#nice crunchy bread | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

devils-dares · 2 months

Text

Mac N' Cheese

summary: waking up in the middle of the night with pregnancy cravings

pairing: carmen berzatto x pregnant!reader

wordcount: 526

warnings: language, smoking

a/n: first carmy fic! let me know what you think + join my celebration!

-----

Gooey gooey pull apart cheese… crispy bread crumbs sprinkled in… perfectly boiled pasta.

If you didn’t get your hands on the mac and cheese from that place on Second Street right this second-

You had just fallen asleep when you started salivating- frothing at the mouth- for the damn mac and cheese. You toss and turn, even getting up to take a sip or two of water to wash that craving out of your mouth but it doesn’t work.

Your phone lights up the dark room as you check the hours for that place. Of course it’s closed, it’s two in the morning. You groan quietly, not wanting to wake your boyfriend.

But it’s so cheesy and messy and-

“What’s goin’ on?” He says, startling you.

“N-nothing, go back to sleep.” He groans, sitting up. He rubs his eyes with the backs of his hands.

“Is pumpkin botherin’ you?”

“She wants the mac and cheese from that place on Second.” He blinks in the darkness.

“It’s probably closed.”

“It is, I checked.”

“...we can grab some tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Your mouth falls into a pout. “Your daughter’s givin’ me heartburn for this damn mac and cheese.”

“Pumpkin, quit the heartburn, it’s sleepy time.” He slides back down, resting his head on his pillow again.

The son of a bitch yawns and falls right back asleep. You glare at his slumbering form- must be fuckin’ nice- his breaths evening out into a sweet slumber.

A sigh, more tossing and turning. Carmy wakes up, leaving the bed.

“Where are you goin’?” You ask, but he doesn’t respond, instead mumbling something incoherent and walking out of the bedroom.

“Stay.”

“I’m not a dog-”

“Will you just not argue with me for one night? God, always sayin’ shit. I get all the damn naggin’ from work already. Could make that shit better than that fuckin’ place on Second.” He says, voice fading as he walks to the kitchen. You yell after him, but still you stay put sitting in the bed.

You can almost smell the cheese, imagining floating to the kitchen on the smell like a fucking cartoon. You hear him grumbling about, and a window opens. He’s been smoking out the window since you got pregnant, trying to limit the amount of second-hand you get exposed to. You’ve been trying to get him to quit, but he cites specifically Richie as his “pulmonary demise”.

His footsteps grow closer and closer, and you see his silhouette in the doorway.

“Bear special for you and the pumpkin.” He serves it to you all messy and gooey, breadcrumbs sprinkled haphazardly on the top.

“Holy fuck.” You say, snatching the bowl from him and digging in almost immediately. He sighs, clambering back into bed and pulling the covers up and over his head.

“Go to town.” He says, and you can practically hear the eyeroll in his voice.

You destroy it, the cheese pulling apart from the noodles so messy, all golden and crunchy from the breadcrumbs.

It’s a goddamn masterpiece.

“Carmy, Carmy.”

“Hm?”

“Did you have any extra?” He turns over quickly to peek at you.

“You fuckin’ finished it all already?”

#carmy berzatto #the bear #the bear fic #carmy berzatto fic #carmen berzatto #carmen berzatto fic #carmy berzatto x reader #carmy berzatto x you #carmy berzatto x fem!reader #carmy berzatto x female reader #carmen berzatto x reader #carmen berzatto x you #carmen berzatto x female reader #carmen berzatto x fem!reader

633 notes · View notes

bastardclownbaby · 2 years

Text

got woken up about 5 different times this morning so between all that I ended up sleeping until almost 12

#also im in an eat everything mood even tho i absolutely should NOT i don't look great atm #i literally just had a toastie theres only a crust of bread left idek what id eat #i just want something nice and crunchy i can dip in mayo

1 note · View note

hunn1e-bunn1e · 7 months

Text

Denji Hayakawa - "Half Your Melon Bread"

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

In which a certain chainsaw devil man shares a sweet treat with a stranger at the park after shirking his devil hunting duties for the day. Or; In which you give Denji half of your melon bread out of sympathy poor hungry devil hunter boy.

Part 2

🍞•♡•🥐•♡•🥖•♡•🫓•♡•🥨•♡•🥯•♡•🥞•♡•🧇

"Maaan, today was a long one"

Denji groaned out; stretching as he walked along the vacant street.

He had snuck off from Aki and Power not too long ago; ditching his assignment in favor of following a stray dog he'd spotted on the way. Unfortunately, he had lost sight of the dog soon after and now he was lost, wandering about the empty streets.

Just up ahead he spotted a park. It was one of those parks with a half playground; just a singular slide and a standard two-person swing set. There were also quite a few benches that littered the outer border and faced inward toward the playground.

But something caught Denji's eye or rather someone did. On a bench sat a lone person, a human, at least from what he could see at the distance he was standing from them.

Their back was turned to him, but he could see right off the bat that they had some kind of food given the way their arms and mouth were moving. From the ever-shrinking distance he found himself at, Denji believed it was a burger or something; he'd heard those were pretty damn good.

A nice, pillowy, sesame seed bun, melty cheese, crunchy pickles and onions, a thick juicy patty, and every condiment he could get his hands on... man, that sounds amazing right about now.

G U R G L E

Shit, now he was hungry.

Unfortunately due to ditching the blood-loving psycho and cock blocking top knot that were his partners, he had no money to buy food.

But the person on the bench had come to a stop next to his food... would they share with him? Or at least give him some money to buy his own? Probably not, but it's worth a try. So, the chainsaw devilman took a seat next to the stranger and simply glanced at their food from time to time, looking away every time they looked at him.

"Here."

The stranger softly spoke, catching the dirty blonde's attention.

In their hand was half of the packaged snack that they were previously holding; it looked like a bun but it was shiny with a criss-cross pattern on the top. Denji froze, not knowing how to respond; he didn't think he would get this far. Hell, he didn't even know what they were giving him.

"It's melon bread. I didn't poison it or anything; you saw it in the package already."

The stranger speaks again, this time standing up and holding the snack out the the devilman.

Hesitantly, Denji took it from their outstretched hand. He looked it over and lifted it to his nose, taking in it's fruity scent. Then he took a bite; and his mind was blown.

"I hope you enjoy it, you looked hungry. Well, see ya."

The stranger smiled at him gently, letting out a soft chuckle, before turning and walking away.

The dirty blonde-haired boy jumped a bit as he watched them walk away. Was it weird that he wanted them to stay here a bit longer? Should he tell them his name?

But, unfortunately for Denji, when he had finally made up his mind, the stranger was gone.

🍞•♡•🥐•♡•🥖•♡•🫓•♡•🥨•♡•🥯•♡•🥞•♡•🧇

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

Wanna see similar content? Check out my Masterlist!

619 notes · View notes

theunaestheticstudyblr · 8 months

Text

Some of my favorite easy and fast foods/snacks for $5 or less that aren't ramen and spaghetti:

Couscous. You can get boxed couscous for like $3 and it's enough for 2-3 side dishes at least and takes literally 5 minutes and no extra ingredients. You can get large containers of it for like $5 at Walmart too so you can season however you want. A nice grain that's easy to digest and pairs well with almost anything.

Popcorn. Everyone's favorite healthy junk food that can satisfy most cravings. You can usually get a box for like $4 or a jar of kernels for like $6.

Oats. Whole oats. Extremely versatile. Put them in smoothies, make cookies, granola, snack bars/balls, brownies, oatmeal, etc. Truly the best bland fiber and filler out there. You can even easily make your own oatmilk for super cheap by blending them with water and straining!

Frozen veggies. Last for months in the freezer and usually under $2 a bag. Not great if you prefer raw veggies, but if you are fond of sautéed or roasted ones, save some money and just get them frozen.

Chocolate chips. Cheaper than chocolate bars and you get a lot more chocolate. Perfect for those cravings!

Powdered potatoes. I know I know but if you ignore the package directions and put some butter and milk and seasonings in it, you can't tell. Ready in like 2 minutes and you get a shit ton of mashed potatoes for like $2.

Vegan Mac and cheese. I'm lactose intolerant and so I will forever be thankful for the vegan movement of the early 2010s for making nondairy products easier to find and more affordable. Vegan Mac and cheese literally tastes the exact same and bakes so well. Annie's so far has been my favorite brand and they have other pastas with sauces too like squash which is so good.

Crepes. You can make your own batter for cheap but who likes all them dishes? You can find pre-made crepes for like $3 for 10.

Apples. You can find 2lb bags of these for $3 at a lot of places. I never knew they were so cheap and I go through phases where I'll eat like 4 a day.

Lunch meat. Packs of turkey cost like $4. I use turkey on so much. Bagels, omelets, salads, sandwiches, wraps, croissants, etc.

Ready to bake pastries. I'm not a big bread person but croissants ready to bake have my whole heart and cinnamon rolls can really help make a bad day a little better.

Pretzels. I'm an absolute whore for Pretzels and eat so many of these things. They're so easy to pack for snacks for class or anything really. I can't go two weeks without them.

Rice crisps. Rice cakes are great but they're big and crumbly and get stale if you don't close the bag JUST right. But little Rice crisps??? Elite. They come in so many flavors and are super crunchy and they're just super cute too and they're bogo a lot at publix.

Frozen potstickers. You can get them for so cheap and I have a giant bag of them in my freezer right now that I got for like $7. I usually get smaller portions for $4 or so though but decided to splurge and get 3lbs of them cus why not.

Frozen shrimp. A bag of extra small Frozen shrimp is about $5 at Walmart. Eat them thawed and cold or put them in pastas or rice or Soups. They're a staple in my house.

These are just a few I could think of off the top of my head. Please add to the list!

#study blog #student #student life #studyblr #productivity #school #study hard #studying #school advice #food mention #food and drink #foodie #food #groceries #cheap #save money #frugal #college student

249 notes · View notes

darkdarkstucky · 1 year

Text

Enchanted, S. Rogers and C. Kent.

SUMMARY: In a world where Omega's were scant and decent alpha's even more so, you think you're one in a million to be in a relationship with Alpha's who not only take care of your every whims and need, but also love and respect you unconditionally. However, your marital bliss of two years is interrupted by the concept of ‘true mates’.

Pairings: Steve Rogers x Reader x Clark kent.

Warnings: Cursing, Angst.

CHAPTER THREE

“Wake up, buttercup!” Natasha cheerily exclaims, clapping her hands together after successfully pulling back the curtains to let the sunshine in your desolate quarters. You groaned sleepily turning your head towards the other direction, until she peeled the covers back from you.

“Uh-uh, we are not letting you sleep in the bed for days on end again.” the red head tuts, pulling your limp arm and ushering you towards a seating position. “Today, we're going out and walking on sunshine vampy.”

“No. Let me wallow in doubt and sadness.” you whine, eyes shut. You were still in dreamland, nestled in the covers with the ac on full blast— and you could literally spend days in the bed it feels like. You were always so sleepy and tired.

Part of you blamed it on over-thinking. Your brain must have been fueling up for all of your racing thoughts. Or it was only during sleep that you weren't thinking anything.

“Can't. The sun is up and the day is to be conquered. Where's your fucking spirit?”

“Oh wait! I remember where i left it, let me check.” you wiggled, making her hold loosen before you dived back into the sheets.

Comfy. So so nice.. you rub your face in Clark's pillow, sighing out in bliss. Just as you were about to doze off again..

“Nat!” you bellow, feeling yourself get lifted off the bed and towards the en suite.

“We're going out and fucking things up dollface! No excuses!”

☁️

“I feel like richard gere and you're my bitch- well, technically not one, but you get my point.” Nat nonchalantly puts down the menu, staring at you from across the table.

There was an astounding array of shopping bags placed neatly along the floor, both of you going haywire on different shops and swiping daddy's plastics, and only when you calmed down did you realize how much clothes you bought.

You'd feel bad, yet both Steve and Clark had gaslighted you early on that it isn't real money princess. So you went on your merry way each time and thought as if you were only playing pretend.

“Why can't i be a bitch?” you mutter, inbetween bites of garlic bread, basically inhaling the small tray of decadent pastry. It was crunchy, and soft on the inside with hints of melted cheese. Ohmy, you wanted to gobble it up.

Nat looked at you as if you were stupid. “Because.. you're rainbows, and butterflies and shiny shimmering glitter.”

You made a face, “You're saying i'm made of nice things? Aww, naty.”

“Yes, and if i put you in my mouth, you'll melt like a cotton candy.” she flippantly voices, which made both of you stare at eachother— silent and intent gazes, before bursting into laughter. Giggling at the unknown double entrede.

“Hello, madamme.” Your head snaps towards a slightly familiar older man decked in a pristine suit, an easy yet flattering grin on his face. “How are you finding your lunch? Has anyone taken your order yet?”

“Oh, hey ben. It's pleasant, as it always is. We've actually just placed our orders,” You smile in response.

“Oh that's great! and you're here with Mrs. Barnes, i see.” He politely nods to the red head. “Will you be joining Mr. Kent at the second floor? He's got an entourage, but i doubt it's concerning business. It appears to be more casual.”

“Is that so? I mean, Clark did say something about a lunch. Who's he with?” Your mouth moves faster than you could think.

In reality, the only thing you've recieved from both of them were casual goodmornings and update as to where they were. Steve was in France, Clark said he was in Russia. Atleast, that was what they told you.

“The usual, madamme. A couple of security details, and a new secretary. She seems to be new, atleast from who Mr. Kent usually keeps in his payroll.” The host narrates, thinking nothing of it. Everyone was already well aware of how much you meant to your husbands— to the point where nobody would bat an eye if they were seen out with another woman. Nobody could possibly believe they would replace you.

And you hated to jump into conclusions, but why would he need to lie?

Your heart wanted to lurch out of your chest. Nat's clearing of her throat made you snap out of your spiral; and you schooled your features back into a cheery expression once again.

“Well, if Mr. Kent wouldn't mind our presence.”

☁️

“.. I was actually a scholar of Kent foundation. Can you believe it? Our fates, so intertwined. It was really as if we were meant to be.” Lois gushes, leaning over in her chair, looking at him as if she were about to jump his bones.

Frankly, it made him quite uncomfortable. Nothing about this - if you could even call it a date, it was more like a formal gathering or a meet of sorts that he was inclined to arrange- felt natural, nor right.

Clark wanted to rely on his base instincts for direction but he couldn't grope for a shred of connection. Not even a silver of fondness, which is strange, considering thag they were supposed to be compatible— the person oppsite of him bore the genetic compatibility, as per several tests.

Though, what she said piqued his interest. “Which part of town would you say?”

“Upper east side,” Lois responds. Clark shifted in his seat, a smile making it's way to his features which held a considerable sway in her judgement. He asks a few more questions in that honeyed voice of his, to which she absently replied at.

“Huh, would you look at that.” He leans back in his seat, gears in his head turning but he maintained an easy smile on his face, mirth dancing in the darkened blue of his eyes.

“How about i permanently move your residence in, say, one of my towers?” Lois' breath hitched at the proposal.

“I-i mean, sure if that's what you want.” she gathered herself for a while, before remembering to act bashful and blinking up at him rapidly, smiling coyly. “I'm yours afterall. Your mate.”

You can hear the jeers and the laughter, staying through the conversation, until you found yourself feeling literal pangs of hurt in your chest. Fuck. What does all of this mean?

“Let me kill this son of a whore,” Nat was about to angrily storm inside, but you managed to stop her, putting an arm out.

“Don't even bother.” you murmur, finding it hard to find your own voice. At that point, you felt almost numb— as if your brain was shutting down from what you've heard, finding it difficult to process at all.

You woke up with the hope of your marriage still intact. Thinking, rather stupidly, that this was just a rather difficult hurdle in your marriage. Thinking that perhaps, this was all just a big misunderstanding like what you were repeatedly assured of.

But this was beyond even your wildest dreams. Nothing made sense. It was as if your world was crashing down on you all at once. True mates? It mocks you repeatedly.

Steve and Clark told you that you were the one. You believed them, because why would they lie to you? They had no reason to!

To get in your pants, silly. The rational, or was it pessimistic part of you said.

You blinked away the tears, turning around, and indulging in the manical urge that clouded all your rationality— run.

So you fled.

455 notes · View notes

fieriframes · 1 year

Text

[And then this nice crunchy bread with the tomato sauce that you make yourself but romans often took family names from agriculture, Cato.]

#s17e08 timeless traditions #guy fieri #guyfieri #diners drive-ins and dives #nice crunchy bread #tomato sauce #family names #romans #agriculture #cato

4 notes · View notes

egcdeath · 11 months

Note

peanut

pairing: joel miller x reader

summary: you and joel have a blowout argument… over peanut butter.

word count: 600

warnings: don’t read if you have a peanut allergy, borderline crack fic with how unserious joel and the reader are, crunch peanut butter slander, fluff, established relationship, domestic, slice of life, no outbreak, no use of y/n, not edited

authors note: send me a random word or phrase and i’ll write a drabble!

“Joel, what is this?” you were disgusted and appalled as you turned the blue-lidded jar over in your hands. What was meant to be a nice mid-afternoon snack had quickly devolved into a mid-afternoon nightmare as you laid your eyes on that label.

“What do you mean, ‘what is this?’ It’s peanut butter,” Joel dismissed, coming over from where he was lounging on his favorite recliner in his living room to the kitchen island where you were currently assembling yourself a snack. He wasted no time taking the jar from your hands, and evaluating the object that had caused all of this commotion in the first place.

“You’re kidding,” you said with a bit of a quirked brow and a slight squint of your eyes, attempting to gauge whether or not your partner was purposefully fucking with you.

“I’m not. What’s the big issue?” Joel unscrewed the lid and grabbed the knife you had sitting by your pre-jellied slices of bread. “Looks like peanut butter to me.”

“You don’t notice anything… off about it?” you pressed, watching carefully as Joel dipped the knife into the fresh jar and revealed an unappetizing, chunky paste.

“Mm… no? Should I?” from the way Joel made eye contact with you as he ran the now peanut-buttered butter knife against his tongue, you knew he had to be fucking with you.

“No special tastes or textures?” you emphasized, trying to get to the bottom of the situation. There was no way you’d married someone who buys chunky peanut butter on purpose. There was simply no way.

Joel shrugged dismissively once more, but the slight smirk he was sporting told you all that you needed to know. “Not a fan of crunchy peanut butter?” he finally asked, thoroughly entertained by the slack jawed look you were giving him.

“You actually like crunchy peanut butter?” you replied, somehow even more horrified as Joel happily crunched away on his monstrosity of a spread.

“Always have,” he said casually, as if he wasn’t dropping a massive bomb on you.

“No way,” you argued, in a bit of disbelief. If Joel really enjoyed crunchy peanut butter that much, your whole life was a lie. Your whole marriage was a lie! “You’re pulling a prank on me.”

“Nope,” he popped the ‘p’, still seeming quite pleased with himself.

“My God,” you gasped, clutching your chest. “I don’t even know who you are!”

“Someone with taste,” Joel pushed back, thoroughly entertained with your dramatics.

“You don’t even know how wrong you are,” you scoffed.

“Oh, come on, honey. Don’t you ever get tired of smooth PB?” he asked with a grin, taking pleasure in your horror.

“No, clearly not!” you exclaimed, a bit offended at even the idea of getting tired of such a classic treat.

“Well, I do,” Joel defended himself. “Just try it once. I bet it’s not as bad as you’d think.”

“Oh, I know it’s as bad as I think,” you rebutted, crossing your arms over your chest as you watched Joel dip the knife back into that sinister jar of peanut butter.

“Just try it once,” Joel repeated, inching the knife towards your mouth in the same way that you’d seen him do for your daughter a multitude of times. It seemed like a small miracle that Joel didn’t give you a, ‘Here comes the airplane!’

“If you don’t get that knife out of my face, you’re sleeping on the couch tonight.” Joel cracked a smile at your reluctance, which only fueled your annoyance more. “Joel. I’m not kidding.”

“Come on,” he sing-songed, amused by just how stubborn you were being. He continued to inch the knife closer and closer to you until you finally accepted your fate, sticking your tongue out unenthusiastically and trying out the peanut butter.

“Alright,” you conceded. It wasn’t half as bad as you thought it would be, but you would never tell your partner that—especially with the way that Joel was grinning at you from the other side of the counter. “It was okay. But you’re still sleeping on the couch tonight.”

#joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller fluff #pedro pascal x reader #the last of us fic #one word drabbles

267 notes · View notes

dduane · 7 months

Text

For those who were curious how the rye bread baked the other day came out…

Nice crumb. The crust started out very crunchy, but that can make it difficult to get even slices off the loaf, so I left it in the bag for a day or so.

And here’s the first sandwich. (Roast beef with mayo and French’s mustard.)

…So this recipe checks out. 😄

#bread #sandwich

135 notes · View notes

sourlemonsprout · 3 months

Text

𝒫𝐵&𝒥'𝓈

How the boys prefer their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

⊹˚₊‧────────────‧₊˚⊹

Seth likes a nice loaf of oatnut bread with Jif's extra crunchy peanut butter. If he can get his hands on some of Smucker's apple cider butter, he's a happy man, but he'll settle with the classic Smucker's Concord grape jelly any day. If he's feeling a little fancy, he might toast the bread and cut the sandwich diagonally. Omg wouldn't it be funny if Seth bought Dave's Killer Bread?

Charlie gives off the kinda vibe where he would devour white bread and Skippy's creamy peanut butter. If he's not horkin' down a PB with no J, he's happily eating an Uncrustable. Strawberry is definitely his favorite flavor, but the PB honey one is not far behind.(He got used to it because that's the only flavor AL and Seth would give him back in the day)

Alphonse used to use plain white bread, but after he started dating Boo, he switched to try and be healthier (he won't go 100% whole grain but progress is progress). Other than that, he's not too picky, he likes creamy peanut butter with a Raspberry preserve, but he puts so much on you could barely swallow due to the shear amount of peanut butter. Additionally, I can't shake the feeling that he would've used, or at the very least tried Goober (the peanut butter and jelly mixed in a jar).

⊹˚₊‧────────────‧₊˚⊹

#yuurivoice #yuurivoice stuff #yuurivoice fandom #yuurivoice seth #yuurivoice alphonse #yuurivoice charlie #writting #sourlemonsprout

70 notes · View notes

asumofwords · 1 year

Text

Smoke, Fire and Ash

Warnings: This fic includes noncon, dubcon, manipulation, violence and inc3st. Tags will be added as the fic goes on.

This is a dark!fic. 18+ only. Read at your own discretion. Please read the warnings before continuing.

Summary: You are the eldest daughter of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen. You are forced to navigate the difficult surroundings of your upbringing and the eventual disintegration between your family and the Hightower's relationship. What will happen when your older and estranged uncle suddenly takes a more sinister interest in you? (Dark!Aemond x Reader)

Characters: Aemond Targaryen X Reader, HOTD characters.

Note: What a tangled web I weave... Good lord, somebody get the reader some anger management classes. She truly is her fathers daughter.

Chapter 9: Milk of the Poppy

You were awoken by the soft stirrings of Saria and Aella placing your dinner on the table. You pushed yourself up in the plush of the sheets, rubbing the sleep from your eyes, the dull ache of your feet slowly coming back with your consciousness.

The smell of the cooked meats and vegetables wafted across the room towards, making your stomach grumble. You sniffed, moving to the side of the bed before pulling yourself out.

Slowly you limped towards the table, breathing sharply out your nose through the pain. Hearing your approach your two maids turned quickly.

“My Lady, you should rest!” Aella said, running across the room to hold onto your arm gently.

“I am sure I will survive this short distance.”

Reaching the table you plopped down into the high back wooden chair. Its upholstery was a soft orange with golden flowers embroidered on it. Upon the table sat a roast with warm fresh bread and a flagon of ale. A smaller golden goblet was placed in front of you.

“I had the Maester bring more Milk of the Poppy for you, Princess.” She explained, “You need rest to gather your strength.” The small golden chalice held the familiar scent that seemed to follow your GrandSire.

“I have strength enough plenty. I am a Dragon not a mouse,” You snapped, patience and composure dwindling, unravelling like thread. You sighed, uttered a small apology and thanked her.

She does not deserve your fire.

Reaching forward you picked up the flagon of ale, pouring it into a glass provided. The bread was warm, fresh from the ovens, the crust perfectly crunchy, which tore apart softly with your hands. You slathered the bread with butter and popped it into your mouth.

As a child you recalled the bakers in the Red Keep. Whenever you became upset, your mother would call for bread to be brought up to the room with spreads. It always calmed you and gave you something to do with your hands. Anxiety from the whispers in court, and tension having used to distress you. The bread was so soft, it melted on your tongue.

Swallowing on your mouthful, you looked to your maids,

“How does my family fair this evening?” You inquired.

“They are all dining in the hall, Princess.” Saria began, “Princess Helaena seemed sad at your absence, but Our Lady, Princess Rhaenyra, assured everyone you would be joining them for celebrations soon.”

“Oh?” You looked up, interest peaking, “What celebrations?” You inquired.

Placing a small cut of potato into your mouth and chewing, you continued, “I have yet to be informed of any joyous occasion.” You grumbled, moving on to shred a large piece of meat apart on your plate with a knife.

“Oh!” Aella exclaimed, “Her Majesty the Queen wanted to hold celebrations for the engagement of Prince Aegon and Princess Helaena. As you all were not present at their initial ceremony in the Red Keep, the Queen thought it would be nice for you all to celebrate their union as one.”

“Not present?” You scoffed, “We were not welcomed to our own families union. I am sure it must have just slipped Queen Alicent’s pretty little head.” Your mood had soured.

You did not wish to celebrate the union of your cruel uncle to your sweet and kind aunt. Helaena did not deserve such a punishment from the Gods. To be wed to Aegon is to be wed to a monster. You could only hope that Helaena could avoid his cruelty.

You ate your dinner at a languid pace, barely touching the ale in front of you, save for small sips to help the food go down. The girls asked if you would like to be readied to retire for the night, however you had not been touched by fatigue, your rest from the day giving you energy at such a late hour.

They bid you goodnight and left to their quarters, leaving you to your own bitter thoughts. Your mantra had already unstuck. You felt yourself growing restless in your chambers, the incidents of the past days turning in your mind.

Lifting yourself from the table, you hobbled towards the window and looked out into the night. The sky was clear and the moon high, the light of it reflecting off of the sea, appearing to dance with the current. How you wished to go out and fly, but you knew it was best to stay in and heal.

Looking back to the table you eyed the Milk of the Poppy, surely you could drink some now to relieve the pain and not sleep straight away. Walking over, you grasped the small golden chalice and lifted it to your lips, taking a deep inhale at first, before sipping half of the rich liquid.

Limping over to the bed you placed the chalice next to you, feeling the effects of the medicine begin to take place. The awful throbbing in your feet soon began to ebb and fade, leaving a dull pulsing feeling. Your head felt lighter, and your body heavy. Your restlessness however, did not leave you.

You sat down on the edge of the bed, holding your head in your hands. You could see that your mother had missed the Red Keep and your Grandsire The King, and you could see the sorrow she had for losing her childhood friend, the Queen, to the poisonous lies of Otto Hightower.

You had a sneaking suspicion that you may be at the Keep much longer than you or your father had anticipated, and although your younger brothers were excited to be home, you could also sense the unease.

Anxious thoughts spun their way into your head like tangled webs and you felt yourself grow irritated. A sheen of sweat began to cover your skin as your heart began to race. You clawed at your chemise, pulling it from your body and throwing it upon the stone floors.

Pushing your hair away from your face you sat back on your bed, your chest rising and falling rapidly. Snatching the golden chalice you brought it back to your lips and threw the tart liquid down your throat, a small burning sensation following.

With a snarl you hurled the cup across the room, a metallic clang ringing through the chambers at impact. How dare they. How dare they all treat you this way. Your mother would soon be Queen, and you wished to see her set fire to the serpents that seemed to be all around you.

As you watched the cup roll on the floor you sunk back into your bed. Looking up at the ceiling you prayed that you and your family would survive the vipers nest unscathed and that you and your brothers keep your eyes.

As you drifted off to sleep, images of your uncle's sapphire eye swirled in your mind. Aemond was not the boy you once knew, but something that had been reborn out of the ashes. The scent of sandalwood and leather filled your senses, an odd calm blanketing you, as you finally succumbed to your dreams.

The days passed by slowly, blending gently into each other. You barely left your chambers, opting to tell your family your moon's cycle had taken a toll on you after the trip to the Red Keep and you needed to rest.

Each night you ate alone, bathed alone, and slept alone, and each night you drank milk of the poppy. Saria and Aella tended to you, albeit sometimes suffocatingly, and once Lucerys was told of your condition he promised to fly with you once you had recovered.

Jacaerys visited on occasion to ensure you were okay, but mostly kept to staying close to your mother or practising his High Valyrian in the Red Keeps library.

The ache in your feet slowly faded as time healed them, the stitches no longer needed, and the smaller cuts fully healed into little scars. You often ran your fingers over them as you rested; they were smooth to the touch, and clean, not at all jagged.

Although your uncle had not taken your eye, he had scarred you, much like your brothers did him.

Helaena visited you often, and you felt no need to hide your feet from her, as you suspected she knew all along, though you didn't know if she knew the cause for the injury. Though your aunt may seem to be in her own world, she sees more than most.

Many in the court call her crazy, her odd mutterings confusing or amusing most, but you knew she was a Dragon Dreamer. Even as a child she spoke of events that were yet to happen, even uttering that Aemond would have to close an eye for a dragon; and so he did.

Helaena would sit in your room with you and embroider new insects she had found, telling you all about them and on occasion bringing them with her. Her company put you at ease and made being in your room easier to manage.

She did not chastise you for not arriving for your walk, and in fact assured you that she knew you would not have come, and instead she went to sit by the ocean to look for the spiders that lived amongst the rocks.

You wanted to ask her about Aegon, but you did not know how. He had always been cruel to her as a child, calling her stupid, and his flagrant whoring and violence assured you that he would not be a good husband.

Yet if there was anything amiss for her to talk to you about, she did not. Instead, your aunt opted to only talk about the things that you both did as children, as if the years apart had not distanced you.

She arrived one morning with no new insect or embroidery wheel with her. Pensively, she sat in front of the fireplace which was empty and looked out the window to the blue skies.

“There is a beast beneath the boards.” She spoke, finally breaking her silence. Not once looking up at you when talking.

“Beast? In the Dragonpit you mean?” You sat opposite her in the other chair, she still did not look at you.

“Beware it.” She whispered, “Hand turns loom; spool of green, spool of black.” She spoke, her hands picking at each other in her lap.

She had uttered this to you as a child, before Aemond lost his eye.

“Dragons of flesh, weaving dragons of thread.” You finished for her.

She finally looked to you, “Yes.” Then gazed back out the window.

You sat in silence, both unsure and unwilling to start a new conversation. Helaena was right; a spool of Green was the ever so ‘perfect’ Hightower's looking down their noses at you, and the spool of Black was your family.

The Hightower’s never stopped wearing green, except Helaena, who opted to wear more yellows and light orange dresses.

“An eye was closed, another opened.” She broke the silence, slowly looking at you.

“What was lost is replaced, a spider's web is spun.”

“A tangled web indeed.” You responded, and she nodded.

“A dragon's death for a dragon's breath.” She whispered, reaching out towards you she held open her palm. You placed your hand in hers.

“Beware the beast beneath the boards.” She finished grasping your hand.

“I will aunt. Thank you.” You squeezed her hand. Silence surrounded you both and she continued to look at you.

“Aemond has asked after you.”

Thanks so much for reading along with me, if you wish to be added to the tag list please let me know :) Likes and reblogs are greatly appreciated ! Enjoy <3

Tag List:

@izzicle @ej-shitchats @may-machin @alegria1580 @witchy-jadda @videovampire @inkdelicious

406 notes · View notes