#fruit choice + milk variety

[heavenlylie]

how you lost the girl - part 2

pairing: jenna ortega x fem!reader

summary: Jenna's unexpected return forces you to reflect on the choices that led to the events of the past.

warnings: this is sad..

word count: 2.2k

a/n: i wasn’t going to make a part two but here we are! i wanted that angst to be resolved but i got carried away again so...

The alarm buzzes, but you don't stir. Your heart aches for her warmth. Your eyes remain closed, mind clouded by dreams of Jenna's soft skin and the sound of her laughter.

Three weeks had passed since the day you last laid eyes on the brown-eyed brunette. Her sudden reappearance in your life reignited old feelings within you, making you question yourself and all of the decisions that led to this moment.

The morning sun streams through the window, casting long shadows across the empty room, it's eerily quiet without Jenna's presence. The air is stale and heavy, clinging to the walls like a shroud that refuses to be shaken off. The sheets are cold where she used to lay, the side of the bed that she had claimed, still holding onto the heat from her body.

The closet door creaks as it opens and closes, revealing the neat row of sweatpants and shirts that once were pressed against Jenna's curves. The room feels cavernous without her. If only she hadn’t showed up, you were doing just fine without her. Why'd she have to just show up at your door after all this time?

You dressed slowly, each movement deliberate and calculated, as if you were walking through water, trying so hard not to think of her. You pour yourself a bowl of cereal, the milk swirling softly as you stir it into the bowl, but there's no joy in the simple act. The spoon clinks against the ceramic as you eat, each bite tasting like ashes in your mouth.

You look out the window, but all you see is the blue sky and the trees with orange leaves - a reminder that winter is approaching, and Jenna isn't there to share it with you. The day drags on as you go about your routine, each task feeling hollow and meaningless.

The weight of Jenna's absence hangs heavy in every corner of your existence. The once vibrant colours that adorned your life have now faded to muted shades as if the world itself mourns her absence. Each passing moment only intensifies the ache within you, the longing for her touch consuming your every thought.

In an attempt to distract yourself from the overwhelming emptiness, you decide to take a walk through the park. The crunch of fallen leaves beneath your feet echoes in the silence, a haunting symphony that mirrors the broken rhythm of your heart. As you wander aimlessly along the winding path, memories of Jenna flood your mind.

You remember how she used to laugh, her melodic voice weaving through the air like magic. Every joke was accompanied by a playful twinkle in her eyes, and the sound of her laughter was enough to make your soul soar. But now, even the echoes of her laughter feel distant and unattainable.

Lost in your reverie, you find yourself standing before the place where you had your first date with Jenna. The wooden slats of the bench have weathered over time, but the memories of that day remain vivid in your mind.

You can still feel the nervous excitement that coursed through your veins as you sat down beside her, unsure of what the future held for the two of you.

A bittersweet smile tugs at the corners of your lips as you take a seat on the bench. You close your eyes, allowing yourself to be transported back to that moment. The scent of freshly cut grass mixed with the subtle fragrance of Jenna's perfume fills your nostrils. The warmth of her hand in yours sends a tingle up your spine, igniting a fire within you that still burns, despite her absence.

"I didn't know what was your favourite fruit," Jenna said, pulling out a big Tupperware with a variety of fruits. "So I just brought a fruit salad." She said with an awkward chuckle, scared of your reaction to her extreme efforts to give you the best first date experience.

Things might’ve gotten a bit out of hand; the picnic at sunset in a secluded area of the national park, the different types of food just in case you had an allergy, small pillows to make sure you were comfortable, fairy lights on the bench behind you and across the blanked she had placed on the grass.

You couldn't help but smile at Jenna's gesture, feeling a surge of warmth filling the void within you. Her thoughtfulness and attention to detail were part of what drew you to her in the first place. As you picked up a piece of fruit from the Tupperware, you marvelled at the explosion of flavours in your mouth - a perfect blend of sweetness and tartness.

"I love it," you replied, your voice filled with sincerity. "You didn't have to go through all this trouble, but I'm glad you did."

Jenna's eyes sparkled with joy as she leaned closer, her lips brushing against your cheek in a gentle kiss. The softness of her touch sent shivers down your spine, reigniting the fire within you that had been dampened by her absence.

As the sun began to set behind the mountains, casting a warm orange glow over the park, you and Jenna sat in comfortable silence. The chatter of birds and rustling of leaves provided a soothing soundtrack to your thoughts.

"I wanted to make this day special," Jenna whispered, her voice laced with vulnerability. And she had succeeded. From the thoughtful picnic to the stunning view of the sunset, everything about this day was perfect.

You turned towards Jenna and took her hand in yours, interlacing your fingers with hers. "It's more than special," you said, sincerity dripping from your words.

Jenna's smile widened as she leaned in for a kiss. But just as your lips were about to meet, a loud noise shattered the peaceful atmosphere. You both pulled away, startled by the sudden disturbance.

"What was that?" you asked, scanning your surroundings for any signs of danger.

"It sounded like fireworks," Jenna said, pointing towards the sky where colourful sparks were now lighting up the darkening sky.

"Fireworks?" you echoed in confusion.

Jenna grinned mischievously. "I may have arranged for a surprise fireworks show," she admitted sheepishly.

Despite yourself, a laugh escaped your lips. "You really went all out for this date."

Jenna shrugged nonchalantly. "I just wanted it to be perfect for you."

As you watched the dazzling display before you, you couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by Jenna's thoughtfulness and love for you. At that moment, surrounded by nature and with Jenna by your side, you realized that this was where you belonged – with her.

The last firework faded into darkness and there was nothing left but the sound of crickets chirping in the distance. You turned back to Jenna and cupped her face in your hands before leaning in for a soft kiss.

"This has been an amazing day," you said as you pulled away. Jenna smiled, her eyes shining with affection. "I'm glad you think so," she replied, her voice filled with warmth. "But I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of something even more incredible."

The words hung in the air, heavy with possibility. You gazed into Jenna's eyes, seeing a future filled with love and adventure. 

The emptiness that had haunted you earlier was now replaced with hope and anticipation.

"I think you're right," you said, your voice steady with conviction. "I'm excited to find out what the future holds for us."

Jenna leaned in closer, her breath mingling with yours as she whispered, "Me too."

In that moment, time seemed to stand still. The world around you faded away as your lips met in a kiss that spoke volumes. It was a kiss filled with promises and dreams, sealing the bond between you and Jenna.

With an exhale, you open your eyes and gaze out at the park. Children laugh and play on the playground, their innocent joy serving as a stark contrast to the heaviness in your heart. You watch as couples walk hand in hand along the path, their love radiating from them like a warm embrace. A pang of longing shoots through you, a reminder of what you once had with Jenna.

It has been months since that perfect first date in the park. Months since Jenna brought light and laughter back into your life. But circumstances beyond your control forced you to part ways, leaving only memories and unspoken promises behind.

As you sit on the weathered bench, the weight of Jenna's absence becomes unbearable once again. The once vibrant colours of the park seem dull and lifeless.

You find yourself wondering if you made the right decision and if letting go of Jenna was truly for the best. The taste of regret lingers in your mouth like bitter medicine, seeping into every crevice of your being. You can't help but question if you will ever find happiness again.

"That is the most stupid Halloween costume I've ever seen!" You said laughing at Jenna's costume as she twirled around in her makeshift ghost attire. She had draped a white sheet over herself, cutting out two eye holes and a crooked mouth that seemed to dance with mischief.

Jenna's laughter mingled with yours, filling the air with joy. "I thought it would be fun to go as a classic ghost, you know, for old times' sake," she said, her voice muffled by the sheet. "Plus, it's easy to put together."

You couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth in your chest as you watched her playfully float around the room. Despite the heaviness in your heart, Jenna had always been able to bring a smile to your face. It was as if her presence alone had the power to chase away the shadows that lingered within you.

As the night grew darker and eerie jack-o-lanterns flickered in the distance, you and Jenna ventured out into the neighbourhood, hand in hand. The air was crisp with a hint of autumn, carrying the scent of fallen leaves and the promise of Halloween mischief. Children ran from house to house, their laughter echoing through the streets as they collected candy in their baskets.

Jenna's excitement was contagious, her eyes sparkling with childlike wonder. She would skip ahead every now and then, her ghostly sheet billowing behind her as she approached each house. You couldn't help but smile at her infectious enthusiasm.

As you walked together, memories flooded your mind - memories of past Halloweens, carving pumpkins and getting lost in corn mazes. Halloween had always been your favourite holiday, and Jenna knew just how to make it even more magical.

You stopped in front of a house decorated with cobwebs and fake spiders, a cauldron of candy sitting on the front porch. Jenna turned to you with a mischievous smile hidden beneath her ghostly disguise. "Trick or treat?" she asked, her voice filled with love.

You chuckled and nudged her playfully. "Come on, Jenna. You're not fooling anyone with that ghost costume." Jenna's eyes widened in mock surprise as she slowly closed the space between you two. "Oh no, my secret identity has been revealed!" she exclaimed, feigning distress but with a loving look on her face.

You couldn't help but be captivated by Jenna's playful spirit. The way she embraced the whimsy and magic of Halloween, reminded you of all the reasons why you fell in love with her in the first place. At that moment, standing under the dim glow of the porch light, you felt an overwhelming surge of nostalgia mixed with a renewed sense of hope.

You reached out, your fingers gently pulling back the sheet that concealed Jenna's face. Her eyes sparkled with mischief and love, and you couldn't resist leaning in to capture her lips in a tender kiss. It was a kiss filled with shared memories and unspoken promises - a reminder that even though time had passed, your connection was still strong.

As you pulled away, Jenna's ghost costume slipping off her shoulders, you were struck by how beautiful she looked in that moment - vulnerable yet radiant. "I think I love you," you whispered, your voice brimming with emotion.

Jenna's eyes widened in surprise, her lips parting slightly as she took in your words. A soft smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and the air between you seemed to crackle with an electric intensity.

"I think I love you too," she murmured, her voice barely audible against the cacophony of laughter and whispers echoing through the night. Her confession hung between you, delicate and shimmering like a spider's web spun with moonlight.

In that instant, all doubt and uncertainty melted away. The weight of regret that had plagued you vanished, replaced by a sense of purpose and determination. You knew deep down that this moment was a turning point.

That was last year, Halloween was just around the corner again and you knew it wouldn't be the same without her. The memories of that magical night with Jenna still haunted your thoughts, and the ache in your heart grew stronger with each passing day.

The thought of Halloween without her by your side was absolutely soul-crushing. You had tried to move on, to fill the void left by Jenna's absence, but no one could compare to her. She was the light in your life, the one who made every moment feel like an adventure.

As the days grew colder and the leaves turned shades of orange and gold, you found yourself wandering through the streets, feeling lost without Jenna's hand in yours. The world seemed to carry on around you, oblivious to the emptiness that consumed your heart.

#jenna ortega #jenna ortega x reader #jenna x reader

[teddy-bear-scribbles]

Obey Me Datables Breakfast HCs

Lucifer-

•He's canonically not a morning person, so he wouldn't have much energy

•He'd make coffee how you like it though

•if you don't drink coffee probably pour some juice for you

•He would be very appreciative if you made him breakfast in bed instead

Mammon-

•He normally doesn't cook breakfast for people, beyond when it's his chore, but for you he'd make an exception!

•He wants to make you a classic breakfast in bed, bacon and eggs

•Got a bedside table so you can eat in bed

•The bacon is a bit salty and extra crunchy, and the egg isn't the best

•He gives you a glass of milk and tells you it's because humans need the stuff in it for their bones to grow

•you're unsure whether or not to tell him human's bones stop growing after a certain age, which you're likely past

Levi-

•He does have some cooking expertise, he wouldn't make it often

•when he does though, it'd probably be something like an omelette with a picture drawn in ketchup on it

•he wouldn't bring it to you in bed but he'd still surprise you with it

•in contrast to what you think, he'd probably draw something more suited to your taste as opposed to something ruri chan themed or anything based on one of his interests

•especially if your interests are nerdy like anime

Satan-

•Makes a slightly more complicated breakfast for you like eggs benedict

•Also brings it to you in bed

•If you're willing he'd probably feed it to you

Asmodeus-

•Despite what you might think he'd put a lot of effort into learning to cook breakfast for you

•He'd make something like a sweet crepe

•He'd spend hours trying to make it perfect and aesthetic for you

•Offers a variety of fruit for you to put on it at your own discretion

•Also a healthy smoothie, probably mainly strawberry

Beelzebub-

•He's not much of a cook, but he learned that humans sometimes make their partners breakfast in bed

•He didn't realize it typically meant cooking it yourself so he probably got akudonalds or something like that

•He thinks sharing food with you is romantic, it's his way of showing his trust and love for you

Belphie-

•Makes fried eggs and slightly burnt toast

•He would improve over time as he continues to do it

•Also gives it to you in bed, sits/lies next to you while you eat as you have casual conversation

Diavolo-

•I think he would be an absolute disaster in the kitchen

•It would be a wreck

•Barbatos does most of the cooking so he never really learned

•Its the thought that counts though, I suppose

•He probably got ambitious and tried to make waffles and french toast

•Barbatos is now teaching him to cook

Barbatos-

•This man is a master chef, it's canon, he could cook a 5 course meal for breakfast

•But realistically? No

•He would covertly learn your preferences and make breakfast suited just for your tastes and dietary needs

•If you have no drink preference, he'd make a different tea each time, so you can continually try new things

•He puts flowers in a vase as decoration

•He uses flower meanings when choosing which to use

•"Peonies represent good fortune, I hope this may inspire as much for you today."

Simeon-

•He'd make his signature pancakes, syrup and butter on the side if you'd like

•His voice is extra raspy in the morning

•also brings you your drink of choice

•If you have no preference, orange juice

Solomon-

•fucking RUN.

•C'mon be serious

•"Good morning MC, I made you breakfast in bed." From Solomon is the start of a horror movie

•I know some people say they'd try his cooking but it's literally canonically lethal and makes demons sick

•You are not built different

•Maybe just, make breakfast in bed for him, instead.

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me satan #obey me solomon #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me lucifer #obey me simeon #obey me diavolo #obey me headcanons #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me barbatos #obey me asmodeus

[frostycatblr-fandom-files]

Sorry, Wrong Comms! : Hunter x Medic!Reader [Chapter 12]

Warnings and Information: Intended audience is 13+ (18 if you squint). Should know the drill on my use of Mando'a, italics and my headcanons by now if you've been following along with the AU series this far. Star Wars and real-world swearing. Last chapter starts with an undefined time skip. Dinner at the Batcher's and poor Omega’s sick. Hello again Captain Rex! Blaster injury leads to an after-hours visit to the clinic. Some "Protective Brother Energy" from Rex in multiple forms, including some Anger™. Brief mentions of medical paraphernalia including bacta and an auto-injector. Lots of flashback dialogue. Compromise and good brotherly stuff all around. You want MORE domestic Clone stuff to end this series with?! You got it! Hunter's room got a mini-makeover with a very special little edition. Hunter is so “whipped” for Medic!Reader, you got him trained and everything to take better care of himself. Couple of suggestive lines and lots of soft!Hunter.

Word-count: 6,259

Hunter carefully collected the dishware from the table and set them in the sink after stopping it up to let everything soak for a moment. "Good chow, Echo. Thanks for doing the cooking tonight." he smiled appreciatively, patting the ARC trooper on the shoulder before rolling his sleeves up tight across his toned forearms to keep them out of the waterline as he got the dishes clean.

"Of course. Thought we could use it after a day in the heat, for most of us. Appreciate the help too, [____]!" Echo calls out into the common area, squeezing past his brother with a damp cloth in hand to wipe down the counters. 

"Happy to help, Echo. And dinner was definitely different, but delicious." she calls back in a jovial tone. "Do you want some more nuna noodle soup, Omega?" 

"Not really… not feeling very hungry." Omega murmured distractedly, and there was a sound of shifting fabric that was nearly missed by Hunter's ears under the sharp trill of Echo's communication device clipped to his belt. 

Breep-reep-reep!

"More messages with the Captain? At this hour?" Hunter asks, recognizing the sound. "Guess that also means he's back." he added as Echo stopped what he was doing to read the exchange. 

"...hurt, too." 

Hunter let the surprise get the best of him and he swore. Something about the hint of worry in Echo's voice. "Oh kark. How bad is it?" 

Hey brother. Know of a good bar open around this time with a good variety? Got a real itch for some Green Milk Coolers.

"... that's your code?" Hunter knew that Rex and Echo had, likely, regularly strategized together during the Clone Wars, but a whole code based around galactic drinks and the best planets to find them on? That seemed like an odd choice. Echo only chuckled weakly. "Not our best work, sure. But it works." 

"Can you ask him what his ETA will be?" He should go out into the common room of the house and cut [____] in on the deal. She was busy talking with (or to) Omega about some pictures, sounded like, so Hunter wasn't sure if she'd heard about the possible situation while she was keeping his sister company. About three days or so now, Omega had woken up and stumbled into the rest of the house, notably looking rather miserable. No infectious, sunny smile so early in the morning for a kid her age. No appetite, either. And then the sniffles started, the first big clue of a coming fever. 

His sister was curled up in [____]'s lap, cheek planted on the medic's shoulder as she snuggled into the woman's chest for comfort, the pair loosely wrapped in the blanket together on the two-seater. In [____]'s hands she held her datapad, thumbing through her pictures and showing them to the little, blonde Clone in hopes of distracting and soothing her. "Hah! Look at this one. Cross looks so serious in this one, doesn't he? I'd feel nervous if I was that fruit that had the nerve to be so expensive and spoil so quickly before he had a chance to enjoy them. Those were probably my favorite shots that day we spent on the mining planet." 

It was a beautifully composed shot; Cross was settled on one knee in the shade of one of the shu'ah trees, the other leg kicked out slightly in front of him for balance, the saffron-orange hills of the desert landscape behind him slightly out of focus in the background. The stony expression may have suggested that the marksman was bored of this, or even angry in the picture, to the unfamiliar. But Hunter only sees the concentration in his brother's face, the little, cocky smile that would be hidden by the stock of the 773. 

"Your pick, doc."

"The jogan fruit next!" 

"Yes ma'am." A sharp ping! punctuated the silence after the sniper's purred reply, and the round fruit ruptured with the force of the shot, purple, syrupy juice staining the rock used in the shooting bench Wrecker had built for his brother. 

"Nice shot, Cross. Fifth one, right?" 

"Mm.You know what that means." Echo, Wrecker and [____] shared a little laugh together as Hunter dutifully took another pull from his hydropack. After Crosshair had had his nap, and [____] was certain that Hunter was not flirting with improper hydration anymore after resting inside the Havoc Marauder, they decided to keep everyone accountable; they'd all take sips from their water every fifth shot to keep their fluid levels up. 

Omega picked her head off of [____]'s shoulder slightly to look up at her brother as he came around behind the two of them to look at the photo as well. "Hi, Hunter…" 

"Hey, ad'ika. Sounds like we need to steal [____] from you so she can go help Captain Rex." Hunter said, tenderly smoothing down the little one's hair before laying a kiss into the crown of her hair. 

"He's back then, sounds like. How badly hurt do we think he is?" the medic asks softly as Wrecker picks up their sister, offering to take a turn to cuddle with Omega. Hunter shrugs, "Not sure, he hadn't told Echo, far as I know." 

She stood up, smoothing down her clothing, a tell that she was prepared to get to work. "Might not say 'til we meet him down at the clinic, either. So let's just be prepared for anything."

A recent mantra of sorts that she and the family of Clones had adopted. Their collective future in this galaxy was so uncertain, so unstable, so they should be prepared for the hard, dispiriting stuff. The chance that maybe, possibly, it wouldn't be safe for the Clones here anymore, and they'd have to pack up and leave this spaceport behind in the middle of the night (and [____] would be left behind). But they could also prepare for the possibility of a happier, brighter future. 

A future where maybe, possibly, if they played their cards right… they could all live together, like a family. Damn the Empire: find a way to prevent them from establishing their hold here, and Hunter and his family wouldn't have to spirit away in the night. The seven of them could stay safe here, together; dare they hope for it, forever. 

Echo stepped out of the kitchenette before Hunter spoke, "Okay. We'll walk there with you. Sounds like Rex wants to see a few of us for a "drink" besides just you, kid." She nodded agreeably, sharing a glance with him before Echo jogged into his bedroom to grab a few items. "That's okay. He probably wants to say hi to his brothers; make sure you're all okay and put his mind at ease."

Five of them found Rex pacing anxiously outside her clinic, one hand sweeping through his closely-shaved blonde hair again and again as a means of soothing himself, glancing around. They had to be careful for any possible Imperial walking around at this time. This wasn't exactly a squeaky-clean space port, but it certainly wasn't as seedy as a place like Mos Espa could be. (Or, was that Mos Eisley?) 

Don't call him Captain, don't call him the rank, remember the script, she reminded herself, gently clearing her throat as a warning, walking ahead of the other four, who would enter the clinic after her through a side entrance once she's unlocked the door. "Thank you for being patient, sir. We can step inside and get your prescription for back pains sorted out now that you're off your late shift." 

Rex's shoulders perked sharply, coming to attention now that he knew [____] was here. He could let his guard down slightly, trusting he was in good hands. "Th-thank you, ma'am. I appreciate it, truly. The larger health center couldn't fill the script so soon, and- Maker, not everyone would come back to help someone after they've gone home for the night…I appreciate it." He looked so genuinely relieved, the emotional lilt to Rex's voice was not part of the script. Working open the front door, she let Rex in ahead of her before stepping in afterwards. 

"Glad you're back safe, Rex… They've been worried about you." [____] said, offering a comforting hug, mindful to be ginger since she wasn't sure where he'd been hurt or how bad it was. "'Course, it's not just your little brothers. Otherwise I wouldn't have agreed to help you on the down-low as well as them." 

"I really do appreciate it, [____]." Rex echoed his earlier segment of the script, shoulders slumping further the longer she embraced him. (Stars… how long had it been since he'd last had a friendly hug?) "Should probably go let the others in." Breaching the side entrance once it was unlocked for them, Echo, Tech, Hunter and Crosshair joined Rex in the windowless waiting room, each greeting him. 

Echo and Rex embraced longest, arms tight around their brother. "Good to see you safe, Captain." 

"Glad to see you safe too, Echo." 

Too late, [____] realizes that all the chatter in the waiting room will activate her medi-droid. It's hard to blame the blonde Clone for instinctually raising his blaster in the direction of the warm-up chime.

Ba-bing!

Zrrrr-oop!

"Easy, Captain. That's the droid Tech just repaired for her." Crosshair warns with a gentle chuckle, pushing the muzzle of the DC-17 to aim at the floor instead. 

The 2-1B strides forward, moving smoother than they ever have before to address prospective clients. Tech hadn't just fixed up her medical assistant, but made things better. "Greetings and apologies, but I am afraid we are not open at this time."

[____] laughs, patting the chest plate of the medi-droid fondly to disarm them. "It's just me and a couple of friends, Patch." 

"Oh, Miss [____]! I am sorry, I didn't realize it was you. I woke up so quickly from my charging port I did not get a chance to properly adjust my optical-" Maker, how she missed Patch and the unique way they fretted. Why did she stubbornly avoid breaking that karking warranty for so long? She should have let Tech repair Patch so much sooner. 

"Your droid is nearly finished. We will be able to go back home once I've… replaced this very mangled bolt. Those pirates really did a number on P4TCH." 

"Hey, no worries, Tech. Thank you again for repairing "Patch". I-I know I've been saying it a lot, but I just… While I was gathering things with Hunter last night I saw poor little P4TCH tucked in a corner of my back office and thought about what Crosshair said again. Decided to stop avoiding it and just go to someone I trust, rather than someone on the approved list that was supposedly warranty-friendly." 

"I am happy to help a friend, as I have also kept saying. Besides, I looked at the wait-list…"

"Lemme guess: not quite so reputable like they claim? Or… it would have been a very long wait."

"Yes. And the repair wait-list is currently two standard years out for this droid's manufacturer and provider."

"Shit!"

"That is what I said too. Now… would you like to place the last bolt, [____]?" 

The 2-1B series droid makes a sound that comes across a lot like a soft "oh" that makes the medic chuckle softly as she asks Hunter to get the lights turned on in her back office so she can treat Rex somewhere that offers a lot more privacy than one of the examination rooms with a window to the outside. "It's okay, Patch. Don't worry. You can go back to your charging port while I take care of a friend real quick. I insist." 

It might not end up being a real quick affair, in truth. Rex had requested that Tech and Crosshair show up so they could provide him with advice from their areas of expertise for a future plan he had in mind for the Rebellion to, hopefully, do some serious damage to the Empire.

"What do you mean by selling Echo for 2000 credits!?" Rex roared with disbelief from the other room. Maker, thank the stars she'd invested in soundproofing her clinic after Clone Force 99 had dealt with her little pirate problem. Someone out in the street might have heard him at such a volume, otherwise.

"Er, C-Captain Rex, you missed the extra "zero" at the end here… It should read twenty-thousand credits. Which should be more than enough to acquire weapons on most aftermarkets for the rebel fighters and the liberated Clones from the transport ship who've gone into hiding." Tech offers meekly, ducking his head when [____] steps back into the back office and passes everything off to Hunter with a practiced motion. 

Captain Rex does not look pleased with any of them, least of all the genius. "Th-that doesn't make it better! He is your brother! This is wrong!" 

Echo stays silent, lips thin as they are pressed together while he simply just listens to the Captain ream the entire plan laid out to him. He figured Rex wouldn't like the idea, and had warned Tech but… holy kriff. Crosshair has smartly kept his mouth shut, not saying a word even when spoken to, something Hunter warned her about when [____] got an emergency call from the Captain just twenty minutes ago while enjoying dinner and their company afterwards at the batch's housing.

Captain Rex loved every brother he ever served with, but there'd been a lot of evidence to support him having an especially strong attachment to a few in particular that included Echo.  

"Captain Rex was not afraid to throw punches when Crosshair called Echo "just another Reg" on the mission to find and extract him from the Techno Union if we could back on Skako Minor. It didn't help that Cross questioned Echo's loyalty after being left for dead on another mission during the Clone Wars. Something about a… cannon blast on Lola Sayu, right?"

"I do my best not to blame them: not exactly like they had the best circumstances to look for a body with the kinda hell that operation went to…" Echo said with a shrug, eyes fixed ahead as they took the long way around to her clinic. 

She'd whimpered pitifully at the thought of that. "O-okay that's enough of that… I've heard enough. Can't be a kriffing mess to take care of an emergency patient…" 

[____] has seen since meeting the Captain just how fiercely and deep his protective nature could go and the lengths at which he was willing to keep his brothers safe even if he wasn't their Captain in an official capacity anymore. He's going to shout himself red in the face given his way. She simply motions behind her to Hunter and he drops the item in her hand as she mentions it. "Mind the bacta spray, Rex." 

The blonde Clone hisses sharply when the mist hits the burned skin of his upper arm, breaking him out of his sixth rendition of "you are not going to "sell" Echo dressed as a military prototype droid!" with the shock of the chill, thanks to the cooling agent in the compound. "I did warn you..." [____] murmurs with a sympathetic smile. "Let me know if you're not quite numb in about… five minutes." Hunter keys in the increment into the timer, selecting a sound other than the default. "Can I get you anything to drink for the moment while we wait? Or perhaps a ration bar?" Now that the Captain had taken a moment to calm down, she could see he looked just slightly pale, weary and shaking as the adrenaline flushed itself out of his system. 

Hunter shook his head at the Captain as he began to speak, registering the look he's come to recognize in his significant other with much practice at this point. "No thank you, [____], I'll be-"

"Sorry, but "No" is not an option, Captain." Hunter warns him. He's come a long way since complying to the leftover compulsions of his already lower-than-average adherence to obedience within Clones by using rank quite so habitually like he once did. So has Rex, but sometimes, only sometimes, does he roll out the rank when talking to other survivors of the Clone Wars. "She means business." Hunter adds, nodding his head knowingly at [____]. A nod that tells the Captain to trust him, he knows what he's talking about. 

She understands Hunter's turning the floor back over to her, biting back a grateful smile for his help. "How long's it been since you've had something to eat, Rex?" The uncomfortable silence was enough to tell her it'd been long enough. The "simple recon and supply smuggling" must have gone on longer than the Captain and his other network members had initially anticipated. Or, it had been completed within the timeframe, and he hadn't been taking care of himself since. His blood sugar levels must be low and contributing to the tremor he's developed. "Okay: I see how it is. Need something more than a ration bar, then. Cross? Mind running back and grabbing a plate for Rex?" 

"... sure. I'll be back." he says in a muted voice. He's still acting cagey, not exactly eager in the first place to have walked with Tech down to the clinic when Rex had asked to hear the plan.

"You know your weapons, Crosshair. I want someone I trust to tell me what to look for in the aftermarkets after Tech goes over the plan you boys have pieced together so far." 

The plan had been an exercise of compromise and trust. Hunter, admittedly not much closer than before to coming to a decision in his involvement with confronting the Empire when he was concerned about keeping his sister and now a girlfriend safe and undetected than before the transport ship incident, had come to Echo with an idea on a data drive. 

"Hey, about the Captain's second mission… I'm not going to find myself on a list of brilliant strategists any time soon, but I think it would be a good way for you to assist him. I know you've been asking about how those in hiding now are adjusting. Take a look. See what you think and get back to me on it. I won't be offended if you tell me it's karking stupid." 

"You… you mean it? Even if it really is 'karking stupid'?" Echo had teased him, turning the data drive over in his hand to inspect it.

"I mean it. You wanna help Rex. Don't let me stop you from going just because I'm not quite as ready and decided still." 

Wrecker is the one who comes back with a tidily wrapped plate and a couple of "special short-term rations" instead of Crosshair five minutes after there's an on my way message from the marksman. 

Nodding to the blaster injury, Wrecker mumbles a sympathetic "Hey, Cap'n. That doesn't look good…" before initially handing him the generous portion of Tatooine Terrine and Ahrisa. He hesitates seeing the twisting expression of grief in Rex's face. 

Oh, right: General Skywalker of Tatooine… whatever had happened to him… had been Rex's commanding officer during the Clone Wars. That was a stupid thing to forget that some of his brothers had (oftentimes) taken interest in the native planets of their nat-born Generals. Captain Rex had probably been one of them. "Er… sorry Rex. Maybe you should take one of the vac-sealed sandwiches instead." 

"It's… fine, Wrecker. Just how come you came back with the food when Crosshair went to get it?" The boyish giant just grumbled incoherently while scratching around the back of his head, stepping to the side when [____] needs the sharps bin after giving the Captain a final stim shot. He wasn't sure how to answer, but thankfully she could find a way to satisfy the Captain's inquiry. "Omega doesn't like being home alone. So on the occasion the other five take on a job for credits that takes more than a few days off-planet, she gets to hang out with me and Spoon at my place. Crosshair probably just thought he'd let Wrecker come say hello and do a better job of explaining the vac-sealed rations he's made while keeping Omega company." 

Rex's face morphed into a confused frown. "How come Omega's not-" his gaze swung around to Hunter, eyebrow lifted high, "Omega never misses an opportunity to say hi. Was coming here to the clinic for a simple patch job really too dangerous for her to come along?" (What had happened this time that caused his brother's new-found protective streak to flare up that Omega didn't get to come? He'd hoped to give something to her…)

Hunter's jaw drops to say something, but he's waved off by both [____] and Wrecker. "No, nothing like that, Rex. Poor baby's got a stubborn case of the sniffles and mild fever she's trying to get over. Made it all the way through the usual season of various bugs that come crawling through this little spaceport without a scratch, but guess her luck just ran out." [____] frowns sympathetically, sharing a little look with Hunter. 

He's got shadows under his eyes from not sleeping so well the past two nights back at his place; the door to his bedroom open so he can better keep an ear out for his sister amidst the hum of the humidifier and the drone of the sound machine in her room. Every other little sound from the occasional pawhp! as the house settles to someone shuffling into the kitchen for some water jolts him awake each and every time. 

"Ah," Rex frowns, looking equally sympathetic, "poor little mite. Well, uh, let her know I hope she feels better soon." Maybe he'd give her the item some other time. 

"Can do." [____] promises. "Alright… that should be everything to take care of the blaster burn; anything else I can do for you while you're here, Rex? Afraid I don't have a bacta tank… just yet," she pauses and gives Tech a conspiratorial wink, "but I can probably manage most other things just fine." 

Rex finds Echo's eye before asking one simple question. "JOAT-med?"

"JOAT-med. Good advice and helpful talk-therapy, too." Echo simply confirms, and it suddenly explains a lot to the Captain without the need for additional questions. Hunter can't stop himself from breaking into a wicked grin, so proud of his girlfriend as [____] stood there chuckling nervously with a humble smile at the praise. 

Proud of her ingenuity and creative solutions that, much like some of Tech's ideas, often left him scratching his head. Proud she found resiliency and strength even after the hard, unhappy days time and time again just like Wrecker. Sharing the feelings of pride with Crosshair that some of the sniper's lessons about understanding your limits and knowing how to work with yourself rather than against have stuck (that she'd become more comfortable in being assertive and advocating for herself around Imperials). Proud of both her and Echo for strategizing and initiating that system together in the first place.

Hunter was proud of [____] for so much. 

Stars, he loved her so much. 

[____] pulls the bedding up to Omega's shoulders, running a hand over the youngster's hair soothingly. "Goodnight Omega. Feel better soon, okay? Hope you sleep well, sweetheart." The fever-reducer had successfully made the budding cough settle down enough that she could now get some rest with any luck.

"Goodnight…" Omega mumbles into her pillow, head hardly down long at all before her eyes are closed.

Footsteps soft, the medic plods across the room and turns on the humidifier and sound machine. Swirling, storming waves and thrumming rain. The soundscape is so deeply ingrained in every Clone, no matter how far they were flung across this expansive galaxy. 

When she's done there, she turns down the hall to her right from Omega's door and joins Hunter in the back bedroom, knowing exactly where she'll find him. The new, level-footed desk, gazing at the artwork hung above it on a freshly repainted wall.

A butterfly and a beautiful flower native to Kashyyyk. 

Soothing Sage. 

He's so absorbed in the line art Tech had rendered from his record of the joint-effort doodle she had made with Omega in the past that she's not immediately acknowledged when she steps in. "Heeeey, handsome… Omega should hopefully be sleeping soon. Came to say goodnight before I head home, Hunter." 

Hunter now looks at her, a soft pinch in his brows to go with the longing look that washes over every feature. The glance over his shoulder as he turns sideways in his chair to better face her is not missed. The neatly made bed is clothed in two beautiful shades of green that have replaced the old sheets. The second pillow he keeps next to his up against the headboard. The quilted, jewel-tone weighted blanket sits on top of the footlocker at the end of his bed; the expensive one with cooling technology she'd gotten for him to make their nights apart easier the longer they've been together. He hasn't used it the past two nights since his sister's gotten sick, however. 

"Could I convince you to stay…?" Hunter doesn't want her to leave - he never does, that is far from new but it is especially true tonight. The sunken skin and discoloration under his dark eyes adds to the persuasive power of the doleful and pleading look she's fixed with. He needs sleep. Not a nap here and there throughout the day to make up for the lack of adequate rest, but proper sleep. He looks at [____] imploringly, trying to find a compromise or some suggestion to break her silence while she stands over him, pinching open a blister packet to a mild painkiller tucked in one of the drawers as he's seated at the desk. 

She's mulling over her answer as she tries to prevent a headache for Hunter before it properly takes hold. (If he thought he'd hidden all the signs that the odor of the disinfectant was triggering a headache from her, he was mistaken.) 

She shrugs softly. "Maybe."

"At least… until I'm sure Omega's asleep?" he asks, hoping to quash the desperation he feels surging in him, the glimmer of hope in potentially convincing her. [____] plants the pearlescent pill in the palm of his hand, tucking his fingers around it. "I'll think about it while you take this, okay?" Hunter nods softly and obediently gets up to collect some water from the kitchen sink when she gives him a look to remind him he's not meant to dry-swallow the medication. "Right-right, sorry; old battlefield habits. I'll be right back."

Crosshair clears his throat softly from the neighboring room once he hears that Hunter left and shortly after something has him distracted in or near the kitchen. "You, uh... need some help with that, vod?"

"Hey. Doc." 

"Yeah, Cross?" She side-steps an inch closer to the wall, hearing the marksman do the same. She can imagine the roll of his eyes even through the wall as he speaks. "I'll keep an ear out for Omega tonight. Make sure the idiot gets some sleep, [____]." 

She blinks, surprised. "You're staying up?"

"Putting together more information for Echo to give to Captain Rex. I'll drop by your place and make sure your Tooka's fed if it means you stay." 

"Cross..." [____] sighs gently, touched. She'd been debating running home to grab some sleepwear and set Spoon up with food and water for the night in case she'd forgotten before joining her boyfriend and his family for dinner after hitting the 'fresher at home. She knew Hunter must really need that sleep if Crosshair was volunteering to deal with Spoon. 

Crosshair was getting slightly more insistent with the medic now. "I mean it, [____]. I will." 

"Okay, okay… I'll stay. Thank you. I hope she won't give you trouble." Spoon was getting more used to the snarky sniper, but she wasn't exactly curling up in his lap like when Hunter came to visit, either. 

The marksman chuckles gently. "Don't worry about me." Both hear Hunter returning from the kitchenette and slowly ease the door open down the hall to poke his head in Omega's room. He'd be back soon. "G'night, doc."

"Goodnight, Cross." [____] calls after him as he steps from his room, squeezing past Hunter as his brother carefully plods down to the end of the hall and pulls open the door. 

Kriff, he's adorable when he pouts. "O-oh," Hunter stammers when he steps back into his bedroom, watching as she hinges at the waist and hoists the heavy, jade-green blanket up on the bed, "so you're going home, then…?" Blanket meant he'd be sleeping solo and he hadn't convinced her this time. Dammit. 

But she surprises him; shaking her head, pulling the second, quilted cover across the bed once she's gotten it unfolded and dropping the second pillow he kept around for her near his before she drops to sit on the side of the bed. "No; I'm staying. Come on in and close the door, handsome. Crosshair offered to keep an ear out for your sister so you can get some sleep." Her dominant hand reaches to tenderly caress the side of his face when he comes closer and sits beside her, the pad of her thumb gingerly sweeping over the sensitive skin under his eyes. His eyes flutter closed and his head leans into the steady, trustworthy hand that cradles it. He trusts her so absolutely. Wholly. 

If you had told this son of Kamino that one day he'd leave his mother-world and find someone he would trust outside of his brothers (all of them really, but especially "his" batch) with his very life, Hunter would've looked at the wall full of tallies and just shaken his head. "Cute, but I don't think so. That's not really for me." A hundred-percent success rate didn't come with trusting so carelessly. Not just anyone could step into his accelerated life and offer to help take care of his brothers. A sister in the sea of perhaps a million brothers with "unaltered" first generation DNA. Himself.

"Y'know… I realized something." 

"Yeah, what's that?" 

"Wrecker was the one who put that hole in the panel in the attack shuttle's medbay, right? I know he and Tech tried to fix it, but-"

"Oh, yeah. Big guy and the nerd started getting antsy about it after I wasn't able to keep anything down by day six. Panel was just too kriffed and the scanner results were screwy. I started to get violent and paranoid-" 

"And that's when-"

"Tech found us the nearest planet with a small but highly recommended medical center to see if they would help." 

It felt too twisted and upsetting to credit the parasite that was trying to kill his brother with how their life ended up now. It felt like blame to thank Wrecker's moment of distress in ruining a part of their ship that forced them to seek out external help. Would it be appropriate to thank the mysterious power and the strange workings and will found in the Force, perhaps? Who really knew; who could really say? (In the end, did he really care about trying to puzzle that out when the sensation of her fingers in his hair felt so heavenly?)

At some point in time while he'd been lost in his thoughts, he found he'd been relieved of the red bandana, and it was neatly laid aside on the bedside furniture on top of his datapad. "[____]..." he moans breathlessly, his upper body melting against hers involuntarily when her hands reach to cradle the back of his head. "I don't have a headache, sweetheart…" 

She shushes him softly with a sage smile. "Uh-huh. Tell me to stop, then." Not expecting to be challenged, Hunter sits there, growing increasingly more dependent on her supporting him upright the longer he's silent. Every. Kriffing. Time she plays with his hair, nails grazing across his scalp and fingers trailing through his hair from root to end, he ends up falling asleep. He doesn't know how she does it. Not even Omega could figure it out when she tried doing the same for one of his headaches since [____] tried showing her how the day she didn't open her clinic and went with them to that mining planet instead. 

But Maker help him if he was going to ask her to stop. "Yeah… that's what I thought, handsome. Lay down now. Time to get some sleep." She turns off the bedside light after nudging him to scoot towards the wall, not bothering to change out of her comfortable clothing since showering a second time that night to rid herself of the antibac and disinfectant smells. She was so considerate of his heightened senses, gestures like these never failed to make him feel so loved. Cared for. 

And he felt so protected on the rare occasion his girlfriend pulled a role-reversal on nights like tonight, making him the little spoon in bed, one arm tucked around his waist comfortably, the other up near his head with her hand in his hair as she laid her cheek against his shoulder blade. "We really should to get you a pair of sleep clothes to keep here, one of these- ohhh kriff…" Hunter bites down the moan under his breath when her hands went from root to end at the top of his head, feeling the tension melt out of his neck and jaw at last. 

[____] had done this the night she and Hunter had gone to the concert for her favorite intergalactic band and he spent the night at her place instead of his. Echo, Tech and Omega had kicked him out of the house for the day so they could put a fresh coat of paint on his walls without the odor becoming bothersome for the expert tracker. Crosshair and Wrecker had tasked themselves with getting some new furniture and putting it together. The music group wasn't exactly his taste in music, perhaps, but Hunter vaguely recognized a song or two. 

He'd just been happy to spend time together with her. Hear that word out of her mouth for the first time, too, in reply to another concert-goer over the thumping bass and vocals.

"Hey, your friend has a pretty sick tattoo!" 

"Oh, he's not my friend! But yes, my boyfriend's tattoo is pretty "sick"!" 

Boyfriend. 

He no longer avoided calling [____] the same in kind; girlfriend. The word came so naturally, tugging his lips into a smile nearly every time. By Kamino's endless seas… Hunter loved her so much. 

"Picking up a bacta shipment for my girlfriend, her name is-" 

"Oh, really flattered, but I have a girlfriend and I'm very happy with her… And my brothers and sister really like her too." 

"Hey, buddy, you best step off if you know what's good for you, I heard she's taken." Someone stopped him in the shipyards once when she was getting ready to board her medical vessel, having volunteered herself to a week off-planet in assisting with intergalactic humanitarian efforts against a virus that was only affecting certain species. "Yeah, taken one of my shirts that I need later in the week, it turns out. That's my girlfriend." Hunter had returned the favor, drawing himself to his full height and leaning forward in the man's face to intimidate him. 

The man's warning was no noble act, because in truth he had been the one sniffing around [____]'s clinic and the shipyards with potentially ulterior, malicious motives. She had voiced her concerns on a couple of occasions that something about this creep was setting her teeth on edge every time she saw him. She very well could have been right about the man. Thankfully they never found out, because he'd never troubled her again to Hunter's knowledge.

"Sorry, Hunter! Gimme one second!" 

"No rush, mesh'la. I understand you're making sure you have everything you need to make people feel better. Like say after a bad fall." 

"What was that, handsome?" She hadn't heard the growled threat the unorthodox Clone had leveled the other man's way, and he hoped to keep it that way. Not out of shame, necessarily. Just didn't see the point in reminding her about the nuisance. 

There were more important things to remind [____] of, before he was completely asleep. (Maker, how was she so good at this?) "Mm... mesh'la?" 

"Yes, Hunter?" 

"Does Cross know to give Omega another dose in six hours?" 

"Wow…" she chuckles softly, a pleasant, almost tickling sensation he can feel through her chest against his back, "thinking of trying to sleep in tomorrow, are we?" Hunter yawns, wiggling deeper into the new mattress before he'll fall asleep very shortly. "For now…" 

"Heh. We'll see about that. Goodnight, handsome." [____] remarks knowingly, tucking her hand under her head as she too made herself comfortable. They're laying there, still and content, for several minutes before someone cuts the thread of silence one last time before sleep takes them both.

"No matter what the galaxy brings or where the future takes us… I love you." 

"I love you, too. Nothing in the galaxy will stop me from doing so…" the other promises before they both fall asleep and dream of their future together. 

Taglist: @dragonrider9905 @ladytano420​ @the-hexfiles @ilovethosebrowneyes9904 

Note from Frost: Well, that’s all folks. :’) With a hopefully nice ending for you to imagine for yourselves just how sickly sweet your happily ever after with Hunter ends up. 🩷  

I appreciate everyone who’s liked, commented and reblogged over the course of this series more than you could imagine as I’ve been getting my head back in the fanfiction game. Requests are now officially open for the time being, so check my pinned Masterlist for guidelines if you’re interested. 

If you’d like to be in the tag-list for those kinds of things or all my SW works [perhaps sans OC stories], please don’t be shy and let me know. Much love.  🩷

[PREVIOUS] [Masterlist]

#frostfics #Sorry Wrong Comms! #sw tbb fanfic #tbb fanfic #tbb x reader #tbb hunter x reader #tbb hunter x you #hunter x reader #tbb hunter #hunter tbb #tbb headcanons #sw tbb #star wars au #star wars fanfiction #star wars x reader #x reader #tbb crosshair #tbb tech #tbb omega #tbb wrecker #tbb echo #tcw captain rex #tcw rex #captain rex #the bad batch #tbb #clone force 99

[thesims4blogger]

Community Blog: “Become a Successful Property Owner with The Sims 4 For Rent Expansion Pack”

Maxis has shared a community blog with more info on its newest The Sims 4 expansion pack, For Rent.

Oversee multiple residential rentals as you bring neighbors together – literally!

It’s time to open your door to new rental opportunities in the picturesque world of Tomarang! Experience the neighborhood as a Property Owner or tenant – fix utilities, deal with unruly neighbors, create a community and even manage multiple Residential Rentals.

In The Sims 4 For Rent Expansion Pack, players will have the opportunity to build and create a variety of dwellings, including townhomes, duplexes, apartments and more! Players will discover that close living quarters make for some of the most harmonious relationships that will either bring the community together or drive it apart!

Now, answer the door and get ready to discover the drama at your doorstep!

Welcome To Tomarang

Sul Sul, neighbor. Welcome to the bustling city of Tomarang, a scenic world nestled in a lush tropical landscape and vibrant city skyline. In a world alive with possibilities, Tomarang breathes new life into the many stories that can be told in multi-family dwellings. 

Inspired by a unique blend of tradition and modernity, Sims can immerse themselves in this Southeast Asian-inspired world and discover various new exciting community activities. To reflect elements of Southeast Asian culture, The Sims team proudly collaborated with Jason Chu, an Asian-American rapper, social justice advocate and cultural expert with family roots in Southeast Asia, to consult on the For Rent Expansion Pack to deliver more choices with how players explore and express their individuality.

When your Sim needs a break from the hustle and bustle of a big city, they can relax in the green haven of the botanical gardens, visit an animal sanctuary or leave Incense or Fruit offerings at the Spirit House, while child Sims can play Hopscotch and Marbles in the park.

As Sims move into these new Residential Rentals, it’s inevitable that they will get tangled up in each other’s lives. From basement suites to duplexes, Sims can discover drama right at their doorstep as they will have ample opportunity to discover each other’s secrets by eavesdropping, snooping or even breaking and entering.

With so much to chat about, Sims can head on over to the city’s iconic Night Market for an evening stroll. After exploring a world aglow with lanterns, buzzing with vendors, tantalizing foods and unique items, Sims can be inspired to eat like locals at home where they can cook dishes including Khao Niao Mamuang, Tofu Pad Thai, Pancit Bihon, Burmese Samosa Soup and Banh Cuon. After their meals, Sims can enjoy a Halo Halo and a Thai Iced Milk Tea.

It’s time to open your door to new rental opportunities in the picturesque world of Tomarang! Experience the neighborhood as a Property Owner or tenant – fix utilities, deal with unruly neighbors, create a community and even manage multiple Residential Rentals.

In The Sims 4 For Rent Expansion Pack, players will have the opportunity to build and create a variety of dwellings, including townhomes, duplexes, apartments and more! Players will discover that close living quarters make for some of the most harmonious relationships that will either bring the community together or drive it apart! 

Now, answer the door and get ready to discover the drama at your doorstep! 

Welcome To Tomarang

Sul Sul, neighbor. Welcome to the bustling city of Tomarang, a scenic world nestled in a lush tropical landscape and vibrant city skyline. In a world alive with possibilities, Tomarang breathes new life into the many stories that can be told in multi-family dwellings. 

Inspired by a unique blend of tradition and modernity, Sims can immerse themselves in this Southeast Asian-inspired world and discover various new exciting community activities. To reflect elements of Southeast Asian culture, The Sims team proudly collaborated with Jason Chu, an Asian-American rapper, social justice advocate and cultural expert with family roots in Southeast Asia, to consult on the For Rent Expansion Pack to deliver more choices with how players explore and express their individuality.

When your Sim needs a break from the hustle and bustle of a big city, they can relax in the green haven of the botanical gardens, visit an animal sanctuary or leave Incense or Fruit offerings at the Spirit House, while child Sims can play Hopscotch and Marbles in the park.

As Sims move into these new Residential Rentals, it’s inevitable that they will get tangled up in each other’s lives. From basement suites to duplexes, Sims can discover drama right at their doorstep as they will have ample opportunity to discover each other’s secrets by eavesdropping, snooping or even breaking and entering.

With so much to chat about, Sims can head on over to the city’s iconic Night Market for an evening stroll. After exploring a world aglow with lanterns, buzzing with vendors, tantalizing foods and unique items, Sims can be inspired to eat like locals at home where they can cook dishes including Khao Niao Mamuang, Tofu Pad Thai, Pancit Bihon, Burmese Samosa Soup and Banh Cuon. After their meals, Sims can enjoy a Halo Halo and a Thai Iced Milk Tea.

A New Type of Lot in Town

We know apartments and multi-residential rentals have been highly requested by players, and we wanted to ensure that this feature offered enriched and immersive gameplay that expands on the multitude of storytelling opportunities. The Sims 4 For Rent Expansion Pack introduces a new dimension to housing options, enhancing the overall depth and complexity of Sims’ relationships, personalities and experiences. 

For the first time ever in The Sims 4, Simmers can build a fully customizable multi-unit dwelling where multiple Sim families can live on the same lot. This is possible in ANY liveable The Sims 4 world! 

In Tomarang, these gorgeous dwellings feature versatile wooden window shades, homes on stilts near scenic beaches as well as historic bridges. For interiors, there are traditional wood carvings and rattan furniture available alongside traditional Southeast Asian-inspired rugs, chairs, tiles and lamps. 

New Residential Rentals allow a Sim to get creative with fully customizable multi-family dwellings. Give your Sims a basement suite to rent out, create a cozy duplex for close families or even build spacious apartments for large families. 

Community events, like a Potluck and Pool Parties, provide the perfect opportunities for Sims to engage with their neighbors and get a sense of community within their Residential Rental. 

Property Management    

Sims can soon evolve into savvy Property Owners and live amongst tenants or maintain separate residences while generating income from multiple property investments. While being at home can be relaxing, Property Owners may face a tenant revolt if you allow your ratings to slip too low, amongst other potential surprises including insect infestations, and challenges including mold. 

To further immerse players into the world of For Rent, Sims can gain four new Aspirations, five Traits and a new Fear that help create unexpected and exciting stories. Tenants can experience evictions, and as a result, Fears now include a tenant being afraid of being evicted due to misbehavior–but don’t worry, you can always give someone a second chance! 

On the flip side, Property Managers have their own layer of responsibility. It's not all fun and games! Property Owners can visit and do inspections, shoring up any broken objects—including the new Water Heater and Electrical Fuse Box utility objects. No Tenant is going to want cold water or flickering lights.

Sims can also have Aspirations to become the nosiest of Seeker of Secrets, a Five-Star Property Owner, the local Fount of Tomarani Knowledge, or a Discerning Dweller–the best neighbor and tenant ever. To make these communities even more interesting, Sims have five new traits. Sims can be Nosy, Generous, Cringe, Child of the Village and the Elder specific Wise–as wisdom comes with age.

If you purchase the For Rent Expansion Pack anytime from November 2 to January 18, you’ll have access to our Street Eats Digital Content, which allows you to bring the night market flavor home with a grill cart, street umbrella and fruit basket. 

Preorder The Sims 4 For Rent Expansion Pack now to start playing immediately when it launches on December 7, 2023 on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC via EA app for Windows, Origin™, Steam® and Epic Games Store. 

#news #the sims 4 #ts4 #sims 4 #for rent #expansion pack

[danvolodar]

Pathologic and the Town's Russianness: 5

In this last numbered part of the miniseries we'll explore the issue that, honestly speaking, prompted me to write on the subject to begin with: the Town's eating habits, and whether they match those of the historic Russian Empire.

As in the previous parts, a warning is prudent - the Town's unique situation must affect its cuisine as much as the rest of its life. So an unusually large share of meat in the local diets, or the shortage of grains and legumes due to the lack of fields we've discussed prior, cannot be used as indicators of difference.

Still, some amount of grains must be making it into the Town-on-Gorkhon, since they do have bread available. It wouldn't be fair to say it's un-Russian for not having black rye bread, though, since it only makes sense the Town makes do with whatever's shipped in, and it's likely wheat grows better in the climes near the steppe (in the Marble Nest demo the Bachelor even notes that "the local [bread] is greyish in color and crumbly to the touch, making you doubt if it was actually made from grain"). What is decidedly un-Russian, though, is the lack of any buns when there's flour available: pirozhki stuffed with beef or fish, rasstegai, or vatrushkas. Those were the street food of choice in the Imperial Russia, so extremely common, which means not seeing them is a strong sign the Town is not a part of anything like it.

And since we've mentioned vatrushkas - it's surprising that there's no stuffing for it in sight, no tvorog. Then again, there are no cheeses other than the steppe qurt at all, so I guess that can be attributed to that. There's a decisive shortage of diary foods in general: other than milk and tan (ayran), ice cream is spoken about but never shown (but at least it must be available), and kefir (widely spread throughout Russia by early XX century) isn't even mentioned.

But those are all foods one can carry; even if not exactly a cornucopia, they got at least some representation. Cooked dishes, the foundation of Russian cuisine, did not, at all. "Schi and porridge are our food" is a Russian saying describing the commoner diet throughout history; but I don't think I've seen even mentions of any soup or porridge in the game. Vegetables might be lacking for a soup (although I imagine it's pretty easy to catch scurvy with a diet like this), but where there's bread, there must be grains, and where there are grains, there can be porridge - especially minding that there's a source of milk always available to make it tastier.

The fruit and berry variety is even stranger. There are raisins, lemons and coffee beans available, yet the Haruspex has never eatern nor even seen in person a strawberry or a raspberry, both widely cultivated in temperate climate - despite him having studied outside of the Town for years, and likely joining the Army for a while. From that alone, one can imagine that the Capital-based civilization must have a climate radically different from the Russian Empire; further supported by the fact that the railroad to the Town is called "the north-western" one. This could suggest a state somewhere south-east of the steppe zone, in the mediterranean clime maybe.

Finally, while there are as already mentioned coffee beans for the healers to chew raw (like a wild animal would), there is a remarkable absence of the quintessential Russian drink: tea. Neither in compressed bricks, which one would expect in the steppe, and which would be the right thing to bite into, nor as the beautiful brew. Minding that a fancy samovar was a common way of showing prosperity at the beginning of the XX century for the lower classes, the absence of these is also telling. Lack of tea in historical Russia was a sure sign of utter societal collapse, only seen in the worst days of the Revolution - and even then people drank hot water from cups, even if there was nothing to brew with it.

Furthermore, drinking tea necessiates having sweets and confections, and there are noticeably few of these, too. As mentioned, ice cream can be found (in the dialogs), Murky says Sticky made her some candy, and Fellow Traveller calls the coupons he sells "candy wrappers", but that's about it - it would be nearly impossible for a Russian to properly drink tea in the Town to begin with!

I think this factor settles the original question decisively: a Town in which no one drinks tea ten times a day cannot possibly be a part of anything resembling the Russian Empire.

#pathologic #мор утопия

[rainydetectiveglitter]

🌟 The Healthy Choice: Plain Yogurt and Greek Yogurt Over Flavored Yogurt Introduction 🌟

Yogurt is a versatile and nutritious dairy product that has gained immense popularity among health-conscious individuals. While the yogurt aisle at your local grocery store may offer a rainbow of flavors, it's essential to understand why plain yogurt and Greek yogurt stand out as the healthier choices. In this blog post, we'll delve into the reasons why opting for plain yogurt can be a smart move for your health.

Minimal Added Sugar: One of the most compelling reasons to choose plain yogurt is the absence of excessive added sugars. Many flavored yogurts on the market contain high levels of added sugars, which can contribute to weight gain, increase the risk of chronic diseases, and disrupt blood sugar levels. In contrast, plain yogurt allows you to control the sweetness by adding natural sweeteners like honey or fresh fruits, keeping your sugar intake in check.

Probiotic Power: Yogurt's reputation as a gut-friendly food is well-deserved, primarily due to its probiotic content. Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria that promote a healthy gut microbiome. Plain yogurt, whether regular or Greek, tends to contain a broader spectrum and higher concentration of these probiotics compared to flavored counterparts. These friendly bacteria aid digestion, support the immune system, and may even impact overall well-being.

Versatile and Customizable: Plain yogurt provides a blank canvas for culinary creativity. You can tailor its taste to suit your preferences by adding a variety of ingredients, such as fresh berries, nuts, seeds, or a drizzle of pure maple syrup. This versatility ensures that you can enjoy a different yogurt experience every time you consume it.

Lower Calories and Fat: If you're watching your calorie and fat intake, plain yogurt is the way to go. It typically contains fewer calories and less saturated fat than flavored alternatives. You can relish the creamy texture of Greek yogurt while maintaining better control over your dietary choices.

Healthier Ingredients: Plain yogurt is a purer form of yogurt, containing just two primary ingredients: milk and live active cultures. In contrast, flavored yogurts often include artificial flavorings, colors, and preservatives. By opting for plain yogurt, you're choosing a simpler and cleaner ingredient list.

Weight Management: Due to its high protein content, yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, can be an excellent ally in your weight management journey. Protein keeps you feeling full and satisfied, reducing the likelihood of overindulging between meals.

When it comes to yogurt, the choice between plain yogurt and flavored yogurt is clear. Plain yogurt, whether it's traditional or Greek, offers superior health benefits by providing you with control over added sugars, a broader spectrum of probiotics, versatility in taste, and cleaner ingredient lists. By making this simple swap, you're not only taking a step toward better health but also opening up a world of delicious, customizable yogurt creations. So, the next time you reach for that yogurt container, remember that plain is not boring—it's a smart and healthy choice!

🌟 Dressing up your Greek yogurt or plain yogurt can turn a simple snack or breakfast into a delicious and satisfying treat. 🌟

Here are some healthy and tasty toppings and mix-ins to consider:

Fresh Fruits: Add sweetness and natural flavor with fresh fruits like berries, sliced bananas, diced mangoes, or chunks of pineapple. The combination of creamy yogurt and fruity goodness is delightful.

Nuts and Seeds: Boost the texture and nutrition by sprinkling a handful of chopped nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, or pistachios) and seeds (e.g., chia seeds, flaxseeds, or pumpkin seeds) over your yogurt. They provide healthy fats, protein, and a satisfying crunch.

Honey or Maple Syrup: A drizzle of honey or pure maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness without resorting to processed sugars. It pairs wonderfully with Greek yogurt's tanginess.

Granola: Crispy granola clusters are a classic yogurt topping. Choose a low-sugar or homemade granola to maintain a healthy balance.

Nut Butter: Swirl in a spoonful of almond butter, peanut butter, or cashew butter for added creaminess and nutty richness. It's a fantastic combination with sliced bananas.

Dried Fruits: Chop up dried fruits like apricots, raisins, or cranberries to infuse your yogurt with a chewy sweetness.

Cinnamon or Nutmeg: A sprinkle of ground cinnamon or nutmeg can add warm, comforting flavors to your yogurt.

Vanilla Extract: A drop or two of pure vanilla extract can enhance the overall taste of your yogurt, making it feel like dessert.

Coconut Flakes: Toasted or untoasted coconut flakes provide a tropical twist and delightful texture.

Dark Chocolate Chips: If you're in the mood for a touch of indulgence, add some dark chocolate chips for a hint of sweetness and chocolatey richness.

Spices: Experiment with spices like cardamom, ginger, or cloves for unique flavor profiles.

Savory Options: Don't forget that yogurt can go savory too. Try adding chopped cucumber, fresh herbs, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil for a refreshing, savory yogurt bowl.

Fruit Compote: Top your yogurt with a homemade or store-bought fruit compote or jam for a burst of flavor.

Mix and match these toppings to create a variety of yogurt bowls that suit your taste preferences and dietary needs. Whether you prefer a sweet, savory, or balanced flavor profile, dressing up your yogurt can make it an exciting and nutritious part of your daily diet.

#astrology observations #astrology notes #astrology rants #astrology #aquarius placements #cancer placements #sagittarius placements #aries placements #capricorn placements #gemini placements #leo placements #virgo placements #scorpio sun #aquarius placements #libra placements #taurus placements #greek yoghurt #plain greek yogurt #plain yoghurt #healthy eating #nutrition facts #Gut health #healthy living #healthy placements

[xxlittle0birdxx]

The sheer array of choices in the 21st century bewilders Bucky. It’s not just things like the variety of cereal or fruit that are available now, as compared to 1944.

Don’t get him started on milk in the store. Soy, almond, oat, goat. Skim, low fat, whole. Chocolate milk, however is awesome, and he won’t hear any arguments against it.

He launches into a tirade about the dizzying amount of choices in the unlikeliest place: in front of the condom display at Duane Reade. Latex, non-latex… Ribbed… Extra large, for fuck’s sake… And the lube! This one cools, this one heats up, this one is extra slick…

But, but, but…

There are flavors???? Why are there so many flavors??? He scoffs at the idea that the banana one tastes like an actual banana.

Glow in the dark condoms are a bridge too far for Bucky. He nopes out of the store.

Sam can buy the condoms.

#bucky barnes #sam wilson #sambucky #sam x bucky #bucky adjusting to the 21st century #condoms #why do they have to be flavored? #bucky doesn’t care how awesome the sex is #it’s not worth this #the falcon and the winter soldier #tfatws #captain america and the winter soldier #caatws

[adamzack]

Chocolate and Desserts: Explore Sweet Treats for a Delightful Valentine's Day

As Valentine's Day approaches, the quest for the perfect gift that embodies sweetness and love intensifies. What better way to express affection than with the timeless combination of chocolates and desserts? Join us on a delectable journey as we explore different types of chocolates and desserts that make for delightful Valentine's Day gifts.

The Art of Chocolate: A Symphony of Flavors

Delving into the world of chocolates is like entering a realm of pure bliss. From silky milk chocolate to intense dark varieties, each bite is a celebration of flavor. Consider gifting a box of assorted chocolates, featuring a symphony of tastes and textures. Whether your special someone favors truffles, pralines, or caramel-filled delights, the world of chocolate has something to tantalize every palate.

Dark Chocolate: A Love Affair with Intensity

For those who appreciate the depth and complexity of flavors, dark chocolate is a sophisticated choice. Its rich cocoa content offers a bittersweet experience, awakening the taste buds with notes of fruit, spices, and sometimes even a hint of floral undertones. Crafted with precision, a box of high-quality dark chocolates speaks volumes about your commitment to indulgence.

Milk Chocolate: A Sweet Embrace of Nostalgia

For a more nostalgic and comforting experience, choose the timeless appeal of milk chocolate. Its creamy texture and sweet notes evoke cherished memories of childhood delights. Consider a heart-shaped assortment to symbolize the warmth and tenderness of your affection.

White Chocolate: A Symphony of Creaminess

While not technically chocolate due to the absence of cocoa solids, white chocolate holds its own in the realm of sweet treats. Its smooth, velvety texture and buttery taste make it a unique and delightful option. Complement your gift with berries or nuts for a harmonious blend of flavors.

Desserts: Sweet Endings to a Perfect Day

Beyond the world of chocolates, desserts add an extra layer of sweetness to Valentine's Day celebrations. From classic cakes to elegant pastries, there's a dessert to suit every taste.

Decadent Cakes: A Slice of Heaven

Indulge your loved one with a decadent cake that reflects their favorite flavors. Whether it's a rich chocolate cake, a luscious red velvet creation, or a classic cheesecake, a personalized dessert adds a touch of thoughtfulness to your gift.

Exquisite Pastries: A Delicate Affair

For a lighter option, consider an assortment of pastries that showcase the artistry of delicate flavors and textures. From flaky croissants to airy éclairs, each bite is a miniature masterpiece that will leave your sweetheart swooning.

Handcrafted Confections: A Personal Touch

If you want to add a personal touch to your Valentine's Day gift, consider handcrafted confections. Whether it's homemade truffles, cookies, or fudge, the effort you put into creating a sweet surprise will undoubtedly be appreciated.

Conclusion:

In the world of chocolates and desserts, there's a treasure trove of options waiting to be discovered. This Valentine's Day, express your love through the artful combination of sweet treats that will not only tantalize the taste buds but also warm the heart. From the rich embrace of dark chocolate to the nostalgic sweetness of milk chocolate, and the intricate allure of desserts, your thoughtful gift will undoubtedly make this Valentine's Day an unforgettable celebration of love and indulgence.

#valentines day #gifts ideas #gifts #valentine's day #Presents

[seogoogle1]

Nourishing Wellness: Exploring the Principles and Benefits of a Detoxifying Diet

Introduction: In a world inundated with processed foods, environmental toxins, and stressors, the concept of detoxifying diets has gained popularity as a means to cleanse the body, rejuvenate health, and restore vitality. While the term "detox" often conjures images of extreme juice cleanses or fasting regimens, the essence of a detoxifying diet lies in nourishing the body with nutrient-dense foods while minimizing exposure to toxins. In this article, we delve into the principles and benefits of a detoxifying diet, offering insights into how it can support overall well-being and promote optimal health.

Understanding Detoxification: Detoxification is a natural process by which the body eliminates toxins and metabolic waste products through organs such as the liver, kidneys, lungs, skin, and digestive tract. These organs work synergistically to neutralize harmful substances and facilitate their excretion from the body. However, in modern times, the body's detoxification pathways can become overwhelmed due to factors such as poor dietary choices, environmental pollution, stress, and sedentary lifestyles. A detoxifying diet aims to support the body's innate detox mechanisms by providing essential nutrients, antioxidants, and phytochemicals while reducing the burden of toxins.

Principles of a Detoxifying Diet:

Emphasis on Whole, Plant-Based Foods:

A detoxifying diet prioritizes whole, unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. These foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, which support detoxification pathways and promote overall health.

Incorporating a variety of colorful plant foods ensures a diverse array of nutrients and phytochemicals, which have been shown to possess detoxifying properties and protect against chronic diseases.

Hydration with Water and Herbal Teas:

Adequate hydration is essential for optimal detoxification, as water supports the flushing out of toxins through urine and sweat.

Drinking plenty of water throughout the day helps maintain hydration levels and supports kidney function. Herbal teas such as green tea, dandelion tea, and ginger tea can also aid in detoxification by promoting digestion and liver health.

Minimization of Processed Foods and Toxins:

A detoxifying diet limits the consumption of processed foods, refined sugars, artificial additives, and unhealthy fats, which can contribute to toxin buildup in the body.

Choosing organic produce whenever possible helps reduce exposure to pesticides, herbicides, and other environmental toxins commonly found in conventionally grown crops.

Supportive Nutrients and Supplements:

Certain nutrients and supplements can enhance the body's detoxification processes. For example, foods rich in sulfur-containing compounds such as garlic, onions, and cruciferous vegetables support liver detoxification pathways.

Incorporating herbs and spices such as turmeric, cilantro, and milk thistle can also aid in detoxification and promote liver health.

Benefits of a Detoxifying Diet:

Enhanced Energy and Vitality:

By reducing the burden of toxins on the body and supporting optimal nutrient intake, a detoxifying diet can increase energy levels and promote overall vitality.

Many individuals report feeling lighter, more energized, and mentally clear after adopting a detoxifying diet, as the body's natural detoxification pathways are supported.

Improved Digestion and Gut Health:

Whole, plant-based foods are rich in fiber, which supports digestive health and promotes regular bowel movements.

By reducing intake of processed foods and potential allergens, a detoxifying diet can alleviate digestive discomfort and promote a healthy gut microbiome.

Enhanced Immune Function:

A well-nourished body is better equipped to defend against pathogens and foreign invaders. By providing essential nutrients and antioxidants, a detoxifying diet strengthens the immune system and supports overall immune function.

Phytonutrients found in plant foods have been shown to possess immune-boosting properties, helping the body fend off infections and maintain optimal health.

Weight Management and Hormonal Balance:

A detoxifying diet that emphasizes whole, nutrient-dense foods can support weight management goals by promoting satiety, reducing cravings, and stabilizing blood sugar levels.

By reducing exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in processed foods and environmental pollutants, a detoxifying diet can support hormonal balance and overall metabolic health.

Conclusion: In conclusion, a detoxifying diet offers a holistic approach to supporting the body's natural detoxification processes and promoting overall health and vitality. By prioritizing whole, plant-based foods, staying hydrated, minimizing exposure to toxins, and incorporating supportive nutrients, individuals can nourish their bodies and optimize their well-being. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to detoxification, adopting a balanced and sustainable dietary pattern can yield numerous benefits for health and wellness. Let us embrace the principles of a detoxifying diet as a foundation for nourishing our bodies, supporting our health goals, and enhancing our quality of life.

Website: https://cruelty.farm/

https://sites.google.com/view/chronicdiseasereversal/home

https://seogoogle99.blogspot.com/2024/04/vegan-protein-sources.html

#Detoxifying Diet #Anti-Inflammatory Vegan #Cognitive Function Diet #Vegan Athletes #Vegan Longevity

[plantbasedrebel]

What is a Plant-Based diet?

This blog is about my journey and experiences cooking and eating healthy food with my family.

I’m a passionate cook and I aim to take the mystery out of what a plant based diet means. If you are interested I'd like to show you how to do it too.

The Plant Based diet is made up of a variety of grains such as oats, barley, quinoa, bulgar wheat, buckwheat, and rice, legumes such as peas, beans, and lentils, vegetables, fruit, dairy-free versions of milk, cheese and yoghurt, pasta, bread, nuts, seeds and much more. 

I would also like to mention the benefits I have experienced are a noticeable increase in energy levels and all round well-being since committing to eating this way. *Please enter a little disclaimer here about how I can't promise everyone will feel this way.

We simply need to know what to look out for and where, plan ahead and ensure we are reaching our nutritional needs. This goes for any food based plan we follow. It doesn't take long to source all your favourite ingredients based on price, availability and personal choices. We are creatures of habit and usually settle on a series of dishes we enjoy that may vary throughout the seasons. I think of soups and stews more in the winter and lighter meals in the summer. It would be interesting for you to take a look in your kitchen cupboards and fridge right now to see what kind of variety you are currently eating. 

The foods that I choose not to consume are ones that are made from or contain animal products. The "why" is not very important here as I feel everyone will have their own personal reasons for not consuming animal products. I focus on what we can eat instead of what we cannot.

#family #plant based #vegan #veganism #what vegans eat #healthy #energy #variety #meals #dairy free #lactose free #choice #understanding #plans

[dragonsinkwell]

The Day Michael Myers Learns the Horrors of Dark Chocolate

So... I might have fallen into some slasher stuff over my hiatus. I might have finally started watching movies I never saw and my... curious choice in fictional men might have shown up. Maybe. Perhaps. Okay so yeah, turns out I've got a thing for Michael Myers is that really strange of me? This definitely isn't his most in character piece but also, lbh, IC Mikey is just killing people and we can do that another day because if I can get myself writing again after this he's definitely showing up again around here.

There is no chocolate in his cupboard.

There is not a single ounce of chocolate in all of his snack stash and Michael isn't having this.

While there are still quite a few treats left, mostly a variety of candies and a couple clipped bags of chips, none of them contain even a trace of chocolate and that is what he wants more than anything at this moment. He's run through it so quickly this week it takes him by a modicum of surprise; usually, he's more balanced in his unhealthy eating habits than this.

But no amount of stoic staring helps his plight. The half-eaten 'family size' bag of Skittles is unappetizing, none of the flavors of Fruit By The Foot strike his mood, and he knows that even though it's sitting in front of him, there are no S'mores Poptarts left in the box he never bothered to throw away. None of the chips are worth a second glance and for all that Michael does love those Rice Krispies, they're just the normal kind, so there is nothing of worth in them currently.

Michael can't restrain a silent huff of frustration as he lets the door fall shut, not at all interested in doing so quietly as he's the only one in these walls at the moment. He should have shown you before you left for work today, so you would at least be coming back with more. Instead, now he's stuck here hungering for something that isn't here.

And he knows that all too well. This isn't his first desperate attempt to have something manifest in front of his masked eyes in the last hour. His stash is bare of its usual chocolate content, he finished off all his ice cream last night, there's no more syrup to at least make chocolate milk with, and not even a single chocolate chip is left over from your last baking spree. The closest thing to what he wants that exists is your tin of cocoa powder and he is not that desperate.

Not yet, at least.

Unsurprisingly, this lack of abatement for his sweet tooth's cravings is driving Michael to blood lust, which while isn't actually a hard thing to do given his natural bias for it in the first place is a frustration he prefers to nurse under the cover of darkness and it isn't even proper afternoon. He can, and has gone on his 'walks' during daylight before, there is nothing to stop Michael if it pleases him, but he's never as satisfied with his work while the sun is up.

Although perhaps a little breaking into homes might not hurt, Michael thinks, given this is hardly the only home that would ever have chocolate. A two-for-one walk for some blood and treats would certainly scratch the itch quite nicely. But then, would it even be the stuff he wants? Nobody else caters to his tastes as succinctly as you do, and rummaging through any other kitchen would be a full gamble, and putting in work only to find the wrong stuff would only worsen his mood.

Before Michael can decide if this plan would be worth the effort that would go into it versus sucking it up to wait for your return and having you solve the problem, he remembers one specific place he hasn't looked: your snack stash. Normally he never touches it, for a small mix of reasons, the main one being that you've only ever told him that the treats you keep there are ones he isn't going to like and, for the most part, anything he's seen going in there seems to fit that label. Compared to what he always knows is in his cupboard, yours isn't ever worth bothering with.

However, he knows what he saw you take back into your room on the last grocery day. Sitting among those bags of spicy chips and strangely flavored cookies were a small handful of chocolate bars. They hadn't graced his attention then, as he had a whole buffet of his own to play with and Michael isn't an unmerciful man, he's let you live this long, after all, so allowing you some chocolate of your own is hardly a bother when you keep him appeased, but today, today is another matter.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the sweet-toothed killer makes a beeline straight to your room. Generally, he respects your privacy here so long as you can forgive his interesting takes on what the word 'privacy' means, but here in the heat of the moment, Michael doesn't care. You're not here and it isn't like he's going to rummage through all of your belongings; he's only here for your hidden chocolate bars. Plus, if you get testy he'll do what he normally does: nothing. What can you do about it?

Well, perhaps that's untrue, he thinks as he barges in heading straight for where your desk sits and the little mini-fridge and drawer on top of it that sit beside the desk he knows contains your stash. He might at least bring you back an extra something from his next kill, to make up for the loss of candy. Again, Michael likes to think there is some grace in this strange relationship you two have and he knows how he'd take the news of you stealing his candy. Worse than you can, for certain, but it's the thought that counts... or so you always say.

He still doesn't know what it means, but you say it quite a bit directed at him so it must mean something.

Michael yanks the drawer open, not here to play around and to his pleasure there they sit, a stack of three whole, untouched chocolate bars. He's even gotten lucky with them, attention locking on the presence of caramel inside. If there was anything that could ever improve chocolate it's extra sugar and now he's got that in spades. His choice to stay home truly was his best move. Time to indulge himself.

And yes, for this he's certainly going to bring you back something sparkly.

~x~

"I'm home!" you announce as you cross the threshold into your home, on habit more than anything. If Michael is still here and not wandering about the town with a knife in hand he already knows it's you. Still, you have no interest in somehow accidentally startling him, not when he could very literally tear you limb from limb. You haven't seen his 'surprised' reflex and you don't want to. Let that be some other poor fool's fate. "Brought home some stuff from a quick swing by the store!"

The house is silent, not that you were expecting any sort of verbal response, but for a moment you think your killer boyfriend is out doing what he does best: haunting Haddonfield. It wouldn't be particularly strange, so you never dismiss it. If he isn't sitting on the couch watching something, in his room making masks, or just staring ominously out of any visible window, then he's likely out in somebody's hedges creeping about.

However, after living with Michael for so long, several years now, you've picked up a spider sense for him and it is telling you that he remains within these walls. In these walls and, if you're not wrong, definitely unhappy. Dang it. It's gonna be a long night, isn't it?

Without turning to look, you lock the door behind you with your free hand while scanning the front of the house, just to see if you missed him. It's happened more than should be physically possible for a man of his build. But he isn't here, not that you can see.

"Hey, Mikey, where ya at?" You risk using a nickname, a gamble on even the best days, but it's worked in the past when a stalk or kill has gone wrong, the usual culprits for his sour moods on days not associated with anything specific. "Are you hurt?"

You're pretty certain he isn't, mostly since you can't see any blood tracked across the tiles. Curious. If there's no blood, then did he even go out? Michael isn't a man to really care about keeping things clean and if he's got blood on him, it's on your floors and walls, too. Maybe someone got away? It's happened before, just bad luck on Michael's part. Someone else shows up right before he gets to move in and he has to call it off simply because of an interruption. Given his desire to stay out of sight, but never out of mind, that blows his plans more than anything else could. It's not that it has to, but you're not going to question a killer's choice of modus operandi.

Makes you wonder if those people ever know how close they came in that moment to death. Also makes you wonder if Michael goes back for them, specifically. You'll never ask. You aren't truly interested in knowing.

As you pick through the house you're cautious, curious if he's in his room, perhaps. You don't think he'd kill you like this, an ambush in the house, but you're not stupid, either. Every day left alive around Michael Myers is by a very specific choice on his end and you don't have much say on that. You'd like to believe he's something akin to fond of you, after all, he's not exactly living and occasionally sleeping with anyone else, but there's a clock ticking on it. Always has been, and always will be.

But you reach the hallway and his door is left cracked open. You don't peek into the room, but just knowing it isn't closed up tells you Michael isn't there. He's not in the bathroom across the hall, either, so says the lights being off and the door not being fully closed. Which leaves your room or the garage and you're willing to bet good money you know which one of those he'd sulk in.

"Michael? What's up?" you question softly as you push your door open with the hand holding the reusable grocery bag that you never bothered to put down as it's not very high on your mental priority list. "Did something happen?"

Even expecting him to be here, when you step into your room and see Michael standing in the middle of it, still as a statue, you can't stop the shiver down your spine. You didn't believe in auras before meeting him but now you're not so sure. For being entirely non-verbal, there is never any mistaking when Michael is displeased with something, it lingers in the air like smoke, and today he is very unhappy.

Luckily, he doesn't have a knife in either hand, meaning this situation can be salvaged. Or, so you hope. Michael hasn't needed a weapon to kill a person for a while and he doesn't need one now. He is, however, holding something in his right hand, but what it is you cannot tell at all.

With a caution used normally around wild animals, you take a couple of steps forward, keeping your eyes on Michael the whole time. "What've you got there?" you ask, careful to maintain the closest thing you can call eye contact while the mask is on. It's odd how much better he reacts if you look him right in the face when he's in one of his moods.

All it takes Michael is a single step towards you to close the gap, putting himself a shred too close for general comfort, though you've grown used to that behavior from him by now. He doesn't stalk as a hobby for nothing. It forces you to tilt your head back to an awkward angle, but you don't step back to correct it. Michael's testing you.

Interestingly though, now that he's this close you catch a whiff of spearmint. Odd, as he doesn't like mint as a flavor. What happened while you were gone?

Seemingly satisfied with whatever he was trying to do in invading your space, Michael offers you the mysterious object clenched in his hand. You wait another moment, making sure he is going to let you take it, and when you're certain you turn your attention to it, reaching out with your free hand for him to give it to you.

What greets you when Michael drops the item into your grip has you biting your tongue in a desperate attempt to not start laughing. Really? Really? This is what set him off into a mood so foul? You know you can't laugh because if you do it's only going to exacerbate the situation but at the same time you can hardly believe it. Does that make the spearmint... your mouthwash?

All it took was a dark chocolate candy bar.

"I told you," you manage to wring out while doing everything in your power to maintain an even voice and not smile. "You won't like my stuff in here. Do you even know what this is?"

Unsurprisingly you don't get any verbal answer, but his body language tells you that he is very displeased with it and that you'd best have a solid explanation for why it was here.

"You're right in that it is chocolate, which is what you were looking for, but it's a bitter type called 'dark chocolate'. It doesn't have as much sugar or milk in it as the kind you like." A simple explanation but one that Michael would hopefully understand. It was rarely worth getting into specifics with him if he wasn't trying for them. "I figured you wouldn't like it and I wasn't wrong."

Michael looks down at the paper sitting in your palm and if looks could kill you're pretty sure your hand would be vaporized.

Now that you're aware of what happened, you don't mind taking your attention from him, walking over to the little trashcan by your desk and throwing the wrapper away. No point in keeping it around. While you're there, you can't help but spot the other two candies in there, crushed into ruin and left behind. Oh well, no point making a fuss for them now. You'll buy yourself some more another day.

When you turn back toward Michael, you can tell his focus is on the bag on your other hand, though the mood in the air is still quite sour. This you can let a small, light laugh at as you put the bag down on your bed. "Well, good news for you!" you chime, reaching in to pull out a handful of milk chocolate bars. "I saw you were running low on chocolate this morning and picked some up along with a couple of other little things on the way back. If you'd waited a bit for me to get home, you'd-"

Unwilling to wait any longer for what he's wanted all day, much less listen to you chide him, Michael snatches the candy out of your hand and immediately starts stalking off, earning a barked laugh from you. Honestly, for a serial killer built like a wall, he is exceptionally childish at times, you think.

Well, at least that has bought you another day in the neighborhood.

#one shot #halloween movie #michael myers #reader insert

[vishnuveera]

Hong Kong Kitchen Menu A Fusion of Authentic Flavors and Modern Delights

Some popular dishes served at Kitchen in W Hotel Hong Kong include a wide variety of delicious signature Western and Eastern dishes. While specific dishes may vary, the restaurant is known for offering an innovative selection of culinary treats infused with global and local flavors. Guests can enjoy everything from handmade dim sum and sushi to fresh seafood, hearty salads, decadent desserts, and more gourmet delights.

The restaurant aims to provide a diverse dining experience that caters to different tastes and preferences, making it a popular choice among visitors looking for a unique culinary experience best time to visit Hong Kong. While specific dishes may vary, the restaurant is known for offering an innovative selection of culinary treats infused with global and local flavors. The restaurant aims to provide a diverse dining experience that caters to different tastes and preferences, making it a popular choice among visitors looking for a unique culinary experience best time to visit Hong Kong.

Main Courses:

Sweet and Sour Chicken - Crispy chicken pieces in a tangy sweet and sour sauce with bell peppers and pineapple.

Beef Chow Mein - Stir-fried noodles with tender beef, mixed vegetables, and soy sauce.

Kung Pao Shrimp - Juicy shrimp stir-fried with peanuts, chili peppers, and vegetables in a spicy sauce.

Crispy Pork Belly - Roasted pork belly with a crispy skin, served with hoisin sauce and steamed buns.

Szechuan Eggplant - Stir-fried eggplant with garlic, ginger, and chili in a spicy Szechuan sauce.

Vegetarian Delights:

Mapo Tofu - Soft tofu cubes cooked in a spicy bean sauce with minced mushrooms and green onions.

Vegetable Fried Rice - Fragrant jasmine rice stir-fried with mixed vegetables and soy sauce.

Stir-Fried Broccoli in Oyster Sauce - Fresh broccoli florets tossed in a savory oyster sauce with garlic.

Desserts:

Mango Pudding - Creamy mango-flavored pudding garnished with fresh mango slices.

Red Bean Pancakes - Sweet pancakes filled with red bean paste and served with vanilla ice cream.

Coconut Jelly - Refreshing coconut jelly served with a drizzle of sweet syrup.

Beverages:

Chinese Tea - A selection of traditional Chinese teas, including Jasmine, Oolong, and Green Tea.

Lychee Soda - Sparkling soda infused with the sweet flavor of lychee fruit.

Tsingtao Beer - Crisp and refreshing Chinese beer, perfect to complement spicy dishes.

Hong Kong Milk Tea - Strong black tea mixed with condensed milk, served hot or cold.

Note: Menu items and prices are subject to change based on availability and seasonal variations.

#sweet treats

[trickstarbrave]

i hate most veganism conversations bc it always no argument against them is ever enough despite how "compassionate" they say they are and it usually goes back to being western "humans are separate from nature" ideologies or racism or pure ableism

"factory farms are bad which is why you shouldnt use animal products"

thank you for education about factory farms, but i feel there is a middle ground between "no animal products ever" and "actively supporting factory farms". stuff like sustainable bee keepers also help plant based ethical agriculture that you need for your food systems. stuff like backyard eggs and sustainable honey are ethical sources of food without death and i also dont have a moral issue with a living animal dying because that happens in nature all the time

"no. thats not good either. no animal LIKES dying and you dont HAVE to use animal products, therefore you dont get to. and honey and eggs are still bad because the animals have been domesticated and bred for these purposes which makes it unethical because humans had a role in it"

you misunderstand the processes of domestication and that if a species wouldnt benefit from it as well it simply wouldnt happen. domesticated animals in ethical, non-factory settings do live longer or safer lives than their wild counterparts. and also no, because of my various health conditions a fully plant based diet is not doing to be possible for me. for example i can't absorb omega-3s from seeds and nuts very well at all and i need to take a fish oil supplement to have any hope of absorbing it well.

"well not everyone in society should have to live according to YOUR needs. fine, you can keep your shit since you apparently "need" it but we should just do away with it otherwise because its bad for everyone else, morally wrong all the time, and bad for the environment"

removing it for everyone else means policing other people's health and bodies to determine whether or not you think they "deserve" it or not because they have no choice or if they should be forced to make due with subpar nutrition because of your moral principles. it will ultimately cause more harm, remove education on nutrition, and make it harder to access these things for someone like me who needs it. and also a lot of cultures have used animal products like eggs and meat and milk for thousands of years without destroying the environment, and trying to ban it for them too is blaming them for western factory farming based agriculture and destroying their cultural heritage in the process.

"no one's culture should involve eating meat"

well it does because humans have been eating meat longer than recorded history. in a lot of places meat is a more reliable source of protein and calories and other essential vitamins and minerals than plants. your lack of respect for other cultures outside of your own makes you a bit of a dick

"okay but that was BACK THEN. we dont HAVE to eat meat anymore. things can change"

you're right, but that abundance of plant based food sources is due to unsustainable agriculture. the same model that made factory farms also makes unsustainable mono-crop fields and run offs of pesticides and over-uses farm land and harms and exploits workers. it causes as much damage as factory farmed meat and the two industries are heavily intertwined with cheap grain bi-products humans cant eat going to feed livestock and livestock manure used in farms or cycled back to feed fish. if you want to truly end exploitation in the agricultural industry and save the environment that will involve giving up the conveniences of having whatever fruit and vegetables you want year round regardless of weather or where you live because shipping that produce from exploited workers is also causing real ethical harm and pollution in the world and is contributing to climate change. where you live it might be easy to sustain yourself only on a plant based diet because you have a wide variety of things you can cultivate for a balanced diet, but for other ppl it will involve some animal products or even a good amount of meat sources ethically and the animal used as much as humanly possible from organs to bones to skin and fur.

this is also usually supplemented with claims and facts taken out of context (like saying livestock eat way more grains than people do in the US especially--when livestock are eating grain by-products from ethanol production or stuff human beings cant or wont eat), or a false equivalency time and time again of factory farms = all animal agriculture or hunting ever, or insisting you are having cognitive dissonance because "its human nature to love and care about animals therefore if you kill and eat them you're a psychopath"

anyways tumblr stop with the "BASED ON YOUR LIKES" thing youre making me mad

[fleurmarigold]

I’m always very confused to see people who are convincedly under the impression that vegan alternative products (pleather, non-dairy milks, soy based foods, etc) are fundamentally worse ethics-wise than their non-vegan counterparts, and that this is something vegan people are somehow blind to --- as if most vegan people I know don’t obsessively research what they’re buying, how it’s made, and the companies responsible for doing so before making any kind of purchase.

my partner and I don’t buy any product containing cocoa until we can get home and run a background check on the companies sourcing it, because they are so unavoidably untrustworthy. when they were in the country, I can’t tell you how long we spent standing in a supermarket aisle agonizing over finding cookies that were both vegan and didnt also contain palm oil for some ungodly reason. in the end, we just gave up, went home and baked some made from oats, nuts and dried fruit instead.

we’re far from perfect, and there are a lot of ways we want to change our lifestyles to live more sustainably - no ethical consumption, of course - but the difference is that vegan people are likely always going to be people who are very committed to being conscious about what they consume and what business practices they are funding with those choices, because they are the ones who already sat down and sifted through endless horrific leaked factory footage, worker abuse lawsuits, and environmental damage reports when they were making the choice to become vegan, and as new information surfaces, we’re happy to do it again and again and again -- if it means living by our truest values.

veganism goes beyond the dietary. it is intrinsically defined by the act of pursuing an ethical and sustainable lifestyle as far as is practicable to the individual, and this includes an incredibly vast variety of purchasing choices that we can all take part in, fully vegan or not. please take the time to decondition yourself from the widespread misconception that we would, for some reason, want to make things worse than they already are.

#fleur txt #vegan #veganism

[levi-supreme]

Wow thanks tumblr for not notifying me when someone I follow posts, once again!! UGH! Anyway

How about grocery shopping with Levi? Once a week you go through the ads and coupons, trying to get what's on sale and actually plan, and go early trying to avoid everyone.

He's constantly saying no when you try to sneak things that aren't on the list. But then you pick up something he can't resist and he's like, "fine, you get ONE extra thing". Turns out you get like five extra things.

You spend a lot of time in the produce section. "Strawberries aren't even in season" you tell him when they wind up in the cart, cause those are more pricey then anything you picked up. "Yes but I'll make you dessert." And you're like oh, okay then.

Tells you to stop being a child and get off the end of the cart before he lets go and lets you fall. But you know he won't and laugh when he attempts to shake you off. "You're gonna get us kicked out of the grocery store, brat."

Hmm, what else??

Not the fluffiest fluff, but domestic fluff is my drug of choice!

Eliza please, any form of fluff with Levi is the best kind of fluff really 🥺 also, grocery shopping with Levi is the kind of domestic fluff I want in life urgh. Also this was meant for Fluffy Friday and it's already Saturday for me but whatever!!!

Warnings: Mentions of food and food brands!!! Also I'm sorry if you don't eat any of the food I'm listing out, or if you have allergies to them. Also I'm fking lactose intolerant but I'm just gonna mention 'milk' in general here XD

It was the day to do grocery shopping, and you and Levi were already prepared. Checking the extensive grocery list written by Levi, the both of you took a trolley and went on ahead.

"What's first on the list?" Levi asked despite knowing the grocery list by heart. You took out the long paper and recited the things off. Vegetables, toilet roll, fruits, milk, muesli, cereal, mixed nuts... the list was endless.

As the both of you did your grocery run, Levi constantly made sure everything on the list was checked and bought. You, however, were focused on getting snacks and other products on offer.

"Oh oh Levi, look, Ben & Jerry is having an offer!" You tapped Levi's arm when you passed the frozen products.

"No, we still have ice cream in the fridge," Levi pushed the trolley past the ice cream section without a second glance, glancing towards you and noticing you sulking.

"Levi, shall we get some tater tots? We can deep fry them using our new air fryer." You decided to try your luck again.

"No, it's not on the list."

As you continued sulking, Levi pushed the trolley and you two ended up at the dairy section. Levi was looking at the list once more, and then proceeded to look for some milk and cheese. Without Levi realising, you slipped away and took bags of chocolate from the snacks aisle, putting them into the trolley and pretended you didn't do anything.

"Why are there chocolates in the trolley?" Levi questioned you when he came back with two cartons of milk and cream cheese.

"Hmm? Oh, really? Wow. No idea. Maybe they had legs," you looked at the items Levi placed in the cart while Levi stared at you with a look of disbelief.

"And you except me to believe it? Own up, you brat." Levi frowned and came closer to you. "When did you sneak those bags of crap into the trolley? When I took the cheese?" You sheepishly stared at your feet.

"Aw, come on Levi! Where's the fun in grocery shopping if we aren't buying snacks and tidbits?" You gave Levi your best imitation of the puppy-eye and Levi soon relented, warning you that you can't take anymore snacks. You gleefully cheered, continuing to push the trolley as Levi walked on ahead. Reaching the fruits section, Levi contemplated hard between two different varieties of strawberries.

"They're so pricey," you made a face as Levi took two different packets of strawberries. One were a local produce and another was from overseas. Levi placed the local produce into the trolley. "They're not even in season."

"I'll make you something nice, okay?" Levi stroked your arm and pushed the trolley. "How does a no-bake strawberry cheesecake sound?" Your ears lit up and you nodded excitedly, running to grab some digestive biscuits.

As you two continued your grocery run, you decided to stand at the end of the trolley while Levi pushed, earning a few stares and giggles from passers-by. Levi rolled his eyes and tried to avoid the stares you were getting.

"Get off the trolley, or we're getting chased out," Levi muttered while taking a box of muesli. You ignored him, and climbed into the trolley instead, hanging your legs outside by the edge. "Oi, brat, get out. The trolley is for our stuff, not you." Levi stood next to the trolley with an arm full of items, frowning while you remained inside the trolley.

"If you're not getting out, I'm leaving you here." Levi turned and walked a few steps before feeling your arms hugging his waist tightly.

"Nah, you won't leave me here all alone, won't you, Levi?"

"Continue being bratty and I might," Levi sniggered and softly kissed your temple. "Come on, we have more stuff to get."

#postwarlevi.asks #rei.answers #levi #levi ackerman #snk levi #aot levi #levi fluff #levi ackerman fluff #levi.supreme #fluffy friday #rei is soft for levi #i took forever to do this i'm sorry

[spooniechef]

Smoothies (1 spoon)

Smoothies have on occasion bewildered and intimidated me. That’s probably mostly because I’ve only seen the offerings at speciality smoothie bars and ordering from those feels like Starbucks on acid. But with the combined issues of vitamin D deficiency and needing something resembling breakfast with minimal effort, I decided to give it a shot. And yes, most of the individual recipes for smoothie flavours aren’t bad, but it didn’t give a whole lot of feel for how to personalise it to something that, say, I specifically might want on any given day. I wanted something that broke smoothies down to their essential components so I could put them together in the ways that I saw fit.

I finally found that on The Spruce Eats - just a simple How To Make A Smoothie guide. Of course, like most other things out there, it lacks the notes on how to make it a little easier for someone who might struggle with some things, so after a few days of getting the hang of the whole deal, here’s the breakdown, and some added hints and tricks. Also I halved the original recipe because I don’t tend to need two servings of smoothie at a go, and that’s what their recipe gave.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 cup fruit / fruits of your choice (fresh or frozen)

1/2 to 1 cup ice (if using fresh fruit)

1/2 cup liquid (juice or milk)

1/4 cup yoghurt (optional)

Sugar or honey to taste

Yep, really that simple. Honestly, using frozen fruit is the best option here because you can bag them individually and just dump them out of a freezer bag into your blender or container as necessary, plus it means not dicking around with ice cubes. Frozen things can be an issue if using a hand mixer (more on that later) so anything to make it easier is good.

Here’s what you do:

Combine ingredients in blender

Blend

Serve

Yeah, that was kind of pointless, wasn’t it? I guess it just demonstrates how easy this actually is. However, especially if you’re using a hand mixer, it can be trickier than it necessarily needs to be. So here’s the notes I’ve figured out to make things easier when using a hand mixer and frozen fruit (I haven’t tried it with fresh because I don’t have an ice tray), and also generally more tasty.

Blending anything frozen is going to make a lot of noise and an equal amount of vibration. If you’re using a hand mixer, that’s going to cause some pain if you’ve got chronic pain issues, RSI, anything like that. To make it easier, put in the frozen fruit first, then add the liquid and sugar (and yoghurt if using it) and then let it sit for a minute or two. It’ll soften the fruit a little bit - not much, but enough to make a difference.

Yoghurt is actually a great addition to this. I’ve been using dairy free vanilla yoghurt and the vanilla comes through as a nice little added flavour touch, so experimenting with different flavours of yoghurt is probably worthwhile.

Honey tends to mix better than sugar, and I put ‘to taste’ because the half-teapoon or so they recommend didn’t make much difference when I was doing specific measurements. Then again, I was using fruit that’s known for being a bit tart (strawberry and mango, respectively - I should try them combined sometime) so your mileage may vary.

Seriously, even if you’re buying your frozen fruit, package it up into 1 cup servings. That way you’ll know how much you have left before you run out, so there’s no surprises of the “I only have enough fruit for half a smoothie” variety.

So there you have it: the smoothies that have been keeping me going on my first week with increased hours. Yep; I’ve been managing well enough on working from home to add five hours to my work week! A little strenuous, but the way things are going right now, if i want to eat properly, extra hours help. Lactose- and gluten-free foods aren’t cheap.

#The Spoonie Chef #Recipes #beverages