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dreaming-medium · 5 months

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Christmas Wrapping

Pairing: Changbin x reader (established relationship)

Word Count: 2.1k

Genre: fluff fluff fluff

Summary: Your boyfriend is horrible at wrapping presents. How lucky that he has you to help him.

A/N: This isn’t proofread yet, but I couldn’t help but think of soft Christmas Binnie while I was wrapping presents today <3 Enjoy!

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“Oh lord.” It comes out of your mouth before you can stop it. Then, your statement is quickly followed by a snort and a laugh.

When you opened the door to you and your boyfriend’s shared apartment, the last thing you expected to see was him standing at your kitchen island wrapping presents.

Poppy Christmas music is playing loudly on the Alexa on the kitchen counter. He’s singing to himself, moving his hips back and forth to the beat.

The softest looking cashmere sweater stretches over his broad shoulders, dress pants barely containing his muscular legs.

He may be wrapping presents, but he’s the one that looks like a gift that’s only missing a bow.

The cherry on top was the Santa hat plopped on top of his curly hair.

‘Wrapping presents’ is a loose term though. The two parcels he’s done already are stacked on the counter with the worst wrap job you’ve ever seen in your life.

The edges were bumpy and lumpy, the paper jutting out in every direction. There was so much scotch tape on the paper you’re wondering if you should’ve picked some up on your way home.

Kicking off your shoes and hanging your coat up, you notice that Changbin hasn’t noticed you come home yet, he’s too wrapped up in his Christmas bubble— no pun intended.

When you pad up behind your cozy boyfriend, you slide your arms around his waist and hug him from behind.

Changbin jumps, startled, and makes a tiny noise of surprise.

“Hi, Binnie,” you coo, squeezing him tighter.

“Hello, my Christmas Angel.” His hands rest on top of yours.

His body heat already warming you up from the outdoor chill.

You peer around his shoulder down at the present in front of you. He’s about halfway through the Holiday Abomination he calls wrapping.

“What are you up to?”

He hums and reaches down to twist the half-wrapped gift around. “I knew we were going to be pressed for time before the party tonight, thought I would help with wrapping gifts so you didn’t need to rush.”

Your heart swells three sizes like the grinch, a genuine smile gracing your cheeks.

“Aren’t you sweeter than a Christmas cookie?” You move around to stand next to him and press a long, sweet kiss to his cheek.

When you pull away from his cheek, he’s quicker. Changbin sweetly grabs your face and presses his lips to yours for a long, delicate kiss.

Pulling away, he rubs your cheek with his thumb. “You’re home early, sugar plum.”

You giggle. He’s made it his mission since December first to call you every cheesy Christmas pet name he could think of.

“My boss let us loose for the holiday.” Once more, you wrap your arms around him, he turns to face you completely.

“How nice.” Another peck to your lips.

“More time to spend with my amazing boyfriend,” you say against his lips.

Changbin kisses you again. “Is he coming?” You pinch his side. He yelps and jumps in your arms.

Again and again he kisses your lips sweetly.

You don’t even bother opening your eyes in between them, you know he’s going to continue over and over again.

Eventually, the kisses move to your cheeks, to your nose, your forehead, anywhere he can reach.

Both of you are smiling like idiots, unable to stop your childish giggles.

“Okay, okay,” you laugh and push his chest to get him away from you.

Changbin whines. “One more, one more!”

“Okay, okay!”

He leans in and kisses your lips; it’s so soft and gentle. Every delightful emotion that comes with the holiday season is packed into it.

How did you ever spend a Christmas without him? All of those Christmas songs make sense now that you’re with him.

When you lean back to separate from the kiss, he leans forward more, grabbing your waist with both hands to keep you close to him.

The two of you are both so whipped for one another— it’s so sweet it could rot your teeth.

You laugh into the kiss, Changbin can’t help but smile against your lips. Your happiness is so contagious.

Turning your head, you wrap your arms around his neck and look down at the kitchen island.

He continues his assault on your face in spite of his ‘one more’ statement.

You can’t even be mad or upset at the terrible wrap job of the gift, he’s helping in whatever way he could think of.

But, my god, it’s so bad.

More and more laughter bubbles from your chest the longer you look down at it. How did he even do this horrible?

“Binnie, my dear?” you ask.

“Yes, my Christmas cookie?” he responds in between smooches.

“Have you ever wrapped presents before?”

Slowly, his kisses slow down, one by one until he stops and turns to look down at the present in front of you both.

His arms wrap around your waist even tighter, his cheek presses against yours.

God, the two of you are sickening to anyone but yourselves.

“Is it obvious?”

Yes. “No.”

You turn and kiss his cheek. “I think it’s great for your first time.” Kiss. “I’ll help you with the rest.” Kiss. “And I’ll show you an even easier way to wrap them.” Kiss.

He laughs against your face.

“Okay, okay, come on then, teach me how to wrap them, Betty Lou Who.”

Reaching up, you pinch his cheek playfully. “Don’t be a grinch.”

Chuckling, he pushes your hand away from his face, feigning pain.

You both turn and look at the present. “Here,” you say, turning it around a bit. “We’ll finish this guy and then do the rest.”

Changbin presses one last kiss on the crown of your hair and turns his attention to the poorly wrapped gift once more.

“Can you man the tape dispenser?” You grab the tape and hand it to him.

He nods, already ripping one piece off.

Assessing the damage, you go to work. It’s a box set of party games that you bought for Felix. He’s been hosting more get togethers at his apartment, and each time, he complains about not having any games to play.

You fold the paper around and make some cuts at the excess.

When you hold your hand out, Changbin sticks a tiny piece of tape to your finger. Smiling, you tape down the paper and spin the box to work on the sides.

You repeat this process over and over with the gift until it’s covered with green and gold paper.

Humming, you look around. “Do you wanna put a bow on it?”

Changbin giggles, “Yes.” He reaches for the bag and finds the bow with the most glitter on it and sticks it right in the middle of the box.

“Okay, now write his name on a label and stick it to the box.”

He follows your instructions and you grab the next present.

A new picnic basket set for Hyunjin. Changbin insisted this was the perfect gift for him.

Thank god it came in a box.

You roll out the sparkly paper and start measuring and cutting. Changbin watches closely over your shoulder.

Fold after fold, you wrap up the gift, your boyfriend continuing to hand you pieces of tape.

He hums and sings along with the songs playing over the speaker.

Before you could even ask, he slaps on a big bow and a premade label.

“Beautiful!” he cheers, picking up the gift to move it to the side.

He puts it with the other completed gifts. The stark difference between your handiwork and his makes you snort.

Three more gifts to wrap.

You grab the nice diffuser you bought for Chan. It came with several scents which you read were great for falling asleep; which he desperately needed.

Hovering over your shoulder, Changbin continues to watch your movements closely.

In between tape pieces, he kisses your neck and shoulders softly. Each press sends goosebumps down your arms.

Within a few minutes, the diffuser is wrapped, a bow placed on top with a label written out.

Changbin grabs the gift and moves it to the side.

You’re preparing to wrap the new knife set for Minho when you feel something placed on top of your head. A soft, white puff ball bounces in front of your eyes.

“Much better for my little snow Angel.” Changbin wraps his arms around you from behind, his nose tucking into your neck.

The Santa hat that now adorns your head matches his.

You lean into his warmth, it wraps around you like a blanket. To the slow rhythm of the music, Changbin sways the two of you back and forth.

You’re still able to reach the gift in his grasp.

Humming to the music, you continue to wrap Minho’s gift. Changbin picks up the tape and hands you pieces.

With the way he’s holding you, it’s like you have a second set of arms.

Which would be remarkably helpful this time of year.

The gift is wrapped before the song is over.

“You want to put a bow on this one?” you ask, turning your head to kiss his cheek.

Changbin looks over to where the bows and labels are on the counter. Dramatically, he reaches his hand out to them. “So far away,” he whines.

Quickly, his arm comes back to wrap around your middle. “Too far away, sorry.”

You kiss his cheek two more times, a dopey smile pulling at his lips. “Drama Queen.”

Pushing the gift to the side, you grab the last one. A laptop stand for Jisung. According yo Changbin, he’s been slouching to look at his in the studio.

“Can I wrap this one?” Binnie asks on your shoulder.

“Of course, baby.”

He releases your waist and comes around to your side. When you don’t move, Changbin looks down at you expectantly.

“What?” you ask with a laugh.

“Assume position, Mrs. Claus.” He motions behind him.

You laugh and grab the tape from him. “Oh, sorry, Mr. Claus.”

As soon as you’re behind him, Changbin reaches behind him to grab your wrists and wraps them around his body.

You’re barely able to peer over his shoulder or around his bicep to see how he’s doing.

Changbin hesitates for only a few seconds before rolling out the wrapping paper.

He smells so nice. You nuzzle your nose into his sweater. A clean, musky scent wraps around your nose. He smells like the holidays.

Your arms tighten around him.

“You’re bad at playing Tape Girl.” He pats your hand.

“My bad, there’s a hulking man blocking my vision.” You rip a piece of tape and hold it for him to take.

Changbin takes the piece from your fingers. “A muscular hunk, you mean.”

“A muscular, sexy, bulging, handsome man.”

“Oh, I like that better.”

You feel him flex his abs under your hands. Giggling, you squeeze him tighter.

There’s some movement, you rip another piece of tape. He takes it.

You take over his previous job of swaying to the music and humming behind him. The softness of his sweater feels so nice against your cheek.

His shoulder muscles move with each fold and turn off the present.

When you rip each piece of tape, he takes it gingerly.

It takes a lot longer than if you did it, but Changbin proclaims the present as finished after a few minutes.

Peering around his body, you warily take a look.

And much to your surprise, the present is neatly wrapped! It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s definitely better than his first two attempts.

“Wow, Binnie!” you say with a smile. “You learn quickly!”

He turns around, you move your arms up around his neck.

Changbin nuzzles his nose with yours in an Eskimo kiss. The two of you giggle like school kids.

His arm raises above your head. Pulling away, you look up to see him holding a small bundle of green ribbon.

“Mistletoe,” he says cheekily.

“That’s not mistletoe,” you tease.

Changbin kisses your cheek slowly, he moves all around your skin, skillfully avoiding your lips.

“Oh, it’s not?” Kiss. “I guess I can’t kiss you anymore then.”

He begins to pull away from you but you just as quickly yank his face back to yours.

“Come here, you big softie.”

He laughs and drops the ribbon on the ground, scooping you up with both arms to kiss your lips.

Each time your lips meet, it feels like the first time. Your heart lights up like a Yule log— his love is warmer than any fireplace, any mug of cocoa you could ever wrap your hands around.

His lips slide over yours slowly, making sure you feel every ounce of his love. Even your heartbeats begin to sync up.

“I love you,” you whisper in between kisses.

“I love you too, my sugar cookie.”

#skz x reader #stray kids x reader #seo changbin x reader #Changbin x reader #seo changbin #changbin x y/n #seo changbin x y/n #stray kids reader insert

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lovebyvenus · 2 years

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🕯💌felt like writing about the venus signs today bbyss

Cancer Venus: religious love in the lana del rey type of way, cherries and that one wedding dress at the thrift store that someone loved intensely but you know it could only be worn once with the same meaning, keeping you from buying the it. You wonder why it ended up here, why it wasn’t passed from generation to generation. Cancer venus is about emotional devotion, falling in love with the divine. You’re my religion. Regret and lingering.

Virgo Venus : Physical servitude. Take my body, take my hands, it’s all yours. Wanting to climb mountains, wanting to materially do it all for them. The last plum hanging from the tree in October, the one that seems to be scared of hitting the ground and never feeling the same again. Lists and scratches, being obsessed by a mythical ideal you’ll never reach.

Scorpio Venus : Possession, wanting to kill the person you’re in love with. Limerence. Burning letters and burying affection deep within the folds of your chest. These old leather boots you find at the thrift store, only you know they won’t be as faithful to you as they were to the previous owner. I could never tell the difference between affection and hatred

Aquarius Venus : understanding the concepts of duality and completion better than others. Understanding that the loved one is not a prolongation of yourself. Running away together, faithfulness and ear kisses. Tattoos, escapism. Delayed affection and sudden boredom. How do I not lose my sense of identity in all this

Capricorn Venus : Leather, power play and temporal devotion. Vintage clothes at the thrift store that are perfectly preserved and still smell like cigarettes. Saturn making you go through hardships in love and you going through it all bravely, you’ve seen it all before anyways. The ability to foresee the better during stormy times. Every lover is a lesson i haven’t learned yet

Libra Venus : Angels. Love that sounds like an empty Opera. You wonder why Venus has gifted you with the ability to understand love as an absolute, in a deeper way than other placements yet, something is missing. Theoretical love. Vanity and jewelry boxes. Summer flings, having multiple suitors, misconducting each and every one of them. Love that feels like seasons passing, in love with Love and Venus. Mental stimulation, mind games, subtle flirt. Loving being loved. Would I fall for you if I didn’t see my reflection in your eyes ?

Gemini Venus : Hand kisses, rings, playlists. Writing the portrait of your lover, learning their mannerism. Boredom, bliss and ecstasy. That children book at the thrift store you had forgotten about. For a split second, you feel young again and hesitate purchasing it just for the reminiscence. Having multiple love interests, having a hard time keeping up with texting. Always being the one who leaves, people never understanding what kind of heartbreak it represents as well. It only takes an intonation, a subtle movement of the hand for me to become your lover.

Leo Venus : warmth, traveling west when the sun is setting down. Picture boxes, wearing your heart on your sleeve, spiritual devotion. Intention, impulse and high school crushes. Trust issues, insecurities. That one furry coat at the thrift store that seems to stand out, you wonder what kind of extra weirdo decided to stop wearing it. Cheerleaders and 60s heartthrobs. Rnb type of love, the one that is so sweet and warm, it almost a burns but you’re left delighted with the taste of candy. It’s harder to turn that love into self acceptance

Taurus Venus : Paul Anka, slow kisses and necklaces. Skin to skin contact, the same kind of devotion you would give to a growing plant in your room. Doe eyes, heart shaped boxes and slow burn love. Sunburns and freckles. Possessive thoughts, maturing together. Love ends with death or a heartbreak. Sometimes love is not a feeling but an action and you guys understand this a lot. Commitment, late supper in downtown restaurants. Feels like I was put on this earth to worship your body and you to adore mine.

Aries Venus : bites, blood and rage. Fist fighting all the rivals but in your head only. Freckles, sunrises when haven’t slept. A LOT of sexual drive, stamina, working their body on yours, short breaths. Possessiveness and being territorial. Shades of orange, pushing limits, ultraviolence. “Take a bow” from Muse. Rashes, blushing, frustration. Dating is like hunting, healthy competition and high school crushes. Love is the desire to experience everything together, to be witnesses of each other’s accomplishments.

Pisces Venus : Pain and pleasure kinkily mixing together. Satisfaction in being heartbroken, you really can feel that tiny sense of being alive during a heartbreak am i right ? BDSM. Churches, sleeping with your partner as an act of true love. Sharing dreams and nightmares. Connecting in other realms during sex. Pure devotion, melting in each other’s eyes. Prone to Illusions and Fantasies. Being in love with fictional characters. The complicated relationship between a knight and their queen/king. 60s dreamy music, makeup and interior design. Taking substances together, Sometimes I’m scared my affection towards your every move turns into an addiction.

Sagittarius Venus : open relationships, foreign partners, hookups, tinder. Walking barefoot in the parc with your lover. Mysticism, cults, frolic love. Date night at the library, I bet your first love was some kind of teacher. In love with higher education, freedom. Feeling overwhelmed or trapped all the time. Running away together, adrenaline, concerts, connecting through sharing theoretical ideas, conversing. Loving too much, being too generous, expansion.That Simone de Beauvoir and Sartre type of love. You can go anywhere, to anyone in this world and i will still know you’re mine in the end.

#astrology #venus #venus signs #scorpio venus #gemini venus #aries venus #zodiac #taurus venus #cancer venus #leo venus #virgo venus #libra venus #sagittarius venus #pisces venus #capricorn venus #aquarius venus #astronotes

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williamedwardparry · 4 months

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Twelfth-cake and riddles on HMS Erebus

A Twelfth Night celebration illustrated by Robert Seymour from The Book of Christmas (1836) by Thomas Kibble Hervey – note the cake in the left part of the picture and the cards in people's hands.

In his entry for January 6th, 1841 in his Antarctic-journal-slash-autobiography, Robert McCormick (who was surgeon on the Erebus on the Antarctic expedition) makes this reference to a Twelfth-cake eaten by the officers:

Wednesday, 6th. — Being Twelfth-night, all the officers took tea in the cabin with Captain Ross, and partook of a Twelfth-cake, which had been given him in a tin case, and was to have been opened on the 6th of January, 1840, but had been reserved for entering the ice. It was accompanied by the customary painted figures on paper and sugar, with enigmas to solve, which afforded us all some amusement and laughter; to aid which we had a glass of cherry brandy each.

(The age of the cake always surprised me a little, but apparently, according to the 19th century Cassell’s Dictionary of Cookery, fruit cake “will improve with keeping – indeed, confectioners do not use their cakes until they have been made some months; and if a cake is cut into soon after it is made it will crumble.” (x))

I had no idea that “painted figures on paper and sugar” were a customary part of the Twelfth-cake tradition, so I had a poke around the web and was delighted to learn that Twelfth-cakes came with various figurines for decoration. They were made from moulded sugar paste, with some depicting people, some not.

In the Every-Day Book of William Hone (1827), Twelfth-cakes are described as decorated with “Stars, castles, kings, cottages, dragons, trees, fish, palaces, cats, dogs, churches, lions, milkmaids, knights, serpents, and innumerable other forms, in snow-white confectionery, painted with variegated colours”.

An advertisement for “well executed Twelfth-Night characters”, 1842 (The Australian). Queen Victoria’s Twelfth-cake, 1849 (ILN).

The Twelfth-cakes themselves were generally large, domed, and heavy, full of nuts, dried fruits, and spices. Hone, again, calls them “Dark with citron and plums and heavy as gold”. (A recipe from 1802 is available here, and one from 1830 here – the latter promises a cake 12-14 inches across.)

You could also buy sets of cards with Twelfth Night figures and riddles on them, which were sold in packs. In the late 18th century, it was customary for the party to draw lots with the cards – and whichever character a person was assigned, they would have to play until midnight.

An extant pack of Park's Twelfth-Night characters, 1843. (The Puzzle Museum)

The resolution on these is only just about legible, but here's a close-up of four of them and their solutions from the sheet:

Transcriptions: From left to right: SIR OLIVER OGLE. Why is a lover like a gooseberry? BETRICE BOUQUET. When is a cheese most like college? CHARLES CUTEMDOWN. Why are Jews at a feast like a brewer? PATTY PRIMROSE. Why is a dandy like a haunch of venison?

Solutions: He is easily made a fool of. / When it is eaten. [Eton] / He brews [Hebrews] drink here. / He is a bit of a buck.

———

Sources:

The Puzzle Museum https://www.puzzlemuseum.com/month/picm08/2008-04-parks.htm

The Dickens Museum blog https://dickensmuseum.com/blogs/charles-dickens-museum/dickens-and-the-spirit-of-twelfth-cake-past-by-pen-vogler

Elizabeth Gaskell House blog https://elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk/twelfth-night-cakes/

Sydney Living Museums blog https://blogs.sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/cook/let-them-eat-fruit-cake/

Foods of England blog http://www.foodsofengland.co.uk/twelfthcake.htm

Primary sources:

Hone, William, The Every-Day Book (1827) - Project Gutenberg

Kibble Hervey, Thomas, The Book of Christmas (1836) - Project Gutenberg

Kitchiner, William, The Cook's Oracle (1830) - Project Gutenberg

McCormick, Robert, Voyages of Discovery in the Arctic and Antarctic Seas (1884) - Hathi Trust

The Australian, January 8th, 1842 - Trove Newspaper Archive

Illustrated London News, 13th January 1849 - Hathi Trust

#polar exploration #1839 antarctic expedition #james clark ross #robert mccormick #francis crozier #(tangentially)#the terror #(even more tangentially)#19th century #if the formatting or something else in this post breaks - I'M SORRY; i had to do the entire thing on mobile; i am filled with rage #happy twelfth night!#m

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quitealotofsodapop · 4 months

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In the Wukongverse, who are the bigger Disney fans??

(asking since I've been on a metal Disney kick)

Smokey would rock Poor Unfortunate Souls by Jonathan Young but would get so into it he needs his Macaque cuddles afterwards to right his head (self demon issues, he is a hero but he also tricked people in the past and is on his journey to change and be good)

While Cherry on the other hand would hands down have fun singing Peyton Parrish's version of I'll make a man out of you since he just started his journey and his pilgrim brothers could use the advice.

The LMK Wukongs love themselves some animation goodness! Mostly to chill after a rough day. Wrap up in a blanket, stick on a film he's seen a million times, Eat some peach chips; he's a happy monkey.

LMK Macaques get distracted by the animation!! Cus? "Peaches look! They're using layered paintings to simulate movement!!" Their faves are Fantasia ( Original and 2000) naturally cus of the high animation quality set to classical music. Dawn/Peach walk in one day and find their Dusk/Plum on the ground crying while watching the cut Dali "Destino" segment.

MK's fave is "Treasure Planet". Try not to ask why or he will change the subject and switch on "Princess and the Frog".

Dasheng doesn't really care, but he watches them anyway cus Liuer and the rest of the kids really like them. He's embarassed to admit that he can sing every line of "Beauty and the Beast" perfectly. Also good date night movies - Zhanshi's fave are the fairytale romances. <3

Smokey don't care about the cartoons, but he does get down to the villain songs. Blasting "Poor Unfortunate Souls" and "Hellfire" so hard that his LEM has to step in to calm him down. Liang is more interested in the technical side of the works, but he just beams with joy whenever the babies chirp/bark excitedly at that opening logo. Shared fave is "The Little Mermaid" naturally (though Sandy argues that it's not an accurate depiction of sea fish demons).

Ace and Joker pretend that they don't care, but you know these goobers take the kids and grandkids to Disneyland whenever they have the excuse. Lots of the classics (since they just got made in their universe) and shared infodumping. Ace will send the other SWK's classic Donald Ducks and Goofy cartoons in the group chat without context.

Cherry and Olive are equally super excited cus "Moving paintings!! Heck yeah!". Cherry's faves are the og animated "Mulan" and "Lilo and Stitch" without question. The latter caught him by surprise cus it made him remember who he's always felt like "a weird little alien" on earth, and Lilo and Nani remind him of Lin. ;_; Olive is just delighted to watch anything Cherry is super-hyped about, and they both hoot happily at the tv together.

Shihou and Mihou are kids and they love cartoons no question. Shihou likes the Milt Kahl-era ones like "Sword in the Stone" and "The Jungle Book" cus he vibes with the themes of growing up, but he finds the romantic ones boring. Mihou in contrast secretly adores the classic "princess" movies like "Sleeping Beauty" and "Cinderella" cus of the sweet stories and music. Shihou will watch Mihou's "boring" films with him without complaint cus he knows how much his opal love them.

Sugar likes the "roadtrip" movies the most; "Atlantis", "Treasure Planet" etc. He's still technically on his Journey, and he loves hearing/seeing tales of others. Spice is pretty shy to voice his opinions but... he likes "Pinocchio" the best - the concept of being created and having to adapt to the world mostly-made tickles his brain in a good way.

Starfruit don't care. Why should he? He knows the real guys! He sees Peter Pan on the regular in the Library! Lilac is the complete opposite, they hold streaming parties with associated Legends to watch their "adaptations" and critique them based on accuracy vs execution. Starfruit joins in, only because he, Goldie, and Peter get to read the movies to filth in the group chat XD

Two movies that hold a place in all their hearts are:

Hercules: Themes of obtaining godhood, heroism, an unclear purpose, goth gf, and weird horses.

Moana: Island life, wanting to explore farther, doing what you can for your people, the inherit tragedy of demi-gods, the whole Te Kā situation...

#wukongverse #sun wukong #liu er mihou #six eared macaque #lego monkie kid #lmk #monkey king hero is back #monkey king reborn #new gods nezha reborn #the monkey king 2023 #monkey king netflix #journey to the west legends of the monkey king #mei hou wang 2009 #meihouwang #smash legends #disney

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felassan · 7 months

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Dragon Age: The Official Cookbook: Tastes of Thedas lore compilation / notes / thoughts [Part 1 of 2]

(Link to Part 2, in text form (pls copy-paste) as Tumblr won't let me add it as a normal link: https://felassan.tumblr.com/post/732826339350102016/dragon-age-the-official-cookbook-tastes-of)

Reference, info & general observations/ramble post ◕‿◕ (Post contents under a cut, in case anyone would rather not read cookbook spoilers. also due to post length)

[☕ found this post or blog interesting or useful? my ko-fi is here if you feel inclined. thank you 🙏]

If I have forgotten, misread or misunderstood something, please let me know.

This post is part 1 of 2, as it was getting rly long.

Dishes by type

Starters & Refreshments: Eggs à la Val Foret, Nevarran Blood Orange Salad, Fried Young Giant Spiders, Stuffed Deep Mushrooms, Rivaini Couscous Salad, Crab Cakes from Kirkwall, Fluffy Mackerel Pudding, Snail & Watercress Salad, Cave Beetles

For the Road: Spiced Jerky, Grey Warden Pastry Pockets, Pickled Eggs, Unidentified Meat, Seheron Fish Pockets, Fereldan Hearty Scones, Crow Feed, Black Lichen Bread, Hearth Cakes, Peasant Bread

Soups & Stews: Merrill's Blood Soup, Fereldan Potato and Leek Soup, The Hanged Man's Mystery Meat Stew, Fish Chowder, Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup, Lentil Soup, Nettle Soup, King Alistair's Lamb and Pea Stew

Main Courses: Stuffed Cabbage, Antivan Gnocchi, Antivan Paella, Grilled Poussin, Gurgut Roast with Lowlander Spices and Mushroom Sauce, Nug Pancakes, Fish in Salt Crust, Roasted Wyvern, Nug Bacon and Egg Pie, Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie, Cacio e Pepe, Turnip and Mutton Pie, Smoked Ham from the Anderfels, Roasted Turkey with Sides

Sides: Sera's Yummy Corn, Stuffed Vine Leaves, Honey Carrots, Nevarran Flat Bread and Yogurt Dip

Sweet Delights: Blancmange, Poison Stings, Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler, Dwarven Plum Jam, Sour Cherries in Cream, Treviso Energy Balls, Rice Pudding, Goat Custard

Baked Goods: Antivan Apple Grenade, Found Cake, Varric's Favorite Cinnamon Rolls, Croissants, Cherry Cupcakes, Chocolate Cake, Varric's Favorite Pastries, Sugar Cake, Lamprey Cake, Tevinter Pumpkin Bread

Drinks & Potions: Lichen Ale, The Hissing Drake, Hot Chocolate, Antivan Sip-Sip, Dragon Piss, Rivaini Tea Blend, The Golden Nug, The Emerald Valley, Chasind Sack Mead

Notes: These dish 'categories' are from the book contents pages, which can be viewed here.

Dishes by place / culture of origin (DA Cookbook-specific list)

Ferelden: Pickled Eggs, Fereldan Hearty Scones, Fereldan Potato and Leek Soup, Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup, King Alistair's Lamb and Pea Stew, Nug Bacon and Egg Pie, Turnip and Mutton Pie, Chocolate Cake

Kirkwall: Crab Cakes from Kirkwall, The Hanged Man's Mystery Meat Stew, Roasted Turkey with Sides

Orlais: Eggs à la Val Foret, Grey Warden Pastry Pockets, Honey Carrots, Blancmange, Sour Cherries in Cream, Croissants

Tevinter: Unidentified Meat, Stuffed Vine Leaves, Cherry Cupcakes, Tevinter Pumpkin Bread

Antiva: Crow Feed, Fish Chowder, Antivan Gnocchi, Antivan Paella, Cacio e Pepe, Treviso Energy Balls, Antivan Apple Grenade, Antivan Sip-Sip

Nevarra: Nevarran Blood Orange Salad, Nevarran Flat Bread and Yogurt Dip

Rivain: Rivaini Couscous Salad, Goat Custard, Rivaini Tea Blend

Seheron: Seheron Fish Pockets

Starkhaven: Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie, Roasted Turkey with Sides

Free Marches: Roasted Turkey with Sides

Anderfels: Smoked Ham from the Anderfels

Avvar: Snail & Watercress Salad, Stuffed Cabbage, Gurgut Roast with Lowlander Spices and Mushroom Sauce, Fish in Salt Crust, Roasted Wyvern

Chasind: Grilled Poussin, Chasind Sack Mead

Dalish: Spiced Jerky, Hearth Cakes, Peasant Bread, Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler

City Elf: Peasant Bread, Lentil Soup

Orzammar / dwarven: Fried Young Giant Spiders, Stuffed Deep Mushrooms, Cave Beetles, Nug Pancakes, Dwarven Plum Jam, Lichen Ale, Black Lichen Bread

Unspecified (DA Cookbook-specific list): Fluffy Mackerel Pudding, Merrill's Blood Soup, Nettle Soup, Sera's Yummy Corn, Poison Stings, Rice Pudding, Found Cake, Varric's Favorite Cinnamon Rolls, Varric's Favorite Pastries, Sugar Cake, Lamprey Cake, The Hissing Drake, Hot Chocolate, Dragon Piss, The Golden Nug, The Emerald Valley

Notes: Fluffy Mackerel Pudding seems to be Fereldan as it's found in DA:O in this Codex entry at the Arl of Redcliffe's Estate in Denerim. Snail & Watercress Salad isn't traditional Avvar cuisine; though snails are standard Avvar fare, this salad which has them in conjunction with other ingredients is Devon's take on snails that they made for their Avvar hosts. The given Spiced Jerky recipe is Dalish, but the book notes that preserved foods like it play an important role in many different Thedosian cultures. Grey Warden Pastry Pockets are a variation on a tough Grey Warden pastry which incorporates the far more delicate Orlesian puff pastry, that was championed by newer Warden recruits from Orlais. Unidentified Meat is usually served with Nevarran Flat Bread. Black Lichen Bread doesn't explicitly say but is clearly dwarven, as it references "underground" versus the "surface" and the dwarf Garin in Orzammar mentions it in DA:O. Peasant Bread is both Dalish and City Elf. Merrill's Blood Soup could be Dalish in origin as it's a recipe of Merrill's. Devon's Lentil Soup recipe has classic Tevinter flavors in it. Roasted Turkey with Sides is found throughout the Free Marches. Sera's Yummy Corn could be Fereldan in origin as it's a recipe of Sera's. Poison Stings is likely Tevinter as Dorian is fond of it. Rice Pudding could be Antivan or Rivaini as in Thedas you don't see much rice outside of Antiva or Rivain, or perhaps Tevinter or Qunari as it was a dish made by Krem, Iron Bull and the Chargers. Found Cake could be Fereldan as it's based on Dog's Found Cake in DA:O. Sugar Cake was purchased from a surface dwarf merchant and is based on Sugar Cake from DA:O (Feraldan dish? Dwarven?). Lamprey Cake was Devon's pickled lamprey-inspired cake, with pickled lamprey itself being a "singular" (implied: odd) favorite of an Orlesian noble. The Hissing Drake, The Golden Nug and The Emerald Valley are drinks served at the Gilded Horn in Orlais. The Emerald Valley's place of origin isn't given in the book, but we know from this Codex that it includes a spirit that is Orlesian, having been made in Lydes. Going by Iron Bull's dialogue with Varric, hot chocolate/cocoa is not from the south and is rare there. Dragon Piss could be Fereldan as it's based on Dragon Piss which is found in Ferelden.

Alphabetical ingredients / 'foodstuffs and drinks which exist in Thedas' list (DA Cookbook-specific list)

Notes: These ingredients are derived from the dish names and the lore blurbs (which appear to be in-world), not the recipes and associated ingredients lists themselves (which appear to be our world/irl-based). Also, this is a sort of scrappy list with mixed singular/plurals, some repeating stuff (e.g. I know pork, bacon, pig and ham is all "pig"), some non-specific stuff e.g. "herbs", and some stuff that is more 'a combo food' than 'a single ingredient' e.g. "dough", but just go with it ok hh, it's just meant to be a quick 'n' dirty reference list as a resource not a perfect culinary thing:

“Bitter greens”, Ale, Almonds, Antivan pasta, Antivan wine, Apples, Apple blossoms, Apricots, Assorted “forest fruits”, Ayesleigh gulabi goat (a breed of goat from which some goat’s milk is derived), Bacon, Bark, Bark bread, Barley, Beetroot, Biscuits, Black cherries, Black lichen, Blended teas, Blood oranges, Brandy, Bread, Buns, Butter (halla and other types), Cabbage, Carrot, Cave beetles, Celery, Chasind Wildwine, Cheese, Cheese sauce, Cherries, Chicken, Chickpeas, Chocolate, Chocolate cream cake, Cinnamon, Cocoa, Cocoa powder, Corn (yellow and non-yellow varieties), Couscous, Cows, Crab, Cranberry, Cream, Croutons, Currants, Custard (many variations), Cuttlefish, Dark bread, Deep mushrooms (several varieties), Dough, Dracolisk? (in one ‘sus meat’ recipe Devon wondered if it could be this), Dried fruit, Dry cheese, Eggs, Egg-white foam (for drinks, due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Fereldan ale, Fereldan barley, Figs, Fish, Flat bread, Flour, Flowers (over 70 different types of herbs and flowers used for food & drink exist), Giant spiders, Giant? (in one ‘sus meat’ recipe Devon wondered if it could be this), Gnocchi, Goat’s milk, Goats, Grains, Grapes, Grease, Gurguts, Halla butter, Ham, Harts, Herbs (over 70 different herbs and flowers used for food & drink exist), Hirol’s Lava Burst (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Honey, Hot peppers, Jams & preserves, Jasmine flowers, Jerky, Lamb, Lamprey, Leeks, Lemon, Lemon juice, Lemon verbena, Lentils, Lichen (underground and surface varieties), Lichen ale, Licorice root, Llomerryn red, Llomerryn rum (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Lurkers, Mackerel, Mango, Marshmallow (presumably meaning both the marshmallow plant and marshmallows, the confectionary that was originally made from the marshmallow plant. The form given in the cookbook is Orlesian guimauves, which accompany Iron Bull’s hot chocolate. “Guimauve” is French for marshmallow), Mead, Milk, Mincemeat, Mint, Mushroom, Mussels, Mutton, Nettle, Noodles, Nug, Nug bacon, Nuggets (nug-gets), Nutmeg (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Nuts, Oats, Oil, Olives, Onion, Orange, Orange peel, Oregano, Pasta, Pastry, Peas, Peanut butter, Peanuts, Pepper (as in black pepper etc), Peppermint, Pickled things, Pickled vegetables, Pie, Pig, Plums, Pomegranate, Pork, Potatoes, Poussin, Prawns, Puff pastry, Pumpkin, Quillback (in one ‘sus meat’ recipe Devon wondered if it could be this, and in DA:I some NPCs mention it), Rabbit, Raisins, Rams, Raspberries, Red bell peppers, Red grapes, Rhubarb, Rice, Rolls, Royal elfroot (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Rum (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Saffron, Salt, Semolina flour, Sheep, Shrimp, Smoked meats, Snails, Sour ale, Sour cherries, Spices, Spinach, Spirits (as in alcohol), Strawberries, Sugar, Tea, Toasted bread, Tomatoes, Truffles, Turkey, Turnip, Tzatziki sauce, Vine leaves, Waffles, Water, Watercress, West Hill brandy, Wheat, Whipped cream, Whiskey (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), White chocolate, White frosting, White Seleny wine, White wine, Wildflowers, Wine, Wraps (soft), Wyverns, Yogurt

'See also' / 'did you know':

Eggs à la Val Foret

Fried Young Giant Spiders: previously made an appearance in the DA tabletop. The player party arrives at Chanra Thaig and sees "Bonfires built inside steel drums provide warm and heat for the dwarves huddled around them, cooking deepstalkers, what looks like the legs of giant spiders, and small rodent-like animals on spits". The dwarves have "fuel, water, and domesticated spiders and nugs in deeper chambers for food".

Fluffy Mackerel Pudding

Snail and Watercress Salad

Cave beetle previously made an appearance in the DA tabletop. They're described as "scavengers and carrion eaters", "black" and "hard-shelled". They're also known as "rock beetles" and are "little more than a nuisance on its own. Dwarves are even known to roast and eat them out of the shells".

Pickled Eggs (from "The Whole Nug" in World of Thedas)

Seheron Fish Pockets: Iron Bull has dialogue where he says "I remember one guy, he made these things - fish wrapped in thin bread". He was talking of a street food vendor in Seheron who had been forced by Tevinter spies to poison his food. Fittingly, in the cookbook Devon narrates that they learned this recipe from a Charger.

Black Lichen Bread: Garin from DA:O had an incident a few years back where he cut himself and some raw lyrium dust got into his blood. Since then it's been hard for him to concentrate and he's forgetful. He mentions bread that's made by using lichen (I think he mentioned that his lunch was a slice of lichen bread). interestingly, like lyrium, the cookbook lore blurb for Black Lichen Bread contains reference to how black lichen is toxic.

Hearth Cakes (from "The Whole Nug" in World of Thedas)

Peasant Bread: appears in The Masked Empire. in the Dalish camp, Dalish cooks prepared a midday meal, which was served along with peasant bread. "It was almost equal parts wheat, salt, and grease, and in lean winters, it was sometimes the only thing that could put meat on a peasant's bones." Michel watches an old elven woman drizzle honey across a piece and remembers his City Elven mother putting a bit of sugar she had stolen from the tavern she worked in on his piece of bread. The cookbook lore blurb for Peasant Bread says it is eaten by Dalish elves and City elves alike in Orlais, with the recipe being "very straightforward, calling for wheat, salt, and grease in nearly equal parts". Also, in The Last Court, Seraultine (Orlesian) peasants are described as eating bread at mealtimes

The Hanged Man's Mystery Meat Stew: in a DAII loading screen, it says that the tavern's feature dish is a stew made from a different mystery meat every morning

Fish Chowder: in DA:O Zevran says "Can you smell that? Like rotting flesh. Just like back in Antiva City. Now if only you could find me a prostitute or two, a bowl of fish chowder and a corrupt politician, I'd really feel like I was home!"

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup (the cookbook lore blurb mentions the Orlesian troupe of actors from the show Wilkshire Downs. in this codex they are mentioned along with "cabbage stew")

King Alistair's Lamb and Pea Stew: Alistair and Leliana have this dialogue in DA:O about this dish (Ctrl-F "pea stew").

Antivan Gnocchi: In Tevinter Nights (Eight Little Talons), the Crow leaders eat gnocchi with dinner

Gurgut Roast with Lowlander Spices and Mushroom Sauce

Nug Pancakes, two

Fish in Salt Crust

Roasted Wyvern. Also Isabela has dialogue in Mark of the Assassin where she says "I hope I'm not expected to eat roast wyvern after this." The lore blurb in the cookbook for this dish also references this Codex

Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie (from "The Whole Nug" in World of Thedas)

Cacio e Pepe: First mentioned in Tevinter Nights (The Wigmaker Job). Illario complains "This isn't Cacio e Pepe" while making a show of tapping his dagger against a plate of leftovers. Lucanis replies "You ordered an Antivan dish in Tevinter. What did you expect?", to which Illario quips "Something edible".

Turnip and Mutton Pie

Smoked Ham from the Anderfels: a servant in Mark of the Assassin offers Hawke and Tallis "smoked ham from the Anderfels. They say it tastes of despair". Tallis replies "Wait, does it really? How can ham taste of despair? Why would anyone eat it if it did?". The servant explains "That's what the importer said. They all talk like that" apparently. This dish is also mentioned in DA:I. After WEWH Dorian says "I hope you tried the ham they were serving, by the way. Tastes of despair. Fascinating". The cookbook lore blurb asserts that contrary to rumors and what the importers say, this ham does not, in fact, taste of despair. Also, see The Jade Ham (tumblr won't let me add it as a proper link: https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/The_Jade_Ham), as the cookbook lore blurb references this item and its description

Roasted Turkey with Sides: Roast turkey previously made an appearance in the DA tabletop. Lady Sennova hosts a gala/party in Orlais, which players infiltrate/attend and at which food and drink is served. "The Game is about appearances as much as it is about outright treachery, so a dead rat discovered in the roast turkey could serve as a crueler twist of the knife than an actual twisting of the knife". The cookbook lore blurb references the comic Knight Errant, which involves Sebastian's birthday dinner party

Sera's Yummy Corn (from "The Whole Nug" in World of Thedas)

Dwarven Plum Jam: in DA:O a Diamond Quarter noble dwarf says something like "I will die without my favorite plum jam from the surface!" The cookbook lore blurb references the fact that in Orzammar, jam from the surface, especially jams made from plums, are in especially high demand and cost exorbitant prices

Rice Pudding: in DA:I Krem mentions a time when he, Iron Bull and the Chargers defended a village from fifty bandits. Afterwards the villagers paid them for their services in bags of rice. He says that they made rice pudding after that. The cookbook lore blurb references this story of Krem's

(new text block because the previous text block hit a character limit hh)

Antivan Apple Grenade: the cookbook lore blurb references Antivan Fire Grenades (two), which spread sticky fire. maybe it's my brain conjuring up sticky toffee/toffee apples, but I wanna say that this dish would not only be hot but also sticky :)

Found Cake

Varric's Favorite Cinnamon Rolls: in DAII Sandal says that Orana smells of cinnamon rolls, which was interesting to me as DAII is the game where Varric is introduced and his first (and greatest) batch of cinnamon roll friends, the Kirkwall Crew, are featured in

Croissants: Calix and Vaea eat something which arguably look like croissants in the comic Dragon Age: Deception, in an inn in Tevinter.

Cherry Cupcakes: the cookbook lore blurb says these are served by servants on stilts at the Tevinter theature. in the comic Dragon Age: Magekiller, Marius is depicted serving an array of treats and snacks to a Tevinter elite at the Tevinter theatre while on stilts. some of the cupcakes on his tray bear somewhat of a resemblance to the cupcakes in this recipe.

Sugar Cake

Pickled Lamprey: the cookbook lore blurb is referencing the book Last Flight, where Norbert de la Haine and his unfortunate fondness for pickled lampreys is mentioned.

Lichen Ale

The Hissing Drake. the cookbook lore blurb mentions the Gilded Horn

Hot Chocolate: Iron Bull discusses his penchant for this drink with Varric. "How do you guys live without this stuff?" he says. Varric replies "I don't see what the deal is, honestly, but different tastes..." / "Now I just need some hot milk and some of those Orlesian guimauves to put in it" / "Hey, what you do with this 'cocoa' is up to you. I don't need to hear about it"

Antivan Sip-Sip

Dragon Piss, two

Rivaini Tea Blend: In Masked Empire Celene drinks a Rivaini blend of tea containing cinnamon, ginger and cloves, sweetened with honey. the cookbook lore blurb references Celene drinking Rivaini Tea Blend throughout the day to combat headaches, but this tea blend consists of peppermint, lemon verbena, oregano and licorice root. Rivaini tea also crops up here.

The Golden Nug, two

The Emerald Valley

Chasind Sack Mead

Characters mentioned or alluded to in the cookbook

Devon (new character, writer and narrator of the book), Merrill, Alistair, Sera, Varric, Solas, Cassandra, Fenris, Cullen, Sten, Iron Bull, Bull's Chargers, Krem, Nan (possibly, if she is Devon's mother), Norah (possibly, as the waitress at The Hanged Man), Zevran, Morrigan, the Hero of Ferelden, the Inquisitor, Josephine, Paragon Varen, Leliana, Schmooples, the Hero of Ferelden's mabari, Sebastian, Cole, Vivienne, Dorian, Anders, Loghain, Bethany, Hawke, the Couslands, Bodahn Feddic (possibly, as the Sugar Cake item in DA:O is sold by him and Devon narrates that they purchased one from a surface dwarf merchant who said that the Hero of Ferelden purchased some for their companions), Norbert de la Haine, Isabela, Celene, Briala, Gaspard

"Cookbook canon" (notes about the particular worldstate/universe that Devon wrote the cookbook in)

The cookbook was written at some point after the appointment of Divine Victoria, placing it at at least one month after the DA:I base game concludes (at least one month after the defeat of Corypheus). The narrator, Devon, has met and spoken to at least some of the companions & related prominent NPCs, including Varric and Krem. Devon visited Haven.

The HoF was a Cousland. The HoF caught Schmooples for Leliana. Loghain survived DA:O and DA:I, as he's referred to in the present-tense at the time the cookbook is written. Alistair is King of Ferelden. The HoF may have been a lady who romanced Alistair (if you argue that the inclusion of Alistair's love letter to the Warden & the necklace from this merch item as a prop in the photo for Rivaini Couscous Salad as indicator. interesting that the photo where this item is prominently displayed is for the Couscous of all things. back in the day I remember folks calling Cousland "Couscous" hhh).

Hawke was a warrior or rogue and Carver died in the prologue. Hawke was probably Diplomatic. Hawke did not romance Sebastian (in the cookbook he is Prince, and Sebastian reclaims his title as Prince by DA:I unless romanced, in which case he's the Chantry advisor in Starkhaven).

The "worst of [Cullen's] lyrium withdrawals" are mentioned so it could be that the Inquisitor advised Cullen to stop taking lyrium. Cassandra Pentaghast is the Divine. Celene is the Empress of Orlais - possibly ruling "alone" or possibly in the Celene-Gaspard-Briala "work together option", going by "Given how messy Orlesian politics are wont to be, with chevalier cousins vying for the throne and elven handmaids turned both spymaster and lover".

Also, this might be just me and my assumptions or reading of it, but of the companion characters referenced in the book (see section above, Characters mentioned or alluded to in the cookbook), such as Cole, Sera, Merrill, Fenris etc, I feel like it's safe to assume that in this worldstate they were all recruited by the relevant PCs are alive and well (including the Chargers).

Merch items & similar that appear as props or edits in photos

Alistair romance bundle (necklace and letter in Rivaini Couscous Salad. the necklace appears again in Goat Custard. the box can be seen in The Golden Nug)

Grey Warden pendant that shows the griffon heraldry (not sure if this is from the Gear Store or somewhere like Etsy. Grey Warden Pastry Pockets). this reappears in Sugar Cake

Solas Jawbone Necklace (Pickled Eggs. hhhh. unlike in Eggs à la Val Foret the blurb here doesn't mention Solas, but he's repped here anyway by the necklace hanging in the background hh)

Cullen's Lucky Coin (The Hanged Man's Mystery Meat Stew, Stuffed Vine Leaves, Antivan Sip-Sip)

In Nug Pancakes this red Inquisition banner with the handprint is in the background (seems to be from game files/in-game props). the red Inquisition banner appears again in Chasind Sack Mead

In Nug Bacon and Egg Pie, there is a nug in the background, presumably looking on in horror as their spouse has been transformed into a pie

In Turnip and Mutton Pie is a necklace that looks like the one Varric wears

Templar Banner (Roasted Turkey with Sides)

Inquisitor's iconic helmet replica (Roasted Turkey with Sides. hhh, this reminds me of the ones that are props in the queue area for the Dragon Age-not Dragon Age-ride)

In the background of Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler a nug is peeking out

Antivan Apple Grenade contains a map of Westeros hhh. You can see the Three Sisters, the Neck and the Bite

A physical version of this Thedas map appears at various points e.g. Chasind Sack Mead

DA:I advisors coin set (Tevinter Pumpkin Bread) - for some reason Tumblr won't allow me to add the link to this one as an actual link, but you can find it here: gear.bioware.com/en-eu/products/dragon-age-three-advisors-coin-set

A green orb that I would guess is meant to be reminiscent of the ones Solas has you use during Measuring the Veil (Tevinter Pumpkin Bread)

Inquisition symbol pendant (not sure if this is from the Gear Store or somewhere like Etsy)

(You can get 20% off in the BioWare Gear Store until November 6th using my latest discount code BWCUISINE. After that date check back here for a new code. alternatively, you can use my >tracking link<.)

Some random thoughts

Shoutout to the photo for Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie. It looks a lot like the illustration in World of Thedas of this dish! you can see that they really took it into consideration when creating this dish/image.

I feel like you can also sense the inspiration in general vibe/feel in Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler from Dalish Deep Forest Comfort in WoT.

The black and gold theme colors of the cover remind me of when DA:D branding was black and gold.

Recipe pages I have posted that you can view in full: Spiced Jerky, Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler, Hearth Cakes, Merrill's Blood Soup, Lentil Soup, Peasant Bread, Dragon Piss

Recipe and other pages that were already available to view in full from the official preview pages: intro page, intro page 2, intro page 3, Contents page 1, Contents page 2, intro page 4, Devon's letter, intro page 5, Starters & Refreshments section intro page, Eggs à la Val Foret, Fried Young Giant Spiders, Fereldan Hearty Scones, Nug Pancakes, Roasted Turkey with Sides, Varric's Favorite Cinnamon Rolls, Nevarran Blood Orange Salad recipe (pic), Stuffed Deep Mushrooms recipe (pic), Rivaini Couscous Salad recipe (pic), Crab Cakes from Kirkwall recipe (pic), Fluffy Mackerel Pudding recipe (pic), Snail & Watercress Salad recipe (pic), Cave Beetles

Source of the above information: Dragon Age The Official Cookbook - Tastes of Thedas

If you’re not able to get the book, and there’s a recipe or two in the Contents that you’d like to see/read, let me know and I’ll show you (❁´◡`❁)

Link to Part 2, in text form (pls copy-paste) as Tumblr won't let me add it as a normal link: https://felassan.tumblr.com/post/732826339350102016/dragon-age-the-official-cookbook-tastes-of

A post you may also be interested in: Food and drink lore compilation from Dragon Age: The Last Court

[☕ found this post or blog interesting or useful? my ko-fi is here if you feel inclined. thank you 🙏]

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lavenderbuckyy · 11 months

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some random stucky headcanons :)

their fave cuddling position is bucky lying on top of steve. steve likes the deep pressure and bucky likes the opportunity to just conk out for a few hours

speaking on cuddling positions, they either go to sleep with steve as little spoon or with bucky laying his head on steve's chest (warm and comfy...)

steve ALWAYS forgets where he puts his stuff. keys, wallet, you name it. bucky, on the other hand, ALWAYS remembers where steve leaves his stuff

steve: "have you seen my-"

bucky: "next to the fruit bowl"

similarly, he always leaves his helmet in dumb locations, like on the bookcase or next to the sink

bucky likes washing steve for him in the shower. he likes feeling him up (lol), but he also likes getting to take care of him

when steve blushes, it reaches his cheeks, ears and eight down his chest. bucky thinks it's the cutest thing ever

they frequently fight over whether waffles (bucky) or pancakes (steve) are better

steve watches youtube videos to learn how to do different braids on bucky

bucky's an unrepentant space nerd and makes them watch space documentaries. steve loves seeing him happy and takes note of any upcoming ones (because steve is also a nerd)

usually steve resigns himself to a quiet chuckle at something, so bucky takes it as a total win when he can get steve to laugh LOUD

sometimes steve laughs so hard he snorts

bucky learns how to make steve's favourite apple cake that his ma used to make him and makes him it every birthday!

likewise steve learns how to bake for bucky's birthday. none of the other avengers know if it's any good or not because bucky has a horrendous sweet tooth and will like ANYTHING if it's a two-layered double-chocolate chocolate-buttercream monstrosity

steve's fast metabolism means he brings little snacks, like oranges or peanuts, everywhere he goes. bucky thinks it's the weirdly cute to see steve peeling his orange during an avengers meeting

steve loves carrying bucky <3

sometimes they wear matching pyjamas, partly to cause tony pain and partly because they're old men who like the same pjs

they have two separate sinks. steve's is utilitarian, with just a face wash, razor and shaving cream. bucky's is cluttered wigh hair oil, moisturiser, leave-in conditioner, serum...

bucky becomes a Plant Dad in the 21st century. steve buys him them as a gift and bucky is always very delighted and does a convoluted little "re-planting and naming" ceremony

bucky knits steve sweaters

steve takes forever to lace up his winter boots. bucky hates the damn things for this and wants to throw them out... but he was the one who insisted on buying steve them, because, "sneakers? in new york? in december? rogers, are you crazy?!"

they share boxers

bucky's fave fruit includes cherries, grapes and plums. steve's fave are apples, oranges and mango

bucky owns a collection of black oversized t-shirts. he is the only one out of the two of them who can tell the different ones apart

steve likes wearing fuzzy pyjama pants in winter :)

bucky is great with kids and loves little babies. however steve absolutely never gets baby fever which results in bucky going "look steve! look at the little baby shoes!" while steve goes uh huh yeah very interesting buck

steve wakes up with a crazy bedhead (headcanon courtesy of mikey!) and bucky thinks it's the cutest thing in the world. he loves kissing his crazy nest of hair

every time bucky gets a wash cut and blowdry he makes steve go "ooh! ahh! so bouncy!" while he preens

bucky frequently looks in mirrors throughout the day to make sure he's still lookin' good 😎 steve never checks mirrors and thus never knows when he has food on his face lmao

bucky would genuinely have them going to bed at 9 p.m. every night if steve didn't protest

steve is a smooth peanut butter person because he likes to spread it on things. bucky is a crunchy peanut butter person because he likes to eat it straight out of the jar

bucky pulls nasty dirty horrible tricks like going "okay... i guess my boyfriend will be MEAN to me... i guess he won't even stay and cuddle wth me and instead he's going to go RUN..." to guilt trip steve

(steve just kisses him goodbye and leaves anyway lmao)

steve reads mostly non-fiction, like biographies and historical books. bucky reads almost exclusively fiction, like sci-fi novels and trashy romances

steve loves funfetti cake

steve is super observant, not just about surroundings but people too

bucky is a certified freak about eating weird food combinations while steve is like Can We Be Normal. Just This Once at the dinner table

bucky is a dedicated LUSH customer. he's on the mailing list. the staff in there know him. one guy regularly hits on him which steve is absolutely NOT grumpy about.

#stucky #stucky headcanon #lav's headcanons

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odoroussavourssweet · 3 months

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Cacharel Loulou

Nose: Jean Guichard

notes: plum, cinnamon, iris, violet, lily, anise, jasmine, mimosa, cassia; ylang-ylang, heliotrope, orris, orange blossom, tiare; incense, vanilla, benzoin, sandalwood, musk

LouLou is a famously loud and polarizing 80’s powerhouse, but I found it gentle as a lamb. (I might have a reformulated version, or maybe I’m anosmic to the loud stuff.) I don’t get big syrupy tropical florals, cherry jam, or booziness, despite the scent’s reputation.

On me, Loulou opens with a strong almond note, blending into a clean, powdery, heliotrope-forward pale-blue scent, not sweet but fresh and soapy.

A few minutes in, there’s a soft blur of incense joining the powder.

Mostly I just get smooth radiant softness in pale tones — powder, haze, gentle florals, soft vanilla-almond shimmer.

Despite the white-on-white palette and mild sweetness, Loulou doesn’t feel at all sugary or creamy; the effect is crisp and frankly synthetic, with the slight “raspy” texture Luca Turin talks about. More like pearly or iridescent finish on a steel-framed structure than anything squishy or fuzzy.

I’m a fan. Almond scents are delightful and Loulou is one of the classics.

#perfume #fragrance #cacharel #jean guichard

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exhausted-archivist · 7 months

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Cookbook Sample Preview...

I'm perfectly normal about this, totally calm. But I noticed on Sunday that the Dragon Age official cookbook had a preview/sample that it didn't have last time I checked. To summarize, it shows the Table of Contents and 7 new preview recipes along with 2 from an earlier sample release. It's basically previews the whole first section "Starters and Refreshments".

I will be putting things under cuts in case people don't wanna see things. From now on and after its release, the tag I will be using for the cookbook if you want to block is #tastes of thedas or #da: tot

I will also be silently combusting inside as I try not to let the excitement amp me up too much. I expect to fail this mission lol. (Spoiler I did fail and have been making my excitement everyone's problem.)

So, the cookbook sample. Amazon had a scrolling preview that wasn't as nice as the spreads so I made them into spreads like we got with the previous six recipes. You can see them here in this post.

But the following is the full spread of the sample from the cookbook. It gives us the cover, the two title pages, the table of contents, an introduction of a new character/narrator, the table of contents for the Starters and Refreshers section, and the 9 recipes within that section.

Beneath the images, I have transcribed the lore blurbs of the recipe as well as give an image description, but I didn't type out the recipes. That's for a later post (Also because it doesn't fit on this post. I hit the limit, sorry.) For a similar reason, I'm not adding my commentary to any of the recipes.

Contents

Introduction - 7

Starters & Refreshments

Eggs à la Val Foret - 11 Nevarran Blood Orange Salad - 13 Fried Young Giant Spider - 15 Stuffed Deep Mushrooms - 17 Rivaini Couscous Salad - 19 Crab Cakes from Kirkwall - 21 Fluffy Mackerel Pudding - 23 Snail & Watercress Salad - 25 Cave Beetles - 27

For the Road

Spiced Jerky - 31 Grey Warden Pastry Pockets - 33 Pickled Eggs - 35 Unidentified Meat - 37 Seheron Fish Pockets - 39 Crow Feed - 43 Black Lichen Bread - 45 Hearth Cakes - 47 Peasant Bread - 49

Soups & Stews

Merril's Blood Soup - 53 Fereldan Potato and Leek Soup - 55 The Hanged Man's Mystery Meat Stew - 57 Fish Chowder - 59 Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup - 61 Lentil Soup - 63 Nettle Soup - 65 King Alistair's Lamb and Pea Soup - 67

Main Courses

Stuffed Cabbage - 71 Antivan Gnochi - 73 Antivan Paella - 75 Grilled Poussin - 77 Gurgut Roast with Lowlander Spices and Mushroom Sauce - 79 Nug Pancakes - 81 Fish in Salt Crust - 83 Roasted Wyvern - 85 Nug Bacon and Egg Pie - 87 Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie - 89 Cacio e Pepe - 91 Turnip and Mutton Pie - 93 Smoked Ham from the Anderfels - 95 Roasted Turkey with Sides - 97

Sides

Sera's Yummy Corn - 103 Stuffed Vine Leaves - 105 Honey Carrots - 107 Nevarran Flat Bread and Yogurt Dip - 109

Sweet Delights

Blancmange - 113 Poison Stings - 115 Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler - 117 Dwarven Plum Jam - 119 Sour Cherries in Cream - 121 Treviso Energy Balls - 123 Rice Pudding - 125 Goat Custard - 127

Baked Goods

Antivan Apple Grenade - 131 Found Cake - 133 Varric's Favorite Cinnamon Rolls - 135 Croissants - 137 Cherry Cupcakes - 139 Chocolate Cake - 141 Varric's Favorite Pastries - 143 Sugar Cake - 145 Lamprey Cake - 147 Tevinter Pumpkin Bread - 151

Drinks & Potions

Lichen Ale - 155 The Hissing Drake - 157 Hot Chocolate - 159 Antivan Sip-Sip - 161 Dragon Piss - 163 Rivaini Tea Blend - 165 The Golden Nug - 167 The Emerald Valley - 169 Chasind Sack Mead - 171

Conversion Charts - 173 About the Authors and Photographers - 174

Introduction

Dear Mum,

It's me, Devon! I'm all grown up now-- or, well, more grown up than before. You always said I was too much like a child for my own good, and given the number of times you caught me daydreaming about going off on some grand adventure instead of sweeping the floors, I will grudgingly admit that you probably - probably - had a point. But guess what? I finally went on an adventure! A big one! Just like the Hero of Ferelden!

Okay, well, maybe not exactly like the Hero of Ferelden. But I did travel across Thedas! From Ferelden to Orlais, to Rivain, and even Tevinter. Plus, everything in between. It was a long journey, Mum. Weeks and weeks on the road, with the occasional bandit or beast. You'd probably have hated it, but, by Andraste, I loved every second of it! The sights! The sounds! The food.

Oh yes, the food. The reason why I set out on this journey to begin with. I know that I wasn't particularly adept in the kitchen the last time we saw each other. And, yes, I do remember that I nearly set Castle Cousland aflame with my first attempt at a stew. But I am pleased to inform you that I have been practicing extensively, and I think that, if the position still existed, I could take up your mantle as the Cousland family's cook. Granted, I doubt I would be able to fill your shoes completely; no one could manage such an impossible task. But I like to tell myself that I still would be able to make you proud.

And that takes me back to this journey and the all-important question of why. Why did I spend the last year traveling from one end of Thedas to the other, sampling whatever local cuisine I could get my hands on, even dishes that were downright strange? You're probably thinking that it's because the Hero of Ferelden ate it at some point - yes, that's certainly part of it, though I'll have you know that I tracked down foods enjoyed by the Champion of Kirkwall and the Inquisitor as well! Not to mention all their companions. But the truth is, Mum, throughout all of this, you were right there with them at the forefront of my mind. Because when I thought of ways to honor you, I kept coming back to the most important lesson you taught me: Love through food.

Every time I left your kitchen with a warm, full belly, I felt your love for me. And though I can't do the same for you anymore, I can fill this book. I can stuff it full of different recipes, dishes you've probably never even heard of, and think of you with each new entry. Because, you see, Mum, underneath all that childlike excitement, the dreams of adventure and heroism, I'm still very much your child. And I always will be.

Thank you for everything, Mum. I can't wait to share this book and the lessons that inspired it with the rest of the world.

Love, Devon

Starters & Refreshments

Eggs à la Val Foret

Image Description: A pancake with ham and a sliced poached egg with paprika and herbs on top sit on a silver platter.

Recipe Blurb: Ah, yes. Tons of cream! Exactly what I've come to expect from Orlesian cuisine. Do I have any tips for creating the perfect poached egg? Well, ever since I heard that Solas's bald head was once likened to an egg, I simply try to make my eggs just as round and shiny! So far, it's worked wonderfully and never ceases to put a smile on my face.

Nevarran Blood Orange Salad

Image Description: A wooden bowl rests on a rock, it holds a colourful salad with blood orange slices resting on top.

Recipe Blurb: Although I knew that Divine Victoria left behind a life of wealth and privilege to join the Seekers of Truth, it wasn't until I was in Nevarra, seeing exactly what she'd given up, that I truly gained an appreciation for the path she'd chosen. The best way to describe my first glimpse of the gardens of Nevarra is that it was like seeing a painting come to life. For a long moment, I could only stand there, so dazzled by the richness and vibrancy of it all that I was half-convinced I was actually still napping in the carriage. Surely, there was no way such beauty could be found outside of a dream. And yet the beauty before me was very much real.

So, too, was the picturesque tableau that arrived later that day on a plate: perfectly cut slices of blood orange artfully arranged on a lush pillow of bitter greens. Was this a meal or a still life, I wondered. In truth, the answer was both. For Nevarrans, food is as much a feast for the eyes as for the mouth. But even if your arrangement isn't quite worthy of being displayed in a museum, this salad will sing a symphony on your tastebuds.

Fried Young Giant Spiders

Image Description: A metal bowl filled with salad greens and fried crab legs arranged on top. Plate sits on a wooden table with a metal item and a smoking pot in the background.

Recipe Blurb: Just as people on the surface raise cows and goats, the dwarves underground raise spiders. Yes, to eat. The legs are fried and served with a sauce, which, true to dwarven fashion, is made with some type of alcohol. The precise kind depends on the establishment where you're eating your spider legs. Unfortunately, I couldn't get an exact recipe from any of the chefs I spoke to. These sauces are apparently closely guarded secrets and have spurred many a nefarious plot to acquire them-the competiontion to be crowned Orzammar's Best Sauce is fierce. But I've been assured that lichen ale is generally not used.

I've therefore come up with my own recipe, based on the many varieties I sampled while in Orzammar. Given that sourcing the requisite spider legs above ground is not nearly so easy, and the demand for such exports is minimal, I've subsituted them with crab legs. It's not a perfect match, but it's close enough to satisfy me.

Stuffed Deep Mushrooms

Image Description: Three mushroom caps fulled with a green, cheesy blend topped with chives. Placed on a platter that looks like a cut of wood, red capped mushrooms with white spots in the right hand corner in the foreground.

Recipe Blurb: Though the mushrooms growing underground in caves and in many parts of the Deep Roads are all called "deep mushrooms," there is no singular variety. In fact, there are several! Some mushrooms are squat, with broad, flat caps, while others are long and spindly, reaching toward the sky like an old man's gnarled fingers. They also have a multitude of applications, used in the creation of everything from restorative potions to deadly poisons. But in Orzammar, mushrooms are farmed for eating!

I was able to sample some of these dwarven delicacies, prized for their unique flavor and intoxicating scent. After only a few bites, I was struck with inspiration. How delicious would one of these mushrooms be when stuffed with cheese and spinach? The answer is: very. Rest assured that I selected this particular variety of deep mushroom not only for its shape, which is ideal for holding the maximum amount of cheese (and spinach), but also for the fact that it does not carry the darkspawn taint. While certain dwarves will insist that a deep mushroom's proximity to lyrium and darkspawn can only improve its flavor, I am quite content to leave that particular question a mystery, especially where lyrium is concerned. Although I'm hardly and expert on the stuff, I can't help but think about Fenris and how much suffering he endured as a result of his lyrium-infused markings. It seems to me that, barring any natural resistance, lyrium and the body are two things that probably shouldn't mix.

Rivaini Couscous Salad

Image Description: A copper bowl filled with couscous, mixed with various veggies and a mint leaf on top. A letter with an amulet from Alistair in the bottom left corner - merch from the BioWare store.

Recipe Blurb: When I first encountered couscous, I mistakenly believed it to be a grain, like rice or the more familiar Fereldan barley. I was swiftly corrected. In fact, couscous is a sort of pasta, made with semolina flour and water, although it's far smaller than your typical Antivan pasta. Couscous has a very mild flavor on its own--maybe slightly nutty. But where it excels is in its ability to soak up surrounding flavors, making it a perfect base for any salad. I'd love to experiment further, but so far, this particular combination of red bell pepper and mint has proven to be incredibly pleasing.

Crab Cakes from Kirkwall

Image Description: A caste iron pan over a bed of coals and flames, filled with battered soft shelled crabs, red peppers, and lemon slices.

Recipe Blurb: I love it when recipes add a dash of whimsy into the mix. Food shoulf be fun. I, therefore, took it upon myself to put this into practice with a classic Kirkwall dish. After all, who hasn't looked at their crab cakes and wished they looked a little more like crabs? Okay, maybe I'm the only one who's thought this. But now that I've brought this possibility to your attention, I'm certain you're interested as well! Best of all, these extra-crabby crab cakes stay true to the original recipe's flavors, so nothig is lost--only gained!

Fluffy Mackerel Pudding

Image Description: Two red small bowls with baked masked potatoes and a slice of hard boiled egg on top sit on a net with a starfish in the background.

Recipe Blurb: Can it really be Feast Day without fluffy mackerel pudding? No! In fact, there's no dish I associate more strongly with the holiday than this unique combination of mackerel, onion, celery, and eggs. Granted, I've heard stories that, several decades ago, someone once attempted a diet consisting entirely of fluffy mackerel pudding. Now, that I certainly wouldn't recommend. It stops being Feast Day Fish if you eat it every day, no?

Snail & Watercress Salad

Image Description: A wooden bowl resting on a river rock, filled with a salad comprised of mixed greens, radishes, and cooked snails.

Recipe Blurb: When the Avvar can't get their hands on a gurgut or a wyvern, they turn their attention to smaller prey. Much smaller prey. Snails are found on many a hillside boulder, making them an abundant source of food for the Avvar. Now, while some would wrinkle their noses or cry out in disgust at the prospect of eating a snail, I am pleased to report that, when prepared correctly, the texture. and flavor are actually good! I could happily eat a plate full of snails dressed in butter and oil, but those still on the fence about a snail's place

Cave Beetles

Image Description: A carved bowl holding cooked whole prawns, lemon slices and herbs sit on a rock with fake beetles and a black rock with blue glowing lines in the background.

Recipe Blurb: You think that, after snails, I'd balk at beetles? Never! In fact, I greatly enjoyed this dwarven dish, which involves roasting cave beetles in their shells. However, I recognize that many may not have a palate that's nearly so adventurous. If that's the case, the cave beetles can be replaced with whole prawns while keeping the rest of the recipe the same. That being said, if you do enjoy the variation with prawns, I really recommend giving the cave beetles a try. They're quite similar in both texture and flavor. If you were to blindfold yourself, I doubt you could tell the difference!

#dragon age #dragon age cookbook #da: tot #da: tastes of thedas #tastes of thedas #long post #I am so excited this is just so good so far #I almost have bingo #archi is yelling into the void #I see that it mentioned it taking a year to traverse Thedas and we will all ignore that. Thank you.#I have feelings and observations which is for another post lol

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awesomerextyphoon · 2 years

Text

Ravenous

Summary: You’ve lost so much, but with Bucky’s help, maybe you can make something beautiful.

Pairing: Bucky x Eldritch-Enhanced Black Female Reader

Rating: 18+ / Explicit

Word Count: 6.4K

Warnings: Smut, Oral (f and m receiving), ‘Tentacle Job’ (I’m making it a thing), Fantasy Gore, Cannibalism (sort of), Body Worship, Suicidal Thoughts, Mentions of Torture, and a lot of Angst

A/N: This is my entry for the amazing @plaid-shirtsandvibranium-arms’s Cassie’s Make It Badass Challenge. This might be the darkest one-shot I’ve done so far in terms of violence/gore/angst. You have been warned. Dividers are by the lovely @firefly-graphics. Thanks to @bamposworld and @saiyanprincessswanie the beta.

Back to Main Masterlist

“And done!” you huffed as you wiped your forehead of sweat.

You had just finished making a feast of Bucky’s favorites. Heaps of: Baked Ziti, Honey-Tenderized Boeuf Bourguignon, Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Savory Mushroom Gravy, Five Herb Roasted Cornish Hens, Coq au Vin, Three Cheese, and Spinach Ravioli, Rosemary Braised Lamb Shanks with Polenta, Spinach Quiche, Chicken Pot Pie, Beef Stew, Hearty Beef Lasagna, Southern Peach Cobbler, Limoncello Ricotta Cake, Plum Cherry Galette, and Chocolate Cherry Brownie Layer Cake.

The colossal table groaned under the weight of the decadent dishes. You chuckled to yourself hoping you didn’t go overboard.

Your moment of triumph was interrupted by your ravenous appetite. Again.

“I know, I know, “you grumbled rubbing your voracious tummy. “I do hope Bucky comes home soon,” frowning at how you got to this point

You were on your way home from sending a package to the Post Office on behalf of your cousin Ngozika who was busy getting ready for Erinma’s, your younger sister, birthday party. You wanted to take a shortcut through the park so you could help with the decorations happy that you and your cousin were able to convince her to invite at least ten people; five said yes.

You were halfway past the grove behind the west playground when you felt a ping and the back of your neck as your world faded to black. The last thing you saw was three sets of shoes.

You woke up to a dingy, bare, windowless room with 12 other women aged 18 – 25. An eerily delighted voice announced that you passed the first round of Operation Hellcat. Later it was slipped that there were 50 at the start, but the others were not as lucky.

You spent ten years in that hellhole.

Every day you were pricked, probed, and prodded by perverted and sadistic scientists. All of you were constantly fondled by the guards whenever they had the chance. One scientist, Dr. Tomlin, mused that only you and another survived the fifth year of the project.

Sometime later, when the admins decided to throw you a bone, you met the other survivor. Roxana was a little timid with some fire left in her eyes; you smirked when she gave a guard a right hook after groping her ass.

You talked a few times, avoiding additional disapproval from your captors. You learned that she was the youngest of six who was on her way to a spring festival when they kidnapped her. Roxana would crack a few jokes offering what little levity one could find in your situation.

You talked about what you would do once you saw the outside. Roxana wanted to see her siblings again hoping they wouldn’t worry too much, especially after her parents died in a car crash. She talked about wanting to become a marine biologist regaling you with anything and everything she remembers reading growing up. You talked about your dream of becoming a travel writer backpacking through Europe and South America.

You gave each other hope, hope that was blissfully crushed.

It was the morning of September 28, 2008 (Ngozika’s 38th birthday), when you were both, dragged out and brought before a man in front of the usual row of scientists who went by the name of Braddock. He looked over the two of you with a menacing eye smirking as he molested you and Roxana. He turned to the former head scientist, Dr. Beecham, who nodded to the newcomer and grinned sardonically.

With that, Braddock announced it was time for the operation.

The guards dragged you past a set of double doors to a new hallway. The hairs on your arms raised as you felt Roxana’s fearful expression trying her hardest not to cry. You reached out your hand to grab hers, but a guard slapped it away.

One last set of bolted steel doors led you to a ghostly white room with two beds inside a pod connected to an arc belonging to a zany sci-fi novel and in front of the portal was a podium with a glowing electric blue cube.

The scientists and Braddock hid on the other side of the one-sided mirror, like the cowards they were.

Braddock motioned for the guards to strap you to the beds as he made some deluded declaration of HYDRA’s greatness.

Roxana smiled weakly reminding you to think of your family and your dreams while you did the same. You both hoped to see the outside, together.

Braddock bellowed to open the portal thinking that the results would lead HYDRA to greater heights.

He wasn’t exactly wrong.

The cube started to levitate as the lights dimmed. A beam of light shot into the gateway creating a portal. Braddock ordered the guards and workers to get back, but it was too late.

You and Roxana could only watch in horror as black mist filled the room and giant midnight purple tentacles, tendrils, paws with extended claws and talons erupted from the portal. They tore into the guards and workers who were still in the room. All of their body parts (impaled or otherwise) were flung into what looked to be a mouth in the center of the portal. You tried your best to block it out, but you could still hear the crunches, squelches, and cracks of bodies along with their muffled screams.

As the last of the not test subjects were devoured, a golden orb traveled up the beam, through the cube, and split into two. The beds disintegrated as both of you were forced upright and facing each other with the orbs between you. Tendrils of golden light ebbed out feeling your souls deciding which one it will choose. Two of the tendrils paused in front of your eyes before glowing an ocean blue while Roxana’s glowed crimson red.

You shrieked as tendrils from both orbs shot into you. Their hooks pierced your skin through your fingers, eyes, mouth, toes, ears, and nose as the orbs shrunk to nothingness.

Roxana cried out to you in terror as rays of deep purple surged from your eyes and mouth and enveloped your form. The appendages deluged from the portal into the light. Your eyes became the abyss as several of the tentacles grabbed Roxana.

You didn’t register your dear friend’s screams until it was too late. All you could think of was hunger.

Once the mist dispersed and the remaining guards rushed in, all they found was you in the middle of the room tears streaming down your cheeks cradling Roxana's detached face. Everything else was gone.

You shouted at the guards to stay away from them only listening when your shouts turned into a legion of roars and tentacles shot out from your midsection capturing the guards.

Braddock commanded the restraining cuffs to be administered via magnetic force fields.

You didn’t fight back at that point. All that was on your mind was the anguish of devouring your only friend and the loneliness that will surely follow.

They moved you to a new base (you think) deep underground where they experimented with your new powers.

They found that you can manipulate various types of matter and energy. Braddock was pleased to find that Operation Hellcat wasn’t a complete waste.

Unfortunately, they could only get you to do damage control.

Though later, they found that you could turn various materials like limestone or plastic into something ‘useful’ such as gold, silver, moonstone, tungsten, uranium, titanium, and even a weird metal called vibranium after getting a starter sample from a man named Klaue.

They would ‘feed’ you once a month; usually, a target that needed to disappear. Fury was catching onto the disappearing bodies.

Not long after, you learned that you could absorb the memories and knowledge of those you devoured, but you kept that ability to yourself.

Your captors kept you well enough that the tentacles never came out. Made sense since they didn’t want a repeat of the time when you devoured ten guards when there was a lapse in the restraining cuffs. You chuckled when you overheard one of the guards saying that being sent to your cell was a punishment.

Two years into your ‘arrangement’, Braddock thought you deserved a ‘reward’ so they modified the cuffs to let you move around your cell. Though you guessed it was so that you would be less likely to lash out and devour more scientists.

You decided to redesign your prison into an amalgamation of your father’s home and what you glean from Roxana’s memories.

It was five months later when you met him.

You were starving as usual. They made you trans-mutate truckloads of sand into gold, titanium, diamonds, and vibranium. The guards mentioned someone called the Asset would be dropping off your meal soon.

You waited for 30 minutes until the door opened revealing a tall, somewhat shadowy figure of a man. He had chin-length Ponzu-colored hair with Seal Brown and Chestnut highlights; it was grungy yet silky. He was broad yet lean in shape, the perfect specimen to be their weapon.

But the most striking aspect about him was his eyes; blue, like the winter sea after a storm. Beautiful, yet frightened and forlorn.

What little cask of your heart broke for he too was also a prisoner.

You snapped out of your musings to hear him explain that your meal was of some diplomats that got in HYDRA’s way.

The exchange was terse, but you found yourself doing something for the first time in a while; you smiled and waved as he was leaving, if only meekly. He stopped and stared for about 20 seconds before the loudspeaker shouted in Russian for the Soldat to leave.

You chuckled as your smile grew. For the first time in over two years you were starving, and you hoped to see him again.

Your mystery deliverer visited you a few more times. After the fifth time, you were able to touch his hand and he reciprocated. It was exhilarating. No one has touched or wanted to go near you in years.

He stayed longer with each visit. It took some time for him to talk; he didn’t say much, but he had a deep, smooth voice. You didn’t really care. You just needed someone who wasn’t out to fuck with your life to talk to you.

The two of you would fall into a routine of you rattling on whatever occupied your mind’s eye and him listening sometimes smiling or touching your hand ever so often. The best visit was when he let you hug him loving the forgotten warmth it brought.

Once again, they had to eviscerate any happiness in your life.

Six months after the hug, your mystery acquaintance dropped off your meal but quickly turned to the door without so much as a glance.

You rushed over to greet him but stopped at the sight of his bitterly cold glower. Another man, Rumlow, butted in stating that the Asset could no longer be distracted finishing off with a cruel laugh at the tears that threatened to pour from your eyes.

They both promptly left before the tentacles could attack them as you fell to your knees consumed by despair.

Why did this have to happen to you?!

Your heart raged as your tears dried. You couldn’t keep living like this.

You wouldn’t.

You got your chance three years later.

The base was in an uproar; Project Insight had failed. HYDRA was exposed and going down in flames. The control room was bedlam with everyone scurrying like mice failing to notice the lapse on the monitors.

All it took was a clink to rouse you from your partial slumber. Your eyes shot open with a vengeful sneer marring your face. You sensed no one outside the customary three layers of your containment unit.

It seemed that your captors feared the cops more than you.

Their mistake.

You blasted the doors to your prison. Black mist filled the base. All 100 inhabitants stopped their scurrying in abject terror.

It was loose.

The guards closest to your cell were the first to fall. One of them cried out for help on his phone, but one of your tentacles ripped off his arm, grabbed his torso, and pulled his terrifying form into your voracious maws.

A science assistant could only watch in horror as tentacles seemed to grow out of their colleague’s navel increasing in size as they split the body with a vile crunch.

One of the higher-ups threw his secretary into the mist only for you to respond with a cacophony of shrills and impaling him with various-sized tendrils.

Their screams could've probably been heard for miles.

Only after you had your fill of every loathsome creature at the base and felt the welcoming warmth of sunlight did you regain consciousness with a massive belch.

You screamed as you fell to your knees tears streaming down your face.

Yes, you were finally free, but at what cost?

You had devoured Roxana, your only friend in this hellscape. You didn’t know if anyone from your family was still alive; you didn’t put it past HYDRA to hunt them down.

You never knew what became of the Soldat, your Soldat.

You had one thing though, the need for revenge.

Based on the memories you absorbed, HYDRA leadership was no more due to the utter failure of Project Insight and Natalia Romanova info-dumping the entire HYDRA archives.

There were still others associated with the now ‘shelved’ Project Hellcat.

You needed to find them and end them. If nothing else, to make sure no one else has to suffer like you.

Now you needed to make a plan. You found the closet functioning computer on the base and did some digging.

You finally learned of your Soldat. His name was James Buchanan Barnes, a WWII vet born in 1917.

“James!” you beamed as the front door opened to reveal your Soldat. Flying into his arms he pulled you in for a passionate kiss.

“Is this all for me?” Bucky peered over your shoulder at the feast on the table.

“Of course, silly!”

“You didn’t have to, y’know.” He scratched the back of his head, not sure what to make of your efforts.

“Nonsense!” you playfully swatted his muscled pecs, “I wanted to return the favor, and because I love so darn much!”

“Well, your feast is in the warehouse. I got a special treat just for you. I hope you like it.” Bucky pecked your lips pulling out your chair before his own.

“Oh thank you, Bucky!”you pecked his cheek before gesturing towards the food, “Now dig in before it gets cold.” you insisted grabbing a large plate of some of his favorites despite his protests.

It only took one bite of lasagna for him to devour the food with a near animalistic vigor. You beamed with pride seeing something you made bringing some happiness again.

“How was your trip?” you inquired chiding Bucky to finish his food first.

Bucky stopped eating, placed his utensils down, and kept his head down. “I...I saw Steve again.”

Your smile faltered.

You knew Steve Rogers was a sore subject to James. He nearly killed him multiple times during HYDRA’s fall. Bucky didn’t think he was worthy to talk to Steve again.

You didn’t believe that for a second, though you didn’t have room to talk.

“It still surprises me how much that punk’s changed and somehow still remains the same.” Bucky chuckled as you gently squeezed his flesh hand.

After Project Insight’s failure to launch, James went underground learning as much as he could about Steve Rogers/Captain America. He went to the Captain America wing of the Smithsonian. He could’ve sworn he saw a few toddlers recognizing him tugging on their older relatives' pant legs in hopes they’ll see a living legend.

Bucky tried to find his old neighborhood in Brooklyn only to find that it was either destroyed or renovated beyond recognition. It wasn’t until he went to a hole-in-the-wall bookstore that he found some respite in the form of an art book from one of Steve’s classes. That led him down a rabbit hole of picture books from the 20s to early 50s. There were pictures of activities he and Steve would do in their spare time as kids, Coney Island, the cinema across from old man Roscoe's Deli.

The tears nearly fell from his eyes in a deluge.

Memories of eating a sundae with his sisters and Steve at the local creamery, getting groceries for his ma while making sure she wasn’t carrying too much, pushing his sisters on the swings in the park, winning his first camera in a bet against the Desmond Boys, Steve convincing him not to sell said camera so he could score a date with Meredith, Becca first word being his name, finally getting Mason and his boys to leave Steve alone, and the blunder known as Rockaway Beach flooded Bucky’s mind.

James had to leave the bookstore before he was discovered.

He meandered down the street wondering what was left of his life. What happened to his sisters? Were they still alive? Did they have children or grandchildren? What became of his mother? How did she take the news of his death?

Bucky couldn’t bring himself to visit the cemetery.

James felt ashamed of himself. He wondered if his 40s self would’ve had a sick laugh at his present self’s expense.

One day, Bucky walked around his apartment block and saw a group of young children playing in a daycare playground.

They reminded him of you, his angel. Your eyes would glow with joy at the memories of helping your cousin with children at her office. He didn’t say much at the time, but he smiled and held your hand.

You were the final embers of light in his life.

Life was relatively quiet albeit filled with nightmares until he started to feel eyes on him. Several HYDRA fragments found him, so with a heavy heart, Bucky was once again on the run.

James was in London when it happened.

He decided to take the fight to HYDRA and tracked down a task force to a warehouse a few miles outside the metropolitan area. Fifteen ops surrounding him led by one of the head guards of Operation Hellcat. Nothing he couldn’t handle.

Dark gray mist filled the warehouse followed by a storm of black, violet, red, and gold mists concealing the source of the tempest of beastly roars and otherworldly wails. The unearthly sounds gave way to cracks, squelches, crunches, gargles, and screams of the men filled his ears all the while focusing on a familiar warmth around his waist.

The storm subsided to reveal his angel hugging and kissing his face with tears streaming down her face.

You finally found him.

Gently tilting up your chin, he sighed into a kiss that was every bit as wonderful as he imagined and more.

You were together at last.

“He’s still looking for me.” Bucky croaked unable to conceal his sorrow any longer.

“I know, James. I know.” you consoled as you pulled him into your arms kissing away his tears.

The sad thing is that part of Bucky wanted Steve to find him. But another part of him wanted to stay hidden. He didn’t know how Steve and the rest of his team would treat you once they discover what HYDRA did to you. Would they accept both of you with open arms? Or would they turn you into the authorities? Would they take you away from him?

He couldn’t bear you getting hurt like that again.

“Umm,” you started annoyed at your stomach’s insistent growling and the voices were getting louder demanding that you feed them, “Could we finish this later? I’m starving.”

“Of course, angel. Don’t worry about the dishes.” Bucky kissed your forehead, “Now go enjoy your feast.”

You strolled out of the brownstone towards the warehouse. The whole place was a reconstruction of the base that held you prisoner.

<<LET US FEED>>

‘Not yet.’

Opening one of the side doors, you entered and flipped on the lights. Spread out in a multilayered heart pattern were: 12 freshly dead cows, 10 freshly dead bucks, six freshly dead moose, five dead horses, a preserved hippo’s body, and 50 humans bound, blindfolded, and confused.

Smiling to yourself you made a mental note to thank Bucky for such a feast.

After removing their bindings with a wave of your hand, the living occupants of your meal stumbled and scurried around like fragile mice. You recognized most of them as upper HYDRA scum who managed to evade imprisonment, political figures with serious HYDRA ties, and several scientists involved with Project Hellcat including Drs. Walters, Beecham, Tomlin, Lamberti, Kumar, Mertens, and Wagner.

Lastly, standing in the middle of the arrangement was none other than Braddock.

They all seemed to stop moving when their eyes landed on you. Good. You wanted them to know that you’d be the last thing these scum see.

Black mist seeped in from the ground as you walked towards them. Several of the bastards, knowing this song and dance, tried to distance themselves from the group eyeing the walls for any possible exit.

One of them, a politician, stepped forward, “You look like a reasonable woman. I’ll give you anything! Money, power, you name it!”

You pressed your forefinger to your chin and pursed your lips, “Hmm, I want you,” you began disintegrating your clothes. Somehow the politician got aroused which made you feel even less for what’s next, “to feed me!” you grinned revealing your elongated fangs.

The royal purple and gold waves of your stomach tattoo started to rotate. Barbed black tentacles, tendrils, and claws swirled out covering your body and you became one with the mist.

The horny politician ran as he howled to the heavens in despair his fingers bleeding as he scraped the concrete floor. He gave in to his fate when he saw no one move to help him.

Why hasten their own demise?

His shrieks of terror were soon drowned out by crunches, cracks, and squelches as well as your moans of finally eating something filling.

You returned to the rest of the desperate souls licking your fingers, rubbing your ‘food baby’. Everyone saw the man’s face screaming in your belly before a tendril sliced it in half.

“Whew, that hit the spot!” you exclaimed after a loud belch, “But not nearly enough! So who’s next?”

Everyone else was in complete chaos. Some pushed each other forward, four almost fainted, and the rest screamed and begged to be released. You could’ve sworn one of them pissed themselves.

You sighed and tried again, “Okay, I’m gonna level with y’all. Anyone who makes it out these doors,” you gestured to the open exits, “by the time I count to ten gets to live. Alright?”

Everyone shut up and nodded.

“Okay, then.” your body already halfway blended into the mist.

“One…”

It didn’t take long to eat the rest. It was easy once you pulverized their legs.

You noticed Braddock wasn’t moving, so you created a light above his person. He was coughing blood but refused to move. He thought he was going to face death with dignity.

Pompous Idiot.

“Was it worth it?” you asked sauntering up to him in your human form.

His response was to spit in your face,” HYDRA would’ve ruled this world for all time if it weren’t for your pathetic feelings! Such power is wasted on you!!”

Braddock’s mind snapped and screamed as you transformed into your other form.

“Better to be an emotional monster than a fascist piece of shit!” you retorted as you gleefully devoured him delighted to be rid of him.

“Are you satisfied?’

<<VERY>>

“Good.” you winced gently pressing your knuckles into your overstuffed belly. You belched a few more times loving how full you were. Whether it was the voices or the pessimism that came with being held hostage and starved for 20+ years or the fact that you could finally eat your heart's content, feeling full always made you feel like everything was going well, if only for a mere moment.

You chuckled to yourself. Never did you think that you wouldn’t care if anyone heard or saw you do such things.

Guess it might be because you didn’t really have anything left to lose.

It took several months after securing your freedom to get an independent hold on your powers keeping the cuffs around just in case. You started hearing voices in your head as if they were a legion. They took pity on you and offered to lend you their powers as long as you kept them fed.

In time, you learned more about what you gained. You could: teleport through your mists, manipulate all kinds of materials, manipulate various forms of energy and even use it to satisfy your hunger (though the voices didn’t like it), and comprehend a lot more at a rapid rate.

You could even manipulate reality to an extent.

Though all of that couldn’t make up for what you lost.

You couldn’t eat ‘normal’ food as everything turned to ash after a few bites. You were always hungry having to consume the biomass of at least two large bucks and a cow every day to keep the voices at bay.

You couldn’t be in public for long lest you start seeing everyone as food. You dreaded the signs: your eyes would glow gold as your stomach would growl and drool would escape your mouth while the voices demand that you feed.

One day when you felt you had a good grasp on your powers, you tried walking in a park. You smiled and waved to children running around without a care in the world content to share in their joy.

You only lasted five minutes before your stomach growled and voices came back. You cried yourself to sleep that night feeling like an abomination wondering if everyone would be better off with you gone.

It always felt like there was a barrier between you and everyone else gleefully reminding you of what you’ve lost.

You trudged back to the brownstone once your ‘feast’ was digested.

You were happy to finally be rid of Braddock and his ilk as they could no longer destroy any more lives, but it just felt hollow. You were still bound to a being outside of time and space, and you couldn’t see your family without wanting to devour them.

You found Bucky in bed flipping through a vintage album of his old neighborhood.

“Thank you so much for the feast, love!” you gushed as you changed into a Delicate Sunshade Lace Kimono and thong.

“Had to return the favor after you said you were gonna make a feast of my favorites, sweetheart.”

“How did you find them?”

Most of the people digesting in your stomach were on the run once word got about your feedings. Some tried moving off the grid. One even got plastic surgery.

Braddock was the oddest. Bucky found them in a cabin out in the middle of nowhere hoping to die before you could find him.

“Doesn’t matter. They’re better off in your tummy making sure my angel is stuffed and satisfied.” he cooed in your ear kissing and rubbing your tummy for emphasis.

You giggled and playfully swatted him away loving how outgoing and playful he became once he was free of HYDRA’s control.

It was hard for you at first since he was a little stunned to see you after the initial kiss. You discovered that he was funny, caring, and thoughtful. It did take some time to have any physical relations though you were over the moon when your body didn’t see him as food.

If anything, he seemed to silence the voices for a bit.

Nine months passed before you had time with Bucky. It was amazing, even more so when you didn’t get hungry for five days.

“Have you talked to Erinma?” Bucky paused his playful demeanor.

Your eyebrows furrowed as your heart rate sped up.

You finally had the courage to seek out your family three months ago hoping to reconnect with them.

Unfortunately, both your father and Ngozika were dead.

Your father died in 1997 when his body gave out after suffering two strokes compounded by diabetes. The doctors figured the stress of losing may have played a part.

They tried everything they could to find you. The police gave up only after two weeks and the PI stopped after 14 months. Though you wouldn’t put it past HYDRA to quash the investigation.

Ngozika was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. It would’ve been caught soon had the country cared to get universal healthcare. Her remission didn’t go as well as everyone hoped with her lasting about 3.5 years.

She died without ever knowing if you were alive or not.

You spent two nights mourning the loss of your father and surrogate big sister at their headstones. You would’ve stayed longer, but you had to feed.

Erinma did achieve her goal of becoming a pulmonary surgeon spurred on by the deaths of your father and Ngozika. Granted it did also land her $80K in student loan debt. She was forced to sell her childhood house and father’s motorcycle to come close to breaking even.

She even had twins, a girl and a boy named Kamharida (I shall not fall) and Ikemefuna (I shall not lose my strength).

You laughed bitterly. While you were truly happy for your sister, everyone thought you would be the one to have children, including yourself. Now it was a cruel fantasy.

You’ve entertained the idea of seeing your sister again as you desperately wanted to see her and be part of your niece and nephew’s lives. But you were terrified of your sister calling you a monster, though you couldn’t blame her for all the things you’ve done.

“I dialed her number...but I couldn’t say anything.” you sobbed.

What could you say? You were kidnapped by a decades-old white supremacist organization that tortured and experimented on you for decades. You were bound to a being that requires an ungodly amount of flesh to keep you from becoming a berserker of gluttony.

Sure, you were able to divert the lion's share of HYDRA’s assets to shell companies to supply yourself with the necessary biomass, but--

“Stop being cruel to yourself. You are incredibly kind, selfless, caring, and most definitely NOT a monster.”

“Never cry for you are my beautiful angel, my magnificent goddess sent from above.” He cooed as he kissed your tears, cheeks, forehead, and jaw with each affirmation. His thumb ran across your lower lip as his face broke out into a breathtakingly handsome smile.

It was so pure you could cry.

You hugged Bucky inhaling his smoked cedar, citrus, and aged leather scent. Once his scent calms you down, you cupped his cheeks and pulled him for a kiss.

James groaned as you part your mouth for him delighting in the sonata of flavors he’s feasted on, though a little saddened that’s the only way you can taste them.

You play with his silky locks as he leaves a trail of open-mouthed kisses along your neck and jawline sporadically leaving love marks on your skin.

His calloused yet gentle hands undid the bow holding the kimono in place kissing your shoulders and upper arms. You gasped when he lightly grazed your skin with his canines encouraged by your whimpers and moans.

“My beautiful angel,” he rumbled sending shivers down your spine as he bit the juncture between your neck and shoulders.

Bucky was about to unhook your bra when you grabbed his wrist, pushed him down onto the bed, and tied his wrists to the headboard with black tendrils.

“Relax, love,” you instructed as you kissed your way down his jawline, neck, shoulders, chest, and upper arms. You gazed upon Bucky’s beautiful form wondering how lucky you were. Most men who looked like him were jerks to you in the past especially when they learned of your parents' accents. You still remembered the way some people looked at your mother at stores.

You narrowed your eyes as you lowered one hand towards his boxers and disintegrated them. Your fingers morphed into tentacles and tendrils of varying sizes wrapping around his jaw-dropping length giving it little pulls and tugs along the shaft. One tendril wrapped around his tip and squeezed scooping up the precum into your drooling mouth.

“Hmm!” You moaned at the taste: salty, tangy, and a little sweet.

Numerous smaller tentacles and tendrils slithered out of your mouth. Their pulls from their varied cups send jolt after jolt of pleasure. You felt his cock harden, but decided to draw it out by retracting right as he was about to go over the edge wanting to tease him from last time.

You finally let him cum after 20 minutes of teasing and five minutes of begging.

Bucky came with a roar as his eyes glowed red.

“Wanna do that again?’

You took his chuckle as a yes.

You got two more out of Bucky before he decided to switch growing impatient with your teasing.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to punish you for that, angel,” he warned giggling as he flipped you over; his eyes glowing gold and his fangs elongating.

The sight of those never failed to make you wet.

“Spread your legs, sweetheart, “he growled as you pouted. He usually loved your bratty behavior in bed, but not now.

Bucky absorbed some of the tendrils from your skin and shot them back out gently spreading your legs.

You cast him an accusatory glance.

“Is that so? Then why are you wet for me?” he tsked licking his lips at the sight of you huffing in defeat.

Bucky grinned as he kissed and nipped your thick, plush inner thighs relishing in your moans. With his eyes locked with yours, he licked your slit while a small tentacle creeps from his mouth, its suction cups teasing your clit. Three more dive into your folds moving back and forth in a scissoring motion.

You moaned raking your nails along his scalp and the planes of muscle on his back.

James chuckled loving how you taste; so sweet with notes of honey and citrus. He could get drunk on this.

He alternated between eating you out and kissing/nipping your inner thighs while messaging the globes of your ass and the softness of your waist. He added to your sweet torture by sticking two of his fingers past your folds along with the tendrils still inside. He chuckled when you threw back your head in a moan mixed with a sob.

You grew frustrated with Bucky wouldn’t let you come even after 15 minutes of blinding pleasure.

“James, please!” you begged as he circled your clit again.

Bucky raised his head and murmured, “Let me adore you like the goddess you are, huh?”

You almost came at the spot when Bucky ordered you to look at him. His hair tie was long discarded with several clumps sticking to his face. His hooded eyes were black with lust, and his tongue was circling your clit with three of his fingers in your folds.

Bucky finally let you come after 45 minutes of teasing with a whisper.

You cried out as the dam of pleasure was finally released while he made sure to lap up every last drop of nectar.

Bucky smirked as he lifted you up and grabbed some pillows, “Turn for me, angel?”

You whined in protest not even recovering from the last orgasm.

He kissed both your cheeks, “Relax for me, okay? I promise this is gonna feel good. I'll take it from here.”

You moaned as his fingers dug into your thick thighs secretly loving how sensitive you were after the orgasm.

Bucky grunted as he situated himself between your thighs groaning at the sight of your blissed-out expression.

“Fuck, I’m glad you came into my life.”

“Are you ready, angel?” you nodded as he slowly entered you.

You hissed as your walls stretched for him never getting used to the size.

“Fuck, you’re taking me so well!” Bucky praised you as he rewarded you by playing with your clit.

You cried out and he groaned. You from the sensations of Bucky playing with your clit plus stretching out for him, and Bucky from how tightly you were squeezing him.

Bucky looked down and saw: your hooded eyes staring back at him with love and lust, your full, plump lips forming a pleasure-filled ‘O’, and your coils framing your face like a halo.

“Bucky, please!” you begged as what little pain you first felt faded into pleasure.

He caressed your face with one hand as he started moving with slow, shallow strokes, only picking up his tempo once you gave the go-ahead.

Bucky left open-mouthed kisses on your inner thighs, stomach, breasts, hands, anywhere he could reach murmuring sweet praises with each kiss. You thought your heart would burst from feeling so loved.

You practically squealed in pleasure when Bucky reached your sweet spot. He stayed at that pace for another 30 minutes holding out so that the moment would last.

You were a sobbing mess blind to the world outside the two of you.

You both came at the same time, you with a moan and Bucky with a growl.

As you both lay in bed, glowing with a sheen of sweat, Bucky cradled your head in his hands. “You will always be an angel to me.”

You nodded and bit your lower lip, “Can I be on top for round two?”

Bucky laughed as you flipped him over.

After Bucky carried you over to the tub to wash off, he cupped your cheeks, “Never call yourself a monster,”

You smiled as he gently wiped your tears away from your eyes with his thumbs.

You were about to thank him when your phone rang. Lumbering to the dresser you cautiously answered leaping with joy when you heard your sister’s voice on the other end.

Bucky beamed lazily at the scene before him glad that you were finally able to connect with your sister. He hoped better things will come.

He was about to rest his head against his pillow when he saw his own pulse with a text.

Bucky’s heart filled with dread.

It was Steve saying he was coming to bring him home.

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