#this scent has a lot of the same ingredients as the official one so it's likely to be similar

[meownotgood]

I ordered the aki cologne from otaku scents... and it arrived today...

it has a very cologne-y scent, basically it smells very much like a traditional masculine cologne... I sprayed some on my pillow and it's almost sweet at first, or sweet if you take a very deep breath in, but after it's lingered it has a faint but clean smell. distinctly sharp but subtle. the smell is comforting, it's soft and mature at the same time... a very crisp and pleasant scent... definitely something I could picture aki wearing I think... like an every-day sort of cologne? haha

[psychicladysweets]

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Morning tea for weight loss all day

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Cons

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[clownsgobeepbeep]

❝ I thought I’d seen a ghost. ❞

Mmmmm

Some Garden Bud finally uwu

@grodygabe ‘Cause Cordie is kind of in this

“Hi Auntie!”

“Hello Phoebe.” Jelly grinned as she looked down at the little moth that jumped around, the only thing holding her down being the hand that held onto hers. 

“Do you like my new shirt?” Phoebe motioned to the blouse she was wearing, a Sailor Moon design present on it. “My papa Peri bought it for me when we went to the mall yesterday!”

“It’s so pretty Phoebe!” Jelly exclaimed before turning her attention to her father beside her. “Your daddies must be jealous they don’t have such an awesome shirt.”

“I know they are, that’s why I don’t rub it in their faces.” Phoebe giggled as she looked up at her father.

“Come in, come in. I was just working on some lunch for everyone.” Jelly moved out of the doorway to her home. “How have you been Vespers?”

“I’ve been just dandy.” Vespers grinned as he walked into the house with Phoebe, seeing Jelly close the door behind them before they were all led to the living room. “Not much to report other than Cosmos and I spent the day together since it was his day off. My dad took Phoebe to the mall while the boys spent some time with Cuckoo and Calliope’s kids.”

“That sounds like a really nice day.” Jelly picked up some toys that had been scattered around the living room floor, some being some tiny boots that were clearly dirty. “Phoebe, do you want to stay with me and your dad, or would you like to go play with Cordie?”

“She’s home?” Phoebe’s eyes lit up.

“Yes she is, so is Davey but my sleepy little sailor is taking a nap.” Jelly ruffled Phoebe’s hair, then motioning to the hallway. “You remember where her room is, right?”

“Yeah!” Phoebe nodded before speeding away, leaving Vespers and Jelly alone to talk.

“So,” Jelly clasped her hands together. “Shall we go to the kitchen?”

“Sounds good.” Vespers nodded before following behind Jelly, taking a seat on one of the stools in front of the counter that Jelly resumed working on the lunch she had planned out. “So how’s the park coming along?”

“Well,” Jelly gave a breathy laugh as she reached over to grab a bowl filled with pieces of meat that she placed on her cutting board one at a time. “ A good portion of the park was destroyed, thankfully not more than fifty percent. The Kingdom took the most damage….it’s all coming together again.”

“That’s somewhat good news.”

“Yes...we should be opening again some time in the summer.” Jelly cut into the small pieces. “At least I have the aquarium and the pier up and running, so the money was made up with that business.”

“The aquarium is fantastic, Phoebe and the boys are still amazed at the Great White.” Vespers gave a chuckle. “I thought no aquarium could hold a Great White.”

“It’s not illegal or not allowed,” Jelly glanced up at Vespers with a tiny smirk. “Nobody is able to keep one alive.”

“No one except you.” Vespers gave another chuckle as Jelly gave a smug shrug, continuing to cut the meat. “Is that fish?”

“Clams. I hope you don’t mind, but Cordelia wanted some clam chowder and that’s what I’m making.”

“Your chowder’s always good so I don’t mind.” Vespers watched the tiny pieces be scoot to the side with the knife. “Should have guessed you make it all from scratch.”

“My chowder is made from the freshest clams Vesp. These are my latest catch.”

“Yummy.” Vespers commented before turning his head to the side, having heard some footsteps. “I hope the girls are making such a ruckus.”

“It’s Phoebe and Cordelia, I wouldn’t be very surprised if they went to the moon right now.” Jelly gave a laugh, keeping her attention on the clams she was chopping before other ingredients followed.

“True.” Vespers looked back at Jelly, but immediately whipped around again at the sound of more footsteps. That was when he felt a jolt of fear spread through him. Well, it was really just a slight scare as he spotted something new at the end of the hall that he had been checking on.

“God, you scared the hell out of me.”

“Did I?” 

Now Jelly turned her attention to the same spot, blinking in curiosity before she too noticed the new figure.

“Oh, hi Bud.” she greeted before her cooking continued once more. “It’s not the first time he’s spooked somebody. One time I woke up in the middle of the night and saw him down the hallway. I thought I’d seen a ghost.”

“People never tell me that I’m scary, but I’m glad you think that.” smiled the newcomer that stepped towards Vespers’ location, looking up at him with a smile filled with pride. 

“Good afternoon...Garden Bud.” Vespers blinked down at the doll, watching him as he locked eyes. The doll did not look away, looking deep into his own eyes for a while that made a slight shiver run down Vespers’ spine. Eventually, Bud turned his glass eyes away with a blink before he walked around the counter to where Jelly was.

“Where’s Ula?” Jelly slightly eyed him as he made his way over to the fridge, looking up at the fridge handles that he could not reach.

“Can you give me a hand?”

“Why don’t you eat from your own fridge?”

“I don’t have any strawberries.”

“Well maybe if you didn’t eat them all at once you’d have a lot more.”

“He has his own fridge?” Vespers blinked in surprise before Jelly gave him a look.

“Ula got him one of those mini fridges and she has it in her room next to the small bed she got him.”

“Of course.” Vespers’ eyes fell on the doll whose own eyes were trailing up and down Jelly’s figure from behind. “I think you have a little, uh…”

Jelly looked up at Vespers before turning around, immediately frowning at the sight.

“Do you want me to bring out Godzilla?”

Garden Bud instantly looked up at Jelly with wide eyes, his head shaking rapidly.

“Uncle Vespers!” they all now heard, everyone turning to the end of the hall where they now saw Ula. “I didn’t know you were visiting today.”

“It was a last minute plan with your mom.” Vespers spun in his seat to accept the embrace Ula offered, feeling her plant a kiss on his cheek. “How have you been?”

“Pretty good, done unpacking everything.” Ula took a seat beside him, taping her long nails on the counter. “Gonna go hang out with the beaus a little later.~”

“Atlas was telling me.” Vespers turned to her. “I never got to ask, how was the trip? I heard you made a new friend.”

“Oh yeah, his name’s Richard. He’s such a bookworm, maybe even more than Atlas.” Ula gave a laugh. “We traveled together for a bit and he decided to come to town since he’s never been here.”

“Oh. I see.” Vespers raised his eyebrows, glancing over at Jelly who gave a shrug before she turned to start putting the ingredients into a pot. 

“Oooh! Uncle!” Ula gasped before hopping off of her chair, fast walking around the counter where Jelly and Garden Bud were. “Bud!”

“Bud?” Vespers blinked as he watched the doll be swooped into Ula’s arms, apparent surprise as he was rushed over to Vespers.

“Uncle! Could you make some little clothes for Bud?” Ula widely smiled at her uncle whose eyes trailed down to the doll that looked up at him in anticipation. “I’d obviously pay you for it, you just name your price! Bud’s been needing some new outfits since he can only rely on the official Garden Bud toy ones, they’re not always very fashionable.”

“I would like some new outfits.” Bud raised his eyebrows at the thought of it.

“Outfits...for Garden Bud?” Vespers continued to look down at Bud, realizing that he was being carried like a child would. His gaze then lifted to Ula’s features, almost seeing a twinkle in her eye as she looked at him, full of hope. “What outfits did you have in mind?”

“Possibly some jeans ya know. Some sweatshirts, hooded ones. I really need him to have a winter coat, he gets really cold and I have to wrap him up in a blanket like a baby.”

“I’m not a baby though.” Bud replied, Vespers snickering as he remembered just how Bud was being held.

“When do you want to start measuring him?”

“We can do it some other day.”

“Why don’t you just do it right now?” Jelly suggested as she wiped her hands. “Vespers is here and I doubt it’ll take very long. I’m almost done with the chowder and I still have to make some sandwiches for it, we can continue talking when we eat. There’s some measuring tape right over there.”

Vespers saw Ula reach over the counter to grab some measuring tape, handing it over to him with a big smile. He couldn’t resist smiling back at her, even if her killer doll was creepily staring up at him.

_____________

“Can I have a clown outfit too? I wanna look like a clown!”

“Could you hold still?” Vespers dropped his hands on his lap with a sigh.

In front of him was Garden Bud, standing on top of a small stool Ula had brought over to help with the measuring. That was over twenty minutes ago, when Vespers started measuring the doll.

“Bud,” Ula sternly called out to the doll, the latter turning around to face her. “No moving.”

“Okay, okay.” Bud stood erect and with his arms extended out, absolutely no movement as Vespers resumed his measuring. Until- “But can I have a clown outfit?”

“Garden Bud!” Jelly shouted from the kitchen, the doll once again standing still. “Good boy.”

At the sound of this, a slight tint of pink appeared on his pale features. At least in his somewhat flustered state, Vespers could finally get some proper measurements out of the doll.

“Are you going to want some shoes too?” he asked Ula who had been sitting beside them.

“Nah, I’ve found plenty of those.” she waved a hand, right before placing a finger on her chin. “However, I’d appreciate it if you could make him some small blankets. Doll ones aren’t exactly the warmest ones.”

While Vespers and Ula continued on with their conversation,. Bud lowered his arms that fell at his side as he began to clutch onto his corduroy overalls. He didn’t know what else to do; he didn’t want to move from his spot because doing so could make Ula or Jelly upset. He couldn’t have that.

But!

It wasn’t until his little nose caught a scent that he wondered if they really would be upset...

Garden Bud turned to the side, eyes squinting while he lifted his nose. Sniffing the air led him to look over to the kitchen. The scent was clearly not coming from here. He then turned his attention to the hallway beside it, realizing that the scent was coming from there.

He blinked once as he caught sight of something red and almost shiny in the distance.

Right on the floor was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen in his little doll life, but not as beautiful as Jelly of course. But right on the floor was a single strawberry, just waiting to be eaten by him.

He took one last between all the adults, deciding that there really wouldn’t be any harm in going to pick up the lone strawberry. He hadn’t eaten anything yet after all.

So, he quietly made his way over to the strawberry after hopping off of his stool, nobody batting an eye over his absence. The strawberry clearly did not belong to anybody, for he knew that nobody would discard a strawberry in such a way.

Bud made his way over to the fruit, waiting a moment before swiping it off the floor. He giggled to himself, wiping it a bit on his bandana before eating the entire strawberry in a heartbeat. Stem included. And before he could make his way back to the living room, his eyes widened at the sight of another strawberry.

Once again, he went over to the strawberry, then seeing another. And another. And another. And another. He typically would have devoured one after the other, but he found it best that he hold them all in his little hands so that he could place them in a bowl to enjoy.

The doll was quite content, giggling at the sight of the many strawberries some unknown force had been gifting him. What made him ecstatic however was the pile of strawberries he found in the middle of a bedroom he had unknowingly brought himself into.

“Oh boy, have I found the jackpot.” Bud clasped his hands together after dropping the previous strawberries, sneaking on over to the pile to scoop the whole thing up. But before he could do that, Bud heard the door shut behind him, just as found himself being the one scooped up

“I got you! I got you!”

“You got him! You got him!”

Bud found himself in an extreme grip, making him shriek in a panic as he swung around in the air.

He looked behind him as best as possible, his shrieking continuing as he realized he was in the hold of Ula’s youngest sibling as her cousin stood beside her with a terrifying grin that matched Cordelia’s.

“I finally got you! And now we’re all gonna be friends! We’re gonna have so much fun!”

The only response that came from Bud was another ear piercing screech as he wiggled as harshly as possible.

Immediately, the bedroom door swung open as Jelly and the others stood in the doorway with concerned expressions.

“Cordelia, what is going on!?” Jelly exclaimed, hearing a final scream come from the doll who finally managed to wiggle out of Cordelia’s grasp. Right then, Bud fell to the ground and wasted no time, making a run for it between the adults’ legs as the strawberries were completely forgotten about.

“Oooh! He wants to play tag!” Cordelia excitedly jumped around, dashing through the doorway as everyone was shoved away. “Hi Uncle Vespers!”

“Hi?” Vespers awkwardly said before looking over at Phoebe.

“Let’s get him!” Phoebe squealed, soon following suit before she was grabbed by Vespers. “Dad!”

“Don’t hurt the doll.”

“We won’t!” Phoebe replied before Vespers found the space where Phoebe had been in empty, the little moth having appeared behind everyone as she ran after Cordelia and Garden Bud.

“They’re gonna tear him apart.” Ula quickly walked away, going faster as she heard cackling come from Cordelia.

“Cordelia!”

“Phoebe!”

As the adults called out to their respective child, Garden Bud run as fast as his little legs could take him. After having gone down the hallway and back into the living room, he desperately looked for a good spot to hide in. 

There weren’t many spots he felt the kids wouldn’t find him in, but there was one that they probably wouldn’t predict him to be in.

He ran to one of the pieces of furniture that also happened to be a small house, a small house for Ula’s cat Samhain.

Bud got onto his knees as he attempted to crawl inside, realizing that cat was already in his desired place.

“Shoo! Get out! I need this spot more than you do!” the doll ushered the cat away, receiving a growl and then hiss before Samhain actually ran off, no doubt to steal Garden Bud’s bed.

“Where’d he go?” he heard Cordelia ask as she looked around the living room with Phoebe beside her.

“Guys! Can you just let him go for now? You scared the heck out of him.” now Ula’s voice sounded.

“Girls, why don’t we just stop and go eat?”

“Are the hammies ready?” 

“What are hammies?”

Bud watched through the opening of the cat house, seeing Phoebe’s legs, for she was not as distracted as Cordelia over the sandwiches Jelly offered.

He tucked his little hands against his chest as he sat with his back against the surface of the box, almost shaking as Phoebe’s legs drew closer to his location.

“Phoebe, come on over here.” Vespers called out to her. “Your aunt made some clam chowder.

“Oh boy!” Phoebe jumped, quite thrilled, this in turn causing her walkman to slip out of her jacket’s pocket. “Shit!”

“Phoebe!”

“Sorry, sorry.” she giggled as she crouched down to pick up the device, stopping once her fingers touched it. Eventually, her face came into view, right before it turned to look inside the little box. “He’s in here!”

Before anybody could react, the little door burst open and the doll attempted to rush out of the scene.

“Get him! Get him! Get him!” Phoebe pointed as Cordelia got ready to chase once more.

“No, don’t get him!” Jelly grabbed Cordelia by the back of her shirt.

Bud, having been looking behind, never realized that Ula had been standing in the direction he was headed to. He crashed into her legs, giving a shriek of terror as he believed that he was once again caught.

“Relax, silly.” Ula bent down to grab his small form, hugging him against her chest as he held onto her sweater, glaring at Phoebe and Cordelia. “You’re safe now.”

“Thank fuck.”

“Awww! We never get to play with Bud!” Cordelia stomped a foot before her hand was taken by Jelly’s, the latter leading her to the dining room to sit down in front of some prepared chowder and sandwiches.

“You can try again after you and Phoebe eat.”

“Okay!” Cordelia grinned, motioning to Phoebe to come over, so she ran to the table and plopped down on the seat next to hers. Soon enough, Vespers and Jelly joined them as Ula made her way down the hallway.

“Little girls are terrifying.” Bud commented as he leaned his head against Ula’s chest. “You should never have kids.”

“I should never have kids?”

“Exactly. Stick with me and dump your boyfriends.”

“Why should I dump my boyfriends?”

“I mean, why do you have two boyfriends? Two is too many. In fact, one is too many. You don’t need boyfriends.” Bud posited, not bothering to look at Ula who quirked her eyebrow at him. “Boyfriends are too needy. They give you kids.They cling onto you and get mad if you pay attention to someone else.” 

“Hope that doesn’t hit too close to home.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ula stared down at Bud, giving him a smile and chuckle, as he was left in confusion.

[bunnyywritings]

May I request headcanons for Alphonse Elric (fma) with a Indian (India) male s/o who’s also a state alchemist pwease (there the same age here)

Alphonse with an Indian, Male s/o

[a/n: thank you for this request my lovely anon, I’m sorry it took so long but here it is! Enjoy :) -yours truly, bunnyy -`ღ´- ps. I kinda ran with this request...I hope it isn’t too long ]

♢ you were the same age as the brothers when you became a state alchemist and befriended the Elrics

♢ being very well versed in bio-alchemy, Ed wanted you to come along with them in their journey to find the philosophers stone

♢ you had accepted the invitation since you were also very interested in the highly coveted and elusive stone

♢ they were both very interested in why you had become a state alchemist in the first place

♢ “Well, I guess it’s nothing too crazy. I read and practiced alchemy for as long as I could remember. My-my mom is-she’s very ill and when I learned of the resources given to state alchemists, I wanted to find the philosophers stone to heal her.”

♢ both brothers were surprised with your honesty, and they felt for you. They knew what it was like to be in your situation

♢ from them on, they were even more determined to find a philosophers stone

♢ ever since they met you, Alphonse definitely felt some type of way

♢ it was something he’d never experienced before so he did the only thing he could think of, talk to his big brother

♢ the three of you were staying in a hotel for the next few days and since you were in another room, he took the opportunity to get the conversation going

♢ “So, brother... what d-do you think about-uhm (y/n)?”

♢ “Hmm? Well, I think he’s pretty efficient and driven. He’s a pretty good friend too.”

♢ Al wasn’t very satisfied with that answer

♢”You don’t feel excited to see him every morning? Or get nervous when you’re having a conversation with him? Or how attractive he looks when he has that grin on his face whenever we get a lead, or how adorable his laugh is whenever you complain about drinking your milk, or mow much more he makes me want to get my body back so I can feel him...”

♢ at that point, he was just kind of pouring out his heart

♢ Edward was staring at his little brother with an amused smile in his lips and wide eyes

♢ “Al, do you have a crush on (y/n)?” Ed was teasing but he was genuinely happy that his brother wasn’t feeling so down about his body, or lack thereof

♢ from then on, Ed was hyper aware of the way you looked at and interacted with his brother, he could tell that you cared for Al and had reciprocated his feelings despite of his physical appearance

♢ after everything went down, and the brothers were returned to their original state, you were a little overwhelmed by how handsome Al actually was, that paired with his sweet demeanor...you fell for him even more

♢ you were a bit surprised when he approached you and stuttered out his confession but it made you absolutely pleased that he felt the same way

♢ “I feel the same way Alphonse, I have for a long time. You had me hooked with your kind soul.” He blushed at your reciprocation, it took him even more by surprise when you reached out and cupped his jaw with your hand

♢ “I hope you don’t mind but I’ve been waiting for this too.”

♢ you pulled him down just a bit so your lips could meet, when they finally did, it was a bit inexperienced and hesitant but he soon melted into your touch

♢ both of you were mesmerized by the feeling of each other’s lips, the way they molded together perfectly, the softness of his pink lips and the way the ends curled up in a smile when you both pulled away, slightly breathless

♢ “Woah...” Al had a goofy smile on his lips

♢ before you could respond, he gripped the collar of your shirt and pulled you in for a another, this time it was more passionate, conveying another emotion, indulging in the one thing you had been craving for so long

♢ “Finally!!” Ed’s shouts caused the both of you to pull away, startled. “Now get in here lovebirds! Dinners ready!”

♢ Pinako and Winry were ecstatic to see you two FINALLY together

♢ we all know that Alphonse is a HUGE foodie

♢ he would absolutely love when you cook some of your native, home meals for him

♢ he would also do everything in his power to learn about your culture because he wants to be closer to you

♢ eventually, the both of you would move into an apartment together near central command since you were still a state alchemist

♢ you had finally come home from a long and tiring day, ready to eat, maybe shower and flip into bed

♢ but when the smell of your favorite dish hit you when you stepped inside, a huge smile spread across your lips

♢ “Alphonse, baby are you cooking?”

♢ Lo and behold, there he stood over a stove in the kitchen with his cute little apron on, hair a bit disheveled and a ton of spice and herb canisters and ingredients spread out around the kitchen island

♢ “Oh, well yeah...Ed told me about the case you guys are working on and I thought I’d surprise you with dinner.” He had a slight pink flush over his cheeks and a soft smile on his lips

♢ you had instantly wrapped your arms around him, eyes watering a bit and burying your face in his neck

♢ inhaling his scent made you instantly less stressed , it was true that this case was stressful and definitely taking its toll on you

♢ “I love you, (y/n)...so so much.” It wasn’t the first time he said it but whenever those three words left his lips, it made you feel like it was your first time hearing them

♢ “I love you too Al.” You pulled back and met his lips furiously, he pulled you flush against his chest, lips moving together in a heated kiss

♢ pulling away, he reached back and turned the heat down to a simmer, covering the pot with a lid

♢ “Why don’t I help you relax before dinner?”

♢ it took you a little by surprise when he led you to the couch and gently pushed you onto it before he separated your legs and sunk onto his knees between them

♢ you bit your lip at the sight in front of you

♢ cheeks pink, apron still on and messy hair as he reached for your belt

♢ needless time say, that was definitely a relaxing night

♢ a couple of weeks later, you met with Winry and Ed for lunch

♢ “So what were you so nervous to ask me about, (y/n)?” Ed asked as the three of you were finishing off your food

♢ “I-uhm well...” you fiddled with the box in your pocket. “Why don’t I just show you...”

♢ both of them watched with wide eyes as you shakily put down a black, velvet box in front of them

♢ Ed picked up the box and opened it, inside was a black engagement band and In the middle was a beautiful red gemstone

♢ “Is this—“ he was at a complete loss for words, eyes filling with tears

♢ Winry was also tearful, hands covering her mouth

♢ the both of them remembered when the two of you went to visit Pinako with them a month or two ago

♢Al looked around the room nervously, “Where’s (y/n)?”

♢ “He went to help Pinako with groceries, why? Is everything okay?” Winry asked carefully

♢ Ed was watching his little brother curiously

♢ “Everything is okay...well, more than okay actually.” Al smiled enthusiastically as he held out a velvet box and opening it. Inside of it was a golden engagement ring with a diamond in the middle. “Do you think he’ll like it?” He looked at the both of them expectantly

♢ “He’s going to love it Al...” Winry nodded wildly

♢ “So, you’re ready to ask him?” Ed asked, heart swelling with pride for his little brother

♢ “Yeah, very ready.” Al paused, a love struck look in his eyes. “I really love him, brother. A lot.”

♢ just then, you and Pinako entered. All of their hearts dropped, Al quickly shoved the box back into his pocket before helping you bring everything to the kitchen

♢ “He’ll love it, (y/n).” Ed grinned, handing it back to you

♢ you put it back into your pocket, “You think he’ll say yes?” They could tell you were nervous

♢ “Of course he will, he’s in love with you.” Winry reassured you

♢ “I sure hope so, cause I’m very much in love with him too.” They both grinned at your confession

♢ “I guess it’s official, (y/n).” Ed held out his hand. “Welcome to the family.”

needless to say, you were two fools, deeply in live with each other

[cryoculus]

Lunaris [5/11]

*casually changes the chapter count* yall didnt see A THING

!! ALSO !! Trigger warnings for graphic depictions of gore at the latter half of the chapter. Just thought I’d put it up there. 

Navigation

Chapter Title: Full Moon Pairing: Yokai!Akaashi Keiji/Reader Word Count: 3,543

***

"This week's lunar eclipse was reported to be a total eclipse! The shadow of the sun will engulf the moon completely—what a sight to see, indeed!"

"Bah," your grandmother scoffed through the sound of sautéing ingredients as she switched off the TV. "News channels poison the minds of people, anyway." 

You gaped at her incredulously from where you sat on the dining table. "Oba-san, I was watching that!" 

The older woman tutted at you as she transferred the leftover rice from last night onto the frying pan. "You know eclipses are a bad omen, and these people intend to say otherwise."

"Ba-san, not everybody lives by the Tsukuyomi traditions—"

"Do you want some sukonbu flakes on your gohan?" 

"I—yes, please."

When your grandmother was done cooking breakfast for the day, she laid out two bowls of gohan, each topped with a raw egg in the middle. The scent of the freshly fried rice wafted to your nose, and you immediately forgot about your prior sulking because of how delectable your food looked like. As you reached for the soy sauce to encourage more flavor, however, your grandmother took your hand in hers, shooting you a stern look.

"Don't go out on the night of the eclipse," she said. "It's been a while since I've last seen one, but it always preceded misfortune."

Confused, you asked, "How long ago is 'a while', oba-san?" 

Instead of humoring you with a proper answer, she merely chuckled at the inquiry as she sat down right across from you. "It doesn't matter. Just stay in the house, alright? It's a good thing it didn't land on the day of the festival, itself."

Knowing it would be no use arguing with her, you exhaled a sigh of defeat once you've dripped enough soy sauce onto your food. The snap of wooden chopsticks rang in your ears as you let anticipation swell in your chest. Was it just you or was the egg yolk seemingly glittering in the morning daylight?

"Thank you for the meal!"

*** 

Japanese Literature was easily your most favorite subject because of two reasons. 

The first was that you were already familiar with most of the topics listed off in the course module already. Genji Monogatari was one of the first books your grandmother had given to you as a child, and she'd be the one to help you out with understanding the difficult words. But even if you've spent a majority of your life with your nose stuffed in books and manuscripts snagged from the shrine's old storage room, there was still a lot more to learn—about the vast, hidden truths of the world that still eluded you. 

That's where the second reason came in. 

"The moon goddess, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, was born from the right eye of the creator, Izanagi-no-Mikoto; while her brother, Amaterasu-omikami was born from his left eye," your teacher drawled out the facts you already knew from the pocketbook in his hands. The disinterested set of his brow was clue enough of how much he would rather be doing anything else other than spitting out excerpts from Japanese mythology in front of high schoolers. 

It was last period for you, and even though you were normally motivated to listen despite your teacher's apathy for the course, you were feeling the fatigue you've accumulated from training slowly catching up to you. Fukurodani was a powerhouse when it came to its sports teams, and the reputation that you had to uphold was a heavier burden than getting remarkable official records for future reference. Though Coach Yamamoto was usually lenient, he'd already transformed into his demon coach persona at the beginning of the week. 

But after you've zoned into your own thoughts for a good twenty minutes, your teacher managed to yank you back into attentiveness when he'd tackled the topic of yokai. 

"In more popular literature, yokai were commonly depicted as grotesque creatures that consume human flesh," he began, "but there have been several tales that told of those able to take on the form of human beings; making it much easier for them to prowl across the land unnoticed." 

Hm. Sounds like a certain, unsuspecting second year to me. 

"However, even though they use deception as their means of getting by, those yokai still revert back to their true forms under specific circumstances. For children of the first Tengu, they are quite susceptible to rain. Once it begins to pour from the heavens, their disguises wear off at the snap of a finger." 

Your brows knit together in curiosity. Akaashi was one of those shape shifters, then. But if that tale applied to all shape-shifting yokai, what could Akaashi's trigger be?

Shaking your head, you proceeded jotting down the assignment that your teacher began scribbling on the chalkboard once he's gone over the topic. It wasn't something that should warrant your interest. Strictly speaking, you weren't even friends with Akaashi. You were just someone who'd managed to figure out what he was. That was all there was to it.

Yet, a few hours later, once you'd gotten your fresh taste of your demon coach's training regimens, you found yourself waiting by the school gates.

As you bounced impatiently on the balls of your feet, jamming your hands in the pockets of your track jacket to distract yourself somehow, your gaze darted every now and again at the other students that also stayed behind for club activities. There was still no sign of the volleyball team. 

In hindsight, you could have just hung around in the gym, waiting for them to finish. Bokuto's admirers did it all the time, so why couldn't the captain of the track team do the same? Ah, right.

You still couldn't bear to look Bokuto in the eye after he'd asked you to go with him to the lunar festival.

How on Earth could you face him eye-to-eye after that? Why would he even ask you, of all people, in the first place? You've been giving Itsumi the cold shoulder for the past few days, too. How dare she tell the ace to get a red kimono when your favorite kimono was patterned after crimson cherry blossoms?! 

"(Surname)-san?" 

You didn't know how your instinctive reaction to Akaashi's voice would reflect on the way you supposedly saw him as, but in your defense, you were surprised by how he addressed you. The setter was donned in his school uniform, and he didn't have the air of someone who'd just gotten out of volleyball practice.

"A-Akaashi," you stuttered, hoping it wasn't glaringly obvious that you were waiting for him in particular. "You weren't at training?" 

His brows were raised with subtle curiosity before he shook his head. "My class has a production coming up, and it costs about seventy percent of our final grade. Coach Yamiji allowed me some time off." 

"Oh," the word tumbled pathetically from your lips, before you cleared your throat. "I-I see. You're quite diligent, huh? I mean, for a yokai blending in as a—"

"(Surname)-san," Akaashi interrupted warily, and you were immediately struck by the awareness of how loud your voice was. Getting his plea, you toned down your voice a couple of notches lower.

"I still find it kind of interesting, you know." Chuckling, you folded your arms across your chest. "From what you told me, I think you're someone ancient. You could track down whoever has your heart in no time and you wouldn't have to subject yourself to mundane things like that." 

Akaashi merely stared at you with the same, navy-eyed gaze before his line of sight darted around the vicinity. Then, he beckoned you to come closer. When you leaned your ear next to his face, the setter whispered, "(Surname)-san, I would appreciate it if you didn't disclose such information out in the open." 

"It's not like anyone's listening," you argued, pouting at him. "By the way, I have something to ask you." 

"Does your curiosity have no bounds?" He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. You'd only noticed it now, but there were traces of fatigue on his face that you would've missed if you hadn't looked so closely. You almost felt bad for cornering him like this, but...

"Can you show me your true form?" 

Something flashed across his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly as it surfaced, and now Akaashi was just staring at you like he was just done with your demands. 

"You know, I only ever meet extremely infuriating humans one after the other," he told you, dragging a palm across his face. "But it seems like the gods are subjecting me to the punishment of handling both you and Bokuto-san at the same time."

You snorted out an ugly-sounding laugh, covering your mouth to somehow stifle your giggles. "I told you, you didn't have to do any of this kiss-ass shit. You could just—"

"You wanted to see my true form, didn't you?" 

The tone of his voice had dipped into something more serious—one that you're unused to hearing from him when you were talking alone. Before getting to know Akaashi as well as you have now, he had just been the apathetic vice captain of the volleyball team. But from the short time you've spent with him, you figured that there was certainly more depth to his personality than he was letting on. 

Yet now, he's talking to you just how he would address any other student in Fukurodani. Your smile receded slowly. Somehow, you didn't like that.

"Yeah," you replied with a lackluster intonation you hadn't meant to make. The last thing you wanted was for him to think you actually...cared about the way he talked to you. You didn't, and that was that. 

With a sigh, Akaashi tilted his head up so that he was glancing at the sky. You noticed that he did that a lot—looking up at the heavens like it gave him answers you didn't know he was looking for. 

When the yokai met your gaze again, no longer did you see the soothing, gunmetal blue of the human whose skin he wore like it was his own. Deep, vermillion eyes bore into you so intently, you could feel him gazing at your very soul—bare, and without any chance of deceit.

"Meet me at the cemetery on the first night of the full moon," he said, voice almost sounding ethereal in your ears, like his voice wasn't his at all. "I'll show you what you want to see so badly."

***

A few days passed since that strange encounter with Akaashi, and you haven't heard from the yokai since. Every time you tried getting a glimpse of him from outside the gym, it was either he was always out of sight or he just wasn't there to begin with. You'd even asked Kazuto, who turned out to be classmates with Akaashi, a thing or two about the said setter, but it seemed that he's called in sick for the past few days because of a nasty cold.

Yokai don't catch colds.

Nonetheless, you found yourself thinking of him less and less as the lunar festival drew closer. Your grandmother insisted that you focus on training for the track meet instead of concerning yourself with the preparations no matter how much you protested. 

"You're only young for a brief time, child," she had told you. "It's your last year in high school, so you better enjoy the festival with your little friends before you all head your separate ways. Leave it to the monks and volunteers to work behind the scenes."

Seeing no point in going against her wishes, that's exactly what you did.

"Hey, (Name)! Over here!" At the bottom of the stairway that led to the Amatsuki shrine, you saw Itsumi and Kazuto idling by as your vice captain frantically waved her hands to get your attention. Overlooking the secondhand embarrassment, you picked up the pace of your descent. 

Once you've managed to join them, Kazuto whistled out loud. "Looking great, cap!"

The compliment urged you to look down on your own get-up. You looked just as you did every year whenever the lunar festival came around, since you've always opted to wear the cherry blossom kimono that used to belong to your mother. But Kazuto was probably talking about the moon pin your grandmother had insisted on styling your hair with. 

It was designed to look like a branch of a sakura tree dipped in silver with a crescent moon embossed in the middle. You had no time left to ask where she got it from and why she gave it you since you were running a bit late on your agreed meet-up time with the team.

"No flirting with senpais, Kazu," scolded Itsumi as she playfully smacked the younger boy across his back. "But he does have a point, though. You look spicy tonight, (Name)!"

"Sumi, I worry about you sometimes."

"Hey!"

Wading through the throng of visitors in the courtyard was none other than Bokuto, himself. His grin was as bright as the lanterns strung above the venue, the golden lights shining down on him like he was the most important person out there. Or maybe that was just because your rose-colored vision was specifically catered for the said ace. When he'd managed to squeeze past the crowd, he breathed out a sigh in relief, wiping a sheen of sweat off his forehead.

"What do you think?" he asked, twisting around to show off his outfit. "I kind of had to compromise with the hakama, but the haori's red, just like Furukawa said—"

"Bokuto-san," you breathed, feeling your heart flutter at his effort alone, "you look great."

The ace blinked at you like he wasn't used to receiving compliments on the daily. It was probably just the lanterns messing with your eyes, but was he...blushing?

"So do you," he laughed. "I didn't know we were matching!"

"I didn't either," you replied, shooting Itsumi a narrow-eyed glare, to which your best friend responded by incessantly tugging on your wrist. 

"Come on, you idiots!" Itsumi hollered as you let her drag you to the concessionaire stands. "Last one to get to the goldfish catching booths will treat everyone to candied apples!"

***

"I forgot how enjoyable these festivals really were."

Your ears perked up at the sound of Bokuto's voice. Sparing the ace a sideways glance, you sighed out a long breath as you propped your chin on top of your knees. "I'm glad we managed to remind you, then." 

The two of you were seated on the stone steps just under the torii gates that led up to the shrine. Most of the festival's visitors have already gone up to see the shrine elder's (in this case, your grandmother's) annual performance of the lunar dance. It was dedicated to Tsukuyomi herself so that the shrine and its followers would see good fortune for the months ahead. Itsumi and Kazuto have gone ahead of the both of you, but you'd insisted on staying behind for a while.

But you didn't know that Bokuto would like to keep you company, too.

"Something on your mind?" he wondered, inching a bit closer. "You've been kinda distracted."

As you trained your gaze on the younger visitors that were still trying their hand at catching goldfish at the kingyo booths below, you breathed out an airy chuckle. "Sorry. Was I that obvious?"

"Not really," he said. "Call it a gut feeling." 

"Gut feeling, huh..."

Your gut was telling you right now that you were forgetting something...something important.

But when you turned to glance at Bokuto once again, his mouth was perked up in a lopsided smile that sent a flush of heat crawling up to your cheeks. You've always found his honey-eyed gaze endearing, and knowing that he had his eyes trained on you? Under the light of the moon? The shoujo manga protagonist in you practically jumped—

Meet me at the cemetery on the first night of the full moon

"Bokuto-san," you mumbled as you shot up to your feet, startling the ace as you shot your gaze up to the sky. The moon was in perfect form today, shining oh-so brightly in the sea of stars. "I'm sorry. I have to go. I-I'll... I'm sorry."

You forced out the sound of Bokuto calling out your name from your mind, pushing down the guilt that might fester for later. Your wooden sandals collided with each step in a way that sounded like cannons in your ears. Your heart was beating abnormally fast, just like when you're trying to best another runner at a track meet. Akaashi, who's been missing in action for days now. Akaashi, who looked like he was losing his grip on his own sanity the last time you saw him. Akaashi, who was probably waiting for you at the top of the hill.

You had been the one that coerced him into this agreement, yet it slipped your mind?

When you made it to the shrine, you caught a glimpse of your grandmother's lunar dance in the blink of your eye. She faltered in her movements for a split second. Had you not spent your entire life watching her practice every year, you would've overlooked it. But it seemed that she'd noticed you darting through the audience even if you were cloaked in the darkness. You already knew you were getting a thorough questioning later, but that was at the bottom of your priorities right now.

There's something wrong, you thought. I don't know how, but something's wrong.

You pushed the gate to the cemetery back without care for the rust that coated your fingers. The foreboding was rooted deep into the pits of your heart, and you couldn't placate yourself no matter how many times you told yourself it was probably nothing. Even if you were running out of breath (which terrified you because it took a lot to make you breathless in training), you called out to the yokai.

"Akaashi!" you called out, placing your hands by your mouth to articulate your voice louder. "Are you here?"

The moonlight spilled onto the cemetery startlingly bright, illuminating the gravestones in place in a way you hadn't seen them before. As you passed by your parents' graves, muttering a quick prayer in the process, you began trekking further into the area—towards the forest that you were told to never set foot in. 

The shade of the trees seemed thicker, they loomed higher than you thought they would. At the corner of your eye, you would see the shadows scuttling about, only to be met with nothing but a leaf wafting in the air when you turned around to look. The fear factor was maxed out at this point. But even if your mind yelled for you to turn around, and that you shouldn't even be here, your heart told you that you were exactly where you're supposed to be.

After a few minutes of blindly walking in the darkness, you saw the light of the moon once more as you emerged into a clearing. In the middle of it all, kneeling in a pool of blood, was Akaashi.

Or at least, you assumed it was Akaashi. 

The humanoid creature had its back turned you, like it was preoccupied with something else. Its naked skin was as white as the snow that coated the shrine grounds on the first day of winter, but the mop of unruly hair on top of its head resembled Akaashi's. With blood roaring in your ears, you slowly flanked the creature from the side in attempt of getting a better look. But the sight that greeted you was something that would be burned in the back of your mind for eternity.

It—Akaashi—had a pair of horns jutting out from his forehead, tinged the same hue as his ivory skin. In his taloned hands, he had a carcass so mangled, you could no longer identify if it was an animal or not. His lips were caked in the same blood that pooled beneath him, as deranged, crimson eyes glossed over with the ecstasy from feasting on his meal.

A scream bubbled in your throat, but you knew better than to announce your presence just like that. This was what you wanted, right? To witness him in his true form? You were the one who asked for this and yet...and yet—

The sound of a twig snapping underneath your sandals echoed in the vicinity like you'd just set off a land mine. You could no longer hear him tearing the flesh from its bones, as Akaashi slowly turned to look at you. 

Those weren't the eyes of the kind-hearted yokai you thought he was.

They were the eyes of a killer.

Someone was screaming as you bolted out of the clearing and back into the cemetery. They were still screaming when you nearly tripped on your own feet as you ran down the hill. 

You'd only realized it was you when you barged into the shrine's foyer just after your grandmother finished the dance, weeping inconsolably in her arms for reasons that you would continue to refuse to let them know of in the days to come.

[advernia]

moved this over to a text post, hope u don’t mind anon! ( ᐛ )و

ANYWAY EEEEEE THANK YOU AND I’D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHARE!!!! o(*≧□≦)o tbh this headcanon is me 100% refusing to accept that post-route!alice just stays in red/black army hq as a… uh, maid??? cook??? cheerleader??? idk lmao but imo alice has a lot of potential with her canon profession lolol! okay so maybe they did her justice in kyle’s route bc she ends up as his assistant but as for other routes fight me cybird (ง •̀_•́)ง

context side a

i got the idea after reading fenrir’s dramatic end, where alice gets a job in cradle’s best confectionery (like wow lmao if only getting a job was that fast irl). anyway!!! i’d like to dream that alice does this for all routes + a month after the route events (sans kyle’s). you’d think she doesn’t need to get a job especially if her ikeman’s part of the red army, but she does this bc she wants to. and to feel less like a freeloader lmao. since the situation’s different with the neutrals, this isn’t much of an issue.

so, yay! she feels better about passing time productively + having her own lin to spend but tbh she doesn’t really buy much stuff???? eventually she saves up quite the amount that it becomes a problem - what could/should she do with that much cash????

tbh the idea to start her own business came from her boss lol…. it started from his objective assessment that she was good enough to open her own shop… eventually she starts entertaining the idea…. then she gets second opinions from friends + ikeman…. and she actually does it after much consideration?!??! her boss is shook, but he wishes her well anyway! he gets a free slice of cake whenever he visits the cafe lol!

so alice ends up with a cafe! since confectioneries were more on selling than service + she’s on her own now & has a lot of stuff to handle on her own, she becomes pretty busy and takes some time to adjust, but eventually she gets by! it’s tiring, but she enjoys her every day!

any of her extra profits she chooses to donate to various causes + she eventually ends up becoming some sort of sponsor to the armies with all her donations HELLA RAD ೕ(•̀ᴗ•́)

context side b

alternatively, in a common route scenario where amon still gets his ass kicked + alice stays in cradle but doesn’t fall in love with that one ikeman (no one falls in love…. not yet LMAO), she lives with the black/red army + works in a confectionery until she has enough to buy a home of her own. blanc + oliver + mousse have been secretly helping her scout around for a good place. it’s only when everything’s ready that she talks to the black/red army about her intentions.

get this - her general explanation goes this way: she starts off by saying that she’s very thankful that everyone has accommodated her and she’ll always be in their debt, but now that she’s living as an actual resident of cradle and no longer just a guest, she’d hate to impose on them any further. to boot, she’s not even an official part of the army + a soldier, so it may look odd that she’s still staying within army hq. stuff about reputation and pride, something like that.

the black army (see: seth) is sad about this, but they understand her sentiments and let her go. after a three-day long party. aaaaand of course, they’re more than willing to do any heavy lifting for her move + just anything in general - all she needed to do was ask!

the red army respects her decision as well, and they’re… more subtle in expressing their disappointment (how is jonah’s blatant frown even subtle lol). like the black army, they let her go + remind her that she can always ask them for help. 

so alice lives alone for a couple of months.... then the armies hear that she’s planning to open a cafe from blanc.... ha.... the black army totally helps her out with general recontrustion + repairs. she does not take no for an answer when she pays them for their work lmao. plus, they totally helped her out by giving her tours around the stalls on the central quarter market that give the best bargains + freshest produce! the flowers alice put up for decoration + plant outside her yard are always sponsored by canis major..... and seth drops by regularly to talk about trending aesthetics alice could adapt in the cafe!

the red army’s idea of helping her out with her cafe is to send her furniture + kitchen appliances + sets of tableware.... they’re gorgeous + simple but UMMMM????? alice literally panics about the kitchen, especially about the stove + oven bc it be so fine.... and expensive-looking.... but negotiating with lancelot + jonah is like talking to a brick + diamond wall so edgar + kyle + zero convince her to just take it lmao - it isn’t much, but lancelot gets a free drink & jonah a free mille-feuille each time they visit!

again: she donates to various causes + sends the black/red army a fair amount of her extra profits each month! she’d give more to the red army bc she still can’t get over their....... generous gifts and how much they probably cost lmao....... edgar stops her there though bc honestly..... do u think the red army needs more money??????????

the cafe

so why in central of all places? actually, it does make sense to set up a business there since it’s like the country’s central business district. but if i’d base it from alice’s general personality, i think she’d choose central bc that’s where every citizen of cradle; whether they be from red, black, or neutral territory, all gather together. in central, she can see every side living side cradle, not just red or black - and in a simple establishment like a cafe, something simple like food can bring all those different sides together.

she set up her cafe in central with the thought of helping in the efforts of bridging the gap between the armies + to have an actual experience of how it is to live as a citizen of cradle. technically she is one already, but sometimes living in cradle is really so different from living in london. it makes her feel displaced sometimes.

her cafe is probably somewhere close to blanc’s house or smth and u bet that blanc is very happy to have a pretty lady living close by/around his neighborhood lmao! but if you want to be serious about it, this is intentional on blanc’s part bc her safety isn’t exactly assured after the magic tower fiasco - disciple stragglers might come back for her, and since the whole of cradle already knows that she’s the alice the second, there may be other people/groups lurking around that are interested in her power......

in comparison to most cafes in central, alice’s place is relatively small - she doesn’t mind though, since she’s running the place on her own. the thought of expanding makes her doubt her capability of providing + distributing the same quality of service + attention she usually gives to a small crowd.

alice changes the cafe decors + scents according to each season!!! in general, she wants her cafe to have a homey, relaxing feel, doing her best to impart a feel of london + her hometown in her cafe. you’d think that seasonal redecorating would be a hassle, but magic makes that process very easy... once she learns about cradle’s unique holidays + festivals, she also redecorates + tweaks her menu in tune to the special day!

a variety of sandwiches + light meals such as pastas are on the menu now and then, but her cafe is well-known for the desserts. like the decor, the food + drink selection adjusts accordingly to the season.

her edge among her competitors is the fact that she’s from the land of reason - her techniques + use/handling of ingredients + and other assorted methods are quite different from that practiced in cradle since they have the advantage of magic. tastes, colors, textures, and even presentation end up differently. plus, she knows how to make various foods + sweets unfamiliar to cradle, so some of the stuff she makes are seen as novelty to the locals!

she does pay attention to what tastes of london are positively + negatively recepted in cradle though - from there she experiments or improvises her recipes, and seeks out feedback immediately.

following context side b, i’m all in for the romance with her ikeman developing here instead OH YEAAAH ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) it’s a lot more hectic tho since it’s an open playground and there are the.... common interferences..... coughsethcoughlokicough LMAO

also!!! following all the not-so-spoilery content of her + seth, i’ve recently been digging the idea of nojisha / rapunzel (localization ain’t being subtle anymore lol) working + possibly living in alice’s cafe too bc god knows that alice needs an actual girl friend among all that testosterone lmao!

rapunzel’s more of a waitress but is totally into designing whatever cakes + drinks + pastries alice has on the menu and on display… takes dibs in writing out the menu on the chalkboard as her chance to practice some pretty lettering… and also actively helps out alice in picking seasonal decors + packaging for the cafe!

on the sidelines rapunzel also keeps a close eye on alice bc… heh… them odd folks coming in for the foods but staying longer for the girl(s)… those red army officers dropping by more often even if they’re on patrol…. dudes from the civic center + other colorful characters talking so familiarly to alice…. yaaa~n! pick up the pace, onii-chan!!! lmao

depending on who’s the ikeman out for alice, rapunzel can and will cockblock, omfg...... she’ll totally stop if she sees that alice has mutual feelings for the guy but sometimes rapunzel really has impeccable, unintentional timing haha... seth hyde, what have u been teaching ur little sister smh (ಡ艸ಡ)

opening time: 6AM, closing: 7PM. accepts orders of wedding + birthday cakes, does not handle catering. for any inquiries, pls call....... (^ц^ )

other

alice’s cafe develops different reputations depending on who she ends up with LMAO........ local newspapers + cradle’s grapevine love her cafe and totally not bc they can get a glimpse of the red/black army chosen if they get their timing right haHA..... here’s a couple of examples:

if she’s with mousse, her cafe has quite the interesting reputation! while there’s a good selection of the local teas/coffees in her menu, there’s also a fair share of exotic blends with brief details about the country where the blend is from + how the beverage is prepared + possible tastes, written by no other than mousse himself! sometimes alice showcases some limited edition sweets + pastries made from an interesting mix of local and foreign ingredients + spices too......

if she ends up with a king, novels/tales + plays + songs/poems about royalty/nobility falling for the common worker (lancelot) or adventures of a hero and a maiden (ray) suddenly become a thing™….. the boom is especially huge in black/red territory, be it from nobles to commoners.... another common point??? there’s always a cafe referenced in there, a rendezvous point some way or another in the story… and it sounds veeeeery familiar, even if they switch the setting into a tavern/inn, hmmmm....

did you know that one cafe in central quarter is owned by alice the second, the woman who’s rumored to be the lover of cradle’s most notorious criminal + strongest wizard???? no???? are they really a thing??? do you think the stuff she sells in her cafe is fit is for consumption???? does she make those cakes herself or does she ask the wizard to make it through dark magic or are those smuggled goods??????? man, those cakes are damn good though!!!!!

newspaper headlines: students of cradle’s local boarding school promptly create a literal lake of tears in the central quarter after spending time and meeting a kind cafe owner who happens to really be their terror professor’s lover (side note: this article was removed upon the request of a certain mr. d.)

the sole exemption i have for this hc is kyle’s alice! she has her hands full + committing herself to being a doctor’s assistant so opening a cafe doesn’t cross her mind, but that doesn’t stop her from making treats now and then for their patients… in fact, becomes a thing among the children of cradle that if you be a good boy/girl who takes their medicine + shots from the redhead doctor without complaining, the pretty assistant lady will give you a tasty treat for being so well-behaved! (*≧▽≦)

[btgalaxy]

Moonlight - Jungkook wolf!au

➳ pairing: jungkook x reader

➳ genre: wolf!au, a little bit of everything tbh; angst, fluff, smut

➳ word count: 4.6k

warnings: oral sex, fingering

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Chapter 9

When Jungkook wakes, you’re still vulnerable in a deep slumber, weighing down on one of his arms. His eyes slowly focus in on the ceiling, feeling only the warm gusts of breath against his palm from your slightly parted lips. Why does he have to be so impulsive sometimes? It’s like he can’t hold back, as much as he wants to and tells himself it’s not the right course of action he just cannot stop himself from submitting to his inner Alpha instincts telling him to go crazy. And you thinking he doesn’t want you? You couldn’t be more wrong.

Everyday he ends up at the packhouse after leaving you in the morning, only able to envision the sight of you with strands of hair strewn across your face, sticking to your lips and your silk nightdress looming dangerously low on your chest to reveal some of the supple flesh that makes him want to reach out and trace the curve of your breast, feeling the way you automatically press into him. He wants it so badly. He agonises everyday with his hand down the front of his jeans behind his desk, rapidly searching for something to relieve this paralysing ache, but he’s never left fully satisfied. He still yearns for more, for you.

You stir slightly in your sleep, turning around to face him and nuzzle into his bare chest and his arm tightens around your form, gently running his fingertips along the skin of your arm. All he wants to do is protect you. He couldn’t bear seeing you hurt; it might nearly kill him. Even worse, the thought of you being in another man’s arms, kissing him, caring for him, loving him. He subconsciously curls around you closer. He can’t think about that.

In fact, he doesn’t want to find the Hoseok boy from your old pack; he doesn’t want to know anything about the little shit, but he’ll do it for you. If it at least stops you from contacting that damn unmated Alpha Taehyung from Crimson Lake then he’ll do anything. And he truly does want to see you happy- something he isn’t entirely sure he’s experienced much of since you got here, so, despite being angry finding you on the phone to that imbecile Alpha, he’ll do it. Stupid fuckin’ Taehyung.

He presses a chaste kiss to your forehead before slipping from your grip and the security of the duvet and staggering over to the cupboard to yank a jumper from the hanger, but not before he notices a broken piece of cardboard that flies to his feet. He leans down and takes it between his thumb and forefinger, glancing at your sleeping form briefly to check you’re still dead asleep, then brings out the rest of the box.

“Shit,” he mutters quietly to himself. The lid is broken. The lid has been broken by someone, and that someone would never be Jin, he wouldn’t have the nerve, nor Jimin- he knows all about Jungkook’s history already. It has to have been you. He swallows down the bile biting at his throat when he sees a glimpse of himself and his father many years ago; a brief slice of history sized down into a tiny polaroid, coated now in a thin layer of dust. He swiftly places the broken top back on, shoving the whole thing back into the cupboard and retrieving a jumper, deftly ignorant to the reality.

It’s a good few hours later that you wake up, still feeling Jungkook’s phantom touch across your skin, lingering like twilight hues. His scent is smothered over the bed sheets, so you bury your face into the fabric and just inhale deeply, already missing his arms around, holding you protectively. How can he go from being such a gorgeous, affectionate mate to some crazy, possessive Alpha overnight? He’s not the only one suffering from migraines at the hands of this relationship.

Reluctant to leave the aroma, you groan to get up, clicking your neck back and sliding from the cushioned mattress to your feet, barely awake as you meander into the bathroom to wet your face and brush your teeth.

“Y/N?” Jin’s voice echoes from outside your room. You hum loudly in response, prompting his entrance.

“You look well-slept,” he smiles slightly from the doorframe, watching you brush your teeth with hooded eyes.

You try to mumble a retort with a mouthful of foaming water, but the most you come out with is an indistinguishable grunt with bits of toothpaste spattering on the floor.

“Red Moon’s Luna everyone,” Jin applauds sarcastically, eyes glossing with amusement.

You spit into the sink, “Funny.”

“I like to think I am.”

You pat your mouth dry with the towel, wiping away the excess on your lips before sighing, “So what’s the plan for today?”

Jin slumps against the side of the door, crossing his arms over, “Well, Alpha gave me this phone and told me-“

“He gave you your own phone?” Your eyes swell with jealousy, focusing in on the small device your guard pulls from his pocket.

He softly retreats, “Yes… he did… he told me that I should wait for his text, and in the meantime there are some board games in the cupboard in his office…”

Your eyes are still glazing over his pocket, holding the small cell, “But your own phone…”

“Why is that such a big deal?” He laughs, but you can see he’s a tad unnerved by your obsession.

You sigh, despondently, “I wish he trusted me that much.”

Jin laughs at your misery, ushering you to get ready, “I’ll meet you downstairs.”

Jin wins four rounds of monopoly, but you’re sure he’s stealing from the bank. Then he beats you at Scrabble too, and cards. Cheat, rummy, sevens, trumps. You aren’t particularly good at those types of things anyhow, never have been. And Jin seems to be some kind of a professional, with all of his fancy shuffling and smug moves. You nearly want to strangle him.

During one game of Cluedo, you fake going to the bathroom, to hide around the corner and peer out into the lounge to see him swiftly peeking at the result cards. You huff quietly, grimacing acutely at the sight in front of you.

“I knew you were cheating!” You jump out.

Jin’s head snaps up towards you, hands frantically recoiling from small pack of cards centre of the board, “What? Luna-“

“Don’t Luna me!”

“I didn’t cheat!”

“I watched you!”

“You were in the toilet!”

You continue to bicker like this what feels like endlessly, countering each other with even the pettiest of retorts, but you’re stubborn and he’s too proud. You, however, are also immensely lazy and can’t be arsed to fight with him for hours on end.

“Whatever, I’m sick of board games anyway,” you grumble, surrendering and taking a seat on the sofa behind him curled up on the floor in front of the coffee table.

“We could watch some TV?” He suggests, clambering to his feet.

“I wanna go for a run,” you announce, making him still, “My wolf has been cooped up for quite a while now.”

You’re aware it’s awkward, bringing this up after last time. But truly your wolf hasn’t gone for a run for nearly a couple of weeks now, and back at Scarlet Oak you were out all the time with Hobi or your father, or pack runs. Do they even have those here?

“Luna, we should wait for Alpha Jungkook’s text.” His voice is firm and official, and you hate how he’s so compliant to his Alpha’s commands, unlike you. You guess if you were at the butt of Jungkook’s wraith you might feel the same though.

You exhale deliberately loud, throwing your head back to look up into the spherical chandelier bulbs, “Well we’ve got to do something because I’ll go out of my mind if I have to play with a cheater any longer.”

Jin frowns, “So… TV then?”

“I wanna eat something.”

“I can do food,” he nods mostly to himself, turning gently on his heel and striding towards the kitchen. You immediately rise to your feet, taking a blanket from the sofa and wrapping it round your shoulders to pad behind him, trailing over to the breakfast bar.

You slide onto one of the stools, settling your elbows on the surface and placing your head in your hands, eyes scrutinising his every move like a hawk surveying its prey. It’s instantly clear cooking isn’t something new to the man, the way he glides from one ingredient to the next, effortlessly bringing about a scent that could nearly beat the one of your mate, lingering in your bedsheets.

You wait for some time in silence, watching him throw ingredients into a pot and slowly begin to stir.

“Do you like to cook?” The corner of your lips poke upwards into your cheeks slightly, blossoming beneath your eyes.

He shrugs, looking over his shoulder at you, “My mother showed me how. Said she doesn’t want my mate to be stuck with someone that can’t cook, like my dad.” You smile brighter in response, lying down your arms and placing your cheek to rest on the back of your hand.

“What are your family like?”

Jin continues to stir in the stainless steel pot bubbling on the stove, “Well, my dad’s obviously an Epsilon, like I am. And my mother was just a normal pack wolf, whose rank was raised ever so slightly by my dad. They pester each other a lot, but they love each other.”

“Any siblings?” You poke further into his personal life, enjoying the ability to pry freely, unlike your meddling into Jungkook’s family life.

“Nope, just me. I was a nightmare child apparently- enough to put my parents off having another,” he admits, and your teeth clamp over your lip as you let out a laugh.

“God, I couldn’t picture that,” you tease, tapping your nails against the marble counter.

“Shut up and eat your food,” he shakes his head, bringing over the pot and placing it between the two of you on the table then retrieving two bowls from one of the cupboards. “Hope you like soup.”

You shrug teasingly, before smiling at his grimacing expression and taking a mouthful. Your father says that soup is good for the soul, soothing for it. Then he’d make a joke about how it’s the sweat or tears of some chicken God which you used to pray to as a kid, thinking you’d be blessed with more chicken. It was a long shot, you always knew, but you still liked the idea.

You were always very prone to outside influences, picking up different habits and concepts from those around you. Hobi you took a lot from; the two of you think the same way. After years spent alongside each other, nearly joined at the hip, you became alarmingly similar, from everything down to the position you sleep in. It unsettles the food digesting to think about him though, where he is, what state he’s in. You focus back on Jin, who’s pulled out the cell-phone from his pocket to glaze over the screen.

“What is it?” You ask, bringing another spoonful of broth to your lips, “Is it Jungkook?”

Jin nods, taking a mouthful himself, “He says we should go down to him as soon as possible.”

“Really?”

“Yep.” And he begins speeding up with his food.

It’s mid-afternoon by the time you finish and clean up everything, bundling into Jin’s jeep with profound haste. You miss your mate already, his scent only lingering faintly around the house leaving you with just enough to want more. You’re trying hard not to become completely dependent on him, his love- if anything were to happen to him, you don’t want to be left empty and lonely, or just be too co-dependent either way. You value your individualism, and don’t want to be clouded by your wolf’s constant yearning for her mate, but it seems that’s easier said than done.

The town is quiet, as usual. Just a few pack wolves about a strip of greenery, hosting a BBQ for their families. It’s so unbelievably mundane you envy the whole carefree atmosphere, with some of the older wolves shifted and racing across the turf at top speed, whirring by like a blur. You sigh, resting your head against the doorframe of the jeep and running your teeth over your lower lip. You aren’t sure if life will ever be that same level of easiness again.

Reaching a meeting room in the pack house, Jungkook and Jimin are sat across from each other at a large oak table, conversing tensely over something you’re uninformed of. Jungkook spots you immediately, but he doesn’t smile, he looks concerned, agitated, and your stomach starts to churn.

“What is it?” You ask, blatantly. You can already see something’s wrong, and you don’t want to beat around the bush like he does with every other uncomfortable subject. Him and his Beta exchange a knowing look, your mate rising to his feet seconds later to come and greet you with a hand to your waist.

“Did you have a good day?” He asks, ignorantly.

You frown in response, looking past him at Jimin, “What is it?”

The Beta freezes under your glare, glancing to his lap as Jungkook sighs, pulling you closer, “We looked into the Hoseok case,” he reveals, holding you against him to soften the blow of anxiety that drains you of any other emotion.

Your skin pales, “Hobi? You’ve found him?” You swallow back the apprehension nipping at your mind, “You- Is he…” You try not to think the worst, but the whole situation speaks otherwise.

Jungkook brings you to sit down at the table, gently caressing your side, “He’s not dead.”

You can finally breathe at the words, exhaling and closing your eyes to restore your shattering heart at the thought of your best friend’s death.

Then Jungkook speaks again, “But he was seen by an Epsilon near Red Moon, with a man identified as Min Yoongi.” What?

It doesn’t make any sense. Yoongi with Hobi? You never even met Yoongi, let alone Hobi. Why on earth were they together near Red Moon? Why the hell is Hobi even near Red Moon? The last time you saw him was with your father in Scarlet Oak, perhaps upset you were leaving, but nothing insinuated he would follow you all the way here. Is that what he’s doing? Following you? But then why wouldn’t he answer his phone? Your head spins.

“With Yoongi? Yoongi as in June’s…,” you struggle to label the relationship, “June’s- June’s ex?” But June slept with Hobi, so why would the two of them get all buddy-buddy?

“We confirmed it over the phone with her today,” Jimin tells you from the other side of the table, pushing across his phone to show a text image to June. The picture isn’t of Hobi, but for the first time you see Yoongi. He’s handsome, of course. You expect nothing less of a boyfriend of June’s. But something about him looks so deadly sinister, his jaw clenched and lips pursed into a tight line as he leans against a tree, eyeing the landscape cautiously.

“What’s he doing?” You mutter, reaching for the device, but before you’re able to, Jungkook draws your attention.

“We haven’t made any correlations yet, but I have certain theories,” he mumbles, looking off to the side with a subtle anger burning behind his eyes.

You turn towards him, “Theories?”

“We’ll look into it more for you, and as soon as we have some definite answers you’ll be the first to know, okay?”

You nod slowly, numbly, unable to look him in the eye, enveloped in a hurricane of anxiety and panic.

“Jin, you can go home. I’ll drive Y/N back.”

Your mate guides you towards his car, but it all seems like a dream, the tension and confusion leaving you lost. He opens the door for you and you slide in, swallowing back the concern as you buckle yourself into the seat.

Maybe Yoongi is mad at Hobi for sleeping with June? Is Hobi safe? What if Yoongi dragged Hobi over to Red Moon so that Jungkook would deal with him? But, Jungkook wouldn’t do that, would he? Not after everything that’s happened- he wouldn’t do that, surely-

“You okay?” The voice brings you from your spiralling thoughts, like a soothing velvet to your ears. You look over at him, suddenly unsure how you feel about the situation – aside from sheer anxiety – and you don’t know if he’s telling you the full truth.

“I guess so,” you announce, exhaling deeply, “But it doesn’t make sense, why would they both be here? Why wouldn’t Hobi tell me anything? He didn’t even know Yoongi!” You know better than to expect a straightforward response, so the Alpha’s silence is what you settle for. You’re irritated and stressed, yes, but you don’t want to argue with him now. Not after today.

Soon enough, the car is pulling up in front of the house and you hesitantly open the door and follow an awaiting Jungkook.

“Is there anything you need?” The uncertainty in his tone depicts his own worries; that if he doesn’t divulge all his secrets that you’ll drift away again, and that gaping void that lingers in your past will break through again and pull you apart. You surprise him when you simply walk over to him however, and wrap your arms around his waist, his scent relaxing you as it always does, bringing you a much needed escape from the hauntings in your head. Your body begins to regain feeling, and you realise just how exhausted you are from the stress. You fall into his arms, and he’s quick to keep you up and steady.

“Do you want to take a nap or something?” He mumbles into your hair, but you press against him harder instead of responding, moulding your body into his and holding the front of his top in knuckled hands.

“I actually have something for you.”

He separates away from your body with a slight smile, jogging round to his desk to pull open one of the drawers and pull out a small box. You rips back the tape and pulls the top apart to reveal a little camera inside, with a long cable draping out the back.

“Here, I bought a webcam, so you can call your dad on the office computer,” he offers, looking at you hopefully.

You can’t help but smile, nearly distracted by the thought of seeing your father’s face again after so long. You speak on the phone with him everyday but it’s not the same as a face to face conversation, and you miss the way his eyes wrinkle when he smiles, and the lines on his forehead from frowning at books he doesn’t agree with. You can’t wait for whenever he’ll next visit you in Red Moon.

You eagerly sit in Jungkook’s office chair in front of the computer as the screen buffers and loads, till the screen pops up and your dad’s face is frozen.

“Dad,” you smile, seeing him in the lounge frowning down at his laptop like the old man struggling with technology that he is.

“Is it working?” He mumbles, faffing with the angle.

“Yes, it is,” you laugh slightly, looking up at your mate with an appreciative grin.  

Your dad squints at the screen, grazing over your form, “Is Alpha Jungkook there?” Jungkook comes into the frame, leaning down beside you.

Your mate slides his hand onto your thigh and you place yours over it, “You can call him Jungkook, I’m sure he won’t care.” Full well knowing he would care, he squeezes your leg making you squirm with a small giggle, staring you down.

“Oh, of course, Jungkook,” your father’s voice resonates through the speakers.

“He loves it.” You tell him, Jungkook’s eyes still trained on the side of your head.

About an hour later and you still haven’t run out of things to talk about with your dad. You aren’t sure that you ever will. After hanging up you still don’t feel fully satisfied, but your thankful your mate stayed and talked to him too the whole time. When you were younger, you used to go to a school with human children, and as you grew up they all started dating and your friends getting boyfriends and girlfriends, and one thing that was always incredibly important to them was their parent’s blessing. It’s slightly different in the wolf world- you only ever have one mate and so for the parents to dislike them would be unimportant anyway, you aren’t finding anyone different. It still makes you happy, though, that your father seems to like him, that they converse over the recent football game and speak casually to each other. You crave your dad’s blessing, the same way those human kids did too.

You kiss your mate hard on the mouth once your father’s face is off the screen, holding him there by his shirt till you feel contented with the thank you. He leans in again as you pull back, feeling his hot breath against your cheek.

“Thank you for that,” you tell him, “And thank you for finding out about Hobi.”

He brings you to your feet to pull your waist against him, pressing into his groin, “I’ll do anything for you.” He kisses you on the lips again, then slowly travelling to your cheeks and down your jaw along to your neck.

You become entranced in the way he feels, legs nearly failing if he wasn’t holding you up with an arm now curled possessively around your back. He gently suckles on the skin by your collarbone, flattening out his tongue against the flesh every now and then to soothe the irritation, blooming into a deep purple flower on your chest. It's at this moment that everything comes flooding back you were briefly distracted from; Hobi, Yoongi, Red Moon, Rogues- everything.

“Do you think you’ll find him?” You pant, raking your fingers through your mates hair, still firmly attached to your neck. “I just don’t want him to be hurt and it’s difficult for-“

“Stop worrying.” He pulls back momentarily to mumble at you, then going back to the mark on your neck and grazing his teeth over the bite to send a rush of endorphins pulse through you, straight down to your centre. You instinctively convulse against him, releasing a choked moan as he outlines the small indentations of the scar.

“Let me calm you down,” he mutters, running his nose up your jaw and cupping your chin to press hard against your mouth, gently caressing your lips with the silk of his own. Jungkook’s heart rate picks up when you don’t protest, and you’re slowly guided to the sofa in the lounge, pushed over the arm rest onto your back, watching as he deliberately climbs on top you.

He wantonly kisses down your chest, his hands slithering up beneath your top to your waist where his touch burns like fire on the flesh. You can barely breathe as the fabric is hitched up to your bra, and Jungkook rims your navel with the tip of his tongue, sensually rotating his jaw to mark the revealed skin. It feels foreign to have someone so close to your core, gliding down so leisurely to savour every taste of you like one would a Michelin star meal, the excitement pools in your stomach and leaves you churning for more. The wet, underside of his lips falls down your stomach to the top of your jeans and he gently pulls open the button, the zip down.

You moan softly as you push up your hips to allow for the jeans to roll over your legs, your mate falling lower with them to slide the material from your ankles and you hastily kick them away. He smirks at your eagerness, but doesn’t make any teasing comment like you’d expect. He’s far too turned on for that, engrossed in your body’s ministrations as he explores your every pleasure.

There’s a moment when he looks at you from between your legs, a silent inquiry to pull down the white thong concealing your sex, and you respond by exhaling, lulling your head back and shutting your eyes to drown in his intoxicating touch. The small strip of fabric effortlessly grazes down your thighs to rest on your knees, revealing your core and you suddenly feel incredibly vulnerable, revealed, embarrassed. You attempt to squeeze them together, but the Alpha growls and spreads them apart again with his palms.

“Don’t,” he grunts, eyes burning with a fervent lust you’ve never seen before- you thought you never would see. You never believed someone could ever look so crazy for you, driven so primitive and animalistic by a hunger for your body’s reactions.

He suddenly delves into your cleft, tongue parting the sensitive tissues and plunging into your centre. Your hips jolt at the impact, an arm slamming against the back of the couch to grip onto the pillow as you struggle away, but his hold doesn’t relent, face still buried shamelessly in your centre.

“Stop moving,” he growls again, diving into the slick flesh with his velvet tongue gently pulsing against your clit to make your back arch and hips churn. Your body yields to his every touch, rocking parallel to his movements as his hand descends to your inner thigh, and one digit gently presses into your core. You can’t think of anything but how good it feels for him to touch you, taste you, eat you  like his last meal. You could cry in pleasure, lost entirely to his silky touch, fundamentally possessive as he brings you closer to him.

“God,” you whine, teeth clamping over your lip to stop your squirming, your free hand now clutching the back of your mate’s hair to encourage his lubricious attention to your dripping centre. The finger gliding in and out of you with his sinful rocking makes you jerk suddenly, as it curls upwards to graze euphoria and the coil snaps in your stomach.

The waves of your climax rush over you in a scream-inducing, toe-curling orgasm that leaves you quaking violently, trembling as he continues to lap up your writhing cleft, tongue still thrusting against you and one finger stroking the sensitive bundle of flesh. It seems to drag on for an eternity, rolling through you relentlessly and vibrating you both as the tears spill unwilling from your eyes down your temples.

“Enough, enough,” you whimper, pushing his head back with your hands as he thankfully retreats, leaving the pink, swollen core bare and exposed to him; he’s never seen something so fucking salacious in his life, and if he could he’d carry on eating you till you physically couldn’t take anymore, unable to stand and sore the next morning. He wants to devour you.

As he pulls your pants back up your legs, you begin to come around, catching your breath and wetting your lips to see the raging boner beneath his jeans, looking somewhat painful to endure. You still feel a little high from your climax, and with a gentle pursing of your lips you lean forwards to the belt of hi jeans, but he stops you immediately. You frown, a little muddled as to why you can’t touch him.

“But- but,” you fumble over the words, “You- I didn’t-“

He smiles and interrupts you with another kiss, hands curling possessively around you bare waist to hold your form beneath him, “Baby, the second you put your hands on me like that I’ll lose it. And seeing you like that was enough for me to remember for later.” He winks and you bring your hands up to cover your face with an embarrassed groan, curling into his chest, vibrating with laughter. You’re crazy for him.

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[flying-elliska]

Want a break from the crushing angst ? Here, have a little future!fic <3 

JEUDI, 20:12 - 21/04/30

Lucas is staring at his screen, lost in thought, when he hears the appartment door open along with the sound of humming and keys being thrown on the kitchen counter. All of a sudden he realizes how long he’s been stuck, and how sore his shoulders are. He stretches and yawns. This project at work is taking way too much of his energy lately, too many late nights, too much stress. He feels like he is going to become one with his desk chair. That’s when he knows he needs to go back to the basics.

He shuffles to the kitchen, and the sight that meets him immediately makes him feel better. 

His husband is leaning against the counter, sifting through a truly impressive pile of mail. His hair is poking out everywhich way, meaning he must have been raking his hands through it, and Lucas recognizes lines of tension on his face. They’ve been more frequent lately, ever since his last short movie got several awards. The pressure is getting to him.

But when Eliott looks up and smiles, it’s still like the sun enters the room. Even though he's seen it almost evey single day for the past ten years, it punches Lucas right in the gut. He’ll never get tired of it. Eliott always smiles with his whole soul for him. He walks straight over to him, grabs Eliott’s face, and kisses him passionately.

Eliott laughs into the kiss, the fucker.

“ Wow, babe ! What’s gotten into you ? Was work that boring ? Or did you miss me ?

- Yes, Lucas says, always.” And leaves it at that. Eliott blinks, those dreamy eyes looking at him full of wonder. He always periodically forgets, somehow, how much Lucas loves him. It’s Lucas’s job to remind him, and he takes it very seriously. Very, very seriously.

He presses Eliott against the kitchen counter and very soon, they forget everything about deadlines or expectations. It’s just them, and that’s the best feeling in the world.

…

An indeterminate amount of time later, they find themselves entangled on the couch, languid and loose limbed. Installing heavy curtains in their open living room truly was an inspired investment. Lucas is nuzzling into Eliott’s neck, filling his nose with the scent of him as he basks in the afterglow, content sinking down to his very bones, when he hears a strident gurgle. So much for romance. Eliott laughs, low and husky, and puts his hand on Lucas’ belly.

“So, pizza or Thai ?

- What are we, seventeen ? No, no, I am going to cook.” Lucas declares, determined. It’s very important, to him. He’s an accomplished adult. He can make dinner for his husband. They have ingredients for a decent bolognese. He thinks. Hm.

He grabs his boxers off the floor and makes his way to the kitchen. Said husband distracts him every step of the way, but finally relents when Lucas threatens to exile him to the office room. Eliott settles on a counter chair, looking at Lucas like he wants to eat him instead of the food. Again. Eliott is completely incapable of being subtle, which means Lucas has to be the one to exercise self-control. Otherwise they’ll still be here in the morning.

“Hey, you’ve got an invitation, look at this !”

Lucas puts the knife down on the chopping board and frowns as he sees the envelope’s creamy paper embossed with gold. Who even sends letters anymore ? He asks Eliott to open it, and his eyebrows go sky high as he does, and bursts into laughter.

“Babe, guess what. You’ve officially been invited to a ten-year high school reunion.”

Lucas makes a face of disgust.

“What ? What the hell is this, a bad American romcom ?” He grabs the invitation. “Let me guess, he says as he takes in the immaculate printing, this is Daphne’s doing. Holy shit, she’s rented a boat !

- Isn’t she an event planner, or something now ?

- Yeah, that makes sense. Wow, she hasn’t changed a bit. There’s even a password.

- So, um, do you want to go ?”

Lucas considers it for a while. His first instinct would be to say no, no way. High school was overall not a very fun time in his life. He was lonely and repressed and miserable as hell right until the moment he met Eliott. And even afterward, it wasn’t a walk in the park. Then again, he hasn’t seen a lot of these people in a while. They’d kind of drifted apart post college, now that everyone is busy with grownup jobs and lives. He still sees Manon, Imane and Yann quite regularly, but it would be fun to see everyone together again in the same room.

And well. He’s been doing pretty well for himself. It’s one hell of a glow up from the closeted kid who slept in Mika’s basement.

Eliott is looking at him, eyes warm.

“Consulting your parallel universe selves for advice, baby ?”

The old joke fills him with nostalgia.

“ Well, you know. Businessman Lucas thinks it’s a waste of time, and time is money. Surfer Lucas thinks it’s totally whatever, man. But um…I think they’re kind of morons, to be honest.

- That’s not very nice to say of yourself, babe. I’m pretty sure all versions of you are very smart.

- Yeah, but it took me some time to do something with it. I’ve got the best life now. If anything, they should be taking advice from me.

- Right, Eliott laughs, and what advice are you giving yourself then ?

- I’m going back to school, I think.

- Aha. And will you need a date ?” Eliott is smiling, but there’s a hint of uncertainty that passed over his face, just the faintest. Lucas can read that face better than any book. He hates that. Eliott deserves cloudless skies forever, and just a little rain when he wants. And the past can’t harm them anymore.

“The only reason I’m going is to remind them who got the hottest guy in school, he says, jokingly, but dead serious.

- Really ?

- Stop being so modest, I know how long you look at yourself in the mirror, you big doof.”

It’s true. If Eliott at 19 was turning heads all over high school, Eliott at 28 would make angels cry. He still can’t believe it most days, that he got so lucky, and that’s the least of it. 

“And I mean, Emma is probably going to make fun of me for still being with the first guy I ever had, you know. She’s going to get plastered and tell me that high school romances are overrated and love is dead, or something, but you know. I really think I don’t give a shit when it comes to that. 

- Yeah ? You have no regrets at all ?

- You’re my first and my last, baby. In every universe. I’ve come to terms with it. 

Eliott raises his eyebrows, his eyes crinkling at the corner.

- Well, I don’t have any regrets either,” he says, voice soft.

They don’t succeed in making any pasta that night

[staywhelmedbatfam]

Impromptu Valentine

~Dick Grayson/OC~

Summary: No one should be ditched on Valentine’s Day. Written for the 2019 Valentine’s Contest on Wattpad.

First of all, credit to @evinist​ for the picture shown above. Second of all, I only used an OC because I submitted this into the Wattpad contest listed in the summary. I fully encourage you to ignore the name and insert your own! Third of all, I wrote this based on the two pages of DC Comic’s Young Romance: The New 52 Valentine’s Day Special shown below.

Also, I’m sorry for the amount of pictures mixed in with this... lol.

“Whether we deserve this or not, whether these turn out to be the darkest days of our lives or the brightest happiness, we’ve been guided by love. How can we go wrong when we’re guided by love.”

– Morgan Parker

Before she’d gone to work that morning, Delia laid out the outfit she was going to wear for her date tonight. She picked out a merlot colored dress with black lace that stopped around near the knee and paired it with some black heels that had a bow. Her date was supposed to pick her up at seven, but she’d managed to finish getting ready a little early. When the time rolled around, he hadn’t shown up yet.

“He’s just running late,” she told herself and sat down on the couch to wait.

Digging her phone out of her purse, she played a game and went through emails while watching the clock. Ten minutes passed, then another ten. At that point, her shoulders drooped and she slumped into the couch.

“I’ve just been stood up… on Valentine’s Day of all days.” She paused a moment before declaring, “What a jerk!” The guy who was supposed to be her date had been the one to ask her out. Unfortunately, the two of them worked in the same office building, albeit on different floors. Although, it was a small building so she wouldn’t be surprised if she saw him in passing.

Pushing herself off the couch, she shrugged on her peacoat and left her apartment. Delia climbed up the stairs to the roof of the building and roughly shoved open the door, fuming enough that the freezing cold temperature against her bare legs didn’t even faze her. Upon reaching the ledge, she cleared a spot of snow to place her hands on it and released a sigh.

This spot had a great vantage point to look out at the city, especially when the sun was setting. Seeing the lights of the city at night was a close second though and what she’d have to settle for tonight. Either way, it always had a way of calming her down. Someone cleared their throat, causing her to jump and make Delia aware of their presence behind her.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t think anyone would be up here,” she said, warily as she took in the masked figure after turning to face him.

He waved the apology off. “No reason to apologize. I’m sure you live here. I was just using the rooftop to wait on someone who never showed.”

“You too?” The man raised an eyebrow as she let out a brief laugh and turned back to face the skyline. “I was supposed to be out on a date right now… Well, you can see how that ended.”

A sour smile graced her lips which soon disappeared when a gloved hand stretched out towards her. She hesitantly reached out to shake it.

“Nightwing.” This guy was Nightwing? Delia had heard of the vigilante before but had never seen him until now.

“Delia Kolter.”

He grinned. “Since neither of us has valentines, would you like a pizza my heart?” She gave him a confused look until he kneeled to pick up a pizza box and opened it up to reveal a heart-shaped pizza.

Laughing and shaking her head at the ridiculous pun, she replied with one of her own. “That pun was really cheesy, but why not?”

“And she makes puns! Something else we have in common!” Nightwing stood from his kneeling position and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “This looks like the beginning of a very punny friendship.”

“It’s pretty cold out, do you want to come in?” she offered.

Even though his suit was insulated and the cold wasn’t bothering him, he remembered seeing her bare legs earlier when she walked onto the roof and agreed. She had to be freezing. If he had a blanket or something, he would have given it to her by now.

By the time the two pizzas were diminished down to a couple slices, the clock read 10:30. The two of them enjoyed each other’s company and could’ve let the night drag on if Nightwing didn’t have to get back to his patrol.

“We should do this again sometime. See you later, Delia,” he called out right before he used one of the windows to leave her apartment.

“Bye!” she shouted after him as she stood at the window, hoping he could still hear her. Delia watched him swing out to the next rooftop before he disappeared from her line of sight. The man was fast on his feet, that’s for sure.

Thinking back to the conversation on the roof, she remembered one thing that he said. This looks like the beginning of a very punny friendship. It bothered her. At the time when he said it, it didn’t matter all that much. In the three hours that she’d spent with him, she realized that she wanted more than just a friendship. He was sweet, charming, and made her laugh a lot. He was everything she looked for in a guy and more.

Suddenly, she saw him return and stop right outside the still open window. In a split second, he took her face into his hands and kissed her. She closed her eyes and returned the kiss. Nightwing pulled away.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Delia.” He smiled at her and then took off into the night again, leaving her dazed and wondering what the heck just happened.

***

That day stood out in her memory as if it had just happened yesterday. It’s been exactly a year since then. What surprised her the most during that time was how often Nightwing stopped by to see her. It didn’t matter where she was either. He always knew where he could find her. Although, the visits to anywhere other than her apartment were usually short due to a lack of assured privacy.

The two of them had grown very close over the course of that year. Neither one of them put a label on their relationship, too nervous to bring it up to the other. So, yes, this was one of those times when she had to tell people ‘it’s complicated’ if they asked about the man she’s always gushing about. Her closest friends finally gave up when month three came along and also stopped asking for his name. They wouldn’t have believed her if she told them anyway.

Despite the fact that they hadn’t officially defined their relationship yet and Delia had no clue who Nightwing was under the mask – and wonderfully form-fitting suit – the time they spent together felt like they were dates. Who kisses their friend hello, goodbye, and just because? They’d get cozy together, huddled up on her couch while watching TV. When her birthday came around, he even bought her jewelry. No, not the kind that sits on a shelf or in the middle of an aisle at a department store. The kind that gets put in a locked display case and all sorts of alarms go off if someone were to break the glass of said display case.

A knock on her door brought her out of reminiscing about the past year, urging her to stop folding laundry and go see who it was. After pulling the door open, a man she didn’t recognize stood before her with flowers in one hand and the other curled into a fist.

“Hi, can I help you?” Delia was on the defense. There was no telling what he could have been hiding in his fist. Her mind ran wild with different possibilities of things that could be concealed in a fist that could potentially harm her – a paring knife, a razor blade, a… ring? What? The man held a ring between his forefinger and thumb while bending down on one knee.

“Delia,” he started off. This freaked her out even more. How did this guy know her name? “Love will take us where we’re supposed to go, good or bad. I know we’ll be okay either way because it’s the path meant for us. I love you and that’s why I’m making this promise to one day kneel in front of you again, my Flamebird.” That nickname made her freeze.

One night, she’d asked Nightwing how he’d chosen his name and he told her the Kryptonian tale of Nightwing and Flamebird. Following that conversation, he started calling her his ‘Flamebird.’ It all made sense now and this person in front of Delia was no longer some creepy guy that showed up at her door.

Eyes widening, she pulled him into her apartment and shut the door. “Okay, first of all, not the best conversation to have in the middle of the hallway when my neighbors like to be nosy and second,” she stopped talking in favor of grabbing his face and connecting her lips to his. “It’s nice to know the face behind the mask, but may I have a name?”

He grinned at the response and answered, “Richard Grayson. Although, most people just call me Dick.”

“Well, Dick Grayson… I love you too.” A twinkle abruptly appeared in her eyes. “Does this mean we can finally go on dates outside of my apartment?”

“Absolutely. I actually have a family dinner coming up this weekend, would you want to go… as my girlfriend?”

“Of course!”

***

The day of the dinner arrived and Dick parked the car in front of a mansion. Her jaw dropped at the sheer size and exterior elegance of the home.

Dick rang the doorbell and when the door opened, a butler greeted them, “Welcome back, Master Dick. Miss Delia, it’s lovely to meet you. We’ve heard so much about you.”

“Delia, this is Alfred.” She gave a quick hello before Alfred ushered them both inside out of the cold. He led them towards the kitchen, a heavenly scent filling the space and ingredients laid out on the marble countertop.

Her boyfriend took a seat at the island, encouraging her to follow suit, and then inquired, “Where’s Bruce?”

While answering, Alfred never looked up from the cutting board where he was dicing vegetables. “Master Wayne had to answer an important business call just before you arrived.”

She snapped her head in Dick’s direction. “You didn’t tell me your dad was Bruce Wayne,” Delia whispered harshly, nerves rapidly kicking in. He’d only told her first names on the way here and when Alfred said ‘Master Wayne,’ she put two and two together.

“You’ll be fine, trust me,” he reassured. Sure enough, he was right and the evening ended on a good note.

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[afashionistablg]

These a few of my favourite things.

February is the official month of love, and I’m feeling inspired. After celebrating Galentine’s Day and Valentine’s Day, and then finally, finally watching the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before sequel, P.S I Still Love You, I thought it would be fun to round up a few of things I’m loving right now.

Jenny Bird

My obsession with earrings knows no bounds, and I’ve all but fallen in love with Jenny Bird‘s minimalist and modern jewelry.  I picked up a few of pieces at a sample sale last fall and they’re honestly my favourite accessories to wear.

View this post on Instagram

The only thing better than hoops are pink hoops.

A post shared by Kaysey Davis (@afashionistablg) on Jan 20, 2020 at 8:51am PST

For the last couple of years Jenny has released a collection of Valentine’s Day jewelry and I’ve been coveting a few pieces. I got a pair of love hoops last year, and I love them. They’re like an elevated version of the simple gold hoops I wear every day. This year’s collection is just as good, and there are couple pieces I’m dying to add to my collection.

Herbivore Botanicals

I have really high expectations when it comes to body scrubs. I’ve been using the same brand, Cake Beauty, for years, and there have only been a couple other scrubs I’ve tried and liked. This one by Herbivore Botanicals is actually a body polish and it caught my eye because of the main ingredients: coconut oil, rose oil, and sugar. Also, I’m a sucker for packaging, and this jar is gorgeous.

It smells incredible, and my skin feels super smooth after just one use. I will say that it’s a lighter and less abrasive exfoliant (hence the name body polish). The granules are very small, like actual sugar, making it easy for the scrub to absorb into the skin as you rub. I would say it’s something I could use almost every day because it so gentle on my skin. I really don’t need a lot to get the job done, and it isn’t messy like coffee-based body scrubs. There isn’t any leftover product in my bathtub that I have to clean up. Love it!

Enamel pin, homecominggoods.com. Enso Rings, ensorings.com. Biossance Squalane + Rose Vegan Lip Balm, sephora.com.

Boy Smells

I’ve been coveting these candles for a while now, and I finally decided to treat myself to one. Buying candles online is so nerve wracking. You never know what it’s going to smell like until you actually get it. It took me forever to decided on one, but I picked the Cinderose scent because I was drawn to combination floral and woodsy notes like rose, tuberose, oakmoss, and smoke. I was right. It smells like a campfire but isn’t too overwhelming. I could definitely smell the woodsy scents, but I think the floral notes definitely soften it. It’s supposed to last for fifty hours, so I shouldn’t need a new one for a while!

Enso Rings

I rarely wear rings for a couple of reasons. One, I have a big fingers and have a hard time finding jewelry that I like and that fit me. Two, I usually buy a bunch of costume jewelry that either gets lost or tarnished after a couple of months. And, after promising myself that I would start investing in higher quality jewelry (hello, Jenny Bird), I stopped buying rings. Until now.

I discovered these silicone rings about a month ago and my life has been changed forever. Not only are they super comfortable, but I never have to take them off. They’re waterproof, flexible, and won’t tarnish or leave that annoying green ring around my finger from wearing them all day. Plus, they come in a variety of colours, sizes, and styles that give me the freedom to customize different looks every day. I’m obsessed with the braided rings but also love the simple metallic ones, too.

Gucci Bloom

I’m late to the party, but I finally tried Gucci’s Bloom perfume and it’s everything. I gotten so used to buying perfumes from my favourite brands, namely Nina Ricci, Dior, and Marc Jacobs, but this Gucci fragrance has inspired me to step out of my comfort zone a little. I think it’s a little more mature than the scents I usually wear, but is still a floral fragrance, which I tend to gravitate to.

What are you loving this month? Have you tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments!

Skincare, jewelry, and anything pink — these are a few of my favourite things! Check out my latest post on the blog! These a few of my favourite things.

[dawnasiler]

Byre Launches Body Washes With Unwanted Whey. But Is That Good For Skin?

Did you know the diary industry wastes 870.000 tonnes of whey, a by-product of cheese and milk production, every single year?

What a waste! But, wait, Gio, what has this got to do with skincare?

Meet Byre. It’s a new range of British body washes that rescues whey powder and uses it as their key ingredient. Like this weren’t enough, they also donate part of the proceeds to the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution to help support farming family in needs.

Using their body washes definitely makes you feel good. But are they good for your skin, too? Let’s find out:

Key Ingredients In Byre Body Washes

Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Cocamidopropyl Betaine are the cleansing agents that make these body washes work. Their job is to help water mix with oil and dirt, so they can be easily rinsed away.

While they’re at it, they also make the cleanser foam. The higher their concentration, the more lather they make.

Despite their incomprehensible chemical names, these two babies are gentle on the skin. They remove dirt and impurities without drying out skin or irritating it.

Related: Are Sulfates In Skincare Products Bad For Skin?

Whey Protein

Whey is a by-product of cheese production. It’s the liquid that’s left over after the cheese has been curdled and strained.

In skincare, whey protein is a moisturiser. It helps strengthens the skin’s protective barrier and keep skin soft and supple for hours.

Doesn’t matter how gently you cleanse, the process is always a bit traumatic for your skin. Whey makes sure that it stays soft and hydrated even as the surfactants remove oil and dirt.

Let’s Put Them To The Test: Personal Use & Opinion

Byre Body Washes come in three “milk” variants: Full, Semi-Skimmed, and Skimmed. How cool is that?

They all use the same active ingredients (explained above) and have similar formulas. What makes each one stand out is its unique scent and texture:

Full Cream: Milky white, it has the richest texture that feels more like a lotion. It’s the most hydrating of the lot, but doesn’t lather. That makes it perfect for sensitive or very dry skin. The scent? Sweet and soapy vanilla.

Semi-Skimmed: Pearly white, its texture is neither thick nor runny. I dig this one the most. It applies like a dream, is hydrating and barely lathers. The fruity floral scent is heavenly, too.

Skimmed: Translucent white, it has a thin, almost runny texture that lathers a little. It’s the least hydrating, making it perfect for oilier skin types. Or for the men in your life. The earthy, woody scent veers more towards the masculine.

All three body washes do an excellent job at cleansing my dry skin without leaving it tight and parched. They remove all dirt and impurities from my body, leaving it both clean and soft – and me feeling good. Win win.

Available at: £5.00 at Byre and Sainsbury’s

Byre Body Washes gently remove dirt and impurities from the skin, without drying or irritating it. Although they don't lather, they leave skin clean, soft, and smelling lovely.

Beautiful With Brains

PRO

Removes all traces of dirt and impurities

Gentle, doesn't dry out skin

Leaves skin softer and smoother

Donates part of the proceeding to farming families in need

CON

I wish they were available in my more shops

8.3 4.1666666666667 5

OVERALL SCORE

Have you tried Byre Body Washes? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Full Cream Body Wash Ingredients: Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerin, Glycol Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Whey Protein, Laureth-4, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Coco-Glucoside, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Citric Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Benzyl Salicylate, Disodium EDTA, Linalool, Courmarin, Papaver Somniferum Seed Oil, Polyquaternium-7, Benzoic Acid, Avena Satova (Oat) Meal Extracts, Potassium Sorbate.

Semi-Skimmed Body Wash Ingredients: Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Whey Protein, Laureth-4, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Coco-Glucoside, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Courmarin, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Papaver Somniferum Seed Oil, Polyquaternium-7, Niacinamide, Sodium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Benzoic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Maltodextrin, Sodium Ascorbic Phosphate, Pyridoxine Hcl, Tocopheryl Acetate, Silica.

Skimmed Body Wash Ingredients: Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Whey Protein, Laureth-4, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Coco-Glucoside, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Papaver Somniferum Seed Oil, Polyquaternium-7, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Melissa Officials Leaf Extract, Passiflora Edulis Flower Extract, Benzoic Acid, Potassium Sorbate.

Take The Guesswork Out Of Skincare Shopping

Get access to the “Pro Skincare Library” for exclusive skincare routine “cheat sheets” and tricks to help you navigate the beauty aisles jungle like a pro and immediately know what to pick off the shelves to achieve the gorgeous skin of your dreams - even when you’re drowning in an endless sea of skincare products.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and get access to the skin library.

Byre Launches Body Washes With Unwanted Whey. But Is That Good For Skin? syndicated from Beautiful With Brains

[angstsplatter]

ASEXUAL AWARENESS WEEK FANDOM CHALLENGE 2018

@physicsandfandoms has done the official ace-based Prompts for AAWFC 2018 this year, which I’m so glad to see up again! Because this year I wanted to provide something else.

I’ve done a lot of headcanon’ing and writing for AAWFC and AsAWFC in the past few years, and the prompts to simply dive into various headcanons are great... but not super exciting after writing so much for the same basic prompts for a few years. So this year I wanted to provide some prompts where I hope people will take their ace headcanons or fave canon aces and feel inspired to write or draw more about these characters based on these prompts! So!

Asexual Awareness Week 2018 is October 21 - 27!

Responses can be canon, headcanon, a simple statement, fanfic, fanart, aesthetic/moodboards, photomanips, playlists, meta/analysis (if so inspired by these...), gifsets, quotes, etc.! Any kind of fan produced content that you believe fits within these prompts is welcome! Let’s generate as much content as we can!

Below, I’ve provided a variety of genres, settings, conflicts, words, etc. that you can use together or individually, drawing from whatever category you feel like. If any of the prompts or sets of prompts inspires you to create based off them, then great! Just make sure they spotlight ace characters (canon or headcanon) in media!

As always the tag is “#AAWFC”.

Sunday October 21st

Genres: General; Humor; Drama; Realism Settings: A church; gas station bathroom; a car shop Conflicts: Someone needs help... and someone else doesn’t want to give it; discovering magic powers that must be kept secret; petty theft Words/Objects: Blueberries; heavy golden crown; sparks; odiferous socks; bibliophile Idiom: A hot potato; on the ball Colors: Royal blue; pale green; pinkish red Sounds: A symphony of croaking frogs; someone who won’t stop whistling Scents: Peppermint; daisies; rotting meat Statement: ‘There are few things worse in life than people who cut in line.’ Quote: “I don’t think that’s what that’s meant for...”

Monday October 22nd

Genres: Horror; Western; Expressionism Settings: An abandoned cemetery; a stranger’s bedroom; convenience store Conflicts: Drunken bar fight; honor must be restored; a lost pet Words/Objects: Pulchritudinous; watery eyes of an intelligent familiar; pirate hat; fragrant tea; scratchy beard Idiom: Barking up the wrong tree; whole nine yards Colors: Yellow; bright purple; silver Sounds: Car alarm; the scratching of racoons that cannot be seen Scents: Lemon; roses; boiled eggs Statement: ‘The hat didn’t seem particularly ominous.’ Quote: “Close, but no.”

Tuesday October 23rd

Genres: Angst; Fluff; Modernism; Contemporary Settings: A vast desert; a forest dense with moss and fog; mattress store Conflicts: Soulmate AU but there’s a twist to the relationship (ie, could be platonic, queerplatonic, romantic only, sexual only, etc.) that makes the soulmates not realize they are soulmates right away; a kidnapping; family estrangement Words/Objects: Duplicitous; an upside down mug; spilled cake; anthill; rusty sword Idiom: Actions speak louder than words; barking up the wrong tree Colors: Neon orange; brown; cobalt blue Sounds: Lip smacking; whispers on the wind Scents: Cloves; cinnamon; sweaty feet Statement: ‘It was too bad they were in the situation they were, rather than getting a hot rock massage.’ Quote: “This means everything to me.”

Wednesday October 24th

Genres: AU; What If; Abstract Settings: A deep stone well; the sky; an underwater fortress Conflicts: Chosen one for some quest they have no interest in or don’t believe in; crisis of faith; a shocking confession Words/Objects: Serendipitous; an empty cauldron; a glowing crystal; bookmark; oversized turkey legs Idiom: Blessing in disguise; don’t put your eggs in one basket Colors: Black; turquoise; river rock red Sounds: Thunderous applause; water slapping rock Scents: Salty ocean; oregano; cow farm Statement: ‘It would have been a surprising turn of events if [they] were someone else, and this sort of thing didn’t regularly happen to [them].’ Quote: “OH SHIT!”

Thursday October 25th

Genres: Romance; Action; Graffiti  Settings: A beach during sunset; a ghost town; dimly lit restaurant Conflicts: Difficult spell ingredients must be gathered; late to work; the world seems to want them to go out but they just want to stay in and relax Words/Objects: Mustard; too many candles to count; small locket; tablecloth; potion bottles Idiom: Drastic times call for drastic measures; once in a blue moon Colors: Dark grey; white; blue-green Sounds: Nails on a chalkboard; two coconut halves knocking together Scents: Cologne; vanilla; fresh tuna Statement: ‘It was obvious to everyone else.’ Quote: “How long?”

Friday October 26th

Genres: Satire; Surrealism; Fauvism Settings: Radio station; lively jungle; a museum that just opened Conflicts: A duel must be fought; how to make friends in a new location; car broke down Words/Objects: Punitive; a box of wrenches; combo lock; stack of silvery pizza pans; beard wax Idiom: Cut the mustard; every cloud has a silver lining Colors: Shiny pink; pearly white; darkest purple Sounds: Fingers drumming on a table; dull hum of cicadas  Scents: Fresh melon; dry dog food; beer Statement: ‘Taller than a giraffe, it was not even the oddest sighting that week.’ Quote: “I don’t need you to understand right now.”

Saturday October 27th

Genres: Mystery; Sci-Fi/Fantasy; Pointillism  Settings: Pool after closing; field full of crop circles; corn maze Conflicts: Moral opposition; a murder; someone unmotivated needs to be motivated Words/Objects: Belt buckle; overflowing basket of grapes; triskaidekaphobia; seemingly empty beehives; crayons Idiom: It takes two to tango; curiosity killed the cat Colors: Dull orange; blood red; pale yellow Sounds: Cuckoo clock chime; the groan of shifting rocks  Scents: Fresh laundry; basil; slightly used shoes Statement: ‘It was either a clue... or it wasn’t.’ Quote: “Clear as mud, that is.”

Apparently @esperata has started an AO3 collection for AAFC18 fics, if you want to have yours added there!

Happy creating, all. <3

[seouledbysisi]

A Time Like No Other

Chapter 16

Misun & Shownu

They had been at the river for hours just spending precious time together. Nori had even gotten the chance to ride on Jooheon's jet ski a few times and boy was she excited.

“The night sky is so pretty.” Misun admired as they laid on the blanket staring up.

Shownu turned to face her. “Yeah, it's almost as beautiful as you.”

Misun giggled. “You're so cheesy!”

Shownu shrugged. “I know, but it got you to smile.”

“Wanna take a walk with me?”  Misun asked him as she stood up.

He raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?” He was shocked at how nice she was being. Normally she was shy and closed off.

“Please don't make me ask again, Shownu!” She covered her face and laughed.

He stood up. “No, I'ma need you to ask again so I know you mean it!” He was staring down at her.

She rolled her eyes. “Would you like to take a walk with me?”

He grabbed her hand and led the way. “I thought you'd never ask.”

The breeze coming off of the water felt amazing and whipped through her hair. “Why are you single, if you don't mind me asking.”

Shownu smacked his lips a little. “I guess I don't have a lot of time to meet women.”

“You're an idol, you're literally around female idols all the time. That can't be the reason.”

Shownu sighed. “I've never wanted a high profile relationship. I mean I'm not opposed to dating another idol but it's not something that I'm setting out to do. It'd have to be the right person.”

She nodded silently for a moment. “If you were looking to have a relationship, what would be the key ingredients?”

He smiled. “You want the truth?”

“I wouldn't have asked if I didn't.” She looked down at their intertwined hands.

“You probably won't believe me when I say this but if you were emotionally available I'd say that you bring most of what I need in a relationship to the table.”

She stopped walking for a moment and placed a wild hair behind her ear. “What exactly do I bring to the table?”

“You're honest, caring, beautiful inside and out and you don't expect anything from people. You're a go getter. You'd make me actually work for you and these days you don't find that often.” He continued walking as he pulled her with him.

“Why do you think I'm emotionally unavailable?”

Shownu chuckled. “I figured you'd question me on that. The fact that you're not willing to let me in tells me that you're not. You shut down when people start caring too much about you. The only person you don't do that with is Nori.”

She stared out at the water. “She's never hurt me.” She said under her breath.

“Neither have I. Who made you scared of love?”

“I'm not scared!” She rolled her eyes and became defensive. She snatched her hand from his and walked ahead of him, crossing her arms.

Shownu jogged to catch up with her. “You don't get to do that anymore. I've opened up to you a lot, even when you don't give me the same in return. I want to be someone you can count on, I just need you to let me!”

A tear escaped one of her eyes. “Nori is the only constant thing that I have. I'm not close to my parents, I mean I love them and they love me but their always preoccupied with running a business. It's always been like that. I moved out here for work, and I feel like I'm turning into my parents. Everything is work with them, that's all I've ever been taught. I guess you live what you learn.”

Shownu nodded. “I admire your work ethic, believe me I know all about staying busy because of a job and I love what I do but when I look at how Jooheon is around Nori it makes me feel like we're all missing out on more. There's gotta be more to life than just working, right?”

Misun wiped her face. “Maybe. I've tried relationships and I still focus on work more than anything. I can't seem to find a balance.”

“Maybe that's the problem. Maybe a balance needed to find you.”

Misun looked up at him for a second. “What do you mean?”

“Think for a moment. When was the last time you actually hung out with people other than for work? Just simply hanging out to enjoy each others company and have fun?”

“Hardly ever. I didn't start doing that till I met y'all.”

Shownu smirked and walked away slowly. “You coming?”

She shook her head. Realization had fallen over her. “Wait-”

He turned around and simply watched her moves.

She stood in front of him and simply stared for a moment. She cocked her head still trying to figure out how he had crept down into the depths of her soul and maybe even her heart.

He searched her body all over trying to calculate her every move and expression. He wasn't sure what was happening in that head of hers but he was feeling things that he hadn't quite felt for her before. She was pulling more and more at his heartstrings.

“I think you may be the balance in all of my chaos.” She continued to stare at him.

He licked his lips. “You really think so?”

She smiled as she caressed his cheek for a moment.

Shownu took a deep breath and placed his hand on top of hers. “I really want to kiss you right now.” He groaned and looked away. He knew that she probably would push him away and he was finally making strides with her so he needed to stay at her pace for now.

She tuned his face back in her direction. She stood on her tip toes and pulled him closer allowing her lips to finally meet with his.

Nori & Jooheon

They had finally gotten through riding the jet ski and were tired. They laid on the blanket. Nori laid her head on Jooheon's chest. She could hear the rhythm of his heart and it was like music to her ears. She could listen to it all night.

He rubbed her back softly. “This may sound really weird but I love the scent of your hair, what is that?” He laughed.

Nori raised up to look at him. “I'm pretty sure it's just shampoo.” She giggled.

He took another whiff of it. “Smells like heaven.”

“I guess. Are you excited about going on tour?”

“I am actually. It's always fun meeting new people and getting to see the people who support you the most. It makes everything all worth it.”

Nori smiled. “How do you do it? I know this gets super tiring, right?”

“Of course. I hardly ever have time for myself but it's the life I chose. I love performing and overall I feel like my music touches people in a way that I don't think I could without it. It's not easy but it's amazing.”

Nori nodded. “When I would get depressed I would always listen to you guys music. It somehow lifted me. I'm sure a lot of your fans feel that way.”

He pushed her hair out of her face. “That's what makes all of this worthwhile. When I'm down I think about how much effort our fans put into us and it helps me keep going.”

Nori sat up and stared out at the water. It was so peaceful.

Jooheon raised up and brought his knees to his chest. “What's going on in that brain of yours?”

Nori shook her head silently. She had a lot on her mind but she couldn't find the right words to say and even if she could she wasn't sure if it was even okay to have the conversation to begin with.

“There's definitely something on your mind. What is it? I'm all ears.”

Nori sighed. “Tell me if I'm out of line but what exactly are your plans with me?” She looked in his direction.

“What do you mean?”

“I don't want you to feel pressured but I like to know what I'm getting myself into before I get too deep.”

“You want to know what the future holds for us?” Jooheon asked as he slipped his hands through his short hair.

Nori shrugged. “I guess. I mean I know you like me and I like you but is this just a casual thing or are we going to be more?”

“It's not casual for me. I'm not seeing anyone other than you and I hope you're not either. I feel like you think that because I haven't said the word 'girlfriend' that you don't mean something to me. . .is that what this is about?”

Nori shook her head. “No, I don't have to be your girlfriend but I do feel like you're flirtatious a lot and I just want to know what we have so I know how I need to move around you.”  

Jooheon chuckled. “I am a bit too nice at times but if that bothers you I can work on it. I'm flirty because I didn't have a girlfriend but now that you're in my life, I'll have to adjust around that.”

“You didn't have one or you don't?” Nori looked at him with a small smile.

Jooheon looked up at the sky. “I don't-”

Nori looked away. “I was only joking anyway.”

“But if you'd like to be my girlfriend, I'd love that.” Jooheon finished and grabbed her hand.

She tackled him and showered his face and lips with kisses. “What took you so long?” She slapped his arm and then rubbed the sting away.

He wrapped his arms around her waist as she hovered above him. “I should've been did this but I'm an idiot.”

Shownu and Misun walked up.

“Are we interrupting something?” Shownu asked as he chuckled.

Nori looked at how they were holding hands and smiled. “No, we were just playing around.” She rolled off of him and stood up.

“Well it's getting late, I guess we need to check back in since we have a plane to catch in the morning.” Shownu revealed. “Kihyun has been blowing me up saying that he's running out of excuses to cover for us.”

Jooheon groaned. “You gonna be okay without me for a while?”

“Do I have a choice?” Nori said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him closer to her.

He traced his fingers along her hips. “I guess not. Be on your best behavior, you're officially mine now.”

“I think I need to be telling you that, mister. Don't give too much of my love away to the other fans.” Nori giggled.

He kissed her lips softly. “Never.” He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist holding her close.

Shownu looked out at the water.

Misun wrapped am arm around his waist and stood beside him. “You good?”

He looked over at her with a shy smile. “Yeah, I just don't want us to have to start from square one when I get back. I feel like we moved mountains tonight, I don't want that to change just because I'm not physically here.”

She stood in front of him wrapping her other arm around his as well. “You have nothing to worry about, okay?”

He tipped her chin up. “You promise?”

She nodded with a smirk on her face. “I do.”

He sighed. “No other guys while I'm gone.”

Misun laughed. “So only when you get back?”

Shownu rolled his eyes. “No, never! Not ever!”

“You make it sound like I'm yours. . .” Misun pursed her lips.

Shownu leaned down and kissed her forehead. “As far as I'm concerned, you are!”

“I like the sound of that. Now let me go before I make you stay here with me.” Misun squeezed his hands one last time and then walked away with Nori leaving he and Jooheon behind.

[bubblepunk99s]

Tia

Despite having been surrounded by goods for the majority of her life, Tia had never really shopped at a market. Good thing to, as one trip with Met had pushed her to the brink of insanity.

“You need the Falcon-face.”

“I keep telling you there’s nothing here like that!”

“Fine, Chickpea! You call them chickpea.”

They were standing in front of a small stand by the wall of a disused warehouse. The vendor- selling sacks of diamond dates and almonds- looked quizzically at the pair as he handed Tia a bag of chickpeas.

“I call them falcon-face because that’s what they look like.” She held up a wrinkled pea for Tia to stare at. “You can even see the beak!”

All I see is a crazy lady with a shopping bag full of crazy things

Ever since she’d announced that Amara needed further treatment, Met had taken Tia on a madcap tour of the city hunting for ingredients. They hadn’t gone to official market spaces. Oh no; they had gone to private stores, rootcutter stands, alleyway shops and other shady places picking up Goldwood fustic, alum gel, strange herbs Met called ‘mouse-tail’ and ‘hair of the earth’. Even if Met had brought Udana back from the brink of death, Tia didn’t want half of the things they had bought anywhere near Amara.

“So, what do you want?”

“What?”

“To buy. Is there anything you want to buy for yourself?”

“Oh, um...” Dammit why was this woman so good at taking her by surprise? “Well...Amara’s night scarf got burnt in the storm. Maybe we can get her a new one? A really pretty one, though. Nothing cheap.”

“A courting token!” Met seemed delighted. “Though I don’t see why it needs to be pretty, she’ll be asleep when she wears it.”

“I might see it!”

“How would you be close enough to see it?”

Silence. Awkward, sticky silence. Met’s lips curled in a knowing smile while Tia’s own features morphed into a sulky glower.

“Well we can see to that later. Right now, I think I’ll buy you some food and drink.”

Met’s proposed eatery was a gritty little coffeeshop next to one of the main tributary streets that lead to the city’s festivities square. A few stone tables were set against it, upon which were sat a few old men leaning over aromatic bowls of tea as if they were in prayer, coils of fragrant steam moistening their wrinkled faces.

“This is it?” Tia asked

“OK so it’s not a poetry club.” Met admitted. “But you’ll be hard pressed to find a more accommodating place in the whole city.”

Just then two burly men came out, arms crisscrossed with scars and smoking cigarettes down to stubs. They took off a bit too fast for Tia’s liking. As they stepped inside, she wondered what Met had meant by ‘accommodating’.

The inside was pretty much what she had expected: shadowed walls, clustered together tables, an old fan pushing the heated air around instead of cooling it. Faint smell of baking came from downstairs as a young woman brought pastries and coffee pots up to the customers.

“Hey Amniah!”

The waitress saw Met and her rayiha came out as the scent of roses.  

“Met! Pleasure to see you I was beginning to worry...”

“Nothing to worry about, my dear. Two of the usual please, we’ll just be by the cat.”

The cat was a severe-looking star stripe nestled in a corner. Flecks of red dotted its black fur and every so often it would sneeze out a flurry of sparks.

“You know those burn houses down?”

“Oh, we know. But you give a cat some food one day it suddenly feels like its entitled to your whole house.”

Tia rolled her eyes but she could feel herself begin to smile. This place seemed rough, but it reminded her of home. Just a little.

The food was a warming brew- Estakãn it was called – along with some spiced flatbread. Met winked at Aminah, eliciting another spurt of rosy freshness.

“Do you really think we need all this?” Tia said, eyeing the sacks full of things they had purchased.

“Trying to do this without the proper resources would be like trying to pry a nail from a rotten plank with a hammer.” Met ripped up her bread and began to munch. “This requires delicacy.”

Tia didn’t like hearing Amara be compared to a rotten plank but she held back her tongue. She’d been trying to do that more and more lately.

“Just seems like a lot of herbs is all...”

“Where I was trained, pharmacology was called ‘the hands of God’. Trust me I know what I’m doing.” She took a large bite of her flat-bread and a swig of Estakãn. The message was clear: no questioning her methods.

The Hand of God. Strange as this woman was, she wasn’t a god. What Amara had displayed though- that lightning strike, that thunderous Baran- for all the tricks she’d seen and been taught in the Ports, Tia had never seen anything like that.

“What’s wrong with her?”

Met glanced up from her food.

“Do you know what a virus is?”

“A what?”

“A virus. What is it?”

Tia faltered. Her medical knowledge amounted to treating cat bites. Thankfully Met answered before she could.

“A virus is an infectious agent. It can replicate inside the cells of a living organism, cause all kinds of havoc. The dead are much the same- they latch on to the living to grow, infecting their memories with the ones they had in life. Soon the victim exists between life and death, not knowing to which they belong. The dead are buried outside city limits to prevent them from poisoning the living, both their bodies and their souls.”

She took another bite of her meal. Tia’s own churned uncomfortably in her stomach.

“The body has immune factors to repel viruses. But to guide the dead out you need a touch of ritual. I’m sure your temple friend can attest to that. Still, I trust I’ve assured you I’m not some hack dabbling in kitchen herbs?”

A challenge. This time she could rise to it.

“It’s not you buying herbs that bothers me.” She said, trying to imitate the Port master’s dry wit. “It’s the quality of those herbs. Everywhere we’ve been to has been back-alley at best. Surely there’s a proper market we can get them from?”

Met cackled at that. “The Corvus have killed all trade in this city. People can’t bring anything in without being forced to pay a hostage tax that goes up with every new week. Most merchants just gave up after a while.”

Now I know what Kapu was so mad about Tia thought.

“Barely anyone comes to the coffee-shops as a result. You may have noticed it’s pretty thin on the ground here.”

“I just assumed this place attracted a very particular crowd. One you were a part of.”

A man in the corner gave a hacking, grisly cough. Met’s eyes narrowed.

“Surely there’s other ways to make business. Can’t they provide for the Corvus? Cook, translating, anything?”

“No city local works in the nest. People from off world came with them to cook and clean and the like. But no locals.”

“Because they could poison the food?”

Met looked impressed. “You catch on quick don’t you?”

Tia shrugged. “I had a demanding childhood.”

“I’ll drink to that.”

They clinked their cups and swigged down their drinks. Tia had tested the water. Now she was going to push out a bit further from the shore.

“Why are you helping us?”

“A doctor’s duty.” She let out a mirthless chuckle. “There’s a high chance that shards of the dead have now worked their way into Khedes. You saw me pull out that piece back when your friend shocked me. If there’s any possibility of her being in danger... I need to make sure what kind of dead thing this is before attempting a cure.”

“If you don’t what kind of dead it is and can’t make a cure without knowing, what’s all this?!” Tia said, gesturing to their sacks.

“Those are the tools that will help me smoke it out.”

“You make it sound more alive than dead.”

“You’ll find the distinction gets blurry around here.”

Silence. Met raised her head and fixed Tia with those lovely brown eyes.

“Khedes is my reason. For everything I do. If I think there’s a threat to her, I will isolate it and kill it without hesitation or reserve. Something tells me you can understand.”

A threat this time, not a challenge. But also, something more, something sadder...

“I do understand.” Tia answered. “And I want you to know- I feel exactly the same way about Amara.”

And the others. But don’t tell Temple girl I thought that she finished internally.

Met smiled. A real smile, full of understanding and a light that broke through the tiredness that had been casting a pall over her face.

“I know.” She patted Tia’s had gently. Instantly she felt a wave of warmth rush up her arm. She could almost imagine Amara being right there by her side. Seems Met really did know.

Just then, they walked in: two Corvus men. Their light briefly stabbed into the darkness, before settling as a halo of wispy light.

“This a red zone?” One said

“Get the guide.”

They called in a new man- one in Soljinn robes but with a head-scarf and goggles that glinted in the half-light. Likely done to protect his identity, Tia realized. No one would want their fellows to know they were collaborating with the Corvus.

“Everyone out.” He said in the Soljinn tongue. “This place is under surveillance”

He turned to the men.

“Be sure to rub your stomachs and En-alqarf. It’s how we express gratitude for the food. A ritual.”

The Corvus nodded, staring at the customers with big, wet eyes. As the people shuffled out, they rubbed their stomachs, emphatically shouting “En-alqarf! En-alqarf!”

It was ridiculous. Tia noticed the translator was struggling to keep a straight face. The last man to file out the room hissed a word at him. Yehjib. The man’s smirk vanished. He followed them out.

Tia made to get up too, but Met grasped her hand. Slowly shaking her head, she directed Tia back into her seat.

“Hey!” One of the men barked. “You ladies hear us? It’s not safe here.”

Still they sat.

“What they doing keeping company like this anyway?” The corvus were now standing over them, their light slithering in ripples over Met and Tia’s skin. “Don’t they know what kind of men come here?”

“Can they even understand us?”

“Maybe they’re from one of the universities.”

“Where the fuck did the guide go?”

“Maybe this one’s a widow. Widows always end up in places like this. Or worse.” He sniggered.

Still no response.

“Nah.” The light around the men brightened and hardened. “They’re ignoring us.”

In a flash, Met grabbed the hands of both men. Their eyes widened and their light began to flicker madly until it gave out entirely. Then they both toppled down.

Darkness flooded back. Met breathed out.

“I hope you think I’m more than a mad woman.” She said. “And be sure to tell that Temple girl you’re her friend. You never know when that chance will be taken from you.”  

[subindex]

My First Graze Box: The Rest of It

I am a Grazer. Having subscribed to my first official Graze box and having decided to continue that subscription, I not only believe myself to be initiated, I believe my stomach to be initiated as well. My dreams are full of wrapper adventures while my meals are left half finished in the spirit of portioning off grazeable amounts of food. Never will I sink into the gluttonous sin of a full stomach again.

That being said, my boyfriend and I shared three snacks at once a few days ago, and I plan to eat the remaining four over the course of the hour it will probably take me to write this experience, as sublime as it will be.

Thai Style Sweet Chili, Anytime Energizer, and Jelly Doughnut are the snacks we chose to sacrifice together, my boyfriend and I. The chili was full of nuts and beans, some of my least favorite ingredients in life. I savored every sweet and slightly spicy crunch, for nuts and dried beans would never taste so good again. Each bite was like a prayer to the gentle and nourishing sun, cradling my spiritual crops--as well as my taste buds--with a mother's warmth.

The Anytime Energizer was less profound and carried more practical and gym-time notes. The pear pieces had too little taste for the volume of chew that they packed. The cherry was too cherry. The walnut was just right. My inner blonde-braided child sufficed that it was good eating for someone else.

Then came the astoundingly addictive tartness of the Jelly Doughnut. The name describes the flavor perfectly, yet does the snack so much disservice as real jelly doughnuts are just bags of puffed up wheat with uneven patches of Snow White foundation and too much chemically flavored edible lipstick caked onto the teeth. The one true Grazer's version is a collection of raspberry flavored jelly strings, small crisp cookie drops that smell like vanilla cake and crumble in the mouth like tea biscuits, actual dried fruit and tiny chopped slivers of almond that add a hint of cherry to each whiff as well as a creamier texture akin to almond milk, only in solidified form. Did I mention how much I dislike nuts and cherry?

I loved this.

Did I also mention that I'm still on my period and therefore have to nap in the middle of the day at the height of Advil efficiency like some old lady with lifelong post-surgery back pain? Well, here we are about three hours later and a New York Everything Bagel in hand to keep my hunger busy while the roommate and I wait for my boyfriend to come home with some delicious steaks in tow.

The NYE Bagel certainly smells like a bagel, which is one of many delicious morning smells to wake up to. Naturally, because I love nuts so much, I go for the cheese cashews first, stained with orange dust as they are. I don't know what they do with their nuts, but they're always creamy. If nuts always had the taste and texture of milk, I wouldn't dislike them so much. The poppyseed onion sesame sticks really pack that "everything" flavor, along with that of a crunchy toasted crust. This is bagel heaven for me. There's nothing better than biting halfway into the ring of a freshly crisped bagel, the brim of it hard and brittle and the furthest part of your bite digging through a thin granite top just before cutting into the tootsie bread center. The sesame sticks are just that experience over and over again, and the satisfaction runs deep into the root canal. Admittedly, I thought the roasted pumpkin seeds were going to be my least favorite part, but they're soft and almost fluffy, making up the warmed and tender part of the bread. Get a pinchful of all three ingredients together, and you get a tiny bagel with a lot of punch. I almost want to spread cream cheese on it, but there's no reasonable amount of surface area to work with.

Next up is the Snickerdoodle Dip. My favorite part about Graze snacks so far is always the wrapper removal. I get hit with a cozy aroma, cinnamon logs roasting in a pretzel fireplace. I dislike pretzels, but these sticks give me the same feeling as when I light a scented candle--I know I'm going to sniffle from allergies for a couple days, but at least for now my nose gets well pampered. I'm not sure if I've ever had snickerdoodles before, so I'm not sure what they're supposed to taste like, but I imagine they taste just like the fuzzy cookie butter caramel residue I just licked off the wrapper. The pretzel stick by itself is, as with my allergies to perfumes, full of regret. My nose predicted sugar and spice, but there was nothing nice. They do taste wonderful though and my roommate is apologizing for taking more than one. Whatever snickerdoodles are, the dip tastes like caramel graham crackers, and coats the pretzel with the same kind of family Christmas spirit as a stocking full of common necessities (toothbrush, floss, chapstick, socks). It's both delicious and heartwarming and I never want it again.

The Sweet & Spicy Beet Crunch is the first Graze snack I legitimately dislike. The jalapeno chickpeas have an airy crunch, further elevated by a mild pepperish fever. The sunflower seeds do nothing but add more disgustingly soft texture to the beet chips that don't deserve to be called chips. They chew without being chewy. They twist and bend around the grinding of the teeth and slowly deform under large amounts of pressure like half-hardened glue. After smelling something similar to the blue BBQ potato chips sold on the Jet Blue airline, my expectations were depressingly let down.

The Fantastic Forest Fruits is like a snack you'd expect to find in a fairy tale hermit cave. I imagine an old herbalist crone, 129 going on 130, her home littered atop the entire low ceiling of the cavern with hooks and ropes tied up around bundles of sage, cinnamon sticks, yew twigs, berry pouches, and numerous other forest collectibles. A small cavity in the wall has a smoked out cold fire going, keeping that small space dry and dehumidifying the rack above it. That rack is covered in some kind of mesh, and on top of that is the pile of soft, dried fruits that this snack comes from. I can almost smell the crone in these fruits. These are easily one of my favorite Grazing nibbles, if only because it appeals to my fantasy fascination. That, or it appeals to my current period cravings.

I can't wait 'til the end of the month when I get my next Graze box. And also when my period ends.

[flames-bring-a-ton-of-ash]

It’s Already May Tag Game

I was tagged by the lovely @letsby. Thank you, love! <3

What’s your favourite song(s) to sing/hum?

Oh lord, this changes depending on the day/week/month. Lately I’ve had “The Middle” by Zedd and “Never Be The Same” by Camilla Cabello stuck in my head a lot. 

What’s your favourite flower/tree/plant?

White roses 

Favourite colours? Purple, silver, and green

What do you always doodle? I never really doodle because I’m super self-conscious about my lack of drawing abilities, even when no one can see it but me. If I “doodle” it’s me just underlining words I wrote on a post-it or drawing boxes or squiggle lines around words/notes.

How do you take your coffee/tea? Coffee - Iced coffee ALWAYS regardless of the season, and with cream or double milk in it, and then I put one packet of sugar in on my own (2 packets if it’s a large)

Tea - Ha, also always iced. I can’t get into hot tea. I like lemon-flavored iced tea but only certain brands. My favorite is Gallikers lemon tea, which of course I can never find in Philly. Actually, one of my friends just told me she brought a gallon back from West Virginia for me this weekend, and I need to get that from her lol. 

Special - Around Christmas time when Dunkin has their Snickerdoodle hot lattes...omg soooo good. Also, there’s a little Mexican cafe in South Philly that makes chocolate coffee and it has cinnamon and some other magical ingredients and it is literally the best coffee I’ve ever had in my life. 

Favourite candle scent?

Anything pumpkin-related. I only really light candles when fall hits and I’m in that seasonal mode. 

What’s your go-to dance move when you’re alone?

Hahaha...oh god...I’m not a dancer. Idk what “move” it even is, but it’s mostly me rolling my hips or rolling my waist back and forth like a deranged belly dancer. 

Favourite quote? So I never really had *a* favorite quote, but at my first internship, my very first client asked me for my favorite quote when my internship was coming to an end. I picked this one because I thought it was inspirational, not knowing that she’d show up the next week with a little wooden plague on which she had painted the quote with a little personal message to me wishing me luck in life and thanking me for being her therapist. Needless to say, I still have the plague, and that quote is now officially my favorite because of her kind gesture. The quote is:

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” ~Marilyn Monroe

Favourite self-care routine(s)? On work days, after I get home and go through the kitty cuddle greetings and feed said kitties, I always HAVE to immediately get a hot shower. That’s my self-care. It’s my way of literally and metaphorically washing away “work Ashton” and putting on “home Ashton”. I then hopefully have something delicious to make/heat up/order for dinner. 

Fuzzy socks or house slippers? Fuzzy socks

What colour are your eyes? Blue

What’s your favourite eye colour on others? I honestly am not one to overly notice eye color. Even with my ex-boyfriends, I would date them for months and then think, “Huh...what color eyes do they even have?” It’s not a feature I notice unless it really stands out. Like guys with super dark hair and then light blue or green eyes (like Ian Somerhalder), now THOSE I notice. That combo is probably my fave. Otherwise, I’m more focused on other facial features such as mouth and nose. 

Favourite season? Why? Autumn/Fall - It’s the only season of the year where I actually enjoy being outside. The whole atmosphere of it is just so magical to me. The changing leaves, the cool air flowing in the open windows, pulling your sweaters and boots out of the closet for the first time...ALL THE PUMPKIN THINGS! I proudly wear the title of “basic bitch” when it comes to fall, with zero shame. 

Cheek, neck, or nose kisses? Neck bites, not kisses *coughs*

What does your happy place look like? My apartment

Favourite breed of dog? Shiba Inu

Do you ever want to be married? If so, what colours would you pick for your wedding theme?

Eh, I’m pretty neutral about it, and honestly have a lot of conflicting feels about weddings, especially since I personally despise attending them, and avoid attending them at all costs. If the right person came along and getting married seemed to be a good step for our relationship, then sure. And even then, I’m not sure if I’d really have a wedding or not...I honestly have never sat and thought about a wedding dress or wedding theme or really fantasized about that at all. The only thing I have thought about with them was, if I did have one, that I would take out a lot of the “traditional” patriarchal bullshit that goes into them, like I wouldn’t change my last name, would either have both or neither parents walk me down the aisle rather than just my father, etc. If anything, I’d rather skip the official wedding and just spend money on a nice honeymoon. 

Cursive or print?

Print. Besides grandmothers, do many people really use cursive anymore? I swear we were all lied to in grade school, and told how we’d have to use cursive once we hit high school, and it was so false. 

Favourite weather? A cool, breezy fall day in the 50s or 60s with clouds and no direct sunlight lol. 

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