#now I'm picky about peas

[l0ganberry]

If I find a single pea in the packaging of my Barnaby plush, I swear-

#Imagine they do that though #just leave one dried up pea in the bag with either the plushie or even the pins #Peas are now the running gag for Welcome home #jesus christ #I've been taught to eat my greens #now I'm picky about peas #let that sink in #How tf did that sink get in here #rambles #welcome home #shitpost

[fisheito]

if someone's having a bad day what's the comfort food Yakumo would make for them? and if Yakumo's having a bad day who's the one making comfort food for him and what food is it?

ooohhhhhhhhh you would do this to me. you would walk into my room! bring up food AND that accursed snake. in front of my tiny nightlamp!!! !!

*stares at the pit laid out for me*

*leisurely walks toward it*

i think i once read in fic that yakumo cooked congee for sick food and i couldn't get it out of my mind this was before i thought about the possible ethnic influences of each character ... but once someone (was it someone HERE?) slapped "yakumo" and "han chinese" together i went "WEL>LP! *slaps my thighs* *abruptly stands* *walks out the door with my hands in the air* GUESS WE'RE DOIN THIS FOREVER, THANKS"

so. now yaku will default to making the absolute lightest congee as a "SOMEONE IS SICK AND NEEDS TO EAT" first defense unless:

-the Someone normally likes congee a certain way, and asks him to make it THAT way ((i would do this. just because i'm sick doesn't mean i'm allergic to salt. please give me my seafood congee i'll cry if it's just rice)) -the Someone has a known, OTHER preferred sick food, which yakumo will cater to the best he can. i KNOW he has a section in his brain dedicated to everyone's food preferences.

if someone doesn't like congee, he has an entire repertoire of soups to call upon. they can act as temporary sickfood til the *perfect most desirable* dish can be made what? sickie doesn't like congee? no problem. we got chikken noodle. we got cream stew. aster can procure an entire beast for bone broth in no time at all. u want blended veggebable mush? no peas, right?

example! if for some ridiculous reason dante gets sick at the mansion and he complains about the lack of solarian food while bundled under 300 blankets

yakumo is IN the library. he is OUT IN THE STREETS. researching. gathering ingredients. finding substitutes for that one solarian spice whose flavour profile is unlike anything in the light territory but HEY if you blend these 4 things we DO have together ,,it's similar enough...?

but BEFORE all that, dante is still hungy. so if picky king dante refuses to eat unless it's the Comfort Food of all time (i doubt he would refuse food all brattily in this scenario, but i'm gonna pretend he's a picky baby for fun)

then yakumo needs to prepare a pre-meal quickly! before venturing out for the grand solarian sickfood quest

in that case, i imagine he'd prepare a l'il something... where the texture and tastes are familiar to most people... like a bowl of cut up mixed fruit? or a bit of soft bread? porridge? a simple veggie broth? to fill the belly with something warm

Oh wait I REMEMBER SOMETHING FROM THE ARTBOOK. SOMETHING Like THIS!!!!!:

NNOW FOR THE OTHER SIDE OF TEHQ EUSTION *SLAPS THE WALL WITH RENEWED VIGOUR*

WHAT HAPPENS IF YAKUMO GETS SICK?! he exhibits wounded animal behaviour and drags himself into a dark corner to suffer where nobody can see him hahaha

wait. we have plenty of chefs in the mansion. that's easy enough. if any of the clan members have witnessed the secret knowledge [childhood gossip from his grandparents], then all they have to do is relay the info to the chefs.

"yakumo's grandparents always made him _____ when he was feeling bad" and BAM! professional dish ready in minutes

(i am once again assuming it'll be congee bc cooking habits are passed down LOL but if it's not that i could imagine it being a simple steamed dish like root veggies/cabbage)

that's the practical answer at least. because who wants to serve a subpar dish to chef yakumo?? in his time of weakness?!?!?

BUUUt because it's yakumo, Sappiness will help him heal faster. in which case, you could argue that a dish cooked by a mediocre-skill clan member will be as powerfully healing as a comfort dish cooked by a professional stranger.

aster would obvs make the chefs do it, and morv is not to be trusted with sustenance that is not cum. so...

safer choices: eiden, if he's better at cooking in this world now than in yaku SR intimacy rooms LOL..... but because it's eiden, even if the food is bad, yakumo's taste buds will be overshadowed by his grotesquely overwhelming love oli, who can likely cook up meals of (at least) average difficulty with consistent tastiness garu, making simple familiar meals like he did with gramps quincy, if available and willing

potential recruits: edmond under supervision, blade with a clear recipe+instructions laid out (also under supervision)

do not think about it: kuya (i bet he knows how to cook, but in ?WHAT?? universe????? would he give up his time to prepare a homecooked meal and NOT infuse it with weird stuff),

dante (i assume his cooking skills have suffered due to, you know, having to take on several other more pressing responsibilities),

rei (he will eat a poisonous shrivelled mushroom off the floor of his cabin. one that he accidentally tracked in via his boot a few weeks ago. he will consume it just to stop Father from pestering him about eating. he has no time for culinary duty)

#smiles most impishly. thaaaanks for indulging me #i am now imagining every clan member in the kitchen at once trying to make something for yakumo #the most cursed group project #asks

[bitchiswild]

storytime on how you got married because i just remember being at work when all of a sudden the marriage bot appeared and i was like ? 'who' and then BOOM you and lila were now a married couple (also the day my heart broke???)

@kittyl1z ohh Sienna... will your heart break again when I tell this story?😭

I basically gave the gist of how Lila @lilacura and I got married in the first goon central story, but sienna wants the details,so the details she will get. 😌

So it all started when Lila and I were planning my trip to her country cause we both love planning things for fun. We yapped about things we would do, where i would stay, how long i should stay, when i should come over, how she would buy me a plane ticket (sugar mommy fr) etc. THENNNN WE GOT OFF TOPIC AND STARTED talking about our birthdays, THEN we talked about our horoscopes and how she's a fire sign and I'm an air sign, so I told her that we are compatible because fire needs air to live.😎 (HAHAHA)

The she was like "STOPPPP WE'RE SOULMATES🤭" and i was like "YESSSS ATP PROPOSE TO MEEEE🤪" I was kidding during that time... but then Lila was like 🤨"who said u weren't already my wife?" in my mind i was like oh?(EHEHEH) I looked at my finger and replied to her "wheres the ring??? i see none" 🤨🤔

Then lila left to go find me a ring, she was sending me photos, but your gurly was being VERYYY MUCH PICKY WITH HER RINGS🥰 BUTTTTT Lila worked hard trying to find me a ring but none piped my interest so i went to look for it myself and sent her a pic of it and she was like "OH YOU LIKE THIS ONE?" ( yes yes i did) the she told me to wait then a second later SHE SENT THE SAME PHOTO I SENT HER TO ME AND TOLD ME TO ACT LIKE SHE CHOSE IT. so i was like "OMGGGGG ITS SOOO NICEEE YESSSSSS" then i took the ring and brought it to an editing app and edited the ring on My finger and sent it back to lila AND IT FUCKING LOOK LEGIT LMAOOOOO.

THEN THE NEXT DAY, THAT WAS WHEN WE ADOPTED KEER @keervah AND JADE @jade-jini AND LILA TOLD ME WE HAVE 2 KIDS AND I TOLD HER THAT WE DIDNT EVEN GET MARRIED YET AND WE ALREADY HAVE KIDS😭😭 but then Lila was like "I proposed yesturday🙄" and i was like "but theres no wedding🙄" ( like we didnt even sign papers😯) of course that made lila be like "WOW OKAY OUR ENGAGEMENT MEANS NOTHING TO YOU" i was shook🧍‍♀️ ( LIKE DID I NAWT SAY YESS???? I AGREEED, OUR ENGAGEMENT MADE ME GIGGLE AND KICK MY FEET, BUT WE JS NEVER SIGNED PAPERS?!) THEN SHE WAS LIKE YOU DIDNT EVEN GET ME A RING ( but little did she know i had a ring ready for her 😎 in my camera roll) So i sent it to her and of course SHE LOVEDDD ITTTTTT WHAT CAN I SAYYYYYYYYYYYY

It was perfect it was so her too then YOU SIENNA GOT BROUGHT UP CAUSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FANFIC ABOUT ME, LILA, AND SIENNA (the love triangle ff) ( guys would you be down for a fanfic like that?) ( IM KIDDING PLSS) and how in the fanfic lila would be the one to win in the end and i was TEASING I SAID "WHAT IF I LIKE SIENNA TOO" then lila got sad 😔 ( my bad bb) and was like "but we are the ones getting married." (rememberrr i said yesss to her proposallll i wouldnt js do it with any oneeee :p) but i apologized :3

Then the next day we added a marriage bot to the server :3 Thats when lila and i made our marriage official surrounded by people we love and care about watching me click the yes button😭🎉

In the end I’m happy and I hope lila is happy too😰(CONFIRM NOW!!) we are silly, we cry together, be sleepy together, send each other TikTok’s and chat all the time we are two peas in a pod (soulmates even 💅🏼) and I wouldn’t change a thing :33

:p

Our marriage anniversary is on March 1, 2024 💍🎉

but thats practically it for the story its a mess but thats just how i roll😎

LILA AND I'S RINGS 💕💕

#biw.shares #goon central stories #goon central lore #goon central #lila😭💕 #lila and i are cuties😠 #biw x lilacura #lilacura #lila and i are still married guys dwwwwww #im sorry this is a mess hehehehehe #lila and biw are married with now 4 kids #I AM LOYAL GUYS I JS TEASE AROUND A LOT #ARENT THE RINGS SOOOOO PRETTYYYYYYYY

[whilereadingandwalking]

I have some new followers, so....Get to know me! Here are 11 fun facts:

If I wasn’t doing what I’m doing now, I would love to be a travel planner.

I’ve kept a journal faithfully since 8th grade.

English peas are one of my favorite foods. The big ones, that you have to shell.

USWNT star and soccer commentator Carli Lloyd has me blocked on twitter.

I showed horseback riding when I was young, and won a 3rd place ribbon on a horse named Dee.

One of my biggest pet peeves is people who are weird or picky about tap water.

I'm basically white and European, but my breakdown is 1/4 Dutch/English, 1/4 German, 1/4 Spanish/Greek (Sephardic Jewish), and 1/4 Russian/French/Polish (Ashkenazi Jewish).

My favorite travel destination was Amritsar in Punjab, India. Close 2nd goes to Mexico City.

I played soccer as a goalkeeper for a decade and was a varsity rower through all of college (we rowed on the Chicago River!)

I make very good challah bread, thanks to my grandmother's recipe.

I’m obsessed with the smell of fresh lilac.

#get to know me #book blogger #book blog #solo traveler #book lover

[ghostboneswrites2]

Doe Eyes - CH14 - We’re In.

Chapter List

Warnings: Violence, Gore, Spoilers, Character death

Masterlist // Taglist

        Rick and the others returned with a large haul of canned food. There was a sort of feast that night, everyone filling plates like it was a buffet. You sat near Carol and Daryl in the pews, digging into your canned carrots and green beans.

        "That's all you got?" Carol asked you, giving you a funny look.

        "I don't like beans and canned meat freaks me out." You admitted. She laughed.

        "All things considered and you're afraid of canned meat?"

        "Not afraid!" You laughed. "Just isn't appetizing." 

        "There were some peas up there, I think." She said.

        "Ew." You scrunched your nose.

        "You're pickier than my daughter was." She shook her head, chuckling as she took a bite.

        "You had a daughter?" You asked.

        "Yeah. I did. She was the sweetest thing, but she was a picky eater. Just like you." She lamented.

        "I'm sorry she isn't here anymore. I would've loved to meet her." You consoled.

        "It's good that she isn't." Carol nodded. "She didn't need to go through all the things we have."

        "She would've been fine." Daryl said. "Would've been kickin' ass like the rest of us."

        "Yeah, maybe, but that wouldn't have been her. She shouldn't have to do that." Carol sighed. She didn't seem sad, she seemed at peace, but still, you didn't know how to respond. You never had a kid, let alone experienced that kind of loss. 

        "I'd like to propose a toast." Abraham spoke up at the front of the church, grabbing everyone's attention. "I look around this room, and I see survivors. Each and every one of you has earned that title. To the survivors." He said, raising his glass.

        "To the survivors!" You all said, toasting back.

        "Is that all you wanna be?" Abraham continued. "Wake up in the mornin', fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, rinse and repeat? 'Cause you can do that. I mean, you got the strength, you got the skill. Thing is, for you people, for what you can do, that's just surrender. Now, we get Eugene to Washington, he will make the dead die and the living will have this world again. And, that is not a bad takeaway for a little road trip. Eugene, what's in D.C.?"

        Eugene cleared his throat.

        "Infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics even of this fubar magnitude. That means food, fuel, refuge. Restart." Eugene replied.

        "However this plays out, however long it takes for the restart button to kick in, you can be safe there. Safer than you've been since this whole thing started. Come with us. Save the world for that little one. Save it for yourselves. Save it for the people out there who don't got nothin' left to do except survive." Abraham added.

        "What was that?" Rick asked Judith as she cooed and babbled. "I think she knows what I'm about to say. If she's in, I'm in. We're in."

----

        Carol had disappeared, so you and Daryl decided to go see what she was doing. Daryl said he had a feeling where she'd snuck off to, and sure enough he was right where he thought he'd find her, by some old car. She had it turned on and gassed up when you got there.

        "What're you doin'?" Daryl asked as the two of you stepped out of the brush.

        "I don't know." Carol admitted.

        There was the sound of an engine in the distance, and Daryl pulled the two of you down behind the back of the car. The three of you watched a car zoom by on the street that ran perpendicular to the road you were on. Daryl sprinted over and watched as it drove on. He ran back and started smashing the tail lights off the car Carol had found.

        "What are you doing?!" She yelled.

        "They got Beth!" He said. "C'mon. Get in!"

        And with that, the three of you piled into the car, Daryl in the driver's seat, Carol riding passenger, and you in the center of the back seat so you'd have a clear view. 

        You guys followed the car for a while, making small talk along the way.

        "So it was just you two and Beth after?" Carol asked.

        "Yeah." Daryl said.

        "You saved her?" She wondered.

        "She's tough." You said. "She saved herself."

        "We were out there for a while." Daryl continued. "We got cornered, she got out in front of us and I don't know.. She was just gone."

        "We came out of the trees and a car was pulling away with a white cross on the window." You added.

        "Just like that one?" She asked.

        "Yup." Daryl nodded.

        "Rick's gonna wonder where we went." You said.

        "Tank's runnin' low." Daryl sighed.

        "We can end this quick, just run them off the road." Carol suggested.

        "Nah, we're good for a bit." Daryl shook his head.

        "If they're holding her somewhere we can get it out of the driver." She said.

        "Yeah, but what if he doesn't talk?" You asked.

        "Then we're back to square one."  Daryl replied. "Right now we got the advantage. We'll see who they are, if they're a group, and what they can do. And then we'll do what we gotta do to get her back."

        "They're heading north." Carol observed. "I-85."

        You could see Atlanta off in the distance, the outline of the cityscape looming in the dark. Whoever you were following was unaware of your presence because Daryl kept the headlights off. He followed them into the city, creeping around each turn. He pulled to a stop when they did, a few building lengths behind them to maintain cover.

        "The hell is he waitin' for?" He wondered aloud. A man exited the passenger side of the car. "There's two of 'em."

        "Is that a cop?" You asked, gripping the small pistol in your belt. Carol seemed to have the same idea, pulling a silvery revolver from her waistline. 

        "Maybe they've seen us." She suggested.

        The man rounded the corner of the building they parked beside, walking out of view. The three of you waited in silence. A walked slapped Carol's window, hissing at the meal he it couldn't reach. She jumped and let out a breath, but you all ultimately ignored it. The cop came back, dropping two bicycles down on the corner of the street. He was dragging something into the street when he noticed the walker clawing at Carol's window.. He took a double take, probably wondering what the walker was clawing for.

        Daryl went to start the car when the officer got back into the passenger seat, but it wouldn't start.

        "Aw, shit." He said. "Tank's tapped. They'd have taken the bypass and they didn't. They must be holed up in the city somewhere."

        "Must be a load of fuckin' psychos. Who the hell would want to stay here? This place is infested." You commented.

        Over in the distance, you could see walkers slowly emerging from the darkness, probably drawn by the lights and sound of the engine.

        "We gotta move." Daryl said.

        "We could find a place to hole up until sunlight." You suggested.

        "I know a place." Carol said. "It's just a couple blocks from here. We can make it."

        She rolled her window down and stabbed the walker outside and the three of you made a run for it. It was mostly smooth sailing to the hideout she talked about. You and Carol took down walkers as they approached while Daryl worked on breaking into the building as quietly as possible.

        "Come on." Daryl called to the two of you as you paused walker slaying. Carol froze as if she heard something before the two of you ran inside. The place was mostly clear, any walkers were already taken down. Daryl took some keys off of one that was against the wall, and you guys held up in a small office.

        "You used to work here or something?" He asked.

        "Something." She replied.

        She took the keys from Daryl and led you two through another door within the office. The next room had some bunkbeds and other random things. 

        "What is this place?" You asked.

        "Temporary housing." She answered. You looked down to a table by the bunks and saw a thick book labeled 'Treating Survivors of Childhood Abuse'. 

        "You came here?" Daryl inquired, looking at the same book.

        "We didn't stay." She said. He set his crossbow on the table.

        "I'll take the top bunk." Carol announced, setting her weapons up top and climbing up. 

        You and Daryl looked at each other. You shrugged. "You can bunk with me." You smirked. He huffed a breathy chuckle and shook his head.

        "It's alright." He shook his head.

        "C'mon. I'm real cuddly." You urged.

        "Jesus, get a room, you two." Carol rolled her eyes before she laid down.

        Daryl studied you before he sighed, taking off his vest and his jacket. You set your gun down on the table by his bow. You thought about your crowbar and wondered if you could find a new one in the city while you were there. There was bound to be one laying around somewhere, and you never got yours back from Terminus. 

        "You two should sleep. I'll keep first watch." Carol said as she sat up and slid off the bunk, walking over to a window.

        "Place is locked up pretty tight." You said.

        "I know." She replied.

        "So we're good then." Daryl added.

        "I'll keep first watch." She insisted. "I don't mind."

        You and Daryl shrugged and got ready to sleep. You crawled on the bottom bunk and scooted close to the wall in case Daryl decided to take you up on your offer. 

        You were surprised to feel the weight on the bed shift as he laid down. You thought he'd probably take Carol's bunk until she laid down. 

        "Now we can stink up the mattress together." You joked. You didn't realize how tired you were until he laid down next to you. 

        "Whatever, it'll be your stench soakin' into the sheets, not mine." He fired back.

        "Oh, please. You smell like trees and dead squirrels."

        "Mm. Better than onions and dead bodies."

        You kicked his leg with the side of your foot.

        "Just the onions, thank you very much." You scoffed.

        "Nah. Your nose just got so used to it you can't smell it no more." He teased.

        "Whatever, Dixon." You sighed as you rolled over.

#daryl dixon #daryl x reader #twd daryl #the walking dead daryl #daryl x female reader #daryl twd #daryl fanfiction #daryl dixon fanfic #daryl x you #daryl x y/n

[noxiatoxia]

Hey so since you have The correct HikaKao opinions, I was curious if you have any specific songs you associate with them that you'd be comfortable sharing? Either their dynamic or just them individually, i'm personally trying to add to my HikaKao playlist lmao. Its too short cause im overly picky about what fits them, while simultaneously craving music to listen to while I write about them/draw them/endlessly imagine them in my brain while I work

OH. OH HOH. AM I THE BEST PERSON TO ASK.

Now to be clear. I have been listening to like, exclusively Japanese music since 2016. So all the songs I'm about to recommend are Japanese. I can read Japanese so I'll provide context when needed.

Firstly, I have a Hitachiins playlist that I put together and subbed myself (half of the subs are my own) but Youtube kept taking it down so it's a vimeo link now....(im not upset. <- is upset)

i do not explain my poetry often (aka some of these songs are based off vibes)

Anyways, besides my own playlist, I have other songs.

I have 2 about Kaoru and his little carriage paranoia. The first is Who? by Azari which you might know as it's become pretty popular. Specifically I like Mashiro's cover which I have linked. English lyrics can be found here. I feel this song VERY much fits Kaoru's "uhhghhgh it's gonna turn back into a pumpkin and ill be all alone" shtick.

Next is Red Is A Scary Color by Iyowa which to my knowledge hasn't been translated so I included a translation under the cut for you. I think this one can again either be read as Kaoru's carriage paranoia OR middle school twins shared ennui.

OH AND FOR BOTH TWINS, NOT A JAPANESE LYRICS SONG BUT....Look-a-like from the Sonic OVA. Song is literally about two beings who look so alike but act very different, who simultaneous are so very different but so very alike. Does that make sense. Hitachiin twins song fr. I have to add this one because I was so obsessed with the Sonic OVA as a kid.

Comparatively I only really have one Hikaru song sourry. YESMAN by Niru (Maruguri cover). Here are the Eng lyrics. I just think this song fits Hikaru because he's a bitter cunt LOL but I could easily see this being how he feels about being bossed around when he was younger.

And lastly a cute one. Twig by rei sirose. (Lyrics) I think this could be from either twins perspective about the other, but Kaoru is more sentimental so I'll go with him.

Ok lyrics under cut vvvv

Red is a scary color - Iyowa

ああ、違和感だった Ah, I had felt out of place. ちょっとした流行だったどぎつい赤は That intense, glaring red was just a bit of a fad, 手遅れな世界の証拠だった And proof the world was on its last legs. ああ、蠢いてんだ Ah, it’s wriggling. まるで隠すつもりもない慈善事業が It’s as if idiotic charities who don’t plan to hide まるで足んない頭で今日もどこかで震えて暮らす生き残りたちを探し回ってんの are looking for the survivors quivering, grouped together someplace today.

何も、何も問題は無いな　いつも通りに、さあここで Nothing is wrong, nothing at all. Every day here, it’s all the same. Not at all　Not at all　悟られないように Not at all　Not at all　Don’t think about it too hard. いつか、いつか救いの日まで繋ぐルーティンワーク One day, one day we’ll all be saved. Until then, we keep doing routine work. だから　は、は、は、は、は、は、息を乱すな、問題は無い So, ha ha ha ha ha ha, don’t panic, nothing is wrong.

ああ、敗北だった　常識は生まれ変わった Ah, it was a defeat. A strange rebirth of common sense. どぎつい赤は　手遅れな世界の証拠だった This glaring red is proof the world was on its last legs. ああ、蠢いてんだ Ah, it’s wriggling. まるで隠すつもりもない数の暴力が It’s as if the violent mob who doesn’t plan to hide, この街に閉じ込められて Locked up in this town, 外じゃ何にもないようにどいつもこいつも見ないふりしてんの Pretends they can’t see anything that’s happening out there, Every last one of them.

何も、何も問題は無いな　いつも通りに、さあここで Nothing is wrong, nothing at all. Every day here, it’s all the same. Not at all　Not at all　助けが来ねえ Not at all　Not at all　Help won’t come. いつか、いつか救いの日まで繋ぐルーティンワーク One day, one day we’ll all be saved. Until then, we keep doing routine work. だけど　は、は、は、は、は、は、死にたくなるな、問題は無い So, ha ha ha ha ha ha, (don’t) want to die[*], nothing is wrong.

ああ、首がすげ変わった親友を楽にしてやった I helped my best friend find peace by taking their place. どぎつい赤が　零れて匂った A glaring red spilled out, and it smelled good. やっちまった I fucked up.

今日も、今日も問題は無いな　いつも通りに、さあここで Nothing is wrong, nothing at all. Every day here, it’s all the same. Not at all　Not at all　今はまだロンリー Not at all　Not at all　Today, still, I’m lonely. いつか、いつか救いの日まで繋ぐルーティンワーク One day, one day we’ll all be saved. Until then, we keep doing routine work. だから　は、は、は、は、は、は、息を乱すな、問題は無い So, ha ha ha ha ha ha, don’t panic, nothing is wrong.

[*]Try as I might I cannot figure this line out. It is either "I want to die" or "[don't say that you] want to die". It's complicated because of a few factors. Take it as you will.

#;noxiatalks2ya #ohshc

[amimae]

I saw a post on reddit of a person sharing a picture and saying how it describes their conures. Well mine usually display their different personalities when I'm not trying to discreetly snap a picture. So I decided to include pictures of my weird children and their descriptions.

Here's mine!

Lotus/ Bobotus/ Boboters/Demon child/Boboti, 2 years old now.

He's a very strange conure.

One minute he'll be all cuddly and the next he'll growl and try to sink his beak into your face, neck, arm whatever. That bird is super smart about finding what area of your body hurts the most.

But he's not the smartest when it comes to other things. That being, he gets into lets say a drawer and he screams and screams that he can't get out. Or another time where he and his bird gf got stuck under our bed box springs. I had to lift up the mattress, cut a hole into the fabric and try to lift him out. He was too scared and kept biting my fingers.

His absolute favorite foods and things to chew on are, feet, shoes and then carrots (but they have to be shredded carrots, bread, butter (horrible I know), granola with cheerios and coconut milk, chips, corn, rice and peas.

The bird is very picky with things too haha

He'll stick his foot or what we call pootie (pronounced like foot but with a p) in the sink water, play with it a bit, then decide it's the right temp for bathing. He'll keep doing that until the temp is no longer a proper temp.

He normally likes perching on our right hand, our dominant one, which is a problem since we use that for gaming or me drawing usually.

He only wants oldie type of music. So 1950s to 1970s or so. It has to be that type of rock and roll with a beat and not repetitive. Otherwise he starts growling.

Things I love about him: He is amazing at rhythm sometimes. I'll be singing a song that he approves of and he'll add his little noises at just the right times.

He learned how to make this adorable "beep beep" noise and it kills me. It's so cute. Especially when he wants attention.

The bird learned how to knock on our door to get our attention too. We'll just be sitting in our living and we'll hear a tap tap tap, and we know that's Lotus wanting out of the room.

Before we go to sleep now, my husband likes to say goodnight listing off the 4 birds' names and making a kissing sound. And because Lotus learned that sound he likes to continuously give us kiss sounds. Definitely makes the night better

–----‐------------------------------------

Now Goose!

Goose/Goosey/Goosey goo/Princess Goose/Goosey girl/ Loose Goose/ Loose Cannon Goose/ Goose goose is a 1 year old and super adorable

She is the stereotypical dad's girl. Back when we first got her at Petco, she still had her wings clipped (I hate that they do that but its fine). So her Dad/my husband took her on his shoulder everywhere he could. He got to experience the world and meet a lot of people. It was easy to train her too! Her Dad spent so much time with her and because of that she's a force to be reckoned with.

Goosey was the shy conure of the group, and adored blueberries. She loved blueberries so much that it's all she ever ate when we first brought her home from the pet store. So her shit was just blueberries lol

For a while, she was scared of us and other people. She was easy to have on us and family members though. Super sweet and because of that my husband would call her his sweetheart.

She broke out of that fairly quickly and started biting things. Now she loves biting. That's one of her things she'll bite or nibble to navigate around.

That girl is an excellent climber and is amazing at flying. I mean for a bird that couldn't fly for several months. You couldn't tell haha.

Foods she absolutely loves are any type of meat, corn, peas, carrots, potatoes, jalapenos seed and all, dried fruits, coconut milk with cheerios and granola and tortilla chips. When it comes to chips and different meats, she'll steal the biggest piece. Even if she can't fly away with it, she'll still try. What can I say? She just loves meat.

Goose makes this high pitched screech sound when she wants attention. She'll stretch her neck out and fluff up her feathers to do it. I know she's trying to warn or get someone's attention but it's just so cute so I can't help but laugh. When she REALLY wants attention, she'll do her high pitched scream really fast like a machine gun. It can get annoying real fast

Things I love about her though are when I'm singing to them both, she'll screech at certain parts as if she's doing a solo. Little rockstar bird

She's very elegant in the way she holds her food and takes small bites. But somehow is able to still get food everywhere.

She can be very kind and compassionate. She sees her love, Lotus, in danger or complaining, she'll fly and attack whatever is causing his distress. That being usually me rip. But she also can be kind and compassionate with me and she'll preen my hair or try to pick off scabs or dead skin off my skin. She'll be super sweet with my husband more though.

As you can see, my birds are complex individuals

#conure #bird #birds #my birds #long reads

[galaxxies18]

Hanami (2022) - Oh flower, Oh flower, Please don't scatter

Prologue Chapters (1-2) ; Common Route Chapters (1-3) Chapters 4 - 6 below the cut~ Me?? Slack off? More likely than you think-

Chapter 4

Maica Ginsei, can you bring the cord over here? Ginsei Okay. Hoo...Is this good? Maica Well, you can see it a bit better now. It feels a bit more like an actual Ohanami site, doesn't it? Ginsei I think so too. Even though it's inside, the atmosphere is quite similar. Right, Yakou? Yakou (deep sigh) ..Ah, well...what? Maica You good? A bit too tired?

Yakou ...Sorry. It's just, this time the show is a bit frustrating. I know Kei is a bit strict, but even then most of the members don't have their act together. Menou is too focused on acting, and Mokuren is too focused on dancing. I didn't think it would be this hard to focus on so many things at once. Ginsei That's right...Even during the production for "Salva Me," Rindou was having a hard time to get those two to agree on anything. Yakou I understand they want to keep it moving....But this is my first time doing something like this, so it's hard for me to follow along. Ginsei Considering how it's Mokuren and Menou we're talking about, this is different from what I expected...I think. Maica Well, it must be so hard to follow since they want to do too many different things. What's the team's top doing? Yakou About that...Since he's a singer, he doesn't really think much of the performance side of it. Ginsei Taking advantage of his privileges...That's so Akira. Maica Don't you have your day job as well? Don't overdo it; if you collapse it'll cause a big ruckus. Yakou Don't worry, I won't go that far. The fact that I was nominated for this means there's something only I can do. Yeah be responsible lmao I won't let this chance slip by. I'll give it my all. Maica Well then, you should at least take a break from the preparations. I'll handle the rest of the decorating. There's no way you can show such a face to our customers. Yakou Huh, do I really look that bad? Sorry, I'll follow your advice and rest for now. Ginsei Just do that. We'll support you in any way we can.

Chapter 5

Taiga Geez, these Hanami stages are so overdone...I can finally eat in peace. Kongou Oh, Taiga. Good job performing out there. My hands are full right now, but I'll whip something up for you. Can you wait a bit? Taiga Ye~p. ... Wait, there's something that smells really good? Kongou You could tell? I was excited to cook these dishes. An important playwright is coming, so I was ordered to make something a bit more luxurious. Taiga Ho~. So this is Hanami-special menu? The food is colorful. Even the decorations in the shop are flashy. It gives off a certain feeling, like "Oh, it's Hanami," or "This is spring." Kongou This menu's theme is all about spring, so hearing you say it has those feelings is a big relief. It's a Pea Pottage, with spring vegetables and braised white fish. The main dish is grilled lamb shoulder loin with fragrant herbs. Taiga Eh. Have no idea what'cha talking about, but it sounds awesome. Kongou The quality of the ingredients are better than normal, so the taste and aroma is a bit different. Taiga That much I can understand is amazing. Though personally, I'm not really all too picky about my food. The smell in here is dangerous. It's criminal, even. Criminal class gourmet. Kongou Thank you. If I'm able to contribute with my cooking, then that's all I could ask for. Lately, we aren't able to go up on the stage. Because of that, all I can really do is make food. Taiga If this much effort is put into the stage and the menu, then the equipment and PCs backstage should also be of high quality. But knowing the owner, no way it'll happen. Kongou Unfortunately so. And...here we go. The main dish is complete. Sorry for making you wait, Taiga. I'll make your food right now. Taiga Hura~y. (but dead inside)

Chapter 6

Hari Good work today, Kasumi. Kasumi Good work~ How is university, Hari? Are you still on Spring break? Hari We just had our orientation. My preparations for the curriculum's lectures were all finished with, so I don't have any problems in particular about it. All that I need to do is simply attend my lectures and finish any assignments handed to us. Kasumi You took a break from college, didn't you? Was it any hard to connect with anyone? You enrolled at a different time as your classmates, so you might be facing a few difficulties. Hari There's no need to worry. After all, I didn't enter university to make friends. As long as I'm able to communicate with the others, everything should be alright. Kasumi Hari is such an honest person, ahaha... Mokuren Oi, if you're done with your useless conversation then hurry up and get back to work. Ironic coming from you lmao Hari Mokuren. Mokuren Oh, you were here. How was university? Hari I'm done for the day, so I came to help out at the store. More important, your solo dance part in the Hanami performance was truly a spectacle. My whole body was trembling as I watched. Mokuren It's because these buffoons[1] are doing such silly dances that I have to pick up the slack. Aside from Kei, I don't really talk to anyone else. Even you dance better than whatever they're doing. Hari (intense gay panic) Ah...! Mokuren What's with that reaction? Why are you suddenly so stiff? Kasumi Ehehe~ (like your one friend from highschool who laughs when they shove you up to your crush in the hallway) This is just my thoughts, but I think he broke down from how adorable you were being~ Mokuren The hell does that mean. Kasumi I mean, didn't you just compliment Hari on his dancing? Mokuren Compliment? Are you stupid? I didn't praise him, I just criticized the others. Don't go getting the wrong idea here. Hari ...Y-yes! Thank you so much, Mokuren! Mokuren ...I'm going back to the lesson room to rest up. Go do your chores in the meantime. Hari Yes! Kasumi Gotcha~ Hari It feels like a waste to go back to university now. I'll just need to improve even more so I can be complimented by Mokuren once again. Kasumi Ahaha...I wish you good luck and everything, but don't forget about your main job now, okay?

[1]: Mokuren just says "these guys," but buffoons was funnier. lol

#; galaxxi's translations. #hanami 2022 #blackstar theater starless #bsts #bsts mokuren #bsts hari #bsts kasumi #blackstar: theater starless #blackstar theatre starless #bsts team c #bsts maica #bsts yakou #bsts ginsei #bsts team p #bsts team k #bsts kongou #bsts taiga #bsts team w #bsts team b

[wtf-amiru]

What did they think of Hydaelyn in the beginning? Did they change their mind about her since then?

oh boy, this is one I don't think about often lol let's figure this out

A'miru's not religious, she's not against it, she's just not found anything there in the past so I think the disembodied voice was a bit of a "I'm fully losing my mind, aren't I" in the beginning, not some higher calling, until Thancred introduced her to Minfilia. Then it was a lot of...I hesitate to say trepidation, she wasn't afraid for anything, but she was hesitant to put a lot of stock into it, it seemed to be a truthful situation but it was a lot of her hard work that went into it too and that's kind of where things sat for a long time in a state of 'I can neither prove or disprove this thing but things seem to be working out for the better with it'. A'miru's a very here and now kind of person, so lets just throw her back in time for a minute. Her connection with Venat was instant, it fully gave me an explanation for her to have taken the dancer class (mechanically she took it because it's a class I like to play, but it's a very not A'miru class at all) and she was kind of an instant momly figure for her; the vibes were entirely right right from the instant she dropped in while Hyth was rambling about sharks, like two peas in a pod, instant family. One of the things A'miru has the most issues with is losing people, in any manner; she does not handle it well ever. When she got back from Elpis, after a good long cry and snuggle with her bf and a nap, she was ready to break Fourchenault's entire face just to get down there and see her again bc omg that voice has been Venat all along and holy shit she felt bad for ever doubting it and then, well, she had to say goodbye to her again and again, did not handle it well at all. Luckily she had a lot on her plate to distract her at the time. After Ultima and knowing everyone's back down in the sea hanging out she's dealing a bit better than normal. It's more important to A'miru who Hydaelyn was before she was Hydaelyn and why she became Hydaelyn, than what Hydaelyn stood for in her time to A'miru now. She's gonna get G'raha to write a book one day.

Arannis, my little fate child, is a different, more simple salad lol. He was brought up in such a flurry of cultures he kind of very quickly learned to nod along and put his faith in "whoever was listening and able to respond" for a long time so holy shit was he surprised when she started actually responding. He wasn't in a position to be picky, she was gentle and seemed kind and to harbor no ill intent so he was on board pretty quickly. He got mildly worried when she got really quiet during Stormblood, but the anomaly had been her contact with him in the first place, so her getting quiet felt like how it'd been before, which didn't bother him too much; who was he to demand time with cosmic deities anyway, she probably had a good reason. I think the revelations during Shadowbringers was just a touch beyond Arannis' comprehension tbh, I don't think he fully understood the implications until he went to Elpis and saw it himself, very much a visual learner that one, you gotta draw it out for him, not explain with words- probably why he didn't mind the echo visions tbh. When he was in Elpis Venat felt like a sibling, something Arannis never really had but kind of always wanted bc everyone around him had siblings and he was the only only child. Arannis wasn't as eager to get down and see Hydaelyn, he deals with loss a lot better and he doesn't have the anxiety driven over protectiveness that A'miru struggles with. He wasn't upset he had to fight her and see her leave. This was it, this was the culmination of her work and it was her way of finally going back to the star, he fully got that and knew she'd be fine, almost felt honored to be a part of it even. But then he knew that if she'd done it, that they'd have to do it; they'd have to succeed and boy that pressure did something to him for a minute. I think Arannis cares a bit more about what Hydaelyn was in his time to people than A'miru does, I think he thinks about the people who are or were like him growing up and just praying to someone who bears no ill intent and will listen and how important that can be to a person.

#I started this at 10 am this morning #it's now 10:43 pm #the longest ask ever #lmao #but i really enjoyed thinking about this all day and kind of just babbling about my children #ffxiv #a'miru #arannis #a'miru headcanons #arannis headcanons #askies

[roughlytwentytwofrogs]

It's a late night/early morning autism thought but i feel the need to scream at the void tonight for reasons.

A little context, I'm afab and I'm not diagnosed. I've been having doubts since i was ~14 years old, I'm 24 now. A detail i feel is important before i start: when i was a kid, my mother was the director of a centre social (i can't find the translation, it was basically a daycare for children with disabilities), and she worked with low functioning autistic kids for a good few years. I have a little brother who is 7 years younger than me.

We're around the table for dinner, and we're exchanging anecdotes. My mother's is: I'm 8 years old, my teacher recommends my mother to screen me for autism, but since i do not behave like the kids she had at work, she doesn't take the question seriously. Of course, I'm not autistic, I speak well and I'm actually really good in class! They consider putting me a grade above. They don't, because they think I'm too dependant on my sister, who is a year older: i only hangout with her and her friends, and it would be better if i managed to get my own friends in my own class, for a change.

I will spend the rest of my school years reading books and doodling in class, bored, and still struggling to make friends. And that teacher will simply stay silly for bringing up autism about a child who doesn't have a meltdown when she's touched.

Fast forwards, my little brother is 14 years old and since my parents' divorce is acting out: meltdowns, lashing out, refusing to go to school, intense anxiety attacks. My mother accepts to screen him for autism, he gets a diagnosis: he's on the spectrum.

A few months later, I'm talking with my mother. She tells me that she regrets not having noticed his autism earlier; she tells me that she never thought he could be, because he's always behaved just like me! So she assumed we were both just regular kids doing kid things.

Now, of course there's a lot more to the story, a lot of variables and influences I can't get into without turning this into an autobiography. But that is a sentence that crushed me so much, even if it was just a offhand comment.

You were just a picky eater, you were just academically gifted, you were just shy, you were just a loner, you were just really passionate about history. You didn't like to be in public; you didn't like loud noises and eye contact; you ripped the tags out of your shirts; you would put on earbuds and stare at the ground for hours - literally - while muttering stories to yourself. That kid is just in her own little world, in her bubble!

And all of that was just quirky. It was just annoying or funny or looking for attention. Anecdotes! Your friends laugh, then tell their own funny kid stories.

Meanwhile I'm 24 and still wondering if i should get diagnosed. Convinced that I might be making it up for attention, or something. Struggling for an entire decade with feelings of othering and incomprehension of the world around me, but also a fear of being wrong about it. I still rip the tags off, I still only eat canned peas - not frozen - and cringe at bubbles in drinks and don't touch seafood, I still wear those damn earbuds everywhere and stare at the ground, I still don't do eye contact.

And I'm being told that the reason why my brother's autism was screened so late is because I was never diagnosed.

#autism thoughts #vent post #i'm having a moment

[par-vollen]

First I lose my pea puffer, now my betta fish is sick. He keeps laying on his side and staying either in his log, on top of the driftwood, or on top of the filters. Out of everything I've searched for I think it's most likely a swim bladder issue.

I only noticed it after a water change so I'm not sure if I went too long between water changes. I tested my water as soon as I noticed and it was fine. All my shrimp and other fish are unaffected so I don't think it's from poor water conditions, because wouldn't sensitive shrimp have adverse affects to poor water quality first?

I'm concerned that when I added the water to the tank I may have hit him with the water pouring in or something and physically injured him. I usually do water changes when he's in his log, but I didn't noticed he swam out of his log right into the path of the pouring water. I also may have overfed him - I usually put a big piece of food in and he gets little bits from it as it sinks to the bottom. Whatever is left on the bottom gets eaten by my kuhlis. This time it didn't sink to the bottom but landed on the edge of his log where he got to pig out.

I'm going to fast him for a few days and pick up some daphnia for him as he's a picky eater and I doubt he'll eat a pea.

His tank is 37g and is kept at about 80f. His tankmates are chili rasbora, kuhli loaches, and shrimp.

#fishblr #tw sick pet

[shinkei-shinto]

this one requires a little bit of context:

so I make faces when I taste things. I've wondered if I have the "supertaster" thing, but an ex verbally berated me about that so I've stopped claiming it, plus I think there's something else going on.

anyways, I make faces when I taste things. as long as it's strong in taste (alcohol always does it, most fruits do it) my face will screw up and be weird -- so much so, that a friend in college specifically stole me away to feed me a shot of absinthe and record my face contorting over it, once.

And, of course, I've always done this - ever since I was aware of awareness, anyways, which means I did this as a little kid. And I think lots of little kids probably do this! These flavors are new and intense in strange ways! I bet kids make faces even when they eat something they like, much less a new thing with a strong flavor.

So now, the not-normal-story part:

I've never had a meatball. Before college, I had never had oranges, grapes, I've still never had an enchilada (grew up in Texas, hello!) there are so many things that I've only gotten to try as an adult,

because my mother didn't believe in little kids, I guess?

I made faces as a kid, too. For everything. I'd try something and my face would screw up, and she would instantly declare, out loud, while taking away whatever I had tried, "oh, [they're] picky, [they] won't eat this!"

Didn't matter what it was, didn't matter how I felt about it, didn't matter what I said afterwards, didn't matter if I could later "prove" I "liked it" by eating more elsewhere. Once she had Decided that I was "too picky" and "didn't like it", that was it! I was never allowed to even try that foodstuff ever again.

Oh, except for things she thought her children should eat. "Try two bites" every single time she put asparagus on the table. "Two bites! Your tastebuds change!" every single time there were brussel sprouts. I ate the fuck out of peas, green beans, broccoli, btw. It wasn't a greens issue.

Eventually, I grew up, and while I now get to try things on my own, I've also discovered other things that came of this horrible treatment of children: I can't handle spice. Like, at all. I used to be able to tell when pepper had been added into a dish because that would cause it to be "too spicy" for me. Regular black pepper! I used to cut the edges off of nice steaks bc the pepper crust was too much for me! It has taken years for me to get to the point where I can have pepper and a couple of other spices inside of food without my mouth registering them as "spicy". Years of slowly raising my tolerance and trying things every single opportunity I get.

So today, as I was walking through my kitchen, getting my breakfast, and I saw the jar of four-cheese red pasta sauce my partner and I picked up from a grocery store to have with pasta at some point, I realized:

I've never had a meatball. While my whole family was eating homemade meatballs, red sauce, and spaghetti every single sunday, I sat there, having nothing but plain - unbuttered! - pasta.

If any of this sounds familiar in any way, congratulations: you were abused! I'm sorry to be the bearer of this news, but there's good news too!

Now that I'm an adult, I get to try everything. I have experiences as an adult that I've never had before in my life. Do you know how incredible it is to taste a fruit for the first time while in full control of my faculties? To have the ability to try things, to spit them out without judgement if I need to, and to discover that things actually taste good! There are things out there that I have NEVER even thought about, that I never had the chance to try as a kid, and now I get to try it as an adult, and that means I can buy as much of that stuff as I want. Ha!

#text post #abuse tw / #not normal stories #important to know that not once ever did my mother compensate or accomodate me #I ate my plain pasta and frankly I was happy with it #because at least she wasn't shoving brussel sprouts down my throat #I also learned recently that the entire ''family'' down there thought I was a ''difficult kid'' #so if any of this sounds familiar! especially if ALL of it does! #get ye to therapy! #I've been in for years and years and yEARS and it has done nothing but help me #this is also a weird form of abuse so I wanted to talk about it out loud #in hopes maybe it helps someone else realize how not-normal this is

[frenziedslashers]

Hello! So I've never really done this before, so I'm sorry if I'm doing this incorrectly lol. I was wondering if you would he able to make some headcannons on how all three of the Sinclair brothers would react to you tumbling down the stairs. Like full on falling from first step to the last, dramatic screaming, limbs flailing, face planting on the ground?

Hey there homie, you're doing absolutely great! Tbh I'm kinda new 'round these parts, so for me this is an exquisite request and you did just fine. I'm not picky lmao 😌💕 hope this meets your standards, lovely! Wasn't sure if you wanted current S/O, Platonic, or Future S/O, so I did Future S/O. Since it can be taken either way, tbh!

Sinclair Brothers reacting to their future S/O falling down the stairs:

Bo Sinclair:

Bo wouldn't know how to react at first.

He'd hear the ruckus and fall into a slight panic. Heading out of the room to figure out what in Tarnation was going on!

When he heard your shouts and hollers he would pick up his pace. Running over to you in more of a panic. Normally he would hide his worry, but you just flew down the stairs, literally!

He would be at your side in an instant. Hands unsure where to go.

"Darlin' you alrigh'?" He'd ask brows furrowed.

The moment he knew you were alright and still conscious he would roll his eyes and speech you about being more careful. Carrying you to sit on the couch so he could tend to your wounds.

If you weren't conscious he would be even more anxious. Taking you to Vincent in hopes he could help you out.

You were the only nice stranger that they had, he couldn't go losin' you!

Once you came to, he would be asleep on a chair near you. Waking up when he heard you stirring.

"Worried?" "Damn right, thought our best tourist attraction died on us," he'd tell you with a smirk.

He wouldn't be too affectionate, he'd kind of help you out like he helped his brothers when they got hurt. Since that's all he was used to.

Would probably poke fun at you and keep more of an eye on you when you neared the stairs after that.

Vincent:

Vincent would be racing his way to the stairs the moment he heard the noise of your body tumbling down the ones leading to his work place.

The sight would make his stomach churn, face going paler than it already was when he noticed it was you that was tumbling towards him.

He would do his best to try and grab you before you hit the concrete. Causing both of you to fall.

It would be the two of you taking care of each other now, though he would shoo your hands away so he could tend to the scrapes and bruises that he could see on your body.

He would allow you to lean against him while he held you. Normally not too affectionate, but after that scare? Oh boy, expect some lovin', even if you two are just friends. You're nice to him, always. So you deserve it.

Will spend the rest of the next week following you around and helping you if you let him.

Just be hopeful you don't break anything, because he won't be able to help

Lester:

Lester would be a lot like Vincent, in a race to find out what the ruckus was. Attempting to catch you from hitting the floor. Causing both of you to get hurt.

Just Jonesy would be right there to investigate as well. Licking the sides of both of your faces.

Lester would only chuckle at that when he knew you were alright.

"Gave me a scare, sweetpie, what'd you go tumblin' down them stairs for?"

He would ask you while helping you up. Leading you over to the couch.

You would both spend the rest of the night in home. Screw going into Ambrose, Bo and Vincent could wait.

Lester, Jonesy, and you all had a date on the couch. Lester giving you some frozen peas or corn to put on your head if it hurt.

"Maybe I should do it again so we can stay home more," "very funny, but I'd rather you di'n't

10/10 movie nights. Matched with him making food that night. Even if you insist on helping.

He may have to take the bag of peas or corn on your head though, if you want that side with your meal.

#lester sinclair x reader #vincent sinclair x reader #bo sinclair x reader #send me requests #send asks #sinclair brothers #the house of wax #house of wax

[deltas-writing-corner]

Courtship (4): The Gargoyle Graveyard

Fandom: Twisted Wonderland (Malleus x GN!reader)

Author note: Again, thank you all for being patient with me and I apologize for having a very inconsistent writing schedule. I'm going to make it my goal to update on a bi weekly basis instead of leaving you all in silent limbo. Also a reminder I suck at figuring out which warnings to put so if there's something that needs to be forewarned that I failed to disclose please lmk!

Warnings: Mentions of heavy bodily injuries | childhood trauma/neglect | discussions/mentions of discrimination | mentions of virginity/sexual history

Previous chapter | Next Chapter

AO3 version

Clay. Stone. Porcelain. Plaster. Metal. There are even gargoyles carved entirely of wood! Some statues are stand-alone works of art while others are part of a clear collection or series of similar inspiration. They even come in all sorts of shapes and sizes; as small as an apple or a towering height to rival Malleus himself. No matter what, each grotesque has been crafted with the utmost consideration, by well seasoned and knowing hands. Even the ones that have clear defects and cannot serve their intended purpose are free of overabundant ivy, weeds, or dust. There’s a clear degree of love and care the family who makes these statues has for their craft that makes him feel less alone in his interest in an uncherished form of art.

“It should be around here somewhere,” you muse aloud. Ever since he expressed interest in seeing more sculptures made with non-traditional materials, you’ve been keeping your eye out for a particular one that would fulfill his yearning. You eventually find it and eagerly point to it. “There it is!”

Malleus watches as you approach a massive-sized statue covered with a thick and half-wet tarp. He helps you remove the cover, revealing a winged and slightly humanoid canine. There are many more grotesques with a similar design, but what makes this one stand out the most is the material it’s made out of.

“Amazing!” Malleus awes. “I’ve never seen a grotesque of this size made entirely of glass! They’ve even managed to maintain their attention to detail despite such an abnormal material choice.”

“You can even see the inner channel where the water would flow in and redirect out of its mouth,” you notice.

“They even went out of their way to make it functional despite it being unfit for actual installation?” Malleus inquires with disbelief. “Such a shame.”

“If you’re looking to buy anything here, I’m afraid it's a lost cause. One of the first warnings the grandfather gave me is that none of these are for sale.”

“What was his second warning?”

“If we damage anything, even as small as a scratch, he’ll kill us.”

“How charming,” he chuckles. “I cannot blame him. These statues must take weeks to complete. Time is a human’s greatest enemy.”

“For some, sure. But when I went to visit the family and talked to the old man, he was lunging around all this heavy equipment like he was still in his prime,” you recall. “He lives for his craft. If there’s anything humans are at risk of their entire lives, it’s a lack of motivation and reason to live.”

“I suppose that’s true, but the lifespan of humans and the inevitable effects of aging is difficult to live with, especially once it begins to hinder one’s ability to do what one could previously do without issue. ”

“You’re not wrong,” you acknowledge. “But I think I’d rather live a short life with fulfillment than a dull, long-as-shit life.”

To show that he’s entirely on your side, Gunter lets out a guttural bark while his tail rapidly wags and thumps the damp ground, coating the ends of his bushy tail in specs of dirt and dirtied, remnant snow of the north that has managed to stay frozen on the isles warmer south end.

“You’re only agreeing with them because you’ve been promised food,” Malleus chastises. “Don’t think I didn’t pick up on your grumbling stomach.”

“And don't think I didn't pick up on your stomach rumbling either your highness," you quip back at him. "The family has a small cottage nearby we can use. We'll settle down for a bit and eat before sightseeing some more."

Before you turn and walk in the direction towards the aforementioned lodgings, you reach your hand out for Malleus to take and he latches onto you with restrained enthusiasm. He's taller than you, but he takes care not to take his normal strides as to not leave you struggling to keep up with him. Gunter doesn't know the way, so he trots beside you every step of the way up until the destination is in plain view. The cottage is small but well-attended. There’s a rustic flair to its construction that makes it feel familiar and safe despite never stepping foot in it before.

"Those gargoyles were something, huh?" you remark to him while you tap and shake off the gunk wedged into the soles of your heavy boots against the frame of the door.

"Indeed," he nods, taking your cloak off for you and hanging it on the wooden rack nearby. "I don't think I've ever seen that many gargoyles in one day. Just when my eyes land upon an intriguing one, there's several more that catch my attention."

The way he gets all wide-eyed is outright adorable. It makes you grin just as enthusiastically too. "I bet your club is going to have a field day once you tell them about this!"

His child-like smile turns into one of disappointment. "I'm certain they would, if I wasn't the sole member that is."

Your hands halt from pulling out and setting down all the premade food out of your pack. "Seriously? You're the only one?"

When he nods his head, you feel a twinge of hurt in your heart. Poor guy. You can only imagine how disappointing it must be to go through all those lengths to start a club (you would know since you're technically a staff member of the school and have been given a rundown on some of the school's functions and regulations) only for no one to show interest. Of course, you completely understand that gargoyles aren't exactly all the rage within the minds of teenage boys. Still! He goes through so much effort to build relationships with his peers but they always cower away, either due to his status or even because of the way he looks. You won’t deny that he does come off as rather intimidating at first glance, but he's a sweet guy once you give him the chance to speak.

But to expect teenagers going through social pressures and demanding academics to be as understanding and willing to understand someone like Malleus is an impossible demand. Given that everyone in the school can be a bunch of self-centered and easily agitated bunch of pricks, it's understandable that most of the student body isn't keen on trying to take into consideration the proper etiquette one needs to consider in the presence of a young and noble fae. Deuce has met and talked briefly with Malleus on one occasion, but even he visibly shakes whenever his name is mentioned, even in casual passing.

Wait until they found out who you've gone and gotten buddy-buddy with behind their back. They probably think they're slick or that their intentions are well swept under the rug, but it's clear they feel some semblance of responsibility for your well-being, as both a magicless individual as well as a close, albeit older, friend. You dread the day people begin to make the connections between Malleus and you, but you still can’t help but wonder what their reactions might be. You also dread the high probability those two idiots are going to find out and embarrass the living hell out of you, which you know you do not have the patience or tolerance for.

Gunter jumps up and sits himself down in one of the wooden dining chairs, pushing the small ceramic plate towards you with his nose, as if telling you "Alright, I’ve done what I said I'd do, now feed me what I'm owed." You tell him that you'll give him what he's well earned after you get a small fire started in the brick fireplace. Just because it's warmer near the southern half of the island and not as heavily blanketed with snow, doesn't mean the cold has completely vanished, Winter is still winter after all.

"Where did these scars come from?"

Malleus' unexpected question and closeness nearly make you drop the iron rod you've been using to stoke the growing fire. You've since taken off your boots and rolled up the bottoms of your pants just above your knee as the room starts to warm up enough for a thin layer of perspiration to accumulate and roll down your skin. The scars he's referring to are the ones on your right leg, both side by side at an awkward angle and discolored. You have a lot more scars than these, some much more gruesome in appearance than these two. Malleus has never asked about your scars, but sometimes you catch him looking in the general area of some that peak through your clothes. He likely keeps quiet about their existence out of courtesy.

Yet out of all the markings on your body, why did these two stand out enough that he'd finally ask about them?

"It's a long story," you say in an effort to stall the topic. "Sit. I'll feed you two once the fire is stable."

He doesn’t push you for an answer, instead simply doing as you say and lets you poke at the burning logs until they're properly aflame on their own. You made mostly some of your morning favorites; Creamy and thick potato stew with diced carrots and peas and some eggs, ham, and crispy hash browns sandwich between homemade halved croissants. You teased him about having picky taste buds earlier, but Malleus is content to eat anything you serve him so long as it is not comparable to the likes of Lilia's atrocious cooking.

(Seriously, how does a man as old as Lilia not know the basic fundamentals of cooking? And why does everything he makes end up burnt and tasting like something rotten? You will never understand.)

"Don't eat too quickly," you warn Gunter as you pour a bit of light-colored soup onto his designated plate. Your words are ignored, as the equally marred wolf sloppily slurps and munches on the few bits of potatoes and vegetables you generously scraped out of the thermos. His food is gone as quickly as it’s put in front of him and he looks at you expecting more.

"No. The rest is mine," you scold. "And don't beg Malleus for some either! I know you do it behind my back, you little shit!"

He turns to look at Malleus with an accusatory glare, thinking that he ratted him out to you. Malleus’s response towards the silent imputation is to turn and look out the window as if something caught his interest all of a sudden, cup raised to his lips as he politely sips away at his meal without an air of calmness. You have to slap a hand over your mouth to hide the amusement that overtakes your senses.

"Malleus, stop that!"

"Stop what?" he innocently asks.

"Stop making me want to laugh!"

He sets his cup down onto its matching serving dish. "It's not my fault you have an easily satiable sense of humor."

"Wow!" you say incredulously and put your arms up in offense. "And here I was thinking we were friends!"

His distant demeanor breaks and you both devolve into a fit of laughter together. Gunter unfortunately takes advantage of your joint distraction and slips away with a warm sandwich between his jaw, your sandwich in particular.

"That damn wolf!" you curse. "I knew I should have trusted my gut and pack extras.”

Malleus pities your distress before moving over to sit closer. "Worry not. I'll split mine in half with you,” he reassures.

"No, it's fine," you immediately dismiss his offer. "Have it for yourself."

"I'm not taking no for an answer," he firmly states. “Don’t be stubborn. It’s far too early for that.”

"I thought you liked it when I was stubborn?” you pout.

He shakes his head with a smile. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t”

"At least someone likes my attitude,” you say after chewing and swallowing a mouthful of soup. “Sebek certainly doesn’t."

"The boy is stubborn as well. When two equally stubborn individuals cross paths, you will witness nothing but discord between the two."

"Add the fact I'm human into the mix, and we'll be exchanging fists instead of words sooner or later," you scoff. "I get that some faes don't like humans, but what's his deal with acting like he’s got a vendetta against me?"

"Sebek doesn't hate humans for the reasons you might think," Malleus admits. "It’s more like he finds them difficult to think that highly of. Did you know that he is half-human?"

You nearly choke on your own breath over the sudden revelation. "Really?"

"Indeed," Malleus finds amusement at your disbelief. "Have you ever wondered why his ears aren't pointed like Silver, but his eyes are like mine and Lilia’s?"

"Damn,” you scratch the back of your head with embarrassment. “Now I feel stupid.”

"You aren't. Given the way he speaks, not many would assume he had human blood in his veins. His mother was highly regarded within her social circle, but her marriage to a human man tarnished her reputation a great deal. She's happy and does not seem to care what others think of her these days. However, when Sebek set out to be a knight, his mother's marriage and his lineage were often brought up as a way to scrutinize his character and capabilities rather than any of his actual shortcomings as an individual."

"Poor kid," you sigh. "Lilia told me those sorts of things still happen in The Valley, but it sounds so outlandish that I couldn’t take it that seriously."

"Many faes hold old traditions above all else, to a degree that the purity of one's blood stands above all other merits." His eyebrows pressed together in annoyance. "Even my grandmother thinks it's archaic, but as the reigning queen she has to embody a persona of neutrality between the social divide."

"It sounds like you have your work cut out for you in the future," you say, almost apologetically. "What do you plan to do about it once you're the king?"

There's a brief flash of surprise over your question, but Malleus easily answers it as usual. "I think my first course of action as king would be to properly knight Sebek and Silver."

"Bet my rifle that Sebek is going to cry the entire ceremony!" you remark with certainty. "That's all he ever goes on about, being a knight and all."

"He's devoted countless hours and efforts since he was a child. If there's anyone who deserves to join the knighthood, it's him."

"Definitely," you nod to further cement your agreement with him. "He could stand to lower his voice a bit. He'll give you tinnitus before long.”

"At least we won't have to worry about losing him in a crowd," Malleus jests.

"That's to say we'll lose sight of him to begin with," you remark. "He'll gladly lose me in a crowd. You? You'd be lucky to get out of arm's length."

"You underestimate me, dearest," Malleus smirks. "Ever since I've met you, I've perfected the art of avoiding Sebek's insistent searches."

"Have you now?" you razz back. "Don't let him catch onto the fact. He'll have my head."

He reaches over and tucks a strand of hair behind your ear. Each second his skin touches yours makes you tingle. Time slows down ever so briefly if only to savor the small instance of physical connection for as long as possible. "What of your aunts?" he inquires. "Are they as overprotective of you as Sebek is of myself?"

"They’re a trio of mama bears," you proudly admit. "I'm old enough to drink and well equipped to fend for myself, but in their minds, I'll always be the little tyke that couldn't even eat their meals without looking at them for approval. Especially my aunt Gia."

You have three aunts. There's your aunt Marisol, the mother of most of your cousins and the main caretaker of the household. Your second aunt Lucia was well into her studies at university when you came to live with them, but her stress and long hours of mulling over her course materials paid off in the long run. Your gardening skills wouldn't be what they are now without her expertise in agricultural botany.

Then there's your aunt Gia. Oldest of the three. An absolute tank of a woman. No spouse. No kids of her own. She lived off the land like an absolute titan. The woman raised you as if she was the one that carried you for nine months and not your actual birth mother.

How would you describe your parents? If your parents were told to list out their priorities in life, their careers would be at the top of the list and you would be put at the very bottom. Why they carried you to term is beyond your understanding. You later learned that Gia had even offered to take you under her care well before your birth, knowing that your parents might not be well-suited to take care of you in the way she thinks would be beneficial for you. It was a convenient offer that would have saved everyone the trouble years down the line when you had your accident. They worked in a cutthroat industry and were constantly moving up the executive echelons. They had no time for you, yet their pride as a pair of young, successful business magnates made them incapable of seeing past the reality of the situation. That left you mostly in the care of last-minute caretakers and your aunts, but only if they had time from their own busy and preoccupied lives to come out into the city and visit.

You were eight years old when things started to get better, but it was upstarted in the worst possible way. Your parents had to go away for the upcoming weekend for work and left you in the care of a babysitter as per the norm. The babysitter never showed up however and your parents apparently couldn’t be bothered to check up on you even once the entire trip. Their silence wasn’t surprising. You just went on about your business for the next three days on your own like nothing was wrong. Your aunt Gia had even called at one point to check up on you, but you didn’t bother to tell her that your parents had left you to fend for yourself. She would have exploded if you did, but not as much as she did when you woke up in the hospital after falling down the stairs and lying helplessly on the ground for several hours with a dislocated shoulder and a compound-fractured leg. You were lulling in and out of consciousness due to all the medication pumped into you, but what little you do remember seeing and hearing when you regained consciousness will forever stick with you for the rest of your life.

If people think your level of swearing is bad, they should have heard your aunt that day. She swore so viciously that it could set an innocent bystander's eardrums on fire. What will forever stand out the most to you was the fact that your parents didn’t even look the least bit apologetic or regretful. They didn’t even approach you once your aunt was done giving them a piece of her mind to check up on you. They simply talked with the awaiting social worker and doctors and then left. It was for the better, but the small part of you that continued to hold onto the desperate belief that your parents would come around one day sent you into a thrashing frenzy and you had to be sedated before you could hurt yourself anymore.

The next year was spent recovering from your injuries, meeting regularly with your caseworker, and going through therapists like a pack of cigarettes. By the time you were back on your feet and the legal proceedings of your custody case were concluded, all you wanted was to move on with it all. Nearly a decade of neglect left you this unattentive, uncertain husk of a person who couldn’t take a single step forward without looking for some sort of guidance or assurance. Your family was exhausted by the entire ordeal and over speaking with third parties. Your aunts took it upon themselves to help you regain your sense of self in the comfort of your new home, no matter how difficult or demanding it was going to be.

“It took some time, but eventually it clicked in my mind that I was in a better place and I started to get better. As for my parents, I have no clue what they’re up to these days.” You lean back into your chair and let out a shaking yawn. “I like to think they’re getting on well like I am.”

“I don’t understand.” Malleus looks at you with unbelievable confusion. “Your parents treated you poorly, yet you don’t sound the least bit resentful. Why is that?”

You shrug your shoulders. “What’s the point? I'm in a better place now, so I've let bygones be bygones. 'Doesn't mean I don't harbor any anger against them anymore. I do, but getting upset won't change what's happened to me."

Gunter, having sensed your discomfort over the matter, trots over and rests his head on your lap. You gratefully rub the top of his head, carding your hands through his thick, coarse hair. "I'm just glad they let me go without a fuss. Family court was hell for my family.” Your eyebrows knit together. “Expensive too.”

Crackling wood fills the momentary silence that befalls the small cottage. What you've recollected to Malleus is a lot to take in, and if you're being quite honest you'd prefer if he just dropped the subject and talked about literally anything else right now. You hope he doesn't say he's sorry or any other type of apologetic comment. That's all you were ever told that entire year it all happened, during court proceedings, your rehabilitation, by both strangers and distant family members alike.

"I'm so sorry. What happened to you was unfortunate. You didn't deserve it."

No shit you didn't deserve any of that. You were a kid. You don’t need one pity party after another to realize that what took place then had fucked you forever. But as you said earlier, you're in a better place now, with a loving and supportive family that's moved on alongside you. A family you need to get back to as soon as possible.

"I love you."

Well, if he was hoping to take your mind off the past. that certainly did it. How can it not? It came out of nowhere and as good as you are at holding your composure when need be, you're sure you look no less like a gaping fish when warm and plush softness presses right against the corner of your lips. A kiss. His kiss.

"What's wrong?" Your voice sounds shaky. You’re nervous.

"Nothing," he smiles reassuringly. "I simply said what I felt needed to be said."

"Fair enough" you concede easily. He was going to say it sooner or later. He already has actually, now that you think about it. Yet here you are trying to process his words like it’s rocket science.

"Am I going about this too fast perhaps?" he genuinely asks. His hands that have been busy massaging your calves that have settled across his lap somewhere during your long retelling gradually slow down, but his hands never go completely still. "This is my first time experiencing something like this."

"What?" You sit up a bit straighter. "A relationship?"

"Yes."

Your head tilts to the side. "Really?"

He nods hesitantly "Yes?"

For a moment, you go completely quiet. "I don't believe you,” you doubtfully say, head shaking to further showcase your refusal to believe him.

He must not have liked your remark, frowning with clear offense in his eyes. When he dislikes something, the vertical slits in his eyes contract into a thin line. "I cannot lie, yet you still doubt me?"

"I know you can't lie, but I find it hard to believe you haven't been with anyone else before," you explain. Before you can consider the appropriateness that was your newfound curiosity about Malleus's apparently non-existent love life, you blurt out, "Are you still a virgin?"

You slap your hand over your mouth the moment those words come out of it. He's equally caught off guard and nearly drops his warm cup of coffee. Even Gunter is surprised by your question, olive-colored eyes looking at you as if you've lost your mind. It's an invasive question, inappropriate even. You and Malleus have been dating for a little over two days. A question like that is way too early to bring up just yet.

"You don't have to answer that," you tell him behind your palm. "I shouldn't have even asked it. Forget I ever brought it up-”

"I'm not," he interrupts you, leaving you even more shocked than you already are. You’re practically gaping like a fish by now. "I'm not a virgin,” he further insinuates.

A deafening silence, but it’s eventually broken by yourself. “I still don’t believe you.”

Malleus gets further annoyed at your refusal to accept his truth. "I'm not lying!" he insists.

"Bullshit!"

"Do you want me to recount my history to you?" he asks, exasperated as you are at the shift the conversation is taking. "Will that satisfy your doubts?"

"You know what? It will!" you loudly declare. "Who'd you sleep with?"

"He was a young page at the time,” he reminisced. “It happened before I was a century old.”

Your eyebrows raise with intrigue. "Was he cute?"

"Yes," he hushedly agrees. The disconcerting admittance paints his face a pinkish-red glow. "But that's not why I bedded him."

"But surely his looks are what made you interested in the first place?” you make blatant regard of the fact.

“You’re not wrong,” he acknowledges, expertly avoiding agreeing with you outright. “But his looks aren't the sole reason I was drawn to him. He was bright-eyed and ambitious, to the point you’d think him insane given his position in the court. It was also the first time I ever truly met with a group of humans, and my young mind was eager to get a more accurate perspective of humans that wasn’t through the lens of my tutors.”

“An ‘accurate perspective’?” You make playful air quotes, eyebrows wiggling because you know the fact that he knows what you’re implying. The playful comment is met with a sharp pinch on your leg that makes you jump and shriek out in pain. Did he have to dig his nails into you? Apparently so, and now you have small crescent indents on your skin. “I bet Lilia had a good laugh when he found out.”

“He doesn’t know, actually,” he admits to you with what is obviously a proud smile.

“Now I know you’re lying to me,” you scoff. “Nothing escapes the old man’s radar.”

His hands begin to rub out the marks he’s left on you as a form of apology. “Lilia is sharp, but he had lost most of his vigor by the time I was born.”

You go wide-eyed again. “You mean his hearing and eyesight was better than it is now?”

He nods affirmatively. “From what I’ve been told, terrifyingly so.”

Lilia is already frightening as is. His short stature and boyish looks make him perfectly unassuming to those who don’t know any better. You once watched him beat up a couple of bulky, twice-his-height students from Savanaclaw without breaking a sweat, yet moments before he was jokingly scolding himself for dozing off so easily. You never once thought he was ever out of his elements. A cold chill runs down your spine thinking how much more perceptive the older fae may have been back during his prime years.

“Wonder what Lilia’s gonna think,” you ponder out loud in a quick effort to banish out the skin-prickling mental imagery your mind was invoking. “About us, I mean.”

Malleus seems surprised that you would change the topic to that of all things, but his initial shock goes away as quickly as it came. “As you may have guessed, he’s an open-minded individual, but he’s also very realistic and unafraid to say what’s on his mind.”

“So what does that mean for you and me?” you question with a bit of hesitation.

“Well,” he trails off and ponders for a moment. “He’ll surely like the scandal our relationship would invoke. However, as my caretaker and mentor, he won’t hesitate to put an end to it if he feels it necessary.”

Had it been anyone else sitting beside you, you’d have found that comment way too extreme and outright ridiculous. However, you are not speaking to anyone ordinary. You are not sitting before someone normal. It doesn't matter how well you get along with him. It sure as hell doesn't matter how deeply in love you are with him, and him of you. The moment you have been deemed a shortcoming, the outings, the closeness, it all stops. All of it will come crashing down and both you and him will be left wondering what could have been done differently.

Malleus is truly your best friend, because already he can tell that your mind is beginning to spiral even when you go quiet. He calls for your attention by gripping his hand around your bare ankle and carefully tugging the end of your limb. “Don’t fret over it too much,” he soothes, yet also sounding like he’s scolding you for letting your mind wander off so negatively. “Lilia is an exceptional judge of character. From what I’ve gathered, you’ve well exceeded all his marks. He trusts you, and to gain such a thing from someone as old and wise as him is an extraordinary feat.”

You brew over the attempted compliment he tried to pay to you. Unfortunately, it doesn’t snub out all these festering thoughts in your head. It doesn’t even give you temporary relief. Perhaps it would have brought you a sense of peace a few months ago, but with everything that has happened thus far, you doubt even Malleus can alleviate the storm that rattles inside you, even if what he speaks is without a doubt nothing but the truth.

Surely he can see that you are still having some hangups. When you lift his hand and plant a chaste kiss on the back of his hand, you hope he can decipher the gesture as a pitiful request for his forgiveness for dampening the once energetic mood. He is not at fault for your loss and inability to think optimistically at the moment and you need to make sure he knows it.

Today is about him, not you. Even if it’s just for today, you’ll put on a pleasant facade and worry about the rest at a later date. It’s just you and him, and for now, that’s enough.

You do a mental countdown starting from three, before finally giving him a late response to the three words he uttered in confidence to you earlier. “I love you too, by the way.”

You love him. You love him. You love him. That’s all his mind can think of for the rest of the day. He replays your reciprocation over and over like it’s sacred and all-powerful.

He had planned to return to his dorm before the sun began to set, but he found the mere idea of detaching from you deeply unwanted and made the last-minute decision to spend the evening at the Ramshackle dorm. He already has a few articles of clothing and personal essentials set up in one of the many empty rooms, so neither Lilia nor you had any objections at his sudden request.

“Don’t worry!” You shout across the room so that Lilia can hear you over his phone. “I’ll make sure he gets to bed on time!”

“You have my gratitude!” Lilia’s muffled voice responds gratefully. “Don’t cause too much trouble now, you two.”

“No promises~” you sing in jest before Malleus hangs up. Once the call ends Johnny, Benji, Franky, and you turn their attention back to their ongoing game of poker. Malleus watches and occasionally laughs to himself over the friendly banter shared between the quartet. At the end of every round, the winner is assaulted with colorful profanities whilst they take their newly won gambling chips with ebullience. Yet with each new dealing of cards, the animosity goes away and they’re all back to being friendly. He finds your interactions with your incorporeal roommates more entertaining than the book he’s been reading to pass the time.

“Hey, fairy boy,” Franky informally calls out toward him. “Don’t be a stranger now. Play a few rounds with us.”

“I’m afraid I’m not well versed in card games,” he admits, yet he still finds himself setting his literature aside and moving over to join them.

“Don’t worry,” you give him a reassuring smile. “They’ll go easy on you.”

“For how long?” he knowingly asks.

You give him an impressed smirk at his quick uptake. “I give it three rounds before they start to pull back their sleeves.”

Malleus is well-adjusted to the need to quickly learn a new topic and the expectation for him to fully comprehend it in full. None of them are harsh on him for his minor mistakes like some of the tutors he’s had in the past. Answers that he believes may be obvious or not as complicated as he thinks they are being answered with enthusiastic patience. The smallest achievements he makes are met with a proud response. When he makes a surprise turnabout and wins his first game, he’s rewarded with an encouraging round of applause by everyone.

“Not bad,” Benji praises as he shuffles the deck of cards. “You’re a fast learner.”

“So I’ve been told,” he humbly replies. “Is this the part where you all stop going easy on me now?”

“Don’t provoke them,” you half-heartedly warn. “Otherwise we’ll be up all night duking it out otherwise.”

Franky sets his glass of iced liquor down on the edge of the table. “Don’t you little lovebirds worry. We won’t take up too much of your well-needed time together.”

Annoyed at the clear jab at his relationship with you, you throw one of your chips towards his head. It passes through his body and clatters on the floor behind him. Your fawn Blossom jumps down from their spot on the couch and goes to sniff it, thinking it to be food, but walks away with a disappointed strut when he realizes it isn’t anything edible.

“I didn’t tell them a damn thing,” you defensively clarify. “It was so obvious what was going on between us that they figured it all out before we made it official.”

He lets out a deep breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “That’s...I can’t say I’m too pleased to hear about that.”

“We won’t say anything,” Franky reassures. “Just make sure to put a sock on the door whenever you guys want some alone time.”

“Franky!” you hiss at him. “What the hell?!”

“What?” he looks at you, unbothered by your clear embarrassment. “Do you honestly expect us to think you guys went out just to look at a bunch of statues?”

“Oh, I’m sure they were looking at something,” Johnny smirks. “It wasn’t made of stone though.”

“I hate you guys,” you growl out, arms crossing and leaning back into your seat with an angry huff. You don’t mean it. He can see the tremble of your lips as you try to contain the urge to grin. “Even if we did end up rolling around in the sheets, I wouldn’t be yapping about it for all to hear, much less you guys!”

“What happens in the gargoyle graveyard stays in the gargoyle graveyard, eh?” Franky winks at both Malleus and you, nudging you with his elbow.

“Exactly!” you affirm, batting the large ghost away from you for some much-needed distance. “Now stop being so damn nosy.”

They cackle one last time and everyone seamlessly goes back to their ongoing game. Conversations like the one that just concluded are commonplace in your dormitory. Even if he contributed next to nothing to the discussion, he enjoys watching them interact. You come from a world where ghosts are hardly as overt as the ones in this world. Ghosts are said to entertain themselves by picking on the living, to the point that it can be fatal. Your ability to come up with witticisms at a moment's notice is something he enjoys seeing in action. He feels great satisfaction not only knowing that he has secured your love but to also see you in a state of tranquility and within your elements.

As Benji and you have a hushed conversation on the sidelines, he reaches over and places his hand on your knee beneath the table. You quietly reach over and put your hand over his, stroking the back of his hand with your thumb like it’s instinctual. Unfortunately, the heart-fluttering moment is ruined by the sudden buzzing of his phone. He has half a mind to ignore it, but when he gives the screen a glance he realizes ignoring the caller is not an option.

“I’ll be out for a moment,” he excuses himself once he sets his hand down and stands himself upright. “This shouldn’t take that long, hopefully.”

They all stop to look up at him inquisitively for half a second. In unison, they ask, “Sebek?”

“Sebek,” he affirms.

There are simultaneous displays of annoyance, pity, and silent wishes of good luck directed at him. He’s tempted to ask where all this contempt for the boy comes from, but then he remembers the many times Sebek barges his way into their dorm at the worst possible moments. It is either when everyone is beginning to settle down after a long day or in the middle of an important house project, the former more so than the latter now that the dorm is much more stable and in need of less restoration. Malleus learned the hard way how ill you and the ghosts will react when your peace is unwantedly interrupted and your space invaded by an unwanted guest.

Sebek is also quick to scrutinize whatever he sees out loud without a filter. You never seem to mind half of the time, merely rolling your eyes and moving past Sebek’s ill-meaning remarks as if you never heard them. As you are someone Malleus highly regards and holds close to his bosom, he hopes Sebek can one day set aside his strife with humankind and give you the due diligence you deserve.

...Though, he completely understands that reaching that point will take time. While you can endure Sebek to a certain degree, there are times where he, unfortunately, pushes you past that threshold and, without flinching, you will tell him to “Shut the fuck up”. Your words, not his.

“Young master!” Sebek's transmitted voice peaks and he has to half pull it away to give his pained eardrums some relief. “I was informed by Lord Lilia that you will be spending the night over at the Human’s dorm. Have you all your accommodations at their estate? If not, I will swiftly-”

“That won’t be necessary,” he half laughs at his enthusiasm over such a small task. “I have enough to keep me comfortable and well for a few days. Your offer is still very much appreciated.”

“Y-Yes, of course,” he stutters. “If there’s anything you should ever find a need for, please inform me at once! I will fulfill your every wishes no matter the hour!”

He’s enthusiastic and ready to act at a moment’s notice, even during the middle of a cold and dark hour. Malleus doesn’t necessarily dislike this part of Sebek, but he’s starting to understand why someone like you would find such subservience difficult to deal with. At any moment, Malleus could ask Sebek to grab some insignificant item of his and tread through the thick snow to deliver it to him, and the boy would do so with jubilation and utmost timeliness. You on the other hand wouldn’t be caught dead ordering someone to do something on your behalf when you believe you are well and capable of doing it yourself.

You don’t put expectations onto the backs of others, choosing to trust yourself first before anyone else. He knows now that it’s a result of the one instance where you expected something from someone, only to be thoroughly let down and left wondering if it was you who did something wrong.

Malleus cannot make up for the pain you’ve been subjected to, but he hopes that he can become the outlier in your life that surpasses any preconceived notions you may hold onto others. He hopes...No, he absolutely will be the one who brings you your well-earned and deserved joy and repose, just as you have done for him and continue to do so.

You love him, and he will ensure he is worthy of every last drop of your fidelity.

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland imagines #malleus draconia #twst malleus #malleus x reader #malleus draconia x reader #twst writing #twst fanfic #fanfic: courtship #reader insert #reader insert fanfic #reader insert fanfiction #gender neutral reader #gender neutral pronouns #x reader

[limetimo]

2. how many siblings do you have?

16. did you have any imaginary friends?

24. what’s a food you hated?

42. how did you feel about school, and what type of student were you?

I sent an ask before this, I’m assuming you didn’t receive it.

I did see the previous ask just now! I'll answer it along with these if you don't mind

2. Siblings

I have 2! Older and younger. So I'm the middle child, pretty much the stereotypical middle child.

16. imaginary friends

I remember I had one before I was of school age but the only thing I remember about her is that she was a brunette.

24. hated food

I'm told I was a picky eater when I was little but what I can remember detesting is sauerkraut, beans, peas, and leek. I like pretty much all of thise now.

42. school

I didn't hate going. My mom was very involved with our education, so I could read and do basic math really well when I started school, and spent a lot of time reading ahead in the literature textbook or doing these little math puzzles the 1-3rd grade teacher had for us. I struggled with math if I was under the pressure of a time limit. I was really quiet and didn't have many friends, and I allowed others to copy my homeworks and tests. The teachers usually liked me. I was never bullied, or if I was I was too dense to notice.

44. do you still have a relationship with any of the friends you made in elementary school?

In fact I do! A lot of people from my elementary class went on to high school with me (7 in fact), and I became much better friends with two girls after the transition. We even shared a flat at college for about two years. I like to think we're besties for life

#Ask #tag game

[loulougoingsolo]

"There's cheese in that sausage, boys! Gather round!"

I had to choose between writing about the thoughts today's Ear Biscuit brought up, and writing about today's GMM - two almost extreme opposites on an emotional level. Since it's almost bedtime, and the EB post will undoubtedly be a long one, I took the funnier option. Despite the burger overload on Saturday, I loved today's GMM. And, as we all know, burger and sub sandwich are two completely different things. So, let's talk about international Subways!

Food is such an integral part of culture, and in many ways big international restaurant do no favours to preserving different cuisines. A Big Mac is a Big Mac no matter where you eat it. Fortunately, even the big chains need to adapt to local cultures - and as we learn today, there is more than one way to make a Sub (and more than one way to name it, apparently).

I need to get this out of the way: Rhett's shirt matches Link's darts, and vice versa. Such a satisfying detail! But moving on...

In the first round we have what appears to be a very sad attempt at making a veggie sandwich, and it comes from India of all places. I had to find the menu for Indian Subway just to see if this was real, and it is - but thankfully, the Indian Subway has quite a few other choices for vegetarians, and all of them look so good. I'm not the least surprised that the guys chose to aim at the UK, because of the peas, but I still think they are wrong when mocking the British cuisine. I loved the mushy peas, and the thick chips...and I just realized I haven't eaten anything proper today. If I had a Subway close by, I'd go there right now.

Now, I've already accepted that Finland doesn't exist according to Rhett, but unless all the Nordic countries are suddenly starting to vanish, I think Norway, which Rhett hit on the first round, does still exist. Let's not get the Nordic countries confused, ok? 😂

Oh, Link. His reasoning for why the mash and bacon could be from the UK makes total sense, and it would do Rhett good to fail at least once with his logic of weird things being from the East, but he's correct again - the strange sub is from Japan. I do think Rhett should at least try to aim an actual country instead of an ocean, but I suppose that wouldn't change the results.

If you leave out the tomatoes, olives AND cucumber from your sub, what even is left? Nicole still has a lot to learn about just how picky Link is, I love how shocked she sounds when Link is complaining about his sub. I knew about the tomatoes and olives, but cucumber, too? And did you notice, Rhett is already happily chomping his sub at this point, and probably questioning his friendship, once again.

Ok, what the actual crap? I know I struggle recognizing faces, but I feel kinda stupid for not noticing that Chase looked a bit different in this round - until I read the comment section. Don't mess with my brain like this! But yeah, this happened:

After Argentinian sausage and the unexpected Chase-switch, we finally get to the UK. There is no cheese in the sausage, and no peas in the sub, but this hearty sandwich can't possibly be from anywhere but the UK. Link finally has a chance to even the score...but somehow, he throws his dart next to Rhett's in Africa.

A new addition to the game of International foods, is a mystery round. The mystery sub comes from Poland, and seems to have very little to do with Polish cuisine. If you ever visit Poland, I recommend trying the local fast food sandwich, zapiekanka, instead of this creation.

Since Link lost the last time, he has the advantage of using the Hurt Squirt, a handful of mustard, for the last round. I made the mistake of checking urban dictionary for the origin of Hurt Squirt as a word, and, well, I don't recommend you to do the same.

Link makes a valiant effort and, while aiming at Jamaica, manages to hit Poland and everything else, but he still loses the game - and doesn't even get a high-five:

I never imagined watching someone chop lettuce could be particularly entertaining, but GMMore proved me wrong. None of it made any sense, Link was wearing the thickest protective gloves the crew could find, this adorable moment happened:

and I feel this More needs to go on the list of episodes you should show to people who have no idea about GMM or Rhett and Link. Just send them a link that leads to Rhett chopping lettuce with his scissorhands. There is only so much words can describe, and mine ran out at this point:

😂😂😂

#gmm #gmmore #rhett and link #gmm 1695 #international subway sandwiches #chopping lettuce #chase gets switched to #gus johnson #a very weird and hiarious more