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renlimotroll · 3 years

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Death by a Thousand Cuts

Pairing: Mintosu × Siruko (side), one-sided Limone-sensei x Siruko (main)

Summary: It's not the butterflies that tell Sensei that he's in love. It was the death by a thousand cuts.

Tags: angst, heavy angst!!!, endgame MinSiru wedding, long fic, unrequited love

Warning: BL, Cursing, Imagination, but I like to keep my characterization 80% canon.

Ren's notes:

Before you read this, I want to say that this is Sensei’s POV, so the MinSiru moments will come across as sad and painful. I love Siruko-san, Mintosu-san and Limone-Sensei equally, and this is only just a story, okay? Please come into the story with an open mind and finish it with no attachments. Also, ready your heart.

I woke up at 3am and started writing this because all my best thoughts come at 3am. I was supposed to write cutesy, romantic Christmas stories, but when inspiration hits, it hits. This story is 100% MinSiru because no matter how pseudo-canon LimoSiru is, it's not what people want (wow, bitter Ren is bitter).

This story might be controversial, so I spent a week debating whether to publish it or not, but after all the hard work and me trying to be poetic, it would be a waste to keep it in my folders.

I'd like to thank Taylor Swift for possessing me with her poetic ghost. I listened to "The Moment I Knew", a song about her bf not coming to her birthday party, and was filled with so much angst because it hit home too much.

Please enjoy and don't blame me for your holiday blues!!

This story didn't have a happy ending.

Because the moment Limone-sensei realized he had fallen in love, he knew he was screwed big time. And it won't end well for him.

But that was okay, because all he wanted was for this person's happiness. This person deserved it more than anyone else in the world, and Limone-sensei will do everything in his power to make sure he gets it.

He being Siruko-san.

He didn’t like them, at first. Limone was a possessive, jealous friend, and when he learned Hana-chan met new gaming friends, his first instinct was to shoot them. But how could anyone not love Siruko-san? He had a beautiful soul, a kindness rare to the human race. Siruko-san was the kind of person who could bring a group of people of different personalities together and make them all get along well. It was really easy to fall for someone like him, and no matter how hard Sensei tried not to, it just happened.

After that, it was death by a thousand cuts.

The first cut came out when they were shooting a video. He always looked forward to the four of them shooting, because that meant he could see Siruko-san. But something about the Bintroll leader was off, had been off for days actually. Sensei knew because Sensei watches all his live streams when he can, and he was observant. It made Sensei’s heart weak, but because they weren't that close and they didn't have the same level of friendship Siruko had with Mintosu-san, Sensei couldn't just LINE him and say, "Hey, is something wrong with you?" But something happens with the Minecraft trap he was making for Hana-chan, and his first thought was, I can use this as an excuse. So he calls Siruko-san and all is saved, and after that they start to communicate more, outside the games they play for Hana-chan's channel.

Sensei's plan to get closer to Siruko-san fails, because the more time he spends chatting with him, the more he gets to know Siruko-san, the more he falls in love. They text almost everyday; they VC on nights they both couldn't sleep, on days something good happens and they both wanted someone to share it with. And then Sensei realizes something that'll break his heart forever.

One day, after Hana-chan wrapped up the first Atsumori video of them, and Sensei and Siruko moved to private messaging on Discord and continue to chat and talk like they always do after each shoot (sometimes about editing and most times about nothing), Sensei thought it was time.

"Siruko-san."

"Hm?" The purple head answered absent-mindedly. Because they're on a video call, like they've done most times now actually, Sensei could see his beautiful purple eyes fixed on something in his monitor. He's reading the comments on the latest Bintroll video, and Sensei always finds it endearing that he's always liking all the comments. Sensei does read his comments too, but he thinks it's too troublesome to like all of it. It's just not his style.

Sensei decided it's now-or-never. "You like Mintosu-san, don't you?"

Siruko stopped scrolling, eyes shifting to the webcam. Sensei kept a straight face, fakes being detached and indifferent to the reply, but it's something he already knew. He's seen it in the way Siruko-san almost always talks about Mintosu-san when they voice call, in the way that he's always so soft and patient for Mintosu-san. Sensei saw Siruko scrambling for an answer in a panic and took that as a confirmation, even as Siruko-san started to deny it.

"W-what's gotten into you Sense--? O-of course not!! I-what made you say that? Mouuu, is this a prank?? Stop joking with me Sense-- hidoi yo!"

Sensei rolled his eyes for effect, but his chest is heavy with something he can't explain. "You're a fucking idiot. Just spit it out, okay? I know it. Don’t make a fool of me."

"I really dont!" Siruko vehemently opposed it. A moment later, he gave up and sighed in defeat, because Sensei always saw right through him. "I-is it obvious?"

Very, Sensei thought, but instead he went with, "I don't think Mintosu-san knows. That guy is as dense as the air itself."

They fell into silence, and Limone-sensei was very sure right now that Siruko was thinking of the green robot. His heart told him, “No, don't say it, don't do it Limone!!”, but since when has he listened to his heart? So he said to Siruko-san, "You should confess."

"E-EHHHH?!?!"

"Tell him what you feel, Siruko-san."

"I-uhhh… Minben-san is not…. And I c-can't… uuummmmm…."

"Oh for fucks sake! Stop being a fucking coward, okay? If Mintosu-san accepts your feelings, then good. If he rejects you, then you'll learn how to move on. But I won't let you just keep this to yourself." Limone face-palmed himself internally, thinking hard about how he’s such a fucking liar and a hypocrite. The wide, scared puppy eyes Siruko-san is showing melted his heart. It's his weakness. But Sensei never gave in to any of his weaknesses. "I've watched all your videos and we've been friends for a long enough time for me to be sure that you love him, Siruko-san."

"But… but what if Minben-san..." Siruko whispered with this lost, desperate voice, and Sensei gritted his teeth to keep himself from falling apart. He had to do the right thing, even if it meant ruining himself.

"You'll never know if you never try. That's why you need to do something about this, instead of carrying it in your heart all the time. At the very least, it'll give you answers." Siruko looked so unsure, and Sensei knew he's thinking that Minben-san will never like him, that he's thinking bad thoughts about himself, and Sensei won't let Siruko belittle himself again. "Stop overthinking this! It's all in your mind. I said it, didn't I? You'll never know if you never try. Don't make me call Mintosu-san myself and tell him your feelings."

"A-ah!! Okay okay!! I'll… think about it?"

"Fine. I guess that's good enough."

Siruko smiled that sweet, precious smile of his, and usually it warmed Sensei's heart, but today it brought a thousand cuts. "Thank you Sensei."

"Whatever. Now hurry up and finish liking those comments so we can go to sleep."

"But you can sleep! I told you you didn't have to stay up for me!"

"And since when have I ever listened to you?"

"All the time." Siruko muttered, but Sensei heard it, so he faked being insulted with a "HA?!?!" and Siruko laughed (and Sensei loved that laugh), "Nothing, nothing!! Of course you'll do what you want, Sensei, you're badass like that."

"Damn right."

And a week later, Siruko texted him "Sensei, I did it!! Minben-san is my boyfriend now aaaaa!! Thanks so much Senseiiii!! (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄"

And Sensei replied "Good for you. Congrats." then went back to bed. Stared at the ceiling for long goddamn hours. He tweeted to his followers that he didn’t feel good so no video today, and turned off his phone.

And it felt like there was a big black hole in his chest. He didn’t get up to eat, he just stared at the ceiling, hating himself for being such a goddamn coward. He finally knew what it felt to be pierced through the chest like those characters in DbD, only his bleeding wasn’t physical, just metaphorical. The pain was real though. So real it cut him open and every breath was hard to get.

The next day, he moved on. Or at least, he pretended he did. One day of moping was enough. He replied "I'm fine" to everyone who texted him even when he's not. He had to be fine.

It's just death by a thousand cuts after all.

The next time it happened, Sensei had just finished playing a horror game and he felt accomplished. He was about to reward himself with a cookie even though he doesn't really like sweets, when the notification sound for a video call rings. He answered it automatically and he's greeted by a crying mess, and his heart dropped in response.

"Siruko-san?"

He didn't get an answer. Limone tried to make him calm down and breathe, and thankfully Siruko-san listened to him. The poor guy hiccuped and sniffed, and Sensei was already plotting Mintosu's death. He'll make it look like an accident too. One can’t play video games in prison after all.

"*sniff*... we had.. a fight, tente-… He got angry coz he said I was smothering him. I swear I didn't mean to nag, Sensei! I was just worried coz you know!..... Minben-san doesn't keep normal sleeping hours… well, I don't too so I don’t have the right.. but I was just worried, Chenche-!!"

Sensei pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Okay, so maybe he won't kill Mintosu, but he deserves a punch. Maybe two. In times like this Limone wished he could run to Tochigi and comfort Siruko in person. He'd been there once for a business-related meeting, and instead of staying in a hotel, Siruko offered their home. It was a nice trip, and he got to meet Siruko's lovely folks and brother. It made him guilty but also fulfilled for some reason, that he was able to stay in Siruko's house and spend time with him. It was something his internet relationship with Mintosu hasn't had yet at that time.

Forcing himself back to the present, Limone took off his glasses and wiped it with his shirt. Ever since he urged Siruko-san to confess, he became somewhat a confidante to their relationship. Siruko would sometimes share the good stuff but also vent out his frustrations. The positive point of this is that Sensei got to talk to Siruko-san, but it low-key stings as well.

"Siruko-san. You know what you were getting into when you started this relationship. Heck, you know Mintosu-san so well, so you should have known that he loves his freedom. I'm not saying you're wrong for worrying, but Mintosu-san is… well, Mintosu-san after all. I'm sure he can take care of himself."

"I know that." Siruko sulked and pouted and sniffed again. He really should blow his nose. Sensei resisted the urge to wipe his tears from the monitor by clenching his hand under the table.

"Sometimes… sometimes I feel that he's not my boyfriend."

Sensei couldn't help it, but this ugly, dangerous thing called hope arises from the pits of his locked-up emotions that he squishes down every single time. He's only human after all. Limone forced himself to remember who it was that made Siruko-san laugh, who it was that Siruko-san always worried about, who it was that Siruko-san loved, and gods Sensei wished it was him, but it's not.

In his wallowing he didn't realize Siruko-san was still talking, "...and he doesn't even text me good night, and I'm not asking for so much romantic stuff, but would it kill him to at least say he loves me too?"

Siruko stopped, waiting for a reply that Sensei forced through the shards of glasses in his throat. He killed the thought that sprung in his mind, "I'll tell you I love you everyday if you were mine.", and instead he settled for, "No, it wouldn't kill him."

Sensei continued because he doesn’t hate Mintosu-san. The guy's a good guy, and he can see why Siruko fell for him. Even his annoying sides are endearing. Sensei wanted to defend his side that Siruko-san might have missed.

"But Siruko-san, you knew he wasn't the romantic, hearts-and-roses type of guy, and you fell for him anyway. Don't you think it's a bit unfair of you to expect him to suddenly be a sweet-honey-words kind of guy? If you really wanted things like that, talk to him about it. Guide him through it, coz for all that idiot's bountiful of APEX skills, he sucks when it comes to emotions. Talk to him properly, and maybe back off with the nagging a little bit."

Siruko considered his words and looked thoughtful, and Sensei swallowed the bile coming up his throat, half-wishing they’d break up even though he just helped fix the misunderstanding. Finally, after long minutes of silence, Siruko showed a hint of that really cute, embarrassed smile. "Thanks Sensei. You're really good with advice."

"Tell me something I don't know."

Siruko chuckled a little and Sensei was content with that, he told himself. Just that slight hint that he was able to make Siruko-san feel better was enough. He doesn't want more, he lied to himself. "I might start to call you love-sensei now www. How come you're so good with relationship advice but you don't have a girlfriend? Want me to set up someone for you?"

"Do it and I'll kill you. You're lucky I don't charge you consultation fees."

"Coz you love me~" Siruko sang playfully.

You have no idea, Sensei thought hard. "I'll fucking kill you, bakagayo! Now if you don't have anything else to say, I'm gonna go to sleep."

"It's just 12 midnight! Since when do you sleep so early?"

I actually won’t. I'll lie down and imagine ways I could treat you better than he can, then hate myself for thinking such evil, selfish thoughts. But Sensei replied instead, "I just played a horror game and I went out today, so I'm a bit tired." Sensei knew Siruko-san would feel guilty he disturbed Sensei, that's how well he knew Siruko-san by now, so he followed up immediately. "Shut up, don't apologize. I'd always make time for you, you know that." The teacher said quietly. "We're friends, aren't we?"

Siruko's pretty lips lifted up in one corner wistfully. "Yeah."

The conflict of Sensei liking that smile versus the painful confirmation that they'll only ever be friends clenched Sensei's heart tight. "Then, good night Siruko-san. Ja na, mata ne.”

"Bye bye. Thank you, Sensei."

Sensei lay awake the whole night, until dawn came and the golden rays of the sun filter through his windows. It's like this every time, and Sensei should have been used to it, but he's not. He let the pain wash over him, thinking he might not be a sadist like what people think, but instead he might actually be masochistic.

But he'll be alright. It was just death by a thousand cuts.

The third time, or he's not sure since it's been so long enough that he's not keeping count anymore, it was Siruko-san's birthday. He had just finished streaming Minecraft, and he put the Bintroll stream on background while he got something to drink. He didn't notice at first, but he knew something was wrong. Siruko-san was good at pretending, sometimes too good, so it's no surprise if the listeners didn't hear it, if even his own friends didn't know. But Sensei knew, heard that off-note, that slightly forced laugh, slightly louder, more exaggerated reaction. From the way Bintroll reacted too, they knew it, or at least have noticed it enough, but the show must go on. It's a livestream, and it's an unwritten rule among streamers that no one should break down during that. He knows that Siruko-san is happy, he really is, but something was missing. Or someone.

"Call me when you're done streaming." He typed on LINE, knowing Siruko-san is checking his phone. Not for his message of course. Never for his.

They finished the stream without reading the superchat donation, partly because Siruko-san was tired laughing and talking from the stream, but Sensei knew the other reason. He waits, but he also knew Siruko-san wouldn't call, because he doesn't like imposing on someone, troubling someone for something he thinks he can endure, even if it breaks his heart. He's too kind to do that, even if that was dumb. How many times has Sensei told him it was okay to rant to him, to call him when he's in trouble, or even when he's just bored? How many times has Siruko-san done it too, but each time Sensei has to reassure him that it was okay, he's not disturbing, that Sensei wants to listen to him. Siruko-san is truly dumb and masochistic, keeping everything to himself until he explodes with it, and there will be ugly messy crying and moping for days and drowning in alcohol and not leaving his bed. Sensei knew him too well. And if it was in Sensei's power to, if not protect him from things that can hurt him, then to pick him up when he's down, Sensei will do it, no questions asked.

Maybe Sensei is dumb and masochistic too, he realizes, as he dialed Siruko-san's number.

After 14 rings, during which Sensei is thinking of a hundred and one ways of killing Mintosu even if he has grown to also be close and endeared to the guy thanks to Siruko-san's efforts of getting the three of them to play together, Siruko finally picked up. He's silent, but Sensei knew he's there, and it just meant he wasn't in the mood to talk. Sensei could pick up the low sounds of sniffing and knew he was crying. Damn it. Sensei could take a million broken bones if it was just him, but just a hint of Siruko-san hurting and his knees lose strength.

"What happened." He demanded, but nothing. Silence answered him. Sensei waits and waits and waits. It always took so much coaxing, because no matter how friendly and sunny and cheerful Siruko-san always appears to be, he's an introvert who has insecurities deeper than the ocean and a long list of anxieties making it hard for him to open up sometimes. But Sensei is a patient man. He's already broken the walls Siruko built, passed through the mazes of Siruko's brilliant mind and fragile heart, and if Siruko-san makes more walls, Sensei won't ever be tired of breaking it down. Because beyond those walls is a precious, child-like heart that only wanted to be loved and accepted and happy, and it was very simple to give those things to him. Sensei knew he could give it.

"Minben-san."

"What."

"He…" Sensei sees it without really seeing it. The opening of the waterworks, tears flowing down. "He promised.. he'd come."

And Sensei understood immediately. Goddamnit, that fucking idiot. He could picture Siruko waiting, checking his phone from time to time, waiting for a Discord notification. Smiling and laughing as people wish him happy birthday, and it makes him happy, it really does, but it's different.

"Sensei.. you're really smart, right? You're love-sensei, right? So can you tell me…" Siruko sobbed, breaking Sensei's heart to a million pieces. "...what do you do.. when the one who means the most to you… is the one who didn't show?"

Sensei held his breath. Horror games he can do. Minecraft he can do. This? He doesnt fucking know how to fix this.

"Sensei… thank you by the way… you… you gave me superchat even in the middle of you streaming…You always do that, and it’s really thoughtful... that was really nice… thank you."

And Siruko dropped the call. Sensei clenched his fist, wanting to punch something. It was 4am, but he moved into motion almost without thought. Bought a train ticket to Tochigi and boarded the first train as soon as the station opened, carrying nothing but his wallet and phone and earpods. It took about two hours, and he stared as the view changed from high-rise skyscrapers to something a little more green, a little more rural. He took a cab to the address he knew so well; he's been here so many times that he's already a familiar face.

"Sensei..?" Hakotaro-san opened the door, surprised, but also relieved. He let him in without so much ado, even though it was too early. Sensei realized it's a Sunday, and it's still breakfast time. It's a weird time to come over a house, but maybe Hakotaro-san has an idea of why he came. He said "ojamashimasu” and took off his shoes.

Papataro and Mamataro were surprised to see him, but they welcomed him with warm smiles, asked him how he'd been, took him to the dining table and forced him to eat breakfast with them. Sensei really likes them--this house, their family--and it makes him miss his own back in Hokkaido. He apologized for coming unannounced and gave them the big cake he bought in haste because it's rude to come to a house without a gift, and they waved him off, telling him it's alright, although Siruko-chan's still in his room, probably still asleep. It's not a surprise to Sensei because he knows Siruko-san doesn't eat breakfast. He chatted with them and felt warm, because they treat him like he's a part of the family too, and Sensei knows where Siruko-san got his kindness from. Siruko and Hakotaro got their looks from their father, but they both got their mother's sweet smile.

He waited in the living room and scratched Baron absently as Hakotaro-san came up to his Niisan's room, and Sensei chuckled when he heard Siruko's loud, panicked shriek. Sensei liked cats more than dogs, but Baron is a good good boy. He's a bit older now so he's calmer and more domestic than most dogs, and Sensei loves his quiet company. Hakotaro-san came again and brought him snacks and a glass of water, and Baron followed his master and jumped on his lap like he's still a puppy even though he's bigger now. They sat in silence, because while they're friendly enough to have exchanged banter or two, Sensei's actually a bit more quieter and serious off the camera, off his online persona. The silence was actually nice, comfortable even, because it gave Sensei time to think and evaluate. Why the hell did he come here so impulsively?

"You would have been better for him, Sensei."

Sensei almost choked on his own spit, actually coughed a bit at that statement, shock covering his face. Hakotaro-san continued to brush Baron's fur as if he just announced the weather and not like he just delivered the finishing blow to Sensei's already pining heart.

"I--uh… what?"

"Don't get me wrong. I love Minben-san too, and I can see how he tries his best to make Niisan happy, and I'm supportive of them. But Minben-san…. He's too independent, too free. Niisan's better off with someone he can spoil but also someone who spoils him. Niisan likes to be needed, but also is needy himself. I know Minben-san is trying, and I know he loves Niisan with all his heart, but if it was you, Sensei, it would have been easier. Less clashing. You're both equals in a sense that Niisan can give and take, that… forgive my Kansai metaphor for the lack of better expression, Niisan can be boke but also tsukkomi. You balance each other in a way."

And the truth is, Sensei did think that too. It's not that Mintosu-san is a bad guy, but he's someone that was already happy and content by playing games, and complicated things like emotions and things like that is not his forte. He's been friends with the guy long enough to know who he actually is even off the camera. Mintosu did not strike him as someone who could be raw and open, which is something you need for a relationship to work. And Mintosu also seemed that kind of guy who would feel confined with the commitments of a relationship.

Mintosu-san is a great guy, a really good person, but he's not a natural lover. He's tough and doesn't mince his words and doesn't do the hearts-and-flowers and the feelings thing, and that's not wrong, but sometimes Sensei thinks he has a better relationship with his fans and listeners than with Siruko-san. He was always more considerate of them, kinder, gentler, and maybe it’s because that kind of human interaction is simpler and easier.

But that doesn't mean Mintosu didn't love Siruko. Heck, it's a testament to how much he loves Siruko-san because he always tries hard to be what he's not. Sensei knew that Mintosu-san tries his best to remember important events, to send gifts and take Siruko out on dates, to be more generous with his I love yous. Mintosu-san is good for Siruko-san; he knows Siruko-san full well and understands every part of him, and they can be a really good team when they try hard enough. They have this shared history that Sensei can't ever replicate. Sensei acknowledged, respected, and supported their relationship with all his being; heck, he's even the one that triggered it into happening.

And Sensei hated himself everyday for this, but he wished he was Mintosu. That if one thing had been different in this universe, he wished he could have been what Siruko's heart wanted. That he was the one who received Siruko's kind, loving smiles, who got to make love to him, who got to give him the happiness he very much deserved. Limone-sensei would have been so good to Siruko-san, would have given him the attention he craved and the reassurances he needed. He would have been strict to him because Siruko tended to forget everything when he's so addicted to a game, would have crashed his stream to scold him to eat, but he also would have given in to Siruko's whinings, because there's very little Sensei can deny Siruko-san. He already does all of these things, but only as a friend, never more than that. He would have given him the universe if Siruko-san asked for it.

But Sensei had no time to indulge this self-pity, because his universe came out of the room, covered head to toe with a soft, velvety brown blanket. His beautiful purple eyes were puffy from crying, and he looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep. Sensei wanted to bundle him up and just envelop him in his arms to protect him from anything that might hurt him, but in this universe, he didn't have the right to do that.

"What are you doing here?" Siruko-san pouted. Sensei wondered if he was disappointed that it wasn't his lover that came to surprise him. His voice was hoarse, either from streaming or crying, Sensei didn't know, but he hated it. Hated that he couldn’t take care of Siruko-san the way he wanted to, because in this universe, Siruko’s heart wants what it wants, and that was Mintosu-san.

"I brought you cake. Happy late birthday."

"I don't like sweet things though." Siruko-san sat between his brother and Sensei and casually placed his head on Sensei's shoulder, because they're close enough friends he could do that. Totally platonic, to Sensei's disappointment, but Sensei let him. That's one thing about Siruko-san, he's clingy and surprisingly craves touch. Sensei draped one arm over him and pats Siruko's shoulder, and he thought about where he finds this easy to do, Mintosu would have been repulsed yet forced to give this level of affection. He felt bad for Mintosu-san, but not that much, because at least Siruko's heart belonged to him.

Sensei rolled his eyes in response. "Yeah, like I didn't know that. It was lemon cake."

Siruko snorted playfully underneath the blanket. "Because it's from you?"

"What else?"

The three of them sat in silence for a while. It should have been weird but it wasn't, at least not to them. Sensei decided to break the silence and finally reveal what he came here for. His exhaustion suddenly washed over him--a few intermittent naps on the train wasn't enough--but he had to do this. He'll never let Siruko-san cry again, not if he can help it.

"Go take a bath and wear some nice clothes, bakatare. We're going somewhere."

Siruko sat up like a puppy who had been called to attention. "Where?"

"To Nara, to Mintosu-san's house."

He saw the hurt and betrayal and refusal in Siruko's eyes, but there was also this hope and desire that made Sensei feel what he's doing is right even though it's not what he wants to do at all. "I-it's okay Sensei," Siruko denied, "I-it's really okay and I… I'm used to this. Minben-san texted me that he forgot and got tired from streaming so he fell asleep, that's all. You don't have to do this and I… I'm fine."

Sensei stared at him hard and Siruko flinched. "There's no reason to go there, and besides, I'm sure he's busy, and--"

"Does there need to be a reason?!" Sensei suddenly raised his voice, and he stilled himself. Sometimes it's so hard to control his emotions, and he's so so angry but he can't be, because there was no black and white here. He can't blame Mintosu for unknowingly hurting Siruko because he had never been that kind of guy anyway, one who prepares romantic stuff to surprise his lover on his special day. It was an honest mistake on his part, and even that was just, so Mintosu. And he also can't blame Siruko-san for this, for expecting something more, because it was his right as a boyfriend, his right to get the simple happiness he wanted. Sensei took a deep breath to calm himself. Here were two people who loved each other but sucked at showing it, and if all they needed was a little push, a little nudge to the right direction, then Sensei was willing to make himself fall apart just so they could both be whole.

"You want to see him, don't you?" Sensei said in a hushed voice. He glanced at Hakotaro-san who didn't interfere and made a reaction, just watching them. "If you want to see him, that's good enough reason, Siruko-san. And when you see each other, you'll fight and be at each other's throat, but also make up and forgive, because you can't let this misunderstanding be unresolved. It'll be a festering wound, and I can only see this incident as something that'll come back and bite you in the future. I know both of you too well because you are my friends. I know you, Siruko-san, that you'll say you're fine now but you'll never forget this, and you'll bring this up against him every time you see the chance, because you were hurt and you'll want him to acknowledge it. And I know Mintosu-san, that he'll get sick of it because he can't tolerate your emotional needs, he'll push you away and turn the blame on you again like he always does, because he has always been a prideful person. And you're both idiots but you're both not wrong for being what you both are. So if I have to drag you to Mintosu-san's house by stuffing all 175cm of you in a suitcase, I swear I will, because you both need to talk."

Siruko freezed, processed everything that Sensei said, and stormed back to his room and shut his door with a loud bang, because for all their silly fighting, Siruko is too similar to Mintosu sometimes, both idiots who likes to bottle their emotions inside of them, and when confronted with it, will run away from it. Hakotaro-san hummed in consideration, making Sensei jump a little because he had honestly forgotten about him.

Sensei cleared his throat. "What?"

"You're right, of course, but I still stand by what I said. Their chemistry is too… explosive, and that can be a good or a bad thing. Their similarities make it stable, but both being water signs, one moment they can be as peaceful as a lake, then the next it's a raging tsunami. Them knowing each other so well works for them, because they have their own level of understanding no one can reach, but that also means they know each other's buttons and what ticks each other off, and they both use it against the other. I don't like that Niisan always has to apologize first and he just goes along with what Minben-san wants so they don't clash, but I also don't like Minben-san being forced to go out of his comfort zone to be this person Niisan needs him to be. Their love can be something so very beautiful, but it can also easily turn into something toxic.

On the other hand, while you and Niisan are very different from each other, it's complementary. What the other lacks, one makes up. People have this misconception that Niisan is outgoing, but he just finds it easier to make friends on the internet. So while you, Sensei, is extroverted, it complements Niisan being introverted. Niisan's patience can keep up with your need to try new things, and your ability to back down works with Niisan's need to be right all the time. You're fire and water and it shouldn't work but it can because you're both emotionally mature and flexible enough to balance each other out."

Sensei didn’t get scared easily, but now he did, because his palms are getting clammy and there might be actual goosebumps at his nape. Was… Hakotaro-san reading his mind? Did Hakotaro-san… know he's been harboring these feelings for his older brother all this time? He knew the younger one had always been observant and intelligent like his Niisan, but to this extent? Sensei resisted the urge to shiver.

"Why… are you telling me this?"

Hakotaro-san shrugged. "No reason. I know Minben-san and Niisan will get through this, especially with you always helping their relationship. I want what's best for my Niisan, but I also want what makes him happy. Give me a moment to talk some sense to him. He'll only go to Nara if you come with him, so, yoroshiku onegaishimasu." Hakotaro-san bowed slightly and Sensei was a second too late to return it, mind reeling from the analysis the blonde just revealed, and by the time he recovered, Hakotaro was already in his brother's room, and he's left alone with Baron and Pii-chan in the living room.

It took everything in Sensei to not get undone in that living room, to kill the rising hope in his heart that maybe, maybe he has a chance. Maybe he should just let this incident go, so that if their relationship sours, Sensei can swoop in and show Siruko-san how to be properly loved and treated. If they break up, Mintosu will be free of this emotion thing that shackles him and do what he loves the most, sometimes more than his own boyfriend, which is gaming, and that would be best for him. And Siruko, sweet, dearest Siruko, won't have to settle with the scraps of affection and attention Mintosu-san gives him, because Sensei can do it. Sensei can come to every one of his birthday stream and be touchy and affectionate and open, and he can love him more than this.

Gods, he wished he was a horrible enough person so he can be capable of ruining a relationship.

An hour passed, and Hakotaro-san told him his Niisan was calm now, so Sensei entered his room. Siruko, who looks like a burrito with that blanket bundling him, glared angrily at him, but without any heat. Sensei settled on his gaming chair.

"You're mean." And the buriko ojiisan actually stuck his tongue out at him, the nerve.

He's mean?! As if Mintosu didn't bully him every time. Tch. "So?"

"Do you even know how far Tochigi and Nara is? It's like 6 hours away by train."

"And if your dramatic ass didn't throw up a tantrum, we would have been in the train by now."

"See?? Meanie!!" Siruko accused, turning his back to Sensei. "I'm not sure I wanna talk to him. I don't even know what to say to him."

And Sensei thought, this is it. He could say that they didn't have to go, and let this misunderstanding pile up with their other issues until it blows in their face. But he glanced at their rare framed picture on Siruko's desk, with their wide smiles, Mintosu's arm draped over Siruko's shoulder while holding a peace sign and Siruko looking at Mintosu with such adoration in his eyes, and Sensei can’t.

"I'm sure you can think of something during that stupid 6 hour ride."

And Siruko looked back at him, gave him this soft, grateful smile and said okay, and Sensei tasted cotton balls in his mouth. If only Siruko knew how awful Sensei's thoughts were, he wouldn't be so trusting of him. Sensei's stomach is filled with gravel, and it makes his body heavy and sick with something medicine can’t cure. A martyr, that’s what he was, or a living thing but dead inside. Loving Siruko-san was the most exquisite form of self-destruction.

And in the train ride to Nara, where Siruko spent most of the time sleeping on Sensei's shoulder, Sensei should be feeling happy with this moment of just the two of them. But he didn’t.

It just felt like death by a thousand cuts.

And later, Mintosu, who did this stupid perfect impression of a fish out of the water with his surprise to see them in his apartment, jaw dropped and eyes wide, let them in. Siruko was silent and kept biting his lips, and Mintosu was genuinely confused, and Sensei would like to punch them both and go home. So Sensei acts like a mediator, almost like a marriage counselor, and at first Mintosu and Siruko refuse to let their emotions out, but Sensei shouts at them that he didn't come all the way from Tokyo for this bullshit, so they let their frustrations out and shout at each other, and Mintosu almost storms out in anger but Sensei doesn't let him, and Siruko cries this angry tears but Sensei forces him to calm down, and they both manipulate each other's emotions and are both stubborn and vindictive, but in the end they come to an agreement to be more understanding and more open with their feelings and with a promise to always talk and communicate, and they make up. Sensei faked forgetting to make an important phone call and stepped outside to give them some privacy, because the last thing he needed was to see them kiss in front of him.

At midnight they went out and ate the best ramen in town and it was really delicious, and they traded jokes and laughed and talked about their favorite things. Sensei slept on the couch while the couple slept in Mintosu's room, and Sensei didn’t really get any sleep, because he's busy trying not to imagine what they must be doing on the other side of the apartment, and hating himself for being unable to be an awful person because once again, he probably has contributed more to this relationship more than any outsider has or needed to, and he tries to be happy for them because they are happy and in love.

Sensei asked the Mintosu's ceiling if he'll be alright and it said, "I don't know."

The last time, it wasn't really the last, but it did feel like the end. It's been more than a year, and one day, as they finished shooting a video, Mintosu DM-ed Sensei.

It's not that unusual, since Mintosu and Sensei did develop their own friendship outside of their collabs, partly because of Siruko. Sensei kind of became their go-to person when they're in trouble with their relationship, and it kills Sensei but also makes him feel like he's not completely a terrible person if he was able to help them out.

It was rare though, for Mintosu to reach out first. So Sensei voice-called him, partly because he wanted to rest his fingers, and partly because he'll be able to hear Mintosu's emotions through his voice.

"Moshi moshi Sensei!"

"Hai hai, mosh mosh, doushita doushita."

"Ano.. I was kind of wondering if… how do you say this… if you had any advice for me..?"

That was weird. Mintosu, unsure of himself? At loss for words? Is there a zombie apocalypse outside his door right now?

"For what?"

"Coz I… um… I'm planning to ask Siruko-san to marry me."

And the world stopped spinning. Time stood still, and the world turned into shades of gray. Sensei’s heart gets caught up in his throat, and his insides were being turned into mush.

"...Sensei?"

Sensei shook his head to clear his mind, but it's so hard to breathe. He regretted voice calling now, because it's so hard to talk when his throat felt like acid. "C...Congratulations, teme!! W-wow this is such a big.. move, like wow, really. Dude, congrats…"

"Thanks Sensei! You're actually the third person I told, after my family and my best friend. I'm kinda nervous and excited for it!"

"Y-yeah… I bet you are… Listen, can I go to the toilet for a bit?"

"Sure, iterrashai!"

Sensei ran to the toilet and hurled the dinner he ate, his hands shaking. He splashed water on his face to calm himself down. He'd seen this coming, taught himself how to react when he hears the news, trained himself to accept it, but it still came crashing down on him like boulders on a landslide. This was his worst nightmare coming true.

"I’m back."

"Osu!"

"So… advice huh?"

"Yeah! The ring stuff, my bestfriend can take care of that, coz I have zero knowledge in that area hahaha. But I still don't know how to ask him. Should I go for the dinner style? Or the… blegh, ring on champagne thing? Coz I really dont wanna have to, thinking about it makes me puke, blegh."

And Sensei felt horrible for this, he really did, but he told Mintosu… what he let himself imagine in the middle of the night when he lets the devil in him take over, when he would revel in his deepest, darkest fantasies, things he would have done for Siruko-san. How he would have proposed.

Siruko-san deserved something grand, but also private. Sensei would have made a scavenger hunt for him, but one Siruko can do in his house because he doesn't like going out, so he'll need to ask Hakotaro-san for help. It's perfect for him, since he loves games, and he's good at solving problems and figuring things out. The next puzzle pieces will come from Bintroll, and Siruko-san can VC or chat with them about it. It will give him time to spend with the people he loves the most, and when he looks back at this memory, Siruko-san would love that they were involved. The last puzzle piece would take him to a hotel though, for their privacy. Sensei would have pulled out all stops for him, rose petals and candles everywhere (he leaves this part out because he doesn’t think Mintosu-san will do this, nor does it suit him), and he imagined Siruko-san confused but super touched at the romantic gesture, and then Sensei would come out and give him an embarrassing but heartfelt speech about how much he loves him and wants to spend forever with him, that Siruko was his lifeline (like the character they both like in APEX), that a man like Sensei can only love someone that greatly once, so Siruko was his one and only. Sensei imagined Siruko-san getting a bit emotional with the speech and cracking a joke to lighten the mood, and then he'd fall down on one knee and tell him how he loves everything about Siruko-san, his good leadership and charisma that makes everyone around him respect and treasure him, his supportive side that lifts everyone around him up, and even his demanding, whiny side that makes you wanna scold him but also indulge him.

And they would have been good for each other. They compensate for what each other doesn't have. They bring out the best in each other. Where Sensei was sometimes emotionally distant, Siruko's empathy and warmth fills that. Where Siruko was full of insecurities and anxieties, Sensei was the confidence and the daring that would support him. They both have a loud personality, which, in a non-arrogant way, has this center-of-attention thing that charms people so well, but also, they both have a side that sometimes hides in the background blending in quietly, and that's what make it's so balanced, because when one roars, the other one knows how to shut up, and vice versa. They can be both assertive and analytical, but they're also both attentive and generous. Sure, they would have had some friction, but they were both understanding enough to have handled it. It would've been sweet, if it could've been him. It would've been fun, if Sensei was the one.

They would have been as natural and beautiful as the purple-blue daybreak sky.

But it wasn't. In this world, it was Mintosu that Siruko wanted and loved. Mintosu who gets to wake up in the morning next to him, who got to cook curry for him and take care of him, who got to hold him in his arms. And they still worked, despite the seemingly destructive fights, because they were proof that if two people tried hard enough, they could make it work. Siruko learned how to assert his opinions and call out Mintosu for his bullshit, and Mintosu learned how to listen and be more showy with his affection. They still have their worse moments, and sometimes they both treat their issues the same way: either pretending it didn't exist even if it bothered them, or giving the other the cold silent treatment, or have screaming fights where they throw their words like knives, and on the worst ones, someone has to interfere, most times (to his agony), it was Sensei who did. But they pulled through by some miracle, and Sensei was happy for them, he really is. They make a good couple when they actually cooperate, and Sensei wouldn’t have approved of any other man other than Mintosu-san for Siruko-san.

And Mintosu-san actually did follow Sensei's advice, to his surprise. Sensei volunteered to make the scavenger hunt for him because that's not Mintosu's strength, but he helped and made an effort to be involved in the process. There were no roses or candles or long speeches, only the few words of: "Siruko-san, I want you to be my partner in everything; in gaming and in life. Marry me." And Siruko didn't believe him at first and thought it was a prank, but when he saw Minben-san was serious for once, he dived into Minben-san's arms and shouted “Yeeees!” And Mintosu-san almost drops the ring but he was able to catch Siruko, and they laughed while their eyes got a bit moist and they spent the whole night reveling in each other's presence and owning each other in all senses. Limone-sensei knew this because they both told him, and he congratulated them sincerely and joked about buying them PC gear for their wedding gift, and later finally let himself cry for the first time.

That was months ago. Sensei's now dusting off his black suit and adjusting his navy blue tie while sitting on his chair, waiting for the wedding ceremony to start. There were two aisles that meet in a center altar, where the officiant is already on standby. Sensei was one of the few lucky people invited in the small ceremony, as usually most people attended the reception instead. Both Mintosu and Siruko wanted him to come, as they said they both owe their relationship to him. Sensei couldn't say no even if he tried, of course. Some good part of him was still proud at what he's done to help, even if his heart dropped to his stomach and shattered to a million pieces at the thought of attending the wedding he very much wanted to be his.

The grooms arrived and walked the aisle, but of course Sensei was only looking at Siruko-san. He was beautiful, with his purple hair combed well and there were no longer dark shadows in his eyes. Not that he has ever been any less beautiful to Sensei, because Sensei found his tired or drunk state equally cute, but this, his wide smile full of nervousness and excitement, his purple eyes shining with glee, it was too much for Sensei, because it wasn't meant for him. He choked on bitter bile and coughed, and beside him Shoichi side-eyed him worriedly. He was the only one who knew, of course. Sensei couldn't have confided in Hanachan; he was already too busy with his own things to think about, and plus, he wouldn’t understand why Sensei backed off. He would have urged Sensei to pursue Siruko-san. Shoichi only knew because he and Sensei went out eating one day and ended up in a bar, and Sensei couldn't hold his alcohol well and accidentally ranted. Shoichi promised he'd never tell anyone, and Sensei knew Shoichi also wanted to ask Sensei why he never tried, but the editor didn’t, only offered silent consolation like a brother. It helped him get through the pain and the heartache, but it never fully healed. This kind of pain lasts a lifetime, because the only love that lasts is unrequited love.

And as they exchanged vows, Sensei tried to let go. He's known for a long time now, what love really means. It meant making difficult, painful choices for the happiness of another person, more than your own. Loving Siruko was the most beautiful and tragic thing he's ever done, but it was okay. He sees Mintosu gaze at Siruko with the same loving eyes he has, and that was good enough. Perhaps such a great love like Sensei had was never meant to be returned, but it will be alright.

And when they kissed, Sensei thought it was okay. People fall in love with people they can't have all the time.

He'll be alright. It was just death by a thousand cuts.

And this story did have a happy ending, just not for him.

The end.

Ren’s RANT that you don’t have to read:

About the story!

Please don't hate Minsan. I love that guy so much and even though him forgetting birthdays is almost a canon-like thing he can do, my good friend Hotaru (who likes to pretend she is Minsan's wife) pointed out that Minben-san doesn't seem like a person who would forget someone's birthday especially if it was someone special to him. He'd most likely buy you a present, although he might forget to give it to you on your actual birthday. 😂😂😂 and that's okay, it was an honest mistake on his part, that's the reason why Sensei wouldn't punch him and Siruko-san forgave him easily. It's just a Minsan thing and I love him.

I also want to point out that Minsan is also emotionally intellectual in a sense that he analyzes feelings and emotions very well, and if you watch his streams he actually has a side to him that's good at self-introspection. We just think he's not the type to show his vulnerable self, and that's why he doesn't really show up much in Bintroll livestreams, because he's more comfortable with gaming than casual chatting, and that's okay. Please don't think I don't ship MinSiru too; I was the biggest MinSiru fan and I still am, and I have probably influenced so many to their ship too. I like their dynamics as well, but as someone who has watched Minben-san for quite a bit of a long time, lately I realized that when it comes to him, Mintosu x Fans are the true canon ship. If you watch his streams closely, you'll know how much he cares about his listeners and really truly genuinely enjoys his interactions with them. He's a complex man; he has different sides of him in the Hanae channel, Bintroll channel, and his own channel, and if you watch him more, you'll fall in love with how close he is to his listeners. That's why I think Mintosu x Fans is canon www (ship MinRen for world peace and clear skin!!) (Ren who imagines herself with Minsan more than Minsan with Siruty)

I see Mintosu as someone who cannot be tied down by a relationship because that’s not him, and that’s okay because you can already see his happiness by gaming, and I love him for that.

This fic is controversial (and that's why it took me a full week to decide whether to publish it) in a sense that I've given some bad points about MinSiru. I did give them some good points, but since it's Sensei POV, it came across as sad. But just because it would be difficult doesn't mean it wouldn't work. Trust me, I'm in a relationship with someone who's almost like Min-san in personality, but we've been together for almost 3 years now. I used to think Siruko-san was a saint for enduring all Mintosu-san's trolls, coz if that was me, I would be annoyed, but there's a reason why Mintosu only does it to Siruko; it's because he's the most comfortable with Siruko3. Siruko-san is patient and understanding enough to deal with Minsan's quirks, and Minsan is also loves his company. They are more similar than people think, and that's why it's easy for them to be in sync. It'll be difficult, but it'll work. Believe me.

LimoSiru rant:

I think I’m getting better at writing angst wwww it’s just sad because if one really watched closely all four channel’s livestreams and videos, they’d see LimoSiru is beautiful too. They may not have had shared history and sexual tension, but it’s obvious how Siruko-san really supports Sensei in everything, and Sensei in return supports Bintroll even if he didn’t have to, and that’s beautiful.

I think part of the reason why I ship LimoSiru is because they make it so easy for me. It's not my fault when they are the ones who make all these cute, flirty interactions. I've started shipping them since the Fall Guys stream and have noticed how incredibly cute their relationship is. Imagine someone crashing your stream because he had this puzzle he couldn’t solve and because you’re so smart, he goes to you instead, not caring if you are currently streaming or if there are fans watching. Like seriously, Sensei, don’t you have friends? Or couldn’t you just LINE Siruko-san afterwards? If it seems like LimoSiru just happened all of a sudden, I assure you it didn’t. It’s always been there, and they started as friends too. It's almost enemies to friends to something more. In the Dedomental video, Mintosu asks Siruko-san where his name came from, although he jokes it’s kinda dirty. If you watch Sensei’s POV, you’ll hear him laugh and say “I think it’s a good name.” Siruko-san always crashes Sensei’s stream and Sensei does the same, and I found it especially cute when Sensei always superchats in Siruko’s birthday stream; first, when he played DbD with them, and on the second, isn’t it cute how he sends superchat while he’s streaming, like he doesn’t have to do that, but he did. Even in the Bintroll 100k stream, he helped them make the DbD minecraft after his own stream, and that was so on-the-spot, and the fact that he did that even though he could have just ended his stream and rested, is very thoughtful. And have you watched that sudden stream that took our wigs off? Bintroll had just received their silver play and moments later Sensei wanted a stream with Siruko-san, when he could have just congratulated them on Twitter or LINE. The conversations, gods they sound like two people who were in the early stages of dating, and it felt like we listeners were third-wheelers. They learned their lesson on stream #2 because the conversations were more proper and they kept themselves in check, but that raw, unfiltered, natural first stream was everything. I’ve always had so little content for LimoSiru and even if they didn’t do that I would have been happy, but now with that big, fat LimoSiru official thumbnail there, I have died and ascended to heaven. (As of the release of this post, they have interacted almost everyday for a week, and I don't know what to do with all these interactions! I've been so used to little content and now I'm just… dead)

But not everyone ships like me, I guess, one who can ship anything and everything equally. At the end of the day, nothing is canon. That’s the real angst in this post, hahahaha. I know the characters in my mind are different from the people who livestreams in real time, no matter how much I always try to keep the characterization close. So let’s just enjoy supporting them in our own ways.

Thank you for reading! I love you~~

#Bintrollfanfic

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starrybbarnes · 5 years

Text

into the heat [b.b]

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: it’s taco tuesday. you make some salsa. your friends can’t hang, and apparently, neither can your boyfriend.

Word Count: 1473

Author’s note: I had some tacos on sunday and my god, la salsa verde was to d i e for. it was so good, I swear. I’m just salivating at the thought of tacos and green salsa, with some lime on top. I think I might buy some for work later today. as always, feedback is appreciated!

Warnings: definitely some swearing, food mention so don’t read while on an empty stomach

It was a normal Tuesday afternoon back at the compound. It was lunchtime and it meant only one thing: Taco Tuesday.

The team has done taco Tuesday before you came on board, but it would just consist of Stark buying 2 boxes of the Taco Bell party pack and would call it a day. It was a disgrace.

You remember the first time you joined the Avengers for taco Tuesday. You were deceived when Thor said, “it’s the best Midguardian food I’ve ever tasted.”

Oh, how you missed eating your grilled serrano pepper that day.

You remembered you offered to make some street tacos about a month later, and boy, did everyone’s mind explode. Savory meats, fresh limones, and decadent salsas would line the kitchen table every time on Tuesday. The Avengers would have more than seconds almost every week.

Not only that but with your cooking (in general), you won your way through a super soldier’s heart. “It’s the easiest way to trap a man,” Natasha would joke around with you.

You have been dating Bucky for over a year now, and he’s wedged himself in helping you during taco Tuesdays. Whether it be chopping the cilantro and onions, heating up las tortillas, or going to the farmers market early in the morning, Bucky enjoyed that time with you.

There were only two things, however, that your Bucky wouldn’t touch on Taco Tuesdays. That was the meat preparation and salsa making. Sure, Bucky would choose the cuts of meat and the freshest peppers and cilantro, but when it came down to actually cooking it, it was none of his business.

“I simply cannot trust a white man to season their food,” you simply said over the table one time.

“But you’ve seen me add actual seasoning and flavors to other dishes?” Bucky argued.

“Bucky please,” you interjected, “my trust has been severed ever since that Niall celebrity didn’t season his chicken. An absolute catastrophe.”

Since then, no one has argued on that topic. It was a part of the routine that you called yours.

When it came to the nitty-gritty, everyone seemed to enjoy the fact that you’d make a savory taco, with some mild but delicious salsas.

However, the one dish you missed making was your signature spicy avocado salsa. Since no one in this compound can handle the flavor, you’d always send Bucky to go to the nearest taco truck and ask for a small serving of it to take home to you. You’d always remember to tip the workers for all that they do, and you’ve actually exchanged recipes.

Today, you decided to make your favorite salsa.

It was 12 noon, and you knew Bucky was well underway getting the ingredients for the tacos. You called him and let him know to add avocados, fresh jalapeños, and some green husk tomatoes. You also mentioned to not bring any avocado salsa today, but to pay the truck a visit.

“Uh, Y/N?” Bucky started, “are you not gonna have salsa with your tacos?”

“I am,” you slowly said, “but I’m kinda wanting to have some more kick in my life.”

“All you had to do was ask, doll,” Bucky chuckled through the phone.

“Oh no, Buck,” you laughed, “We’re talking me crying while eating a taco typa kick.”

“Just don’t kill anyone, okay?” Bucky replied, half-joking, half actually being serious.

“No promises,” you sang.

。。

Smells of meat and cilantro swirled the kitchen and made its way into the common room, signaling that food was almost ready. Bucky was helping you chop up the meat while you were heating up tortillas on the comal.

One by one, the team started filing into the dining area, words of praises and absolute delight that their favorite day of the week has finally arrived.

You set the garnishes and red and green on the main table. From the fridge, you pulled out a bowl of the almost neon green substance and placed it on the table.

The avocado salsa.

The team ooo’ed at how bright green the salsa was as if giving off a warning.

“Whoa!” an eager Sam yelled in amazing, “the food looks amazing! I’m really banking on the fact that you made the food instead of ol’ Chef Boyardee over here”

You started giggling as Bucky attempted to throw a piece of meat at Sam, only for him to catch it in his mouth.

“Well, he was a big help, but rest assured, Sam I was in charge of the cooking,” you replied as everyone started serving themselves.

Once everyone was seated, people dug in, only the sounds of content would be heard. You grabbed your bowl of avocado salsa and put a helping on each taco that was on your plate.

Sam saw what you were doing and spoke up, “what is that green stuff, Y/N? It smells really good and looks amazing.”

You hesitated a bit before you answered, “it’s guacamole. I know it doesn’t look like your standard one, but that’s because I added some extra stuff.”

Sam signaled for the bowl and you passed it over to him. Seeing you eat the tacos with ease, he decided to put even more salsa on his helping of tacos. You eyed him carefully, awaiting a reaction.

“Wow!” Sam exclaimed, “This is so good! I think I’ll eat spoonfuls of this stuff!”

You were about to feel left down when you saw it happening. Sam started coughing profusely and started sticking out his tongue. He started signaling for water and when you handed him the large cup, he downed it in 5 seconds flat.

“What in the fuck is in the god damn guac!” Sam hollered. “I think I am about to pass out.”

“Not much really,” you stated, “some lime juice, avocado, green tomatoes, 2 jalapeños, maybe half a serrano paper?”

“Two??” Sam yelled, “do you want me to DIE?”

“Sam,” you started, “I think you’re overreacting.”

“Your tacos were practically bathing in the salsa,” Sam argued.

“Psh, it can’t be that bad,” Thor commented.

“Would you like to try some, Thor?” you offered sweetly.

Now everyone was looking at Thor. Slowly, he gulped and poured some on a taco. As he ate it, he did the same reaction as Sam. Absolute delight, and then his life flashing before his eyes.

Before long everyone tried to get their hands on the salsa. Steve stopped everyone and said, “I think as super soldiers, Bucky and I should try it out. Maybe Sam is overreacting.”

When Bucky heard his name, he choked on his drink. “No way man. You know I don’t mess with m’girls food.”

“Oh lighten up,” Steve assured him, “We probably won’t feel a thing.”

You snickered. You knew for a fact that Steve would start tearing up at just eating Hot Cheetos.

Bucky looked at you with his puppy eyes. He was trying to get out of it, and fast. He saw you when you added the peppers into the blender. Even the times he’s seen you eat raw peppers, it freaked him out that you’d never elicit a reaction.

“C’mon sweetheart,” you pouted, “just one bite. I swear it’s not spicy.”

Bucky sighed and put a helping of salsa on his taco, Steve trying so hard to put the same amount if not less.

They saluted each other and bit into their taco. Bucky actually finished the whole thing, triumphant smile now apparent. Steve slowly finished his and sighed in relief.

“Well ya look at that,” Bucky laughed, “Looks like I still am a super-soldier.”

“Give it a minute.”

Steve was the first to start coughing. “Oh my god, my mouth is on FIRE!”

Bucky soon after followed, eyes welling up and his sinuses going haywire. Steve actually started crying, just repeating ‘so spicy’ over and over again.

“Doll, if I die right here, just know that I love you very much,” Bucky cried out.

You handed Bucky a slice of bread, “eat this, you’ll live.”

The team concluded that you were a goddess amongst them because apparently, you can’t feel the heat.

You rubbed Bucky’s back as he slowly started to feel better.

“I just don’t get it,” you sighed, “this stuff tastes really good. And I only put a little bit this time!”

Bucky just groaned in response, “well, this is one thing I won’t be stealing from the fridge.”

“Then maybe, just maybe, my planned worked,” you joked, earning a smile from Bucky.

You kissed him on the lips and then scowled, “Jesus, Buck even your lips are on fire!”

“What can I say, I’m attracted to heat,” Bucky answered, panting ever so slightly.

“Maybe one of these days, you’ll be able to handle it,” you joked, eating one more of your man-catching tacos doused in your salsa.

。。

i made myself hungry just writing this bahaha

translations:

Limones = lemons

comal = skillet/griddle

#bucky barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes #bucky x reader #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes imagine #bucky imagine #bucky fluff #bucky one shot #bucky #marvel imagine #marvel imagines #avengers x reader #bucky requests #writings #the winter soldier #winter soldier

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vidadaily · 4 years

Text

Vida 3x02 Cast Live Tweets (2 /4)

Tanya: I love how Johnny loves his baby girl... Esti (Writer): I'm on a delay... but is Johnny always going to be a baby in a beautiful man's body? Tanya: He's just a dude, dudeing. Ser: This is when Johnny gets on my nerves lol damn it, Johnny, why does Mari have to do everything ? Chelsea: Johnny is the cutest dad but not a reliable son 🤦‍♀️ Mishel: he's trying

Chelsea: Damn this is the most nervous I’ve ever been... Tanya: Poor Mari, it must have been so shocking to find her Papi like that... Oh, man, and the guilt about not being there! Esti: APPPPAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! Tanya: Shaddap! hahahaha Chelsea: Oh no... apa Mishel: You broke my heart with that scene... puddles Chelsea: ❤️ Cara: Chelsea, that scene made me cry in the table read and now! Adrian: Oh man, poor pinche chinche😥appppaaaaaa! Cara: I never got to work with Chelsea but I LOVE HER! We totally get each other off screen. Killing it. Chelsea: Love you too! Hopefully see you once this is al over! Tanya: I really grew to love The Sanchez's house in Boyle Heights. Ser: The interior of the homes in Vida are straight up look for REAL! Shout out to the production designers and team! Go Marisa! Tanya: We kept a lot of the owner's furniture! Ser: Doope!

Adrian: Marcos and Curly are back!! 🔥🔥 Tanya: "The Caucasity!" -Marcos Mishel: lol so good Tonatiuh: sooo good! I use it all the time now! #KarenAintRight Chelsea: Marcos is always there for Lyn I love it 🥰 Tonatiuh: We go together like limon y sal! Tanya: Sexy Lucha Libre Mud Wrestling sounds amazing! And I'll take two Blue Demon drinks, please! Tonatiuh: Coming right up! Ser: Shout out to Curly. I’m sure your lucha libre masks are beautiful!😆 Curly: I’m just always ahead of my time with ideas😏 jk Ser: Now we need lucha libre face shields, Curly Roberta: Best line in the episode: “Ay perra, so pushy” Tanya: It was also the delivery. Tanya: I love that Curly always calls Marcos PERRA all the time. que grosera es con migo! lol Curly: Lmaooooo with that HEAVY R toooo Tanya: It’s aaaall love. But also I agree with Curly. So freaking pushy siempre... Tonatiuh: In the words of Teairra Mari “I was forced to survive on the streets Make my own way to eat Gotta do what I gotta do” Por eso bien pushy. Tanya: And here I thought it was a zodiac sign thing. Tanya: Curly wrote his own line "These Menses, que tienen familias por todos lados." Did y'all know he was in the writers room this season? Curly: Thankful for the room Tanya has allowed me to grow in 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️

Ser: You know if you’re laughing one moment, you just may be crying the next. Chelsea: If only Johnny, if only... Tonatiuh: 😰 Chelsea: Did he really tell her not to wear her blue lipstick?!? Tonatiuh: Just like a man... Tanya: Johnny can't help himself, he's a Mexican dude, he's going to be mandon and mansplainy... I still love him, tho. Tonatiuh: This is so sad... Mari really took care of her Apa

Chelsea: Love Eddy and Lyns bond Ser: Eddy’s Subaru! Al fin! Ser: Emma broke Eddy’s ❤️...💔 Tanya: I hope she freakin' feels bad about that. Ser: One could only hope and pray lol Mishel: :( From one broken heart to another Cara: Oh, SerAnzoategui you are everything. I adore you. And I love how you play Eddy. Ser: You are the sweetest Cara! You kill me as Zoe- just like my ex girlfriend!!! Killin me!! Lol so gooood!! Cara: Hahahahaha hahahahaha Vida: Eddy got verified intel. Ser: My favorite Eddy line from episode 2 of Season 3 is “Your Amá died married to that guy, that’s why she could never legally marry me...” 💔😥 Tanya: Vida was such a MENTIROSA man. What OTHER secrets was she keeping...? Ser: Eddy bearing the bad news yet again... there’s humor in that 😬 sorry Señor Sanchez died... Ser: Papa drama in Vida- between Emma and Lynn’s dad and then Johnny’s dad... o que la! Ser: Who’s craving enchiladas now? 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️ #eddycooks

Adrian: I need me one of those🦄concha ice cream sandwich🤤🤤 Ser: I’ll take the concha part😆 Tanya: Ya'll, those were VEGAN unicorn concha sandwiches too. It don't get more chipster than that. Mishel: Coconut ice cream was yummy Chelsea: Emico eating that concha ice cream sandwich is 🥰🥰🥰🥰 Cara: I hate to admit it, but Emico are so cute together. But, Zoe disagrees. Tanya: I love the way Roberta said "I never took you for the type to eat a concha in public." For non Mexicans, "concha" means... 😺

Mishel: Just SEND flowers Lynn! Chelsea: “Don’t get distracted you bullshit” is a great line Mishel: She's making things happen! so proud of Lynn

#vida #vida starz #chelsea rendon #tanya saracho #curly velasquez #ser anzoategui #tonatiuh elizarraraz #s3 #3x02 #cast #live tweeting

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lisinfleur · 5 years

Text

Bonita

Author’s Notes | Hey, dear anon! Thank you for the challenge! This is the first time I risked to write for a Hispanic Reader and I really hope it is well written! I would really like to thank my sweet friend @honestsycrets for the help with the details from her beautiful lands! May the gods bless me one day with the sweet chance to know and hug you in person, Bonita... Universe | Vikings Pairing | Hvitserk x Reader Info | Hispanic! Reader, Modern AU, requested by anon for 5CW5 Words | 1699 ⁑ Warnings: None

"What a damn lucky bastard you are!"

Hvitserk knew exactly what Ommar and Knut were talking about with those elbows hitting his ribs.

"She's fucking great, bro. Legit curves from Puerto Rico's fire, man!"

Hvitserk took a sip from his drink; the taste remembering him from the first time he saw her and how he was just as idiot as those two assholes beside him now.

He could remember he sighed at the sight of her curves, thinking she was the sexiest woman he ever saw in his life. Her skin was caressed by the sun and her traces seemed to be hand painted by an artist with his brush sliding in a single line to draw the suavity of those curves and circles and forms of her body. The beautiful lips smiled at his face, colored like the berries of autumn, adorning the face framed by the beautiful dark curls of her hair, cascading through her shoulders, down to her waist. She was the day and the night in a perfect marriage as if the sun had kissed her skin from the morning until the moment the moon decided to embrace her with the cloak of the dark sky, locking stars into the two dark lagoons she had in her eyes. A piece of art he couldn't avoid admiring, stunned by such unique beauty he never saw before in the lands he came from.

He giggled, remembering how innocent and stupid he was. She was so much more... But at that moment, he lost completely the attention to the menu card in his hand, the reason why she had approached him in the first place: He had the biggest number of wrinkles in his forehead she ever saw someone show while reading that thing, so, she thought she could help the foreigner with the obvious confusion about her language.

"May I?" she pointed the card and Hvitserk kinda woke up from his trance, remembering he wanted a drink, looking at the menu once again.

"Ah... Yes... Please... I..." he giggled, remembering how the words simply escaped him completely, despite the fact that there were a bunch of stupid ways to hit on her dancing in his mind.

At least, he had the good sense to avoid all of them. But in the end, he ended up looking even more like a silly tourist, babbling in front of her.

However, she was used to dealing with silly people like him and her smile opened once again, like the sunrise in the sky.

"Here, this one is made of..." she started explaining every single item of the menu for him, translating the words with that beautiful accent in her voice, so melodic.

Hvitserk remembered how he wanted that card to have a thousand items so, he could hear her voice forever.

But the list wasn't that long, and when she finished, he smiled back at her gentleness.

"What would you recommend for me?" he asked, trying to have more of her attention.

And she kindly pointed the number three of his card, smiling.

"Try the Don Q Limon with Cranberry Juice," she said, causing his lips to curve in a smile. "It's a local brand of rum. You may like the experience," she suggested, gentle.

Hvitserk took a new sip from his cup, remembering that moment. The drink became his favorite, just because it tasted like a good memory. One of the best of his life, he had to admit.

At that night, he paid not one, but two cups of that drink, offering a drink to the beautiful girl who was so kind to the foreign stranger. She accepted his drink and his company and the two of them had a long conversation, even laughing together, sharing not one, but various drinks before the night was too high and she said she had to go. And only then, at the time of her departure, the two of them noticed they had forgotten the simplest part of that interaction:

"Sorry..." Hvitserk said when messing with his phone to ask for her number. "But... What is your name?"

The two of them laughed together of that for weeks... And this was the reason why she still called him "Frowny" sometimes, such as he gained the habit to call her with one of the firsts words he discovered from her language... Bonita.

That night, Hvitserk remembers they exchanged messages until the dawn and through the morning on. Laughing emojis had replaced the laughs of the night and he said several times he wanted to see her again. They meet each other dozens of times and she showed him lots of places in her town, always playing about how he looked like a tourist even when he was trying the most to mix with the locals and not to seem so foreign.

He discovered the flavor of coconut water, some steps of her dance and notes of her music; she showed him how to speak some of her words and jokes from her people; stories, traditions, parties, kisses... With Y/N, Hvitserk discovered the magic of that place was too much more than just the beautiful women and beaches.

He discovered she worked on a family shop, selling handmade souvenirs and some dishes from the local cuisine - his absolute favorite kind of store: beautiful things and delicious food. Hvitserk spent hours there with her, learning from the flavors to the histories behind the Vejigante Masks her mother and her produced to sell at the store. He even brought one - red, white and black! - to his mother. He could remember how fascinated she was by the handmade piece that was now exposed in a wall of her corridor, proudly hanging at the wall.

To go back home after the first time was painful. And for a time, Hvitserk remembers he thought his Bonita would forget him. Silly boy... The one who was, at the first moment, planning to have a delicious and lustful night with a woman he would completely leave to his memory in the following morning; was now completely fallen for her sweet words, spoken to his ears at the airport, when they exchanged one last kiss before his departure.

"Vuelve pronto, mi Frowny," she said, nuzzling her nose to his neck, near his ear shell. "I'll miss you."

He came back.

Not one time, but two, three... Whenever he had the chance, he came back to be received by the true fire from Puerto Rico he discovered had nothing to do with the sex appeal of those beautiful women and men from that place.

The true fire was into her heart, enlightening her dark eyes whenever they landed on his image coming from the airport into her arms once again.

Hvitserk could remember lots of things from her. The first time he brought his mother to meet her - and how sweet her family was, receiving them as if they were a part of the house. The way she used to help him with the terrible heat of those lands - and how good it was to share the shower with her, shivering satisfaction under the cold water, against her skin; or simply lay down on her bed, the bare feet touching each other, pretending to fight for the air of the floor fan. He could remember the nights at her balcony, her body sitting in the middle of his legs, her back against his chest and her sweet lips kissing his neck while his eyes were looking at the beautiful sky over them both, full of stars.

However, what he couldn't remember was when his heart changed that way. When she became the blood of his veins or his skin became so addicted to her presence that his homelands weren't attractive anymore. His own apartment was cold, the places were sad, the sky was grey.

Hvitserk wasn't spending his vacations at Puerto Rico with her. He felt like his soul was living with her, in those heated lands, while his body was spending work time in the cold places where he came from.

What was a chance for a one-night stand girl became the reason why he became passionate for planes and never again he spent a single vacation in his home unless he could bring her to stay with him and warm his nights.

"Try not to get burnt on those flames, buddy!" Ommar's voice kinda woke Hvitserk's mind from the memories.

This time, the friends from his land wanted to come with him since he was the one who knew about the customs and language from the place they wanted to know. Hvitserk rolled his eyes. If she was flames, then he was a moth already taken, burnt to ashes long ago. And he liked this way.

He liked the way her spirit was free like the fire he was now so habituated to understand. The fire his foolish friends were too blind to really contemplate.

She was this fire. Her spirit, her curves, her eyes, her smiles, her words...

Her love.

Hvitserk left the empty cup over the table and smiled at his friends.

"I would be happy to burn, my friend," he said, pulling the small velvet box from his pocket, causing Ommar's eyes to become large and Knut to gasp with his drink before Hvitserk could smile.

It was funny to see how foolish he was one day. Good to notice he had grown into someone so better than before.

And it was all because of her.

"But this fire is not for everyone, Ommar. It has to accept you. To want you. And I'll be blessed if those flames decide I'm dignified enough to become one with them".

Holding his velvet box in his hand, he walked towards the dance floor. His precious Y/N so beautifully lost in the music...

"Hey... Mi Bonita!" he called, smiling.

From the iced lands of the Vikings, he came to know her flames. And maybe, if he was really as lucky as Ommar and Knut and many others before then said, then he would be able to play with her a song of ice and fire...

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quarantingz · 4 years

Audio

slow mornings, impermanence and turning 21

10 April 2020 9:32 am (but I started writing this 30 minutes prior)

I’m currently sitting out on the deck, listening to Leon Bridges and Khruangbin’s Midnight which has quickly become one of my favourite tunes for slow mornings like this. I made myself a flat white, without which any morning would feel not empty but lacking. Of energy and warmth. Cathy and I decided to deviate from our usual Karajoz beans and opted for a more economical 1kg bag of this Italian brand of coffee beans so we don’t have to keep going back to the supermarket which to be honest I didn’t even mind. The sole fact that it was an outside activity and I could be in the presence of and observe other human beings for an hour made it a nice pasttime.

I’m looking up at the sky, noticing the shade of blue change from minute to minute. It’s a lighter shade compared to how I saw it two minutes ago. Almost reminiscent of a classic light wash pair of Levi’s denim jeans. I’m staring specifically at this spot between two neighbouring trees where faint clouds have now come into view like smoke wafting from a chimney. I look to my right, eyes fixating on the rows of houses stacked on top of each other just beneath the horizon, framed by power lines that stretch from one end of this distant street to the other. Although from my vantage point it looks like I could walk over to the said street in less than five minutes if I jumped over the fences of the houses that block what would otherwise be a straight path, unguided by concrete roads.

Now Lovely Day by Bill Withers is playing from my Spotify playlist titled ‘21st at the park, eating Mediterranean food’ and I look up at the aforementioned spot in synchronisation with this bird landing on a lanky branch, perched there for a moment. Just as the song switched to Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles, it flies out of my view. A random thought comes to mind: how many times have I seen the same bird without knowing in my existence? Last year in September, we lost our cockatiel Coco who took flight when he saw his chance. Cathy had him on her shoulder when she sneezed and startled poor Coco and sent him flying over to the garage door which was open and out he went. Just like that. Never to be seen again. I was doing work in one of the studios at uni with my friends, WE533 I think that was, when Cathy delivered the heart-wrenching news to me via Instagram. I started crying, to everyone especially Cullen’s surprise. He thought it was the workload stress getting to me and in true Cullz fashion says, “Chill, we good.” I hadn’t cried in front of them before and I chose to do so over a bird. But Coco wasn’t just a bird, we had him for 4 years but I guess birds were meant to fly. Not domesticated and caged throughout their rather long lifespan. About 30 minutes after I let my guard down in front of them, Cat, Shannon and Cullen started dancing. Moving their feet to a non-existent beat in the middle of the room. I was laughing then. One of those sincere, loud chuckles where your mouth contorts into a grin so big your face hurts.

I needed to mourn over my loss even for just a moment, a step which I think we shouldn’t try and skip in times of grief. Whether it’s a breakup or realising you just poured down the pasta water you were supposed to save to help thicken the sauce for your pasta al limone down the drain. Coincidentally, In My Life by The Beatles started playing and it occurred to me how crazy it was that I pieced this birthday playlist together as if I knew I was going to be sitting here a day before turning 21, reflecting on my morning and now inevitably my life as a whole.

There are places I'll remember All my life, though some have changed Some forever, not for better Some have gone, and some remain All these places had their moments With lovers and friends, I still can recall Some are dead, and some are living In my life, I've loved them all

21 is a pivotal age in one’s life, or at least society made us believe that it is. I don’t know what else this year has in store for me but right now I’m more hopeful than ever. Three days ago I was wallowing internally over the fact that my initial birthday plans were all for naught as not even my parents are going to be here to celebrate it with me. But on the same day and in the same hour, I read this article on how companies like Dyson and Ford who don’t design or manufacture medical devices are having to respond to the increase in demand of mechanical ventilators by outputting their own versions. And just like that, my birth week didn’t seem to matter so much. I didn’t seem to matter. I am but a speck, a crumb (ha!) on this planet where countless of other (more important) events are all happening at the same time. This thought brings me comfort more than anything else. At this point I don’t even know where this entry is going as I haven’t attempted to write something ‘postable’ in a while. I guess what I’m trying to get at is that we or at least I need to stop living under societal as well as my own pressure. Since I was little, I’ve always carried this notion with me that I needed to always be striving to achieve something, whether that’s an A+ on a project or a perfectly browned crust on practically anything I bake. In response to Alyssa’s most recent blogpost (that’s right, we’re bloggers now!) why can’t we [I] just do things just cause? Or without there even being a cause. Just do. To be honest right now I’m rummaging through the drawers in my brain for more words to at least try and write an ending to this that makes sense. In doing so, I’m going against exactly what I just said before. Merde.

I guess it’s all human nature. Sometimes I feel too much, my cup filled to the brim and spilling out onto the surface in a messy puddle. Other times I feel nothing at all, staring at nothing and thinking about nothing in particular. Humans are ambivalent, I suppose. I felt alive, empowered and motivated yet light and calm when I first started writing this in my physical journal. Now I’m sitting typing away on my laptop two hours later wanting this entry to mean something. But maybe it doesn’t have to like Alyssa said. With or without readers I’ll just treat all of this as practice. Besides, what got me to put my thoughts into writing in the first place was this line in a book I should’ve taken my time with and not rushed to finish (again, pressure on myself):

“Writer’s block isn’t hard to cure. Just write. Write poorly. Continue to write poorly, in public, until you can write better [...] Do it every day. Every single day. Not a diary, not fiction but analysis. Clear, crisp, honest writing about what you see in the world. Or want to see. Or teach (in writing). If you know you have to write something every single day, even a paragraph, you will improve your writing. The resistance, of course, would rather have you write nothing, not speak in public, keep it under wraps [...] Write like you talk. Often.”

Except I actually don’t talk often which I realised a long time ago. I’m trying to now though as I get older. As cliche as it sounds, this year brought me new lessons as I encountered new people. From guys I’ve gone on a date with to the product development engineers who are also pro badminton players I met at work, they taught me that I need only to be myself around people. And I mean really unapologetically myself. Without comparing myself to anyone else which I spent a lot of time doing in my formative years. Instead of a photo, I’ve decided to share my birthday playlist and use it as the cover of this entry as it includes (almost) every song I’ve ever loved and abused by playing repeatedly throughout these years. So I guess I present to you: the soundtrack of my life. 🙃

Now to carry on with my day and make my own rendition of the Mediterranean food I was supposed to have with my friends and family tomorrow night for my birthday...

- p

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justalexx-things · 15 days

Text

Einfach limon date 💀💀

Ich sag's euch: limon wird schon bald nicht mehr nur ein crack ship sein, sondern canon!

#schloss einstein #live love laugh limon #es begann alles mit einem crack ship #und dann wurde es canon!

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travelwankerworld · 4 years

Text

Another trip booked with ‘Untravelled Paths’ & another success.

This time a 4 night trip to the Puglia region of Italy – The Dolce Vita Puglia Experience

We flew from Luton to Bari with Wizz Air.

It was very cheap, about £70 each return.

It would have been even cheaper had Wizz not done their ‘Roulette Wanker Seat’ routine! Where unless you pay to pick your seats; unlike any other airline who will allocate you seats together – Wizz makes a point of making sure you are as far away from your travelling partner as possible!

So underhand. So out of order.

It is a 4-hour+ flight so is nice to be sat together.

The upshot, about a 1/3rd of the flight’s cost, was paying to sit together!

The saving grace is that overall, it is still cheap for the distance (& the convenience for us from Luton).

We did the lounge at Luton. The basic reason being that I had a credit left on my ‘Priority Pass’ membership which I wanted to use up before it expired.

1st Stop – Matera

The flight was good & when we arrived we were met by our guide Marius. We were the only 2 on our flight & found out there were just 2 more coming & they were on the later Stanstead flight that night.

Off we went to our 1st stop – Matera – It is a city carved into the mountainside. The original dwellings here were effectively caves.

It was quite an impressive place & we saw it first at night all lit up.

Our accommodation was – Residence San Giovanni Vecchio

We had a wander about & up to the main square, then back down to get some food in a little pizza place –

Trattoria Braceria Bellavista di Fedele Manicone

It was a nice little place, the food wasn’t amazing but it was fresh & the wine was cheap! – it was also served in a carafe with wicker around it & with small glasses.

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Standard ‘funny faces’ picture was required. Lisa is getting much better at them!

Lost In Translation

Whilst wandering around we found a bakery (Gran Caffe) that Lisa had seen whilst researching – it was stuffed with loads of dirty cakes!

We ended up asking a bloke behind the counter what was the best – he pointed out what sort of looked like doughnuts but with a bit of custard creeping out of them.

We ordered 2.

Wow! They were gorgeous.

So we then tried to find out what they were called.

One thing I need to say here, which was one of the reasons Italy grew on us, was the fact that most people don’t speak English, just Italian.

I love this. (we Brits are generally shit at languages so for once we didn’t have to feel guilty for this).

This then lends itself to a lot of gesturing & the use of Google Translate!

It is also how we arrived at what we called these – Titty Titty Lemon Cakes!

We ‘spoke’ to a woman & she tried to explain in Italian whilst gesturing to her chest & laughing & saying Limon a lot.

Cue immature photos:

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Wehay! – Titty Titty Lemon Cakes

Loads of Lemon Titties!

Anyway, enough fun for day one & back to the apartment & bed.

The next day we went across the road for breakfast & finally met our other 2 ‘travellers’ – Kamal & Friddy.

Marius met us & gave us the ‘What to do’ rundown in Matera on a map.

We then went almost next door to a shop that had a model of the town so it could be explained further – it is very much a 3D type of place with lots of levels & alleys to explore.

https://travelwanker.world/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/VID_20191010_101702.mp4

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We did a lot of walking, the place was impressive & the weather glorious (it’s October!).

One of the places you are supposed to go is Casa Grotta which was a look at the ‘caves houses’ presented to you of how they were lived in.

Quite frankly, it was shite!

Throughout Matera, there are various sculptures of Salvadore Dali’s art. Can’t remember if there was a reason for this.

We also came across some a temporary art exhibition whilst we were there – some female sculptures sat in various places & some ‘turkeys’ which were individually designed & painted…..but, to be honest, they just looked like big cocks!

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Dali

Female Sculpture

Big Painted Cocks

Cookery Class At A Retreat

We all met up late afternoon to go to our cookery class. About a 30-minute drive & we arrived at some grounds.

From what we understood it was like a retreat. It was in the middle of nowhere & looked very nice.

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We made pasta dough from Semolina flour & then went onto make a variety of different shaped/types of pasta.

We also made 2 other dishes, one was made from nearly stale sourdough bread (soaked in water) rubbed with garlic & layered with tomatoes. The other was very similar but mixed with egg and herbs to make balls that were to be fried.

It was quite a laugh doing it with a few breaks so we could get a bit of wine in.

Then we got to eat all of our own stuff. It was pretty good actually & very simple.

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We got back to Matera, went for a quick nightcap & then bed.

Next day, we had breakfast & checked out – we were off to Alberobello

Bread & Focaccia To Die For

On the way though we were going to visit a traditional bakery that still uses a stone oven & only cooks sourdough bread. The place was called DiGesu’

Wow!, both Lisa & I could have died here. The bread looked & tasted amazing.

We got to try the various types of bread washed down with a small glass of red (well I did, it was 10.30 am but they wouldn’t have put it out if they hadn’t wanted us to have it).

The whole thing was very interesting.

A sort of byproduct from this style of baking is the focaccia bread.

They make the focaccia dough & put it in various spots in the oven to test the temperature.

Quite frankly it is one of the best-tasting things I have ever had! So much so that it was what we bought from the bakery to have later for our lunch.

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So we left there & were on our way to Alberobello.

Early Proof Of Tax Dodging

This place is very famous for the type of houses they have – they are called Trulli’s.

They are round in construction & were originally built without mortar/cement.

It is said that part of this style of housing came about as a tax dodge.

Landowners at the time were taxed by how many building they had; so the landowners would get their workers to build these house for them to live in.

When/if they got news of someone coming to check their ‘wealth’ the landowner would instruct his workers to take apart the houses thus avoiding tax.

So we got to stay in one for the night. This was right in the heart of the area where these were best preserved (& funnily enough where the tourists came). They were lovely.

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So off we went for a wander.

The Wine Tour – A Tale Of 2 Servers

Early afternoon we met up again to be taken to a local vineyard for a tour & wine tasting – Yay!!!

The winery was called I Pastini.

It was really nice here, a family-run place in lovely surroundings.

A young lady did the tour around the various buildings & part of the vineyard. It was actually quite interesting and didn’t go on too long which gets a massive tick!

They plant rose bushes at the end of each row of vines here. They do this as if there are pests/bugs etc, they will attack the roses first. This is like having a warning system for their grape crop & so if it happens, they can do something about it.

Simple but effective. I found stuff like this quite interesting.

Some wine tours we have been on are beyond dull.

And let us face it, nobody gives that much of a shit about how it all came about etc – we are there to taste & drink the wine!

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The wine tasting was good – we got a selection of nibbles to go with it.

As I recall we tried 4 or 5 wines.

What I do remember very well (which is where the problem lied) is that 2 people were doing the wine pouring for the tasting.

The side we were on was a woman who had clearly challenged herself to pour so little in the glass that it would have evaporated by the time you went to taste it!

It literally was the smallest amount of wine that could allow you to taste it.

On the other side of the room was the young lady who did the tour & she was making up for our loss with her pours, she wasn’t pissing about!

Kamal & Friddy were on her side & after about 3 they were not finishing theirs & pouring some away ready for the next one. I can’t even get my head around this, but we would have loved that problem!

The result – they ordered a case of wine to be shipped back to the UK & we bought a bottle to take away with us.

You would have thought that most people that own a vineyard & do these type of tours must have realised that if you get people a bit pissed they will get their wallets out.

We would have.

There is no question we would have also bought a case, they were pretty reasonable. Alas, we were sober & therefore could easily rationalise & avoid spontaneous purchases!

We left there, wallet intact, back to Alberobello.

We did a bit more wandering & picture taking; then went to a wine bar to try & rectify the wrong from earlier.

That evening we went to a nice little restaurant, the food was pretty good but I am not naming it. The service speed was a joke & getting the bill at the end was like pulling teeth. Such a shame really,

Next day was time to move again.

We had until lunchtime to wander around the bits we had missed & sneak in a cheeky beer before leaving.

The next destination was our final one in Bari.

On the way, we stopped for lunch at a little town called Locorotondo. We were told to have a little explore before settling down to eat which we did.

Was a very pretty little town with lots of rabbit warren type of streets.

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We wandered around for what seemed like ages looking for somewhere to eat. We googled various places but nothing seemed quite right & most were in these narrow streets which were in the shade.

A Perfect 90 Minutes With Wine, Meat & Cheeses

We finally, just before we lost the will to live, decided to sit at an outside restaurant that we had passed about three times – Controra

Quite frankly, this turned out to be one of the highlights from our trip. We sat there for about an hour & a half and was just perfect.

We had a great view, were sat under a shade (it was proper hot that day) & ordered a bottle of the white wine that was from the vineyard we went to the day before. We also ordered a plate of meats, cheeses & bread. It was all superb.

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It turned out, through broken English & lots of gesturing, that the woman who owned the restaurant/bar was the sister of the woman at the vineyard who was tight with the tastings (who turned out to be the owner’s mother!).

The toilets in this place were a bit quirky. My favourite part was the fact that above the sink there was no mirror on the wall, there was just writing saying ‘You Look Fine‘ which quite frankly is genius.

We left here to go to our next stop.

If we didn’t have to go, we would have happily ordered another bottle of wine, more food & sat here for hours.

Enroute to Bari was another stop, this time to visit an Olive farm – Masseria Brancati

We had the standard tour of the old buildings with old ‘machinery’ AKA massive stones that crushed shit, no big shakes in terms of new stuff.

What was interesting that we didn’t know, was the fact that olive oil used to be called ‘Liquid Gold’. It was the modern-day equivalent of oil i.e. it was used for all sorts of things and thus made it very valuable.

So much so, that they would hide & disguise where the olives were stored and processed to avoid being robbed.

The olive groves here were massive. All the trees were 5 meters apart from each other which was the distance required to make sure each tree got all the light & water it needed without imposing on each other.

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The slightly mind-blowing thing of it all is that all the trees were saw were at least 1,000 years old, quite a few were 2,000 years old & there was one that they had dated at 3,000 years old – so if Jesus did exist, this tree existed well before he did.

….and they are all still producing Olives!

Also, each individual tree is a National Heritage Site – they are all tagged & are monitored by satellite.

What the fuck!

The Buzz Of Bari

We left there and headed to our final destination – Bari. (** – Sidenote story – read at end)

We arrived & went to our B&B – Antipico.

Bari, we were told, was a lively local town.

There are tourists here, no question, but the locals outnumbered by far.

We liked it here and it grew on us very quickly.

We had a quick wander about and got a drink in this really cool little bar – La Ciclatera. It was a small place that had alcoves & stuff everywhere!

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Then back to get showered & changed ready for dinner.

When we went out in the early evening, we got to see what Marius has said about it being lively.

The place was buzzing with people everywhere. It was a Saturday night, yes, but not like you would think.

The big difference was that it was everyone. There were families, groups of young people, groups of older, groups surrounding by kids.

Everyone was out.

People were sat everywhere & anywhere and there was a lot of noise being created by what seemed like the whole community coming out to play.

We had decided to try a place to eat called MareViglie lo Sprofondo

We really liked it here, it was pretty busy but the service was excellent. Again, the lack of English speaking made the asking/choosing more fun.

This was very apparent from our starter order – we thought we had chosen a ‘premium’ platter to share – we pictured it being hams, salami’s, cheese, olives and the like – lovely!

What came out?

3 big portions of raw cold fish! – Salmon, Tuna & Swordfish.

A far cry from what we wanted but actually really nice.

The main course was better but somehow I ordered a pizza which effectively had chips on it & a bit of ham!

Lisa fared better with ‘mouse ears’ pasta.

Despite this, it was a really nice meal & a nice bottle of white.

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Afterwards, we wandered about for a bit; the streets were still full of people & this still included kids of all ages. We went back to our little bar again for a couple of G&T nightcaps.

The next morning we heading for our breakfast. Not quite the same as we had experienced in the 2 other places.

It was a short walk to a cafe where we were eligible for a free coffee & a croissant.

This was supposed to be the ‘Bari’ way……well, quite frankly, we preferred the other way!

Bari On Bikes

We then met up with Marius, Friddy & Kamal. This was going to be a tour around Bari on bikes.

Friddy & Kamal decided they didn’t want to do it. They were going to get a train & visit another town nearby. We said our goodbyes as we wouldn’t see them again.

A shame really as the cycle tour was really good – Velo Service

We saw a lot of places that we had already seen….but this time with some information explaining what on earth things actually were & with some history behind it.

Including Basilica San Nicola which was St Nicholas’s church – he was the patron saint of sailors, prostitutes & children; which sorts of works if you think about it.

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One of the stops has a bittersweet taste to it.

We stopped at basically a woman’s house in a square. she had a little kitchen set up outside.

We were going here to learn how to make pasta again as we did when we were in Matera.

This woman was quite a character, she spoke no English & just shouted for most of the time.

She shouted to her neighbours, to people walking past she knew…but most of the time she shouted at her husband.

Marius & the girl from the cycle tour gave us a running commentary.

She was laying into her husband big time.

Really slagging him off, saying how lazy he was & utterly useless arsehole! (he looked a lot like the character of Manuel in Fawlty Towers).

We sat there in the sun, with a beer & made pasta.

She cooked various things & we tried them.

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We really enjoyed it here, so much that we said to Marius about coming back for lunch, which he arranged.

We did our last bit of wandering & then headed back for food.

We had asked Marius to join us which he did before he had to leave for his flight.

Anyway, we had some lunch, it was like tapas really, a few small plates, nothing mind-blowing.

When we left and asked for the bill, they wanted 50 euro!

Holy shit! How much?!

We did the British thing and paid immediately asking no questions.

Then followed it up with a whole lot of bitching in private.

It did put a bit of a dampener on our last lunch to be honest, but such is life.

Since then I have looked at the Google reviews & a lot of people complain about the ‘Quantity to Cost’ ratio, so it wasn’t just us she stiffed which is nice to know.

Anyway, off we went & found a little bar to get a bottle of white wine & while away an hour or so until we were ready to head to the airport & home.

Another great trip with Untravelled Paths to a lovely part of Italy.

___________________________________________________________________

** – Sidenote Story:

When we 1st arrived in Bari, a friend of mine, Simon (Hells Bells Hols Bols) rang me. I text back to say I was away in Italy & would ring when I got back to the UK.

A variety of texts were then exchanged where it turned out that not only was he also in Italy, he was also in Alberobello! & further to this, he & his wife Rosemary had bought a Trulli! He was actually there having work done!

Gutted!

Had he rung the day before we could have all met up for a beer & seen their new holiday home (which they will be renting out when finished) – you can find it on Instagram – https://instagram.com/trullo_genista

Puglia, Italy – Pasta, Pizza, Wine, Sourdough Bread & More Wine Another trip booked with 'Untravelled Paths' & another success. This time a 4 night trip to the Puglia region of Italy - …

#puglia #sourdough bread #wine

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contrabbandieridivilla · 5 years

Text

couple tag game

thanks to the loveliest @edonori for tagging me🌻 skamit may die but incantava is immortal!! also i know you tagged me like a week ago it’s just i haven’t logged on here in forever so yeah im sorry:/

Rules: answer this 20 questions about the couple below and then tag other people

Couple: Incantava

1. When did you start to ship them? as soon as the cast was announced but i didnt watch s1 live because i was super busy with exams all of april and may and travelled the first two weeks of june so i only caught up when i got back during the summer but yeah as soon as i saw the cast i just knew

2. How much do you ship them 1-10? that’s not a thing you can’t put a number on i’m sorry

3. Why do you ship them? ¡sappy alert! so first off i see myself way too much in ele so where ever her heart goes i follow and support but also they are both probably the loneliest souls in their surroundings and they keep hiding that so others wouldn’t know and they don’t open up to others easily but they work so well together that they were able to find each other and do the very thing that scares them most and now they’re each other’s family and i think that’s beautiful

4. My opinion: I don’t like them / they’re meh / they’re okay / I like them / I love them / I’m obssesed / They own my heart / they’re my otp (i will die for them.) (and kill too probably)

5. Favorite scene? wohoho okay uhmm so from s1: sei bellissima cazzo like i don’t think you can even understand how- like they- she- he- yeeeaahhh👉👈 but then from s3 it’s the sleepover clip, i dont care what came after i dont care about anything else and i remember the breakdowns in my groupchat the very moment he started singing

6. Favorite quote? hai copiato il look di Luca Scamarcio | ciao mi chiamo Edoardo Incanti e mi fate tutti un po’ schiffo | Communque... hai veramente dei capelli di merda | “sono talmente innamorata di edorado che -” dammi il telefono | possiamo andare dove vuoi, in spagna, in turchia, a parigi | sei bellissima cazzo | che cazzo te ridi and so many more but i have to stop myself or else

7. Favorite social media post? because of some truly unfortunate events we don’t have much content from them so i would have to say that instagram story col’ gelato:))

8. An underrated moment of them? i have two. and they aren’t scenes or clips but really just instants and i think they are underrated because... you see when working with a william character it’s very easy to slip up and make the character and the relationship abusive. however these two teeny moments do just the oposite they are written and worked into the show as a very subtle way to create a softer edo, or a “sottone” as the italian language puts it so perfectly. the 8 seconds between c’è un’ultima cosa and sei bellissima cazzo. the breath he takes, he looks away and looks nervous and that just humanizes both him and the phrase... it’s not something that he uses with everyone and even if he does those three little moments make the viewer understand that for him ele is not like the others instead of sounding like some mechanism and then you have edo’s face expressions when texting ele in tre, due, uno for the same reasons and you see that he cares for her and is happy and i realise this is like a paragraph but i love doing character and scene analysis so i just let myself loose haha

9. The most heartbreaking moment? “ops” andr*a di merdaaaaaa

10. Funniest moment? tisanina? limone o zenzero? and un bacio ofc oh and i’m rereading before posting and that moment at the end of e1 when they slide the box of cookies back and forth and ele finally reaches for it

11. The song that reminds you the most of them? uhm all of them? but probably mine by offenbach

12. Favorite change they made from the og? ele telling edo what happened instead of andr*a and ele not falling on the floor and all the other ones mentioned above in this post

13. Something you wish to see from them? domestic. we never got to see that with the og because of the extra drama but yeah like edo sort of being part of the girl squad and ele sort of being a villa dude that whole thing

14. Favorite moment in s1? sei bellissima, cazzo are you surprised?

15. Favorite moment in s2? “pensavo piovesse sempre e si mangiasse di merda” “si impara anche l’inglese, dicono serva” i just- exCUSE MEE did you just-

16. Favorite moment in s3? when she was seated on the counter in e3 and couldn’t stop laughing because girl samesies and also she was soo puuureee

17. What do you love the most about them? that they are so different yet so similar... if that makes sense

18. What do you miss the most about them? their shitty banter and roasts but like everything... i miss them so much it hurts

19. Any headcanons? i like to think that this summer was the best they had and they took so many pictures everywhere around the world but also that edo and filo became best buddies because of not what’s even the point

20. Random thought about them? their level of banter is on a level i can only aspire to reach with anyone in my life but have you seen their smiles???

i am tagging: anyone who wants to it:))

#i was tagged #incantava #can you tell i like sei bellissima cazzo? because i rly dont #i mean obviously #thank you so much for tagging me this was so fun:)

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puregummi · 5 years

Text

Wanted to practice writing fight scenes! So have the fight between Popu and Limon that turned Limon good- or well, not evil anymore.

Limon stood before the fallen warriors, dark aura enveloping her as her dark expression grew. A sharp tooth smiled bare for all to see.

“I thought you Z Fighters would put up a better fight! Since I was so easy to beat the first time around.” The young Majin mocked. This wasn’t her first fight with the Earth’s defenders. Initially when she came to this planet she tried to take them on, with the help of her Saiyan bodyguards of course. While the Saiyans provided a bit of an upper hand for Limon, she was no match once Goku and Vegeta arrived on the scene. However after a year of radio silence, the Majin was back and way stronger than they thought. But without her Saiyan friends. What a mistake that was.

However they seemed to have gravely underestimated the Majin.

She took down each Z fighter one by one, effortlessly almost. Where did all this power come from?! Limon taunted them from her place above them, beaten down and damaged. Goku and Vegeta were out of the count- nobody knew where they were right now. But it’d be really nice for them to drop in any moment now! Limon began approaching the fallen warriors. This was it, this was the end. A Majin finally came to destroy them and their world and they couldn’t stop them this time.

However before Limon got too close, a figure appeared.

It was quick and sudden, everybody looked up to the shorter pink Majin who appeared before them, eyes scowled and teeth bare.

“I thought I told you to scram and tell my father we wanted nothing to do with him.” Popu glared, causing Limon to snicker back at her. “You really think just because you asked I’d just leave? I’m as much an heiress as you are Popu! You have no authority over me.” Limon sneered, causing Popu to glare. “I’m not asking for authority. I’m asking you to fuck off.” She took a step forward. The Yellow majin made no movements, watching Popu with a delighted smirk. “Oh ho, quite unbecoming of you, your highness. Such words aren’t be coming for the crowned princess of our clan!” She mocked. In a second Popu made her move, Limon barely blocking with her own arm.

“Ah, you’re much faster than I remember. Have you been training?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” Popu hissed, kneeing the other Majin. Limon coughed a bit, a devious smile appearing on her face as she dealt a blow to the side of Popu’s face. The smaller Majin growled. Now it was on.

Everybody watched in awe as Popu gave it her all. Watching her fight was a rare occasion, she much preferred to sit and watch and when she did fight, it was all for the fun of it. She held her arms up shielding her face as Limon dealt blow after blow against her. Raising one arm slightly, she blocked the other’s arm as she grabbed her incoming fist, trying to force the other down in submission. Limon growled, eyes wide and manic as she kneed Popu. As she doubled over, the yellow Majin clasped both hands together as she knocked Popu over the head, sending her flying towards the ground. The crater it left was immense, debris covering the smaller opponent in a thick fog of dust. Popu coughed as she pushed herself up, shaking her head. Oh, now she was pissed.

“I’m getting real sick and tired of this.” Popu growled, shooting back up and dealing an uppercut to Limon. The majin sputtered, flying back and shaking her head. Realigning her jaw slightly, she blasted towards Popu, shooting all kinds of Ki flares at her. Popu dodged them all effortlessly, teleporting behind Limon the moment she got close. They were causing too much damage to the city and it was best to deal with her quickly. Popu didn’t have time to tango with this pompous uppity piece of shit and she was going to end it as quickly as she could.

“What the-?!” Limon glanced around her, where had that tiny pink blob gone?!

“Stay dead.” Popu growled as her hands lit up in a menagerie of purples and pinks. Limon whipped her head behind her, pupils shrinking and eyes wide as the other dealt a Majin Kamehameha at point plank.

Popu thought that’d be the end of it, wiping her hands together and letting out a sigh. However, before she could set down on Earth, the sound of an Instant Transmission caught her as Limon grabbed her shoulder. “Did you forget I could do that too?”

Popu was sent flying, crashing into a building. Limon laughed maniacally as Popu came barreling out, resuming her fight with Limon.

She could match her in speed and strength, this was getting ridiculous. At this rate she might- she might…

“Feh!” The pink Majin snarled.

Popu let out a shockwave of energy, sending Limon back. She had no choice. There was no way she could overpower Limon at this rate. She was… She was going to have to learn how to control herself real fast and not lose herself in the process. The grounded Z Fighters watched as the fight progressed, growing more and more concerned for Popu. They knew she could fight- but she was quickly losing leverage it seemed. However, the girl began to change. Plumes of smoke began radiating from the vents in her body.

“What is she…” Krillin stared. Limon blinked back, furrowing her brows.

“Wait. What are you doing? You’re not-” Limon’s eyes widened. Popu smirked, glaring at Limon. “Mom and dad never taught you, did they?” Was all she managed out before she was enveloped in the smoke. Her breathing was caught in her throat and she began to change, a demonic roar being ripped from her throat as air rushed out of her, clearing the smoke. Her body contorted in ways that made anyone’s backs ache. Flopping forward like a limp doll, she lifted her head slightly to reveal wide dark black eyes and small red irises. A sharp tooth grin flashing itself to Limon. Her tendrils had joined to become one long one hanging off her head while her body morphed to be the spitting image of the malicious Kid Buu. The Majin symbol on her belt shined in the sun as she stood, glaring at the other. “Why so scared Limon? I thought you were stronger than me.”

“You…!” Limon clenched her teeth, hesitating slightly. THIS was purification. She didn’t know how to enter such a phase. But how?! Her sisters weren’t able to utilize the form either! Why was Popu able too?!

However, everyone on the ground was much more surprised and shocked than Limon was. Popu. Sweet little Popu who wouldn’t hurt a fly. With eyes full of stars and a smile so bright it felt like sunshine. She was the sweetest Majin to ever land on Earth. She was friendly, charismatic and generally harmless. Nobody thought she could become the image of something so evil and monstrous. But the truth was Popu had always been this way. She’s always been able to utilize this form and she was stronger than people took her for. Nobody ever respected Popu the way she wanted. She may have been cute but she was a fighter, she was the daughter of one of the universe’s most terrifying species. Majins weren’t all happiness and rainbows, there were some capable of atrocities around the universe who had no qualms of ending lives and destroying worlds. Popu comes from that lineage of Majin. And in this form, it becomes quite apparent.

The shockwave she made when colliding with Limon threw back even those on the ground. Limon struggled to keep her arms up as Popu mercilessly dealt throw after throw, a wicked smile as she relished in the struggle and pain Limon felt. Oh how good it felt to be back in this skin. How long has she gone in that smaller, inferior form? She wasn’t much taller when pure, she knew, but she much preferred the ferocity and power of this than what her unpure form dished out. Limon’s guard finally broke, giving Popu a good opening to send the girl flying. A cackle left the Pure Majin’s throat as she watched the other weakly pick herself up.

“Is that all you got?! What happened to your much ‘superior’ strength? Huh?” She taunted, crossing her arms. She moved out of the way as Limon’s ki blast barely scraped her cheek. Hm. She was rusty. No matter, the Majin smirked as she launched herself at Limon. Kicking up debris and dust as the two brawled in the pit she created.

Limon met each punch Popu gave, blocking kicks and elbows as the other became more and more barbaric in her attacks. Although base Popu had form and calculated strikes, Pure Popu would quickly lose herself in the heat of battle, just trying anything that would seem to work. This began to weigh in Limon’s favor, throwing her punch to the side and managing to get a hold of Popu, bringing her face against her knee, the pink Majin let out a bark of pain. In her daze Limon was able to follow up with another kick that sent Popu against the crater. She spat out some blood, staring at the vaguely magenta stain against the dirt. Oh, she was not having any of it. Growling, she caught Limon off guard with a vanishing ball. The shockwave bounced Limon against the ground, knocking the wind out of her lungs. Gasping, she stared at Popu as she approached. Her arm stretched attempting to smash Limon. Limon rolled quickly, scrambling to her feet as Popu continued to set her barrage against her. This was getting out of hand quickly. She had to subdue Popu quickly or else she’s not getting out of this alive.

She let out a calm sigh, reacting accordingly to Popu’s unpredictable movements. The unpredictable soon became predictable with each thrown ki blast and punch. Popu seemed to go back to the same few moves when she got frustrated, and that feeling of frustration is what Limon is gonna rely on to hopefully pull through as victor. But Popu was full of surprised. Anticipating one attack, Limon was caught in a Pearl Flash, ripping a scream of pain from her. Popu smirked as she grabbed Limon’s body. The other clawed against Popu, squirming and attempting to break free to no avail.

“Look at you. You’re no match for me Limon. Why do you fight anyways? For our father? You do know he doesn’t love you right?”

That struck a chord with Limon, causing her to furrow her brows up to the other.

“He never did. Not you, not me. If you think I’m a monster then do I got bad news for you. He’s a disgusting tyrant who’s using us as weapons and pawns. He sent you here to look for us. For me. You say you’re just as much of an heir as I am? In his eyes you’re nothing more than a lowly drone with your only mission being to bring back his precious crowned heir!” She spat, pulling Limon’s face closer to her’s. Popu’s teeth were bared in a snarl as the other winced.

“There’s no point in this. He’ll throw you to the curb the moment you complete your job. He’ll never love you no matter what you do and you’re either going to accept that or die in vain.” She threw down Limon against the ground harshly. Despite her unhinged nature in this form, she held enough of a grip on herself to be able to give Limon a choice. A choice to stop fighting and never show her face against or a choice to fight bared to the teeth and die a mistake.

“I…”

Limon stared at her hands, eyes hollow. For once, she questioned her obedience and loyalty to their father. True he had never once shown her an ounce of love. But she thought… If she could just do this one task… Perhaps…

“Hurts doesn’t it?” Popu’s voice cut through like a knife. Limon twitched slightly, looking back up to Popu. The smoke was beginning to ventilate from her once more as she let out a sigh, her form returning to what it once was. She no longer stared at Limon with contempt and ridicule. Instead it was more… Sad. Sympathetic. She was once in Limon’s shoes, angry at the world and not understanding why her parents didn’t love her. But she grew to understand that, it didn’t matter if her parents did or not. They may have raised her, but she wasn’t obligated to be their child. If that made sense. It took years to undo the gaslighting and manipulation that left her when she landed on this planet. Limon was a case forced to age quickly for a specific person. She was a drone. Not her father’s child.

Limon was silent once more. She didn’t know how to answer. She… Didn’t feel like fighting anymore.

The young Majin stood up, looking at Popu. Her eyes were empty, unreadable. Taking a deep breath Limon turned, taking to the sky and disappearing to the forest. Popu watched quiet as the other made her resolution. She hoped Limon could overcome her problems like she did and perhaps, one day, they could meet again on better terms.

#❦ ▉ ▏ ᶦ ᶜᵒᵘˡᵈ'ᵛᵉ ᵇᵉᵉⁿ ʷʰᵒ ʸᵒᵘ ⁿᵉᵉᵈ ʳᶦᵍʰᵗ ⁿᵒʷ ⁽ᵐᵃʲᶦⁿ ᵖᵒᵖᵘ⁾#❦ ▉ ▏ ᶦ ⁿᵉᵛᵉʳ ʷᵃⁿᵗᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ᵇᵉ ᵗʰᶦˢ ᵐᵉ ⁽ᵐᵃʲᶦⁿ ˡᶦᵐᵒⁿ⁾#❦ ▉ ▏ ᵃ ᵗʳᵃⁿˢᶜʳᶦᵖᵗ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᵗʰᵉ ᵗᶦᵐᵉˢᶜʳᵒˡˡˢ ⁽ᵈʳᵃᵇᵇˡᵉ⁾#i like never write fight scenes so i'm trying to practice when one of my girls inevitably start a fight #i'd appreciate any advice! or really a thesaurus on words that i can use for fighting asdashdas

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