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#But also keeping you (a bag of water) warm is a large part of your metabolism's job
maeamian · 2 years
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BMI is bullshit, you will never catch me defending BMI or its proponents, but calories, and by extension, calorimeters are actually a pretty effective tool for understanding how much energy a human can derive from a piece of food, I know the dismissive tagline is "You'll notice your body is different from a tub of water placed above a burn chamber" but also, in many significant ways it is identical to a burn chamber and a tub of water, at least when it comes to specific processes. Like, I think the way we think about calories isn't great, there is an absolute over-focus on simply counting at the input level, but overcorrecting into 'the Calorie as a unit is entirely meaningless' isn't the way forward either, IMO. It seems like giving up on the idea that we can use things to learn about other things, when, in fact, comparisons to similar but easier to understand systems are how we've gone about understanding basically everything we currently understand about the universe, which is quite a lot.
#Like your body isn't *just* going to use that energy to heat up some water#But also keeping you (a bag of water) warm is a large part of your metabolism's job#And the heating of an object with a known specific heat capacity is a good way to measure the energy involved in a process#And the way your body breaks down food is reasonably similar to the combustion process#Particularly from an energy capture standpoint#Because it is taking the complex hydrocarbons that make up food#And converting them mostly into smaller more stable forms#And using the difference in structural energy of those things as energy for various chemical processes#Energy is very well known to be extremely interchangeable the amount of energy it takes to heat water does not care where it came from#And likewise the energy to heat water can instead be used to make ATP to provide stored energy for chemical processes#Or the various other ways the human body works bless it#Anyhow this is a technical quibble with a post whose general thrust I agree with#Which is why it is its own post#Don't get me wrong I'm also not endorsing any diet or dietician's understanding of Calories and how they work#But the Calorie as a unit is both useful and meaningful in understanding the human metabolism#That's the hill I'm willing to stake out here and there's a large post in circulation with a comment that is in opposition to that#And it is my stance that their heuristics are fundamentally wrong and broken they are using bad reasoning#The exact quote is full of 'in my understanding' and 'just a thought's#And like bro your understanding is sophomoric at best#That is what we do but you didn't stop to ask why we do it or if that actually makes any sense#Literally huge portions of modern thermodynamics are based on the ability of experiments like this to accurately measure energy release#And like IDK maybe you can upend it maybe your understanding is better#But pointing out the basic mechanism without understanding how or why it works isn't going to be what does it
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bronzeagecrafts · 5 months
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Nonna Gianna's Best Carbonara
My Nonna Gianna would have turned 99 today. Alas, she is no longer with us. So in honour of her being awesome and fighting fascism* I bring you her authentic Spaghetti Carbonara recipe!**
The recipe can be scaled up depending on the number of people needing to be fed.
A word of warning: This dish is RICH. Pure carbs and fat. It makes my poor fragile IBS gut weep after two mere mouthfuls. It makes grown men lie down for epic naps. It will also make vegans cry, but this recipe is not for them, sorry.***
Per person you‘ll need:
- 1 chicken egg, very fresh
- 100ml heavy cream
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1/4 small onion, finely minced
- 1 generous dash of dry white wine (optional, but enhances the flavour so I suggest to include it)
- 50gr bacon cubes. If you can find Guanciale, go for it!! otherwise regular bacon is okay
- 70-100gr of grated parmesan/pecorino/grana padano (in a pinch you could use other „extra hard italian cheese“ or whatever cheap parmesan copy you find around but original is defo better)
- 100gr spaghetti
1. boil plenty of water for spaghetti and add salt
2. in a small bowl or a measuring cup, mix egg and cream very well- it needs to be homogenous. Add 3/4 of the grated parmesan, a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Mix well and set aside.
3. Heat a Tbsp of olive oil (canola or similar will work in a pinch) in a large frying pan, then gently fry bacon, onion and garlic on medium heat, until golden. Make sure it doesn’t burn. Add dash of white wine and reduce completely. Turn heat down to low.
4. Finish cooking spaghetti. Drain and add them to the frying pan. Toss with the bacon and onion.
NOW COMES THE IMPORTANT PART:
5. Add the cream/egg mixture to the warm pan. Mix everything gently, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens to a thin custardy consistency and starts sticking to the spaghetti. This may take a couple minutes.
NOW: If it doesn’t thicken, you may increase the heat on your stove a little. Do NOT try and crank the heat up to max or the eggs will curdle!! Scrambled Egg Carbonara is NOT tasty! Medium heat maximum. Keep stirring continuously until thickened, then take pan off the heat immediately.
6. Taste, and add a little more salt if needed. Serve with the rest of the parmesan and some freshly cracked black pepper.
Buon Appetito, and remember to use your newfound energy to punch a fascist in the face.
* Nonna Gianna smuggled weapons for the Italian Partisans during WW2 by carrying them in her mom‘s shopping bag. She also spied on the nazis. Anyone who thinks that is not awesome, get off this blog NOW.
** listen there are a lot of different types of Carbonara recipes around. This might not be the "original" one but who cares, it is tasty!
*** for a vegetarian version, you can sub finely cubed smoked tofu for the bacon, 1:1. It is also possible to add some cooked peas or finely diced broccoli florets right before tossing everything together but ya know.... Carbonara is not supposed to be healthy. This is soul food.
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abbysdyke · 8 months
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˚✧ ˚♡˚ ✧˚ abby anderson date alphabet (pt1)
synopsis: one date with abby for each letter of the alphabet, filled with pure fluff and drabbles about each one.
a/n: this has been so much fun to write omg, but it’s taken a lotttt longer than i’d expected, so i’m posting part one now while i continue to write part two. this part contains letters A-L !!! i hope everyone likes it :-)
A = arcade
abby isn’t much of a video game / arcade game person, but once she gets into it, she gets into it. she can’t even decide which machine to go to first; she wants to try everything. you can’t help but giggle as you watch her excitedly bounce from game to game, winning a surprisingly large amount of tickets. some friendly competition arises between the two of you, as she -of course- wants to win, but she’d never let that cause her to act mean to you in any way. after testing out each game, she decides that her favorite is the boxing one, the one where you simply punch the machine to see who can hit it the hardest. she plays this one over and over again, loving to impress you with her strength. after combining all of you tickets, she lets you pick out whichever shitty arcade prizes you want, her face lighting up as she watches you pick out different types of candy and plushies.
B = beach
abby simply doesn’t understand why you’re packing so much in your bag for just a simple day trip to the beach, but she doesn’t complain. arriving at the sandy beach, you can’t help but stare at your beautiful girlfriend, dressed in a tight white tank top and swimming trunks. her hair is tied up loosely in her signature braid, blowing carelessly in the wind. your day on the beach begins! abby ends up being glad that you overpacked, and she happily uses up the sunscreen you brought. even still, the sun tints her cheeks a soft pink color, making her freckles stand out even more. you kiss each one of them before carefully rubbing another blob of sunscreen onto her face. abby prefers to stay in the sand under the umbrella instead of going into the water, but she gladly inspects all the seashells you show her, marveling over your eye for finding the best ones. you stay at the beach all day, soaking up the warmth and the salt air. at the end of the day, you sit together on the blanket, sandy legs intertwined as you watch the sun set over the ocean.
C = camping
abby is a WHORE for camping. she eats up every minute of it, loving the outdoor time and a chance to show off her strength while also spending quality time with the love of her life. she makes sure to do everything for you; carrying all the equipment, setting up the tent, starting the fire… absolutely everything. even with your rebuttal, it’s always, “relax, baby. i’ve got this.” she’s quick to comfort you if you express any fears of being in the middle of the woods at night or getting eaten alive by a bear, and she holds you close to her as the sun goes down. the two of you sit on the ground by the fire and make s’mores, and abby keeps giggling about how sticky her hands are getting from the marshmallows. once the nighttime air becomes cooler, she wraps her jacket around you, making sure you never become cold. you stay up all night with her by the fire, listening to her corny jokes, having deep conversations about the world, and stuffing yourselves full with s’mores. when you finally decide to go to sleep, she pulls you into her sleeping bag, insisting that it’s simply “to keep warm.” she holds you tight as you drift off to sleep, wrapped in her strong arms and lulled to sleep by the gentle beating of her heart and the crickets chirping outside the tent.
D = dinner and dessert
after a loooong day of working, abby wants to treat you to a nice little surprise. she watches as you get all dolled up, literal heart eyes as you apply makeup and style your hair. once you’re both ready, she takes you to a fancy dinner at your favorite restaurant. “pick out whatever you want,” she tells you. you glance at the menu, not wanting to spend her money. “are you sure?” “you deserve it. you spoil me so much, let me do the same now.” she insists. you order your favorite food, and you enjoy your meal together in the romantic candlelight. it takes you forever to finish your meal since the two of you can’t stop talking, discussing things going on in your lives. after dinner, she takes you out for dessert, bringing you to an adorable cafe with so many options to choose from. abby orders a coffee and a slice of cake, and you get your favorite sweet treat. she gushes over how beautiful you look and won’t stop staring at you to eat her dessert. finally, you both finish, and abby insists on order another slice of cake togo so she can eat it later.
E = escape room
abby is so. good. at escape rooms. she’s incredibly smart and always solves them so quickly, but she pretends to be confused just so she can have more time with you on the date. “yeah, i really have no idea what to do here,” she’ll say, meanwhile she’s already two steps ahead of you. still, she loves watching you figure it out, the way your brow furrows as you think and the way you talk out your thoughts as they come to you. of course, there’s been a few instances where the two of you have gotten in trouble at an escape room for making out when you were supposed to be solving the puzzle, which you both laugh about any time you go back to one.
F = fair
abby is pretty nervous about a fair date. there’s huge crowds, long lines, and you can’t forget about her fear of heights. she absolutely refuses to go on any rides that leave the ground, but she’s more than happy to play rigged carnival games with you and try all the different types of fair food. you beg her to ride the ferris wheel with you so you can kiss her at the top of it, but she won’t give in. her compromise is to give you as many kisses as you want - as long as her feet don’t leave the ground. of course, you take her up on this, smothering her with kisses any chance you can get. she blushes as this draws the eye of a few people, but neither of you really care. abby is somehow a master at the fair games, especially the darts or shooting ones. she has no use for any of the prizes, so she gives them all to you. by the end of the day, your stomachs are full from excessive amounts of fried food, and abby’s hands are full of huge plushies that she won for you. “that wasn’t horrible, hmm?” you tease her. “absolutely terrible,” she replies sarcastically, earning a kiss on her nose before you leave the fair.
G = gym
it’s no secret that abby loves the gym. she’s so happy that you finally agreed to go with her, and she gets you the cutest athletic set to wear. you have no idea what half the machines in the gym are, but abby quickly gets you accustomed to everything. you end up having a pretty good time, racing abby for who can run the fastest mile (she wins. obviously) and who can lift the heaviest weights (again, she wins) the exercise is done in a fun way, and abby is soooo supportive. “hell yeah!” she’ll exclaim after you complete and exercise, and she makes sure to reward you with tons of kisses and praise. she’s become your own personal cheerleader, and you return the favor as she works out. you can’t help but stare at her muscles as she flexes them, earning playful smirks from your girl while she continues to show off her skills.
H = horror movies
abby looooves watching horror movies with you. not so much for the actual movie aspect, but mainly just because she loves to hold you during the really scary parts and run her hands through your hair as you bury your face into her chest. before the movie, she insists on preparing a plethora of snacks, because “that’s just part of the movie watching experience.” you finally get everything ready and you curl up in bed with abby, flicking off the lights and starting the movie. she pretends to not be scared, but you still catch her flinching at the jump scares and you can feel her heart beating faster. you snuggle close to her, loving the feeling of her protective arms around you as the movie goes on. you absentmindedly trace over her skin with your fingers while you watch, and abby occasionally leans down to kiss the top of your head. halfway through, the two of you become way more interested in making out than watching the movie, which leads to the entire last half of the movie being forgotten. as the credits begin to roll, abby pulls away from your lips, leaning over to check the time. “over already?” she grins, reconnecting her lips with yours once more.
I = ice skating
after dressing up in warm clothing (and a lot of persuasion) abby reluctantly follows you to the ice skating rink. abby does not like skating. however, more than that, she likes pleasing her girl, so she obliges. let’s just say that abby is not good at ice skating. of course, you’re not a pro at it, but even a small child could be better at skating than abby. her usual confidence disappears the second she steps onto the slippery ice, and she begs you to hold her hand and never leave her side. as you slowly glide over the ice, she grips your hand impossibly tight, her knuckles turning white and her hands becoming increasingly sweaty. she’s a mess, and of course, she’s incredibly embarrassed about this. you find it adorable to watch her slip around on the ice and insist on holding your hand, begging “no! no, please don’t let go!” but finally, she’s been struggling so much that you decide to just leave early, promising her that no, you’re not mad and no, she didn’t look stupid. on the way home you stop to get a sweet treat for a very defeated looking abby, who gladly accepts it.
J = jewelry making
as soon as you come up with the idea of a jewelry making date, you and abby storm the craft store for supplies, returning home with bags of beads, string, and charms. neither of you could decide on just one color or design, so you just bought everything. a little while later finds you both sprawled out on the carpet, carefully sliding plastic beads of all colors onto the string. abby lays on her stomach, propped up by her elbows. she would never ever admit it to her friends, but she’s actually really enjoying herself. some light music plays in the background, and your girl hums along softly, focused intently on figuring out the perfect color combination for her bracelet. you’ve been stringing together a combination of pinks and purples (as well as some heart and star charms) and abby seems to have decided on a light shade of blue. the two of you work mostly in silence, too focused to engage in conversation, but she’ll occasionally look up at you with pure adoration in her eyes, her mouth spread into a wide smile. after a long time of bracelet making, abby sits up, reaching out to you to drop a bracelet into your hand. “for you,” she grins as you examine the bracelet. it’s a chaotic mess of an entire rainbow of colors, but it’s the letter beads in the center that catch your attention: a-b-b-y. “you can wear it all the time, and i’ll always be with you,” she winks. “that was the corniest thing i’ve ever-“ you begin to say, but the sound of her laughter cuts you off. she takes the bracelet into her hands, sliding it carefully onto your wrist. in return, you gift abby with one of the bracelets you made, a soft pink one with glittery hearts. blushing profusely, abby puts it on, rotating her arm to admire it. “i love it. i love you,” she says, kissing the tip of your nose. abby wears your bracelet every day, never taking it off her wrist. anytime you see abby, you can guarantee that she’ll be wearing her pink beaded bracelet given to her by the one and only.
K = karaoke
after finding an old karaoke disc stored away in an abandoned building, abby is insistent upon trying it out with you. you’re pretty embarrassed to sing in front of her, but abby promises you that she won’t judge you. after lots of begging, you give in, and abby pops the dvd into the player and sits you down next to her on the couch. she’s gathered two hairbrushes to use as microphones, persistent on the idea that this has to be “as realistic as possible.” however, as soon as the dvd starts playing, you know you’re in for a mess. all of the songs are ancient, and you have no idea how any of them sound. this results in you and abby guessing the melodies, singing painfully out of tune while making up how you think the song would go. “ooh, i got this one!” she exclaims before breaking into the chorus of one song, tripping over her words and laughing more than actually singing. “yeah, you really do,” you tease her, even though you’re no better. all of your fears about singing in front of abby are gone, replaced by the sheer happiness of the two of you laughing and playing around together. even though neither of you know any of the old songs, you still play the dvd until its very end, dramatically improving to all the songs. by the time it’s done, you’re both sore from smiling so hard and worn out from all the laughing.
L = library
abby looooves reading. huge book nerd. she flies through novels, always wanting to talk to you about what she just read. one day, she takes you with her to the library to pick out some new books. as soon as you enter the building, she’s off, on her way to find her newest selection. you follow cluelessly behind her, pointing out books with interesting covers, or marveling over how long some of them are. “this one is so good,” she’ll say to you, pointing out a book on the shelf that you’re passing. you pick up a few books, reading the synopsis and flipping through the pages. abby continues to wind through the shelves, curiously hunting for a new book. after searching the entire library, her hands are full of books of different lengths. “okay, which one should i get?” she asks you. you look through each one, wanting to make the best decision. finally, you’ve made your pick, and abby heads to the counter to check it out. you follow behind her, gazing at your beautiful girlfriend. she looks so happy, so excited. she hasn’t stopped smiling since you set foot in the building, and you just love watching her do things that she loves.
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chemmerson · 1 year
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part of the pack
kakashi x reader
This is based on an excerpt from a sequel to one of my stories. Also, I was craving some Kakashi fluff so I turned it into a little one shot <3
Word count: .7k
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By the time you walk through the door and are met with your dark apartment, you can barely keep your eyes open. Your movements get slower and slower as you lean against the door and it clicks shut, toeing off your sandals and letting your bag fall off your shoulder. Unpacking can wait until the morning; all of the energy you have left will be spent peeling off your mission clothes and immediately getting into bed.
It’s then you remember that there will be no one to get into bed with tonight, and your heart hurts for a moment. Kakashi left for his mission today, only a few hours ago you have to guess. You pray good thoughts and safety over him once again as you click on the small kitchen light to get a glass of water before bed.
It’s then you spot a sticky note on the corner of the cabinet in familiar handwriting. A tired but warm smile creeps onto your face as you read it.
I’ll be back in a few days. I already miss you. - K
Not only does the placement of his sticky note warm your heart (he knows you almost never go to bed without a glass of water), but these simple, thoughtful notes have seemed to become a custom gesture. You have quite the collection now, all kept in a small box in your closet (Kakashi doesn’t know that).
With a fluttering feeling in your chest, you grab your water and make your way to the bedroom. Despite your growing exhaustion, you feel happy, safe, and loved even when Kakashi isn’t here, and he always knows exactly what to do to make sure that’s the case.
But it's the second sticky note by your closed bedroom door that catches you off guard. In the same characteristic, scribbly penmanship, there’s a short note:
They wanted to sleep here tonight.
Your heart warms for the second time that night as you chuckle and open the door. Sure enough in the darkness, you’re able to make out about eight lumps of dog-like shapes covering your entire bed as well as hear Bull’s deep, rhythmic snore.
When you first met his ninken, Kakashi introduced you as his partner. “She’s a part of the pack, now,” Kakashi had said. The next thing you knew, they were all over you, giving you kisses and nuzzling against your leg. It was one of the greatest honors you’ve ever felt, to be welcomed into Kakashi’s family. The dogs became a constant presence in your life from then on as well as frequent house guests (They would never tell Kakashi, but they all think your bed is much comfier).
They made the stress and exhaustion from missions and work instantly disappear from your mind whenever they were around, and they loved your constant attention because of that. And now, their presence gives you comfort even when Kakashi is gone.
You quickly change out of your mission clothes and into your pajamas before the exhaustion hits you fully. Through the dark, you can see all of the dogs piled onto your bed, not leaving much room for you. You try to make as little movement as possible as you carefully climb in, stepping under the blanket and squeezing into a spot between Bull and Uhei. You pull part of your pillow out from under Akino so you can lay your head down fully, letting out a large sigh as soon as you do. Your body instantly relaxes into the warmth from not only your blanket but the dogs as well. You turn to find Pakkun lying on top of the other pillow next to your head where Kakashi’s mop of moonlight hair usually is.
You’re hit with an overwhelming feeling as you sink into the pile of dogs around you: that this is your life, this is your family, and even when you thought you would have to fall asleep alone, someone made sure that you wouldn’t have to.
It almost causes you to cry as you turn on your side and pull the blankets up to your chin with a smile. How lucky you are. How lucky you are to love and be loved by Kakashi. How lucky you are to watch out for each other for all your lives.
You fall asleep with the moonlight shining through the window, gratitude warming your heart, and sweet dreams of Kakashi.
And somewhere far away, Kakashi stops in his tracks, looks up at the moon, and smiles.
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astralisbelle · 1 year
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Dead Man's Hand 16 - Give In
Dead Man's Hand Masterlist tags: tags: engineer!reader, gambler!reader, loose canon timeline, eventual smut, fluff, action, casino aesthetics, touch starved reader, touch starved din, reader and din get on each other’s nerves, also they’re idiots, defrosting ice king din, cinderella vibes, everybody loves grogu
chapter summary: They've settled into a routine, however unconventional it may be. warnings: smut, r18, minors dni
notes: I can't believe we're done omgg this was definitely a short fic (short for me anyway) but it's been a blast writing it and sharing it and reading all of your wonderful comments. There's more mando content coming, though, so don't despair! If you liked this story, please share it/recommend it. I'd really appreciate it. Thank you and please enjoy
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NEVARRO — ONE YEAR LATER
The sound of a steady hammer clangs and vibrates against the metal. Grogu sits in a small patch of grass, various metal and wood toys surrounding him as he finishes a blue cookie. He watches her from a safe distance as she pulls out a wrench and screws a bolt in place. Using the rope attached to her belt, she slides down to another part of the ship and pulls out a blowtorch to weld metal together. Once she finishes the final touches, she jumps and slides back down to the ground, unhooking the rope from her belt and using her forearm to wipe her forehead of sweat. “Alright!” she calls out to the droids. “Start her up!”
The engine hums to life without a hiccup, purring smooth and stable. The owners of the ship, a few Rodians, hold up their hands in praise and make noises of joy. She smiles, shaking their hands and accepting their credits. “Be gentle during the warm-up, but then she’s good to go. Remember that.” She gathers her things and leaves the droids to clean up. “Whew!” she says when she’s close to Grogu, kneeling down to gather all of his things in a bag. “I’m beat. Ready to head home?” He babbles as she picks him up and settles him in his hovering pram.
Together, they stroll through the bustling streets of Nevarro City, watching the various people shop and walk, their children playing in the streets.”We’re gonna stop by the market first, okay?” she says, already thinking about what she could make for dinner that night.
They are rarely in Nevarro, but it’s the one place they keep coming back to in between jobs. Karga wasn’t kidding when he said that he was going to transform it into the Outer Rim’s new hot spot as there seems to be more and more each time they visit. Thankfully, she had the foresight to invest in a small apartment early on, using the money from her winnings (despite Din's objections). It pays off, even if they’ve only used it a dozen or so times in the last year.
The Mandalorian is away at the moment with the High Magistrate to take care of some straggling pirates hiding outside the city. It should be an easy job, but she still worries. Din has a talent in getting himself rather beat up.
When she opens the door to the apartment, she walks in and drops all of her things onto the table with a large groan of exhaustion. Quickly, she looks around and finds that he’s still out on the job, just as she suspected. With a shrug, she reaches into the pram to hold Grogu, pressing a button so it floats away to charge for the night. “Ready for a bath?” she asks him. He holds out his arms and makes a happy whine.
The bathroom isn’t as luxurious as the one in the hotel from a year back, but it’s still nicer than anything she had on Tatooine. It’s much harder for two people to squeeze in, but it’s doable. At least Grogu takes up very little space. As it fills with hot water, heated by the planet’s natural volcanic activity, she sheds off her sweaty, dirt-caked clothes and pushes them into a pile away from her. She shakes out her hair and leans down to take off Grogu’s clothes, folding them and setting them aside.
Into the tub they go, his happy noises echoing against the walls. He sits on her knees as usual and splashes about. “Huh? Where’s my soap… oh.” She frowns, noticing that someone, not her, must have left it on the sink when he washed his face. “Grogu, I’m sorry, do you mind?” He turns his big eyes towards the bar on the sink and extends his little hand towards it. With his powers, he lifts it up and gently floats it over to her hand. “Thank you, my little dear.” She pets his head.
Once they finish their bath, she notices that it’s getting dark and Din hasn’t returned yet. He will soon, she tells herself. He always does. She dresses them both and places Grogu on the floor next to his toys while she brings the ingredients from the market into the kitchen and starts to cook. Occasionally, she’ll stop to peek her head around the corner and make sure the little one is safe before returning to preparing the meal.
Just as she’s about to finish, she hears heavy footsteps outside the door. It slides open and the Mandalorian strolls in, without a word as usual. “You were out for a while,” she says, gathering the bowls while Grogu makes incoherent sounds of joy. Din sighs deeply and takes a seat at the table.
“There were more of them than we expected.”
“That’s annoying. Did you finish the job?”
“Yes.”
She sets down a piping hot bowl of soup in front of him, giving him a welcoming smile. “I hope Karga paid you more.”
“He did.” He looks down to see Grogu groping at his leg and bends down to pick him up. “How about you, you little womp rat? Did you stay out of trouble?” Grogu responds with a tilt of his head and a sputter. He chuckles, sitting him down on the table next to his small bowl of soup. Finally, she sits down too. Din makes a soft groan as he reaches for his bowl, lifting his helmet just an inch to take a sip.
She lifts a brow. “Still sore?”
“I’ll be fine.” Grogu mimics him, taking sips and setting his bowl down when he does. “Nothing you haven’t seen before.”
“If you say so.” She sips some of her soup. “After dinner, I’ll clean up and you put the kid down. Sound fair?”
“Fine by me.”
As she scrubs the dishes in the sink, she looks over her shoulder to watch him carry Grogu to the second bedroom where his crib is. She can’t hear what he says to him over the water flowing from the sink, but she knows it’s something sweet, as it always is. Once she finishes up with the dishes and the counters, she goes to their room to prepare the salves and sprays they use to patch him up. For the longest time, he insisted on doing it himself, as he always did, but lately he’s been willing to let her do it. As she does, she hears that he’s hopped into the shower for a quick rinse — too bad he always keeps the door locked.
Din never takes long, finishing up quickly and using quiet footsteps to come back to the room. His helmet remains, but he sets his armor down on top of a crate, baring his torso and sitting down on the bed.
It’s always so odd to think that even though they’ve been — what was the word Peli used? — involved for a year, but it’s only recently that she’s seen more of him underneath his armor. The first thing she noticed were the many bruises that marred his skin. The armor protects him from most things that would scar him, but every now and then, a blade or a blast can crawl through the unprotected pockets and mark him.
She sits next to him, salve in hand and ready to nurse his wounds. When she begins, he hisses and groans. Unfortunately, she’s used to it. “What did you do today?” he asks.
He could use the distraction. She presses gently, letting the salve do its magic. “Not much. Did a little more arithmetic with Grogu.” She chuckles. “He likes your lessons better, let’s just say that.” He shakes his head with a little laugh. “They asked me to help out at the shop. Couldn’t get a ship off the ground.”
“But you did?”
“But of course.” She takes the spray and gives his skin a spritz. “Then came home and made dinner.”
Din is quiet for a moment. “Do you… like it?”
“Like what?” She tilts her head.
“Days like this. Working. Giving lessons. A normal kind of day.”
“Hmm. It’s nice to have these moments of rest,” she tells him, holding his wrist. “Makes you thankful for them. But, you know? I miss the chaos too much.” She rubs the salve over a small burn. “Remember Chalacta?”
Din shakes his head in amusement. “Please don’t remind me.”
“Okay, fine. What about Seelos? When we drew out that bounty together. You waited, I played. Made almost exactly what you got for the reward.”
“I remember.” His muscles let go of their tension under her touch.
She finishes up, giving his shoulder a kiss before she stands up to put the supplies away. “Should I get the lights?”
“Please.” He scoots towards his side of the bed and waits for the lights to turn off, leaving the room in complete darkness. She knows her way back to the bed, of course, and crawls to her side while he pulls the helmet off and sets it on the night table. Settling under the covers, he turns on his side, pulling her closer. “I want to ask you something.”
Ahh, there it is. His voice, unfiltered and unaltered. She places her hand on his cheek, her thumb following the lines of his face. “Shoot.”
“Is… is this enough for you?” he asks.
He knows what she’s asking. “It is,” she said plainly, knowing that being direct would be the fastest way to reassure him. “Is it enough for you?”
“I think so.”
“You think so? That doesn’t so sure.” She gets comfortable on her side. “What’s on your mind?”
Din sighs, taking the time to find his words. His hand rests on her waist, fingers drumming on her night shirt. “I… I’m happy. Happier than I thought I could be, maybe more than I should be. But, I want to make sure you’re really happy. And I think, if there’s anything more that you wanted, then I would want to do it.”
“Anything more? Like… what?”
“You tell me.”
She huffs. “Well… I guess there is one thing I want right now.” She leans forward, their foreheads touching as her voice drops to a whisper. “Can you guess what it is?”
Din sighs, but he hopes that she can hear the amusement in his voice. “That doesn’t count. We already do that.”
“Mmm, yeah, I know…” She pushes her fingers through his curls. “But it’s so weird. Doesn’t matter how many times it’s been, I always want more.”
He leans in, closing the gap between them. His lips press against hers in a soft kiss as he hovers over her, pulling her into his arms. How strange, he thinks. He feels the same way.
In the outside world, they cannot kiss. They cannot feel each other’s skin or even let their eyes meet without some sort of barrier in between. He thought that by now, she would have grown tired and frustrated about it, but he underestimated her. Here she is, still kissing him with smiling lips and running her fingers through his hair, cherishing the moments where they can feel each other. He never lets a single second slip by.
Din takes his time, kissing her neck and down to her collar bone as his hands pull up the hem of her shirt. His lips and stubble make her shiver, her breathing still quiet for now. Gently, he takes her breasts in his hand, earning a low hum of approval. He kisses down to her peak and finds it already hard against his tongue. As he envelopes his lips around it and sucks, he tastes her clean scent and hears the hitch in her breath. Her back arches slightly and she pushes down on his head, inviting him to do it harder. A playful nibble is all it takes for her to whimper and press the back of her hand against her lips. He leaves her nipple glistening and red before he lowers his head to give the other the same treatment, all the while his hand venturing down to her shorts.
He pulls down on them, bringing her underwear with him. She lifts up her hips to help him take them off, her leg brushing by the bulge forming beneath his clothes. Din sits up, kneeling before her and sliding his hands down her legs. He wraps them around his waist, warming her thighs and letting her grow impatient for his touch. His palm presses below her navel, fingers tracing circles around her skin so he can feel her jolt. Patience, his hands say. Patience.
Din leans over, holding her chin between his thumb and forefinger as he parts his lips against hers. He kisses her deeply, tongue lazily brushing against hers. She moans against him, both in enjoyment of the kiss and frustration that he hasn’t touched her more. All in due time. When he parts from her, his thumb slides between her lips and she tastes the salt of his skin, closing around it. She playfully sucks on him, hoping it to be a precursor for things to come. He replaces his thumb with two fingers, the heat of her mouth sending yearning down his chest and deep into his core. His fingers pop out of her lips and he finally dips his hand between her thighs, exactly where she wants.
When he finds her slit, she breathes in fast, her body awakening. Her voice is still barely above a whisper, but a single curse from her is all he needs to shiver with need. Din audibly breathes out, stroking her up and down, feeling her legs curl around his. She bites down on her lip, trying not to make a sound even as he sends throbs of sweet delight throughout her body. But he knows her too well, knows which strokes and swirls make her thighs clench, her fingers and toes curl. She throws her cheek against the pillow, whining against the back of her hand.
Not yet. She sits up and catches his wrist. “Din,” she breathes. “Ngh…” Despite that, he continues. “Mgh! Wait, wait. Wait…” He stops. “L-Lie down. Please?”
He kisses her head. “Alright.” Then he pulls away, lying down beside her and already pulling his pants down for her. Once she finishes for him, she crawls onto him and slides her palms down his hip bones, following them to his thighs. She listens for his quiet moans that come from his throat, fingers finding his hard cock and stroking it up and down. Lowering her head, she parts her lips and licks the tip, teasing him before she takes him into her mouth. Din’s hand falls on her head, pushing her hair away and grasping it when it gets too good. Even after all this time, he represses his voice well but his body still betrays him.
She lifts her head, adjusting her position so she’s reversed and he has easy access. Din holds her thighs, surprising her with how fast he yanks her down onto his tongue. She claps a hand over her mouth to quiet her sound, melting to his touch fast. Now she has to catch up. She thrusts her lips around his length, bobbing her head up and down and muffling her own moans. His muscles tense underneath her, fingers digging into her skin as she brings him closer and closer towards the edge. Her head grows hot and the sensation spikes underneath her skin. He tongues her harder, mercilessly bringing her to her peak. She claws the bed sheet and represses her vulnerable moans, seeing stars behind her eyelids and feeling enraptured by waves of pleasure. While she rides the high of her climax, she strokes and sucks faster to take him with her. He hides his deep groans behind his lips and teeth, nails raking her thighs as she catches his milky strings on her tongue.
Finally, when both are spent, she collapses and rests her cheek on his thigh. They fill the room with their labored breaths, taking a few minutes to breathe and for the adrenaline to leave their system. Then, she slides off of him and turns, snuggling into his arms and resting on his shoulder. He leans over, landing a kiss on her forehead.
Knowing her, she’s going to want a round two, but he’ll need some time. Not that minds, of course. To him, there’s no better feeling in the world their chests pressing together, their bodies one. The only thing that would make it better is if he could see her face during that time, but he’s on thin ice with the Creed as is. One of these days, he knows he’s going to give in — he’ll sleep in and choose to let her see him in the morning light as opposed to waking up and leaving before giving her the chance. But, every morning, he wakes up before her and allows himself to take in her sweet, sleeping face before he pulls away.
Who knows if that day will ever come.
For now, he can enjoy giving her fluttering touches that, with her heightened sensitivity, make her squirm and whine. He can bury teasing laughs against her neck, kiss it like so and tickle her skin. And he can squeeze her flesh between his fingers, leaving marks that remind her where he’s touched.
Din slides over her, kissing her lazily and slowly. One hand slides under her shoulder while the other slides down to her waist and then her thigh, separating them. His hips grind against hers, the friction humming his body back to life. She rests her hands on his shoulder blades, fingertips outlining the dips his muscles make while her feet slide apart on the sheets, inviting him in closer.
She knows that she’ll never get to surprise him with a kiss or see his handsome face, but she is thankful for their intimacy. She knows Din bares himself completely like this, letting her touch and hear him more than anyone else ever had. It just makes it all the more special.
Din presses his forehead against hers, halting his hips and reaching in between them. His tip rubs against her entrance and she braces herself. With a soft groan, he slides in, stretching her walls to fit his thick girth. She represses a high moan behind her lips, her legs wrapping around his waist. Din rocks his hips, starting slow. Even so, the sensation is intense enough to make her whimper and quake. Her heel presses against his buttocks, asking him to go faster.
He grabs her hands and sets them above her head, intertwining their fingers and keeping her still. Their chests share heat, a thin layer of sweat forming on the surface. She bites down on her lip to keep quiet when she so desperately wants to be loud, to relish in the sweet torture he gives her. Din’s muscles tense, pleasure squeezing and slacking with each thrust, enticing him to chase it.
“Din…” Her eyes roll back and she flutters her eyes closed. “Mmm… I’m… I’m gonna…”
“Not yet.” He slows down and she groans in frustration. “Not yet…”
“P-Please?”
He kisses her once more. “Keep saying my name.” He bucks hard, almost making her gasp loudly. Even so, she complies. She moans his name right in his ear, sounding so amorous. He keeps her pinned down as he thrusts faster, breathing harder against her neck. Everything within him tightens further and further, the pleasure escalating fast. Din’s climax makes him growl from his throat and his body shudder as her tight walls clench around his dick. Ecstasy seizes him at once, bursting heat through his veins. His breaths stagger as he finally relaxes, chest rising and falling against hers, his fingers letting go.
They stay like this in the afterglow, his weight pressing down against her as he rests. She kisses his shoulder, tracing shapes along his back and keeping her legs wrapped around him. “Mm…” Her voice is hoarse and raspy. “I love you,” she whispers.
They’ve only been recently saying it. “I love you too.”
---
The beeping of the alarm makes her groan, her hand flying over it to shut it off. I have so much to do today… I have to go wake Grogu up. Get him some breakfast. And then what? Oh, yeah, probably do more of his homeschooling. I’ll go see what Din has in store today too—
As her eyes open, she feels something heavy around her waist. That’s odd. She looks down to see an arm around her. No way. Is that—
“Good morning.”
Her body awakens as her eyes widen, staring at the wall of the room. “D-Din?” The room is bright enough from the morning light seeping in through the windows. She doesn’t make any sudden movements, in case it’s a mistake. Then again, if it was, he would have already done something about it. Does… does that mean it’s okay?
She takes her time, her heart racing as she turns her head. Her eyes trail from his hand, up his arm, all the way to his shoulder.
When she turns completely, her breath is stolen away.
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jpitha · 1 year
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The Birthday Surprise
For the next few weeks, Kelly and Panemi were inseparable. Panemi showed Kelly all around the Starbase, and brought her to all the places kids on board liked to go.
Panemi took her to the best places to get drinks and snacks, showed her everyone's favorite theater, showed Kelly her favorite art along the halls and even took them to see the K'laxi practicing their coordinated dancing down in the Commons.
Kelly meanwhile told Panemi everything she could about life planetside. She showed her photos and videos, and talked about life on Pavarti and how they took a trip when she was 10 to the other continent and had a beach vacation. Kelly loved to swim and was disappointed there was not even a pool on the Starbase.
Kelly's parents approved of Panemi, and thought she was "a nice girl" who was clearly infatuated with Kelly. They knew better than to tell Kelly that, lest they embarrass both of them. Her father just smiled to himself when Kelly was showing Panemi photos and she hung off every word.
For her part, Kelly didn't seem to notice, but she did enjoy spending time with her friend. Later, her mother would say that she always was just a touch oblivious, but it was an endearing trait.
Kelly's 17th birthday party came and her entire class came to it. Kelly set up a barbecue in the common area. She brought recipes for Pavarti specialties (they have a large grilling culture and a lot of food is made on the grill) and everyone had fun making and eating them.
As the food was wrapping up, Panemi stood up and made a gesture to everyone. They stopped talking and faced her.
"Kelly, we all wanted to say what a great time we're having and how it was so nice for you to come to our home and we wanted to give you a little bit of Parvati here. She clicked her headset. "Starbase? Can we go now?"
Starbase answered in all their headsets. "Yes Panemi, it's ready."
"What's going on Panemi?"
"It's your birthday surprise of course! Come on!"
They all got up and walked to the end of the commons, and got into an elevator. As they went lower, Kelly was nervously curious. "What's all this?"
"Just you wait." Mary said, grinning. You'll love it. I can't believe Panemi got permission."
"Yeah, it's amazing." another K'laxi classmate, Unamelian said.
The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. They were in a vestibule, still very much under construction. One could see where there would be a welcome desk, and benches, and lockers. Everything was in a white and blue and green motif.
"Starbase says it's still a few weeks from being done, but I got special permission to come here early. When I told them why, they were super excited and agreed it would be an amazing gift. Come on, it's this way."
Panemi led everyone through the door in the back of the vestibule.
Kelly's eyes went wide and she gasped when she saw it. "It's a pool!"
Three olympic sized swimming pools were in different stages of construction, mostly finished. The one in the middle was finished, and was filled with water. Lights under the water danced in the ripples on the top and the overhead lights shined like a warm summer sun.
"Happy Birthday!" everyone shouted.
"Everyone, this...this is so nice!" Kelly was tearing up. "I've never had a gift like this before."
"Happy Birthday Kelly!" Starbase said in their headsets. "Panemi asked if you could use one of the pools early for your party, and we worked a bit extra to make sure one was ready. You can use it for two hours, and then we have to drain it and complete construction. The pool deck will be open for everyone next month."
Realization dawned. "I have to run home and get a bathing suit!" Kelly said.
Panemi held up a bag. "Nope! I asked your parents and they gave me one of yours and a towel. You just have to get changed!"
Panemi told everyone to come ready to swim, but also to keep it quiet from Kelly. Everyone went into the locker rooms and got their suits on.
Everyone had an amazing time. Nobody on the Starbase gets to swim, so everyone had fun mostly splashing and playing in the pool. Kelly knew how to swim from her time on Parvati so she spent some of the time showing everyone how to do some basic swimming moves and how to float. It turns out the K'laxi were excellent swimmers even though they were a little embarrassed by it. K'laxi swim with all four limbs paddling and they have a bit of a cultural taboo about using all fours for locomotion.
After the party, everyone went home, and Panemi walked Kelly slowly back to her quarters.
"Panemi, today was amazing, thank you for setting it up, I couldn't have asked for a better birthday!" Kelly hugged her.
Panemi rippled a blush and took a step back, building up her courage.
"Kelly I...I have another gift for you."
"You do? But, you've done so much!"
"This one is just from me." She reached into her bag and brought out a small box. It was made of elegant blonde wood, decorated in the K'laxi style. Kelly opened it, and there was a long silver earring, very similar to the ones Panemi wore.
"Panemi this...this is beautiful!"
"It's a K'laxi earring. They're made for our ears, but I talked with a piercer on board and they think they can make it fit yours. It'll probably take three pierces in your ear, but it should fit no problem."
Kelly held it up to her ear "What do you think"
Panemi's fur was rippling almost all the time now. "it looks really good. I'm so glad you like it."
They stood outside her door for two beats not saying anything and Panemi blurted out "Kelly I like you a lot more than just a friend, would you go out with me?" and then gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth in surprise.
Kelly was taken aback.
She teared up, and hugged her best friend. "Of course I will Panemi. I was going to ask you the same thing in just a second."
Panemi let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding and melted into the hug.
From the window of their quarters, peeking behind a curtain, her mother smiled. "Told you she'd have the courage."
"It was a close thing though!" her father said. I'm glad at least one of them got up the courage to say it. I was just about ready to ask for her!"
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atopfourthwall · 1 year
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A bit of a weird question, but I might be moving out of my home state to minnesota, specifically minneapolis, because being trans down here is rather rough. Do you have any advice for living in the state? Cool hidden spots? What to do for a person who's never experienced a snowy winter?
Alrighty, a few things I can mention - some of it is secondhand so don't take my word for it, but it'll be helpful. -Trans healthcare (and quality of healthcare) is pretty good in the state in my experience. You SHOULD be able to find the resources you need, though bear in mind while quality is good, price is no different - shit's still expensive everywhere because health care is itself expensive, but any other Minnesotans here feel free to reblog or chime in the replies with anything particularly useful or helpful. -Alrighty, your winter experiences will be slightly different depending on if you're living in the suburbs or the city itself. In an apartment in the city? You're probably fine - I'm assuming relying on public transportation, of which there are several options like the buses or light rail, though I know people from other cities who come to Minnesota say our public transport is lacking compared to other major cities. What I can say is that with the winter, unless it's a REALLY bad storm or the temperature drops to dangerous levels (we're talking degrees below zero), everything should still be open and running. -If you have your own car, during the winter keep weighted things in it - a cement block, bags of sand/salt, etc. Increased weight helps keep you from slipping. It's not perfect but it helps. Consequently, if you lose control on the ice, turn INTO the skid and pump the brakes - don't just press it flat, repeatedly pump the brakes to regain control. -If you have a house and a front walk/driveway, SHOVEL AND SALT. Overhangs on houses drip water when the temperature is right for melting, but the temperature will usually drop and freeze. Salt that area to either prevent it from freezing or make it easier to chop through with an ice chipper. Shoveling is just necessary depending on the severity of the snow (usually anything more than an inch or two should be shoveled) both for safety and because mail carriers will not deliver if you don't. -This year we had a reeeaally bad winter. Multiple heavy snowstorms that required going out to shovel multiple times during the day. Get warm clothes, wear layers - especially until you're used to it. However, most years it's fine. Light snowfall during winter, covers everything, maybe one bad storm but most of the time tolerable. -As for stuff to do - TONS! Minnesota has a thriving community of nerds, artists, performers, and just talented people in general. We have two major zoos - one of them paid, one free (Como Zoo), multiple parks and indeed Land of 10,000 Lakes so lots of lake beaches to enjoy swimming or fishing if that's your thing. The Science Museum remains one of the coolest places to learn stuff on various science topics even into adulthood. Conventions are relatively plentiful, though as a warning some cons are for-profit and have some... questionable leadership, look into them before deciding to go - particularly on the anime con front, but we have sci-fi/fantasy cons aplenty, too. The Mall of America is a big, big place with tons of fun stores and whatnot, including the former Camp Snoopy (currently Nickelodeon Universe). The Walker Art Center has an amazing statue garden, including the iconic Cherry and Spoon fountain. There's also the amusement park Valley Fair, which during Halloween becomes Valley Scare with spooky attractions in the neighboring area that's used for the annual Renaissance Festival. -Minnesota is a fairly large state. Not Texas big, but since it's mostly plains and hills, a lot of it is spread out and getting from one city to another usually requires going on freeways (we're also weird because we have left exits on some parts of freeways). If you don't have your own vehicle, you may want to consider getting one just to get to farther places. That's all I've got off the top of my head! Good luck with your move and remember: we only have two seasons here - Winter and Road Construction.
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Text
i'll find my way (back to you) | todoroki x reader | part 6
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pairing - todoroki shouto x reader
summary -
Your life is going the way you want it to - a restaurant of your own, great friends and a mostly successful escape from the clutches of canon. It’s just the infuriatingly attractive and interested Pro Hero that complicates things.
(Todoroki Shouto x Reader: the one where you realize that dodging the world of Heroes is impossible. Especially when you’ve got Todoroki popping up at every turn.)
disclaimer - I am not Japanese and I am not a chef. This fic is the result of a lot of thinking and research. Isekai/reincarnation also plays an important role in the story so just keep that in mind.
cross posted on ao3 here
part six | masterlist
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“I accidentally friendzoned Todoroki Shouto,” you announce to your friends without preamble.
Satoshi, who's just taken a large gulp of water, starts coughing violently. Ichika thumps him on the back but it doesn’t look like it’s helping; he actually looks like Ichika knocked his lungs a few centimetres to the left.
“How did you manage to do that?” Ichika asks, with the longsuffering air of a school teacher.
(Yesterday, you apologized to her the moment you entered the restaurant, agreeing to go to the banquet. She handed you a list of people who’d be attending and their occupations — a list you’d be expected to memorise to avoid any social faux pas. And just like that, the two of you were back to normal, sharing warm smiles.)
You let out a half-wail, half-groan in response, the sound muffled by your hands as you cover your face. It wasn’t until early morning — when you were replaying your conversation with Shouto, a giddy smile on your face — that you realised how your words could be misconstrued.
“I wanted to tell him I appreciated him, but he might have taken it the wrong way! What should I do?”
Satoshi frowns, “Just talk to him. You’re overthinking this.”
“Really?”
Ichika sets your phone in front of you and nods. “He’s right.”
And so, you slowly reach out to it, to him — letting yourself take the plunge into the unknown, without worrying about what awaits you at the bottom.
Shouto responds to your message almost immediately.
Let’s cook at my place this time.
He sends you his address. You spend your train ride (exactly nineteen minutes, but it feels like forever) running your fingers along the rough jute of your bag. You walk along the streets of this neighbourhood, so different from your own. Living near the commercial district has made you used to constant movement — people going to work, vehicles humming as they travel to the next destination. Shouto’s house is in a considerably more expensive part of town, and while quiet, it doesn’t feel unwelcoming. It suits him, you think. Matches his personality.
Shouto opens the door the moment you ring the doorbell, your hand still hovering over the button.
"Hello," he says, eyes crinkling the tiniest bit.
He ushers you in, his hand naturally making its way to the small of your back. You hope he doesn't notice the shiver that runs along the length of your spine at the contact.
"For you," you say as you hand him the latest volume of the manga he's been reading lately. He'd mentioned that he hadn't been able to buy it because he was so busy.
He thumbs over the glossy cover, the protagonist staring back at him, determined, daring, in bright colours. The series is definitely popular. You had to get to the bookstore early to make sure they didn’t sell out before you reached.
Shouto’s smile crinkles his eyes. "Thank you."
In many ways, Shouto’s apartment is exactly how you thought it would be. A high-rise apartment with tasteful furniture, all colour-coordinated, and personal knickknacks in random places — a cup on the coffee table, two photo frames on the shelf.
One is of Class A at their graduation, rosy-cheeked and happy, in a huddle. Cellophane – Sero Hanta – has an arm around Shouto’s shoulders, who’s distracted by a burst of confetti to his left.
You shift your gaze to the second and pause. Shouto, Fuyumi and Natsuo sit around a beautiful older woman who must be Rei. They're all smiling into the camera, laughing. Natsuo’s arm is pulling someone with a shock of white hair into the frame but they’ve moved too quickly, turning them into an indistinguishable blob of colour.
Touya, you think, quietly noting the fact that they're all together in the photo. That's good.
Despite the fact that all of Japan was made aware of the Todoroki family’s secrets in the war, you’ve never brought it up with Shouto. He hasn’t either. It doesn’t bother you. The only reason you do know more than the average citizen — the only reason you even know their names — is because you have memories no one else here does. If he wants you to know, he’ll tell you. You’ve never been one for digging up anyone’s old hurts anyways.
You turn and almost startle at the sight of a blindingly bright vase sitting innocuously in the corner, the messy paint vivid in its chaos. For some reason, it feels like it fits here too.
You let the sight of Shouto’s home settle within you, like a secret you get to keep, like a firefly seated on your palms. Every inch of the place is so undeniably him. You glance back at Shouto only to see him already looking at you. There’s nervousness hidden in his expression, but it turns into relief when you beam.
“You didn’t pick out the furniture, did you?” you ask, a knowing smirk tugging at your lips.
Shouto rubs the back of his neck, “My sister did.”
“And the vase?”
“My classmates and I went to a pottery painting session once. We ended up using every paint they had on this one. Class A tradition says that the vase changes hands every month, and the one who ends up breaking it has to pay every time we go out.”
“Why are you so certain it’ll break?”
Shouto shakes his head with all the certainty of someone who has lived in a dorm with Hero students — students with very strong quirks and too much energy — for three years, and solemnly says, “It will. Eventually.”
Your jaw drops the moment you see the kitchen.
“Is this heaven?” you ask in awe, running a reverent hand over the countertops.
His kitchen has an actual workstation-type sink — with a pullout faucet and a colander — that you spend a minute geeking out over. Plenty of natural light enters from the large windows to the side and the cabinets are fitted with lights underneath, strategically placed to cover the entirety of the counter. You’re pretty certain you’ve seen this oven and ventilation hood in a popular lifestyle magazine. The kitchen is very well-designed, all the way from the proper utilisation of space to the colour scheme.
Cooking here would be so cool.
“Good?” Shouto asks from behind you, his words dipped in amusement.
“Good,” you reply, a wild grin on your face.
Shouto smirks as he comes to stand beside you. The scent of his cologne fills the space in between, something clean and woody with a hint of spice, and you have to pull your attention away from the enticing way it clings to his skin. "What are we making?"
"Cold soba," you say, pulling out a packet of buckwheat noodles from your bag, "I remembered that you said it’s your favourite and -"
Your breath catches in your throat when you look back at him. He’s staring at you with this boyish, utterly happy smile and he looks equal parts touched and excited and —
Oh. Oh.
You are absolutely, completely, one hundred percent whipped.
Heck, Shouto could ask you to crack an egg open on your head and you’d do it.
“Where do we start?” he asks, taking the packet from your hands.
“Cooking the noodles.” You work on autopilot, still a bit stunned by the way your heart is pounding in your chest. “We’ll need water.”
Shouto pulls out a pot from one of the drawers and fills it up, setting it on the stove. He opens the packet and it’s only reflexes that make you stop him from tossing the noodles straight in.
“You need to turn on the stove first.”
“Right.”
The total cooking time, prep included, for cold soba is twenty five minutes. The recipe itself is very simple. You know for a fact that you can whip up a great mentsuyu in five minutes tops. It’s why you decided on making tempura too, saying it would taste nice on the side.
But if you’re being honest to yourself, you just want to spend as much time as you can with Shouto.
So you cook as slowly as you can, chatting with Shouto all along. You remember halfway through that you need chilled water, and putting it in the refrigerator now won’t make it cold enough. When you tell him, Shouto fills a bowl to the brim, dips in the tip of his index finger until tiny bits of ice are floating at the top. You laugh when he presents it to you, looking very proud.
He's good at distracting you. He leans over your shoulder as you work, making gooseflesh rise down your neck at the proximity. His fingers brush against yours whenever he hands you something, lingering just a second longer than necessary.
"Okay, taste this," you say, holding out a spoonful of mentsuyu.
Shouto’s face smooths over. Your shoulders tense up, absolutely certain that he’s up to something. He bends down with hand braced on the counter next to your hip, and instead of taking the spoon from your hand as you expected, he takes it in his mouth.
Your fingers tighten around the cool granite of the counter, breath stuck in your throat. Shouto is languid in his movements, pulling away with enviable ease. He licks his lips, not breaking eye contact for a second and murmurs, “It’s delicious.”
The moment seems to freeze around you but you jerk away, a squeaked-out laugh making its way out your lungs.
“Of course it is, I made it,” you joke, a wide grin plastered on your face, desperately trying to tamp down your urge to kiss him right then and there.
Having all his attention focused solely on you is electrifying in the best way possible. It's like having the first bite of an incredible dish — it leaves you craving for more. But your fear, your apprehension has always been your worst enemy. Shouto is your friend. You just want to make sure you don’t mess up this friendship in the process.
In your peripheral vision, you think you see his brows furrow. You push the bowl away from you, untying the knots on your apron. The tempura is warm when you set it in the bowls Shouto passes to you. They're beautiful — pale white ceramic with blue lilies outlined in beloved detail. You thumb over a leaf, wondering how much time the artist put into it, how much they must have cared about the bowl nestled in your palms.
Shouto digs into the meal with gusto, coming back for seconds and thirds too. He'd be great in a food advertisement, you think idly, when your eyes catch on to the curve of his neck as he swallows. You drum a random melody on the tabletop with your fingers, gathering the courage you need to say what you’ve had on your mind since yesterday.
"Hey," you start. "Are you free next Saturday?"
Shouto thinks about it for a minute. "I should be. Why?"
You begin to fiddle with the hem of your shirt. “There’s a banquet that we — Ichika and I, I mean — have been invited to. It’s this annual event to celebrate culinary achievements in Tokyo. This year they’re raising money for a nonprofit that focuses on fighting food scarcity too. I was wondering if you’d like to be my plus-one?”
“I’d like that.”
His response is immediate and your head snaps up in surprise. Shouto’s smiling, a dusting of red on his ears. “What time is it?”
You grin, breathless.
The next week is mainly chaos. The good kind.
Ichika drags you out to buy outfits for the banquet and drills you on the names of culinary elite until you’re sure you could recite it in your sleep. Meanwhile, you also wake up early to go to the farmers’ market and talk to your vendors. They throw in a little extra after you tell them how great the ingredients were last time and they teasingly rib you for all the layers you’re wearing. You sniff and pout, but you can’t hold the laughter in, giggling a moment later.
Your crew seems to have taken the last staff meeting to heart, because their focus is off the charts. The kitchen at Elements is bursting with energy and the atmosphere pushes everyone even more. You spend nights throwing together drinks for them to taste — the challenge from one Bakugou Katsuki still clear as ever in your mind. Your inspiration is bursting at the seams and you experiment more, throwing together flavours and tweaking them until they’re perfect.
Shouto’s texts are like a bubble of happiness in the rush of each day. They’re as random as ever, of course. He sent you a picture of a tree the other day, with a single word — Squirrel. You had to zoom into the branches to spot the little creature, happily gnawing away on a nut.
Things are good, and with each day you’re looking forward to the banquet even more. That’s why your heart jumps into your throat when you watch the morning news on Friday.
Drug Traffickers Attack Local Warehouse. Three Dead, Fourteen Injured.
The images they show next send chills down your spine. A midnight fight over a shipment of illegal drugs, bought and stored by a rival gang, gave rise to a fire — and the warehouse was filled with very flammable items.
Seventeen people were caught in the blaze before Heroes could save them.
You watch clips of reporters hounding the Heroes on site for statements. Deku comes forward, face blackened by the smoke and eyes shadowed. He tells the facts in a calm, reassuring voice, stating clearly that the investigation has begun and the people responsible will face legal consequences. It works for the most part. The public, while rightfully worried, has enough faith in their heroes to get the job done.
The news channel switches back to clips of the fire as the anchors speak. You dig your nails into a pillow when you spot Shouto running into a burning building, coming out minutes later with a child in his arms. He’s safe, you tell yourself. They would’ve reported it if something happened to him.
Despite your best efforts, your logic can’t soothe your worries entirely. You finally send him a few texts to check if he’s okay, asking him to contact you when he can.
Later, you throw yourself into work headfirst, letting the minutiae of your job pull you away from your spiralling thoughts. A little before lunchtime, Ichika drops in to tell you that Shouto is waiting outside. You toss your apron aside, running right towards the back door and freezing when you finally see him.
“Hi,” Shouto gives you a sad smile. He’s standing in the middle of the tiny yard, hands tucked into his pockets.
He has a mission, you think, somehow certain of it before he even says anything.
The signs are all there. You scan him from head to toe as you step closer, noting how his eyes are ringed with dark circles and his posture is slumped — thankfully, there’s no sight of any injuries besides the obvious exhaustion. Your heart clenches and you grasp his hand, “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” Shouto quiets for a minute, before starting again, hesitant. “I actually came to tell you something.”
“Hm?”
“I won’t be able to come to the banquet with you tomorrow.”
The words hang in the air between you for a minute.
Shouto's clearly waiting for your reaction, his grip on your hand growing tighter ever so slightly — like a tether, like he can keep you from flying away.
His disappointment is palpable. Fueled by the need to cheer him up, you say, “Hey, it’s okay, don’t worry about it. I assume it’s confidential?”
Shouto nods.
"It's a shame you won't be there. We could've made fun of my old boss together," you joke, trying to lighten the mood.
"I'll come to see you as soon as I can," Shouto says. His eyes are storm clouds, electric blue and thunderous grey, and you know he'll stick to his word.
You pull your joined hands up and press your lips to his hand for the briefest second. A kiss for luck.
Smiling, you say, “Just make sure you’re careful. That’s all I ask.”
The autumn sunlight wraps around the two of you like a blanket, like the warmth of a promise kept. 
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slasherbish · 1 year
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Quiet Nights Part 2
@wolf-the-clown here's part 2!
The temperature was dropping. It had to be close to freezing outside as (Y/n) pulled their jacket around them tighter. They huffed as they climbed down the incline to where the sewer entrance was. (Y/n) hoped that the warm food and blankets in the bag would be enough to help their new friend. On the way down they slipped, landing on their ass with a thud. “Fuck!” They yelled every time they tried to stand up they ended up slipping on the slick and icy mud. It was around the fourth fall that (y/n) noticed a certain masked killer standing at the bottom of the hill. Michael was amused by your failed attempts to stand on the wet icy mud. You were about six feet lower than you had been after the original fall. 
“Are you going to help me or just stand there? I can feel you getting enjoyment out of this.” (Y/n) told him with a grunt of defeat letting your head fall back onto the cold ground. Thudding footsteps could be heard and then (y/n) felt themselves being lifted into the air and thrown over the mans shoulder. He wanted to watch them fail for a bit longer but he also wanted the food that he could smell in the bag. “Oi! I don’t like being manhandled!” You yelled flailing slightly. Without a second thought he tossed you onto the ground just outside of the sewer. You could almost feel him thinking “Would you rather I leave you on the hill?” 
“Fine fine I guess it was okay since you were helping.” You responded to the look he gave. With that the two of you went into the Shapes hiding place. You cleaned and rewrapped the wounds avoiding his masked face of course. He grabbed the bag taking out the thermos that was in it. “It’s some chicken noodle soup. Basic I know but I figured it’d be nice since it's so freaking cold out.” With that you pulled out a few large water bottles and a tupperware container of (fav cookie) cookies. “Water is important so I brought you plenty for a few days.” You looked at him with a small smile before standing and turning around. You knew he wouldn’t even think about eating as long as you were facing him. Without fail you heard him start to eat. “I can’t come by every morning and night so I packed some extra food. You’re a big guy and need the calories especially since you’re healing.” (y/n) stated, they then let the silence fill the air. It was a comfortable silence now that you weren’t as worried about him killing you. 
The shape slipped his mask back down and stood up to tap the human on the shoulder. He still had no clue why this stranger would show kindness. They turned around to face him, their smile faded as they realized that it had gotten dark out. They muttered a “shit” under their breath. “I’m sorry I have to go. Uh, keep the bag, it's got more blankets. I’m gonna be late.” They said before sprinting out of the place leaving him alone to his thoughts. 
He sat down on the blanket that (Y/n) had set down for him. Michael couldn’t wrap his mind around the human. They showed no fear despite knowing what he’s done. His time in the psychiatric hospital had made him lose all trust in people, this person had to have an alternative reason to help him. No one did anything out of the kindness of their heart, he knew that. His entire life was death and hospitals. Sure he was the one doing the killing but that didn’t negate that it was a part of his life. The killer grunted lowly at the thought that perhaps this person was another obsessed human like his so-called doctor was. If so he would have to kill them. He didn’t want to deal with that, it was annoying and often ended with someone trying to steal his mask. 
His remaining fingers ran gently over the scarred mask. The burns were a part of it now and helped to tell the story. To him each and every nick, burn, and scratch on the mask told part of his life's story and he would never accept a replacement. 
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disturbnot · 7 months
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“Rules”: repost with the information of your muse, including headcanons, etc. If you fail to achieve some of the facts, feel free to add some other of your own! When you’re done, tag 15 other people to do the same!
tagged by: @silentchamp tysm i LOVE dash memes :D
tagging: you!!! yes you reading this! i think most of my mutuals have already done this nsdfjkh
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THE BASICS
Name: Ash Satoshi Ketchum Age: 37 Birthdate: 22nd May 1986 Species: Human (with a very large question mark) Gender: Cis male Orientation: Gay Profession: Pokémon trainer; world champion (part-time), Pallet House barkeep/line cook (part-time). Chosen one and pokémon whisperer (full-time).
PHYSICAL FEATURES
Hair: Black, reflecting teal hues in some lights. grey hair at the temples. thick, soft in texture. almost fluffy. Eyes: Vivid brown; molten amber. Skin: Tanned, tattooed on both upper arms and his back. Head-scratchingly free of scarring. Height: 6' 1" / 185cm Weight: 220 lbs / 100 kg; built for strength, endurance, and eating one hell of a lot; very muscular beneath a soft layer of fat.
FAMILY
Siblings: None by blood. Raichu is his brother in bond. Parents: Delia Ketchum (mother, landlady of Pallet House), Tony Ketchum (trainer, missing as of winter 1991, presumed dead). Grandparents: Kazuko Toyoshima (maternal grandmother, decased), Siba 'Bruno' Toyoshima (maternal grandfather, fighting master), Zaniyah Ketchum (paternal grandmother, Anahua region guardian), Robert Ketchum (paternal grandfather, deceased as of 1979). Other Relatives: Necalli Ketchum (paternal uncle, Anahuan artist & tattooist), Ella Ketchum (aunt by marriage, Kalia region gym leader), Yolotli Vargas (paternal aunt, Anahuan anthropologist and archaeologist), Ixchel Vargas (cousin, model), Rafa Ketchum (cousin, exploudcloud rapper), Professor Kukui (father figure/uncle, Alolan professor and wrestler), Professor Burnet (aunt figure, Alolan professor), Rei (cousin).
SKILLSET
A legendary pokémon battler, known for his creativity, ability to improvise, and be generally unpredictable; Ash also has a knack for getting completely in tune with most pokémon. Tried and tested wilderness survivor, knows how to mountaineer, build a damn good campfire, and at one point he even knew how to astronavigate before things started getting... well, that's another story for later. Ash is also a passable cook, having been taught by his mother, and although Ash lacks his father's virtuosity, he is reasonably competent at playing guitar and harmonica, as well as having a naturally pleasant singing voice.
Ash has also fostered a whole variety of other aura-based skills and powers, but maybe ... I will keep all of that for its own lore dump. :)
TRAITS
Positive: Kind, independent, curious, generous, selfless, passionate, imaginative. Negative: Reckless, not in control of his emotions, impulsive, lacks self-discipline. Neutral: Defiant, stubborn, deeply sentimental, irreverent, sarcastic.
LIKES
Colors: Ocean blue, deep red, pine green. Smells: Still night air, ocean breeze, woodsmoke, food sizzling over a fire, the electrical smell of Raichu's fur, the aromas of a matsuri late at night, his laundry when his mom does it. Textures: The duvet interior of a good sleeping bag, the ambient buzzing sensation of stroking Raichu's staticky fur, Rapidash fire, Pacalaca wool, Lugia's hide when dry, cool glass or metal, holo-touchscreens, warm fresh dough. Drinks: Water, beer, hot chocolate, Kantonian whisky.
EXTRA DETAILS
Smokes?: Plenty. Drugs: Only weed now. Driver License: Yes, but I don't think he's driven in well over a decade. He prefers to sit and chill in his dad's old car, completely stationary. Been Arrested?: You know it.
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winnielanddd · 9 months
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Let Me Bring Back My Moon pt. 1
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Kim Seokjin x wife!Reader
Summary: Jin and Y/N are working hard towards their futures. They meet some bumps along their journey as a married couple. However, Y/N is met with a difficult challenge. Will she be able to overcome this challenge without Jin by her side?
Warnings: some smut (not too descriptive) and some angst :))))
Word count: ~1.5K
Masterlist 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part 1
Home, a place that is supposed to be filled with laughter and joy. Home, now replaced with silence and sorrow. Jin let out a tired sigh, placing his hands on his hip after the love of his life stormed into her shared bedroom for the nth time this month. What was supposed to be a light-hearted conversation turned into another argument. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Not when Jin planned to come home for lunch and surprise his wife. Jin glanced at the large picture frame hanging in their living room. A sad smile appeared on his face as he carefully studied his love’s beautiful smile in her wedding photo. How Jin wished he could see the same smile once more instead of sorrowful frowns. He was brought back to reality through the buzzing of his phone.
“Hyung. We need you at practice. We’re starting soon. You should hurry before Hobie hyung gets mad.” The desperation from Namjoon’s voice sounded serious. Jin chuckled before reassuring his leader that he’ll be there shortly. Jin glanced at the closed bedroom door, contemplating whether or not he should go in and apologize for the misunderstanding. Y/N would understand, right? One step towards the direction of their shared room and Jin’s phone buzzed again. A text message now appeared. 
Jin hyung, we’ll be at practice late. Don’t forget to let Y/N-nie know~ Tell her I miss her too! You never bring Y/N-nie around anymore TT^TT — Jiminie
Don’t worry, I’ll tell her. Y/N-nie’s just been busy preparing for an important presentation. We’ll come together soon, don’t worry. ^^ — Jin hyung
“Jagiya,” Jin carefully calls through the bedroom door, “I’ll be home late because of practice. Don’t wait up for me…I love you.” Jin hesitated on his last three words. Was it the right time to say it? It felt needed at the moment. Jin received no answer and left defeated. He slips on his shoes, double-checking his pockets for his wallet, his bag for extra clothes and water, and keys to re-enter the shared apartment complex. Jin sighed, taking one last glimpse at the empty apartment, before closing the door.
Hearing the banging of the closed door from the bedroom, Y/N buried her face into the pillow. The moments of their argument replaying in her head. 
Flashback
“Jagiya~! I’m home for lunch! I brought you some flowers and your favorite take out! Let’s eat together!” Jin called out into the complex. 
“I’m in the bedroom! Give me a few minutes!” Jin chuckled before heading to the bedroom, knowing Y/N was preparing her proposal for the CEO at the end of this month. 
“C’mon jagi, take a quick break. Let’s eat while the food is warm.”
“Just a minute, please.”
“Have you eaten all day? You seem like you’ve been looking at your screen all day.”
“Yup, had a sandwich.” 
“Aww, my baby is working so hard. I also worked hard today, too, during vocal lessons! It was great! I impressed the members with my high note today. Do you need help? I can call off—”
“Seokjin, can you be quiet for one second?” Jin was taken aback by Y/N’s remark. He definitely messed up after hearing his full name drop from her mouth. 
“I’m sor–”
“Can you just leave me alone please? You keep yapping about whatever and I need to get this presentation done. I can’t take breaks whenever I feel like it, okay? I’m not like you who can come and go as you please. So, please, do me a favor and leave me alone.” 
Jin was silent. Maybe he shouldn’t have yapped about his day just yet, but the excitement to see his love got the best of him. “Okay, yeah. I’ll just be in the living room,” Jin softly spoke, closing the door behind him. 
End of Flashback
Y/N stared at the ceiling, her heart now pounding. “Fuck, I messed up.” 
~~~~~~~~~
At practice, Jin kept messing up the choreography, either being a beat too early or a beat late. “Let’s take five guys. We’ll come back to it,” Hoseok said, gulping down some water. 
“Hyung, what’s wrong? You seem so out of it,” Namjoon asked Jin, placing a hand on his shoulder. 
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just me and Y/N getting into another misunderstanding again. Nothing new.”
“Jin hyung, that’s like what? The 5th one this week and it’s only Wednesday!” Jungkook called from the other side of the room. Shit, had it really been that many? The guys gathered around Jin to hear what happened. 
“I think you both should be honest with each other. Times are tough for you both, but you should talk it out with each other. Isn’t that why you both married?” Yoongi commented. The rest of the guys agreed. 
“Yeah. I plan on that tonight actually. Thanks guys,” Jin gave a small smile before they all returned to dance practice; Jin’s shoulders feeling lighter now that he received some guidance. 
~~~~~~~~~~~
2AM came around by the time Jin returned back home. He was expecting Y/N to be asleep as he crept into their shared room. All the lights were off, the food was fortunately touched—barely. Jin was welcomed to a sleeping figure on the bed and frowned a little. Did he hope Y/N was still up waiting for his return? Yes. But Jin knew better than to let his hopes get up.
After washing up, he crawled into his spot, being welcomed with the back of Y/N. He laid there, contemplating on whether or not he should cuddle her. It was a normal thing before, why did it feel foreign now? As Jin was fighting his inner thoughts, he was startled with the arms wrapping around his torso.
“Jinnie, you’re home,” Y/N sleepily called out.
“Mmm. I thought you were asleep.”
“I couldn’t. Not after I snapped at you like that.” Y/N looked at Jin’s face, making out some of his features with the help of the moonlight. she reached up to caress his cheeks and gave him a sad smile.
“I’m sorry Jinnie. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things to you. I know you were trying to be helpful and–”
“Shh,” Jin hushed Y/N, holding her hand that held his cheek, “I know you were just stressed. It’s okay my love.” Y/N sat up to better face him and sighed. 
“No. It’s not. This has been a repeated pattern for us. This has been going on for months now. We’re both stressed from work, but it’s not fair of me to snap at you because of stress and vice versa. I’m scared yeobo.” Y/N’s voice faltered at her last sentence. She didn’t realize that tears were streaming down her face until Jin turned on the lamp light and reached over to wipe them away. 
“What are you scared of, my love?” Y/N’s heart pounded like beating drums. 
“I–fuck–I’m scared of losing you! I’m scared of losing you, losing our love, losing what we created together.” The sobs in Y/N’s voice could tell how fearful she was. Jin held Y/N close to his chest, rubbing the small of her back to console her and her sobs. 
“Shh…you won’t lose me. I’m here for you jagiya. I always have and always will. We got married for a reason right? I won’t ever stop loving you. I swear to the moon, I’ll love you forever.” Jin laid themselves down in the bed, planting small kisses around her face and neck to sooth her. 
“I’m crazy in love with you.” Peck. “I can’t imagine life without you.” Peck. “Let me show you my love for you.” Jin connected his lips with Y/N’s, making sure she knew he was serious. Jin left love marks on Y/N while undressing himself and making sure to carefully undress Y/N. His never-ending words of affirmation and endless “I love you’s” in Y/N’s ears as he entered into her made Y/N’s heart swell. 
“Fuck, you’re so beautiful jagi. Your body fits mine like the missing part of the puzzle piece,” he breathed into her ear, moving himself at a comfortable speed.
“Jinnie, I’m close.”
“Together, my love. Together.” Y/N embraced Jin, holding him like her life depended on it, refusing to let go. It felt magical, euphoric. It felt different this time. Jin planted another kiss on her lips, taking in her taste. Y/N deepened the kiss, but felt wet drops on her face. Was Jin crying? She pulled back and saw small tears leave his eyes. 
“Honey, you’re crying.”
“I’m sorry. I just realized how much I missed being with you.” As the night progressed, Jin and Y/N spoke about their feelings, being vulnerable and honest with one another. The endless “I love you’s” and “Thank you for sharing” created an atmosphere of peace.
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doctor-fancy-pants · 1 year
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High Maintenance Holothurians and Why I Live On This Beanbag Now
I have filled MANY buckets with seawater (and seawater ice slushies) and put them in the fridge for the next shot (ie the next collection operation, be it beam trawl, scampi net, or McKenna trawl). That will come up on the next shift, but I like to make sure they have cold seawater available.
This is because we have an ice machine in the lab, and while it sounds like the 80dB tortured shrieks of the hopeless damned (yes, I'm glad I packed my Loop earplugs), it does make ice fairly quickly.
What we cannot make quickly is a 20L bucket of cold seawater for creatures that are used to living at 1000m or more depths, because we might be in the tropics and all, but trust me, at that depth, it's fucking cold.
And if I try to put my holothurians in warm seawater, they will freak out and explode (and shed their intestines). If I put them on ice, without seawater, they will desiccate. That's true of many marine organisms, but while hard-shelled molluscs and hard-carapaced crustaceans can keep their internal environments more damp, echinoderms don't do so well.
(the same goes for jellies, soft corals, and less robust crusties like the little shrimp and prawns.)
Since I want my sea cucumbers to live long enough to be sorted into species (or at least what I think are species, an assessment that comes with error bars, particularly as I am not a holothurian taxonomist), and also counted, weighed, photographed, documented and finally pickled (or blast frozen) with the relevant DNA intact (it starts to degrade upon cell death), that means I spend a not insignificant amount of time lugging 20L buckets from the seawater tap to the fridge and back again.
That was a derail. Where was I? Ah, yes.
I have also done all the ethanol transfers for the current batch of sea cucumbers.
Sea cucumbers have SO MUCH water in their bodies that you can't just stash them in high-grade ethanol and call it a day, because as they absorb the ethanol, the water leaves their tissues and dilutes the surrounding ethanol, and if you were so foolhardy as to pack your holothurians tightly - surely you would not do such a thing, though! - you'll be lucky to have 40% ethanol at the end of that process.
What you will have is a bag (because if you're packing your sea cucumbers tightly in ethanol, probably you've put them in a bag. TSK TSK) of rotting sea cucumbers, which is super-fun to open later on.
What you need to do is try to get your cukes into a jar where they will occupy about 10% of the total volume. Not the one third, two thirds rule that many picklers of critters live by - nope, this is one part in ten.
(I am so bad at estimating the volume of anything that I literally stare at the cuke in the jar and try to mentally superimpose it another 9 times in that space.)
Then you leave them there - preferably in the fridge, to slow down any deterioration (a.k.a. "rotting") - give them a little swirl maybe, and maybe also give them 24 hours. After that, if you can, you should probably change out the ethanol (a full change if you have enough on hand).
After the initial fixing, you can downsize their jar pretty well. It basically depends on how much water is hanging around in those tissues.
Essentially: the holothurians are amazing, but wow, they are high maintenance as hell.
That was a derail. Where was I? Oh yeah.
I have ALSO stashed all the small starfish and brittle stars in the appropriate jars. I put them in little ziploc bags, poke holes in the bags to allow flow through, and then put them all in a large jar full of ethanol.
It's all about surface area to volume ratios (and, yeah, also water content, but that's way less of an issue with the small starfish and brittle stars), and making sure nothing has an air bubble which could allow it to dry out. Sometimes it's a bit fiddly, and I spend a bit more time than I'd like leaning over a jar full of ethanol making sure everything is properly pickled, but overall it works, preserves things very well, and saves ethanol.
(As we can see, my "be thrifty with the ethanol" policy comes to a screeching halt when it hits the "sea cucumbers need HOW much?!" issue.)
That was a derail. Where was I?
Oh, yeah. I have ALSO grabbed a drum liner and prepared a new 60L drum for the specimens, labelled it appropriately and then I have carefully stacked all my stashed specimens from the last day or so into it, thus clearing out almost the entirety of my flammables cabinet.
If this is confusing, fear not: echinoderms are not especially flammable. In fact, as an obligately marine phylum, they are perhaps less flammable than many animal groups! At least, in their natural element.
When they've been pickled in 98-100% ethanol, they become quite flammable indeed, so that's where they live when they're not in the drum (which is a dangerous goods container).
This process did involve me putting a sea cucumber into a Clip Fresh food storage box, which I then sealed with duct tape, because I am an untrusting individual and I have been hurt before, dammit. I also sealed up some plastic bags of very large starfish with duct tape, because it doesn't matter what you do, the bags will leak, even if you double bag, and probably even if you seal them with duct tape, but you know what, you can't say I didn't give it a fair shot.
(I hate, hate, hate putting specimens into bags of ethanol without then putting that bag in a jar. This is how you open a drum of specimens and get greeted by the smell of rotting tissue and ethanol, which is somehow worse than just the smell of rotting tissue. It's like when someone has terrible body odour and doesn't shower for three days and then sprays fucking Norsca all over themselves. The odour is somehow worse than if they hadn't bothered with the belated deodorant.)
(anyways: big starfish mostly do not bend, and they do not fit in jars, and often they do not even fit in off-brand Tupperware, so we make do and hope for the best. Sometimes we fortify that hope through the application of duct tape.)
That was a derail. Where was I?
Look, those were all the things I did AFTER we finished sorting and processing the last trawl... which was extremely light for everyone else, but I got a veritable FIELD of holothurians - over 20kgs of cukes all told - multiple species, including the one known colloquially as the "purple loaf". We got eleven of those.
(Chief Scientist was measuring the purple loaves and said "are we sure we don't have any more purple loaves to measure?" and I looked at my tray of long sea-serpent-esque critters and said, "no, but if you're interested, I have about six magenta baguettes...?")
For some reason, the vast majority of sea cucumbers we have seen on this voyage have been pink, purple, or somewhere on that end of the visible light spectrum. I'm well aware of why red pigment is a popular evolutionary choice for those in the lightless depths, so the pink is entirely reasonable, but the various shades of purple across some extremely different groups of holothurians is new to me.
The 1000m scampi trawl came in with more cukes than anything else, but they were all familiar customers by this point. The 400m beam trawl earlier in the shift had many less sea cucumbers but was more complex in terms of sorting across all the different groups (mostly our Crustacean Expert got hammered there, though that's usually the case. Crusties be *everywhere*, in large numbers, in many many many many different kinds).
What I meant to say, when I first started writing this post, is that... I have done many things and I am very tired and the last week in particular has been bonkers with chaos and I am not moving from this beanbag until the science meeting is finished, unless it's to go get a biscuit from the mess.
The science meeting does not start for another twenty minutes, so I am doing well. And then we do shift handover straight after that.
I was thinking I might go and organise some of the photos we've been taking - to help sort and categorise and link up our records, for groups like holothurians where we don't have a specialist on board to ID them confidently, but I'm wiped, and my feet are angry with me.
Beanbag. I live here now.
...
(I plan to add photos to this post later - I haven't done that because this started out as a Facebook post and then I realised I was writing the blog post I'd been sort of meaning to write for ages, so it was somewhat spontaneous.)
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ladytributary · 1 year
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Authentic New Orleans King Cake
This recipe is based on Ana Borden’s recipe, which was posted in NOLA.com in 2014 (http://www.nola.com/food/index.ssf/2014/01/anas_mardi_gras_king_cake_reci.html). It’s an excellent recipe and I make minor changes to it as I go. The most complicated tools that you’ll need are a rolling pin and a hand mixer. Also, make sure you wash your hands before you begin.
This makes two cakes. Or one big one. Do not halve this recipe (recipes with yeast rarely halve well). Make both cakes. If you don’t want to eat both of them, I guarantee you someone else will. Or make one big one, but it’s a lot harder to manage. The two little cakes will fit ideally on one of those thick paper platters, making them perfect for giving away without worrying about getting your nice plate back.
What you need for the cake part:
2-1/4 ounces (1 packet) rapid rise (instant) yeast
1/2 cup warm water (100 to 115 degrees)
1/2 cup sugar
5 cups bread flour (+1/2 cup on hand) (I prefer bread flour for the extra gluten.)
1 cup half-and-half, room temperature (Ana uses milk, but I find I prefer baking with something slightly fattier. Plus half-and-half keeps longer in the fridge.)
2 TSP salt
2 eggs, room temperature, beaten
1 cup melted butter (This is an entire 8 oz block of butter. Cube about half of it up, microwave it 30 s, cube the rest of it, microwave another 30 s, and then let it sit for awhile until you’re ready to use it. I like the salted Irish butter best.)
Combine the sugar and the yeast into a large (LARGE) glass bowl. Slowly pour in the warm water, swirling as you go. Both the yeast and the sugar should comfortably dissolve in. Leave that alone for 5 to 10 minutes while you get the rest of your ingredients together.
Once things are fluffy in your bowl, add in your half-and-half and eggs, then your butter, which should be liquid but not painfully hot. Dump in your five cups of flour. Put your hand in the flour and start squishing. (Were your hands clean? Wash your hands before you do this.) If the dough is sticking to your hands terribly, add another quarter cup of flour or so, then knead the dough until it has a nice smooth buttery texture to it. By this point, it should no longer be sticking to your hands. Knead it another 3 to 5 minutes, then form it into a ball.
In another glass bowl, melt a pat of butter. Grease the inside of the bowl, then put your ball of dough in this bowl. Roll it around so that it gets an extra layer of butter on it, then loosely cover it, put it somewhere warm and quiet, and let it rise about 2 hours or until doubled. Wash the bowl you made the dough in so that any remnants do not glue themselves frustratingly to your bowl and wash the butter off your hands. Quit checking your ball of dough; it’s rising. Go to the gym, play video games, do some laundry, have some lunch, or find something else to do for two hours until it’s ready.
Assembling the cake
1 TBSP of cinnamon
1/2 cup of sugar
If you have a mostly empty bottle of cinnamon, fill it with sugar, shake it up, and now you’ve got a shaker for cinnamon-sugar. Otherwise, combine these things in a ziplock bag and shake them until they’re well mixed.
On a clean surface, with clean hands, throw down some flour. Put some flour on your rolling pin, too. Punch down your risen ball of dough (POW!) and roll it once or twice into a flat symmetrical shape. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough in half (assuming you are in fact making two cakes). Put one half aside out of your way and roll the other half into a large rectangle. I usually end up with something that’s about 12” by 24”, give or take.
Coat the rectangle with cinnamon and sugar. Spoon it out of the plastic bag if you don’t have a shaker, but you should get pretty healthy coverage across the top of the dough. Once this is done, cut the dough with your sharp knife along the long edge into thirds, so you have three long strips of cinnamon-sugared dough. Fold each one of these in on itself to keep the cinnamon-sugar mixture inside. Start at one end and fold either side over, then smash it down, so it’s about a third of its original width. You’ll need to smash it fairly vigorously in order to keep it from unraveling itself, and you’ll want to pinch the ends fairly well. Do this to all three strips, then braid them.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray (I like butter flavor best) and lay your braided dough in a circle on the baking sheet. You can try to braid the two ends together somehow, or you can just kind of smash them together. Let it sit for a bit while you go repeat the process with the other hunk of dough for the second cake.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake each cake about 12 minutes. I prefer to bake them separately. It should be golden brown and maybe look a little underdone. It’s fine; it’s baked. Remove it to a cooling rack and let it cool completely.
Glaze and decoration
1 pound powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
1-1/2 TSP almond extract
1/3 cup +1 TBSP of water
Colored sugar (If you can’t find colored sugar, you can color your own by putting regular granulated sugar in a ziplock bag, then adding a couple of drops of food coloring. Use separate bags for each color desired, and apply the sugar with a plastic spoon to avoid staining.
In a nice size mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar and the salt, then use your mixer to begin to blend these two together on the lowest setting while you carefully and slowly add the almond extract and the water to make a sweet glaze. Blend until smooth and silky white.
Put your cake on its serving platter. If you’re adding a plastic baby, now’s the time, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry about it. You should be able to wiggle it into the underside of the braided dough. Drizzle the cake with the glaze, then sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sugar. (Use only half the glaze/sprinkle sugar if you made two cakes.) Do it again with the other cake.
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Finished product.
Don’t worry if your cake is kind of oddly misshapen before you decorate it. That much sugar hides many flaws. Eat up; it’s delicious!
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hamsternostalgia · 9 months
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Hi, do you have any recommendations for keeping a hamster at a healthy temp during the summer? It’s been very hot and rainy out recently so the humidity is at like 75+% (it’s unbearable lol) and I’ve noticed that Ziggy Stardust has been drinking a lot more water and sleeping in open areas of his house rather than hides and in bedding. He also seems to not be sleeping as much bc he’s uncomfortable. I’ve set up a little fan to blow some fresh air into his tank about 1.5 feet away (I don’t want it too cold plus the fan is kind of loud and I’d rather not stress him out if I can avoid it).
Sadly I’m unable to use the ac very often so I can’t like regulate the temperature of the room accurately :(
Is there a better thing I could use to keep him cool?
Thank you :)
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Hi thank you so much for asking about this!! I live in a really hot humid region so my 7 hams have definitely been feeling the heat. Here's a few things you can do, some are specific product recommendations where as others are DIY, for all budgets!
Free/very cheap:
• You can find some large stones (I recommend the size of the hamster at least to prevent all pouch related accidents), and scrub them with warm water and soap, and then freeze to kill anything parasitic! DO NOT BOIL IT CAN EXPLODE! You can put them on platforms or in containers (like the sand bath) to prevent them from getting squished burrowing under it.
• freeze sand. Put some of your hams normal sand bath sand in a bag or container and freeze it! When it gets close to the hottest part of the day/if you see your hamster laying up on the surface, add some of the frozen sand to the sand bath. It'll ambiantly cool th3 enclosure just a bit (only for a few minutes though till it hits room temp) and can be really nice especially for hams who LOVE to roll in the sand.
• Tile samples. Put a few in your freezer and change them out every couple hours! I usually put them on top of multichamber hides, but you can also lay them on a platform or under a wheel. You could also use a chinchilla cooling stone, but they cost significantly more :/
Specific products:
BUCASTATE cooling castle: https://a.co/d/5Gcalgs
its $30 as of today, but it has an icepack that you remove from the top and freeze, and it sits in the hide so your ham can't access it !!
Niteangel Multichamber Hide Ice Pack: https://a.co/d/ashyEi4
this one is only really useful if you have a multichamber hide already, and there is limited testing on this so far, so i recommend not putting it on whichever hide your hamster usually sleeps in. There aren't any reported cases so far, but there is concern that if the cooler works *too* well it may cause torpor, so use with causion till more research is out about it !
Let me k ow if you have any more questions!!! I love to answer random questions about hamsters :D
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cheesyficwriter · 2 years
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Find Me Under the Waterfall - Epilogue Part I
Oh. Hi there! It's been awhile. This little follow up to FMUTW came to me on a recent trip to the mountains, and I just couldn't get the scenario out of my head. This isn't the epilogue I still plan to write for this story, but consider it a little bonus to the main fic. There are a couple of HP Easter eggs in this Muggle AU - see if you can spot them! 
If you've liked this story, please also go check out a lovely ficlet written by sm_jl titled "Making Plans" - it's an adorable, fun follow-up to FMUTW as well :)
Thank you all for reading! I truly appreciate each and every one of you who take the time to comment. Life is busy right now - I fully intend to update my other WIPs very soon. 
Major kudos to accio-broom and sm_jl for betaing for me. 
P.S. I don't specify a location this time. Feel free to imagine these characters exploring from your favorite mountain views :)
xx Cheesy
Read on AO3
Read on FFN
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Find Me Under the Waterfall - Epilogue (Part I)
Hermione knows without a single doubt that today is going to be a memorable day. 
Although one of the hardest treks she’s ever completed has kept her on her feet for hours, she’s certain that her blog post will highlight the benefits of hiking that go beyond improving one’s physical health. Hermione has spent over an hour trying to keep up with Ron’s quick pace as they complete long stretches of vertical climbing, only stopping for short water breaks, but it's all worth it once they reach a soaring altitude. 
No matter how exhausted, hot, and grumpy she may be, her pain washes away as soon as her eyes fall on the jagged peaks surrounded by endless hills and ridges. There are no trees or shrubs to obstruct her view at the prominent high point, and Hermione can only stand in slack-jawed silence to marvel at its beauty. 
She feels so tiny, looming high above the Earth, taking in the stillness of the world. It’s important to carve a spot in her mind to remember every detail—terrain covered by thick, moss-green vegetation, hues of gray and silver-white coloring the mountain peaks. Hermione’s senses soak up every moment, from the sun warming her face as the gentle breeze blows the stray curls that have escaped her plait into her face, to the sweet honey smell of flowers growing nearby. 
She'll never be a mountaineer, but this is one trip she's proud to knock off her bucket list.
Next to her, Ron only utters one word in a breathy whisper. “Wow.”
A slight tremble rolls over her skin as she surveys the precipice below her. A hand closes over her arm and tugs her back. 
“Easy there,” he murmurs. He pulls their bodies down onto a large rock, and Hermione nestles into his side. Her heart beats wildly in her chest as he plants a kiss on the top of her head. 
She wishes she could take a photo, but today, her phone is ensconced in the bottom of her bag for emergency use only. They have always been conscious about when they need to take breaks from technology, no matter how much Ron's mum protests them going off the grid. Hermione can see herself curling up in the meadows to read a good novel while Ron scours the land for hidden caverns or peculiar sights that haven’t already been featured by other travelers. 
Yes, this holiday was much needed. 
"How are you going to describe this view in your blog? Awe-inspiring?" Ron teases after a few quiet moments. 
"Mm, maybe I'll advise future travelers to make the climb alone.” Hermione cranes her neck to find his azure eyes twinkling back at her. “Wouldn't want any tall ginger-haired boyfriends blocking the view."
"Oi!"
In all honesty, Hermione doesn't know how she is going to describe this other than say just go. I promise you won't regret it.
Ron’s rumbling stomach breaks Hermione out of her thoughts. "I'm hungry," he moans. 
She throws her head back and laughs. "You're always hungry."
"Yeah, but we should've packed more protein bars. Why didn't we?"
"Ron, I don't think we could have crammed anything else into this tiny pack."
He sighs, squinting towards the sun as he leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees. "I wish there was a way we could extend the size of your bag so that it could hold anything we wanted, without it growing heavier."
Hermione hums. "That would be more efficient, wouldn't it?"
"C'mon.” Ron ushers Hermione to her feet—despite their aching protest—and grins. “There's one more spot I want to show you."
"Does it involve moving?”
"Where's your sense of adventure, Granger?" He laughs. 
Hermione clamps her mouth shut, fighting back her prepared retort. 
Ron laces his fingers through hers, eliciting a spark that shoots up her arm. After two years together, it still amazes Hermione how affected she is by his touch. He flashes her his brilliant, lopsided smile as he pulls her along a connected trail that leads to the valley below.
The pathway weaves through the mountains, and after ten minutes of walking towards an unknown destination, Hermione can feel the blisters forming on her feet, making her groan. 
Ron squeezes her hand, offering an encouraging smile. "We're almost there. I promise it'll be worth it."
She sighs, deciding to trust him even as her boots meet the rocky terrain crunch after crunch. Water splashes up against the back of her calves as she trudges through the unavoidable puddles from the rainstorm the night before. The fallen branches blocking their path add an extra obstacle to the already strenuous journey. 
Where are we going?
Despite the mild fear that she won't have enough energy to complete the return journey, Hermione is even more curious as to where Ron is leading her. The dense air lingering in the forest is crisp and clean as the scent of fresh pine fills her nostrils. 
A constant whooshing sound alerts her ears to a change in climate up ahead. Just beyond another cluster of trees and shrubs, a long, downward path awaits. It winds around a large plunge pool, with crystal blue water surging down the rocks at its widest point.
Hermione stops in her tracks. Blimey. A slow grin spreads onto her face. 
A waterfall, of course. 
Tiny droplets of water splash her skin, a cool mist that does wonders to evaporate her sour mood in an instant. A gentle tug on Hermione’s hand redirects her attention to Ron. He's grinning madly at her. “So…what do you think?”
Water continues to clash against the granite rocks as she meets his ocean blue eyes—the ones that still make her heart go aflutter as it did the very first day they met. 
"It's fascinating to see the waterfall up close, isn't it?" His whispered words tickle her earlobe—mimicking those he once spoke to her—and he has the same unmistakable gleam of desire in his glazed-over eyes. 
Words fail Hermione as she holds his gaze. Although she would have been perfectly content exploring the mountains alone, it would never be right without him. Meeting Ron two years ago, when she least expected a man to enter her life, proved that anyone can strike up a conversation with a random stranger without realizing the stakes. For her, the stakes are completely and utterly worth it. 
She doesn’t want to go back to a time before Ron splashed into her life. She’ll never go back.
"What is it?" Ron nudges Hermione, a line forming between his brows. He’s so adorable when he’s trying to figure her out. 
"You."
He tilts his head, blinking for a moment before chuckling. Wrapping a hand around her waist, Ron pulls her against his chest with ease. Hermione’s breath hitches in her throat just before his lips descend upon hers. The intimacy of his kiss, teasing her lips apart with familiarity, ignites the desire bubbling in her veins. 
Ron drags his fingers through the woven intricacies of her plait before releasing the elastic, freeing her wild mane of curls. He moans as his hands disappear into her thick hair, gently massaging her scalp. Hermione finds herself softening under his touch, allowing raw physical desire to take over. He rains kisses down her cheek before exploring the column of her throat, causing ripples of pleasure to crash over her in continuous waves. 
Although suddenly aware of her own rapid, shallow breathing mixed with the embarrassingly loud whimpers escaping her lips, it doesn’t stop Hermione from pushing her hips against Ron’s growing arousal. His hands burn a path down her back to rest on her hips, fingers splayed along the shape of her bum. None of this is appropriate for a public trail, but for once, she can’t muster up enough reason to care. 
If she had a line in her bucket list notebook stating ‘satisfy your primal urge for exploration’, there would now be a giant check mark next to it. 
All too soon, Ron pulls away, his voice quavering in the aftermath of their wild and reckless exchange. "Fuck."
"Ron," Hermione giggles, observing the redness coloring his freckle-splattered cheeks that she loves so much. "That was—" She pauses, a quick glance at her surroundings confirming that they are the only ones standing at the base of the waterfall. “Very public. We’re lucky we didn’t get caught.”
He pouts and maintains a tight grip on her waist as he brings her closer again. "Didn't stop us the last time." The huskiness of his voice sends a trail of goose pimples down her spine. A part of her wishes that she had a way to turn back time, to experience that head rushing, heart pounding, toe curling feeling she had in the pool on the fateful day they first crossed paths.
But this moment, knowing they belong to each other, is even better. 
Hermione nestles her head into his chest, inhaling his musky, sweaty scent. "This was an excellent trip."
"Best one yet." Ron buries his nose into the top of her curls. 
"Really?” She cranes her neck up to look him in the eye. “Better than Costa Rica?"
A smirk tugs on his lips. "Fine. Second best."
"I thought as much."
A fleeting thought crosses her mind—a moment of hope, perhaps. The setting, the sentiment, the waterfall…this could be the day that Ron asks her the very important question that’s been lingering on her mind for months now. But then again, he is always full of surprises. His wanderlust has never slowed down, not even long enough to help her decide where they’d like to live. She knows she’s met her person, and Hermione will wait for as long as she needs to for Ron to be ready too.  
"If you had the opportunity to travel in another life, would you do it again?” she asks, her eyelids fluttering between states of consciousness as she awaits his answer. 
Ron clicks his tongue, mulling over her question for a moment before asking, “Would I get to meet you again?”
“Possibly.”
“If it’s even a possibility, then absolutely. Every time.”
Hermione’s heart explodes into a million, tiny little fireworks in her chest, beating so loud that she almost misses Ron murmuring,  "Where to next?"
Her answer is simple. Another waterfall, of course.
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officialleehadan · 2 years
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Homeward Bound
Hello darlings! Today’s story was brought to you by Kiliakit! Darling, thank you so much for all your support!
Prompt: A continuation of Star Song
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Leadah’s mother was about four different stereotypes in one.
A middle-aged housewife, she tolerated her husband’s drunken ways, a son who hated him, and a daughter who refused to come for family dinner unless she was blackmailed into it.
Still, Purah did her best to keep the family together.
Personally, Leadah thought it would be wiser to let it all fall apart. It wasn’t like any of them were happy in the situation.
Well, maybe her father, but it was hard to tell, considering he was in a drunken haze most of the time. When he was around at all. A great deal of his time was spent at the local watering hole.
It was probably selfish to hope that he would be too drunk to stumble home the night that she came for dinner.
At least Beck would be there. He wasn’t much of a brother most of the time, but when it came to their parents, they were a team.
“Hey Loser.”
Beck was just getting out of his transport as Leadah pulled up. She settled her speeder beside his and was gratified when he came over to take the pie she brought so she could get out. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. Really. You seen Donny yet?”
Beck refused to call their father ‘dad’ anymore. Small wonder. He used to take his drunken wrath out on Beck when they were younger, and generally thought girls were useless. He never raised a hand to Leadah, but that was largely because Beck made sure that Leadah was out of the way whenever their father came home drunk. If it wasn’t for the love of their mother, neither Beck nor Leadah would ever come back to their childhood home. The beatings ended when Beck’s magic woke, and woke hard, but the resentment over the abuse was theirs to keep.
“I just got here,” Leadah told him and took the pie back once her transport was locked. Their parents did not live in a good part of town, and thefts were not uncommon. As an added precaution, she snapped her fingers and warded the vehicle with magic. Better to be safe than sorry. “Haven’t seen Mom yet either.”
Beck muttered under his breath, but he followed Leadah inside with minimal protest. Like her, he only attended these dinners out of love for their mother who, despite his hatred of their father, he adored. Leadah rather suspected it was largely because their mother bore the brunt of his bad behavior when his magic woke early. Beck might be brilliant, but he was also an ass, and hadn’t been an easy child to deal with even before his magic woke. Purah did her best, but it often wasn’t good enough.
There was a real chance that Beck’s devotion to her now was out of a somewhat misguided attempt to make up for his behavior when he was younger.
It didn’t work for the most part, but Leadah wasn’t about to stop him. She had been the ‘good’ child when they were younger, and it was absolutely his turn, now that she was safely away and working on her career.
The house was warm and welcoming as always. The smell of the spices their mother loved so much filled the air, rich and delicious. The walls were the same battered off-white as they ever were, but Leadah was glad to see that there weren’t any new holes since the last time she came for dinner.
“Mom? We’re here!” she called out when the living room failed to surrender their mother. There was a happy call from the kitchen though, so Leadah followed it into the one room of the house that had always been her mother’s territory. “Hey Mom.”
“There’s my sweet little girl!” Purah explained, and left the stove to come in for a hug from each of them. “And my precious little guy. How are you? Did you drive here together?”
“Just arrived at the same time,” Leadah told her and set the pie aside so she could wash her hands. When she was done, Beck took her place and Leadah took a bag of green beans form her mother, and a knife. She might not be much of a cook, but she didn’t mind doing prep work, and cooking was her mother’s domain. Purah didn’t have much magic of her own, but her cooking was always flawless. “Where’s Dad?”
“Oh, you know, out and about,” Purah hedged in the same way she always had when their father was out getting drunk. She had been making excuses for him so long that Leadah wasn’t even sure if Purah believed them anymore. It was possible to say a thing so many times it almost became the truth. “I’m so glad you kids decided to come for dinner. Tell me all about how everything has been going!”
“Tag, you're it,” Beck muttered to Leadah, and paused to give her a barely-there hug, so quick he could almost pretend he hadn’t done it at all. “Glad to have you in town, sis. I’m gonna redo the wards.”
“I’ll join you when I’m done with the beans,” Leadah assured him and turned back to their mother, who was smiling, a little fragile, a little sad, but happy. Leadah and Beck hadn’t always been close, and still weren’t. Just being on the same team for a night was more than they usually managed, but then, when it came to dinner with their parents, all bets were off.  “So Mom. What do you know about song magic? Because I’ve got a project I’m sure you’ll love.”
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Sorcery Spells
Star Song (Subscriber Only!)
Homeward Bound
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MASTERLIST
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