed edges of his sleeves. 

“Sokka, Yue loved you a lot. Loved you so much that sometimes it made me sick. But sometimes, people need to leave to get their own stuff figured out. I guarantee it wasn’t because of you.” 

“How can you be so sure?” 

“Because you treated her like she hung up the moon and stars for you.” (Y/N) felt a lump forming at her throat. Whenever she thought about them, it made her sad. “You’re a good person, Sokka. And Yue knows that. But take it from me, maybe it just wasn’t the right time.” 

Sokka looked into (Y/N’s) eyes for the first time that day. He stared at her for a few moments and she stared right back, her gave immovable. Sokka was a go-with-the-flow kind of person, but (Y/N) was more of a rock. She especially needed to be a rock for him right now. 

“I’m glad Katara called you today,” He admitted. “I missed having you around.” 

A smile rose on (Y/N’s) lips. “Me too.” 

This sucks, I'm lovesick, too important to rush this I'd miss our kiss if it ever left my lips No one I know is sticky on my mind when I go Except ya, but you're just friends with Miss Independent And this sucks, I'm lovesick, too important to rush this I'd miss our kiss if it ever left my lips No one I know is sticky on my mind when I go Heart broke, but I spend it, 'cause I'm Miss Independent

---

Tag List!

@beifongsss , @aimee1602 , @musicalkeys , @aroyaldarknessblr , @mdgrdians 

[beauregard-s]

Cherry Vodka [Part I] | Richie T. + Eddie K.

Pairing: Richie Tozier x Reader x Eddie Kaspbrak (21+)

Word Count: 3.1k

Warnings: language, nsfw material but no explicit sex (yet), alcohol, polyamory mention, kind of a modern au too

Anon said:  “ okay so based off that art you reblogged of the richie x bev x eddie, what about like a reader x richie x eddie fluffy smut based off that (i hope that makes sense bahahha)”

A/n: Yeah, I had to split it in two parts because 7k words... I’m sorry it took me so long to post it, dear anon, if you’re still outta there. I rewrote and changed the plot of this one three times and it’s inspired by this post and by the song Sleep Apnea by Beach Fossils, by the way.

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

“Richie…” “What, doll?” You felt his hand trailing down the small of your back, slowly and treacherously. 

You rolled your eyes from your book to meet Richie’s little smirk. He had his black wayfarers on, even though the sun was down in the horizon now, and behind those you knew his eyes have been glazing all over you. He was all careless laying on his side right next to you on the towel, unruly wind-dried curly hair, head up resting on a hand, the other free one teasing you because he just couldn’t help it when you’d put on that black high-cut swimsuit of yours. Eddie shared the curly-haired boy thoughts but, on the other hand, he laid peacefully flat on his back by your right side. Arms resting under his head, eyes closed, but here and there he’d peek at your and Richie’s constant bickering. You, laying on your stomach in between them, were still in your swimsuit from earlier. After lunch, it was Richie’s idea to go to this lake nearby by his parents' vacation house. It was also Richie’s idea to spend spring break there. Usually, your break trips would include their other friends, who ended up being your friends too over time, but that was being a harsh semester for quite everyone. With Bill and Stan stuck with their academic duties, the best idea was to drive to the Tozier’s vacation house in a small town in Pennsylvania. It was a simple, untouched, two-floor house. Richie told in the car his parents bought it when he was a teenager so they could travel and spend some time there, but ended up not doing that as much as they intended on once it was too far from his city. “For fuck’s sake, Richie!” Laughing was not what you intended, but you did it and you heard Eddie giggling behind you. Richie’s hand had finally made its way to your hips now, while he leaned closer. “Come on, toots. Just one kiss…” He whispered in his best charming tone, but you pushed him away, playing cool although you felt your cheeks burning, the known hots already hitting you like a truck. “No! Fuck off… I already told you we should stop doing this,” you muttered. “You always say that,” it was Eddie who reasoned, and you turned for him, eyes threatening him with no words while he shrugged. “Yeah, and I’m sticking to it,” you retorted. Indeed. It had been over a month since you last… Did what you did. “Plus I think Stan has been suspicious…” Richie snorted, “yeah, like lil old he would give a single fuck about it, y/n.” You breathed out, closing the book because now your concentration was ruined. Richie, Eddie, and you met at the creative writing class, 8 am on Tuesdays, your first semester of college. You remembered as it was today how you found them “lost” less than 10 feet away from the lecture hall but arguing like an old couple without realizing that. You helped them find the right way, and Richie flirted with you as you walked into the class, while Eddie scoffed at him for making them get lost and almost late. You knew those boys had been friends their entire life, but from that moment on the three of you became inseparable. If someone needed to find one of you on the campus, the other two would probably be found at the same place. The pureness of your friendship didn’t last long. It only lasted until the first party you went to together, when you lost to Richie at a snooker game and he claimed a kiss as his prize, the smooth motherfucker he was. You kissed him and only that, but ten minutes later you were making out in the bathroom. You made him swear he wouldn’t make things complicated between you two and he had been keeping his promise ever since. Eddie was a whole out of the curve story though. After what happened at said party, you noticed how fidgety he got about the matter of you and Richie been together once, although he did a great job hiding it. Took a while for him to leave it alone, but you didn’t. Something pestering inside wouldn’t let you. You were at his dorm, studying for a complicated final exam while the sky fell apart in rain outside when you asked him why he got upset. He denied to his death he had jealousy of you and Richie running through his veins, but you knew he was lying when his eyes started to avoid yours, saying ‘Richie’s a better ladies' man, anyway’. You shoot your shot without really thinking about it, told him ‘he was just as desirable as Richie’ and it seemed to light a spark between you two. You were the one who leaned closer but he closed the gap, nervously, pulling you into his lap as soon as you kissed him back, building up his confidence. Just like when Richie and you had your thing, you felt no need to hide from him what happened between you and Eddie. It was an embarrassing talk, but it worked. The three of you quickly and naturally warmed up to the facts: you were friends with benefits with both of them and there was nothing complicated about that for you. But you wanted to keep it low because casually making out with your best friends regularly here and there over time whenever you all desired to was none of people business. Eddie rolled over to lay on his stomach, just like you were, shoulder to shoulder. After a couple days constantly under the sun, you noticed he had more freckles than usual over his nose and cheeks, a few on his shoulders. “You’re being more uptight about it all than me, and everyone knows that being more uptight than me is a big deal...” His self depreciative statement made you flash a half-smile, but didn't stop you from leering at his soft lips because you remembered how he tasted like mint whenever you’d kiss. And it had been a long time since you did for the last time. “I’m just being cautious, Spagheddie.” He smiled at the silly nickname, just when you freed yourself from Richie’s grip, grabbed your book and got up, leaving them on the grass while you walked towards the backdoor. “Where ya’ goin’?” Richie called, but you didn’t look back. “Taking a shower!” You shouted. ‘I fucking need to cool down,’ you thought to yourself. In your silly head, about a year ago, this whole situation was a great idea. Now you found yourself utterly screwed. There was pining going on since the very first beginning in between you and them. You always knew it was there, you just didn’t expect it to escalate like it did. You thought once you had tasted from Richie and Eddie, you’d be done. Checked them out of your possibilities, life goes on, but now you were bonded to them in a way you never intended on. You fell for them. For both of them. And that was making you act up. Since your high school years you understood you were an afraid-of-commitment kind of person. No big deal, no attachments, no pain, so you weren’t ready to fall for a single person alone. Falling for two at the same time made your brain short circuit. You had debated the matter with yourself multiple times before. Since you became aware of it happening, you weren’t able to choose between them, you didn’t even know someone was capable of splitting their feelings like that. Your only solution was to stop it somehow. You couldn’t just leave them completely, so you decided to break the colorful side of that mess of a friendship. It wasn’t easy because it was not just about physical bonds. They were everywhere around you. Eddie would buy you coffee on the test mornings he knew you were tired after studying the whole night and hand it to you kissing your forehead. Richie would always hold your hand, keep you close and protect you somehow, doing that thing where he’d distractedly run his thumb over your knuckles. You knew that maybe you were not just an arousal let-out for them too and that made things even worse. You ruminated the facts the whole time you were under the cold water upstairs, and when you came down later, all damp hair and sleep clothes, you found them both in the kitchen, struggling with dinner although it was just frozen lasagna for three. Beach Fossils played from Richie’s phone, open vodka bottle on the wood table in the middle of the small kitchen. Richie was the one who first noticed you there, smiling over his shoulder. “Gonna leave you watching Eds so he doesn’t implode the house while I take a shower, doll. Help the poor man.” he said, walking past by you and running upstairs. “You’re talking like you weren’t the one struggling to turn on the oven!” Eddie shouted at him. You laughed just like Richie did at distance, joining Eddie by the stove. “Do you want a hand there?” “Never mind,” he said, closing the oven door with a proud grin, “it will be ready in twenty, I guess.” “Talented boys you two are!” you scoffed. “Oh shut up!” He faked a disgusted face at you. Your eyes laid over the cherries you bought the day you arrived, placed in a fruit basket on the counter and, while Eddie sat down at the table you grabbed a glass, the vodka, and a handful of cherries. He didn’t ask you what you were doing, but your peripheral sight allowed you to know he was keeping full attention on you while you fumbled around. You mashed the fruits in the glass until they were a reddish pasta, collecting the seeds and pouring alcohol over what lasted in there. As you swayed everything together, you remembered drinking it once, but not quite where was it. You gulped it turning around to finally face Eddie, and he was splayed in a chair, a ghost of a smile on. “The hell you doin’?” he asked lowly and you shrugged. “I don’t know… But it worked.” He raised his brows, getting up and walking towards you. “Yeah? Is it good?” You hummed in response, feeling it burn down your throat. In the deep of your mind, watching Eddie coming closer and closer, you knew what was about to happen, but you didn’t act fast enough against it. “Let me taste it” And he did. Not from the cup but straight from your lips. Eddie leaned in and kissed you softly, an arm around your waist while his free hand went for the back of your neck. And you ease in melting into him was embarrassing, leaving the cup onto the sink as soon as he pressed you against it before the glass ended up shattered on the floor. His tongue slid over yours, hands going to grab your hips, lifting your shirt a bit in the process. You instantly wished he took it off, already built up after spending that time alone in the middle of nowhere and with that aching tension all over the place. You had sex with Richie twice already over time, one of them a bit drunkenly, the other completely sober and thirsty for it, but you had never done it with Eddie. And you wanted it bad. Been wanting for a long time now, since that fucking rainy day in his dorm. But you knew you couldn’t, not when you shouldn’t even be kissing him like that after managing to stick up to your chastity for over a month now. So your hands palmed his chest and gently pulled him away. “Holy fuck…” Richie’s whispered voice made both you and Eddie startle. He was right there, at the kitchen entrance with a towel around his waist, mouth agape looking at both of you and you had no idea of how much time was standing there now. But he for sure saw shit happening. “That was the fucking fastest shower ever,” Eddie said, so casually it disturbed you. “N-no… I just came back to grab my phone.” Richie muttered. You froze, having no idea of how to move or what to say now. Yes, they were pretty aware you messed around with both of them, but one never saw the other in the act. Never, nor even a peck, and now Richie just witnessed a goddamn show. You were ready to tell him how you were sorry because you had just denied him a kiss when you were sunbathing outside and you have been constantly denying him for weeks now, but he didn’t give you the chance. Richie grabbed his phone over the table and stopped the music. You had the hint that maybe he wasn’t upset once he had that little mischievous smirk of his while he made his way out of there and upstairs again. Of course you didn’t talk about the matter over dinner, but Richie acted like nothing happened and Eddie just followed the lead completely unbothered. You tried to go on as naturally as they did, but something about Richie’s furtive looks over you made you think he was definitely not cool about catching you and Eddie together in the kitchen. You just couldn’t tell if either he was jealous or whatever was that and it pinched you from the inside the rest of the night while you watched old TV shows reprising until it was past one in the morning. That was when Eddie started yawning and decided to go upstairs, to the room that’d be Richie’s formerly, kissing your forehead and smiling nonchalantly before shoving Richie’s shoulder. So it was Richie, you and silence in the living room lighten up by TV flashes here and there. He was already sleepy, laying on the couch he had been sleeping since he insisted on leaving his parents’ bedroom for you, claiming he'd be a terrible host if he had you or Eddie without a bed. You, curled in the armchair, hated unsolved matters and worse than that, you hated when said unsolved matters had to do with Richie because you knew how he internalized everything he felt if it was slightly messed up. So you went straight to the point to avoid any evasions from him. “Did you get jealous of me and Eddie?” You asked right away, eyeing at him from your safe place. He looked at you, dead in the eye, no single sign of emotion perpassing his face. “Not at all, sweet thing,” he said, shrugging. “Why would I be?” You didn’t explain it, because you knew he knew where you were trying to get at, so your raised eyebrow was enough. But Richie raised his back and you had to get up because the lack of words from him, the one who’d never shut up, was bothering you beyond belief. You walked over the couch, passing a leg over his, straddling the Tozier boy for his slight astonishment, his reddish lips curving in a half-smile. Richie also had freckles, darker and more numerous ones than Eddie’s, all over his nose and cheeks, some across the rest of his face and none on the rest of his body. When he sat up with you still in his lap, you could smell that cologne you didn’t know exactly which was, but that you loved. Loved how its scent would stay ghostly on your clothes after you made out in his truck like a mark of his, just like the hickeys he’d give you sometimes, on hidden places so only you could see them. “Don’t fucking play dumb with me,” you whispered now, “I’m sorry, okay?” Richie snorted. “I’m not lying to you, y/n/n. I’m definitely not mad at you nor at Eddie. You’re making up things in your pretty head, doll” His hands drifted up your thighs. “I miss you, that's true. But it doesn’t make me jealous of that hell of a scene I saw earlier.” You noticed how he swallowed dry. “So you trying to convince me you’re not utterly disgusted and hurt?” Richie snorted once more at your tease and the light air of his relieving a lot of pressure from your chest. “Far from that, y/n/n...” The way his voice slowed down and his eyes drifted away from yours to his restless fingers on your skin...You finally understood where the problem laid on. And you wouldn’t even need the light pink shade of his cheeks to assure that. “Oh God, you liked it…” You whispered in disbelief and Richie laughed, hands on your hips now, pulling you closer. “What if I did, doll?” He didn’t let you answer, lips on yours before you recovered from your shock. He kissed slowly and passionately, it was always like that, kisses that after a few seconds already got you wanting to rip his clothes off. He was warm against you, bare chest pressed against still clothed yours. As earlier with the Kaspbrak boy, you had the urge of pulling away from him for your own sake, but you couldn’t this time. Richie peppered kisses all the way from your mouth to your jawline, kissing the spot that got your underwear ruined every time, earning himself a low whimper from your lips. You felt dizzy. “Eds is my best friend, toots,” he whispered against your skin, “there’s no one I’d be more glad to let spend time with you, touch you...” His hands ran up your sides underneath your shirt and your nails dig into his shoulders. “Kiss you.” He sucked a hickey on the crook of your neck that finally had you moaning out loud. “Richie-” His name. You could feel him smiling at that. “Or have you.” “For fuck’s sake, Richie…” You knew how to read in between his lines and in his darkened eyes when he pulled away to look into yours, glasses off. You knew he couldn’t see you quite well, but you could see him. If Richie was implying what you thought he was… “I told you I’d never lie to you, and I’m sticking to it.” Richie didn’t smile this time. “And believe me when I say I wish Eddie had taken you right on that counter.” You were the one dry swallowing now, thoughts running a mile a second. “For you to watch?” You scoffed, trying to hide how flustered you were. Richie remained serious when he laid down again. His moves underneath you let you feel him hardened under you. “No. I’d for sure join.” You read him again, tried to find whatever proved you he was just teasing. But he wasn’t. And that left you speechless, made him smile, tapping your hips gently. “But go to bed, toots. We can talk about it any other day. When you're ready and the cat doesn’t get your tongue.”

[not-safeforsanders]

Be My Baby / Devil Like You

This fic is based on Bea Miller’s Be My Baby, and Gareth Dunlop’s Devil Like You. Yeah I know, that’s a bit of a whiplash between two songs.

Fic Synopsis: Roman knows how to dance, Patton knows how to pray, Remus knows how to use his mouth and Logan knows how to shut it. Meanwhile, Virgil and Janus think they’re all idiots and are begging for some healthy communication. (University!AU) (18+)

Warnings: mentioned transphobia.

Ships for the whole fic: Intrulogical, Royality, Anxceit, Logan/Remy/Remus/Emile. (Lomile and Remus/Remy separately too)

Word Count: 2716

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine | Read on AO3

Remus adores Remy, he hasn’t stopped talking about him since they’d met. Logan doesn’t even have it in him to be jealous because the genuine excitement the other is displaying is...nice. Unlike Logan’s quiet form of a crush on Emile, Remus does not shut up about his infatuation for days after their initial coffee date, to the point where Logan is practically begging his partner to just ask Emile for Remy’s number after their next session. 

He doesn’t ask after their next session, Emile has barely stepped through the door before the dark-haired man is accosting him. Luckily the psychology student finds it nothing less than endearing. “He was fidgeting the entire session, but he seems excited and that’s definitely a plus,” he relays back to his old friend over a cup of coffee in the shared kitchen adjoined to Logan’s flat. “Getting him to concentrate was difficult though.” 

“Do you not mind that someone is pining over your boyfriend?” Logan asks curiously. 

“I’d be a hypocrite if I did,” Emile replies quietly, before sipping his cup of coffee, the curious look does not leave the other’s eyes and some part of the usually soft-hearted man just wants to snap, or scream. Or ask if Logan really does walk around with his eyes screwed fucking shut because there’s no way that he’s still oblivious right? There’s no way he hasn’t noticed, what does it take for this man to take a hint and understand? “We’re both polyamorous, although Remy’s...not really one for dating usually, however he does seem to have taken a liking to Remus, I think maybe he’s curious about him and it’s not as though he’s not attractive.” That much is true, and the man knows he’s not unattractive, Logan would find it insufferable if he didn’t admire the fact Remus has all the confidence in the world. 

“I hope things work out between them, not just because I’m not very good at comforting people, but I think they’re very alike and are compatible with each other.” That also, is true. They both sip their coffee in silence, staring at the coffee table and avoiding each other’s gaze for a little while; like there’s something they both want to say, that they both want to ask...and so much they want to avoid too. No amount of love can shake the fact that Logan abandoned Emile, and even if the man in question accepts him back with open arms and forgives and forgets...can Logan himself ever be okay with that fact? 

He missed Emile, and he didn’t even realise that he missed Emile. What sort of person does that make him?

“You’re overthinking,” the man whose hair is, as of late, highlighted in dark pink, interrupts Logan’s thoughts, twirling a strand of hair around his finger as his narrowed eyes scrutinise his friend. “You’ve got that face on,” he can still read him like an open book. Training to be a licensed counselor suits Emile, but his intuition alone goes a long way. 

“Sorry.” 

“Don’t be, do you want to talk about it?” there’s a long pause, before he sighs and sits up.

“How can you just...forgive me? How are you just smiling at me and talking to me, and helping my friends? You should be angry.”

“I am angry.” Emile replied. “But I’m not as much angry at you as I am with the situation,” he leans up and places his cup on the coffee table, crossing his legs on the seat and leaning back against the back of the couch, his hands resting in his folded legs. “Remy told me that you wouldn’t just stop talking to us without a reason, and I knew he was right...for a while I blamed myself, I thought maybe it was something I did, I thought maybe you’d figured out I was gay and…” his jaw clenches a little “...but then I blamed you, and I blamed you for about a year, I was so, so angry with you that I felt like if I ever saw you again I was going to slap you.” Logan flinches. “Then, lastly, I just accepted that maybe we’re both victims of a very poor circumstance and there’s more to blame here than just people and choices made; you made a bad choice, I mean don’t we all at least once in our lives? But I knew there was no way my best friend would just choose not to talk to me without a damn good reason to do so.” He shrugs. “You weren’t here, so as far as I’m concerned it’s not for you to question whether or not I’ve forgiven you, or even why, but just accept that whatever my choice is that it’s the one I came to by myself. If I really thought you had ill intent we wouldn’t be talking right now.” His voice is so firm and decisive that it sends a shiver running down the other man’s spine. 

“Okay,” Logan accepts this with a nod, his lips pulling into a small smile. “Then I respect your free will to make whatever choices you wish with your life.” He understands though, he thinks if the roles had been reversed he’d have forgiven Emile in a heartbeat. 

It was a shock to see him again though, in fact Logan is still processing the fact that this was his high school best friend sat in front of him. He’d put on some weight since then and he looks happier, healthier, taller too, his hair is thicker and curlier and...everything about him just seems like he grew up. Not in the sense that he forgoes any and all childishness, but like he finally figured out how to look after himself. Logan has many regrets in life, but he thinks his biggest will forever be that he missed the chance to see Emile become a man. 

He remembers the first time he ever met Emile, this lanky kid who never seemed to be in control of his own limbs, his hair too short and his discomfort in his own existence evident all the time. Then he remembers running into Emile a few weeks ago and seeing this person that he’d known, but with a bright smile that reached his eyes, his blonde-brown hair thick and curling, he’d turned around and saw Logan and stepped back for a moment. Then the smile returned. 

It seemed like fate, if either of them weren’t too practical to believe in something like that. 

Sitting across from him now, Logan thinks that if he wasn’t so wound up by what he’d done to the other man it would feel like no time had passed at all. They’re both different people, but the way they tune into each other’s feelings is unchanged; the way they talk is without the barrier of time, as though somewhere deep down those uncomfortable teenagers are still in there and looking for the only solace they had; their friendship. And Remy’s of course, because although Logan jokes at his expense, he doesn’t think he would’ve managed his teenage experience half as well without that man. 

Remy was always the one in the group who had a handle on every situation. He was clever, he was great with STEM subjects, and art, and everything. He didn’t get into their high school on a whim or anything, he was genuinely clever...but he never much liked to care about it. Whilst Emile and Logan were cramming for tests, he’d be the one dragging them away from textbooks to get them to practise the very basic amounts of self care. Logan did not cope half as well without the two of them. 

The last text he ever got from either of them was Remy, too. Emile gave up after a few months, likely because he was too upset to keep trying. It took Remy a year to stop, he kept updating Logan on the things happening in their lives with no expectation of a reply, and unbeknownst to him, Logan read every single one.

Because, if nothing else, he’s fucking stubborn. It’s how Remy survives, stubbornness and sheer spite. And love for his friends. 

Logan smiles at Emile, because he missed him, because he loves him; because this man has too much love in his heart and there is not enough people in the world to give it too. And then he says it. “I love you,” it just slips out of his mouth, and his cheeks go very red as he surprises himself. But the soft expression doesn’t leave. 

“I love you too, Lo,” he never doubted that for a second. 

Neither of them elaborate, even though they really should. 

--

Patton wanders into the kitchen around midday on Thursday, he has no idea what he’s having for lunch, but he does know that he’s very much hungry. He opens one cupboard, then closes it, then another, then closes it, then realises he didn’t even really look in the cupboard. With a sigh, he leans against the kitchen counter and hums to himself, thinking way too hard over something as simple as lunch. The kitchen door opens and Janus walks in humming to himself, his phone in his hand and one earphone in his ear. “Afternoon,” the blonde tugs his one earphone out and shoves his phone in his pocket. “What did the floor do for you to be staring at it so hard?” Patton smiles and shakes his head.

“I don’t know what I want to eat.” 

“When all else fails, a bowl of cereal will suffice.” The taller opens his own cupboard and pulls out what looks like a bag of nuts and fruit. “Want some? It’s honey and seed flavoured, it doesn’t say what seed but now that I’ve eaten some I’m fairly certain it’s sunflower seeds.” Remarkably healthy for a student. Patton nods and leans down to open his own cupboard, pulling a bowl out from it. 

He moves closer and places the bowl down, before he steps back a little his eyes go to Janus’ arm. He’s wearing a vest, and it’s rather distracting, not just because he is built up of the sort of lean muscle a man gets from daily exercise or perhaps working in a warehouse (okay, maybe a little), but because there’s a tattoo of a snake coiled around his upper arm, and absentmindedly Patton thinks he wants to touch it. “Do you like tattoos?” Janus asks, looking over at him with a smile. “I got that one done when I was 16, but that’s a secret,” he winks, and Patton’s cheeks flush at just a simple action.

“I’ve not seen many up close before, it looks really nice...can I...touch it?” He looks up, eyes wide, the blond man raises his eyebrows but nods in response. Patton’s hand reaches up, tracing the lines with his fingertips, it feels smooth, not even like there’s anything there at all. He brings his hand back down. “I expected it to feel like...like it’s bumpy or something but it just feels like skin.” 

“They’re raised a little when they’re first done,” Janus moves away to grab milk from the fridge, pouring some into each bowl. The two starts to eat, leaning against the kitchen counter “And a little sore, but not really painful...sort of like sunburn I suppose, then it gets a little itchy, but after that they’re fine.” 

“Do you have more?” 

“No, but I want more,” they hear a door open and close and look up towards the door in anticipation, Virgil pushes open the kitchen door, wearing boxers and a baggy shirt, his hair a mess. “You were taking too long and I missed you,” he yawns, moving to lean against the counter. “Hi Pat,” Janus raises his arm and Virgil wraps his own around his boyfriend’s waist, burying his face in the other’s neck. They seem so happy together, and comfortable around each other; he really wishes he had someone like that, or that he could have someone like that.

“Do you have any other tattoos Virgil?” Patton asks curiously. 

“I have two in total, the one behind my ear and…” he shuffles around a little to pull his shirt up, Patton’s eyes go a little wide “...my top surgery date, right here,” just underneath the left side of some healed scars on his chest is a little date, tattooed to his skin. Patton isn’t really looking at that though, he steps closer, staring. 

“What...happened?” he asks, because he genuinely doesn’t know. 

“I’m transgender,” Virgil replied, because he’s used to that question. “These scars are from when I had my tits removed.” Patton’s mouth opens and closes, once or twice. 

“Woah,” he finally replied. “That’s...cool, did it hurt? Afterwards, I mean?”

“A little, especially if I moved too fast...that was a damn nightmare.” 

“He acted like an invalid half of it.” Janus chuckles, shaking his head, “...all I heard for weeks was ‘babe can you get me this?’ and ‘babe can you get me that, don’t you feel oh so sorry for me?’” Virgil rolls his eyes and pokes the other in the side, then snorts when he tries not to spill cereal everywhere. 

“So...uh...sorry...are you gay?” He points at Janus, and then at Virgil because he figures that matters too. They both nod, looking at each other to see who is taking the explanation part, it’s almost like they silently communicate and it’s so sweet that Patton wants to cry. 

“Sexuality is fairly complex,” Janus finally replies, “Some people are attracted to primary and secondary sex characteristics, some to secondary or primary, some to neither...in my case I kind of just fell in love with Virgil over a period of time, I mean he was just always there and it never even really crossed my mind that he was trans, it just wasn’t a factor for me at all...in general, in my day to day life I tend to find men attractive based on completely random qualities, like jawline or eye colour; some people are very much adamant about the idea that being a gay man is an attraction to a dick, but I suppose that says enough about their personality.” He presses a kiss to the top of Virgil’s head. 

“I think I understand,” Patton thinks aloud. “I don’t think I’d care either way if Roman was trans, he’d still be him,” his cheeks flush red “I...I mean…”

“Your secret is safe with us,” Virgil zips his lips.  

“Oh my God,” Patton muttered, burying his face in his hands.  

“It’s alright,” Janus adds “Patton, it’s really alright, I promise you, one day it really will not be so scary to you.” his deep voice is comforting and he always sounds so sure of himself, that Patton can’t even think to disagree, so he just nods with a small but sad smile. “And hey, if you ever want to talk to someone who isn’t Roman then we’re here dude, I figured that maybe Logan wouldn’t be your first port of call with emotional shit and getting Remus to talk about stuff like this must be a nightmare so...you know where our rooms are.” 

“Thank you,” the smaller man wraps his arms around himself like it’s a forcefield of some kind. “Oh, uh...guys?” he asks, clearing his throat. “Sorry but, uh, do you think you could keep it down a bit at night? I don’t mind so much during the day but I also need to sleep,” he blushes (he’s starting to think blushing should be his day job, because he’s in a constant state of embarrassment around every single one of his flatmates), Virgil laughs, and nods. 

“Sure thing,” 

“Thank you.” 

Well, acknowledging sex exists sure is a first step, at least. 

[ao3feed-klance]

It started with your smile

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/2Y2Hkmk

by Anonymous

** I would like to note that this fic is based on a-zzurra 's "Grandma headcanons" post on Tumblr. So the only original thing is my actual writing style and added scenes. **

Lance, now in his second year of University, signed up for the 'Help-a-Grandma' program and was paired with a witty lady who spoke of memes and cats- and she just so happens to get that from her feisty grandson who's good at wielding knives.

Keith, also in his second year of University, goes to his grandma's, Momo's, house twice a week to clean and make an attempt at cooking. He arrives one afternoon to find a familiar-faced stranger seated at the dining table eating a fruit salad. I'm not gonna beat around the bush so just know that they bond and eventually fall in love.

Some would call this a fated meeting or destiny, but Lance knows that it really all started back then- with that smile.

Words: 2004, Chapters: 1/20, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M

Characters: Pidge | Katie Holt, Allura (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron), Ryan Kinkade, Romelle (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Adam (Voltron), Shay (Voltron), Veronica (Voltron), Krolia (Voltron), and so many more but I can't be fucked

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron), Allura/Romelle (Voltron), Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Lance/Lotor (Voltron), Acxa/Veronica (Voltron), Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Ezor/Zethrid (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, painter! keith, Gay Keith (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), SAPPHICS RISE, Stan the balls of pure sunlight Hunk and Shay, There will be a death..........I'm so sorry, Ha if you're like me and don't read tags your screwed, Mutual Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Pining Keith/Lance (Voltron), SHIRO HAS A MASSIVE CRUSH ON ADAM AND EVERYONE THINKS THEY SHOULD DATE, Teacher! Shiro, Teacher! Adam, ADAM ALSO HAS A MASSIVE CRUSH ON SHIRO SO GUESS WHAT!? MORE MUTUAL PINING!!!, Japanese Keith, Memes, Slow Burn, bonding moment, Bonding, I'm so done with the tags shit

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/2Y2Hkmk

[ao3-feed-shadam]

It started with your smile

by Anonymous

** I would like to note that this fic is based on a-zzurra 's "Grandma headcanons" post on Tumblr. So the only original thing is my actual writing style and added scenes. **

Lance, now in his second year of University, signed up for the 'Help-a-Grandma' program and was paired with a witty lady who spoke of memes and cats- and she just so happens to get that from her feisty grandson who's good at wielding knives.

Keith, also in his second year of University, goes to his grandma's, Momo's, house twice a week to clean and make an attempt at cooking. He arrives one afternoon to find a familiar-faced stranger seated at the dining table eating a fruit salad. I'm not gonna beat around the bush so just know that they bond and eventually fall in love.

Some would call this a fated meeting or destiny, but Lance knows that it really all started back then- with that smile.

Words: 2004, Chapters: 1/20, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M

Characters: Pidge | Katie Holt, Allura (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron), Ryan Kinkade, Romelle (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Adam (Voltron), Shay (Voltron), Veronica (Voltron), Krolia (Voltron), and so many more but I can't be fucked

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron), Allura/Romelle (Voltron), Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Lance/Lotor (Voltron), Acxa/Veronica (Voltron), Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Ezor/Zethrid (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, painter! keith, Gay Keith (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), SAPPHICS RISE, Stan the balls of pure sunlight Hunk and Shay, There will be a death..........I'm so sorry, Ha if you're like me and don't read tags your screwed, Mutual Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Pining Keith/Lance (Voltron), SHIRO HAS A MASSIVE CRUSH ON ADAM AND EVERYONE THINKS THEY SHOULD DATE, Teacher! Shiro, Teacher! Adam, ADAM ALSO HAS A MASSIVE CRUSH ON SHIRO SO GUESS WHAT!? MORE MUTUAL PINING!!!, Japanese Keith, Memes, Slow Burn, bonding moment, Bonding, I'm so done with the tags shit

source http://archiveofourown.org/works/18124388

[ao3feed-safeklance]

It started with your smile

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2Y2Hkmk

by Anonymous

** I would like to note that this fic is based on a-zzurra 's "Grandma headcanons" post on Tumblr. So the only original thing is my actual writing style and added scenes. **

Lance, now in his second year of University, signed up for the 'Help-a-Grandma' program and was paired with a witty lady who spoke of memes and cats- and she just so happens to get that from her feisty grandson who's good at wielding knives.

Keith, also in his second year of University, goes to his grandma's, Momo's, house twice a week to clean and make an attempt at cooking. He arrives one afternoon to find a familiar-faced stranger seated at the dining table eating a fruit salad. I'm not gonna beat around the bush so just know that they bond and eventually fall in love.

Some would call this a fated meeting or destiny, but Lance knows that it really all started back then- with that smile.

Words: 2004, Chapters: 1/20, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M

Characters: Pidge | Katie Holt, Allura (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron), Ryan Kinkade, Romelle (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Adam (Voltron), Shay (Voltron), Veronica (Voltron), Krolia (Voltron), and so many more but I can't be fucked

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron), Allura/Romelle (Voltron), Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Lance/Lotor (Voltron), Acxa/Veronica (Voltron), Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Ezor/Zethrid (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, painter! keith, Gay Keith (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), SAPPHICS RISE, Stan the balls of pure sunlight Hunk and Shay, There will be a death..........I'm so sorry, Ha if you're like me and don't read tags your screwed, Mutual Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Pining Keith/Lance (Voltron), SHIRO HAS A MASSIVE CRUSH ON ADAM AND EVERYONE THINKS THEY SHOULD DATE, Teacher! Shiro, Teacher! Adam, ADAM ALSO HAS A MASSIVE CRUSH ON SHIRO SO GUESS WHAT!? MORE MUTUAL PINING!!!, Japanese Keith, Memes, Slow Burn, bonding moment, Bonding, I'm so done with the tags shit

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2Y2Hkmk

[ao3feed-adashi]

It started with your smile

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/2Y2Hkmk

by Anonymous

** I would like to note that this fic is based on a-zzurra 's "Grandma headcanons" post on Tumblr. So the only original thing is my actual writing style and added scenes. **

Lance, now in his second year of University, signed up for the 'Help-a-Grandma' program and was paired with a witty lady who spoke of memes and cats- and she just so happens to get that from her feisty grandson who's good at wielding knives.

Keith, also in his second year of University, goes to his grandma's, Momo's, house twice a week to clean and make an attempt at cooking. He arrives one afternoon to find a familiar-faced stranger seated at the dining table eating a fruit salad. I'm not gonna beat around the bush so just know that they bond and eventually fall in love.

Some would call this a fated meeting or destiny, but Lance knows that it really all started back then- with that smile.

Words: 2004, Chapters: 1/20, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M

Characters: Pidge | Katie Holt, Allura (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron), Ryan Kinkade, Romelle (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Adam (Voltron), Shay (Voltron), Veronica (Voltron), Krolia (Voltron), and so many more but I can't be fucked

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron), Allura/Romelle (Voltron), Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Lance/Lotor (Voltron), Acxa/Veronica (Voltron), Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Ezor/Zethrid (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, painter! keith, Gay Keith (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), SAPPHICS RISE, Stan the balls of pure sunlight Hunk and Shay, There will be a death..........I'm so sorry, Ha if you're like me and don't read tags your screwed, Mutual Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Pining Keith/Lance (Voltron), SHIRO HAS A MASSIVE CRUSH ON ADAM AND EVERYONE THINKS THEY SHOULD DATE, Teacher! Shiro, Teacher! Adam, ADAM ALSO HAS A MASSIVE CRUSH ON SHIRO SO GUESS WHAT!? MORE MUTUAL PINING!!!, Japanese Keith, Memes, Slow Burn, bonding moment, Bonding, I'm so done with the tags shit

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/2Y2Hkmk

[ao3feed-lancelot]

It started with your smile

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2Y2Hkmk

by Anonymous

** I would like to note that this fic is based on a-zzurra 's "Grandma headcanons" post on Tumblr. So the only original thing is my actual writing style and added scenes. **

Lance, now in his second year of University, signed up for the 'Help-a-Grandma' program and was paired with a witty lady who spoke of memes and cats- and she just so happens to get that from her feisty grandson who's good at wielding knives.

Keith, also in his second year of University, goes to his grandma's, Momo's, house twice a week to clean and make an attempt at cooking. He arrives one afternoon to find a familiar-faced stranger seated at the dining table eating a fruit salad. I'm not gonna beat around the bush so just know that they bond and eventually fall in love.

Some would call this a fated meeting or destiny, but Lance knows that it really all started back then- with that smile.

Words: 2004, Chapters: 1/20, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M

Characters: Pidge | Katie Holt, Allura (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron), Ryan Kinkade, Romelle (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Adam (Voltron), Shay (Voltron), Veronica (Voltron), Krolia (Voltron), and so many more but I can't be fucked

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron), Allura/Romelle (Voltron), Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Lance/Lotor (Voltron), Acxa/Veronica (Voltron), Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Ezor/Zethrid (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, painter! keith, Gay Keith (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), SAPPHICS RISE, Stan the balls of pure sunlight Hunk and Shay, There will be a death..........I'm so sorry, Ha if you're like me and don't read tags your screwed, Mutual Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Pining Keith/Lance (Voltron), SHIRO HAS A MASSIVE CRUSH ON ADAM AND EVERYONE THINKS THEY SHOULD DATE, Teacher! Shiro, Teacher! Adam, ADAM ALSO HAS A MASSIVE CRUSH ON SHIRO SO GUESS WHAT!? MORE MUTUAL PINING!!!, Japanese Keith, Memes, Slow Burn, bonding moment, Bonding, I'm so done with the tags shit

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2Y2Hkmk

[nyaarr]

Anahardt week - A love story in seven days.

Day 1: “Sugar”

Day 2: “Date Night”

Day 3: “Games”

(Three days later)

It was not the best idea, but there was no food delivery for outlandish organizations yet.  And it was not just food--they were in dire need of medical supplies and spare parts to patch up their gear. And money. Oh dear. They really needed money.

“Do you even know how to fish?” Torbjörn raised an eyebrow, and Ana shrugged.

“How difficult can it be?”

“Tell Reinhardt that,” Fareeha cackled, crossing her arms as she glanced smugly at him.

She had taken some days off her job after Brigitte called her, and Winston had allowed her to join their merry band as a part-time member despite Ana’s grumbling. There was nothing she could do, however, since her actual job was as bad as being a soldier itself--and Ana would rather have her with them.

Fareeha had grown into such a nice strong woman; Ana could not be more proud. Well, maybe if she had become a civil doctor, or a civil engineer, or a civil anything, really. She snorted. It was not to be, of course, growing up among legends.

“Oh dear, the two of you together,” Torbjörn rolled his eyes. “Right, I’m going to get us some food. Someone care to come with me?”

“I’ll go, papa. But only if the loser team does something for the winner team.”

“Ah, a dare?” Reinhardt raised an eyebrow from the bench where he had been sitting playing dice with Torb. “I’ve plenty of ideas for my armour that need a good engineer. Or two.”

Brigitte flexed her strong arms at him and grinned.

“Prepare to eat dust, old man.”

Ana could only smile at their banter. Reinhardt and the Lindholms were a family on their own right, with their private jokes and their all round camaraderie. It warmed her heart to see that they had stuck together. However, what really touched her was to see sadness and grief chipping away from her old friend as time went by.

“Ah, I’ll go with you two, or the only thing you would catch is a cold, ” Fareeha hid her eyes behind a hand and shook her head.

It was fucking cold at the Pyrenees, even though Ana was clad in old winter clothes and only her eye was showing. Snow painted the whole forest white, reminding her of their lost Swiss base. The ground crunched under her boots, but it was so cold she did not sink. It was a different story for Reinhardt, but he did not seem to mind one bit, striding by their side with that twinkle in his eyes that meant he was enjoying whatever he was doing.

“This’s a good spot,” he said, stopping under a pine once they reached the frozen lake and and making Fareeha sigh.

“No, of course it’s not,” she looked around, eyebrows frowning in concentration. She had a wool beanie over her head and a thick scarf that still let her face show. It showed that she had grown up in Switzerland, after all. “Come on. You want to win that silly bet of yours or not?”

“We cannot lose,” he snorted. “You’ve ever seen Torb anywhere near a kitchen? He would not find anything to eat even if it bit him.”

“Maybe. But he has Brigitte.”

“She will find something to scavenge for parts, I don’t doubt that.”

“Play it safe,” Fareeha shrugged and started walking again. “That’s what I always say. Come on further in.”

They kept walking around the lake until she was satisfied with a place nearby a rocky cliff and several trees.

“I’ll make a hole at the middle of the lake and try there, but you two stay here. This should be safe from ice, from water, and from … anything else that can go wrong.”

“Ah, don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine, right, Ana?”

“You may be, but I’m freezing here,” she moved closer to Reinhardt in the hopes to steal some of his heat. “Can we get done here fast and go back , please?”

Torbjörn had made for them some extremely rudimentary fishing poles that they split between them, as well as some raw meat to attach to them. She had heard that people used to fish with insects and worms, which would not have happened in her watch even if they have had them handy, thankyouverymuch.

Fareeha went into the ice slowly while Reinhardt grabbed a fallen tree and pulled it closer to their spot. He pushed the snow down and sat down with a puff of breath. Then, he patted his thighs.

“Come here, I’ll warm you up.”

Ana turned towards him with an arched eyebrow and hoping? wishing? she had heard wrong, and his face sobered in a moment. Then, he looked behind himself, then back to her. Confused.

“What did I do?”

Oh. Of course he did not mean it that way. Ana let go a relieved breath and walked towards him, sitting on his lap but favouring his left leg.

“I was overcautious. Sorry,” she reached for his back with a gloved hand and rubbed his worn out parka. “Should have known better.”

“Why? What would you think I could possibly--?” He could not even finish the sentence, as if he could just not grasp the idea. And it was right. He was right. He would totally not mean it that way.

“Not you. But I’m old, now, and I’ve lived long among men. I tend to think the worst of most innocent comments, and I’m hardly wrong.”

Reinhard gasped audibly.

“You thought I--  Here, of all places??”

Ana laughed and pulled her scarf a bit so she could poke his cheek with her nose--that was all she dared to get out with that cold.

“That’s not to say--Well,” he looked down, mumbled. “I know you don’t like it. But if you ever wanted--And we are in a better place than this, of course...”

“This is how you lured the ladies at the base into your bed?” She teased, impossibly amused by his embarrassment. “I was expecting more winking and flexing. Some boasting, at least.”

“Ah, you’re evil incarnate, maus,” he chuckled, and flexed his strong arms before grabbing her in an embrace.

It was only when Fareeha came back to them with a bag full of fishes that they realized they had not even baited their hooks. Fuming, she stopped in front of them both, hands on her hips.

“Apologies. It would seem we,” Reinhardt cleared his throat, “lost track of time?”

“I don’t even-- I can’t with you two,” she let go a long breath, but the corners of her mouth were curling up in a smile. Ana did not have to tell her anything; she knew the moment she saw them in the same room-- and she laughed and teased them like she was fifteen all again. She was happy for them. All were, in truth. It was a bit scary, the pressure to get it right, but she was not planning to screw up.

“Oh, you caught plenty of fishes,” Ana was surprised when she peeked into the bag. “You’re really good at this.”

“Yeah, be grateful Gabe taught me,” Fareeha raised an eyebrow, then shook her head. “Let’s hope it’s enough.”

They had not walked more than fifteen minutes when Ana turned around. Oh, she may be missing an eye, but the one she had worked extremely well -- and her ears were as sharp.

“What--?”

She put her index finger over her mouth and looked around. There was something moving. Something big--Ana grabbed Reinhardt by the arm to stop him so she could damn listen. Big. Heavy. Coming their way. But where?

“Stay here,” he said with a calm voice, and broke into a run towards their right, charging head on against a bear that came running towards them. A bear.

“Do you think you can take me? Keep coming, then!” His voice echoed on the mountain as he ran, arms extended.

What in the actual--

Ana was about to run after him when suddenly the bear turned to the side and backed off several yards. Reinhardt stopped running and put his hands on his hips as the bear huffed and walked in circles around itself. Nervous, scared. But not scared enough to leave. It wanted something.

Ana grabbed Fareeha’s arm --no way she was leaving her in the middle of a bear territory-- and got closer to the german with short, slow paced steps. There may be other bears around. Or cubs. What she found, though, was the corpse of and elk.

“Ah, maybe it’s trying to defend its food.”

“Can we take it with us? The kill is fresh,” Fareeha crouched on the ground to inspect it, making the bear more agitated. “We can feed us all properly with it.”

“Give it the fishes, then,” Reinhardt had not moved an inch from where he was, not he turned his head towards them. “Must have woken up quite recently, and may not be able to hunt more if we take its food.”

She did not seem enthusiastic about giving away the fruit of her hard labour, but chucked the bag far away in their opposite direction to lure the animal from them. It did not seem thrilled to change preys, either, but Reinhardt charged against it again -- and this time it just ran into the woods.

The crusader walked back towards them as if scaring bears away was something he had been doing all his life after breakfast.

“So,” Ana pocketed her hands on her coat, “I sense a story about Bavarian bears that you have not told us about.”

“A story?” He stretched his back and his arms for a bit, then grabbed the dead animal and put it over his shoulders. “If a bear runs to you, you scare it off. That’s just common sense. What story is to that?”

“You didn’t arm-wrestle any bear?” Fareeha snickered.

“Me? No, not really,” he raised his eyebrows a bit, but remained otherwise serious. “But my general wrestled a bear to the ground and then gained its friendship. Balderich was--”

When they arrived to the cabin where they would be hiding for some days, the bastion that Torb had somehow salvaged greeted them with a happy chirp. Reinhardt had been a second away from throwing the elk at the omnic as if it was a surrogate hammer, but he restrained himself at the last moment. Ana did not like it either; they had just fought too many of them to be comfortable in the same room with one, even if both Brigitte and Torb swore it was inoffensive.

“What in the mother forge is that?” Torbjörn jumped down a very rudimentary chair to look at their catch as the crusader put it on the ground.

“Is that an elk? Please, tell me you didn’t fought it to the death.”

“We stole it from a bear he scared away, which is way better,” Fareeha left her parka to dry on a hanger, and Brigitte turned towards her with huge eyes.

“And you let him? Fareeha! We’ve talked about this!”

Ana smiled at their bickering --sometimes it felt like they were fifteen again-- and walked towards the bonfire at the centre of the room.

“So, what did you bring?” She asked, taking the scarf off and leaving it hanging over her shoulders. The fire was not roaring, yet the cabin was cozy--a relief it was from the cutting cold at the outside.

“Well,” Torb shrugged. “There was nothing to eat around. But we found an old OR15 chassis, so at least there’s that for parts.”

“Hah, I knew it,” Reinhardt chuckled as he took his winter clothes off. He threw them nearby without much care and sat down on the ground slowly, stretching his legs close to the fire.

“It’s in quite good condition despite the snow, it totally should count as our contribution.”

“You just don’t want to lose,” Fareeha chuckled, leaving her parka on a hanger on the wall.

“Bah, you guys cheated anyway by robbing a poor bear its lunch...”

“Fareeha exchanged the fishes she got for the elk, so we all have food,” Ana said, almost purring in happiness because of the heat. “It’s fair game.”

“I’d say we decide it after lunch,” Torbjörn put another log to the fire. “I can roast it, but I don’t know how to prepare it. You know, it’s all fur and skin at the moment.”

A thick silence descended at the cabin, broken just by the crackling of the flames. Between all of them they have probably killed the same amount of people and omnics that could live in a small town, yet they have never had to deal with anything worse than a whole chicken already prepared, food-wise.

“Balderich never taught you how to--?”

“Nop.”

“Gabriel gave you any pointers--?”

“Just for gutting fish.”

Ana broke into a laugh. How--How had she lived these years away from her family of idiots, it was a wonder. She had just survived, that was clear. If only. If only she could get Jack to join them again--that would be great. There had to be a way. He needed to stop being alone, too, get someone to help him grab the Reaper and see if there was anything they could do for him.

There had to be a way.

“Fine,” Reinhardt let go a long breath and the rest looked each other with infinite relief. “I’ll see what I can do.”

He pushed himself up, avoiding putting his weight on his right leg as much as possible, and then limped towards the elk.

“Ah, let me give it a try first,” Fareeha put herself between the large man and their wannabe food. “Gut a fish, gut an elk, right?”

“How difficult can be to chop this thing to pieces, after all?” Brigitte squeezed his arm. “Just--We’ll ask you if we need any help.”

The two of them put on their winter clothes, grabbed the animal and pulled it outside among groans. When the door closed behind them, Reinhardt let go a small chuckle.

“You rascal,” Ana raised her eyebrows at the mischievous look on his face.

“They may be thirty, but they still need to learn how to fend for themselves,” he shrugged, and went back to his spot on the ground. The limp was still there, though quite less noticeable; Cold and damp weather had never helped his bad knee, after all.

“So, when are you going to let me and dear Angela do something about your knee?” Torb threw at him the couple of pillows that were part of the cabin decoration.

“Never,” he propped his leg over them and leaned on the cabin’s wooden wall. His eye looked around for her and she smiled warmly at his mute request to sit down with him. Ana knew that if it depended on him she would be on his lap all day, but he asked for interaction, gave her the chance to back off.

She knelt by his side and ran a hand through his silver wet hair, combing it backwards. He purred, grinning at her and completely ignoring the engineer, who groaned.

“I’m not freaking carrying you when you cannot walk, you hear me?”

The door flinging open saved him from answering and they stared at one Jesse McCree dusted with snow and with an amused look on his face.

“Well, look at that. I thought I’ve got the whole pack,” he turned a bit to show the two woman by his side, “and yet, I was missing the loveliest lady of them all.”

Ana waved a hand at him when he bowed, taking off his silly cowboy hat.

“It’s good to see you, Jesse.”

He was a grown man now, strong, confident, but still with that twinkle on his eye. What she was not prepared to see was his mechanical left forearm. They all seemed to cheat death these days, though some seemed to have luckier than others. Still, she was happy to see him back to them. Since Overwatch blew up from the inside, they needed to have as many allies they could trust by their side--even if the only reason he was there was because she had information about Reaper.

The cowboy raised an eyebrow when he noticed where Ana’s hand was, and whistled.

“Wow, it was about time,” he slow-clapped at them, and Reinhardt threw one of the pillows at him with terrible, terrible aim, laughing. “Well, well. News aside, I thought that meeting on a cabin surrounded by nothing would suck without some proper food, so I’ve brought gifts.”

Jesse took off the backpack he was wearing and left it on the ground, just to show them a handful of half-frozen ready-to-bake pizzas wrapped in transparent plastic.

Even the bear could hear their cheers.

Play of the game.

Ok. Sorry. I’m terrible with pairing prompts. The next one is focused on them alone again.

Day 4: Ink

[frazzledsoul]

Back when I used to type large essays on this website regularly, I always saved two until I was ready to post them. One was about Luke and his offspring, and how it was unfair of the show that he always had to prioritize Rory first. I may finish that one someday, but it’s hidden in my drafts. Suffice it to say that one of the things the S7 writers did right was make it clear that Luke was allowed to love other people as much as he loved Lorelai and Rory, and that his biological child was one of those people.

The other was that horrid plot twist at the end of Partings.

I’m not RTing the post this came from because I don’t want to clog it.

@fuckyeahgilmore said in this plot thread:

I still think Season 6 ending is well written; that final scene is heartbreaking and so effective. It is the face of a woman who is broken; void of feeling. She just gave herself over to him in an attempt to fill and unifillable hole in her heart. All of her self worth is gone because, in her eyes, the only man she’s ever loved had rejected her. The only person to ever always be there for her in gone. I think it’s well written and beyond heartbreaking. 

Oh, no. Hell to the no. Fuck no. No fucking way.

There is no way that what Lorelai did to Luke at the end of that season comes anything close to being well written or is justifiable even in the most fucked up and twisted value system in the universe. Negan, Cersei Lannister, Angelus, and Mitchum Huntzberger combined could not formulate a moral universe in which that shit flies.

This kills me because according to that horrid interview that showcased ASP’s lame ass justifications for the crap she wrote that I am linking here as proof Amy wanted people to hand her ribbons and trophies and accolades for what she wrote. After it’s pointed out to her (by Michael Auseillo, of all people, and you know it’s got to be bad if he’s willing to criticize her) that the fans are really, really unhappy with her, she claims that she did it so that Lauren Graham could win awards. It disturbs me when people say that all of the awards that Mrs. Maisel won are retroactive awards for Gilmore Girls, because that is in effect rewarding ASP for this episode and telling her she was right. It’s also untrue (I don’t think the Emmy voters care about the WB dramedy the creator of their beloved Mad Men pastiche did ten years ago: they like what they like for a reason, and it’s got little to do with Gilmore Girls, and um, shouldn’t the people who actually worked on Maisel be allowed to enjoy the fruits of their specific labors?) and like it or not, by the time we got to the end of season six no one on this show should have been handed any awards. I don’t know who these characters were at the end of this wretched season, but they weren’t the people I knew and loved for years. Unless you are nominating Most Twisted and Soul Destroying Iteration of A Formerly Beloved Character, the acting nominations should have been way off limits.

The person at the end of Partings wasn’t Lorelai Gilmore. The Lorelai Gilmore I knew and loved for six years would not have done that to Luke. She would never have done that. The woman I respected would have remembered that she watched Luke throw himself in jail after another woman cheated on him because he was so upset he couldn’t handle it and told him to his face that he didn’t deserve it. She is in a relationship with him for two years, proposes to him, claims she loves him, and then runs away and sleeps with the person he hates and fears most in the world, fulfilling his worst nightmares and insecurities, all because he won’t put aside the other person he’s now responsible for and get married right that instant. 

The Lorelai I knew would never hurt Luke like that. She would know that it was the worst possible thing that she could do to him, that it would emotionally devastate him, that it would wreck him. She would not do that.

Any writer who puts that rot into print isn’t worthy of the name.

It wasn’t just Luke that Lorelai hurt, though.

She goes to Christopher, someone who still pines for her and who she claims to actually care for. He misinterprets their night together as an indication that she actually might be interested in him, only to later find out that she’s using him. I despise Christopher Hayden and he should have told her no, but I don’t think he deserved this.

She put Rory in the middle of this accursed latethirtysomething love triangle and forced her to choose teams. She inflicted a huge blow on Rory’s relationship with not just one but two father figures. What makes this worse is that Rory was actually becoming closer with her dad and starting to form a relationship she had wanted for her entire life. You’re telling me that Lorelai Gilmore, who has spent her entire life sacrificing for her only child, never once considered the effect her actions would have on Rory? She didn’t think of that once?

That’s not Lorelai Gilmore. More than anything else, that is not Lorelai. Any decent writer would know this, instead of twisting her lead character into someone she never was, in order to get the result she wanted.

There is absolutely no justification for what Lorelai did that night. The claim that she was emotional or that she needed to do this to end her relationship is not fucking acceptable. What kind of moral compass do you have, what kind of putrid excuse for a writer do you claim to be to make her hurt the people she loves most in the most damging way possible and expect us to cheer it on? No way. No fucking way. 

Screw you, ASP. You’re dead to me forever for this. I mean, it too: I will never, ever watch another one of her shows. I only watched the revival after reading spoilers to ensure that I what I feared would happen didn’t actually happen.

But let’s back up a minute and remember how exactly we got to this shitshow.

Luke turned into a complete pod person all season in order to prioritize his daughter. He keeps it a secret from Lorelai, initially claims he is not going to live up to any parenting responsibilities whatsoever (um WUTTTTT???), fumbles through caring for April for months despite the fact that he has already half-raised two teenagers already, seemingly forgets his engagement date, reassures Lorelai that they’ll get married but eventually reverts back to his bad behavior, claims he can’t let Lorelai meet April because he’s afraid she’ll like her more than him, lets Lorelai rescue April’s birthday party, and then goes back to keeping Lorelai away when his baby mama throws a tantrum.

None of this made any sense whatsoever. It wasn’t good writing. it was the opposite of good writing. You tell me you’re going to take Luke Danes, the most self-sacrificing, giving, quietly loyal person on this show and make him a deadbeat dad who can’t parent his kid? That he’s going to neglect Lorelai, who he practically worships? What the hell, Amy? WHAT THE FRIGGING HELLL???!!!???

Atrocious.

So Luke backs off because he’s terrified of his baby mama. Lorelai goes to see her to try to get her to change her mind, fails, and instead of doing the thing any sane, logical person would do in this circumstance, which would be to seek out her fiance and see if they can find a way to work this out because the situation is out of his hands, she runs away and convinces herself that it’s already over. She then encounters the most horrendously unprofessional therapist in all of recorded history, a woman she does not know and who does not know her and who is not qualified to be her therapist. I don’t know what kind of ethical guidelines exist that prohibit advising someone you’ve known for ten minutes about life-altering decisions, but I’m certain that all of them were broken during that backseat therapy session. That therapist didn’t know Lorelai, she didn’t know Luke, and she didn’t know what kind of reasons (and by this time there were some fairly significant real world reasons, and just because Lorelai was emotional doesn’t mean that those reasons don’t matter) Luke had for postponing the engagement. This woman was in no position to advise Lorelai of significant life decisions based on the little information that she had, and she certainly was in no position to advise Lorelai that her relationship was worth giving up on if she didn’t immediately get what she wanted.

You know, maybe I’m crazy and this thought just can’t be allowed to breathe in the advanced moral and intellectual universe that is Amy Sherman Palladino, but shouldn’t a therapist ideally advise a troubled couple to sit down and talk about their problems? Isn’t that the sort of thing that they encourage?

Isn’t that that what rational, sane people do when they have relationship problems? Sit down and figure out a way to solve them? There was no need to force Lorelai into this illogical decision so she could give Christopher a test drive. She loved Luke at that point and Luke only, and if she had only sat down and approached her problems like a grown-up, she could have found a way to solve them.

Running up to your fiance after you have been missing for days and insisting that you get married right that instant is not grown-up behavior. Luke kept trying to get Lorelai to sit down and talk to him because she had been missing for days and he was worried about her, but she wouldn’t have it. She insisted on screaming and ranting and having everything she wanted in life delivered right that minute. But there is no feasible way Luke could have given that to her right then. He had a daughter to take care of and he had to weigh his options carefully so that he wouldn’t lose all access to her.

Those were real things that Luke was concerned about, and he was right to be worried about them. Those things don’t immediately cease to exist because Lorelai is upset. He should be allowed to love April as much as he loves Lorelai, and the fact that he hadn’t been fair to Lorelai in the months ahead of time does not take that away.

It was horrendously cruel and savage for Lorelai to punish him in the exact way that she knew would hurt most. And for what? For not being able to pass this impossible test of proving how much he loved her by sacrificing the other things that were important to him. Luke didn’t deserve that. We didn’t deserve that. ASP twisted Luke and Lorelai into monstrous shapes so that they could do as much damage to each other as possible and expected us to applaud. This was nothing more than shitting on everything her audience loved and wanted. You don’t do that if you care about your characters or your audience. She didn’t fucking care, and she proved that by writing the worst possible outcome she could in the pre Shonda Rhimes era.

There is nothing about destroying the entire fabric of your show that is anything close to good writing.

So what was the reason for this disaster? My theories are well known on this website. It’s my own fault. I consumed too much press, and almost none of it is still around. But I’ll tell you why I believe what I believe.

Luke Danes was never supposed to be a main character. He was originally supposed to be a woman, and was only added to the cast because they needed an extra character. Jess was brought in as an obstacle to keep Luke and Lorelai apart. When ASP gave interviews about this, she would briefly talk about how she needed to keep Luke and Lorelai apart because she didn’t think she could write it properly, but she would go on and on about Christopher and Lorelai and how wonderful it would be if they could get their shit together and become a couple. David Sutcliffe (who plays Christopher) got another job, and ASP brought in Jason as added him to the main cast. The ratings went down. She was forced to break them up and get Luke and Lorelai together in order to save the show.

She later said that the only reason she got Luke and Lorelai together was because she knew that David’s show was canceled and he could mess things up for Luke and Lorelai.

That Holy Trilogy of Luke/Lorelai episodes in late season 4? ASP did them because she was forced to. She wasn’t willing to write Luke and Lorelai without Christopher as an obstacle. She never wanted them to be a stable couple. 

I do not recall Amy Sherman Palladino ever saying a positive thing about Luke Danes or Scott Patterson. Ever.

In her post AYITL interviews, the Luke/Lorelai wedding was something that the fans forced her to do but she freely cooed about how gorgeous David still was.

(You know that this sounds like? It sounds like a woman who is having an affair with one of her actors, and ends up promoting his character because of it. I have no proof that this happened, of course).

So did she do all of this because she has the attention span of a toddler or because she has an irrational obsession with Christopher Hayden? Who knows? I believe that she wrote Luke and Lorelai because the fans wanted it, but that her real passion was Christopher and Lorelai, and that she ended up obliterating everything that many of us loved about this show to make her beloved ship happen. She thought it was in their best possible interest for them to rip each other to shreds so that Lorelai could fuck Christopher. 

I even believe that ASP had Zach destroy Hep Alien’s musical career so that he could then propose and Christopher could escort Lorelai to Lane’s wedding. Think about how cruel this is for a moment. Even if you don’t believe that ASP ruined Lane’s hopes and dreams so she could set up a situation where she could sell Christopher as the better option, we had to endure an episode where Rory arranges Christopher to take Lorelai on a date to a wedding of someone Luke is close to while she is engaged to Luke so she can incorporate Christopher into a Stars Hollow event and Christopher can save from the indignity of sobbing over how upset she is over Luke. We had to witness all of that shit so Christopher could swoop in on his white horse with his bags full of money and save the day.

You know a good writer would do? She would know that if her side character is so impressive in his own right, he wouldn’t need that much help.

The more positive side of me believes that ASP only intended to have Christopher and Lorelai explore their relationship for a while, and then she would have Lorelai end up with Luke because she knew what the fans wanted. I view the speech Luke has in AYITL and Christopher’s comments to Rory and I suspect that those things were written a long, long time ago. However, in the end I know what happened before, and I know the history of Amy’s comments to the media, and part of me cant make myself believe that. I don’t think if ASP had started writing the Christopher/Lorelai relationship that she had dreamed of for years she would have been able to stop. 

I also suspect that she only got Luke and Lorelai together because the fans took the ending of season 6 harder than she thought they would, and she knew her reputation wouldn’t survive both a Christopher/Lorelai endgame and Rory’s wretched fate. She initially planned something very different.

When ASP views someone like Luke Danes who is a redneck stereotype in almost every way but the political, I think he is something of an exotic creature to her. This wasn’t who she originally envisioned Lorelai with: all of Lorelai’s other love interests except for Alex were refined, upper-class, and somewhat well-off. It doesn’t escape my attention that towards the end of season 6 the show pushes both Rory and Lorelai towards the monied love interests who can make up for their personal failings with wealth and charm. Humble guys like Luke, Jess, and Marty are left in the dust. It also doesn’t escape my attention that they start to engage in increasingly selfish and amoral behavior, culminating in Lorelai’s huge betrayal at the end of the season that ASP wants us to believe is justified and Rory’s aborted attempt to cheat on Logan with Jess. As always, our more humble love interests and their unglamourous moral codes are left behind. 

Those values of honesty, decency, integrity and respect for others that Lorelai attempted to raise Rory to cherish? They would eventually be abandoned for a richer, more cynical life, and so would Stars Hollow. I don’t believe that solid value systems are not endemic of any sort of lifestyle choice, but I do think that ASP possibly associated a small-town life with a coherent moral code in her mind, and found it insufficient. The life that Lorelai cherished in her humble small town would be found wanting, because ASP doesn’t really understand how it outweighs the appeal of a more cosseted life. If she could justify that ending, I don’t think she really values that moral code anyway, no matter who is practicing it.

If that sounds like a betrayal of what the show was about, so were the last 4 words, and we got them anyway.

All of this is to say that my cynical view of ASP’s worldview is not something I want to associate with personally, and much of it has to do with the horrid way in which this season ended. I don’t value a worldview that prizes characters treating each other this way, and there is nothing logical or coherent or emotionally purposeful about anything that was thrust at us with this plot twist. I know people hate season 7, but the reason I excuse that season for its shortcomings is that even after this major gulf has been opened up between Luke and Lorelai, they become responsible, compassionate people who are able to takes responsibility for their actions and eventually care for each other again. They aren’t twisted into shapes I don’t recognize. 

I know some people don’t really see this the way that I do. There’s a deep split in the fanfiction community between those who view Lorelai’s actions as justified (or think that Luke saying yes to the elopement plot would have magically solved everything) and those that see them as the huge betrayal that I believe that they are. I’ve gotten eviscerated by a popular fic writer for Luke taking Lorelai to task for her part in it, and I’ve watched fic writers whose work I’ve loved defend what I believe is indefensible. I do believe there is a generational split here, and it’s not insignificant, but I think most of us are in agreement on one thing:

This bullshit should never have fucking happened, and there was nothing positive about the writing that delivered it.

[weekendsinmaine]

I drink wine, craft beer, especially sours, and the occasional margarita but otherwise liqueur or cocktails are a rarity for me although my husband hasn’t given up hope that I’ll expand my repertoire.  When we met, my go to alcoholic drink was Miller Lite. It was almost a deal breaker for him, but fortunately he was able to look past that particular character flaw.

After years of effort and the consistent refrain of “here try this”, my go to beer is now Allagash White and we often enjoy local craft sours together.  While he’s pleased with my progress, his work is not done. He’s still nudging me towards porters, stouts and the real stretch drink experience for me cocktails.

Fortunately, he has some support in this endeavor. Vena’s Fizz House in Portland is a wonderful, inventive cocktail bar. My first experience tasting bitters was at Vena’s during a Micro Maine Trolley Tour.  Before that visit, I would have said definitively that I don’t like bitters. But, now I know that statement is untrue. Bitters done right can really elevate a cocktail.

We’ve stopped into Vena’s on various occasions to have cocktails with friends. They also offer mocktails, or non-alcoholic cocktails, which makes it a great all ages stop. My daughter is a big fan of their Fluffy Fizz which is a fruit filled concoction of cherry, lemon, lime and orange shrub topped with cotton candy.  Yes, it is as sweet and delicious as it sounds.

With our current pandemic and ongoing rules requiring many businesses to remain closed or to operate at limited capacity,  Vena’s is now offering a “to-go” menu. They’ve always had an onsite shop with various infusions, bitters, shrubs and vintage glassware for sale but recently they’ve begun offering contactless local pick-up too.

I am fascinated with their spirit infusions.  Each pre-packaged jar comes filled with freeze dried fruits, herbs, and bitter infused sugar cubes that you mix with alcohol and then enjoy. We decided the time was right to give them a try. Maybe I could be nudged a little further towards enjoying a cocktail or two.

  The ordering process was incredibly simple. We went online and picked out two infusions:

Maine Margarita Tequila Infusion

Shipwreck Rum Infusion

We added their pine shrub and a raspberry simple syrup from Royal Rose to our cart and selected local pickup at checkout. Within a day, we got notification that our order was ready. We headed over to the indoor pickup location. When we arrived, our order was packaged up in a brown paper bag with our name and receipt stapled to the top. We grabbed our order and headed home. The entire process was easy peasy.

We filled up each infusion with alcohol and left them to steep for about a week. The recommended infusion time is listed on the label as well as on their website. You can also do a quicker infusion by heating the alcohol on the stove and then pouring it into the infusion jar.  We had plenty of time before we were going to try the drinks so we poured the room temperature alcohol into the jars, screwed the lids on tightly and waited.

Maine Blueberry Margarita

We tried drinking the margarita infusion first.  Since I enjoy margaritas and blueberries are another favorite, it was a sure bet. I was excited to try this infusion. It was delicious although it did not have an overly strong blueberry flavor.  We did make some substitutions to the recipe which may have impacted the taste. Since we didn’t have blueberry bitters we substituted another type and as I’ve learned bitters have a huge impact on the final results. Even so, the cocktail was delicious and nicely balanced with an underlying fruit flavor.

Shipwreck

This rum infusion was fruit forward with strawberry, banana, mango, pineapple, kiwi, citrus, spices, organic cane sugar and bitters. It had a lovely fruit flavor. The recipe called for half a glass of the infused rum mixed with lime juice, a fruit based simple syrup and bitters. We poured our glasses half full of the cocktail and topped it off with seltzer as instructed by the recipe. I enjoy anything fizzy so this cocktail combination was perfect. This was my favorite of the two infusions although the rest of my group voted for the margarita.

Helpful Tips

The cocktail recipes often include bitters, shrubs or simple syrups so be sure to check the recipes on the Vena’s Fizz House website before finalizing your order. They sell all of the necessary ingredients on their website.

Have a strainer ready as once the infusion is done, you’ll need to separate the infusing ingredients from the liquor.

While I’m not going to switch to full on cocktail mode, I found the spirit infusions from Vena’s Fizz House to be delicious and I’m looking forward to trying some of their other varieties. They have some creative ones. Whatever your taste, I’m sure you’d find one that matches.

And, if you’re not in the mood to wait for your infusion to steep, they’re also offering cocktails and mocktails to go with their new Take Out Menu.

Do you enjoy cocktails? Do you have a favorite?

things to know Place Vena’s Fizz House Address 345 Fore St, Portland, ME 04101 Website Vena’s Fizz House Favorite ♥ Shipwreck Rum Infusion

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  My latest blog post.. We had fun trying out a few of the spirit sipper infusions from @VenasFizzHouse #cocktails #yum I drink wine, craft beer, especially sours, and the occasional margarita but otherwise liqueur or cocktails are a rarity for me although my husband hasn't given up hope that I'll expand my repertoire. 

[paleorecipecookbook]

How to Turn Salads Into Epic One-Dish Meals

Salads are such a fantastic concept because they can carry such a diverse load of flavors. The trick is in making healthier choices for what you are mixing up in your salad bowl, and realize that you don’t need the cheese, sugary vinaigrettes, ranch dressings, or croutons in order for them to be tasty. Salad building can range from super simple to completely sophisticated. There are so many options, there is something for everybody’s tastes!

14 Ways to Build a Meal-Quality Salad

You can get really wild when it comes to salad building. Between the different greens, nuts, meats, veggies, fruits, and salad dressings, one could never tire of the endless possibilities! Below are some of the best salad tips to ensure that you are getting the most out of your salads during any season or meal.

1. Go for Protein

Be sure to get enough protein into your salads if you are having them as entrees or you’ll be hungry shortly after your meal. Balance is what you must learn when becoming a professional salad builder.

Creating a Paleo entrée salad means building your dish around protein! Adding seeds and nuts are a great way to go, but don’t forget that you can prepare yourself a lovely piece of meat just for your salad, or use leftovers from other meals! Some ideas for your salad protein include, but are definitely not limited to:

Grilled or sous vide steak

Pulled pork or chicken

Coconut fried shrimp, chicken, oysters

Marinated shrimp

Pan fried, baked, or steamed fish

Crab or fish cake

Eggs, soft boiled, hard boiled, poached

Bacon

Meatballs

Sausage

Tenderloins

Roasts

Duck breasts

2. Learn Some Knife Skills

The way your vegetable or protein is pulled, chopped, ribboned, or diced can make a big difference when it comes to salad building. Learning to use the proper knives for the proper ingredients can be as simple as finding a YouTube tutorial, or taking a basic cooking skills class.

3. Spiralize and Shred

Use your veggie peeler or spiralizer to create ribbons of cucumber, summer squash, carrots, or just about anything else!

4. Add Leftovers

Try topping with last night’s leftover protein or starches. Nothing is off limits when it comes to building up your salad to create yummy texture and heartiness! The “salad rules” that exist for what can and can’t go in a bowl should be thrown out the window.

5. Build Your Own Greens Blend

Pair butter lettuces with mache, arugula with spinach, and so on. The pre-made salad mixes are handy, but if you get stuck in salad ruts and aren’t sure why, it may be your salad mix holding you back! Try reaching beyond the spring mixes and experiment with some peppery and spicy additions, sprouts, or tender heads of red leaf or bibb lettuces. You can also try adding some sturdy kale, or throwing in chard with your chopped romaine.

Amping up your leafy base can start you off on the right foot with salad building, and can also introduce a wide variety of different nutrients. Some great salad greens include:

Bibb and butter lettuces

Kale, lacinato, red or curly varieties

Chard

Red leaf

Green leaf

Romaine, red tipped romaine

Arugula

Watercress

Micro greens

Spinach

6. Think Outside the Box

Experiment with mixing cooked and raw veggies and fruits together to create interesting texture and flavor. Here are some ideas for you to get some fun and funky flavors into your entrée salad rotations, not to mention some serious nutrients:

Berries

Marinated vegetables, like eggplant

Herbs, like combining basil, mint, and cilantro

Quick pickled veggies, like sliced cucumbers, fennel, or daikon radish

Ferments, like kraut or kimchi

Roasted veggies, like sweet potatoes, squash, cauliflower, and broccoli

Dates or figs

Apples, pears, mangos, cherries

Sea vegetables, like hijiki or arame

Red, green, and Napa cabbage, shredded thinly

Olives

Grilled romaine or lemon halves for a smoky and charred flavor and texture

7. Get Your Granola On

Most of the following items can be tossed with coconut, sea salt, and raw honey and roasted at 325ºF for 15 minutes to create a savory and sweet grain-free granola to add to your salads. Or use individual items a la carte.

Chia seeds

Flax seeds

Sunflower seeds

Pumpkin seeds

Black sesame seeds

Hemp seeds

Goji berries

Mulberries

Unsweetened dried fruit

Coconut flake

Freeze dried berries

Pecans

Pistachios

Pine nuts

Walnuts

Hazelnuts

Almonds

Chopped Brazil nuts

Macadamia nuts

8. DIY Your Dressing

Making your own dressing can be really fun, and better tasting than most that are store bought! When eating Paleo, sneaky sugars and ingredients can be hard to avoid when buying packaged or bottled convenience foods, like dressings. So try your hand at making your own combos.

Try flipping the classic ratio of 3:1 fat to acid to 3:1 acid to fat. This creates more vibrant and tangy dressings which work best on hearty salads! A little hack to save you time: add all vinaigrette ingredients to a glass jar with a lid and shake to combine. Bonus, now it’s ready to store in the fridge for your next use.

Another trick: the next time you are at the end of your mustard jar, instead of tossing aside, add minced garlic, apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar, a dab of honey, sea salt, and some avocado or olive oil. Shake vigorously, and voila!—a mustard vinaigrette, ready to use and ready to store!

For a dairy-free creamy dressing, blend nuts and veggies together, with plenty of sea salt and lemon juice. Some of my favorite innovative creamy dressing combos:

Carrot, ginger root, apple, apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos, sesame oil, sea salt

Green apple, cilantro and some stems, jalapeno, garlic cloves, champagne vinegar, avocado oil, sea salt

Avocado, spinach, basil, garlic clove, lemon, olive oil, avocado oil, sea salt

Walnuts, coconut aminos, lime juice, a little maple syrup, olive oil, avocado oil, sea salt

9. Eat the Rainbow

The pigments which add color to your fruits and vegetables are great for collagen production, providing antioxidants, trace minerals, phytonutrients, and can even contain cancer fighting properties. (1)

Plus, colorful food is just so much fun to eat! Don’t be nervous to blend fruits, berries, seeds, nuts, herbs, and veggies.

10. Choose a Theme

If I am in the mood for richness, I will have a creamy dressing made from homemade aioli or an avocado based dressing, adding buttery olives, and tender deep greens like spinach. Or if I am in the mood for something bright and tangy, I will lean towards lime juice cilantro over red leaf lettuce with lots of spicy microgreens!

Some tips for creating themes and balance within your salads are as follows:

With bitter leaves, try adding sweeter nuts and fruits to balance, like pecans and berries or walnuts and apples.

For inspiration, I focus on foods that I like or that I am craving and try to build around that concept. Lasagna, for example, is what I am craving, so I will try to use ingredients that lend themselves to that flavor profile: spinach, oregano, basil, chili, tomatoes, olives, chicken sausage, or beef and bison meatballs with a creamy cashew-lemon and pine nut dressing!

Or maybe I have a hankering for Thai food. I would lean towards cilantro, shredded carrot, cabbage, radish, coconut flakes, lime, mango, macadamia nuts, black sesame seeds, kimchi, and shrimp, fish, or chicken.

11. Toss That Salad

I make my salads in a large metal or glass mixing bowl first, so that it is simple to dress and toss, and easier to plate it up in my prettier bowls. It may sound like a small tip, but it changes the game when your salad is evenly dressed, seasoned, and served well.

12. Keep It Simple

I eat leafy green salad with every meal, even on top of my eggs in the morning. Do not underestimate the value of simple. Lemon and olive oil with salt and pepper is just scrumptious, and sometimes just what the doctor ordered! It is always a good idea to sidle up a simple salad alongside your entrée protein.

13. Take It With You

Mason jars for salad packing are fantastic. Always start by putting your dressing on the bottom, so it doesn’t sog out your greens and more delicate toppings. Just layer up all your fixings, screw on the lid, and shake when ready to eat!

14. Reuse

For anyone who likes a bathtub-sized salad, try reusing salad greens containers, like Organic Girl. These are the perfect size for my entrée-style salads. I take it with me on the road, to the airport, into meetings, and more. I just find them so handy to pile up all my favorite salad fixings! You don’t even have to pack dressing. Just add lemon halves along with some avocado, and voila: you’ve got your acid and your fat, perfect to dress your salad and make it delicious down to the last bite.

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