#you will be inevitably laying on ur back watching the clouds and listening to ur friends....

[jejciu]

thoughts on picnic food. what are the best options for hypothetically having a picnic with you

Hi żmijko hope ur having a wonderful weekend :-)))))))) hope u don't mind me dividing it into two categories!!!

1. Drinks

Due to warm weather (bc who is doing picnics when it's cold) it's a bad idea to have either hot drinks or cold drinks. I know it's good for u to like drink tea and other hot beverages to match ur body temperature better so u feel less hot in the long run, but let's be honest, it kind of sucks. But also so does soda. I don't think I've ever had a single soda that tasted good after sitting in the sun for more than 10 minutes.... So honestly to me, plain water is good enough :-) it's good and refreshing. Also, I especially love having picnics next to body of water (although then u have to handle the bugs.....) so u can actually put the bottle in the sand when it's still heavy enough so the water cools it down from the outside hehe.

When it comes to alcohol, as long as ur picnicking in a cop-free area and have an option for a cooling bag or something, i love pre-made drinks :-) ofc not bought pre-made drinks, but ones made at home, with just the perfectly customized amount of alcohol that u like the most. I like daiquiris and mojitos for hot summer days, they don't feel too sticky and they're very easy to make (and I tend to sip them slowly so they don't run out as quickly) :)!! Adorable water bottles are the best for that purpose, too. At least u don't have to worry about delicate glass or cans that can explode in ur bag.

2. Food

My no.1 picnic food are sandwiches. Absolutely absolutely sandwiches. Any dark bread, really, but never buns (I don't know why tho, they just don't feel picnicky enough)! Never with anything that spreads or can melt easily (except for butter), always slices of meat or cheese or veggies :-) besides sandwiches, i also like pasta or salad with chicken, turkey or tuna :-)

but other than that, i loooooooooove fresh fruit and veggies. Like I love it so much. I love strawberries, cherries, or grapes (the absolute BEST to have at picnics), but I also adore having sliced tomatoes with just a bit of salt and pepper, as well as cucumbers and carrots cut into long stripes!!! They're just crunchy enough and esp cucumbers are also perfectly watery. Also red radish is yum yum :-)

It's also really weird when people bring salty (or even chocolatey????) snacks tho. The only exception I'd make for sunflower seeds, but then there's the whole issue with throwing out the shells, u gotta prepare a little bag or something but in my experience it usually tries to float away constantly so it's just too much bother. But chips or popcorn?????? Like come onnnnn why are some people doing this. What are u thinking. Fatty foods have no place at picnics!!!! They're fine for movie nights but not here!!!

And last little thing that I really appreciate are the ice candies :-) I have no idea why but I adore having ice candies while on a hot day outside. I usually carry gum or mint candies with me but ice candies are just...... SO perfect for after picnics. I can't explain it they just match so well with like the after meal relaxing. Although u do have to make sure to check if they're not melting together....

Anyway thank u for asking my sweet little darling słoneczko it's such a lovely fun thing to daydream about 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

[azuchifairy]

The Corpse Bride

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13672392/3/The-Corpse-Bride

“Big blue eyes, captivating, enticing, yet strange..” 

this chapter is dedicated to @unvalley​ 

Chapter 3: His Mother’s Ring

Gray was steaming with anger, “I can’t believe his nerve. Why can’t he ask me what I want?!”

He kicked the ground watching the stones roll over and the leaves rustle. Shoving his hands down into his pockets he continued into the forest. He tried to clear his head but it was inevitable that when he went back he was going to meet a potentially worse fate. It had finally dawned on him, how he was supposed to live his own life when he was just playing along with his father’s wishes? Gray wasn’t looking for a wife, he just wanted her to come along when it was supposed to happen. What he really wanted to pursue was his immense talent in magic, like his mother. When Ur tried to show his father Gray’s skills, he waved it off regardless of her opinion.

His fit of rage had him distracted until he noticed something about his surroundings. With nothing but the sound of the rain in his ears he looked through the trees. There was a sensation that someone was watching him, and it was completely undeniable. His shoulders tensed and he tried to look through the trees and the rain. There was nothing to catch the rain above so it was hard to make out exactly what he was seeing, but it looked like a dark shadow floating above the ground only a few feet away. It took him by surprise when it’s red eyes glowed in the coming darkness that he jumped back. When his foot landed, it crunched something instantly.

He looked down to his foot and saw a bone cracked in half that looked too large to be that of an animal. Taking his foot off and rotating to his left he saw where the bone had originated and thought for a moment that he was dreaming. Only inches away sticking out of the ground was a human skeleton with many of the bones cracked and eroding away. Gray gasped in horror and stepped back quickly, almost losing his balance.

“No way..that can’t be..” He said in disbelief. Intertwined with the sound of the rain were the cawing of crows that landed on the thicker branches of the bare trees. Their black eyes bore down into him as lightning flashed overhead. Gray shook his head vigorously, still convinced he could be dreaming, but when he looked back down to check if the skeleton was still there more had appeared.

“Gah!” He shouted with his whole body now on high alert for escaping. Being amongst the dead was not a good omen, it was one of the number one rules amongst magic users. Do not tamper with the dead. Chills ran down his spine from the rain drenching his suit and the temperature dropping. He never felt bothered by the cold, but this was different from cold.

He spun around trying to remember which way he had entered the forest, yet received no sign of where it was. All he could think of is trying to get out before he ended up like one of the skeletons in the ground. Then out of nowhere he felt a pressure on his shoulder that felt like someone had their hand there, however from his peripheral vision he saw no such thing. An eerie laugh could be heard resonating through the forest, definitely from a woman. His heart was beating loudly in his ears and his throat felt so dry. The only thing he could think of was breaking into a sprint.

He hoped that the forest would break and he could get the hell out. Of course he didn’t want to be around his parents, but he preferred them to skeletons and shadows. The rain seemed to let up slightly and Gray heaved out another breath from how hard he was running. The suit was clinging to his body making it even harder to move in that he needed to take a breather before continuing. He leaned against a tree trunk and turned around to make sure he wasn’t being followed.

Then it appeared again, the butterfly from the entrance. It floated around him leaving a trail of frost in its wake giving him the instant fact that it had to be his mother. He lifted his finger out watching its wings flap through the air towards him. The butterfly landed on him, twitching its antenna slightly when it perched comfortably.

Gray whispered to it as he panted, “C’mon mom, help me out a little, just here. Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll get me out of this place.” He always believed that his mother was listening and watching for when he needed help.

Just as he was going to turn around again to check he saw something curious on the forest floor. The butterfly flew off his finger in that moment and dipped down towards the object before it fluttered away. As he bent down to get a closer look he noticed it was a ring. It had a brilliant blue gemstone and a silver band that looked very familiar. It was gorgeous and his curiosity got the better of him when he realized it looked similar to his mother’s wedding ring. Gray picked up the ring and held it up to see it better. The rain washed off any dirt that was on it, but it was in perfect condition, like time hadn’t touched it. All fear left his mind from the notion that something was connected to his mom.

Suddenly the gem on the ring began to glow and shine beams of blue light through the trees and rain. Gray cried out and dropped the ring while trying to cover his eyes from the blinding light. As he backed away he tripped over a tree root and fell backwards into the dirt. He groaned in the mudd shaking his head from the residual light that had bothered his eyes. Oddly enough the rain subsided as if someone turned it off and the clouds lifted to reveal the full moon overhead. The feeling that someone was watching him had left as well and it was replaced with a gentle presence. Gray lay there gazing up at the moon when he heard a soft sound and pressure over his heart. As he sat up further, there was a woman slowly lifting her head off his chest with groggy eyes.

She held her head for a moment, as if she was in pain and then raised her head slowly to see Gray and her eyes grew wide instantly. She took in a small gasp and looked around as Gray stared at her gazing downwards to her hands on his chest and her body placed between his legs. She appeared strange, her skin was slightly grey in color and her hair was a delicate periwinkle shade with deep blue eyes to match. She was in a white dress as well that looked a bit tattered at the end but seemed to resemble a night gown.

When she looked back to him and their eyes connected, he felt a blush on his cheeks. Not only could it have been from her chest touching his and the pressure of her body on him, but she was beautiful despite her strange appearance. She was probably the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, he couldn’t pin why he felt so breathless. Her eyes were so big and curious as she looked at him yet also bashful as if she didn’t know what to say. He was frozen in his place only holding up his body from his elbows.

“Who are you..? Where did you come from?” He asked finally.

“Juvia is...” She glanced down shyly, “you are.. Juvia’s fiancee.” She picked up her ghostly pale hand to show him the blue gemmed ring on her finger. He was certain it was his mother’s, but he had absolutely not a clue what it was doing on her.

“Fiancée?! What? Wait, I don’t even know you?” Gray exclaimed in fear noticing her inch closer. She stopped abruptly, “But our souls connected, so now we are to be connected through marriage as well.”

“But I don’t-!“

“Oh! Your ring fell off!” She said and suddenly she reached behind him to pick up his ring in her fingertips. He watched her take his hand with a sweet smile, not even knowing he had dropped the ring. Gray didn’t stop her as she slid the ring on his finger and an ethereal blue glow radiated around both their rings.

“With this ring, Juvia makes you hers..” she said in a soft tone. At first it sounded like she was joking and he was just stunned in place.

Suddenly the glowing got brighter and then stopped all together. The silver band felt like it was glued to his finger and before the panic settled in he tried to pull it off. No luck, it really was stuck on him. Gray thought he was losing his mind. He thought he was dreaming, like his father caught up to him and knocked him over the head. That’s what he was seeing, she wasn’t really there, neither were those skeletons earlier. She couldn’t be. It just had to be some kind of dream. He tried to keep himself calm, if she really was there it had to be the work of magic so magic could make it right again.

“Oh..” she said breaking him from his thoughts. She was gazing down at him thoughtfully, “Juvia spent so long in the dark.. that Juvia forgot how beautiful the moonlight is.”

The soft light on his face captured all his features, including a small scar above his brow. His dark eyes reflected the glow of the moon and doing so captured her heart entirely. She felt like all that time she had missed him so much.

“In the dark..? Hold on just wait one second. What are you talking about?! Who are you? And why is this stuck on me?!” He persisted in frustration.

She laughed and his heart skipped a beat, “Juvia told you already, silly. Oh! But what should she call you?”

“G-Gray.. just Gray is fine.” He said bashfully looking away even though she didn’t answer his other questions.

“Well, of course. ” She gushed in a dreamy voice. She noticed that he couldn’t get up because of her, “Oof, sorry, couldn’t help myself..”

As she sat up and she rested her hands on her knees and watched him get up onto his feet and brush off his now muddy suit.

“Gray-sama, you already look dressed for a wedding! So you did come for Juvia after all!” She cheered holding her face. “How soon can we get married?”

He tried his hardest not to groan while he wiped his face in exasperation. It seemed like the topic of marriage just continued to follow him everywhere and his day just got even harder. In his foul mood he would've been faster to show attitude, but he already knew he would feel bad if he snapped at her. The only thing truly protecting her was her connection to his mother. With a sigh Gray ruffled his damp hair back into its normal style, “Keep dreaming, come on get up.” He said holding his hand out to her, “You’ve got some explaining to do.”

Her eyes twinkled at him as she took his hand and he helped lift her up from the ground. She stumbled forward like a fawn however, and he caught her against his chest making him blush.

“Juvia’s sorry, Gray-sama. My legs, they hurt a little..” She said with her eyes lulling slightly. Leaning her head into his chest Juvia was instantly calmed by his warmth and scent alone.

“Juvia?” He asked as she tried to push herself up. He heard her wince softly and before he could take another breath he was catching her in his arms. Her body was limp and she was excessively cold, in a way he had never felt before.

“Juvia!” Gray shouted, “Damnit, she fainted..!” Now he had an entirely other problem on his hands as he lifted her up in his arms like a bride. It was then he realized she didn’t appear to be breathing. Gray swallowed hard fearing there was much more to this than meets the eye. The entrance of the forest was suddenly visible again and the trail of the butterfly was seen leaving the trees.

***

After Gray went through the painful stealth mission of getting Juvia into his estate without anyone seeing him, he laid her in his bed. She looked so peaceful, like she was dreaming. He moved the blanket up over her and paused for a moment noticing the ring on her finger looked different from before. The gemstone no longer shimmered like it did when he first picked it up, it was still pretty nonetheless but it lacked the brilliance he remembered.

A knock on the door startled him, “Is that you young master?” the voice of a servant said.

“U-Uh, yes it’s me. I’m just about to change!” He yelled over his shoulder running towards the door before it could open. He cracked it slightly and smiled awkwardly at the servant.

“I’ll let your father know you’ve arrived safely once he returns, is there anything I can do for you?” The servant asked looking rather skeptically at Gray. He had to have noticed that he was full of mud and soaked.

He swallowed hard, “Just make sure no one comes in here for the moment. I need to be alone. That’s all.”

The servant nodded, “Whatever you wish.”

Gray closed the door as the servant walked away and sighed in relief. Leaning up against the door he checked on Juvia again to see her curled up on the bed still fast asleep. 

He knew he needed to consult his mother’s journals and some books she kept that might help him understand what Juvia was before she woke up. They were up in the attic where many of his mother’s possessions were stored. As he left his room closing the door very carefully he was greeted by the person he wanted to see the least at the moment.

“Going somewhere, Gray?” they asked with a smirk in his tone. Gray sighed heavily and turned around to see his step brother, Lyon Vastia.

“None of your business. I’m in the middle of something that I have to fix.” Gray said pointedly and noticed a pink haired girl next to Lyon who stood innocently by.

“Oh come now Gray. I bring my fiancée here for you to meet and you can’t spare a second? This is Meredy, and this is the Gray I’ve told you about.” Lyon said.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Lyon always has a lot to say about you.” Meredy giggled.

“Whatever he says isn't true. Sorry, I’m just caught up at the moment. Nice to meet you but I really have to go.” Gray responded curtly.

He pushed past both of them and headed up the stairs to the third floor of the house. It was rarely visited by anyone unless they were adding to it so Gray would be able to privately search.

Lyon and Meredy watched as he rushed off and shrugged to each other, “Gray usually likes to get himself mixed up in impossible situations.”

As they were about to pass his door they heard a soft yawn and the pair looked at each other curiously.

***