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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 9 months

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twst food culture compilation

Please note: this post does NOT include all food-related lore in TWST (for example, you won’t find a lot of information about individual characters’ food preferences or personal experiences with food here). This post ONLY talks about the food culture, notable locations, cultural dishes, and unique foods of the Twisted Wonderland world at large (ie countries, specific towns and cities, etc).

I did my best to scour for info, but I’ll update if I find anything new or details I missed the first time around.

General and/or Unspecified Location

There is a seasoning called “pure azure salt”, which is said to be rare, even in the Coral Sea.

Twisted Wonderland has a fruit called ruby berries (which taste “like freshly picked strawberries”).

There is frozen mint with a “refreshing profile” that grows in icy mountainous areas.

There exists Walrus-brand oyster sauce. Trey uses this to cook hamburger steak for his younger siblings. He says the oyster sauce provides a "nice savory flavor" with considerable depth. Trey also jokes about adding it to chestnut tarts in book 1.

There are mentions of irl Japanese foods such as konjac and takoyaki, but so far no place of origin in Twisted Wonderland has been sited.

Like in the real world, celebrities like Vil and Neige are used to promote products (including food and drink) in commercials, on social media platforms, etc. For example, in book 5, we see Neige advertising Red Apple Soda and Vil using his Magicam account to promote the apple juice made by Epel's family.

There's a popular dish called "pumpkin carriage stew". The insides of a pumpkin are scooped out and the shell is filled with a creamy stew, which made it difficult to carry over to tables. It would sell out every day at the cafe Ruggie used to work at.

Some restaurants call their spaghetti with meatballs "starry night spaghetti", named after the tale of two dogs who shared a spaghetti kiss under a starry sky. It is said that sharing spaghetti with meatballs with someone outside would lead to true love.

Hunting is sport as well as something done for food.

Briar Valley

General

Cotton candy is a classic snack food sold at Briar Valley food stalls. The way it is prepared resembles spinning threads, which is considered a blessed occupation (as there was a period in Briar Valley's history when no one was able to spin thread, so some clever individual tinkered around and made cotton candy instead).

In the battlefield (~400 years ago, during the human-fae war), soldiers would roast rats and lizards to eat if they didn't have rations or other ingredients.

There is little in the way of modern technology and electricity; typically, one would prepare dishes and/or collect ingredients by hand (such as via fishing) or by using magic.

Magic is used to light fires for cooking. There is little risk for fire accidents since magical fires automatically go out when you go to sleep.

Because Briar Valley is located to the north, it can get very chilly. When the snow melts, it turns into very cold freshwater.

According to Lilia, “berries are a must-have, especially at birthdays parties” in Briar Valley. They are famous for its berry juice.

Coral Sea

General

According to Jade, there are no fires in the Coral Sea. Therefore, most of the food consumed is raw.

A month-long land boot camp first established by a mermaid princess that married a human prince teaches merpeople fire safety and how to eat food as part of its curriculum.

It's rare for merfolk to eat anything sweet, as those kinds of foods aren't readily avaliable in the sea.

The Atlantica Memorial Museum has the mermaid princess's "silver hair comb" on display. This, of course, refers to the "dinglehopper"--a common fork. This implies that merpeople (such as the mermaid princess referenced in many stories) fused to be unaware of the eating utensils on land.

Azul's mother owns the "hottest restaurant" in the Coral Sea. It started off as a small place, but has since expanded to have a large staff.

Couples from the Coral Sea frequently request rainbow dessert soup with trident cookies for their weddings. To eat it, you use the trident cookie to stir the sweet sky-blue soup, which then turns the soup into seven colors of the rainbow. This is a dish that is only served for special occasions in the Coral Sea, and it is typically served warm.

Jade says that he was surprised to see that many land dwellers eat their fruit without the peel; this would imply that those from the Coral Sea typically eat their foods with the skin/peel left on, or as-is.

Playful Land Amusement Park

All food and drink are handed out for free.

They serve food in large quantities, such as tuna, entire tart cherry pies (with cinnamon, clove, and crushed nuts in the filling) and a whole peppery roasted chicken. The park encourages consuming in excess.

Other food items being offered include fried tuna fish and sparkling apple juice. The juice comes with an umbrella stuck in the opening to prevent bugs from getting in. You remove it before drinking.

They have ice-cream in many flavors! We see strawberry milk in the related event.

The park had candy and popcorn in “apple core” flavor. Supposedly, this is a taste inspired by the story of the Generous Fox giving a Puppet Boy an apple core instead of a whole apple because “the puppet wished to have a core”.

There is a “Candy Road”, a street lined with shops that have caramel lollipops, chewy candy, marshmallows, cookies, chocolate crunch, and lots of other sugary treats!

Their chocolate crunch has 12 different charms thrown in.

The third most popular souvenir are pasta snacks in the shape of the Friendly Fox and Gentle Cat. The second most popular is a tin of plain cookies in the shape of the Friendly Fox and cocoa cookies in the shape of the Gentle Cat. Finally, the most popular are apple core flavored candies!

Sage's Island

Night Raven College

Pomefiore holds a welcome party for the freshmen, which includes a fancy dinner.

Scarabia regularly holds banquets, typically at Kalim's request.

Heartslabyul holds so-called "unbirthday parties" whenever it is a day that does NOT fall on a Heartslabyul student's birthday.

The dorm members of Scarabia and Heartslabyul pitch in to prepare for banquets and unbirthday parties.

Mr. S's Mystery Shop stocks food items, such as candies (which Floyd often buys), tuna cans, and ingredients for baking (this is where Deuce and Yuu pick up things for the chestnut tart in book 1). Sam also sells food items that he seems to have made himself, like the Mystery Drink (which Octavinelle eventually buys the rights to).

The school cafeteria is said to have delicious breads.

Once a month, a famous bakery from out of town serves their goods at NRC. Their stock includes items such as chocolate croissants, egg sandwiches, yakisoba bread and cream bread ("cronuts and bear claws"), roast beef sandwiches, red bean buns ("hot dog buns"), and deluxe minced cutlet sandwiches ("deluxe ham and cheese"/"grilled cheese" in the localization). They sell out fast!

The cafeteria at NRC serves food buffet style; the cafeteria is kept warm with magic from fire fairies which are supplied with dry firewood every day.

Master Chef ("Culinary Crucible") is an elective course at NRC that teaches students how to cook. It is meant to curb the expenses related to eating out and to help the boys maintain balanced diets and learn how to take care of themselves. Judges for this course are randomly selected from the students and staff (prior to this methodology, people would bribe the judges for extra credit).

While taking Master Chef, students help with preparing meals in the cafeteria in exchange for part-time pay.

The instructors for Master Chef are ghosts who were professional chefs at five-star restaurants when they were alive.

There are various locations on campus where the students go to fetch ingredients for Master Chef. This includes an on-campus farm, ranch, windmill... and even the dormitories themselves!

Octainvelle has the Mostro Lounge, described by Jade as "a meeting place for gentlemen" where fighting between dorms is prohibited. While dining there, students are expected to abide by Octavinelle's rules. It is run by the manager and founder, Azul, who made a deal with the headmaster to get the rights to open the establishment. NRC gets 10% of the revenue the Mostro Lounge makes.

The Mostro Lounge has a one-drink purchase minimum.

The Mostro Lounge also operates food stalls and/or sells food at many school events, such as the cultural festival in book 5 and the interdorm magical shift/spelldrive tournament in book 2.

It is mostly Octavinelle students who staff the Mostro Lounge, but there are occasions when outside students are brought in as extra help. Ruggie has worked there part-time, as well as Jack, Ace, Deuce, and tons of other students.

NRC opens its school gates to the local townspeople for a period leading up to Halloween; during this time, they distribute candy and other sweets (such as Sam's waffles, served with jam made from NRC's apples) to guests. There's also a party on Halloween night where lots of food is served.

The woods behind the campus have chestnuts, which the main crew collect for an apology tart to Riddle.

The Botanical Garden has some edible plants growing there. These include strawberries, which the Science Club cultivates.

Unbirthday Party Rules (related to food)

Rule 25: There must be a tea party on the 5th of every month.

Rule 29: You must not eat the Queen's tarts without her permission.

Rule 153: The only tea you may drink in the evenings is herbal tea.

Rule 186: Do not eat hamburger steak on Tuesdays.

Rule 256: You must not drink lemonade with honey past 8 pm.

Rule 271: You must get up from the table within 15 minutes after eating lunch.

Rule 339: Your post-meal tea must be lemon tea with 2 sugar cubes.

Rule 529: If you eat steak on the night of a full moon, a cat must play the violin afterwards.

Rule 562: Do not bring chestnut tarts to an unbirthday party.

Rule 648: You must brush your teeth 2 times on nights when you eat turkey.

Rule 703: Whoever comes in 2nd place in a croquet match must serve tea to the Queen (dorm leader) the next day.

If the dormouse wakes up at an unbirthday party, you are to paint its nose with jam.

Coffee is forbidden; tea must be served at all occasions except for birthdays.

According to Cater, sweets are mandatory at unbirthday parties.

Dwarves' Mine & Silent Woods

There is an abundance of wildlife in these areas; Jade often goes hiking and foraging, making note of what he finds. He uses the plants to make his own tea blends (which are sometimes added to the Mostro Lounge's menu) and the herbs, plants, and mushrooms to experiment with in cooking.

There are fish to be found at the lake, including massive catfish.

The Foothill Town

There is a port for mainly cargo ships located at the southwest part of town. It's called Crane Port! The east side has a port as well, but that one is moreso for passengers. Crane Port has been getting fewer and fewer people passing through lately (until Port Breeze Fest, in which the NRC boys run food stalls and help to revive business in the area). Group A makes churros, Group B makes waffles, Group C makes salads, Group D makes cotton candy, and Group E makes clam chowder.

A popular restaurant in the Crane Port area serves foods like french fries and burgers. Their signature menu item is a donut made from potatoes. Actually, this restaurant specializes in potato dishes!

There is a chain restaurant on the island that also has locations elsewhere, including in Ace's hometown. He mentions that there are slightly different flavors to the sauces depending on which location you go to.

The town also has other eateries that are more geared towards students, seeing as it exists on an island with two notable magic schools to the north and the south. Cater often mentions going into town to take pictures at cafes.

There is a famous patisserie there. You have to line up early in the morning before opening time to get your hands on one of their strawberry tarts (or anything, really!).

Scalding Sands

General

The Scalding Sands seems to borrow heavily from Middle Eastern cultures. For example, some of the Scalding Sands’ traditional dishes include, but are not limited to: roasted lamb, moussaka, döner kebabs, shawarma, flatbreads, potato and bean spreads, and seafood sautés.

Tea is a popular beverage; it is had at every meal and break. People can drink up to 10 cups of tea a day!

The Scalding Sands specializes in black tea. For entertaining guests, special tea leaves are used.

In the Scalding Sands, they brew their tea leaves loose and without an infuser. This makes the tea very strong and bitter. To counteract the powerful flavor, people add lots of sugar to their tea and drink it with sweets.

“Luxurious” tea is very sweet, since sugar was once very expensive (due to a shortage of it, according to the localization) and considered a luxury.

Due to the hot weather, people often toss herbs into their tea to make it more refreshing to drink.

Coffee is also popular; there are many cafes that serve coffee and tea. The Scalding Sands is known in particular for their spiced coffee, which has a very distinctive flavor. This coffee is brewed without a filter, and some cafes do “coffee divinations” (reading the shapes and patterns of the grounds and the water droplets that remain after drinking to tell the fortunes of customers).

There are a lot of unique spices in their dishes. This is especially true of banquet dishes. However, a variety of dishes are still served at these occasions.

Kalim describes the Scalding Sands as being “big on stewed stuff” like curries.

In Kalim’s hometown, people love to gather around the table and talk over a meal.

Halloween in the Scalding Sands is celebrated by feasting on a variety of dishes. The idea is that the food must be abundant so that the ghosts that return to the world of the living for the night may also have their fill.

It used to be difficult for the people of the Scalding Sands to obtain water due to the lack of rainfall, hot climate, and expansive desserts. However, Kalim’s ancestors utilized the country’s rivers to reach other countries and to trade their textiles, spices, tea leaves, and other local goods with foreign lands. It was particularly impressive at the time, as they were the first traders from the Scalding Sands to sail (back then, accurate nautical maps were not a thing). This maritime pioneering is what would make the Asim family their massive fortune.

The Asims and other merchants heavily invested in technologies and innovations to make the area more sustainable and potable water more accessible.

The waterways of the country eventually developed into canals and communities formed around them as trade hubs. The canals are also used to host ferryboats for locals and tourists to sightsee, boosting the tourism industry. This also made access to water much easier for the residents, and the water helps to cool the temperature.

Silk City

The bazaars in Silk City are where locals do their shopping for various goods and staple foods like vegetables and fish. There are also stalls with gourmet food that cater to tourists.

Camel Bazaar is named after camels, which were used to transport people, goods, and luggage before Silk City’s canals and roads came to be. There also used to be an oasis where the camels would rest and drink after long treks; this oasis became a center for commerce and eventually evolved into a marketplace. To this day, the name “Camel” has stuck, even if people use trucks, ships, and cars more than camels.

There is also Zahab (”Gold”) Market, which is popular with tourists for shopping (especially for souvenirs!) but also has swindlers and pickpockets mixed in with regular customers.

Many snacks are sold! There’s camel milk chocolate, cookies drizzled in syrup, sunflower seeds, pistachios, chickpeas, all kinds of nuts, dried fruits (including dates), jams, jellies, syrups, starfruit, dragonfruit, etc.

(Lamb) shawarma is described as meat roasted on a spit and served on baguettes or pita bread. Because grease drips off while it cooks, it is “surprisingly healthier” than one expects it to be. Shawarma is also customarily served with vegetables (tomatoes, onions, olives, jalapenos, etc.) and sauces (yogurt, garlic, chili, hummus (a paste of garlic and chickpeas), mayo basil, etc).

There is a vendor that can supply large quantities of sweet and refreshing coconut water; this is because they’re used to providing for Kalim’s extravagant and excessive tastes. They create a hole in the top and provide straws to poke in and use to drink the water. The coconut flesh inside is also edible.

There are a lot of bread stalls; bread is also another staple food, and it comes in many sizes, shapes, and textures. Small roadside bakeries have wood-fired ovens which allow them to serve bread fresh to customers.

One stand sells baguettes that are taller than many children; these “tower baguettes” are a famous Fireworks Festival treat. People say that if you eat a big one, you’ll never go hungry again! The saying comes from a story of a young man that shared bread with hungry children. It’s because of that story that baguettes are considered a good luck food that many vendors sell on holidays.

The Camel Bazaar sells an elastic ice-cream (based on a similar irl frozen Turkish confection). It is kneaded on a pole and stretched out; customers are meant to “catch” it in their cups and cones. It’s food performance art! All the stretching makes the texture very unique.

There’s a fruit stand that is only open on festival days which sells a Silk Melon sundae; the fruit is hollowed out to host ice-cream (of the same melon flavor!) and toppings which make it very photogenic.

Starfruit is usually put in salads, according to Trey.

The dragonfruit sold is recommended to be eaten with honey. You drizzle it on top of a slice and eat!

Silk City’s signature fruit is the Silk Melon. It is called that because of its silky texture and sophisticated sweetness. It can’t be found in many other countries. The man of legend that shared his bread with a starving child is said to split a melon with his friend, even though he did not have much money to spare. It’s because of this tale that people started saying if you share Silk Melon with someone, it would make your friendship or romance last forever. Now the fruit is a festival staple and considered a symbol of good fortune.

In the past, water was only used for irrigation due to its scarcity. Some gave up on farming after years of trying to produce crops and failing—but others refused to give up and cultivated the land to made it fertile, something which future generations would reap the benefits of.

The fruits and veggies sold Camel Bazaar are freshly picked and grown locally. Jamil says this is possible because the arid climate actually helps with growing crops of high quality. Produce raised with less water concentrates flavor since the final fruit will have a higher sugar content. Because of this, Silk City’s produce is prized by chefs all over Twisted Wonderland. Of course, you can get them at an affordable prize in Camel Bazaar!

Shaftlands

General

The Shaftlands are famous for its jeweled pineapples.

The Shaftlands spans a large area of land and has drastically different climates depending on the part of it you're looking at. Therefore, we can deduce that foods and customs surrounding food are very different as well.

City of Flowers/Fleur City

The city’s food culture seems to be inspired by real world Paris, or at the very least, France.

Bread is a local specialty, particularly very buttery kinds. As you walk down the streets, you can smell bread baking. The City of Flowers has 10x (or more) the variety of bread that Sage's Island offers, and has an abundance of bakeries too.

Bread-making is popular in the City of Flowers. The windmills at the edges of the city grind grains to produce fresh flour. There are also watermills powered by the Soleil River to assist with making flour.

Because wheat is plentiful in this area, some of it is also used for desserts. One such confection is financier, which is made from a combination of wheat flour, almond flour, and butter. It resembles a gold bar, so eating one is said to bring financial prosperity.

Lately, gluten-free desserts have been trendy.

A dessert that does not use wheat flour is macarons. In the City of Flowers, they are yellow and shaped like bells to honor the Bell of Salvation which oversees the community and provides magic that helps rare plants grow in the area. The filling is a ganache with dried bits of grapes and apples.

Grape juice is popular in the City of Flowers, as the fruit is another specialty. You can buy the grapes raw and eat them as is, or ask a vendor to crush it (skin still on!) into juice for you. Some buy the grapes to give as gifts!

The grapes are grown in vineyards right outside of the city, and the farmers are constantly experimenting to improve their breeds. They taste very rich, tangy, and sweet.

The City of Flowers is also known for its many specialty cheese shops. Together, bread and cheese are called the staple foods of the city, and are sometimes eaten together. One specialty cheese shop the boys visit sells baguettes topped with ham and rich melted cheese.

The city considers goats a symbol of good luck, so they are treated with care. There are many community goats (which are just as common as domesticated cats or dogs) allowed to roam freely in the city. It is said that if you treat the community goats with kindness, they will come rescue you in your time of need.

Goat milk is used in some of the specialty cheeses produced by the city. The grapes mentioned earlier are also made into fruit compotes to go with the cheeses.

Harveston

This village has many dishes that borrow from a mixture of irl Nordic cultures. There’s also an emphasis on having hometown pride and the community itself being very close.

As expected, many of Harveston's dishes feature apples: apple pie, grilled and roasted apples, apple salad, apple pound cakes, etc.

Epel's family has an apple orchard that has been in the family for generations. They grow different kinds of apples throughout the year. Many of his neighbors are older people who also raise produce, and they help each other out when they're short on hands. The community is very tightly knit because of this, and treat each other like extended family.

Harvest season (autumn) is the busiest time of year; once that's over, everyone comes together to have a party. It's a potluck style celebration where everyone brings a homemade dish or homegrown food to share.

Harveston preserves its produce (such as apples and wild greens) by pickling them and serving them in salads. The bright colors are maintained by boiling the produce in a copper pot, which stabilizes the pigments. It's wisdom passed down from generation to generation.

There is also pickled herring, traditionally eaten on bread. Brining preserves the fish while it is still raw and doesn't dry it up. It's ready to eat right out of a jar, no cooking required.

The local stew is not very thick. It tastes sweet because of the added vegetables and savory because of the tender meat in it. There is also a salmon broth sprinkled with herbs which is described as "melty".

Fruits and vegetables can be packed in snow to keep them preserved. This method is called “snow aging” and prevents evaporation. In the old days, the villagers would build whole farms out of snow. In modern day, they just shovel the snow into a barn. This creates a natural fridge that will naturally thaw in the summers. Snow aging in this manner makes the produce sweeter and more nutritious.

The next town over is a three-hour bike ride. The roadside has many apple trees you can enjoy during the trip.

You can easily pick apples off the branch and eat them fresh! Farmers can snack on apples while picking.

Harveston is surrounded by tall mountains that are snow-capped all year, the most famous one being Mt. Moln. The greenery around Harveston is due to the spring water irrigation which runs down from Mt. Moln.

Most of Harveston’s land is used for orchards, and apples are their main produce. They also make many products using those apples like chips, rice crackers, and cookies.

Fall apples are sweeter, while winter ones are more sour. Winter apples are unique to Harveston.

Harveston also grows a lot of garlic.

Harveston farming is done the old fashioned way, as the predominantly older population distrusts chemical fertilizers and biotechnology.

Some villagers like the mayor and Marja (Epel’s grandma) adjust their accent to communicate with people from outside the village. Marja says she switches up when she’s selling goods in another town, since it can be tricky for non-Harveston locals to understand.

Hand washing before eating is a must! They take the act very seriously in Harveston. Stories say the miners of the past used to get very sick due to poor hygiene, but their health improved drastically once they started washing regularly with soap and water. It was difficult for them to get treatment because the town is so remote and far from hospitals or doctors, so the best thing is stressing prevention. This why the townspeople are sticklers about hand washing now.

To wash the Harveston way, you plunge your hands into ice cold water and make it all foamy with soap. You also scoop the water up and splash your face as well (as the miners from the past would also do this).

Apple Square is the main festival venue; it has many vendor stalls in an area called Kokko (which means “Bonfire”) Market. The Sledathon is the most lucrative time of year for the townsfolk.

Many of their products are made locally by the older folks in town. The goods aren’t trendy or very fancy, but they’re high-quality and made with Harveston pride.

The stalls give apple juice, apple tea (which has fruit pieces floating in it), and apple ginger tea for free. The apple juice is one of Harveston’s most popular products.

Giant five-meter apple pies are made for the Sledathon. They’re considered one of the main attractions, and you can get a slice from them free of charge.

There are other stalls that sell regular apple pie too. Every vendor has their own style, from the apples used to the crust and baking technique.

There are other kinds of fruit pies for sale, but apples are the most popular and “special” ones. The Beautiful Queen had a preference for apple pies, so the townspeople do too.

Harveston apple pies have such an entrancing flavor that the nearest city has stores that stock them. Critics say that Harveston apple pies make anyone drool and that the best way to convince someone to do you a favor is to gift one.

Harveston holds an apple competition to find the reddest apple. This is because the Beautiful Queen prized beautifully red apples. In the past, the townspeople would offer the reddest apple from the season’s harvest to the Beautiful Queen. Over time, it evolved into the apple competition.

Kokko Market makes pancake balls from a flour batter and top it with jam. It’s prepared in a pan and with methods similar to takoyaki, coming out crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Pancakes also come in a square form. In Harveston, pancakes are baked in the oven instead of on the stove. Some people cook pancakes in the fireplace too; this makes them tender, thick, and pudding-like.

There are many grains used for bread: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, oats, flax seeds, sesame seeds, rye, wheat...

Barbeque is served for large gatherings and celebrations.

Cooking tends to be done in the fireplace instead of on a stove, especially in the case for stews. It keeps the room warm in winter while the food cooks.

Harveston has a bean and fruit soup. Most other places serve it cold, but those in Harveston sometimes enjoy it warm. It’s a thick consistency and the fruit in it has been dried.

When setting the dining table, people in Harveston leave one extra plate out. This tradition comes from a story about a traveler visiting a family’s house and being surprised by the messy state of it. The traveler cleaned the house and cooked a nice meal for the family. From this story came the belief that as long as you leave a plate at your table, you’ll never want for food or go hungry.

Sandwich cakes are common party centerpieces. They are made with bread and vegetables, topped with shrimp, deviled eggs, olives, apples, and salmon slides arranged in a rose shape. The frosting on it is made from mayonnaise and sour cream, making sandwich cakes more salad than dessert.

They sell cherries and other berries by volume. Also sold are vegetables and juice, freshly squeezed.

Because Harveston is located in a mountainous region, there are rare varieties of mushrooms to be found. These can be served in a traditional mushroom soup, which can be finicky to prepare (so usually only experts make it). Mushrooms are also cooked in butter and served in sandwiches.

Mushrooms, herbs, and flowers are foraged from the nature (both public mountains and private woods). Locals usually don’t buy plants that are wild when they can pick it themselves. Instead, they’re sold to tourists.

Good foraging spots on Moln Mountain are kept secret so people don’t overharvest. The mountains are dangerous in winter, so foraging has to be done in spring or summer.

Harveston brines raw fish like salmon in a mixture of salt, sugar, pepper, and fill. In the old days, brined salmon was buried in sand to let it ferment.

Fish is dried to preserve it and to enhance the flavor. Before there were proper roads, it was hard to bring in food for the winter, so Harveston relied on foods preserved in the spring. They last for a long time and have many uses (such as in soup stock or to eat straight up). To this day, preserved meats and vegetables are a local specialty and new methods such as roasting have been developed for preservation.

Sunset Savanna

General

The food here appears to be inspired by African cultures of the real world.

There is floral cacao in the Sunset Savanna. It bears fruit only once every 10 years.

Gummy bugs are popular and a Halloween staple.

The people of the Sunset Savanna value living in harmony with nature and will go out of their way to adapt to the land (due to the high population of beastmen, who have animal ancestors). Because of this, they oppose change that could damage the environment. There are some parts of this arid country that still rely on wells for their drinking water needs. They also hold the Tamashina-Mina festival every year to pray for rain.

Sautéed mutton is a common meal in this country. Leona brags that the Sunset Savanna is top notch when it comes to cooking meats.

The bananas of the Sunset Savanna are starchy and resemble potatoes (similar to plantains). They are steamed and served as a staple food. They’re faintly sweet and are actually very light and easy to digest.

It’s easier to grow fruit instead of wheat and rice in their climate.

Rice crepes, another staple, are served with a stew that you pour over it. The stew comes in variants such as a white fish stew simmered in tomato sauce, spinach and potato stew, beef stew, etc. There are also many side dishes you can enjoy with the crepes. The crepes aren’t meant to be eaten alone, as they taste too sour solo.

The phrase “that’s the Circle of Life” is a proverb that has been around for ages. The strong eat the weak, then when the strong die, their bodies become nutrients for the grass which feeds the next generation of prey animals. Life comes “full circle”, and the proverb indicates this delicate balance.

The Sunset Savanna is famous for its coffee. It tastes spicy, not bitter, because the custom is to add spices to the drink.

Food prep performances seem to be common for the wealthy; Leona mentions seeing big fish filleted before being served.

Yogurt is considered a “healthy dairy” and is typically served for breakfast.

Elephant Graveyard

The Elephant Graveyard, once considered a scary and lawless place (the “shadow lands” which were not a part of the original kingdom), has become a tourist destination.

They are known for selling vanilla cookies shaped like bones.

The hot springs at the Elephant Graveyard have kettles hidden by the steam. The hot water vapor cooks onsen tamago (a traditionally Japanese irl dish) and puddings. It imparts a slightly salty and sulfurous flavor and smell to the foods.

Sunrise City

The Raintree Market is a bazaar that features many foods and drinks.

Many snacks sold in the marketplaces are local specialties, so they’re popular as souvenirs.

Wild and cultivated hibiscus flowers are boiled with sugar to produce a red juice. There is also a white juice, which is made using wild baobab (which is full of nutrients; people call it a beauty elixir you can drink). A legends says that, long ago, members of the royal family would have their foreheads painted with baobab juice when they were born. That’s how the fruit became a local specialty.

In the original tale, the juice for marking foreheads was red. It seems that, over time, the color was changed to white by word of mouth, with the latter description fitting more with the white fruit of the baobab. Because of this change, more and more stalls have been selling a mixture of hibiscus juice and baobab juice.

The baobab fruit is also used to make a particular sour candy. The candy is dyed with res food coloring and is then dusted with sugar and chili powder. It’s described as having a “mature” flavor.

Mangoes are a local specialty! Vendors will happily cut open the fruit for you to enjoy on the spot.

Other notable fruits for sale are tart passionfruit and creamy but smelly jackfruit. The latter is considered the largest fruit in Twisted Wonderland and grows on its tree’s trunks.

The Sunset Villa is a luxurious hotel that hosts VIPs and important guests of the state. They offer a large selection of drinks (fruit juice, black tea, coffee…) and serve whole slabs of steak in front of you before serving at luxurious barbecues. After dinners, they have dance performances.

There is an enormous sausage that’s wrapped up in a coil. If unwound, it’s a meter long. It’s meant to be cut with scissors before eating. The sausage’s herbs make it taste refreshing, and its meat is finely grounded to allow its flavors to come through.

Seafood is fresh and cheap, provided you live by the sea or in a coastal region like Dawn City. In more inland areas, seafood is considered a luxury.

Their seafood tends to be cooked with strong spices.

Ruggie’s yet-to-be-named hometown

Because the residents are poor, their food is usually made from collected scraps (such as pumpkin pie made predominantly from the pulpy parts) or prepared with substitutions and without extra flourishes. For example, Ruggie’s grandma prepares homemade donuts for his birthday but they couldn't afford fancy toppings (until Ruggie started working to bring in extra income).

It’s implied that there were instances when Ruggie (and presumably others from his hometown) had to eat rotten food or out of trash cans to get by.

Queendom of Roses

General

There is reference to some irl UK foods in this region, such as the jacket potato.

The Queendom of Roses is famous for its rose jelly rolls. Roses are the flower the country is best known for, of course, but they also have lavender, rosemary, sweet violet, foxglove, bluebells, and many berries.

People from this country eat flowers (which are specifically grown for eating). Flowers are also used for dried flower bookmarks? potpourri, etc.

The Queendom has a good selection of breads.

Apparently, the Queendom also has a strong “tea culture”.

People in the Queendom of Roses eat a lot of different pastries (pies, tarts, quiches, croissants, etc). Croissant donuts (cronuts) in particular have been pretty trendy lately. They’re donuts made with croissant batter, so they come out super flaky. They are sometimes sold with iced tea as a combo.

Potatoes are a staple food.

Jacket potatoes are common at festivals; they are potatoes baked with the skin (ie “jacket”) still on. The standard topping for them is baked beans, but you can also have tuna mayo corn, bean chili, sour cream, avocado, and other things.

Anyone that grew up in the Queendom of Roses has probably done the “cookie smash” at least once as a kid. (More info on this under the “Clock Town” section!)

The Queendom is known for lavender, berries, and rosemary.

Riddle and Trey's yet-to-be-named hometown

Trey's family owns a bakery (called "Patisserie Clover" according to the TWST manga). It seems to be a small "mom and pops" shop with no particular notoriety. However, the manga implies that it was the Clover bakery where Riddle saw the strawberry tarts and became entranced by them. This is also where Riddle would later try his first strawberry tart.

In Riddle and Trey's hometown, people enjoy apple bobbing during the Halloween season.

Before interview: Riddle was worried whether they can start on time and was relieved when Vil showed up and Vil was pretty smug about it lmao

There is a farm not too far from where Riddle lives; it is famous for its ice-cream buns. There is also a cafe located on the farm! It opened shortly after Riddle entered NRC and is so popular that it’s spoken about in magazines and tourists go there just to sample their sweets.

Clock Town

The people of Clock Town value time and punctuality due to the town's connection to the White Rabbit, who was always in a hurry. Many of the foods sold at stalls are things that are easy to hold and eat while walking, such as sliced sandwiches.

The Clock Town Folk Museum mentions a girl that appears in the story of the White Rabbit. She ate cookies that made her grow large; the museum recreates this experiment by projecting a large image of guests that eat cookies they have set out.

The Clock Town Folk Museum also runs a bugle-playing contest. The participation prize is a carrot cookie.

Clock Town sells a brand of potato chips with the White Rabbit logo on them.

The town also sells cookies iced to look like a pocket watch. The icing is made from a mixture of sugar and egg whites (“royal icing”) which hardens considerably. You’re meant to crush the cookie with a hammer to make it into smaller pieces, making it easier to eat. It’s based on the story of the White Rabbit breaking his pocket watch. Others tried to help him fix it by hitting it with a hammer, but it didn’t help at all, only damaged it more!

A lot of people enjoy growing plants, gardening, and horticulture, including stuff that can be eaten like herbs.

Sausage rolls are served in pairs to resemble bunny ears; the container they come in resembles the White Rabbit. They’re sausages wrapped in a pie crust/puff pastry dough, and come in cheese (with a shortcrust pastry similar to what is used for tarts to help hold its shape) and a spicy sausage (with a puff pastry that makes it flaky) variant for the White Rabbit Festival.

There are large mushrooms that grow in Clock Town; eating one side will turn you large, eating the other side will turn you small. The girl in the story of the White Rabbit has eaten these strange mushrooms before. These mushrooms are said to be enchanted and only work in a particular area; its effects last for ~1 minute after eating.

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zialltops · 4 months

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honeysuckle’s & huckleberry’s

After four years away at collage, you’re finally home with the tools and knowledge to save your family ranch. That is, if their ranch hand would stay out of your way.

Or: Ranch hand Joel doesn’t know how to handle the return of his bosses prodigy daughter, her snarky little attitude, or her sinfully tight jeans.

a/n: howdy ya’ll! This chapter took me a HOT minute to finish because i’ve been severely sick (if you’ve been on this ride with me since esos you know i struggle with my health) but it’s finally here! I cant thank everyone enough for reading and as much as I wish i could hear from you guys more often, i’m just going to keep writing along and hope someone likes it! The smallest interactions bring me so much joy.

Masterlink

ao3 link | spotify playlist

Chapter 5: On My Way To You

He’s never been more humiliated in his entire fucking life. Never—not ever, has he ever felt this embarrassed about someone seeing him naked. He’s been shot down mid alleyway make-out when she’d pressed too close and felt it. He’s been left in a hotel room when he had a woman naked under him and he finally pulled his pants down. Hell—he’s been told it hurts, asked to stop—asked to leave. But never has it made his heart pound and his cheeks stain red, never made him wheeze from anxiety and dread.

He didn’t mean for it to happen—he’s been doing his best to avoid you, give you the space you want, but you’ve been nicer lately and it makes him want to get closer, test those waters and get to know you, but the second he lets himself start to give in, his body goes full force and he has to get away. Today was a hard day for him because he’d been up late the night before trying to rewire a break in the fence that let out three heifers and the little calf you’d saved on Christmas.

He’d crashed hard last night and woke up too late to work himself over before starting his day—it usually helps him keep his cool, but today he spent two hours hours in the saddle of one of Hank’s horses, moving the heifers getting ready to calf to a smaller pasture, the older steer that were about to be sold off from last years calves to a quarantine pen. It was mindless and easy and Joel spent the whole time thinking about you and your pretty eyes and the way you still wear that necklace every day, like you haven’t even thought to take it off.

By the time he stops by the house for something to drink, he’s already spent half his morning picturing you in every position possible—real like he’s never had it before. He’s smack dab in the middle of one of his favorite fantasies, one where you’re going down on him, fully aware of what’s under his belt buckle and wranglers. You’d be so sweet to him, make him feel desirable without feeling like a chore. You’d kiss the length of him over his denim, drag his pants down his thighs and you wouldn’t gasp in shock. You’d want him—your mouth would water for him and you’d give him those pouty lips and bright eyes when you finally run your tongue from base to tip—it would be perfect—

“Morning Joel.”

He’s so caught up in his vision of you in his head he’s completely unprepared for this version, with berries smeared on the corner of your mouth, like the jam is just too sweet for you to leave untasted—you’re swimming in a sweater too big for you and christ he hates when you wear legging, hugging every curve of your body, filling in the shape of your body like a shadow. He does his best to form a sentence, keep himself from staring at the necklace chain he can see poking out of your collar. you’re wearing it, you’re wearing it, you’re wearing it.

When you lick the spoon clean, his stomach hits the floor and his head spin’s suddenly from loss of blood as everything warm and tingly in his body travels south. He knows he has to get out of there, doesn’t have time to stand here for another second if he wants to keep what's going on in his pants to himself.

He’ll kick himself later for not giving you an excuse to run off, but he doesn’t have a choice in the matter right now. He practically runs for the barn, the small bathroom inside is a well learned friend, where he can rub one out fast and get it out of his hungry system. His body is famished, starved for your skin and he isn’t sure how much more of this he can take.

He gets his pants down as fast as he can, spits in his hand and starts quick. God, the way you’d looked at him when he walked in there, like you were happy to see him for once, glad to share his company—if only he wasn’t such a complete piece of shit who can't take a kind gesture for just that.

He sees your smile and he wants to dig his hands into the meat of your ass and hoist you up. Wants to hold you down and take you apart with his mouth. Your eyes meet his and he wants to watch them roll back when you take all of him, like no one ever has, ever will but he can let himself imagine it in this tiny bathroom that smells like livestock and dirt. He can imagine the way you’d want it, want him. The way you’d tell him how good he felt, how good he made you feel despite what he’s always been told about himself.

Just a few more—a couple more tugs and he’s almost there, so fucking close to the thought of your body and his, and…and…

The next thing he knows your eyes are on him, then tick down to his hand wrapped around himself like the pathetic man he knows he is. He’ll never forget the way you looked at him, the way you told him how traumatized you were to see him like that, he’s sure it would have hurt less if you’d stabbed him in the heart with a dull knife.

He fucking runs back to the cabin and get’s himself under a cold shower, trying to keep his hair from getting wet so you don’t know while his body takes a shock to its system, flushing out the desire and replacing it for his shame. When he’s red and shaking from the cold, he re-dresses and heads back towards the house. The longer he hides, the more likely you are to piece together the odd string of occurrences surrounding his disappearances. The longer he waits, the more guilty he looks, so he forces himself up the stairs, trying his best to catch his breath outside of the door until he finally has the gull to knock. He knows you’re in there, he can faintly hear something, soft little sounds that he can't quite make out, so he calls your name when the small rasps don’t catch your attention.

He nearly leaves when the door finally comes open, and…fuck if you aren’t a sight for his painfully sore eyes. You’re red all over, stunning, breathing hard with wide eyes like you’ve been caught at something. Maybe you have, he can imagine, maybe you were touching yourself—thinking about him. It's a futile dream, but he lets himself have it anyways.

No matter how much he runs, how much he tries his hardest to stay away, everything you do ropes him in and hog ties him up, unable and unwilling to be moved until you’ve decided what to do with him now that everything he is, is yours.

It’s shame that keeps him from embarrassing himself again once he drives into town, because the way you press against him in the truck makes his skin boil. He doesn’t deserve to have you beside him after what you’d been forced to witness, but that doesn’t stop him. He wants to slip his hand along your thigh, wishes Tommy wasn’t sitting beside you and he could stuff his hand down the front of your leggings and show you a thing or two—he knows he’s good with his hands—his mouth, he has to be if he wants to get a woman off. He wants to show you exactly what he could do for you, to you, but he keeps his mouth closed and taps his fingers against the steering wheel the whole way. It’s infuriating, how much you get along with Tommy now, who’s been nothing but crude to you, making passes at you left and right and god help him, you let him. He wants you to talk to him like that too, he wants to make you laugh, make you giggle and blush prettily.

But he just loads the truck. Watches when you and Tommy snicker over a bottle of whiskey he knows he can't touch because last time he made a fool of himself. He tries not to intrude on your space, tries not to bother you and Tommy around the fire later after he’s done unloading the truck alone. Not even Tommy helps him around here anymore, too far up your ass that he’s damn near useless.

He watches from the window like a fucking creep, trying not to work himself up over the way you smile at his brother, the way you throw your head back laughing at something stupid he probably said. He wants that to be him, sitting beside you with whiskey making him bold, faking it for him since he doesn’t have the ability to just talk to you. He’s sure he’d tell you everything, how beautiful he thinks you are, how much smarter than him you are. He’d probably tell you how many times he’s thought about you with his hands wrapped around himself, in the dark of his room with your name on his lips.

He doesn’t do any of that, instead he watches you from the window and lets his heart ache and pound until he sees the way Tommy lingers closer, touches your leg absently and you let him. He has to put a stop to this, so he tracks out into the cold and tries to put his foot down. Maybe Tommy will go to bed, you’ll let him walk you home and it will be so cold that you’ll ask him to stay again. But before he has a second to beg you otherwise, you’re kissing his brother.

You’re kissing his brother instead of him and he can't watch for another second, so he hightails it inside and slams his bedroom door behind himself. He can usually hear right through Tommy’s wall, but he holds his hands over his ears and tries his hardest to keep the sound of his ragged breaths from making it through the walls. At some point, he falls asleep, wishing you were laying right beside him, sprawled out, satisfied and spent with the shape of his teeth on your shoulder.

When he wakes in the morning, it’s not even close to sun up yet. He has a long day ahead of him, has to ride up to the north pasture, acres upon acres of beautiful pine covered land, but Joel has to ensure that the streams aren’t frozen over if he wants to move the heifers and their calves there soon. He gets dressed with a ache in his bones that he knows didn’t come from his age, his stomach is in knots because he knows what's been done, he knows he can’t change it—that he might not ever stand a chance with you now that you’ve been with him. Women always preferred Tommy over him, all the same cowboy charm with a bit more confidence.

He slips on his boots and places his hat on his head before lingering in the hallway for a long moment. He stares at Tommys door and imagines you sleeping on the other side of it. Did you like it? Do you like him?

He turns and starts down the hallways when the door comes open with a slow creak. He turns back around in the dark light of the hallway and, there you are wearing one of Tommy’s shirts and nothing else, your hair is mused and you have this look on your face, one that reeds shame and worry and for what Joel just can't quite put his finger on. You don’t say anything for a long time, just Joel and you and the fading darkness outside, your eyes tracking over him with a shiny hue to them.

“Where are you going?” Where is he going is the first thing you have to say to him? Like he climbed out of your bed and snuck off. “I uhm…I have a long ride up to the north field, thought I would get a early start on it.” He clears his throat and glances down at his boots, then back up at you. “Though I should give ya’ll some space, no one wants their brother listenin’ in.”

He starts to turn away again because he can’t look at you for another second when he knows you have his saliva on your skin and the shapes of his hands on your body.

“Can I come with you?” Go with him? You want to go with him when there’s a warm body waiting for you in a warm bed, where you can hide from the cold world, the impending darkness and a man like him. “You want to go? Why?” You close the bedroom door behind you like you don't want to wake Tommy and it makes Joel’s heart pound out of his chest for reasons it shouldn’t. “I don't know, it’s cold out there, you’re uhm…you’re naked.”

He tries, really tries to keep his eyes off your bare thighs, the shirt hanging off your frame and your sock-less feet on the hardwood. “I’m not naked, I have underwear on,” you lift one side of the shirt like you have to prove it to him and his eyes track to the black lace hugging your hips. Saliva builds in his mouth and he clears his throat, needing to turn away from you again. “If you want to come you should probably put some clothes on, I’ll meet you in the stable.” He starts to gather up his things, a light and his phone, trying to make himself busy so he can get away. “Well, will you wait for me—I don’t want to walk alone.” And Joel doesn’t want to do this right now, walk with you for a half mile back to the stables, sit beside you, wondering if it aches sitting in the saddle because his brother fucked you.

But he waits anyway, fiddles with the brim of his hat while he sits on the couch in silence as he waits for you to get dressed. You come out in your clothes from the night before, bundled up in a big jacket with your hair tied back. He tells himself not to think about it and heads towards the door. The walk to the stables is nearly silent, but the pounding in his ears drowns out the awkwardness in the interaction. How can he stop thinking about it? How you slept with him but dragged yourself out of bed to follow Joel into the cold? How you would trade a warm body for Joel’s cold shoulder?

“Need help with your saddle?” His voice feels raw from not using it, his hands aching from the cold while he cinches up the girth strap. This time next year, hell be saddling up Cersi to take this trip, he cant wait, but for now he’ll ride Hanks sturdy horse through the mud and snow. “I’ve got it, thank you.” There's no snap in your tone like he expects there to be and you work with him in unison, getting your mounts ready while the sun starts to climb into the atmosphere. By the time he gets out of the barn, you’re smiling at him. Smiling from your spot in the saddle with the reigns in your hands like you’re made for that.

“You ready to get a move on, cowboy?” His chest tightens at the way you gaze at him, wondering if you’d given Tommy that same look the night before. He wants to pretend it was all for him, pretend that you’re looking at him like that because you see something you haven’t before.

“You ready, cowgirl? When's the last time you were in a saddle?” He tries his damndest to keep his tone light as he hooks a foot in the stirrup and hoists himself up. “Been a couple years, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget how to ride.”

Did you practice last night? He shakes his head and wills away the image. He doesn’t think he'll be able to stop thinking about it for the rest of the ride, he can’t get the image of your mouth on his out of his head no matter how much he tries. It’s always fucking Tommy. He’s always been the favored brother, no matter how much of a fuck up he is. He’s always been the one to get the girl, the popular one in school, hell even his wife—

“You okay in there cowboy?”

Your voice comes like a shock to his system, snapping him out of another unpleasant memory. “Huh?” He looks around until he lays eyes on you, riding beside him with your hands resting on the horn of the saddle. “I was asking if you’re okay…you’ve been really quiet for the past half hour.” Half an hour? It's been a half hour since he started this ride? “Yeah, no, sorry. I have a lot on my mind, is all.” You pick up the pace beside him a little, till your horses are walking alongside each-other on the path. “Anything you want to talk about?”

He sits on the words for a second. He doesn’t want to talk about it, not particularly—but its you and your asking him and fuck, he wants you to get to know him. Maybe if you knew who he was, maybe if he had a chance to explain why he’s like this you might change your mind.

“I was thinkin’ ‘bout my ex-wife.” He keeps his eyes ahead of him, because he doesn’t want to see the look on your face when you hear that, that he had a whole other life away from this place. “My mom told me you had an ex-wife. She didn’t tell me what happened.”

You knew? He’d told Hank and Louise a lot about his life, he had to if he wanted them to trust him. He wasn’t a bad man, just a burdened one. “We uh…we had a rocky marriage. Got together young, right out of high school. I was learning to work a cattle ranch and I thought I would be able to give her a good life but—she wanted more, I suppose. Started steppin’ out on me. She got pregnant by another man, but I still didn’t leave. Helped raise that little girl like she was my own.”

He thinks about Sarah and her curly hair that definitely didn’t come from him or her mom, her sweet smile, her first day of school—all the things he missed.

“What made you finally leave?” Your voice is so quiet beside him. He looks over at you under the brim of his hat and sighs. “She slept with Tommy. Came home from picking up Sarah from school and I…caught ‘em together in bed. Tommy said he did it because he wanted to prove to me that she wasn’t any good for me but, I don’t know, I’ve never been very good and stayin’ angry at him.”

Your eyes look far away in that moment, like you’re clouded in some kind of guilt, maybe because you’d slept with Tommy, too. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Joel.” He clicks his tongue and shakes his head absently. “Ain’t no thing. I’m used to it by now, he’s always had a way with ‘em that I never had.”

He has, Joel can't even recall every encounter he’s had with a woman that ended with them leaving with his brother. Hell, it had been five years since the last time he’d (kind of) had sex, no thanks to his cockblocker of a brother. The first time in years since he’s felt more than just attraction to a woman and Tommy takes that from him too.

“We should get a move on, we don’t have all day and I have a lot to do when I get back.”

He digs his heal in and the horse picks up speed and to his surprise, you keep gate with him along the trail.

When he gets to the gate of the north pasture, his ass hurts from being in the saddle and his face feels wind chapped, but you don’t complain about a lick of it, like you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world right now. “Joel?” He’s closing the gate behind you when you call his name. It makes him look up from the latch. “Yeah?” He gets it in place and mounts his horse again, adjusting his hat on his head. “I’m really sorry, about how I treated you when I first came home.”

Fuck do you have to do this right now? Out here, where he has nowhere to run off to? “You're not the one who needs to be sorry. I never should have done half the things I did to you. I didn’t even know you and I assumed the worst of you. Should’ve never done any of that to you.” He never should have left you in the cold, never should have treated you any differently than anyone else because he thought you came from somewhere that didn’t like folks like him when he really likes girls like you. So smart and put together, so capable and confident.

“We got off on a bad foot, I suppose…do you think maybe we could…start over?”

You want to start over? With him? give him a second shot to not fuck this up again? Or maybe you don’t mean it like that, like he desperately wants it to mean, even if you fucked his brother last night, he doesn’t care, he’d take his sloppy seconds any day because it’s you.

“I’d really like that.” There's a sweet kind of shimmer in your eyes when you smile at him, rosey cheeks and a crinkle by your kind eyes. His sight ticks down to your chest, where he can see the necklace he’d given you sticking out of the top. You’re still wearing it, had you worn it last night? When he laid you down on his cold sheets while Joel wished desperately it was his?

Despite the pang in his chest, the rest of the ride is easy and light, you talk about nothing and absolutely everything, your favorite color, your favorite time of the year, Joel tells you how much he loves the spring and you excitedly agree, going on and on about watching the world come back to life.

You tell him about college, how out of place you felt surrounded by people who were so different from you. How nervous you were for the first year, but you’d made a best friend out of your room mate Mel, and you finally got the hang of it in your second year.

He tells you about drifting from place to place because Tommy usually stirs up some trouble and runs them out of town. He tells you about all the times he’s had to save his ass to your parents and how much he’s tried to hang on to the one good place he’s had in so long. He could talk to you for hours, all day if you’d let him, and you do. You hold his conversations like you’re a pair of old friends, catching up after years spent apart.

He’s so lost in you that he doesn’t even realize you’re back home until the house comes into view. He’s spent so much time immersing himself in talking to you that he’s completely lost track of where he is, letting the miles blow past him. It’s mid day and he still has a lot to do and he can tell you’re starting to get sore in the saddle. “I’ll get them cooled down, you should probably get some rest. You couldn’t of gotten much sleep last night.” He swings his leg over and climbs off the horse before taking yours by the halter so you can do the same. “Thank you for today…it’s been a while since I’ve had a good reason to ride.” You give him one of those smiles again and it takes everything in him not to lean in and kiss you because of it. He’s wanted to kiss you all damn day, slide his fingers into the hair at the base of your skull and hold on tight, slot his lips over yours and breathe you in deep until he can’t let you go again.

He doesn’t and you head off towards the house while he looks on. He watches till you make it inside and then some before getting back to his chores.

Work consumes the entirety of his day, until the sun sets and it starts to get dark and chilly when he’s finally got the animals fed and the equipment locked up. He knows Tommy is back at the cabin because he dropped off a plate of dinner to Joel in the stable on his way home. He’s about to start the walk back to the cabin himself when he hears the creak of the screen door on the house just across the yard. He closes the barn door behind himself and follows the sounds. You’re standing on the porch in a pair of sleep shorts and slippers, a tee-shirt that's too big and a nervous look on your face. You don't say anything, but Joel’s feet carry him to the steps, then up them one at a time, carefully and painfully slow, like he might spook you away if he moves too quickly. The wind is absolutely howling right now, whipping your hair around and cinching your shirt tight against your frame.

He hits the landing and takes a few more steps forward, until he’s a foot away from your shaking form, your big pretty eyes that are searching every corner of his. He should say something, he should say how much he enjoyed today, how much he wants to do it again and again and again.

“I didn’t have sex with him.”

It’s not what he expected you to say standing out here in this unforgiving cold, but its the best damn thing he’s heard you say all day. It feels like an endless weight coming off his shoulders and he lets out a loud gush of air he didn’t know he was holding. “What?” You puff your chest out a little, like you’re trying to get a point across to him. “I didn't have sex with Tommy last night.” You say it so matter of factly.

“Why didn’t you?” He reaches up and pushes his hat up a little, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. His heart is pounding, his limbs shaking at the admission. “You know why.”

All at once, his pounding heart comes to a staggering stop, standing there on the porch looking down at you while he tries to keep himself upright. He doesn’t know why but the way you're looking at him now tells him there's something else here besides anger and hatred and shared distaste. You didn’t sleep with Tommy, because on the other side of that wall you were wanting him just as desperately as he wanted you.

“It’s cold out here…do you want to sleep on the couch tonight?”

Joel’s bottom lip quivers so much he has to suck it into his mouth to make it stop, bite down on it to put it at ease. “Yeah, I…I’d like that.”

A warm little hand finds his, tentative fingers intertwined with his while you lead him inside of the house. You don’t take him upstairs, Joel doesn’t expect you to. You lead him to the couch and he sits down, kicking off his boots when you reach up for his hat. You set it on the arm rest beside him and grab a blanket off the back of the couch when he lays himself back on the pillow.

His body aches, his eyes feel heavy, but he doesn’t dare close them when he’s got an angel standing right before his eyes. “Goodnight, Cowboy.” You hum sweetly, lean down and press your lips against the apple of his cheek, more delicate than he’s ever been touched before in his entire fucking life.

When you pull away, those same cheeks are painted pink and he does his best not to grin too stupidly. “Goodnight, Cowgirl.”

You take the stairs up to your room but Joel rides the elevator to heaven from his spot on the living room couch.

#joel miller #joel miller fanfiction #pedro pascal #joel miller x reader #the last of us #joel the last of us #archive of our own #joel tlou #cowboy joel miller #rancher joel miller #slow burn joel miller

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iamnot-crazy · 3 months

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Stowaway Chapter 5

Trafalgar Law x Fem!Reader

Info: This is my first time posting a story on Tumblr and my first time writing a x reader.

Summary:

The reader is a slave to a nobleman due to her devil's fruit ability which allows her to control the emotions of the people around her. She flees to bump into Trafalgar Law and boards his ship.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11

A week has passed since your kiss and the rumors on the ship exploded. There was not a moment that passed where you weren't by the captain's side and in the rare moments you weren't the captain was in an anxious mood and ordering the crew around.

Behind closed doors, the two of you would laugh at the rumors while cuddling close to one another and exchanging kisses. The crew began placing bets on whether you were truly a couple or not and if so who initiated it.

After the crew witnessed you giving the captain a small kiss on the cheek on your way into the cafeteria one morning for breakfast the crew immediately began excitedly gossiping about your relationship. Once the berries were exchanged the crew's excitement died down and became used to your relationship.

One morning Law left you to sleep in the office while the ship docked at a very important island. He ordered Bepo to stand guard of the office with strict orders not to allow you up on the deck.

The other crew members were confused about the lack of your presents while they dock at a very exciting island but if anyone asked Law where you were he would give them a sharp glare and state that you won't be joining them on this island. Everyone was still excited to explore this island and its bright lights but their captain seemed the most serious he had been in a long time.

Docking made the ship shake slightly which woke you from your slumber. It was very bright out but the curtains were pulled over the window in the office keeping the room dark for you to sleep. Confused you got up to leave the office only to see Bepo sitting outside the door. When he saw you he immediately jumped up, "y/n, funny bumping into you!" he stammered rubbing the back of his neck.

You quickly picked up his anxious feeling, "Bepo what's going on? Where is Law?" you asked sternly.

Bepo laughs nervously, "Nothing wrong. The captain is assisting with the docking procedures. Anyways y/n I need your help with something in the cafeteria. Super far away from the deck and without any windows......"

You glared at the bear feeling every anxious feeling the bear was releasing but you didn't need your powers to see him sweating profusely. You pushed past the bear heading for the deck. The bear tried to hold you back which normally he could with ease but his sweaty palms allowed you to keep slipping out of his grip.

As you grew closer to the deck you focused on Law's emotions and could feel that he was stressed and concerned about something but also extremely determined. You approach the door and see his figure standing at the end of the deck holding onto the rails. Bepo ran behind you screaming for you to wait that you can't go on the deck.

Bepo's screams gather Law's attention who shakes his head knowing that this will happen. He walks towards the door ready to support you when you learn where they had docked. As soon as you make it past the door you realize and quickly fall into the doorway. Law picks up his speed and quickly pulls you back to your feet.

You were at Sabaody the place you were sold as a slave.

The rest of the crew on the deck looked over at you in concern. As Law whispered to you to help calm you your heart raced looking at the large trees that made up the island of Sabaody.

A red mist started to fall from your hands and hovered over to the crew mates on the deck. Law quickly realized and grabbed your hand searching for your gloves. "y/n," he hissed, "your gloves."

You shook out of it but it was too late the crew was now backing away from the railings saying how they didn't feel good about this island. Law then shambled the two of you back into his office where he grabbed your gloves off the desk and swiftly placed them on your hands. Your eyes stopped glowing but the red remain.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know I could.." you look at your hands in surprise you have never been able to produce a mist so easily.

Law just sighed holding your shoulder to keep you upright. "It's ok, I should have told you where we're were going." he shook his head in regret, "I know this island is hard for you but this is where all the pirates end up on their trip to the new world. I have some business to conduct here and with them and then we will leave right away."

You nodded in understanding at the end of the day law is still a rookie pirate on his mission to find the one-piece. If he has a business that will expand his search then as a crew member you must support that.

"I don't think the rest of the crew is going to want to explore the island anymore so I'm going to have them hide the ship underwater to prevent the navy from coming aboard. I'm going to take Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin just in case so I'll need you to take charge of the ship till I'm back," he explained still holding your shoulders.

You nodded and wiped away any tears feeling more confident. "yes captain." you respond.

He nodded removing his hands from your shoulder and turning towards the door. You feel his wave of confidence even with your gloves on and he leaves the office.

Once Law left the ship with Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin you took charge of the bridge ordering a dive which everyone who was hit with your mist of fear was more than happy to comply. You found a spot under a tree root where you were sure no one could spot the sub. The crew sat in the cafeteria still unsure why they felt so afraid earlier and you can't help but feel bad for your actions and stay on the bridge next to the transponder snail in case your captain needed anything.

Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin didn't understand why everyone felt anxious about the island all of a sudden until Law sighed and in an act to shut them up told them, "Y/n only has memories of fear from this island so when she saw it her powers acted on her emotions and transferred it to the crew. You three aren't affected because of your strong wills."

The three looked at the captain confused, "Y/n power but I thought their devil fruit just put people to sleep?" the penguin asked.

Law shook his head, "Y/n has the ability of the feel-feel fruit, which means she can control and sense how people feel."

The three look at each other as if everything started to make more sense. Why do you always know what to say and how they are feeling?

"But captain, why does y/n have such bad memories towards this place?" Shachi asked but Law just looked up at the people in this town and a group of nobles who had slaves with chains around their necks.

Instantly the three understood everything, Law turned to look at them, "This is a secret y/n chooses to keep so don't talk to her about it." the captain ordered and all three nodded.

The crew started to have their suspicion about your past after the last incident but never chose to acknowledge it. Now on Sabaody and seeing your reactions, it confirmed their suspicion.

The four found their way into the auction house confused about why their captain would lead them to such a place but followed along anyway.

During the entire bidding Law sat knuckled disgusted by the show knowing you were once dragged across the stage and forced to watch these disgusting Nobles place their bids on you. He couldn't help but wonder what words they used to describe you to best sell you and your abilities. Did they speak about your beauty or just about your powers?

Soon the guest Law was waiting for arrived the straw hat pirates. A smirk danced across Law's face seeing the crew of a fellow D. But they were missing their captain so he resigned to his seat.

The Kid pirates were there but Law was searching for the particular amount of crazy that only Straw Hat provides.

When he finally arrived he arrived in style crashing through the wall and causing a scene. Law smirked this was exactly what he had predicted. Law remains in his seat watching with a grin and the straw hat pirates did what he had wanted to do since the moment he stepped on the island and that was to destroy the auction house.

Later Law joined in the battle with straw hat and kid and couldn't help but wonder what you would think of this pirate captain and his never disappearing smile.

Law finally called the transponder snail that you sat patiently waiting for and asked to retrieve him. You quickly began ordering the crew to surface the sub at the location Law gave you. Feeling safe enough on the ship and impatient enough to see your captain again you rush to the deck. You noticed the group that left for the island returned with an extra member. A larger man with black hair towered above the group.

The 5 men jumped aboard the ship and Law immediately walked towards you with a slight limp and holding an injured arm. "Law!" you shout running towards him to investigate his injuries. "What happened!"

The captain laughed at your concern and placed a hand on your shoulder. "it's fine, y/n just a little bruised up that it." you looked up at him with your eyes shifting to gold. He patted your head before turning to the new member behind him, "Y/n I want you to meet Jean Bart."

You peered around your captain to get a better look at this new member but the more you looked at him the more familiar he appeared. The giant man looked at you with the same familiarity.

The man took the first steps and knelt to your level, "So your name is y/n? I'm glad we get to cross paths again." he spoke softly like he did the day you were left at the auction house 11 years ago.

Law raised his eyebrows surprised and your relation with the giant man as you jumped into a hug.

11 years ago your stepmother sold you to the auction house the day after you turned 14. You couldn't stop the tears from rolling down your face and getting caught at the collar secured around your neck. You sat in the holding cells along with the other soon-to-be slaves while everyone stared at you. You were the youngest person there by far and were considered a high-value slave for both your youth and your powers. The giant captain felt pity for you and while everyone else would avoid looking at you he sat down next to you and pulled you to his side where you sobbed soaking his clothing.

The other three crew members were also confused at your familiarity with the scary ex-captain but remained quiet and returned to the ship to speak about their latest adventures with the crew.

Law approached you and the giant while you continued to hug and let out a cough to gain your attention, "so you know each other?"

You pulled out of the hug and searched to see that you were alone on the deck before nodding, "We were brought to the auction house on the same day." you admitted to your captain who nodded in understanding.

"y/n," the giant man spoke bringing your attention back to him, "your captain helped destroy the auction house and freed everyone inside." he bragged about your captain's victory.

Your head snapped over to your captain who was rubbing the back of his head. "well the Straw Hats did most of the destroying." he commented but you ran up to him jumping into the biggest hug ignoring his last comment. The fact that the auction house was gone made you the happiest person in the world. Law gently pulled you off him, "I can tell you about the whole thing over dinner but first we should probably hide the sub before the marines come back.

You nodded and walked by your captain's side supporting him as he limped his way into the ship. Jean Bart followed behind and closed the door. As soon as he did Law turned to the speaker in the wall and ordered a submerged.

Over dinner, the crew was fascinated to hear the story of how the Straw Hats crashed the auction house and punched a celestial dragon. Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin jumped around animating the story while Law would fact-check them every so often.

Law nudged you at one point during the story, "I think you would like this straw hat guy." you smiled excited for the day you can meet the man who punched a celestial dragon.

***

Next Chapter

#trafalgar law #trafalgar d law x reader #trafalgar d water law #one piece #one piece x reader

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cowcat-with-a-hat · 3 months

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parappa the rapper characterz that i think they would do drugz :3 (thiz iz a joke btw)

joe chin and my proof iz: that he sold me drugz outside of the 711 last thursday nite and they weren't even drugz they were hiz branded "joe chin super drugz" AND THEY WERE PIXIE STIX still very tasty tho highly reccomend

prince fleaswallow my proof iz: he mentionz in hiz song that hez "on the run" 4 sumthing 4 what exactly im not sure but im gonna guess drug dealing i mean like he runz a flea market that soundz like a front 4 a drug ring also he lookz like sum1 who dressed themselvez while constantly stoned (trust me i would know) i just know he would smoke weed he soundz high out of hiz mind and also singz about how hez been working in the "flea market" since "hiz mama waz a baby" soundz like sumthing i'd write while high out of my mind oh and also while im on about hiz song

parappa: maybe not nesaserally DO drugz but he unknowingly sold drugz (allegedly) with prince fleaswallow 2 fix hiz dadz car altho mayb he would do weed idk XP

lammy my proof iz: thiz image (thx 2 lil mrs matter on discord 4 the proof XD)

5. guru ant my proof iz: thiz iz just a hc i have that he and fleaswallow smoke weed 2gether and he smokez 2 calm hiz nervez now iz there a good reason that i have thiz hc nah not really am i what the kidz would say "delu lu" no and who the fuck sayz "delu lu" anywayz thatz stupid tiktok kidz r stupid 6. cathy piller, ma san and randum onion lady who waz in stage 2 in the 2nd parappa game my proof iz thiz image:

7. pj berri my proof iz: ok now thiz iz another purely hc thing (actually thiz whole list iz XD) but hear me out the reason why that hez constantly eating and sleeping iz bcuz hez smoking that marijamige that mary jane that grass y'know weed makez people have the munchiez real bad and also makez u real sleepy so it makez total sense i don't c it being anyother way and if u disagree with me then letz go toe 2 toe by the slide @ the preskool i'll beet u up >:( 8. crash bandicoot my proof iz: ik ik that crash izn't TECHNICALLY a parappa character but shut up look @ this image

c look they have met thiz countz anywayz crash iz def 1 of those flordia man typez who run around on bath saltz screaming no further comment

9. colonel noodlez my proof iz: what fucking moron would try 2 make noodlez the only food on earth a moron on drugz thatz who basically the whole plot of ptr2 iz that he goez on a drug binge and thinkz that all other foodz r evil and tryz 2 make everything noodlez but then parappa helpz him sober up and he realizez hez a fucking idiot and thatz why kidz u shouldn't do drugz (or do them i don't give a shit im not ur dad)

feel free 2 leave ur hcz in the commentz below <333 (btw if u didn't read the title thiz post iz satire so don't take offense 2 thiz or sumthing idk)

#parappa the rapper #um jammer lammy #satire #satire post #joke post #this is a joke #why did i write this #i'll post actual art soon :P

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beanghostprincess · 3 months

Note

Aight… Have I got something for you. I have been sitting on this head cannon for MONTHS and I need to tell someone so prepare cause i’m strapping you into this (head)cannon with me :D

A lot of people say buggy could be necertari but bare with me, what if he was half a necertari?? What if, his father was a king of alabasta but had an affair with a nameless woman and she got pregnant with buggy. The woman was the most kind and selfless and took care of her son until he turned 5. The king found out however, and he knew that a blue haired kid walking around would raise suspicion. Keep in mind, buggy doesn’t have his signature nose (ITLL MAKE SENSE TRUST ME)

So a group of men are paid off to kill this nameless woman and child to cover up for the kings sin. Buggy’s mother finds out and takes her son to run away, but they don’t get far. They reach an alleyway and buggy’s mother pushes him aside into some crates or something just when the men turn the corner. She tells them she sent her son away so there’s no point looking cause he’s long gone. Buggy is unconscious, lying under a mess of garbage as the men beat and kill his mother (it’s dark, ik)

When buggy wakes up and sees his mom he’s understandably traumatized, and doesn’t know what to do so he lays down under his cold mothers arm and cries for a bit until he falls asleep. However, it isn’t long until some people find him in the middle of the night, and figuring out that he has royal heritage, take him with them for a cashgrab. The people are slave owners/traffickers, and decide to sell on the idea that buggy is a nefertari. (Gross/Warning) They “prep” him until he’s around 8-9. (Done) To keep people or marines from finding out who he really is, they sew some pigskin onto his face. Hence, the peculiar nose.

Buggy at this point has given up, he feels nothing. His back is covered in different emblems of different slave houses and he’s about to be sold again. Until…. a certain red haired kid shows up and sees through the cracks of a cellar window. It’s shanks of course, and shanks, already traveling with Roger, goes to get Rayleigh. He tells them all about the boy he saw and they “by coincidence” do some shopping during the auction and pass by. Roger of course makes a mess and steals this traumatized angel and brings him back to the Oro Jackson.

Buggy is freaking terrified, he doesn’t understand what’s happening bless his heart. But years of training had prepared him so when the doctor stretched out a hand he did too. “I-It’s 10 berries….” he whispers, leaving everyone nauseated and shocked (I’m evil, ik) Roger and shanks however make a plan, and instead of 10 berries, shanks gives buggy his old hat. It was just a hat, but it opened buggy up to the idea of freedom. To the possibilities of happiness.

TO SUM UP WHY I THINK THIS SHOULD BE CANNON:

-Buggy acts a lot like roger, which I think is because Buggy sees him as his hero and new father. He was everything freedom embodied, which was what buggy was missing

-We don’t know buggy’s backstory or where he came from, we don’t know why it hurt so much when shanks left or why roger took him on

-THE NOSE JOKESSSS. The nose has just grown into his skin at this point, and now it’s just part of him. But he always has a twinge of PTSD when someone mentions it, he hates it, it’s his past

-It makes the whole “I looked up to shanks/sacrificed everything” sooooo much angstier/juicier. Sure, maybe he was just an apprentice, but Shanks was his everything. Shanks saved him, and saved him again, and again, and again, and-

-Why is he a coward? He’s not. He does it for his crew. His crew as most likely been through similar situations, being freaks and all. He puts on this mask to keep them safe. If he plays the coward yet terrifying pirate, they’re safe. No one below will mess with them, and no one above cares about them.

-It would make sense with why he’s so weak. He doesn’t use haki because (ANOTHER HEADCANNON) he’s too physically traumatized. Luffy was able to become more than his trauma with ace and everything, and so were shanks and others. But buggy’s was too much, he didn’t know how. So when shanks threw away their dreams, that was it. The final strand was gone and so was his haki

-yes it’s dark, but I think there’s a reason for how he acts, and he is odas favorite. So when crocodile and mihawk beat him up, yes it’s horrible and brings him back to his past, but it’s for his crew. To keep them safe

-The big plushy costume keeps anyone from seeing his scars/what about impel down?? we never see his back, and we know the systems corrupt so no one probably cared anyway.

*shows off my traumatizing headcannon* Thank you and good night

I- I wish I could give a detailed explanation of how this makes me feel but I can just stare at my screen and say "wow". Because what the actual fuck this is great???? I mean. I've always loved the whole "Buggy being a Nefertari" thing but THIS???????????? And I've always supported the whole "oh yeah he was probably a slave" because, you know, makes sense. But?????? Wow. Okay??? Also, Shanks being the one to find him??? You're killing me here, anon. I think I want to open up your skull and kiss your brain.

#this is just amazing i have no words #i'm just gonna drop it here and see where it goes #one piece #buggy the clown #roger pirates

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rhapsodynew · 24 days

Text

youtube

For most people, House of the Rising Sun evokes memories of the 1964 hit The Animals. The song itself, however, has a hidden and shockingly extensive history that began much earlier than the mid-1960s.

The melody itself is a traditional English ballad, but it has become popular as an African American folk song. It was recorded by Texas Alexander in the 1920s, then by a number of other performers, including Ledbelly, Woody Guthrie, Josh White and later Nina Simone.

But it was Nina's version that The Animals heard.

No one can claim the rights to the song, which means that it can be recorded and sold without royalties. But many bands made covers of it after it became a hit with The Animals.

Historians have not been able to definitively identify what the "House of the Rising Sun" is, but here are two of the most popular theories:

1.This song is about a brothel in New Orleans. The House Of The Rising Sun was named after its owner, Madame Marianne Le Soleil Levant (which means "Rising Sun" in French). The brothel operated from 1862 to 1874, and then closed due to complaints from neighbors.

2.We are talking about a women's prison in New Orleans called the Orleans Parish Women's Prison, the entrance gates of which were decorated with paintings of the rising sun. This could explain the phrase from the song "ball and chain".

Ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax recorded his version of the song in 1937 with a 16-year-old girl named Georgia Turner. In this context, the song is sung in the first person in the present tense, when the singer laments how the House of the Rising Sun destroyed her life. In this traditional folk version, the main character is either a prostitute or a prisoner. The Animals changed the character to a gambling enthusiast to make their version more suitable for radio.

In 1964, this folk song became a worldwide hit for The Animals. Their version reached number one in the UK on July 9, and in America on September 5.

Animals vocalist Eric Burdon explained in a 2010 interview for Songfacts:

House of the Rising Sun is a song that I was just destined to perform. She was made for me, and I was made for her. It was a great song to tour with Chuck Berry because it became a way to reach the audience without copying Chuck Berry himself. It was a great trick, and it worked. In fact, not only a trick, but also a great record.

Bob Dylan included this song on his first album in 1962 with a folk arrangement like that of American folk singer Dave Van Ronk. When The Animals recorded it two years later, it transformed Dylan. The musician realized that he could apply a rock rhythm to a folk song. Bob bought an electric guitar and started playing it, which made him famous at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, where he performed an electric set for the first time.

The Animals recorded the song in the studio in just one take, as they honed it by constantly performing on tour. John Steele, the band's drummer, recalled this.:

On May 17, 1964, we played in Liverpool, and then went to London, where Mickey Most booked a studio for the ITV show Ready Steady Go! Because of the reaction we got to Rising Sun, we asked to record this song as well, to which he said, "OK, we'll do it in the same session." We tuned in, played a few bars for the sound engineer – it was mono without overdubs – and recorded it only once. After listening, Mickey said: "That's it, it's a finished single." The sound engineer said that the song came out too long, but instead of shortening it a little, Mickey plucked up the courage and said, "Now we live in a microgrove world, we'll release it." A few weeks later, the song became No. 1 worldwide. When we knocked the Beatles off the top in America, they sent us a telegram that read: "Congratulations from The Beatles (band)."

Producer Mickey Most added:

Everything was in the right place, the planets were in the right place, the stars were in the right place, and the wind was blowing in the right direction. It took only 15 minutes to record, so I can't take much credit for producing it. It was just an incident that captured the atmosphere in the studio.

My old collection of cover version

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caoimhe-from-hoenn · 11 months

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Just got off the phone with Combee’s Daycare.They’re reaching capacity every other day, so if you want to adopt some Pokemon responsibly here’s a list of them

I’ll also want to see your credentials and such, even your trainer id is fine. though for some cases, I’ll need someone to vouch for your capacity to care for the pokemon

I’ll handle the transfers if needed

Pickles the Axew - Left at the daycare last December, trainer was deceased. Eats everything, very friendly boy. Make sure he doesn’t eat something dangerous. Rambunctious, can trash a room in 30 seconds if he wants. Probably good for a battler who can keep him occupied.

Dollkiller the Gothithelle - Quiet, a bit shy so you have to get along with her when you meet. She only seems to be easy to care for, but has a habit of blasting people with apocalyptic thoughts (dm me for more info it’s kind of. uh. yeah.). Otherwise she’s really good with telekinesis. Recommended for those with actual psychic training.

Adoration the Roselia - Trainer was deceased just last month. An actual show heirloom breed or whatever it’s called, she has big flowers (one with red and pink stripes, the other in a specific shade of blue im told is super rare). Adoration herself is pretty easygoing and is used to kids and the elderly, but her roses need a lot of care (guides are available). Also responds to Dora. NOT shiny.

Chai-chai the Sinistea - Accidentally sold in a garage sale, he was hiding in the teacups. Phony form, with a little chipping on his handle. Very good at hiding and messing with people, also his tea smells like Oran Berries and rooibos. Good for someone who has the mental fortitude to deal with pranks.

Semyon the Swanna: Came from a shiny breeding mill, has some spinal and leg problems. He can be an asshole and isn’t great at communicating, so we’ll only consider someone with lots of experience handling bird Pokemon. He may hobble a little but he moves fast and his neck moves faster. Needs a quiet place where he can do his own thing undisturbed. With a pond all to himself.

Five-o the Ditto - Can’t transform. They can form some rudimentary shapes and change some patches on themselves, but they can’t do it properly. Sometimes their transformations can be a bit unsettling, but be not afraid. This Ditto is a sweet and cuddly thing. Likes puzzles and candy, so watch out for your pockets.

There are also a bunch of others that came in recently, these ones don’t seem to have any visible behavioral or physical issues but I’ll still want your info:

5 Luvdisc (what the FUCK are they doing here it’s June)

3 Spinarak (having trouble adopting them out, for arachnophobia reasons)

4 Sandile (confiscated from an illegal breeder)

1 Litwick (do your research on ghost pokemon before asking)

1 Milcery (no we don’t know what form it will take)

1 Deerling (the climate here makes it stay Summer form all year round. but if you take it somewhere with four seasons it might bloom? I haven’t tried it)

You can also contact Kharlie of Combee Daycare yourself at their page

#BE RESPONSIBLE #ask questions #we will answer them to the best of our ability #also no evil teams i will break your knees #pokeblogging #irl pokemon #adoption

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oliversrarebooks · 2 months

Note

Hello! I have just a teeny tiny amount of questions regarding blood.

*unrolls massive paper roll that spills on the ground and hits your feet*

Is there a list of possible blood grades? Is so, is triple A the highest highest one? That must mean Oliver really is the top shelf. Is the lowest grade low F?

Does a human's blood grade determine if they will be an erased thralll or a sentient one?

If so, what's the minimum grade for not getting erased, low B maybe? Is there also a minimum grade for edible blood? Is there blood so bad or digusting a vampire cannot digest it?

If the grade of the blood is not the sole factor, then what other factors are there? Natural strength? Natural level of obedience? Are there grades for that?

Human blood farms, what grade are the people there? Is there a certain point in the blood grade list that a human just cannot be sold to a farm because they're blood is too valuable? Do some vampires keep thralls as pets but not too drink from and have another thrall just for drinking.

Like let's say a human's blood is not exactly appetizing, but they are very cute (atleast in the eyes of a vampire) and docile or they have a really pleasing personality so they're kept around like a lap dog? (i'm thinking of Emily and betty, Emily is a low B, so she can't be that tasty, but I'm thinking Jessica keeps her around because she likes her looks and personality. Meanwhile I imagine Betty being a B plus or even a low A, but she's more like a blood source than pet)

Are there some magical foods that can gradually change the taste of human blood, like berries or some meats? Are they toxic to humans but vampires don't care? Let's say they do work, I imagine it would just be some superficial or even worse change? Kind of like, hmmmm... Trying to replicate the autentic taste of fresh vanilla from expensive vanilla beans, but using some 50 cent vanilla flavor you found at the dollar store

Or perhaps it's just a scam? "FEED YOUR THRALL THIS MAGICAL CLOUD FAIRY BERRY AND THEIR BLOOD WILL SKYROCKET 2 WHOLE GRADES OVER THE COURSE OF JUST 5 SHORT MONTHS!!"

You don't have to answer all these questions, answer as many as you like or none at all. You can also use these questions in your stort if you actually like them, tho i'd be very flattered.

This is all for now! But be assured, *I will come back.*

Oh wait! I do have one more question, what is Emily's word? (yk, like Oliver's is quiet, what's Emily's?)

Yay worldbuilding questions, I love them!

The blood grades are indeed triple A through F. Oliver and Fitz were both the top of the top shelf. F would be considered undrinkable.

There isn't a perfect correlation between blood grade and allowed sentience. At the auction house, humans with high quality blood are almost never erased, because erasure is difficult and time consuming to reverse. For the expensive merchandise, it's better to keep them sentient and then offer erasure as an option after purchase. This is why Jameson is complaining about the thralls, since all of the thralls that meet his criteria for blood quality are conditioned to be servants and pets.

There's no minimum grade that will allow a human to escape possible erasure. If Jameson had bought Oliver, he would have paid for erasure after purchase.

Minimum grade for edible blood depends on how picky or desperate the vampire in question is, but F grade generally refers to blood considered inedible. This usually happens when a human is diseased or poisoned.

There aren't official grades for other factors that can affect a thrall's price, especially since those tend to be largely subjective. Outside of the vampires who erase their humans fully, most vampires choose based on a variety of factors. You're right that Jessica chooses her thralls for looks as much as for blood quality. Many vampires keep more than one thrall, so it's common to have one for primarily drinking and another for primarily being a servant or pet.

There aren't really foods that can magically make a human's blood a higher grade, although you're probably right that scams like that would exist. The general prevailing wisdom among vampires is that fresh meat, vegetables and fruits are best for feeding your thrall. Seafood, spices, and other pungent foods are sometimes avoided, but this varies greatly from culture to culture.

I don't think every thrall gets a special word, I think Lily just does that to her favorites.

#ask #worldbuilding #vampires

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world-of-wales · 1 year

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─ •✧ WILLIAM'S YEAR IN REVIEW : JUNE ✧• ─

1 JUNE - William attended the Senior Colonels' Conference and Dinner at Clarence House.

2 JUNE - William took part in The Queen's Birthday Parade on Horse Guards Parade along with other members of the Royal Family at which The Queen's Colour of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards was trooped. On the conclusion of the Parade, they rode back to Buckingham Palace where he appeared on the Balcony along with Catherine and their children to witness a fly-past marking the Queen’s official Birthday. In the evening, William was present at the lighting of the National Beacon at Buckingham Palace to commemorate the Platinum Jubilee.

3 JUNE - William and Catherine attended the National Service of Thanksgiving for Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee in St. Paul's Cathedral. After the Service, they a attended Reception at Guildhall given by the Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor and the City of London Corporation.

4 JUNE - William and Catherine along with George and Charlotte visited Cardiff Castle where were received by Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of South Glamorgan (Mrs. Morfudd Meredith). Later they attended the Platinum Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace.

5 JUNE - William and Catherine attended the Platinum Jubilee Street Party at Kensington before attending the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in the Mall. They later appeared on the Buckingham Palace Balcony along with their three children.

7 JUNE - William held an Investiture at Buckingham Palace on The Queen's behalf.

8 JUNE - William was spotted selling the Big Issue Magazine in London.

13 JUNE - William and Catherine attended the Order of The Garter Service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor.

14 JUNE - William attended a Duchy of Cornwall Meeting at 10 Buckingham Gate. Afterwards, he attended the Grenfell Tower Five Year Memorial Service along with Catherine.

15 JUNE - William visited the Lionesses team at St. George's Park ahead of the European Championship where he was received by Mr. James Leavesley (Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire).

16 JUNE - He held a United for Wildlife Meeting at Kensington Palace.

17 JUNE - William and Catherine attended Day Four of Royal Ascot.

19 JUNE - Kensington Palace released a new photograph for Father's Day featuring William with his three children.

21 JUNE - A special issue of the Big Isuue magazine was released to mark William's 40th Birthday. He also visited Dave Martin, the Big Issue seller with whom he sold the magazines in London earlier in the month. William and Catherine held a Meeting with the Lord Hague of Richmond, Mr. Simon Patterson and Ms. Amanda Berry (Chairman, Vice-Chairman & Chief Executive, The Royal Foundation) via video link.

22 JUNE - William and Catherine visited Brixton House Theatre where they were received by Mr. Christopher Wellbelove (Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London). Afterwards, Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London (Sir Kenneth Olisa) recieved them as they attended the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Railway Station.

23 JUNE - William and Catherine spent their day carrying out engagements in Cambridgeshire. First, they were received by Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire (Mrs. Julie Spence) as they visited Fitzwilliam Museum where their first joint portrait was unveiled. Afterwards, they visited East Anglia Children's Hospice - Milton where they were received by Mr. Benjamyn Damazer (Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire). Subsequently they were received by Mrs. Caroline Bewes (Deputy Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire) at Jimmy's Cambridge. Later Williama and Catherine spent their time at the first-ever Cambridgeshire County Day at Newmarket July Course.

24 JUNE - William held an Investiture at Buckingham Palace.

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yujo-nishimura · 4 months

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The Escape - Part 32

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9 - Part 10 - Part 11 - Part 12 - Part 13 - Part 14 - Part 15 - Part 16 - Part 17 - Part 18 - Part 19 - Part 20 - Part 21 - Part 22 - Part 23 - Part 24 - Part 25 - Part 26 - Part 27 - Part 28 - Part 29 - Part 30 - Part 31

Warning: angst, emotional abuse, loneliness, despair - as a writer I would say here is the big plot twist and after that everything will get better (hopefully)... :)

That night you had the worst nightmares you have had in a while. After crying yourself to sleep you saw Buggy in your dreams, the small Buggy as you had first met him, sitting together with Gaimon, holding a glass, smiling at you, his face friendly and full of innocence. You wanted to go over to him, you wanted to sit with your friends and laugh and drink and enjoy the good times you always had together. While you trying to reach him, stretching out your hand, his body turned into wax, his face a sad grimace. He tried to move his lips, but everything was inaudible. You called out for him, wanting to run towards him, but something is holding you back. As you looked down to your feet you can see quick sand, slowly swallowing your feet, reaching now all the way up to your knees. The sand is hot, you cannot move, you start to lose sight of Buggy. Feeling desperate, knowing if you could have told him only one thing, this one thing - you could have escaped the quicksand and also rescued your captain from the wax.

Panting and gasping for air you wake up, immediately sitting up, pressing your palm to your anxious heart, trying to calm it down. You should have told Buggy that you love him. You had so many chances. The first time he forcefully shut you up, being afraid of hearing these words from you. The second time you had no courage. There was no third time. And now it was too late. You tried to slow down your breath and think of what to do next. You had spent the last days in self pity and despair. You did not believe that Buggy had really abandoned you and sold you to a mighty warlord for a handful of berries. There was something else about this story which was fishy. If this was his plan all along why did he not give you to the marines in the first place? They probably would have even paid a better bounty than a criminal like Crocodile. And why would he think you would just stay here in this desert city and live with a chain-smoking devil fruit eater?

You looked around in your room, not seeing any chance to escape. The windows were sealed with iron bars, the door always locked. You laid back in your pillows and sighed loudly. You knew what to do - you would have to use your charisma and charm once more to finally play along and get out of this palace. And then you would have a chance to meet your former captain again. Would you tear him to pieces for past grievances, or would you be overwhelmed by an intense desire to kiss him passionately? In this moment, you found yourself unsure of which path to take, uncertain of what would be the most appropriate response.

Until the morning you were laying awake in your bed, your mind full of thoughts of revenge and determination. Before dawn, you got up, went into the bathroom and take a long and soothing bath. You decided to use the finest shampoos Crocodile has provided you with and you even found some makeup to enhance your natural beauty. For someone who had been abducted and hadn't slept much you actually looked great. As you came out of the bathroom you went to the closet, taking out one of the most beautiful dancer costumes embroidered with pearls and stones. As you gazed into the mirror, a bittersweet nostalgia washed over you. Reflected back was an image of a lady, no longer adorned with the trappings of a pirate's life - maybe this was the life you had actually longed for?

Seizing a book from the nearby shelf, you swiftly tore out a piece of paper from its first page. With a sense of urgency, you etched a message onto the paper before carefully tucking it into the pocket of your skirt, ensuring its safekeeping. As if he would have predicted your timing, the door opened and Crocodile entered your room carefully, unsure in which state he would find you in. You sat on the chair next to the window, holding the book you just had grabbed, pretending you were reading and awaiting his arrival. It was the first time he saw you in the clothes he had chosen for you and on top of that you were not in your bed, but bathed and dressed sitting on a chair.

“Good morning!”, you greeted him with a smile. You were determined to make you both feel better by showing kindness. “Good morning…”, he hesitated, hearing you saying this for the first time as well. Slowly walking towards you, his face was blurred in confusion. “Feeling better, eh?”, he asks, putting the tray in front of you on the little table next to your chair. “Much better. Thank you for breakfast.”, you put the book down, making sure he won't see the first page being ripped out.

Not knowing how to handle your kindness, just like Buggy, Crocodile turned around on his heel.

“Wait, don't you want to eat with me? I am tired of eating alone..”, you asked him carefully, making sure your voice doesn't sound too demanding.

“I already ate. Maybe later..”, his short answer left you a bit disappointed and without further ado he left the room and you alone again. A heavy sigh escaped your lips, carrying with it a mix of frustration and resignation. You had made an effort to accommodate his desires, to align your actions with his expectations. Yet, it seemed that your attempt had backfired, leaving you questioning the complexities of your relationship.

You spent the day reading, trying to distract yourself. Every time the sadness seemed to overwhelm you, you took a pen and started writing on some pages of the book letters to Buggy. But as time passed, frustration welled up within you. The letters, filled with raw vulnerability and unspoken yearning, felt somehow inadequate. They failed to capture the depth of your emotions or bridge the gap between you and Buggy. You also felt just mad at him. In a surge of exasperation, you tore the pages apart, crumpling them into a ball before casting them beneath your pillow.

Crocodile came back around lunch time, bringing you another meal at midday for the first time since he had captured you. This time he carried two trays, both full of fruit, meat, rice, even a bottle of wine and two beautifully crafted crystal glasses. “Lets have lunch together!”, he proposed and you were relieved he seemed to have understood your good intentions. Without taking his coat off, he sat down next to you on a chair, facing the window, the trays placed in front of you. He offered you wine without saying a word and you happily nodded, knowing this would take the edge and your nervousness off. As you both started drinking and eating in silence, the sun of Alabasta shone through the window, lightening up your meal and his face. He was still looking at you with suspicion, his forehead slightly wrinkled. You knew you would need to talk to him to make him trust you more.

“Thank you for giving me the chance to talk to Buggy last night. I have to admit I was sad at first…”

Crocodile paused mid-meal, his gaze fixed upon you, intrigue etched across his features. He appeared genuinely interested in what you had to say, inviting you to continue sharing your thoughts.

“But I understand now that he was after my bounty all along. He just saw me as something easy he could use and get rid off again..”

The warlord fell silent, giving you the chance to share your feelings with him. You could see his face was more at ease now, the presence of wine had also contributed to his eased demeanor.

“I just thought… that I would be more for Captain Buggy than just a simple crew member..”

“Is that so?”, Crocodile took another sip of wine before he lit his cigar. You can feel his eyes now wandering all over your body. You are taking another sip of the wine, trying your best to stay in the role.

"Yes, I thought... I mean, after we shared some nights together," you began, your voice trailing off slightly as you broached the sensitive topic.

Crocodile's voice rose a notch as he interjected, his curiosity piqued by your statement. The subtle shift in his tone did not escape your notice, and it brought a smile to your lips. His eyes betrayed a mixture of confusion and something deeper—an unmistakable desire.

You met his gaze with an air of candor, fully aware of the effect your words were having on him. The room seemed to crackle with anticipation as you continued. “So, he didn't treat you right?” “No, he did not offer me a beautiful room with so many books like you do now. A private bath. A spacious bed with luxurious sheets. And all these beautiful clothes…!”, you let your hands gently slide down over your clothed shoulders and your slightly exposed décolte. You can hear him clearing his throat and taking another bigger sip of wine. He has almost finished his whole glass in one gulp.

You think of the beautiful green dress Buggy had bought you. The dress you haven't worn yet, the dress you loved so much, which was so much more elegant and sophisticated than the cheap dancers clothes hanging in this closet of yours in your little prison cell. You decided at that moment to not only tear Buggy to pieces but also steal your dress back.

“Well, this is all yours and you can have even more. If you join forces with me, I can buy you whatever your heart desires.”, Crocodiles voice called you back into your grim reality.

“Anything I want?”

“Anything.”, he repeats and empties the wine bottle into his glass without offering you more.

You sit back and smile at him.

“Can you take me for a walk? I am dying in here out of boredom. I want to see the town of Alabasta!”

He suddenly gets up, the cigar gleaming angrily in his mouth.

“You can go out later. It is still too early for you.”

“But…!”

"Let's discuss this later!" he repeated firmly, seizing both trays and hastening towards the door.

Caught off guard, you found yourself unable to react as he swiftly exited the room, leaving you behind. Your voice, a mere whisper, escaped silently, "Shit!"

Crocodile never returned, not even for dinner, leaving you with yet another day of receiving only two meals. Surprisingly, this arrangement suited your current state of mind. Frustration simmered within you, fueled by the frustration he presented and the exhausting effort required to maintain the facade. In truth, you were looking forward to an evening spent in solitude, allowing your thoughts to wander freely, particularly towards Buggy.

Caught in a tumultuous whirlwind of conflicting emotions, you found yourself trapped between disbelief and the painful realization that he had indeed betrayed you—a despicable pirate who had forsaken you for the allure of some cheap berries. The few moments when you had called him out on his behavior and he had defended himself as “I am a pirate, you cannot think highly of me..” was something you remembered now as you were sitting on your bed.

In a fit of frustration, you tore at the fabric of your skirt, rending it into tattered pieces. The desire for him still burned within you, despite the pain he had caused. Closing your eyes, you envisioned his handsome face, his defined cheekbones, his penetrating gaze, the red nose, and the smudged clown makeup. Vivid memories of his intense presence flooded your senses—the way his eyes glinted with desire, the sound of his voice as he moaned softly. The overwhelming rush of emotions threatened to engulf you entirely.

Overwhelmed by the weight of your emotions, you rose abruptly, a scream tearing from your throat. The torn fabric of the skirt scattered on the floor as you unleashed your agony, your voice reverberating against the walls. Frustration turned into fury as you struck the bookshelf, causing books to tumble to the ground, their pages rustling in protest.

Exhausted from the cathartic release of your screams, you sank to your knees, cradling yourself in your own arms. Rocking back and forth, tears streamed down your face, you were exhausted. In that moment, you allowed yourself to surrender to the overwhelming vulnerability that had been building within you.

You were so strong all day, it was okay to be weak now and give in to your feelings. Tomorrow was another day…

#one piece #buggytheclown #one piece buggy #buggy the clown x reader #buggy x reader #buggy x you #long fanfic #nanowrimo 2023 #long reads #sir crocodile

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artoutoftheblue · 11 months

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Oh boy. Here I was thinking I could do a little bit of research on the overseas AU. Just a quick look around at the history. But dear God there are a lot of posts. Can I get an abbreviated version of the history. Like moon dies? There's a lab somewhere? Experimentation? I am very very lost. I just thought this was an AU about fish people.

I was originally supposed to leave angst out of it, but unfortunately i couldnt help myself. In this AU, counting all the mers that have ever existed, theres 19 different mermaids. I've made mermaid versions of Sun, Moon, Lunar, Eclipse, Solar, Bloodmoon, KC, Glamrock Freddy, Glamrock Chica, Roxanne, Monty, Vanny, Glamrock Bonnie, Glamrock Mangle (I call her Vixen), Glamrock Foxy, Space, Nebula, and Strawberry Moon (Berry for short). But the main focus of this one is all the DCA ones. KC was the first mer to ever exist. He was created in a lab by scientists, but later forced to let him into the wild. Glamrock Foxy was made after KC was a year old and was also freed. He ended up being the parent of Eclipse, Lunar, and Bloodmoon, but unfortunately died when they were 5 years old, and Eclipse ended up raising his brothers from there. Once around the age of 20, they all decided to find their own homes. Eclipse found a cave near a reef and stayed there. Lunar stayed in an area of the kelp forest. And Bloodmoon stayed in a cave in the deep. Eclipse ended up only having Solar at the time since he ended up loosing two of his other eggs. Lunar ends up failing at keeping all of his eggs safe, and will continue to do so each time he has them. Bloodmoon doesnt want kids, so he kills his eggs himself. 5 years later, Eclipse has Sun and Moon. One year after that, scientists were forced to release all the other mers that they created as well. Some more time later, and Bloodmoon manages to get captured by humans and taken to a lab. This lab claims to be doing things for "reseach" but in reality, everything they're doing is hurting Bloodmoon. When he had eggs again, the researchers took them before he could kill them, and incubated them until they hatched, then the three were sold off to an aquarium and raised in captivity. These three were named Space, Nebula, and Berry. Thankfully the center was forced to let Bloodmoon back out in the wild, but with how many injuries he has, he cant swim anymore, so Eclipse and Lunar took care of him. Later on, while Monty and Moon were playing around with each other, some teenagers threw a harpoon at Moon that went straight through him and killed him, the teenagers then took him and sold his body to the aquarium (which has an area like a museum, they have KCs bones there too). And the last thing that happened was Lunar ending up getting killed when he was trying to protect eggs again. Eclipse later found him, and took it upon himself to take the eggs and raise them for his brother. The three eggs dont have designs yet, but their names will be Earth, Dusk, and Dawn

#blue talks #asks #os stuff

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tobiasontherun · 7 months

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More Headcanons!

1: Jay BARELY remembers project B.L.U.E.B.I.R.D, the only thing he remembers is the memories with Jayden

2: If The gang found out jaiden and jay got kidnapped, Tim would be filled with anger, brian would be panicking, alex would be in shock, and the children (Raven and bobby) would be upset

3: Jay, cucurucho and jaiden have a trio name! Their called Tye hybrid trio!

4: Jay and jaiden also have a duo name! The Avian duo! :]

5: When jay and jaiden got kidnapped, tim looked after raven and also roier and cellbit helped calm raven down when Tim went to hang out with brian

6: Brian is fluent in ender language!

7: Crimson almost sold tims cigs for some berries (his favorite snack(

8: Jay lives near the mountains, Brian near the mountain caves, Tim inside the mountain and Alex in the nether

9: Alex has beef with roier since roier called him a puto

10: Cucurucho scares the living shit out of tim in the most random times ever

Theres gonna be more in the future! <3

#marble hornets #jay merrick #alex kralie #tim wright #brian thomas #qsmp cucurucho #qsmp jaiden #qsmp #qsmp au #marble hornets qsmp au

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lordtheodorexiii · 6 months

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Top 5 weapons in videogames. Either a category or a specofic one whichever works

Oh boy, I get to nerd out about something again!

Theo's Top 5 weapons in games:

5. Blood Berry from No More Heroes

Its iconic visual appeal and amazing sound design captivate me. Laser swords that go woosh are peak. Also the funny recharge animation

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4. Chamber's Tour De Force from VALORANT

I love the design of sniper rifles. I love its gold and purple scheme so much... This one gets bonus points because of the wonderful firing sound and the fact that it's made with nano-technology in lore.

3. DJ Cyber's discs from Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

Weapons that also happen to be instruments are my jam. In the DJ's case, he wears a set of records that function as chakram on his outfit at all times. I dig it.

2. Lord Axeon from Phantasy Star 0

This weapon serves as some of the inspiration for my URL. I was really bad at it, but I played Phantasy Star Zero a bit when I was a kid. Back then, I really liked Kai. Thus, I like the weapon he uses. Lord Axeon is a gunblade with the ability to burn its target for extra damage. It's a very versatile weapon that continues to make appearances in the Phantasy Star series.

1. Silverhorn Trident, as depicted in Phantasy Star Online 2

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I know nothing about the Irregular at Magic High. In the days of old in PSO2 JP, I once heard the metallic ringing that this gun makes when you fire it, and made it my mission to acquire this weapon at any cost. Then I saw the prices that this weapon skin was being sold for on the player market.

The prices in this photo are from Japan in 2020. For those not in the know, those prices are nuts. The money-grinding mission Cradle of Darkness wasn't meta yet (to my knowledge), so you'd need to do a very high amount of daily and weekly quests, not buying anything for months on end to even get close to these prices. Luckily I managed to snag one before the inflation from above occurred. On the Japanese server, this was the most expensive cosmetic I've purchased in PSO2- around 200 million Meseta. On the western release, I managed to grab it at around 100 million Meseta.

#ask #thirteen.txt

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justasparkwritings · 1 year

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Merry & Bright: I. Christmas for You & Me

Pairings: Min Yoongi x Park Jimin; Jung Hoseok x Kim Taehyung;

Genre: Fluff, Non-Idol AU, SLOW BURN

Rating: R

Warnings: Swearing! Talking about Sex!

Word Count: 5.1k

Summary: Yoongi wants to reunite the famous writing group Kim & Kim to celebrate the 1 millionth copy of their Christmas book and album being sold. The only problem? They haven’t spoken since they broke up 5 years ago.

Notes: Merry & Bright this year is taking the form of one cohesive story involving all of Bangtan! Hope you enjoy this change!

I. It’s the Most Wonderful Time for a Plan

The fresh scent of gingerbread wafted through Yoongi’s nostrils as he opened the door to Sugar & Spice, the bakery on the corner of his block. He hated gingerbread, but that didn’t much matter to the store’s proprietor, who sold more gingerbread than any other bakery in the vicinity. Yoongi grumbled as he made his way around the counter, bypassing the line of guests in for their morning coffee (a seasonal blend of course) and morning baked good. The cabinets, absolutely brimming with gingerbread cinnamon rolls, red berry scones and hot chocolate croissants, were all the ideas of baker Jimin Park.

Serendipity Sweets, opened for nearly five years, was Jimin’s crowning achievement, besides his marriage. He loved the corner shop, the stunning Victorian window trim and warm morning sunlight. It was a beautiful shop, one he held deeply in his heart as his truest dream. When he had told Yoongi about his dream, sometime on their third date, he had been struck by the beautiful way Yoongi held space for it. What he hadn’t expected was Yoongi’s connections and advantageous interactions to lead to him standing in the kitchen, placing gold flakes onto another batch of gingerbread cinnamon rolls.

“Hey!” A customer called, pulling Jimin out of his reverie. He stepped into the shop as Yoongi grabbed a holiday cup and began filling it with the black brew.

“He can’t cut the line!” Another called as Yoongi used the tongs to grab an apple cider muffin from the cabinet. Clearly none of these people had been in when Yoongi was, or seen him move deftly through the store taking whatever he wanted. They’d missed watching his hair grow long as the seasons changed, his delicately pale legs becoming hidden under pants instead of bare in shorts, how he stopped drinking iced coffee right when the leaves began changing.

“It’s fine,” Jimin said as he fully came out from the kitchen, wiping his hands on his apron. “Do you have to do this every morning?”

“Good morning to you too,” Yoongi said, and he dipped his head ever so slightly, bringing his lips to Jimin’s.

“Good morning,” Jimin said smiling. “I like this outfit.”

Yoongi glanced down to his plaid button down with a loose cardigan draped over his shoulders and dark corduroy pants. He shrugged, unimpressed by his own choice for clothing, but pleased Jimin thought it was worth a compliment. He felt the blush creep into the apples of his cheeks at the little attention, so delicate and inconsequential from the usual love his husband heaped on him, but burned deeply in his heart.

“Thanks honey,” Yoongi said and kissed Jimin once more, this time lingering to rub it into the patron’s faces. His lips parted slightly, and he felt Jimin lean into it for a brief moment, tongue darting to swipe Yoongi’s lip before he pulled away.

Jimin’s hands pushed into Yoongi’s chest, and he said in a low almost moan, “Yoongs.”

“Sorry,” he muttered, but they both knew he wasn’t sorry at all. He adjusted the beanie covering his swooping and long midnight locks.

“What does your day look like?” Jimin asked as he moved away from the customers.

“I have a meeting that I –

“Yoongi, no,” Jimin said, knowing the look in his husband’s eye.

“I did.”

“Yoongi!” Jimin said hitting his chest. “

“What?” Yoongi asked, sipping his black coffee.

“You know what,” Jimin said.

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t.”

“You are playing with fire, and I for one do not want to clean up the ashes,” Jimin said passively as he continued restocking the gummy Christmas trees and assorted sour gummy stockings.

Yoongi scoffed. “I am not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I won’t get burned. It’s just an idea.”

“That they don’t know about,” Jimin said.

“Correct.”

“When this blows up in your face, expect an I-told-you-so,” Jimin said as he shuffled some of the store’s goods around on the shelves.

Jimin was never done tinkering with his Christmas decorations and treats, constantly rearranging and moving them until January began. It wasn’t that he was unsatisfied, it was more so that he knew he could do better and constantly wanted to prove himself. He stared at the assortment of mugs from local vendors and shuffled a few of them to the front, brushing some fake snow onto the floor. He stepped back, staring at the shelves and the Christmas trees and lights he’d strewn around. Not nearly as good as last year’s decorations, which was themed Merry & Bright, and included a special holiday sugar and spice sugar cookie shaped like a Christmas light. This year, his theme Merry Berry, had been somewhat successful. The berry themed treats, and drinks, were doing well for business. But the décor left a lot to be desired, at least for Jimin. His bakery was known in town for it’s holiday decorations and themes, always pulling the stops out at Halloween and Valentine’s Day… but this year Jimin couldn’t quite crack it, and Hoseok was similarly creatively blocked.

“It won’t,” Yoongi assured him, eyes raking over Jimin’s figure as he watched him shelve products. He looked good, deliciously so, like he did every day. His black hair, growing long like Yoongi’s, was tied up in a little ponytail, if you could even call the two inches of hair that. And he had a bit of flour on his apron, and a dash of sprinkles stuck to his cheek. He looked like a goddamn Christmas Elf, and Yoongi loved it.

“It will,” Jimin said, his tone all-knowing and accusatory.

“We’ve been friends with both of them for over a decade, I think they’ll be okay.”

“They don’t even come to our holiday party!” Jimin argued.

“Psh, a lot of people don’t.”

“Yoongi,” Jimin warned.

“Jimin.” He countered.

“I hope I’m wrong,”

“Like Nancy’s brother?” Yoongi asked, referencing the famous wedding scene of Love Is Blind season 3.

“Yes.”

“Well, we’ll never know if I don’t leave this shop and get to work,” Yoongi said. He moved back to the counter to put a lid on his coffee and pick his pastry up. “I will text you.”

“Yes, you will,” Jimin said. He leaned in and kissed Yoongi once more, holding Yoongi against him with the tether their lips held onto. “Be good please.”

“I’m always good, honey,” Yoongi winked before turning on his heels and exiting Sugar & Spice.

“Yoongi!” A voice came from behind him, and he turned quickly to find Hoseok.

“Hobi – aren’t you late?”

“No, I had to go meet a vendor and Jimin said Sasha would help open,” Hoseok said as he approached his friend. “You got your morning treats?”

Yoongi laughed. “You know I did.”

“Good, you guys still coming to dinner tomorrow?” Hoseok asked as he put his hand on the doors handle, opening it to let a few customers out.

“Yeah, 7PM?” Yoongi asked.

“Yeah, we’ll see you then,” Hoseok smiled and headed inside.

Yoongi began the trek to his office, down three blocks from his husband’s store. It was a brisk morning; his breath coming out in fits and starts of steam as he exhaled. He wished he’d taken the scarf Jimin had left out for him, but he’d forgotten when he remembered the rush of holiday customers and the glare Jimin would give him for disrupting the flow of business with his morning ritual. He loved Jimin’s baking, in fact it had been the first thing Yoongi loved about him. Besides his smile and adorable laugh. It was the snickerdoodle cookies Jimin had brought to a study session in college, followed by the cherry blossoms at Christmas, and soon Yoongi was head over heels for the man. It had happened in a blink, studying together blossoming into love. He'd encouraged Jimin to go to pastry school instead of finishing university, and he did without regrets. Hoseok, Jimin’s childhood best friend, was happy to put up the capital and become a business partner. Together Sugar & Spice was thriving, and Jimin happier than ever.

Yoongi, though loving the pastries his husband baked, was not a chef or baker. He in fact worked at a literary agency, publishing children’s books. It always felt a bit… disjointed, the most curmudgeonly man absolutely adored illustrated books with rhyme schemes and talking animals. It came from his childhood, the love of books that filled his days and helped him find out who he was.

Which was why today was so important. A nearly a decade ago, when Yoongi was first starting as an agent, he had repped a duo of authors and musicians named Kim & Kim. They were two men, both last named Kim, who wrote a singular smash of a Christmas children’s book. Their story, Christmas for You & Me, had featured an album of original, children’s Christmas songs. With their album and book, they became beloved amongst families and children, doing book tours and signings across the country and even globally as their book and album were translated. They were beloved and skyrocketed to Barney in the 90s levels of success, only to watch it all come crashing down when they broke up. Yoongi made his early career on them, reaping the benefits of their brilliant stories and worlds they wove. Kim & Kim were sensational, not since Rafi had kids’ music transcended genre and seasons to be a hit. Yoongi loved working with them, and thus was shocked when he received an email stating their breakup. He wasn’t totally blindsided; they had a tense relationship, but they had just signed another contract for two more albums and four more books when they both walked away.

Today, Yoongi was bringing them both in, Kim & Kim, to discuss getting back together to write a book celebrating the one millionth copy of Christmas for You & Me being sold. Of course, in his business mind, not telling them they were each coming in was the right decision, but in his friend heart, he felt a little guilty. Sitting in his corner office, with views of the city and a view of the park, he prepared himself for the arrival of Kim & Kim.

“Yoongi, your 8AM is here,” his assistant, Poppy, said from the door.

“Great, send him in,” Yoongi said with a gentle smile. He adjusted his cardigan and stood, waiting patiently for the Kim to walk in. He glanced down at the wedding photo of him and Jimin, black and white, Jimin in a white tux, he in black. Their wedding day was perfect, with pastries and cakes baked by Jimin’s delicate hands. The photo, his favorite, was of the two of them, Jimin’s arms around him as he laughed and Jimin smiled. Yoongi never got tired of looking at it.

“Mr. Min,” Namjoon Kim said as he walked into Yoongi’s office. His shoulders were broad and bulky, muscles on muscles supporting his stature. His smile, genuine and warm, crinkled his eyes and displayed his dimples.

“Namjoon,” Yoongi said, returning the warm grin with his own smile. He exhaled a shaky breath and went to hug his friend. “Good to see you again.”

“You too,” Namjoon said. “I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting your email.”

“No?”

“When was the last time you emailed me from your work email?”

“You didn’t think I got rid of it, did you? Oh, pity the thought, your former book agent can’t contact you out of the blue without suspicion? Didn’t you realize I’d desperately need you again?”

“Ha – you’re never desperate Yoongi. Scrappy and resourceful, yes. But desperate? Pleading?”

“Only in the bedroom,” Yoongi laughed. Namjoon did too, tilting his head and raising his brow.

“How is that husband of yours?” Namjoon asked.

“What, you don’t follow his Instagram” Yoongi laughed.

“Just because I didn’t come to the wedding doesn’t mean I forgot you existed. I sent you a set of champagne flutes.”

“Oh, Jimin pulls them out all the time. He’s obsessed with the colored glass. Has even tried to track down a few more because he thinks he’ll break one.”

“I can send them to you, don’t worry,” Namjoon pulled out his phone to make a note. “Married life is good?”

“Married life is incredible.”

“I pop into Sugar & Spice every so often, Jimin’s usually gone.” Namjoon told him.

“He does mornings and Hoseok does afternoons.”

“Ah, I forgot about Hoseok. How’s he doing?”

“Good, the bakery is really thriving so he’s enjoying a nice return on his investment.”

“Has he learned to bake yet?”

“He’s got a few tricks up his sleeves, a few baked goods he’s really mastered as he and Jimin have played around with recipes. It’s been fun to watch his growth.”

“How often do they put out new things? Seasonally?”

“Yes, seasonally. Or after every season of Great British Bake Off, where Hoseok takes on making at least one of the recipes.”

“That seems like a daunting task.”

“Oh it is, he cries every year,” Yoongi laughed. “But what about you, you haven’t come around much lately. Someone keeping you occupied?”

“No, no one special. I’ve been busy working on a few books and you know I’ve been teaching.”

“Yes, your vague and often second hand Christmas card is wonderfully detailed.”

“I try,”

“Do you?” Yoongi asked.

“I could try harder,” Namjoon agreed.

“Yoongi?” Poppy’s voice said from the door, and Yoongi glanced up the moment Namjoon turned. At that moment, Seokjin Kim stepped into view.

“Fucking hell,” Namjoon muttered.

“Oh shit,” Seokjin said. “What the fuck?”

“Yeah, come in, Poppy would you get the door? Thank you,” Yoongi said and he moved quickly from behind his desk to shuffle Seokjin in. “Please take a seat.”

“I will not,” Seokjin said, stepping out of Yoongi’s grasp. “What the fuck is going on?”

Namjoon was stunned. He hadn’t seen Jin in five years, not since he walked away from him, from the career, from Kim & Kim & Kim, and the dreams they created together. He hadn’t thought – no that was wrong. He thought about Seokjin Kim every single day. But he never thought he’d be standing in a room with him, not after they both skipped Yoongi’s wedding, or missed Taehyung’s birthdays all because they were terrified of running into each other. No, Namjoon thought about Jin and the curve of his pout and the perfect notes he would sing without even a thought, and the jokes he’d make all the damn time. How had Seokjin become more beautiful in the five years since they last saw each other, and how was it possible that Namjoon, near 30, felt the same way towards this man as he had when he was in his early twenties?

“Namjoon-ah!” Seokjin snapped, using the Korean honorific to pull him out of his reverie.

“What hyung?” Namjoon asked, staring at Jin.

“Why aren’t you mad?”

“I’m shocked,” Namjoon stuttered. He glanced between Jin and Yoongi, then back. “I didn’t expect today to be the day I have to fucking deal with you.”

“I have to deal with you! You should be so lucky as to deal with me.” Jin said.

“There’s that ego, never fucking goes away, does it?” Namjoon argued.

“What ego? It’s a fact, Yoongi isn’t it true that it’s an honor to be in my presence? That he should be lucky I so much as speak to him?”

“I don’t –

“Don’t drag Yoongi into your conceited arrogance,”

“Don’t those words mean the same thing?” Jin leered.

“Fuck off,” Namjoon said. He wanted to stand up and walk out, to argue harder and louder and feel the energy radiating off of Jin and use it against him. But then he looked in Seokjin’s eyes, and he couldn’t.

“Can we talk, for a moment?” Yoongi asked both of them, interrupting the squabble.

They turned and stared at him, then silently agreed by clamping their mouths shut and facing him behind the desk.

“I know you both are fully aware that you’ve recently sold one million copies of Christmas for You & Me,” Yoongi began.

“The Times reported as much,” Namjoon mumbled.

“The checks have been clearing, yes,” Seokjin quipped.

Namjoon rolled his eyes in response.

“I wanted to bring you here to discuss writing a sequel and –

“Oh, for fucks sake,” Seokjin exclaimed.

“Fucking hell, Yoongi,” Namjoon snapped.

“And perhaps recording a new album.” He let the weight of what he was proposing sink in. They stared at him, both struck silent by his words.

“You’ve got to be joking,” Namjoon said.

“We paid out our contracts,” Seokjin argued, a point Yoongi had noted one of them would make. Jimin had ventured it would be Seokjin, and it was only minimally annoying that he was right.

“I know, but one million copies sold, that’s usually reserved for shit like Taylor Jenkins Reid and white women over 35,” Yoongi told them.

“So?” Seokjin asked, unsure the reason for the celebration.

“So, it’s the perfect time. No one would expect it and you could fucking break the mold again. Two Korean authors, with a Korean illustrator, coming together to write Christmas songs? Who else is doing that?”

“Still no one?” Seokjin was shocked, surely someone had tried to imitate them.

“No one as successful as you two, with name recognition.” Yoongi told them. “Please, consider it.”

“Was this Jimin’s idea?” Seokjin asked.

“You know it wasn’t,” Yoongi answered.

“He’s betting this blows up in your face, isn’t he?” Namjoon guessed.

“You know my husband so well,” Yoongi smiled.

“I do,” Namjoon said. “Look, I’m not opposed to it, but I’m only doing it if Seokjin agrees.”

“No, I do not agree,” Jin said. “I’m not doing anything with him.”

“Jin, just think about it,” Yoongi pleaded.

“What could work with him do for me? We stopped working together for a reason, unless something’s changed in the last five years, why the hell would I work with him again?”

“Seokjin,” Namjoon said, voice hinting at desperate.

“What? Tell me I’m crazy for thinking this is an insane idea. Tell me.”

“You’re not wrong,” Namjoon pacified.

“Right, so let’s not and say we did,” Seokjin stood up, slipped his thick winter coat over his expansive shoulders, and sulked out the door.

Seokjin took large strides towards the parking garage, and once in his car let out the scream that’d been building in his chest.

“Fuck! Fucking shit! Holy fucking shit!” He screamed, vibrating the windows of his sedan with his exclamations. He hit the steering wheel a few times for good measure and felt the all too familiar creep of a panic attack ghosting up his spine. How fucking dare Yoongi bring Namjoon to whatever impromptu meeting this was. How dare he – how dare he put them into a room when they hadn’t spoken or seen each other in half a decade. How dare he ever think they’d work together again. Wasn’t Jin doing enough? He was still Yoongi’s client, writing children’s books and middle grade reader novels that were quite successful. He had built a reputation and a name for himself outside of Kim & Kim, and yet here he was, screaming in his car yet again over Namjoon Kim.

How had he gotten even more fit and beautiful and probably smarter, since Seokjin had last trolled his very public Instagram page? How had he seemingly blossomed in the years since they last spoke while he felt like he was withering away?

“I can’t do this,” Seokjin said to himself, shaking his shaggy black hair. “I can’t do this.”

A knock sounded on his car window and he jumped, surprised to see Yoongi.

“You done?” Yoongi asked, eyebrows raised.

“Depends, how much of that did you see?”

“All of it.”

“Then yes, sure, I’m done publicly humiliating myself.”

“Can I?” Yoongi gestured to the passenger seat.

“Yeah,” Seokjin agreed.

Yoongi moved around the car and sat in the open seat. “You wanna talk about it, or yell at me?”

“Yoongi I can’t believe you’d put me in a situation like that,” Seokjin said, voice leveled out and clear.

Yoongi took a deep breath. “Like what?”

“Dealing with Namjoon after he, after we,” Seokjin shook his head and Yoongi placed his hand on top of Jin’s.

“Jin, he knows.”

As if Yoongi had tied concrete blocks to his feet, Seokjin sunk when realization hit.

“How?”

“I don’t know, but he knows.”

Seokjin Kim wasn’t closeted… but he also wasn’t loud and proud and out in the way Yoongi and Jimin were. He never gave much of a reason to why, though Yoongi always suspected it was the mere idea of having attention thrown on him, coupled with misguided perceptions and the idea someone could judge him without knowing him… all of it together was too much for Seokjin, and though he hadn’t said as much to Yoongi, it was in the quiet way he lived his life. Jin wasn’t much of a dater, supposedly he had one heartbreak that ruined any relationship for him. He was, characteristically, mum on the details, and Yoongi, in their working relationship and in their friendship, never pushed.

“I don’t know why I’m so gutted by that,” Seokjin muttered, the air filtering back into his lungs.

“I don’t know either,” Yoongi said. “But he knows, and you know… so maybe that awkward sexual tension between you two can –

“Yoongi Min, how fucking dare you. Get out of the car.”

“Seokjin,”

“First you put him in front of me, then you suggest sexual tension? Is it because we’re gay?”

“I’m gay!”

“You’re a twat,” Jin countered.

“Maybe I am, but you two have been so quiet and so stealth about why you broke up. All I know is that I saw the flicker of hope in his eyes when you walked in, and I watched as he very thoroughly and obviously checked you out. There’s something going on between you two, just like there was five years ago.”

“There has not, nor has there ever been, sexual tension between Namjoon Kim and I.”

“I don’t believe that, not after –

“He allegedly checked me out?”

“And, you did the same.”

“I did no such thing!” Jin yelled.

“Oh please, I’m married to Jimin. I know what it looks like when someone is being checked out,” Yoongi said.

“Does it bother you?”

“That everyone knows my husband is hot?”

Seokjin turned it over in his brain for a second. “Yeah, that the entire world ogles him constantly.”

“No, because he wouldn’t indulge any of their fantasies,” Yoongi answered honestly.

“But –

“Oh, he indulges mine without a second thought.”

“Nasty boys,” Jin teased.

“The nastiest. But that’s beside the point: you are the one in a standoff.”

“Why is my work, my solo work, not enough?” Jin wanted to know.

“Tell me, when you jerk yourself off, is it better than sex with another person?”

Seokjin’s jaw dropped as he stared at Yoongi. “You’re filthy.”

“I’m proving a point.”

Jin ignored the blush creeping across his cheeks. “You’re right.”

“There’s magic in the lyrics that you sing, in the melodies Namjoon creates. There’s something undeniable about the two of you together, Jin. Please, consider it.”

He glanced around the parking garage, watching as a few cars left their spots, and sighed loudly.

“I’ll think about it, but no promises.”

Namjoon twirled the quarter filled tumbler on the smooth oak of his desktop, eyes moving from the liquid to the document on his computer screen. It was old ideas, ones that needed to be worked or teased out, but it existed, a running list of all the ideas he’d harbored for his and Jin’s next project. It was getting long and had led to several sub documents and eventually an entire external hard drive… because even if they hadn’t spoken in five years, he still hoped.

A knock sounded on his door, and he moved swiftly to open it.

“Hey,” Namjoon said, stepping aside and letting the guest in.

“Hey, sorry about today,” Yoongi apologized. He slipped his coat off and hung it on the hooks Namjoon had clumsily installed. They were brass and slightly crooked.

“Yeah, it was ballsy of you and kind of shitty,” Namjoon said guiding Yoongi through the entryway and to the living room. Yoongi sat on the emerald couch and stared at his friend. “I take it I’m handling it better than Jin is?”

“You know him,” Yoongi shrugged.

Namjoon hummed in agreement. He did know Jin, had known him since college. His reaction today was… calmer than Namjoon had thought it would be.

“He screamed in his car, didn’t he?” Namjoon asked.

“Yep, but he’ll come around.”

“Will he?” Namjoon asked.

“I don’t know, I hope so.”

“What do you want me to do in the meantime?”

“I have an idea, but I don’t know that you’re going to like it,” Yoongi began.

“Oh?”

“We need Jin to fall in love with you.”

Kim & Kim should’ve been called Kim, Kim & Kim, because of the third, and silent, member of their project. Taehyung Kim, illustrator and musician, found himself staring at the back of Jimin Park’s head as he washed green beans the following Sunday evening.

“Do you want help?” Taehyung asked.

“No, you’re terrible in the kitchen, and you always cut yourself which makes no sense to me.”

“Fine – I’ll just drink wine,” Taehyung tipped his glass back and swallowed the Chardonnay.

“You think the plan is going to work?”

“No,” Taehyung said. “But I told Yoongi that when he asked.”

“Why are you willing to work with them, again, after they left you high and dry?” Jimin wondered aloud.

“I still got to live my contract out and illustrate books, which as we know is my livelihood and passion.” Taehyung answered.

“Still, they treated you like shit.”

“They were both closeted, going through so much… it’s not my fault they didn’t know how to talk to each other,” Taehyung said as he grabbed a cut green bean from the bowl.

Seokjin and Namjoon broke up the trio with little to no input from Taehyung, which created a massive strain on their relationship that had barely been fixed. While Taehyung knew this plan was worth something to Namjoon, to him it was more work, and he loved work. He loved working with different authors and turning their imaginings into real art that was more than they could begin to dream. The breakup had worked for him, he was a huge success in his style, but it didn’t totally make up from the hurt Namjoon and Seokjin inflicted. But, if he was fair, the eruption of their trio had led him to Hoseok. And he’d go through anything if it meant falling in love with Mr. Jung again.

“Their success is yours, too, you know,” Jimin reminded his friend.

“I know.”

“You too sold one million copies of Christmas for You and Me.” Jimin paused the work of his hands, glancing up through his shaggy hair to stare at Taehyung.

“I get the checks,” Taehyung dismissed.

“So be happy about it – it’s a huge accomplishment.”

He shrugged, not really feeling like celebrating. If he calculated all the other books he’d illustrated, and their sales, that number would be well past one million. “I got Hoseok out of it, and that’s what matters.”

“How’s married life?” Jimin asked. He had officiated the wedding, naturally.

“I think I love him more than I did when we got married. Have you noticed his smile is a heart? That’s my favorite part, the little heart that is always waiting for me,” Taehyung gushed.

“Give it five years,” Jimin said teasingly.

“And then?”

“Then you’ll love him so much your heart might burst.” Jimin told him.

Taehyung thought that was possible. He’d only ever fallen more deeply in love with Hoseok since they first met at the soft launch of Serendipity Sweets. It was love at first sight, a silent “oh there you are”, of cosmic alignment and meeting. It was beautiful, how swiftly they fell and never lingered from each other’s side. Jimin and Yoongi were proud, if Yoongi hadn’t asked Taehyung to stop by the soft launch to discuss working together post Kim & Kim’s break up, Jimin’s childhood best friend might never have met the artist. And Jimin might never have gained another best friend.

“I find that completely easy to believe,” Taehyung said. “Have you seen Jin or Namjoon recently?”

“Me? No, they didn’t come to our wedding, and Joon and Yoongi text often but never hang out here. I’ve forgiven him for ditching our wedding, but he hasn’t felt

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Yoongi and a man Taehyung hadn’t spoken to in years.

“Namjoon-ah,” Taehyung said, surprised and confused.

“Taehyung, we need your help.” Namjoon said, his eyes full of confusion and hope.

“My help?” He asked.

“Yes,” Yoongi slipped his arm around Jimin’s waist and placed a kiss on his cheek. “We need your help getting Seokjin to fall in love with Namjoon.”

Taehyung, brows knit in confusion, glanced between them once, twice, three times before he spoke. “What?”

“It’s the only way he’ll write, or sing. He has to fall in love with Namjoon, ostensibly, again.” Yoongi explained.

“Did he ever stop loving Namjoon?” Jimin asked, turning from his work on the counter to face the men filling the space, Yoongi’s arm till around him.

“No,” Namjoon shook his head. “There’s no way he was in love with me or is.”

“How would you know?” Taehyung asked him.

“I think I would know. I mean I was there when we broke up, Taehyung well, you were collateral.”

“I was, and I’ve mostly forgiven you,” Taehyung said. Truthfully, he had forgiven them. He just hadn’t made any moves to communicate that to either Namjoon or Seokjin, and neither had they.

“The question is, though,” Jimin began. “Are you in love with Seokjin, and is that what broke you up five years ago?”

“That’s two questions babe,” Yoongi said.

Jimin elbowed his husband. “Answer, please.”

“I don’t know why we broke up,” Namjoon answered. “But, if I’m honest, I’ve always been a little in love with Seokjin.”

Yoongi nodded, chewing on his bottom lip. “Taehyung, that’s why we need you.”

“Me?”

“You’re the most romantic out of us, and you know Seokjin and Namjoon really well. We need your help to get Seokjin to fall in love with Namjoon.”

“I don’t know if I can do that,” Taehyung said, struck by the weight of the question.

“Yes, you can. We’ve already started planning it.”

“There’s a fucking plan?” Jimin asked as he returned to his work making dinner for the growing group.

“Yes,” Yoongi answered, and he pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. “Step one: meet cute.”

Next: II. Christmas for You & Me

#justasparkwritings #merry & bright #merry and bright #OT7 story #clubzerooclock #bangtanarmynet #houseofddaeng #networkbangtan #purplearmynet #kpopccc #ot7 fic #mxm #fxm #min yoongi x park jimin #Kim seokjin x Kim namjoon #jung hoseok x kim taehyung #jungkook x reader #jungkook x you

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