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najia-cooks · 5 months

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[ID: First image is a plate of stuffed grape leaves, zucchini, tomatoes, and lamb chops next to a bowl of yoghurt, seen from the top; second image is a close-up on the grape leaves and stuffed zucchini, seen from the side. End ID]

كوسا محشي مع ورق العنب / Kusa muhashshi m'a waraq al-'anub (Stuffed zucchini with grape leaves)

"كُوسَا" ("kūsā"), meaning "zucchini" or "courgette," is from the Persian "کوسه" ("kūse"), meaning "shark" or "beardless man"; it is so called because of its smooth skin. "مُحَشّي" ("muḥashshi" or "maḥshshi") means "stuffed"; مَعَ ("ma'a") is "with"; "وَرَق" means "leaf" (or "paper"); and "عِنَب" (Levantine pronunciation: "'ineb") is "grape." (Grape leaves are also sometimes called "وَرَق الدوالي," "waraq ad-dūwāli," in Palestine). Thus: stuffed zucchini with grape leaves! Stuffed grape leaves themselves date back to Medieval times, and are popular amongst various regions throughout what was previously the Ottoman Empire; however, each cuisine has slight variations in how they are cooked, and what they are called.

To prepare Palestinian duwali, one stuffs grape leaves with one of two types of filling: a meat one, using rice, ground lamb, and a variety of aromatic spices; or a vegetarian one, including rice, herbs, tomatoes, and peppers. A large pot is then prepared, sometimes lined at the bottom with meat—usually rack of lamb, but sometimes chicken, or whatever else is to hand. The meat is topped with sliced tomatoes; sometimes, with hollowed baby zucchini or eggplant ("بَاذِنْجَان"; Levantine pronunciation: "bātinjān") stuffed with the same filling; and, finally, with the grape leaves. The whole is simmered in an aromatic broth before the finished dish is tipped out of the pot into a large platter. It is usually served with plain yoghurt, which plays beautifully against the mild sweetness of the zucchini, the slightly sour grape leaves, and the savory, tender spiced rice filling.

This dish is usually made in large batches, with the women of the family sitting in a group around the kitchen table rolling tiny grape leaves. It was traditionally made in the spring or summer, when zucchini and grape leaves were in season—but it is now often made as one of the centerpieces of a Christmas meal, with frozen grape leaves that are thawed in hot water.

Christmas (Arabic: عِيد الْمِيلَاد‎, "ʕīd al-mīlād," "feast of the Nativity," or "mīlād," "Nativity" for short) is a Christian festival and feast day commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. The largest meal of the Christmas season is usually eaten on Christmas Eve, which is celebrated on the 24th of December (in the Gregorian Calendar) by Palestinian Catholics. Large families travel across Palestine to come together for a dinner featuring bread, several vegetable salads, meat dishes (such as stuffed lamb or chicken), grape leaves, topped flatbreads and other savory pastries, and an assortment of cookies. Chocolates are often given to children.

Christmas festivities are observed in Palestine during Advent ("مَجِيء المَسِيح," "madji' al-masīḥ": "the coming of Christ") and Christmastide, and at different times by different sects of Christians. One of the most common destinations for Christian tourists is the ancient city of Bethlehem (بَيْت لَحْم, "bayt laḥm," lit. "house of meat"; related to the Aramaic בֵּית לַחְמָא "house of bread"); pilgrims flock from around the world, and from other locations in Palestine, to attend church services and festivities and to visit holy sites. The Church of the Nativity (كَنِيسَة المَهْد, "kanīsa al-mahd"), so called because it is built on the place where Jesus was believed to have been born, is a particularly popular destination.

Bethlehem also has an ancient history as a home to many of Palestine's grape orchards; after the widespread destruction caused by the Crusades, some of the only vineyards in the area were in Bethlehem. Christians in Bethlehem have tended these grapes since Medieval times; today, farmers and companies in Bethlehem (such as Cremisan) make wine from several ancient varieties.

Despite hosting one of Christianity's most important sacred sites, Bethlehem's population of Christians has been continually shrinking for the past century. Arab Christians comprised an estimated 84% of the population in 1922, but by the end of the British Mandate years (1948) this number had dropped to 75%. By 1998, Christians made up a minority, at 33% of the population, and by 2007 this had dropped again to 28%. This dramatic decrease is a microcosm of the situation in Palestine overall, where the Christian population dropped from an estimated 20% in 1948, to just 2% in 2007, to less than 1% in 2017. Statistics from the Gaza Strip look similar. Bethlehem, however, remained a significant part of Palestine's Christian enclave: nearly half (49.4%) of all the Christians in Palestine in 2017 lived there.

As of 2004, an estimated 56% of all people with Palestinian Christian ancestry were living outside of Palestine. The trend shows no signs of slowing down: a 2020 survey found that a much higher proportion of Christians than Muslims wished to leave Palestine. Respondents cited dire economic circumstances, the dangers of military and settler violence, and religious intolerance, including job discrimination and difficulty having church marriages legally recognized.

Bethlehem is nearly completely surrounded by Israeli settlements, which hem residents in and threaten to cut off connection to other Palestinian territories. Israel has used its military codes, as well as its control of private companies, to annex nearly 2,000 acres of land in Bethlehem's immediate surroundings since 2004. Residents of Bethlehem's villages are subject to violent assaults by West Bank settlers, as well as destruction of property (such as uprootings of crops).

The economy within Bethlehem is also threatened by Israeli occupation. Income that could previously be made through tourism has dropped significantly due to settler violence, and to Israeli control of all borders and crossings into and out of occupied Palestine. In 2013, Israeli travel companies used this latter advantage to provide various services to 1.16 million pilgrims to Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity alone, starving Palestinian companies and tour guides out and leaving many in Bethlehem unemployed. Tourism to various holy sites injects billions of U.S. dollars per year into Israel's economy. Israeli winemakers, who had previously sourced grapes from Palestinian farmers in Bethlehem, have also started cutting Palestinians out, turning to growing grapes themselves on expropriated land.

The Palestinian Authority has stated an intent to try to keep Christians in the West Bank by promoting Christmas festivities. In 2022, a Nativity scene and Christmas tree were publicly displayed in مَيْدَان المَهْد ("maydān al-mahd"; Manger Square) in Bethlehem: the Catholic Church in Bethlehem lights the tree for Advent, beginning four Sundays before Christmas. A Christmas parade, with brightly lit floats carrying Christmas trees, people dressed as angels and Santa Clauses, and Nativity scenes with live actors, took place again for the first time after having been interrupted due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and was broadly attended by Muslims and Christians.

Another parade marched through streets near the Church of the Nativity for Christmas Eve in 2021: musicians beat drums, played bagpipes, and waved Palestinian flags while onlookers ululated and cheered. Bethlehem's Catholics attend a قُدّاس مُنْتَصَف اللَيْل (quddās muntaṣaf al-layl; Midnight Mass) service in St. Catherine's Church, with prayer, carol-singing, and the burning of incense; another service is held in the Church of the Nativity on January 6, where Christmas falls on the Orthodox calendar.

During the first and second اِنْتِفَاضَات‎ ("intifāḍāt"; singular اِنْتِفَاضَة "intifāḍa," "uprising" or "rebellion"), the tree in Bethlehem was no longer lit due to widespread mourning—Masses continued, but not the public festivities. Instead, private celebrations would take place within the home. Some families began buying artificial Christmas trees rather than real ones, since they were easier to tuck away from windows where they would not be seen from the outside. Even after the lights returned, Israeli military border walls, checkpoints, and curfews hampered Christmas celebrations for many: Christians from Gaza need permits from the Israeli military to take pilgrimages to, or visit family in, Bethlehem and other places in the West Bank, and the majority of those requested are not granted. كنيسة المِيلَاد الإِنْجِيلِيّة اللوثرية ("kanīsa al-mīlād al-ʔinjīliyya al-lūthri"; Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church) referenced the ongoing genocide in their Nativity scene, in which a baby Jesus wrapped in a Palestinian كُوفِيَّة (kūfiyya) lies amidst a pile of rubble.

Mayor Hana Haniyeh expressed that the local economy's "crash" was "nothing" compared to "what's happening to our people and Gaza." In 2021, the Catholic community in the Gaza Strip comprised 133 people, or 0.0056% of the population (out of 1,017 Christians of all denominations; 0.043% of the population). The sole Catholic parish in Gaza, overseen by the كَنِيسَة العَائِلَة المُقَدَّسَة ("kanīsa al-'āʔila al-muqaddasa," Holy Family Church), faced the destruction and partial destruction of several buildings by Israeli airstrike in 2014, and again in 2021.

During the 2023 genocide, parish buildings including the church, monastery, school, orphanage, and مَرْكَز تُومَا الأكُوينِي ("markaz tūmā al-ʔkoni"; Thomas Aquinas Center) have sheltered hundreds of Christians and Muslims. On the 16th of December, 2023, and amidst heavy bombing of the surrounding area, Israeli soldiers, claiming that the parish hid a missile launcher, opened fire on anyone leaving the church, killing two women.

Help Palestinian Christians evacuate Gaza

Support traditional woodworking and glass-blowing in Bethlehem

Try Cremisan Palestinian wine

Equipment

Large, thick-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven

Vegetable corer (مأورة "maʔwara"), or thin teaspoon measure

Ingredients

For the dish:

About 300g grape leaves

2kg baby zucchini (كوسا صغير)

2 large beefsteak tomatoes

Zucchini should be about 1" in diameter and 5" in length. If you don't have access to baby zucchini, use the smallest you can find. I halved my zucchini lengthwise to get the correct size.

If you happen to have a grape vine, harvest grape leaves early in the spring for this recipe, and freeze them for use throughout the year. Otherwise, you should be able to find jarred grapeleaves in a halal grocery store. You will want the smallest, earliest-harvested (say, March-May) grape leaves that you can find.

For the filling:

600g (3 cups) Egyptian white medium-grain rice

300g (about 1 1/2 cups) ground beef substitute (to replace minced lamb)

1/4 cup good olive oil

5 tsp allspice, or Palestinian 7-spice / mixed spice (بهار مشكل)

1 Tbsp turmeric (optional)

1 1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Large pinch ground cardamom, from 2-3 green cardamom pods (optional)

Salt, 1/4 tsp, or to taste

Spices used in this dish may be as minimal as salt and black pepper. Allspice or 7-spice are almost always included. Cinnamon and turmeric are the next most common additions; occasionally, cardamom is added. I have gone for a maximalist, aromatic approach here, because the taste of other ingredients (e.g. zucchini) is quite mild.

You will want a medium-grain white rice for this dish—the rice should become extremely tender without being fluffy or sticky. Egyptian medium-grain rice can be found at a halal grocery store from a brand such as Baraka. If you can't locate any, another kind of medium-grain white rice will do.

To cook:

Vegan lamb chops, or other meat substitute of your choosing

Juice of 1 lemon, or 1/4 tsp citric acid (if using jarred grape leaves that don't include citric acid)

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup good olive oil

Salt, black pepper, and 7-spice

Vegetarian chicken bouillon cube or stock concentrate

Water to cover

Chicken stock from making another dish is sometimes used in place of water here; or else a chicken boullion or Maggi cube may be added. You could also use a vegetarian beef stock concentrate, or a bit of soy sauce, to mimic the stock that would result from lamb being simmered at the bottom of the pot.

Instructions:

Prep work:

1. Prepare the rice. Place a strainer in a closely-fitting bowl and add the rice into the strainer. Fill the bowl with cool water and rub the rice between your hands to remove excess starch. Lift the strainer out of the water to strain the rice, and pour the starchy water out. Repeat this process 3-4 more times, until the water comes away mostly clear.

(Starchy water from the first 2 or 3 washings can be saved and used to thicken soups and stews. If you're not sure of the cleanliness of your rice—i.e. if it came in a container that was not airtight—only use water from the second washing onwards.)

2. Return rice to bowl and pour cool water to cover. Soak for an hour.

3. Prepare the zucchini. Cut the tips off of both sides of the zucchini, only taking off as much as you need to. (If your zucchini are over 6" / 15 cm or so long, cut them in half widthwise).

4. Starting from the tip (or, if it's the 'bottom' half of the zucchini, the cut end), hollow out each squash with a vegetable corer until a ring of flesh about 1/8" (1/3 cm) wide remains around the edges. If you don't have a vegetable corer, use a small teaspoon: make a small divot in the center of the zucchini and then deepen it, constantly rotating the zucchini as you push the spoon in, to hollow the zucchini.

(Save the zucchini flesh to use in a soup or stew later!)

5. Soak the zucchini. Place zucchini in a large bowl of salted water and let soak while you prepare the grape leaves.

6. Prepare the grape leaves. If using grape leaves from a jar, pull out a group (they will probably be rolled together) and lay them flat on a plate. Go through grape leaves to find leaves of appropriate size; anything too much larger than 4" in diameter should have its outer leaves shortened with a sharp knife; anything larger than 5 or so inches should be halved down the central vein, and then flled "sideways." Lay the grape leaves out in the bottom of a large bowl or tray.

7. Soak the grape leaves. Pour just-boiled water over the grape leaves and let sit 10-15 minutes.

8. Meanwhile, remove zucchini from soaking water and place on a wire rack, hollow-side-down, to drain while you make the filling.

To make the filling:

1. Drain the rice and shake the strainer to remove excess water. Combine all spice ingredients together by kneading well with your hands. I recommend toasting the spice for a minute or two in a small, dry skillet on medium-low hest, until fragrant.

To stuff the vegetables:

1. Stuff the zucchini. Once the zucchini are drained, use your figners to push filling down into the hollowed openins. Don't fill them up all the way, or the rice will come out as it expands; leave about 3/4" (2 cm) between the top of the filling and the edge of the zucchini (about the length of a finger up to the distal knuckle).

2. Remove grape leaves onto a wire rack to drain for 4-5 minutes. They will be easiest to roll if they are still slightly damp.

3. Stuff the grape leaves. Add a very small amount of filling (a bit more than 1/4 tsp and less than 1/2 tsp) in a horizontal line towards the bottom edge of a grape leaf.

The leaves will be rolled much like burritos: fold the bottom edge up once or twice to cover the filling, fold the sides in over that, and then roll away from you, folding the tip of the leaf inward as well if needed to avoid having any spikes sticking ourt.

Roll tightly enough that the leaves will not come undone with jostling, but loosely enough to give the rice some room to expand. I did this by leaving a tiny bit of space on each side of the filling as I folded the edes in. Leaves can be stuffed by laying them flat on the counter, or by holding them in your non-dominant hand.

Keep going until you run out of grape leaves. Keep any extra filling to stuff tomatoes, eggplant, etc.

At some point during this process, taste a bit of a grape leaf and determine if it is sour enough that you will not need lemon juice later in cooking.

To cook:

1. Coat the bottom of a large stockpot with a couple tablespoons olive oil. Slice a large tomato and arrange the slices on the bottom of the pot so that they do not overlap.

2. Add stuffed zucchini, either standing up (filling-side-up) or arranged horizontally in a single layer, depending on the size of your pot.

3. Top with stuffed grape leaves; just pour them in and give the pot a good shake, or arrange them in concentric circles.

4. Mix just-boiled water with spices, stock bouillon or concentrate, tomato paste, olive oil, and lemon juice (if using). Pour water into the pot until it comes up to the bottom of the stuffed grape leaves.

5. Choose a heavy plate that fits inside your pot with an inch or so to spare (to allow steam to escape) and weigh the grape leaves down.

6. Raise heat to return water to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and keep at a low simmer for an hour, until zucchini is very tender, rice is fully cooked and a bit mushy, and there is almost no water in the pot. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

To serve:

1. Cover the top of the pot with a large, upside-down platter and turn over the whole to empty the contents of the pot into the platter. Lift the pot straight up.

2. Shake the platter slightly to encourage the stuffed vegetables to spread out. Remove any grape leaves that have burst or come unfolded, if you want to. Some blackening of the pieces that had come into direct contact with the bottom of the pot is not a problem.

3. Arrange seared lamb chop pieces among the stuffed vegetables.

Serve warm with lemon slices, yoghurt, pickles, and side salads.

#Palestinian #long post /#vegetarian recipes #vegan recipes #zucchini #tomatoes #ground beef

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scythe-array-a · 1 year

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good evening to women who love cooking and sometimes accidentally cut their fingers off and serve the food anyway, women who could not care less about cooking but put their own bone marrow in the soup on purpose, women who burn an onion in the bottom of a pot then add water and vegetables and boil it until it mostly tastes like water then add salt so it tastes like salt, women who have never seen a salad before in their lives and eat it one leaf at a time, women who want some conversation during dinner, women who are cannibals, women who are cannibals but have standards about it, women who would rather eat sand and marker caps than actual food, women who think eating breakfast is sexy, women who have a threesome with god on the dinner table, and women who make mush for their adult roommates and call it 'num-nums for baby'

#the locked tomb #locked tomb shitpost #girl behavior #v3.0 of this post because v1.0 blew up #and i realized that neither v1.0 nor v2.0 mentioned mercy so i added her to this one

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fairyhaos · 10 months

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. ˚ as long as you're okay

requested by anon: "do you think you could do a cheol or dino version of the comforting seungkwan fic you did ? it was such a nice read"

pairing: dino x gn!reader

genre: fluff, hurt/comfort, established relationship

word count: 2148

warnings: curse words, pet names (love, baby), descriptions of a breakdown

summary: it's the day of exam results release, and you're beginning to have doubts. but luckily, your boyfriend is there for you and more than ready to reassure you.

"I'm fucked. I'm actually so, so fucked. I can't remember any of the paper, can't remember how any of it went, can't remember what even happened in that exam hall! I think I did a Wonwoo and blacked out during the exam. This is terrible. I'm so fucked."

You're standing there wringing your hands in the dining room, while Chan is trying to peacefully eat his lunch. Unsuccessfully, really, given that you're complaining, incredibly loudly, because you're going to have to leave the apartment soon to go and pick up your exam results. And you kind of really, really don't want to.

Chan looks up from his food, eyeing you as you shake your fists some more, friendship bracelets on your wrists rattling together.

"How come you’re wearing all the bracelets the other hyungs made for you and not the ones I did?" is all he says, squinting down suspiciously at a piece of lettuce in his salad.

"What?" You look down at your wrists, where Soonyoung's bright orange beaded bracelet is next to the pastel creation that Jeonghan made you, along with the multiple from Seokmin and Joshua. You shake your head. "That’s because you never made me any! Chan, are you even listening to me?"

Chan just looks you right in the eye as he stuffs the leaf into his mouth. "Are you even listening to yourself?"

That makes you whine, stomping your feet a little petulantly. You look like a child having a tantrum, but it's all to cover up the fact that you are genuinely incredibly nervous.

"What if I failed?" you fret. "Chan, what if I failed really badly?"

"Then, we’ll just have to accept it," he says simply. He pushes away his wilting salad, unwilling to eat it anymore and unable to eat because of your distractions. "All you can do is your best, and if that's what happened when you tried your best, then there's nothing you can do."

You pout, crossing your arms. “You really are no help.”

There's a pause, and he looks at you, your stiff frame and trembling shoulders and he just sighs sympathetically, standing up from the chair and wrapping you in his arms. You stand stiffly, unwilling to yield, mildly upset at him for his horrible advice. He rocks you from side to side anyway, unfazed, cradling the back of your head.

"My lovely Y/N," he says softly. "I really don't know what else to say. If you fail, then that's okay. I'll support you. I'll help you. And if you did well, which I'm sure you did, then that's wonderful. I'll support you then too."

He pulls away slightly so he can look at you, nudging his nose against yours. He's looking at you intently, even as you try to keep the mild disappointment in your gaze as you look back. Sighing again, he shakes his head, leaning forward so your foreheads are touching.

"You're going to do fine. Absolutely brilliantly. You know how Wonwoo hyung is: the tests he remembers the least are the ones he did the best in."

That makes you smile a little, finally getting the encouragement you wanted.

"See, that's all you had to say," you say, leaning in to hug him fully, and his arms are wrapped around you once more and his hand has protectively come up to the back of your head, cradling you gently.

Chan chuckles, pulling away to look at you. "Really? Was that it?"

You hum, nodding. "Mhm. What can I say, I'm a simple person."

He laughs properly at that, pulling away and kissing you on the top of your hair. "Perhaps. But you better go now, if you want to go get your results. You're going to be late otherwise."

Your eyes widen as you look at the time. "Oh my god, you're right." You lean forwards to peck Chan quickly on the lips before rushing into the hallway. "You're crazy if you think I'm going to open them before I get home though!" you call out, and Chan wanders into the hall to smile as you tug on your shoes.

“You better not. I wanna scream over your results with you.” He grins. “Your results which are going to be great and will show you passed with flying colours, of course.”

You laugh, and the sound is high-pitched and a little wobbly with nerves, but at least you’re able to laugh. “We can only hope.”

Chan leans in and gives you another tight hug once again, and smiles at you so sweetly and lovingly that it's actually a little overwhelming. "Good luck, love. I know you'll do well."

Opening the door, you smile back at him, giving a small wave. "Thank you, babe."

And then the door closes, and you're gone. Chan stares at the door for another moment, before retreating down the hallway again and going back to his wilted lunch.

————————————— 📄

There’s a clattering sound of you getting out your keys and unlocking the door, and Chan looks up from where he's on his phone on the sofa. He's been waiting for you, because duh, of course he has, and he gets up and walks out to greet you, but the smile dies from his face when he sees your expression.

“Y/N? What’s wrong?”

You’re clutching the envelope that holds your certificate with your results on it, and it’s clear you’re trying not to hold it so hard that the paper wrinkles, but your shoulders are shaking and you look… well, you look terrified.

“Y/N?” he asks, tone infinitely more concerned. “Here, let’s take your shoes off, love.” He bends down, untying your shoelaces for you, praising you almost without thinking when you take them off. Then he stands back up, sees your face again, and his eyes widen.

“Chan…”

“You’re crying.” He blinks, eyes widening even further when the tears well faster in your eyes, spilling over. “Hey, love, why are we crying?”

You can’t answer, bringing a hand to your face, trying to stem the tears before they dissolve into sobs, and he’s stepping forwards again, hugging you to him, arms around you. You’re still holding onto the envelope, still making sure not to crinkle it, but right now Chan couldn’t care less about a piece of paper when you’re here, crying, in his arms.

It takes a little manoeuvring, but he takes off your coat and, still with his arms around you, leads you into the living room, collapsing onto the sofa with you in his lap.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, even though he thinks he might know. He rubs your back, soothing, as you cry quietly into the fabric of his shirt, the envelope abandoned on the coffee table. “Why are you crying, love?”

You take a deep breath, attempting to speak, before getting choked by a sob and burying your head further into his shoulder.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Chan murmurs, and you make a small, broken sound that makes his heart clench. “I’m here, it’s okay, you’re okay. You’re okay, love, everything is okay.”

“N—No,” you manage to stutter out, wet and helpless, “it’s not. Everything is—is not okay.”

He makes a sad noise at that, one hand still rubbing big, slow circles on your back, the other cradling the back of your head and hugging you close. “Why do you think that?” he asks gently. “What’s making you feel that way?”

“E—everyone,” you sob, and begin to cry even harder into him, your entire frame shuddering, and you sound so devastated that Chan just wants to make all of your pain disappear immediately. “Everyone is m—making me feel like things are not okay.”

“Even me?”

You can’t answer, dissolving into tears yet again.

He takes a breath, his own breathing a little shaky. He hates hearing you cry, hates seeing you so upset, and right now he’s fighting back his own tears, wanting to make you feel better instead of just sobbing with you. “Don’t listen to them, baby,” he says, resting his cheek against the top of your head. “You haven’t even looked at the results yet, how can you trust what they’re saying?”

“There were others and—and they opened theirs right there, a—and I don’t think I did—I don’t think I did as well as them,” you say, and now the crying is getting worse, your breaths coming out all quick and panicky, and you’re shuddering so hard that it’s like you're going to break in two.

“Hey, hey. Y/N, look at me. Come on, love, look at me.” Chan tilts your chin upwards, hand cradling your cheek, and your face is wet with tears but he just stares you straight in the eyes, ignoring the way his own vision is blurring. “Do these people—no, baby, look at me, please—do these people really matter to you?”

You hiccup a sob, blinking your eyes rapidly, and he still has one hand on your back, the other gently wiping your own tears.

“Are these people really that important to you? Do you care about them so much that what they do is crucial to you?”

You jerkily shake your head. “N—no.”

“And,” he carries on, “Do they care about you this much too? Do they genuinely care about how well you did?”

You shake your head again.

“Exactly.” Chan smiles softly. “Their opinions are worthless. How well they did is worthless. For me, and for you, the only important thing is how well you did in comparison to yourself.”

“T—That—” You breathe in shakily again, tears falling faster— “That doesn’t even make sense.”

He can’t help but laugh, just a little, even as your face crumples as you cry even more, curling up even smaller in his lap, burying your head back into his shoulder once more.

“Don’t worry about how other people did,” he says, wrapping his arms more securely around you, keeping you cocooned in his embrace. “You did your best, Y/N, and I can personally vouch for that. I mean, how many days were I deprived of kisses because you were too busy studying? How much did I sacrifice so that you could revise without interruption?”

You chuckle, watery and a little deranged, sounding like you’re hanging on by a thread, and he just hugs you tighter.

“You have done,” Chan begins, “so so well already. I know it. I’ve seen it. This piece of paper? This just tells you what you already know. It’s going to tell you what I’ve already told you, and that’s it. Don’t base your worth on this, because you are so much more than a number and a grade.”

That causes another sad noise to be pulled out of you, touched beyond belief, but Chan doesn’t say anything else, burying his face into your hair, blinking away his own tears as he holds you through your own.

Several minutes pass, just like that, and he whispers soothing, nonsensical noises, arms tight around you, thumbs rubbing soft patterns into your skin. It takes a while, a long while, for you to eventually calm down, but he just holds you through it all, murmuring that it’s okay and that you’re okay and that he loves you, loves you so, so much.

You’re still breathing shakily, but they’re big, shuddering breaths now, and you sound calmer, resting against his chest, head tucked under his chin.

“How are you feeling?” he asks, gentle.

“Hmm. ‘m sorry.”

Chan blinks, hands pausing in their movements. “Sorry for what, love?”

“For… I don’t know. For breaking down like this, I guess.” You rub your nose, and it’s evident that you’re a little embarrassed for just crying like that, and Chan thinks his heart dips a little at that thought.

“No, gosh, there’s no need to apologise at all! It’s okay. I’m here to help you, aren’t I? It’s one of the things I’m meant to do, baby. I just want you to feel better.” He pauses. “You do feel better, right?” he checks.

You laugh a little, quiet and watery. “Yeah, I do. I feel better.”

He hums happily, hugging you tighter. “That’s good.”

There’s a beat.

“Do you wanna look at your results now?” he asks, looking down at you. You shake your head, eyes fixed on some random point on his shoulder, still blinking away the remnants of tears. “That’s okay.”

Fondly, Chan brings up a hand to your face, wiping away your tears with his thumb, before leaning in to press a light kiss to your cheek. Your cheeks are still wet, a little sticky, but he doesn’t care. The shoulder of his shirt is also in a similar state, anyway. It doesn’t really matter.

He rests his chin on your head again, rocking you from side to side affectionately, humming a tuneless melody, rubbing your arm comfortingly.

“As long as you’re okay.”

fics tags: @jeonginssa @weird-bookworm @minhui896 @bunnyiix @slytherinshua @haowrld @belladaises @moonlitskiiies @mirxzii @zozojella @kawennote09 @thedensworld @a-wandering-stay @abibliolife @doublasting @wonranghaeee @icyminghao @sweet-like-caramel @your-yxnnie @evasaysstuff @odxrilove @kyeomyun @crackedpumpkin @jeonride @kellesvt

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cocogum · 2 days

Text

✨Quirky✨ labels that describes them in a nutshell 🤭🥰

Yugo: blue alien boy

Adamaï: puberty’s bitch

Az: stress relief mascot ball

Amalia: horny grass princess

Eva: hot elf with daddy issues

Dally: dumbass ginger “woops! I did it again! 🤭🤪”

Ruel: Mr. Krabs holding adoption papers

Elely: Ginger 2.0 charged with arson

Flopin: invisible Link

Pin: Jack-Jack

Rubilax: demonic bromance

Madagaskan: retired blind sniper

Cleophee: hot elf who can kick

Goultard: ginger who can think

Oakheart: best salad king

Armand: delulu cabbage head

Canar: drag queen number 1

Renar: drag queen number 2

Aurora: blue trophy wife cow

Osamodas King: blue cow king

Efrim: tiny cute monster feet

Nora: pink lesbian

Mina: your scarred unpaid therapist

Phaeris: arm chewer

Qilby: the original momma’s boy

Shinonome: the shit picker

Glip: dad noises

Balthazar: grandpa noises

Eliatrope Goddess: helicopter parent definition

Alibert: gets thrown babies at him

Chibi: loud ass inventor

Grougaloragran: third person user

Prince Adale: fabulous tea sipper

General Mofette: bondage and whips

Grany Smisse: Meowth’s cousin

Remington: Zorro compensating with swords

Grufon: arachnid map

Anathar: copycat daddy voice

Kerosho: Adamaï’s forgettable achievement

Rushu: god wannabe

Black Ink: sentient food

Elaine: had a shitty childhood

Galanthe: rip thick hips

Noximilien: loves taking his time

Igôle: does not want to die

Cabotine: baby mama

Justice Knight: sweaty himbo

Pandiego: smelly drunk panda

Kabrok: retired wanderlust

Miranda: corn’s victim…

Vampyro: spirit halloween reject

Xav the Baker: croissant addict

Kriss Krass: tongue’s always out

Maude: goth chick

Ogrest: professional whiner

Otomaï: stressed out alchemist

Joris: experienced father and uncle babysitter

Kerubim: white furry with life issues

Simone: cleaner for hire

Julie: the embodiment of gay furry

Atcham: bald

Lilotte: furry orphan by choice

Khan Karkass: oily misogynistic ginger

Bakara: teacher’s pet snitcher

Julith: mommy milker terrorist

Jahash: died for getting laid

Jiva: just wanted to get laid

Poo: Kung Fu Panda

Echo: half lizard

Sipho: ugly ass lizard

Toxine: evil deadpool with an ass

Harebourg: narcissistic obsessed stalker

Oropo: clam sucker

Coqueline: raccoon girl

Dathura: leaf hottie

Dark Vlad: rock metal enthusiast

Black Bump: panty sniffer

Kali: professional sadist

Ush: furry sore loser

Arpagone: not an actual enutrof

Barik: elvis gone wrong

Cendre Mystigrine: forgettable furry

Ramona: best enutrof grandma

Harcelo Estep: disowned cuz wtf-

Messer: talking skull

Lacrima: did not deserve this

Winmo Nodorh: Flopin did it better

Lupa: sadist sympathizer

Atone: laser beam vision

Bouillon: fighting boner

Répulse: name stands for “disgusted”

Sidère: little sonic twerp

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ringanon · 1 year

Text

Phone Call | Auston Matthews

Pairing: Auston Matthews x gn!reader

Warning(s): none

Word Count: 680

Summary: You call your boyfriend, Auston, before Game 6 of the 1st Round (2023)

---------------------------------------------------

"Hi, baby!" He had only been gone for a day, but you were still happy for the chance to talk to him. You set up the camera on your kitchen island, sitting on one of the bar stools.

"Hey, mi amor, we're about to head out, but I wanted to call you first." Auston's voice came over as somber: he was focused. There was intent in his voice. He set up his phone against the bed side table in the hotel room, grabbing the office chair behind him.

"Are we doing fit checks?" It had been a tradition of yours for every away game. Now that they were in the playoffs, it was crucial. He liked seeing you all pretty, you liked seeing him in formal attire.

"Obviously, whatchu rockin'?" He leaned forward in the chair, resting his elbows against his knees.

"So we went with something a little calmer today. A couple of the girls are coming over here, we're gonna crack open a bottle or two of wine and watch the game. The jersey is a one-of-a-kind game worn jersey given to me by a player of the Toronto Maple Leafs. I think his name is Auston? He spells it with an O, not an I, tryna be different, or something.

The jeans are a light-wash Lee's that I thrifted from my hometown. I am not wearing shoes since I will be inside, but in case I do need to go out, I will be rocking my blue and white Air Forces that I got custom-made." Auston tilted his head, not quite sure which ones you were talking about. You dipped out of camera and picked them up from underneath the island. You had commissioned casual shoes to wear for games and events from a guy you saw on tik tok. Auston had only seen them a handful of times.

"Ah, I forgot about those ones. Looking good."

"What are we working with?

"I ended up deciding on the tan one."

"Oh come on! I expect a presentation! Some Pizzazz please, Matthews!"

"Fine! God! The jacket and trousers are the Lardini suit from Farfetch, shirt is from Men's Wearhouse, and the shoes are white Air Forces."

"That's better, we'll work on it."

He laughed, "are you watching the game tonight?"

"Do you listen to these presentations or do you just stare at my ass the whole time? A couple of the girls are coming over to watch, I got a whole spread, do you wanna see?"

"I would love to see the fruits of your labor, sweetheart."

You grabbed your phone from the island and stood up. Flipping the camera around, you walked around to the other side of the kitchen, "I wanted it to be mostly snack stuff, but I think Steph and Aryne will be here early, so I wanted actual food-food, but nothing too insane. We popped out with sliders- ham and cheese, and then I made a couple vegetarian ones. I also made a salad, nothing too insane, just Romane, crutons, cheese, and a vinnagrette that I made, and some chicken on the side that I chopped up."

"Oo bougie."

"I try, thank you. Next, we got a little grazing board thing. Most of this side is all white wine pairings and this side is red wine pairings, because I'm a good host who cares about her guests."

"Is that a dig?"

"Just a little. We got shrimp with cocktail sauce, and this is the spinach dip my mom used to make all the time."

"How long did it take you to prep the shrimp?" You turned the camera around to face you again.

"So long, you know I'm picky about them."

The door in Auston's room opened, "hey man, you ready to go?"

"Yeah, give me one second," He sighed, "alright, sweetheart, I gotta go. I'll talk to you after the game?"

"Go win a series for me."

"I'll try, let me know how your food goes over."

"I will, I love you."

"I love you more."

"That's impossible."

-💍

I'm clearing out the notes app. Can y'all tell? This one's short and sweet, though

#auston matthews #auston matthews x reader #auston matthews imagine #toronto maple leafs #NHL

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