#why do you have HEALTH. then WINE AND BEER

[boozeforbrains]

You say you’re sober, but a lot of your posts are about disregarding limits or POS friends who enable drinking or talking sober people into drinking. Is it a fantasy of yours for your sobriety to be broken? Or do you see yourself as the enabler pushing the sober person in these kinds of scenarios?

Warning very serious and not so serious approach to this topic

Hmm yeah difficult psychosexual situation for me.

I do fantasize about being like bullied or forced into having my sobriety broken and it turns me on like very few other things, i always had the fantasy of forced intoxication/accidental intoxication/pushed/tricked/etc, ranging from being subtly manipulated to being literally tied up/kidnapped/whatever and for all intents and purposes forced, mentally and physically.

It became sort of more specific after i decided to be sober. I think if i genuinely had this happen to me, specifically if the other person got off on it as well and was very focused on getting me drunk id probably get off on it forever, literally a wet dream come true.

Sometimes i wonder if its a way out of being responsible for my own sobriety, or for drinking „just one more time“ im thinking its probably many things including this but also a life long fantasy.

Im always torn on the „do it or dont“ i genuinely do not believe there is truly a way to decide between right and wrong here. Only the time i have on this earth and what i decide to do with it. And again, ive had this fantasy since before puberty, at this point i wonder if its more of a need than a wish.

On the other hand i am an extremely responsible and health conscious person, i have a very full schedule, not a lot of time off and high expectations for myself in regards to my physical, (inter)personal, academic and work performance, all of which are pretty big contraindications to indulging myself as much as id like. (And presumably also the reason i tend to drink so heavily cause i cant get my brain to stop pushing myself to doing better and better and more and more)

Im also not a casual drinker at all. I dont drink often, i dont drink just one glass and i dont enjoy the taste of alcohol tbh, i never was a one beer/glass of wine to unwind type guy. I usually go for pretty long periods of time not even caring about alcohol at all and then drink very hard for a shorter period of time (it has to be worth it style) which is also why it took me a while to realize that my behaviour is not healthy regardlng alcohol tho again, Alcohol is just not healthy, no not even one glass, this has been proven by multiple studies at this point. its a neurotoxin that very much kills and cripples people, if were looking at it from a very sober (haha) perspective. (And since i work in healthcare i have seen the very real consequences of consistent, heavy alcohol abuse)

I dont know that i would feel comfortable pushing someone else into breaking sobriety, it would be a very individual decision for sure, mainly depending on how informed the other person was, how much they were consenting etc. i definitely wouldnt dare do it on a whim for purely my own pleasure, tho i could see myself indulging someone who was giving me a clear „go“ and enjoying it.

Even working the bar ive felt uncomfortable serving someone who after a couple drinks let drop to someone they were chatting with that theyd been sober for the last seven months. It made me sad because i know how much genuinely hard work it is.

On the other hand awooga drunk hot and sexy. That part is very implemented in my brain as well.

Not sure if this is the answer you were looking for, its definitely a complex topic for me, i hope i could sort of explain my feelings and thoughts on it to your statisfaction.

[davidtennantpussytulpa]

the grocery store here is arranged so fucking egregiously it pisses me offffff

[rileyslibrary]

The hot seat.

Synopsis: You decide to attend a speed dating event in the city where you're deployed. Simon “Ghost” Riley, your lieutenant, is also there.

Relationship: Simon “Ghost” Riley x F!Reader

Word Count: 1,595

Notes:

I got this idea after a friend told me she matched with one of her colleagues on Tinder.

Fluff.

Want more?

———————————————————————

“Why don’t you just give it a try?” One of your friends suggested, “It’s not like you’ll be committing to anything.”

And when you told them there are other ways to meet new people, such as dating apps, they laughed so hard that you felt offended. “You don’t trust your own shadow,” one of them said, “how could you possibly trust a couple of pictures and a few messages before meeting a stranger?”

They were right; not only had it been months since your last date, but your trust issues weren’t helping. So you listened to your friends and decided to give it a shot. This could be your opportunity to get “back on the horse.”

They wanted to come to your house a few hours before to advise you on what to wear—it seems like it wasn’t just you who had trust issues. “You have a thing with self-sabotage,” one of them admitted, “and we don’t want you to portray yourself as less than who you really are.” A bolt claim from Jessica, the master of self-sabotage, who kept bailing her partner out of jail because he was constantly breaking into people’s houses.

You politely declined, promising to do your best. You chose a little black dress, opaque tights, and black heels. You let your hair down for once, since the army wouldn’t let you, and applied some make-up—but not too much—to enhance your features.

The speed dating event is held in a trendy downtown bar. The room is crammed with small tables, each with two chairs facing each other. You take a deep breath and walk over to the registration desk. You sign up, fill out a form with your information, and they hand you a name tag.

“This Is What You Came For” plays over the speakers, and you can’t help but wonder what made the DJ choose that song. What did I come here for, Rihanna? You think to yourself. To tell a stranger in three minutes about my food preferences and favourite colour? Is that what will ensure compatibility?

Your nerves start to kick in, so you rush to the bar. Your options are limited to beer or wine, according to the bartender. When you ask why, he starts narrating the horrors he’s seen of people attempting to calm their nerves with shots before the speed date. You choose wine and turn to face the people you’re about to meet in three-minute rounds. A few catch your eye; some look intimidated, while others appear overconfident and exuberant. “Peacocks”, as you call them.

The event organiser announces the beginning of the event, and you make your way to your assigned table. Dread grips you. What if you don’t meet anyone interesting? What if everyone you talk to is dull or uninteresting? You take a seat and wait for the event to start.

The first guy who sits down is a health freak, to put it mildly. He gets up at 4 a.m., lifts “hard” for two hours, goes to work, and waits until his next workout at around 6 p.m. He says he likes chicken because of its high protein content and asks what your favourite food is, to which you respond, “Haribos,” to piss him off.

The next one is a cryptocurrency investor. Enough said.

The third guy is a motivational speaker. You’re unsure about the “motivational” part, but he’s undeniably a “speaker.” He doesn’t. Stop. Talking. He only asks for your name, which you don’t have to say because it’s written on your tag. He then starts mumbling about books he’s read and the importance of a proper and consistent morning routine. He and Mr Health Freak could have easily become soul mates, you think to yourself.

Three minutes pass like hours, and you lower your head to the table. This was a mistake. Coming here was, as you suspected, a bad idea.

“I see you’ve already given up.” The man in front of you comments with a smile.

You look up and meet his gaze. He is tall and well-built, with short blonde hair and dark brown eyes. But it’s his sleeve tattoo that draws your attention.

It’s familiar to you. You’ve seen it before, peeking through a military uniform and tactical gloves.

Simon “Ghost” Riley.

You’d never seen him without his mask, but his build, voice, and tattoos are distinct. Your heart is racing as you struggle to remain calm. He, too, appears surprised. Did he not recognise you at first because of your make-up and hair?

Well, it seems like he recognises you now. But you’re not supposed to acknowledge his true identity; doing so might destroy everything he’s worked so hard to keep hidden all these years. It may also jeopardise your professional relationship.

But, my God, he’s hot. He’s exactly as you imagined him, if not better. It’d be best to act as cool as possible. Ignorant, stupid, call it whatever you want—just don’t reveal his identity. There are tens of thousands of people named Simon, and you are not supposed to give your surname to the other person here. So all you know about him is his name. He could be any of the other “Simons” out there.

You immediately put on a happy-go-lucky face and smile, trying to muster the courage to date your lieutenant for three minutes.

“Hi, I’m Y/N,” you reply, trying to play it cool.

He fidgets in his seat, still feeling uneasy. You need to act quickly.

“Yes, I’m about to give up,” you moan and pout, “so please, for the love of God, be a decent one.”

He lets out an awkward chuckle. “I’m not sure about that,” he says.

“Oh, really?” You exclaim, raising your eyebrows, “Unless you speak nonchalantly about yourself, chuck twelve egg yolks in the morning, or boast about imaginary coins, you’re good.”

“Ah,” he says hesitantly, “no, I prefer my eggs cooked.”

“Boiled, scrambled, or sunny side up?”

“I don’t mind as long as they’re cooked properly.” He responds, and you raise your fist to your mouth.

“I assume no runny egg whites?” You ask, making a disgusted face.

“Christ, no.” He smiles and shakes his head.

He appears more at ease now, thinking you haven’t identified him.

But then another problem arises. When dating, one of the first questions you usually ask is about the other person’s occupation.

“So, Simon,” you say, “what do you do for a living?”

“I, um, work as an operator,” he replies. “And you?”

That was a wise move on his part. He knows you’ll relate if he discloses his primary occupation, and you’ll start speculating. So he decided to reveal his side job. Although he is not completely honest with you, which could be interpreted as a red flag, there is a serious reason behind his answer.

“I’m a sergeant in the military,” you admit.

He nods and smirks but doesn’t ask a follow-up question.

“I’m sorry,” he says, “I’m not very good at this.”

“Neither am I,” you chuckle, “but I can help you.”

“Thank you,” he says.

“Do you prefer cats or dogs, Simon?”

“I like both,” he says, “I can’t have a preference for animals; they aren’t eggs.”

“Phew!” You exclaim, theatrically placing the back of your hand on your forehead, “most of the men I met today hate cats!”

“Yeah,” Simon agrees. “I believe it’s because they don’t have control over them like dogs.”

“I feel bad for most of the women in here,” you say, looking around, “for settling for such controlling personalities.”

“How do you know I’m not controlling?” He asks, his brow furrowed.

“Men whose job is to order soldiers around, tend to live a more chilled lifestyle.” You elaborate.

“Order soldiers?” He asks, and you immediately stiffen up. “How do you know I order soldiers at my work?”

“I, um, assume you do because of your profession.” You stutter and look down at your lap.

“I said I’m an operator,” he smirks, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, “but I never said what kind of operator I am.”

Your chair has turned into a hot seat all of a sudden.

“From what you know, I could be a heavy machinery operator.” He adds, his smile widening.

You blush and turn to look at the clock; time’s almost up.

He leans forward to the table. “Why such eagerness to end our date, sergeant?” he whispers, “I thought we were doing so well.”

You raise your head to look at him. “I’m sorry, Lt.,” you admit, “I just didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“I appreciate that,” he says, “but knowing that you know who I am is already uncomfortable, don’t you think?”

You look down again, and he continues.

“Perhaps it would have been better to acknowledge the elephant in the room from the beginning.” He explains.

You let out a sigh. “You’re right,” you say, “I should have been more honest.”

He nods, and the bell rings for your next date. Simon gets up from his chair and smiles at you.

“Normally, I’d end this with a nice to meet you,” he says, “but in this case, it’s more of a nice getting to know you better,” he adds, extending his hand for a handshake.

You stand up and take his hand in yours. “Likewise, Lt.,” you say, smiling.

“See you tomorrow,” he says.

“For another date?” You joke, “You move too fast, Simon.”

“For the best military drill of your life,” he corrects you with a smirk, “for thinking you could fool me so easily.”

———————————————————————

Part 2 ->

[disasterofastory]

A new adventure (Halfdan x Reader)

A new adventure modern!Halfdan x Reader Warnings: none

Summary: You spend the nigth with your ex-husband.

The house is quiet and calm as you reach the bottom of the stairs. Your baby's screams still echo in your head. You are not even sure if he is crying again or if you just imagine things by now. Your head throbs with the pain you tried to keep at bay the whole night while you keep telling yourself that your son is alright and you don't have to go back to check on him.

He is asleep. He is fine.

One step creaks under your weight. It's loud and sharp. A heavy, tired sigh leaves your lips. Turning your head to the side, you listen.

It's okay, you think, relieved. Your baby boy is still asleep. It's fine.

"I will fix it tomorrow." Halfdan's smooth voice breaks the silence, drawing your attention to the couch where he sits, leaning on his knees with his elbows. The worried, stressful frown is still deep between his brows. "Thank you," you nod. "A drink?" "Do you have a beer?" "I have wine. Two bottles," you reply from the kitchen, holding the door of the fridge as your gaze falls on the bottles with the familiar logos. "I will take it," he sighs. "I thought so."

The lights coming from the kitchen cover the living room in a soft, orange hue. Your muscles melt against the couch as you sit down and hold up one of the bottles to the man next to you. "No glass?" He smirks, accepting your offer, though. "It's a glass-free household," you joke between two sips. The taste of the wine spreads over your tongue, and you have to close your eyes for long seconds to enjoy this momentary peace. "I'm sorry," Halfdan says after a while, making you jump when he grabs your legs to put them over his lap. His long fingers start to massage your sore muscles. His touch is warm and familiar. It's like a reflex that didn't die out of you even after one year. His every movement lights a fire in your lower belly. You almost laugh at it. "It's fine," you tell him. "Were you on a date?" He asks. "Yeah," you grunt. "To be honest, I should be grateful." "Why?" "It was horrible." He laughs. The man can't help but feel some satisfaction at your words. "Our baby knows when he has to get sick to save his mama." "He sure does," you hum, holding the bottle to your lips. "But I'm really sorry, you know? I should know what to do when my son is sick." Reaching out to squeeze his arm, you smile at your ex-husband comfortingly. You can see how devastated he is because of tonight, even though you know he did everything he could. "It's fine, Halfdan," you tell him. "Sometimes sick little boys need their mamas. You did everything well. Don't punish yourself because of nothing."

Not long after your boy's first birthday, you and Halfdan decided to end your marriages after months of struggling. It was quick and peaceful. Both of you wanted only the best for your child, and this kept your relationship away from useless battles and fights.

And here you are, after a year of your divorce, sitting with your ex-husband while your boy sleeps in his room. And you don't remember the last time you felt so content and calm, even though you are tired and still worried about your son's health.

"And what about your date?" He asks, turning his head to look at you. His fingers still work their magic on your muscles. "Do I know him?" "No," you reply. "I don't think so. I met him online." "First date?" "And the last." "So horrible?" You shrug. If you want to be fair, there was nothing wrong with the guy. He was nice, polite, and funny. "Boring." He hums. "Can I tell you something?" "I see the wine is starting to work," he smirks. He sees it in your eyes and the slight curve of your lips. You looked familiar when he first met you and asked you out on a date after two minutes of introducing himself. You giggled and said yes. "Everyone seems boring compared to you," you confess. "I have no idea how to enjoy a story if you are not the one who is telling it." Halfdan shooke up your whole world. He forced you to leave your comfort zone and live a little. He inspired you to start your own business, and even after all those years, he is still your biggest supporter.

Halfdan's chest stretches with a new wave of satisfaction when he hears your words. He remembers your first date. If he wants to be honest, he fucked it up. He talked and talked about his upcoming travel overseas. He was so excited. And you, instead of being annoyed with him or thinking him rude, listened and asked, and before he knew it, he was even more excited to come home to you. "We were good together, huh?" He asks but doesn't want your answer. He knows you were good together. Two pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly... At least for a while. "Where did it go wrong?" "It was me," you reply immediately. Halfdan wants to argue, but you don't let him. "After our son was born I... I forgot how to be... me, you know? I became a mother and didn't know how to be anything else." You thought about it a lot, especially after your relationship got better and better after your breakup. He squeezes your leg and drinks from his bottle. "I should have reminded you." "Everybody should have reminded me," you grunt with the thorn still in you. Of course, you can't blame the others. Reminding you of yourself was not their job, but everyone made it so easy to forget that you are still Y/N, a woman, a wife, and not just a mother. "I'm sorry," he says anyway. "I didn't know it was so hard for you." "It wasn't," you reply. "I mean... I didn't notice until we broke up."

Halfdan opens his mouth to say something, then decides against it. He can't do that, can he? Would it be too risky? Would he cross a line? Did those things ever stop him? "Let me take you out on a date." The wine burns your throat as you cough. A small drop of red liquid runs down your jaw until you soak it with the sleeve of your shirt. "What?" You croak out. "Do you love me?" He asks. Halfdan is not the type who beats around the bush. "I still do. I still love you, and you know our son is my whole world. You two are my whole world." "Why do you think it would work now?" You ask him uncertainly, even though you can't help but smile at his words. "Because we know what went wrong the first time," Halfdan replies. He is so sure of himself. "I wouldn't let you forget who you are besides being a mother, Y/N. What more? We could go and travel somewhere. Our son could stay with Harald, he is old enough, and Harald will spoil him. Maybe we could go somewhere new? Or I could book the place where we were on our honeymoon?" Your laugh shuts him up. Your eyes shine with tears. "And here you are, already planning for a new adventure." "Please tell me you will come with me."

He holds up his hand for you to take it, and when you do, he kisses the back of your hand.

[lilacxquartz]

Those Late Summer Nights | Chapter 6

Satoru Gojo × Fem!Reader × Suguru Geto

This is a dark/yandere fic that features upsetting themes and it is canon divergent. Updated every Wednesday.

ABOUT: You moved to Tokyo over the summer to take a teaching job. As you get settled in, you find yourself entangled in a toxic dynamic.

CHAPTER SUMMARY: Isolating far from everyone else on the campus was a problem after all and you end up moving in with Shoko. Meanwhile, tensions slowly build as you reveal that you have to go somewhere in particular quite soon.

< Previous Chapter • Next Chapter >

6. Tangerines.

It didn’t take you too long to finally give into Suguru’s suggestion about moving into Shoko’s spare room. It was starting to eat away at you at how isolated you were from everyone else, after all. Luckily, Shoko was more than happy to have you move in and even cleared out the room the night prior to your arrival.

It took you a couple of trips back and forth to get everything there. You wanted to do this whole thing discreetly and to not bother a single soul, even though you knew that friends actually helped friends move.

Just before settling in her place completely however, you decided to stop by a nearby supermarket to pick up some essentials so that you wouldn’t have to take her food, even if it would have likely fine to share.

Still though, you wanted to be less of a bother, if you could help it, so you bought the essentials along with a cheap bottle of wine to split with her and about a kilo of tangerines that were on special offer. Some fruit could never hurt.

Upon returning the final time, you expected the apartment to be just as empty as the last few times you swung by, but this time Satoru was present instead, sat opposite Shoko as she nodded away at his rambling with an exhausted half-lidded look.

All life returned to her eyes when she saw you (and especially that bottle of wine poking out of the bag), prompting her to rise to her feet immediately, searching the cabinets for a pair of glasses.

“You’re such a sight for sore eyes,” she beamed as she twisted the metal cap off, grabbing a tangerine out of the bag before settling back into her seat.

You weren’t sure if she was talking about you or the booze though.

Satoru also then tried to get up to grab himself a glass but you stopped him from doing so, trying to not be a complete doormat even if he did sponsor your wardrobe. You’d get him something nicer when your paycheck comes through, something more meaningful.

“Ah-ah,” you quickly said, stopping him from reaching out for the bottle, “this is for me and her, but I will permit you to have a single tangerine,” filling out his hand with some fruit instead of a glass.

Satoru paused for a moment as he searched for a response, deciding to not be offended in the end after all.

“Alright [name], I’ll stay sober for you,” he smiled instead, something glittering in his icy eyes as his confidence returned, “you’re just looking out for my health, that’s why you’re not letting me have it, right?”

“Sure, let’s go with that,” you sarcastically replied, trying to further insert yourself into their dynamic. It was still difficult to let go of taking yourself so seriously, though.

“See, I knew it, you’re nice like that,” he continued to say as he watched you sit down opposite at the table.

Time then gradually passed by, the bottle of wine slowly but surely emptying itself as the three of you talked.

You found Satoru, although an endless stream of conversation, still quite easy to listen to because the flow would simply never run out. You didn’t have to talk much around him because he’d carry the conversations with ease no matter what.

Suguru arrived later on in the night with a six pack of beer in his hands, hoping to help you feel more relaxed around him but luckily you already were from the look of it.

He stared at you for a split second before taking a stiff step back as Shoko had already managed to infiltrate his personal space, nails slicing into the packaging and fishing out a can before his very eyes.

“That’s for leaving us alone with him all night,” Shoko teased.

Suguru rolled his eyes in response but surrendered to his fate as he sat next to Satoru, keeping quiet for a moment before cracking open a can of his own.

“So, what has he been talking about for so long that the two of you have been reduced to actual alcoholics?” he asked.

Satoru laughed in response, saying that he was unsure actually and that he didn’t feel as though he was being that bad, reaching for another tangerine as he did so. Shoko immediately however snatched it away, throwing it over to Suguru instead who then peeled the fruit and gave you half.

The four of you continued with the conversation otherwise from before as if all of those little distractions had never even happened. The highlight of the night seemed to revolve around family burdens and obligations as Satoru got deeper into hiding away from clan duties and how Suguru still felt exhausted from his own family reunion from just a few days ago.

Shoko mentioned a point too; something about what gruelling small talk with her own now retired family was like, unable to relate to them anymore.

You chimed in just as the conversation died down, feeling a wave of awkwardness rush through you in doing so, wondering if you should have left it as a fleeting thought instead but you didn’t.

Instead, you mentioned how it was your dad’s birthday coming up since it was getting close to the end of June and as a result, ended up unintentionally souring the mood at the mention of needing to go back to your hometown.

A collective silence brewed between the three as they all mulled this piece of information over.

Shoko was the first to break the silence.

“Are you sure that you should be going back there all alone?” she asked, immediately placing her hand over yours to show support.

“Yeah, you should at least let me go with you, [name],” Satoru chimed in, “I’d be getting out of clan duties, so it would be a win/win for me.”

It took a moment for you to shake off the unease you had caused but then quickly got back into it, forcing yourself to not dwell on it.

“Going to a small dead town is a win for you?” you asked as you tried to lighten the mood.

“Yes actually, they wouldn’t know where to find me and you wouldn’t have to face a place you hate completely alone,” he replied, offering you a legitimately valid reason.

“I mean… I guess so?” you considered it now with more thought, thinking that it could make things a little easier for you.

“Just think about it, yeah?” Satoru said again, leaning in as he flashed you a teasing smile. “The entire town would be in such awe with me that they’d forget all about you.”

“Oh, here we go,” Shoko said as she rolled her eyes.

Suguru in the meanwhile had stayed silent throughout this whole exchange, clenching at his jaw just a little as he stared bitterly at the can, his fingers tapping around it. He wore a small tight smile, but his eyes didn’t quite match his expression, looking intense instead.

Not that you had an opportunity to read too much into it though as your focus was elsewhere currently.

“I guess I could, but there’s a problem,” you considered yet again, “my parents wouldn’t accept me just showing up with a random guy.”

“So, tell him we’ve been together for a while now and you’re just showing me around where you grew up. They can’t deny you that.” Satoru suggested, seeming to think that this could work.

He knew strict families perfectly well, after all, this part of life wasn’t something new to him and if anything, he wanted you to exercise standing up to your parents as an adult and for you to face your past knowing that you didn’t have to be there alone to do so.

Besides, he would behave. At least around your family.

You considered it either way, warming up to the concept as already used to the idea of being a platonic plus one so this sort of concept wasn’t so strange to you a second time.

“Alright, why not?” you replied as you surrendered into the idea, not quite noticing at all how close Suguru was to crushing the can with his hand the more that he listened in.

***

The day to finally travel to your hometown finally rolled around as the month came to a close and for the most part, life up until then was pretty quiet.

Shoko for example stayed mostly in her room to do what she called ‘minimal studying’ to make it look like that she knew what she was actually talking about in her career, something you suspected was actual revision even if she claimed that it wasn’t.

You on the other hand had to work on and off at the campus itself, going over a prospective list of upcoming students who might do better in shadowing you.

Satoru had his unavoidable clan obligations to attend, reminding you through on and off texts that he was actually looking forward to escaping with you in the upcoming weekend.

Then there was Suguru who was deadly silent, completely cutting himself away from everyone else without a single reason behind his actions.

You tried asking Shoko about it, but she told you to not worry—that he’s like that, at least sometimes, but you couldn’t help but feel as though it was personally directed somehow, especially when he wasn’t even there to see you off for the weekend.

Satoru arrived relatively early otherwise, parking his car off to the side of the main street. The vehicle he sported was a little flashier than Suguru’s and he leaned against it as he waited for you to come down.

For the trip, you packed a small weekend back while he packed a whole suitcase, leaving you wondering with sheer fascination as to what exactly he needed for the course of just two nights.

Both you and Shoko studied the contents in the trunk, briefly glancing at each other and remaining quiet until you were the one to break the silence for once.

“Uh, Satoru…?” You asked.

“Yes, [name]?” Satoru replied.

You took a glance at him and then at the suitcase then back at him. You swallowed your initial words away, lacing your upcoming observation with even more confusion as you finally got around to it.

“W-we’re going away for… maybe 2 days maximum.”

“Correct,” he replied as he slowly nodded.

“Dare I ask what you’re bringing?”

“Just souvenirs, don’t worry,” he replied as he failed to reassure you, “a little token to keep the peace.”

It was then that you started to wonder if this was such a good idea to begin with but it was far too late to back out of this now. Satoru was a special breed of a person and you started to think that he might be too much for your parents, let alone your hometown, but upon further consideration—if his role was to keep the attention off of you—that much would work.

Shoko lightly tugged at your wrist to both give you a hug goodbye as well as to ask you a question.

“Hey, uh,” she asked as he reeled you in close, “is your town useful at all in any way? Do they have any locally made spirits? Wine? Anything like that?”

You hummed for a moment in consideration.

“Maybe… maybe plum wine? I’ll see if they still sell bottles to go.”

“That would be great,” she smiled.

Satoru then swung by to the driver’s side and motioned for you to enter along with him, making sure that you buckled in before starting the engine. He booted up a playlist of songs, saying that these were all tunes from his most nostalgic years so he was going to make this whole trip a positive one if he could help it.

The road trip in question was fine also, harbouring far less tension than how it was around Suguru, if at all. Satoru leaned more into being a passive driver, although he did manage to take a few wrong turns once he was deep out of the city which seemed to all be accidental rather than to actually mess with you.

Somehow his mood remained positive throughout such moments, no matter how strange the places ended up being. He joked on and off that he’d totally protect you if you had to camp out overnight in the car.

Such a comment did lead you to one small realisation that you hadn’t quite considered throughout all of this though.

While your parents might end up accepting the sudden appearance of your new supposed sudden (however fake) boyfriend, they wouldn’t accept him sleeping in your bedroom overnight.

“Hey, uh, Satarou…?” you spoke up, feeling nervous about the topic.

“Yeah?” he asked as he drove down the now quiet road, the playlist had ended quite a while ago so he was just enjoying a peaceful ride with you instead.

“So, my parents are strict-“

“—And so are mine,” he said as he cut you off, sensing that you were worried and wanting to soothe your mind right away if he could help it, “I know how to handle strict parents, don’t worry.”

You stayed quiet for a moment as you nodded and felt comfort in his response. You were aware from Shoko’s initial explanation, way back then on the rooftop, that Satoru had a limiting childhood so he was probably used to a lot worse when it came to a strict family.

Which meant even more to you that he wanted to tag along with you to something like this.

“I know, I know, it’s just,” you continued to say anyway, not wanting to keep anything hidden, “you most likely will be asked to sleep in the guest house in the garden,” your fingers fidgeted as you spoke, “I mean it’s just a glorified shed with windows, but it isn’t personal—they ask this from visiting relatives too.”

“Damn, not even the sofa?” he asked as his expression momentarily fell flat although it was subtle, bouncing back immediately to something carefree almost right away.

“Not even that,” you confirmed.

He tried to remain positive as he considered your response. Ideally in his mind, he was already prepared to take on the sofa, already accepting the idea that your room would be off limits but maybe not even that? He would manage just fine in the garden but the trip was already going into a completely different direction than he had originally planned.

He thought about it even more as he finished up the rest of drive in silence, realising that he should have made more of an effort on his end to reassure you once again but he was also at the same time starting to piece things together about you—or at least why you were so initially afraid to sleep the first night over at Shoko’s, protesting that you absolutely couldn’t in your drunken stupor.

Other things too, like why you seemed to hesitate so often despite knowing everyone comfortably well at this point and maybe even why you still trembled a little when addressing people by their first names.

While endearing, it was concerning beneath the surface.

“It’s fine,” he said as he finally piped up, offering you an assuring smile as he filled out the remaining silence, “seriously, it’s fine, it’s just for the weekend and my main role is moral support anyway, right?”

“R-right,” you replied as you felt yourself calm down.

Once you both had finally arrived at the correct street, you pointed him towards the right house and his car eased into a vacant spot in the driveway. He shook his body a little, fingers drumming against the steering wheel before finally taking a look towards your direction.

“Think I got a chance?” he smiled, hoping to take your mind off of things before they even began.

“Not at all,” you laughed a little. Admittedly it was nice to have someone that you knew in this town, so maybe even in spite of awkward family relations, this wouldn’t be so bad in the end.

He continued to fix up his demeanour as you knocked on the door and waited for your parents to come answer. His mood turned serious and his tone of voice adjusted to sounding much more polite as he would finally face the two people who made you into someone you didn’t want to be.

You went along with it either way, your mother simply sighing as she let you both inside, muttering something under her breath how your father won’t be happy about this.

All of the hope continued to then go straight out of the window as Satoru met with your father, the old man asking him a slew of questions demanding to know if he’s a delinquent due to his appearance, not quite accepting that both his hair and eyes were completely natural.

Walking inside also left you feeling a little stiff, a sudden reminder of your past that existed to haunt you.

As predicted, your folks didn’t allow him to follow you upstairs and didn’t even let him see what your old room looked like.

Upon being back down though, Satoru thawed back into life and decided to try and pass down the souvenirs he brought in from Tokyo as a sign of goodwill to which they begrudgingly accepted, setting the boxes away to the side as both of your parents didn’t even take a look inside.

Satoru couldn’t help but feel as though this was a strangely tough crowd as he continued to piece even more things together about the way you were. He was starting to get it, at least a little; you were the way you were because you had zero room to express yourself.

(And to him, this was unacceptable.)

So upon being shooed away off to the guest house come evening after dinner, he continued to take it all in stride knowing that this was all only temporary.

He had a plan up his sleeve now to make your visit back home less isolating, less painful and even less strict if he could help it.

You were more to him than just your parents’ daughter, after all.

[dark-raven-666]

Can you please give us headcanons of the lord's?

We need more of them!

Alagadda Lord's headcanons

Pronouns used for the Lord's they/them and he/ him

Art was found on google,credit to the original artist

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Citrinitas

- Citrinitas is a musician and loves to play music. After a long day of dealing with Rubedo and his other Lord work, all he needs is to play the harp. The yellow sky of Alagadda gives the perfect shade to the room and he can be at peace for a few moments.

- Absolutely HATES beer only drinks wines and champagne.

- They know that Rubedo listens to their music sometimes and even caught him sleeping outside of the room once, he never mentioned the whole thing to anyone.

- Loves that Rubedo listens to their music, but would rather die than admit to it.

Rubedo

- Everyone in the city of Alagadda know him, he's famous for his energy and always being at the bar.

- The citizens are divided in liking him, some think he is way too irresponsible to be a Lord and others think he is the perfect amount of fun and relaxed. After all Rubedo is pretty much the only Lord the citizens can interact with in a "chill" manner.

- Is actually a fan of classical music and feels relaxed when it plays.

- Drinks the pain away

- Sometimes when he drinks and walks back to the palace he finds Citrinitas playing the harp and just sits outside the room and listens quietly.

- pretends everything is ok but probably needs therapy.

- They always make sure to leave the door before Citrinitas finds him.

Albedo

- They are hardly ever seen, they are the only Lord that never leaves the palace unless absolutely necessary. After all they have so much paper work to do and as the wearer of the diligent mask they have to keep up with that title.

- Drinks only at parties and when sharing toasts. And never has more than two drinks at once.

- Takes time to warm up to people but when he does he's the most gentle and kind person you'll ever meet. Still very busy so you hardly ever see them

- Loves painting but never has time for it.

Nigredo

- Banished from Alagadda and is never to return. The citizens don't remember them.

- Before he was banished he was very clingy to Albedo and never wanted to leave his side. Albedo tolerated him, but didn't enjoy it that much.

- The reason for his clinginess to Albedo is that he looks up to him and wishes he was like him. So elegant, gentle, strong, independent who wouldn't want to be like him

- The citizens respect him as a Lord and some even fear him.

- Doesn't like the flavour of alcohol so he never drinks not even at parties or during toasts like Albedo

- Probably drinks Capri Suns.

All four lords

- The Lord's live in the kings palace and each have their own room which they are free to decorate however they please.

- The palace still has very strict rules about behavior and table manners, that is why they all have very good table manners.

- Each of the Lord's has one maid assigned specially to them and them alone.

- Sometimes Citrinitas has to go to the bar and drag Rubedo out. He is always very ashamed of having to do that. At first it was odd but then everyone got used to it.

- Albedo is done with every bodies bull shit.

- Albedo is the oldest then comes Citrinitas, Rubedo and, Nigredo last.

- Just because Nigredo is the youngest doesn't mean he is young according to humans. He refuses to say the actual number but he is determined to have at least 1000 years of age.

- The king raised Citrinitas since he was a "kid" well a young adult since kids aren't allowed in Alagadda.

- Citrinitas respects the king as a higher up but still can't help and not see him as a fatherly figure.

- The Lord's have a sibling like relationship even though none of them are related.

- Albedo is always worried for the kings health and tries to make sure that he is served foods that will help his health. But he can't do much because the king is to get everything he wants.

- They all need therapy but refuse to admit it

///////////////////////////////////////////

Hope you enjoyed my headcanons!!

And yes we absolutely need more content of these beautiful masks

[bleachbleachbleach]

[Bleach e312]

Snake Wines and Beer Steins*: An Anthropology of West Rukongai

* I learned this morning that is not a stein, but I’m keeping it for the assonance!

Really down the rabbithole with this episode and cannot put it down, but this cap is such a completely fascinating glimpse at potential Rukongai cultures and trade routes! 

The first thing that caught my eye, naturally, was the snake, which when this scene first came up I thought was just a completely undressed snake on a plate. But when I went to take the cap, no! It’s a snake in liquid! Which led me to believe it was a pickled snake. 

But then my co-blogger brought up snake wine, which it definitely is. According to Wikipedia, the liquid part of habushu, snake sake from the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa), is mixed with herbs and honey, which is why it has a yellow tint. The Habu snake is a pit viper viewed as both a menace (it can launch itself and bite you from pretty far away) and as a god, bestowing health and virility. (Contemporary Ryukyuan/Okinawan literature sometimes includes habu snakes as an anti-colonial metaphor, such as Medoruma Shun’s 1999 short story, “Hope.”)

1. Increased Importance of Medicinal Food vs. Sustenance Food in Rukongai

Makes all the sense in the world to me that Rukongai would have virility wine. If you don’t need to eat to survive, I imagine the value of virility wine is quite high. ...I mean, what else is there to do out there?

2. Climate Profiles Suggest Far-Reaching Trade Networks

Because the Gate Guardian who shows up in this episode is Jidanbou, this means the village Oomaeda encounters is in West Rukongai somewhere—probably close to the gates, since Soi Fon expected him back after a day trip. (But per the Bount arc, Renji can apparently run to the ass-end of Rukongai to the Seireitei and back in a few hours, so there’s some wiggle room here.) 

Nothing we’ve seen from West Rukongai suggests it’s climatologically similar to the Ryukyu Islands (or to southeast Asia, where similar pit vipers live), which are subtropical. Soul Society always gives the impression of being fairly temperate. At least, it snows in the Seireitei without mountain elevations being involved (Winter Fireworks chapter). West Rukongai is where Hokutan is, the mountains where Kaien and Rukia trained, which gave the impression of being pretty temperate. West Rukongai is also where Junrinan is—where Hitsugaya and Hinamori are from. Judging by Hitsugaya’s behavior in the Beach Episode, if Junrinan was anything like the Ryukyu Islands, he’d have perished long ago.

So… DID THEY TRADE FOR IT. DID THEY GET THE SNAKE WINE FROM ELSEWHERE. How far away is that elsewhere? How many different owners’ hands did it pass through to make it to this village, to this feast? Snake wine is intended to age fairly substantially, which in Rukongai could mean quite a bit of time. How old is this snake wine? What is its provenance?? Potential evidence of complex and far-reaching patterns of trade and shared ascriptions of value, is what I’m saying. snake wine snake wine snake wine

In my mind, I’ve mostly transposed Japan over Soul Society and imagine  North Rukongai as northern Japan, West Rukongai as western Japan, etc. Except in my mind sometimes south is southern Japan and sometimes it’s northern New Mexico lol. East Rukongai in my mind is "idk, New Jersey?" Maybe the snake wine is from the version of southern Rukongai where Pirate AU Soi Fon lives, dominating the high seas…

3. Evidence of Glassworking and Alcohol Production Characteristic of the late 19th/early 20th Centuries

[For reference, Soul Society is typically described as being similar to the Edo Period of Japanese history, which spanned the 17th-19th centuries.]

The second standout beverage here is the beer stein, which I called a stein and then learned that the original beer steins came from the Bubonic Plague era and had tops, for plague reasons, and were made out of wood and leather and then pewter. What do I know, I don’t drink, LOL.

That is more technically a ten-sided handled glass pint, which became popular in the early half of the 20th century in England, though some sources place it in Austria a few decades earlier. Drinking beer out of various forms of glass predates that, and there was a whole period of ceramic drinkware and trade with China and Japan thrown in the centuries between, blah blah. But two things are probably true if there’s a glass beer mug: 

 1. Glassworking has developed enough to make this workable/not a holy pain, production-wise. But again, this is Rukongai—maybe this is the one mug in all existence in West Rukongai and not something intended for mass production. They’re toasting the once-in-a-lifetime event of a Gotei captain slumming it with them, after all. Heck, maybe they got it from the Seireitei, which definitely has more than one of these, though after a cursory look at two places I thought they’d appear, neither does. LOL. Welp. 

2. Beer production has developed enough that it’s filtered and there’s not unseemly gunk floating around in it (made obvious by the fact that you’re drinking it out of a clear glass mug). This could mean Rukongai is pretty with the times with is alcohol production.

Not that that begins to touch why ten-sided handled glass pints from late 19th/early 20th century England and/or Austria are in West Rukongai, a place less likely to have them than the Seireitei, where weird anachronistic stuff seems like it would come into circulation with more regularity.

I love the idea that even if souls don’t remember their previous lives, there’s still imprints and rogue dreams and strange images floating around in their heads, their muscle memories. But like, specifically the version where sometimes the rogue dream is just a gigantic, bomb-ass cup that Some Guy then proceeds to spend his entire afterlife re-developing. He is a VISIONARY. A GENIUS. A rare mind inventing something the likes of which have never been seen is this world but that exist in his mind so clearly it is as though he has seen it in his hands before!!

[blenddiiva]

❀ *◦ megan pete. cis woman. she/her. lesbian. ⇝ hey, isn’t that alexandria henry? i think that the thirty year old from memphis, tennessee, works as a cosmetic chemist at blood for beauty and twitch streamer, but outside of that people describe them as impeccably applied lipliner and gloss; glitter gel pens sticking out of the pocket of a lab coat; a collection of beanie babies carefully placed in a display cabinet; always having hand sanitizer at the ready; the rattle of a bottle of antacids to help with the guilt-induced nausea; constantly texting your friends silly memes that made you think of them; and full-body laughs because you were born without a tail to wag. i hear they are submissive & clumsy, but they are also known to be cheerful & humble. consider giving them a visit at their home in the marionette and get to know why they’re called the lab diva.

➙ the character's sexuality is inclusive of femme-presenting enbies, as long as they are comfortable with a lesbian being attracted to them!

full name: alexandria nichelle henry

nicknames: lex, lexi, diva, lady (extension of the initials of her streamer screen name, lab diva/l.d.)

dob: 23 december 1993

place of birth: memphis, tennessee

languages: english (native); latin american spanish (advanced)

education: master's degree in chemistry; bachelor's degree in chemistry (biochemistry concentration); both from university of memphis

strengths: creative; funny; playful; kind; charming; conscientious; cheerful; humble

weaknesses: cowardly; manipulable; clumsy; submissive; superstitious; wishful

hobbies: roller derby (she's on the team!); roller skating in general; kickboxing; collecting beanie babies; doodling; coloring; trying new arts and crafts; makeup; bullet journaling; baking; ultimate frisbee

likes: red wine; strawberry-flavored candy; anything chocolate; very sweet coffee-based drinks;

dislikes: black coffee; beer; cold weather; baggy clothes; cigarettes

disabilities & health: clean bill of health!

a normal girl from a normal family. the third child and the only girl, the baby of the family, lexi nichelle was never particularly shy, but always a bit socially awkward. she wanted so badly to make friends but she never knew exactly what to say or do. she was taken advantage of by her peers pretty early on in school, some of the worst kids recognizing her desperation for inclusion. she often did others' bidding, or took the fall for bad behavior. and it always came down to the same thing from her teachers and her parents: you're such a smart kid, why would you do this?

she didn't ever really understand why herself, other than just wanting friends and acceptance. being treated as a nerd could be pretty isolating sometimes, and she always felt kind of awkward with so much attention on herself.

joining the school band in middle school was fun. lexi became pretty good at playing the trombone; and the organization was like a guaranteed social group, forced to spend time together due to proximity. she carried on the activity all the way through her undergraduate years of college as it became part of her identity. she liked to act silly and goof off with her bandmates, and she was in a section that was especially known for being fun-loving troublemakers. she was never as daring as some of the others in their pranks, but it felt good belonging to something.

(several boys were kissed along the way, as a confused teen sought the feeling of being wanted—even if she always felt pretty gross afterwards.)

being close with her family, lexi didn't want to go far away for college, plus the u of m offered some competitive scholarship money. eventually landing herself in the chemistry department, lexi began to stick out as a black woman surrounded by men, mostly white ones. it was awkward and frustrating, but she grew a little more confidence and stuck it out so she could be an example for little girls like she once was.

the pressure of college was also when lexi fell into hacking as a hobby, the rush of danger giving some much-needed dopamine to the student. a classmate put her on to the mmorpg wonderland online, which sucked her in quickly. it was always so much easier to make friends online, where you could connect to people whose interests aligned more with yours, and you could present yourself a certain way. being a member of a guild made her feel so useful, and she felt so connected to the members of what would become the bad luck club. they were friends, they were family, and she belonged.

a creative interest in makeup soon guided alexandria to what she wanted to do with her eventual degree. she'd always loved playing with makeup, painting her face with pretty looks that got her compliments from other girls; and her chemistry studies combined well with her curiosity over why some products worked differently than others. a bachelor's degree was soon followed by a master's degree, and a more direct pursuit of cosmetic chemistry.

fresh out of grad school, lexi did some office work for a logistics company for a couple of years, since finding a job in her field turned out to be kind of difficult. she was persistent about checking job postings, though, and eventually was able to send her resumé to blood for beauty cosmetics, realizing belatedly that they were located all the way up in alaska, far away from her family and home.

the phone interviews went startlingly well, though. they seemed to really like her in spite of her obvious nerves and word vomiting. they gave her an extremely lucrative offer, one that made lexi's eyes nearly pop out of her skull. it was impossible to turn down; it came less from personal selfishness for money, and more of a personal responsibility, wanting to help pay for her grandparents' increasing medical costs, making sure her ageing parents were comfortable, and paying off student loans—although the salary also appealed to a little materialistic streak inside lexi, which would help her indulge in some of her sillier hobbies like collecting beanie babies, including the expensive limited edition ones.

the work at the logistics company had been mind-numbingly boring and was nowhere near the field she wanted to be in; so lexi began streaming herself playing video games to an audience of mostly other hackers, under the handle labdiva, named after her chemistry background. playing mostly rpgs, lexi grew a little more confident as a person, infusing her streams with her fun and caring personality and her silly and funny commentary on games and chat messages. she kept up the streaming once she moved to alaska, inspired even more when she was actually able to meet the other members of her group in person for the first time...and the new salary helped her upgrade equipment.

working at blood for beauty initially felt like a dream come true as she was finally in a career in the field she'd studied for. the feeling didn't last, though. the owners of the business, the villanelles, soon were pushing chemicals into the lab that didn't quite belong in there, strongly suggesting what lexi should do with them. they'd recognized her manipulable nature, hearing her submissiveness all the way back during her phone interviews, identifying her need to feel needed. and wouldn't it be a shame if she lost her job after moving all the way here, disappointing her whole family? wouldn't it be terrible if her grandparents died because they couldn't afford care that would have prevented it? what kind of child would she be if she couldn't pay back everything her parents had ever done for her?

lexi knows she's hurting people with the product she's creating. she knows what she's doing is wrong. but what else is she supposed to do, besides live with the guilt of her wrongdoings so others can be happy and comfortable?

[p1xiemeat]

you shouldn't be smoking when you have a child. depending of the degree in which you allow yourself to, that's bad parenting to put it bluntly, and if your unwilling to drop habits you shouldn't have kids.

first of all, its not bad parenting to smoke in general. i smoke for multiple medical reasons. and i dont even smoke that much because i don't want to be high most of the time. i just need to function. its not a "habit" its something i do because i can't eat without getting nauseous, and i have a debilitating stomach condition so i use marijuana for stomach pain instead of taking painkillers for the rest of my life. i had a medical marijuana card but i didnt renew it because i grow my own weed now. i'm not addicted to weed. i have never had a problem quitting it before. i rarely ever smoke recreationally unless its a social setting or special occasion. weed is medicinal for me.

and you sound like such an ignorant douche bag sending this kind of shit to someone you don't even know, talking about children that aren't even yours and are none of your business.

also, every single human being has some sort of bad habit or something they need to work on. you don't need to be a perfect person to have children or there wouldn't be a human population😹 nobody is perfect. and smoking weed doesn't make you a bad person. just like drinking once in a while doesn't make u a bad person if you do it responsibly.

every parent has bad habits. but my smoking weed isn't a bad habit. its a choice between being a functional person or someone who is in constant pain and throwing up 24/7. OR being on pain killers all the time. i wouldn't be able to do much at all for my kids if i couldn't function.

i don't owe you an explanation for MY life and my decisions but ur anon is so ignorant and so far from the truth that its actually pathetic. 😹 u don't get to decide if someone should be a parent or not. i highly doubt u even have children. and if you do, then you should worry about your own kids instead of MY personal life. i don't need parenting advice or life advice. i'm a damn good mom.

my smoking doesn't have anything to do with my kids. i don't smoke around them. it doesn't affect them at all. if i didn't smoke they would be affected negatively by the health problems i'll have for the rest of my life.

and if a mom chooses to smoke recreationally, that doesn't make her a bad mom either. nobody bats an eye if a mom drinks wine or ppl drink a beer in their free time. so why do ppl make dumb comments like this about weed? alcohol is so much more harmful than marijuana and doesn't even have the many benefits that smoking provides to ppl like me and others who use it for medicinal purposes.

educate yourself and stop giving out unsolicited parenting advice because you sound like a dick. "to put it bluntly" and this topic isn't even about being a parent. its a personal choice. 🖕🏻

[rabbitcruiser]

Flower Day

Flower Day is celebrated annually on May 20. It makes a toast to the beauty of flowers and the ways they are useful to us. On the holiday, environmentalists and conservationists create awareness about flower conservation and what can be done to save endangered flower species.

History of Flower Day

We love flowers because of their awe-inspiring beauty and fragrance. They also play a significant role in romance, medicine, rituals, and religion. You can spot them at christenings, funerals, weddings, and parties, as corsages and boutonnieres at special occasions, and as home decorations and thoughtful gifts. They are also used at places of worship, especially by Hindus. It’s not uncommon to see religious shrines adorned with flowers.

There are also some flowers that regularly feature in our meals! Nutritious vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and artichoke are actually flowers. Similarly, some flowers are used as spices, such as crocus (or saffron), cloves, and capers. Hops are used in beer, and dandelion and elderflowers are used in wines and cocktails. Moreover, some flowers are used to make herbal teas, while others are used as metaphors. For example, red roses symbolize love, poppies of death, iris and lilies of burial, and daisies of innocence. Artists and poets have also sought flowers as muses.

However, caring for flowers is no mean feat! Flowers have their own unique requirements in terms of growth and health. Some flowers prefer to be in the shade, while others need sunlight. Still, others thrive in damp soil, while some require the soil to be on the drier side. Flowers are divas, but they’re divas that have held our hearts for centuries.

Flower Day timeline

2500 B.C.

The Egyptians

The ancient Egyptians become pros at flower arrangement.

776 B.C.

Flowers and the Ancient Olympics

Woven garlands and wreaths are awarded to victors during the Olympics.

1000 A.D.

Flower Arrangements in Europe

Churches and monasteries are adorned with flowers.

1400 A.D.

Renaissance Painting Feature Flowers

Flowers became a common motif in Renaissance art.

Flower Day FAQs

Why do we celebrate Flower Day?

Flower Day encourages us to show love and appreciation towards friends, family, and even strangers through the gift of flowers.

What is a signature rose?

A single perfect red rose clubbed with a baby’s breath flower is considered a signature rose. It is the most sought-after flower on Valentine’s Day.

On which holiday are the most flowers sent?

Christmas and Hanukkah account for the most flower gifts all year.

Flower Day Activities

Attend a flower arrangement event: Flower arrangement is an art that requires talent, patience, and hard work. So, celebrate Flower Day by attending a flower arrangement class.

Buy flowers: What’s a better way to celebrate Flower Day than by buying flowers? Gift flowers to yourself and your loved ones. You could even buy some flowers to decorate your house!

Plant flowers: Celebrate Flower Day by planting your very own flowers. Buy a couple of saplings of your favorite flowers and pot them around your house. Look up how to care for the flowers and watch them bloom!

5 Unique Facts About Flowers

Roses and apples: The rose flower is related to the apple and peach family.

Flowers could ward off evil spirits: In some cultures, aster leaves were burned to ward off evil spirits.

Tulip bulbs are versatile: They can be substituted for onions in recipes.

The oldest flower was discovered in China: The Archaefructus sinensis flower bloomed around 125 million years ago in what is now known as China.

Sunflowers follow the movement of the Sun: They move from east to west throughout the day.

Why We Love Flower Day

Flowers are beautiful: We love celebrating and cherishing all things beautiful. When we look at flowers, they brighten our day instantly. Flower Day is celebrated in honor of flowers, which fill us with hope and joy.

Flowers are muses: During the Renaissance, flowers became the muses of various artists and poets. Even today, paintings, dresses, aprons, and other art pieces feature flowers. It is remarkable how flowers have inspired us with their beauty.

Flowers are important to us: Flowers are not just objects of beauty; they are a source of nutrition and healing as well. So, on Flower Day, we can express our appreciation for flowers.

Source

[blurglesmurfklaine]

Stick Season (10/14)

Summary: After Finn dies, Kurt leaves everything he knows behind without a trace. His hometown, his family, his boyfriend. When his dad has a medical scare, he returns to Lima, one year after breaking Blaine’s heart with no explanation.

A non-chronological series of one shots and drabbles set in this universe

Tropes/Genres: Angst, Reconciliation, Grief, Alcoholism, Mentions of Major Character Death, Mental Health

Track 9: Strawberry Wine // Day 10: Time In A Bottle

A/N: Trigger warning for description of a character having a panic attack

Words: 1094

They’re in Kurt’s car, the heater blasting, cutting through the freezing air as they pull up to the tall iron gates that Kurt’s only ever visited once.

He grips the wheel tight. “You… you don’t have to stay.”

After calling Blaine and meeting him at the Paper Tiger, they’d climbed in Kurt’s car to talk, but the only thing that had come out of his mouth was, “I need to go somewhere.”

“Then take me with you,” Blaine replied.

And so now, here they are.

Blaine doesn’t answer. He unbuckles his seatbelt and climbs out the car door. Kurt’s a bit hurt, but understands.

At least until Blaine walks forward towards the gate and pulls them open, as if saying, “After you.”

After Kurt drives through, Blaine re-enters the car, and they drive through the path of the cemetery all the way to the headstone with his brother’s name on it.

Kurt reaches into the back seat for something and pulls out a bottle of strawberry wine.

Blaine’s face is void of any judgment. “Do you… want to drink that?” he asks carefully.

Kurt considers lying for a moment, but doesn’t. “Yes. I always do, when I get… nervous.” He inhales purposefully, filling his lungs with courage. “But I won’t. It’s not for me. Finn brought me back a bottle after he went to that wine tasting. The day you and I had our first date. When he finally had some he said it was even better than beer, which, for Finn, was the highest of honors. Closest thing I have to a physical memory, I guess.”

“Just a little time in a bottle.”

Kurt's mouth twitches, and he nods.

The grass on the cemetery lawn is sharp, the blades of grass sharpened into icicles by the cold. They press into Kurt’s pants as he sits cross legged and places the bottle of wine next to Finn’s headstone.

It’s ages before either of them dares to break the silence.

“I’m still…” Kurt starts, but the words are trapped in his closing throat. He swallows them down, and Blaine grabs his hand, icy to the touch until Kurt wraps it in his free one. “I’m still figuring out how to grieve like a normal person.” It’s the first time he’s admitted it—to himself, to anyone.

“Carole. She. She couldn’t get out of bed for days. And I—I felt like a shark, I couldn’t stop baking, I couldn’t stop from keeping my hands busy and when that wasn’t enough I ran, I ran and ran thinking I could outrun this weight on my chest and now that I’ve run out of places to go it’s finally all caught up with me and it’s suffocating.” 

All this time, Kurt thought he’d been outrunning his pain, but that hasn’t been the case. He’s been carrying it with him all over the country, of course he’s winded. The exhaustion from hauling around the pain he’s caused by leaving his family, leaving Blaine, what he did to Finn—and the pain he’s been enduring by going through it all on his own—has finally caught up with him.

That’s why the air suddenly freezes in his windpipe.

He places a hand on his chest, willing his lungs to expand and draw in air. It’s no use. Each gasp of breath is superficial, and doing about as much good as inhaling underwater. When it rains, it pours, and Kurt’s allowing the tears that spring to his eyes to fall with reckless abandon.

“I’m so sorry,” he manages between jagged, shallow breaths, “I’m so fucking sorry.” He doesn’t even register anything else for a moment—can’t get himself to stop apologizing long enough to take a proper breath, to give the dark purple spots encroaching on his vision a moment to recede—until something cuts through.

“Hey, hey,” Blaine says, his voice soothing like a siren’s song. “It’s okay, you’re okay. What do you need?”

Therapy, probably.

“Just hold me,” Kurt begs, and Blaine readily obliges.

“What are three things you can see? You don’t have to answer out loud, but nod when you have them.”

Kurt’s shaking so hard he’s certain his bones are rattling, teeth chattering, heaven against Blaine’s warmth covering him like a blanket. He sees the grass, washed blue by the winter moonlight, the dusty gray clouds, blanketing the stars. He sees the bottle of wine he brought for Finn, leaned up against his headstone as the reflection of the moon shines off a corner. He sees Blaine’s arms around his torso.

Kurt nods, signaling he’s mentally listed all these things.

“Okay, two things you can hear.”

As Kurt’s breathing begins to regulate itself again, he listens for the sound of the wind whipping across the landscape, and Blaine’s voice. “I… I h-hear the wind. A-and yyyour voice,” he answers shakily this time.

“Good. You’re doing great. Last one, I promise. One thing you can feel.”

Just one? 

Kurt can feel Blaine’s arms wrapped tightly around him, anchoring him after spending an entire year alone, detached, and so, so lost. He feels the warmth radiating from Blaine’s chest, bright and sunny enough to keep the cold around them at bay. He feels the truth in the thought that if he were a formless shape and Blaine were an empty space, they’d fit, in any universe. He feels the security of a bond so strong it grabs him by the shoulders and says, I’m not going anywhere, and even though Kurt hasn’t done anything to earn that, he believes it. 

He feels safe. He feels connected.

He feels loved.

Without caring about his puffy eyes or red cheeks or the tear tracks on his face, Kurt reaches up a gloved hand to Blaine’s face and pulls their lips together.

Because the universe is kind and much more generous to Kurt than he deserves, Blaine doesn’t pull away. Instead, he places a hand behind Kurt’s neck and tugs and sucks in a long breath, as if frustrated at their skin for being the only boundary between their hearts, for not being closer. Their noses bump messily against one another as Kurt brings another hand up to Blaine’s beautiful, beautiful face and they fall backwards on the icy grass from the force of the kiss.

Kurt’s been in Lima for nearly two weeks now, but finally, he’s home.

There is still an ache in Kurt that needs to be sorted out and dealt with, but right now, he can’t help but be amazed at how even beyond the grave, Finn is still bringing them together.

[kissdatbam]

[TRANS] Harper’s BAZAAR MEN Thailand Spring 2023

translated by kissdatbam

Bazaar to talk with a hot guy “BamBam” Kunpimook Bhuwakul, a globally famous Thai artist, about his life and lifestyle that makes him an ideal guy to many people

Story by Chanin Faikhun

Harper's BAZAAR: The ideal guy BamBam – we heard that you love to do the chores very much

BB: Truthfully, I quite like things to be neat and clean krub. Whether they are my house, utensils, or things that I use in my daily life, I want them to be as clean as possible. I do house chores everyday, no exception at all krub. Even when I finished my schedule late at night, when I got back home, I would always do the house chores before I go to bath. I think it’s become my habit now.

HB: Why did you decide to adopt cats with health problems that were given to you, rather than buying new cats?

BB: Actually, it is not that critical to be called as health problem krub. One of my kid, his name is Latte – when he was young his skin condition was not as good as the others so his former owner was unable to handle it and ask me to raise him instead. As to the other kids, each of them also has their own story, not only the heath issue. As to the reason why I choose cats, actually, at my house in Thailand, my mom loves to raise dogs. However, I’m not a dog person. Dogs are hyperactive and need a lot of care. We need to take them for walks, and when we returned home, they would be happy and has a lot of energy which is higher than what I can take krub (LOL). I think that I do not like things with a lot of energy, so when I first met with a cat, I feel like it was destiny. At first, I did not adopt it immediately, I just take care of it for temporary. However, after a while, I really like and attach to it, so I decided to adopt him krub.

HB: What music genre is your style?

BB: Mostly I listen to the songs with beats krub. However, I do not like the song that is too fast. I like the song which has bpm (beats per minutes) around 180 which are the song that I can listen to it while chilling out or I may grooving on it krub.

HB: Which one is your most favorite tattoo? Does it has a specific meaning and what did you think of at that moment of tattooing it?

BB: Actually, I like them all krub. None of them gives me the feeling like – I should not have you. My most favorite should be this one (BB showing us his nape). These are the birthdays of my mom and my dad next to each other. I wish that they will always stay next to each other. I got these tattoos at home instead of at the shop. It was almost a year and a half when I was on hiatus. I had a meeting with the tattoo artist at my house, I did not plan to have a tattoo – just meeting for chilling dinner and playing some games. We talked about tattoo and he just mentioned that he had the tattoo equipment with him and if I’d like, he can apply tattoo to me. I happened to have the tattoo I want at that time, so the tattooing then happened at my house krub.

HB: Fans who haa a chance to watch “Bam House” in youtube channel noticed that you are interested in making the crafted beer and offering it to the guest at Bam House. What is the charm of crafted beer that makes you like it, and what type of beers is your style?

BB: Apart from beers, I do not like other drinks krub - be it wine, champagne, soju. I chose beer because it is not too strong and chilling. I am not a heavy drinker nor drink for drunk. I drink to have some relaxation before the end of the day. Like when you came home from work, when you opened the beer can, it gave you some relaxation. Still, I do not drink everyday for fearing that I will have a big belly krub. 

The most charming point of beer in my view would be its gas – does people call it gas krub? You know, when you drink it, it will give you a refreshing feeling (doing the fizzing sound). Do you get it? (LOL). The first time I drink beer was when I turned 21. I was practicing a dance, it was a very tiring day – and then my dance teacher suggested to me that when I get back home, I should take a bath and then have a cold beer, so I tried it. After a bath, I took my most favorite and comfortable pajamas, I blew my hair for around 50% - I give you so much details (LOL) – and after that I was sitting with a chilling music and turn-off the light, then opened the beer can (doing the can opening sound) – it’s like I got an energy from the opening of the beer can, and when I drank it – I felt its fizziness down to my toes (LOL). It is a feeling that I never had before, even though I had lived for 21 years, so I like to drink beer ever since krub.

HB: When you are tired or discouraged, what gives your good motivation/encouragement?

BB: In the past, there were many things krub. At present, if I answer that it is my family, it will be just like in other interviews so let’s say that lately my encouragement comes from my current happiness krub. I have debuted for 9 years already, there were many dreams that have been come true, and some that I am still on my way to reach them. Other than that I think it is despite a case where though you are tired from our work, but then realized that we are in the life we used to dream of krub. My most important motivation is that I should try to cherish the thing I have, and it gives me a feeling like – to be able to stand at the place where I am now, I am explosively happy so I should not feel discouraged from a petty thing. If I stop doing my current work, I will have to go back and live the way I used to be. The feeling and idea that I should be happy with the things I currently have really lessen my stress and make me feel appreciated and thankful with the smallest things I have in my daily life krub.     

HB: Does being a Thai in Korea give you any implication to a journey to your dream? 

BB: Not at all krub. In the past, it might be, but for now, I think I get used to it. I lived in Thailand for 12 years, and then stayed in Korea for another 12 years – half to half actually so I get used to it. Moreover, now, many Thais become idols in Korea [I will give you the list below krub (LOL)] so I think Korean people are accepted Thai people more krub. There might be some cases where at first they do not get used to Thai people, but it has changed now. Also, Korean people like to visit Thailand for their vacations so it is like they are more accessing to /adapting to Thai customs, so it does not give any implication to me now krub.

HB: Will there be a chance for us to see BamBam in any new role like an actor? 

BB: Oh! That will be hard krub (LOL). Actually, right now, after I started my solo career for 2 years, whether it is advertisement, music or other things, I want to show my music style to everyone first before I start other career path. Therefore, it will not happen soon krub (smile).

HB: Will you participate in activities or works in Thailand more?

BB: I think I visited Thailand a lot last year – every month, I think. For this year, I had already told some of my fans that I think many fans think that I visited Thailand too many that it might bores some people, so I think that after May this year, I will not return to Thailand until next year krub.

HB: We believe that Thai kids or kids elsewhere which have dream also looking at you as one of their idols, do you have anything to tell them?

BB: I think I may not be at the point where I can be deemed as their dream idol krub, but if I can give a suggestion, I would say if you have a dream to be this or that, you should try to imagine yourself in such position, and then imprinted it within your mind - and then one day your imagination will come true – just like doing some tricks to make things come true. For example, if you wish to stay in your dream home, try to imagine about it – it might take 5 years, or 10 years, but one day your imagination may come true – So I would like everyone that have a dream to try imagine about that moment and always keep it in your mind for your whole life krub.

PDF version: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10Qgm4T3_hIRaySROSin9BscAQzGOb6fz/view?usp=share_link Original article: Harper’s BAZAAR MEN Thailand 2023 Translated by kissdatbam may contain slight inaccuracies

[lihikainanea]

do you also find the whole alida, second baby, south africa thing weird or is it just me? like why has she disappeared online? why have we not seen anything from her or her sisters or anyone about this pregnancy when we did the other and why is she flying right before she's due (against doctor's advisement) to another country to give birth? I mean... it's weird. the circus got weirder and I didn't know that was possible at this point. xD

Listen, it's a freakshow. But it's their freakshow.

I get it, she's an easy target both of completely her own doing and not at all her fault. But let's keep it in perspective and not turn it into too much of a witch hunt--medically, air travel is mostly fine for pregnant women up until like, 4 weeks before they give birth. Airlines will still allow pregnant travellers who are that late in their pregnancies, and at most it just takes a doctor's note certifying that you're in good health.

I'm not pregnant and I've never been pregnant and won't speak on behalf of pregnant women, but I can tell you that most of my friends enjoyed a glass or a half a glass of wine on occasion when pregnant and most drank non-alcoholic beer too.

Women can choose whatever the fuck they want to do with their bodies, I don't care.

But if you're asking if I think it's weird? yes, I think it's weird as fuck. I have no idea why anyone would want to fly so far from home, leave their friends and family, and give birth in a whole ass other country that doesn't speak your first language. I don't care how rich you are, that's a weird thing to do. If you need urgent medical care, if your infant needs urgent medical care, it's just such an added stress to not be in your home country and not be able to communicate as effectively as you need to. In a time when I would assume you'd want access to your full support network, I don't understand why they're seeking the exact opposite.

But like, I don't have to understand it. I don't have to be okay with it or think it's normal or want it.

Because it's not my circus, or my freakshow, and it's not my monkeys. Do I think they're weird as fuck and absolutely nuts? Yep. Does it matter? Nope.

[faggotmox]

oh fuck i'm abt to talk abt growing up the child of alcoholics with a bryan as an older brother so scroll on or hit read more, i do not care.

my moms drank herself to death. she drank our whole lives & well before it. my dad too but he's a passive drinker. anyways, the point being my mom was fucked up, she had mental health issues & came from a physically & emotionally abusive home. as a child she was kept from her father after her parents divorced, her mother beat her at times, & she often had to protect her little brother who is kinda slow.

guess what kinda environment she made for us? my moms never laid hands on us, but she abused emotionally & mentally. the shit she did always raised alarm bells with me (crawling into my bed, drunk at early hours as she cried abt how she's a bad mom to me & things along these lines). my brother did not see these things are red flags or alarms.

my mom & I were my brother's only blood relatives here bc my mom took him from his dad after her divorce & moved across the country (huh kinda like how her mom kept her from her dad after their split, huh???). my dad was a fine father to us (aside from the drinking & queerphobia) but he was only my brother's dad by default which is proved now after my mom's passing & my dad doesnt really want anything to do with my brother.

anyways, my mom was all my brother had. so there was always an excuse or a reason why what she was doing was okay or fine or didn't matter. ofc we never had big blow up abt shit, bc in real life people just die they don't have big dramatic bullshit. but bryan's point of view, his excuses, his reasoning, runs parallel to my brother's feelings & place. i was the one trying so hard to get him to see, so he didn't get fucked up by her. i never wanted to like cut my mom out, maybe get her help but yeah she died before that, i just didnt want my brother wrapped up in her issues which caused issues in him.

i the kid that realized i was an alcoholic & got to work on that. my brother didn't, he still doesn't see what she did & we are going five plus years post death by drinking. & we watcher her kill herself, she was told to stop drinking & she pared down. drank "only" beer & wine, nothing hard, & ofc that was still making her sick. she eventually got sick enough she couldn't drink really.

so much of the emotional charge between regal, bryan, & mox, all people who have first hand experience with life threatening addiction, is so fucking real. if youve never been in it, like we have, you may not understand the pain these three are sharing & presenting to us. ive been mox holding onto the rope, shaking & wanting to plead for bryan to see but knowing he wont. ive been bryan, blinded by the love of someone important & special something unconditional. & ive been regal, a drunk who has hurt the people around me.

god that fucked me up. but it did it's job. it got under my skin, it triggered me & forced me to deal with certain feelings ive compartmentalized. as a person who has lived, in a way, every aspect of this story they're telling...its accurate & it hurts & its fucking painful & it's good. as hard & painful & unwanted as this is for me, its also good for me. & as someone who cant fathom putting that out there, on a national stage, i respect what they're doing bc it must be fuckin hard.

i lost over a year's sobriety on October 25th. i only got a few weeks under me anymore. & in a way this reminded me that it's going to relapse, that it's part of recovery, & i can move forward from here. its fuckin dumb that this shit can work, like when it's something you want to & need to see, art can work really well to help you realize shit. it fuckin sucks but im not alone. my mom wasn't alone. my brother isn't alone. even if we don't quiet see it.

[effingut23]

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