#prepping the garden for a freeze

[inthecityofgoodabode]

October 2023: The Last Weekend Before Halloween

I've served my corporate overlords for 20 year so they let me pick something out of the company store. Unlike some overlords I've served in the past, they have things someone might actually want in their store. I went with the Le Creuset set... I've been wanting to get a Dutch oven for awhile:

We have a freeze warning for Halloween & All Saints' Day so we've been pulling in anything that wouldn't survive the free like these tomatoes:

And these sweet potatoes because cold can negatively affect the flavor & storability of sweet potatoes:

We also covered our brassicas in the hopes they won't suffer any damage:

#le creuset #skillet #dutch oven #garden #backyard garden #homegrown vegetables #tomatoes #green tomatoes #sweet potatoes #harvest #freeze warning #brassicas #prepping the garden for a freeze #life in memphis #halloween #all saints day #gardening

[caffeina-felina]

Contemplating building a spike pit in my yard with a little sign that'll trick my landlord into stepping in it :)))

#95% of the time the guy is chill and leaves us alone but then autumn sets in and he throws our garden hoses on our porch #which is rude enough (I know how to prep my yard for freezing temps tysm) but this time he threw them on our family and pet memorial area #fuckin asshole. hope he croaks and his wife just gives us the house because it's rundown and she doesn't want to deal with it

[recapitulation]

meal ideas!

low energy ("do not ask me to do any prep work at all, so help me god")

mozzerella cheese wrapped in pepperoni ("pizza tacos"!)

hummus and pretzels or naan (putting the naan in the microwave for like 10 seconds...heavenly)

canned chili (with shredded cheese and sour cream if you have it! boom done!)

instant miso soup (warm and lovely! put tofu in it for protein!)

cheese and cured meat, olives, canned fish, crackers, dried fruit, or whatever easy "charcuterie" type items you like

alternate bites of apple and spoonfulls of peanut butter (mixing honey or chocolate chips to the peanut butter is my favorite)

a "deconstructed sandwich": bites of lunch meat, pickles, cheese, cherry tomato, etc (I love roast beef and white cheddar for this)

yogurt and granola or fruit

put frozen potstickers + frozen edamame in the steamer/rice cooker, chill elsewhere with a timer set, then boom

tortilla chips + canned refried beans + cherry tomatoes + cilantro + jarred salsa con queso (or warm shredded cheese on top of the chips in the microwave for 30 seconds)

bagel + cream cheese + lox

microwave scrambled eggs (add things like green onion, soy sauce, or anything else you like!)

cottage cheese and fruit (mixed together or just on the side)

bowl of shredded rotisserie chicken + buffalo sauce + a bit of mayo + green onion (use a kitchen scissors to cut them right in!)

medium energy ("I'll boil water but don't ask me to chop shit")

boiled eggs and fresh veggies (put a little salt on top of the eggs!)

buttered noodles (my go-to nausea meal, it has never failed me. ideas of things to add: frozen peas, imitation crab, roasted garlic)

baked potato with toppings (I like cheese, bacon, broccoli, green onion, and sour cream)

quesadilla (add some canned beans, cilantro, or avocado!)

pot roast (requires a lot of time but not a lot of actual work. I love it with peas!)

cuban sandwich (bread, swiss, pickle, mustard, ham... my favorite thing to panini-ify by far)

pan-fried tofu with scallion sauce (this sauce goes well with everything and tofu is no exception)

pancakes or waffles! (I love mine with jam)

ham, pickle, and cream cheese roll-ups

fried eggs (with toast and lots of butter...so comforting)

fruit smoothie (bananas, frozen strawberries, yogurt...or whatever!)

I hate salad but could write essays on this copycat olive garden salad (throw it in a bowl! chopping required if you use onion)

spaghetti (controversial maybe but angel hair > spaghetti noodles)

pasta salad (olives broccoli fresh mozerella... those little mini pepperonis... yeah)

stir-fried thai garlic shrimp (I like using the mini frozen salad shrimps, it's easy! use jarred minced garlic to avoid chopping!)

tuna mayo onigiri

slow cooker ribs

buffalo chicken wrap (or any number of other wrap options! shred pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to make it easier)

if your local grocery store sells pre-cooked gyro strips, that can turn into an easy wrap with store-bought pita & tzatziki with tomatoes and onions!

couscous and chickpeas

tortellini + pasta sauce + spinach

high energy ("I don't mind chopping some things up!")

stuffed shells with spinach

chicken and roasted garlic (oh my god.....one of my all time favorites)

beef tacos (I like mine with cilantro and onion, and when I'm feeling especially high energy I love a tomatillo salsa)

chicken alfredo

tom kha gai (a thai soup and my absolute favorite! you just need access to galangal)

lasagna! (freezes well and then boom! low energy meal for later)

pad thai! (not as hard as you'd think, as long as you have access to tamarind paste!)

potstickers! (this is a lovely group activity if you want to cook with housemates!)

rice and beans

bang bang shrimp (ogughfhgfuh I love it. you can also do bang bang tofu!)

minestrone soup (so many nice veggies!)

fried rice (put whatever you have on hand in there! broccoli, peas, carrot, and beef is my favorite combo)

broccoli cheddar soup

spring rolls and peanut sauce

skewers (such as beef, onion, zucchini, bell pepper... you don't need a grill, oven works!)

roasted turkey with garlic parmesean asparagus

pork chop with mashed potatoes

panang curry

chicken gnocchi soup (use store bought gnocchi or make your own if you have a high energy day!)

bibimbap (super customizable depending on what veggies you like best)

butter chicken

plus! things that have helped me meal plan:

whenever you think of a meal you'd like to make, take 3 seconds to google search it, take a screenshot of the image results, and put it in a "food ideas" folder. instant visual menu!

the concept of "meal prepping" makes me recoil but I've learned that it can simply mean preparing shredded chicken, boiled eggs, or some other simple protein that you can customize throughout the week. shredded chicken can turn into wraps, salads, pasta dishes, etc... you don't have to meal prep yourself into the same meal all week!

when I have difficulty working up an appetite, I'll scroll through my favorite restaurant menus! there might be some foods I can't make at home, but many times they're very simple to recreate because the ingredients are literally listed!

#brought to you by: i see people complaining about coming up with meals for the week #and im like..this is my favorite thing to do........let me be your meal brainstormer #additionally brought to you by: eating something is better than nothing so some of these may not be complete textbook 'meals' #but sometimes you feel like shit and just need something! so! #also this energy scale is tailored to me personally so if some categorizations dont make sense to you thats bc its about me <3 #food #i might update this with dessert ideas too later. or just add to it in general

[waywardcrow]

This is a request from @tianalsworld and I loved it so much! Hope you like it!

Pairing: Mob!Bucky x f!reader.

TW: Very light talk about the mob, sexual innuendos, suggestive comments, a little of angst and threaths from reader, no use of y/n, minors dni. English is not my first language so let me know if I make any grammar mistakes.

Graphics by @ firefly-graphics so all the credits to the creator.

“Hello, doll, you look astonishing today” you rolled your eyes at Bucky’s greeting, ignoring the jump your heart gave in your ribcage, you hated this man.

“Don’t call me doll, Barnes” you hissed, focused in getting the right amount of glass sugar in your mix “save that for the rich ladies attending your party tonight.”

Without giving him a glance you moved around your kitchen, the sun was barely up and your staff would not be there for another half an hour, still you couldn’t sleep. This was your first big event, you were working for a criminal family, yes but you were finally being recognized for your abilities, no longer shoved aside by stupid snobs who believed they were better than you for attending international schools and a manwhore like James Buchanan Barnes would not ruin this for you, no matter how hot he was.

“It’s jealousy what I hear?” he asked and got hit in the hand by you when he went to touch a hot tray.

“In your dreams, Barnes” his mother, the one who hired you, gave you full permission to deal with her son’s antics, knowing damn well his Casanova attitude.

“In my dreams you are sweeter with me, love”

“Well, in reality I have very sharp knives so go and bother someone else” you ordered and his laugh echoed in the empty fancy walls.

“Always making me smile, doll. Keep up with this and we’re going to end up married” Bucky stole a sugar cookie before you could react and walking backwards to the door, he blew you a kiss.

“When hell freezes over!” still, you didn’t believed a word.

Hours later, your kitchen was the complete opposite of what it was in the morning.

Chaos reigned everywhere but you controlled it, disappointing Winnifred Barnes wasn’t an option. Your hands ached, your feet were numb but the adrenaline running through your veins was enough to keep going shouting orders and prepping dishes, your brain going faster that your body and before you could notice, it was over.

The waiters were bringing everything back; the guests went home and your boss went to kiss you twice in the cheeks, beaming with happiness.

“It was perfect, dear, I knew since I saw you that you could do great things” Mrs. Barnes was like the classy ladies you used to see in magazines but she was always so nice to you, you couldn’t help but smile at her, happy for having her approval.

“I’m glad you liked it, Mrs. Barnes”

“I loved it but now, it’s time for you to rest a little, you earned it, we can talk about this and everything else in the morning” with a soft touch to your cheek, she left the kitchen, thanking the staff one more time.

You did the same minutes after, excusing yourself to go for some air you made your way to the garden.

It was only your first month in the Barnes mansion but it felt like a whole life, this could give you a lot of trouble but it was the best job you had so far and if you were totally honest with yourself, you were too enamored with the Barnes family to leave them.

Winnie was so sweet to you, so was the youngest daughter Rebecca and Mr. Barnes was always so polite, asking about your day and if you needed something, then there was Bucky.

The first time you saw him, you thought he was the most beautiful man you ever met and you still thought that way but being familiar with the endless list of women he slept with, it was the safest choice to stay away.

“There she is” Bucky’s voice broke through the night and then he was standing next to you “come, sweetheart, I have something for you.”

He pulled you by the hand and took you inside the house again with little effort, you were so tired.

“Barnes let go, I’m not going anywhere with you” making him stop you tried to pull your hand from his but he didn’t listened.

“Relax, doll, here is not where I go on my knees for you” the lack of food was playing with your mind, did he said what you heard he said?

He made you go in the balcony where a table was set with dishes of your food, candles and wine.

“What- what are you doing?” was your only question when he led you to your chair to pull it and help you take a seat.

“I figure you haven’t eaten all day so I picked your favorites” he explained like if he did this every day while pouring some wine for you.

It was true all your favorite foods were there, even the wine you were dying to try since you saw it in the mansion’s cellar.

“I mean, why are you doing this?” you asked taking a sip of your glass, it would hurt when he finally give up on you and go to the next conquer but it would be for the better.

“Because you take care of everyone here, I thought someone should take care of you for once” Bucky explained unfolding his napkin with something that looked like a nervous attitude but that wasn’t impossible, he was a fuckboy, a manwhore, the type of man that sleeps in a different bed every night and you were… you, there was no way you made him nervous.

“That’s very kind, Bucky” you admitted and his smile was shiny enough to dare the stars in the sky.

“Maybe this way you would see I’m a good guy and go out with me” he winked and maybe it was how tired you were or the wine but you laughed.

“When hell freezes over, Barnes.”

Here I am, obssesing over one more mob!Bucky and it feels great! Let me know what you think.

Love, Lily.

#bucky barnes x female reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x f!reader #bucky barnes fluff #mob!bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you

[foxyd101]

Masquerade AU

Imagine a ball that happens every night and draws in crowds from far and wide in which the gates of the grand mansion open wide for everyone and reveal a breathtaking fountain framed with two flights of stairs and a balcony above it all that has a big circular window that watches you along with the host leaning against the railing of the balcony. The host of this grand nightly ball is Wally Darling, and he is quite a mysterious and charming host that tends to observe his guest and ensure that everyone is enjoying their night. Now, if you are one of the lucky guests or one of his estate residents, you may have a chance to dance with the infamous host.

Anyway, with a party that goes on every night and nine residents that people don't know much about or have a strange feeling of familiarity with, there are secrets and strings tied throughout the ball, especially with the host, Wally, and a second host that is rarely seen or has never been seen before by all guests. Sooner or later, one resident starts to question things, especially when Y/N becomes a resident/guest of the mansion, to which questions begin to arise on how every resident even became residents of the estate or their lack of memory of their past.

This Castle has nine residents (soon to be 10 with Y/N), and they are:

Wally: The host of the nightly ball and the owner of the mansion. He is noted to be charming, observant, kind, mysterious, and can be pretty threatening. He tends to observe his guest from the balcony of his chambers and, of course, join the fun of the ball to which he will dance (with his residents/friends or guests) and sing (with Juile, Sally, and Eddie). He will also be seen carried around by Howdy and Barnaby, which saves him from the crowds, or he will be hiding behind Poppy's cape.

Home: He is the mansion and is where the ball happens every night. He watches over everyone and is considered a resident of the estate.

Sally: The singer and performer that entertains guests at the ball. She will also host/provide plays and theatrics in the main stage area of the mansion. She is very energetic and bold and LOVES to make an entrance. She can be seen dancing with guests and her friends/residents or just hanging out around the stages.

Juile: The singer and decorator for the ball. She is a very bubbly and energetic puppet and loves to help anyone that needs it. She is also considered the life of the party and will drag you out to dance if you are standing around or seem down.

Poppy: The chef/cook of the mansion that also preps food for all the guests at the ball. She tends to keep to herself and is quite timid. And she will freeze up or politely decline if offered the hand for a dance. (But if she did dance, she tends to do it privately or away from crowds.) She's nice to hang out with, primarily since she provides a safe space for those who don't take well with big parties (introvert heaven).

Eddie: The main male singer for the ball. He has a very chill and charismatic personality and loves to hang out with the other residents of the mansion (especially with Frank). Eddie is quite clumsy and a bit forgetful, but everyone loves to have him around, and he can deliver small messages around the ball for guests or between his friends/ residents.

Frank: The libertarian and gardener of the mansion that plays violin occasionally during the ball. He tends to sit around the corridors of the mansion or somewhere seculife in the ballroom reading, in which Juile drags him out to dance, or he will hang out with the residents during the ball. Frank is often described as a small ball of anxiety that is quiet, knowledgeable/nerd, kind, and grumpy.

Barnaby: The jokester of the residents. He tends to be the comedian of the ball and is considered another life of the party since he has quite an outgoing, chill, and goofy personality. He would also be considered a bouncer of the ball and will stop guests from acting out. He will be seen joking and hanging out with residents or guests, and if not, he will be sitting at the bar or table smoking and providing drinks for the guests.

Howdy: The co-chef of the mansion that helps Poppy prep the food for the ball. He will also play piano for the ball and will be seen assisting Barnaby in being a bouncer of the ball and providing drinks for the guests. All guests alike can say that Howdy is quite a charmer and is silly/ fun to be around like Barnaby.

Y/N: The newest member of the mansion.

(Hi, everyone; I hope you like the info I have dumped about my Masquerade Au! I have so much more info to share for the characters but am still working around the details of them, which would be on what the residents do during the day time, what areas they tend to be in the mansion, etc. Anyway, feel free to draw my Au and @ me to them, and if you have any questions, my ask box is open!)

(Also, the Masquerade Wally drawings I did is still Canon; they are just missing small outfit details that I added in my reference sheet here.)

Home's and Y/N's designs are here: Masquerade Au

#welcome home au #masquerade wally #welcome home masquerade au #welcome home wally darling #welcome home fandom #welcome home fanart #welcome home wally #welcome home #welcomehomefanart #welcomehomepuppetshow #welcomehome #welcomehomearg #welcome home barnaby #welcome home julie #welcome home eddie #welcome home frank #welcome home poppy #welcome home sally #welcome home howdy #wh howdy #howdy fanart #howdy pillar #julie joyful #frank frankly #eddie dear #sally starlight #poppy partridge #barnaby beagle fanart #barnaby beagle #welcome home art

[staygoldwriting]

Eddie is the type of boyfriend to stutter and freeze when you so much as hold his hand. Poor boy is touched starved and just loves being near you. He can’t think straight when you’re around.

If you surprise him with a flower that you picked on the way to meet him “just because it reminded me of you” his face warms with a light blush. He presses every flower you give him in a lil songbook he has dedicated to you.

It is time for soft, first relationship Eddie 😌

🌹Now a series!! Part II is here🌹

Is this... my call to action??? To write the fluffiest thing I've ever done so far (maybe except for Bunny Garden)??? 😍

✨First Love✨

(in which y/n is a senior prep and best friends with Nancy, and Eddie is head-over-heels in love with her) 785 words

“Hey, Eddie, hi everyone!” you said cheerily as you approached the Hellfire table at lunch. 

Eddie looked up from his lunch to see you standing in front of him, a wide, sincere smile on your face. He blushed as you two met eyes, and as he went to smile, a little bit of chocolate milk came out of his mouth, causing him to hide his face in embarrassment. 

“Hey, Y/N, what’s up?” Mike asked, trying to draw attention away from a flustered Eddie.

“Well, I was up late baking cookies last night, and I called Nancy, and she said you all have a club meeting tonight? Hellfire, right?” you asked, pointing at their shirts.

“Yeah, why? You wanna join?” Gareth asked, snickering. Eddie, now recovered, kicked him in the leg.

“Well,” you said, looking from Gareth to Eddie, “I thought maybe you’d like some cookies for your meeting tonight,” you held out a tupperware. “I made some chocolate chip, some oatmeal cookies, and some lemon ones. If you’d like, I’d be really happy to share them with your club. And Mike can bring the tupperware home, I’m sleeping over with Nancy tomorrow anyway,” you smiled, bouncing on your heels. 

“Um, sure, yeah, thank you, Y/N,” Eddie said, holding a shaky hand out to receive the cookies. His hand brushed yours slightly, making his blush return. 

“I like your rings,” you said sweetly.

“Oh, um, thanks.” Eddie was completely red at this point. 

“Well, have fun, and let me know what everyone thinks of the cookies! Mike, don’t hog all the lemon ones! Oh, and good luck with ‘The Cult of Vecna’,” you said in a scary voice. 

Eddie’s heart soared when he heard you talk about Hellfire, as if Nancy Wheeler’s best friend would ever be interested in something like that. He knew you were always nice, but he convinced himself that you were just cordial for the sake of Mike. He secretly dreamt that he was the reason you were so nice, that maybe you wanted to be friends… or even more. 

“Ha, nice memory, Y/N!” Dustin cheered, snapping Eddie out of his trance.

“You can come by if you want,” Eddie said quickly, then instantly regretted it. He felt his ears get hot and his hands start to shake again, this time along with his breath. You looked at him with wide eyes.

“Are you serious?”

“I-I mean, you could, but I know you probably have better things to do--”

“No, I don’t!” you exclaimed. “I just didn’t think I could go to Hellfire! Isn’t it exclusive? I wouldn’t want to intrude or anything like that, D&D seems so special and precious to you guys, and I wouldn’t want to ruin that, and gosh, now I’m rambling, but yes, I would love to stop by if you all would be willing to have me.”

“Eddie might, but I’m not,” Jeff spat. “It is exclusive. A prep like you can’t just waltz in and--”

“Hey, come on, she’s cool!” Mike argued. 

“Yeah, and besides, you’re not the leader, Eddie is! He invited her so she can come,” Lucas added.

“It’s okay, I don’t want to cause any trouble,” you said sadly. “I’ll just ask you guys how it went on Monday. Thank you for the invitation though, Eddie.” 

As you left to turn around, Eddie glared at Jeff angrily. He was still blushing intensely, but it could easily be disguised as fury. You looked back, wringing your hands, then went to your table to grab something. As you walked back to the boys, the same look of shock reappeared on their faces. You stood there, shuffling your feet as you let out a breathy giggle.

“I don’t know if I can wait until Monday,” you chuckled, then nervously held out a piece of paper. “This is my number, Eddie. Maybe you can call me after and tell me the details?”

Eddie’s mouth hung open as he stared at you in disbelief. Frozen, Eddie tried to speak, but nothing worked. Dustin sighed loudly, took your number, then placed it in Eddie’s hand. As Eddie closed it, a goofy smile broke across his face. You blushed and smiled brightly as you saw his happy face.

“I’ll talk to you later then,” you said, turning to go back to Nancy, breathing a sigh of relief. You looked back to see Eddie gazing at you, still grinning widely. You waved sweetly, then, in a rush of confidence, blew him a kiss. 

Dustin groaned as Eddie’s face didn’t change. He pretended to catch the kiss, then slapped it on Eddie’s cheek, making you giggle. Meanwhile, Eddie’s heart was beating too much for him to care.

#staygoldwriting #toomanybandstocare #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson #stranger things eddie #eddie munson st4 #eddiemunson #eddie munson x female reader #stranger things

[josephquinnswhore]

Fuckin’ Brat

Pairing: Joel Miller x female reader.

Summary: you’ve had a bad day and taking it out on Joel leads to primitive measures to fix your attitude.

Word count: 0.6k

Warnings: swear words, reader having a mental breakdown I guess, Joel using pet names like angel, brat.

alternative thoughts to the other little blurb I posted about this pic. Bonus pic for better effect.

You were so fucking tired, so worn and aching and sweaty and irritated. The combination usually wouldn’t have been that much of an issue on a normal day; you were great at handling your emotions and worked through them like a champ.

Today things had fallen apart; a handful of otherwise tiny manageable things that all add up in what becomes a cluttered mess that accumulates like a fire hazard. The more things that go wrong; the more flammable you become.

And fuck you were about to blow up.

First it was Janice, the old hag from down the street, complaining about your dog, burnie, a well behaved border collie, he was a bit stupid sometimes; he liked to chase the birds that flew through her garden. That became a you issue. She was lucky he didn’t chase her.

Then, as you get to the hall to start volunteering for the lunch service, cooking for all the guys coming home from patrol; nothing had been started. No prep, no cooking. No cleaning. You roll up your sleeves and pick up the slack; because you’re a fucking people pleaser who can’t say no.

Lastly, you get home, just wanting to relax and read a chapter of your romance book. Only to find it had tea spilt all through it; the pages were now a damp shade of brown, soaked and completely ruined. Ellie had looked at it last night after showing some intrest, neglecting to put the precious book back onto its respective shelf.

Ellie said she’d clean up after herself, you understood she was just a teenager and she probably just forgot.

But you couldn’t help but just explode, it was the final fucking straw. The match that had lit the impending internal explosion.

In that exact moment your brain had decided to short circuit into a fit of rage, Joel walks through the door, walking snow all through the house as he sits on the lounge, groaning loudly.

“Couldn’t even take your fucking boots off at the door?” You scold angrily, gesturing to the mess he’d walked though the house.

Joel stopped untying his boots to look at you; he raises his eyebrow, giving you an unspoken warning.

Don’t speak to me like that again.

But you got the message, you just push further, knowing he would snap eventually.

“Thanks for letting the damn dog out this morning too, now Janice is on my fucking ass as always!” You grumble, starting to pace a little.

Joel stood off the lounge, bending at the knees a little so he’s more your height and he rested his palms on the top of his jeans on his thighs. His head was tilted as he watched you ramble, waiting for you to realise you’d fucked up.

“She’s that obsessed with you, she’s got to take her shit out on me, maybe you should just go over there and stuff her full of your co-“

Your rambling is cut short by a large hand roughly gripping your chin, your eyes widen at the sudden action and he jerks your face towards his, you stumble forward two steps. He doesn’t take his eyes off you.

“Fuckin’ finish that sentence, angel.” He growls lowly, warning you against it. He waits, looking at you expectantly.

You freeze, blinking dumbly at him. He hums.

“You really want me to go over there and stuff Janice full of my cock, huh? Show her what she’s missing, why she’s rightfully jealous of you?” His tone was husky. His eyes hadn’t left your own.

Your eyes water at the thought, your shoulders droop as you shake your head no.

“‘S what I thought. Listen to me real careful now, angel.” His voice is softer, but still demands that you comply with his orders.

He softens his grip on your chin, but still maintaining that eye contact.

“You’re gonna come sit on my lap, tell me what happened today, and you’re gonna stop being such a fuckin’ brat. Understand?”

You nod frantically, tears welling in your eyes, Joel knew you needed him to put you in place, to break you down so you’d stop pushing all your problems down to bury them. So you’d finally open up and embellish in the support you needed. He would listen, and help however he could.

“Repeat it, baby.” He orders firmly.

“I’m gonna sit on your lap and tell you why I’m upset..” You trail off for a moment. “And stop bein’ a brat.” You mumble.

Joel let’s go of your chin, sitting back down on the lounge where he pats his lap. You sit on your throne and cry to him; about everything that had happened.

He spends hours with you; in his arms, letting you cry and rant about all the stress you’d harboured. You were thankful for the stern and loving man that was Joel Miller.

#pedro pascal #joel miller #tlou #the last of us #joel miller x reader #joel miller fic #joel miller x you #joel miller blurb

[drooperz]

A snowy morning

He looks so darn cute in this picture

Summary: you're neighbors with John and you ask to join him on little outing with his friends when it snows! Just having a jolly ol' time!

John Lennon x reader :) fluff and all that

As the warm sun peaked through the curtains, you roused from your comfy sleep. Tussling a little bit in your sheets, you remembered what you hoped for last night.

You were practically itching to see if there was a layer of cold white laying upon the street. But getting out of bed was difficult due to how cold your room felt compared to how cozy the duvet felt wrapped around you. Every time you moved outside the designated warmth that enveloped you, your body practically shivered from head to toe.

It was torture.

But, you had the brilliant idea of bundling yourself up in the covers and getting up to look out the window.

Even when you cringed as your feet touched the chilly ground you crept towards the window excitedly and peaked through the crack of morning light in between the curtains.

You looked outside, the street was covered in white. Every front garden you could see was covered in a thick layer of pure white snow.

You thought about how cold it would be compared to your chilly room now, already mentally preparing an outfit for making snow angels without freezing or able to withstand a snowball fight (if one were to break out).

You were so ecstatic, practically jumping up and down on the spot, barely able to contain yourself! You needed to go outside instead of being indoors. Reluctantly, you shrugged off the warm duvet and felt the heat radiating slightly from it when it circled around you...

You'll pick it up later! Right now you need to get warm!

You tried getting some thick clothes to go outside but they were all cold, ironically.

You cringed as your shirt wrapped around you, like a chilly hug, sucking all the warmth from your torso and arms. Eventually, the material soon warmed up and you felt snug again.

Barely wasting any time, you had a quick glass of water and put your winter gear on.

Hat, check! Gloves, check! Boots, check! Big coat to keep me extra warm, heck yes!

You fumbled getting your keys in the front door with your gloved hands but did it anyways.

The freezing air kissed your warm face and your breath turned to steam against the sun's rays.

You barely took a step outside until you heard, "Hello, y/n!" A distinctive voice shouted.

You scanned the street to see where the voice called you, "Hello John! Good morning!" You exclaimed.

John lived just opposite your house, you'd see him around sometimes and often greet each other fondly. He would often talk to you when he got the chance, he was extremely charismatic and had a particular knack at keeping a conversation interesting.

"You're up early!" He beamed, making his way over to your side of the road, you watched his long coat sway and scarf bounce with every careful step. You smiled.

"Is the road slippery?" You asked, suddenly concerned he might slip.

"Nah, it's not too bad." He leaned over your garden wall as you stepped over the snow, enjoying the sound of the strange squeaks and frozen grass peaking out under your footprints.

"What are you up to then?" He asked with a cheeky grin.

"Hah, I was so excited about the snow last night I could barely sleep!" You laughed and he smiled at you, "I just wanna enjoy it before it melts." You smiled back at him and he lifted his eyebrows up.

"Well, me friends rung me up this morning and asked if I wanted to go to a field before anyone else gets to all the fresh snow." He said calmly, you opened the front wooden gate and stepped through onto the pavement.

You thought for a second, surely just walking around in the cold alone would be pretty boring... Right? You wondered if John would let you tag along.

"Do you mind if I come with you?" You asked cautiously, a bit of socializing and having fun in snow sounds like a good day.

"By all means," he skipped forward with a prep in his step, "the more the merrier, I'm sure the lads wont mind me bringing a plus one." He grinned again and you felt relieved.

"Thanks John." A smile spread across your face again.

The street was so so quiet. The bitter cold made it seem so still and empty, it was almost like it was only you and John in the whole neighborhood...

It was strange...

But also nice.

He lead you along the snowy pavement, both of you plowing a trail through the snow.

"It almost looks like a sandy desert." John stated into the stillness and you observed the road having been entranced by the snow rolling around your boots as you walked through it.

"It really does, doesn't it?" Snow peaked and fell on the road, in gardens, on cars and rooftops almost like little dunes, "Very, very cold desert." You laughed.

"Too right, I feel like I should have worn ten other scarfs." He joked, trying to pull the fabric over his nose.

You laughed, "if I had another one I'd give it to you."

"You'd give me one of ya scarfs?" He stood in front of me, leaning down a little, "Praise be ya y/n! Ye have the generosity of a saint!" He clasped his gloved hands together and shook them violently.

You laughed at him loudly and the sound reverberated around the, otherwise silent, neighborhood, "oh god, didn't mean to be that loud." You giggled at him, holding his shoulder.

"You're having fun, don't fret." He said kindly, "Oh, we gotta go though here," there was a small path that led behind some houses to an open field that most people would frequent, "not far now." He rubbed his gloved hands together and grinned.

The suns rays were warm both in feeling and colour, elongating the trees bare silhouette upon the pale snow. The path was wide enough for the two of you to walk together but you preferred to stay behind John for the meantime.

"you alright?" You asked, just checking on him.

"All good lovey." He looked back and grinned, "get over 'ere next to me." He ushered you with his hand and you caught up with him quickly. Trailing behind him didn't last long...

You smiled up at him and continued walking together.

As you trodded through the cold, you started to hear the sounds of other people at the end of the small trail. You suddenly felt a little nervous meeting John's friends. You didn't want to intrude on their dynamic and be awkward, not knowing what to say or do.

But as you walked closer, you could see the three silhouettes jumping and playing about. You smiled slightly, feeling relief that the people you're meeting are just as childish excited about the snow as you are.

"AYE PAUL!" John hollered, cupping his hands around his mouth for maximum attention.

One of them stood straight up and waved, Lennon chuckled, "I'll introduce you to the lads, c'mon." He looked down at you and took your hand, smiling widely.

As he lead you towards the approaching group you scanned the wide field covered entirely with white, smooth snow. Unlike the streets, there were hardly any ebbs or dips, it looked soft. Almost like a blanket. The sun was so golden here that you could see all of John's friends breath swirl and disappear with every step closer. John was the same, each breath out caught the sun and dissipated before lingering in the still air.

"John! You alright?" You assume Paul stepped forward in a big padded fur coat, he had a stiff posture and kept his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, you?" He replied plainly.

"I'm bloody freezing!" He tried to hide as much as his face underneath his jacket and laughed, only his pretty eyes and tussled black hair were visible.

"Who's that with ya John?" The one with blue eyes asked.

"Well, you see, this here is y/n!" He said calmly, swinging our joined hands and a dumb grin stretched across your face.

"That's y/n?" The one with the skinny face and dark hair said.

"I'm sure it is y/n, are you y/n?" John looked down at you jokingly.

"I hope I am." You all laughed briefly.

"You're a laugh, no wonder John goes on about you." He moved closer to you, "I'm George, and that's Ringo." He pointed towards the blue eyed man and he waved. They were all so smiley.

"Who wouldn't go on about you!" John practically spun to face you and picked you up with a bone crushing hug. In a second, just before he put you back down, you could feel his warmth radiating from inside his jacket and his breath on your face as he smothered you.

"There'd be nothing to go on about if you hug 'em like that again." Ringo laughed, you heard the other two laugh with him.

"You're so cute," he continued, still very close to you, you don't think the others heard what he was saying, "you're gonna stick with me, aren't 'cha?" He looked down at you, his face rather close to yours. You noticed how long John's lashes were with the proximity, he often teased you like this to get a reaction out of you.

"Yeah," you managed to breathe out, "I- I'll stick."

He grinned that sly, cheeky grin he always did.

The other lads were already chattering amongst themselves about something and you were just watching as they did so, John had put his arm around your shoulder and pulled you next to him.

~

Author's note: Late, late, late Christmas gift also its not snowing where I live right now but I'd love it if it did 😭😭😭

#the beatles #john lennon #john lennon x reader #the beatles x reader #love this dude #fluff #snow day #cute

[tswaney17]

I Do Bad Things with You - Part 42

Happy @elainappreciationweek! 🌸 My contribution for the Lovers Day prompt is an update to this beast. Hope you enjoy! 💕

My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics​​​

My ao3 account: tswaney17

Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕

Catch up here.

Credit to @featherymalignancy for Cassian’s nickname, Cash. 😘

Trigger warnings: violence, sexual assault , language, NSFW

Word Count: 7,229

Azriel was dreading going back to work tomorrow. Frankly, the time he had off, spending his honeymoon with his wife, was the best three and a half weeks he’d ever experienced.

The places they saw, the food they ate. It was all indescribable.

Not to mention he got to fuck her all over the world until she was a limp, sated mess. His favorite escapade was when Elain rode him under the northern lights, her golden-brown hair alight with colors. Her pale skin shimmered in blues and greens and purples.

She only allowed herself to ride him once while they stayed in the Winter District. Their dome-like cabin retained the cold and it turned out that Elain was always freezing. Even while they had sex, she could only remain above the sheets for about ten minutes before she started to shiver.

He didn’t mind, spending a great deal of time covering her body with his own, keeping her warm as best as he could, though he’d be lying if her blue lips didn’t cause him to worry. They never seemed to regain the pink color until they were in the Spring District to visit their massive gardens.

Now all he wanted to do was spend every waking moment with her.

“What’s got your face all frowny?” Elain asked, leaning a hip on the door frame of his office. “Don’t tell me you’re working already. You still have,” she glanced at her watch, diamond rings catching the sunshine from his floor-to-ceiling windows, “another seventeen hours before we’re back on the clock.” Her lips pulled up into a teasing smile.

“Not working. Just catching up on a few of the other things. I didn’t touch any of the messages I was sent during our honeymoon and there’s quite a few to go over and respond to.” Meaning, he didn’t look at anything regarding his half-brother’s movements or the details Ruhn had pulled for him. He’d been content to just enjoy the time they had together and didn’t want to let anything take away from that.

She seemed to understand his underlying meaning, stepping further into the room. “Anything I should be made aware of?”

He shook his head. “Nothing that stands out, but I’m going to catch up with Ruhn in an hour to go over some details.”

Elain closed the distance between them, coming to perch on his lap. She ran her fingers through the hair at his nape, scratching the back of his scalp with her nails.

Az slung his arm around her waist, holding her close. “Why don’t we go to dinner tonight? I’ll make us a reservation at one of the nice restaurants in the downtown area. Let’s celebrate the last night of our honeymoon before we go back to our normal routines.”

She leaned in, kissing him softly. “I’d like that. I’m going to miss having you like this. Seeing you at every moment of the day.” Elain nuzzled into his neck, breathing in his chilled mist and cedar scent. “Thank you for taking me on the most epic honeymoon, Az. I love you so much.”

His large hand cradled the back of her head, tucking her under his chin. “We will have many more adventures, love. But I’m happy you enjoyed our honeymoon. I wanted to do everything your heart desired.”

“Well, you succeeded. Even if I did almost lose my toes,” she laughed, voice twinkling.

He pressed his chuckle into the side of her head, kissing her temple. Gods, he loved his wife.

An hour later, Azriel was sitting at the bar of his club, waiting for Ruhn. It wasn’t open yet, so he decided to just meet him there. Lorcan was standing outside waiting for his guest while Elide was behind the counter, prepping for the evening.

He felt his presence join him without even having to turn his head. “Drink?” Azriel asked him.

“Sure. Whatever you’re having,” Ruhn said, sliding onto the barstool.

“Elide,” Az waved down his employee. “Same for him,” he indicated with a raise of his glass.

She was quick to move, pouring a knuckle’s worth of whiskey into a glass and sliding it on the counter. “I’ll be in the back if you need me,” she said, stepping through the door to offer them privacy.

Ruhn picked up the glass and clinked it on his. “Congratulations, man. Happy for you and Elain.”

Azriel dipped his head in thanks. “What’s the entail?”

The other man took a sip of his drink. “Frankie told Elias to stand down.”

Hazel eyes widened in shock. “He what?”

“You heard me. He told Elias to stand down and not make a move against you or Elain.”

His heart pounded in his chest. This—it wasn’t right. Frankie had leverage against him. His brother had been looking for a way past his defenses and when he finally had it, he was just going to let it go. It didn’t make sense. “Why?”

Ruhn shrugged. “If there’s any reason, they’re keeping it tight-lipped. I would say nobody other than Nick would have any idea why Frankie isn’t pursuing this.”

Azriel took a swig of his whiskey, letting the burn coat his throat. He needed to feel something other than the anxiety rolling in his gut. “And what about Elias? How’s he taking the order?”

His informant snorted into his glass, swallowing the golden liquid. “As well as you’d expect. He’s furious. Was shoved down the ranks and now even Nick won’t speak with him. Word on the street is that he’s been trying to rally some low-level kids out of Frankie’s mob.”

He stared at Ruhn dumbfounded. “He really thinks he’ll be able to pull from Frankie? Frankie? The guy is even more ruthless than I am.” It took an effort not to glance down at the scars that adorned his hands. “Any kid that steps out is as good as dead.” Once you were in his brother’s clutches, the only way out was by death.

Az never collected kids. Refused to let any of his associates broach them. But Frankie had boys as young as twelve doing low-level work. Running drugs and cash. Making drop-offs on their bikes. If they were good at what they did, they’d be smuggling guns at fourteen. Sixteen the latest.

And if they weren’t good at it, well, let’s just say the Sidra River was notorious for being a good body disposal method. Most of the time, when somebody was dumped, they weren’t found, but every once in a while, he’d hear about a fifteen-year-old turning up dead in the river.

“Let’s hope that those kids know it,” Ruhn murmured, slinging back the rest of his drink. “I’ll keep my ears down for anything else.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin, wrapped box, sliding it across the bar over to him. “For you and the Misses.”

Azriel blinked at the black-wrapped package. “What is it?”

The other man just grinned. “Matching pocket daggers. I had your names engraved on them. I thought that with everything going on, it might be wise for Elain to have something on her for protection.”

His lips quirked up in the corner. “That was very thoughtful of you. Thank you, Ruhn.”

Ruhn nodded, sliding off the barstool and making his way out of the club.

Az thumbed the black package, grinning to himself at the idea of handing Elain the present to carry around in her purse. He was already mentally preparing himself for her hesitation with the weapon.

He was pulling out his wallet when Elide slipped in from the back.

“Everything okay, sir?”

“Yeah, we’re good, thanks Elide,” he said, dropping a large bill on the counter.

Her dark brows furrowed. “You know you own this place, right? You don’t actually have to pay for your drinks.”

He chuckled, returning his wallet to his pocket. “It’s not for the drinks. It’s for you. For being on top of serving us and giving us space. I appreciate having good employees.”

“Azriel…” she started, but he held up a hand.

“Just take it, Elide. You deserve it.” He headed toward the door, calling, “I’ll send Lorcan back in. Have a good night.”

Tugging his phone out of his pocket, he dialed Velaris au Château—the French restaurant Az wanted to take Elain to that night. “Pierre, it’s Azriel Knight.”

“Mr. Knight,” the man on the other line said, his French accent heavy. “What can I do for you?”

“I need a table for my wife and me tonight. Is your private room available?” he asked, climbing into the car.

~~~

Azriel was tying his midnight tie when Elain slipped out of their closet in a blush-colored chiffon gown. It framed her slightly tanned skin perfectly, matching the color that he loved to see on her cheeks. His fingers paused on the fabric, looking her up and down. He breathed heavily. “El, my stunning wife. You look gorgeous.”

That pretty blush crept along the high arches of her cheeks as she smiled up at him. “Thank you, husband.” She crossed the room, taking the tie from his hands. “Let me.” Quick as a flash, she had it knotted and was securing it up to his neck. “Perfect. You look very handsome, Az.”

He dropped a kiss to the tip of her nose, making her scrunch it up in the cute way she always did. “I have something for you,” he told her, pulling the wrapped box from his pocket. Az handed her the present from Ruhn.

Elain’s brows raised. “What’s this for?” she asked, carefully unwrapping it.

“It’s from my informant, Ruhn.” She glanced up at him then, confusion etched into her face. “It’s a wedding gift.”

“Oh,” she said surprised, looking back down at the box. Elain flipped the lid, a small gasp escaping her parted lips. “Oh, wow.” Her finger skimmed the smooth handle. “They’re beautiful.”

Az gently plucked the one with her name engraved on it from the box and held it between them. “He thought that you should have something on you for protection.” Flicking open the blade, Azriel showed her how to maneuver the small weapon.

Her dainty fingers closed around the knife handle. “Please tell him thank you for this the next time you see him.”

Now it was his turn to raise a brow. “You’re not hesitant about carrying this?”

She shook her head, golden brown hair swishing over her shoulders. “No, I’m not actually. I think it’s a good thing to have on me. Just in case.”

Cupping the side of her face, Azriel brought her in for a slow, sweet kiss. “I love you, my sweet.”

Elain sighed into his mouth, melting into his embrace.

Taking his knife from the box, he slid it into his pocket before reaching for her hand to lace their fingers together. “Come on. We’ll be late for dinner.”

The couple arrived at the restaurant and got seated in the private room that had a large window overlooking the glittering Sidra River. Azriel ordered a bottle of champagne and translated the menu for Elain.

“I didn’t know you could speak and read French,” she murmured after their orders were taken.

He took a sip from his flute of champagne, smiling behind the glass. “I speak a lot of languages.”

Her lips curved up at the corner. “Perhaps you should take advantage of that later tonight.”

Az chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “Are you looking forward to tomorrow? Being back at work?”

Elain breathed in deeply, considering her words. “Yes…and no. Am I looking forward to getting back into my routine, checking in with patients, and performing surgeries? Yes, of course. I love my job, and I love the people I work with too.” She reached across the table to take his hand. “But I’m going to miss this. All this time together we’ve shared, just the two of us. I loved spending every waking moment with you for the last three weeks.”

He tightened his grip on her fingers. “I did too. Frankly, I don’t want it to end.”

She smiled at him, the one she reserved only for him. It was this soft, upturn of her lips, brown eyes sparkling. He loved that smile.

Elain took a swig of her champagne. “Do you feel different?”

Azriel cocked his head to the side. “Different how?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, just different. Like something’s changed, I suppose.”

“Well, something did change,” he grinned, making her laugh.

“I know that. I’m talking about something else.” She shifted back in her seat. “I can’t explain it—I can feel it in my gut that something has changed. I just don’t know what.”

He was going to ask her to elaborate, but the door opened, revealing their waitress with their dinner. Az watched her eyes widen at the gorgeous dish set in front of her, and then in front of him.

She pointed to her plate, glancing up at their waitress. “Is the flower edible?”

He chuckled. “Everything on your plate is edible, love.”

“What he said,” the woman grinned. “Anything else I can get for you?”

Azriel shook his head. “No, we’re good, thank you.”

The woman dipped her head, excusing herself and leaving them to their meal. He watched his wife cut into her plate, forking the beef.

“Wow,” Elain moaned after her first bite. “This is delicious.”

“Yeah?” Az smiled. “Are we going to have to make this one a regular, too?”

She laughed, sipping her drink. “Most likely. How many other restaurants do you have up your sleeve?”

He winked at her, tilting his glass in her direction. “A few.”

Elain popped another bite into her mouth, humming in contemplation. “We may have to visit those other places, just to see how they compare.”

“Noted,” he teased, cutting into his food.

They chatted about anything and everything while they ate. Their favorite places they visited, what they were looking forward to and were dreading the most in their return to normalcy.

Sipping on the last of their champagne as they waited for her dessert—crème brûlée. It was one of Elain’s favorites and he would stop at nothing to give her all of her heart’s desires.

When the door opened and it wasn’t their waitress who stepped in with their dessert, Azriel went rigid—his heart thumping with fear.

Because that was Nicklaus, setting the plate with the ceramic bowl in front of his wife.

Elain immediately noted his tension, her dark eyes flicking between the man who had entered and himself. She had never met or seen his biological brothers before. Wouldn’t know who exactly had joined them.

“Aren’t you going to try it?” his brother grinned down at her. “It’s specially made by the chef just for you.”

She didn’t touch the spoon, instead pushing the plate away from her. “I’m actually not hungry anymore.”

Good girl.

He knew she had no idea what was going on, but he was eternally grateful that Elain could read the room.

Nick’s mouth turned up at the corner. “Azriel, aren’t you going to introduce me?” he asked, not bothering to look in his direction. No, his eyes remained on his wife and Az did not like her receiving that attention at all. Not when it came from someone as deadly as Nicklaus.

She met his gaze and read the minuscule change in his expression telling her to move. Elain slipped from her seat, using the table to provide a barrier between her and Nick, and perched herself onto his lap, an arm wrapping around his neck.

His brother never lost that self-satisfied smirk, simply claiming Elain’s now vacated seat.

“What do you want, Nicklaus?” he all but growled.

Elain tensed on his lap, finally putting a name to a face.

Nick leaned sideways, pulling a gun from the back of his pants, and placed it on the table, facing them.

His wife went rigid, breathing harshly through her parted lips. He could sense her fear, practically taste it on his tongue. Azriel slid his large, scarred palm up her body until it lay directly on her chest, over her heart.

Not a second later, he felt Elain’s hand cover his own.

He casually gripped her hand in his other one, bringing it up to kiss her knuckles, and replaced it on her lap.

She turned her face a fraction, shooting him a questioning look.

Az would sacrifice his life for her if it came down to it. Any twitch from his brother and he’d cover her, his hand his last resort to protecting her most vital organ. But like fuck was he going to let a bullet ruin her career by shattering her hand. He couldn’t explain it to her, not right then so he subtly shook his head instead, urging her to listen to him.  

Nick reached forward, sliding Elain’s crème brûlée toward him. He cracked the sugar-crusted top with a spoon, taking a mouthful. “This place makes the best dessert.” He winked at them, at her. “Shame you’re too full to enjoy this.” 

“Nick,” Azriel snapped. “What the fuck do you want?”

He picked up Elain’s napkin, wiping the corner of his mouth. “Do you know how difficult it is to see you, to meet with you?”

“You could make an appointment like everyone else,” Elain muttered.

Az gripped her hip.

But Nick’s smile grew, looking closely at his wife.

Too closely for his taste. Azriel ran a possessive hand over her curves, lips descending upon the exposed skin of her neck. He never took his eyes off his brother, not even as he kissed her.

“Pardon me, sweetheart. But men are talking.”

Elain’s head cocked to the side at the tone—the dismissal. There wasn’t anything Azriel could do to stop her from lurching out of his lap, snatching his steak knife from the table, and slamming it between Nick’s spread fingers.

Az grabbed her around the waist, hauling her back onto his lap as she snarled, “Pardon me, but his wife doesn’t take well to being talked down to.”

His brother was quick to mask his stunned expression, though he didn’t reach for the gun still sitting on the table. A low chuckle escaped Nick’s chest, plucking the knife from the table. “Well, I have to admit it Azriel, you didn’t pick a meek one like I thought you might. One who kept quiet and hid when things got rough.” He twirled the blade in his fingers before setting it back on the table.

“Frankly,” he started, “I really just wanted to see what all the fuss was about.” Nick sipped from Elain’s flute of champagne. “You’ve caused quite a stir, Elain. Everyone is talking about the Velaris Mob’s new queen. We even had someone approach us with information about you two—”

“Yes, we know all about Elias Hewn’s movements,” Az snipped.

His brother chuckled. “He was rather thirsty for vengeance, brother. You managed to piss off your only ally. Rather poor decisions if you ask me.”

“Elias was a useless ally; something I think you’re well aware of or you wouldn’t have sent him to your lower ranks.” At Nick’s surprised face, he smirked. “Yes, you’re not the only one who knows things, brother.”

Nicklaus’s jaw feathered. “Careful, Azriel, in how you speak to me when I’m holding the gun.”

“I think it is you, who should be careful, Nicklaus. You come in here, interrupt my dinner with my wife, speak to her in such a manner, and think you can threaten me?” He moved so quickly, that Elain barely jostled on his lap, slamming his weapon on the table. “You and I both know who will get the draw first.” His scarred fingers laid on top of the grip, the metal singing under his touch to be used. To kill his horrid brother now.

But Azriel also knew that by doing so, he’d start a bloody war with Frankie. No matter that both of them deserved to be dropped to the bottom of the Sidra, he had to think about the safety of the woman still sitting on his lap. Because the last thing he wanted was to drag Elain into the middle of fucking bloodbath.

He watched Nick take in his words; knew he was correct in his assumption about who’d get the first shot off. Azriel’s reputation was built on the fact that he never missed his mark. And like hell would he miss when it came to his brothers.

Elain didn’t dare move, her body tensed and primed under his grip.

Nick looked between them. “It appears we have nothing left to discuss.”

Azriel didn’t bother to deign him with a response.

Sensing the conversation was over, Nick rose from his chair, grabbed his gun, and slipped it back into his waistband. Az didn’t dare remove his finger from his trigger.

He stopped halfway to the door, turning to look back at them. “I’ll give Frankie your greetings.”

“Tell Frankie,” Az growled, “that if either you or he come waving your guns around my wife again, your life is forfeited.” He watched the warning take in the twitch of Nick’s brow; the slight curl of his lip. But he left without another word and Azriel wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not.

~~~~~

Elain hadn’t felt fear like that since she was kidnapped by Hybern. The icy dread that had swept over her body left her skin cold and her heart racing. She knew when Nicklaus had entered, they were in some sort of trouble—Azriel’s rigidness told her that whoever had joined them was a threat to him. To her.

And then she found out it was his biological brother. The one who watched as Alec and Francisco burned his hands.

His beautiful, perfect, strong hands.

She wanted to kill him. Elain wanted Azriel to put a bullet in him.

But she also knew that doing so would open up a brutal and deadly war between the Velaris Mob and the Illyrian one. So, she took the knife from the table and stabbed it between his fingers. Both for speaking to her in such a manner and for the abuse he inflicted and allowed her husband to endure as a child. She had never felt vengeance like what she wanted to unleash on the man sitting across the table from her, eating her crème brûlée…drinking her champagne.

The audacity.

When he left, she released a breath she wasn’t even aware she had been holding, sucking in air as if she had been drowning. Her emotions took over: tears running like rivers down her face, body shaking. Elain buried her face into Azriel’s neck, taking his rich chilled mist and cedar scent deep into her lungs.

Or what she could get during her gasps.

His arms slid around her form, holding her close to him, but not close enough.

No, she needed to feel him. Needed to make sure he was here with her; that they were safe. “Az,” she cried out, fingers moving down his broad torso to fumble with his belt buckle. “I need you. Please, I need you.”

Those golden eyes churned with fear and comfort and wrath, the green fissures swirling in the warm depths. It was such a mix of emotions she read there. But he seemed to grasp what she needed from him.

Elain saw that same need reciprocated by him.

“I’m here, love,” he murmured into her hair, lips pressing to her skull. “I’m here.” Hefting her off his lap, he set her on the edge of the table, rising from his seat to stand between her spread thighs.

There would be no foreplay in this. Not at this time. The desire to be as close as their bodies allowed was too great to tease and touch. This would be raw, animalistic fucking.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her down to lie on her back, legs dangling off the edge.

Elain’s arms went wild, searching for something to grab, and in their haste, sent dishes and drinkware flying.

The shattering glass didn’t stop Azriel from sucking a mark into the smooth, creamy skin of her neck. A purple bruise blossomed under his machinations. His large palms slid her dress skirts up her thighs to her waist, revealing the white lace.

A few quick moves had her bare, her panties tucked into the pocket of his dress pants. His belt buckle clinking made her body shudder in anticipation.

“Hard and fast, baby,” he muttered into her throat before sheathing himself to the hilt.

Elain threw her head back, fingers grasping the cloth and edge of the table. “Fuck,” she moaned.

Azriel didn’t give her a second to adjust, pulling his hips out and slamming back in. He set a vicious pace, balls slapping against her.

Her legs wrapped around his trim waist, urging to fuck into her deeper. She let go of the table, clutching him at his shoulder and around the back of his neck. It forced more of his weight on top of her, but that’s exactly what she needed.

He pressed into her harder like he couldn’t bear any part of them not touching.

She needed everything from him. Everything he gave her and more. Elain felt her toes curl in anticipation of that glorious, blissful drop into her pleasure. “I’m so close,” she cried out.

Az’s mouth traveled down her body, sliding fabric out of the way to suck a pert nipple between his lips.

Up, up, up, she climbed, delirious in the friction of his strong body against her clit, the relentless pounding into her.

Trapped in their bubble, neither of them heard the door open until Ruhn voiced an “Oh.”

Azriel released her breast, twisting his head to snarl at the intruder. “Get out!” The door clicked shut softly as he looked back down at her, took in her little gasping breaths, the way her chest heaved, and said, “My neck, Elain,” he groaned. “Bite my neck. Mark me as you come.”

She surged up, ripping his tie loose. Shoving the collar of his shirt aside, she clamped her teeth at the junction where his neck and shoulder, and came hard. Her moans were muffled against his skin, body spasming around his cock.

He grunted, thrusting into her to ride out her orgasm as he chased his own. A hard suck from her lips had him cresting, strokes becoming sloppy until he slammed home one last time and stilled, spilling himself inside of her.

His pants fanned over the skin of her neck, lips pressing light kisses to the underneath side of her jaw.

Elain released him from her teeth, carding her fingers through his damp hair. “Ruhn saw us fucking,” she murmured, humor dancing in her tone.

He huffed out a laugh. “Better him than traumatizing our poor waitress.”

She had to agree, even though they were caught at all. Holy fucking shit! She just had sex with Azriel in a public space where anyone could’ve walked in on them. The door wasn’t even locked, for fucks sake! They had had sex in some pretty open places before, but Az had always made sure they had their privacy either by a locked door or enclosed in their own space.

The thrill from the risk of being caught just added to the fire burning inside of her.

Az kissed the corner of her mouth, her cheek, her forehead, anywhere he could as he pulled out of her. “Hang tight,” he whispered, tucking himself back into his pants.

To be honest, Elain was too exhausted to move. The adrenaline from their earlier visitor had faded. She lay, sprawled out on the table, still trying to catch her breath. What she didn’t expect was for Azriel’s tongue to delve between her thighs. “Azriel!” she squealed, lurching up into a sitting position to glare at him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Those amber eyes glowed with mischief. “Cleaning you up, now relax.”

She mumbled something about how that did the opposite of cleaning her up, but after a few more swipes with his tongue, he placed a kiss on her clit and rose back to his feet.

His glistening mouth had her muttering, “Insatiable,” under her breath.

“Always for you,” he grinned, dropping a kiss on her plump lips before helping her off the table and fixing her dress.

“Azriel,” she chastised.

“Elain,” he shot back.

She rolled her eyes. “Azriel, my underwear. It’s still stuffed in your pocket.”

“Your point?”

Oh, this wicked man. “You expect me to go commando,” she demanded incredulously.

Az opened his wallet and dropped what looked like eight, hundred-dollar bills onto the table. “It wouldn’t be the first time,” he said, shoving the leather into his back pocket with a little smirk.

He kissed her cheek, took her hand, and tugged her to the door.

She grumbled the whole way there but stopped when she saw Ruhn leaning against the wall opposite of them, a smirk toying on his lips. Her entire face lit up like a flame, a red color splotching her chest.

“Good evening, Sir,” Ruhn said, then nodded at her, “Mrs. Archeron-Knight.”

Elain acknowledged him with a dip of her chin, before stepping slightly behind Azriel in embarrassment.

“To what do we owe the pleasure?” her husband asked, voice carefully neutral.

It didn’t escape her that Az bypassed stating his name out loud completely.

“I received notice that you were going to be receiving a visitor tonight and I wanted to check in when you didn’t answer my call.”

“I keep my phone on silent when I’m with my wife. But, yes, we got an unexpected visitor tonight.”

Ruhn pushed himself off the wall, stepping closer to them. “What did he want?”

Azriel shrugged. “To make a statement, I suppose. He didn’t really tell me anything I didn’t already know. I think he just wanted to try and get a rise out of me. And get close to Elain.” He tugged her hand, bringing her to his side, and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Where were you?”

The other man slid his hands into his pockets. “I was following Elias. He had a few of the lower ranks with him.”

She didn’t like the way Az’s brows furrowed.

“What’s he up to?”

Ruhn shrugged. “I can’t figure it out. But I doubt it’s any good. I’m just waiting for word to get up there that he’s snagged a few younglings.”  

“How young are they?” Elain asked before she could think better of it.

Those dark blue eyes looked at her. “Early twenties, thankfully. I was concerned he’d go after the teens.”

Her brows raised. “He has teens in his crew?” she questioned, keeping her voice low.

Azriel’s thumb swiped over her knuckles. “Unfortunately. I’ve refused them that young but my brother thinks kids are expendable.”

Elain couldn’t stop the shiver, feeling her stomach churn with nausea. She had always sought the good in people; believed people could be redeemed with the right motivation. But she was beginning to think that neither Frankie nor Nicklaus had any redemption qualities in their souls.

“We’ll figure it out,” Az said, though she wasn’t sure if it was more for himself than the rest of them.

And that was concerning for her.

~~~

It had been just over two weeks since she returned from her honeymoon and she was going through the motions.

As the resident attending, she had quite a bit to take care of upon her return, and she had been on top of it. But now…she felt like she was underwater and couldn’t focus.

Which was not a good thing considering she was assisting Thesan with a complicated surgery, giving the new residents the ins and outs. It was a long procedure, having spent nine hours in the operating room already.

Elain’s head was dizzy, vision blackening at the edges. She knew she should’ve taken a break when Thesan asked her—he must’ve been able to see the exhaustion on her face. But she wouldn’t let herself be coddled, even if nobody knew the reason why she was so tired.

However, when her eyes fogged over completely, Elain knew she had fucked up in not taking advantage of the break she was offered. “Take the forceps,” she told the resident working across from her.

Stunned, the young female did what she said, just before Elain’s eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed onto the floor of the operating room.

~~~

When consciousness tugged at her mind, the first thing Elain realized was that everything ached. Her head, her hips, her legs. Her body felt unnaturally weak, and she knew it was because she hadn’t eaten enough that day. Fuck, she was so damn tired. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the harsh, fluorescent lighting.

“Elain,” came a relieved voice.

She twisted her head to the other side, finding Viviane sitting on the edge of her hospital bed. Too many emotions flashed across her friend’s face to be able to decipher, though worry was at the forefront of the list.

“Oh, thank god,” she breathed, placing her pale hand on Elain’s covered thigh. “You’ve been out for almost half an hour.”

Groaning, she sat up in bed. “What happened?” she asked, wincing as her head spun dizzyingly.

Viviane stood up, arms crossing in a way that told her she was about to get a scolding.

Oh, shit…

“You collapsed, Elain. In the middle of surgery! You’re very lucky one of your residents was standing behind you and caught you before your head hit the ground.” Briefly, she wondered which resident it was, but saved that question for later. Not when she saw the nurse’s face soften, knowingly. “Ellie,” she started in a hushed whisper, “did you know you were pregnant?”

For a moment, it seemed like the world paused as it waited for her answer; as Viv waited. Yes—yes, she knew she was pregnant. Had known since Monday and was still trying to wrap her head around it. Finally, she sighed, unable to meet her friend’s gaze, and looked down at her tangled fingers in her lap. “I know,” she whispered.

It was the first time she had admitted it to herself out loud and she felt the weight of that secret lift off her chest.

There was a pregnant pause before Viviane asked, “Does Azriel know?”

They’d only been married for almost two months and Elain had already fucked up. How she managed to not realize her birth control shot that was scheduled the week of her wedding was already the last week in the timeline she had to get it was beyond her. So, when she came in for her postponed appointment on Monday, having rescheduled it a second time like an idiot and realizing how late she was in getting the dosage, she had to get a pregnancy test.

The shock she felt that day still hadn’t completely worn off.

She shook her head, finally answering her friend. “No, I haven’t told him yet.” Truthfully, she was scared to. Not because she thought he’d react badly, but because they’d never even remotely toed the line about whether they wanted to have kids, and frankly, she was concerned he didn’t.

Elain whipped her head to look back up at the head nurse, eyes wide with fear. “Viv, I need you to keep this between us. I’m not ready for everyone to know yet and I still haven’t even talked to Az about it yet.”

Her friend pursed her lips. “Well, you might want to figure out how to tell him soon.”

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You didn’t call him, did you?” At Viv’s silence, she pushed, “Viviane, please tell me you did not call my husband.”

“What did you want me to do, Elain?” she snapped. “You collapsed in surgery! Thesan was worried sick! Of course, we’re going to call your hus—”

“Where is my wife?” came that deep, panicked voice that Elain knew all too well.

“In—in there, sir.”

Footsteps sounded and then he appeared, all six-foot-four, still stressed to the nines of him. The worry on his face made her chest ache. “Elain,” he breathed, rushing around Viv who stepped out of his way and to her side. He cupped her face between his palms, kissing her gently on the forehead before taking a seat on her bed. “Love,” he murmured in such a heartbreaking manner that she nearly burst into tears. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“I’ll, uh, I’ll give you two a minute,” Viviane said quietly, closing the door behind her as she left.

Azriel let his thumb skim across her cheek. “What’s going on?”

She tugged her head from her hands, feeling like she couldn’t bear to let him touch her while she harbored this secret from him. Even though she knew it was time, her gut churned with anxiety. “I’m fine. They really shouldn’t have called you.”

His brow furrowed in confusion and hurt at her distancing herself. “Elain, you collapsed in surgery. And you’ve been acting odd for the last few days.” He paused, looking at her closing. His gaze felt like a brand on her skin. “I was hoping you would talk to me without me having to ask, but now I’m asking.”

The pain in his voice nearly made her flinch. She looked down at her hands, taking a slow, steady breath. “I’m pregnant,” she whispered so lowly, that Elain wasn’t even sure he could hear it. They sat in the silence of her confession until she finally dared to look at his face.

His eyes were searching her, mouth slightly parted in what she could only describe as shock.

“Say something, please.”

He swallowed, throat working with the movement. “I’m trying to determine if you’re happy about this or not…” the uncertainty clear in his voice. “Elain, do you want to have a baby?”

Her throat ached and there was nothing she could do to stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks. “Do you?” she asked pathetically as she sniffed.

Az gapped at her. “Is that what this is about? You think I don’t want to have this baby?”

She wiped under her nose with the back of her hand. “I know it’s early for us; I mean, we’ve only been married for a month and a half…And I know you didn’t have the best childhood. I just—” she sniffed again. “I just wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to have kids.”

Azriel moved then, sitting further up on her bed so he could pull her into his chest. His large hand threaded through her hair to cradle the back of her head and tipped it up towards him. He pressed his lips against her forehead. “I’ll admit the timing could be better, that I wanted to share a bit more with you before we had a family. But I would be honored if you had my children, Elain.” His hands slid to cup her face again, thumbs brushing away her tears.

“You’ve never mentioned kids before,” she said, needing to understand why they had never had this conversation until now.

He smiled sheepishly. “To be honest, I was waiting for you to bring it up. I didn’t want you to feel pressured into having kids. I know how hard you’ve worked for your career, El, and I’m so proud of you…I didn’t want you to think I was asking you to stop.”

Elain huffed an exasperated laugh, feeling utterly ridiculous about the whole situation. Having a family had seemed like a distant dream after what Gray—her ex had done to her. “I feel really silly for not bringing this up before we got married,” she said, earning a small chuckle from him. “You really want to have a baby?”

His lips curled up in the corner. “Elain, I don’t think you can comprehend the gravity of my desire to get you pregnant. To have you carry my child. To see you waddling around like a cute duck—”

“I don’t waddle,” she huffed.

Azriel’s smile was like a bright, shining beacon of hope and beauty. “You will.” He paused, seeming to collect his thoughts. “That is if you want to have this baby too. I will support any decision you make; you know that.”

She let out a breath of relief because the truth of the matter was that she did want this baby. Elain wanted nothing more than to have his child. “I’m scared,” she admitted. It wasn’t a lie. Though she was excited for this next chapter with him, there were a few things that worried her, as many expecting mothers go through.

He kissed her sweetly as if he thought she might break beneath his fingertips. “I am too,” he told her. “But we’ll figure it out. Like we always do.”

Her arms went around his neck as she clung to him. When she pulled away, his hand drifted down to her still-flat belly. There was an awe in his eyes that made her chest ache with love.

“Hi baby,” he whispered, leaning down towards her stomach. “I’m your daddy.” His soft kiss on her tummy had her damn hormones in overdrive.

She let out a strangled sound that had Azriel looking back at her face with worry. But Elain just tugged him into her arms and let his embrace soothe her. “Sorry—I just wasn’t expecting that,” she offered as an explanation.

His fingers brushed stray tears from her cheeks. “You don’t need to apologize, love. I know this is going to be an adjustment, but I don’t have a single doubt in my mind that we can do this…If you want to, that is.”

Elain realized she hadn’t answered his question before, and he needed to hear her say the words. Though it was clear he wanted this baby, he was still letting her make the decision. And for that, she somehow managed to fall in love with him even more. “I want to be a family,” she said, watching the way the hope in his amber eyes shone like golden rays of sunshine. “You, me,” she told him, bringing her hand up to cradle her stomach. “And this baby.”

The relief she read on his face made every doubt, every fear evaporate. Because he was right, there wasn’t anything they couldn’t do together.

He kissed her again, once, twice, three times. “We’re going to have a baby,” he whispered against her lips.

Elain let out an airy giggle. “I’m so happy, Azriel. You have made me so happy.”

His fingers stroked her cheek; brushed her loose hair behind her ear. “You’ve made me happier than I could ever dream of. I am so incredibly lucky to call you my wife and the mother of my children.”

“I love you, my husband,” she breathed, lips closing the distance between them.

“I love you more, my wife,” he said back, the words tattooing on the very essence of her soul as they embarked on a new path in their lives together.

~~~~~

Remember, sharing is caring! Please reblog if you liked the fic. It helps spread my work and I truly appreciate it. 💕

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[jennifersblog-en]

Would you rather call it cottagecore or self-sufficiency? A short essay on rural life and self-reliance.

Good afternoon!

I originally intended to write about cottagecore, which is pretty much what surrounds me in this rural region. However, I have a love-hate relationship toward these social media aesthetics, which are first and foremost photography aesthetics and themes with ugly names. This said, in a context of domestic abuse, I mostly count on myself for many of my needs. It is true that self-sufficiency and food self-relience tend toward the Cottagecore sub-culture, and it is tempting to go in that direction, but it would be first and foremost lying to myself, and then to others. Therefore, I prefer to face my own reality by talking about my life journey, rather than to sweeten my speech.

I prefer to be clear, in a situation of abuse, when somebody else is controlling the budget and poverty is a reality, complete financial and material autonomy is more than a fantasy, it's a need.

Facing reality: you don't need to aim for complete self-sufficiency 

In fact, to be honest, you'll never make your own medications. What is complete self-sufficiency? A myth.

This said, my aim is to improve my self-reliance, which relies on a few hobbies, such as gardening, and I invite you to do the same.

Although my production of food is far from being all-year-round, or even enough for canning and preserving, my first attempt has provided me with fresh fruits and vegetables almost every day of Summer. In terms of fruits, I have only grown strawberries and raspberries, as well as the old apple tree planted decades ago by the late owners. I have grown a wider array of vegetables, such as tomatoes, peas, snow peas, and yellow and green beans. A little bit of my protein intake came from lima and borlotti beans, and I had five fresh herbs to choose from. My biggest failures have been my onions, garlic bulbs and radishes; they were disappointingly lost to rot and drought before harvest.

Overall, this was not bigger than a balcony garden, which proves that you don't need a lot of space to feed yourself if you aim for a percentage of your plate, rather than the usual message of the internet, which is complete self-sufficiency.

Growing food can be the cure to food trauma and insecurity

If, like me, you've been traumatized by food shortages and a lack of financial freedom, growing your own food can be the necessary cure, and at relatively small costs.

At the very least, you'll control some of the food you'll have later in the season. If you're lucky, you can make preserves, or meal-prep and freeze.

Baking and bread-making

This is something I was already doing, and there is something special about having a dessert or a slice of fresh bread, still warm from the oven.

All winter long, I try to do something inspired by the Swedish fika concept, and use these months to plan ahead for Spring.

Needle arts are far from dead

From cosplay to insta-worthy embroidery, the needle arts are far from dead, despise their temporary rejection at home, as shopping malls and hypermarkets became my own parents' stress-relief and boredom-killing hobby. From a personal point-of-view, their consumption habits were far from my values, and I have come back to sewing and knitting to supply a percentage of my wardrobe. I've also tried to make very simple jewelry.

The initial cost is not always cheaper to make your own, because you will possibly choose a thicker, high-quality fabric, that will hopefully last longer, which is where you can really save. 

I often like to remind myself that this is not child labour, but my own labour; and it makes a world of a difference from a moral standpoint.

♫ These boots were made for walking, and that's just what they'll do ♬

When I have decided to get back in shape, I didn't have the financial means to pay a subscription at the gym. However, did you notice the free sports you can start doing today? 

I have started walking almost every sunny day, and it has greatly improved my cardio-vascular health, as I was enjoying the scenery and leaving my problems at home, behind a closed door.

When bad weather forces you to stay inside, there are still many Youtube channels to watch, and I have even found a few workout television shows on major channels. They tend to be at 6am, though, and they have to be recorded to watch them as a hobby, instead of a morning chore.

Which comes to a conclusion: dis I really ever intend to write about the Cottagecore movement and its photography aesthetic, or simply about real life and self-care? I'd say the latter, for this is what feels better, and always will.

#lifestyle #self-sufficiency #food self-sufficiency #clothing self-sufficiency #cottagecore #cottagecore aesthetic #garden #gardening #baking #homemade baking #needle art #sewing #knitting #self-reliance #jennifersblog

[babmaos-blog]

I’m so definitely procrastinating on my unrealistic deadline to finish chapters 7-10 so here’s some of my small canons for the book! (All canon in BABMAOS, My AU. This doesn’t apply to Inky Mystery or QFTIM. Feel free to use these as headcanons, though!)

- Boris likes Christmas, Bendy like’s Valentine’s Day

- Felix only ever drinks fruity or sweet liquors, margaritas and wines. Champagne maybe.

- Bendy is always cold, no matter what. He’s constantly freezing even if it’s like, 70°. He cannot handle the winter or fall for the life of him despite how much he loves it. He’s one of those people constantly wearing a coat. (Bonus, he clings to Boris or Felix for warmth at times./platonic)

- Cuphead & Mugman’s hair colors change, just a little, whenever their drinks are changed in their heads. Not exactly a completely different color, but it swirls in there, like multicolor. (Psst! Cuphead often wears chamomile tea, Mugman often has egg nog)

- Felix has a solar system ceiling lamp above his desk, he made it himself

- Felix has a special interest in antiques and ancient artifacts, overall very into history. He collects anything he can find on adventures.

- Cuphead’s current bed formerly belonged to Elder Kettle, he just inherited it from the cottage instead of buying himself one.

- Mugman has a special interest on the color blue. Specifically shades of baby and denim blue.

- Cuphead is dyslexic to an extreme extent, cannot read and never has been able to. Calligraphy is the worst font for him. (Me too, Cuphead :c)

- All of Felix’s books are hand written then copied into print, all of his books are in a handwritten form of calligraphy. He keeps the original inked books stacked neatly under his desk.

- Boris and Bendy cut and trim their own hair, they’d help each other, but unfortunately both of them have opposite hair textures and have no idea how to manage the other’s.

- Boris enjoys thriller/mystery romance books, the types that end with the love interest killing one another.

- Bendy hates coffee of any sort, Boris on the other hand quite enjoys it.

- Felix has a small flower garden in his front yard, as well as potted plants everywhere in his house. though not often around to keep it thriving, he has Sheba watch over his house while he’s working.

- Cuphead & Mugman love bakery sweets and candies, anything with sugar. Felix often can’t even prep desserts without those two getting their fingers in the batter or ingredients.

- Bendy craves rare red meats (steak, beef mainly) and sugars of any kind (fruits, pastries, cookies, etc.). He suffers from low blood sugar and low iron. the demon blood cells feast on the others to thrive. (Causing pale skin and flesh, rapid weight loss, illness, or even death.) without the correct calorie intake, his genetic makeup could end up killing him. (Overall, he would need nearly 3,000 cals a day to survive) (All fiction!!)

- Boris and Felix often catch each other up late night, sometimes they’ll stay up late and talk about whatever’s bothering them until they feel tired again.

- Felix often cooks traditional foods from around the world, from recipes he’s picked up from his adventurers. He likes to give everything a try when it comes to his pallet, at least once.

- Bendy’s tears aren’t clear, they’re a slight tint of red and black.

- Bendy sees red with high contrast, too much red at once can overwhelm him and freak him out a little. He likes the color pink, a soft pink.

- Boris and Felix are both nearsighted and colorblind

- Bendy can’t hold pens and pencils right. He never learned how, he still just holds it in his fist like a kid. Despite the many times Boris has tried to tell him he does it wrong.

- Felix sleeps hugging a pillow or blanket, he had a plush as a kid and just never grew out of the habit even after putting it into storage.

- Felix’s coat is weighted, like a weighted blanket.

- Felix, Bendy, and Boris season the HELL out of their food. Cuphead and Mugman think salt is spicy

- Only Felix and Mugman can legally drive. Cup’s license is provoked, Bendy never got his.

- Felix can play guitar and piano

- Felix can sing and dance. Good. Extremely good. He never does it much anymore, but watch out if him and Bendy are on the dance floor

- Boris likes and can draw very well, rubber-hose cartoon style

- Felix is a mama’s boy (sticks fingers in ears) LALKKA I DONT CARE LALA I’M RIGHT

- Mugman smokes, never on his own or carrying his own pack, but whenever Cuphead lights one they share it.

- Cuphead will sneak Felix cigar packs or whiskey shots during the quest so the bbros don’t look at him any different. in return for favors of course, Cup ain’t that nice

- Felix doesn’t like cats, he prefers dogs. Cuphead mildly thinks he’s a monster because of the preference.

- Boris doesn’t like kids. Anyone under the age of 10 is instantly a snotty nuisance to him. Yet, kids always seem to love him

- Bendy has a big soft spot for children, unfortunately, infants and toddlers cry in his presence.

- Felix’s hair is to his shoulders, he keeps it up in a claw clip so it isn’t in the way. Doesn’t care enough to cut it

- Felix’s fur is very long and curly/wavy everywhere. (Especially on his chest, arms, legs, tail, etc. anywhere a human would grow body hair)

- Bendy has layered fangs, two rows.

- Felix will, at times, force himself to purr when consoling someone. he’s learned it calms people down quicker

- Boris has thick claws and fangs

- Bendy’s tail is very long. It goes over his head if you hold it up straight. (His species of demon normally grow into their tails, unfortunately, he never hit his growth spurt)

- Cuphead has speckles of yellow, brown, and blue in his eyes

- Cuphead wears eyeliner. Not elaborating

- Bendy can purr, has some cat in his genetics

- Felix gets very flirty when drunk, basically just a successful Bendy. Keep an eye on him or else he’s walking out of the bar with a gal. Fortunately, he has a high alcohol tolerance

- Felix has no perception of gender. Gender envy, gender roles, gender identity, or even feeling more comfortable as one or the other. He doesn’t feel or see the connection to it, any shirt’s a shirt and anyone’s a person. Uses ‘women’s’ body washes, perfumes, clothes, doesn’t get why he gets weird looks for it.

- Bendy feels gender envy on both sides, he’d feel happy in his skin in a dress as he would a suit, everything ‘gendered’ makes him happy. He has desperately tried explaining this concept to Felix on multiple occasions, to no avail

- Boris is aroace, doesn’t get crushes and never will. The kind of kid who’s sick of hearing “Aww, you like her don’t you?” From adults. Really, leave him alone!

- one of Bendy’s common nicknames is ‘Darling’. Not in a romantic way, just a title

- Cuphead is very closeted. He’s bi, and heavily refuses the ‘swing the other way’ claims every time. He, honestly, has no idea he’s even bi anyway. (None of them know their sexual and romantic orientations, duh. It’s the 50’s. They just exist and run with it.)

- Boris and Felix drink coffee together and gossip like beige moms (Except instead of kids they talk about studies, discoveries, and history)

- Felix has a cork board in his kitchen, full of pinned photos, news articles, etc. anything he’s kept from his life layered over each other from old to new. Did deep enough, and you might just find some old baby photos. He prefers people to not look through it, though.

- Boris can be very manipulative when he needs to be. After all, who could say no to a kid? Unfortunately, his height can ruin it at times. It was more effective as a little kid.

- Felix has a very hazy memory of anything from childhood to early adulthood. He can’t tell many stories.

- Felix has tattoos on his waist and wrists, no idea where they came from

(Tell me if you want more! :3)

#a!q #adaptation!qftim #babtqftim #inky mystery #my au #asks open #art #bab;maos

[prolifeproliberty]

Food Storage Guidelines

Know you need to be storing extra food, but not sure where to start? Identify your level of food preparedness below and consider bumping up one level at a time.

Level 0: Weekly grocery run

At this level, you depend on your weekly (or more frequent) grocery runs to have enough food in your house. That means you’re dependent on food being on the shelves. When food shortages hit (note that I didn’t say “if”), your food will run out quickly.

Level 1: A few extra cans

This is “intro to prepping”. Each time you go to the grocery store, get one extra shelf-stable item. Canned foods, rice, beans, pasta, etc.

Store these in a back closet away from light and moisture - if you can, store them in the coolest part of your home.

Pros: Easy place to start, minimal financial investment

Cons: You will get REALLY tired of rice, beans, and canned foods. As much as possible, go for variety.

Level 2: Emergency Food

This is the next stop for most people. You can buy emergency food buckets from many different companies - do your research and consider what you and your family actually like to eat (as well as any allergies or sensitivities) before buying a bucket. Note that most food buckets don’t include meat - you’ll see “chicken flavored” and “beef flavored” meals, with no actual meat in sight. Usually you have to pay extra for real meat.

I recommend one bucket per family member to start. Depending on the company you order from and how you ration, a bucket may last 1-2 months.

Pros: More food variety, easy storage

Cons: Can get expensive, and you may end up with more oatmeal or banana chips than you actually intend to eat

Level 3: Home food preservation

Preserving your own food by canning, dehydrating, or freeze drying can move you from “I have a little extra” to “I’m prepared for the worst.”

Canning: Many foods can be canned in a large stockpot (water bath canning), but some foods require a pressure canner to reduce the risk of botulism. Canned foods take up space and are heavy, so you can’t easily transport them. They also lose some nutrition during the canning process.

Dehydrating: Pretty low startup costs, but it can take a long time to set aside a substantial amount of food. Not all foods dehydrate well, and you do lose some nutrition.

Freeze drying: Highest startup cost, but can be well worth the investment. Retains the most nutrition out of the three options, and many foods can be rehydrated to pretty near their original taste and consistency. This can allow you to build your own emergency food buckets. You can freeze dry meals and bag them, knowing what you’ve stored away is what your family likes to eat. Fats and oils don’t freeze dry well, so you will need to find a way to store those separately (making your own Ghee is a simple and cost-effective option for this).

Pros: Store the foods your family likes at a fraction of the cost of food buckets (after startup costs)

Cons: Requires potentially expensive equipment and storage space

Level 4: Homesteading

If you’re worried about a total collapse of society and a grid down scenario, you will eventually realize that homesteading is the only way to truly be prepared for anything.

For this you’ll need some land (at minimum a couple acres) and the time and energy to grow food and raise at least chickens, if not other livestock.

You’ll never be 100% self-sufficient, but you can reach a point where you are able to grow/raise most of your own food and trade with others for the things you can’t grow or make yourself.

Home Gardening Supplemental:

Of course, you can and should have a garden at any of these levels - even back at level 0, a garden can be a nice way to supplement your grocery runs with homegrown veggies. A home garden can also provide the food for preserving at level 3.

This garden can be anything from some herbs on a windowsill to containers on your porch to a full-fledged vegetable garden in the backyard or at a community garden.

As with all of these options, something is better than nothing!

#preparedness #food storage #prepping #food shortages

[tiny-maus-boots]

My babies, my bella garden. Just a hair over a month old. Beca my curly parsley never grew sadly. But the mint, thyme, dill, thai basil and genovese basil are doing super well. I've been trimming and freezing leaves here and there.

Today was extra neat because I got to use my own harvested basil in my baked breaded chicken. And it was amazing. Growing and maintaining my own herbs for cooking has me really invested in taking more control of what i consume and my meal prep. Kinda loving it. I feel better when I'm not eating processed packaged foods. I feel better not eating fast food and junk.

Pretty sure I'm going to turn my backyard into a small sustainable farm.

#maus haus #gardening #herbs #cooking #life changes

[clatterbane]

Unrestrained summer fun! 🙃

We don't even have anywhere for a garden. And I've been in here prepping some veggies for the freezer anyway.

I had been considering freezing at least one of the three peppers and part of the new head of celery for later anyway, but finally went ahead and got both of them ready to go in there today. We haven't cooked any of it yet since the fridge compartment went kaput, and in this summer weather they wouldn't necessarily be looking so great anymore by the time the new one is due Tuesday.

It actually took my persnickety OCD ass over an hour to process even that much. 🙄 That would include carefully stringing each stalk of the celery, before slicing about half the head and chopping the other more finely. After spending the bulk of the time on that, I was fed up enough to say fuck it, and just voted/trimmed and quartered the peppers. Leaves more flexibility in what to do with them later on, anyway.

Currently taking a break before deciding if I do feel like washing and prepping that already past prime ginger to make some syrup with most of it and freeze the rest. I've been meaning to get that taken care of, and I am on a bit of a roll right now. But, I don't think that is in the cards for this evening.

It may be just as well that we do not have a bunch of garden produce to deal with right now, all things considered. 😒

#personal #food #the fridge saga #actuallyocd #it really can complicate kitchen stuff

[ediblegardenspointloma]

In My San Diego Garden and Kitchen

When my green beans come in they come! I’ve extolled the virtues of Emerite pole beans before. The abundance is shared with neighbors and I peruse my green beans recipe folder for new ways to use them.

Refrigerator Dilly Green Beans was easy and quick as we dealt with 65 pounds of nectaplums late in the week.

This is some of the haul as we stripped the two trees. Though a luscious fruit, they are fragile and losses occur when kept at room temperature very long. Neighbors receive the nectaplums readily and I delivered about 40 pounds over the weekend.

Last night I found myself making a crostata at 8 p.m. with fruit that would not survive until morning and the fridge was full. Thankfully, my husband prepped the nectaplums and there was a premade piecrust in the freezer.

And that was after an afternoon of making nectaplum-raspberry jam. I made the first batch as a trial to freeze and refrigerate and the second I processed.

I’m thankful we have a respite from apricots, apples and nectaplums before the strawberry guavas ripen late next month. The freezer is full of sauces, fruit puree for homemade ice cream and various other delights to preserve the goodness.

And the promising marionberry crop was very good until it wasn’t. Winter rains may have produced a large crop but after a few weeks the botrytis fungus won out following a spate of overcast, dank days.

And Sunday’s church entry bouquet: grevillea, leucadendron, gomphrena, eleagnus and pennisetum.

For the remainder of August, I’ll generally be posting on Mondays and Thursdays instead of the usual M-W-F routine. Enjoy the waning summer days (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere)!

Check the What I’m Planting Now page as I add to the summer garden. Then head to Harvest Monday, hosted by Dave at Happy Acres blog and see what garden bloggers around the world harvested last week.

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#pole beans #Emerite pole beans #dilly green beans #nectaplums #summer fruit desserts #marionberries

[jlilycorbie]

Happy STS! Seasons are changing. Tell me how one or more of your characters would react. Are they dressing cozy? Obsessed with everything pumpkin? Have they been prepping for Halloween since last year?

In the fantasy WIP, the seasons are different from here. The steppe, for example, goes through freeze, flood, flower, and fire. The community Aleksani lives with is nomadic. They move to the foothills of the nearby mountains for freeze and flood, then they move out on the steppe for flower, and depending on the year, go different places during fire. There are festivals along the way, especially at the end of flower when the huge city they erect every year comes down, and Aleksani cares in as much as it inconveniences her.

Zaya's part of the world has rain, flood, growing, harvest, and wind seasons. Since she's a monster hunter and her primary concern is making sure people and livestock are safe, she doesn't really help plan or participate in festivals, since they mean more work for her, but she enjoys them from afar, and her wife, Miyarki, loved the seasons and was all about helping plan and run festivals. Zaya might not keep good track by herself, but Miyarki always made sure she had fun, and Zaya was always happy to join in for Miyarki's sake.

In the Nyctine Mountains, they recognize flower, fruit, and sleep. Nidezda is taken by surprise with every single season every time.

Tsinte loves seasons. She loves festivals and holidays. She's been around much of the world and seen many different seasons and joined in a lot of different festivals. And then she's off to the next place.

Bad Fences takes place in our world. Barbara claims she doesn't much care for holidays. After all, no one cares about her, no one pays attention to her, she loves to give gifts and take care of people, but no one ever returns the favor. She decorated for holidays back when the kids were home for their sake, of course. She wouldn't let them go trick or treating, too dangerous, and every year she'd pick a costume for them and have them stay home to hand out candy. These days she'll put out some pumpkins, maybe, and leave out a bowl of candy for the neighborhood kids. There's usually still candy in the bowl at the end of the night.

The Wyldeborns, however, are all about Samhain. Tish cannot wait for pumpkin spice season, and she's ready to start making pumpkin and pumpkin spice everything. Robin, the professional baker of the family, doesn't hate pumpkin spice or anything, but also is a little tired of it. Give them cider and gingerbread and cranberry, please.

Wistie gardens and landscapes. Pumpkins and scarecrows and hay bales everywhere! She handles the decorations outside. Her favorite season is actually spring, but don't tell the other seasons. She loves them all. Ollie is always there to help with the decorating and building outside.

Blue always means to help and never quite gets around to it. He does always show up for the family horror movie nights even though horror movies make him uneasy. It's easier to settle in and watch them with all their family and friends there.

Kore used to go all out with decorations and making costumes. She's having a harder time this year, but she'll do her best for the sake of the kids, even though Trystin is officially too old to really be into the whole thing. Except the costumes, those are cool. And everyone likes candy, right? And he loves horror movies, so he's there for the family movie nights and fine, he really loves Halloween, too, ok?

Eden helps everyone with their costumes, and Melinoë is a little overwhelmed by the whole thing, but she cautiously likes it.

#writeblr #writeblr asks #sts #storytelling saturday #spooky season #changing seasons #untitled fantasy wip #bad fences