#i was just looking at recipes on pinterest and learned about what everyone else was learning during quarantine starting to bake bread 😂

[robbybirdy]

22. Baking on a Budget Ft. Genshin Characters: Eula - Custard

Hello, every birdie. Today we are going to be making a dish inspired by a character named Eula. 

Eula - She is a Cyro character from Mondsadt. She has a heavy burden over her, regard to her family. She is part of the Lawerence clan and thinks that everyone doesn’t like her because of it. And no matter what happens to her she acts with “vengeance.”

She was my second 5-star character in the game. 

Every nation in Genshin is based on a specific country in the world. 

Mondsadt is Germany. 

Liyue is China

Inazuma is Japan

Sumeru is India 

For today’s recipe, we are going to be looking at a German recipe. This cookbook was gifted to me by my German grandma (adopted. We adopted each other as grandmother and granddaughter.). Like she lived in Germany until she was 7 years old.  So this cookbook will always have a place in my heart. 

I do have to have google open with this cookbook though. Because there is terminology that I don’t know and had to look up. 

Okay, onto the recipe. We are going to be following a recipe called “GUSTIN - pudding with Fruit.”

The recipe and the measurements will be down below. Feel free to look at it. 

The ingredients you will need are:

GUSTIN (corn starch powder)

Sugar 

Oetker Vanillin Sugar (if you don’t have this, which I didn’t. I added about 1 -2 tsp of vanilla extract to the same amount of granulated sugar.)

1 egg separated 

Milk or water

Milk 

Fresh fruit 

In a bowl, you are going to mix together your GUSTIN, which is your corn starch. Your sugar, and vanilla, the egg yolk with 6 Tablespoons of cold milk or water. 

In a pot on the stove, you are going to bring together a pint which is 2 cups of milk to a boil. I doubled this recipe because I was feeding 7 adults. And it didn’t look like that much. So always go with your gut feeling on the quantity you need. And yes, sometimes your gut feeling will not be correct. 

Once your milk is at a boil, remove it from the heat, and stir in the corn starch mixture. Trust me when I say that you want to turn the mixture off the heat. There have been many times when I burnt the pudding because I added the cornstarch or thickening agent when the mixture was on heat. 

When all of your dry ingredients are incorporated, you are going to bring it back to the stove and bring it to a boil, yet again. 

You are going to whisk your egg white until stiff peaks. If you have a hard time with a meringue there are a few tips that I have learned along the way from my mom. 

Put your equipment in the freezer about 10-30 minutes before you are going to use it. 

Use a metal bowl. It holds the coldness longer. 

Never try to do a meringue by hand. You will be tired at the end of it, and you will not have stiff peaks that are generally needed. 

Make sure to constantly stir your pudding mixture. Nobody likes burnt pudding, it just sits there unpleasantly at the back of your throat, just reminding you that you made a mistake. So don’t do like I have done in the past. 

Once the mixture comes to a boil, you are going to take it off the heat. And fold in your egg whites. While it is still hot, thus you cook your egg white. And you are not eating raw egg whites. 

When you serve the pudding, you can add the fruit to it however you like. I made it into like a trifle-like thing. It tasted really good, and it wasn’t a heavy dessert either. I am finding that as I get older, I am liking baking with fruits and veggies more than anything else. 

I hope that you liked this recipe. Feel free to check it out down below. See you in the next recipes. Thank you. 

Pinterest: Here

recipe via Dr. Oetker German Home Cooking -GUSTIN pudding with fruit

Ingredients

1 1/3 oz (45 g) Oetker GUSTIN (corn starch powder)

2 well heaped tablespoon (50 g) sugar

1 packet Oetket Vanillin Sugar (or 1 to 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract)

1 egg yolk

6 tablespoons milk or water

1 pint (2 cups or 570 ccm or 487.37 g) milk

1 egg white

any fresh or preserved fruit - apricots, apples, pears, cherries, plums or fruit salad. )

Directions

Blend the GUSTIN (corn starch powder), the sugar, the vanillin, sugar, and the egg yolk with the 6 tbsp. cold milk or water. Bring the pint of milk to the boil, remove from heat and stir in the GUSTIN mixture. Bring again to the boil. Whisk the egg white until stiff and fold into the pudding while it is still hot. Pour the fruit into a glass dish and pour the hot pudding over it. when cold, decorate with fruit.

#ts3 #simblr #ts3 simblr #baking #baking therapy #recipe #food #Genshin Impact #genshin impact #Eula

[thedisneychef]

Can I Have the Recipe? Tips for Asking and Sharing Recipes

I'm sure you've heard of the phrase "Can I have the recipe?" It's a question often asked amongst friends and family when they discover that someone has made a delicious dish. But where do these recipes come from? In this article, we'll explore just what it takes to create an amazing recipe and how you can make your own tasty dishes with ease. We'll discuss different techniques for coming up with ideas, sources of inspiration, and tips on making recipes accessible to everyone. We'll also discuss why having a good recipe is important and how it can help bring people together over food. So if you're looking for ways to impress your guests or simply want some new meal ideas, then read on! Maybe You Also Like: - Can I Conceive After Drinking Banana Recipe - Can I Leave Baking Powder Out Of A Recipe - Can I Leave Flaxseed Out Of A Recipe Brainstorming Ideas For Recipes I'm always looking for new recipes to try out in the kitchen. It's exciting when I get to experiment with ingredients, and discover something delicious! One of the challenges is having all the right ingredients on hand - so storing them properly is important. Sharing meals can be another opportunity to find tasty options. Whether it's swapping a recipe card with neighbors or asking family members for their favorite dishes, gathering ideas from others adds variety to my menu. Plus, it's nice to enjoy food that comes from someone else’s kitchen too! It's inspiring when I think about how many different combinations there are out there just waiting for me to explore. With some creativity and a willingness to take risks, each meal could become an unforgettable experience. Finding Inspiration I'm always looking for new ways to get inspired when it comes to cooking. I love having a variety of cookbooks, online resources, and meal planning ideas to choose from. I also love exploring different food blogs, grocery shopping for seasonal ingredients, and visiting local markets for cultural cuisine. Finally, I'm always on the lookout for new cooking techniques, nutrition information, restaurant menus, Food Network shows, cookware, recipes apps, and cook-along videos. Cookbooks I'm always on the lookout for new ways to get inspired in the kitchen. One of my favorites is picking up cookbooks and trying out different recipes! Not only do these books provide a wealth of information about cooking techniques, but they can also offer meal planning ideas that I wouldn't have thought of myself. Plus, I love reading through all the stories behind each dish - it really helps me understand why certain ingredients are paired together or how something came to be. It's like having your own personal culinary instructor right there with you as you prepare meals! With so many genres available, from vegan to slow-cooking, there's no limit to what I can learn and create in my kitchen. Online Resources While cookbooks provide a wealth of knowledge, online resources are also an excellent way to get inspired in the kitchen. With sites like Pinterest and Instagram it's easy to find creative recipes from all over the world that you can start trying out right away. I love finding new dishes, swapping ingredients around and creating my own menus for special occasions. Sharing recipes is also a great way to collaborate with friends and family who have different culinary backgrounds - together we can come up with some amazing dishes! There's no limit to what I can learn and create when taking advantage of these tools, which makes cooking so much more fun. Crafting An Accessible Recipe I know how daunting it can be to attempt a recipe for the first time - that's why I'm here to help! Crafting an accessible recipe takes some trial and error, but with my sharing tips, you'll soon be whipping up delicious dishes like a pro. The most important step is to read through the entire recipe before attempting anything. This gives you an idea of what ingredients are needed, as well as any special equipment or techniques required. Once you have all your supplies ready, carefully follow each step in order, making sure not to miss out on any crucial components. If something doesn't turn out quite right, don't worry - use this as a learning opportunity! With every failed dish comes more knowledge about what works and what doesn’t. So get creative and take notes along the way; cooking is an ongoing process of exploration. Benefits Of Having A Good Recipe Having a good recipe can bring many benefits to your home kitchen. Not only does it help with organization and time management, but it also encourages you to try new things in the kitchen that you might not have otherwise considered. By sharing recipes with friends and family, you open up an entirely new world of flavors and experiences for each person. Cooking is more than just following instructions - it's about experimenting and having fun while doing it! Having a reliable recipe makes this process much easier so you can focus on enjoying yourself rather than worrying about measuring ingredients correctly or cooking times. Additionally, knowing exactly what ingredients are necessary beforehand helps keep your kitchen organized as well as make sure nothing gets wasted. Whether its trying something new or keeping your kitchen tidy, having a good recipe goes a long way towards making every meal enjoyable. It opens up opportunities for bonding over food and creating lasting memories around the dinner table without stress or worry. With the right recipes, there’s no limit to how creative you can be when setting out to make delicious dishes in the comfort of your own home. Getting Creative In The Kitchen Cooking can be so much fun, and it's a great way to get creative in the kitchen. Trying out new ingredients is one of my favorite things to do; it helps me create dishes that are unique and delicious. I like experimenting with different flavors and spices, while creating variations on classic recipes. This way, I'm able to make something truly special that combines familiar tastes with surprising new ones. Rather than sticking to the same meals all the time, it's nice to mix it up every now and then - you never know what kind of culinary masterpiece will come out of your kitchen! Frequently Asked Questions How Do I Find Recipes That Fit My Dietary Restrictions? Meal planning and dietary tracking can be tricky if you're trying to stick to specific restrictions. There are plenty of recipes out there that fit your needs, but finding them can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are some great online sources designed to make this process easier by helping you find delicious dishes tailored specifically to your dietary requirements. With these resources at your fingertips, it's never been simpler to plan meals that work for you! How Do I Store A Recipe So I Can Access It Easily? Storing recipes so you can access them easily is a great way to make meal planning easier! You can share your favorite recipes with friends and family, or keep them all to yourself. There are plenty of online tools that allow you to store your recipes securely in one place - some even offer meal-planning features. So now when you find a delicious recipe that fits your dietary restrictions, you'll have an easy way to save it for later! What Are The Best Tools To Use To Create A Recipe? There are some great tools to use when creating recipes! Meal planning and recipe sharing have never been easier with the help of technology. Apps like Paprika, Pepperplate, or Plan To Eat make it easy for you to store your favorite recipes in one place so that they're always accessible. You can also check out websites like Allrecipes or Food Network where you'll find countless ideas from chefs around the world. With these amazing resources at your disposal, you’ll be able to create delicious meals quickly and easily! How Do I Know If A Recipe Is Accurate? When it comes to ensuring accuracy with recipes, measuring ingredients correctly is key - and this means using the right kitchen tools. Kitchen safety should always be a priority when following a recipe; for example, make sure you're wearing oven mitts if something needs to go in the oven and use sharp knives safely. Additionally, double-check measurements throughout the process and follow directions closely. If all of these steps are taken, your finished product will likely turn out as expected! What Methods Can I Use To Make A Recipe More Interesting? If you're looking to make a recipe more interesting, there are plenty of ways to do so! Spicy variations can be a great way to add some heat and flavor; think adding jalapenos or chili flakes. You could also try different cooking techniques such as grilling, roasting, or stir frying. Additionally, seasonings like herbs and spices can elevate the taste of any dish without overwhelming it. Try experimenting with different combinations for an unforgettable culinary experience! Conclusion Finding the right recipe for you can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. With some research and creativity, I'm confident that anyone can find recipes they love that fit their dietary restrictions. There are plenty of resources available online and tools to help create delicious meals tailored to your needs. Once I do find the perfect recipe, storing it in an easily accessible location will make sure I never lose track of my favorite dishes. It may take some time, but crafting recipes that work with my lifestyle is worth the effort! If you're looking for more delicious recipes to try, be sure to check out The Disney Chef's recipe categories! Whether you're in the mood for something sweet like a cake recipe, something savory like a chicken or pork recipe, or something fresh like a vegetable or seafood recipe, there's something for everyone. And if you're a meat-lover, don't forget to check out the beef recipes category for hearty and satisfying meals. With so many options to choose from, you're sure to find a new favorite recipe to add to your collection. Read the full article

[midoriima]

SHIRATORIZAWA & SPECIFIC HEADCANONS ━━━

- Aside from manga, Tendou likes to read about Greek mythology. Like, one day he'd just be scrolling through his phone on Pinterest then he'll come across a picture of Oedipus or whatever and from there, he'll be on Google reading about them.

- Semi likes to make playlists so much that he has over 40 playlists made on his Spotify account and he barely listens to all of them. He even decided to make another Spotify account because it began to get cramped (?) and untidy on his main.

- Suprisingly, Ushijima also wants to do other stuff aside from volleyball, like wanting to learn how to play the electric guitar because he heard Semi playing one time and wanted to try it out but is kind of shy to ask Semi and doesn't really know anything about instruments so he let that thought sit at the back of his head instead.

- Whenever Reon's bored and wants to eat + also has enough ingredients in his kitchen, he'd search up simple recipes that he'd follow and cook. He got used to this that he started making more quality breakfast, lunch, and dinner for him, sometimes even for the team if he has the time.

- Yamagata likes skincare. Since he has younger sisters, they kind of influenced him into taking care of his skin more. Sometimes when he sees them with masks and whatnot, he'd ask if he could use those masks with them too, then they'd all just gossip. He also takes A LOT of time in choosing what products to use and look up what might be bad for his skin and what's good.

- Goshiki used to be a short kid, shorter than most of his peers and he was a little insecure about that. Once he grew older (that age where he can buy stuff on his own and receive money) he bought those Korean height supplements that are like candies. He took them everyday and performed vigorous exercise everyday, or at least almost every single day.

- Since Shirabu has two younger brothers and his mum is out for work until late at night, there are instances where he'd come home to an extremely messy house and ripped clothing so the first time this had happened, he bought a sewing kit the next day and started learning how to sew and from there, the chores he had to do, they increased (much to his liking) but got used to it only days after and became better at cleaning and sewing.

- On Kawanishi's free time, he likes playing video games and listening to KPOP. He doesn't think he's that toxic fan and most of his playlists consist of Korean music. Specifically, he likes CLC, Twice, and Mamamoo, and Stray Kids too.

And a video game he plays most of the time is Call Of Duty, he only plays on mobile and doesn't really care what happens in the game as long as he can relieve his stress off of imagining his enemies as his problems and him killing (getting rid of) them.

Kawanishi also played My Child Lebensborn for a few days and he cried countless of times while playing, but he'll never talk about it and forget that it ever happened.

- Back to the good cook!Reon headcanon, he came across a simple rice dish (Kimchi fried rice) and wanted to try it out. Coincidentally, Tendou, along with the rest of the third years and the characters of Shiratorizawa that we mostly know of, came by and ate at his cramped dorm. And yes, it was good. But he's fictional and this is a headcanon so I don't know myself.

- Tendou and Goshiki once had a unicorn phase. Tendou played it off as a joke, but everyone else took Goshiki seriously, but they didn't exactly mind.

- After eating at Reon's place one time, Ushijima now asks for Reon to cook more. He said he'd even pay for the ingredients in the dish that he'll make.

- Semi constantly breaks his (acoustic) guitar strings since it's a hand-me-down and quite old. He likes to play really hard songs and it always ends up with him accidentally plucking or strumming the strings too hard. For a more specific headcanon, he broke his strings for more than about 50 times which is crazy.

- Goshiki also wants to learn something else other than volleyball, and that's Astrophysics. Idk he just likes it so much and even enrolled in a free online course about it and even did his own research which lead him to having two notebooks filled with his research.

- Yamagata is also interested in what Goshiki's learning about and often asks him questions regarding stars and whatnot, and he's the one who listens most to Goshiki's rambles about space, and everything else related. But he's a little more into fashion designing? Alike Goshiki, he, too, enrolled in free online courses and watched and read tutorials on how to sew with the help of Shirabu.

- Tendou also has something in common with Yamagata and Reon. He even bought a small sewing kit like what Shirabu said but soon he gave up on sewing because it was too much for him and he couldn't get anything right so he sticked to cooking and baking. Eventually, after multiple salty or burnt (or both) cakes, he got better at cooking that he, too, makes desserts for his team.

- Ushijima used to like playing video games when he was younger but his mum's a bitch and made him stop playing so he kinda lost that interest for games aside from volleyball because of her but since Tendou plays a lot and show them to him, he does try to play them.

#anime #haikyuu!! #haikyuu #haikyuu headcanons #headcanons #ushijima wakatoshi #tendou satori #semi eita #reon ohira #yamagata hayato #goshiki tsutomu #shirabu kenjirō #kawanishi taichi #shiratorizawa #mitsuya takashi #shiratorizawa x reader

[boldlyvoid]

Sugar, Honey, Ice Tea | Chapter 5-9

1Summary: Fix-it-fic: Dr. Y/L/N and Savannah Hayes have been best friends since their medical internship at Bethesda General. When she receives a frantic call that Derek's best friend is being transferred to the prison she works at, an unlikely friendship bubbles.

Eventually falling head over heels for the innocent man.

Warnings: Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Prison, Prison Violence, Assault, Blood, Depression, Murder, Self-Hatred, Hurt Spencer Reid, Canon-Typical Violence, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Drug Addiction, References to Drugs, Drug Use, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Romantic Tension, Forbidden Love, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Strangers to Lovers, Requited Love, Falling In Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, past abusive relationship, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault

Word Count: 14.3K

1-4, 5-9, Epilogue

Chapter 5

Spencer agreed to a Thursday night game night in her office sometime last week, and she’s spent every day since then planning it out for him.

Learning that he really loved Tandoori chicken, making it from scratch at home and packaging it into a couple containers to bring into work. She followed a recipe from Pinterest, hoping it bared any resemblance to what he was used to, only changing full chicken to boneless bite size cutlets, because he couldn’t use a knife in the prison.

She got a chess set at the store, as well as a deck of playing cards for the Vegas boy. Rushing out her door early Thursday morning so she could stop and get a coffee and one of his favourite doughnuts too.

Deciding that she wasn’t going to tell him how she felt any time soon, just wanting to show him friendship and support until he was finally out of prison. Vowing to uphold her oath, he was a patient in her care, she would care for him as such until he wasn’t.

She carefully placed her lunchbox and the chess set on the security desk, letting them look through it as she waited. Taking out all the food from her bag, looking through the plastic to ensure she wasn’t sneaking in anything.

“It’s just my lunch for the next 2 days, I promise,” she smiled.

“I know, but I have to look anyway,” the nice man smiled. “Have a good day today Dr. Pat.”

“Thank’s, you too, officer Kyle,” she smiled, picking her things back up and heading past the gates.

Spencer was turning the corner towards the infirmary as she walked towards the door. Officer Wilkins holding him in handcuffs as he roughly walked Spencer to her office.

“Hey, hey, hey,” she stopped, looking at Wilkins like he was an idiot. “Un-cuff inmate Reid, he’s not a threat. Plus, he can hold some things for me.”

“Whatever,” he huffed, roughly taking the cuffs off Spencer's wrists before leaving. Not saying another word.

“What a dick,” she mumbled as she handed him the lunchbox.

“Good morning Spencer,” she changed her tone to match her growing smile.

He sighed, smiling back as he rubbed his wrists. “Good morning to you too, Y/N.”

She opened the infirmary door, walking past all the sleeping men in the care area. Unlocking her office before inviting Spencer in. “Sorry I was almost late,” she said softly, taking the chess set and a brown paper bag out of her purse.

She set it on Spencer's desk along with the coffee that was in her hand, “for all your help this week,” she smiled.

Spencer placed her lunchbox in her fridge, laying a hand on her back as he walked past her towards his desk. “You’re too kind to me,” he was bashful as always.

“I have something I wanted to talk to you about,” she closed the door softly, making sure the blinds on the doors window were closed as well.

“That doesn’t sound good,” he tried to joke as he sat down.

“I asked to help with your case, maybe give a fresh opinion, so Penelope sent me all the files but I haven’t opened them yet,” she sat on the edge of her desk. Trying to read his body language as he took out his donut.

He liked the pink frosting off his finger, nodding as he followed along. “Why not?”

“I wanted your permission,” she pressed her lips together in an awkward smiled. His eyes raising to meet hers, innocent as ever.

“Oh?”

“You’re very reserved, you have rules about what you share, I don’t want to break the trust we’ve built by looking into something so intimate,” she explained her thoughts. “It’s not fair for me to learn about the worst thing that’s ever happened to you, without you being the one to tell me.”

“What do you know already?” He asked softly, blinking at her as he patiently waited.

She smiled at him softly, grateful that he understood. “I know the 3 charges that you’re in on, and that you’re being framed.”

“I think I would prefer it if you read the file and just asked me questions. I don’t think I have the mental capacity to recite it all back to you today,” he was honest. Taking a sip of his coffee and looking away from her.

Giving up so much of himself to her so early in the day, she felt like he was finally comfortable with her.

She found the key to his thoughts and it opened just right, she could see the hurt that flowed through him, but she could also see the happiness. The side of him that he was afraid to bring out, in fear it would get him in more trouble.

“Okay,” she agreed. Sitting at her desk and finally opening the email form Penelope.

She read through his tox-screens, his drug history, his mental state. His first-hand accounts, witness statements, clues and findings his team had made. It all felt like the plot to a bad movie about revenge, possibly even female rage. But for what?

“I finished reading,” she said softly, brows furrowed as she chews the inside of her cheek. “Do you know anyone other than this Mr. Scratch guy who you’ve put away, wronged, lead on, or just pissed off?”

“Why?” He asked, clearly attached to the idea this was all Mr. Scratch’s doing.

“It feels like revenge, but very well planed. Like a women is mad at you so she found your weakness, I’ve done mean shit to exes in the past but this is insane. They knew you’d do anything for your mom, they knew your drug history, and the fact you might get schizophrenia one day, they wanted to drug you and make you think you did all this.”

Spencer stood then, listening to her words as he scrunched his face. Thinking as hard as he could, “can you call Penelope?”

“Yeah,” she nodded as she dialled her number, putting her on speaker phone.

“Well hello there, Love Doctor,” Penelope teased as she answered.

“Um hi, Spencer wanted to talk to you,” she panicked.

“Oh, sorry, how are you Spencer?”

Spencer looked so confused, “I’m good… Y/N and I were looking at the case files you sent-”

“Good, did you find anything?” Penelope cut in, eager to talk to him.

“Have you looked into everyone I’ve ever encountered on a case? Specifically women?” Spencer asked. “I told my lawyer and Emily that I remember a woman being there and helping, she must know me from a case too, like the other prison escapees he’s helped?”

“On it pretty boy, any specifics about her that you remember?” Penelope asked over the sound of her keyboard clicking away.

“Long brown hair, but it’s probably different now,” he added. “Everything else is dark, I didn’t see her face or any other features.”

“Alright, call me anytime Spence, I miss you,” Penelope said softly, changing her tone to a more sensitive one. “Take care of each other, my loves.”

“Love you,” they say at the same time. Looking at each other awkwardly after she hung up, leaving them to sit with their words alone.

Spencer was leaning so close to her she could feel his body heat radiating off him. Spencer placed his hand on her shoulder as he stood straight, towering over her as she looked up at him.

“I have patients to talk to, but I brought chess for you to teach me later,” she smiled up at him.

“Can’t wait,” he beamed a smile back.

She felt his hand rub the back of her blue scrubs lightly, pulling away as he walked back around to his desk. She watched him with careful eyes, wishing he would have stayed longer.

—

Normally at 4:30, Y/N would bring Spencer a tray of whatever the kitchen was serving her patients for dinner that night. Tonight, however, she walked into her office at 5 pm on the dot, closing the clinic for the night and putting all her attention on Spencer.

“So,” she smiled as she leaned against her office door, excitement radiating out of her. “A little birdie told me that you really like Indian food, Tandoori chicken to be exact…”

“No way?” He gasped as he turned around in his chair.

She nodded with a cheeky grin, “homemade so I could sneak it in.”

She took her lunch box out of her mini-fridge, opening it up to show him the 2 Tupperware containers. One for him, the other for her. She took the lids off and dished it onto 2 plates she keeps in the cabinet above the fridge.

Spencer grew more and more excited as she warmed it up, filling the room with a familiar smell. He was so happy, “I don’t know how to thank you for everything you do for me?”

“Come here,” she said softly, watching him walk towards her carefully.

She wrapped her arms around his middle, holding him in a hug. He carefully placed his hands on her back, holding her against his chest as he snuggled his cheek into her hair again.

“I’ll take hugs as payment from now on,” she pulled back from him as the microwaved beeped.

Taking a plastic spoon from the cutlery jar, she opened the microwave and handed him a plate. “Did you want to stay in here or go to the break room? I never use it cause I don’t have any co-workers, but it has a couch and a coffee table?”

“Okay,” he smiled. Taking the plate from her and waiting for her to warm up her own meal before taking a bite.

He was ever the gentleman.

Y/N reached back into her lunch box, taking out the package of naan bread, seeing Spencer’s eyes basically roll into the back of his head. “You thought of everything?”

“Bread is my life,” she laughed.

When her food was ready, she placed it on top of the chess box and led the way down to the break room. Spencer holding every door for her.

She flicked on the lights in the break room, watching them strobe before making that awful powering up frequency. She groaned, putting her food on the table before turning on a few lamps instead.

The room went from bright and anxious to relaxed and personal, the amber glow bouncing off the cream walls, it was nice. As nice as it could be in a prison. She never thought she’d be having a date at a prison.

That’s basically what this was, a date.

She made him dinner, they were going to play games, he was going to sit right beside her, close enough to kiss. She really wanted to, she’s thought about it a lot, his pink lips were perfect and she just wanted to see how they’d feel between her own.

But she wont.

“Dig in honey,” the name rolled over her tongue like it was always meant to.

She felt his eyes on her right away, realizing that she called him honey in a situation where he wasn’t crying, where he wasn’t vulnerable. She said it as a term of endearment, she couldn’t stop the embarrassment form settling in her veins.

She sat beside his softly, picking up her dinner and pretending it didn’t happen. “Thank you,” Spencer cut into the awkwardness.

“You’re welcome,” she said softly. Feeling like she could flip inside out at any moment.

From the corner of her eye she saw him take the first bite, closing his eyes as he appreciated the moment. His shoulders settled as he chewed, she could swear he almost moaned as he ate it. She has had the food in the cafeteria before, she understood his reaction.

“That good?” She asked, teasing him softly.

He nodded, silent as he took it all in. He took another bite, and another, she felt like he was going to get the hiccups at this rate but it was too cute to stop. He was like a stray dog eating inside for the first time in months, it made her happy and then a little sad.

He stayed quiet the whole time. Crossing his legs as he sat on the couch, the plate pulled in close to his chest as he shovelled spoonfuls of food into his mouth. She sat there admiring him as he did so, falling more and more every time she glanced at him.

“That was delicious,” Spencer said as he stood, placing his plate on the counter across the room. “Are you done?” He asked, taking her plate as she reached it out to him.

“Yeah, thanks,” she watched him carefully, always wanting to help her in whatever way he could.

He didn’t sit on the couch when he came back, instead, sitting on the floor on the other side of the coffee table, taking the chess set out and beginning to set it up. Not wanting to miss a moment of the freedom he felt when he was with her.

“So, chess is pretty easy to learn,” he said, looking up at her through thick eyelashes as he spoke. “Do you know any of the rules yet?”

“Um, I know where they all go, I know that you can’t go through other pieces and the horse gets to jump?” She tried to remember all the way back to grade 4, the last time someone explained the rules to her.

He was so soft with her, explaining the rules and showing her what to do. His hand would lightly brush over hers occasionally, eventually, he’d just guide her hand over the pieces that she should move. It was so nice to just be alone with him, knowing they were both allowed to be happy.

The room was mostly silent, only the sound of Spencer's advice and her giggle as she still wasn’t grasping the concept of the game.

“I just like, don’t care about the rules?” She couldn’t stop giggling at the fact she wasn’t picking up on anything he said.

Spencer laughed, it was deep and hearty, right from his soul, “then how do you want to play?”

She picked up the queen and moved it to a random spot, “I want to put this here and fight your guy. That’s why I don't get this, what is my XP? What are their skills? I was raised on Pokemon, honey.”

He made his way back to the couch, sitting closely beside her. “Well sugar pie, do you have any other games you want to play?”

She couldn’t stop herself from leaning in and pressing her lips against his. His hands wrapped around her waist on instinct as they connected.

It was everything she imagined. Soft, gentle, refreshing. Like a cold glass of ice tea on a hot summers day. She wanted more, never letting up as she kissed him.

Spencer was the one to pull off first, “shit,” she whispered, covering her mouth with her hand as she stared at him, horrified.

He laughed, smiling at her softly. “It’s okay,” he promised, “I’ve wanted to do that for a while.”

She doesn’t stop him from pulling her back in, holding her hand on his cheek as he kissed her again. Hungrier than before, Spencer’s tongue was on a mission. He tastes like dinner, but with his own Spencer difference.

Kissing him felt like a fairytale coming true.

She forgot where they were, his hands on the back of her scrubs and her hands in his hair as their mouths clashed. She started to lay back on the couch, pulling him down on top of her.

“We can't,” he pants against her lips. Regretting it as he pulls away from her.

“Sorry, this was unprofessional I know,” she tried to play it off.

Spencer pulled her back in, flush against his chest once more. “No, I don’t regret it. It’s just, I’m not ready.”

“Oh,” she says softly. Then it clicks, “oh, oh my god, Spencer I’m so sorry I forgot. I didn’t mean to push you into anything,” she worries, running her hands over his arms softly.

He shakes his head, “you didn’t. I want to, believe me, I just don’t think I can handle the after part…”

“I cried for 3 hours after I had sex again, after everything,” she told him in complete honesty. Not even Savannah or Derek knew that.

“You don’t have to-“

“I want to,” she assured him. “You shouldn’t have to be the only vulnerable one here, I want you to know about me.”

“You don’t have to tell me the details, I don’t want to think about someone hurting you,” he whispered, his eyes innocently studying her face for how she was feeling.

“Okay, so here’s everything else,” she was still holding his face in her hands. Rubbing her thumb over his cheeks. “I had 2 moms and a little sister, and I was raised in Boston. I met Savannah in 2004, I worked with her until a few years ago. She’s my best friend, Derek is like my big brother.”

She gave him the basics, “I don’t have a dad, my mom used the same donor for me and my sister, so I’ve never really felt safe around men because I never knew many.”

“Understandable,” he smiled softly. “what’s your mom like?”

“She died when I was 26,” she pressed her lips together awkwardly. “I haven’t talked to her wife since then, my other mom, she remarried not long after. I think she was cheating on my mom when she was going through chemo.”

“I’m so sorry,” Spencer whispered.

“I can relate to a lot of the stories I know about you already. My mom was my world, I don’t know my dad. I’ve been hurt by people, I’ve lost a lot of myself while trying to help others,” she brushed her nose against his softly. Letting him know she wasn’t pulling back any time soon. “Who you are is not what you did, or what you’ve been through.”

He kisses her again softly. Breathing in through his nose lightly, his hand on her back pulling her in closer and closer. He didn’t want to let her go, and she was more than happy staying in his embrace forever.

He pulled back softly, “I lied to you.” He whispered against her lips.

“When?” She asked, scared to know the answer.

“I do remember you from Derek’s wedding, he told me about you a long time ago. I told him I was ready for dating again when you told him about Mark,” he couldn’t look at her.

“That’s not a huge lie,” she smiled softly. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking at you all night, with that little blond boy. You two were so sweet, Mark got really mad at me for staring at you actually.”

“Derek told me when he hurt you, he came to my apartment right after so he wouldn’t go and kill him,” Spencer’s voice was so low she had to stare at his lips to understand him. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” she shook her head softly, kissing the tip of his nose. “Thank you.”

“I don’t want to go back to my cell,” he whispered as he pressed his forehead against hers.

Breaking her heart in the process.

She kissed his cheeks and his lips a few times, peppering kisses to his soft face to make up for it. “We can’t do this again until you’re free,” she whispered.

“I understand.”

“So you better think long and hard about this woman you remember so I can track her down and shove her in that cell instead,” Y/N’s stern voice made him smile.

“Thank you,” he replied again, hugging her the way he promised he would thank her from now on.

—

For being 9 pm on a spring night, it was rather warm in the Vermont parking lot. She left the prison a while ago, not able to leave Spencer’s gravitational pull yet as she sat there, staring at the prison thinking about him alone in his cell instead of pressed against her chest for the rest of the night.

Thinking about the feeling of Spencer’s hands on her body and his tender lips. Her hand over her mouth as she remembered how his bottom lip ghosted over her own, the anticipation was enough to light her on fire.

She took out her phone and called Derek, knowing he would put her on speaker if they were already in bed for the night. Really needing her best friends right now.

“Hey kick-ass, how are you doing today?” Derek’s voice was overly cheery, “Hey!” Savannah added in the background.

“I’m in love with him.”

Chapter 6

She barely slept anymore. Waking up at 6 am every morning without her alarm clock, her heart physically aching to return to Spencer's side after a night without him. She felt like a love-sick school girl, wanting to be with him all day even if they had nothing to say. Just looking at him was enough to make her happy.

A few weeks passed. Weeks filled with smiles and laughter, singing and reading, inside jokes and shared jello cups. She was so madly in love with him, hugging him every morning when he arrived and every night before he left. Keeping her word, kissing him on the cheek every so often instead.

She started a routine of picking up a coffee and a donut for Spencer every single Thursday, worried that he probably thought about his case all night, yet again. Which only kept her up worrying all night about him, wondering if he was doing okay all alone.

Only getting sleep when she remembered that he had a photo of her, his mom, Derek and hank with him. He’d be okay.

She walked into the infirmary to find Jerry and Mike waiting for her with a guard. Mike bleeding all down his face while Jerry held his clearly broken hand.

“You two are going to be the death of me,” she sighed. Putting all her things in her office before coming back to care for them.

She excused the guard, telling him she had it from here. They wouldn’t put up any more fights with her, they looked up to her like a momma bear, and they were her terrible cubs.

“It is 7:33 am, who the fuck did you have to fight this early?” She whisper yelled at them. Not wanting to wake Leo in the care ward, “who is worth this?”

“You don’t want to know,” Mike said under his breath.

“Well clearly he’s not here, is he dead or in violent crimes? If you two fucked up our plan of me helping you during parole next year, I’m going to be pissed,” she tried her best to entice the answers out of them.

“It was Shaw,” Jerry said softly. “He was planning to hurt the new guy, he’s all fake buddy-buddy with him.”

“Excuse me?” She panicked.

“He’s been talking to Milos at night in the locker room, Wilkins lets him out of his cell and into gen-pop,” Mike carried on the story as she tried to clean the blood off his eyebrow.

“What are they going to do to Spence?”

“Spence?” Jerry teased her, poking her side. “I didn’t know he had a nickname already. Why haven’t we met him yet?”

“I’ve kept him locked away to be safe, I’m going to find a way to keep him here at night,” She said softly. “He’s best friends with my brother, I can’t let him get hurt.”

“So you knew him in freedom land?”

She nodded, “a little.”

“All you need is a bandaid,” she changed the subject as she reached into her kit. “And Jerry I’m going to have to set your fingers back in place, if you scream in my face, I will kick you in the nuts.”

They laughed at her fake tuff guy act, never actually being able to hurt them. They were her buddies, giving her a big hug after she finished with them. Getting them both a pudding and telling them to stay put for the day if they wanted to.

Spencer found her in the lab when he arrived, she knew it was him when the door opened, no one else had a passkey to get in. She was writing down some numbers on a chart when he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

She dropped her pen and turned around in his grasp, holding his face in her hands immediately as she pulled him into a quick kiss.

“I thought you said I couldn’t do that again till I’m free?” He asked softly. Kissing her a second time as he finished.

She smiled against his lips, “you’re free when we’re alone.”

He kissed her harder. His hands around her waist as he picked her up slightly. Twirling her around as they kissed, she laughed against his skin. Unable to stop herself from smiling as she held onto him.

She kissed him one last time as he put her down on the floor, “I have a coffee and donut for you in my office.”

“You’re too good to me, Sugar Pie.”

“Anything for you, Honey Bunch,” she bit her lip as she smiled at him again. So absolutely overwhelmed with love for him.

“I actually have a serious question to ask you,” his tone changed, making her concerned.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m still trying to figure out more about that night, and I think I want to try exposure therapy,” he explained. “I was wondering if you’d help me get high, so I can remember what happened in the same mindset.”

“Okay,” she nodded softly. “I can book you in for the night here, say you’re under observation, and I’ll stay here with you.”

“Are you sure?”

She kissed him softly again, looking up at him with a smile after. “If you’re sure about it, I’ll help you. But we need some ground rules.”

“Of course,” he agreed. Letting go of her as she stepped back, leaning against the counter now.

“No kissing, nothing like that, we’ll do it in my office so you can be alone and then later you’ll sleep in the observation room. Leo is in there, he’s harmless and sleeps all night on his morphine anyway,” she explained. “I’m not going to take advantage of you, I don’t want you to regret it. It’s going to be hard to sober up again once you get a taste of euphoria in here.”

He nodded along as she set the rules, “those are good. Thank you.”

“They drugged you with heroin, and while I know where to get some, I’m not letting you do that,” she laughed. “I have Dilaudid in pills and liquid morphine.” Letting him pick his poison.

“The pills will be fine,” he said softly.

“Alright,” she smiled. “And if you want, when you get out I can take you to a meeting? You’ll need to talk to someone other than me, someone who gets it.”

“You’ll stay with me after all this?”

“As long as you let me,” she felt her heart grow 3 sizes at the way his puppy dog eyes stared back at her. “Go have your breakfast and I will come to see you soon, okay honey?”

His smile was glorious, she could feel the love radiating off him as he looked at her. It felt wonderful, knowing at that moment her feelings weren’t one-sided. That he wanted her just as bad as she wanted him. He was going to be good to her.

—

She had mike and Jerry help her move the couch from the break room and into her office, allowing them to meet Spencer, finally. It was awkward at first, two big muscle men telling him how much they also loved their Sugar.

“Should we tell him?” Mike nudged Jerry.

“What?” Spencer asked softly, sitting at his desk on the other side of the room, really not enjoying their alpha energy.

“Shaw, Milos and Wilkins are all secretly buddies, they were planning to hurt you and so Mike and Jerry beat Shaw up in the yard,” she scrunched her face as she explained it, not ready for his reaction.

“How?”

“After they cut that kid's throat, they wanted to get you to run heroin for them. But you ended up in here, we heard them in gen-pop last night saying they wanted to get you,” Jerry explained as he played with the bandages on his hand. “He won't be out of the violent offender's infirmary for a while.”

“Thank you,” he replied to them with a pressed-lipped smile. “I need to call my team about the case.”

That was their queue to leave, Y/N patting them on the back for the help, telling them they could stay with Leo or go back to the yard, she didn’t care. They just couldn’t be in her office for this.

Spencer looked a little pissed off. “I didn’t ask them to do that,” she said, defensively.

“I’m not mad at you,” he shakes his head softly as steps into her space. “You’re the only person I can trust in here.”

She placed her hand on his chest softly, “call Penelope. Take your time on the phone with the team.” She handed him her cell phone, “FaceTime them if you want. See their faces, it’ll be okay.”

He hugged her, a silent thank you. She ran her hands over his back as she pressed her face into his neck. Holding back every instinct to tell him she loved him as she pulled away.

“I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“Okay,” he smiled. Taking her phone, “how do I?”

She couldn’t help laughing, “here,” she dialled Penelope’s cellphone number and hit the FaceTime button.

Seeing her beautiful, bright and bubbly face smile as she answered. “Hey! Oh my god, hold on,” they watched as she got up and ran down a hallway.

Spencer was instant giggles and smiles, a side of him she’s never seen before. True, pure love. This was his family, these were his people. She could see herself fitting into his little world one day.

“Guys! It’s Spencer!” She yelled as she ran into another room.

“What’s wrong?” “Is he okay?”

Suddenly she turned the phone sideways to show all his co-workers. “Hi!” He waved to them.

“Spence!” Emily and JJ cheered, “oh you look so good.”

“I feel good, how are you all?” He asked softly, taking her phone and sitting down at his desk.

She watched him softly from the door, slipping out when she saw his attention was fully on his past life. She walked down the hall towards the lab, hearing his laughter through the walls.

—

She placed 2 pills in a plastic cup, taking an apple juice and jello from the fridge for Spencer. She placed it on his desk 20 minutes before his shift ended, giving him a little space to decide when he wanted to. He told her that he get’s cold when he comes down from a high, so she leaves a fluffy blanket and a pillow on the couch before slipping back out of the room.

She returned to the care unit, looking over Leo as he got ready for the night. Administering his meds and wishing him a good night. She closed his curtain, so when Spencer eventually went to bed he wouldn’t be disturbed.

When she finally settled into her office for the night, Spencer was in the dark. Sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. “Hey,” he said softly.

“How are you?” She asked softly. Closing the door behind herself. Locking it and making sure all the blinds were closed.

“It’s going to hit soon,” he said softly. Suddenly embarrassed and closed off, hiding from her as he laid down.

She didn’t want to bother him, sitting at her desk with her reports. The light from the computer is just enough to see what she was looking at. She glanced at him every few minutes to make sure he was okay.

He enjoys it at first, a blissed-out look on his face as his head is tossed back against the couch. She knows the exact euphoria he’s feeling, she understood perfectly why someone would want to escape like that.

Then his face changes as he starts to hate it, he mumbles to himself with his eyes squeezed shut, she could see him gripping the sheets as he tries to force himself to remember.

She’s uncomfortable watching it, feeling like an intruder. She tried to only focus on her work, flipping through emails and Twitter, scrolling through Facebook for the first time in months to preoccupy her mind.

He was like that for at least an hour.

She could hear his teeth chattering as he came down, just like he said would happen. “You okay, honey?”

“Y-yeah,” he tried to speak through the shaking. “C-can we cuddle?”

“Yeah,” she whispered, turning on her desk lamp before joining him on the couch.

She pulled him up into a sitting position, sitting where his head once was and letting him settle into her lap. She ran her hands through his hair, combing through the locks as she shushed him. Running her hand up and down his back in a tender motion, he snuggled into her leg.

“I’m not that high anymore,” he says softly.

“I know, it’s okay if you are. I’m not going anywhere tonight.”

“I love you,” he whispers.

It makes her stop. Her whole body stills at the words, he wanted to clarify so she’d know it wasn’t a spur of the moment thing. She closes her eyes and squeezes them shut, biting her lip as she tries not to burst into tears.

He felt it too.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, “sit up.” She instructs him softly.

She laid down against the couch then, waiting for him to snuggle into her side. Wrapping the blanket around them both as they found the most comfortable position.

“Sorry,” he whispered against the crook of her neck.

“It’s okay, it just feels wrong for me to say it back right now. I feel the same, believe me, Spencer.” She wanted to assure him to the best of her ability. “But you’re still an inmate in my care, I can’t. Not yet.”

“You don’t have to,” he pulled back to look her in the eyes, his own still droopy from how tired the drugs made him. “I’m going to love you regardless.”

She broke her own rules. Kissing him softly, holding him close to her, under the blanket where both their body heat was trapped. She had never felt safer in her entire life.

Spencer only crawling into that bed in the care ward when he woke up to her alarm the following morning.

Chapter 7

There’s someone banging on her office door just a little after 8 am. She was in the middle of putting a new pair of scrubs on over her long-sleeve undershirt, the banging on her door doesn’t stop until she opens the door.

“What?” She yells at them.

It’s Officer Wilkins. “Where is inmate Reid? We have a visitor for him.”

“No one is scheduled to see him today?”

“There is now. Where is he?” The man towered over her. Trying his best to intimidate her.

“Care ward. I’ll get him. You can go wait in the waiting room,” she pushes past him. Watching him stumble as he hits the wall.

“He’s not worth dying over,” he whispers under his breath.

She doesn’t leave Reid’s side as Wilkins attempts to escort him to an interrogation room. Y/N stands in the observation room as Spencer waits, cuffed to the table. Looking through the mirror at each other, only he couldn’t see her. He just knew she would be there.

“Mom?” Spencer’s shocked voice breaks her out of her thoughts as she sees Diana walking into the room.

A dark-haired woman she’s never met before escorting her in. Y/N whips her phone out to take a quick photo before running back to her office as quickly as she can.

Y/N: I need you to check on Cassie, Diana’s nurse. Someone I don’t know just brought Diana to the prison.

She attached the photo she took, setting her phone down to looking through the visitor's logs on her computer. Wanting to know the name of the woman accompanying Diana.

“I’m sorry,” the familiar voice says from her doorway.

She looks up at him from her desk. Wilkins is stepping into her space with a look of guilt, taking his baton off his belt.

“You don’t have to do this,” she backed up against the wall, trying to keep as much distance from him as possible.

“I have to,” his tone changed. Like a personality switch, his eyes darkened as he charged at her.

She ran around the desk, watching him follow. Punching her in the face, causing her to fall back against the couch, she didn’t want him to get on top of her. Dropping to the carpeted floor as he dove onto the couch.

She crawled on the floor towards the door as he tried to get up. Standing as fast as she could, roundhouse kicking him in the face with a grunt. Her foot hit his jaw at just the right angle, rendering him unconscious.

She reached for his cuffs as soon as he hit the floor, “Leo!! Help!” She screamed down the hall.

She heard bare feet running down the hall, followed by the sound of rubber on linoleum. “Sugar??” Mike and Jerry yelled as they followed.

“Watch him,” she insisted once the cuffs were on him. “Hurt him if you have to.”

She took the second pair of cuffs off Wilkins's belt before running out of the room, her lip busted and bleeding down her neck.

She ran down the hall towards Spencer, busting into the room and knocking the nurse to the ground. Struggling to get her onto her stomach, “stop struggling, who the fuck are you?”

“Get off me!” She screamed in return.

Y/N cuffed her and pulled her to her feet, pushing her against the stone wall.

“What is going on?” Spencer stood up, cuffed to the table so he couldn’t help.

“Wilkins just attacked me, Diana wasn’t supposed to be here,” she said over her shoulder in Spencer’s direction. “So I’ll ask again,” she whispered in the woman's ear as she pushed her against the wall harder. “Who, the fuck! Are you?”

“He knows me,” she spat out.

Y/N ripped her off the wall, making her look at Spencer who was shocked, speechless as he tried to remember her face. “Who is she?”

“She told me Cassie was fired, she’s been with me all morning?” Diana tried to explain, slightly freaking out.

“I sent her photo to Penelope, I need a guard,” Y/N said, hauling the unknown women into the hall with her.

—

The prison was put on lockdown as they tried to figure out this security breach. Wilkins and the nurse being held in prison custody as they waited for the BAU team to fly in.

Figuring out that her name was Lindsay Vaughn, Spencer remembered as much as he could about her. How he tried to save her dad, losing him to his carnal need to kill. Lindsay following closely in her daddy's footsteps.

Diana sat at Spencer’s desk, Mike and Jerry stand watch at the door. Y/N was sitting on top of her desk in front of Spencer, it was his turn to run alcohol over her cuts. Holding her face in his hands as he cared for her.

“I'm sorry,” he mouths the words at her. Not wanting his mother to overhear them.

She nods in response, unable to smile as the cut on her lips stings. All things considered, she could have been in a lot worse condition if it wasn’t for Derek and her training.

She wants to kiss him, she can tell he’s looking over her shoulder at his mom. Waiting to make sure she’s not looking before he leans in a little closer.

Pressing their lips together as silently as possible, his eyes still on her’s as they did so. It’s the most tender kiss she’s ever had, “I’m okay Spence,” she said softly as he pulled back.

“I’m still sorry you were dragged into this,” holding her against his chest softly.

From where she was sitting on top of her desk, she placed her head on his chest, holding him as close as she could, his cheek resting on her head. She wrapped her legs around him, not wanting to let him go, ever.

Needing the comfort he brought her, now more than ever.

When Derek and she started training again it was mostly to help her feel safe. To know what to do if it happened again. She didn’t ever expect it to, thinking it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. That she’d learn from it and then she wouldn’t be in this situation again, being punched in the face by a man.

She started to cry, the throbbing pain in both her face and her foot taking over as the adrenaline dissipated, she was too overwhelmed to do anything more. He let her cry against him, rubbing his hand on her back as he kissed her forehead.

She couldn’t wait for him to get out of here, and she was going to leave with him.

—

Derek is the first to burst through the door. Wrapping Spencer up in the biggest hug she’s ever seen him give. Rocking Spencer back and forth in his grasp as he kissed Spencer's cheek a few times.

He pulled back, holding Spencer's face in his hands. Smiling so he didn’t cry, “they’re dropping the charges.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Nope,” Derek shakes his head adding, “You’re free.” Expecting Spencer to hug him again.

Instead, Spencer turns to Y/N and pulls her into a kiss. She’s startled at first, eyes wide open as Spencer’s hands find her waist and pulls her right up against him.

She can't help but settle against him. Holding his face in her hands as she kisses him back. He picks her up slightly, spinning her around with his face buried in her neck as she yelps.

Everyone in the room watching him celebrate with her in shocked silence.

He placed her back on the ground, kissing her one last time. “You did it, Spence,” she smiles at him.

“We did it.”

She hears someone clearing their throat. Both of them turning to see the Warden as well as the entire BAU team standing in her doorway. But they don’t pull apart, Spencer’s hand stays on her side as they wait to get yelled at.

“I quit,” Y/N said before he could say anything to her, “and I might sue.”

“I’m suing for sure,” Spencer added.

“We’re terribly sorry for the condition of your stay Doctor Reid. And Doctor Y/L/N, I’ll never be able to make it up to you. I’m incredibly sorry for what Wilkins did,” the warden tried to cover his ass from a bureau lawsuit.

“Too late for that,” Emily added. Stepping into the room more. “Doctor Reid will be leaving with us, now.”

“Understood,” the Warden hurried out of the room before any more damage could be done.

Everyone took a turn hugging Spencer then. A handful of them even hugging Y/N as well.

Emily wrapped Y/N up in a hug, rubbing her back the way she would all those years before. “Thank you, you have no idea what he means to us.”

“I think I do,” she laughed against her. “If that’s not weird?”

“Not at all,” she pulled back, looking at Y/N with her big beautiful eyes, her bangs pushed out of the way so she could take a good look again. “You two are good together.”

She smiled, “thanks Em.”

“We need to fill him in on everything, will you stay with Diana?” Emily asked.

“Of course, I’m just going to be packing up some things anyway,” she said as she turned to Spencer. “Have fun with your friends, honey.”

“Thanks, sugar,” he kissed her on the cheek before walking out. Everyone whistling and hollering at the boldness Dr. Reid had developed in prison.

They all filed out after him, she watched the door with a soft smile as they wandered down the hall, Spencer taking them to the break room so they could chat.

“Thank you, Y/N,” Diana’s small voice came from Spencer’s desk.

“Oh, Diana,” she smiled. “Can I give you a hug?”

Diana nodded as she walked over to her, wrapping her up in a hug, much like how Spencer would. She can imagine Spencer’s hugs once feeling like this, imagining him small and shy, holding her slightly. Unlike his more beefy, relaxed form since being in prison.

“He means the world to me too,” she says softly as Diana pulls away.

“You saved him, if he didn’t have you he might not still be my soft and sweet little Spencer,” Diana patted her shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Thank you for making him,” she laughed slightly. “He’s a wonderful man, I have a feeling you played a big role in that.”

Her smile was just like his. The smile of a mother, someone who was going to love him forever, maybe she’d love her too. Y/N felt a little emotional, this could be her family one day.

Chapter 8

There was a lot of information to process as she sat at the BAU round table.

Learning the entire plot of some women’s revenge against Spencer, just how much Wilkins and Lindsay were involved, the crazy scheme they planned and how terribly it would have ended if she wasn’t there.

Spencer, on the other hand, was visiting this Cat person in prison. The one who orchestrated it all, the one who was obsessed with Spencer, the love of her life, to the point she might be having his baby. He had some things to settle with her.

He was on edge before he left, going with Derek and JJ while Y/N stayed back with Diana. David Rossi had even offered to let them all stay at his guest house later that night, seeing as Spencer’s apartment was a crime scene.

Lindsay murdered Cassie, leaving her dead body on Spencer’s apartment floor. Ruining the place he was so desperate to return to.

She was a little out of it. Trying to think of everything that happened and everything she would have to do in the next few days. Compiling a list in her mind as the anxiety bubbled in her gut.

She needed a new job and a new place to live. First, she’d have to go back to Vermont to pack, and she’d have to find a way to support her boys on Parole. And Mike and Jerry.

She put her hands over her face and rested against the table. Overwhelmed with everything, her face still hurting, the lights were too much, she was tired.

Then she was crying softly.

“Hey,” Emily rubbed her back softly. “Shhh, it’s okay, what’s wrong Y/N?”

She sat up and wiped her eyes with a small laugh, embarrassed that her kinda ex-girlfriend was comforting her. “I’m stressed?” She answered, not even really sure herself.

Emily smiled while she nodded, looking so different now than she did back when they first met. Older, but in a beautiful way, gracefully becoming who she was always meant to be. “I get it, believe me.”

She remembered Derek saying she ‘died’ once. How they buried her casket and how pissed they were when they found out she was actually alive. Y/N only knew Emily re-born, as they called her.

She was always caring, always wanted to comfort and make people happy. It was the way she coped with hurting them all, but it carried on past the team. It carried on to strangers, victims, sometimes even unsub’s.

And most definitely Y/N.

There was a part of Y/N that wonders what loving Emily would have been like; if it would have felt half as good as loving Spencer. Or would it be better? She’d never really know, but she could imagine it would have been nice.

“How can we help?” Emily asked, still as wonderful as ever.

“I need a new job,” she laughed. “Can Penelope use her mad skills to find a reputable business in need of a doctor around here?”

“Are you moving back to Virginia?” She smiled at the thought.

“Yeah,” Y/N nodded, a smile growing on her face. “I’m kind of attached to Spencer now.”

“Good, maybe Derek can help you find a place, he has like, what 7? Right now that he’s fixing up?” Emily threw out ideas. “You’ll get the ball rolling soon, it’ll all be fine.”

“Thank you,” she said softly. “For not giving up on him, I know you would never but, I was worried he had lost all hope and you never did. Thank you.”

Emily hugged her again, not saying anything. Y/N knew there was nothing to thank her for, this was a family. They would kill for each other if they needed to.

“Let’s go see Penelope,” Emily replied as she pulled away. Standing and extending a hand for Y/N.

The BAU offices were so interesting, many people running around to get jobs done before the end of the day as the main team chilled. It was like any other office she was in; controlled chaos and hierarchy.

Diana was sitting with Penelope in her office, flipping through a scrapbook while eating a jello cup. It made her smile to see it ran in the family.

“Hey,” Penelope cheered as she noticed them.

“I was just going to ask for some help with something, I see you’re busy,” Y/N awkwardly commented on the situation.

“Oh, we’re not,” Diana said. “I was showing her photos of Spencer. Would you like to see them?”

“I’d love to, um while I’m here, Penelope would you be willing to help me search for a good job?” She asked a lot mousier than Spencer would have if he was asking her for something.

“Of course, what are we looking for?” She wheeled to her main computer, cracking her knuckles as she got ready to look.

“Um, anyone hiring a GP close to here, I’m willing to go all the way to DC for work,” she explained. “I just want a place where I won't get punched again,” she tried to laugh at the trauma.

“The sanatarium is hiring, they’ve got good ratings and not a lot of patient complaints, they’re looking for a physician to care for the elderly members of the program,” Penelope explained as she clicked through screen after screen of info.

“That would be nice,” she smiled towards Diana. “Did you like the one you were at?”

“Oh yes,” Diana mused. “I had many friends there, I miss them and the social aspect. For a bunch of loons, I really loved the company.” She laughed at herself.

“I send the link to you,” Penelope smiled. “Now let me see his little baby bum again that one is my favourite, he’s so funny,” she leaned back in close to Diana.

All the pictures were priceless. Seeing Spencer grow up, page after page, every award and accomplishment displayed proudly. It made her miss her family, the love that a mother could bring to her life.

She got a little emotional, trying to nonchalantly wipe the tear off her cheek as she watched Diana flip a page.

“Are you okay?” She asked softly.

Y/N laughed, “yeah I just miss my mom.” She scrunched her nose so that the tears stayed in, waving her hand in front of her face as she tried to blink the tears back.

“Where is she?” An innocent question opening the floodgates.

“She had cancer,” Y/N cried softly. Not noticing as Emily and Penelope left the room. Giving them a space to bond.

“She died when I was 26,” she explained.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” Diana placed her hand on Y/N’s back as she rubbed her softly. “Do you have any other family?”

“My moms are gay, well. After my mom died I stopped talking to her wife, yes she raised me but she hurt my mom too much for me to love her like a parent,” Y/N unloaded her trauma onto Diana, it must be genetic to find comfort in the Reids.

“Spencer never had a father either,” Diana related to her. “After William left it was just us, and Spencer stepped up to being the man of the house. He’s always been thrown into situations where he has no control but he needs to make the decisions. You’re probably the best person he could be with, he doesn’t have to take care of you.”

“Cause I baby him,” she laughed as she wiped stray tears off her cheeks. “He’s pretty wonderful, you did a fantastic job. Both of you did, look at the love you have. This is a perfect family.”

She gestured to the book of photos, seeing the love beaming off Diana’s face as she held a 12-year-old Spencer in her arms. Braces, on his face, thick glasses, long hair. He was adorable.

“You’re welcome to join,” Diana offered softly. “I’ve always wanted a daughter.”

“Why didn’t you?” She asked softly.

“Why have more when you can stop at perfection,” she smiled, the same wonderful smile Spencer had.

“That he is,” she agreed. “Thank you for him.”

“Thank you, I mean it when I say you saved him,” Diana’s serious look making Y/N cry again.

“I know,” she cried. “And I’d do it again.”

In a heartbeat.

—

Rossi had 3 rooms ready for use in his guest house. Only 2 were ever used during their stay. They spent a few nights recovering together, helping Diana into a new routine for a few days while trying to just spend as much time as possible together out in the real world.

Rossi’s property was huge, never-ending even. He had lake access, ponds with ducks, fields and fields of long grass topped with flowers. It was like a dream getting to explore it together.

Happiness hit her like a freight train, smacking her in the chest and knocking the wind out of her.

She blinked and suddenly she had been waking up in Spencer’s arms for a week straight. Going on adventures together, waiting for him with a coffee outside his NA meetings, holding him all night long.

He had a hard time adjusting to a real bed again, it was too soft. He spent most of his time with his head on Y/N's chest, letting her rub his back slowly as she kissed his head, helping him drift off to sleep every single night. Causing her to fall deeper and deeper in love with him.

Every day beside him was a blessing, no longer was he a dog trapped in a cage. He was free, running with her through the fields like wild horses.

She woke up with him still snuggled into her, arm around her waist, legs tangled together, his face right in the crook of her neck. His hot breath on her skin being the thing that finally woke her up.

Absentmindedly running her fingers through his hair, eyes still closed as she woke up. Snuggling her cheek against the top of his head, causing him to pull her in tighter. Both of them slowly coming alive again.

“I love you,” her voice coarse from sleeping with her mouth open, dry as she licked her lips. It was the only thought that came to her mind. Not even realizing it was the first time she’s said it to him.

Spencer kissed her neck softly, “I love you.”

She couldn’t believe the happiness she was feeling, almost positive that even in her saddest moments she still loved him just this much. He was everything, even under all the scares and trauma, he was the most wonderful person in her whole world. And she was beyond blessed to be holding him in her arms.

The sun was barely up yet, having fallen asleep around 10 pm last night, they were up way earlier than they expected. It was so nice, the deep orange light of the morning sun creeping through the window behind the bed.

“Do you want to go watch the sun come up?” She asked softly.

“Yeah,” he nodded softly. Sitting up with her to get ready.

They put on track pants and sweaters and shoes, grabbing a few blankets and heading outside. A few minutes of walking behind Rossi’s house led them towards a beautiful little pond, they laid out 2 blankets over the dew-soaked grass before cuddling on top of it.

The birds were performing for them, the clouds were cleaning into the most beautiful morning blue sky she had ever seen. She couldn’t help herself from holding him tighter against the blanket.

The sun shined on the water, casting beautiful pinks and oranges across the surface as it stretched into the sky. A few ducks followed their mommas in the May morning breeze, quacking in agreement as they swam across the pond. Playing a game of following the leader.

It was a dream, she was sure of it. It was all too perfect to be real.

Including Spencer, he laid there softly underneath her, holding her against his chest as she appreciated the world around them. His attention only on her, even after being locked up for 3 months. He would always choose her.

“I’m so happy,” she said softly. “You make me so happy.”

He kissed her on the forehead, pushing her back against the blanket so he could kiss her whole face as she laid there. Smiling as she held his sides, letting him smother her in affection.

When he finally stops kissing her, he brushes her hair behind her ear. Cupping her face with one hand as he looks at her. The sun casting a vibrant glow on the both of them as they appreciated each other for a moment.

“I don’t know how I made it so long without you,” he finally speaks. “But I never want to do it again.”

“Move in with me?” She replied without a second thought. “I need to find a place here anyway, and I doubt you want to go back to your apartment.”

“I already asked Derek for the place he was fixing on Wilmont, it’s close to the sanatarium, mom wants to be social again,” he filled her in on his plans. “We just have to sign the lease.”

“We?” She teased him.

“I love you,” he reminded her.

“Good,” she smiled as she pulled him into another kiss. “Because I love you, too.”

Spending time with Spencer was intimacy in its purest form. It was a relationship built on trust, respect, and mutual love. It was the first time in her life she felt truly in love, not mesmerized by the idea of it.

She trusted him when he said that he loved her. She believed him when held her when he talked to her about his day or the most random things his mind could conjure. When he’d just hold her, enjoying her presence without wanting anything more than just her.

Chapter 9

They arrived in Vermont early on a Saturday morning, heading to her apartment to pack everything up. It was just the two of them this time, flying in together, half asleep at the break of dawn.

Only bringing 1 bag with her essentials for the next 2 days, hoping to pack her whole life into a truck and pray it arrived in Virginia okay.

And she got to show Spencer her space. A personal side of her that he had no idea about. He knew her mind, her feelings, her trauma, but he didn’t know what her personality was really like outside of loving him.

He was surprised by the amount of stuff she had. Wandering around her apartment quietly as she started taping boxes into shape.

Rented white walls enclosed the space when she moved in, not being able to paint them or anything felt wrong to her. So she covered them in photos, artwork and posters. Bringing the space to life with a touch of colour.

Mostly neons, having an affinity for green and purple accent pieces. Not a single shade of blue to be found, getting enough of that at work over the years.

She had plants everywhere, an old record player and a million different albums spread across the living room. Her bedroom was a mess, the closet was even worse. The kitchen would be easy to pack, it was the stuff on the walls she was worried about.

“I’m probably not getting my deposit back,” she laughed as she started taking the paintings down.

“I didn’t know you went to Harvard?” He points at her medical degree on the wall as she takes it down.

“Yeah, let me guess you’re a Yale guy?” She teased him.

He scoffed, nudging her arm lightly. “CalTech and MIT actually, Yale was my safety school.”

“Mine too,” she smiled.

Spencer stood beside her and watched for a minute, “what should I do?”

“Pick an area and pack the way you would if this was your place, I trust you won't break anything.”

“Okay,” he nodded, beginning stacking all her books on the kitchen table.

They worked well together, they knew that already. She put on music, they moved around each other freely. Occasionally singing the words and dancing around to the good ones. It was a lovely day to just open the windows and clean.

Hours passed, pizzas had been ordered and destroyed, boxes filled every corner of the space as her personality was completely ripped from the room. Soon it was just them, a couch and the record player.

She got up and walked into the bedroom to change, feeling sticky and gross from the day. Not expecting Spencer to follow and sit down on the edge of the bed.

“Who knew packing boxes for 7 hours would make you so sweaty,” she jokes as she peels the shirt off her back. Standing in front of him in just her sports bra.

He turns away from her, making her laugh slightly. “Spencer, it’s fine.”

“Are you sure?” He asks as he turns back to look at her.

She nods softly, “do you want to shower with me?”

He’s speechless for a moment, staring at her with an open mouth, “yeah, yes sure.”

She can't help herself from laughing, taking his hand and pulling him into her tiny bathroom. She makes sure they both have a few towels, seeing him awkwardly stand by the door like he’s not allowed to move.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” she reminded him. “Go as slow as you want.”

“I want to join you, but just to clean,” he made his decision.

“Alright, I have 3 different shampoos you can choose from,” she smiled, opening her cupboard and letting him pick. He smiled, appreciating how easily she made it a strictly business situation.

She took off her pants, watching him get undressed out of the corner of her eye. They had been much more intimate with each other already, getting naked in front of him shouldn’t have been as nerve-racking as it was.

She turned on the water, making sure it was the right temperature with her foot. She took a deep breath and just took the sports bra off, freeing her boobs after a long day felt amazing, replacing the fear of Spencer seeing her for the first time. She dropped her underwear to the floor and stepped into the shower, waiting for him to do the same.

Before she knew it, he was standing in front of her, naked. She didn’t know how to act, just laughing and smiling at him. He did the same, it felt kinda crazy that they were standing in a shower, butt naked as the water pooled at their feet.

“You have to pull the thingy up,” she pointed at the bottom of the shower behind him. “It might be cold when it hits you, here pull it up and hide in the corner, like I do.”

He followed her instructions, pulling the small silver plug up to redirect the water from the tub faucet to the shower head. Cowering into the corner with her, their chests pressed together as the cold water hit his back, making him gasp as she laughed.

She wrapped her arms around him, leaning against the shower wall as she held him against her, “hi,” she whispered through her smile.

He kissed her quickly before backing up under the stream. She watched the water cover his hair, making it darker as it spread through the long locks. She watched it drip down his body softly, her eyes travelling down as it did.

He had a scar on his neck and all the bruising on his chest was long gone. His skin was so pretty, he only had a small amount of chest hair, but it was the collection of freckles all over capturing her gaze the most. She reached out and rested her hand on his chest, seeing his eyes open as he ran his hands through his hair.

“Sorry,” she pulled her hand back.

“It’s okay,” he laughed slightly. “Here,” he reached behind her for the bar of soap, “if you want to touch me while I wash my hair?”

“Yeah,” she smiled. Reaching for the loofa on the tap behind him, standing directly in his space as she did so.

They switched sides, slowly turning so he would be out of the spray of the shower head. He put shampoo in his hands and rubbed it through his hair while she watched quietly for a moment.

She rubbed the bar of soap against the fabric of the loofa, watching it foam up and fill the small space with a soft cucumber scent. Running it over his chest softly as he massaged his scalp. She was so soft with him, mesmerized by how lucky she was.

He was beautiful and soft. He wasn’t big and buff like Derek, he was just a normal man with a love for chocolate donuts and jello. She ran the loofa over his tummy as she smiled, loving everything about him.

Loving every part actually while trying to avoid both eye and physical contact with specific sections of him. Not knowing if he was okay, wanting to respect his space, and appreciating that he was doing the same with her.

He laughed when she ran it along his side, ticking his armpit as he tried to wash his hair, soap dripping down onto his eyebrow. She reached up and wiped it off his face so it wouldn’t go in his eye.

“Thanks,” he smiled.

“Switch?” She said as she guided him back under the water, his eyes still closed from the fear of getting soap in them. Scrunching his face up in the cutest way.

The water cascaded over his body, washing the soap down him as she watched, her hair not even close to being wet enough to wash yet. She just wanted to watch the show, to look at all of him and appreciate the moment.

He opened his eyes once all the soap was gone, his hair longer than ever as it laid flat behind his ears, he looked so funny without a big curly mop of hair on his head, remembering he said it used to be like this at one point.

“Your turn?” He offered, taking the loofa from her and reapplying the soap to it. “Can I?”

“Of course,” she answered as he slowly ran the material over her.

He was so gentle, she watched his face as he washed over her. Biting his bottom lip in concentration as he covered her chest, arms and stomach, “um,” he tried to speak, she knew what he wanted.

She took the loofa from him and replaced it with a bar of soap, “rub it in your hands for a sec, and then use them it’s easier.”

He did just that, lathering up his hands before he placed them directly on her breasts. She let out a sigh, bordering on a moan, as he held them in his hands, massaging the soap in carefully. Thumbs rubbing over her nipples as he made sure to not miss a spot.

She was in heaven, tossing her head back against the shower wall as he ran his hands over her more. Exploring her as she leaned against the wall.

Down her stomach, past her belly button, washing her hips before dropping to his knees. Using the bar of soap once more to wash over her legs as she stared at him, amazed by the bravery he was showing.

The water getting in his eyes down there, he stood and pushed his hair back out of his face as the water dropped to the floor, “turn around?” He asked softly.

“Yeah,” she replied, turning to face the wall.

He ran his soapy hands all over her back, over her shoulders and arms. Paying special attention to her butt, which made her laugh, she was only a little ticklish there.

She was covered head to toe in bubbles, Spencer looked at her with a big grin on his face as he noticed his job was done. Helping her under the water to wash all the soap off.

She lifted her arms to run the water through her hair, feeling her boobs perk up as she did so. Spencer's attention being completely switched to her chest as he watched. “Pass me the gold shampoo bottle?”

“Y-yeah,” he said, grabbing it from behind himself and handing it back to her.

She stepped into his space, pouring the soap into her hand and rubbing it in. “They say if you lather it up it’ll apply easier,” she explained her little life hack as she rubbed her hands together.

Finally running her hands back through her hair in Spencer’s personal bubble. Her boobs pressing against his chest once again. He was breathing heavier as she watched him, hoping soap didn’t make its way into her eye and ruin the moment.

When she finally stepped back to wash the soap out of her hair, Spencer followed, pressing them together once more. Holding her by the waist as she continued to get the soap out.

Once the water ran clean, she rested her hands on Spencer's shoulders. Staring at him as the water ran down her back, his eyelashes covered in water droplets as he stared into her eyes.

He was beautiful like this, just himself.

“Are we ever going to be like a real couple?” He asked softly.

“What do you mean?”

He ran his wet hands over his back as he thought about it for a moment, “I would like to be with you, more than this, but-”

“You mean sex?” She smiled softly, trying her best to not tease him. It was a serious moment, but she loved him too much to see him struggle.

“Yeah, I just don’t know how I’ll react,” he admitted.

“Honey,” she cooed, rubbing her nose against his softly. “Sex doesn’t make us a real couple, first of all. And second, we have all the time in the world, so you take it as slow as you want. We can start little by little, I don’t mind waiting.”

“How do you mean?”

She smirked at him, “have you ever masturbated in the same room as someone else?”

He swallowed sharply, shaking his head softly, “no, have you?”

“No,” she whispered. “But it’s a small step. You can sit beside me, we touch ourselves, nothing overlaps unless you want it to. Ease into it. It would be another easy way to be comfortable with your body around me.”

“Okay,” he agreed.

She reached behind herself to turn the water off, tapping the silver plug with her foot to release the pressure, and stepping out of the shower finally.

—

They dried off, getting into their pj’s before laying on the couch in her empty living room. Listening to the Hozier album that was already sitting on the player and cuddling while their hair dried. Just enjoying each other's company, he was so soft and he smelled amazing, it was so nice to have him in her space.

“Did you still want to?” Spencer cut into the moment.

It made her smile against him, lifting her head off his chest as she went to stand up. “Come on,” she took his hand, helping him to his feet.

She pulled him in close, kissing his lips softly. Only planning to kiss him once, being drawn into his mouth as his hands wrapped around her back.

She held him in return, slowly making her way into the bedroom as they stayed connected, laughing as her back smacked the door frame and then at the way he fell into her bed with her on top.

Her music softly travelled in from the living area, they kept the lights off as they stripped out of their pants and got under the covers.

“How did you want to start?” She asked, turning to face him as she laid against the pillow.

“Can we just kiss for a while?”

“Absolutely,” she smiled, placing a hand on his cheek and leaning in.

She was laying slightly on top of him, holding his face in her hands as she kissed him. His tongue was soft, swirling with hers as they made out softly. He was very handsy, wanting to touch every single part of her once again like he didn’t get enough in the shower.

She spread her leg between his, sitting on his thigh as she rubbed against him. He bit her lip, squeezing her skin at the feeling. “I think I can do it,” he said softly.

“No,” she whispered, kissing his neck before getting off him. “I don’t want to hear I think. It’s a yes or it’s a no.”

“Okay,” he managed to bring reason back into his horny brain.

He took his shirt off, only in boxers beside her, tenting in them slightly. She took off her shirt as well, laying back against the pillow. He watched her breasts the whole time, licking his lips as he leaned on his side.

She ran a hand over her side, cupping her breast and tossing her head into the pillow more. “I’m starting without you,” she teased, her other hand slipping under the band of her underwear.

He laid on his back, bending his knees as he slipped his boxers off, she looked over at him with careful eyes. Genuinely curious about how beautiful he would look rock hard and begging for it.

She didn’t move her hand, just resting it under her underwear to entice him to start. She watched as he stroked himself softly, returning his attention to her smiling face.

She pushed her shirt and underwear off as well, scooting in closer to him so she was pressed against his side. Bending one knee so she could ghost her fingers over the folds as he watched her.

“I want to touch you,” he rushed the words out.

“Okay.”

He reached his left hand over, resting it on her hip before resting his hand on top of hers. She slipped it out from under his grasp, guiding his fingers to her clit as she stretched her legs further apart.

“Yeah, like that,” she encouraged him.

“W-would you?”

“Finish the sentence,” she instructed him. “Tell me exactly what you want.”

“Stroke me, I want it. Yes.”

She wrapped her fist around him, feeling his fingers swoop down to see how wet she was. “Oh,” she jerked her hips against his side, not expecting him to loop the wetness back up and rub her clit again.

He groaned as she stroked him faster, both of them staring at their own handiwork. She was fascinated with how big he was, being able to stroke up and down him so gracefully it was like she was always meant to. She licked her lips as she saw the pearl of precum drip out. Gathering it up with her thumb as she slid back down his length.

He was panting, trying to hold himself back as she kept jerking him off. Lightly touching her clit as all his attention focused on not cuming so soon.

“It’s okay honey,” she whispered in his ear.

Straddling his thigh then. His hand resting on her clit still as she ground down on him. “Is this okay?” She asked.

He nodded, “yes,” biting his lip so he didn’t explode right then and there.

He felt amazing on her, every time her hips ground down her clit rested right between his fingers perfectly to gain the perfect amount of friction back and forth.

She let herself go, bucking her hips and moaning as she stroked him with one hand. Resting the other behind her neck so he could look at her boobs perk up again, sending him so close to the edge he almost jumped out of his skin.

“Fuck,” he gasped. “C-an I?”

“Cum baby,” she gasped. Following her own instruction as she watched the cum burst from him, shooting up over her fist as she stroked him through it. Grinding against him as she whimpered, “fuck, I love you,” leaving her mouth.

Letting go of his dick as he started to whine, she dropped down against him with her face nestled into his neck.

She kissed him, over and over again. Peppering them against his skin for the best orgasm she has ever had.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close against his skin as he came down from the high. His chest heaving as he tried to calm down, only picking up again when she heard the sob.

“Shhh,” she whispered against his skin, letting him hold her tighter against him as he cried. “I love you, honey, it’s okay. I’m here for you.”

She felt the tears welling in her own eyes, overwhelmed with her feelings for him. “I love you so much Spencer,” she cried against his skin, the tears dripping down his neck slowly.

His hands ran over her back, they held each other while they cried.

Everything from the last week finally catching up with them both. They hadn’t taken a moment to talk about any of it, the fact he was even in prison or what happened after. They just moved on, pretending it was fine now.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered finally.

“Me too,” he pressed his hand onto her cheek, freeing her from his neck as she sat up a little.

Both of them still gross from the sex, pressing sweaty foreheads together as they took a moment. “I’m so sorry,” she emphasized, “are you okay?”

“I’m wonderful,” he laughed at the absurdity. “I’m crying because I love you so much.”

“Really?” She laughed too.

He nodded softly. Kissing her nose as she pulled back to look at him better. “I want to touch you but,” she laughed at the mess on her hand and where she rested it on his chest. “Can we pause for one sec?” She couldn’t stop smiling.

The two of them continuing to laugh at the situation as they cleaned up in the bathroom, laughing even harder as she sat to pee like they had been married for a million years already, laughing the hardest when it came out in dribbles from all the laughing.

Going through every emotion in the book as they coped with the insanity together.

Once they were clean they crawled back into bed. Resuming almost the same position as she sat down on his lap, holding his face in her hands like she wanted to. Rubbing her thumbs on his cheeks as he pulled her in closer by her hips.

“Tell me what you’re feeling?” She whispered.

“I’m happy, you saved my life and I can’t believe I get to do this with you,” he explained softly, moving his hands on her back. He talked with his hands, not able to say anything without them moving.

“You’re the best person I’ve ever known, Spencer,” she reassured him.

“Why?” He asked softly. “not in a pity party sense, I just want to know how you feel. You haven’t really told me, I’ve been waiting for you to open up, I thought maybe you were just like that because it was your job, but I want to know you more.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered as she bumped their noses together. “I don’t normally talk to people, even with Derek I’m really closed off. But I do trust you, and I want to, I just wanted to experience you when you’re free. I wanted to see if this overwhelming ache in my heart would dissipate as I was allowed to love you.”

She didn’t want to cry again. Blinking so the tears rolled back behind her eyes, licking her lips as her head tilted slightly. She just stared at his honey eyes, glossy and blown out. So absolutely beautiful.

“It got worse,” she laughed slightly. “I realized that now that you’re free you don’t have to see me every day, luckily you want to. But, now I think about losing you instead of keeping you safe.”

“Never,” he shook his head, face still cupped in her hands. “I’m never leaving you, you’re going to need a restraining order if you want to break up.”

She laughed, pushing the tears out, finally. Spencer kissed her cheeks, wiping the tears away with his lips. “Okay,” her voice broke as she tried not to cry anymore.

“I love you,” Spencer whispered. “You’re brave and kind, incredibly smart. You’re willing to do whatever it takes for the ones you love, you’re the only person I want to talk to every day.”

“I was going to say that about you,” she pressed their lips together finally, pushing him back against the headboard.

She laid her head on his shoulder, cuddling into him as she sat in his lap, “I have never loved anyone like this.”

“Me either,” he admitted as he pressed his cheek to her head. “Not even with Maeve, or Derek I know he told you.”

“And your mom,” she smiled. “She actually welcomed me to the family, said she always wanted a daughter. It’s nice to have a mom again.”

That broke him, he finally dropped the tuff boyfriend act he was putting up to hear her feelings, crying at his mother and the love of his life being close. She could tell he was a mamma’s boy, they had a bond Y/N wished she could have with someone. The closest she had to a Diana was Derek, as funny as that was.

She let him cry, not prying into it at all. Letting him take control of his emotions and the conversation. She ran her hands up and down his arm, soothing him softly as he held on to her.

“I was so scared,” is all Spencer says.

“I can imagine.”

“No, I mean about my mom,” he corrects her softly. “I thought the second she got her diagnosis that I ruined everything for her. She was going to forget me before I could even find a person to marry, let alone give her grandkids.

‘She was going to forget me,’ echoed in her mind as she wrapped her head around what he was saying. He was more terrified of losing his mother and missing time with her than he was about being in prison. He really put every ounce of his love into his family, it was beautiful.

“I applied to work at the sanatarium,” is how she answers. “They needed a GP and I need a job. This way I can see her every day, and you can go to work or teach or do whatever and know she’ll be okay. And old people seem nicer than cops and criminals.”

“I love you.”

She laughs, kissing his neck softly. “She’ll be okay, we’ll get her taken care of and who knows, maybe we’ll have more answers before a grandkid rolls around.”

It’s a risk, joking about having kids with him already. But she was ready for a life sentence with him, willing to stay in that god-awful prison as long as he was there. Including if he lost his case.

“You’re too good to me.”

“I try,” she smiled. “You’re pretty fantastic yourself, I didn’t just fall in love with your pretty face, sure you’re helpful and do what I say. But I love you because of what’s in here,” she ran her hand over his chest.

He just held her, silence encapsulating the room finally. The record stopped playing in the living room, no one was on the street at this time of night, the world stopped as she laid in his arms.

The Sunday morning sun was going to start coming up as she stayed up in his lap, both of them settling more against the pillow. She had no plans to get off him, he had no plans to separate from her loving embrace.

a/n: still working on an epilogue idk when it'll be done

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#spencer reid #spencer reid smut #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid x you #spencer reid self insert #spencer reid request #criminal minds smut #criminal minds imagine

[aarav-lewis]

[ AARAV LEWIS. 30. MALE. HE/HIM.] is here! He has lived in Silver Lake for [ 6 YEARS ] and  is originally from [ VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA ]. He is currently working as a [ FIFTH GRADE TEACHER ] and in his downtime loves [ SURFING ] and [ PLAYING BOARD GAMES ]. He looks a lot like [ DEV PATEL ] and lives on [ REDCLIFF ST ]. 

alright alright alright, here i am with another dumbass. info below && more to come!!!!! 

STATS.

FULL NAME: Aarav Lewis NICKMAMES: Ari , Lewis MBTI: INTJ-T STAR SIGN: Taurus�� BIRTHDAY: April 23rd, 1991

FUN FACTS.

Born and raised in Victoria, BC, right on the coast. 

Moved to northern California for college when he was 18

Received a degree in biochemistry and a masters in environmental science before he decided to go into teaching, and is currently studying for a PhD in ~marine environmental biology~ aka living out his childhood dream to be a marine biologist 

Completed most of his schooling up in Monterey Bay, and tbh he wants to go back and live there more than anything. It’s just crazy expensive, and not something he can afford on his current teacher’s salary. 

Aside from his interest in biology, Aarav is also big on studying ethics, specifically ethics in science 

Is a very, very passionate, excitable guy -- Aarav lives with his heart on his sleeve. You can see everything he’s ever feeling clear on his face. 

Can’t keep a secret to save his life.

Has a penchant for clothes he can’t afford, so Aarav has learned to be quite the thrifter

Has a dog named Odin (Odie) who he’s lowkey obsessed with

Gets overly competitive in games, and will be a stickler about the rules no matter what. Will not put up with your funny business. Will not stop a game of monopoly before it’s finished.

When i say this bitch is a nerd i mean this bitch is a nerd !!!! about EVERYTHING. When he’s interested in something / someone, he’ll learn absolutely everything there is to know about it / them. No detail is too small. 

Will forget plans with you as soon as something else catches his attention. Sorry. He’s a v busy guy with a v busy brain. 

Is a better cook than either of his two older sisters, and his mother absolutely loves him for it. He’s a mama’s boy, but that relationship has been saved by the fact that Aarav lives far, far away from home. 

Same goes with his dad. Aarav loves his parents, but there are some big generational differences between them -- even between he and his sisters -- so Aarrav is happy seeing them two, three times a year, tops. It means he’s forced to spend his time swapping recipes and funny stories instead of arguing politics. 

In his free time, Aarav likes to make !!! fun !!! educational !!! science !!! tiktoks !!! for the youth !!! ( à la hank green ) because boy grew up on Bill Nye and he truly does want everyone to consider the following. 

Aarav was super shy in his youth and through most of high school (save for around his closest friends) but since he’s moved to the west coast, he has really been able to grow into himself.

AKA he’s almost annoyingly outgoing now. He’ll befriend fucking anyone. 

Which means he knows everyone. Everywhere he goes, Aarav will run into someone he knows -- both a blessing and a curse. 

420 friendly 🍃

Pansexual king -- it’s the wine, not the label.

PINTEREST.  WANTED CONNECTIONS. 

Platonic Soulmate (0/1); – The love between these two runs real deep. I’d take a bullet for you deep. This could be a connection new or old. Bad Influence (0/1); -- These two are friends who constantly encourage each other to do bad things Co-Workers (0/?); – fellow teachers, school principal, guidance counsellors, social workers, etc.  Classmates (0/?); -- aarav was in college (UCLA, mostly) for a total of seven years, so along the way, he definitely made a friend or two.  Friends with Feelings (0/1); -- Either one or both have some kind of romantic feelings that often leaves the pair confused, and in awkward situations. Will they, won’t they? Who’s to say. Exes (0/?); -- These relationships could’ve ended on good or bad terms, either way, aarav most likely still holds a flame. He doesn’t know how to let things go. Once he likes someone, he likes them forever.  Roommate (0/1); -- While Aarav retains the lease on the house he lives in, he keeps the three bedroom home paid for with the help of a roomie. age / gender doesn’t matter, so long as they’re willing to put up with a big, dumb dog and Aarav leaving his shit everywhere. Sorry. He’s messy. Neighbours (0/?); -- This person could live next door, across the street, or just generally on Redcliff. Aarav isn’t the cleanest or the quietest neighbour, so the relationship could either be strained, or this person could be over at the Lewis house joining in on the fun!

LIKE THIS POST FOR PLOTS. 

#slintro #TAKE THREE ON AARAV #third time's the charm?????????? #come hit me up for all the plots!! #switched out a few tiny minor details but most things are the same <3 <3

[ofanya]

STATS / PINTEREST / CONNECTIONS / CLASSES

⌠ NATALIA DYER, 21, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER ⌡ welcome back to gallagher academy, ANYA CASIRAGHI! according to their records, they’re a SECOND year, specializing in AWARENESS TRAINING, BREATH CONTROL, HAND TO HAND COMBAT + RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT; and they DID NOT go to a spy prep high school. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of (embroidery on lace, waking up early to catch the sunset, the scent of fresh strawberries, perfect balance on tiptoes). when it’s the (libra)’s birthday on 9/24/99, they always request their ARANCINI DI RISO from the school’s chefs. looks like they’re well on their way to graduation. ⌿ kati, 24, she/her, est ⍀ @gallagherintro

INSPIRATION.

cho chang – harry potter 

grace blood – skins

esme cullen – twilight 

yue – avatar the last airbender

lexi howard – euphoria

laurel castillo – how to get away with murder

jane bennett – pride and predjudice 

ann perkins – parks & rec

kwon sun-hwa – lost

BACKGROUND + CLICK FOR BIO.

anya is the third-born casiraghi child after salvatore (oldest) and nico (second-oldest) and the first girl. she’s labeled extremely bright from a young age, but she doesn’t start speaking until she’s almost five years old. the casiraghi parents aren’t even concerned, they don’t think speech is an important quality for a girl. 

the first thing she ever says is a full sentence: “i want to go out with the boys.” it’s almost as if she could have spoken this whole time, she’d just been waiting. but of course, she’s told no, and she wants to be part of the lives that nico and salvatore lead but she’s pushed the side and told to be something else, something more ornamental. 

goes to ballet and etiquette classes instead ( the casiraghis are taught in their own home, much too good for even the best of private schools ) and often feels like she has to make up or carry things in lieu of the behavior of her younger sister. cecilia is reckless and insolent, does what she likes, and anya is jealous, but not jealous enough to do the same. anya is held to a higher standard as she’s meant to set an example and there’s a bit of bitterness that grows in her because of that. 

anya teaches herself as much about finance and business as salvatore and nico, but instead of her business or career prospects, her parents talk only of marriage proposals and future prospects. the education in espionage is a placeholder, she learns things so she’ll be able to make intelligent small talk at dinner parties or be a good companion for a man someday, not because she can run an empire. it’s very frustrating, but she takes this quietly, as always.

(DRUG ABUSE/OPIOIDS TW) anya breaks her ankle in dance practice when she’s 16, a compound fracture. it’ll heal, but she will never be able to dance in the same way again. there’s a numbness inside of her that only seems to be assuaged by the pills prescribed by her doctor that are intended to ease the pain. the pills ease the tightness in your chest every time she sits at the dinner table and long after her ankle heals, anya continues to use the pills like a crutch.

(OVERDOSE TW) she overdoses at 17 and is sent to a rehab facility. the entire ordeal is done very quietly, made to seem like a pleasant vacation – a dirty secret, something to be ashamed of, and it’s emphasized that anya should be so grateful to her family for taking care of her when she’s such a disappointment. she spends the summer at the best facility that money can by, and she returns clean, determined not to be such a disappointment, but the numbness doesn’t seem to quite fade. 

she heads to gallagher academy at 19, following her brother nico to school in america. she has no idea of the legal proceedings going on under her nose because she’s just so excited to get out of the house, unaware why her parents are so quick to send her away. nico hates it, finds it unpleasant and uncouth and a lot of the students are slovenly, but anya loves it, thrives under the guise of freedom and the ability to speak in a classroom where her voice matters.

naturally, the casiraghi family loses everything, as you might recall. her parents say that anya’s lucky she’s pretty because she could still marry nicely, and if it’s soon then the casiraghi name might still mean something. they remind anya of how much she owes them, how good they were to her when she attempted to sour the family name.

PERSONALITY.

DIPLOMATIC. is really good at choosing her words in a way that keeps the peace and is very intentional about the language that she chooses to use. she believes a lot in 'fairness’ and everyone getting a fair chance at things, so on, and she’s good at controlling difficult situations without upsetting ppl. 

NURTURING. has a very caring personality and always wants to look after others. she’s this way with plants and animals as well, and i think she’s really good at encouraging people to achieve their goals or advocate for themselves, she just can’t...do that for herself. but she will take care of u and smother u but in a loving way. 

RELIABLE. will show up at your doorstep in the rain with an umbrella, the first person to complete everything in the group project, if she makes you a promise she will follow through and then some. u can say some shit about anya, but she is fucking dependable and will come through for you whenever you need her most or you don’t think you need her at all, she’s still there. 

NON-CONFRONTATIONAL. will go out of her way to avoid a fight or try to keep the peace, she will also do this with others, putting herself in the middle of things to keep other people from fighting – she just will do ANYTHING to avoid a confrontation. annoying tbh. 

NAIVE. she really doesn’t know much about the world at large and will always find herself believing the best in people or hoping for the best case scenario when it isn’t always true. this could be seen as a good thing, but i think pretty much anyone has the ability to take advantage of her, it’s not hard. 

TIMID. anya has always had trouble advocating for herself and what she really wants, she has a lack of courage when it comes to fighting for her own passions and will easily take a backseat for others to take the spotlight. one direction vc: u don’t know ur beautiful

HEADCANONS.

idk why my brain was like . try to make this char into modern commentary on the 50s housewife but here we are 

i had no idea what i was doing with her late-talking thing except trying to somehow manifest how oppressive her home was, but rowan sent me some article about einstein syndrome and how late talkers like anya are highly analytical thinkers so we’re going with that ! 

was jumped on by a very big dog when she was very small and her face got scratched, so she has a bit of a fear of large dogs...it’s not that she doesn’t like them in theory, they just scare her and she hasn’t seemed to outgrow it. 

still loves to dance even though she’s well aware that she could never really do it professionally or on stage because of the way her ankle won’t bend, but you can usually catch her...somewhere on gallagher’s campus where she could practice privately ? 

also does a lot of yoga to center herself, she loves early mornings and generally her routine is to get up, make a cup of tea, watch the sunrise and then do a little bit of yoga. routine makes her feel in control so she has a habit of sticking to it.

loves to bake and is really good at it ! happy to binge great british bakeoff with anyone but then she will want to try all of the recipes and challenges herself. she likes the exact science of it and it’s another one of her hobbies that helps her feel like she maintains a sort of balance within herself. if you do it right, it all works out – baking makes sense.

she’s had one certain relationship when she was pretty young and definitely is not a person for one night stands, so...she’s a virgin ! 

in general she is baby but she is also mom. 

does not like most green vegetables but especially brussel sprouts. 

will wince when other people curse, has a tendency to speak very proper herself because of the way that she was raised. has extremely good manners, table or otherwise.  

gets really easily overwhelmed at big parties or functions with crowds of people and will generally find some excuse in order to, well, excuse herself. she just feels like she has to be ON all the time and it’s very exhausting to her, would much rather curl up and watch movies or something. 

is very straight edge, doesn’t drink/smoke/etc as a result of her past, she stays away from anything that could increase temptation and make her fall back into past habits. 

had/has a cat at home named gio, technically the family cat but it always felt the most like anya’s and it would sleep with her and everything however since the house was seized, no one has been able to find gio </3

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

best friend – i know, it’s hard to just plot this, but ! i would love someone who maybe was her roommate last year, the first person that anya met on campus and they just clicked right away and made anya feel really at home. i would love if this character was a foil for anya’s nurturing, softspoken nature, so a girl who is a bit louder and more confident. 

childhood crush – idk someone who could have known the casiraghi family for years or operated in that scene, maybe from a wealthy family and anya has a long-time unrequited crush on them. anya’s really kind, but she probably acts a bit standoffish or rude toward this character, so they probably think she hates them.  

bad influence – a character who’s a bit on the wild side who’s turned anya into their project – they want to get her out of her shell, help anya let loose and get out more, but maybe this is also some bad temptation for her since she has some...old bad habits. 

good influence (on) – anya is PEAK mom friend, so i’m looking for a connection that really displays that, someone she looks after. she’s the first person they call when they’re too fucked up and she’s always texting them the homework (and maybe the answers too).

ex-family friends – maybe your character’s family testified against the casiraghi family in the court case and helped send anya’s parents to prison. so, anya and your character used to be close friends but now she avoids your character out of familial obligation. 

fake dating? anya’s parents would like to pressure her into an engagement or see her with someone well-off, so if your character is from a rich asf family, perhaps they’ve done anya a solid. they’re not actually fake dating around campus or lying to their friends, but they’re close friends with anya and might go home with her to perpetrate the lie on a holiday when she goes to see sal and maybe they have taken a few cute selfies together for anya to send home – it would probably be YOUR character that suggests this to anya and encourages her to have a bit of freedom, so i imagine our chars would be friends. 

first love/ex – someone that anya might have known or met when she was younger, probably through family connections. they would’ve been around 15 at the time, so a genuine first relationship (like probably first kiss for her), but at this age her mental health was really bad and they probably broke up as a result of going to rehab. perhaps they feel guilty about not being more supportive or perhaps they did all they could but it was too heavy? we can discuss, but either way, super angsty.

protector – idk i would just love if someone saw how much of herself she puts into taking care of others and wanted to take care of her/look out for her instead and they’re just that friend who is really protective of her and reminds her to look after herself too

crush – i just want her to have a little bit of a crush/affinity for a girl that helps her realize that she’s not straight because she’s too repressed and never considered anything except heterosexuality til this point idk i just like when girls.

enemy – probably an ex-friend or something like that. maybe anya trusted them with a secret and they betrayed her or they tried to throw her under the bus to gain something. or maybe anya just got on your character’s bad side by being too much of a goody-two-shoes.

idk give me someone that relentlessly flirts with her because they think it’s hilarious that she gets so shy and doesn’t really know what to do about it, and she really does not know what to do about it ! 

also am down to brainstorm since i know the casiraghis already have a bit of a reputation so...i’m blessed taking a sibling connection and perhaps we can just bounce off of things you’ve already plotted with deanna and/or kit ( cecilia & n*co ) !

#gallagher:intro #drugs tw #overdose tw

[craby-bouquet]

22 (with Mingyu? or whoever you want of course) :)

22. “I’m just here to establish an alibi.” 

Mingyu came running through the hall, closing the door shut right after hurrying through it. A smile on his face, his fox ears pointed, clearly listening to whatever was happening behind the door he leaned against.

You frowned at him, startled at the boy suddenly standing right in front of you.

"What are you doing here?" 

He looked at you, and seemed surprised to see you out of all people "I could ask you the same question."

"No you can't. This is literally my dorm."

He pouted "Oh. I thought it was someone else's…"

You raised an eyebrow "Right." 

He focussed on the closed door again, it seemed like adrenaline was running through his veins.

You frowned at him. You two didn't get along at all,  why on earth was he staying here?

He giggled when he heard someone yell through the hall, and put the lock on the door before turning to you. He once again looked surprised to see you, like he had already forgotten you were there.

You crossed your arms "You didn't answer my question."

He shrugged "So? It's not really your business anyway."

"You're literally in my dorm! If it's none of my business, then get the fuck out! I haven't slept today."

He rolled his eyes "That explains your mood."

Your mouth opened wide, how dare he "I could just drink your blood instead of the packages I have left in my fridge, you know that right?"

He smiled, clearly trying to get on your nerves "No you can't, fox blood is gross."

“I’ll decide that for myself…” You threateningly bared your pointy teeth, and took a step towards him.

He put his hands up in front of his chest and sighed “Fine. I’m just here to establish an alibi.” 

You frowned and put an arm to your waist “An alibi? For what?” 

He shrugged it off like it was nothing and started walking to the kitchen like he owned the place “Not important.” He opened the door to your fridge and looked disgusted at the sight of it “No food?”

“Of course not. I don’t eat you dumbass.” 

“Well I can’t eat blood, so you’re gonna have to get me food.” He shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

You raised your eyebrows “You’re not serious, right? I’m not getting you anything. I don’t even know why you’re still here.”

He rolled his eyes “I told you, I need an alibi. I can’t leave.”

“Well I don’t want you here.” You crossed your arms.

He sighed impatiently “You can just sleep and whatever, I just need to stay here for the rest of the day, and possibly the night.”

“No.” 

“I promise I won’t disturb you little vamp sleep.”

“I want you to get out.” 

So anyway, he stayed as you went to your room to sleep for a few hours. You heard him softly watch television and walk around your apartment to get water and whatnot. You fell asleep after that, and only woke up a few hours later to the smell of blood. It made your throat burn, but also concerned you. What if that dumbass hurt himself?

You hurried out of your dark room, into the main room, where Mingyu was putting a sack of blood into a sippy cup. He smiled as he saw you walk in.

“Ah! Good… eh, evening, sleepy head. I thought I’d get you some dinner… or breakfast. Y’all vampires are confusing.”

You rubbed your eyes “I can’t believe you’re still here…” 

He turned to look at you, cup in his hands “Look, I know we didn’t start off well, but this could totally change that. We’re locked in together now, we can get to know each other.” 

You took the cup he handed to you “Thanks… but we’re not ‘locked in’ together. You broke in, and decided to stay.” You took a sip of the blood and were surprised at how delicious it tasted. 

He noticed your eyes got bigger and smiled “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”

“How did you know how to make this? You don’t drink blood, right?” You quickly went through everything you’d learned about hybrid demons in your head, and were pretty sure all of them just ate normal food.

He shrugged “There was a recipe with it, so I added water like they said.” 

You were impressed. As you drank more and more, you felt your bad mood ebb away.

“So you’re a good cook?” You asked him as you two were sitting on the couch, watching a movie. From one moment to another you two had stopped fighting, and just had normal conversations. He was way nicer than you had imagined him to be.

He pouted “I’m good at following the recipes. So yeah, I can cook I guess.” He laughed.

The ten o'clock bell rang, telling everyone to get back to their own dorm rooms, and telling the creatures of the night that the night school was starting.

Mingyu got up “Well, it’s time for me to head back. I had way more fun with you than I thought I’d have.” 

You smiled “Me too. One last thing, though.”

He turned around to see what you wanted.

“What did you need an alibi for?” 

He laughed out loud “I ate my roommates food again. But he said last time that he would kill me next time so I needed to be somewhere else.”

send me a pinterest based prompt

Masterlist | SVT Masterlist

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[myemergence]

Snowflake

A/N: Thanks to Nicole for the beta on this story! I hope you enjoy the Christmas-themed day 7 of First Kiss Week.

@buddiefirstkissweek

Read my other fics on AO3

**

If anyone were to ask Eddie Diaz what he hates the most this time of the year, he wouldn’t even need to pause and think it over.

It was hands down, no questions asked, the fucking elf.

An elf that is supposed to watch over kids and report their good and bad behavior back to Santa himself. When did Santa Clause stop being enough for kids that they needed an added incentive to behave? When he was a kid, all it took was one threat of being on the naughty list and Eddie would snap back into shape. He’d spend days trying to get back into Santa’s good graces and make it back onto the nice list. Luckily for Eddie, Chris is a great kid and he doesn’t need an Elf on the Shelf to encourage him to be on his best behavior. Most of the time, Eddie’s kid has better behavior than his dad. Still, he’d asked for an Elf on the Shelf this year.

Eddie already told him that he couldn’t have one, and to say that Christopher was disappointed was an understatement. Eddie tries to give Chris everything that he wants, especially this time of the year.

But even Eddie has limits.

___________________________________

It’s early December and the hustle and bustle of the season are already in full swing. There are red kettles in front of most of the stores with bell ringers, Christmas lights on display in every storefront, and even the firehouse is oozing holiday cheer from every crack and crevice.

Eddie takes a sip of his coffee at the start of the shift, the rest of the crew settling into their seats around the table. 

“So, what is it that all of your kids are asking for this year that they’re  not  going to get?” Hen asks with a chuckle.

“A switch,” Bobby says with a small shrug, plating some eggs as he glances over at Hen.

“Denny wants a laptop,” Hen laughs before everyone’s eyes shift over to Eddie. “What about Chris?”

“An Elf on the Shelf,” Eddie answers before the other two parents on their team quiet, looking at him quizzically. 

“A what?” Buck asks as he grabs a strip of bacon from his plate and bites into it.

“An Elf on the Shelf,” Eddie repeats before he takes a bite of scrambled eggs. “It’s this stupid elf doll that comes with a storybook. The elf is supposed to watch the kid and then go back to the North Pole and report to Santa if they’ve been naughty or nice.”

“Okay and Chris isn’t getting this why?” Buck asks, squinting at Eddie, as though the squint is going to suddenly make things more clear.

“Because it’s just one more thing, Buck. It’s the holiday party at school, going to see Santa, picking out a Christmas tree, decorating, baking cookies, breakfast with Santa, shopping, wrapping the presents,  and… ” Eddie glances around and realizes that everyone is staring at him and sighs. “I just… I don’t need one more thing to remember.” 

“It’s fun.” Bobby finally says. “After Harry goes to bed at night we get to be creative and move the elf. He loves checking first thing in the morning to see what trouble he’s gotten into overnight.”

“It’s fun until someone forgets to move the elf,” Hen says dryly.

“So then you agree with me, Hen?”

Hen sighs. “I know it’s annoying, but it just makes the season more magical for them. And all of the other kids in their classes have one. Do you really want him to be left out?”

Eddie’s head drops into his hands and groans. “The difference is you have Karen to help you with it. And Bobby? You have Athena. I barely get through the holiday season without some catastrophe or forgetting something important . I understand that it’s not a major thing… but who do I have to help me?”

___________________________________

“Buck,” Eddie says in surprise when he shows up at the house unannounced. “Is everything alright?” he asks, opening the door wider to let him in.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. I was just in the neighborhood and wanted to stop by. Is Chris around?”

“In the living room.” There are very few people in their life that go out of their way to see Christopher. Aside from their family, there are only two: Buck and Carla. Eddie’s grateful that Buck wants to spend so much of his time with them, especially this time of the year. He knows that everyone is caught up in the season and all that they have to get done, but it’s nice that Buck never forgets Christopher.

As he trails Buck into the living room where Christopher is watching television, Eddie notices for the first time that Buck is carrying a shopping bag from Target. “What’ve you got there?”

“Oh, just a little something I picked up for Christopher when I stopped at the store.”

“Like an early Christmas present?” Chris asks, beaming.

“Yeah, kinda like that.” Buck sits next to Chris on the couch, and Eddie tries to peer into the bag as he passes by.

Christopher pulls a box out of the bag and nearly squeals. “AN ELF ON THE SHELF!”

“Buck,” Eddie manages, his voice tight. “Christopher, you can’t-” Buck has done some questionable things in the past. He’s done some things that have pissed Eddie off, but this?  This takes the cake. He sat across the table and listened to Eddie go on and on about how he barely holds it together during the holidays and this is what Buck does?

Eddie’s eye is twitching. He can actually feel the muscles spasming. 

Buck shrinks under Eddie’s gaze, then says, “Eddie, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about for a second, in the other room.”

Now he wants to talk. 

“We’ll be right back, buddy.” Eddie sighs and follows Buck to the kitchen. If looks could kill, Buck would be laid out on the floor right now because Eddie is seething. Since looks can’t actually kill, Eddie might have to take things into his own hands. He spins around on Buck once they’re out of earshot. “What the fuck, man?”

“Look, Eddie, don’t be mad-”

“Don’t be mad? Did you even hear anything that came out of my mouth when we were at the station yesterday?” Eddie asks, scrubbing a hand down over his face in frustration.

“Of course I did. I heard everything that you said.”

“Did you?” 

Buck sighs. “You said that you couldn’t handle one more thing this holiday season.”

“Right,” Eddie says hotly, gesturing towards the living room. “Yet here you are bringing in one more thing, and if I take it away, I’m  the bad guy.”

“It’s okay, Eddie.” Buck sets a hand on his shoulder and Eddie tenses instantly. “You asked who you had to help you out. With the Elf on the Shelf, with everything. I— you have me, Eddie. You always have me.” The anger drains out of Eddie at his words. Buck’s right, he’s always there with them as the third unofficial part of their little family.

“I appreciate the thought, really I do. I know that you want Christopher to be able to do all of these things that everyone else is doing. You don’t want him to feel left out, and I want that for him, too. But this isn’t a one-time thing. It’s every single night until Christmas. That’s seventeen nights that I have to do this now.”

“You don’t have to do anything, Eddie. Just leave it to me.” With that Buck bounces out of the kitchen and back towards the living room to learn all about the Elf on the Shelf tradition.

___________________________________

When Buck told Eddie that he’d take care of everything, he really did mean everything. It’s been over a week now and Buck has stopped by their house every night. Even on the days that they have a long shift, he makes sure that he’s able to stop by and help. Some nights, he comes early enough to have dinner with them and once Christopher is tucked into bed, Buck springs into action with Christopher’s elf who he’s affectionately named Snowflake. Eddie still hates the thing as much as he did when Buck first gave it to Chris.

But somehow, Buck makes it tolerable and Eddie looks forward to his visit each day.

At first, Buck starts off small. Snowflake leaves a little note for Christopher while sitting on the counter. Snowflake reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and delivering a holiday treat. Then, Buck discovers Pinterest and he becomes unleashed. Snowflake is on the counter surrounded with marshmallows and a sign that reads ‘do you want to build a snowman?’, down to the minute detail of the tiny face being drawn on it’s little marshmallow face. The elf sitting in the cupboard, feeding Christopher’s dinosaurs that surrounded the counter below. And last night? He’d ended up inside of a sealed jar so that Christopher was able to tote him around the house. To say that he’s overjoyed is an understatement.

Even though he hates the elf, Eddie does love the smile that it brings to Christopher’s face each morning.

___________________________________

It’s only one week until Christmas, and Christopher’s been begging to make cut-out cookies for days. It’s something that Shannon did with him when he was younger. And though Eddie somehow manages to pull it off and fit it into the schedule every year, the cookies have yet to come out of the oven edible. 

When Buck arrives at the house, he’s carrying an armload of groceries. “What’ve you got there?” Eddie asks as he follows him into the kitchen.

“Stuff for cookies,” Buck says as he begins to unload the bags.

“And when did you plan on making these cookies?” Eddie asks dumbly.

“Now?” Eddie opens his mouth to argue before he clamps it shut. Maybe with Buck here to help they won’t come out of the oven smoking and charred. Chris will be able to experience a new tradition of actually eating the Christmas cookies that they bake together.

“Yeah, that’s perfect, Carla will be dropping him off in about twenty minutes from school.”

“Is there a recipe that you usually use?”

“Uh…” Eddie walks into the kitchen and begins rummaging around in a drawer before he pulls out the recipe, which is a cut out from the back of a prepackaged box mix. He holds it out to Buck.

“Where did you get this?” Buck laughs, his brow raised in disbelief. “Eddie, seriously, what the hell is this?”

Eddie groans and crosses his arms over his chest defensively. “It’s the recipe.”

“It calls for prepackaged mix, Eddie. Do you mean to tell me you’ve never made Christmas cookies from scratch?”

“In case you haven’t realized this yet, cooking isn’t my strength.”

“This isn’t cooking, it’s baking.” Eddie rolls his eyes as Buck lays out all of the ingredients on the table, and then pulls out a recipe card. “I brought the cut-out cookie recipe that Maddie and I used to make with my grandma when we were kids.” He sets out a couple of rolling pins and Christmas cookie cutters on the table.

“If you want my help, you’re gonna have to tell me what I need to do,” Eddie says, glancing at the clock to see exactly how long he’s obligated to be Buck’s helper before Christopher arrives home from school.

Buck starts making the dough and then splits it up into three sections. He asks Eddie to help him flour the table, which is perplexing to Eddie because he’s never quite known how to keep the dough from sticking. They get to work and knead the dough before rolling it out, just in time for Christopher to come crutching into the house. 

“Bucky!” Christopher exclaims as soon as Carla drops him off. “I have to show you what Snowflake did.” Before Buck has the chance to say anything, Christopher’s crutches continue to click against the floor. He comes back out carrying the jar that holds the elf.

“Man, it’s pretty clever of your elf to climb into a jar so you can carry him around and not ruin his magic. Do you think he’d want to sit with us at the table while we make cookies?” Buck asks with a chuckle.

“Snowflake loves cookies!” 

So Buck helps Christopher and Eddie make edible Christmas cookies for the first time ever. And when Christopher discovers Snowflake the next morning amidst a plate of half-eaten cookies, he howls with laughter. 

___________________________________

Each day closer to Christmas they get, Eddie realizes that’s one less day of Snowflake being the talk of the house. And another day closer to things going back to normal, limiting Buck’s visits to a few times per week, an acceptable number of times for a friend.

Eddie’s not prepared for the wave of sadness that overwhelms him, thinking about Buck’s nightly visits to their home ending. That may be part of why he doesn’t mention to Buck that on Christmas Eve there’s no job to be done; Snowflake will be heading back to the North Pole until next year. 

Eddie spends the majority of the day with Pepa, Abuela, and Chris. Christopher is anxiously waiting for the rest of the evening to wind down, waiting for Santa, and he’s already in his pajamas when Buck arrives. 

“Hey buddy, are you ready for the big guy to come tonight?” He asks with a grin.

“Yeah! I can’t wait, Buck.” Christopher settles further into Eddie’s side, patting the couch next to him, a silent request for Buck to sit beside him. “I hope he brings me everything I wanted this year. Do you think he’ll bring you everything you want?”

Buck’s gaze lingers on Eddie before his eyes shift back to Christopher. He nods and sits next to the boy on the couch. “Yeah, yeah I think I’ll get everything I asked for this year. What are you guys watching?”

“Elf,” Eddie answers with a laugh, grabbing the bowl of popcorn and holding it out to Buck. “Our little Christmas Eve tradition.”

“I love Elf,” Buck says before he begins rambling endlessly about his favorite parts of the movie, how he loves when Buddy decorates the entire store and makes the New York City skyline out of Legos. It isn’t much later that the credits are rolling and Christopher muffles a yawn behind. 

“I think it’s about time for  ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas, and then we’d better get you tucked in, huh?” Eddie glances at the clock and realizes it’s past his usual bedtime, aware that it’s going to be a long night for Eddie. He reads the story and once Christopher’s teeth are brushed, they set out milk and cookies for Santa. They tuck Christopher into bed and Eddie hopes that it won’t be long until he’s fast asleep. 

“Can I get you anything?” Eddie asks Buck once they’re downstairs. “A beer? Or if you’re hungry Abuela sent us home with enough food to feed an army today.”

“Normally I’d be all over that, but I just got finished with dinner at Maddie’s. I’ll take a beer, though.”

They settle on the couch next to each other with beers in hand. Eddie’s never really understood how silence can be anything but awkward, however at this moment with Buck, it’s anything but. It’s quiet, calm, and comforting. He wishes that he could freeze this moment in time, relish in the peacefulness that surrounds them. 

“So, I guess it’s time to get Snowflake situated, huh?”

Eddie cringes slightly. “It completely slipped my mind when we talked earlier, but Snowflake is off to the North Pole tonight. He doesn’t need to be moved.”

“Oh, I’m sorry man. I disturbed your Christmas Eve for nothing.”

“You didn’t disturb anything, Buck. You’re always welcome here.” Eddie pauses, looking at Buck closely. He still appears to be hesitating, like he’s thinking about leaving because he intruded on family time. Truthfully, when Eddie thinks of family time more often than not, he thinks of Buck. So Eddie says, “We want you here. I want you here.”

“You do?” Buck sets down his empty beer bottle, resting his hand on the couch in the space between them. Eddie doesn’t miss the way that Buck turns towards him just a bit, eyes lingering on the space between them, finally looking up.

Eddie’s hand covers Buck’s, gently rubbing his thumb against the skin there. “I do.” He swallows hard, “I was wondering if you might want to stay over? Have some milk and cookies, put some presents out… be here when Chris wakes up tomorrow.”

“You’re sure I’m not going to be-”

Eddie shakes his head. “You won’t. I-” he stops for a moment, searching for the words. Expressing how he feels to people has never been his strength, and with Buck they’ve been friends for so long, he doesn’t really know how to tell him that what he wants now is more than friendship. 

“When we were at the station before you got Chris the Elf on the Shelf… I said that I wasn’t going to do it because I didn’t have anyone. That I’m in all of this alone. Hen has Karen, and Bobby has Athena. And— I was wrong, Ev. Because…  I have you. And I’m not sure how I was blind to that before. This Christmas has been special and memorable because you’ve shared it with us. You went to breakfast with Santa, you baked cookies — edible cookies. You planned out this entire Elf on the Shelf thing…I’m just sorry that I never told you that you’re what’s made this Christmas perfect until now.”

“Eddie, I… thank you,” Buck says before a nervous laugh rattles out of his chest.

Eddie takes a steadying breath, turning Buck’s hand between his and slotting their fingers together. “If this isn’t okay-” Eddie rushes to say, unsure eyes settling on Buck’s.

Buck’s lips turn upward slightly and the smile reaches his eyes. Eddie feels hopefulness settle in him. “It’s more than okay.”

“Okay,” Eddie rasps out a breath, his other hand moving to cradle the curve of Buck’s jaw. Buck meets him halfway, tilting his head slightly. Eddie’s lips gently brush against Buck’s, as if checking that he’s really okay with this. He feels Buck’s fingers on the back of his neck, drawing him closer. He releases Buck’s fingers, both hands cradling Buck’s face now as Eddie deepens the kiss. The kiss is slow and tender… and, life-changing. 

Eddie pulls back slightly, pressing his forehead to Buck’s. When he does, Buck’s eyes are bright as they glisten in the soft white glow from the Christmas tree lights.

Buck leans forward and places a quick peck against Eddie’s lips. “Merry Christmas, Eddie.”

“Merry Christmas, Buck.” Eddie says as he stands, holding a hand out to Buck. “The night is young, we still have a lot of work ahead of us.” Eddie walks to Christopher’s room, checking that he’s asleep and closes the door behind him before he turns back to Buck.

“Good thing we have cookies,” Buck grins, taking a bite out of one of the cookies on the plate they’d left out earlier.

“Yeah, edible cookies,” Eddie laughs and places a final tender kiss against Buck’s lips. “And new traditions.”  

Who would have thought that he’d have Snowflake the elf to thank for bringing his and Buck’s feelings to the light? For the first time in more years than he’d like to admit, he has someone to share Christmas Eve with long after Christopher’s been tucked into bed. 

#firstkiss #firstkissweek2020 #buddiefirstkiss #evan buckley #eddie diaz #christmas feels #fanfic #my writing #buddie

[courtingstars]

Notes for The Vanishing Prince: Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight has been posted! I don’t have nearly as many notes this time. (Which is good, because it took me a lot less time to draft this post. XD;) Still, I did want to bring up a couple of things that I thought might be worth mentioning.

And as always, I updated the inspiration board for this fic over on Pinterest, so feel free to check out the new images if you feel like it/have access to Pinterest. (The most recently added images are at the top, so when you scroll down, you’re basically going backwards through the story.) And with that, onto the notes...

(Cut for the ramblings of a writer who overthinks everything, and also some very important notes about omurice, because I LOVED writing that part…)

Akashi and His Mom, Plus Heian Poetry

This is basically just a note to say that I really loved being able to write the scene with Akashi and his mom. <3 I think it’s the first scene of them together that I’ve posted online…? (Though I’ve written lots of scenes where Akashi talks about his mother, or has a very brief memory of her.) I wrote something short about them for Mother’s Day years ago, but I never finished it, sadly. So it felt nice to finally be able to include a glimpse of how I see their interactions.

Also, the part about Japanese poetry is indeed a thing! A lot of the Heian-era poetry in Japan revolves around themes of courtly love, and because of how courting worked in that time period, they often feature various forms of pining-for-your-lover-from-a-distance. So like Akashi says, there was a folk belief that if you were missing your lover enough, you would appear in each other’s dreams, so that you could at least be together in the dream world. Like this site about the poet Ono-no-Komachi explains, “the intensity of one's feelings for one's lover could induce him to appear in one's dream or could cause one to appear in his dreams.” I always thought that was a fascinating concept. (Also the idea that Akashi would be studying those poems at six years old is just really funny to me? But anyway. //laughs)

Akashi’s Issues, Poor Guy

I don’t want to go into too much detail here, but I thought it might be worth mentioning… One of the things I really wanted to explore in this fic (and the series as a whole) is the reality that working on mental health problems can be a very difficult and often nonlinear process. While it’s not the only plot line of the story—and I definitely don’t claim to have done a great job with it by any means, though I try my best!—I felt like it was important to take the time to show how a person’s struggles with mental illness don’t just get solved overnight. Akashi has been fighting a lot of the same problems throughout the series, because these kinds of emotional hang-ups and coping mechanisms aren’t easy to change.

To be honest, it felt somewhat counterintuitive to me as a writer, because back when I was trying to publish original stories, there was this idea that you weren’t supposed to write characters “brooding” for too long or repeat the same issues/mistakes over and over. Basically, the characters needed to show growth quickly, and passages that could be seen as repetitive should probably be cut, because they weren’t “progressing the story.” While I can understand that idea in a writing sense, I tend to feel like it’s not a very fair representation of what it’s like to struggle with mental health. (Which also applies to a lot of other kinds of personal issues/growth as well, honestly. Change is just hard in general.)

So I’m definitely trying to walk a balance between not writing the same scenes over and over, while also showing Akashi’s struggles as an ongoing journey for him. The latter was really important to me, both as a writer, and as someone who’s had cycles and setbacks with my own mental health stuff.

Bokushi Is Still Kind of an Asshole, Lol

On kind of a similar note… I have no idea how Bokushi comes across as a character at this point in the story? //laughs But if anyone finds him to be kind of a jerk, I will say that’s an intentional choice, at least. Ideally, I wanted him to be likable but still flawed, and I do find him hilarious personally, but… Hopefully it’s obvious that I don’t think he’s a perfect person, by any means. XD;

I think I’ve said before that I really want to use this storyline as a chance to explore my view of his character—and the why/how of how his personality differs from Oreshi—in as much detail as possible. Hopefully it ends up coming across as nuanced in the long run… But if nothing else, I hope it’s at least fairly interesting to read! Because I do find him extremely interesting as a character.

Omurice!

So here’s my major cultural note for the chapter… I’m guessing a lot of people are already aware of the fact that Furihata’s favorite food in canon is omurice, since it tends to pop up in AkaFuri fics a lot. For anyone who’s not familiar with the dish, omurice (a borrowed compound word for “rice omelet”) is a Western-inspired Japanese dish that’s extremely popular as a comfort food. (This type of Western-inspired cuisine is generally called yoshoku. Which I think I also mentioned in Storming the Castle, but… it’s been awhile? //laughs)

So basically, omurice consists of pan-fried rice that’s usually seasoned with either ketchup (often considered the more homey/classic version) or demi-glace sauce (more often seen in restaurants). Like in a lot of fried rice recipes, vegetables and meat are added to the rice, and then the whole thing is served beneath a super-fluffy egg omelet. It typically looks like this, or this. I’ve made it before, and enjoyed it way more than I expected. So while I was writing this chapter, I couldn’t resist preparing one of my own (for research purposes of course, lol):

I’m not a good cook, to put it mildly, but I was proud that this one came out a little better than the last time I tried it. XD

To me, the coolest thing about watching someone prepare omurice is the part where they plate the omelet... This can be done a few different ways, and some take more skill than others. (I totally cheat, by making a single-layer omelet and just setting it on top of the rice as best I can. XD) The most difficult way (and the way Furihata does it in the fic!) is to layer the omelet on top of itself while you’re cooking it, so that it becomes a kind of pouch that you can slice open over the rice. There’s a great animation of this process over on my Pinterest board, and I also really recommend two videos on Youtube if you’d like to see more… This clip features an amazing chef from the most famous omurice restaurant in Kyoto, and this one is an iconic scene from Tampopo, a classic Japanese film. To learn more about the context of those clips, and about omurice in general, I also recommend this really fun article about it.

The thing I find the most interesting about omurice is that it’s such a popular comfort food, so it’s often associated with home and family life. That’s why in The Fast Train to Kyoto, I was inspired to have Furihata’s mom make him omurice when he’s having a bad day. At the same time, though, the dish can also have a bit of a “lovey dovey” connotation to it? Like how in this survey it was one of the top foods that Japanese guys said they would like their girlfriends to make for them. (Hence the trope of decorating the omelet with a ketchup heart, as Bokushi mentions, in his extremely Bokushi way. //laughs)

For all these reasons, I tend to think of omurice as the perfect favorite food for a character like Furihata. It definitely inspired how I write about him, especially when it comes to things like his family life as well as his romantic side. <3

So How About All Those Storming the Castle References Huh

This is just a quick note to say that if anyone happened to be confused by some of the references in this chapter, a lot of them were referring back to events from Part Two of Storming the Castle. (Like the first time Furihata saw Akashi’s dad, the huge portrait of Akashi and his parents in the ballroom, the butsudan altar, the secret passage with the stairs, the ghost, etc, etc… Also the character of Ginhara, since he’s the butler who runs the mansion in Tokyo.)

I tend to be pretty indecisive about exactly how much detail I should use to explain something that happened earlier in the series… Since I know some people might not have read the earlier fics, and at the same time, I don’t want to be too repetitive for those who have? In any case, if anything was confusing/unclear, it was probably a callback to that story. (Oh, and there was also a callback to The Fast Train to Kyoto, about when Akashi and Furihata talked about becoming friends!)

Well, that’s it from me this time around. Thank you so much for reading, as always. As I mentioned in more detail over on Ao3, I really hope everyone is staying safe where possible, and supporting each other in this difficult time. I will do my best to get the next chapter posted very soon. <3

#the vanishing prince #kat writes fanfic #long post #text post #akafuri #I'm so glad I was finally able to share all those omurice notes lol #and also share the omurice cooking scene!! #I never thought that Furi would end up preparing a rice omelet for Bokushi haha #and I was just really amused by his utter disdain for the ketchup lol #definitely inspired by all my friends who were like why would you fry rice with ketchup and I'm like IT'S BETTER THAN YOU'D THINK IT'D BE #anyway #this was also a tough chapter to edit because it was SO LONG #and I felt bad for Oreshi #and these boys have complicated feelings #but I hope it was enjoyable to read because I did have fun writing it <3 #kat writes about basketball dorks

[thedisneychef]

Can I Have the Recipe? Tips for Asking and Sharing Recipes

I'm sure you've heard of the phrase "Can I have the recipe?" It's a question often asked amongst friends and family when they discover that someone has made a delicious dish. But where do these recipes come from? In this article, we'll explore just what it takes to create an amazing recipe and how you can make your own tasty dishes with ease. We'll discuss different techniques for coming up with ideas, sources of inspiration, and tips on making recipes accessible to everyone. We'll also discuss why having a good recipe is important and how it can help bring people together over food. So if you're looking for ways to impress your guests or simply want some new meal ideas, then read on! Maybe You Also Like: - Can I Conceive After Drinking Banana Recipe - Can I Leave Baking Powder Out Of A Recipe - Can I Leave Flaxseed Out Of A Recipe Brainstorming Ideas For Recipes I'm always looking for new recipes to try out in the kitchen. It's exciting when I get to experiment with ingredients, and discover something delicious! One of the challenges is having all the right ingredients on hand - so storing them properly is important. Sharing meals can be another opportunity to find tasty options. Whether it's swapping a recipe card with neighbors or asking family members for their favorite dishes, gathering ideas from others adds variety to my menu. Plus, it's nice to enjoy food that comes from someone else’s kitchen too! It's inspiring when I think about how many different combinations there are out there just waiting for me to explore. With some creativity and a willingness to take risks, each meal could become an unforgettable experience. Finding Inspiration I'm always looking for new ways to get inspired when it comes to cooking. I love having a variety of cookbooks, online resources, and meal planning ideas to choose from. I also love exploring different food blogs, grocery shopping for seasonal ingredients, and visiting local markets for cultural cuisine. Finally, I'm always on the lookout for new cooking techniques, nutrition information, restaurant menus, Food Network shows, cookware, recipes apps, and cook-along videos. Cookbooks I'm always on the lookout for new ways to get inspired in the kitchen. One of my favorites is picking up cookbooks and trying out different recipes! Not only do these books provide a wealth of information about cooking techniques, but they can also offer meal planning ideas that I wouldn't have thought of myself. Plus, I love reading through all the stories behind each dish - it really helps me understand why certain ingredients are paired together or how something came to be. It's like having your own personal culinary instructor right there with you as you prepare meals! With so many genres available, from vegan to slow-cooking, there's no limit to what I can learn and create in my kitchen. Online Resources While cookbooks provide a wealth of knowledge, online resources are also an excellent way to get inspired in the kitchen. With sites like Pinterest and Instagram it's easy to find creative recipes from all over the world that you can start trying out right away. I love finding new dishes, swapping ingredients around and creating my own menus for special occasions. Sharing recipes is also a great way to collaborate with friends and family who have different culinary backgrounds - together we can come up with some amazing dishes! There's no limit to what I can learn and create when taking advantage of these tools, which makes cooking so much more fun. Crafting An Accessible Recipe I know how daunting it can be to attempt a recipe for the first time - that's why I'm here to help! Crafting an accessible recipe takes some trial and error, but with my sharing tips, you'll soon be whipping up delicious dishes like a pro. The most important step is to read through the entire recipe before attempting anything. This gives you an idea of what ingredients are needed, as well as any special equipment or techniques required. Once you have all your supplies ready, carefully follow each step in order, making sure not to miss out on any crucial components. If something doesn't turn out quite right, don't worry - use this as a learning opportunity! With every failed dish comes more knowledge about what works and what doesn’t. So get creative and take notes along the way; cooking is an ongoing process of exploration. Benefits Of Having A Good Recipe Having a good recipe can bring many benefits to your home kitchen. Not only does it help with organization and time management, but it also encourages you to try new things in the kitchen that you might not have otherwise considered. By sharing recipes with friends and family, you open up an entirely new world of flavors and experiences for each person. Cooking is more than just following instructions - it's about experimenting and having fun while doing it! Having a reliable recipe makes this process much easier so you can focus on enjoying yourself rather than worrying about measuring ingredients correctly or cooking times. Additionally, knowing exactly what ingredients are necessary beforehand helps keep your kitchen organized as well as make sure nothing gets wasted. Whether its trying something new or keeping your kitchen tidy, having a good recipe goes a long way towards making every meal enjoyable. It opens up opportunities for bonding over food and creating lasting memories around the dinner table without stress or worry. With the right recipes, there’s no limit to how creative you can be when setting out to make delicious dishes in the comfort of your own home. Getting Creative In The Kitchen Cooking can be so much fun, and it's a great way to get creative in the kitchen. Trying out new ingredients is one of my favorite things to do; it helps me create dishes that are unique and delicious. I like experimenting with different flavors and spices, while creating variations on classic recipes. This way, I'm able to make something truly special that combines familiar tastes with surprising new ones. Rather than sticking to the same meals all the time, it's nice to mix it up every now and then - you never know what kind of culinary masterpiece will come out of your kitchen! Frequently Asked Questions How Do I Find Recipes That Fit My Dietary Restrictions? Meal planning and dietary tracking can be tricky if you're trying to stick to specific restrictions. There are plenty of recipes out there that fit your needs, but finding them can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are some great online sources designed to make this process easier by helping you find delicious dishes tailored specifically to your dietary requirements. With these resources at your fingertips, it's never been simpler to plan meals that work for you! How Do I Store A Recipe So I Can Access It Easily? Storing recipes so you can access them easily is a great way to make meal planning easier! You can share your favorite recipes with friends and family, or keep them all to yourself. There are plenty of online tools that allow you to store your recipes securely in one place - some even offer meal-planning features. So now when you find a delicious recipe that fits your dietary restrictions, you'll have an easy way to save it for later! What Are The Best Tools To Use To Create A Recipe? There are some great tools to use when creating recipes! Meal planning and recipe sharing have never been easier with the help of technology. Apps like Paprika, Pepperplate, or Plan To Eat make it easy for you to store your favorite recipes in one place so that they're always accessible. You can also check out websites like Allrecipes or Food Network where you'll find countless ideas from chefs around the world. With these amazing resources at your disposal, you’ll be able to create delicious meals quickly and easily! How Do I Know If A Recipe Is Accurate? When it comes to ensuring accuracy with recipes, measuring ingredients correctly is key - and this means using the right kitchen tools. Kitchen safety should always be a priority when following a recipe; for example, make sure you're wearing oven mitts if something needs to go in the oven and use sharp knives safely. Additionally, double-check measurements throughout the process and follow directions closely. If all of these steps are taken, your finished product will likely turn out as expected! What Methods Can I Use To Make A Recipe More Interesting? If you're looking to make a recipe more interesting, there are plenty of ways to do so! Spicy variations can be a great way to add some heat and flavor; think adding jalapenos or chili flakes. You could also try different cooking techniques such as grilling, roasting, or stir frying. Additionally, seasonings like herbs and spices can elevate the taste of any dish without overwhelming it. Try experimenting with different combinations for an unforgettable culinary experience! Conclusion Finding the right recipe for you can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. With some research and creativity, I'm confident that anyone can find recipes they love that fit their dietary restrictions. There are plenty of resources available online and tools to help create delicious meals tailored to your needs. Once I do find the perfect recipe, storing it in an easily accessible location will make sure I never lose track of my favorite dishes. It may take some time, but crafting recipes that work with my lifestyle is worth the effort! If you're looking for more delicious recipes to try, be sure to check out The Disney Chef's recipe categories! Whether you're in the mood for something sweet like a cake recipe, something savory like a chicken or pork recipe, or something fresh like a vegetable or seafood recipe, there's something for everyone. And if you're a meat-lover, don't forget to check out the beef recipes category for hearty and satisfying meals. With so many options to choose from, you're sure to find a new favorite recipe to add to your collection. Read the full article

[shepherds-of-haven]

what social media would briony use in a modern AU?

I answered this question for the other characters here like two years ago, but I would like to revise some of my answers... (but some are also staying the same)

Blade would have owned a Facebook account at one time, but he would never use it except to receive invitations from everyone else and whatnot. He would mostly only communicate via texting. Once a year he would dispense one Facebook “like” on the one day he did decide to check it, and it would become a competition between everyone else to receive that one coveted like for the year. But eventually he would delete his account and would have no social media presence at all, lol. 

Trouble would also use primarily Facebook and Twitter, and on Facebook he’d be that guy who 1) likes those pages like “LIKE IF YOU ARE A 90s KID” and 2) accidentally hooks up his game apps to his Facebook account so all of his friends would get spammed with requests for ToonBlast and etc. So his feed would be an absolute mess. On Twitter he’d just follow a bunch of people and things he’s interested in, but rarely post or retweet anything himself. He’d also use Snapchat and would spam everybody with Bitmoijs that don’t really make any sense in the context of the conversation.

Tallys would have an Instagram–primarily the visual/aesthetic platform to share photos on–and she’d rack up like thousands of followers because uhhh you get to know a lot of people when you live that long… When she’d be feeling up to it, she’d share some inspirational caption with a picture of herself doing yoga or something! 

Shery would only have a Tumblr and a Pinterest lol. She’d use social media mostly just for her hobbies/crafting/nerdery… She’d probably have a small Etsy store, too! If you really went digging you might find an old abandoned WordPress associated with her that had a few blog/journal entries before fizzling out... 

Riel would have a LinkedIn and a Twitter. This is a Brooklyn 99 reference but his Twitter handle would be his name in binary (@01010010_01101001_01100101 01101100_00001101_00001010) and he’d sign all of his thoughts with - Regards, Riel Syndran. Example:

Riel Syndran @01010010_01101001_01100101 01101100_00001101_00001010:

Children are just small humans that have not yet learned to articulate their thoughts.

Regards, Riel Syndran

Chase would be a social media whore and would have all the basics: Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Tumblr, and Reddit. He’d mostly post gratuitous photos on Instagram and rack up them likes while lurking on the other platforms (though he’d be a competent retweeter), but he’d also have the gamut of dating apps–Tinder, etc. The group would meet at a bar to celebrate something and he’d casually swiping while engaged in an animated talk with somebody. You’d never know unless you looked at his screen!

Halek would only have an Instagram (he deleted his Facebook a long time ago) and he would just post aesthetic pictures of food. He’d also have a secret Youtube account of him making recipes, but no one would ever know it was him because the camera would only show his hands and the food, not his face!

Red would have all of the social platforms but would only primarily communicate and post to friends using Snapchat. This would make people think he’s up to no good, but it’s just because no one answers his texts (he’s an over-texter) and this way his random thoughts and pictures would disappear after a while…He’d also be an avid Redditor and would always want to talk about some famous post he saw on Reddit, but no one would know what he meant... 

Ayla would be on Twitter only and she would be getting into Twitter-fights constantly. It’s fun for her! She’d have an Instagram, but it would be empty of anything except a profile pic of her flipping the camera off. 

Briony would have Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tumblr. She’d never use Facebook except to wish people a happy birthday; she’d rarely post on Instagram and would mostly use the “live stories” feature maybe once or twice a month; she wouldn’t like Snapchat very much because she likes having a record of things and hates disappearing photos and conversations; and she’d run an active anonymous Tumblr that would be dedicated to some fandom or project and would gain a lot of popularity, but it wouldn’t be blogging about herself and or anything personal!

Lavinet would be an Instagram “model” and would get to the point where she’d be paid to endorse stuff on Instagram or would parse out her travel pics so it looked like she was traveling all of the time! She’d be taking constant selfies until the group universally decided to ban her from doing it around them lol. She’d have a Twitter and a Youtube channel where she’d vlog and do tutorials, too!

Mimir would only have a MySpace and a Twitter. The MySpace would say nothing and the Twitter would be full of cryptic nonsense–and yet inexplicably she’d have a dedicated following of not-bots religiously retweeting everything she said!

#romance options #social media #Shepherds of Haven #updated #anon

[ayakashiramblings]

Dawn and Twilight’s Social Media Accounts

Kuya

@NevermoreButSnore.

1230 followers.

Yes, I copied Edgar Allan Poe. Yes, I’m not sorry about the rhyme. Or calling him out. 

Not that he really cares.

Insists that he is a headcanon creator on Twitter 

Everyone who follows him knows that he is lying. 

If we really had to classify him as a writer, it would one who posts those way-too-accurate posts about writers complaining about writing. 

Like the notebook hoarding one. Not that anyone here in the fandom is guilty of that, haha... haha... ha.

Ironically is one of the more popular ones out of the whole group. 

His flat responses and laziness are way too prominent to NOT be noticed. 

If you actually tentatively sneak into his DMs though, for writing tips, he will patiently listen and... rather bluntly advise you. 

It’s still advice though and is always the type to check out and reblog any short fanfics.

It just has to be weird, sporadic hours because he is the type to fall asleep with the phone on his face. 

Koga Kitamikado

1230 followers.

@CapitalKayKay

Listen, there is a reason why a lot of successful businesses chose Instagram as their social media so Koga is no exception. 

What makes his account stand out, as you can see from his rather cheeky username, is that he is willing to be an open book. 

So he isn’t constantly shoving down any products he is sponsoring or whatever piece he is endorsing. 

It’s more of genuinely wanting to hang out and explore what the world has to offer. 

Whenever he posts a picture of the gang together, he’s the one tagging all of them, even the ones with hard usernames.

And there’s always a nice comment thanking whoever hosted the fun time or being appreciative of the area and the locals.

It helps that he has a sense of humour so the memes are always just the right amount of teasing but nothing too bad that will deter potential clients.

Because of his down-to-earth nature, he reels everyone in.

Uses the space to invite everyone following him on any celebration/casual outing.

The thing is... he has a lot of followers.

So... good luck.

Aoi

1150 followers.

@DeredArtTooTsun

Look, even he knows he is a Tsundere. It’s a small victory getting him to acknowledge that, let alone use it to brand himself here.

But god, he’s the man I’m most jealous of on Tumblr.

PERFECT BULLET JOURNALS AND SKETCHES.

Got the spreads that literally define ‘aesthetic’, a perfect lineup of art materials even with pencils that have their numbers faded, and somehow, the emotions can pass through the paper and screen.

Even does tutorials on perspectives, positions with cute annotations. Just don’t praise them for being adorable though and focus on improving your skills, dummy.

Ironically though, it’s his mindless vents that get the most number of notes.

It helps that the pics include him, a very cute... I mean... manly boy screaming at very, very hot men.

A bit baffled but whatever it takes to get commissions. 

That’s right, he takes them. At least there is a back-up option should the restaurant ever go out of business. 

Spoiler Alert: Still doesn’t get paid as much. People, have you seen the number of talented artists here? Aoi might be in the rankings but it’s still hard attracting business.

Support your fandom artists, everyone!

Ginnojo

1000 followers. Just nice.

Ginnojoz

Poor grandpa didn’t intend to put that extra ‘z’ letter, it was a typo because scales don’t get along with haptic touch. 

And unfortunately, doesn’t understand how to change it. 

Once, he was huge on Vine before it died. The end of an era that he has to witness again. RIP.

Gin-Gin, it is RIGHT. THERE.

Expect to find his super short self-defence videos and Book Club Readings on YouTube.

Girls actually appreciate his instructions and attempts to provide help even if they are alone. 

He did try to respond to the nice ones and actually succeeds. 

It’s always easier getting to know the language of women when you don’t really see/touch them.

A deep baritone is perfect for some sexy excerpt of a historical novel... 

Until he corrects the setting.

In fact, he sometimes rage-quits and rewrites it. 

Unlike Kuya, him doing those established ideas actually catches on. 

Yura and Gaku

1500 followers.

MelodyandTheBeat. 

... Tik-tokers. Tik-Tok people? 

WTH do you call them?

As you can see, they are the most popular since it’s combined stardom.

Look, their covers and music mixes are beautiful.

They always have their own version that somehow combines traditional Japanese music... with k-pop.

And of course, food porn. 

Just be grateful there isn’t that awful squelching sound you hear when you consume jelly or the breaking of chilli seeds. 

Listen, I usually separate them because it’s never nice to be grouped as having the same activity as your twin. 

But in this case, being both equally beautiful AND talented sells their uploads. 

Even the cringy ones made because Yura is such a Luddite. 

Like just turning his head and being amazed his hair can turn so many colours, being impressed with each tilt until he gets to a black shade. 

Suddenly hurls the phone away. Gee, wonder why? Guess black isn’t the new... black for him?

Gaku sometimes even introduces new filters he created based on Yura’s random requests that strangely get circulated on the site. 

Oji

550 followers all know Oji-Sanz

Unlike Ginnojo, he deliberately adds the ‘z’ letter to sound cool.

You wanna know what’s worse? 

He actually uses Facebook. 

Aoi decides to give up on him. Nobody blames the poor student.

It’s apparently some old form of social media? Never used it, no sirree. 

Always changing his relationship status but at the end of the day, he’s single and ready... 

To post about all the lovely ladies destined to enter his restaurant. 

He thinks it’s great publicity. 

It really isn’t but one good thing about Oji is he includes EVERYONE.

This man respects his customers and always helps advertise their wares, especially if their connections lead to more resources. 

And less grocery shopping on his part.

Does post the recipes he and Aoi created but will never use because the Milk Hall had a certain style to follow.

Officially makes Aoi his son... on Facebook at least. 

Aoi now tolerates the account. 

Barely. 

Toichiro Yuri

WhatheMeSay has 1231 followers! 

In your face @CapitalKayKay and @NevermorebutSnore!!

You know, I’m so glad that there aren’t any users with those names because I’d be so scared of accidentally tagging them.

Also, geddit? Because... What the fox say? 

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding... yeah, I’ll stop.

Pinterest Guy. And actually does spend on his ‘hobby’ to show off to everyone.

It does boost you and your father’s sales so there is nothing to complain about. 

His boards are always alliterated just to sound super catchy and it works so long as he gets the right emoji. 

Kabuki plays better be promoted or else.

Filled with candid pictures of his victims all taken at different angles you didn’t know were possible and in varying degrees of hilariously misunderstood positions.

He even supplies a donation link, heavily leveraged by his followers, since there are incentives tied to it like early access.

A bit suspicious the photos look like cropped out parts from Koga’s posts and some of the text resembles Kuya’s... er... wisdom?

He takes an unholy amount of selfies when he thinks no one is looking and so they are always surprised upon finding them on the Selfie Board. 

There is a locked board that no one can access, even his followers who are his comrades in real life. 

It’s actually just one picture in there. 

It’s you smiling and giggling at a joke of his. Not even you know it’s been taken. Guess he is as soft as his fur, eh? He better come out soon or else.

Kuro

Kuroruohtumbling

Ginnojo is unfortunately just old enough to have grown up with Scooby-Doo to understand the reference.

Snapchat, like a snapping snake! Hiss!

Unironically loves the puppy face.

Ok, but the glimpses of his stunts help show snippets of the circus life. 

He and his whole troupe family will even don costumes best suited for certain filters.

Sometimes ropes in Ginnojo... and by sometimes, I mean enough for everyone to start wondering if the stoic man is part of the act. 

To be fair, he randomly hugs people and ranks them here.

You, of course, were number 1. 

Now, if only he didn’t use the bloody song to announce it but you forgive him.

Maybe even risks revealing his ayakashi form before deleting the message to you.

Loves making international fans and learning various languages through each post, sort of like flashcards but animated and more fun!

And with 1200 followers, he might become a polyglot like Koga.

Shizuki 

Everyone bans him from creating one. 

Because they know the power of his roasts is too great. 

Little do they know he goes undercover. 

Underground.

And under their noses.

That’s right. His rant town on... MySpace. 

Unapologetically uses a good chunk of his salary from serving the House of Yuri just to get nifty themes that help with the whole burning process. 

Look, there’s a reason he and Oji are friends. 

This is why. 

Their taste in women seems fine but we really have got to do something about their affinity towards DEAD PLACES.

To be fair, he made the whole thing drunk but that doesn’t mean he should maintain it SOBER.

He just feels that it is a waste of space if he doesn’t utilize it. 

And it also becomes kind of cathartic. From the intrusive hugs to his master and Sir Gaku irking each other to no end, he needs it. 

Zero followers... but only because it’s super private. 

It becomes 1 the moment you jokingly create an account. 

#ayakashi romance reborn #ayakashi rr #ayakashi aoi #Ayakashi: Romance Reborn #AyakashiRR #ayakashi ginnojo #ayakashi kuro #arr kuro #kuya #gaku #ayakashi kuya #kuro #arr kuya #kuya the tengu #ayakashi koga #koga kitamikado #arr koga #toichiro yuri #arr toichiro #ayakashi toichiro #toichiro the kitsune #arr shizuki #shizuki #ayakashi shizuki #arr aoi #aoi #ginnojo #ayakashi oji #arr ginnojo #Oji

[enchantedamusedslightlyconfused]

73 questions.

I was tagged by @wescoasts @machine-gun-casie (BABES)

Almost all my friends have been tagged and I don't wanna be that asshole so ill try not to be. I tag @awkwardrocker @backoftheroomandnotbelonging @trixiehoe @she-who-is-timey-wimey

On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about life right now?

Well it’s finals week so about -864. After that I have two weeks of legitimate nothing where I will bake my heart out so we’ll see

Describe yourself in a hashtag?

#yikes #ughshesinherfeelsagain 

If you could do a love scene with anyone, who would it be?

Milo Ventimiglia, Kells, Rook.....being a music video love interest is only my life’s pipe dream 

If your life was a musical, what would the marquee say?

And that’s on daddy issues and no supervision...

What’s one thing people don’t know about you?

I used to model like went to modeling school and got paid for it type shit

What’s your wakeup ritual?

get woken up by my dog tired of hearing my alarm, walk said opinionated quadruped, feed quadruped, get dressed, COFFEE, then take life as it comes

What’s your go to bed ritual?

melatonin gummies (gotta make anxiety fun), skincare when executive dysfunction will allow, brush teeth, fight dog for my spot in bed (moving a 90lb animal is no joke), turn on my sleep playlist or use my ambient noise app, stare at ceiling

What’s your favorite time of day?

witching hour followed by golden hour

Your go to for having a good laugh?

lately tiktok and Kellyvisions, previously vine compilations or Netflix specials

Dream country to visit?

Ireland. I NEED to go to the motherland. My families castle is still standing and I get in for free. its on my bucket list FOR SURE. 

What’s the biggest surprise you’ve had?

getting into nursing school and chiropractic school. I’m a loser and I’ve never had a surprise party. I’d melt in puddle of love tbh

Heels or flats/sneakers?

Flats 98% of the time. Heels are reserved for business casual necessity, Halloween, or if I’m feeling myself 

Vintage or new?

both, depends on the item

Who do you want to write your obituary?

Amy-Sherman Palladino 

Style icon?

lmao a what? on the real though catch me fucking with those eco-friendly kitchen witch vibes. All the dainty jewelry, linens and converse/docks fam

What are three things you can’t live without?

my dog, my family (found and blood), healing people however I can (medicine ruined me for any other career and its sucks you guys)

What’s one ingredient you put in everything?

tbh salt, I question a recipes validity if salt isn't involved 

What 3 people living or dead would you like to make dinner for?

Kells and the band (I'd be too nervous for a one on one), a dinner party with my MGK fam, Elvis

What’s your biggest fear in life?

Failure, not accomplishing anything 

Window or aisle seat?

window all day everyday, on the wing preferably cause I like to feel the landing gear #pilotsgranddaughter 

What’s your current TV obsession?

Roadies forever, pry that series from my cold dead hands (also Gilmore Girls and Criminal Minds)

Favorite app?

tie between Tumblr and Pinterest (im an aesthetic slut)

Secret talent?

I am bomb at disney princess songs, the girls I babysit for treat me like a jukebox at bedtime, cutest thing ever

Most adventurous thing you’ve done in your life?

delivered a baby has hands down been the coolest thing I’ve ever done

How would you define yourself in three words?

I fucking hate this question. always have. empathetic, resilient, intuitive 

Favourite piece of clothing you own?

overall: my senior prom dress. its emerald green, backless, with a slit to upper thigh chefs kiss 

everyday wear: Colorado sweatshirt

Must have clothing item everyone should have?

I second Jude: over sized hoodies

Superpower you would want?

nonspecific healing powers so they aren't limited to physical ailments

What’s inspiring you in life right now?

Colson

Best piece of advice you’ve received?

HA. probably that the body remembers more about trauma than the mind and your seemingly irrational physical reactions to things are your brain’s attempt to protect you

Best advice you’d give your teenage self?

his mistake does not define your worth. I went for a variant of these boys aint shit don't judge me cause she needs to hear it

A book that everyone should read?

Harry Potter series (yes the whole thing), Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Giver by Lois Lowry 

What would you like to be remembered for?

empathy, the way I made people feel

How do you define beauty?

FOR THE LAST TIME ITS SUBJECTIVE, things that give you peace, it could be a song, a person, a sunset, a scone, a leaf. If it makes you stop a second and exhale then its beautiful to you

What do you love most about your body?

holy trigger question Batman...my eyes, my hair color, texture, and its ability to grow

Best way to take a rest/decompress?

drive with the windows down and blast music while singing at the top of my lungs

Favorite place to view art?

unexpected places, like street corners, carnivals, just somewhere it takes you off guard and makes you stop and pay attention

If your life were a song, what would the title be?

it’d be one of those crazy long 2000s fall out boy titles for sure, subject matter yet to be determined 

If you could master one instrument, what would it be?

violin hands down, it hits me different

If you had a tattoo, where would it be?

I have a bunch planned, plane on my right shoulder, Kells related between 3rd and 4th ribs (maybe lower in case I ever need a chest tube), watercolor portrait of my dog at some point location TBD

Dolphins or koalas?

dolphins are stoners and they're super smart, but koalas cause they’re grumpy af and honestly same

What’s your spirit animal?

again Jude and I are vibin: I've been identifying with a phoenix as of late. according to pottermore im a greyhound though (yes a patrons is a wizarding spirit animal. fight me)

Best gift you’ve ever received?

seven year old me was stoked to get a functional microscope and metal detector, I was in my egyptology/archeology phase, I still have them lmao

Best gift you’ve ever given?

oh hell idk...I made my cousin cry once cause I made cupcakes for her birthday party, they were cherry limeade flavored and had little straws and everything. that was pretty cool, granted she was seven. I also made my teacher cry cause I made sea salt caramel chocolate cupcakes for her going away party. I guess my baking brings people to tears

What’s your favourite board game?

candy land, battleship, cards against humanity even though there isn't a board

What’s your favourite colour?

forest green atm

Least favourite colour?

bright yellow/orange, its offensive to my general The Dirt Mick Mars disposition

Diamonds or pearls?

pearls (actually opals though)

Drugstore makeup or designer?

not picky provided they are evironmentally friendly. I really like Besame Cosmetics though

Blow-dry or air-dry?

air-dry, I don't have the patience for blow drying

Pilates or yoga?

yoga

Coffee or tea?

COFFEE, im still learning to like tea

What’s the weirdest word in the English language?

holy shit how much time do we have, my favorite weird word to say is fistula or omphalocele (they're medical conditions, don't goole it unless you have a strong stomach) 

Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?

dark chocolate

Stairs or elevator?

stairs 

Summer or winter?

neither FALL BITCHES   winter if I had to pick cause I love Christmas 

You are stuck on an island, you can pick one food to eat forever without getting tired of it, what would you eat?

burgers

A desert you don’t like?

red velvet cake....just why is it a thing that exists 

A skill you’re working on mastering?

baking scones or shit that’s flaky in general 

Best thing to happen to you today?

being tagged to do this twice, I felt special for a hot second (thanks babes)

Best compliment you’ve ever received?

that I would make a good doctor (I handled a scary pt situation like a champ, they didn't know I threw up after I made sure my pt didn't die. puking in a foreign country on the download is a skill in and of itself)

Favorite smell?

bergamot, baking bread, baking spice cakes at Christmas

Hugs or kisses?

HUGS CAN SAVE THE WORLD

If you made a documentary, what would it be about?

gifted kid fall off

Last piece of content you consumed that made you cry?

In These Walls - Machine Gun Kelly

Casual Sabotage - Yungblud

genius assholes...

Lipstick or lip gloss?

lipstick for special occasions but actually tinted chapstick or lip stains 

Sweet or savoury?

savory to eat sweet to make for someone else

Girl crush?

Brittney Furlan Lee, Alexis Bledel, Lauren Graham 

How you know you’re in love?

you look at them and just say yep. them. usually while they're doing something stupid 

Song you can listen to on repeat?

imma out myself but Swing Life Away - Machine Gun Kelly

If you could switch lives with someone for a day who would it be?

the grass is not greener ya’ll. id rather go back and relive days 

What are you most excited about at this time in your life?

hopefully passing my first trimester of chiropractic school. fingers crossed pls

#quarantine games #don't come for me people #if you identify with this stuff hit me up #I can always use more quarantine buddies #love and good vibes to you all

[whereisyourtruenorth-blog]

True North Winter Tips

I’ve casually looked around the internet (namely pinterest and youtube) for winter wardrobe tips and have genuinely laughed and been disappointed at the content that was brought up. Not that these people uploading these things didn’t post quality things, they just live in an area where their idea of Winter isn’t....well....is it REALLY Winter? Peep toed any sort of shoe? Thin knee length skirts with sheer tights? It just wasn’t practical and where I live I’m surrounded by northern, older generation practicality. I have a deep appreciation for the logical, simple, practical views on things here so I thought I’d share some. Some of them you may already do...they aren’t all about clothes because in real Northern weather it’s just not something you entirely think about.

1.) Dress appropriately. There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. When it’s -40 and the sides of your driveway are like The Wall in Game of Thrones (bust out your inner Ygritte) you must learn the appropriate way to layer your clothing. Learn about/wear base layers that trap in your body heat and wick moisture. Dampness can make the cold feel many times worse if you are wearing anything that soaks up moisture without expelling it. If you can, invest in a pair of good winter boots. and socks. Tuck your pant bottoms into your socks before putting your boots on so no air or moisture can get to the skin of your ankles. Mittens are a better option because they keep your fingers together to provide heat. I have found that locally made mittens that are a blend of wool/cashmere to be the best at half the cost of store bought mittens. Remember to protect your ears and head as well! If you’re going to be outside for more than 20 minutes a snood is perfect to tuck the bottom half of your face into to breathe into it to create moisture. If you’re prone to wind burn I suggest swiping a small amount of Vaseline or something similar onto those areas (usually cheeks) and on your lips for protection.

2.) Update your tires! Not all of us have trucks but 4 wheel drive is a great help. It can be expensive to be ready for Winter but if you live here long-term and have the means to slowly do things, tires are important. It’s a terrible idea to drive on bald tires in general but especially on snowy roads. If you have a smaller, compact vehicle it’s a great idea to add weight in your car to reduce sliding on slippery days on the road. Cat litter or 50lb bags of salt can help add a little traction.

3.) Have emergency items in your vehicle at the height of winter. An extra blanket or two, extra mittens, a small emergency kit, matches or a lighter, “Heet” for your gas tank, keep your gas tank ABOVE half consistently in case you get stuck somewhere. A lot of people keep a large empty tin can and candle in their vehicle in case they get stranded and for some reason you don’t have heat in your car. You can light the candle inside of the can and the can will act as a heat source. Do not keep items that can explode in the extreme cold. It’s not fun.

4.) Stay active! If you dress appropriately, go for walks! Around the block or more if you can. I swear it will reduce your seasonal moods. If you already enjoy partaking in winter sports that’s even better. If you’re living in a Northern state long-term you may as well bite the bullet and embrace it. Staying indoors constantly is what will deplete your happiness and Vitamin D levels. The sun is still out there! It’s even better if your family or friends are interested in doing something active with you. It can be as light or as strenuous as you want so long as you get outside for even 10 minutes.

5.) Eat seasonally. At least where I’m at it’s extremely easy and accessible to get local produce. Most people here have a garden but if not nearly half of the driveways have carts of produce at the entrance. We are also surrounded by Amish who do the same and have some of the best stuff there is. People here are decently sustainable and share produce or grow their own. I know that is not the same for everyone but find out what is local to you and utilize those resources. You will be supporting someone else local instead of a large corporation and getting great produce for a lower cost. Here I can get all root vegetables and squashes for the winter (or we can summer abundance), honey, maple syrup, oats, apples, pears, peaches, etc) Most of our homes have an area usually in the basement or pantry for root vegetables to store throughout the winter.I believe eating seasonally can give you nutrition that’s a little lost during the hardest months of the winter. The food is heartier and more dense than water summer foods for a reason. Incorporate these and some broth into your diet to help you re-load your energy.

6.) Site “How to Hygge” by Signe Johansen for a real play by play on the art of hygge. I bought this book about four years ago and I still go back to it every year. Coziness truly helps when it starts getting dark around 4pm. Light candles (evergreen scents are by far my favorite) and lots of them! Get small fairy lights. If you don’t have a real fireplace invest in a small electric one that will heat a room and create that ambience. Isn’t seeing people chop wood satisfying? I think it’s because it harkens back to when people did it purely out of survival. The scent of wood burning stoves are on my top favorite scents out there. I know it’s hard but try waking earlier in the day to get the most of the daylight that you can. People wake much later than in past generations and miss a decent chunk of their day. In the winter it’s important that your body gets the most daylight it can. Wake early, make your bed, go outside for a minimum of 10 minutes. It’s the easiest recipe for a little happiness.

7.) Crack your windows for 1/2 hour every week to bring in fresh air and the old can be drawn out. Sometimes our allergies worsen because our home is shut up with all of the dust and allergens. Crisp, fresh air for a small time every week can help clear it out.

8.) Speaking of windows...find which windows in your house let the most air seep through and get a plastic window kit to cover them. It can help for comfort ability and your heat bill. Obviously I suggest keeping one uncovered (whichever one doesn’t let air through) to be able to crack it once a week.

9.) Get a bird feeder or if you have one try to keep it stocked consistently! Sometimes seeing birds, especially cardinals and blue jays can improve your mood in the winter. When you unexpectedly catch a pop of red against the blanket of white is a real treat in February. Birds have more food options during the warm months but is harder to come by in the cold. I try to mix my bird seed with dried mealworms or make my own suet with lard and peanut butter because fats and heartier things like mealworms can really aid their lack of abundance in the cold. Plus I get excited when they seem to like my suet!

10.) Do not constantly engage in whining collectively about the weather. Spin the narrative. Whining about it helps no one and there’s a reason why Scandinavians are said to be rated some of the happiest people! They flow with nature including in the winter. You can be active as well as be a hermit. Get up, get dressed, go outside a little before or after work, come home and light your candles. Make a hot toddy with Tom and Jerry mix (nods at Wisconsinites) and get COZY. People are sometimes depressed, anxious and paranoid because there is a difference between earning coziness and just sheer laziness. Sometimes you get down on yourself because you wish you would be doing just the basic every day tasks but don’t. Even just trying to be positive about winter and saying something positive will help you and make others potentially have a different thought.

11.) Share with your neighbors! Winter is the seasons of the holidays and having people with you is a joy. Find a hobby that is something other than sitting on the couch all day on the computer, phone or TV watching. Your favorite TV show is not a personality trait. One of my favorite hobbies is baking. It gets my mind on the right track and I’m not spending hours scrolling through someone else's life. I’ve noticed that in Wisconsin we love fruit based desserts and pastries. It’s probably because at the end of fall we have a surplus of berries, tree fruits and rhubarb from the trees in our yard or garden or we foraged it ourselves in the woods. Apple or rhubarb crisp anyone? Make a crisp or whatever you want and give some to your neighbor or someone you know who may not have a lot of support or are going through a tough time. Instead of spending hours scrolling it can be such an easy way to bless someone else and you feel happy in turn.

12.) Do not over lotion your skin on cheap lotion! I really suggest oils or thick butters like pure shea butter in the winter months. Try not to constantly wash your hands in hot water as tempting as it is for hot water can dry your skin quicker. Bar soap (especially locally homemade) naturally has a higher fat content and can help keep your skin moist rather than liquid soap that has the tendency to strip moisture. Wilder Supply out of Alaska is a great company if you can’t find local.

13.) Buy YAKTRAX. These are seriously awesome for someone who enjoys being outdoors in the winter or if you have an outdoor job orrrrr if you’re just paranoid falling on ice ;) They are really affordable and offer a few different varieties depending on your activity and intent for them.

I could name so many more but for now that’s the top ones the came to mind to jot down!

#wisconsin #northern #midwest #winter #wilding #gameofthrones #snow #baking #winterstyle #cold #winterinspiration #winterinspo #christmas #newyears

[asking-jude]

im an only child and my parents treated me like a princess growing up, literally did everything for me, and now im 20 and realizing im NOT ready for the real world, i cant do anything for myself

Hello.  Thank you for reaching out to Asking Jude!  First of all, even though you are 20 and do not feel prepared for life in the adult world, the fact that you are self-aware enough to ask for help and admit a problem is more mature than many older adults are.  I can relate to this problem as I was unexpectedly living on my own at 18 years old.  It is absolutely terrifying to figure everything out at first.  I confided in close friends, I got a job, and I made a budget.  I found a living situation I could afford.  I had to learn to cook and clean and do laundry for the very first time.  My roommate at the time taught me how to load the laundry and put in the right amount of laundry detergent!  Google can be a great friend for learning anything new.  You can also look up video tutorials on YouTube on how to do something you are struggling with. 

All the things I have covered so far are the physical needs.  Emotionally, you need to believe in yourself.  You are young and have limitless potential.  You have your whole life ahead of you.  If you are in school, get a planner and write out your due dates for your assignments and give yourself plenty of time to finish everything on time.  Ask your friends and family for support.  It sounds like your family loves you very much, and that is something not everyone has, the support of family.  Use that as your foundation for a beautiful future.  I would suggest considering going to a therapist to talk to them about your fears and inhibitions, they will also be able to help you create some coping skills so you feel more well adjusted to your new situation.  

I know it is hard.  I have been there.  Every adult has.  At some point, we all leave the nest and realize that none of us really have a clue what we are doing.  I know this point feels never ending, but soon enough you will feel up to the challenges and ready to help someone else struggling with the same issues.  I found some articles I think will be helpful.  Here is an article on some tips for things to do when living on your own for the first time: https://www.sapling.com/4477689/live-own.  This is an article for learning how to cook: https://tasty.co/article/emofly/foods-everyone-should-learn-to-cook.  Also, with cooking, Pinterest really helped me learn how to make my favorite recipes, just go for it!  You will make mistakes, but they will be funny stories later and you will learn in the process.  I wish you the best of luck!

Also, be sure to check out Asking Jude’s Youtube channel for helpful videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/AskingJude

With love,

Sierra Hicks

Asking Jude needs YOUR help! Donate pocket change here and save our safe space.

#ask #advice #mental health

[leandxrs]

❝ a boy too enthralled by beauty to care whether or not it could hurt him. ❞

ROME FLYNN? No, that’s actually LEANDER FINNIGAN THOMAS. A SEVENTH YEAR student, this RAVENCLAW student is sided with MCGONAGALL’S ARMY. HE identifies as A CIS MAN and is a HALF-BLOOD who is known to be RETICENT, SELF-DOUBTING, and STUBBORN but also TRUSTING, SYMPATHETIC, and EARNEST. { ZOE, 20, CST, SHE/HER }     ------      pinterest. playlist.  

to put things in perspective i started this lit twenty four hours ago and still only had this one line that happens to be a disclaimer hammered out so just. be prepared. for some reason trying to make this intro as streamlined and formatted as cecily’s just didn’t work and you know why?? because that just isn’t who leander Is.

let’s get into it.

dean and seamus tried their best when it came to parenting and, realistically, cannot and should not be held accountable for the way leander turned out. he’d be the first to attribute his finer qualities to them  ---  but the boy is as big a dumbass as there ever was and when he was a kid they’d turn to see him holding a conversation with a tree in their backyard and wonder what the fuck was going on with him.

leander had conversations with trees as a kid because he really liked nature, but, given that he was a child, did not have the words to really articulate this reasoning. and so his habits remained a mystery and everyone just shrugged and let him do what made him happy. so long as he didn’t fall out of them too often, or break any limbs when he did, things were fine; his dads kept watch over him but in the end accepted that their son was his own person, as quiet and sometimes strange a person as that was.

even now leander is never quite sure what to do with his words. his mind is an easy enough place for him to navigate, and he loves getting the chance to be there to listen for others, but whenever he tries talking himself wires get crossed and nothing comes out how he wants it to.

leander’s just always been more quiet than he’d like to be, because he does have a lot to say. but whenever he tried to articulate that point to other people, it tended not to go as well as it did in his head  ---  only proving his point, of course. the usual response was something like, ‘ if you want to be less quiet, just say more, leander. ’ but it wasn’t that easy. he had a lot to say but had trouble finding the words for all those things. he could usually carry polite conversation just fine; but anything more than that required his total focus, and still was rarely quite right.

he’s long since accepted that he’s just better at things that don’t require speaking  ---  he’s never been more at home than when he’s in the air on his broom, or holding a paintbrush in his hand, or standing in the kitchen whipping up something that’ll make other people happy.

honestly if he were good at using his words to articulate his thoughts in a way that made sense to both himself and the people he’s throwing them at, leander would probably have turned out to be the kid who turns every conversation into an excuse to tell everyone about how sad he is about the current state of the environment. as it is he loves reusable cups and thrift shopping and doing what he can as an individual and not a corporation to help out his buddy, the Earth.

leander, aged eleven, to the house elves: is the food we’re served here sustainably sourced? is hogwarts being responsible about its impact on the food waste crisis? the house elves: what the fuck

but then again he wouldn’t want to make the house elves feel bad about not being able to get sustainably sourced food and would instead want to just hang out in the kitchens with them and bake. the boy loves baking! like he really just loves being in kitchens in general and can make a mean loaf of savory bread and has a killer mac and cheese recipe but like, baking is where his Passion is at. he can pour his heart and soul into a pie or tray full of cinnamon rolls. he would cry if someone told him his brownies were too dry. he feels like world peace could probably be achieved through a chocolate chip cookie summit. he really loves raspberry tarts and would probably eat his homemade raspberry jam on its own with a spoon.

he is just? a sweet, clueless boy? whose parents should not have sent out into the world because my god was he not prepared? leander trusts people to be better than they are and is bad at saying what he means, which is at times an awful combination for him. if someone ever tries to convince him that, no, really, evil mcbadfamily is not a good person, his stubborness really comes out  ---  he doesn’t want to believe that people are have to be truly black or white. he can see the good in everyone, often to his own detriment.

leander knows what’s it like to feel like you stand on the fringes of everybody else’s lives, at least at school; he knows his family cares for him. but he tries his hardest to be accommodating and friendly and understanding to everyone he comes into contact with, as much as he’s capable of doing so. people are great, even if he’s not always the best at communicating that point to them. he doesn’t want anyone feeling like he’s someone they have to be wary around. he’s very steadfast in his beliefs and knows he won’t change them, but all the same  ---  that shouldn’t be a reason for someone to look at him, and think they can’t talk to him, can’t share a friendly smile.

he’s more reserved than most because he’s so often worried he’ll say the wrong thing, but he’s honest and friendly, and he tries. he makes pains to go that extra mile. he’ll trip over his feet on the way, but he tries.

late in his fifth year, and over the summer after it, he taught himself how to use his art to give magical tattoos and muggle tattoos both and? really likes giving them to people at school. probably really against the rules but he loves feeling like he can use his art as a way to connect to other people, in a way that doesn’t allow his clumsy tongue to get in the way.

his love of art as a general thing is one of the positive traits he attributes to his fathers  ---  dean in particular. there was always a level of creativity in the house growing up and leander took to it like a fish to water, never really letting up on his fascination with color and the physicality of paint clinging to his skin and the canvas and connecting his mind to something tangible. he’s sure his dad wouldn’t really approve of how that gift grew into tattooing his sister and his peers and himself, but things happen to leander more than he chooses for them to happen.

that said ...................... things DO happen to him more than he chooses for them to happen, but less because his personality is genuinely go with the flow and more because he’s never learned how to say, ‘hey, uh, how do I get off this crazy train?’ he falls into a lot of wild situations and as a result is far better at thinking on his feet than anyone would guess from looking at him. does he make good choices whilst thinking on his feet? rarely. but he makes them! he does not stand idle! and he does not back down once he’s set his mind on doing the dumb thing!

again: dean and seamus tried their best and it is not their fault their son turned out this way. but on the bright side he loves them and is alive and makes really good desserts during the holidays so its, like, fine.

he’s fine!

#( ⁎∴◦ ⊱ ━━ but lord knows you’re trying┊intro. ) #repost!! #iidyintro