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cliickermiller · 1 year

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Could I request a Joelxreader where the reader moves to Jackson and is super sweet and loves to bake things for everyone in town as a thank you for allowing her in and at first Joel rejects their offerings because they’re suspicious of them which makes the reader continue to try and bake things for him, finally he accepts and starts opening up to them and offering to help reader with any labor they need done which leads to them sharing a kiss and maybe starting a relationship

mean spirits and bread cakes - Joel Miller x Reader

A/n: Woohoo first request, I was a little hesitant at first because I want to make sure my requests are written like my stories, with feeling and detail and I hope I accomplished that by the end of this story so just let me know how i did :)

Whenever you were brought into Jackson you were met with guns in your face, mainly by two men but one of them was a lot more lenient with you staying there, You believed that his name was Tommy, he welcomed you after the initial questions and tests and set you up with you own little room, it wasn't big or much but he said it was temporary until another unit opened up. For now you made due, using your time mainly in the kitchen helping the others prep meals for the town and other things, once Tommy helped move you into your new home, which just needed repaired, you quickly made to work making a little farming area outside.

It had been a couple weeks since you finally got your own home, you hadn't really baked since you moved in, trying to help the others out as much as you could, while still maintaining your food source in your backyard. Over the weeks you had met somebody named Joel, who you learned was the other man holding the gun in your face. He was closed off, at least to you, you always say him talking with Tommy and laughing with a teenage girl who you assumed was his daughter. You learned later that her name was Ellie, she was sweet and always came over first thing in the morning to help you bake for the other residents of Jackson, props she didn't really help baking but she watched you and learned how to do it while keeping you company and being a taste tester for you different treats.

"Y/nnnn! What're we bakin today?" Ellie cheered walking into your kitchen smiling brightly "We are making a strawberry bread cake with freshly grown ingredients and I finally made the perfect flour substitute so now maybe your grump of a father will accept them" You proudly stated smiling at the girl, watching as she giggled loudly "Joel is-.." She stopped, what was Joel to her? A father? A father figure? or just some guy who takes care of her? "Yea..yea Joel is a tough cookie to crack" She smiled using your phrasing from the other day "Alright, now, let's get started on mixing dry ingredients, I wanna make sure all these cakes are done by the time the patrols get back" You smiled watching as she took her usual seat on the counter next to your sink to watch you bake. You house was nice, you could tell whoever built it and the other houses knew what they were doing, you never thought you'd live with water or electric again but whenever you found Jackson that was the first thing you noticed.

After almost six hours of baking you were done, you liked doing it though, it gave you time to talk with Ellie, the first child you spoke with since the fall, and considering you were a middle school teacher it pained you seeing all the kids that turned infected; plus it helped feed the community, you weren't taking out of their found resources either, you grew it all and happily contributed it throughout the town, it was the only real way you knew how to pay them back for letting you stay, there weren't many kids, you weren't physically capable of going and fighting clickers like the others, so you stuck with helping them build/setup new cabins and cook little treats for everybody. Ellie filled the time with telling you the story of how she met Joel and how she wishes he was actually her father, how she always longed to have an adult go out their way to protect her, so she didn't have to learn at such a young age. You felt bad for her, Ellie was a sweet but stubborn girl, she reminded you of your younger sister. "Well....I'm happy you've made to here, Ellie, And I'm glad through your journey you found somebody like Joel..He sounds like an amazing man" You smiled placing the small cakes into separate containers, Deep down you know Joel had to of had someone before Ellie that he cared about that much, considering this was the first group of men you found that weren't ravaging assholes and that fact he went across the country and only kept Ellie's best interest in mind really showed his true colors.

Ellie shrugged a bit shoving some containers into her bookbag ready to help you pass them out, "I guess I kinda owe it to him? He helped me get this far I probably would've died by now" She mumbled, you offered her a kind smile wrapping an arm around hers to lead her outside to start your rounds. It probably took another hour to hand them out and you and Ellie still have 4 more containers together to pass out, splitting down the main road you stopped at the house you knew would be a problem, you didn't know why you still tried giving things to Joel, he always declined and acted like you were carrying the next world ruining virus and were ready to kill all. Looking up on the porch you saw him sitting in a rocking chair with his guitar propped on his lap "Hi.." You mumbled slowly stepping up on the porch "What're you doing here, y/n?" He grumbled, you frowned "I uh..-um.." You were stuttering, after hearing Ellie's stories about him you felt nervous under his watch, flustered. "Spit it out. I gotta start lookin for Ellie soon" He huffed sitting up straighter "Oh! E-Ellie she helped out today again..I wanted to drop off a strawberry- uh- bread cake" You stuttered watching him furrow his eyebrows "Don't you know flower started this entire damn mess?" He snapped standing up "N-No! I uh, I've been finding other things, not containing wheat t-to make a substitute for the flour.." You rambled, a little worried by the tone and body language, He looked around, catching eye of Ellie talking to Tommy stealing a piece from his food container and walking towards the cabin. "I don't want it" He huffed before going back inside, leaving you on the porch alone, you huffed, not letting his mean spirit get you down to happily pranced to Ellie "I'll see you later alright, hun? You need anything you know where to find me"

You woke up the next morning to Ellie pounding on your bedroom door, what the fuck? Getting up in a rush you swung the door open looking at her "You weren't awake whenever I knocked on the door and I got worried you left in the night a-and when the door was locked I-I thought you got infected or died" She rambled before hugging you tightly, you hugged her back tired and confused, the moment that really woke you up was Joel standing in your hallway peeking through the doorway "S-Sorry..Whenever you didn't answer I got Joel..." she whispered "N-no hun that's okay, no reason to be sorry, you were worried" You said rubbing her back before pulling away wrapping the blanket you had around your body before leading them both back out to your living room. "Ellie...you gotta help Maria today..better get on that" Joel said lowly, motioning her out of the cabin before closing your door sighing. "She cares about you" He said finally, turning around to look at you, you still had horriendous bed head and you looked like you just climbed out from under a rock (In your defense it was the best sleep you've ever had)

"I care about her..She's a sweet girl..one of the only people left her age that actually care about what's left in humanity" You whispered calmly going to the kitchen to get a bottle of water "She's cared about a lot of people..most em have died..so..whenever she cares about...un-infected she cares alot" Joel said, you nodded understanding what he was saying "I've noticed..I've seen kids deal with loss and grief...most grow resentment towards others..-" Joel cut you off "-But she's different" You agreed with him picking at your covers "Tried that..damn..strawberry? what the fuck did you call it?" He asked running a hand over his facial scruff "Strawberry bread cake" You whispered trying not to crack a smile, he sat down on the edge of your coffee table sighing "it was good..real good..Was kickin myself most of the night for not trying it sooner" He chuckled embarrassed rubbing the back of his neck "Ellie made you try it didn't she?" You chuckled watching him huff "Damnit she's right you can read people like a damn book" He grumbled before readjusting his sitting position "If..If you keep bringin them little cakes and other things over..I'll be happy to take em..." He smiled softly, You smiled back at him, maybe all Joel needed was an okay from Ellie to be friendly "Mmm..I dunno..I might need compensation now" You teased playfully, Joel laughed shaking his head a bit "How bout this..whenever I'm not on patrols..any hard labor you need done..I'm there" He offered, you smiled nodding "Sounds like a pretty good deal to me" you smiled softly, he smiled looking at you "Ellie..told me about how you guys met..and how you saved her..gotta admit Joel..You are one hell of a man" You smiled softly, he coughed a bit looking down now flustered, you giggled a bit resting a hand on his knee "I'm serious..alot of other men...sadly probably wouldn't of ever left your old QZ with her..you a good man" You whispered, nudging his knee a bit with your hand.

That night would start a landfill of good nights with Joel and Ellie, leading you to one night imparticular. You were standing on Joel's porch, waiting for him to answer the door "Hellooo?" You called sighing softly, almost then the door opened and there stood Joel in a towel with wet hair, panting like he rushed to the door "S-Sorry I can come back another time" You whispered nervously, he ran a hand through his hair "N-No just got a bit worried thinking something bad happened" He said smiling at you in relief "N-No I was gonna see if you were still coming over?...That broken window is bringing in a cold chill" You whispered nervously "oh! oh yea of course, let me...get dressed, come in" He said pulling you inside of his cabin gently before disappearing into his bedroom. You wandered, peeking into his kitchen "Mr. Miller! are you getting a second helping from me after Ellie gives you one?" You called seeing the extra containers in his sink "Totally not! I'm a good man remember?" He asked as he walked out, now dressed with his hair now maintained and under control. "Mmm You can be a good man and still be taking extras" You giggled as he walked closer to you standing by the sink, You didn't realize till now how close the two of you actually were until then, you could feel his breath on your face, not that you were complaining, somehow the man still had minty smelling breath in the end of mankind. "You gonna charge me extra for it?" He asked raising an eyebrow, you looked at him tightening your lips into a pursed line before resting a hand on his shoulder "Maybe...or maybe we could work out a deal?" You teased, trying to keep an upset face, Joel gasped playfully before chuckling "Gonna charge me extra? My little girl is the one who helps pass em out" He laughed leaning closer to you "Oh! So you're taking Ellie's serving" You teased giggling louder, he placed his hands on your waist, causing both of your giggles and chuckles subdue leaving you looking at each other. Joel couldn't help it, After losing Sara's mom, he was convinced he'd never meet anybody as amazing as her, as sweet or kind and yet here you were, and you were breathtaking.

"Joel.." Your voice pulled him out of his thoughts, he cleared his throat placing a hand on your cheek before kissing you, if it were anybody else you would've pulled away, knocked the dude the hell out for kissing you, but instead you kissed him back, running your hands through his damp hair, he moved his hands back down to your waist picking you up and putting you up on the counter. "How bout..you..start usin my kitchen..give me a chance to see ya everyday" He panted looking at you "Then we don't gotta do the walkin to each others houses and knockin" He continued as you pecked his lips gently "Are you asking me to move in with you sir?" you teased smiling resting your hands on his shoulder "Maybe I am.." He whispered, both of you jumped as the door slammed and Ellie cheered loudly "FUCKING FINALLY!" She yelled jumping up and down in excitement towards her bedroom.

---

soooo how'd i do?

#joel miller x reader #joel miller #joel the last of us #joel tlou #ellie the last of us #the last of us hbo #the last of us part one #the last of us #ellie tlou

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thececeverse · 24 days

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THE FIRST ALBUM … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

SINCERELY is the debut album by CHOUKA AIKAWA. Released on July 26th, 2024 by Republic Records, it has since been hailed as one of the best and most unexpected debut albums of the year. The album’s concepts, subject matter, and even packaging were all praised by critics, and its release cemented Chouka as one of the industry’s newest pop princesses.

TRACKLIST … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

GIRLS DON’T CRY

CAKE

SINCERELY ! LEAD SINGLE

EYES ON ME ! SECOND SINGLE

LUXURIOUS

RETURN TO SENDER ! BONUS SINGLE

SILK ‘N DIAMONDS

CELEBRITY

VALLEY OF THE DOLLS

STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM ! THIRD SINGLE

G.O.Y.D (GIRL OF YOUR DREAMS) ! FOURTH SINGLE

HEART ON MY SLEEVE

PHOTOCARDS … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

COMMERCIAL PERFORMANCE … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

Album of the year! Chouka truly brought girly pop music back, and everyone agreed. Sincerely—like her debut single—was a huge success. The album was announced just a month prior to its release through a video Chouka posted to her social media accounts. It featured her writing a link onto a pink card before signing it, and the same link could be found in the captions of each post. Turns out, it was a link to preorder the album. At around the same time, Chouka’s website was updated with the link, along with the album’s title and cover art.

Now this news went viral, with the term “she’s releasing an album” being Tweeted over 500,000 times. Within a week, Sincerely had garnered over 400,000 preorders, and it had hit over one million by July.

Three weeks prior to the album’s release, Chouka posted a silent video of herself in a studio in Sweden, along with a few-second snippet of one of the instrumentals to her album. The post gained over 3.5 million likes within the first 24 hours, and it garnered over two million views on Twitter.

The album’s title track and lead single, “Sincerely,” was released a day before the album dropped. Like Chouka’s debut single, this song was also a massive hit. The music video—which was shot at the Palace of Versailles and inspired by Marie Antoinette (2006), the fashion of Rococo-era France, and Madonna’s VMAs performance of “Vogue” in 1990—garnered over 40 million views within the first day, surpassing “Girls Don’t Cry.” It topped YouTube’s trending page, and topped both the Spotify and Apple Music charts. Chouka would end up breaking Olivia Rodrigo’s record, with “Sincerely” becoming the highest streamed song on Spotify in regards to first day streams.

Like its predecessor, “Sincerely” topped charts in numerous countries, and it remained atop the Oricon charts for a staggering sixteen weeks. The song was leagues more popularity online in comparison to “Girls Don’t Cry,” which—to the surprise of Chouka and her fans—led to her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Upon the song’s debut, it had sold over 300,000 units, and would go on to sell 1.5 million by mid-September.

“Sincerely” would be praised for its catchiness and sound reminiscent of early 1990s house music, with critics calling it “the 21st century’s answer to ‘Vogue.’” The song was also praised for the carefree, cheeky, indulgent, and “I don’t give a fuck” tone that it set for the rest of Chouka’s album, despite not being the opening track.

Of course, the album’s other singles also did just as well! “Eyes on Me” was definitely a crowd favorite, with many praising its unapologetic “girlishness,” comparing it to singing alone in a pink, frilly bedroom. The song’s music video was the main talking point, though, as so many people loved the references to various nineties and 2000s chick flicks, such as: Clueless, Jawbreaker, Legally Blonde, Mean Girls, A Cinderella Story, Uptown Girls, and 13 Going on 30.

“Eyes on Me” would debut at No. 2 on the iTunes chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it would top charts everywhere else, including on the Billboard Hot 100 Excl. US chart. It stayed on the charts for four weeks before falling off completely.

“Strawberries and Cream” debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard chart, unfortunately not cracking into the Top 10. “G.O.Y.D” fared much better, however, debuting at No. 8 on the chart. Like before, both songs entered the Top 10 in other countries outside America.

The cherry on top was the music videos, though. They were all filmed to appear as if they were their own individual short films, all connecting to form an overarching story about love and relationships. “Sincerely” begins with Chouka writing a love letter to someone and preparing to send it off. “Eyes on Me” starts with her slipping the letter into a mailbox. “Strawberries and Cream” deals with her receiving a letter back, but it turns out to be a rejection, which causes her to tear the letter up (it turns out to be a fake version of the letter). “G.O.Y.D” (which was notably inspired by various Old Hollywood films such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Funny Face, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s) has Chouka convincing herself that she doesn’t need a man and that her crush missed out, and she writes a scathing letter in return, but in the end, she decides to not send it.

Critics were in love with every MV, and Rosettes were all down Twitter absolutely singing their praises. They were praised for their clearly expensive visuals, along with the movie style cinematography, themes, aesthetics, and overall story. Each MV broke into the Top 10 of YouTube’s trending page, and each obviously received millions of views (unfortunately, though, “Strawberries and Cream” had the least).

Overall, the album was a resounding success. Fans were unsure if the praise that “Girls Don’t Cry” received could be sustained with the release of an album, especially since it was a larger project that Chouka had never tackled before. Clearly, though, she had surpassed everyone’s expectations. And, of course, Rosettes were thrilled that she finally got that No. 1 single.

STYLING … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

ERA HIGHLIGHTS … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

Girl this era was everything!

First off, the promotion for this album was heavy. Y’all thought “Girls Don’t Cry” was huge? Well, damn, this blew miss girl out the water!

Chouka was all over televisions across America, and in other countries, as well! She had an interview with Kelly Clarkson (again), she was on GMA, she was on The Zach Sang Show, she did the Buzzfeed puppy interview, she did a “What’s In My Bag” with Vogue Japan (again!), she had five hundred magazine interviews … like girl, Chouka was doing it all!

She performed on TRL for the second time, and that was just a precursor to all the award show performances that she would give.

You know how Chouka didn’t get a chance to perform at Coachella because she only had two songs to her name at that point? Well know she has twelve, and she scored a set at Lollapalooza!

She had such a blast, girl. Like the way Rosettes turned out for her was truly insane … like to the point where she was tearing up onstage. And that barely happens! She had so much fun during her set, though, especially since the fanchants were so loud and her costumes were so good! She also performed on the same stage as Melanie Martinez, so of course she got to meet her!

And of course Chouka had to do overseas promo too! Her first stop was Japan, so she was on Music Station again, she had a cute little photoshoot with Marie Claire, and she also appeared on her first variety show! Her episode was so fun like literally she’s so charming.

Japanese Rosettes have mutually decided that every time she has a comeback, they have to organize a café pop-up. So that’s exactly what they did!

Like last time Chouka went, she signed some autographs and took pictures … just had a great time!

Chouka made a stop in Korea again! We cheer! Although her music show appearances were (once again) limited, as she only performed four times, she still got to meet so many idols! They were all down her TikTok doing the “#SincerelyChallenge,” and some of the most notable were Julie from Kiss of Life, Xiaoting and Bahiyyih of Kepler, Chungha, literally every member of Haute Pink (@hauteplnk), and Baebi and Sena of Venus (@venusvity)! Additionally, she also held another fansign! Over 13,000 fans attended this one, and Chouka received so many gifts! Like literally, the back wall was covered in bouquets and pink gift bags by the end.

She had another photoshoot with Céci (she was literally on every magazine cover this era) and shot a campaign for Etude House while there, and she was supposed to appear on Knowing Bros but couldn’t due to scheduling conflicts … sigh.

However! There was news going around that Chouka had agreed to star in an upcoming drama! Rumor has it that her co-star is supposed to be Cha Eun-woo so!

Chouka was also in Brazil for Lollapalooza, too. And the vibe was even better in comparison to the US sjuwjhdhe. Like Brazilian Rosettes absolutely adored her, and her Portuguese was surprisingly good! She just had an absolute great time … she was even doing football chants with the crowd too like we love her!

After she came back to the US, she went straight to award shows. She first went to VMAs, and girl, she was literally that girl of the night. Like she was wearing pink archive Versace! She looked so good on that carpet, and she stood there and posed for so long that Jason had to drag her away jsjwjjsjs. It’s not her fault that the photographers were hyping her up!

Chouka was actually a co-host that night, and she presented an award, so rest assured that she was changing outfits like eight times. And they were all in shades of pink, ofc! She also won her first music award ever, as she won the award for Best Pop!

Like girl she beat out Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Olivia Rodrigo … Rosettes were on Twitter yelling!

Her performance was towards the end since of course the VMAs had to extend their watch time (every time Chouka appears on something Rosettes will literally flock to watch it), but when it happened? Oh, the girls were simply not ready!

Taking heavy inspiration from Madonna’s 1990 VMAs performance of “Vogue,” she had Marie Antoinette written all over her. The performance first started with an extended intro of “Sincerely,” and with male backup dancers performing vogue-style choreography. They suddenly stop and bow, and Chouka comes out from backstage with four female dancers (her court, of course). Her hair is piled up high and powdered pink, and she’s dressed in this absolutely huge, Rococo-era gown! Unlike Madonna’s “Vogue” performance, though, after the start of the first verse, Chouka rips off the skirt to reveal a shorter one!

Like “Girls Don’t Cry,” subtle costume changes were very common this era, along with Chouka’s use of paper fans for every live performance. And speaking of fans, every time she did the “#SincerelyChallenge” with someone else, she would give them a fan, too! And they got to keep it as a gift. ♡

She next went to the AMAs and had a great time (won New Artist of the Year, too!), and she even got a chance to attend the MAMAs! She performed at the ceremony in Japan and had a killer dance break, and she was also reunited with Haute Pink again! They were sat next to each other at the ceremony in Hong Kong, and they were chatting the entire night. Chouka is truly their secret seventh member at this point.

The last thing Chouka did before her tour started was attend Jingle Ball! Of course, like every time before, she had fun! Rosettes turned up in droves, and they even got a little gift bag as thanks. Although not all of them got something because Chouka’s team underestimated how many people were actually going to be there … but at least there was a handwritten letter in there!

She was supposed to attend New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, but she wanted to rest before her tour. And also she spent New Year’s in London so she wouldn’t have been able to go anyways sjiwjsjjd.

Her tour (which was titled the Return to Sender Tour and girl, people noticed that!) started at the beginning of next year, and unfortunately, it was pretty short and limited only to North America, Asia, and parts of Europe (including Italy, luckily). Despite that, though, it was a cute and fun little tour! Chouka actually sold out every show on her roster, which was surprising to her but unsurprising to everyone else. Like yes, girl, people do like your music!

Now after Chouka’s tour ended, Rosettes thought that was it. However, nothing’s ever it for her snjwjjeje like y’all should know this by now!

“Return to Sender” (the tour was named that for a reason!) was released as a bonus single sometime in March, and everyone ate it up. They were so invested in the lore at this point, and since the letter Chouka ripped up in “Strawberries and Cream” was revealed to be a fake in “G.O.Y.D,” they were all wondering what happened to it! And Rosettes could finally breathe a sigh of relief since they finally got their answer.

In “G.O.Y.D,” Chouka was trying to convince herself that she didn’t need a man, but in “Return to Sender,” she knew she didn’t need one! As the title implies, in the MV, she literally sent the rejection letter back! Like she truly did not care! It actually ends in the same boudoir that “Sincerely” started off in, and it ends with Chouka writing herself a love letter instead!

It was truly such a cute little message. Rosettes were in love with her character’s progression from being lovestruck to being unbothered and okay with self-love like we love that here!

Since we got a bonus single completely out of nowhere, Rosettes were hoping and praying that either “Heart on My Sleeve” or “Silk ‘N Diamonds” would be released as singles, too. Unfortunately for all of us, though, that literally never happened. And when I tell you Rosettes were so pissed off at her, I mean it jsiwjejjdjs.

However, “Silk ‘N Diamonds” would get its flowers in due time, no need to worry!

Like “Girls Don’t Cry,” the creation and subsequent promotion of Sincerely was all covered on a documentary, which was released on Chouka’s music channel! It was shot more professionally this time and didn’t have any personal footage by her, but it was still a great doc! A lot of celebrities made appearances (such as SZA and Taylor Swift!), and throughout the entire documentary, you can tell just how well Chouka handles stress. Truly the most admirable girl on the planet.

Jason was with her every step of the way, and we love him for that. He was always reassuring her, taking care of things for her, making sure that she wasn’t overworked … like he was literally starting to act like Chouka’s second manager and she had to tell him to slow down hshejjejs.

He quite literally has a fandom of his own within Chouka’s fandom! Like he’s so beloved to the point where every time he showed up during one of Chouka’s schedules, Rosettes would cheer for him, too!

By the end of the era, Chouka held a huge beach party in Spain to celebrate a successful era, and half the industry pulled up! Everyone had to wear pink (of course shwjjdjs), and the party literally went on to three in the morning. It was just so incredibly fun, and every guest got a signed copy of the album, a box of Dior perfume, and a rose! Some notable guests were Paris Hilton, Bella Hadid, the Haute Pink girls, and Klara of Venus!

All in all, what an amazing era! Chouka once again proved that she was the It girl, and she blew everyone’s expectations out the water. Sincerely was truly one of the best and most surprising debuts in history, and fans couldn’t wait to see what else she had in store. ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

#˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ COME INTO THE VERSE !#˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ CHAR … CHOUKA !#DISCOGRAPHY … CHOUKA !#kpop oc #kpop oc soloist #kpop soloist #kpop solo artist #kpop idol oc #fake kpop idol #fictional kpop oc #fictional kpop idol #idol oc #idol soloist #idol oc soloist #idolverse #fake idol #fake idol oc #fictional idol oc #fictional idol community

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strawberrystepmom · 2 months

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a little birthday bite for @weird-dere-fics! happy birthday twy, hope you’re having the best day 🍓 divider by cafekitsune

One of the benefits to working from home is that it allows Ichigo the freedom to truly celebrate you, the woman he loves so much, exactly how he wants.

“No, no, “ he mutters to himself while looking at the distance he has spaced two balloons out over the doorway to your home. He has never considered himself much of a perfectionist, most of the things he is able to accomplish with ease coming naturally rather than with skill, but for you? Nothing will ever be perfect enough. This is something that drives his father and sisters insane but they know as a unit that it’s out of nothing but love.

Hell, his dad remembers feeling the exact same way about his mother when the two of them first met. Nothing will ever be good enough, least of all themselves.

Isshin, Yuzu, and Karin are attempting to help him by keeping their distance in the kitchen, taking turns sugaring strawberries to put atop your cake. Ichigo baked the cake this morning, right after you left the house for your carefully pre-planned by your husband day of being pampered and the other Kurosaki’s argue over how to best arrange the red fruits.

“To the left, like this!” Isshin urges and his daughters roll their eyes and scoff in unison, nudging a berry a few scant centimeters to the left. Their father flashes a thumbs up in approval and calls for your husband who walks into the kitchen with a huff, red hair drooping over his forehead.

“What?”

Isshin chuckles and pats his son on the back.

“Wanted to show you the cake. Okay with you?”

He looks down at the cake with a visible frown, nudging the strawberry his sisters just moved left back toward the right with his thumb. The girls stay silent, watching their brother fidget and fuss, and then he sighs defeatedly.

“I’m sorry, I just want everything to be perfect for her.” The three of them rub Ichigo’s back reassuringly and the girls smile at him, Yuzu speaking up and patting the back of her brothers’ hand. “It will be, Ichigo. She isn’t going to hold it against you if a strawberry is a little off center.”

Ichigo reluctantly agrees and leaves the cake alone, pacing across the kitchen floor.

“I still have to start dinner and then there is tonight and…”

His father claps his hand on his back, squeezing his shoulder just as he did when he was a child. It’s a means to calm him down and reassure him and it works, the man you love straightening his back out immediately.

“It’ll be fine, son. Besides, I heard keys in the door so it’s not like you can do any more planning than you already have.”

Ichigo’s face falls but he lights up immediately, reminding himself that you are coming home to him on your special day. He steels his resolve, as he has had to do many times in his life, and walks to the door to greet you with flowers in hand. His sisters quickly fuss with his hair as he walks, combing their fingers through it to make the stressed droop stand up and he grins brightly as you walk through the door.

“Happy birthday, beautiful.”

You giggle, surprised to see him standing there, and reach out for him in an instant. The world disappears when the two of you are together and this is no different, the only thing that exists is the two of you in the entryway of your home. He leans downward to kiss you, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you close.

#kendall writes #happy birthday to one of the kindest people on this app!!!!!!!

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grotto-esque · 5 months

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Article under the cut, including graphic images.

Khaled Joudeh, 9, mourning over the body of his baby sister, Misk, last month in Deir al Balah, Gaza. Credit...Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times

Thousands of children have been killed in the enclave since the Israeli assault began, officials in Gaza say. The Israeli military says it takes “all feasible precautions” to avoid civilian deaths.

Barefoot and weeping, Khaled Joudeh, 9, hurried toward the dozens of bodies wrapped in white burial shrouds, blankets and rugs outside the overcrowded morgue.

“Where’s my mom?” he cried next to a photographer for The New York Times. “I want to see my mom.”

“Where is Khalil?” he continued, barely audible between sobs as he asked for his 12-year-old brother. A morgue worker opened a white shroud, so Khaled could kiss his brother one final time.

Then, he bid farewell to his 8-month-old sister. Another shroud was pulled back, revealing the blood-caked face of a baby, her strawberry-red hair matted down. Khaled broke into fresh sobs as he identified her to the hospital staff. Her name was Misk, Arabic for musk.

“Mama was so happy when she had you,” he whispered, gently touching her forehead, tears streaming down his face onto hers.

She was the joy of his family, relatives later said — after three boys, his parents were desperate for a girl. When she was born, they said, Khaled’s mother delighted in dressing Misk in frilly, colorful dresses, pinning her tiny curls in bright hair clips.

Misk Joudeh via Joudeh family

Through his tears, Khaled bid farewell to his mother, father, older brother and sister, their bodies lined up around him. Only Khaled and his younger brother, Tamer, 7, survived what relatives and local journalists said was an airstrike on Oct. 22 that toppled two buildings sheltering their extended family.

A total of 68 members of the Joudeh family were killed that day as they slept in their beds in Deir al Balah, in central Gaza, three of Khaled’s relatives recounted in separate interviews.

Several branches and generations of the Joudehs, a Palestinian family, had been huddling together before the strike, relatives said, including some who had fled northern Gaza, as Israel had ordered residents to do. The Israeli military said it could not address questions about a strike on the family.

In the end, members of the family were buried together, side by side in a long grave, relatives said, showing footage of the burial and sharing a picture of Misk before she was killed.

Gaza, the United Nations warns, has become “a graveyard for thousands of children.”

Determining the precise number of children killed in Gaza — in the midst of a fierce bombing campaign, with hospitals collapsing, children missing, bodies buried under rubble and neighborhoods in ruins — is a Sisyphean task. Health officials in Gaza say that 5,000 Palestinian children have been killed since the Israeli assault began, and possibly hundreds more. Many international officials and experts familiar with the way death tolls are compiled in the territory say the overall numbers are generally reliable.

If the figures are even close to accurate, far more children have been killed in Gaza in the past six weeks than the 2,985 children killed in the world’s major conflict zones combined — across two dozen countries — during all of last year, even with the war in Ukraine, according to U.N. tallies of verified deaths in armed conflict.

A wounded child arriving at Al-Nasr Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. Credit...Yousef Masoud for The New York Times

The body of a child pulled from rubble in Khan Younis. Credit...Yousef Masoud for The New York Times

The funeral of a child in Khan Younis on Oct. 26. Credit...Yousef Masoud for The New York Times

The Israeli military says that, unlike the “murderous assault against women, children, elderly and the disabled” by Hamas on Oct. 7, Israeli forces take “all feasible precautions” to “mitigate harm” to civilians.

Hamas, the military said, deliberately caused “the maximum amount of harm and brutality possible to civilians.” During the attack on Israel, parents and their children were gunned down inside their homes, witnesses and officials say, with children taken as hostages.

In response, the Israeli military says, it is waging a war “forcefully to dismantle Hamas military and administrative capabilities.” It notes that Israeli forces have told residents to flee to southern Gaza, and says that they issue warnings before airstrikes “when possible.”

But the furious pace of the strikes — more than 15,000 to date, according to the Israeli military, including in southern Gaza as well — makes the Israeli bombing campaign on the Palestinian territory one of the most intense of the 21st century. And it is happening in a dense urban enclave under siege with high concentrations of civilians, particularly children, setting off mounting global alarm, even from some of Israel’s closest allies.

After initially questioning the death toll reported by health officials in Gaza, the Biden administration now says that “far too many” Palestinians have been killed, conceding that the true figures for civilian casualties may be “even higher than are being cited.”

So many children are brought into the morgue at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah that the morgue director, Yassir Abu Amar, says he has to cut his burial shrouds into child-size fragments to handle the influx of corpses.

“The children’s bodies come to us broken and in pieces,” he said. “It’s chilling.”

“We’ve never seen this number of children killed,” he added. “We cry every day. Every day, we cry while we’re working to prepare the children.”

During previous wars, parents in Gaza, a crowded strip with more than two million people, sometimes put their children to bed in different rooms of their homes. If an airstrike damaged one part of the house, the other children might live.

Given the scale of the bombardment this time — which many Gazans describe as indiscriminate and without warning — some parents have put much greater distances between their children, splitting them up and sending them to relatives in different parts of the Gaza Strip to try to increase their odds of survival. Others have taken to scrawling names directly onto their children’s skin, in case they are lost, orphaned or killed and need to be identified.

In the emergency room of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sittah said that many children had been brought in alone and in shock, with burns, shrapnel wounds or severe injuries from being crushed by rubble. In many cases, he said, no one knew who they were.

Waiting for treatment at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Credit...Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times

A wounded child was treated at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah. Credit...Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times

Waiting for treatment at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Credit...Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times

“They are given a designation — ‘Unknown Trauma Child’ — until someone recognizes them,” he said. “The crippling thing is that some of them are the sole survivors of their family, so no one ever comes.”

“More and more, it seems like a war against children,” said Dr. Abu-Sittah.

Two weeks ago, the emergency room at Al-Shifa registered “Unknown Trauma Child 1,500,” Dr. Abu-Sittah said.

Then, in recent days, Israeli forces stormed the hospital, where thousands of Gazans had been sheltering, saying that the facility sat above an underground Hamas command center. United Nations officials warned that the raid put Gaza’s most vulnerable in even greater jeopardy.

International experts who have worked with health officials in Gaza during this and other wars say that hospitals and morgues in the enclave gather and report the names, ID numbers and other details of people who have been killed in the territory. While the experts urged caution around public statements about the specific number of people killed in a particular strike — especially in the immediate aftermath of a blast — they said the aggregate death tolls reported by health workers in Gaza have typically proven to be accurate.

The Israeli military says it “regrets any harm caused to civilians (especially children),” adding that it is examining “all its operations” to ensure that it follows its own rules and adheres to international law.

But a growing number of human rights groups and officials contend that Israel has already broken that law.

After condemning the “heinous, brutal and shocking” attacks by Hamas as war crimes, Volker Türk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, said this month, “The collective punishment by Israel of Palestinian civilians amounts also to a war crime, as does the unlawful forcible evacuation of civilians.”

“The massive bombardments by Israel have killed, maimed and injured in particular women and children,” he added. “All of this has an unbearable toll.”

Some international officials warn that children are in danger no matter where they go. “There is nowhere safe for Gaza’s one million children to turn,” said Catherine Russell, the director of UNICEF.

On Oct. 15, Dr. Mohammad Abu Moussa said that he was on a 24-hour shift at Al-Nasr Hospital in Khan Younis — south of the evacuation line drawn by Israel — when he heard a loud explosion nearby. He called his wife at home, but when she answered, he said, all he heard were screams.

Soon, he said, his wife, 12-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son were brought into the emergency room, bloodied, hysterical and covered in dust from rubble. He tried to comfort them, but panicked when he noticed that his youngest son, 7-year-old Yousef, was not with them.

“Where’s Yousef?” he recalled asking.

No one would answer.

When he pressed again about his son, he said a neighbor simply responded, “May God have mercy on his soul.”

Yousef Abu Moussa Credit...via Mohammad Abu Moussa

Dr. Abu Moussa didn’t want to believe it. Video from journalists at the hospital shows him frantically searching for Yousef. Dr. Abu Moussa recounted how he had asked other departments, including the intensive care unit, whether his son had been rushed there instead.

Then, he said, a journalist showed him pictures of their demolished home. Dr. Abu Moussa said he recognized the gray clothing Yousef had been wearing when he kissed him goodbye before leaving the house.

With dread, Dr. Abu Moussa walked from the emergency room to the hospital morgue. That’s where he said he finally found Yousef, a jokester with a cheeky smile who stuck out his tongue in photographs. Now, his lifeless body was lying on a gurney.

The shock was too much to bear. Dr. Abu Moussa recalled looking away before a colleague embraced him.

Multiple relatives said that airstrikes had hit their home without warning, and that Dr. Abu Moussa’s family had been pulled from the rubble. The Israeli military said it could not address questions about a strike on the family.

“Yousef was a very loved child,” said his mother, Rawan, a fitness instructor. “He was always smiling. He loved to laugh and make people laugh.”

At home, the boy had wanted to eat every meal next to his father, or in his lap, sometimes even sharing the same spoon.

“He would emulate me in everything I did,” Dr. Abu Moussa said, adding that his son had wanted to become a doctor as well.

Yousef was not the only one killed. Dr. Abu Moussa’s brother, Jasir Abu Moussa, lost both of his sons and his wife, family members said.

Dr. Abu Moussa’s nephew Hmaid, 18, had recently graduated from high school with high marks, the family said. He got his love of cars from his father and, from his mother, a love of poetry and art. He had hopes of studying mechanical engineering in Europe, relatives said, and had begun studying German even as he was studying for his high school exams.

His younger brother, Abdulrahman, 8, was even smarter, the family said. He was killed, too.

“He was a handful,” Jasir Abu Moussa said of his younger son. “But he was also very smart, and delightful.”

Death colors the living, as well.

Many children are showing clear signs of trauma, including night terrors, said Nida Zaeem, a mental health field officer with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza.

Families in Khan Younis leaving their homes to seek shelter after an explosion. Credit...Yousef Masoud for The New York Times

Wounded children in Khan Younis. Credit...Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times

Children inspecting their family’s home after a blast in Gaza City. Credit...Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times

“They are waking up shouting, screaming,” Ms. Zaeem said from a Red Cross shelter in Rafah, in the south, where she is staying with her family, including four children. Each night, she added, children in the shelter yell, “We’re going to die, we’re going to die.”

“They are shouting, pleading, ‘Please protect me, please, please hide me. I don’t want to die,’” she added.

In an encampment sheltering thousands of people around a United Nations center, Hammoud Qadada, 4, tried to focus on a video game inside a tent as the thundering sound of strikes were close enough to shake the ground beneath him.

When the soccer players on the screen scored, everyone in the tent — his siblings, cousins and other children from the makeshift encampment — yelled “goooaaal” so loudly that people in nearby tents thought a cease-fire had been announced.

Their parents had hooked up a television to a solar panel and, when it seemed safe enough, people played real soccer outside between the tents — trying to distract the children.

It wasn’t enough.

The next morning, Hammoud’s grandmother said he woke up and said, “I’m going to die.”

“I told him no,” said his grandmother Hanaan Jaber, 53. “God willing, you will grow up and you will get married and tell your children what happened with us here, like a story.”

Hammoud’s vocabulary has already been shaped by the war. Soon after it started, he asked his parents what “martyrdom” meant. When asked what is happening around him, he answers without hesitation: “Airstrikes. Airstrikes and war.”

Gaza, a coastal strip where cabanas and food shacks line the Mediterranean, once had a lively beach culture. Yasser Abou Ishaq, 34, recalled how he used to teach his three young daughters how to swim.

“They were always asking me to go to the beach, to the amusement park, to the parks,” he said. “I loved watching them play.”

Amal, his oldest, 7, was named after his mother. At school, she was a good student with excellent penmanship, he recalled. At home, she became the teacher who made her younger sister Israa, a 4-year-old who loved chocolate and Kinder toys, play along as the student.

From left: Habiba Abou Ishaq, 1, and her sisters, Israa, 4, and Amal, 7. Credit...via Yasser Abou Isha

When his home was destroyed by what he said was an airstrike, he lost them both, he said. His wife was killed as well, he said.

In all, 25 members of his family, 15 of them children, have been killed, he said. Local journalists reported a strike and shared footage of bodies in burial shrouds — members of the Abou Ishaq family, they said — lined up on the ground as relatives cried over them. The Israeli military said it could not address questions about a strike on the family.

Mr. Abou Ishaq said that he and his 1-year-old daughter, Habiba, had been wounded and taken to the hospital. Most of his family, including his wife and Amal, were pulled from the rubble the same day and buried by relatives, he said, while he was still being treated. He never got the chance to say goodbye, he said.

The next day, Israa’s body was pulled from the rubble, he said. He was able to see her in the hospital’s morgue and hold her one last time.

“I hugged and kissed her. I said goodbye and I cried,” he said. “God only knows how much I cried.”

Mourning relatives outside the morgue of Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah. Credit...Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times

Reporting was contributed by Alan Yuhas, Samar Abu Elouf, Ameera Harouda and Abu Bakr Bashir

#palestine #gaza #israel

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kaileeandag · 2 years

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Rose’s Collection!

Meet Outfit (Mexico soccer team shirt, black jeans, and black Heelys shoes with white socks) Meet Accessories (’R’ Limited Too initial handbag with Sailor Moon wallet containing a pretend $25 Limited Too gift card, Salon Surprise Teresa doll, July 2001 People en Español magazine, Selena Dreaming of You CD, and pretend Bubu Lubu Mexican candy bar) (the CD plays 30 second samples of these songs: Dreaming of You, I Could Fall in Love, and El Toro Relajo)

School Collection: -Rose’s Backpack and Supplies (Sailor Moon backpack with these supplies: three Pokemon pencils, 4th grade Math book, black FiveStar brand notebook, all items come in a Hello Kitty pencil case) -Rose’s Lunch Box (Sailor Moon lunchbox containing these pretend food items: peanut butter sandwich with strawberry jelly, HandiSnaks cheese and crackers, pouch of grape Kool-Aid Jammers, granny smith apple, and Scooby Doo fruit snack)

Holiday Collection: -Rose’s Day of the Dead Set (comes with a black and red traditional dress with a large black feathered hat, sugar skull mask, and a piece of pretend Pan de Muerto bread) -Rose’s GameCube and games (games are case only and the console is purple, comes with screenshots from these games: Pikmin, The Simpsons Road Rage, and Luigi’s Mansion) -Rose’s Pajamas (Winnie the Pooh shirt and pajama pants) -Rose’s New Barbie (is a Princess of the Incas doll, kept in the box) -Rose’s “Back to School 2002″ outfits (comes with these clothes: Limited Too black polka dot skim dress and black leggings, Limited Too cropped black hoodie, Limited Too blue jeans with flower decal, Limited Too navy daisy crop top cami, and blue Limited Too daisy shirt)

Birthday Collection: -Rose’s Birthday Cake (pretend gold cake with chocolate frosting and Sailor Moon decal, a ‘10′ candle and Feliz cumpleaños, Rose! written in green icing) -Rose’s Birthday Party Set (comes with a rectangular table and Barbie tablecloth cover, three plates, three Barbie cups, and pretend jug of water) -Chair Flair Teresa doll

Summer Collection: -Hot Pink and White polka dot tankini with Hamtaro towel -Resident Evil 2002 Gamecube game (case only, comes with screenshots from the game) -Super Mario Sunshine Gamecube game (case only, comes with screenshots from the game)

Winter Collection: -red jacket with pink hat and mittens -black snow boots -Rose’s Sled (sled is green) -Metroid Prime Gamecube game (case only, comes with screenshots from the game) -Hamtaro: Ham Hams Unite Gameboy game (cartridge is non-functioning, comes with screenshots from the game)

Bedroom Collection: -Rose’s Bed and Bedding (full bed with Rugrats bedding) -Rose’s Josefina Montoya doll -Rose’s TV and Entertainment Center (Gamecube from her Holiday collection can attach to the TV, DVD player does not function. Comes with screenshots from these shows: Pokemon, Ed Edd n Eddy, Spongebob Squarepants, Dexter’s Laboratory, Powerpuff Girls, and Scooby Doo Where Are You?) -Rose’s Sailor Moon doll (made by Irwin toys) -Rose’s Sailor Pluto doll (made by Irwin toys) -Rose’s Abelardo Montoya plush (Abelardo is Mexico’s equivalent of Big Bird, got this as a little girl from when her aunt Inez went to Mexico City) -Rose’s Limited Too Nail Dryer (color is blue) -Rose’s GameBoy and GameBoy games (clear non-functioning Gameboy Color with a Pokemon Yellow game in the slot. Comes with screenshots from these games: Pokemon Red, Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon Gold, Pokemon Crystal, and Pocket Monsters Midori) (got the Pokemon Green game from her aunt Inez when she went to Tokyo for an interview in 1996. Her sister Bridget has a copy of the Japanese Pokemon Red game)

Extra Accessories: -Rose’s Hair Dryer (sparkly blue hair dryer from Limited Too) -Sparkly Blue Limited Too GirlCare Caboodle

#american girl #american girl doll #American Girl dolls #american girl oc #american girl fan character

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sounmashnews · 2 years

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[ad_1] Matanzas, Cuba CNN — The cake with collectible figurines of two brides on prime melted within the Caribbean warmth and the marriage visitors fretted aloud that certainly one of Cuba’s frequent blackouts might strike at any second however for Annery Rivera Velasco and Yennys Hernandez Molina, the day was one of many happiest of their lives. The two girls married in September, surrounded by a small group of fellow LGBTQ activists within the sea-side metropolis of Matanzas. But their union is just not acknowledged by the Cuban authorities, not less than not but. That might change as early as Sunday, when thousands and thousands of Cubans are anticipated to prove to vote for or in opposition to a major overhaul of the communist-run island’s more than four-decade-old family code, which would come with the historic step of legalizing identical intercourse marriage. “It’s a legal right and we should all be the same before the law. It’s a question of a human right,” Yennys Hernandez informed CNN moments after her wedding ceremony on the Metropolitan Community Church, a LGBTQ-friendly church that is among the few on the island to hold out same-sex marriages. Following the church service, the couple reminded assembled family and friends members to vote for the brand new household code. “I believe we are all equal in terms of rights, options, possibilities and in terms of being a citizen and expressing that citizenship. I don’t think we are less than the rest of society,” stated Annery Rivera, who stated that if the brand new household code passes, she and Hernandez would maintain a civil wedding ceremony that may imply within the eyes of the Cuban state they're legally married. According to the Cuban authorities, the 100-page household code supplies larger protections to girls, youngsters and the aged in addition to permitting LGBTQ couples to marry and undertake youngsters. Members within the LGBTQ group in Cuba have waited a long time for this second. But some additionally worry a backlash if the code passes. Following the 1959 revolution, homosexual folks have been amongst these despatched to work camps often called Military Units to Help Production together with political dissidents, clergymen and others thought of undesirables by Fidel Castro’s new authorities. Some homosexual males and lesbians even stated they carried out sham marriages to keep away from falling below suspicion. Castro later apologized for the best way homosexuals have been handled however a full accounting of how many individuals have been despatched to the compelled labor camps and who ordered their creation has by no means been revealed by the federal government. In 1979, homosexuality was legalized in Cuba though many homosexual women and men stated they nonetheless confronted open discrimination. In 1993, the Cuban movie “Strawberry and Chocolate” concerning the unlikely friendship between a younger supporter of the revolution and an older homosexual man was launched and sparked a nationwide debate concerning the therapy of LGBTQ folks on the island. For greater than a decade, Mariela Castro, the daughter of former Cuban president Raul Castro, has overtly advocated via a government-funded heart for improved rights for gays, lesbians and transgender folks. But the push for larger equality has confronted stiff opposition from each outdoors and from inside the Cuban authorities. In 2018, Cuban legislators deserted provisions that may have legalized identical intercourse marriage amid fears that a homophobic backlash would have lowered turnout for a referendum to approve a brand new structure. The following

12 months, Cuban police broke up a peaceable LGBTQ rights parade saying the marchers didn't have permission to carry the rally. Cuba’s rising evangelical group particularly has overtly advocated in opposition to approving the household code. Evangelical pastor Yoel Serrano informed CNN that whereas evangelicals have been extra outspoken about their opposition to same-sex marriage, many teams throughout Cuban society have their reservations. “I think about 95% of Christians disapprove but it’s not just Christians,” Serrano stated. “There are communists who are not in agreement, materialistic people not in agreement. A lot of people who believe in different things that don’t agree with the changes they want to make with the new family code.” Even at neighborhood “consultations” organized by the federal government throughout the island, some individuals who recognized themselves as loyal revolutionaries stated they have been not sure how they'd vote. “It would be unfortunate if the code wasn’t approved massively because of one article,” a girl named Melba stated – referring to the same-sex provision – at a neighborhood assembly in 2021 that CNN was permitted to cowl. In the weeks earlier than the referendum, the Cuban authorities has made a full court docket press in favor of the brand new household code throughout state-run media, arguing the brand new code is proof the island’s now greater than six-decades-old-revolution is able to adapting to the instances. It stays to be seen if Cubans will vote overwhelmingly to permit same-sex marriage or if they may use the referendum as a uncommon alternative to precise their anger on the authorities over wide-spread energy cuts, runaway inflation and more and more naked grocery store cabinets. At the church in Matanzas, Rev. Elaine Saralegui Caraballo, the pastor who married Yennys and Annery, stated that if the referendum passes or is rejected, the battle for full equality nonetheless must proceed. “I have faith that love will win,” she stated. “If it’s a “Yes” or “No” it’s the identical. We inform our group nobody can take away your worth, who you might be.” [ad_2] Source link

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lizthesnootyfoodie · 2 years

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Some of the Best Chocolate Based Desserts

The post for today will be about chocolate. Ever since I can remember, I have seriously loved chocolate. Even in 2002, at the age of 3, I enjoyed chocolate, so much so that I was guilty of stealing it from my sister's Christmas stockings. While I have finally been forgiven for this sin by my family, I’ll probably never get over the sin of being a chocoholic. In this blog post, I would like to go over the best chocolate based desserts in my opinion which should be taken with a grain of salt.

Speaking of my younger years, one of my first memories of chocolate desserts would be forever tied to my elementary music teacher. Every year, she would bake all of her music classes a cake, and more often than not, she would bake a chocolate coca-cola cake. While it may seem like a simple, and unnecessary change to the classic chocolate cake, the cola would bring a surprising amount of moistness and flavor to a traditional dessert. I haven’t forgotten this treat years later!

One of my favorite chocolate based desserts would have to be chocolate mousse. There are multiple variations of this dessert featuring white chocolate, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate. This dessert may also integrate fruity flavors such as orange, raspberry, strawberry, or more. I have also seen this dessert feature nuts or coffee beans. The best mousse in my opinion is airy and feels a little bit like eating a chocolate cloud. This dessert is also sometimes featured in a cake, which can be good, but it's imperative that the cake is airy as well or the dessert can come off as a somewhat odd mismatch.

The next chocolate based dessert I enjoy would be known as lava cake. I remember the first time I had this dish at a chain restaurant when I was a little girl at a chain restaurant. The surprise of warm chocolate batter was a welcomed one. I would later have this dish in 2013 at the age of 14, in a small diner in Paris. An elderly French couple asked us if we had ever had this dish in America which reminded me how similar cultures can be in sometimes surprising ways. Though it’s not surprising that she was unsure, as like the prior dish, this dessert is French in origin.

The next dish I originally had in Argentina in 2019. One restaurant had a chocolate flan served with dulce de leche. Dulce de leche is a big part of another Argentinian dessert I enjoy called Alfajores. The dish had a moist yet rich flavor to it, and the dulce de leche served with the dish really gave it an edge. The sweetness of the dish was quite pleasant, though perhaps not appreciated by people who dislike sweets like my mother. It was paired quite well with tea I drank it with.

S’mores is a simple dessert that is associated with camping in the United States and Canada. As someone who hates the camping experience, I wouldn’t mind begrudgingly agreeing to my father’s camping trips if it meant that later on, we would get s’mores, something that excited my sister and I. I will say that S’mores made over an open fire are much better than microwave s’mores which can be a little disappointing. I personally think it has something to do with how the marshmallows react to a flame compared to a microwave. Instead of a glob of marshmallow paste, fire-roasted marshmallows are softened versions of themselves that compliment a dry graham cracker and melted chocolate quite well.

#chocolate #dessert #food #sweets

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kumiko-desu · 3 years

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ChroNoiR | A Day Out With ChroNoiR

Request:

Hello! I saw you're opening request and i want to submit one!

Can you make general headcannons (or imagines, whichever you prefer it's ok) with a streamer Reader that have a three man unit with ChroNoiR going on outings like shopping or eating at a restaurant, and the three starts talking abt it at an off collab stream after the outings?

Thank you!╰(*´︶`*)╯

Pairings: Kuzuha & Kanae & Streamer!Reader

Tags: reader insert, pov second person, fluff, platonic relationships, an attempt at comedy, reader is a streamer, kuzuha was abused (in a friendly manner)

Notes: Thank you for being my first request ! Since you didn't specify much I will have it as a platonic relationship between the three. There are a few curse words here and there. This idea was very fun to think and write about. Enjoy ! (Banner might change again in the future, I don't really like this design.)

“ChroNoiR went out yesterday, right? Yea! It was quite sudden actually, all three of us didn’t have plans and I was bored. It was really funny yesterday, especially Kuzuha-kun.” You saw a comment asking in the comment section on TwitCast. ChroNoiR, a three-man unit between you, Kanae, and Kuzuha, is hosting a TwitCast the week after successfully debuting a new original song.

You can hear Kanae’s snickering in the background, “Yesterday was fun~, we should go out more often.”

Sounds of clothes shuffling can be heard and Kuzuha’s voice spoke up, “No! I ain’t letting you two rob me again!”

It was an interesting day. You suddenly becoming hungry and wanting to go out to eat, but doesn’t want to go alone led you to texting your two teammates, Kuzuha and Kanae, for a day out.

This time, all three of you didn’t have any plans for the rest of the day when you asked them around noon. So, being the great friend and teammate you are, you called in an impromptu outing with the two and made Kuzuha pay for everything considering that he’s loaded from the superchats.

The first destination was the local mall, since you were hungry and Kanae wanted to grab a snack as well. You both visited a cafe, each getting a dish stacked with fluffy pancakes and Kuzuha getting a strawberry milkshake (of course Kuzuha paid). Before you three ate, you posted a picture of your dishes and Kuzuha’s milkshake on Twitter with the caption “いただ��ましょう” (itadakimashou; let’s eat).

“The pancakes were so fluffy and so good! It melted in my mouth.”

“You know your eating spots (Name)-chan.”

“I was forced to watch them eat, they ate a lot.”

You and Kanae finish your pancakes and you three leave the cafe to your next stop, the cosmetic store. Kanae mentioned that he needed to buy some face masks and you needed to get a new lip gloss. You two entered the store without a thought while Kuzuha trailed behind, still sipping on his strawberry milkshake from earlier.

Kanae had two packs of face masks on either hand, switching gazes between the two, “Nee (Name)-chan, do you think I should get the brightening one or the anti-aging one?”

“I think you should stick with your usual hydrating one, your skin is still plump and white like a baby’s.” You reached your hands out to pinch Kanae’s soft cheeks.

“Heh, that’s why I’m always babu-babu you know?” He smirked but then yelped in pain as you pinched his cheeks harder.

The two of you were discussing various products, giving suggestions on what brands and types you should use. You were so deep into the conversation that you didn’t notice Kuzuha walking to you two, face messily caked with black lipstick, thick layer of mascara and dark eye shadow. If you didn’t know him, you would’ve thought he was an e-boy.

“Pfft- Kuzuha! What the heck are you doing?!”

“You two were taking so long so I tried the testing products. I look good right? Probably can pick up a few girls on the way out. Do they have trial make-up removers? I’m very tempted to lick my lips right now.”

Kanae went to the general area for make-up removers and quickly returned to you and Kuzuha with a hand barely hiding his grin, “There’s no open bottles.”

You three had to ask the staff for some and watch Kuzuha disgruntledly wipe the make-up off his face.

“I should’ve taken a picture of it! He looked so hideous that it was funny!”

“I’ll teach you how to do makeup next time Zuha-kun, so that if there’s a girl you want to impress you’ll know what to do.”

“I don’t need your fucking help!”

You three left the cosmetic store and wandered around the mall for a bit, not having a specific location to go in mind yet. Your eyes widened and sparked when they spotted an arcade. Your hands grabbed the other two boys' arms and dragged them there.

Kanae used Kuzuha’s money and bought a total of 100 coins. You three spent it on various games like racing games, basketball, fishing, and rhythm games. There was a competition between everyone, you won the sports related games, Kanae won the rhythm games and Kuzuha somehow won the ones that makes you seem like you can win but is actually a scam (you and Kanae blame it on pure luck while Kuzuha boasts its all skills).

But in between, you would nudge the two to distract from their games. Either successfully make them lose their streak or make them go off track. In return, Kuzuha will try to wave his arms in front of your eyes to block the screen or Kanae covering your eyes.

The highlight in the arcade was when you three were at the air hockey table. Kanae and Kuzuha were playing against each other and you were spectating in the middle. The two were tied in points and rapidly hitting the puck back and forth. They were hitting it so quick and strong that Kuzuha hit the puck to Kanae and he was doing the same motion at the same time, causing the puck to fly off the table, nearly hitting Kuzuha’s face if not for his quick reflexes.

“Oi! That was fucking dangerous!” Kuzuha screamed and looked back at where the puck went while you and Kanae were laughing your asses off.

“Zuha-kun was sweating the whole time afterwards, he didn’t really expect Kanakana to be that strong. Kanakana has been working out recently, getting muscles and shit.”

“You don’t have to say that (Name)-chan.”

“Despite that, the boys really suck at crane games. Like they’re really trash at it, despite their aims being so good in Apex and Valorant.”

“Your aim’s trash (Name), it’s always us carrying you in Apex.”

“Then keep carrying me, slaves!”

Before you three left the arcade you still had a lot of leftover coins. So to spend them quickly, Kuzuha and Kanae made a bet on who could get a prize from the claw machine first and they got to keep the prize. They went to a figurine claw machine that had the box balancing on two strings and started their challenge. Coins were spent and the box in the middle moved bit by bit but it wasn’t enough to make it fall. It was until the last coin and both started to fight over who’s going to use it.

“Let your hands go noob, you always make the box move back to its original spot.”

“Hah! Talk about yourself! It’s my turn anyway so give me the coin.”

The banter was entertaining in the beginning but you got bored quickly. You snatched the coin from their hands and started the machine. Moving the joystick back and forth a bit, trying to aim the claw correctly and you pressed the button. The claw descended down around the box, closed its claw and started its ascent. Three pairs of eyes watched closely to the claw as it loosened slightly and moved the box. Though it wasn’t tight enough to grab the box, it nudged the box enough to lose its balance and fall down the machine. You bent down to grab the prize and leave the place with the boys’ pairs of eyes following you and mouths agape.

You nonchalantly turned to the two, “I won so let’s go eat. I wanna eat steak today.”

Like you said earlier, your group went to a steakhouse that had opened recently and got good reviews. As a foodie, you had to go there. You three went into the restaurant, it had dim lights and soothing jazz music playing in the background, creating an ambient atmosphere. The host led the group to a private room which Kanae requested.

“Nice place, where did you find this restaurant?” Kanae asked while looking around the restaurant.

“Shacho (Kagami Hayato’s nickname meaning ‘president’) suggested the place to me.” Your eyes were also wandering around the spacious room.

Kuzuha audibly took a deep breath in which you and Kanae cringe at, “Smells nice too, shacho eats good food all the time, he really knows his restaurants.”

The place serves a wide range of beef from Kobe as a specialty. Kanae ordered a lean steak and water as drinks, you got yourself a whole T-bone steak and also water, while Kuzuha got a beef bowl (gyudon) and his second drink of the day, a hot cocoa.

“Kuzuha has really boring tastes. I should bring him along to my taste-testing outings.”

“Don’t feed me your unhealthy human food.”

“The other day you asked me where to get good beef bowls, Kuzu.”

A waiter arrived in the room and poured your and Kanae’s cups with water from this large glass bottle and another waiter brought Kuzuha’s hot cocoa.

The water you sipped tasted different, it had a more mineral taste than the filtered water you usually have at home. You dismissed it and continued drinking the complimentary water.

It didn’t take too long until the main course arrived and you three gave your thanks for the meals and dug in. The steak was juicy, spiced and cooked to perfection. Everyone was enjoying their meal and chatting about various things, about your plans as VTubers and as an individual.

Towards the end when the bill came, all three pairs of eyes couldn’t help but almost bulge out of their eye sockets. The most surprising thing didn’t come from the price of the main dishes, but from the water you and Kanae drinked. You two drank a lot of water (drink water and stay hydrated!) and drank four 1-liter bottles, each costing 1,500 yen (~15 USD), meaning water bottles alone were 6,000 yen (~60 USD).

“YOU TWO ARE TRYING TO ROB MY WALLET FOR SOMETHING, GREEDY PIGS?!” Kuzuha shrieked loudly inside the private room.

You turned to Kuzuha in disbelief, “I THOUGHT THE WATER WAS COMPLIMENTARY, SO I JUST KEPT DRINKING! I WAS THIRSTY TOO!”

Kanae was sitting calmly between you and Kuzuha bickering across the table. He waited until you two were calm and asked Kuzuha for his card so that they could pay the bills and leave the place.

“Thanks for the meal~”

“Don’t act like you’re innocent!”

“I swear I’m not going out with you two anymore.” Kuzuha grumbled under his breath.

Kanae ignored it and cooed at him, “Thanks Kuzu~, I’ll go buy more things next time.”

“It was a really fun day with those two, I would trade it over the world hehe.” You said to the listeners and moved onto the next comment.

The story about the expensive water is based on a true story.

#kumiko kara !#nijisanji kanae x reader #kanae x reader #kuzuha x reader #nijisanji x reader #vtuber x reader #nijisanji kanae #kanae #kuzuha #nijisanji #vtuber

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deokmis · 2 months

Text

strawberry dongfang qincang for my strawberry cake girl @yesdramas (font in gif 1 is called becca 💟)

credits under cut

quiz + gif 3 graphic + cake picture + gif 2 strawberry image

#love between fairy and devil #cdramedit #chineseartistsinc #userdramas #*nedrgifs #wang hedi #hope u enjoy the strawberry!!!#i wanted to gif tteotm for u but i didn't have the right files :(#strawberry cake girls unite!

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trans-reader-fics · 3 years

Text

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice: Criminal Minds(Girls) x Reader (they/them) - Bakery Headcanons!

TW/CW: Food, super mild swearing (uncensored).

Summary: More bakery/cafe AU! The boys’ part was getting long, so I figured I’d just split it up. The JJ and Garcia ones are fairly platonic, considering (so far??) they’re both taken. Also, I accidentally wrote the Garcia one as more of a coffee shop,,, oops. Let’s just call it a bakery.

**This is just the BAU girls, the post with the boys is here!

————————————–

Emily Prentiss

She loves your pastry. The first time you saw her in the bakery line, she barely took her eyes off of the mini fruit tarts in the display case. You didn’t blame her, they were your favorite too. Both to make and eat. Slicing fruit was something that you’d loved since you were young. Making sure each slice is even and laying them out in a little spiral on the tart was a surefire way to brighten your day.

“Hey,” The brunette walked up to the counter. Her bangs were blunt across her forehead. You thought it suited her, made her look confident. “Could I please have two of the mini fruit tarts and one medium latte?”

You smiled up at her. “Sure thing, that’ll be 17.50.” She handed you a credit card, and you blushed as your hands touched briefly. You hoped she didn’t notice, but you didn’t check. “I’ll have that for you in a minute! What name should I put on the coffee?”

“Emily,” she barely looked up. “My name’s Emily.”

She came back occasionally, maybe a few times a month. Almost always for a few tarts and a medium latte, although occasionally she’d opt for a muffin or cake pop. You started talking to her, striking up conversations as you poured her coffee and packaged her desserts. You got to know each other, built a friendly rapport.

Sometimes, she’d come in right at opening, when you had barely gotten any of the food out of the oven. You started making your tarts right when you got in, just in case. If it were just you two in the store, she opened up about her job a little. An FBI agent, part of the Behavioral Analysis Unit.

So she probably saw the signs sooner than you did. She was gorgeous, that you knew. That wasn’t unique to her, but the way that you got flustered talking to her, the tentative, fleeting eye contact? That was unusual.

It wasn’t unreciprocated. You would never have known, but her coworkers at the BAU heard about this cute bakery owner who made the “best damn fruit tarts in the country.” The unit was getting tired of hearing her pine over you, and so they trapped her into asking you out.

“Look,” Morgan hugged her from behind, annoying her. “If you don’t take them on a date-- or at least ask them-- you have to ask Hotch about Jack the next time we want something from him.” She winced playfully and conceded. The next time she went to the bakery, she would give you her number.

True to her word, when she came in for a strawberry muffin the next week, she lingered at the counter. “Hey, look, if you wouldn’t mind,” she glanced down at her shoes, her nerves showing through. “Maybe we could go get coffee sometime?” She passed you a business card.

You grinned and ran your fingers through your hair. “That sounds nice. I’ll text you on my next break, okay?” She looked into your eyes, moving her hand to cover yours on the counter.

“That sounds great.”

————————————–

Jennifer Jareau

You first met her when it was pouring rain. She was soaked, and while you were technically closed, she didn’t look like she had anywhere to go. So you unlocked the door, gesturing for her to come inside. She looked hesitant, but one look at the brightly decorated interior of your bakery, and she walked in. “Hey, thank you so much,” She smiled warmly. “My coworker was supposed to drive me home, but he blanked out and left without me. He should be here soon.”

“It’s no big deal,” you rubbed the back of your neck nervously. “I have some left over croissants, if you want any? No charge.” She accepted, and you went to get some from in the kitchen. She took a bite as she sat down in a chair, and you went back to wiping things down.

“Hey, these are really good,” you heard her yell. “I think you just gained a customer.” You blushed, thanking her. A few minutes later, you saw her walk up to your tip jar and drop a few dollars in. A car was double parked on the street, and you assumed it was her ride. “Thank you again,” she waved at you and ran back into the rain.

She came back occasionally. It wasn’t too frequent, but you couldn’t forget the blonde woman who you sheltered from the rain. She would jokingly ask how her knight in shining armor was doing, and you would respond with some melodramatic sentiment about how you were better with her here.

It was pleasant. Friendly. The two of you would always chat at the counter, occasionally frustrating the person behind her. But you didn’t mind. The bakery had a decent amount of one-time customers, and with the popularity growing, the foot traffic would make up for a lost customer or two.

You saw her on the news sometimes, as liaison for this fancy FBI unit. You never asked her about her job, just about how her coworkers were doing or if she liked the new book she mentioned a few weeks ago. She brought her coworkers around sometimes, with a light comment about how your coffee was better than at the office. “The office doesn’t have angel cake,” she remarked once, with a forkful of cake in her mouth.

She would ask for pictures of your pets, and you grinned as she gave you her business card. “I’ll send pictures,” you promised.

“I’ll hold you to that.”

————————————–

Penelope Garcia

She orders the most caramelly drinks ever. It changed sometimes, a peppermint mocha during the holidays or a fruit tea on a hot afternoon, but her usual order was always caramel.

“Hi,” she glanced down at your nametag, “(y/n)!” She greeted you one morning. You froze, not used to being called by your name, but she carried on without missing a beat. “Can I please get a large iced caramel latte, with almond milk? Oh, and a little bit of caramel sauce on top, too.”

You admired her ability to be direct, but not rude. Her entire personality seemed bubbly and sweet, which was at least somewhat influenced by her colorful outfit. “Whipped cream?” You asked with a grin on your face. “And what name should I put on the cup?”

“Penelope,” she flashed a quick peace sign. “Oh, and no whipped cream please!” You nodded, ringing up her order. The coffee was $4, and she paid in cash, dropping a few extra dollars into the tip jar next to you.

“It’ll be out in a minute,” you promise, already mixing the coffee together. “I like your skirt.” She looked down, clearly unused to people complimenting her clothes.

“Aww, thank you!” Penelope squealed. “I like your shirt. The color is nice.” You blushed, not expecting a compliment back. You liked her, you decided. She was sweet, and everything about her just seemed so genuine. You handed her the coffee, and she waved at you. “See you around, (y/n)!”

She came back to the store fairly often. She’d come in at odd hours sometimes, but her energy was always the same. You loved it, it was a nice break from the exhausted high schoolers and middle aged businessmen. You started writing Penny on her cups, not Penelope. It seemed friendlier.

“Penny?” She cocked her head in surprise the first time. You had apologies on your tongue, but she giggled, looking back at you. “That’s so sweet! Maybe I’m being too forward, but here’s my number! Text me.” She scribbled a cell number on a napkin and pushed it across the counter. “In a friend way,” she blushed, clarifying her statement. “I’m not trying to hit on you.”

You pocket the napkin. “I’ll text you, promise!” You did, in fact, text her, and the two of you became good friends. She kept coming back to the bakery, and you would occasionally throw in a few cookies.

The topic of dates came up once. Valentine’s day was approaching, and you moaned about how you wanted to go see some corny movie with a date. “The last time I hooked up with someone I met in a coffee shop,” She laughed, more awkwardly than usual. “I got shot. But this is a bakery, so it’s fine! Want to go see to that movie?”

#bakery/cafe au #gender neutral reader #they/them reader #fluff #criminal minds fluff #criminal minds #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds fanfic #emily prentiss #emily prentiss x reader #prentiss x reader #jennifer jareau #jennifer jareau x reader #jj x reader #jj x reader criminal minds #penelope garcia #penelope garcia x reader

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dustofbrokenheart · 3 years

Text

The Lost Boys: Be My Palentine

Dwayne x Reader

Word Count: 3,145

Summary: You're new to Santa Carla and end up at the boardwalk on Valentine’s Day. You don’t have any romantic plans and end up people watching with a handsome stranger for the night.

Only one box was left to go and then all of your stuff would officially be out of your car and in the new apartment. Everything still needed to be unpacked and put away, but it was a small victory to get it unloaded.

With a heave you climbed the stair that lead to your second-floor unit. Having a top unit was nice because you would have to worry about noisy upstairs neighbors, but the climbing and lifting was a tiring workout.

Inside of the apartment you dropped the box of clothes on the bedroom floor with a heavy thump and twisted side-to-side, stretching out your back. Orange-pink light filtered in mutedly through the window, the sun close to setting. Your stomach growled angrily and, finally having a moment to relax, you realized that you hadn’t eaten anything since a late breakfast earlier in the day. The empty fridge and bare cabinets made the decision to eat-out a simple one to make.

Being new to town, you weren’t sure where was good to eat and where wasn’t so you drove around. It was a lot easier to drive without being surrounded by boxes that were piled high. Eventually, you ended by down by the beach, the bright lights of an amusement park having caught your attention. Where there were rides, fair food stalls were bound to follow and you pulled into the decently full parking lot.

You walked past a security guard on your way to the boardwalk entrance and told him hello, a polite smile on your face. He looked very confused but waved back none the less.

Note to self: Midwest niceness was not all the rage in California.

A savory aroma hung heavy in the night air and tickled your nose. Unable to resist, the trail led you to a nearby taco stand. Perusing the menu board that was handwritten in colored chalk, you ordered some tacos de tinga. As a treat, you asked for four of them.

Not only had it been a long day of moving ally by yourself, it was also… Valentine’s Day.

And, well. If that was the case, it seemed only logical that you would have to treat yourself extra hard to make up the difference.

Tacos in hand, you wandered looking for a place to sit and it was impossible to miss the mass amounts of red and pink heart decorations that were plastered up and down the boardwalk. Not to mention the happy couples that made up the majority of the crowd that night. Love was definitely in the air as the saying went.

Still motivated by the treat yourself mindset, you hopped in a line for the next food stall you saw, which wasn’t difficult considering there were sellers on every corner. You went even bigger than four tacos and asked for a vanilla milkshake and a funnel cake with the works. The desserts smelled friend and sugary sweet with the strawberries, delicate powdered sugar, and picturesque whip cream on top of it.

You were so excited to dig into the food that it took a second to realize that weren’t any open spots in which to sit. The tables and benches were filled by the aforementioned couples out to celebrate Valentine’s Day. The only two options you found were the sidewalk curb or a wooden hand rail with thick posts.

Seeing as you didn’t want t run the risk of being stepped on should you sit on the ground, you opted for the rail; its posts were thick enough to support your weight and you could set your plates down. So there you sat, enjoying the tacos and taking a pull of milkshake every few bites, the funnel cake patiently waiting for its turn on the side.

You swung your legs leisurely, munching on one of the tacos and pouted when you were too slow to catch a stray piece of meat that popped out of the end of the tortilla. It landed on the ground in a regretful splat.

You sighed and looked at the people passing by. There were people everywhere and your vantage point on the rail, which lined one of the busier sections of the boardwalk, meant that you got to observe them all. Happy couples were all around, each lost in their own happy, little worlds. It must be nice.

A sudden scream drew your attention and your head snapped to where the sound came from in time to see some girl slap her boy across the face. She proceeded to beat him with a large stuffed prize that had likely been won at one of the games.

Well, most seemed to be happy.

She threw it at him and stomped away, clenching her fists. The guy didn’t have time to collect himself before she marched back to grab the stuffed animal and left again, for good that time.

Even though you knew it was rude you were unable to stop the snicker that escaped. The universe was funny about paying things back, however, and it was your laugh that ended up attracting unwanted attention.

You were reaching for the last taco when an arm wrapped around your shoulders.

Startled, you quickly glanced over and saw a jovial blonde. “Check it out, dude. Someone stole our spot.”

Another blonde appeared on your other side. The newcomer was also blonde except he had tight ringlets and a colorful jacket. “You’re right, Paul.” He turned an impish smile on you and poked your shoulder. “There’s a toll you have to pay for sitting here with us, you know.”

You broke eye contact and turned forward, hunching your shoulder inward to become smaller. Being alone in a new, unfamiliar city without any family or friends to guide you, the last thing you wanted was trouble.

“Sorry,” you said keeping both eyes fixed on your shoes. You scooted from the edge of the rail intent on leaving and made peace with the fact that you would have to abandon the milkshake and funnel cake. They were blocked by the boys and you didn’t want to grab them if it meant that they would have another excuse to touch you. Luckily, the taco remained with you.

“No, come on, stay. I promise that we’re good boys,” pouted the first one. His friend said nothing, choosing to bite his thumbnail instead.

Somehow you were rather unconvinced of that, judging by their actions and teasing. Lowering your head in an awkward good-bye motion, you moved to leave only to run smack dab into yet another boy. Taco didn’t it make it that time and slipped through your surprised hands.

Cool fingers gripped your wrists, stopping your fall and hoisted you back up on your feet, a bare, brown chest greeting you. He said something but you realized too late that you hadn’t been listening to his words so much as ogling his displayed body.

You asked him to repeat himself and the two behind you started giggling. An annoyed look from Tall, Dark, and Shirtless quieted them and he asked if you were alright. Where you had felt the need to get away from the blondes quickly, the brunette had a patient presence that made it easier to talk.

“Umm, yeah. I’m good. Sorry for taking your spot, I’ll get out of your way.”

He held fast to your wrists and the three boys had a wordless exchange. The silence started to drag on and none of them seemed like they were willing to back down, causing a prick of warning to flare in the back of your mind. The whole thing was…weird.

Just as you were about to insist on leaving, the blondes conceded, ending the battle of wills.

“Have it your way, big guy.” Curls got off the railing and walked towards the flow of people. “Come on, Paul,” he called back with a toss of his head.

Paul was fast to follow and stopped to pat Dark’s shoulder with familiarity confirming that they were on friendly terms despite the stand-off. “See ya later man.”

He winked one last time at you and said, “Bye baby,” before they disappeared, becoming two more anonymous bodies in the crowd.

The pet name was in-character from what little you knew of him but was still unexpected and left you frozen in place with the remaining boy.

“Sorry,” he murmured with an awkward head bob not unlike the one you gave his friends. Hmm. Maybe this one wasn’t as bad as the others, or at least better than the others at controlling himself. He was certainly easier on the eyes.

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I didn’t know you guys had this spot claimed,” you reassured him.

He went over to the railing and inspected it, going so far as to drop to his knees to examine it underneath. He was silent during the whole thing yet it still felt dramatic and over the top. It was confusing but you didn’t want to come off as rude by questioning him.

“Hmm. Don’t see our names on it. Means anyone can sit here.” He pointed at your food that sat untouched. “Looks like you were in the middle of something so I’ll leave you to it.”

You watched him go to presumably meet up with Paul and Curls, and a seed of loneliness took root in your heart.

“Are you hungry? We can share! It’s the least I can do,” you added politely. Normally, you’d be too intimidated to make that kind of an offer, but you could really use a friend and he had a calming aura.

Brown eyes perused you in consideration. “We don’t know each other,” he said at last.

You were quick to introduce yourself. “I’m Y/N. It’s nice to meet you…” you held your hand out and paused, waiting for his answer.

“Dwayne,” he said shaking your hand firmly.

Content that he’d stay, at least for a little while, you settled back on your impromptu seat and he perched next to you, one of his knees bent so his foot rested on the bar. Pieces of sauce covered cilantro from the taco you dropped earlier made a mess on his shoe, the green standing in stark contrast to the black fabric of the Converse.

“Ope—I’m so sorry about that!” You shoved napkins at him which he accepted slowly.

“They’ve been covered in worse,” he shrugged in explanation.

“If you’re sure…” Socialization was off to a lackluster start. Coming from your former town, where you’d had the same circle of friends since grade school, had clearly taken a toll on the ability to make new friends.

Thoughts raced with the desperate need to seem likeable. The only thing came out of your mouth was, “Milkshake?”

It turned out that the worry was unnecessary. Dwayne was naturally a quieter personality so he wasn’t bothered when the conversation lulled; he was happy to small sips of the milkshake while people watching with you.

Every once in a while, the two of you would exchange commentary over particularly interesting persons that you observed. You started the conversation each time with an excited, “Look over there,” and though Dwayne never spoke first, he had no problem offering his opinions.

“Ope, look at that guy’s shirt! It’s definitely festive.” The guy in question wore a pink Hawaiian style shirt with red hearts plastered all over it. The design seemed cheesy to you, but his girlfriend seemed to like it as they walked by swinging hands.

Dwayne gave it a once over and also declared it, “Cheesy.”

“Girlfriend seems to like it though, that’s what matters.”

Then he shocked you with what he said next. “Do you think he has matching underwear?”

You coughed around the bit of funnel cake in your mouth at the moment. When you managed to swallow, your eyes shone with a mixture of disbelief and mirth. “Dwayne! I can’t believe you said that.”

He pushed his hair behind his ear a sheepish little expression on his face. You leaned over conspiratorially and whispered, “Do you know what would be even more disturbing? If he’s not wearing any at all.”

That got him to crack a small smile, nothing more a tiny lift at the side of his mouth, but you counted it as a victory.

Of course, not every comment was aimed at poking funny fun at people.

You got up to throw away the empty shake cup—you didn’t trust yourself to throw it even though a trash can was only two feet away—and saw a middle-aged couple sharing fries at a table.

They weren’t hanging all over one another, but the love they had was unmistakable, especially when the woman reached to clean off a wayward glob of ketchup from the man’s mouth. She shook her head in exasperation but then the man said something that made her smile, showing that she wasn’t as bothered as she acted.

You went back to Dwayne with a dreamy face. “They’re cute. How long do you think they’ve been together?”

“A long time,” he responded. “You can tell by the way they move.”

“That’s the dream,” you said wistfully.

“So. When did you move here? What’s your story?” he asked neutrally.

“Is it that obvious? That I’m not from here?”

“You said sorry four times in the first five minutes of meeting me. No one does that here.”

Done in by your behavior once again. Being overly apologetic was common occurrence back home but things were clearly different out here. “What makes you think I have a story?”

“Everyone has one.”

“Point taken. But I promise mine’s nothing exciting.” With that you began you tale.

Despite stereotypes about the region, you had lived all of your life in an urban Midwest town and not on rural farm. Family life was traditional with two loving parents and annoying siblings that always had your back nonetheless. You had a close group of friends and did well in school. There wasn’t much to complain about and you never saw any reason to leave your hometown.

Until you took a trip to California the previous summer to help your cousin move to L.A. Now, there was a lot to see and do in L.A., and you were pleasantly overwhelmed by it all. Especially when you saw the ocean for the first time. That trip got you thinking that maybe, just maybe, you’d be happy living there as well.

Fast forward to the start of the new year you were resolved to move to California. Santa Carla was a beautiful oceanside town that hooked you in at first glance, in spite of the crime and violence that regularly occurred. When you found a decent apartment, you took it without hesitation.

It was coincidence that the move scheduled for Valentine’s Day weekend, but it couldn’t be helped. And even though watching romance abound at the amusement park left you wistful, you were not interested in jumping into a relationship any time soon.

“I think I need to just enjoy this new life and get to know the area better, you know?”

Dwayne bless his heart hadn’t interrupted you once during the whole tirade. He was the perfect listener. Still, you couldn’t stop yourself from apologizing once again. “Sorry. Told you it wasn’t interesting.”

“Don’t be sorry.” With serious eyes he added, “I think life in the Midwest sounds fun.”

You laughed for the first time since moving. Mirth swam in his dark eyes. “Well, maybe not fun but a nice change of pace. It seems slower and more peaceful out that way.”

“I suppose it has its own charms,” you hummed. “You’ll have to go yourself someday, see if you like it as much.”

He grinned at the suggestion but offered no further comment.

Then to your surprise a young child abruptly launched himself at Dwayne, more specifically his legs. “Dwayne!”

He looked young, no more than eight or ten years old and was obviously very attached to the brunette. For his part, Dwayne looked every bit as attached and patted the boy’s head before initiating a secret handshake with a series of shakes and hooks that ended with a high five.

The presence of the kid drew out softer, more vulnerable emotions from Dwayne that you’d be unable to up to that point. It was cute. You decided you rather liked it. You may have been rusty at making friends but it looked like your ability to judge character still worked fine.

“Hi there,” you offered with a small wave.

The two broke apart and Dwayne helped the boy up onto the hand rail so that he sat in between the two of you. “This is Y/N,” he explained, pointing at you. Then he pointed to the boy, “This is my brother, Laddie.” Interesting name.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Laddie.” The brother title also surprised you. Sure, they dressed similarly with shaggy, long hair and dirty jeans, but that where the comparisons stopped. If they were each other’s family though, you weren’t going to question it.

He glanced back at Dwayne who nodded at him in encouragement. “It’s nice to meet you too, Y/N/,” he stuck his hand out so that you could shake it.

“You’re on your way to being a gentleman, Laddie. Your brother is teaching you well.” The comment left him bashful and he ducked his head down but not before you saw his smile.

Introductions done, Dwayne’s brows furrowed. He mused Laddie’s hair to get the kid’s attention. “Hey, why are you by yourself?”

“The guys went with some people to eat, and Star didn’t want to do anything fun so I came to find you.”

His dark brows remained furrowed. “You shouldn’t go off on your own. It’s not safe.”

Laddie kicked his feet and didn’t say anything. Being reprimanded by a cool, big brother couldn’t have felt nice. Hoping to lift his spirits, you handed him the last of the funnel cake. “Here. You can have the rest.”

“Gee thanks!” He took it without hesitation.

Dwayne snorted and got up on his feet, helping Laddie down alongside him. At that point, you’d forgotten that he was still shirtless. “Come on. Let’s go find Star so she knows you’re okay.”

You checked your watch. “I need to go too. I didn’t realize it was this late. Do you want to hangout again sometime?”

His face didn’t give anything away but you waited in hope that he would agree. Finally, he did and you couldn’t be happier.

“Thanks for being my palentine,” you waved in farewell.

Behind you, Dwayne sounded confused. “The guy from Star Wars?”

“That’s Palpatine, you dummy!” Laddie laughed delightedly and you joined in the laughter even as you moved further and further away.

Perhaps this was the start of a friendship.

_______________

A platonic treat with Dwayne for those not interested in Valentine’s Day. He’d be great friend material if you managed to win him over. And I couldn’t resist adding that Star Wars humor at the end. Thanks for reading!

#the lost boys #the lost boys dwayne #the lost boys x reader #14 days of valentines #imagines

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orsull · 2 years

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im not gonna pick individually cause id risk reading the questions. do all the ones that have pictures of food next to them

Wow you really reblog these things blind? Damb. Anyways, thank you for asking, I really appreciate it a lot! I'm answering on the computer, so I can't use emojis, I hope that's ok.

Strawberry cake: Strawberry or vanilla?

Tough to say. I think I usally tend to go with vanilla, because I feel like it's slightly sweeter, but I doubt there's a difference in sweetness. But if I'd have to pick one I think I'd go with vanilla.

Birthday cake: If you had 3 wishes, what would they be?

If I'm perfectly honest, one of my wishes would be to meet a cute girl. I don't think I would be able to justify straight up wishing for a girlfriend, but it is something I would want to work towards. Maybe I should spend the wish on fixing some of my mental barricades, though I don't think it'd be smart to mess with that stuff.

Outside of that, I can't think of many wishes for myself I'd like to have granted, but I have a couple of transgender friends. From what I've gathered, transitioning is the way to go but it takes a lot of time, effort and bureaucracy, which sucks. For the sake of my friends I'd like to spend one wish making it way easier to transition.

And uh... I think I can spare a wish making a certain someone a vampire.

Cookie: Cookie dough or cookies?

Eating dough is great but cookies usually taste better than the dough. I'm gonna go with cookies.

Lollipop: How tall are you?

It's been way too long since I've last measured that, but it was around 1.85 m last time. Just under 6'1'' in D&D units apparently.

Ice cream: What scented candle is your favorite?

What's scent? Uhh something sweet I guess? My nose is blocked 24/7 so I don't really notice smells ever.

Donut: Current mood?

Happy to be answering another ask, enjoying a slow start to the day.

Strawberry: One secret about yourself

I don't feel like I'm a very secretive person, I genuinely cannot think of something I haven't told anyone. Something that would be a surprise to most people that know me is that I'm a sucker for hugs. I'm a very cuddly person, but it takes me a looong time before I'm comfortable enough around someone to hug them.

Once again, thank you very much for asking! Hope you have a nice day!

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spooky-z · 4 years

Text

Dodgeball

Maribat by @ozmav

This is part of my PACK AU. I decided that I would post one shots about this au and then, when I have more time, I will do a whole fanfic.

You can find parts of this AU here, here, here and here.

This is 1.6K!

They were at lunch. No one wanted to go to the bakery that day for lunch, as Sabine and Tom were busy with a huge order from André Bourgeois for a political event at the hotel.

So, they had arranged to bring food/sweets to lunch together in a forgotten room at school.

Marinette had brought a strawberry charlotte russe (the whole cake); Adrien had made chocolate chip cookies; Kagami arrived with various sweets and drinks that had been sent to her from Japan; Luka came with calissons; Damian set a box of mahmoul on the table; Chloe had baked a salted caramel pie; Max had brought croissants and Kim macarons.

The Kwamis were too happy to see the variety. (Plagg grumbled a little for not having Camembert, but Tikki managed to control him.)

It was a feast. Both for the food and for each other's presence. All eight were resting after eating everything.

Adrien lying on Luka and Chloe's legs; Chloe resting her head on the musician's shoulder while her hands hugged Kagami sideways; Kagami had Kim sitting on the floor between her legs and with his back to her; Damian's legs stretched over Kim's, Marinette in his arms; Max was lying fully on the floor with only his head resting on Marinette's thigh while playing a game on the phone.

It was calm and quiet. Or rather calm and quiet minus Kim. He kept twitching.

Chloe snorts irritably.

"I'll kick you out of the room if you don't keep quiet."

“Let's do something!” He moans. "I ate too much sugar and now I can’t calm down."

Marinette makes a murmur understanding the boy. She also felt energy rush under her skin from too much sugar.

"I think we're all in the same boat." Damian mutters against Marinette's neck.

“How about we play dodgeball?” Adrien says suddenly and sits down to look at everyone. “It will drain the excess energy and we can have fun too.”

"Hmm, I don't know…" Max replies. "Do you have clothes in the locker room?"

"No." Kagami nods negatively. “But that would be no problem. We can get some from Mari-hime's house.”

"Okay." Luka smiles, breaking away from Chloe and standing up. "I think we'll play dodgeball."

xxxx

Francois Dupont was not prepared for a dodgeball match between eight heroes.

Not even Ms. Bustier's class.

All the students had gone to the second floor, the floor that gave access to the classrooms, to give more space for the fierce battle that was taking place in the school yard.

It was easy to recognize the shock, disbelief, and envy on the students' faces each time Marinette Dupain-Cheng deftly deflected a ball that would probably be fatal (and painful) if it hit her.

When Kagami Tsurugi violently kicked a ball coming toward her back to Max, who just used another ball to escape the attack and the school choked on watching it.

They saw Kim Le Chien jump into the basketball hoop to catch a wandering ball and then, hanging upside down, throw the ball with unbelievable force toward Adrien Agreste.

Adrien, who exhibited abnormal flexibility in deflecting the most absurd attacks. Like when he fell to the floor with his legs spread like a ballerina without showing any discomfort with it.

Damian Al-Ghul was vicious. He seemed to be playing to draw blood, no matter if they were his friends in a friendly game. Each time he made his move, the ball bounced off the floor or walls in a loud, dry noise. Students shuddered every time this happened.

The biggest surprise of the audience was to see Chloe Bourgeois and Luka Couffaine in the midst of the carnage. Chloe for being the untouchable princess of Mayor Bourgeois and Luka for being known as a calm and very sweet guy.

But they were very different at the time.

Luka had a manic smile on his face, sliding on the floor like a pro and retaliating with power. Chloe giving no opportunity for the other team to retaliate before falling down by killing with multiple balls in various directions. She was flushed and sweating, but didn't seem to be bothered by it.

Nino shudders when Adrien is the first to be hit. The sound of the ball hitting the model's chest makes the DJ panic and he almost runs to his friend but is prevented by the blonde's amused laugh.

“That was great, Ure!” He makes a move, a kip-up and soon stands, not looking hurt.

"I know." Damian shouts back. “You're getting slow, kitty. I think we're feeding you too much.”

Ms. Bustier's class reacts with surprise upon hearing the nickname.

"Kitty?" Alya mutters.

“Is he getting slow?” Nathaniel chokes.

"Dude, they're feral!" A boy of Ms. Mendeleev's class says excitedly.

“Adrien is so beautiful!” Adrien's fan club sighs.

They watch Marinette eliminate Chloe in a skilled and powerful counterattack. The sound of the ball against Bourgeois's thigh made it clear that Marinette was sparing no effort to eliminate her opponents.

Even if it was her friends.

Someone (a boy) whistles in appreciation.

"This girl is good."

"She's hot." Another (boy) person responds.

Before Lila could say anything disparaging about Marinette, Kagami Tsurugi's blazing gaze stopped in her direction. In their direction.

Kagami was still in the middle of the game when she stopped to look at them. And even being distracted by them, she was still fully capable of deflecting Kim's shots.

“Is it my imagination or is she looking at us?” Boy #1 asks.

“Do you think she could hear what I said?” Boy #2 asks back.

“Impossible, she doesn't—” Kagami raises an eyebrow and they squeak in surprise.

She smiles sarcastically and then turns her attention back to the game as if nothing has happened.

“Holy shit. I think I pissed on my pants.” Boy #2 whispers.

Not just him. Lila could still feel the coldness of that look digging into her skin.

That group was scary.

Alya, on the other hand, was feeling in the twilight zone.

That could not be real. Marinette, who could barely walk on the paved ground without injury, was there, running and jumping, displaying a skill Alya had never seen before.

At least not from Marinette.

"I didn't know Max was so skilled." Ivan says beside her and she was forced to look away from the girl who used to be her best friend.

And- Oh! Another surprise.

She really couldn't understand anything else. She was lost.

xxxx

The game ended with a draw.

On one side left Marinette and Kagami, on the other, Damian and Kim.

They had come to a halt, no one being able to hit anyone and the game was dragging on. Even if it didn't let it be fun, the sugar effect was crumbling and they were already getting tired.

But even so, the game would continue if it wasn't for Luka (God bless such a good person) warning about the time.

Kim sighed hopelessly, but agrees. They needed to shower and change to sit in the classroom for the rest of the day.

The four soon emerged from attack positions and began picking up the balls thrown across the yard to store. Kim still upset that he didn't go on playing.

"Come on, we'll finish this game later and we'll know who's the best." Damian pats the boy comfortingly on the back and he cheers again with the promise of a rematch.

"Of course, it's me." He heaves his chest proudly.

Chloe laughs at that. "In your dreams, Capuchin."

Kim pouts at her and Max stands on tiptoe so he can rub his hair.

“We're done with the balls. Now let's go home to change clothes.”

Luka appears (he had gone out to fetch their bags and lunch’s trash), his hands busy. He was still sweaty despite being the second to be eliminated.

“I already cleaned and closed the room. Let's go because we'll be late otherwise.”

"Ok mom!" The seven respond and he rolls his eyes.

Marinette was going to take the bag from Luka, but Adrien stops her.

"Mariiiii." He calls, the bright eyes of a mischievous kitten.

She already knew what he wanted.

"Oh God. I can never resist those eyes.” She pretends to be angry and he laughs. "Okay, let's go. Just this once.”

Marinette turns her back to Adrien and stretches her arms back. Adrien doesn't think twice before wrapping his arms around her neck and wrapping his legs around her waist.

She holds his legs to give more security and starts walking, trying to reach the rest of the pack.

"I love you, Mari." Adrien whispers against her ear. "I love you all."

Marinette smiles.

"I-We love you too, kitten."

"And we will protect you." Kagami says, patting his back.

"Thanks. I'm so lucky.” Adrien hides his face in the back of Marinette's neck and sniffs.

They were lucky. Having each other. A family.

EXTRA:

“… Did she just carry him like he weighed nothing?” Mylene blinks once more to make sure she was seeing right.

“Chloe was laughing. Really laughing.” Sabrina says. She looked stunned.

"Kitty…" Alya mutters. She still couldn't get it out of her mind.

"Did Damian have a septum ring or was I imagining that?" Rose asks.

"Mom?" Juleka whispers.

"Kitty." Alya again.

“Capuchin.” Nathaniel puts his hands against his head and squeezes.

"Kim gave up on a competition..." Alix says in surprise.

“They looked very close.” Lila points out.

“KITTY!” Alya shouts.

Nino and Ivan just watch the class catch fire... and Alya lose her mind.

[tag list]

@northernbluetongue @gimme-more-caffeine @kris-pines04 @drarryismylife101 @puzzlelover431 @18-fandoms-unite-08 @krispydefendorpolice @asheanomhominem @you-will-never-know-how-i-think @cutechip @just-an-avarage-nerds-blog @lirulua @j-a-n-e--d-o-e @naclychilli

#marinette dupain cheng #damian #le chien kim #adrien agreste #luka couffaine #chloe bourgeois #Kagami Tsurugi #max kante #maribat #daminette #lukadrien #chlogami #pack au

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