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violettduchess · 2 years

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Comte + 11 + angst

A/N: For the Fall Fluff Autumn Angst Content Creator Challenge and one of my best friends @aquagirl1978 🍂 Thanks for the request

Comte x f!reader, angst

Word Count: 1582

There is nothing quite like the Autumn Harvest Festival. A sleepy little town just a few kilometers outside of Paris transforms from rows of tiny white cottages and rolling fields to a bustling marketplace full of bright colors and smells and sounds: the red, gold and orange garlands of fall leaves and wreaths, the smell of cider and pies and warm soup, the voices calling out for visitors to stop by their booths, inspect their wares, buy their vegetables and berries and baked goods.

You squeeze Comte’s hand as you try to take it all in, to allow all the glory of fall on full display to sink into your bones and wrap itself around you. You could live in this tiny bubble, this moment of time, forever, surrounded by incredible color and liveliness, with the love of your life by your side.

You are so enraptured by all that you see that you don’t notice the softness in his golden gaze, the smile that never quite leaves his lips as he watches you. Seeing you so joyful, cheeks slightly pink from the cool breeze and your own excitement, fills him with a warmth that rivals any flame.

“Ohh look at these!” Pulling him by the hand, you stop in front of a booth laid out with ribbons of all sizes and colors. The merchant, a portly woman with eyes as green as shamrocks, offers you a bright smile.

“Welcome, welcome. Feel free to inspect any of them up close. No finer silks, satins, velvets and linens in all of France!”

Her hyperbole makes you smile as you take in the medley of colors and textures laid out before you. They are all so beautiful. You glance over your shoulder at Comte and he offers you an encouraging smile.

“We have plenty of time, ma chérie. Look as long as you like.”

Affection widens your smile as you turn back to the lengths of ribbon, your gaze running over them with an appreciative gleam. And then you spot it. A sumptuous velvet ribbon of deep ochre, trimmed with black lace. The merchant sees where you have stopped and reaches for it, lifting it and offers it to you, eyes twinkling at the anticipation of a sale.

“A beautiful choice indeed, mademoiselle. A fine match for your lovely hair.”

You take it from her, holding it in your palm as if holding a rare gem. Carefully, you run a finger down its length, marveling at how soft it is. How luxurious it feels to your skin. And the touch of black lace feels like an almost scandalous edition. You touch that too, imagining Comte’s elegant fingers pulling the ribbon free from your hair by touching that provocative trim.

You clear your throat, scattering the sensual thoughts.

"I'll take it!"

After a warm glass of apple cider and fresh apple tart, you stroll with Comte, arm in arm, until you come to the edge of a park you have visited many times when making the trip to this particular village. There is no need for words as you walk in-step together down a smaller dirt path, one that winds a bit away from the main promenade.

Your boots begin crunching over fallen leaves, beautiful bursts of red and orange and brown crumbling underfoot as you both walk towards the wooden bench you know and love. It isn’t the shiny white of the newer benches along the main, paved paths of the park. This one is old, brittle, just barely seating the two of you. It’s rough wood scratches and pulls at your clothing every time you sit and you’ve been given a souvenir splinter once or twice, but it is your favorite place in the whole park. Something about it feels like it has always been there, as if the surrounding trees themselves are offering it up as a prize to adventurous travelers who dare explore the path less taken.

Settling down next to Comte, you snuggle against his side, reaching into your beaded reticule, your fingers exploring until they feel the soft velvet of the ribbon and you pull it out with a satisfied smile.

He glances down at you, at the way you touch the soft, deep orange length of it, your fingertips skimming over the black lace once again.

“Shall I put it in your hair, chérie?”

Immediately you straighten up, excitement buoying your spirits like a burst of wind to a kite. You turn your back to him, anticipation walking along the tight line of your shoulders, painting the pale pink flush of your cheek. Comte finds the silver combs currently tucked into your tresses and gently pulls them out, one side then the other. A sigh escapes you, soft as a rustle of silk, when he pushes his gentle fingers into your hair, helping it shake itself free and flow naturally down past your shoulders. It feels familiar and comforting, something he has done for you hundreds of times and yet you never tire of it. You close your eyes, indulging in the finesse of his touch, when it suddenly stops.

Comte leans forward, murmuring to himself in French, his fingers parting strands of your hair until he says with triumph swelling his voice, “Ah ha! I have it.”

You feel a tiny tugging at your scalp and then he is holding the end of a single, soft hair, still attached. He pulls it carefully around, reaching for your hand so you can take it yourself and see what he has discovered.

“White as snow,” he says with a small smile, his eyes warm with amusement.

“A gray hair?” You turn your head to try and get a better look at the offending strand. There it is, a single hair, a thin sliver of moonlight between your fingertips.

“Perhaps I should start calling you ‘Mémé’,” he says with a grin that is full of warm-hearted affection.

Words become stuck in the desert of your throat. Your eyes are unable to look away from the thing caught in your grasp. It is only when it disappears, vanishes behind a wall of blurred autumn colors that you realize you are crying. Angrily, you pull, violently yanking the pale hair from your head. Part of you imagines that you could pull and pull and pull and it would never end, an endless spool of white inside of you, waiting for the right moment to blossom, to grow over your head like some kind of oppressive, blanched ivy climbing a wall, burying whatever is underneath until all you see is white.

Comte’s arm around your waist tightens as he reaches for you with his other hand, turning your face toward him. Even though his face is half in shadow and swimming behind your tears, the concern there is bright as a journeyman’s flare.

“Chérie?”

You turn, throwing yourself into the safety of his arms, burying your face in the soft folds of his beige coat.

You want nothing more than to stop the march of time, to stay right here on this uncomfortable wooden bench, under the protection of arboreal guards in their jackets of red and yellow, within the circle of Comte’s embrace. To pretend that time can be ignored, that age isn’t stalking you slowly from the shadows of every passing day and every dream-filled night.

His hand runs down your back, methodical, rhythmic, and you shudder. It reminds you of the steady ticking of clocks. Minutes that are born and die and with each breath push you closer to separation. A single white hair becomes two. Then ten. One wrinkle births many. These first few decades of your life were a river, flowing over rocks and curving around many unforeseen bends. But each year the water moves faster and faster. A river forms rapids and leaves you breathless, holding on for dear life. Life that for him will never end. And for you, has but one inevitable conclusion.

You don’t know how long you sit there, clinging to his strong frame as your body wrings itself of tears. He never forces you to explain. He never stops holding you. He allows you to feel what you are feeling and offers you an unwavering bastion of comfort and support. Eventually the waters calm and the wind inside your aching heart stops roaring. When you finally pull away, the last drops of sunlight are dappling his face. You reach up, cupping that beloved face in your hands, your eyes finding his.

What you find there is a love as luminous as the harvest moon, forcible enough to withstand even the most destructive of storms. A love that transcends something as trivial as seconds and years and centuries. A forever that belongs to you both, no matter if its form is a tender embrace right now under a darkening forest canopy or the warmth of this memory on a cold, autumn night somewhere around the riverbend.

“Let’s go home,” you whisper, your thumbs running over the sharp lines of his cheekbones.

He reaches out with one hand, running it over the softness of your hair.

“Of course, chérie.” He leans forward, placing a gentle kiss to the corner of one eye, then the other, and then another on your lips, love sinking into your skin at every point of contact. Standing, he reaches down for your hand and says in a voice steeped in the honeyed tenderness of loving devotion, “Let’s go home.”

🍂

Tagging: @atelieredux @alixennial @queengiuliettafirstlady @rhodolitesroseforclavis @somekidnamedkai @alexxavicry @ikemen-prince-writers-posts @bellerose-arcana @thewitchofbooks @ikehoe @redheadkittys @themysticalbeing @dear-fall-otome @firestar-otomeobsessed @curious-skybunny

#ikemen series #ikemen vampire #ikevamp #ikemen comte #ikevamp comte #comte de saint germain #fall fluff autumn angst ccc #angst #tw aging #ikemen fanfiction #ikemen fanfic #violettwrites

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bloodenjoyer · 8 months

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tipsy ask: what's an album you'd recommend for someone trying to expand their music taste

Woah...in What direction>? and by expand are you trying to dig into more obscure stuff or do U just feel yr current music taste isnt as wide reaching as youd like?ummmm idk ill just rattle off some albums that i Really love. so the answer to this question really really depends on what mood im in so probably ill send you to the 60s and seventies..although today i listened to pretty.odd. (panic!at the disco Lol) over and over. electric warrior (t rex) is probs one of my all time favs ever ever ever....his n hers (pulp)... version 2.0 (garbage) Hmm. smiley smile + wild honey are my fav beach boys albums that really Arent about surfing like at all. some of their best stuff. like obviously theres pet sounds but everyone loves pet sounds. nasty gal (betty davis)...um...Idk im very fond of 60s/70s music.. Beyond the valley of the dolls soundtrack for a fake movie band with real music. if you can believe your eyes & ears (the mamas & the papas) electric ladyland (jimi hendrix) UM THE VELVET UNDERGROUND LOADED. umm sell out and a quick one are probably my fav who albums..fresh fruit for rotting vegetables (dead kennedys) ...CORAL FANG...!!!(the distillers) Ummmm hot mess and viva la cobra. cobra starship forever. Sorry im rattling off a bunch of shit. i know everyone know s about the beatles and theyre popular and so recommending them is silly but if you arent into them my fav albums of theirs are rubber soul and revolver..OHH my god um. Nancy and lee. ummmm. desolation boulevard (sweet). Okay i shut up now.this isnt coherent and im sure ill look back and go man that wasmessy and shit and i left out all the imprortant stuff.but its ALMOST FIVE AM????? help. how did that happen GOODNIGHT

#asks

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ninjakitty2988 · 2 years

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Chapter 14 you are my sunshine

Slight NSFW themes

Raising your arm to examine your fingertips they are wrinkled from being in the water for some time. The water is turning cold yet your fatigue replenishes. Feeling chilly you stand up and hop out of the bath, you walk as quickly as possible because you're cold and desperately eager to get yourself warm and dry. You grab your towel rubbing yourself dry, your skin feeling smooth from the salts and minerals that were mixed in the bath, your hair feeling soft and clean. You feel very cleansed, you grab your yukata and put it back on walking towards your sleeping quarters.

When you reach your goal you open the door and brush the knots out of your dry hair tenderly, humming along to a song in your head you take a gander to your draws to find something clean to wear other than your uniform, having a ponder you pick out a plain kimono and pull the sleeves through your arms, you pick up a pair of red hakama trousers wear them over your chosen kimono. You proceed to put on some tabi socks and take a quick peek at the mirror, feeling better in yourself as you walk out of your room.

Aoi walks by and you speak up "Thank You for drawing up the bath. It was perfect and I feel much better."

She nods quickly "just doing my duties, is there anything I can assist you with y/n, have you eaten lunch yet?" You shake your head "not yet I spent quite some time bathing." Aoi answers "well it's nice to see you're resting it makes a change, Rengoku and Kanroji are eating lunch on the engawa if you want you can join them. I just made this lunch not too long, I will bring it out to you". You respond "Thank you I will do so now". You walk towards the engawa spotting Mitsuri and Kyojuro eating lunch and chatting. Mitsuri is the first to spot you. She stands up and hugs you tight "y/n ohh I am so pleased about you and Kyojuro, you're so good for him he's love struck". You blush lightly "thankyou Kanroji you're so sweet".

She loosened her grip and requested that you sit in the middle of her and Kyojuro. You comply and Kyojuro takes a good look at your features with his jaw dropped slightly, he scans over your body slowly. He's never seen you for a while since you were growing up together. Neither seen you in other clothing except for your formal attire or a yukata that you wear for bed. You wave a hand In front of him "kyo, hello are you ok?" He snaps out of thought and swallows hard enough for his oesophagus bobs up and down, "yeah I am great, how was your bath?" You catch a glimpse of his neck and you blink rapidly "y-eah I spent ages in there until my fingers and toes turned wrinkly, although the water went cold and had to come out! But it was relaxing and rejuvenating".

He picks up your wrist and feels your skin, "that's great I am pleased and your skin is so soft and supple". He winks at you again, catching your flushed face. Mitsuri looks like she's watching a romantic film! Yet Kyojuro seems to enjoy teasing you. Aoi walks towards you, oh the engawa spotting Kyojuro holding your wrist she doesn't question him about it but gives you your food that's freshly cooked "y/n your lunch". You look at the Bento box food laid out neatly, containing golden crispy shrimp tempura, seasoned soft rice, pickled vegetables with a slight tang, fluffy rolled egg and crisp fresh edamame. "Thank you, Aoi". She gives you a cup of green matcha tea. She then makes her way back where she's from and you turn to look at your Bento and pick up the food with your chopsticks humming, while Kyojuro says "tasty" after each bite.

Mitsui asks for seconds and then thirds alongside with Kyojuro you look stunned at both of their healthy appetites while eating your Bento box and drinking your matcha tea.

Kyojuro and Mitsuri finally have full bellies; they take a rest before they both start training again. You look at them both quizzing them "Kanroji you have a healthy appetite you must have a high metabolism!" She nods enthusiastically "yep I burn it off". You turn to look at Kyojuro thinking you can get your own back from the cheeky wink he gave you. "And you Mr!" You point to his toned stomach, "you're a bottomless pit!" It backfires on you! Kyojuro gives you a certain look, he wasn't angry but you, oh no not in the slightest just in a playful mood!

You slightly shift back, uncertain what his next move will be! He grabs a firm hold on your hips, enough so he knows you wouldn't be able to get out of that easily but it wasn't hurting you, that he wouldn't dare even cross his mind ever! "What did you say? I dare you to repeat what you said, but I would be wise if I were you!" You look nervous "what are you gonna do?" He leans forward, both of your noses almost touching."Say it and find out!"

You stuttered and repeated it, he playfully growls and plucked you on his lap, held you firmly with one hand and the other hand was free. He begins to tickle the side of your ribs you are squirming around on his lap right on the engawa! You puff out your cheeks resisting the urge to laugh, and begin to giggle extremely loudly as he continues to tickle you in ticklish locations! Mitsuri covers her eyes, discovering it's charming! She picks up the empty bento boxes and takes them to Aoi, she feels she wants to give you a little space.

You are still getting tickled by Kyojuro "kyo please!" He finds your laugh adorable and enchanted by your smile he stops for you to catch your breath. You try to get off his lap only to tug you back into him. His hair tickles your neck however, that little did both of you know Tengan is walking around the corner to see that the laughing was. He laughs merrily as he continues to tickle you more, you squirm and your bum mistakenly slightly rubs the tip of his member he lets out a slight moan in your ear. Your cheeks burn and then before Kyojuro has time to react, Uzui detects both of you he's grinning.

"So this is what the uproar was all about! Rengoku I didn't think you had it in you!" Kyojuro laughs nervously "I confessed my feelings to y/n, and now we are courting one another but I am gonna take things steady at our own pace". Then he sits down with you both, however, your mind is still whirling on the accident that occurred! Tengan inquired looking down at you as you sit on kyojuro's lap, "hey y/n you ok you have your hands in your face?" You removed them from your face without making eye contact with Tengan. "I'm ok yeah great". Uzui discusses with you "Rengoku he's a good guy he's my best friend. I am pleased he's got a woman like you. I can tell you are a sweet girl and I know you look after each other." You look shocked no teasing from his mouth he was having a general conversation with you. "Thanks, Tengan, he is a gentleman".

Uzui is still beaming "Hey Rengoku, you can always come to me for relationship advice. I do after all have three wives!" Kyojuro inhales and wraps both of his arms around your stomach "thanks Tengan I keep that in mind".

You speak up, "why don't you spar with Tengan I think it would be great to burn off some of that energy you got pent up in your body kyo!" He nods and kisses your cheek "wonderful idea! You don't mind my little sunflower?" You nod "of course I have no objection!" You get up off his lap, and he stands up "I will be back around sundown will that be ok?" You laugh "kyo I am not your guardian!" He chuckles in return "ok then I see you later!" He hugs you and then walks off with Tengan. Mitsuri asks "where did Rengoku go off too?" You answer "I told him to go spar with Tengan, he's gone to burn off that energy". She smiles "he did have the energy to spare and then some!" You both look at each other and giggle jointly!

Mitsuri inquired "what are you gonna do now?" You ponder "well I think I will just read up on the flame breathing. It can't hurt to read it again. It is great to study it since I can not train for a few more days. But I know I have rehabilitation training tomorrow with kyo." She cheerfully smiles "okay I am going to do some reflex training I see you later!" She wanders off to the dojo, you wave at her and walk to your sleeping quarters, grab the book that you were looking for to read and walk towards the engawa.

You perch down with the book in your hand and open it from the beginning. The book smells of paper and ink with brush strokes using a kuretake bimoji fude the characters of hiragana, kanji and katakana handwritten neatly on the pages, using leather that was bonded together with materials to craft the book! You begin to read chapters of the book turning the pages over, losing track of time resting against the wall on the engawa you feel yourself getting tired. Struggling to keep your eyes open, the book that now rests on your lap with it open, your eyelids get heavier. You eventually succumb to slumber breathing gently and steadily.

The sun goes down and Uzui and Kyojuro stop training for the day, both feeling like they have done a great afternoon of vigorous intense training. Kyojuro booms "what an afternoon, that was well needed. I had burned that extra energy off, many thanks again, my friend!" Uzui laughs "it was your lover that suggested it, also you got a lot of sexual frustration going on between you both why don't you just get it over and done with!" Kyojuro's face burns up blushing. "I umm well in our own time that's a big thing to decide whether we make ahem..love"!

They both walk back towards the engawa, Uzui nods "well if you or when you do I will give you some tips!" He winks at Kyojuro, and then he just shakes his head. They get around the corner and Uzui catches sight of you sleeping peacefully, with a book on your lap he signals Kyojuro to be quiet. He puts a finger on his lips and uses a hand signal to tell Kyojuro to come up closer he grins and points at you "your beloved fell asleep she does look adorable sleeping".

He walks in front of Uzui and observes you snoozing. Kyojuro walks up towards the edge of the engawa and smiles, watching how peaceful you look at the time. He then notices the book that you were reading and Kyojuro picks up the book and closes the book quietly trying not to disturb you. He looks at Uzui. "She's been reading up on flame breathing, she must have wished to get out and train in the dojo, but she knows Aoi or Kocho would scold her if y/n did any physical training! So she read up about flame breathing again".

Uziu puts a hand on his chin" smart woman studying flame breathing is just as important as physical training!" Kyojuro beams in agreement "yep that's my girl!" Kyojuro returns the book to your quarters and returns to you still dozing. He strokes your hair away from your face gazing at your sleeping form. Uzui whispered "Rengoku are you going to carry her to her sleeping quarters?" Kyojuro shakes his head and grins "no I am going to take her to mine!"

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atinygoblin · 10 months

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Hi, yesterday was a frustrating day. I live at home with my parents and my younger sister. (#4)

My relationship with my parents is difficult, our personalities clash a lot and there not much trust between us. Growing up, home life was always difficult. No money, four kids, parents always working. Stress levels was HIGH.

My mum is the perfect manipulator and gaslighter. She would purposely make us feel bad and then play the victim when we would stick up for ourselves. Which then her behaviour would change and would become so passive aggressive. Leaving us walking on eggshells around her and never really trusting her because we never knew how she would react.

On the other hand, my dad was always at work. Working 2 jobs, day and night, means I never really got to see him so I having a bond with him was difficult. I can’t be mad at the situation because he was the reason we had food in our belly’s. When he was home, he was tired and if we did something that he didn’t like - he was explosive. An angry man. Just very aggressive and with his explosive behaviour, we couldn’t trust him because we were walking around on egg shells.

As we’ve gotten older, my dad is less aggressive but now really defensive and my mum is in charge of everything. If she doesn’t like something, he will kick off about it. But about 2 years ago, my dad cheated on my mum. It was during the 2nd lockdown when we all found out and having to live in the same space as them was traumatic. There was no escape from them.

That’s why it’s hard to trust them.

Nothings ever been worked out, we all just ignore it and try carrying on. Me and #4 do not get involved. It’s not our relationship, therefore don’t bring us into it. We had to become their therapist and quite frankly, we are done with it.

I’m never really home but when I am, I’m constantly cleaning up their mess around the house. I don’t mind, because it keeps me busy but some of their mess makes no sense so I get frustrated. I’m organising everything and just getting angry because what they think makes sense, doesn’t in fact make sense. So I’m questioning “why!?” - All the time.

Yesterday, I was organising the fridge. My dad is the one that cooks but he is a mess. He makes a mess. Nothing in the kitchen makes senses. So I reorganised the fridge this time because it was a mess. Everything was on top of everything. It was salmonella’s wet dream of cross contamination.

This is when I saw that we have some pak Choi about to go out of date and I was like “what a perfect time to make something fresh, healthy and from scratch.” I wasn’t at work and I looking cooking so I was excited.

I called my sister #1 about what to cook, that I can incorporate pak Choi and her and her partner suggested chok which is a rice porridge/soup dish. Super easy, super cheap and super exciting to make. She gave me a bit of ginger and I literally had everything else at home to make it with.

I steamed all my vegetables and made the chok and it was really nice. Not my favourite thing I’ve made but it was still really nice. Everything tastes better when you’ve made it though. And I cooked it for everyone to have for tea. Everyone is always going on how they want something new and healthy to try and I’ve literally just made it.

When my mum finished work, we saw sister #2 and her baby ( lil cutie ) and on the drive back my mum was like “ohh what should we have for tea?”

“I’ve already made tea for everyone” I said in the back of the car. “I made it all from scratch, you should at least try it. I got the recipe of #1 and her partner”

“Eww noo, I don’t want that, I want some proper food” she replied back.

I replied back with silence.

I was so angry and upset that no one wanted to eat what I made them. They drove to Tesco’s and picked up some pizza for themselves and that only upset me more. When we got home they cooked it immediately and left food on the side. My mum was like “ohh help yourself, there’s loads left over” which translated to me that what I cooked wasn’t real food. They didn’t even try it. I was just like “I’ve already eaten mum, I don’t need more food.”

To be so excited to cook something for everyone, to have it all thrown back in my face, I was so frustrated. To know that I tried and no one wanted to even taste it literally just broke my heart. I was angry because it was such a waste and it was so ungrateful of them.

My dad makes some atrocities in the kitchen and we still have to eat it. Force fed in all fairness because we get guilt tripped into it because “it’s wasteful” and it’s “ungrateful” because“ I just spent ages cooking that” so “you will eat it”. Hypocrites! That’s what angered me the most. The hypocrisy of them frustrated me to the point I couldn’t even look at them, there was no need for any of that, and then they waste their money on frozen pizza!?

What hurts most, is that I tried to do something nice for them. The gesture was never even taken into consideration either. Not even “Thanks for cooking for us, but we’re going to have something else”. No. Wasn’t even recognised. It really makes me question why I even try. I said to #4 that it was the last time I’m going to do anything for them but I know I was lying.

Our relationship is difficult, but I try and they don’t so what am I supposed to do?

#blogstory #diary entry #diaryposting #blogs to follow #dear diary #daily diary #comfort food #asian food #parents #family #tw depressing stuff #family problems #it's difficult

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handelplayssims · 1 year

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We are up and at ‘em! It’s a bright and fresh new day! Meredith is awake and still wants that promotion. Let’s get her focused and after we give Markus a bath, we can take that Lawyer Exam! The all important bar test! ...which I honestly should have expected it’d be an off-lot thing as well. Ah well. Didn’t take too long at least. And she passed at that! Woo. Next thing’s next, she wants to talk to someone new. There is an adult just across the street. Might as well say hi! Found an art lover, studio techinican at the movie set lot. Nice.

...hey, you know what I haven’t done? It’s been a scorcher at Strangerville and it’s the end of summer! ...wait, it’s actually autumn at this point. Not that the desert heat cares evidently! But anyway, we haven’t gone to the pool at all! And there is one in Strangerville. Let’s go!

So this is a lot made by cookingcobra on the gallery. When George left town, I didn’t really have any good ideas for this lot so I looked up what was on the gallery to see if there was anything interesting. This made the most sense to me personally. Just a natural pool that blends in well with the surrounding area. Though, hang on, there’s nothing for toddlers.

There we go! One kiddie pool for Markus to play in! If I remember to, I’ll likely sell it off again after using it. Might be an idea to get one for home instead. Anyway, let’s go and have some watery fun, shall we? Took a few tries to get them to both properly play but it finally worked after a few tries. Now for Meredith to take a swim while Markus plays in the sand. Both work out well and Markus is now tired. Time to return home and put Markus to bed.

So now we have a little bit of time before Meredith goes to bed. Her whim is to make another Sim happy and the best way to attempt that is to befriend someone. Let’s try to regain our friendship with Moria Fyres. Ohh, she’s sad. Of which, at this point, I presume if someone is sad, they knew someone who passed away. Or it could be the negative sentiments. Meredith feels guilty about the lost relationship and Moria, hurt. Let’s ask about the sad mood, after searching all of the social sidebars for it. And hey, an apology cleared off both negative sentiments! Nice! Now to help her feel better. Or at least attempt to because it’s bedtime and Meredith needs sleep.

Well, I didn’t make Moria feel happy but we did get the friendship back. And that’s really what we wanted in the first place! Now to make some supper with lots of leftovers and then head back to bed. ...really struggling on choosing something because the most ingredient I have is Green Beans and there isn’t much that works with it. I settle upon a vegetable casserole. Not really something I’d go for, not a big fan of casseroles but Meredith seems the type. And thus we sleep making it time for-

Neighborhood Watch!

Marcel Neuburger in the Neuburger household has died. Marcel asked a rabbit if it wanted a carrot, but the rabbit chose violence.

Helena Bledsoe in the Bledsoe household has died. No cliffhanger here; Helena slipped when rock climbing.

Landen Faust in the Faust household has started a job as a Supreme Villain in the Villain career.

#sims 4 #liveblogging #Roswell Family #meredith roswell #markus roswell

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happyheidi · 3 years

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(via)

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barbatos-the-loyal-butler · 2 years

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If your requests are still open: May I suggest Barbatos getting into a genuinely enjoyable conversation about something he finds intresting? You can choose who he is talking to

I love the idea, barbatos finally being about to actually talk to them. Doing Mc, and Mc is gender-neutral

Barbatos wasn't used to any type of close relationships, most of his interactions where in a form of serving someone as a butler. He wasn't lonely, having lucifer and Lord Diavolo for friendships, but given the fact they also work together their conversations tend to steer towards work.

He has many interests though it wasn't often that he talked about them, generally enjoy them in a calm solitude instead of with others.

One of which was a love of gardening, there was a small section of the royal garden which was filled with plants tended to by barbatos himself. Mainly fruit, vegetables and herbs plants, with the occasional flower.

He took great pride in it thought it wasn't often it showed it to other people. Though one day when he was picking away the unwanted weeds from his beautifully growing plants, he look up and saw the human exchange student smiling softly as they watched.

"I didn't know you gardened... but I'm not that surprised, it fits you!" Mc moves to look over the plants, smiling brightly.

"ohh! are those fresh tomatoes'... is that why they are so great in your food... how much else to you grow fresh?"

barbatos laughed softly, standing up and taking Mc through the garden "I have a few human plants that I have used some magic to help grow in devildom. I also have devildom plants that are a bit easier to take care of.. over here is a devildom Fire ghost lilly." Mc watched in awe, moving to touch the tiny bright red petals of the flower but barbatos stopped them

"It can burn you so do not touch... but if you grind up the petals they make a great spicy paste.. though need to be watered down for humans. Oh! over here is my herb garden, I take small clippings every day and they are great on any number of dishes"

Mc hadn't seen barbatos talk so passionately about much else before, so listened closely answering a few questions along the way to keep him going.

After awhile Barbatos noticed what was happening, and paused with a soft blush "My apologies... I did not mean to talk your ear off.." "No no! it's okay.. it's kinda cute to see you nerd out about plants.. I like it, so continue I really wanna hear more."

Barbatos smiled back at Mc, continuing to talk about the garden and enjoying it more than he could say.

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me headcanons #obey me barbatos #obey me x reader #obey me x mc

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dangerouscommiesubversive · 2 years

Note

Souji Tendou & Shouichi Tsugami

“Shuffle”

Arata Kagami & Makoto Hikawa

“Shuffle”

Heya! ^_^ This one is just the Tendou & Shouichi story, I'll post the other one separately and tag you.

Song: "Mr. Blue Sky," Electric Light Orchestra (Spotify)

it's a beautiful new day

The weather’s cooling, but still not really cold, and that means it’s time to take in the last harvest of the year.

Shouichi spends the morning in the garden, picking vegetables. His plants generally keep producing long after every other vegetable garden in the neighborhood has curled into itself for the season, and he’s not entirely sure why, but he doesn’t really mind. He’ll spend a few days figuring out to do with all of these leftovers. Some can be pickled or jarred or otherwise preserved, others will need to be eaten right away—there’s a local shelter that always needs fresh vegetables. He picks daikon and imagines it in bright yellow slices, sharp and clean and cleansing; a cabbage says, kimchi; several heads of garlic will obviously be confit, and he’ll have to make bread to spread some of it on.

When he’s filled two baskets he stops and goes inside for a drink of water and a quick snack. He also starts making a list of what to do with everything, which ends up taking more time than he’d planned, and when he gets back outside with another empty basket there’s somebody standing on the sidewalk looking at his cucumber plants.

Shouichi’s first thought is wow, he’s almost prettier than Makoto, and then a silent, personal scolding, because nobody’s better-looking than Makoto, that’s how the world works. He is a good-looking young guy, though, he’s got ridiculously long eyelashes and nice hair in a very fashionable haircut. Actually he’s very fashionable in general, his clothes look expensive and new. He’s carrying a brown paper bag full of groceries in one arm and frowning, very faintly, at the cucumbers, which Shouichi hasn’t even gotten to yet, so obviously the best way to open a conversation is with, “Would you like some?”

The young guy blinks, looking surprised, and then weirdly annoyed for a second, like he’s upset with himself for being surprised. “I apologize, I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“Don’t worry about it! I’m harvesting today anyway, and I have way too much for just myself. Do you like konjac? Or cabbage?”

“Ah, no thank—I was actually curious about your gardening techniques.”

“Oh!” Shouichi beams at him. “Do you garden?”

The young guy looks a little pained. “I attempt to. My younger sister has recently become interested in sustainable eating, and has insisted that we begin our own vegetable garden. Unfortunately it has become clear that gardening is…not a skill that comes to me naturally.”

“Ohhh, yeah, it can be really tricky. Here, I was going to make some tea, you want to come inside so we’re not just standing around in the cold?”

---

Ten minutes later they’re sitting in the kitchen, drinking tea, and the young guy, whose name is Tendou—Shouichi’s pretty sure he recognizes the name from somewhere, but he can’t quite place it—is saying, “My, ah, friend Kagami has displayed an unexpected talent for growing herbs, we have a basil plant in remarkable condition, but the vegetable plants have failed to thrive.”

“Well, what are you trying to grow?”

“My other sister has recently been working to expand the menu at her restaurant, and requested tomatoes.”

“Ohh.” Shouichi wrinkles his nose. “Tomatoes are hard,you sort of have to be mean to them. I’ve never really gotten along with tomatoes. I can grow them, but I never cook with them at home, and anyway the way they want to be treated always feels wrong.”

This gets him a thoughtful look from Tendou. “No, you don’t seem like a person at ease with cruelty.”

“That’s nice of you to say! Anyway, I could probably make you some recommendations, but it’s honestly easier if I take a look at your garden, do you live near here?” Before Tendou can answer something clicks. “Wait, don’t answer that. Tendou, Tendou…wait, I do know that name, isn’t yours the big house a few blocks over?”

“That’s, ah. Yes, that is my home.”

“Then that’s not far at all! I can come look at the garden sometime soon, if you like. I mean, I won’t have another real day off for a little while, and I don’t know what your schedule looks like, but we can figure something out, I’d love to help. Wait, did you say your sister has a restaurant?”

“Yes, she’s the head cook at the Bistro La Salle.” Tendou looks a little puzzled. “What do you do that your schedule is so busy?”

“Oh, I’ve been meaning to check out La Salle! I’d say I’m checking out the competition, but they’re more of a lunch place, right?” Shouichi grins at Tendou’s slow nod. “My place is Restaurant Agito, it’s only a street or two over from there.”

“You’re the head chef at Restaurant Agito?”

Shouichi’s grin gets a little wider. “That’s me! Why, did you think I was a homemaker? That’s what most people guess when they meet me.”

The very faint blush on Tendou’s otherwise impassive face tells him he’s right. “I’ve been meaning to visit your restaurant for some time, but we rarely go out for dinner.”

“So then we’re even, I haven’t been to your sister’s and you haven’t been to mine. Hey, buddy,” to the large kabuto beetle that’s just landed on his shoulder, and which Tendou is staring at in what looks like shock, “you’re out a little late in the season, aren’t you? Must be chilly, I can’t blame you for coming inside. Anyway, restaurant opens at three, but I’m generally there from one o’clock on, if you come by before we open and ask for me I’ll show you the kitchen garden there, up on the roof.” He pauses, gauging his new friend’s manner, and then continues with, “And if you bring your partner along with then I’ll make you something special, it can be nice to have a restaurant all to yourself. If he’s free during the day, that is, I can always reserve you guys a table if an evening would work better.”

The very faint blush gets slightly darker, which is satisfying; Tendou seems like a guy who doesn’t get thrown off his stride very often, and in Shouichi’s admittedly-rapid judgment he probably needs it. “He’s a policeman in the neighborhood—may I ask how you guessed?”

Shouichi shrugs, inadvertently dislodging the kabuto beetle, which flies off to perch on the kitchen windowsill. “I’m sort of a psychic.” Which isn’t entirely inaccurate, he is sort of like a psychic. “And hey, maybe he knows my guy, Makoto’s a detective, they’ve probably met.”

#tsugami shouichi #tendou souji #fanfiction #backupmiyuko

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rosyrosethings · 3 years

Text

Harry's assistant goes on a date.

Masterlist. For more stories of Ceo Harry and assistant

”Y/n where are you going?” harry asked as she walked past his office. It was noon and y/n hair was all done up into braids with a two-piece outfit that was pastel blue her favorite color. Harry knew she was trying to look good for someone. His thought started to pile in. Is she going on date? but she told him she loved him but she was drunk and she forgot the next morning. Since she forgot he didn’t want to make things awkward.

”on a park date.” she said digging in her purse looking for her lip gloss. She replied as she continued to walk past his office. Harry got out of his desk chair to follow her.

“A date?” He questioned. She stopped in the bathroom mirror and applied her thick clear lipgloss. He stood in the door of the bathroom watching through the bathroom mirror.

“Yes.” She answered quickly.

“With?” She sighed. He’s not giving up she thought.

“Chris.” She mumbled avoiding all eye contact with him.

“Chris? The ass who cheated on you?” He said with a sarcastic laugh.

“Yes, he just wants to talk.” She said, turning around to face him in the doorway.

”He wants you back and you know it.” He said crossing his arms. She shrugged her shoulders.

“So what if he wants me back?”

“He cheated on you! Are you not seeing the problem?”

“Look Harry, no one ever said I was considering getting back with him. I just said I'm going on a lunch date with him to catch up.” He sighed as she stepped past him. He followed her down the stairs as she was walking towards the door.

“Okay.. how long will you be gone? I was planning on making dinner for us tonight. If that’s okay.” He felt like he was losing her. But then she turned around and sent him a heartwarming smile.

“I won’t miss it for the world. I’d be back right in time for dinner okay?” She said.

“Okay.”

Y/n was enjoying catching up with Chris. He was an asshole sometimes but she and Chris were childhood best friends. She did sorta miss his company.

“So you and that Harry guy. Not a thing yet?” he asked, she rolled her eyes.

”No. Mr. Styles isn’t into me like that.” She said looking down at her fingernails in her lap.

“But you want it to be something?” he said lifting one brow at her. Giving her a very questionable look. She sighed

“Is it that obvious?” She said with a pitiful look in her eyes.

“I mean he’s all you talk about. You should see your face when you talk about him.” He said sending her a half-smile. “I kinda think he has a thing for you also.” She gave him a questionable look.

“Why do you think that?”

“Remember I went with you to that office party. The guy was sending me daggers the whole time and then he let you stay with him.”

”He was sending you daggers because he could see the fuck boy in you that I couldn’t see at the time and he invited me to live with him because I’m a great assistant and my boyfriend took all my money he felt bad for me.” She said looking directly at him with a slight glare.

“Yea and about that. I’m sorry. I was a horrible boyfriend to you in the last few months.” He said with a sigh.

“It’s fine, It honestly feels good to be with someone other than Harry who knows me. I did l miss your company.” He smiled. He has missed her so much. He wants her back but he knows he doesn’t stand a chance with Harry in the picture.

“Harry I’m back!” She said as she closed the front door of the house. She could smell the aroma of fresh-cut vegetables.

“In here.” He yelled from the kitchen. She went into the kitchen. She walked into the kitchen with a smile that was quickly washed away by the site of Bridget setting the dinner table.

“Mr. Styles I didn’t know Bridget was joining us for dinner. You guys are back together?” She said looking at Harry who was on the stove.

“Well, she came back in town a day early and came over we made up.” He said, not looking at y/n. He was pissed that she went on a date with that asshole. The more he thought about it. The angrier he became. He took her money and cheated what more could she possibly want from him?

“Yea I’m sorry If I’m intruding I just missed him so much. And I won’t be spending the night tonight. I have a lot of things to do tomorrow ” She said wrapping her arms around Harry’s waist.

“No, it’s fine. It’s your boyfriend. I'm the one intruding but I’m too hungry to leave so I’m gonna stay.” She said as she sat down at the table. Shortly all the plates were made and everyone was sitting and eating.

“How was your lunch with Chris?” Harry asked breaking the silence. He wants to know everything that asshole said to her. He knows Chris wants her back. She's just to have to see it.

”Ohh pretty nice actually. We just caught up.”Y/n responded.

”whos Chris?” bridges asked cutting her streak.

”He is her ex.” Harry mumbled.

”Ooooo so it was a date?” Bridget asked getting excited. Thinking maybe if Y/n gets a boyfriend she would back off of Harry and move out.

”ha! A date with a guy who cheated on her and took all of her money.” Harry said, Bridget choked on her food in shock.

“Mr. Styles why would you say that?” She said

“Because it’s the truth. He just wants you back and you’re falling into his trap.” Y/n rolled her eyes.

“Do you think I’m stupid?”

“Yes.” He mumbled.

“Harry!” Bridget yelled.

“It’s fine. I think he’s stupid too.” Y/n said while eating her steak. Bridget just sat there dumbfounded as the two argued like children. They sat their in silence. For a while.

“Okay!! I’ve had enough. I’m going home.” Bridget said getting up and kissing Harry’s cheek.

“I’d walk you out.” Harry said Ashe bent down to kiss his cheek. He stood up to follow her out giving her one more kiss.

“Apologize.” She said as she walked out. Y/n stood up getting the extra plates. To the sink and scraping all of the scraps-in the trash.

“Why are you so mad about me seeing Chris?” She said

“Because he wants you back and you’re basically falling for it.”

“Harrry i don’t understand why does it matter to you? So what if me and Chris get back together?” She said putting the plates down to look at him as he stood on the other side of the kitchen island. He didn’t reply they both just stared at each other. He didn’t want to say he was jealous of Chris. He didn’t want to lose her. He walked over to her.

He grabbed her jaw and kissed her. Y/n was in shock. She didn’t know what to do. He was kissing her. Mr. Styles was kissing her and she wasn’t doing a damn thing. She quickly realized what was going on and kissed back. Their lips wanting to do that since day one. He pushed her back against the fridge. Kissing her more as his hands traveled up and down her waist. They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Harry continue to kiss y/n.

“Mr. Styles.. you should get the door.” She mumbled against his lips. He groaned going to answer the door. Seeing the one and only Bridget.

“Bridget..”

“Harry I’m sorry, I forgot my purse.”

#harry styles #harry styles imagine #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fluff #harry styles smut #watermelon sugar #fine line

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the-fiction-witch · 3 years

Text

Escape P2 : stuck together

MOVIE STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS

COUPLE THANISSON X READER

RATING FUNNY

I loaded everything up in the escape pod getting a launch organized and just as I keyed it in I felt the ship take a hit, alarms blazing and the mass of panic above me. I quickly launched the pod and did my best to keep myself up but I was quickly floored by the violent ejection. I tried to keep focused as I saw the rebel ships attacking the finalizer if I didn't know better I'd say they where to take it down. I feared for Bill, for my friends and the civilians aboard but I knew the first order would never let them go. I took another jolt as I hit into the atmosphere of the nearest habitable planet, the third moon of Lentos I would be safe there, and soon enough the pod hit the ground and the door opened.

"Fuck! I know it's emergency escape but… a little gentler couldn't kill you" I sighed as I climbed out onto the bright blue grass, I had landed the pod fine it's cool open wide things scattered all over the floor from the landing, like a little strange sci-fi house sat into the dirt of this world, the grass blue around me, with bright white flowers growing, the pod had landed by a source of fresh water as it was programed to, a beautiful folecent pink waterfall against black rocks coming out into a beautiful pond beside the pod. The air was so fresh, crisp and clean. There was a tall wood of orange trees around the clearing and waterfall. In all honesty I didn't mind it, it was beautiful here.

But my peace was rather suddenly interrupted, by a yell of complaint.

"UUUUGHHHHH! What stupid little bastard has upturned my whole damn-" the voice began as a girl climbed out of the pod door looking dishevelled and confused she was humanoid like me with bright purple hair, and some little green lines across her face, she was undeniably increadly beautiful, she stood in a white tank top and red jumpsuit tied around her waist some bands up her arm, her hair in a strange braid. I couldn't deny I looked as confused too see her as she did to see me. "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" I asked her

"I asked you first, and what have you done to my pod?"

"Your pod? What on earth are you talking about?"

"Who are you!"

"Officer Thanisson, first order officer stationed aboard the finalizer, three years into tour aboard,... Departure control." I explained and her first move confused me. She lifted her shirt, I couldn't keep my eyes off her and what she was doing as she pulled her shirt up I had already noticed her rather… uhh voluptuous breasts but I saw under her shirt was a holster she grabbed a knife and went for me I held her back as best I could getting her down into the grass pinning her hands above her head and knocking the knife from her hand "now...you tell me. Who are you?" I ordered her

"Never!"

"Who are you! And why did you just try to…."

"Let me go!" She kicked and complained trying get out my grip but I put as much of my weight in her as I could even if I didn't have much to do so

"I will when you tell me"

"Ughh fine!" She complained "y/n y/l/n. First commanding officer of the rebel alliance for sectors nine through twelve" she explained and I froze moving away from her a moment

"You- you're a rebel?"

"And your a first order rat"

"What were you doing in the pod?"

"I was stationed in the finalizer, tracking, coding, keeping an eye" she explained

"You'd been hiding out in the escape pod this whole time?"

"Yes, they have quarters, life support systems, escape pods are basically livable ships in their own right. I've been hiding since pento three"

"Pento three! That was galaxies back"

"I know"

"You… you're transmissions in and out, that's what I was picking up on my scanner, this whole time my little radio was, pick up you and your messages down in the pods?"

"I assume so." She says "are you going to kill me?"

"I should." I told her "but… I deserted. I'm no better than you"

"You'd have died if you hadn't"

"I know. The first order expects you… to die at your post. For the order."

"You didn't wanna die?"

"I didn't want to March blindly into my own death." I told her "either way we're dead. Or worse, the first order finds us I'm dead for desertion, and you're dead for being a rebel. The rebels find us they'll execute me anyway. And if some other ship finds us… death would be a welcome treat for where we'd end up"

"Someone will find us. Where are we?"

"First habitable planet the pod found, third moon of Lentos"

"... Wait what?"

"We're on the third moon of Lentos." I told her again she seemed panicked rushing back into the pod and checking the computer seeing I was right

"You. Absolute. Fucking. Idiot!" She yelled throwing various things from the pod floor at me "Lentos! Is closed! The whole system! Is in quarantine!"

"In what!"

"You dumb ass first order boys never heard of the Lentos flu! That causes lung dry, black mucus, skin blistering, and a horrible horrible death!"

"How do you catch it!"

"You breath Lentos oxygen you dumb ass! The whole system is in a ultraviolet sun causing all animals and vegetation to form in rainbow luminescent colours!" She yelled pointing to the said environment we were now in. "And makes them release a compound that gives all non Lentos matter the Lentos flu"

"Ohh god. We're dead!" I Screamed trying so hard not to breathe.

"We guess we don't need to worry because knowone is coming to get us. And we'll be lucky were not dead within the week."

"There has to be something call a nurse or something" I explain rushing into the pod shutting the door into a tight airlock and I found the Lentos monitoring system and rang them up and a robotic voice answered

"Hello, due to Lentos flu our system is in quarantine, if you have businesses with a resident they are dead, for symptoms press one. For drop off press two. For all other issues press three."

I pressed three and it finally rang and reaches a man at a desk

"Hello how can I help you today?"

"Hi, yeah uhh we just had an emergency evaluation from…. Our ship" I lied "were in an escape pod on Lentos three… we uhh we may have been exposed to the oxygen… what do we do?" I asked

"Okay, you are aware you will be fined sixty nine credits for entering the planet due to quarantine restrictions." He says

"But we crashed! In an escape pod!" Y/n complained

"Sorry but that's the rules"

"It's fine we'll pay it, what do we do?" I asked

"Quick question are you humanoid?"

"Yes, humanoid" y/n yelled

"Yes we're both humanoid."

"Okay then now you have both definitely taken a lung full of the oxygen?"

"Yes, what's going to happen to us?" Y/n asks

"Likely not very much you see an interesting fact about Lentos flu is that humanoids reaction to is is actually very minimal the issue is once you take even a mouth full of that oxygen into your body Lentos flu fuses to human lung tissue meaning yes you are one hundred percent both now infected with Lentos flu however humanoids don't suffer symptoms or even death your just carriers if we let you out you'll be carrying the flu until your very death"

"So… it won't kill us?"

"It's a fifteen thousand to one chance you'll even get a fever"

"Ohh. So we're carriers, what does that mean?"

"It means you need to stay on quarantine can't have the flu getting out"

"Okay, so how long for?" She asks

"Uhh just let me translate it to humanoid life spans, one hundred and sixty two years."

"One… one hundred and sixty years!" I yelled "so we're stuck here till we either get the flu and die or die naturally?"

"I'm afraid so"

"Isn't there another option?" She asks

"We can kill you now. If you'd prefer?"

"So we're stuck here indefinitely?"

"Yes we can start up a supply delivery and other such deliveries for needed items have a nice day." He said before it cut off

"So… I guess we're stuck here together"

"I guess so" she sighed "I can the bedroom of the pod you can have the shitty room with the hammock"

"What why!"

"Because I'm a girl, and I called it" she says walking to get her things sorted.

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missneko-otaku · 6 years

Text

Sakakibara Yasumasa

A Faint Affection (MC x Yasumasa)

-Chapter 1/ Chapter 2/ Chapter 3/ Chapter 4/ Chapter 5/ Chapter 6-7 *new

(Finally, got to finish chapter 5..whew~ (⌐▨_▨) Here it is~! Just gonna share it to you too, guys :-D Hope you don’t mind. @shiranata @ieyasu-tacogawa @bmp-slbp-matchup @uesugi-miu @masamunbae @yvckie @af-fection @sagaralisa )

A Faint Affection (MC x Yasumasa)

Chapter 5

Afternoon Break, and Some Little Troubles..

Everyday is just the same.

Which is good. I hope this peace we have will stay longer, last longer-- tho I know that it’s impossible. That this is just temporary, a thing I could only wish. Yet.. I pray that tomorrow will still be the same as today. Peaceful.

I am outside the main courtyard, just in the clothesline area folding the newly dried and sun-pressed laundry clothes-- putting them into a large woven basket just beside me. It is already late morning, the sky with a glaring sun staring above us. A hot relentless morning, surely.

I stack the nicely folded clothes into the large woven basket and with care, hold the basket both in my arms. I unsteadily walk towards the veranda, careful at each step I take so that I won’t might bump into something. But as I am about to head to the corner of the corridor, I bump not into a wall, instead to someone-- sending him on the floor with a thud that seems painful just by the sound of it. I can’t see who it was because of the pile of clothes blocking my view, but I just really hope so it isn’t lord Ieyasu that I accidentally sent flying to the wooden floor.

Quickly, I put down the large basket on the floor and rush toward that person.

“..mmm..” reacts faintly of the man sitting now on the floor.

“I-I am so sorry, milord..!” still flustering, I help him get to his feet.

“It’s okay. I’m fine.” says the voice so softly, to my surprised when I look, it is lord Toramatsu.

“Oh, lord Toramatsu..!” I say with a sense of relief knowing that it was him.

Whew. Thank goodness, it wasn’t our difficult Tokugawa young lord. I utter within myself.

He looks at me, his hand brushing off his wrinkled hakama, and talks to me in a kind tone, “Still doing some chores?” he asks.

“Ohh, yes. I am about to finish everything, just need to store these fresh laundry then I am done for today’s morning chores.” feeling glad about this fact as I say it to him.

“I see..” he smiles but then, when he looks at that towering pile of clothes, a slight surprised or maybe shocked shows on his face, “but.. That sure looks heavy. Do you want me to help you?” he asks with a little concern.

Even tho everyone here knows that I am a guy, surely you can’t deny the fact that I have a small and almost-like fragile frame. I feel a bit glad for how considerate lord Toramatsu can be, even to a guy. He sure is a kind soul.

“Oh, no. It’s really okay. I always carry this much just fine by myself. All the time too.” I say, reassuring him that he doesn’t really need to worry about it.

“Still. Hmm..” with that familiar determined expression I came to know after living here for a while that shows lightly on his face whenever he’s already decided to do something, he urges me, “Let me carry the other half. Just think of this as a little reward for all the hard work you do for us. You always help in the kitchen, even in cleaning and you even serve lord Yasumasa.”

Well, knowing that I can’t refuse him at all, seeing him exudes with such eagerness to help, I happily take his kind offer and let lord Toramatsu help me carry the half of the clean clothes.

We divide it. He carries the half in the big basket while I on the other hand, the other half of the clean laundry pressed on my chest tightly so as not to deform the folded clothes. We then start to walk.

“You don’t have to be so formal to me too, you know. We are almost the same age.” without glancing at me, he says it with a faint smile on his lips.

“Umm..alright..If it’s really okay with you, milord. Then, thank you again for helping me with these.” I reply, now in a somehow more casual and comfortable tone.

“Yeah..” he adds.

As we walk, a familiar voice greets us suddenly in the corridor that makes me instinctively almost jump into my feet upon just hearing it. My guts is right. It is lord Yasumasa in front of us-- looking at us with a smile and an expression that I can’t seem to decipher.

I don’t know why I reacted like that, but he seeing me with lord Toramatsu, sends bad feelings to me. I can just feel it in my bones.

I feel anxious for some reason..

I don’t know why I feel a bit guilty too right now as if I was caught doing something bad behind his back or something.

This brings me back too, when I saw lord Yasumasa some time ago, staring intently at lord Tadagatsu, lord Tadakatsu and some of the retainers while they were laughing. That facial expression that he had back then, bothered me. Just like now, as I think of it.

“Oh, what do we have here? Hmm.. “ he looks at us with a bit of disdain, his arms crossed..then continues, “You just love being a goody two-shoes, aren’t you...Toramatsu?” he says in a smirking fashion, his mocking gaze directed at lord Toramatsu.

“...”

Lord Toramatsu says nothing in return though I can feel the glare brewing inside his eyes as he stares at lord Yasumasa too. His silent expression tells me that he’s resisting himself, not letting lord Yasumasa’s words get to him.

To break the nerve-racking atmosphere that starts to build up around us, I bow and greet lord Yasumasa as usual.

“Um.. G-good day to you milord.”

Okay. I think I just sounded a bit awkward there.

As soon as I finished my greetings, lord Toramatsu, starts walking in quick strides with the basket in his arms-- passing lord Yasumasa as if he isn’t there and leaving me behind.

“Hmph.” snorts lord Yasumasa, his eyes following the back of lord Toramatsu, “acting all high and mighty now, huh.” he adds, clearly irritated or dissatisfied by how just lord Toramatsu ignored him completely.

Ughh.. I don’t like this. I feel like my stomach is in knots right now. And why does he always have to act like a jerk all the time, anyway..!? Especially with lord Toramatsu.

This, I say with wonder and clear bit of annoyance to myself.

I thought I am accustomed to his jerk behaviors but I think sometimes, he can be just too much and unreasonable. Like a child, a bully, always picking fights.. Sigh. Sometimes I wish he would change that jerk part of him. Oh, well.. What can I do, that is lord Yasumasa for you.

Though I am trying to understand lord Yasumasa more and accept him for who he is, I can’t help but wish for him to try to be a little kind and considerate to others.

Busy wandering in my thoughts, lord Yasumasa now peeks at my direction that I soon noticed as my gaze lands on him as well. Though he has this familiar expression written on his face, that usual irritation that I am somehow used to, somehow today, something feels a bit different.

Still feeling guilty and uncomfortable even though I shouldn’t be really... I make an attempt to start a random conversation with him, but before I even have the chance to open my mouth he strides his way towards me, passing by me without a word or any at all-- just like how lord Toramatsu did to him.

Silently, I follow him with my eyes until he turns in a corner at the corridor and disappears too. I let out a somewhat long sigh.

“I shouldn’t be feeling down like this but..ugh.. I need to get back to work..”

***

Lunch time.

Almost everyone is in the main hall, having their own lively chats while waiting for their trays to be served in front of them. I and the kitchen ladies just finished preparing their meals. With a towering stack of trays on both my hands, I carefully serve everyone’s meal. I come to where lord Tadakatsu and lord Yasumasa sits. I kneel before them to serve their trays to them. Lord Tadakatsu greets me with his usual smile and his eyes, beaming as ever. Well, as for lord Yasumasa… sighs, he has this somewhat unreadable expression on his face, his very self emitting such negativity in the air.. And I feel as if it is directed towards me.

Sighs. Ohh... What is wrong again??

Feeling choked by it, I look at the other side. Sitting next to him is lord Tadakatsu who is emanating such nice warmth and vibrancy around him, merrily talking to the other retainers near them. He’s the very opposite of lord Yasumasa who is currently like at any moment will kill someone with that glare of his too.

“I am sure today’s lunch is good knowing just by the look of it. You are a very good cook Yahiko, you know? How you plan, prepare and pair the dishes--always complementing each other..” says lord Tadakatsu at me as he looks about the food on his tray.

“Really..? The taste the same as ever for me. Nothing special.” belittles lord Yasumasa in a tepid response, he’s chopsticks already in his hands, hardly picking some vegetables from his plate.

Sighs…

While serving the others, I observe him from afar as he silently eats. I can’t figure out why or what in seven hells is he irritated about. I really can’t read nor understand sometimes how his mind works. Despite the quietness, I get the feeling that he is angry at me.

Everyone starts eating as soon as all have their trays.

Still, my job isn’t yet finished for I am to serve tea to everyone as they eat. I smile while watching everyone’s faces who seem like they are enjoying their meals heartily. Even lord Ieyasu who is sometimes picky is silently eating his meal without a frown on his face. I can see that the food on his bowl is already half, his umeboshi already gone. That just means that he is satisfied right? Well, I just hope so.

I am done filling everyone’s cup with hot tea.

I go now outside of the main hall to make more extra tea and so that I can start to prepare my desserts for them too.

After some time, I come back with their tea and desserts, everyone is almost finished with their meals and some already have continued their own lively conversations from before. I served tea and his strawberry daifuku first, to lord Ieyasu before everyone else of course, then soon I serve the others as well.

“I can see that only lord Ieyasu is having his favorite strawberry daifuku. You are really adjusting quite well here, and aware too, of our lord’s likes and maybe dislikes too.” lord Tadagatsu tells me nicely, as I pour him hot tea on his cup beside his uiro-mochi dessert.

“He is. Really.” adds lord Toramatsu sitting just beside him, smiling at me as he starts to fork his serving of the sweet dessert on his plate. “And...even with lord Yasumasa.” lord Toramatsu says this with a small sigh. “I am honestly amazed with you, Yahiko. To be able to put up with lord Yasumasa’s attitude, especially everyday... is just like a pure hard work for me. But you? I am really amazed. I admire your fortitude and endurance.”

“Haha.ha.. (yeah, a real hard work...you are so right lord Toramatsu.. But, oh well..lord Tadakatsu is right too, he’s not that bad if his not in his one of his moods...well, he just can be hard to read, deal or be with sometimes. But he can be briefly good too...once in a blue moon tho).

“Then I am glad to know from both of you that I am doing a good work. Milords” I say in return.

I go now to lord Yasumasa and lord Tadakatsu’s side. As I come nearer, I can see that Lord Tadakatsu seems to be waiting for his share of dessert. I kneel beside them, fill their cups with hot tea and serve their desserts too.

“Thank you, Yahiko. So today’s different. Uiro-mochi right?” asks lord Tadakatsu as I put in front of him his dessert. “Is this like Yokan?” he asks again, as he brings his plate to his face, curiously examining at the new slice of sweet sitting on his small plate.

“Um..well, a bit kind of. But, to be specific, it is a steamed cake made from rice flour and sugar. It is chewy, the texture more like of a mochi than a yokan. But just like yokan, you can add different flavors to it like matcha, azuki beans or chestnut.” I say.

“Ohh. Wow.” happily says lord Tadakatsu in amazement, “As expected from you Yahiko, you are the best when it comes to desserts too. So mine is..?”

“Sakura-flavored.” I say, smiling. I sure do feel delighted whenever someone compliments my desserts..

“Hmph.. What’s so amazing about it?” cuts lord Yasumasa instantly to our conversation. “This is just rice flour and sugar then. Nothing of note-worthy.” says lord Yasumasa bitterly, his small wooden knife-like dessert fork relentlessly poking the side of his green-colored uiro-mochi.

And here I am, I especially made his dessert in matcha-flavored as a peace-offering. Thinking that at least he would notice it and be pleased with it, knowing he likes green tea so much. Sigh.

“You know, I honestly do like it when you talk in that way lord Yasumasa. It’s like music to my ears.”

Lord Tadakatsu says and continues, “But.. I think you should be a little bit nice to Yahiko, after all he is very good to you. To be honest you won’t be able to find anyone like him to serve you this long, to be able to put up with you and your nice spiteful little remarks.” says lord Tadakatsu, his face glows with a hint of pleasure as he says the last three words but then his face falls, brows in a concern frown as he talks and glances at me. “Look at Yahiko... ”

Lord Yasumasa glancing at my way, with a ‘so what?’ kind of expression, says in a snobbish manner, “And so..? It’s not like I am wrong or anything. I’m just stating the truth.”

Feeling a bit hurt about his words--though I should be so accustomed to it by now-- I just sigh again.

“...still, I hope you enjoy it... It’s in matcha-flavor.” I mutter as I leave them be, feeling somewhat disappointed and down for not getting a compliment or at least a small positive response from him.

***

Meanwhile..

The main hall is still full of people, busy chatting and having a good time as they eat their desserts and drink their tea.

Lord Yasumasa, sitting in crossed-legs, propping up his cheek while the other hand playing with his small wooden dessert knife. His eyes quietly follows the young boy who downheartedly leaves the main hall. Once Yahiko is gone, he stares back at his slice of green steamed cake and silently, he eats it.

***

Late in the afternoon.

I am outside the castle, in town.

Inside an old bookshop, I wander in every shelf looking for some particular books about medicine and such as I wait for the store clerk.

Lord Tadagatsu asked me to go and buy what was written on the list. It is for lord Ieyasu who apparently has ran out of books to read. Lord Tadagatsu personally wanted to do it but he’s busy with some other castle affairs leaving him no choice. So, here I am in his place.

“I have looked inside if we still have some stocks of it, and fortunately we do have. So here.” says the bookstore clerk, handing me the pile of books bound together with a thin sash of cloth.

“Whew. Thank you so much.” I say, reaching for the pile of books.

“Is this all on your list?” as he checks again the list I gave to him. “If so, then it means we are done finally.”

“Yes and thank you again. Lord Ieyasu will be really glad for having to get these books. He likes to read a lot, all the time.” I say as I hand the payment to him.

I finally leave the bookshop with a pile of books being carried and hugged by my arms.

Outside, a vast shade of warm crimson hue greets me, it’s color starts dappling the sky that was once blue earlier. Enough to tell me how long I have been outside.

“So it’s this late now?” I murmur. “I was so consumed in finding lord Ieyasu’s books that I didn’t notice the time. I have to hurry now.” I say to myself. But soon as I hurry my pace, my eyes catch a glimpse of that familiar caramel brown hair entering a shop that sells ink and paper.

“Hm? Lord Yasumasa?” curious, I walk towards the small shop and stop just by the entrance of it. “Should I go in? Or wait for him here? Hmm… Agh! Anyway! Why am I even here?” I tell myself, shaking my head when suddenly someone comes out of the entrance of the store making me startle…

“Ahh..!” I say out loud in an almost high-pitched sound similar to a woman’s cry.

“Seven hells! What the…!!? Yahiko?!” yells back by an exasperated voice. It is lord Yasumasa standing in front of me, who by the looks of it is surprised too.

“Why are you here? And what the hell are you even shouting for?!” he asks fully annoyed by the sight of me.

“Ohh..I’m sorry, milord. I just saw you entered the shop and followed you here. By the way, why are you here milord? Did you perhaps, ran out of ink again?” I ask.

“What else? Why would I even bother to go here if that wasn’t the case. And I should be the one asking here. What ARE you doing here? Following me?”

“Um.. (ughh..) Nothing milord. It just happened. You should have told me earlier that you have ran out of ink again. So that I would have gotten it for you.” I say.

“I can’t believe I am being told something like that right now. Has our positions been switched? I clearly remember that part of YOUR job is to prepare these things for me beforehand, am I wrong? Have you not been using your mind well again or it’s just that you really lack some common sense, eh? And even though I WANTED to make YOU buy it, I couldn’t even damn find you anywhere..!”

Arms crossed in a displeasure fashion, I can see as clear as day, the reproach look that lord Yasumasa is giving to me right now.

“I’m sorry, milord. This won’t happen again.” I say and bow apologetically.

As he looks down on me, his gaze shifts at the books resting on my arms. “I can’t believe that you have the time for some idle book shopping when you still have some workload left waiting there in my chambers for you to finish..tsk.” he says, irritated a bit.

“Oh these..!? These are not mine. I was just asked to buy these by lord Tadagatsu. These are lord Ieyasu’s new books.” I show to him the thick and slim binded books-- books varying from medicines, rare herbal plants and some about battle stratagems.

“Ahh.!” he scoffs. “What am I thinking. Haha. It’s not like you can read or understand those difficult books. Anyhow, as expected of lord Ieyasu…” His expression and voice, drastically changes into a full smile as he admires the sight of lord Ieyasu’s books.

Sigh. He doesn’t have to say it like that. Even my position is just a cook and an errand runner, I can read and understand well enough. Hmph..! What do I expect? This man just loves spitting venomous words and looking down on people. His very odd hobby... Hmph.

“So have you bought something, milord?” I inquisitively asks, changing the topic.

“Nothing. Tsk. I can’t find it even here. Now that you are here, you should be at least useful. Where did you buy those ink sticks/stones? Those sculpted ones that I used last time. ”

“Ohh! Is that what you are looking for!?” I answer him in a bright tone knowing that he must have liked it if he’s looking for it.

“Yeah, yeah. No need to get excited.. Right, those sculpted ones. It has a nice pure dark shade that I like. And it is smooth to use on my brush.”

“Then we have to hurry before it closes.” I say excitedly, unconsciously dragging him by his left arm.

“Wa-waiit..! Yo-you stupid fool! What are you doing?!!” he yells, annoyed by my action.

I realize that I am holding his left arm that he soon abruptly flails it as he removes it from my sudden grasp.

“Hey! I’m your lord. You shouldn’t carelessly touching me like that..!” His arm now released from my clutch, he touches his wrist then his whole arm, massaging it lightly as if my hold was so firm that it hurt him.

“I’m ss-so sorry!” I slightly blushed, feeling flustered as it dawns on me what I just did.

Oh heavens! MC what are you thinkinnnng!!?

How careless of you to just touch lord Yasumasa’s arm..!

“Oh, please.. Stop that. You’re weirding me out now.” says lord Yasumasa in a commanding, irritated tone giving me a look, like, what the hell is wrong with you or something similar to that.

We are still near at the storefront. He is standing just a few feet away from me, annoyed and glaring at me. I, on the other hand, for some reason I can’t help but lower my head feeling embarrassed at my actions.

“I-, uh.. I’ll lead the way to where I bought it, milord..” I say.

“Sigh. Sometimes, I can’t help but feel weirded out around you. Don’t you know that? And would you man up a bit?! You always act so girly it sometimes irritates me and freaks me out..!” he huffs as he follows behind me.

Ugh.. MC…stay acting like this and you’ll soon find yourself in trouble. Deep trouble. Seriously.

I just walk and lead the way.

***

After sometime, we come out from the shop where I usually buy his sculpted ink stones that seems to become his favorites now. Fortunately, we arrived before it closes. So here we are about to return to the castle.

Curious why he always ran out of it, both paper and ink, I ask lord Yasumasa as we walk side by side.

“Um..lord Yasumasa, I--”

“What??” cut in lord Yasumasa, glaring a little at me like I bothered him already.

Ugghh..Why the hell that I can’t even start a normal conversation with him.. Every time..!

I sigh. Trying to just let it pass.

“I am just a bit curious milord, why do you always ran out of these?” I glance at him and then point with my eyes at the wrapped ink sticks in my arms that we just bought.

“Are you always busy doing letters and such, everyday?”

Still carrying both the books and the newly bought ink sticks wrapped in cloth in my arms, I ask turning my gaze at his direction again.

I remember lord Tadakatsu as I wait for lord Yasumasa’s response. He admitted before that he is not that good when it comes to paperworks..and because of that, usually it is lord Yasumasa who is asked to redo all his poorly documents.

Lord Yasumasa just walks. He is silent, his eyes hinting me that he is in a ponder, maybe thinking if he should even bother saying it to me or not. With his brows knitting as he usually does, he replies in a somewhat calm tone that is rare actually of him, but, still the words he spits are with venom as ever.

“Aside from being weird, stupid, and talkative, you sure like to stick your nose into other people’s affairs too. Hm.” he scoffs, as he walks ahead of me, not even taking a glance if I’m still behind him.

I hurry my pace to catch up with him, “Well, it’s just that whenever I go to your room milord, I always find a heap of crumpled papers sitting next to your desk. So I am just wondering..I’m sorry milord if it seems like I am prying too much. I didn’t mean to be--”

“Shodo.” he says with a hint of a firm and proud tone.

“Hm..?”

He says it so sudden that I almost didn’t catch his words.

“You don’t know? Shodo? The way of beautiful writing? Hmf.” he huffs with a visible smirk forming on his face. Wait. Why it sounds like he is somewhat...mocking me now…!?

He continues as we walk side by side. “*Sigh. Oh well, what do I expect from someone dumb and low like you. I’ll be bit kind enough to enlighten your uneducated brain at least.”

Wow. This man, whenever he talks..Really, he sure always wants to get on somebody’s nerves, isn’t he??

“I’ll cut it short, so be thankful, for I am actually helping you widen your knowledge, giving my time to someone as unimportant being, like you.”

Then he continues, ”Shodo is more than a form of artistic writing..”

Hells. I know what that is. I am not that stupid really, Lord Yasumasa. I think of this as I let out countless invisible sighs within me while he goes on, talking all by himself as we walk.

Despite of the fact that he’s somewhat getting reaaally into my nerves, the way he tells it to me like I have no clue or whatsoever about the world... I- I just let it go and quietly listen to lord Yasumasa who seems to be enjoying his moment.

“Behind every fluid stroke, lies the feelings that the writer poured into it. Behind every character written tells you a story about the meanings of life or a particular moment, happening in life. As a samurai like me, it is natural for me this. Just like how every lord must have knowledge in tea ceremony and such..”

“So that means you are practicing milord?” I unconsciously cut him bluntly. That would only explain the piles of papers crumpled and scattered everywhere in his room.

“!!”

Lord Yasumasa briefly stop from talking..

For some reason I feel like the air around us has changed into an ominous one..like I stepped myself into a minefield or something.

“No! I am not..!” exclaimed lord Yasumasa so sudden with his arms crossed now, he continues, “Why should I? I am good already and skilled enough. So why should I bother myself practicing.!?”

Clearly, I can see the fluster and the faint blush making its way on his face despite the anger and irritation rising in his voice.

“For a mere servant like you, how brazen of you to cut me in while talking, and say something absurd like that. You..! I can’t believe this. You just mocked me, right!!?”

Ah-- Wait.!!? A what.!!??

WAIT, WAIT, WAIT..! When did I mock this man!!??

This man, ugh.. His mind is surely twisted..!

“You should be shaking on your knees, careful at every word you say, and yet here you are showing no respect with that stupid face..!”

Oh hells..

As this thought occurs to me, I realized that it does feel strange. After hearing his words. I remember that before, I would really feel scared to the point like my whole body would tensed up, nervous of not knowing what should I do. But now, I don’t feel scared. Instead, I am just annoyed. And, what is weirder is that, it feels like I am somehow a bit.. tiny bit of enjoying it..??

My thoughts are cut again, as lord Yasumasa throws words at me.

“..I must have been going easy on you lately..” continues lord Yasumasa reprimanding me, oblivious of what I was just thinking a moment ago about him. “..because you always somehow find the guts to throw questions, ask and say things randomly at my face without fear. I should teach yo--”

Feeling weird right now at my own self, I caught a glimpse of a manju stall just near us ahead and cut him too, to divert him or perhaps more of divert myself from thinking too much about it.

“Lord Yasumasa, look..!They sell manju! Seems delicious too.!” I hurriedly walk towards the stall leaving him behind.

“What the..!? You disrespectful, and rude, mere little thing..! Come back here..!”

Pretending not to hear the voice that keeps on shouting behind me, I continue striding towards the stall following the delicious smell of newly made manju.

***

We are sitting now in a small tea shop drinking hot green tea while eating the freshly made manju from the stall. After buying manju for myself and for him-- using my money by the way-- lord Yasumasa’s mood starts to get better, letting whatever happened that made him angry earlier (though I really have no idea why he’s so worked up with me or with every little thing, ever since in the morning) slide. He accepted my what-seems-like-a-bribe-to-him apology gift.

Though, of course, he doesn’t admitted it.

I invited him or rather beg him to have tea and eat the manju here in this shop. So that we can enjoy it while it is still warm. And rest a bit too from all that walking.

“So now, you...are bribing me with food? Hah. How cheap.” he exclaims, “if you think you’ll get away from it and that I’ll just forget about everything, then you are so wrong.” yet lord Yasumasa grabs the warm pieces of manju wrapped in a cloth. His smile is evident as he gets a bite. The warm, delicious and sweet smell lingering around us.

We are sitting in a small table with cups of hot tea still steaming in front of us. We sit opposite to each other. Despite his complains about it, he seems to be enjoying the manju so much that I can’t hear him talking or complaining anymore.

Silence takes over us before I even come to notice it.

It somehow feels new to me, sitting here with a cup of tea and taking a sweet, peaceful rest. I can’t fully remember when was the last time I did something like this. To be able to drink tea like this peacefully. I stare at my cup, the faint glow of sunset glimmering in my tea. Faint memories starts to flow in my head, reminiscing my times with mother and Yahiko, where we would have tea in the afternoons whenever there were no customers in our shop.

I kind of miss them. I miss my days, cooking in our restaurant and the laughter of our dear customers echoing in the air as I serve them their meals, and their random chatterings.

“Well, well, well... I didn’t know that you can hold that mouth of yours and stay quiet for that long.” interrupted by a voice. I look up from my teacup to see lord Yasumasa with his smug face talking to me. Our manju almost gone because of him.

… And I didn’t know that you love manju that much.. Wow. This is new. You eat so much.

Looking at the plate in front of me, I can’t believe that the once towering manju... is now almost gone. All eaten by no other than lord Yasumasa himself. I am stunned for abit. Because he doesn’t seem the type to have a sweet tooth.

Discovering something new about him, about something like this, I can’t help but find it adorable. I mean, come on... lord Yasumasa?? Likes manju? That is his favorite? This very overconfident and selfish man? And not just that, he eats so much of it that somehow it does not seem to fit for his bad boy image.

As I giggle in my mind, lord Yasumasa casually lick the sweet bean filling on his lips and on his fingertips in front of me. Not minding me one bit.

I unconsciously find myself swallow a bit. There’s something a little sensual about it that sends me flushing a little.

Hells...! What are you even thinking MC.!!?? When did your mind get so dirty, huhh.!?? Don’t tell me that, deep inside...that you are a pervert.!!?

“Aren’t you going to eat?” aks lord Yasumasa, interrupting my foolish thoughts, as he takes a sip of his hot tea.

“Ohh! I- I..Uh..I mean...thank you milord.” I say, feeling shy as I take a piece for myself.

“You know what, I changed my mind. Don’t eat anymore. The sun is almost down. We better return to the castle now.”

“Whhhaa--t?” I blurted out.

“I don’t know what useless thoughts you were having earlier, but we have to go now. It is your fault for spacing out too much.. You should have eaten it earlier.” he continues to say as he stands up from his sit, ready to leave.

But I still haven’t enjoyed my tea yet, let alone take a bite of my manju..!

As I hurry to put some of the manju left on the plate back on its cloth wrapper, lord Yasumasa is already walking, leaving me behind, again.

I drink half of my tea in a rushed manner, almost burning my tongue. I grab our belongings and hurry to catch up with him-- who is by now striding out of the tea shop.

When I finally catch up with him, he suddenly make a stop, sending me to bump into his sturdy back. I hear him sigh in an annoyed manner. I look over his shoulder and see a drunk man shouting angrily towards someone that I can’t see. When the man raises his right hand and is about to slap someone, lord Yasumasa suddenly calls to the man just in front of us, in an annoyed loud voice.

“Hey.! You.! Yes. YOU.”

He says as he crosses his arms. I step out to look around to see a scared boy with a little girl clinging to him, crying-- on the floor is a mess of large bottle of sake, spilled all over the place and a bag of some fallen manju too, bought from the same stall that we went too, earlier.

“What!!?” said the angry, drunk man turning to lord Yasumasa.

“You are blocking the way. So move your damn ass, would you!?” says lord Yasumasa authoritatively, I can imagine his brows knitting into an arc just based on the tone of his.

“What did you just said!? Huh!!? Boy!”

The man leaves his spot, walking sluggishly towards lord Yasumasa. Lord Yasumasa, on the other hand, is standing in front of me, not flinching at all.

“Are you deft?? Or just plain stupid? I said, MOVE YOUR DAMN ASS, OLD MAN.”

In the midst of all that, I do not worry at all for lord Yasumasa. Instead, I hurry towards the children who are still there unmoving and frightened.

“Hey, are you two okay?” I say while picking both of them, helping them to stand up again.

I try to calm the little girl who is still clinging hard to what seems like her older brother-- who looks like he too, is about to cry as well. I ask some women around about what happened. I find out that they, while the children are merrily running to go home, they accidentally bumped the drunk man. The children even with the help of some, already apologized but the man just can’t let it go.

The place is starting to be surrounded by a lot of curious folks.

“Gotta have to teach you hard lad, a lesson, ay? So that you lad next time would know how to give some respect to your elders..!”

“Oh..Will you, now?” whispers lord Yasumasa with a smirk.

The overconfident man, lunges an attack with a katana to lord Yasumasa who contrarily is standing still in his place, unwavering and unafraid.

Odd. Because how lord Yasumasa is very sure of himself, I too, am very confident about him. That he will not get hurt even though the man looks like he has some experience too like lord Yasumasa. Instead, I think of the stupid man who is oblivious of his fate.

“Oh my.. you’re a sure dead meat today.” I utter with a tired sigh.

And there, in an instant, lord Yasumasa swiftly grabs the arm of the man and without too much effort, throws him back to the ground-- there with his spilled sake.

The crowd cheer for lord Yasumasa. I too, unknowingly, is already raising my hands, both into a fist and cheering him loudly. “Yeaahhhh~!”

Lord Yasumasa, with a confident and a satisfied look on his face strides his way out of the scene, leaving the man wailing in pain. He goes straight to where I am.

“Come now, let’s go.” he says without even stopping from his steps.

“Wait.” I reply.

Lord Yasumasa stops from his tracks, turning his head to me.

“I, um.. you should go first milord, I would accompany these little children first until they get home safely. Don’t worry, I would return right away after I make sure they are home.”

“Whaat.!!?” he says aloud, a bit surprised.

The little boy who is holding back his tears, suddenly speaks to me, tears starting to spill from his eyes.

“Onii-chan, *sniffs, mghmm.. what should we do about those..? Mghhhmm..*sniffs.” says the boy as he points out at the fallen manju that was once warm but now, cold, wasted and full of dirt.

The little girl cries too, clinging more harder than before to her brother. They are both sobbing quietly. My heart tightens at the sight of them. So, as am I about to ask lord Yasumasa to just let me take care first the children, he continues to stride again towards us.

With his arms crossed, he talks to the little boy, saying “Hey, stop crying.” says lord Yasumasa in an imperative tone, particularly to the boy. “Strong men and boys don’t cry over such petty things.”

“*sniffs, but… we have been saving our money for those.. mgghmm.” says the boy weakly.

“No buts.! Don’t be a crybaby.!” scolds lord Yasumasa. “You’re the brother right? The older one, am I right?”

“*sniffs, yes sir.”

“So what you should do, or rather, be doing right now?? Huh..? Answer.”

Meanwhile, I am kneeling just beside the children as I try to calm down both of them . Seeing that the two child is getting more scared and that lord Yasumasa isn’t helping at all, making the situation a bit much worse, I stepped in.

“Milord, I think you aren't helping at all. You are just making them more uncomfortable and scared.” I say calmly as I stroke gently both of the children’s backs.

But it seems lord Yasumasa isn’t listening to me at all. He continues to scold the little boy.

“So.?”

“*sniffs, I- I- …”

The boy says quietly as he sobs, he looks confused and don’t know what to say. To be honest, I am a bit starting to get worried for the children at how lord Yasumasa doesn’t seem to care at the children’s feelings as he continues to reprimand them. So, I butt in again.

“Lord Yasumasa would you just please..!--”

“Instead.!” he says towering my voice as if to block me from talking. “Instead of crying right now, man up.! Be stronger.! You are the boy here, the older one, and most of all, her brother. The one who should do the protecting. That is your duty. Instead of bawling like a girl, right now, what you should do is to be stronger. Get stronger. Be the brother strong enough for her.!” points lord Yasumasa to the little girl who is now clinging at me, clearly terrified of him.

I am stunned for a moment.

Stunned from what I am hearing. Stunned from what I am seeing.

Am I hearing this right? Am I imagining things?? Is this reaallly coming from this guy..!?

The man who is usually inconsiderate, spitting ill and foul things towards others is now in front of me, blurting out words... words I never, not even once, have I ever imagined I would even get to hear from him..

***

#fic #fic list #mc x yasumasa slbp #slbp yasumasa #slbp mc x yasumasa #slbp sakakibara yasumasa #yasumasa fic

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eerythingisshaka · 6 years

Text

The Coffee Prince Pt. 2

(T’Challa x Reader)

*Part 1*

Word Count: 3k

Plot: Stuck in your ways of living, one day at the coffee shop, you run into a tall dark roast that threatens to wake you up from your romantic hibernation.

*Previously*

You are unphased and not listening when you get up and see this 6’0 man picking up his drink and turning towards you. He makes his way to the side table, and your heart literally stops pumping for a split second from the anxiety. He hasn’t seen you yet and he could easily leave very soon without your acknowledgment, What if he doesn’t recognize you? The L’s you could take outweigh the dubs by a mile.

You get up to go get an unnecessary sugar packet.

“Excuse me,” you say.

He looks to you and gives you a crooked smile.

“Ahh, how are you today, Ms. Macchiato.” He says while stirring his coffee.

You spontaneously start ovulating at his title for you. He remembered your order, and made it a pet name for you!

You smile goofily as your heart threatens to fall out of your chest, “Yeah, that’s me! How have you been….Thomas?” Your voice rises an octave as you coyly played like you couldn’t remember one of the few things tied to him from your one engagement.

He furrows his brow at your statement. “Ohh, you must have me confused with some other American coffee drinker.”

“Oh? So that accent makes you from where, Boston?”

You both laugh. Your mouth is getting dry from anxiety, so you sip your drink.

“Gah! Fuck!” You sputter some of the liquid down your chin, tongue hanging out fanning it. The drink was scalding hot still.

‘Thomas’ gets a napkin and hands it to you, concern clouds his face.

“Are you all right? Should I go get you some water or…”

Heated with embarrassment noe more than the coffee, you shake your head trying to speak clearly. “It’th fine, thankth.” You say with a scalded tongue.

“Please, sit a moment. I’ll be right back.” He touches your arm to guide you back to a table and makes his way to the register. You keep fanning yourself, mortified by your not so graceful behavior.

“Ok, come on, get your thit together. You are a queen goddeth. Anyone would be lucky to dick you down proper.”

You take a deep breath and look off to one side and see an old white woman shaking her head looking at you. Of course that last sentence would come out clear as a bell, but you gave her a look of ‘and?’ while she continued eating her oatmeal.

‘Thomas’ comes back with cold Fiji water, cracking it open before handing it to you.

You take it in you hand with shock clearly displayed cross your face, ‘Thomas’ sits down across from you and notices your expression immediately.

“Is something wrong with it? Is something in it?” He leans to look at the bottle clutched in the hand.

Why did he have to be so cute when he scrunches his face with worry? You snap out of it and try to relax again. “No, it’th juth uh, you know they have free water cupth, right? Like, you didn’t have to pay for one”

He waves his hand in protest, “It’s nothing. I mean, you don’t need lukewarm tap water, this is better for you.”

You say before taking a sip, “Well that was very thweet of you. I owe you one.”

“Don’t worry about that. I can’t standby while you’re in pain. Though, the temporary speech impediment is kind of cute, I must say.”

“What do you mean? Thith ith my real voice. I wath juth trying to impreth you with perfect diction last time.” You say, blowing your coffee, batting your eyes.

He chuckles, “Right, and I’m from Boston.”

You smile and look out the window for a second. The high you feel from being in his company makes it hard to come back down to the reality that you have to make conversation, and you’re suddenly lost for words. You want to know more about him but don’t want to come off as nosy or interrogative, or too eager, though you could smile at him giddily all damn day But this is a cute guy, who is clearly attentive, splurging on some fresh H2O. Ask him something! Get some personal shit out the way!

You face him to see his round, gorgeous eyes looking at you. You can’t read his expression before he looks down at his coffee again.

“What is your name, by chance? I don’t think I got it before.” he asks before puckering his lips, that look like they’ve never known ash, to take a sip.

“Oh, it’s (Y/N)” you say.

“Ah, (Y/N) that’s a beautiful name. It doesn’t seem too difficult to me.”

You practically melt at him saying your name. You’d never want a different one long as those lips spoke it.

“Well, it shouldn’t be. But people sense something has more than 2 syllables and their mind just flips.”

“Does it have any meaning behind it?”

“Mmm, not that I know. I’d have to Google. But all I know is my mom just liked it. But what about you, ‘Thomas’?” You say with a goofy grin, resting your chin on your hand.

“Yes, my name is T’Challa.”

“T….Challa?”

“Yes, that’s right! First try!” He holds his hand up for a high five.

The world seems to go into slow motion when connecting your palm to his. His hand is a skyscraper compared to yours, trying to memorize the feel of his hand through the little contact you had.

“What can I say, I’m a pro!”

“Very nice. Impaired tongue and all!” He pauses a moment before continuing, “Have you got time for a walk around to get some air? It’s so beautiful outside. May be nice…”

You look at your phone and see you should've been back at your desk 15 min ago.

“Uh… actually I do need to go…”

“Bast! Well that’s ok. Maybe our paths can cross again in the future?”

Your face fallen, “Yeah, hopefully so. Thanks again for the water…”

You start to get up and leave, “Ah, Miss (Y/N)?”

You turn to him, “Mhm?”

“Do you think I could call you sometime? If it’s not too forward, we could arrange meeting outside of your work hours so it’s more convenient?”

You heart jumped into your throat at the proposal. He’s asking for your number!

“Sure thing! I would love that. Just let me know or I’ll call you whichever. Cool!”

You back up to leave before you add anymore positive phrases to your long phrase affirming his invitation.

You step out the door of the shop and do a little Tiffany Haddish ‘she ready’ dance. You couldn’t wait to fill Tavia in on the details. T’Challa, T’Challa, the name just rolls off the tongue.

“Miss (Y/N)! I thought you trying to dine and dash but …”

T’Challa was standing behind you for God knows how long, struggling to hold back his smile.

You straighten up, mortified. Could he possibly be any more handsome and you be anymore a dork?

“Oh, no. Um, what do you mean?” you stammer, folding your arms to look semi-normal.

He pulls out his phone. “We actually need each others numbers to call each other right?”

You still didn’t exchange numbers! Thinking of how much of a mess you are you say, “Yeah, sorry! Of course, allow me.”

You take his phone and type it in with your name saving it.

Handing it back, T’Challa takes it and puts it in his pocket, eyes never leaving your face as he gives you a closed mouth smile.

“You have a good rest of your day, (Y/N). I look forward to connecting with you soon.”

He turns and strides down the sidewalk away. As much as you hated to see him go, you loved watching him leave. Was the dip in his gait put on or natural? Either way, you loved it.

Later that day you go home, light as a feather. You lowkey hate how some male attention could give you such an array of hormonal bliss that you felt like a traitor to the sisterhood.

Your roommate hadn’t gotten home yet so, you take the time to cook yourself some food, even though your hunger was honestly minimal. Whenever you got really excited in any emotional direction, your appetite just goes south. But you earned a meal today, so why not celebrate with dinner. You look up a bookmarked recipe on your phone for some baked chicken with steamed vegetables and curl up to some Grown-ish as you work. The episode with Yara Shahidi’s character obsessing over the relationship status of her and Cash was queued up. Seeing her send literally 30 text messages to Cash saying an unintelligible number of things made you cringe hella heavy. Why would she get caught up with a college athlete anyway? You knew where this episode was going, as you turn back to seasoning your food.

While binge watching, you only eat about half of your food, which is better than nothing. You have more energy than you know what to do with though, so with the extra living room space, you decide to knock out a little yoga to center yourself. Laying out your mat and queueing up YouTube you switch to a yoga channel for beginners and put a chill playlist on shuffle. You close your eyes as the instructor tells you to be present in today’s practice, breathing deeply and exhaling equally. The practice started off simple enough with some cat-cows and downward dogs, but the intensity picked up soon once some planks and chair poses were thrown in. You perspired like a Pinocchio meeting a woodpecker but pushed through each pose with a little motivation in your head. If T’Challa could see me now. Each challenge you faced, you thought of him being under you while you planked, over you while you did a bridge. Once the poses were over you’d curse yourself for being so silly but hey, it worked.

During the cool down, the instructor tells you to get into happy baby pose, which you welcome with a deep sigh, wiping your brow. You didn’t expect such an intense workout, so luckily you didn’t go ham on your food.

You hear the lock turn on the door, and in walks in Tavia.

“Well damn, bitch, am I interrupting something?!”

You look between your legs at Tavia, “Nah girl, I’m almost done.”

“You sure? Cuz looks like you just getting started to me. Why are you spreading your legs for anyone who walk in here?”

You roll out of your pose, grabbing your water. “Nothing, it’s been a minute since I got my mat out so…” you say taking a sip.

Tavia takes a seat in a easy chair across from you, taking off her shoes. “Mmhm, so what else is it bitch, cuz the fact that you ain’t posted up here smashing some cookies, watching Chocolate City or some other trash got me almost concerned.” She says, faking her best concerned face.

You roll your eyes, “It’s nothin! Really, but I mean, I may have ran into someone today, but that’s not why I’m over here ‘pussy poppin’’ like you say.”

“Uh-uh. How juicy is this? I was drinking tonight anyway but lemme know should I grab my bottle right now?”

You look at her sideways and give a slight nod.

Tava screams like the Holy Spirit just caught her as she runs with her hands raised over to the fridge. She gets out her moscato and runs back to her seat.

“Uh, I don’t get a glass?” You ask offended.

“No ma’am, you got talking to do. You can’t talk and drink at the same time.” Tavia says with a tongue pop.

“ANYWAY, so I’m going to the coffee shop on my break, right?” You say excitedly.

“Right, ‘break’.” Tavia says clutching the bottle while doing air quotes.

“Listen, plenty of them folks go and do whatever on company time. I need some caffeine to get through the mess.” You say defensively.

“Whatever, continue!”

“Ok, so I’m getting my shit, and just as I’m bout to leave, HIS order gets called.”

“Who??!”

“Thomas!”

Tavia’s body melts into the chair as she exclaims, “Whaaaaa??”

“YES! By the way, his name is T’Challa.”

“BITCH, you talked to him??”

With a little dance you confirm, “Hell yeah, fucking right!”

Tavia gets up to do a quick celebration twerk with you, passing the bottle. “Go head girl! Ok, so how did you go up to him? What did he say?”

Your face hurt from all the cheesing, “I just walked past him and he was like, ‘Hey, don’t I know you?’ and I said, ‘I hope so, cuz trying to know you.’ And eventually he remembered, so we got a table and talked about real surface level stuff, then I told him I gotta go back to work, so he was all ‘Well, I can’t have you walk out here without seeing you again. Put your number in.’ So I did, and that’s really about it.” You say content with your ‘story’.

Tavia was on the edge of her chair during your entire explanation until she said, “You gave him your number?”

You nod proudly, “Mhm!”

Tavia throws her hands in the air, “Girl! You ain’t gonna be nothing but a booty call then.”

Ou screw your face up at this admission. “Whatchu mean? He ain’t hood actin’, I just gave you the clipped version of how it went down. Why you think that?”

Tavia sighs, “You gotta get his number, so you have control. But since it’s the other way around, you gonna be waiting for him to call, and then when he does at 11pm, you gonna be showing off your wingspan and upset cuz he ain’t called you since.”

“Tavia, calm down. It ain’t even been a day. I’m not tryna wild like that, and he don’t seem the type.” You say with less spirit than before.

“And if that’s what you wanted, you know I’m down for you; hit a split on the dick shawty act up! But I know you for real want some committed peen, so I’m just giving you worst case before it slaps you in the face, ok?” Your good vibes from earlier are coming down faster than guillotine so you decide to dismiss yourself.

“Don’t be upset girl. You still did your thing, and milk him for all it’s worth either way. Hate the game, not the player!”

You roll your mat up and go back to your room. Your eyes go straight for your phone. You think back to the articles you read on dating. People usually wait 3 days to call right? Or is that just after the first date? What’re the rules for the phone exchange? He could’ve texted you right there to have his number, but he didn’t so, could Tavia be right? And if she was, is it so bad? Dick is dick, and it sure hasn’t been present in your life.

You go to pick up your phone, opening up to the main menu.

Missed Call (1) Voicemail (1)

Your heart thumps in your chest as you check the number. It’s just digits, not one of your known numbers. You walk across your floor couple times before listening to the message, calming yourself down and for the first time hoping it was just a bill collector. You select the number and dial before closing your eyes to center yourself like the yoga instructor told you. A few rings pass before you realize what you may have done.

“Hello?”

Your pulse literally stops as your eyes fly open at the voice on the other line. You accidentally hit call back instead of call voicemail.

“Miss (Y/N) Is that you?” T’Challa says.

“Yeah, hey, how are you doing?” You say in as steady voice you can muster as you pull at your hair in frustration.

“I missed you earlier. Uh, your call, I mean. Well, I called you. Did you get my message?”

So that was him on that voicemail. You didn’t want to lie but you didn’t want to look weird calling without context either.

“Uh, yeah. I did. Thanks for calling by the way.”

He could’ve called to say he didn’t want to see you again.

“Please, I should be thanking you for offering your time. So do you know when you would like to do it?”

Heat crawls from neck to your cheeks, out of your pits, from your nani, all at once. Do what?! Is he inviting you somewhere or asking a favor?

“Uh, how does Saturday sound?” You freeze at the anticipation of his answer.

“That’s great! I have no problem with that. We will try for 5pm?”

You nod like he can see you before responding, “Yeah, that’s good to me. I can’t wait.”

You could practically hear T’Challa smiling as he said, “Wonderful. Forgive me for the time of the hour, I hope I didn’t wake you.”

You sit on the bed to keep from falling under your buckling knees. “Not at all, I was just turning in so I didn’t want to leave you hanging.”

“You’re too kind. I will see you then, if not at the shop first! Good Night (Y/N).”

“Good night T’Challa.” You press the red symbol and take the deepest breath you’ve done all day. How erotic did that sound ‘goodnight, T’Challa’? Geez just call him back to come over and get it over with already, you thought.

You turn off the light and lay in your bed electrified with that same energy from before. You almost forgot, but you pick up the phone and push for voicemail this time and listen:

Hi, I hope this is the right number. (Y/N), I’m just calling to see if you would come with me to the music festival this weekend. I don’t know if you heard about it or if it is your thing, but it sounds like a nice time. We could just walk around, enjoy the sounds. Uhh, just let me know when you get the chance, or I may see you at our favorite place. (laughs then clears his throat) Umm, but yeah, sorry for the long message. This is T’Challa by the way. Hope to hear from you soon.

Your phone prompts you to save or delete the message and you carefully save it before you listen a couple more times. Putting your phone away you turn on your side, squeezing your legs together to bring yourself back down again. You remind yourself that this is still just nothing more than two people meeting up at a public place with a bunch of other people. No one has claimed nobody yet. But like Tavia said, gotta milk it for what it’s worth, and how you feel right now is pretty damn priceless.

Part 3

Other Works

King Kil’mawalls

T’akia

N’Jadaka’s Helpful Hands

Some Weeks Are Better Than Others

The Coffee Prince

Commencement Day

My Ragtag

@sweetpeachjones@scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade@hairhattedghooligan@universalbri @therevolution-willbelive @you-like-this-chain @sarcastic-sunshines @airis-paris14

groovybbyy and nyeebey, yall here too! I just can’t tag you for some reason <3</p>

#t'challa #t'challa fanfic #t'challa x reader #t'challa x you #coffeeshop au #black panther au #black panther fanfic #marvel fanfic #black panther #marvel #fanfic

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