#i love mixing up the parts in my head like a fruit salad

[eyefoes]

dadtaro + uncle polnareff brainrot bc i can't stop thinking about them

#jotaro kujo #jolyne kujo #jolyne cujoh #jean pierre polnareff #silver chariot #dadtaro #kidlyne #stardust crusaders #diamond is unbreakable #golden wind #stone ocean #part 4 jotaro #part 6 jotaro #part 5 polnareff #jjba #jojo's bizarre adventure #jjba fanart #art #i love these guys so much it genuinely makes me want to cry #i love mixing up the parts in my head like a fruit salad

[mochi-owos]

ੈ✩ My Crush is Like a Fruit?!

Obey Me (brothers) x Gn!Reader.

Your lover reminds you of a fruit? But which fruit?

Lucifer, the sour cherry.

Like a cherry he's refined, elegant, also like a cherry, he has his sour notes with a mix of mischief.

"Hey, Luci," You spoke up, walking behind him, resting your head on his shoulder as he sat his desk.

"Hello dear, something I can help you with?" He asked, placing a hand on yours, rubbing his thumb.

"Nope, Im just here to drop off some fruit, speaking of which, give me a second," You walk out of the room, soon coming back with a tray of fruit. "Here you go my cherry, enjoy." You give his temple a kiss, soon walking away once more.

But before you could leave he grabs your wrist, "what was that?"

"Hm? What?" You question.

"The," he looks to the side, "The cherry part..."

You teasing smile, "Oh? Do you not like it?" That was a massive lie, you knew he did, but he was all to fun to tease. An opportunity has presented itself, and you're more than happy to take it.

"Just.. stay here a while," he looks up at you, "please?"

Mammon, the blood orange.

Blood oranges can be bitter, sour, even eccentric, and may not be to everyones taste. But once you catch a bite you may just become addicted.

For this date you wanted to do something fun, something different, you had decided to go fruit picking.

"ARGHHH, this is so boring!" Mammon groaned, holding the basket of fruit.

You chuckle, "Aw, yeah? Poor thing, you are." You teased, continuing to pick fruit.

"Why do we have to pick the fruit?! We can just but it!" He threw his head back like an angry child, huffing.

"Mammon, I'll be honest here, this is actually a lot cheaper, one thousand grim for unlimited fruits as long as we pick it? It's an absolute steal." You say as you struggle to pick a blood orange.

He smiled a little, "here, lemme get that for you." He mumbled, extending his arm and picking the fruit at the very top of the tree, he then placing it in the basket.

"Thank you my little blood orange." You kiss his cheek.

"Huh?! You're what? Ya' better stop!" His face scarlet.

"Hm, too cute."

"Stop!"

Leviathan, the passion fruit.

An odd fruit, and the look of it may scare some people off, but that shouldn't scare you away from taking a bite, you may like it.

You were watching Levi play a game, it was a trivia game. Soon the familiar fruit flashes on the screen with the big words "what fruit is this?!" You giggle watching Levi knit his brows together, mumbling a small, "the fuck?"

"A passion fruit, honey," you tell him, and watch as it's correct, you smile to yourself.

"Man, didn't know you were a fruit conisseur." He spoke lightly, still focused on his game.

"Baby," he blushed at the word, "we eat that fruit all the time."

"Ohh." He hums in reply.

"You know, you kinda remind me of a passion fruit."

"Huh??" He raises a brow.

"Did I mention passion fruit is my favourite fruit?" You whisper in his ear.

"HUHHHHHHHHH???" His face was unbelievably red, is he dead?

Satan, the bitter green apple.

Bitter, and ever so sour. At first glance many seem not to like it, but it's versatile flavour pallet compel all kinds of salesmen to use it to their advantage-- caramel apples, pie, juice, and even in salad.

"Satan?" You mumble against your pillow, your hand looking for your lover on the other side of the bed.

"I'm here, love." His voice was soft, your gaze peeks through your lashes to see him, you lover dressed in what looked like ugly green clothing.

You scrunched your nose, disgust filled you face and you plopped your head back into you pillow, "The hell are you wearing?"

"I decided to try a new outfit, don't like it?" He walked closer, sitting on the bed and play with your hair.

You stiffle a laugh, "you look like an green apple."

His eyes widen slightly, "Huh?? Really? Is it that bad?"

"Yeah kinda, don't worry though, I can get you looking like a cute green apple."

"Is that even a thing?" He caresses your face.

"It's a thing if I say so." You brush over his hand, giving it a squeeze.

He smiles leaning over kisses your lips, "Of course honey."

Asmodeus, the strawberry.

Bath time had always been you and asmodeus time, it meant relaxation, bubble baths, aromatherapy, and skin care.

Asmodeus spread a face mask against your skin, you could feel his soft hands, it was just so nice.

"You like that?" He tilted his head and smiled. You hummed in reply, he quickly pecs your lips then goes to put on his own face mask.

Once done he snuggles up to your side, the scent of strawberries pressed against the air. It left you breathless, how close he was, it made you feel dizzy, "You smell good." You whisper, your head leaning against his.

"You like it?" He wraps his hands around your waist.

"Very much so, my little strawberry."

He turns to look at you a questioning look on his face, but he too looked amused, "Little strawberry?"

"You remind me of strawberries, so youre my strawberry." Ah shit, that got him in his feels.

"Then your my.. uh, raspberry?" He shook his head, "Sorry, not very familiar with human fruits."

Beelzebub, the cantaloupe.

The flavour pallet isn't extraordinary, but is sweet mild flavour is just the appeal. A relaxing flavour, great as juice on a hot summer day. What more could you ask for?

As usual you say with Beel during lunch, and you watch him chow down on the mountains of food around him, "Enjoying that?" You smile, leaning against your palm.

"Mrphhhmm." His reply muffled by the tons of food, he looked as though he would soon choke at the pace he's going at.

Anticipating it you walk up to get some juice, melon juice being your final chose, you walk back to see Beel choking, you laugh handing him the drink. "Feel better?"

"Yeah, thanks, MC." He smiled going back to eating.

"No worries honey." You say back down, leaning against his side.

"By the way, what juice was that? I liked it."

"Oh? That was melon juice."

"Could I get some more?"

"Beel, you drank it all.."

Belphigor, the watermelon.

The flavour is mild and isn't overly sweet with all the watered down nectar, but that doesn't stop it's addictive taste.

As usual you find Belphie napping on the couch, with all the amount he sleeps he tends to not eat much, which is why you had brought him fruit from the kitchen.

Gently shaking him awake you try to tell him to wake up, "C'mon Belphie, I got you some fruit."

"Huh??" He says before inevitably feel back asleep.

You set the fruit on the coffee table, attempting to shake him awake a little harder, but before you can do anything your trapped in his arms.

"MC..." He mumbled against your ear, "What're you doing?"

You huff, "I was trying to give you some food. But here you are, tackling me."

"Tackling?" He ratorted, "Real tackling is what Beel does. This is nothing compared to that."

"U-huh, whatever. Can you just eat the fruit?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"You're an ass."

"Love you too."

"Fuck you."

#obey me x reader #obey me #obey me luficer #lucifer x you #obey me mammon #mammon x you #obey me leviathan #levi x reader #obey me satan #satan x mc #obey me asmodeus #asmodeus x mc #obey me beelzebub #beel x mc #shall we date belphegor #belphieobeyme #belphie x mc #obey me x gender neutral reader #x reader

[juuheizou]

Since taste is one of juuzou's most important senses;;; what are his most favourite foods(besides sweet things and candies ofccc) and what are the foods he doesn't like and what are your hcs of the foods he DESPISES and will absolutely NOT eat?

Ooh, I love this idea! Honestly I never *really* thought about it before, and there is NOT MUCH in canon for me to riff of of, but I think I took what little is there in moments where we see him eating actual meals (which he has to do to be a physically strong and energetic ghoul investigator for the multiple years the series takes place over, so I can totally see why you would wonder) and ran with it somewhat logically. ANYWAY!

Besides sweets, a lot of Suzuya's favorite foods are snack foods. Think chips, crackers, cheese puffs, things like that. Texture is just as important to him as taste if not more, and on top of him just liking them, part of his love for sweets is that the textures are often very same-same and easy for him to eat. Starchy snack foods also fit that bill.

As far as more substantial meals, finger foods seem like a good happy medium for him, being so on-the-go in addition to his texture sensitivities. Not to mention his enjoyment of cute things! I mean, one of the meals we do see him enjoy (at least in the anime but my memory has gaps after nearly a decade of obsession lmao) is a little café sandwich at Anteiku. Put something with pleasant textures to eat and lots of choices in front of him, whether it be little tea sandwiches, sushi, dim sum, anything like that, and he's one happy man!

When he does sit down for a full entree, one thing that has crossed my mind and I've put actual thought into, is I think he retains a taste for things that remind him of Madam's scraps. That's his first and longest-lived idea of what food is. So he loves a good raw, rare, or organ meat dish. Fried liver/animal guts, a barbecued head of some animal, mystery meat croquettes, or even simple old sashimi. With whatever things he knows and likes and has available to make it a square meal.

In a way, it's easier to headcanon things he DOESN'T like, because some of his canon sweet tooth, in my mind, is born from a degree of sensitivity to certain tastes and textures. They often have to be prepared in specific ways to make them edible, and I don't see him being perfect about it, but believe it or not, he does eat his fruits and veggies, especially in :re when he has his shit a little more together. He's creative and finds his way around things.

HOWEVER, the ones that retain the taste and texture he hates no matter what he does with them are a hard no for him. Some examples I can easily project pull from real life are most of your chilies and peppers, onions, citrusy-type fruits, cucumbers (common ruiner of those finger foods I mentioned him liking!), I guess anything that isn't leafy or a little starchy.

As much as I can see him liking to experiment and mix up things he DOES like, mixed foods with things he DOESN'T like are probably his worst edible enemy, because not only is there stuff he doesn't like, but it's even harder to avoid. Think salads, sauces, dumplings and things with mixed-up fillings, stuff like that. He'll pick them apart, but one bite of something noxious he missed, and he gives up.

#answers #anon #suzuya juuzou #seriously whoever invented cucumber sandwiches and cucumber rolls should be cut in half by juuzou's jason #food cw

[dynamoe]

part one | part two | part three | part four | → FIVE ← | index | AO3 | words: 5222

⚠️TW: alcohol, bullying, mental anguish, attempted intimacy, injury + blood

🗿 FROM DISTANT STAR TO THIS HERE BAR 🍹

“Why are we here?” Billy sulked, his voice raw and hoarse.

The distant sounds of vibes and conga drums punctuated by bird calls played on the house music. The dim room was lit only with gently glowing lamps made from taxidermied puffer fish and boat floats, each casting pools of colored light on dusty bamboo structures and overgrown ferns. Empty, and neglected, the faux island paradise had fallen on hard times. Only one or two patrons were feeling the call of the Pacific in a landlocked cinder block room with a dropped acoustic tile ceiling.

“It’s a rite of passage to get wicked fuckin’ drunk in public after heartbreak,” White reassured as he pulled a pineapple wedge from the rim of his glass, “It’s good for the soul.”

← back to 2021's Master Billy & Mr. White

“Why couldn’t we just get drunk at home?” Billy slumped on the bamboo-framed bar top, resting his head on his hands.

“The package store’s closed. All we had left was Bailey’s and margarita mix and I’m not making that mistake twice.”

Billy wiggled his extra-long straw in the Scorpion Bowl in front of him, a rum punch intended to be shared by a whole table served in a wide bowl surmounted by a ceramic volcano shooting blue sparks into the air, an element of risk to a room soaked in high proof rum and festooned with flammable raffia skirts.

“No one comes in here anymore but if some schmoe starts staring, just pretend you’re part of the decor. Act like an audio-animatronic pygmy.”

Billy raised a middle finger an inch from Pete’s face. “Fuck off. Why would I be a pygmy? Pygmies live in the Congo Basin of Sub-Saharan Africa.This place has a vaguely pan-Polynesian aesthetic.”

“Well, they say the Gods must be crazy!”

“That was a Kalahari bushman,” Billy muttered, “That’s 2500 miles away from the Congo. I know you’re literally the whitest guy alive but can you not lump all tropical-zone-dwelling people in one category?”

“Political Correctness gone mad!”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“No idea,” Pete admitted, “I heard it on cable news a couple times and it seems to make people who own flag bandanas really mad.”

“Ughhhhh. I just want to go home and go to bed,” Billy moaned, slumping even further onto the bar top, hard enough to stamp an impression of wickerwork onto his palms and cheek.

Pete launched his counter-argument to keep Billy where he could see him (and out of another marathon crying jag in the trailer’s shower), “C’mon, pally— all the drinks here taste like that Del Monte fruit salad from a can!” Pete swigged from a ceramic skull mug with a Carmen-Miranda's-worth of fruit garnishing where the crown would have been, “And take those stupid glasses off. I keep waiting for Mr. Peabody to burst in and shove you into the Wayback Machine.”

Billy took off the glasses Alison gave him, flung them onto the table.

“What I’m curious to see is, at the end of the night, you break down sobbing or get fighty,” Pete bit the maraschino cherry off the end of a tiny plastic sword.

“You're a terrible friend, White” Billy stated the obvious, “You're supposed to be making me feel better not insulting me to my face.”

“I called it on the first day you met this girl,” White said, “It always ends badly. That’s why you should never love anyone. You only get hurt.”

“That’s awful advice. Never? Just be alone forever?”

“No.You got me and you got the company! And science.”

“I can’t fuck science.”

“Not YET,” Pete said cryptically, his eyes lowered suggestively. Billy shuddered at the implication.

“It’s fine,” Billy tried to reassure himself as much as Pete, “I’m fine. We’re still friends. It’s fine.”

“Fully grown-up-type adult guys chasing after underage girls? You know who does that? Insecure assholes with small pricks,” Pete scowled, “Ted Nugent, Billy. Jailbait! Are you Ted Nugent?”

“I didn’t seek her out because she’s in high school,” Billy insisted, “I’m not, like, a chicken-hawk. Is that the word?”

“‘Chicken-hawk’ is for gay dudes who diddle little boys, Billy.”

“Well, I don’t know the term for what you’re accusing me of. Lechery?”

“Joey Buttafuoco? Jerry Lee Lewis? Gary Puckett & the Union Gap?” Pete broke into song, “Whoa, oh, oh, young gahll/Get awt of my maind/My love fah you is way outta line/ Bettah run, gahl…”

“It’s not even like that,” Billy cut him off, “She thinks I’m a kid. How can I be a predator when she thinks I’m a freshman following an upperclassman around, begging her to ask me to the Sadie Hawkins Dance or some bullshit.”

“You showed her your ID? Your real one, not the fake one we made to get discounts.”

“That’s what STARTED all this. I tried to rent Barry Lyndon and she said it was a fake ID. Now I’m an emotional wreck. This is all Kubrick’s fault.”

“Wang Dang Sweet Poontang, Billy!” Pete belted, “Just hook up with someone your own age, fer Pete’s sakes.”

“Ok. Sure. I’ll just pop over to MTV Spring Break and have my pick of the class of ‘95,” Billy said sarcastically, “I’ll probably never have a girlfriend. I’ll die a virgin.”

“Cheer up, pal. You never know. One day you might meet a perv with a specific set of overlapping kinks.”

“Great. I can be the pseudo-toyboy methadone to an ACTUAL pedophile who can’t get the genuine Black Tar child-sex,” Billy said grimly, disgusting himself as he said it.

Pete remained buoyant, “You could just hire an escort.”

“I don’t want that,” Billy snapped angrily.

“Fine. I’ll get you a cantaloupe and a greased garbage bag. You can have a three-way with the microwave.”

Billy blushed furiously red. Pete wasn’t supposed to know about that. He made sure Pete was out of town that weekend.

“It’s inevitable. I was always going to end up having to pay. Look at me. Toulouse-Lautrec was a rich, famous artist with a huge dong and he still had to pay for whores,” Billy sniffed, indignant, “...AND he was a foot taller than me.”

Pete called to the bartender, “Hey Tiny Bubbles, gimme another Bali Hai and something blue and on-fire for the kid,” He slammed a 50 dollar bill on the bar top.

“Where’d you get that money? Why do you have money?”

“I earned it in less than 60 minutes, if you can believe it,” Pete fanned out his takings from the day’s donations. A couple hundred at least.

Billy thought and then looked stricken.“Oh my God. White, are you a prostitute?”

“No! Christ! The radio show. The radio show I broadcast every night. Fans sent me money.”

“People who don’t know you are sending you $50 in the mail. Why?”

“My listeners send money to support my broadcast, same as the PBS pledge drive you send money to so you can watch dork shows like NOVA and a million hours of Ken Burns talking about baseball.”

“Oh, I liked Baseball,” Billy reminisced, momentarily distracted from his own problems, “I mean, I don’t like actual baseball— I mean the documentary called Baseball.”

“They actually don’t seem to listen for the songs; they listen because they like to hear me talk.”

“They all got some kind of Cliff Clavin fetish?”

“Watch it, Mushmouth.”

“The only difference between the way I talk and the way you talk is you have 15 million idiots clumped in the Mid-Atlantic enabling you,” Billy snarled, “So you have a ‘regional dialect’ but I have a ‘speech disorder.’”

“The sassy assassin assassinates sassily,” rattled off White easily.

“Schay a rhotic R, you Masschhole shithead,” Billy threatened, stabbing a finger in his face, “I fucking dare you.”

“I’m not even from Massachusetts, dipshit. Massaaachhhhuuettes…” White stretched out each of the esses to rub it in.

They glowered at each other and went back to their drinks in silence. The CD playing the house music started skipping noticeably. The bartender switched it out for a different album with less soothing atmosphere; some kind of Putamayo Greatest Hits that sounded like the entire Tower Records World Music Section shoved into a blender.

“A girl like that, she’s never going to understand you—” White pronounced like it was indisputable truth, “Understand us. What it’s like to be a—”

“A ‘freak,’ right?” Billy finished mockingly, “That’s classic cult leader psychological shit. Isolate and indoctrinate. It’s gaslighting, dude.”

“No, it’s the voice of experience, pally,” White said, “I’m saving you from the bullshit I had to live through but you didn’t wanna listen.”

Billy sighed with irritation, “I’m sorry a girl you liked made fun of you being pigmentally-challenged in college but that’s not representative of everyone in the entire world.”

White shook his head sagely, “I was exactly where you were. I was you, pally. Maybe a lot less smart but overall less genetically fucked… and I was a big fat sucker believing she actually liked me for me.”

“So if I fall for a girl with no arms you’d be OK with it?” Billy proposed, “When I start a long distance romance with Koo-Koo the Birdgirl, because she’s one-of-us one-of-us, we’re all good?”

Pete twirled the little paper umbrella that came with his drink, making a sour expression.

“Admit you’d find some other reason I shouldn’t be dating her,” Billy accused, “You don’t want me to date anyone!”

“I want you to avoid being put in this situation again and again because you wear your heart on your sleeve. It’s a rigged game, Billy! You’re never gonna win!”

“In the beginning of the conversation I’m taking advantage of HER because I’m a scumbag targeting a child but now you’re back to arguing she’s taking advantage of ME because I’m an unlovable freak and she’s normal?” Billy summarized Pete’s points. 

“Learn not to give a shit and you won’t end up hurt!” Pete shouted back, his personal philosophy in a nutshell.

“This was never about me. You’re objecting just to object because you’re terrified I’m going to go off to live my life instead of sticking around to be your fucking little sidekick.”

Pete knew he was spewing toxic bullshit but it’s how he got through life. He also knew Billy would never agree to it. Billy felt everything too much. He was either furious or ecstatic about everything, and switched between those on a dime. He was so squishy and vulnerable and big-hearted. No malice anywhere in him. 

“At least you can stop pretending to be this Alison girl’s friend,” Pete offered, “Since you got a hard ‘no’ there’s no point in sniffing around.”

“I wasn’t pretending. She was my friend. Is my friend,” Billy argued.

“Why bother?” Pete droned.

“Because I like spending time with her. I enjoy her company. I wasn’t just trying to manipulate her into having sex with me. That would be sociopathic.”

“Yeah right. No one can be friends with a girl. Even girls can’t be friends with girls,” Pete said snidely.

“I can and I will and I AM. I’m GOING to be a friend and I have no ulterior motives.

“It’s your funeral, fella.”

Billy jumped up from his stool and walked out, knocking over the dregs of his Scorpion Bowl. The Sterno flame in the volcano slid over the bar, setting two napkins and the edge of a woven palm mat ablaze. The bartender calmly approached with an extinguisher, sprayed down the area and Pete.

“Happens all the time,” the bartender shrugged.

“Yeah, I figured,” Pete said, wiping fire-retardant foam from his sleeve.

🍦DÉTENTE: The Good Humor Thaw🍦

“I didn’t expect to hear from you,” Alison admitted, taking a bite of the ice cream sandwich.

Billy shrugged. He knew her well enough to read the subtle shades of difference between a frown of discomfort from her baseline resting neutral glower. He deduced by an almost imperceptible angle at the corner of her mouth she was feeling unsettled just being in proximity to him.

“We're friends,” Billy said casually, underlining the thesis of this entire conversation, “I said I’d be a friend and I meant it.”

They parked across from the Air Force Academy Chapel— neutral ground— and sat on the hood of the cooling Death Angel station wagon. The peace-offering with which they broke bread was a pair of freezer-burned ice cream sandwiches bought at a gas station.

“I won't insult your intelligence by pretending that I’m totally over it, but I’m not trying to trick you. Or guilt trip you,” Billy elaborated as the triangular planes of the Air Force Chapel caught the waning rays of the setting sun.

“Do you think when they designed this thing they meant it to look like the blade guard on hair-clippers?” Alison asked, “Because all Air Force cadets all have buzz cuts.”

“Casting 'God' as the universal barber?” Billy further hypothesized, turning his head to the stacked isosceles triangles of the chapel made of glass and aluminum, “There's been worse metaphors in religion.”

As dusk settled the modernist non-denominational house of any-and-all-supreme beings lit up in a gentle lavender wash, looking even more alien on the Academy campus.

“So, we're still gonna be friends?” Alison repeated, her head still turned to the chapel so Billy couldn't read her expression and her tone didn't give any clues to how she felt about it.

“I can’t make you like me if you don’t. That’s not your fault. So why sacrifice a friendship that’s working just because I can’t get everything I want.”

“That’s, like, unsettlingly mature of you,” Alison said in either sarcasm or awe or a little of both.

“I am a scientist and I approached it rationally.”

“It's my birthday tomorrow,” Alison said, still emotionally flat.

Billy was caught off guard. She'd never mentioned it before and this was one of those key data points friends needed to have on file for awkward commemoration, or so it seemed in sitcoms. He knew White's birthday was either in January or in June but he seemed to change it whenever he wanted Billy to pick up a check. His birthday had come and gone before he even met Alison so it wasn't relevant.

“Happy birthday,” Billy said weakly, “I should have put a candle in your ice cream sandwich.”

Alison shrugged him off, “I'm not doing anything to celebrate it now, but I still want to do that road trip for spring break.”

“But driving all the way to Graceland’s probably not in the cards, but I was looking up some weird stuff in Roadside America. There’s a dinosaur theme park owned by a cult about 5 hours north of here.

“Wow,” Billy said, overwhelmed. Her awkwardness dissipated by enthusiasm for crap yet again.

“And some atom bomb testing grounds on the way, plus we'd dive through the county with more alleged alien abductions per capita than anywhere else in the country. There's probably a sign or something for that to take photos of.”

“Sounds amazing. I'm in. Just tell me when.”

Alison smiled, he could see just the edge of her face illuminated by reflected light from the chapel, “Awesome. I'd hate to miss out doing something big and dumb on my last ever Spring Break.”

“Give me your list of sites and I'll plan a route on the Trip-Tik,” Billy offered, “I'm good at navigating.”

The colors of the Chapel's under-lighting shifted from lavender to blue to a greenish turquoise as they were talking. They finished their ice cream sandwiches and admired its planes, calm in having their status quo restored.

“There’s a comic book signing downtown on Thursday. Wanna go?”

“Comic books? Like superheroes?” Billy asked incredulously, “Doesn’t seem like your thing.”

“No, no, no,” Alison reassured him, “They’re indie comics so it’s more about depression and hating things, not anything exciting actually happening.”

“Oh, is that good?”

“They're all Canadian for some reason, the comic book authors coming in to talk about their work and sign. I want to see if they're as ugly as they draw themselves in their comics.”

Billy sighed, “Sure. Sounds good”

He got a reset. Like he never even said that he jerked off to her in a bowling alley bathroom or cried for three hours in a shower after she turned him down. Memory-holed. Those things didn’t happen. Everything’s COOL. Cool cool cool. Right?

🎒THREE O'CLOCK HIGH/LOW 🎒

She told him to meet her at her school at four and they’d drive to the book signing from there. He took the bus after his shift at the library. He arrived early but didn’t think he should just walk in. He hung back outside the school grounds on the other side of a chain-link fence. He found a bus stop bench to wait on that had an ad for her mother Twinkle’s Real Estate business printed on it, her hungry-looking grimace demanding all bus patrons sell their homes and win their future through her machinations.

Boring suburban high schools in boring suburbs. Half-formed teenagers milling around in twos and threes towards their cars or the bus after the bell went. Billy graduated ten years ago but high schools still smelled the same— of cafeteria pizza, BO, and industrial cleaning products. There were small differences of course. His high school was private and everybody wore a uniform. Back then there was more Mr. Mister and Lionel Richie coming out of car stereos, but otherwise it felt the same.

He spotted Alison come out the main building doors way across the parking lot. He leapt onto the bench and waved but she kept looking down, hunched over with books in her arms. A “don’t fuck with me” scowl on her face so angry he could see it from fifty feet away. She looked like a different person and completely miserable. Billy decided to risk it and go closer to the school to catch her attention.

He never felt that five year age gap between them more vividly when they were hanging out and she started going off on how “everyone hated her” at school, complaining about how everyone was “a total bitch.” 

Alison didn’t really have any other friends or seem to want any. The complaints were so repetitive and so short-sighted. Everyone always thinks they’re “hated” in high school but it’s inside their heads. Every kid is self-obsessed; they don’t have the energy to hate anyone else, Billy concluded looking back on his own time served.

“Alischon!” Billy shouted trying to penetrate the cloud of loathing and get her attention. She was standing at a bank of lockers, putting books in and taking books out. A passing student accidentally-on-purpose smacked their hand into the open locker door, slamming it on her head. 

“I’m here! I made it,” Billy announced, running up to her.

Alison seemed startled, “Billy!”

“You told me to meet you at your car, but I was a little early. I saw you from up there,” Billy pointed to the bus bench.

Alison scowled and then closed her eyes hard like she was having a migraine.

“I should have waited.“ Billy realized what was going on. His enthusiasm flagged, “You’re embarrassed to be seen with me.”

Alison let out a breath, trying to bridge her in-school and out-of-school modes, “Of course not, chowderhead,” she threw all the books in the locker and closed it.

She squatted to meet him at eye-level and said in a low mumble, “I don’t like who I am when I’m here. I didn’t want you to see it.”

He didn’t entirely buy it, but observed she did seem uncharacteristically tense. She hugged him and Billy could feel a tremor in her arms. Someone running down the hall threw a bag of wet garbage at her, catching Billy on the side of the head.

“I fucking hate this place,” Alison stated, pushing a banana peel off of Billy’s ear.

“Is it Bring Your Little Brother To School Day?” mocked a thick-necked teenager wearing a baseball cap and a Big Johnson t-shirt, “Gonna show him the ropes of being a LOOOOOSER.” Three other guys leaning on his Jeep behind him hooted and laughed.

Billy tried to look away. He was causing problems. Ignore them. Just walk towards the car.

Another kid in a CO-ED NAKED LACROSSE t-shirt blocked Billy’s path and picked him up, dangling him by the arm.“He don’t look like a zipperhead. Your dad sleepin’ around on your mama, Kahan?”

“Beat him like a red-headed stepchild!” heckled another in the background.

“Leave him alone!” Alison shouted. She looked like a wild animal.

The bullies got the reaction they wanted. He dangled Billy above her grasp, “Aw, I’m not going to hurt your widdle baby brother. He’d rather be with me instead of a stank-pussy garbage witch like you.”

“Surely there’s a better way to resolve this,” Billy offered weakly from mid-air, feeling his shoulder get more dislocated by the minute.

“Put him DOWN.” Alison roared, the monotone and the ironic distance gone, “MOTHERFUCKERS! I’LL KILL YOU.”

“Man, what a face. Looking like shit runs in the family. I’ll put a bag on his head while I’m fucking him up the ass.” His posse howled with laughter.

Alison wanted to rip his throat out with her teeth. Dig out his eyes with her fingernails. Leap up and kick his head clean off his body. But she couldn’t do any of that in real life. She could just look at the ground and shake with fury. “Fuck you. Fuck all of you.”

The bullies looked at each other. Was that it? Boring. 

She just stood and looked at the ground muttering, “Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you.”

The one holding Billy threw him on the pavement and the pack walked off, sniggering to themselves.

Billy ran to her, still hunched over looking down. The pain in his shoulder was killing him but he was worried about her, “Alischon…”

She felt so angry and so wronged it just came out. To get the last word and school them into shame.

She stood up and whipped around suddenly to the departing mob and shouted “He’s not my brother he’s my BOYFRIEND, YOU ASSHOLES!”

Billy lit up, “Really?”

This wasn’t the “Eddie Murphy shutting down a heckler at the taping of Delirious” material she needed to make this mic-drop moment work. If anything, it was exactly the opposite.

“Kahan’s a pedo!” the teenager in the Big Johnson shirt roared, laughing.

“Kahan’s fucking her brother!” another meathead yelled.

“IN-CEST! IN-CEST! IN-CEST!” The whole group chanted as they walked in silence the rest of the way to the car. 

Alison slipped behind the wheel and collapsed into the seat, a thousand yard stare and then let out a muffled scream with her fist crammed in her mouth.

Billy wanted to help but didn’t know what to do, “I’m sorry I made it worse.”

She pulled her asthma inhaler from her pocket, shook it violently and took a long hit. Her eyes still looked feral, switching between panic and rage

“You didn’t. If you weren’t here they’d be yelling at me about something else. Calling me a lezbo or a Satanist or… chanting some other two-syllable word,” she muttered through gritted teeth, “Every damn day. Four years of this.”

“Can’t you complain to a teacher?”

“No one cares,” She stuck the key in the ignition and the Angel of Death Wagon rumbled to noisy life, “Fuck this place. Let’s just go somewhere else. Anywhere else.”

💋 WILLIAM, IT WAS REALLY NOTHING 🚑

They drove in silence for a while. Going to a book signing seemed strange after what happened. 

Billy cleared his throat, “What you said, um, am I really your boyfriend?”

“I dunno. Sorta?”

“Not an answer.”

She looked at the road, avoiding meeting his glance as Billy’s one eye bored into her.

“Am I?”

“When those assholes picked on you I suddenly thought what if you really got hurt. If they put you in the hospital or, like, KILLED you—”

“School bullies don’t commit murder in cold-blood, Alischon,” Billy quipped lightly, “In a public places. With witnesses.”

Alison looked down at him, tears welling in the corner of her eyes, “I fuckin’ lost it. I had to say something. You got killed because you were with me. It’s my fault.”

“I wasn’t killed. I’m still alive!”

“It’s not fair to you. I’m a fucking mess of person with a dog-shit life and no one deserves to be sucked into to that. I can’t do that to a boy with their whole life ahead of them. A kid can’t handle that.”

“I’m not a FUCKING kid,” Billy shouted, “I’m not a kid! You know that but you won’t admit it.”

“I’m a bad person and I’m bad at this,” Alison struggled for words. The anger was receding the further they got from school but she still felt frantic, “I can’t do ‘sincerity’ or ‘emotions.’ I don’t feel what other people feel. I’m broken.“

“Just pull over. We need to talk about this.”

“I need a friend. I need you to be that for me. If you were gone, I’ll probably kill myself before graduation.”

“Alischon, GODDAMNIT, pull over!”

She approached a scenic overlook spot on the side of the highway with room enough to park. She swerved the Death Boat into one of the slots and the car idled noisily. 

“So if I say ‘yeah’ and it all falls apart— and it always does— then I’ve lost the only person in the world who doesn’t want to force me to eat shit —LITERALLY EAT SHIT— every day of my life. Some dumbass ‘hurt feelings’ argument and all of a sudden we hate each other forever…” 

She ran out of ways to look away and had to face him, the panic was all over her face, “You matter to me too much to risk it. I can’t survive this alone.”

He had started to see what was going on behind all the defense mechanisms and why she was how she was, “I’m not going to abandon you.”

“You will. Eventually everyone does,” Alison stated emotionlessly, “But I need you to hold on until graduation. Until I can escape.”

“But… maybe… I need you, too,” Billy said. She looked up, confused. She hadn’t considered anything from his side. “I’m not a hero flying in to save you from your life. I’m just some guy,” Billy demurred, 

“Why the fuck would you want to be with me?”

“You look me in the eye when you talk to me. You treat me like a person you’re happy to see and want to have around. You’re as mean and insulting to me as you would be to anyone else.” 

“That’s kind of a low bar, isn’t it?” Alison asked.

“Low bars seem pretty high to me,” Billy shrugged.

“It’s a good thing you don’t have any money because you’re a classic mark for a gold digger.”

“If a gold digger made me feel like you make me feel, I’d give them every penny I had and it would be worth it.”

Alison smiled despite her wet eyes and her panic jitters.

“It’s not a rescue mission,” Billy reassured her, “It’s mutually-assured destruction.”

A long pause. The car sputtered. 

Billy threw caution to the wind. “Fuck it.” He leaned over to the driver’s seat, put his hands on the sides of her face and slammed his mouth onto hers in an intensely-felt, terribly-executed kiss. 

The impact of his forehead slamming into her made a hard crack that resonated like a bat hitting a home run at the bottom of a cistern.

He attacked her mouth like a horse eating an apple. She attempted to kiss him back, less forcefully, but was overpowered. He sucked on her lip like he was siphoning from a gas tank using a hose with a knot in it. Her hand searched blindly for her asthma inhaler. Then he tasted iron.

As she pulled away he noticed the smear of blood below her mouth. It was still trickling in a stream out of an open tear in her skin. “I think you split my lip.”

“Oh God. OH GOD. I’m so sorry,” Billy looked horrified, “Are you OK?”

“It’ll stop soon,” she found some paper napkins stuffed in a cup holder, dabbed at her bloody lower lip. Then her finger felt the point of impact on her forehead starting to swell into a goose egg.

“Good enthusiasm, needs to be directed better,” she tried to reassure him with a smile but stopped in pain “Ow. I think I just tore it more.”

They were just a few minutes away and she seemed lucid enough to drive, so they made it to the trailer. 

Billy burst through the front door startling Pete washing a dish. She followed meekly after, a little wobbly from blood loss.

“Sit there,” Billy ordered her onto the couch, all business, and scrambled with purpose back to his room.

Pete looked over. Alison had dried blood all over her mouth and shirt and a spreading, fist-sized bruise between her eyes, like a bindi that exploded.

Pete just stared at her. “What the hell happened to you? Did Billy do THAT?”

“I-It’s my own fault,” Alison emoted skittishly, “He demands his dinner on the table as soon as he’s home from the office and he works so hard at the Patriarchy Factory. It’s his duty as husband to slap his wife around as discipline—”

“BILLY, WHAT DID YOU DO?” Pete shouted at the back room.

Billy returned with a first aid kit and a flashlight. He gave Alison some gauze for her lip.

“Why aren’t you at work?” Billy asked, opening his textbook to the chapter on diagnosing head trauma.

“Carbon Monoxide leak in the building. They sent us home early.”

“Follow my finger,” Billy told Alison, moving his index finger in a line and watching her pupils.

“Can you drive her car?” Billy said to White under his breath, hoping she wouldn’t hear him.

Pete glanced doubtfully at the smoking clunker outside, “Do I want to?”

“We should take her to the hospital to get her checked.”

“Jesus, Billy. What happened?”

“I accidentally head-butted her. I can see a hematoma on the surface, but I need an x-ray to see if I did any real damage.” 

“You gotta register this thing as a deadly weapon,” Pete tapped his forehead, “There’s blood all over her mouth. Your head didn’t do that.”

“I kissed her,” Billy said flatly.

“You kissed her.”

Billy looked up and nodded.

“The ER’s gonna have to put that on the admission form as cause of injury, y’know.”

Against all medical ethics, Billy felt secretly proud to have official, legal documentation of what the best thing that ever happened to him (and what he assumed must have been a personal low-point for her). 

They sat together for three hours waiting at the ER to get checked. He stayed by her side, holding her hand. She was fine. Just surface injuries. The bruise lingered on her face for more than a week, a visual reminder the first time kissed a girl and she kissed him back.

“Happy Birthday, Alischon."

part one | part two | part three | part four | → part five ← | index save your eyes, read on archive of our own

Chapter title is a reference to After School Specials and Welcome to the Dollhouse's Special People's Club.

"Package store" or "Packie" is New Englandish for liquor store.

The Air Force Academy Chapel does look like the end of hair clippers, right?

These chapters seem to get longer and longer. The word counts of each installment seems to grow like bacteria, eventually they will blot out the sun and kill all life on this planet.

Part 1 - 3389 words

Part 2 - 5012 words

Part 3 - 1878 words

Part 4 - 7503 words

In its fifth installment, Tomorrow's Just Another Day (23,145 words) is now almost as long as Boy Genius is at nine (24,812 words)

Brevity is not my strong suit.

(more notes as I think of them)

← back to 2021's Billy & White

#master billy quizboy #pete white #fiction #story #fanfic #fanfiction #AO3 #illustration #illustrator #the venture brothers #the venture bros #vbros #backstory #origin story #love story #romance story #1990s #90s

[socks-pawn]

Since you've asked for more, here's round 2. And I never specified a gender last time, but I am making it clear this is a male reader. Personal headcannon that Doc is more fruity than a fruit salad!

-------------♡----------------

You let out a shudder, your legs crossing over each other in an attempt to hide your erection. You looked up at the Doctor, a small tremble in youe voice as you spoke. "A-And.. How does that..," You point at the jittering device within his palm. "Exactly d-do that?" You asked, staring into his mix-match eyes.

A small chortle left the doctor's lips as he easily moved his free hand down to part your knees, your limbs feeling like jelly as your cock was exposed to the cold air around you. "It involves being placed within the body." He explained as he sat between your legs, them dangling off his broad hips. "Either through the mouth, or.. By means of vaginal or anal insertion. You, lovely, get to be my test for the latter." He said, a wild glint in his eye. He looked excited, almost feral as he slipped closer to your now trembling form.

You felt like you could barely breathe. Your body felt like it was truly out of control, only willing to listen to the cyborg between your legs. You could only hope this wasn't a dream, and that you wouldn't wake up any time soon. "Y-You're gonna put that t-thing inside m-me?!" You asked, attempting to play up the mock fear in your voice to mask the growing excited tone lacing your words like poison.

Doc's chest heaved a bit with a soft laughter, his eyes solely on your own. "Well, not at first." He said, his free hand easily being more than enough to pin both your hands above your head, trapping them against the cold surface of the bed. "You're much to tight for that." He whispered against your ear, the smirk crystal clear in his voice. "We're going to have to... Loosen you up quite a bit. Think you could handle that, baby boy?" He almost seemed to growl in your ear, your spine trembling with each word he spoke.

You couldn't hide the small moan that escaped your lips, bitting down on your tongue in shame. Curse your praise kink! You gulped, although it felt like swallowing cotton. And yet, you seemed to want to listen to that little rebellious voice that always nagged at your mind.

"Oh? Is that so?" You asked, trying to keep your voice steady. "T-Then you may want to get somebody like M-Mumbo or X to help out.. D-Don't want to be disappointed w-with only an i-inch." You teased, a smirk crossing your face.

That smirk was quick to die with just the terrifying look the doctor gave you.

"Just an inch, you say?" The doctor's face was stone as he looked down at you. Small plumes of gunpowder left his mouth, his voice dropping an octave as he spoke. "Oh... I'll have to remind you why half the hermits fear me, baby boy." He said, releasing your hands. He instead wrapped it around your neck, squeezing just tight enough where you could still breath. But just barely.

"It will be a lesson you shall never forget."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~♡~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Published the second round of the Doc X Reader! I clicked 'Ask' by mistake! But it is fully finished until part 3

🔮 anon

As a masc leaning person, being called baby boy is making me act up omfg. I really like the hc of smoke coming out of Doc's mouth when he's angry :3

Also choke me daddy

#🔮 anon #dcm #size kink #medical kink

[bluepoodle7]

#DreamOCInspiredByAAIArtwork #Eddie #EvilScientist #Janet #ZableFable #MyDreamIdeasFleshedOut

(This is from a dream I had maybe like a better version of the AI scientist I saw online. 2/3/2024)

I hand drew him myself and I tried my best on what he looked like in my dreams and he did differ from the AI scientist I saw.

I made a sketch of him that I will Ms paint test color later.

What I wrote down It's about a unknown virus that eats up your mind and body that most resort to being part machine and spliced with shifter Dna to keep their memories.

Also this scientist dude named Eddie.

He made the idea of inner bag realms and the crystal realm jumper clickers everyone in the Zerphra Company uses to travel to new realms or worlds.

Zable's boss cheaped out on a broken crystal realm jumper clicker with a crack in it.

Zable randomly realm jump crosses a unknown world and got Janet which is Zable's translator.

Unknown to Janet she doesn't remember her having a husband but vaguely remembers having kids.

Eddie remembers Janet and is shocked to see his robot sloth body is working while still keeping his wife's body in capsule to keep this mystery illness at bay while his body is slowly getting worse.

The illness is like a mix of a disease that makes body parts fall off and a illness that messes with memory.

Eddie has a monocle and few robot parts but it has half normal human hands with a few robot fingers from a mystery illness that affected his realm.

His face was half robotic and half normal with the monocle is on the human side while his robot eye.

His vision acts glasses like. He has a tanish/ginger root skin color and I would make him Hispanic.

He likes to study languages from other worlds and is Janet's husband.

He tries to learn new things each day to keep his mind sharp and to find a cure to this Illness by buying shifter Dna to try to analyze it to see if the adaption gene can curse the illness.

He does grow insane when he is alone with his thoughts & the stress of finding a cure.

While having his wife's body in the capsule started downloading her memories then Zable realm jumped with Zericon to this world to deliver a order then when she returned back her stepwatch acted funny then her fake bootleg ring glowing then out popped Janet.

Seemed the Janet's robosloth body was absorbed within the ring when the downloading process was happening while also not fully downloading Janet's full memories.

Eddie tries to give Janet clues on who he is but these just go over her head and she finds him creepy.

Eddie still loves Janet and still tries to jog her memories with videos.

He text's Zable's phone blowing it up asking if Janet is okay and always wanting to chat with her.

Janet is confused why this person is so determined.

He is 7"5. Eddie Recordar and Janet Lane are the full names of both characters. Eddie is 45 but looks a little younger from the shifter dna. Human Janet is a black woman and is 40. Human Janet is 5"10 and before the mystery illness happened was a normal realm with a city, parks, and a famous theme park with a cave with the gem stones that are in a raw form before cut into realm jumper clickers. Eddie's favorite foods are Torta's with cactus and menudo. Janet's favorites foods are ramen, menudo, fruit salad, and tortas but with runny egg. Janet was working as a cave tour guide while her husband worked in the ideas department of the cave tourism while also making souvenirs.

Later both of them noticed people were not visiting the caves like usually then everyone started coughing real bad then later the both decided to close up shop.

Later Janet got the worst of the unknown illness down to the point of brain fog then later forgetting important thing but unlike her husband her body was mint without the any limbs missing but the husband was the reverse.

Seems like Zable's upside down blue heart necklace may have pulled Janet away from her world to be with Zable.

Janet is curious about this new character they met in that world but is just wants to check it out and finally tell him to leave her alone forever.

Eddie would just fang smile with a hand on his face at that response with his human eye twitching and will try to calm himself down while giving Janet space.

Eddie will plot to finally finish the memory download but will check on their kids and help them out with their future while slowly loosing his sanity in the process.

He even plots to interview with Zable and trap them while taking Janet away.

Seems like the loneliness, insanity with the mystery illness has fully taken over him.

He will change forms when he wants since the orders he buys are shifter Dna genes but are actually from YipYop the villain of the story.

YipYop also made their underlings release a mysterious mist in the air and in the water that affects the people there.

This forces the people to use their shifter Dna to fully control the people to use as reinforcements to find Fable and bring that shifter to YipYop to finally kill it.

While also giving the people false hope with a cure this illness while returning to normal and healing them.

The Ai art that I'm talking about.

[OPEN 2114] Dr. Icarus Ignition // AI ADOPT by TERATOXIN on DeviantArt

If this character had a theme.

Video not mine but link is there.

Gina - NEED FOR MADNESS ? (youtube.com)

Image not mine but link is there.

Comic Style Drawing of a Mad Scientist with a Brain Stock Illustration - Illustration of diagram, frankenstein: 267261163 (dreamstime.com)

#Dream OC Inspired By A AI Artwork #Eddie #Evil Scientist #Janet #Zable Fable #My Dream Ideas Fleshed Out

[asterlizard]

UK Trip October 2023 (Part 11)

We return to London!

As we continued to London, and passed by Abergavenny, it started to rain. Mum's friend happened to remember a song 'Abergavenny' by Marty Wilde at this point, and played it on her phone. We made some snide comments when he sang 'sunshine forever, lovely weather'.

Once we got to London, we travelled by bus to nearby Tower Bridge (ate at Pizza Express, another yum!) and went for a stroll down there. We also saw someone searching for something with a torch by the river???

We also saw what looked like a rave party with modern music playing at the Globe Theatre (I can only imagine Shakespeare's characters in costume having a modern kind of party haha)

I held my phone like a vise when taking photos where they could fall a long height or into the water.

Headed back home for the night (a tourist asked us what bus to take while getting a little too close for comfort (especially considering I wasn't wearing a mask at the moment))

Time change that night, so I got an extra hour of sleep. Also mum's friend made us a bowl of fruit salad every morning (thankfully not mixed together which I'm not keen on) and the fruit was so juicy and good, I tried to savour them as much as possible during my final days there 😭

The next day, we took a brief detour to see Blenda, who turned 101! (mum's friend made Welsh cakes for her because she's also Welsh) She's a cute little lady, but also has a sharp wit about her! She also was visited by a couple of her friends, also cute old ladies, one of which was from Hong Kong and brought some store bought pie cookies (chocolate banana, and honey, we tried the former which I liked, but mum and her friend didn't really care for it) Blenda wouldn't hold back from telling her first friend to (lightheartedly) go away when she was taking her time with leaving (she was packing for a trip to Japan the next day) or telling her second friend that she doesn't want any more food gifts because she has so much. She also talked about how she wouldn't be afraid to mow down the street in her wheelchair if she had her way, but she still would have to watch out for distracted youngsters on their devices. Blenda was a hoot!

After then, mum's friend had to go to a meeting with her fellow tour guides, which she claimed would be pretty long and boring, so she let us to spend some time outside. So we walked along Soho, walking up and down Drury Lane, King's Way, Aldwych, and briefly encountered the British Museum. We mostly looked at the menus of the restaurants we passed by, which looked pretty good, but alas couldn't stop at because we already ate.

We also found this giant upside down globe. Honestly, if we stopped here first, I think it would have taken me the full 1.5-2 hours to wait for mum's friend's meeting to finish!

When mum's friend was just about done, we went back to the building she was at and we wandered into Covent Garden, saw a witty street performer who got everyone to encourage him to swallow a long balloon (which I thought looked like a hattifattener) Also walked past a young singer nathanreeve05, heard someone sing opera on the stairs below (even though he dressed very casually) and by chance encountered and went to a Moomin shop and bought some Snufkin socks (I would have liked to have a mug, but 1: it was expensive, 2: we weren't certain how well it would have travelled)

Had tuna pasta at home for dinner, which brought me back to my early college years, which I made for my lunches

Halloween! Side note: In the UK, you let trick or treaters know you'll have sweets for them if you leave a pumpkin by your window. Meanwhile in the US, you just leave your front light on.

Went for our morning walk, and I saw a yellow bell pepper with a face carved in it as a makeshift pumpkin xD

'If you write a story, this is where it takes place'

Went to the British Museum (saw some street performers doing a rendition of Ghost Town by The Specials while heading over there)

With most of history being serious, it's nice to see proof that children have always been playing games.

Hello old friend

Mosaic duck!

I admire how tiny these are, the one in the middle is a bit bigger than my thumb!

We visit the next exhibit in the next post here: [link]

#my posts #my photos

[skyvinn]

Review: Le Bajo Milkbar

Your mum has a friend who lives in Melbourne. You meet him now and then, and he’s a foodie. Therefore, it is only natural that the meet-up arranged is for Brunch! This family friend picks you up and shows you your ‘hood’, and brings you to Le Bajo Milkbar, another COV-19 creation. 

If you have ever been to Bali and visited Potato Head Beach Club, then know that this is the creation by one of the owners of said club. Stuck in Australia during COV-19, he decided to re-purpose part of his enormous garage (that keeps his fancy cars and what nots) into a little café focussing on Japanese sandwiches aka ‘Sandos’ (San – do). Think thick milky shokupan bread slices (freshly baked) housing a variety of ingredients and hence a sandwich is formed.

The menu has sufficient to choose from as long as you know it’s essentially a Japanese Fusion Brunch café. So don’t expect huge hearty meals but trust me the sandwiches are sizeable. For those who love shortcakes that is not a cake, they do fruit sandos here as well. Drinks wise, you have in-house roasted coffees to ramunes.

Be prepared to queue especially if you head on a weekend, despite operating out of a garage, this place is a veritable name. We were lucky to wait no more than 20 minutes, but it can go over 20min as it’s a tiny place with few seats but plenty who are after a nice catch-up over brunch.

You’ve seen the menu before arriving, so you know your exact choice – a Spicy Tako Karaage Sando. So, what’s the verdict?

Service: Friendly staff but don’t expect tip-top service. You order via QR code or at the counter and your only interaction is really when they serve you food. We ordered a coffee (takeaway) while queuing but managed to get a table before the order came. Frankly, we expect it to hence be served in a proper cup but they still served it in a disposable one. The waitress said she had already made it, so you know… If it was positioned as to be sustainable and not waste the cup, I would respect them. Putting that aside, friendly staff who will talk you through the menu if you wished but otherwise leave you alone.

Ambience: Think interior designer using expensive garage items to make a kitsch but comfortable setting. Wood, plants and an eclectic mix of collectibles creates a hip brunch café environment. It also clearly draws the ‘cool’ crowd. Also did I mention its cute logo (which they print on tote bags for sale). 

Taste: The sando was stuffed with fresh ingredients. The tako (octopus) was well fried, coming nice and crispy but not rubbery. The spicy mayo was not at all spicy but flavourful all the same. It took me quite some time to polish of the fat sando. The shokupan slices were just about right – not too thick to detract from the ingredients but sufficient for you to get the milky taste of bread. We ordered a side tofu salad which was a little average save for the fact they char the miso sauce on the tofu. That was a nice addition – aburi tofu (*≧ڡ≦*). I was told the coffee’s quality varies and that day was not the best. But I enjoyed my Mork hot chocolate. If you are in Melbourne, and come across hot chocolate called “Mork”, go for it! Think of it as Melbourne’s Valrhona. I won’t say it’s the same standard, but its pretty good all the same.

Price: $20+ for a meal

Worth a re-visit?: I could see myself re-visiting this place when I feel like having fancy sandwiches for brunch. But I suspect with the limited menu, I would be bored of it soon.

Le Bajo Milk Bar

8-14 Howard St, Melbourne Victoria 3051 

Lebajo.com.au

Mon – Sun: 9.30AM to 3.30PM

#lebajo #shokupan #sandos #mork hot chocolate #brunch #melbourne cafe culture

[lokis-little-fawn]

Too Darn Hot

My requests are open! Message/comment to be added to the tag list!

Paring: Loki x Fem!Reader

Word count: 2.1k

Summary: After your birth control runs out in Asgard, how long will it take for a little ‘accident’ to happen (idk my brains not working, this is an awful summary but I promise the fic is good)

Original request by anon: Loki+breeding kink. He sees you in one of those flowy little white dresses and immediately thinks of how good you’d look ‘with child’ as he’d say 😂😭. You know this man just goes crazy when he sees himself when he’s that deep, and can’t help saying how he’s going to keep you in bed all night until he’s sure there’s no chance you won’t be pregnant by morning 👀👀 (even if it is just fantasy)

Writers note: thank you so much for your request! I hope it’s breeding kinky enough for you because it’s like 90% smut 😂💚

Warnings: SMUT (ONLY READ IF YOU ARE 18+) unprotected sex, oral sex (female receiving), breeding kink

Hot. It was just too damn hot and I’m not talking earth in July hot, this was another worldly level of heat. Sure, you’d visited warm places before on holidays but nothing could have prepared you for an Asgardian summer. The climate was an equal mix of humidity and heat, the only relief granted at night when the sun sets. Loki had been gone all day on some royal duties and seeing as you came to Asgard with a suitcase full of jumpers and trousers he kindly had some of the servants deliver you some summer dresses.

After choosing a long white flowing dress which closely resembled those of a Greek goddess, you grabbed a book and made your way into the gardens. Sitting in the shade under an umbrella you swiftly began flicking through the pages. Loosing yourself in the story you barely notice time slipping by, before you know it the sun has lowered slightly in the sky and it’s almost lunchtime.

Making your way back into the palace you pass Loki attending to his royal duties swiftly followed by Thor. Loki’s eyes linger for slightly too long, his face spread with a sly smile that you know means only one thing, trouble.

After wandering the long hallways, you make it back to your shared room and sit out on the balcony, eating your lunch mostly consisting of leafy greens and a fruit salad. Afterwards you begin reading your book once again, sitting under a shadier part of the balcony it doesn’t take long for your eyes to drop closed, falling asleep under the shade. In your sleepiness you don’t hear Loki enter, his featherlight footsteps silent on the marble floor.

“My my, don’t you look exquisite, love” he says leaning against the door frame of the balcony, his arms crossed over his chest as his eyes roam unashamed over your body. In your sleep your dress must have ridden up, one part of your skirt gathered near your hip exposing one of your inner thighs.

“Mhm.. Loki?” You say in a sleepy tone, wiping the sleep from your eyes as he prowls towards you, still sitting on your chair.

“Don’t move my love, I shouldn’t have woken you. Let me make it up to you” he purrs in his deep smooth voice, even in your drowsy state that voice did something to you. Kneeling before you he pulls your ass to the edge of the chair, pushing your dress up around your hips.

“No undergarments sweet thing?” He questions as he kisses up your thighs, sounding more intrigued than anything.

“It’s too hot for unnecessary layers” you reply defensively with a small yawn, still half asleep as his kisses reach your heat.

“Oh love, I’m not complaining. Let me cool you down” he states as his cool tongue begins to trail through your folds. His icy touch like a soothing balm that you’ve longed for all day.

One of his large hands slides between your legs, his fingers teasing your entrance as his licks and sucks on your sensitive clit increase. Your head falling back against the chair as pleasure flows through your body, your breathy moans surely audible passed your secluded balcony. Your hands card through his hair, your fingers stroking through his soft obsidian tendrils as you moan under his touch. One of his hands settles on your lower stomach as he pushes his fingers inside you, watching your body react as he curls his fingers within you. With his hand pressed firmly on your stomach he stares at the spot, certain that he can feel his fingers moving within you through your stomach. His breath hitches in his throat as he watches you squirm at his movements, your face contorting with pleasure as you begin grinding lightly against his face.

Feeling your orgasm rapidly building, your hands tighten in his hair, pulling him closer to your heat as his movements quicken. His eyes still transfixed on your stomach, his hand pressing heavier onto the spot just above your uterus as he moans deeply into your heat. Bucking against his face loud moans escape your mouth as your climax washes over you, your liquid coating Loki’s face as he helps you ride out your orgasm.

“Best nap ever” you joke with a smile, as Loki kisses down your thigh once more, pulling his fingers from you.

“Oh love, I am not even close to being done with you yet” he says as he lifts his fingers to his mouth, sucking your liquid from his digits. Without warning he pulls you from the chair, flinging you over his shoulders as if you were weightless.

Reaching the bed Loki places you down against the pillows softly, quickly removing his own clothes. The sun still beating through the open balcony highlights his iridescent skin, his muscles rippling under the heat. Following you onto the bed he pulls the top of your dress down, releasing your breasts to the warm air as you sigh with relief at the fabric leaving your body. His mouth darts to the peaks of your breast, hardening under his tongue as he flicks over your nipples one at a time. Kissing further down your body he pulls the rest of your dress down, kissing down to your stomach peppering the spot where his hand had once been with kisses.

As he kisses back up your body you pull a condom out of the draw of the bedside table, quickly unwrapping it and pushing the latex down Loki’s length to the base of his cock, much to his distaste. Your birth control had run out almost a month ago, having not visited your doctors you couldn’t refill your prescription. Despite the much superior technology on Asgard, they didn’t have a pill for Midgardian pregnancies so condoms were your best option at the current time.

Lokis desperation for you unfaltering despite the interruption, biting and kissing into the soft skin of your neck as he lines himself up with your entrance, your legs widening for him as he thrusts deeply inside you. Instantly bottoming out inside you, he wastes no time letting you adjust to him as he begins to thrust harshly into you. Your moans loudly echoing off the walls as he moves within you. Once again his hand travels to your stomach, feeling himself hitting against your innermost walls. Your face spread with confusion, it’s not something he’s ever done before, why was he doing that in the first place? Whatever the reason, you were quickly pulled from your thoughts when his tongue slips into your mouth kissing you with vigour. His hand still over your stomach you feel his palm press down, hissing through his teeth as he drills into you with his quick pace.

“You’ll look so beautiful with child, my love. Your stomach plump as I fuck you, just like this” he moans out into your ear. Oh, that’s what the hand thing is about, you think to yourself, your face spread with a mix of worry and arousal as his pace quickens.

“Would I, Loki?“ you ask innocently, looking up to him with doe eyes as his hand moves to your breast.

“You would my love. Your full bosom heavy with milk, oh my sweet thing you have no idea how the thought affects me so” he moans out as his grip on your breast tightens, kissing down your neck. His pace becomes sloppy, a warning that he was close to his climax. Feeling his irregular pace, you decide to tease him more, whispering into his ear.

“You’d like to fill me with your cum, wouldn’t you Loki?” You tease, giggling into his ear, his grunts animalistic in your ear as he nods in reply.

“To see me bare your child, to show everyone I belong to you” you continue, his eyes glazed over with pure lust. You’ve done some filthy things since you’d been with Loki, but never before had you seen him so desperate for you.

“Fuck love, I have to cum inside you. I just have to” he says, pulling himself from you and ripping the condom off, immediately thrusting back inside you and coating your walls with his essence. His grunts still filling your ear as your face spreads with sudden worry as you realise you had literally lured him into this, something you had been purposely avoiding for weeks.

“Fuck, Loki?” You ask as he continues thrusting into you. “Loki I’m not on the pill anymore, I could actually be pregnant now” you continue, your face spread with worry as he continues to fuck his liquid deeper inside you.

“I know love and I won’t let you leave this bed until I am certain you are with child” he growls as he pulls one of your legs higher, ensuring nothing will escape you. With his length sheathed inside you, his still hardened cock continues moving within you again. As if he was in heat his pace is rapid immediately, the worry you felt only moments ago fading into nothingness as his hips jolt against yours at an ungodly pace. The sound of skin against skin fills the room, you swear you can almost smell the mixture of you both as you feel yourself grow wetter. His hand reaching down, the tips of his fingers circling your clit you rapidly feel your second orgasm begin to build as your walls grip Lokis length.

“Fuck.. Loki … I.. I’m going to” you stutter out as your orgasm washes over you, the feeling of your walls clamping down on his cock pulling Lokis climax from him along side yours. The heat of his cum inside you, threatening to seep from you at any movement as he continues grinding against you, surely your full by now. Given no time to adjust Loki pulls your other leg over his shoulder and begins thrusting into you again. How was he still hard? Was he going to keep to his promise of fucking you all night? You had a feeling you were about to find out.

His relentless pace continuing well into the early hours of the morning, he’d placed you in positions you swear must me from the Asgardian equivalent of the karma sutra, all engineered to keep his liquid inside of you. Even when you’d eventually fallen asleep with the morning sun beating through the curtains, he was still firmly inside of you, cock warming him as you slept to keep his essence inside of you. In the morning you woke up first, the worry he would regret his actions pulling you from your dreams. This was until you felt him awaken behind you, wrapping his arm around your stomach feeling himself inside you again. His hand glides over the bulge of your lower stomach, lovingly cradling you in his palm.

“I’m going to take a shower Loki, I feel all dirty” you say with a little smile, his length still firmly inside of you.

“Absolutely not, not a chance my love. We can’t risk undoing any of last nights work” he says kissing down your neck, thrusting lightly into your slightly sore entrance.

“I don’t think that’s quite how it works, but whatever you say.. daddy” you tease, the nickname once again turning Loki feral, beginning to thrust deeply inside you causing liquid to pour from you. If you thought last night that you were in for a long night, now, you knew that you were in for a long day.

Tag list: @otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore @vbecker10 @virtualstrawberrydinosaur @lokiprompts@cryingismyonlyhobby

@lokistoriesblog @msturi2u @sharris8 @apine7 @chiyongberry @fangasm202 @sinsandguilt

#loki laufeyson #fanfiction #loki #loki (marvel) #loki odinson #fanfic #loki x female reader #loki fanfic #loki x reader #loki x reader smut #mcu loki #dark loki #loki fluff #loki imagine #loki layfeyson imagine #loki laufeyson x reader #loki marvel #loki smut #loki odinson x reader #loki x y/n #loki x you #lokiedit #loki series #tom hiddleston smut #tom hiddelson #tom hiddelston imagine #tom hiddelston x reader #tom hiddleston fanfic #tom hiddleston characters

[shiftylookingcrow]

A (not comprehensive) List of Little Self Care Things I Do When Everything Feels Like Too Much:

Bathing

Wash just your body, or just your hair. You may not be completely clean, but you ARE cleaner

Still feels like too much? No problem!

Take off any jewelry from your hands/wrists and wash your hands up to your elbows, just taking your time

Then wash your arm pits and groin, those are the stinkiest parts of the body

If you're feeling up to it, wash your face too

Once you're done washing, take your favorite body lotion and massage it in anywhere you washed

Shaving

Shaving takes time and patience (especially if you prefer to be mostly hairless), but you don't have to go through the whole process every time

Wanna wear that cute tank top/crop top but don't feel comfortable with how hairy your pits are today?

JUST shave your arm pits then

Wanna wear shorts/capries/a skirt, but feel your legs are too fuzzy?

Where on your legs do the cuffs/hem sit? JUST shave from there down

Facial hair looking kinda scruffy? Got an electric shaver? It won't give you as close a shave as a razor, but it'll help neaten you up a bit

After any shaving, get back in there with your lotion and work it in well

Laundry

Don't have the energy to drag that big basket you've been avoiding down to the washing machine? Out of clothes but need something to wear tomorrow?

Wash ONLY what you'll need for the next 1 or 2 days. A smaller load means less to put away after

Need a bra/binder/mask/etc for tomorrow? Wash ONE, then hang it to dry with a fan blowing on it.

The air movement will help it dry faster, and while it may not be 100% dry by morning, it should be dry enough to wear comfortably

This can be done for underwear and socks as well

Dental

Mouth feeling like sandpaper, but you still can't find it in you to go through the whole tooth care routine?

JUST brush your teeth before bed. You can floss in the morning

No energy to get in there and really scrub like your dentist told you to? Even just a quick scrub is better than nothing

You know those little Gum brand toothpick things? With runber bristles on them? They can't replace proper flossing, but the CAN at least get the worst of the gunk from between your teeth

Food

Hungry but can't bring yourself to put together a whole meal? That's okay!

Get all the fixings for a sandwich (bread, spreads, cheese, meat, etc), put them on a plate and eat that. You're still eating a sandwich, it's just not an assembled sandwich

Want a smoothy, but don't want to fuss with the blender? Put it all together as a yogurt bowl instead

Want a salad? Grab a couple lettuce leaves, a stick of celery, half a tomato, or whatever else you'd have in there, and toss it on a plate. Grab some dressing (or not) and you've got a personal size veggie platter

Cut an orange in half and eat the pulp out with a spoon

Cut an apple in half, and eat JUST one half. You can save the other half for later, or eat it right after the first if you feel up to it

Cutting a banana in half and squeezing out the fruit means you don't have to worry about those gross stringy bits

Simple Smoothie Recipe:

1 banana

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp honey/sugar

Milk (dairy, soy, almond, whichever)

Berries, yogurt, chocolate chips, jam (optional)

Directions

Put all ingredients except milk in a blender (or 4 cup measure if using a hand mixer)

Pour in milk until ingredients are ALMOST covered. There should be about 1 inch/2.5 cm of solid ingredients visible

Blender/mix for 30-60 seconds, or until desired consistency. Pour into your favorite glass, or drink straight from the container

Simple baked potato:

Clean a medium to large potato and use a fork to stab holes down the sides and at each end. Depending on the size, you should have stab your potato somewhere around 9-12 times.

Place the potato in the microwave just off of center, one end facing the center of the spinning plate

Microwave for 15 minutes, flipping the potato end for end after every 5 minutes

Put the potato on a plate with some sour cream or ranch dressing, and dip it like a big ol' french fry

House Cleaning

Feel like there's too many dishes? Pick ONE place setting (bowl, plate, knife, fork, spoon, cup), and ONE pot/pan, and clean those. Do the same at the end of each meal, and while it might take a while, you'll eventually get things down to a manageable level

Dust bunnies breeding in the corners? Pick ONE room or hallway every couple days and just clean there. ONE clean room is better than NO clean rooms

Your room is so messy you don't know where to start? Every time you enter your room, put ONE thing back where it belongs. Every time you leave your room, take one thing that doesn't belong out with you and put it where it belongs.

Sink looking kind of gross? Give it a quick wipe down the next time you wash your hands

Toilet needs a clean? Pick a part (lid, seat, back or bowl) and just clean that bit. Even if you're just wiping some of the dust off the back.

Scum ring building up in the shower/bathtub? Give it a quick scrub next time you bathe. Maybe you don't get the whole thing, but you DID make a start.

Fitness

No energy for a full walk? If you can, walk around your house/apartment building. You might not have gone far, but you were UP and you were OUTSIDE.

Can't get out for whatever reason? Are there stairs in your house? In your apartment building? If you can, walk up and down those a few times.

Not really able to do stairs? Do some simple stretches instead.

Reach down and try to touch your toes, holding for 20 seconds. Reach up over your head as high as you can, holding for 20 seconds. Repeat 5 times

Sitting in a chair, reach your right hand across your body and over your left shoulder and try to grab the back of the chair without lifting your butt. Hold for 20 seconds. Do the same with your left arm, holding for 20 seconds. Repeat 5 times

Standing, or sitting on a chair, gently pull your head towards your shoulder (right hand, right shoulder; left hand, left shoulder), reaching the other hand down towards the ground. Hold for 20 seconds, then gently push your head upright again (lifting your head with just your neck muscles can cause them to seize after a stretch). Repeat 5 times

Miscellaneous

Need to trim your nails, but don't feel like sitting through both hands? Pick one finger on each hand, and just trim that nail. Do another nail on each hand tomorrow, and another the day after that. You don't have to do them all at once

Having trouble remembering to drink enough water? Find a water bottle/mug/glass that you like and try to keep it near you as much as possible. I find actually having a bottle with me helps me remember to keep sipping.

Still having trouble with your water intake? Fruit and veggies (specifically like apples, oranges, tomatoes, bell peppers and avocados to name a few) have high water content and can help keep you hydrated

Even if you can't get to sleep, lieing in bed with your eyes closed is more restful than trying to wear yourself out by reading or something

Alternatively, doing some mild stretches, or a few sit ups/push ups/jumping jacks can help wear you out without engaging your brain too much

You are aloud to say "no". You don't even need to give a reason. If everything feels like too much, taking on more responsibility will only make it worse, which will only make your output poorer as a result.

A reminder that this is by no means a complete list, just some things I've found helpful in my journey through adhd, depression, and anxiety. Not all tasks need to be done all at once. Maybe you can't do much, but that doesn't invalidate the some you did. Just because you take longer to do a task doesn't mean your bad at it, or that it isn't worth doing. You'll get there when you get there.

Please feel free to add to this post, I'd love to see what self care tricks other people are using!

#long post #mental health #self care tips #depression help #adhd help #anxiety help #autism help #there's probably others i can't think of right now #also i can't for the life of me figure out how to do a 'read more' on mobile #so i'm really sorry for this

[dragon-kazansky]

Made with love | Helmut Zemo

Chef Zemo AU! 👨‍🍳

Gender neutral reader

Collage by @realremyd

Huge thank you to @rumblelibrary for helping me with the menu 😌💕 I've put a little surprise in this chapter for your hard work!

This chapter is shorter than the others. The next one is the finale. We are coming to the end :(

[Previous chapter] - [Next chapter]

Part 13

The sign had been repainted. You looked up at the way the sun was bouncing off the gold lettering. It made you smile.

Escorpión Morado.

Officially your favourite place on Earth. The place where you had tried the best Spanish food ever. The place that felt like home with it's welcoming atmosphere. The place you fell in love with a handsome chef.

Helmut stepped outside and smiled at you. You smiled back at him.

"What do you think?"

"I love it," he says.

"You didn't even look at it."

"I don't need to look to know it's perfect and I love it."

He snakes his arm around you and pulls you into his side. You chuckle softly as you both stand outside the restaurant.

The outside furniture had been updated, the menu was arriving this afternoon, and all the invitations had been sent out.

All that was left to do was open on Friday.

Helmut kisses your temple.

"The new menu is here."

You smile at him.

"Show me!"

He takes your hand in his and takes you inside. Over on the bar, the new menus were left sitting. You walked over, leaning into Zemo's embrace as his arm wraps around you again, and pick one up.

You smile.

The design was simple. The menus were white with purple and gold detailed around the edges. The food lists in neat text, each section clear and easy to read.

Menu Escorpiòn Morado

Starters

- Prawn marinated with rice and vinegar

- Croquetas with cuttlefish with alioli sauce

- Andalusian style squids

- Marinated white tuna with strawberries

- Fish salad (cod fish with prawns and vegetables)

- Tortilla of the day

- Patatas bravos (potatoes with spicy sauce)

- Pimientos de Padron (green peppers with spicy or mild sauce)

- Gazpacho

Main course

- Soup of the day

- Fideuà with fish of the day

- Paella (Zemo family style)

- Fish of the day with Patxaran and purple corn

- Monkfish with rhubarb and lilies

- Pigeon with nuts and armagnac served with aromas a vegetables

Desserts

- Catalan Cream

- Arroz con leche

- Milk Caramel

- Tarta De Santiago (Spanish almond cake)

- Sorbets

You gaze up at Helmut with a soft smile. He's waiting expectantly for your opinion.

"Helmut, this is amazing."

"Yes?"

"Yes! Goodness, I'd sit here and try everything if I could."

"Well, come right this way."

Helmut guides you into the kitchen. Sam, James, Wanda, and Natasha are all in there with some of the new kitchen staff. You had hired some talented chefs, though not quite as talented as your own, to help Zemo out in the kitchen when the plays reopens.

On the counter were plates. One of everything.

"I have made a sample of everything on the new menu. I want you all to try them, and be honest with me."

Everyone digs in.

You try everything. There isn't a single thing presented to you that you don't instantly love. You look up at Helmut to see his eyes on you.

You smile.

"I love everything."

He chuckles and comes to stand beside you again, wrapping you up in his arms.

"Do you mean that?"

"Of course I do. You're an incredible chef. It's one of the things I fell in love with about you."

He kisses you, ignoring the soft sounds of complaints from those around you. He turns to the group and tells them to hush.

Another figure walks into the kitchen.

"Ah, Y/N, this is Veronica. I thought, perhaps, you two would like to co-host out front."

You smile at Helmut.

Veronica holds out her hand and you shake it, greeting each other.

"What's left to do?" You ask, looking around the room.

"Just the bar and then we have to prepare for Friday."

"Speaking of the bar," Sam slides up beside you and hands you a menu, much like the first one, only this was a list of drinks.

Drinks (non alcoholic)

- Horchata (nut milk with cinnamon)

- Coffee with a splash of cream milk

- Granizado (fresh drink for summer, mixed fruits with ice crushed together, most commonly made with lemon)

- Lemon Beer

- Hibiscus Lemonade

Drinks (with alcohol)

- Vermouth

- Rebujito (sherry with a soft drink such as Sprite)

- Cava (Spanish champagne)

- Agua de Valencia (drink with vodka, gin, cava and orange juice)

- Morado de Verano (Escorpión Morado signature drink)

"Brilliant!" You grin at him. Sam smiles and takes the menu back, happy you liked what he put together.

You look around the kitchen and smile.

"I can't thank everyone enough for what you have all done. It means the world to me that you're all here helping me salvage something so important to someone so important," you say, glancing at Zemo. He smiles. "We don't have long. Chefs, you'll be expected to be here first thing Friday morning. Helmut will give you all the details then. Sam, James, you two will be on the bar, but give a shout of you need extra hands, Natasha knows a thing or two. Veronica and I will greet everyone as they come in and make sure they are seated. Wanda, will be head waitress that day, I'll introduce you to the others when they arrive."

Wanda nods.

"Friday is a big day. We have to show Sokovia that its5the little businesses that need the moat support. Not everyone is made of money like Tony Stark."

Everyone nods and mutters in agreement.

"You're all dismissed. Help yourself to the rest of the samples."

Helmut presses a kiss to your temple when you finish and guides you back out front. Your four other friends follow out.

"This is it."

Helmut comes to stand in front of you. He places his hands on your shoulders and looks you in the eyes.

"Thank you for everything."

You smile.

"I'm happy to help. This place became so important to me. You became so important to me."

He smiles back at you.

"The restaurant is important, but not more so than you," he tells you.

You tuck a strand of hair that fell out of place back to where it belongs. He tilts his head into your light touch and smiles softly once more.

"Are you ready?" He asks.

"Yes. Are you?"

"Yes."

Back at The Iron Grill Tony Stark was staring at his invitation. Heike and Pepper were present, just watching him. Strange was there too, but he was busy on his phone reading the updated online menu for the Escorpión Morado.

"Are we going?" Pepper asks.

He looks up at her, letting out a breath. He looks impassive as he turns the card back and forth between his fingers.

"Yes, we're going. We've been invited. We should follow up on it."

Pepper nods.

"All of us?" Heike asks.

"All of us."

You two brought guests, so he should too.

"What are you going to do?" He asks Heike.

She sighs.

"Talk to him. Change his mind."

Stark stands up from where he had been comfortably seated and looks at her.

"Make him sign."

She nods.

He looks over at Strange.

"Well?"

"It's a very good menu. Much more exciting than your own, actually."

Tony Stark grits his teeth in silence.

Friday. On Friday he will stomp all over Zemo's restaurant. People will see that only Tony Stark can bring life to this miserable city.

"I won't lose."

@namethathasnotbeentaken @belle82devart @cathrin2405 @lieutenantn @wilder-fangirl @latenightartist-author @lucky-luck-lucky @hb8301 @charistory @thatoneartgalsstuff @thesuitkovian @malkaviangirl @zemosimp420 @realremyd @the-chaotic-cow @lostghostgirl94 @zafiro-draco @lazygurl05 @pinkcutiepiee @goddessofmischief03 @whovianayesha @myybebe @awesomesauce-abbie @that-stupid-head-tilt-thing @swooning-for-mc-avoy @nonamec0s @apparrio @scuttle-buttle @alex-the-nb @my-blood-is-maple-syrup @greeneyedblondie44 @somethingthatsaysbubbles

#marvel #zemo x reader #helmut zemo x reader #helmut zemo #baron helmut zemo #au #zemo #tfatws #chef zemo au

[ceilingfan5]

tattoo AU and bakery AU for taakitz :>

“I didn’t know the place came with a handsome neighbor,” Taako crows, peeking out the window of his new bakery-cafe at the tattoo shop next door. The Raven’s Nest is small and staffed by only a few people, one of whom is the hottest motherfucker Taako has ever laid eyes on. “Hot boy, fresh out the oven. Steaming.” 

“Maybe you could bring him something. A cupcake or a macaron, maybe?” Ren, his business partner, leans casually against the counter she’s just finished wiping down for the day. 

“You’re a genius. Box me up something that says ‘date me, like, ASAP’.” 

“What color do you want the frosting to be?” 

“Not literally, you fucking fiend! I don’t want to creep the guy!” 

“He says, staring at tall, dark, and handsome through the window, again.” 

“I take back the genius title and I am putting it in my pocket and sending it back to the factory.” 

 Ren laughs. She puts a few tasty little petit fours in a larger box and ties it with a ribbon. 

“You want to write your number on top, or are we taking it slow?”

“You’re not involved! There is no we here! But, no, no, if he wants me, which, obvs he will. It’s a known fact of the universe that I am delectably wantable. But if he wants me he can walk fifteen steps to the left of his job, and there I’ll be. Available, but not too available. It’s the perfect crime.” 

Ren just shakes her head, and she goes about setting things up for opening in the morning. 

It’s funny how nervous Taako is. He knows his shit is good, and his face is handsome, and he’s a delicious fucking catch for anybody, even such a hotboy as this one, but his heart is pounding like he’s been crab-walking a marathon in a bikini all day, and he doesn’t want to look sweaty for his first impression. He steadies his breath at the door, and then he walks in under the cheery jingle, smiling like he knows a sexy little secret. That’ll get him good. Got to. 

The hot tattoo artist looks up from the till and nearly spits his coffee. 

“Hey sailor,” Taako says, layering warmth in his voice like a fine little lasagna. “My bakery just opened up next door, and I thought I’d come round and meet the neighbors, share a few little treats.” He winks. The guy swallows his coffee hard and puts down the cup like it’ll kill him if he even thinks about getting another sip. His eyes are still a little too wide, which Taako has no objection to--they’re the most gorgeous deep brown he’s ever dreamed of sinking into. And those cheekbones, and that hair, done up in perfect braids and tied into a loose bun. God, what a hottie. “I’m Taako, by the way. You know, like on the sign.”

“Kravitz,” Kravitz says. His voice is hoarse, presumably from the coffee, but hopefully from just how handsome Taako is, and his subsequent realization of his goal in life and/or purpose in the universe. “Charmed.” 

Taako sets the cake box down on the counter and leans against it, taking a calm glance around to assure himself that he’s not in the way of any customers. 

“So tell me, stud, what’s the skinny on this place?” 

They chat long enough that Ren comes and gets Taako so that they can close up the shop, and the next day Taako peeks through the windows, trying to tell if the cake box is gone, but that pretty little pink container of goodness is still sitting in the same place. Taako frowns. 

“He didn’t eat my shit.”

“Maybe he just didn’t throw away the box?”

“He should have taken it home and hidden it from his coworkers so he could have it all to himself! What gives!!”

Taako takes another box of goodies over that night. And the night after that. He sees Kravitz’s coworkers eating the treats, but never Kravitz.

This becomes his goddamn white whale. 

“So what kind of treats do you like, hm?”

“Oh, you know,” Kravitz says, rubbing at his neck. “Yours are so good. I can’t even choose.”

Taako narrows his eyes. 

“Pick three and I’ll bring you some more.” 

“Oh, you really don’t have to, Taako! I really appreciate it, but surely your customers want to pay for those things you keep giving us for free!”

“End of the day treats that don’t sell are totally fine to give away.” Taako folds his arms. “You’re doing me a favor.” 

Kravitz looks unreasonably sweaty. 

“Wouldn’t you know it, I have to go puncture a man, sorry?” 

Taako tries again the next day, and the next. Ren tells him to cool it, but he can’t let it go. He makes Kravitz a little cake, the most perfect thing he’s baked in years, and he brings it over during the day, instead of at the end. Kravitz looks up from the till and swears under his breath. 

“Taako,” he says, with a fruit salad of mixed emotions sliding down his face. Taako hopes he was the one who threw the bowl. “Good to see you.”

“Why don’t you eat my fucking treats?” Taako says, completely out of energy for subtleties. Kravitz winces. 

“It’s, Taako, your treats look wonderful. Amazing. I wish I could eat them, honest! I’m just-- I’m allergic to eggs.” 

Taako makes a dialup noise. 

“You’re-”

“You were so excited about bringing them over, I didn’t want to tell you and ruin things. But- But Sloane and Barry have loved everything you’ve made!” 

“You dim fucking, dull ass walnut!” Taako is so frustrated he actually stamps his foot on the tile, like a child. “I could have been perfecting my vegan treats for a month now!”

“You can make vegan cake?” 

“Oh my god.” Taako rubs his face. “Oh my god. I have so much research to do. I’m going to make you something you can eat. You poor, deprived sonuvabitch.”  

“Thank you?” 

“And then when you eat it and don’t get sick, you owe me a kiss.” 

“I do? I mean, not that I’m opposed- I- Realy, do there need to be rules, about, us, you know, hypothetically kissing?”

“Absolutely. But don’t you fret, my handsome little friend. You’re going to usher in a whole new era of Taako’s patisserie with your bare hands.” 

“I’m still back on the kissing part, actually?” 

“There’ll be time for that later. I have to go bake all night. See you later!”

“Can’t we kiss now? Taako? Taako, come back, what do I do with this cake? Taako?” 

But Taako is too busy huffing the delirious thrill of fresh new beginnings. Romance, take two. Let’s go.

#taakitz #taz #tazb #taz balance #the adventure zone #the adventure zone balance #fan5fics #long post #sorry this is long #it's hard to get a sense of time in a mini fic #should i post this on ao3? it's long #i could finish it #anyway #sweet boys...

[artjoybeth]

Day 7: Free day!!!

Mizrahi/Sephardi Jewish Christine

Let's go home-Natsuki Takaya

ID:Christine (with Mizrahi/Sephardi heritage) telling Raoul of Mizrahi (Moroccan heritage) that they are going home,up to the surface

"Rai-Rai let's go home as our community is waiting for us"

This one is a free day so I capture my Christine telling Raoul that they're going home to where their Jewish community is

For this duo,I did their names to Cidila and Rauf as they use it as a way to blend into Gentile Parisian society

This free day is showing Cidila (Christine) telling Rauf (Raoul )in the phantom's lair  that they're ready to go home after she return the ring back to the Phantom (It's a mini in between scene before they riding the boat),This is one unforgettable Yom Kippur  that they're never forget (also he organised this day to premiere Don Juan to catch him in the act which did backfired in that day) which they are warmly welcomed back by their community and have that meal/supper from this ordeal they went through,I enjoying painting the boat and the environment here,I recently play around with a hanfu inspired coat

Plus it's nice to showcase the diversity of the Jewish Culture beyond the east european that normally seen in media,I pick the Sephardi (Spanish Jewish) and Mizrahi (MENA/SWANA Jewish) which is not shown much in the media and thought it will be lovely to showcase here.This Christine is created from @behindthemirrorofmusic who created a lovely Phantom Jewish history which showcase how Jewish representation play a part in Phantom

I got some additional help from navybird from my Discord in being the supervisor on the lived Jewish experience after my bad head-canon writing  which I'm not good at,In art department for my POC jewish Christine and Raoul duo,I use a good combination of looks for them,Christine is the most fun as I mix the SWANA faxes that look interesting with a lovely Spanish actress for an unique look while keeping the doll-like imagery in mind.

Hope you enjoy this Raoulstine with my fruit salad Christine and Raoul,As I'm more of an artist of East Asian heritage than a writer on the lived experience of different cultures,it would be nice to collaborate with writers with these lived experiences in helping me in doing these fruit salad gang justice,let me know if interested

#raoulstine #raoulstine week #raoulstine week 2022 #raoul de chagny #christine daae #poc christine daae #bipoc Christine #fruit salad christine #fanart #illustrator #diversity #diversity in media #diversity in art #representation matters #Children's book Illustration #children book Illustration #children's illustration #artjoyofbeth art

[elisaphoenix13]

Bonding With Clay

Tony woke with a soft groan and rolled onto his side to throw his arm around Stephen and buried his nose in the back of his neck. He even hooked a leg over Stephen's and ground his hips against his ass until the younger man hugged and swatted back at him.

"Tony, no. There's a child in our bed and I have to go to Kamar-taj today." Stephen mumbles.

Tony cracks his eyes open and lifts his head to look over Stephen and sighs when he finds Valerie cocooned against the sorcerer. "Doesn't she have her own bed?"

"She had a nightmare."

"What about William?" Tony complains and Stephen chuckles.

"You know as well as I do that there are some things parents can do that siblings can't." The sorcerer pushes Tony's face away. "Go brush your teeth."

"Absolutely not. You have to suffer my morning breath now." Tony laughs and kisses Stephen. It only lasted a few seconds before the younger was pushing him away again with a look of disgust.

"I can even taste it!"

Tony laughs again and rolls back over to get out of bed and shuffle into their bathroom to brush his teeth. As he passed Lucy's crib, he found her wide awake and sitting up, patiently gnawing on her teething ring...which she fondly chucked at his head. It was her way of saying good morning and also her way of showing that she liked someone. Fortunately she only threw soft things at people. The more dangerous items were chucked at something random. Like the lab incident.

So he and Stephen considered themselves lucky. Of course they still tried to get her to stop, but she was stubborn like her parents. Lucy did what she wanted.

"Just a minute Lulu. I've been ordered to wash my mouth and you know how Mom is." Tony says and grabs his toothbrush. Lucy babbles in a way a baby might be offended and Tony looks into the bedroom to look at Stephen as he gets out of bed as well. "Y'hear that?"

"She always has something to say." Stephen scoffs as he fixes the blankets over Valerie. "It'll be you, Lucy, and Valerie today. The kids have school and classes, I have things to check on in Kamar-taj, and everyone else is busy."

Tony spits into the sink after rinsing and frowns. "I don't mind, but Val never seems to enjoy our time together."

"She's getting better." Stephen sighs.

It was true...for the most part. Valerie wasn't completely reliant on Stephen anymore ever since the twins came to live with them. She adored William, and of course she loved Tony, but she and her father had yet to find something to bond over. She loved reading and the piano like Stephen just like Lucy loved being in the lab with Tony. He would figure something out though. Maybe tough out sitting through The Little Mermaid for the fourteen hundredth time? That was Valerie's favorite movie.

"You taking the cloak?" Tony asks.

"Mmhmm." Stephen responds as he brushes his teeth.

"Athena?" Another noise of approval. "Right... we'll figure it out."

"Mmnnbbbftt!" Lucy babbles.

Tony leaves the bathroom and takes the baby out of her crib. "I heard you the first time, bossy."

"If that isn't evidence enough that she takes after you--" Stephen starts until Tony points at him.

"She could have just as easily gotten it from you Duchess."

Stephen chuckles and walks back over to the bed when Valerie sits up and rubs her eyes. While he got ready for the day and explained to the little girl that she would be spending the day with her father and sister, Tony got himself and Lucy ready for the day. His mind was already occupied with how he would spend the day with the girls since Valerie had no interest in the lab, and everything led to Disney movies and tea parties. Not that he had anything against either of those since he was used to it, but he had tried that before and Valerie just didn't seem as interested as she would usually be.

It sort of made him feel like a failure as a father. There had to be something they would enjoy doing together right? Hell, even Lucy enjoyed being run around by Thomas.

"What sounds good for breakfast topolina?" Tony asks as Valerie climbs down from the bed.

"Fwench toast."

Well, that was easy. "French toast it is." Tony says.

Stephen crouches in front of Valerie when he finishes getting dressed and brushes her hair back. "I'll be back later. Have fun with Daddy, okay?"

"Okay."

Stephen kisses her forehead and gets back up to grab his sling ring off the nightstand, and waits just long enough after opening a gateway to wait for Levi to fly into the room and hang on his shoulders. Then he and Athena were through the gateway and it closed behind him, leaving Valerie to stare forlornly at the space it had been. Tony gently pats her head before leading her out of the master bedroom.

"Where's Mooey? Why don't you go get him and you can help me with breakfast." Tony suggests.

"Can we have fwuit?" She asks softly.

"We sure can." Tony smiles. "We can even have some chocolate chips on our french toast if you want."

Valerie smiles and nods before skittering away to her room to find her stuffed cow. A smile from a promise if chocolate chips was a good start to their day, and he would make sure they had a fruit salad with all of her favorites. So with that thought in mind, he descends the stairs to the kitchen where he deposits Lucy into her high chair and answers her demands when she smacks her hands on her tray.

"You are your mother's daughter...but don't tell him I said that." Tony mumbles and searches through the cupboards for the baby cereal puffs. "Look at that! Apple cinnamon flavor, your favorite!"

He pulls out the container and opens it to pour a dozen pieces onto Lucy's tray and she immediately grabs one and pops it into her mouth, humming happily. Lucy would be fed some proper breakfast later, but the puffs would tide her over until he and Valerie cooked and ate their own food. When he started to grab all they would need to make breakfast, Valerie finally joined him with Mooey in one of her arms, and he grabbed a step stool for her to use.

He gave her the easier tasks such as cracking the eggs and putting some cinnamon in them before it was whisked, and while he cooked the french toast, she washed the fruit. Strawberries, grapes, bananas, and even some kiwi were thrown into a bowl after Tony helped her cut them into pieces, and Valerie carefully mixed them together before stepping down from the stool and carrying the bowl to the table. It was amazing how independent Valerie was already being in her own way. She loved helping any way she could and even got a little upset when something was beyond her capabilities. Like when Stephen got sick. She was able to help make him soup but not much else and hated that there wasn't more she could do to make her mommy feel better.

William had to distract her most of the time, and the other times he had to reassure her. Tony and Stephen didn't like the girls to go into their room if one of them were sick because they didn't want them to get sick too.

"Here we go. Piping hot toast with…" Tony makes a show of topping Valerie's french toast with a few chocolate chips and she giggles. "Chocolate chips as promised. Buon appetito."

"Tank you Daddy," Valerie says softly when he places the plate on the table in front of her. He cuts it up for her before kissing her temple and then gets his own plate before sitting across from her.

"Want syrup?" He asks and grabs the syrup dispenser he had filled with warm syrup and pours a little bit on her toast.

"Ba!" Lucy reaches out and Tony chuckles and puts a drop on his finger to stick in her mouth.

"There. Like it? You don't get anymore." Tony says as Lucy sucks on his finger.

Tony made quick work of his french toast and fruit so he could feed Lucy before she started to demand more syrup. He grabbed a jar of chicken and rice--which made him gag a little when he opened it-- and a spoon, then offered a spoonful to the infant. He really didn't understand how babies could like the meat purees. He didn't dare try it in case it tasted as bad as it smelled, and the vegetables weren't much better. Tony was seriously considering giving the task of feeding Lucy her meat and vegetables to the Avengers.

Or the boys if they misbehaved. He knew for a fact the smell hit Peter harder.

"All done." Valerie announces.

"Great job." Tony glances at her plate. "You sure polished your plate. Go ahead and go watch your movie while I finish feeding your sister."

"Kay."

Valerie gets down from her chair and grabs her plate, carrying it to the sink and carefully lifting it up to drop it in. She checked her hands to see if they needed to be washed, found them clean, and shuffled to the living room and asked Friday to put on her favorite movie. Tony smiled and finished feeding Lucy and cleaned her up before taking her to the playpen in the living room, and then returned to the kitchen to clean up the mess. With how quiet things were, Tony honestly would have forgotten that Valerie was even there. All he heard was the tv and Lucy...and the water running.

How Stephen and William remembered her when she was this quiet was nothing short of amazing, but the thought sounded terrible to him at the same time. He didn't forget about Valerie, not by a long shot, but if someone told him they came by and took her to do something, he would be inclined to believe them. But she was sitting on the couch with Mooey clutched in her arms when he finally finished cleaning up and sat on the couch next to her.

"So...I thought of an idea." Tony smiles when Valerie looks up at him.

"Idea?"

"Yup. I think Tibbs is around here somewhere and he's due for his next pedicure."

Valerie's eyes brighten and she giggles. "Dia and Cassie do that!"

"Well I think it's our turn."

The little girl hopped off the couch to go find the pet safe nail polish and Tony looked around for the cat. It didn't take long to find Tibbs dozing in a patch of sunlight on the floor and the feline protested with an annoyed meow when Tony scooped him up.

"I don't know why you bother throwing a fit." Tony snorts as he carries Tibbs back over to the coffee table where Valerie was already waiting. "What color is he getting today topolina?"

"Purple!"

Tony laughs. "Purple it is."

Once Tony sets Tibbs down, Valerie gently takes one of the cat's paws and carefully applies the polish to each nail. Tibbs, the ever chill cat, sat calmly after yawning and patiently let the little girl do his nails. He was more than used to letting the girls do stuff like this to him and knew eventually they would finish and let him go so Tony wasn't worried about him scratching. All the other animals got pedicures as well.

Even Emir.

"Tibbs gets tweats!" Valerie says after finishing.

"He sure does. You know where they are." Tony says and Valerie gets up to retrieve the cat treats.

She shook the bag as she returned from the lower cabinets in the kitchen, and Tony laughed when the cat's ears perked up. Tony helped his daughter open the bag and she grabbed a small handful which she held out and let Tibbs eat straight from her hand. While the cat purred contently, Tony glanced over at Lucy to find the baby fast asleep with her teething ring still in her mouth.

"Where's the Play-Doh Uncle Steve got you?" Tony asks and Valerie points towards her room. "Go get it. We'll make some sculptures."

"You too?" She asks.

"Me too. You can show me how to make flowers."

Once again, the little girl scurried away, leaving Tony with The Little Mermaid to fill the silence, but soon enough, Valerie came back with an armful of containers of Play-Doh. She sets them down on the coffee table before sitting on Tony's lap, and he smiles as she starts opening the containers and taking out the clay. They spent the next couple of hours shaping the clay into different things, from flowers to Tony's suits, until they were rudely interrupted by Lucy's teething ring. Specifically when it sailed into the air and hit the side of Tony's head.

"I'm guessing it's time for lunch." Tony snorts and lifts Valerie out of his lap, groaning as he gets up from the floor. "Daddy's getting too old for this."

"Burro di arachidi e gelatina?" Valerie requests.

"Yes ma'am. With milk." Tony says as he walks over to the playpen and picks up Lucy. He sniffs and grimaces. "After I change your sister."

Valerie wrinkles her nose. "Yucky."

"You said it. You finish your sculpture and then we can make lunch and watch a movie. Sound good?" Tony asks.

"Uh-huh."

Tony couldn't believe he was worried about this just this morning. He enjoyed playing with the clay with Valerie, and he was pretty sure she enjoyed herself too. He made a mental note to think of more things to do for the future days like this, with another side note to think of things that Lucy could eventually join in on. The baby was growing up fast and wouldn't be content to stay in the playpen forever.

"Phew." Tony reels back a little when he opens the baby's diaper once he gets her on the changing table in the master bathroom. "Are you taking lessons from Harley?"

#stephen strange #supremefamily #ironstrange #tony stark #mama bear stephen strange #valerie stark strange (oc) #lucy elina stark strange (oc)

[marsbutterfly]

HEY SO i saw the little letter request thing and i was wondering if i can request one for Sasha(since annie is already taken sadly). So let’s go!

I go by they/them and i would love to be addressed as Jay or Jas.

(SFW) So my scenario is where like sasha didnt die and after the first mission to marley, sasha sends me a letter about how great the food in marley is, describing what it looks like and what went down in mission. Maybe add someone fluff if y’all can, like sasha missing me and my cooking since i’ve taken the hobby of cooking honestly, especially baking. I also play the guitar so maybe in that universe i used to play the guitar for sasha and she misses it:)

Sasha's Love Letter

We haven't even made it back to the Island and I already wanted to write you something because I can't wait to see you again! 

Our mission was a success! We got Eren back and we are heading home with him and Zeke. We had to shoot and kill several innocents and I can feel the weight of their lives on my shoulders. Armin’s transformation caused more casualties than we had predicted and his footsteps crushed hundreds of children. Innocent children.

Our trust in Eren is absolutely gone, especially after the little stunt he pulled. He believes his and Zeke’s lives are more valuable than ours and he may be right but that doesn’t mean we are any less important when it comes to protecting the subjects of Ymir who live in the island. 

But I don’t want this letter to be only about the bad parts of my journey, I have so many good things to tell you about the outside world: the ocean, the city, the cars, THE FOOD!

Oh my god, the food!! I mean don't get me wrong, nothing compares to yours, but holy shit I eat things I've never even dreamed about. Did you know they have flavored ice? Isn't that the craziest thing ever? I also had something called a fruit salad? Which is just a bunch of fruit mixed in orange juice? I didn't even know there were enough fruit to mix so many of them together, it was so colorful and beautiful.

There were these kind of small fish? They were curled in a circle I don’t know what their called let me ask Mikasa. (She said they are called shrimps, which is just a funny sounding name.

Oh oh we also tried this one kind of tea Onyankopon brought us, it was black tea and it was so incredibly bitter that I had to add a bunch of sugar. In the end, it kept me up for a day straight. It was wild.

I took a few pictures for you on a photography machine thingy they had there. Here, let me add them to my letter.

But nothing can compare to the foods we cook together. I miss cooking the main dish as you prepare a dessert. Ugh I can’t wait for the pie you’ve promised me you would have ready.

I also miss hearing you play the guitar for me before bed. I also loved falling asleep underneath the stars but hearing your soothing melody is just the perfect addition. Maybe we can bake some pastries and sleep on the roof again, would you be ok with that??

I love you so much and your cooking brings me joy like nothing else. You are the best cook in the entire world and I’m so glad I’m coming home to you. I’m so glad to have survived the crazy nonsense we have just been through.

I’ll go into more details later as you play me a song and I feed you some cake.

#sasha braus #sasha braus x reader #sasha x reader #aot sasha x reader #sasha blouse x reader #attack on titan #AoT #attack on titan x reader #attack on titan fanfic #attack on titan fanfiction #shingeki no kyojin #shingeki no kyojin x reader #shingeki no kyojin x you #attack on titan x y/n #attack on titan x you #shingeki no kyojin fanfic #shingeki no kyojin fanfiction #snk #snk x reader #aot x reader #aot x you #aot x y/n #snk x you #snk x y/n #sasha braus's love letter #mars 1k special #jas!

[ikeromantic]

Secret Techniques

Written for @imma-too-many-fandoms as part of my 500 follower celebration!

Masamune, Passion, Something Blue, Fluff

Approx. 1300 words

“You have to slice the daikon thin,” Masamune chided. He’d come up behind the chatelaine as she helped prepare today’s meal.

She picked up one of the slices and glanced at him over her shoulder. “These are thin, see?”

He leaned forward and bit the end off of her slice. “Mmm, not quite. Let me show you.” Masamune stepped closer, hip-to-hip, and slid his hand down her arm until his fingers overlaid hers on the handle of the kitchen knife.

“You could just cut it yourself,” she pouted.

“That’s not nearly as much fun as teaching you my secret technique.” Masamune’s breath tickled her ear and she laughed.

Her eyes sparkled as she turned her head to look at him. “Your secret technique?”

“One I’ve never shared with anyone.” He grinned.

“Alright. Show me, senpai.” She laughed at his expression of confusion.

Masamune cleared his throat, then carefully positioned her hand. “It’s a rocking motion, not a chop. The tip,” he angled the blade, “touches the bare edge first.”

The end of the knife bit into the edge of the daikon.

“Now, with your palm, ease the rest of the blade down. Steady.” Her cheek was pressed to his, he realized, and felt heat creep up his neck.

The thin slice of daikon fell onto the cutting board, almost translucent.

“Masamune! Oh wow! That worked! Let’s do another.”

He smiled. “Alright lass.” He left his hand over hers, gently adjusting as she slid the blade into the root again. She’d only asked for one more, but didn’t seem to mind as he helped with more. She was an armful, he thought. Bubbling with joy at life. Reluctantly, he stepped back from her. “You’ve got it now?”

“Right! I’ll get the rest of these cut.”

“Good. I’m going to work on the noodles.” Masamune stood nearby, working the flour, water, and salt.

She hummed quietly as she worked, a pleasant accompaniment to the boiling water and kitchen smells.

Masamune rarely had a helper when he cooked. He found it easier to work alone but it was different with the lass. He didn’t trip over her, and she seemed to really enjoy helping. As if she liked feeding people as much as he did. He found himself smiling at her while his hands worked.

“You seem happy today,” she said, without looking up.

“I am.”

Her head lifted and her eyes met his one blue one. She blushed, and looked down again. “Me too.” After a moment, she added, “I can tell you’re really passionate about cooking.”

“I like to feed people,” he shrugged. “Do you want me to show you the secret to my namasu dressing?”

She looked up again, cheeks still pinked. “Didn’t you already show me one secret? If you keep it up, I’ll know all your tricks.”

“I don’t think I could show you all of them in just one day,” he laughed. “But I like sharing with you.” He felt his breath catch in his throat as he realized what he’d said. But by any god you picked, he did. He liked talking to the lass, laughing, cooking. He just liked being around her.

“Then show me!” She set her knife down.

Masamune finished up the last ball of dough and washed his hands. “Most people just use vinegar, maybe a little sugar, right?”

She nodded.

He handed her a wooden whisk. “Stir.”

Her fingers brushed his as she took it. That little touch made his heart race. She made him feel like a young boy again. The blossom of first love, afraid of rejection. Afraid of success. He trailed his fingers along her wrist before turning to pick up the plum wine.

“I add a bit of plum wine, and honey instead of sugar.” He added the ingredients to the bowl.

“How do you know how much to put in?”

“You taste it as you stir.”

She grinned, dipped a finger in and held it to her lips.

Masamune swallowed, trying to stay cool as she licked a pearl of the mixture off her fingertip.

“Mmmm, maybe a little too sweet?”

He cleared his throat, telling his heart to slow down. This was cooking - just cooking! He added a bit of vinegar to the mix. “What about now?”

She tried it again.

Masamune couldn’t look away. And she saw him looking this time. Her cheeks turned a bright pink. It crept all the way to the tips of her ears. But she didn’t back down. If anything, she drew it out. Letting the tip of her tongue rest against her finger as she took her second taste.

“It’s perfect.” She smiled and he couldn’t help but smile back.

“Lass, has anyone told you how beautiful you are?”

“Nope,” her smile turned teasing.

“Then let me tell you, you are beautiful. You could kill a man, looking at him that way.”

“Well, I hope you don’t die before we finish dinner, or there’ll be a lot of disappointed people,” she quipped.

Masamune laughed. “We can’t have that, can we?”

“Nope,” she laughed with him.

She went to work on the fruit as he checked on the soup. “Do you want to see a secret technique from my hometown?”

“Show me what you’ve got lass.” He walked over to where she’d chopped peaches, pears, and apricots.

“You take a bit of yuzu and squeeze the juice over the fruit. Keeps it looking nice until you eat it.” She drizzled the juice over the fruit, then picked up a slice of peach and held it out to him. “Try it?”

Masamune could see the mischief in her smile. He chuckled. “Alright.” He let her hold it up to his mouth and when it was close, he closed his lips over the fruit and her fingers.

She let out an adorable cry of surprise as he sucked the fruit juice off her skin before letting her go.

“Pretty good technique.” He swallowed the fruit and grinned.

“Just ‘pretty good’?” She huffed.

Masamune shrugged. “Fingers aren’t as sweet as your lips. But if you’d like me to try a piece of fruit from them . . .”

She smacked his arm. “Not funny!”

“I’m not joking?”

“Neither am I. What did I tell you about - about kisses?”

“That it has to be the right time and place?” Masamune shook his head. “Alright. Then let’s get this ready to eat. I’ll hope for a better time and place later, hm?” He waggled his eyebrow.

“You are incorrigible,” she sighed, but she was still smiling.

They finished the salad together, adding the vegetables she’d chopped and some fish he prepared. With the noodles, soup, and chilled fruit it was perfect.

They set the food out before Nobunaga and the others arrived. The table was graced with flowers, and delicate porcelain. It looked great. Masamune was happy all over again that they’d done this together.

“Did we do good,” she asked, hands resting on her hips.

“Better.” He looped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. “You can help me in the kitchen any time, lass. And I’ll tell you all my secrets.”

“I’d like that.” She looked up at him with a smile that was more than friendly.

He studied her face for a moment, then leaned down. “Is this the right time?”

“Right time, right place, right person.” She pushed up on tiptoes and brushed a soft kiss to his lips. “Thanks for asking.”

His blue eye was bright and warm and full of the joy of the moment as he kissed her again. He lifted her off her feet and spun her around, before setting her down, breathless.

“You didn’t ask for the second one,” she pouted.

“Oh? Is it per kiss? Then may I?”

“I guess, ye-”

Masamune kissed her again before she finished saying yes.

She smacked his arm. “Hey! That was for the last one, not a whole new one!”

“My mistake,” he chuckled, though they both knew he’d done it on purpose. And would do it again. Masamune was beginning to realize she was a woman he never tired of. There was no moment he didn’t want her there, beside him. He wasn’t sure what that meant . . . but right now, he just wanted to enjoy it.

#ikemen sengoku #ikesen masamune #masamune date #otome guys #otome #fanfiction #fanfic #fluff