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dubious-writing · 2 months

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💜Larsdunn!

💜 surprise kiss / impulsive kiss

Hello anon! So sorry this one also took a long time, I once again had to go be a slave to the wheel of capitalism. I like my job though, so it’s okay. This one became less of a snippet and more of a 1,216 word oneshot. I hope you like it!!

Vince is not entirely sure how he ended up here.

Well, not literally. He can trace each step that brought him to this room and this situation. Getting picked for one of those silly PR interviews last week, sitting down in that decorated conference in front of a camera to answer questions not in any way related to hockey or how the team is doing. Somehow letting the topic stray to the comments about his and Adam’s eating habits they made at the beginning of the season, admitting that yes he did finally cook a meal for Adam. Telling them that the favor hadn’t been returned yet, actually, now that you mention it.

Somehow being roped into showing up at Adam’s house 8 days later after practice with no game that evening, sitting down at one of the island's barstools, and letting a producer tie a blindfold around his head. They must’ve sprung for a good brand - if there is a good brand of blindfolds - because the fabric is thick enough that he can’t see any shapes through it, and there’s no light peeking in either the top or bottom.

So yeah, he technically knows how he got here, filming some fun little PR piece with his d-partner. He’s just not entirely sure how he ended up here, in Adam’s kitchen, chatting while a meal is being made like this is some kind of normal domestic scene for them.

It’s not, no matter how much Vince wishes it was.

The producers keep asking them questions when the pauses between conversations start to lull too long, keeping the soundbites going, milking as much content out of this situation as they can get. Vince tells stories about learning to cook with his mother when he was young, naive mishaps from his twelve year old self. Describing his favorite meals, how difficult it is sometimes to take the time to make something from scratch during the season. Adam, in turn, admits that he can cook perfectly well - good, even, if some of his exes are to be believed - he just doesn’t necessarily like to. Finds it a little depressing to be cooking for one all the time.

Vince knows a way he could fix that, but is too much of a coward to voice it out loud.

The longer they sit there, the more Vince can pick up on the scents being created just on the other side of the island from him. Garlic and caramelized onion, lemon pepper and rosemary, sizzling bacon and marinated chicken breast. If nothing else, it all smells amazing. Every so often, Adam will set a pan down, open the oven, stir something in a pot, metal on stainless steel.

Vince isn’t worried, per se. Adam is an adult; you don’t get through three decades of life without picking up a few tricks, a little bit of cooking knowledge. He’s not even that peeved about the blindfold honestly, perfectly happy to sit there and laugh at all of Adam’s dry little jokes you wouldn’t be able to pick up on unless you were paying attention. Mostly he’s worried about liking it too much, being taken care of in this way, yearning for something he’s not allowed to have.

After maybe thirty minutes, the oven beeps as it’s turned off and all the burners click as the gas is cut, and Adam pronounces the food ready. Vince hasn’t been allowed a peak this entire time, but he has a vague idea about the meal being placed in front of him. Some kind of altered carbonara recipe, chicken and herbs and onions being thrown in with the normal pasta and bacon and eggs and parmesan, he’s pretty sure.

They don’t give him a fork on account of the whole not being able to see anything right now thing, which they warned him about beforehand. What Vince isn’t prepared for, though, is the sudden heat of Adam’s body at his elbow, overwarm from standing in front of the burning stove for so long. The hand that’s placed, featherlight, on his shoulder makes him jump just a touch. There’s the sound of a utensil scraping against a plate, and then Adam’s voice soft in his ear requesting open your mouth please.

Vince is never going to be able to unhear that.

But he obeys, opens his mouth so Adam can guide the fork full of food onto his tongue, clenches his teeth over the tines to make sure he gets it all. It’s an explosion of flavor the second he starts chewing, and he can’t help the moan that escapes his throat when he does.

“Oh my god, this is amazing.”

He swallows quickly and doesn’t hesitate to open his mouth again for another bite, which Adam gives him after a slight pause. His second moan is even louder.

“Is it really that good?” Adam asks, and his voice sounds strangled, like he was genuinely worried about Vince’s reaction.

“Dude, yes, this is literally so good. You’ve been holding out on me, what the fuck.”

There’s a puff of warm breath against the side of Vince’s face when Adam chuckles at him. Oops; the editors will have to take care of that later. “It’s really not that complicated of a recipe.”

“That doesn’t matter.” Vince turns his head in Adam’s direction, licking his lips to catch a stray bit of sauce before smiling up at his d-partner. Adam swallows very loud around his own forkful of food. “If you know what you’re doing, it will always taste this good. That’s what my mom used to say, anyways, when she was teaching me the basics. I’m gonna make you cook for me more often now– mmm!”

It’s not delicious pasta and chicken bumping up against his mouth this time; it’s Adam’s own lips smashed against his.

It’s objectively not that great of a kiss, seeing as how Vince was halfway through a sentence and not at all prepared to be kissed by the man of his dreams. But it’s Adam, so it’s still pretty fucking perfect anyways.

It only takes a few seconds - three, because Vince didn’t even realize he was counting - for Adam to pull away again, and the only thing that can be heard in the silence that follows is the popping of soap bubbles in the sink where Adam set the dishes to soak.

“Um.”

“I didn’t– fuck, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.”

Vince reaches up to pull the blindfold off, feels his curls fly in every direction with the motion, and looks at where Adam is grimacing down at him with a hand rubbing the back of his neck. He looks so worried, like he’s afraid of Vince’s reaction, of getting yelled at or something.

He’s the man of Vince’s dreams, but he’s so stupid sometimes.

“Did you… did you want to though?” Adam takes half a step back before Vince darts a hand out to grab his wrist. Looks like they’re both doing things they didn’t necessarily mean to. Adam looks so terribly worried, and it’s a look Vince has never seen on him before, a sight so foreign that a kernel of understanding pops in the back of his mind, and maybe… maybe he is allowed to have things, actually.

#vince dunn #adam larsson #larsdunn #dunnernlars #seattle kraken #hockey #hockey rpf #my writing

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quahogchowda-blog · 3 months

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Update... Omgosh... My whole house smells so good right now... Once the rolls finished rising... I brushed with egg... Sprinkled with more cheese... Added a few extra slices of Jalapenos to each roll... Soooo soft and yummy... I would say this is a success... Not quite spicy enough for me though... Next time I'll use some Habanero's too. But still very good. I really love the crispy cheesy bottoms. I will type up the recipe and add it later... 😍

Recipe added....

1.75 cups warm water

6 T. Whipping cream powder

2 eggs

.5 cup sugar

8 cups white flour

1 cup wheat flour

3 teaspoons yeast

1 1/3 cup sourdough starter

2 teas salt

1 cup butter

Note: I do not pack my flour tight into the cup. Liquid measurements can vary depending upon the thickness of your starter and the actual weight of your flour. But then again this is what makes us rebels. Lol. No scale.

Also: I warm my flour up before use. 1.5 minutes in the microwave... stirring every 30 seconds. Trust me this helps a lot where proof time is concerned. Especially when your house is cold like mine.

Mix all ingredients except the salt and butter. I used KitchenAid. I used the low setting #1 just until most of the flour is incorporated and #2 for approx 8 minutes. Until mixed well and no longer sticking to sides of bowl. Please KNOW that this is a LOT of dough. Borderline toooo much for the KitchenAid. But I always make it work by stopping and pushing dough back down often.

Add salt then mix for another minute or 2.

Add butter and mix until completely incorporated.

Note: The dough will be VERY soft and tacky... but should not be too gooey and too sticky. It should hold its shape a bit when you dump it out of the bowl.

I dump the dough out onto oiled counter and cut in half.

Knead each half briefly just to form into nice balls. Place each into an oiled bowl. Cover and let rest 1 hour or until doubled.

Roll into logs and place in loaf pans. I used 1 extra large 1000 gram pan. But this would make 2 - 1000 gram loaves or 4 regular sized loaves without a problem. Allow to rise again until at least doubled. This took about 50 minutes.

Score top if you choose. I did one long slit down the center.

Preheat oven to 425°. Place loaf pan in oven. Immediately turn heat down to 375° I baked this one large loaf for 46 minutes. I am not quite sure how long it would take to cook a regular size loaf.

I baked until bread registered 206°.

Note: if you do not have whipping cream powder or powdered milk replace the water using whatever milk you have. Whether it's cow milk... goat milk etc... 😍

For the Jalapeno Cheese rolls...

I used 1/2 of this batch of dough... Patted it into a rough rectangle shape approximately a half an inch thick. Divided into 12 pieces... Sprinkled liberally with jalapeno chunks and shredded cheese. I used three large deseeded jalapenos... but I have no idea the amount of cheese. Formed into balls. Placed on parchment covered baking sheet equally spaced. Let rise for at least an hour. Was probably a bit longer because I had my loaf of bread baking and I had to wait for that to be done. Brushed with scrambled raw egg. Sprinkled with more cheese and added a few slices of Jalapenos on top. Baked at 350° for approx 35 minutes. Final temp of baked roll was 208°.

#Sandwich Bread #Jalapeno Cheese Rolls #Sourdough Hybrid Dough

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kilar · 5 months

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CAS - Creativity - Cornbread

On Wednesday November 22nd, I contributed to an event my school was organizing in relation to Thanksgiving. My classmates and I, along with our teachers, decided we would organize a Thanksgiving party to celebrate each other and express our thanks.I got interested in baking bread, specifically cornbread. Now, I’ve never made bread, I just know of an incident my mom had when she tried baking hers a few years back. In short, it failed and the bread wasn’t edible. So, in order to be sure I would bake this bread correctly I went to the internet and found an easy recipe that I 100% couldn’t mess up. I took the recipe from this link: https://www.mysticcakes.com/mekani-kukuruzni-hleb/ and helped myself with a YouTube video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88oCidoMTrw .I personally love cooking, although I’ve never really explored baking, it was usually something I’d do with my mom and sister for the holidays or sometimes even for fun, but not on my own. Unlike baking, I’ve always cooked, since I was little I’ve known how to take care of myself when my parents were at work, my mom always showed my sister and I how to prepare delicious dishes as we grew. And with time, I got into my own recipes and started experimenting. I have a strange relationship with food, sometimes it’s terrible and I eat junk, and sometimes it’s beautiful, and I eat very healthy and am very motivated to cook.Alright, so first, I laid down all of my ingredients, which were: 250g of smooth wheat flour, 150g of corn flour, ½ or 5g of dry yeast, ½ bag or 6g of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 150ml of warm milk, 50ml of warm water, 50ml of oil and some polenta to sprinkle on top.Next up, as the recipe followed, I got a bowl with all of my dry ingredients in there and mixed them up. Then it was time for the warm milk, warm water and oil. When those mixed with the dry it was time to start to knead the dough. After some time it became a semi-sticky texture and I placed it on my table which was covered with flour and started kneading again until the dough became very smooth. Now it was time to wait for the dough to rise for about half an hour. Then I took it out of the cloth-covered pan and would you know it, the bread rose. I placed it in the oven pan and covered it again, waiting 40 minutes this time before pre-heating my oven to 250 degrees Celsius. Afterwards, I went over the bread with a wet brush and sprinkled some polenta on top to make it crispy. Finally, before putting the bread in the oven, I stroked 4 diagonal lines with a knife, for aesthetic reasons. The bread baked for about 25 minutes in 200 degrees Celsius. And just like that, the bread had been made. It was not a long process at all, but an interesting and educating one, my mom watched over me and it was really special to have some bonding time with her. Our whole house smelled amazing and we agreed we would bake our own bread more often!Anyways, this was kind of like cooking, but not really because you can’t taste any of it until it’s fully finished which was strange, I couldn’t be sure if my cornbread was going to turn out okay, so I just had to trust the internet. In the end, it turned out good, I won’t say great because it was a bit too crumbly in my opinion, but the taste was amazing. Overall, it was my first time baking bread and in retrospect it was the best version I could make!

#baking #cornbread #thanksgiving #ibdp #bread #hobby #newskill

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thedisneychef · 1 year

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Puffed French Toast

This recipe, like all great recipes, was first used out of desperation. Desperation and an overflow of bread. And it so happens to be one of the recipes that has some of my fondest memories. I swear, whenever I feel a little bummed and lonely for Disney, these are my pick-me-ups, my hug-on-a-plate. Just back from Disney, I was in what I call the "Disney Blues." People who've been are, I'm sure, familiar with it. Symptoms of "Disney Blues" usually include listening to music from the park constantly, re-watching favorite Disney movies, habitually checking ride line apps on your cell phone to just to see how long ride waits are (like it matters), and dwelling on irrational, pointless thoughts like "Right now, somebody's FastPass for (insert favorite ride) just became active and now they're on the ride and I'm not." I myself freely admit, I'm guilty of all some of these offenses.

Anyway, it was the morning, I was in the midst of full-swing Disney Blues, and trying to recreate Disney in any way possible. Usually this meant making my favorite foods into a Mickey shape. In the last week, we'd had Mickey-shaped pizza, Mickey-shaped cookies, Mickey-shaped sandwiches... If it could be made to the face of Mickey, I did it. My plan of attack this morning was to break out the Mickey cookie cutter and make toast shaped like Mickey. Not all that creative, but it was early and I'm not a good morning thinker. Then, out of the sleepy fog I was operating in, it occurred to me... Extra bread is perfect for French toast. French toast, which I've never made before and had only a rough idea of what went into making it. Surely Mickey had a solution... And he did. I cracked out my Mickey Cookbook and found this amazing recipe for Puffed French Toast from Crystal Palace. As soon as the first batch of toast hit the frying pan, it smelled just like every food court and restaurant at the Magic Kingdom during breakfast. Of course it tasted so Disney, sweet and decadent, heavy without being filling. I almost felt like it was time to go conquer the parks after breakfast. Tons of memories came flooding back like they'd happened yesterday, the castle lit up at night, getting your first glimpse of EPCOT on the way to your hotel to check in, walking with a full tummy from Tusker House to Dinosaur because you're a little too full for Everest... This recipe made me so happy, and brought back so many amazing memories, it was the inspiration for me to seek out other Disney recipes And that inspiration inflated my Disney recipe collection from just two little cookbooks to over 1,500 recipes that are direct from Disney, not to mention being on a first-name basis with the customer service rep (and several cast members, even a chef or two) of various restaurants around the The World. And who would have thought all of that would come from too much Wonder Bread? :) ~~~~ °o° ~~~~ Puffed French Toast As is served at The Crystal Palace, Magic Kingdom - 2 whole eggs - 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar - 1/2 teaspoon salt - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract - 2 cups milk - 1 cup flour - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder - 12 slices of bread (Texas-style toast is used at Disney) - Butter or oil for frying - 4 teaspoons cinnamon - 3/4 cup sugar Mix eggs, 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk until well blended and a creamy yellow. Slowly add flour and baking powder and mix until very few lumps remain. Dip bread slices in batter, allowing the extra to drip off. If you're using thin bread, do not allow the bread to soak. Fry bread in a hot pan using butter or oil (enough to keep the bottom of the pan coated) on both sides until golden brown. Remove from heat to drain on paper towels for about 30 seconds. For the best toast, fry one side for about 1-2 minutes, flip and fry for 1 minute, then remove from heat. The fewer times the bread is flipped, the fluffier the toast and the better the coating. Meanwhile, combine cinnamon with 3/4 cup sugar. After toast has drained, coat both sides with cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve warm. Read the full article

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assaily · 3 years

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I thought about saving this one, but i’ve been sharing it around for a while, so i may as well share it here, too.

Context: Allison and Diego borrow some empathy powers and use them to try and gain some insight on Five

Allison sipped her coffee for lack of anything better to do. She dallied for a time, unsure how to proceed, suddenly aware of the heavy weight that clung to them, and wondered if this was normal. It could have been exhaustion, considering the dark shadows beneath Five’s eyes. It felt deeper than just a bad night of sleep. This was what she’d been afraid of, what she was fully expecting to find and now found herself feeling diminished beneath.

“You hungry?” she asked when Five finished his coffee.

“No,” Five answered, the question hardly a blip on his radar.

“I could eat,” Diego said. Five usually said no to the offer of food unless it was put in front of him. He couldn’t resist once it was there, thankfully, so this little dance of two siblings pretending to cook for each other and secretly cooking for Five was not new. If Five himself noticed, he never said anything about it.

Allison got up from the table, snatching Five’s mug from beneath his fingers. He had been mindlessly tracing the rim and was genuinely startled from his thoughts when Allison took it from him. He said nothing, attention suddenly on her like a scalpel. She wasn’t sure if it was the power or her own imagination that made his scrutiny feel sharper than usual. She set a skillet to heat and refilled Five’s cup before taking it back to the table for him.

Suspicion burned at the hairs on her arms and she took a step back to meet Five’s piercing gaze. “What?” she asked.

“You’re being nice,” he muttered, an observation and a question rolled into one. He wanted to know why, he wanted to know what she wanted.

“Nothing,” she reassured without thinking. “I mean,” she corrected quickly when Diego gave her a sharp look. “I’m just feeling weird and you look tired. I miss my daughter,” she admitted, feeling suddenly vulnerable.

Five blinked, something swirling around them at her admittance, a little like irritation, a lot like muted affection. “I’m not your kid, Allison, you don’t need to dote on me.”

She smiled around the confusing mix dusting the room. “Refilling your coffee is hardly doting,” she replied in a daze.

He shrugged, eyes falling down from her, the sharp focus softening at last. He took a sip of the coffee and it tasted like acceptance. She turned back to the fridge, fighting a smile as she pulled the sausages from the top shelf and added them to the pan. Soon the kitchen was filled with the sounds of sizzling and the smell of food; the anxiety had eased into something quiet and tired and easy to ignore.

She whisked eggs in a bowl, added milk and cheese and cooked it in the same pan as the sausage drippings once they’d finished. She divvied the food up on three plates and set them on the table. The whole meal took her less than twenty minutes, hardly any trouble at all but it felt good to do something for them. It soured when a flood of dread and disgust spilled across the table the moment she put the plate in front of Five. Her movements stuttered, taken by surprise, hesitating to watch him spear a sausage with the fork and nibble on one end like he hadn’t felt anything.

She exchanged a look with Diego, who’d paused mid-bite to watch Five as well.

Irritation suddenly simmered between them, a striking indecisiveness between anger and the urge to flee, anxiety washing over them again. It happened so fast, her and Diego nearly drowned in it. She put her own plate down before she dropped it, and moved to sit. The scrape of the chair on the floor was like someone physically hitting her.

“Five,” she said, her voice swimming.

Diego put down his fork, food untouched, and reached across the table to put a hand on Five’s shoulder. The old man vanished in a pop of light and reappeared by the counter next to the coffee pot. He poured himself another cup, his body lax and his movements smooth in sharp contrast to swirl of indignant rage pounding at the walls.

“I don’t know what the hell is going on with you too, but I don’t want to be involved.” He took a long slurp from the coffee, turning to regard them over the rim of it. “Play your games with someone else.” And with that he disappeared in a pop of light, leaving behind the traces of bitter irritation.

“Maybe it was breakfast?”

“What was wrong with eggs and sausage?” Diego asked.

Allison had no idea. Five was a bit weird about food, but she supposed surviving a few decades in an apocalypse could mess with someone’s ability to have a healthy relationship with eating. He was so skinny, and seemed to get skinnier every day. It was a challenge getting him to eat.

“Maybe he doesn’t like them.”

“Does Five like anything?” Diego asked. “Besides coffee.”

“Fluffernutters,” Allison said. It was the only thing she’d ever seen him choose for himself, besides the time he pilfered all the canned peaches from the cupboards and Klaus found them stashed under his bed. “Fruit?”

For lunch Allison asked Mom to chop up a fruit salad. Five emerged from his room around eleven a.m. like clockwork, usually for coffee. He arrived in the kitchen through one his rips, immediately splashing the room with an emotion that tasted like gunmetal. Allison couldn’t describe it other than dark, sardonic, and irritable. It twisted with the bleeding rawness she had felt earlier.

Five stopped in the doorway, dread spilling forth when he saw her and Diego waiting for him. And he knew they’d been waiting, she could feel him realize it, suspicion mixing with the dread. He scowled at them, a classically abrasive Five expression that she wouldn’t have blinked twice at yesterday.

It was surreal feeling the tumult underneath it.

Five went for the coffee. “Is there a reason you two are still here?”

“We live here,” Diego said.

“Don’t you have a job?” He said to Diego, voice and intonation both sharp and accusing.

“It’s my day off.”

“So you spend it sitting around the kitchen? What a productive use of your time.”

“Oh yeah?” Diego asked, temper flaring predictably. “What do you do around here all day? Huh?”

A bitterness, dark and sharp, encased the room like tar, bubbling with frustration and a delicately muted rage that felt utterly ancient. There was something there Allison wasn’t quite seeing, something deeper than whatever foul mood he was in.

“Why are you mad, Five?” Allison cut the tension like a knife, going against the grain.

“I’m not angry,” Five said, most definitely defending himself.

“You came down here and immediately started picking a fight,” she pointed out, watching his eyes dart from her to Diego and back again, caught out.

He scoffed, glancing down at the coffee cup in his hand, and she felt him switch at the realization. “Oh,” he said, folding inward on himself. Anger still shimmered off him, but it felt like he was trying to pull it back in, drink it down with the bitter burn of coffee in his throat. “The math is being uncooperative,” he gestured above his head in the general direction of his room several floors above them.

“Well you don’t have to take it out on us, you ass,” Diego said, his voice forgiving despite his words.

Shame descended like a fog, settling like an ache against her breast bone. She gestured at the table, desperate to dissipate that cloud. “Mom made fruit.”

Five glanced at her from beneath his bangs but latched onto the change in subject. “Made, huh?”

“She didn’t ‘make’ the fruit, she cut it up though. Do you want some?”

There was a bubble of emotions that came up in the form of hesitation, it was old and complicated and Allison didn’t know how to sift through it fast enough to make any sense of it. Five pursed his lips, shrugged one shoulder and stepped over, holding his coffee in one hand casually. He considered the medley, genuinely perusing the selection, which was more than she could say for breakfast. He chose a pitted peach, cut in half, pulling it from the mix with slender fingers.

“That’s all?”

“Hmm?” he paused, dropping the peach-half back into the salad.

“You can take more,” she felt compelled to inform him.

“I know,” he said, which struck her for the lie it was. She had to swallow that quickly lest it show on her face.

“Get a bowl, take as much as you want.” He could take the whole damn thing, if it pleased him, and none of them would stop him or even admonish him.

The prickle of suspicion resurfaced, and he withdrew his hand away from the bowl, staring at her. His eyes flicked to Diego, mistrust wafting up like a foul smell. He leaned back, straightening to his full height and it was like a veil descended over him, and him alone. A muting of everything, like a layer of cloud, fog, or smoke that socked him in, pushing them out. He took a sip of his coffee, still watching them, before vanishing again in a pop of light.

Diego sighed, deflating next to her. “You can’t push directly, you keep spooking him.”

She groaned in frustration, pillowing her face on her arms on the table. “And here I thought this would be easier than trying to guess.”

She startled up when a returning pop announced Five’s re-arrival. He landed inches from the table wielding a knife from god knows where, which he used to spear several large pieces of fruit. He vanished again without pretense, leaving her stunned and blinking.

From somewhere upstairs, peach flavored delight bloomed on her tongue.

#tua fic #tua #the umbrella academy #five hargreeves #allison hargreeves #diego hargreeves #number five #fanfic #this one wanted to be so much more #and i had more ideas for it #please enjoy it in its tragically incomplete form

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themadlostgirl · 3 years

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Keeping Warm (2)

*Did I make a second part to this because one person asked for it? Yes I did. Come to me my Felix simps! Enjoy your fluff!*

~~~

That had to be the best sleep I’ve had in a while! This cloak was a lot better than my old one. I wonder how long I could get away with keeping it before the boys stole it back. I folded it up neatly and hid it under my cot so it wasn’t out in the open for them to steal back.

I left my tent and noticed that the boys that had been laughing and teasing me yesterday were keeping a wide berth from me today. I had no problem with that. The farther away they stayed the better.

Since I was truly well rested for the first time in a long time I decided to take advantage of my energy and practice my archery. Before Neverland I never had a need to learn how to wield a weapon but archery was fun and it helped in hunting small game. I grabbed my bow and quiver of arrows before setting off into the jungle. When it came to game on the island there wasn’t a whole lot outside of fish and some birds but they didn’t make for much food.

If you wanted a good meal you had to head into the dark jungle of the island. It’s where all the big game lived since anyone ventured in there. You could sometimes find a rogue boar running around outside of the dark jungle but they mainly stayed within the perimeter. Other than boars there was also a type of goat that lived there. The boys had tried keeping some of the goats for milk a while back but after the “incident” all the goats were shoved into the dark jungle and water became the only acceptable source of drink. Probably for the best.

I was out tracking for a while when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I tried to make it out through the foliage and saw the head of a goat pop up. Gotcha. I notched an arrow and took aim. I let the arrow fly and cheered when it went right through the goat’s eyes.

“What the hell?” Another head popped up, this time it wasn’t a goat though. Felix turned to look at me. “What was that?”

“Sorry!” I rushed over, “I was hunting and saw the goat head. I didn’t mean to shoot at you. What are you doing out here?”

“Same as you it seems. I had been tracking this fat bastard for over an hour.” He kicked the dead goat at our feet. “Almost had it too before you got it first. Nice shot by the way.”

“Thanks! I was really lucky this time around. I usually don’t get a clear shot like that.” I tore the arrow out of the goat’s head. “Since you’re here do you mind helping me lug this beast back to camp?”

“Sure,” Felix heaved the goat up and threw it onto his shoulders. “Let’s get moving.”

“This will surely make for a good dinner tonight.”

“You really wanna let those jerks tear into your catch?” Felix asked.

“I mean not really but this is way more food than you and I can eat so we kinda have to split it up.” I shrugged, “Why do you care anyway? I thought you liked the other Lost Boys.”

“They’re my brothers but brothers can get damn annoying.” He muttered, “Taking shit that doesn’t belong to them and whatnot.”

“Ugh, I know what you mean.” I sighed, “They stole my cloak out of my tent last night so I stole one of theirs as payback.”

“Did you now?” Felix trudged further ahead, “Did you give it back yet?”

“No and I don’t plan to. Mine was so thin it didn’t help at all but this one is really warm so unless they come and pry it away from me I’m not giving it up. It also helps that is smells good so I cuddle up in it even tighter.” My face started heating up after I realized what I just admitted. “Sorry, that was a lot of unnecessary information.”

“It’s fine,” Felix muttered.

I jogged to fall into step next to him. I grabbed an apple out of my bag and started cutting off slices with my knife. I wordlessly offered one to Felix. This time when I popped it into his mouth for him though I didn’t roll my eyes since his hands were full carrying the goat. We trekked back to camp in companionable silence. Felix set the goat down for the others to skin and cook while we rested.

We sat down on a log together while I picked bits of goat fur off his shoulders.

“Felix,” One of the boys approached us, “Pan was looking for you earlier but you were away from camp so he wanted me to pass on a message.”

“And?” Felix asked.

“He’s gone off the island on a mission of sorts. Says he may not be back till morning at the latest so you’re in charge till then.”

“Got it.” Felix nodded and the boy ran off again.

“Man in charge tonight,” I poked his shoulder, “Don’t crack under the pressure, captain.”

“Har har,” He rolled his shoulder ushering me off, “Being in charge for a night doesn’t entail much. I just have to make sure these idiots don’t go rogue during Pan’s absence and do something stupid like burn the camp down again.”

“These boys can really be just the dumbest things on the face of the earth, can’t they?” I shook my head. Then my body shook. A cold gust of wind blew through the camp. It wasn’t like the slightly cooler breezes that Neverland usually had. This was cold. Really cold.

The other boys felt it as well. All of them rushing to their tents and reappearing with cloaks and others running for firewood. “What’s going on?” I asked Felix as I rubbed feebly at my arms.

Felix sighed. “I almost forgot that this happens when Pan leaves. He so rarely does anymore it didn’t even cross my mind.”

“What?”

“When Pan leaves then time stands still. I don’t mean that in the way that tie naturally stands still here. I mean the island basically goes into hibernation without him around. Depending on how long he’s been gone we should start to see the beginnings of…” Felix looked up. The once clear sunny sky had been replaced with dark dreary clouds.

“Oh don’t tell me it’s gonna rain!” I pouted.

“Worse than that.”

We sat there for a minute as delicate white flakes started falling from the sky. “Snow?!” I gaped at the offending weather. “How is there snow? This is a tropical island!”

“It is a magic island too though.” Felix said. “You may want to grab something to put on, viper. It’s only gonna get colder.”

“Right, I’ll be right back.” I ran back to my tent and pulled the cloak out from under my cot. I put it on but while it was thick enough to keep out the chill of the night it was just another feeble layer against the bitter cold that we had been subjected to now.

I went back to the log where Felix and I had been seated but he wasn’t there anymore. I made my way towards the bonfire the boys had started and huddled as close as I could get to the flames. I really hope the boy I stole the cloak from won’t try to take it back now. I fear I’ll freeze to death without it.

The sky grew even darker and the island got even colder. We were quickly burning through our supply of firewood and I knew that it would run out soon. When that happened it was every man for themselves. I figured I’d hunker down in my tent and try to keep warm by myself until Pan returned and the cold went away.

I stayed by the fire as it dwindled down to faintly glowing coals. The snow had really piled up and my toes were numb in my boots. Oh no! I didn’t even take into account the snow! I ran as fast as I could to my tent but it was of no use. The snow had weighed it down and it crumpled. My cot was soaked and the beams I had used to pitch it had snapped. This was just great.

It looked as if the other boys had gotten the memo to keep the snow from piling up on their tents since they rest were still standing. Would have been nice if they mentioned something to me. I shivered violently against another harsh gale of wind and trudged away from my ruined tent. Maybe I could find Felix and he’d take pity on me and let me stay in his tent for the night.

I scoured the wintry white camp but saw no Felix. He was probably already hunkered down. If only I knew which tent was his.

~~~

Damn this cold. Why did the island have to go into hibernation just cause Pan wasn’t around? It really wasn’t fair. Felix hated it all the more since he didn’t have anything to keep him warm now that he had let you have his cloak.

Upon realizing just how bad it was going to camp Felix remembered something that could help him keep warm. He jumped up and ran into the jungle until he found the old, gnarled dead tree that years and years ago had been the first home of the Lost Boys. He knocked against the trunk until he found the hatch that opened up. It would be a tight fit but if he kept his arms close to his chest then...Felix slipped down the hollow trunk of the tree and was deposited into an underground cavern.

He lit a torch along the wall and breathed in the dusty but altogether warmer air. This place looked as if it hadn’t been touched in decades. It probably hadn’t. Felix only ever remembered this place when Pan left and turned the rest of the island into a wintry hellscape. He never told any of the other Lost Boys about this warm oasis since he didn’t want them crowding in around him.

Felix was down there clearing cobwebs and shaking out the dusty furs and blankets when he was hit with a sharp realization. He left you back at camp. He left the one person who cannot handle any amount of cold in any way back in a blizzard!

“Shit!” Felix hissed and climbed back out of the cavern. He raced back to camp and spotted you easily enough since you were the only one still outside. Why were you outside? Why weren’t you in your tent at least?

“Hey,” He shouted, pulling you away from where the bonfire had been, “What are you doing out here?”

“Tent collapsed under the snow.” Your whole body was shaking so bad that it even bled into your voice. “Was looking for you…”

“Come on,” He grabbed your hand and tugged you along, “I know someplace we can go to wait this out.”

Felix knew it was a bad time but he couldn’t get over the sight of you in his cloak. It was just like last night when he got that strange fluttering in his chest. He gripped your hand tighter and tried pulling you faster but you ended up losing your balance and tripping. Felix caught you before you landed in the snow but he could tell you were having trouble keeping up.

“We’re almost there, just a little further,”

“I can’t feel my toes,” You whimpered.

“Damn it,” Felix ran a hand through his hair. “Well we can’t stay out here. Hold onto me.” With that Felix gathered you in his arms and pulled you off the ground. He hiked his way back to the dead tree with you held in his arms. This was the first time he had really been this close to you. Your head nestled on his shoulder as your body trembled. He set you down long enough to open the hatch on the dead tree again and set you inside. You went sliding down and Felix shortly followed.

“Where are we?” You gazed around the cavern you both were in. “It’s warm in here.”

“My own little get away when the island goes into stasis.” Felix explained. He helped you up and ushered you towards the bed at the back of the cavern covered in blankets and furs. “You’ll keep warm down here.”

“Blankets!” He burrowed underneath the blankets with a content sigh. “I am never leaving this pile.”

“Thought you’d enjoy that.” Felix smiled. “Are your toes still numb?”

“A little.”

“Let me see, I want to make sure you don’t have frostbite.” He instructed.

You untied your boots and Felix grimaced when he saw that your socks had been soaked through. You peeled those off too. There was no way to make this awkward so Felix grabbed your feet and inspected them, pushing on your toes to make sure they hadn’t incurred any damage.

“Good news, you get to keep your toes.” Felix pushed your feet off his lap and pulled the blanket you were wrapped in back over them.

“That is a relief.” You smiled brightly. “Thanks for sharing this space with me.”

“Well I wasn’t just gonna let you suffer out there in the cold. The others deserve it but not you.” Felix said. The fluttering was back and he could feel it’s way creeping up his neck into his face. The air in the room suddenly felt too hot. He shuffled back to the foot of the bed further away from you.

There was a beat of silence.

“Hey Felix?” You crawled over to sit next to him.

“Yeah?” Felix tried not to look at you lest the pink in his cheeks be noticed.

“Where is your cloak? Don’t tell me you were out running around in this weather without grabbing it.” You said. Felix resisted a bark of laughter. Said cloak was still around your shoulders and you clutched it tightly in your hands as you looked at him.

“I didn’t have much of a choice.” He pulled the hood up over your head and down in front of your eyes. “You kinda stole it, viper.”

“Huh?” Your eyes peeped out from under the hood. He watched with amusement as the realization hit you and you pulled the hood back down to hide. “I’m sorry! I had no idea it was yours! I thought it belonged to one of the jerks that stole mine!”

“It’s alright, you needed it a lot more than I did anyway.” He chuckled softly. “Glad to know you think I smell good though.”

“AGH!” You dove under the blankets to hide further. Your embarrassed voice still rung clear from underneath the furs. “I cannot believe I told you that!”

“Come now, it’s not that bad.” Felix couldn’t help the spark of joy he felt when he teased you. “Come out. I wanna talk to you.”

“Nope! I am never leaving again for the sake of my dignity.”

“Fine.” Felix took a deep breath and pulled the covers up over himself. Your face was inches away from his under the blankets. “I’ll just come to you.”

“Felix…” You muttered, you were still keeping your eyes down so you weren’t looking at him.

“I wanna know something.”

“What?”

“If you get so cold at night why didn’t you ask me for help? I could have brought you as many blankets as you wanted from down here.”

“I didn’t ask because I had already tried asking the other boys for help and all they did was make fun of me. I didn’t want you to tease me too.”

“Teasing you is fun but I’d rather you not freeze to death.” He said, “I also told the boys that if they steal anything from you again then they’ll answer to me.”

“Why would you do that?” You asked, “I get that we’re friends but you don’t have to fight my battles.”

“It’s because you are my friend that I want to help you, idiot.” He poked your forehead, “Which means threatening Lost Boys and letting you steal my cloak. It kinda feels like it’s my mission to keep you warm.”

“A noble cause indeed.” You laughed and Felix decided then that he had never heard a more pleasing sound.

Your smile softened and Felix got lost in your eyes for a moment. The fluttering was getting worse but he found he didn’t mind it. “Here,” You closed the distance between the two of you and left a quick kiss on his cheek, “A little token of thanks.”

Okay. Now he minded. It felt like a billion butterflies had gotten trapped in his ribcage. It was just a moment. A mere second of contact but it lit his body from the toes up as if he had stepped into a fire.

“You okay? Did I cross a line? Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I was just thankful for what you did and you’ve always been nice to me so--”

“Give…” Felix mumbled under his breath but it was enough to stop your mess of ramblings.

“You say something?” You asked.

“Give you…” Felix took a deep breath but it did little to calm his nerves. “Want to give you one.”

“Give me one what?” You asked.

“A...um…” he tapped his cheek. This was stupid! Why was he trying to initiate this right now? It was only meant to be a thank you kiss between friends and he was making it weird!

“Oh!” Your face got even hotter than it had a moment before. “I mean if you really want to then go ahead. Can I ask why first?”

“A thanks for never dropping a hermit crab in my mouth whenever you offer me food?” he joked. You laughed again, the tension between you breaking.

“I do deserve thanks for that.” You nodded and presented your cheek, “Go ahead.”

Okay Felix. Do not screw this up. There is not conceivable way to mess this up. He inched closer and left a darting kiss to your warm cheek.

“I bring you a lot of snacks,” Your voice was a whisper, “I think maybe that’s worthy of two kisses.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” Felix turned your face so he could kiss your other cheek. “While we’re at it I think I’m owed more thanks for lugging that big goat of yours back to camp. It wasn’t light at all.”

“I suppose you do.” You grinned wider. This time when you kissed him you pressed it to the tip of his nose. “You also carried me here so if we think about it logically then I should--”

“Just kiss me already.” Felix pulled you closer.

“Yes sir,” You held his face in your small warm hands and kissed him on the mouth. Your lips were so soft and you tasted sweet like berries. “Felix,” You murmured against his lips.

“Hm?”

“If this is another way of keeping warm, it’s working.”

“Then we probably shouldn’t stop.” His lips met yours again. He couldn’t have you getting cold again after all.

---

(Part 1)

#felix imagine #felix x reader #ouat felix #ouat #neverland #peter pan ouat #request

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carnalpleasure · 3 years

Text

Michael x Angel!Reader 👼

hi!! i’ve had this idea in my head for months and finally felt inspired to start it tonight. i’m still working on my other two fics.. but Michael’s been calling to me lately💕

Summary: The reader assigns herself to be Michael’s guardian angel. This takes place at the beginning of Sojourn, with Michael in the wilderness. But takes a slightly different turn <3

Every human being in the history of humanity had been born with a guardian angel. The precious moment a newborn baby breathes its first breath of life, an angel is assigned to be their lifelong guardian. The angel’s main mission being to protect their human ward from the dark forces that had plagued the earth for all eternity. Ever since the serpent seduced Eve into her first bite of the knowledge of Good and Evil.

But that streak was broken one day in late March of 2012, when Vivian Harmon gave birth to Satan’s only begotten son.

She was the Anti-Mary. Instead of a blessed virgin being touched by an angel, she was a victim of a demonic sexual assault. She died giving birth to the Antichrist.

Michael Langdon was Satan’s very first creation. Because he was not a child of God, he was not born with a guardian angel. His father didn’t bother to assign him a guardian demon either. The spawn of Satan was left in the hands of none other than his grandmother Constance, whom his father felt was perfect for raising the little monster.

When Michael outgrew her, his father introduced him to Anton Lavey, one of his most trusted followers, who would then introduce Michael as the heir to the Church of Satan.

Michael, however, didn’t really take to Anton. He felt much closer to another key member of the church, Miriam Mead. She took a liking to the boy too and lovingly welcomed him into her home, where she taught him all about rituals, prayers, Black Mass, satanic prophecy.. She was preparing him for the apocalypse. His destiny, as they’d all say.

Once Michael began becoming aware of his powers, his father then led him into the hands of the Warlocks. They thought they were training him to be their next Supreme, but he only needed them to show him how to use his powers. They were disposable beyond that.

Michael was a loyal son, never questioning his father’s decisions, until his beloved Ms. Mead was permanently taken from him by the witches. Cordelia was right, why did he let this happen?

In search of answers, Michael fled to the wilderness on a quest. Jesus had spent 40 days out in the desert being tempted by Satan himself before his own Father finally spoke to him. Michael decided he had to do the same.

That’s when he wandered out into the forest on the outskirts of LA and started to trace a pentagram in the dirt, tired and out of options.

“I’m not going any further,” he sulked, dragging the jagged stone across the ground. “Father, tell me what to do, and I’ll do it,” he pleaded, out of breath as he finished carving his sigil into the soil.

“I’m not leaving this circle until you talk to me,” he pouted stubbornly. “They’re gone.. the warlocks.. my Ms. Mead. Burned alive at the stake by the witches. Until nothing was left but ash and smoke,” his voice was breaking but he was too exhausted to cry.

“You tell me what to do,” he sighed, “or you let me die here.” Then he fell to his knees in the center of the circle and waited for a sign.

He watched the sun set and rise four times before he finally had a vision. But even then, he couldn’t be sure if he was seeing a sign or just suffering from severe dehydration.

He saw a little boy offering a cold grape Fanta, and a little girl holding a basket of red apples, and he thought maybe God was trying to tempt him into the light now. To distract him from his mission and derail him from his destiny.

He refused, “No, I’m on a mission. I have to talk to my father,” he said weakly. “Leave me alone.” Then the visions turned dark. He was taunted by Ms. Mead and then praised by Anton Lavey.

“You’re not real. None of this is.. re-real.” He shook his head and raised his hand to shield his face from the blinding light that was radiating from the High Priest before him.

“You’ve done a great job.” The Satanist proudly smiled. “No..” Michael protested, “I failed. I-I’m lost. I don’t understand my purpose,” he was out of breath and at a loss for words. He was tired of games, all he wanted was his father’s help. Everything was spinning.

The vision of Anton continued reciting to him from the prophecy in Revelation, calling him the Alpha and the Omega. Michael couldn’t take it anymore. He made a lunge for Anton, wrapping a hand around his throat to choke him out. Only seconds later, the vision vanished altogether.

And that’s when he saw you. The last thing he remembered was an impossibly beautiful girl with big white wings and a little white dress. He fell to his knees again, in shock and exhaustion, and collapsed into her arms. He felt the warm, soft embrace of feathers, and then he fell into a much needed sleep.

When he awoke a day later, he was still pretty disoriented from the lack of food, water, and sleep. His mind was a haze. He didn’t realize where he was, he only knew that this bed was softer than anything he’d ever felt.

The blankets felt like fluffed up clouds and the pillows smelled like lavender. A cool breeze caressed his skin, and he noticed the temperature of the room was significantly cooler than anything he’d felt in a long time. That radiating heat that seemed to consume him constantly just wasn’t there.

He reached his hand out to feel along the bed. Empty. He opened his eyes, hoping to see the angel from his dreams sitting there watching over him. But the room was empty too.

He sat up in bed, clutching the sheets and looking around anxiously. The room was nice, but it wasn’t anything extreme. It was kinda charming actually, soft and cozy. It didn’t look like anyone had been living here for very long.

Michael climbed out of bed, stepping foot on the soft, plush carpet and smiling at the touch. He walked towards the bedroom door which was just barely cracked open, and stuck his head out slowly to peak outside.

You were in the kitchen, digging around in the refrigerator when you heard him come out. You twisted around, bumping the fridge door shut with your hip and then dropping everything on the counter.

“You’re up already? Are you feeling okay?” The pained look on his face made you worry. He looked exhausted still, leaning against the doorway just to hold himself up.

You rushed to his side, a little faster than humanly possible, and wrapped an arm around his waist to help him steady himself. He leaned into your embrace but winced a little at your touch. His body was sore everywhere.

He couldn’t stop staring at you. Almost glaring, looking at you like you’d just lied straight to his face. You walked him to the counter, sitting him down across from you and then running back to quickly check the stove. He didn’t take his eyes off you the whole time.

“I’m making you a breakfast feast,” you smiled at him over your shoulder. “You look like you haven’t eaten in days..”

“I’m sorry,” he interjected. “But wh-who are you? How did I get here?”

You smiled gently, passing him a plate of bacon and eggs to get him started while you finished the french toast. “I’m Y/N, I brought you here,” you said happily.

He kept looking you up and down. You looked exactly like he remembered, but you were now missing one unique, defining feature..

“Are you-“ he couldn’t bring himself to say the word out loud. It didn’t seem possible to him. “You had.. wings before,” his brow furrowed in confusion and his glare returned.

You simply nodded, glancing over at him and frying a piece of toast in the pan. “You remembered,” you said with a smile.

His confusion only grew. You poured him a glass of milk and then slid the fork closer to him. “Eat, please. We have plenty of time to talk later. I’ll tell you everything you want to know,” you brushed his blonde curls out of his face and the divine touch of your fingers briefly lingered on his skin, sending shivers down his spine.

He hesitated, picking up his fork and taking a bite. It wasn’t just the starvation talking, he genuinely enjoyed your food. He immediately started feeling his strength and energy coming back. He felt revitalized.

It wasn’t just the food. Something about your presence was so satisfying to him. You brought him a kind of merciful peace that was only reserved for the saints. He didn’t need confirmation, he knew in his heart you were something holy. And he only hoped that you didn’t know what he truly was. If you ever fell in love with him, it would be your fall from grace.

“You’re an angel,” he whispered softly. His heart was pounding. He felt like he was committing a crime just by being in your presence. He felt like God would smite him any minute just for laying eyes on you.

You cupped his face in your hands gently, wiping away a stray tear that fell from his eyes. “As of today, I’m officially a guardian angel,” you smiled proudly. Your eyes actually twinkled, it completely captivated him.

“Guardian? Who’s guardian?” his pouty lip quivered and you could see all the new emotions swirling around him like a hurricane. He couldn’t believe any of this was really happening. He thought he must’ve been dreaming. He wasn’t dead, he knew that. He was destined for hell and there’s no one like her down there.

He was so cute. “Yours, duh” you giggled, letting go of his face and playfully tousling his blonde locks. He looked up at you with a small smirk that spread into a big smile. He couldn’t wrap his head around it. “How?-“ he silently mouthed as the words he was looking for escaped him.

“You didn’t have one,” you shrugged. “So I.. guess you could say I volunteered.” You didn’t want to overwhelm him with too many details, but the adorable confused puppy look on his face was begging for answers. “Volunteered?” he repeated, cocking his head to the side curiously. He wiped his nose on his sleeve.

“I just thought you should have someone looking out for you too.. you know. You didn’t deserve to be abandoned. Not by God or anyone.” You said it with such sincerity, he could see it on your face how strongly you felt about those words.

His eyes started to overflow with tears but he couldn’t help but smile. It was the single kindest thing anyone had ever said to him. That’s when it hit him. You already knew what he was. You knew who he was. And you were willing to go against both God’s will and Satan’s to take over as his protector. You left heaven just for him.

He pulled you into his lap, wrapping his arms around you and quietly sobbing into your chest. Tears of pure joy and gratitude. Little “thank yous” whispered on repeat against your skin, so close you can feel his lips brushing across your collarbones with each word.

He snaked his arms around your waist tighter and tighter, pulling you as close to him as physics would allow. It melted your heart how close he wanted to be to you.

“Aw.. you just want to be held,” you giggled, putting your arms around his shoulders and hugging his body closer to yours. “I’m here, Michael. I’ve got you now. You’re safe, you’re mine,” you cooed, your lips brushing against his temple.

His eyes were closed and his face was pressed against your chest, all he heard was a swift whoosh as your wings suddenly appeared, folding around both of your bodies like a soft shield tucking him into you. He’d never felt so safe before, all nestled in your feathers.

He peaked his eyes open to look around at them. “That’s fucking awesome,” he muttered softly, his jaw dropping as his eyes shot up to meet yours. You smiled down at him, kissing his forehead. You couldn’t help but giggle. He made you feel giddy, the way he looked at you. Like you were made of magic.

“My own guardian angel,” he said quietly to himself, still in awe of it all. He refused to let go of you for the rest of the day after that. All he wanted to do was lie in your arms. Feel your embrace. And you were happy to oblige because he needed to rest anyway. The two of you returned to your bed where he spent the rest of the night on your chest, fast asleep in your arms. The safest place he could ever be.

💕taglist: @sexwon131 @jimmason @whatcodysaid @angelicmichael @thewarriorprincessxo

#michael langdon x reader #michael langdon imagine #michael langdon au #michael langdon fanfic #michael langdon x angel!reader #sojourn!michael #ahs au #michael langdon x female reader #michael x angel!reader

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kyloswarstars · 4 years

Text

Sunny Side Up

Peaky Blinders • Oneshot • Shelby!Reader

Today was the day of your annual – awesome – breakfast bash. The best day of the year. And it wouldn’t be the same without the obligatory Shelby trouble, right?

Words • 1.5k

Warning • probably some swear words

/////

Throughout the whole year, there was only one day that justified to get up at four o’clock in the morning. And it wasn’t Christmas Day. It was the day of your annual breakfast bash. You even woke up before your alarm clock went off – that is how excited you were.

Without the usual sleepy procrastination, you got dressed, hid your hair under the Peaky cap, brushed your teeth and left 57, Watery Lane for the central market. Factory workers were already leaving their houses, some bakeries along the way sent out some tiny good smelling clouds, within the smog of Small Heath, which you could get lost in. You saved that for your way back, though.

At the market business was at full speed, everyone needed their goods for the day. Today, you as well. Eggs, milk and butter – the main necessities. You weren’t much of a cook, so you didn’t take an interest in anything else. Since Shelby Company Limited was blooming your family might ate fancier these days, but none of them would say no to a good old breakfast Y/N Shelby style.

Inhaling the scent of freshly baked bread for a good while on the way back, and eventually having to grab your order and leave, the sun slowly started to rise. It was a beautiful cold January morning.

Knowing that the day of your brothers always started early, you went to prepare right away when you got back to Watery Lane. Setting up the kettle for tea and getting out the big pan, you opened the backdoor for a few minutes to get more of that chilly air. Outside the dry cold had pierced your lungs but here in the kitchen, being hit by a breeze every now and then, the cold was very comforting.

It’s been a long year since the last breakfast bash. One of your siblings wasn’t there anymore to take part. It would be the first time not being all of you, which is why you decided a while ago that it may be the last breakfast bash you’d host. You were still excited for this morning but without John one sixth of the Shelby siblings was missing and it just sucked.

Lighting fire in the stove, you used the match to light a cigarette as well and took a last break before the fire would burn steady and you could start on your sunny side up production.

Despite the Shelby’s rarely being on the sunny side of life – they all loved their eggs being sunny side up. And that was exactly what this breakfast bash was about. For a good hour you were cracking up the dozen eggs you had bought and delicately fried every one of it in the big pan. When one was finished, you stored it temporarily in the oven to keep it warm until your siblings would show up.

At some point they did show up – just not how you had expected.

Arthur and Tommy were coming in, heavily invested in a discussion.

„I told you to stay out of the dirty business. Why is no-one ever fucking listening to me?“ Not even seven o’clock and Tommy was already high up on his fury scale.

„I might could stay out of it if everyone else would do their fucking job!“ And Arthur didn’t let it go so easily.

They kept shouting at each other, waking everyone in the house, and scared you for solid five minutes that your breakfast bash would be ruined before it even began. And that hadn’t happened since you had started it all those years ago.

„Might as well just throw some water at us, same effect“, Ada joined in with the shouting when she got to the kitchen.

„Aye, I’m on Ada’s side“, Finn agreed, following after her. „Too fucking loud for six thirty.“

Arthur and Tommy simultaneously turned their heads to Finn and said in the same moment: „Shut up, Finn.“ And continued with their verbal fight. You still stood at the stove, watching how Ada and Finn first tried to de-escalate the situation and soon were pulled in. Topics changed, heated brains threw words they didn’t mean – Shelby trouble at its finest.

Slowly, you took the kettle and placed it on the table. For a moment Tommy’s eyes followed your movements. Realisation hit him what day it was.

„Stop it all!“ His shouting was louder than all of the others together. This time they stopped bickering and your siblings turned to you and the set table. „Truce for thirty minutes“, Tommy ordered. „It’s Y/N’s breakfast bash day.“

Their faces softened, showing that all of them had forgotten what day it was, and immediately sat down. Would it have been another year, you might have been pissed with their behaviour, but you weren’t. This would be most likely the last time doing this thing, so you just straightened your shoulders and grabbed the kettle. „Anyone tea?“

All of them reached for their cups and held them high. For once, for thirty minutes, it was you, not Tommy, reigning this family.

Ada smiled at you when you poured her first. Arthur already had some bread in his mouth. Tommy lit a cigarette – what else would Tommy do – and Finn quickly placed a kiss on your cheek, along with a ‚Sorry, sis‘.

When you reached for the tray with sunny side up’s in the oven and placed them down on the table, their hesitation due to their fighting was gone and the usual hasty fishing for the best eggs was started. You sat down, observed them being only your siblings for a while and felt the tug of John missing in your heart. In fact, you missed being around all of them a lot. Being together wasn’t a common thing anymore.

„Y/N?“ Ada’s hand on your arm brought you back to the table. „You fine?“

„Sure.“

„Looked like you’re about to cry“, Arthur mumbled with a full mouth, tossing some bread in your direction which you caught.

„Well, John Boy’s not here.“ Speaking it out loud, everyone stopped in their movements for a second.

„You know what he’d do if he was here?“ Your oldest brother got up on his feet and disappeared into the betting shop for a few seconds. He returned with a bottle of whiskey. Opening it, he rounded the table and poured some in every tea cup. „That is what John Boy would do.“

„Arthur’s right“, Tommy agreed, raising his cup. „To John.“

„To John“, all of you repeated. He was still kinda there with you at the breakfast bash. Being the whiskey in your tea cups, the crumbs Arthur spread around him or the heart-shaped eggs Ada fished from the tray, which always used to be John’s. He was still there, somehow.

The dozen eggs were finished in thirty minutes, along with a lot of funny stories about John. You had needed to hear them. Everyone was just going their own way and you rarely sat together, just chatting. That was what the breakfast bash was for today. Just being Shelby’s and not thinking about business for a short while.

When you started to clear the table and your siblings went to head after their day, Tommy stayed back for a second and helped you stacking the plates. With everything cleared away, he closed his arms around you without you seeing it coming.

„Thank you for the breakfast, Y/N.“

„Sure“, you muttered into his shoulder.

„I’ll be out of town tomorrow so… happy birthday in advance!“ He let go again and left the kitchen, with you smiling, behind.

Back when you were younger, you had always been so very excited for Finn’s and your birthday. One year, you had woken so early in the morning that you decided to go downstairs and prepare breakfast for everyone. Back then the only breakfast dish you knew how to make were sunny side up’s. They were still the only breakfast dish you knew how to make, though. You had been so excited that you didn’t realise you had been one day early. But the breakfast with your family had been such a great moment, producing such great memories, that from then on you had made the breakfast bash every year the day before your birthday.

Those thirty minutes of sibling peace had passed by way too fast. Maybe it wouldn’t be the last time hosting it. John was not really there but not really gone either. Why should you stop making sunny side up’s on the day before your birthday then? Why should you stop grant your family being on the sunny side of life for at least thirty minutes?

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finn-ray-nal-beads · 4 years

Note

BITCH YOU’RE BASICALLY AT 300 FOLLOWERS! SO GIMME PART 2 TO THAT PHILLIP ALTMAN BLURB YOU WROTE FOR ME YOU BEAUTIFUL BITCH!💖💖💖💖💖

A/N: BITCH I AM SO SORRY IT HAS TAKEN ME THIS LONG TO PUT THIS OUT. I HOPE YOUR WHORE ASS LOVES IT @historyandfandoms50

Warnings: obscene amounts of marital bliss and fluff, pussy eating, mentions of a blow job, domestic love, appliance fucking (if that’s even a thing), large amounts of smut, slight degrading language (only once or twice), nipple play, slight pain play

(Present time)

“Holy fuuu-cccc-kkiinggg shittttt, honey!” Crying out on top of the brand new washer and dryer combo you and Phillip just had delivered not even an hour ago.

“Yeah babe?” he thrust his twitching cock into your squelching pussy, “you like it when I fuck you on our new shit?”

You let out a sinful moan as the warmth from the heated dry cycle added to your already overstimulated senses, “God yes Phil, honey, I love it when you fuck me on things!”

(A few hours earlier)

It was a lazy Sunday morning, you both had woken up the average way, Phillip nose deep in your wet pussy, licking kitten stripes to disturb your dreams. It was his favorite meal of the day, as he called it, tasting your wetness built up from the almost eight hours since he’d fucked you the night before. His cock weeping at its head from the no contact for that long as well. He got his fill as you unraveled around him within minutes of his assault on your throbbing hole, looking up at your blissed-out face. His goatee and mustache glazed like a donut, licking your sweet juices from it like a salve.

After a well-placed blowjob to rid him of his morning wood, you both had fully gotten out of bed and went along with your day. He made a pot of coffee downstairs, while you showered and did your Sunday self-care routine. Slipping on your favorite leggings and t-shirt combo, you gathered all the dirty clothes from the week, placing them in the hamper after they had been sorted. You both were excited to finally have a washer and dryer in your house instead of dragging your clothes to the dry cleaners. The delivery would be here any minute and you wanted your laundry to be ready the second it was hooked up. You made the bed, fluffed the pillows, and headed downstairs with the hampers to drop them off in the mudroom before heading to the kitchen.

Upon descending the flight, the smell of fresh brewed coffee and omelets filled the air, causing your eyes to roll back into your head. Your husband despite all of the behaviors he exhibited outside your shared home, had the best domestic side to him. He cooked, cleaned, and took care of you every second he could do so. He doted on you every chance he got to, bringing home your favorite flowers, bottles of expensive wines, exquisite lingerie, and sweets when he found your favorite vices. You were spoiled rotten by him, and of course, you treated him the same way. The love you both had for each other exceeded any kind of love you had been familiar with in the past. He was by all accounts the perfect match for you and you, to him, were his whole world and nothing more. Friends and family even saw the affections when you were around him, and they made every single point to be supportive and sometimes jealous at the sappy love you two had shared.

You and he didn’t want to have it any other way though. He was your best friend by all accounts, and you would be satisfied if he was the only person you interacted with for the rest of your life.

You walked into the kitchen after dropping loads of laundry off by the space for the new appliances and grabbed a cup out of the cabinet.

“Hey babe,” he turned around, shirtless and in joggers, sipping some coffee himself, and turning an omelet over in a pan on the cooktop.

You walked over after filling your cup and ran a hand up his enormous back, caressing the moles and freckles spotted all over the expanse of it, “hi honey,” you sang while lifting yourself on your tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He moved his face upon feeling your soft touch and wrapped his arm around to kiss you properly, only breaking when the eggs started to bubble.

“Breakfast is ready, and I got a text that the truck will be here any second with the set,” he smiled into your puckered lips again, causing you to moan out in excitement.

“Can’t wait,” you whispered, moving your hands to wrap around his thick middle, gripping the skin a little tighter than previous.

“Oh babe,” he cooed, “is my little wife still not over what happened this morning?” he teased putting the spatula down and flipping the stovetop off bringing his large hands to grip your ass cheeks.

“I just love you, so much honey,” you smiled running your hands up to his chest, leaving light nail marks on his tits.

“I. Love. You. Too. Babe.” he punctuated on every kiss he left around your lips, cupping your heat in his palm. Just as things were about to get steamy, the doorbell chimed.

(Just before the MAGIC)

“Thanks, guys!” Phillip waved off the installers while you immediately filled your new machine with the dirty darks you’d been saving.

Flipping the unit on, you watched the majesty of your very own washer working to clean your garments, almost bawling at the thought of never seeing a coin-op machine again.

“You like it, babe?” Phillip stood in the doorway of the laundry room, leaning to one side of it, admiring your curves as you bent down to grab the other hamper with the whites in it, easing up and setting it on the bench next to the dryer.

Turning around glassy-eyed, you jumped into your handsome husband’s arms, “h-holy shit, Y/N!”

“I love them, honey,” you almost sobbed into his naked neck, as he tightened his grip on your waist, causing your legs to choke his middle.

“I’m so glad babe,” he pet your damp hair, moving it out of the way so he could pepper your perfect neck with kisses.

His soft lips sent a shiver down your spine, causing a whimper to spill out of your mouth. He took that as a sign and began sucking perfect welts along the length of it, the colors growing darker and darker the more he trailed downward.

“God I love it when you whine like that,” he growled into your ear, biting the delicate flesh, causing you to look up from your hiding spot. You enveloped his swollen lips in a searing kiss, his hands gripping your ass once again as your arms fell behind his head, tangling your digits in his hair.

He moved to set you on top of the new dryer, letting go of your cheeks and moving up to your perky tits hidden behind your t-shirt. You had forgone a bra for the day, so the access was simple. He snuck his large hands around each tit, twisting your nipples in his rough fingers, causing you to cry out again.

“Fuck, Phil,” you gasped as he pinched your hardening buds, “I need you, honey.”

“Oh ya?” he smirked, kissing your clothed tits, taking in your scent, “you need me to do what baby?”

He twisted them again, this time with a little more fervor, “O-oh fuck-k!” you wailed out.

“Use your words honey, or I’ll leave you alone,” he taunted at your pained face pleading for him.

“I-I need y-you to fuck m-me,” you said with tears streaming down your face.

He hushed you, rubbing the wetness away, coming in between your legs to rub his hardened cock on your clothed pussy.

“Take your pants off love, or I’ll rip them off,” as he turned the dial on the dryer, to a cycle.

You squirmed your leggings off, baring your nude and throbbing cunt to his eager eyes, “so wet for me, baby,” licking his lips as he turned the machine on.

The vibrations from the dryer sending shockwaves through your aching clit, you set yourself back on your elbows, exposing more of your mound to your husband’s eyes. He pulled his pants down, palming his angry cock and lining it up with your entrance.

He grabbed both sides of your hips, sinking his dick into your wetness, the both of you collectively moaning in complete pleasure. He held himself still, admiring your writhing around from his dick pulsing inside you and the vibration from the dryer underneath. You looked utterly delicious, and his hunger to make you come spurred him into a frenzied series of animalistic thrusts.

(Back to present time)

Balls slapping up against your little asshole, your elbows propped burning from the sensation of rubbing against the top of the dryer, you scooted yourself forward removing your top as he adjusted his angle to fit your needs. Your bouncing tits at his eye level, he took one in his mouth sucking as hard as he could. Your hands weaving into his head in a death grip as he mercilessly fucked you for all he had.

“G-god baby,” he stammered, “I’m s-so f-fucking c-close.”

“Fuck-k b-babe,” you moaned out over the many noises, “s-so am I.”

His hand moved from your tit to your aching clit, rubbing his thumb in tight circles over it. Your pussy tightening around his cock as he sent you into a blissful orgasm.

“Jesus fuckin’ C-Christ honey,” you cried out, milking your sweet nectar on his pulsing cock. He thrust in and out a few more times, the overstimulation from your hole throbbing around his member sending him into his release too.

“God, babe,” he growled out coating your insides with his seed, “You are so fuckin’... beautiful,” he whined out on the final release of his remaining spend.

Just then, the dryer alarm rang, signaling the end of the cycle he’d set. You both looked up connected still and looking utterly fucked, and laughed out loud.

“Well,” you patted his back, “at least now we know how long we have until the dry cycle is over!”

He chuckled, helping you down from the machine, and handing you your leggings, “indeed we do honey.”

He swatted your bare ass bent over looping your feet through the legholes, to which you stood at attention and smacked his bare chest. He put his hands in the air if he hadn’t touched you ever, and you rushed into his body in a bear hug, or a ‘baby bear hug’ as he liked to call it.

“I love you,” you kissed into his little tuft of hair on his sternum.

“I love you most,” he snaked his arms around you, kissing your head and rubbing your back. You both left the mudroom, changing the laundry as the day went by.

Now, the new tradition you had both agreed on was every new big thing bought for the house had to be ‘christened’, making buying things a little more fun in the future.

You fell asleep that night curled up in Phillip’s embrace, stroking his every feature on his sweet face as he was lulled off by your presence. All you could do was smile and think about which shiny new thing you all were desperate for next. You’d ponder it more when you didn’t feel so tired from gazing at your sleeping husband. The last thing you saw was his precious freckles fade into your memories as you drifted off.

_____________

PHILLIP FUCKING US ON ANYTHING IS HOT AS FUCK LIKE NO CAP. I REALLY HOPE THIS TICKLED YOUR PICKLE BABE.

🖤,

ray-nal-beads

#phillip altman #this is where i leave you #phillip x reader #phillip altman x female reader #adam driver #phillip altman smut #phillip altman fluff #historyandfandoms50 #requests

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great-jenna-bake-off · 3 years

Text

Season 3 Episode 9: Fraisier Cake

I thought working from (and spending literally all my time at) home would give me more time to bake, but then I got a puppy and my life got turned upside down. She's very cute, but man does she take up a lot of time that I could otherwise be spending baking. Or eating. So maybe it's for the best that I got a puppy.

Anyway, I finally managed to get my act together long enough to make my next bake: a Fraisier cake. We're getting toward the end of the season, so the technical bakes are getting harder and more esoteric. I have certainly never heard of a Fraisier cake, let alone eaten one, but at first glance it didn't look... that hard? It's basically a sponge cake with some creme patissiere, decorated with fresh strawberries and marzipan. How hard could that be? (Famous last words...)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/fraisier_cake_75507

The first step was to make the actual cake portion of the Fraisier cake. The recipe calls for "self-raising flour", and after a few recent improvisations with less than ideal results, I decided to just shell out for the actual ingredient. However, this new strategy hit a speed bump when the recipe called for an "electric hand whisk", which, as mentioned previously, I do not own. No matter; surely I could kick it old-school and rely on my own brute strength to mix the cake ingredients by hand as they heated on the stove top.

This will definitely not create any problems for me down the line...

Editor’s Note: If you’re thinking to yourself, some of these pictures seem smaller than usual, you would be correct. If you’re also thinking to yourself, Jenna is probably too lazy to figure out how to resize them and make them consistent, you are also correct.

According to the recipe, I would be done when the mixture had doubled in volume and was pale in color.

Looks pale to me?

Next, it was time to add the all-important self raising flour.

Gently folded in as to keep in the air that I painstakingly whipped up by hand.

And voila; cake batter was ready to go into the oven.

Looks good so far!

I thought I was off to a good start, but as soon as my cake came out of the oven, I realized I was in trouble. The recipe specifies that the cake should be about 2 inches in height, as you need to slice it in half to make two layers. Mine was... not.

It's like... half an inch, maybe?

Uh oh. Maybe that hand whisking didn't do the trick after all. Still, the cake looked reasonably tasty, so I decided to just move on and start my creme patissiere. First, I had to boil my milk and vanilla pod.

This smelled really nice.

Then it was time for some more whisking: this time of eggs, cornflour, sugar, and kirsch, which is a cherry-flavored brandy.

Fun fact: kirsch is pretty disgusting on its own. Wilson volunteered to drink what I didn't use in this recipe, which was fine by me as it tasted like nail polish remover. Do not recommend.

Finally, I had to whisk the egg mixture and the hot milk together.

My whisking arm is getting a workout today.

Then, I needed to put the mixture back on the stove and watch it very carefully, as in about four minutes the mixture would thicken very quickly. Well, four minutes came and went, and nothing happened. I diligently kept my eye on it, but it definitely did not appear to be approaching a texture that was "thick enough to pipe", per the recipe.

Nothing happening yet...

So finally, I committed a cardinal GBBO sin. I took my eye off the stove for JUST A MINUTE to wash the dishes. And when I came back, my creme patissiere had turned into this:

Uh oh.

I have never made a creme patissiere before. But I have eaten it, and I know it's not supposed to be THIS thick. It's supposed to be velvety and creamy and delicious, while this was more of an... eggy gloop? But hey, it was certainly thick enough to pipe. Maybe the next step of adding butter would help.

Spoiler alert: it didn’t!

So my creme patissiere looked like mashed potatoes. If I were on the show, this is where I would realize I had gone horribly wrong and would toss this creme in the bin before starting over. But, given that I would not actually be serving my food to Paul and Mary, I decided to soldier on. After all, at least my creme was thick enough to pipe. Maybe this was what I was supposed to do after all? So I stuck the creme patissiere in the fridge to cool and crossed my fingers that I would somehow have a delicious, smooth creme when it came out.

Maybe this doesn’t look so bad??

The final step before assembly was to make a lemon syrup, which thankfully was pretty simple after all the missteps I’d already made in this recipe. However, I soon found myself facing another problem: I needed to roll out a layer of marzipan to put on top of my cake, but I had left my rolling pin at Wilson’s house (we made a chicken pie). Luckily, I had a substitute:

When in doubt, break out the wine.

And hey, it actually did the trick.

Who needs a rolling pin?

Finally, it was time to put my cake together. First, I faced the problem of slicing my extremely thin sponge into to layers. I took a deep breath and hoped for the best...

Not actually that terrible.

With some creative construction work, I was able to get two fairly even layers.

No one will ever know.

And now, it was time to stack. In an ideal world, I would have had a strip of acetate plastic to line my springform pan with and had a beautiful, clean surface to work on. But I didn’t even have a rolling pin handy; obviously I don’t have acetate lining around. So plastic wrap would have to do.

If it works, it works.

Then it was time to turn my attention to my strawberries. I picked out the prettiest, most evenly sized ones I could find, and halved them.

At least these turned out pretty.

And then, it was construction time. First, I put in a layer of cake, brushed it with lemon syrup (my pastry brush was also at Wilson’s, so really I spooned on the syrup), and then added a “little crown of strawberries”, as per the recipe.

Regal.

Next, it was time to see if my creme patissiere had magically transformed into the right texture in the fridge.

Nope, still lumpy. But at least it was pretty solid...?

I added some more chopped strawberries on top.

At least the strawberries will taste good.

Then it was time for the rest of my “creme patissiere”, if you can even call it that at this point.

So lumpy.

And then finally, I put on the other half of the cake, spooned over some more syrup, and topped it off with my marzipan. The recipe specified that I should melt some chocolate and make “pretty” decorations, and honestly I kind of wanted to call it a day given all my struggles and just forgo the chocolate. But in the spirit of the competition, I gave it a go anyway:

There is no design to this chocolate, this is the epitome of winging it.

I left the whole godforsaken mess to cool in the fridge overnight. In the meantime, it was time to check in with the bakers to see if they’d fare any better than I did with this Fraisier cake.

***

Mel starts off by referring to a Fraisier cake as a well-known celebration cake, which is certainly news to me.

Must be more popular in the UK, I guess.

The bakers start off by making a genoise sponge, and surprisingly, James chooses to whisk his by hand as well.

Dedication.

However, after seeing Dani’s batter, I can see that I have clearly not even come close to whipping mine for long enough.

This explains the lack of volume in my cake, I guess.

Dani struggles with the creme patissiere, though - she says that hers has “cellulite”.

It’s lumpy like mine, but I never thought to sieve it.

As always, James seems to know exactly what to do.

Such smooth creme.

All the bakers, however, struggle with setting up the acetate.

This makes me feel better about my plastic wrapped cake.

When it comes time to assemble, I can see that my creme is indeed thicker than the bakers’, even Dani’s.

Much more pipeable.

However, this may not be such a bad thing after all - Dani’s cake starts falling apart as soon as she takes it out of the pan, as the creme isn’t set.

Melty cake is never a positive.

In the end, James takes home the gold in yet another technical, with a perfectly risen sponge and a nicely set creme patissiere.

That does look pretty celebratory.

***

It was time for the grand unveiling of my own cake. Would my thin cakes and lumpy creme prove to be my downfall?

First, here’s Mary’s perfect Fraisier:

And here’s mine, complete with chocolate decor:

You can definitely see that the creme isn’t the perfect smooth texture, and my bottom cake especially is a little narrow. But maybe it’s not quite so far off? As always, my judges would be the final arbiters.

***

Matt’s Review: I get the sense that, as time goes on, the bakes are getting harder and harder to transport. So upon Jenna’s arrival I was already impressed that the cake was holding together as well as it did. And that turned out to be important, because the pairing of the layers was the key to this one. I’m always impressed when a food can take a flavor I normally don’t like and recontextualize it in such a way that I become a fan. In this case, that flavor is almond. I really struggle with that flavor normally, and this bake doesn’t disguise it at all. Instead, it pairs it perfectly with the other layers. I think Jenna did an excellent job with all the ratios — this could easily have become a “dislike” for me, but instead it was a joy to eat. All in all, two thumbs up. The cake, and Jenna, made my quarantine a little sweeter.

Wilson’s Review: Well, the consistency is a little off on the creme patissiere. That can be a bit tricky, but the cake is a bit flat, looks like something went wrong with the mixing. Really should be past those kind of errors by now. I like strawberries, and the chocolate added an element of richness that contrasted brilliantly. As for the sponge, while not the prettiest I’ve ever seen, it does taste good - nice and airy. Overall a nice treat for a mid summer snack, once one gets past the first impression.

***

Final Thoughts: The creme patissiere was definitely a bit eggy, which was less than ideal. But all in all, this cake tasted pretty good and looked pretty fancy. The cake layers still felt airy and yummy even though they were thin, and the fresh fruit made for a nice treat. I will absolutely need to practice my creme patissiere though, and remember to NEVER take my eye off the stove. Rookie mistake.

#GBBO #great british bake off #Mary Berry #fraisier cake

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witcherarcanathings · 4 years

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Can you do a short story for Asra using the prompt- It’s 2 am but you’re craving cake and we’re both up anyway so let’s bake in our underwear."

Sure thing! Hope you like it!

Summary: Pregnant! AFAB MC x Asra, Self/Reader Insert. Fluff

Prompt: “It’s 2 am but you’re craving cake and we’re both up anyways so let’s bake in our underwear.”

It was the end of your first trimester. Julian told you might start having cravings, but you didn’t know that they’d be this strong.You tried to go back to sleep, but you were hungry and you wanted cake. No, you needed cake.

You turn over, your body slick with sweat and sheets clinging to your skin from the sweltering summer heat.

“Asra...Asra honey wake up...” You moaned, shaking our partner gently awake.

“Huh?! What’s wrong? What is it? IS it the Baby?!” Asra scrambles out of bed, in a sleepy panic.

“Haha! No, silly. I’m only four months! We have a while yet before our little bundle of joy comes.” You laugh.

“Oh...right. I just get so excited, I feel like I can’t wait to see them. I love our baby so much already.” His hand covered your stomach, rubbing gently over it as he looked into your eyes. “but what was it you needed?”

“Cake.” you reply.

“Cake?” asra parroted. He yawned and stretched his bronze arms wide overhead. As they came down, he squinted at the clock on the opposite wall. “It’s 2 am. But you’re craving cake and we’re both up anyways so let’s bake in our underwear.” He shrugs, a sleepy smile on his face.

“You sure? You don't have to if you're not feeling up to it. i know it was a long day at the shop.” you ask. With a baby on the way, Asra kept the shop open longer hours to collect extra money. Longer hours meant more customers, more fortunes to tell, and more potions to brew. Of course, you helped out any way you could, but Asra never let you do too much. He would say, ‘We don’t want to stress the baby. Don’t worry, I can take care of everything, love. You just put your feet up and relax.’

“I’m sure. If my baby wants cake, then they get cake.” Asra smiled, pulling you up out of bed. He planted a soft kiss to your lips as you stood on your slightly swollen feet. “Come on, I’ll make the dough if you do the icing.”

“Deal.” Together, you walk down to the kitchen talking softly along the way.

In the kitchen, you go on the hunt for ingredients while Asra grabs the mixing bowl, spoon, and baking pan. “Let’s see. Three eggs, flour, sugar…” You pull them out one by one, setting them on the counter until you have them all. Asra has a kind word with the salamander, and you hear it chitter sleepily, slightly annoyed at being put to work at this hour, but more than happy to help.

“I’ll do the batter if you do the frosting.” Asra smiles at you from over his shoulder as he reaches up into the cabinets. He grabbed the large mixing bowl, adding the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and whisking them all together. You find yourself mesmerized by the consistent motion, watching the muscles in his arm work as he adds the pieces of butter to the dry mixture and starts mixing again. He adds oil, milk, and the last of the eggs until the batter is smooth and uniform.

“Can you grab those pans for me?” He asks, and you do, holding them steady as he pours the batter in. Once they’re in the oven, you both sit at the table and wait as the smell of vanilla starts to fill the house. “You want to lick the spoon?” He holds it out to you and you shake your head. “Nope. I’ll take the bowl, thank you.” You smirk as you slide it closer to you. You run your finger along the edge, scooping up the batter and humming with delight as you suck it from your finger. It’s delicious, satisfying and empowering your craving at the same time.

Asra’s eyes widen as he watches you lick batter from your fingers. Scoop, Swipe, lick. Scoop, Swipe, Lick.

It suddenly feels very hot in the kitchen and the spoon he used to mix the batter lays forgotten on the table. “Can I try some of that?” He asks, and you laugh. “Sure.” You come and sit in his lap, the bowl between you as you share. You notice his eyes are more focused on you than the batter, and just before you could bring your finger to your mouth he grabs it, his lips covering it as he sucks the batter. Your finger leaves his mouth with a nice, clean pop.

“That is very good. Can I have another?” He’s got that knowing smile on his lips, and that shining in his eye. Just like that your craving for cake turns to craving for Asra, and you two have 45 whole minutes until that cake is done. Time enough for your new craving to be satisfied.

#asra alnazar #asra the arcana #asra fluff #arcana fluff #the arcana asra #the arcana game #asra the magician #asra x apprentice #asra x reader #asra x mc #fluff #requests #my writing #my asks

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artificialqueens · 3 years

Text

Off Limits, Chapter 2 (Bitney) - Veronica/Albatross

A/N: Hey guys! This is the companion story to “No Strings Attached.” Both ships are in both stories, but generally, “No Strings Attached” is Willaska-focused and this one is Bitney-focused. (Link to all chapters in order.) ALSO: Thank you so much to our beta reader slash Australian slang consultant, Ms. @opalescent-cheetah

Chapter Summary: Bianca and Courtney continue to get to know each other: an endeavor that involves quite a bit of teasing.

SLAM!

The jarring sound startled Bianca out of what was pretty sure had been a very pleasant dream, making her whole body jolt upright. Was that their door? Why was anyone even awake at this hour? She pressed a palm against her left eye, where a dull headache seemed to be forming.

She wasn’t sure why. They hadn’t had that much to drink last night--only a few glasses of wine while telling each other some random stories about their families growing up. They seemed a bit scandalized to learn that even though she was a junior like them, she was 23 years old. She was unsurprised to learn that Willam’s parents owned a bar. And equally unsurprised to learn about Courtney’s family house in Brisbane, a solar-powered bungalow with overflowing vegetable gardens.

But who would be up at...Bianca looked at her phone. 6 am. Jesus.

Alaska still burrowed under a mound of covers--that awful duvet, plus a fuzzy, muppet-like electric blue blanket and a rainbow knitted monstrosity that looked like it had been made by a team of emotionally disturbed fairies. She hadn’t moved an inch at the sound. Heavy sleeper, apparently.

Must be nice.

Bianca threw off her covers bitterly to go investigate the noise, perhaps yell at whoever dared to disturb her at this ungodly hour. Despite having been intent on reading said person for filth, the moment she found Courtney curled on the couch in her fleece blanket, blowing softly on a steaming mug, Bianca felt the majority of her annoyance suddenly disappearing. Still, she was determined to set a precedent.

“Bitch, was that you that slammed the fucking door?” she asked, though her voice lacked any of the sharpness she originally intended.

An apologetic smile was shot her way and right through her heart as Courtney shook her head and explained, “No, soz. That was Bill. She’s on her way to the gym.”

“At 6 AM?” Bianca exclaimed in exasperation, “Jesus fuck, does she hate herself? There’s easier ways to go about making yourself miserable, let me tell you.”

The laughter that emanated from Courtney at the statement was enough for any remaining trace of irritation to completely dissipate from Bianca’s body. Part of her marveled at how Courtney always managed to have a smile on her face. It was as though very little could be done to truly phase her.

“I’ll talk to her,” Courtney promised sweetly, “She always heads to the gym around this time but maybe I can convince her to shut the door more quietly, okay?”

There was a natural charm in the smile on Courtney’s lips, one that assured you that if she said something, she meant it. And with that reassurance, Bianca muttered a word of thanks and continued on towards the bathroom.

When she emerged, she found Courtney waiting for her with yet another smile and a steaming mug of coffee.

“The sugar is in-”

“I take it black,” Bianca said, following her back into the livingroom and settling on the sofa.

“Hard core,” Courtney laughed.

They sat side by side, not really talking much but instead just enjoying the morning in each other’s company as some program played on the screen. Bianca was almost tempted to ask what it was but ultimately found she didn’t really care about the answer. She was too content at the moment to interrupt the peace and relative quiet of their living room.

Once Courtney finished her coffee, she started to slide a bit closer to Bianca, inching over a little at a time and finally claiming her shoulder as a makeshift pillow. Bianca tried to ignore the way her stomach fluttered as she wrapped an arm around Courtney’s sleepy form. How nice it felt to have a warm, soft body pressed up against her. How her hair smelled like honeysuckle.

Fuck.

Bianca stayed still as long as she could stand it...even drifted off herself a few times. But eventually, once her arm fell asleep and her stomach began to rumble, she regretfully roused Courtney awake, smiling slightly as she yawned and rubbed her eyes.

“Sorry about that,” Courtney said.

“It’s alright. I was just starting to get hungry and I didn’t want to dump you on the floor.”

“Aww, that’s sweet as!” Courtney laughed, jumping to her feet and offering Bianca a hand, as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as ever.

“Sweet as what?”

“Uhh,” Courtney pursed her lips, trying to figure out how to explain. “Just…”

“That’s so Aussie?” Bianca asked.

“Yeah, I think so,” Courtney laughed.

***

Once in the kitchen, Courtney began to pull an assortment of items from the fridge...bananas, apples, dates, spinach, a carrot, frozen blueberries, a can of coconut milk, an avocado. She could see Bianca eying the combination with great suspicion.

“What the fuck are you planning to make?” Bianca asked, touching her lightly on the arm.

A hot flush crept into her cheeks as she said, “Smoothie. Want some?”

“Pass, dollface,” Bianca said, grimacing.

“Suit yourself,” Courtney shot back in sing-songy voice, pulling the blender out of the cabinet and beginning to toss in the ingredients, “But what are you gonna eat?”

Bianca’s brow arched and a devilish smirk spread across her lips. She let her eyes roam slowly and meaningfully over Courtney’s body before settling back on her face with an expression that seemed to dare Courtney to say something. All Courtney could think about was that comment from the day before, about how she’d never been eaten out by someone who knows what they’re doing. A fair statement--and it certainly piqued Courtney’s curiosity. But she wasn’t about to give Bianca the satisfaction of knowing that.

“Uh-uh,” Courtney rebuffed as she struggled to contain a nervous laugh. Her cheeks were certainly blazing under Bianca’s hungry gaze but she was determined to stand her ground. “Not on the menu.”

Far from being discouraged, Bianca just gave her a little wink as she pushed herself away from the counter’s ledge and replied in mock disappointment, “Shame. Eggs it is then.”

She sauntered back towards the fridge but as she opened it, Courtney decided to keep the joke going, adding, “Well, it's not on the menu today...but…” she trailed off, chuckling a little, but when she saw the glint in Bianca’s eye, she breathed in sharply, pressing her lips together.

“Yeah?” Bianca leaned in close again, trapping her against the counter. “Gonna be running a special sometime? Might just take you up on that, you know.”

Courtney had no response; there was precious little going through her head other than how close Bianca was to her. How close their lips were to one another’s.

Part of her was fighting against the temptation to lean in, ever so slightly, to see what Bianca would do. Deep down she knew Bianca was only trying to get a rise out of her (and it was working) and she longed to call her bluff. To say something smart and sassy just to impress her, even a little. But here she was, mouth agape and unable to vocalize any sort of coherent thought.

Taking pity on her shell-shocked roommate, Bianca immediately backed off and cackled, “Oh, my god! Relax! I’m just joking, Court.”

She was still chuckling even as she retreated back to the fridge but for Courtney it felt like her presence had never really left. She could feel the heat of Bianca’s body as it had nearly touched hers, skin tingling with the memory of feeling her so close.

“Sorry...I’m kind of a shameless flirt,” Bianca said, pulling out a carton of eggs. “It’s one of my best and worst qualities.”

“Me too,” Courtney said, letting out a relieved exhale. So, there. Bianca was in fact just playing around. That’s what she’d assumed, and it was good to be right. Right?

“Yeah, so...it doesn’t really mean anything. But I’m sure you know that-”

“Of course.”

“But you should tell me if I go too far,” Bianca said gently, brown eyes soft and warm.

“Same,” Courtney replied, hoping that her cheeks were less red than they felt. That Bianca believed the truth: that this was just fun and games, nothing more.

After another dimpled grin, Courtney was finally able to pull herself fully together with a strong mental note to never let herself become that overwhelmed by Bianca again.

If Bianca wanted to play...well, she’d play right along, too.

***

Twenty minutes later, with a fresh batch of coffee and breakfast nearly ready, Alaska had finally stumbled out of bed to join Bianca and Courtney in the kitchen. As the eggs sizzled away in the frying pan, Bianca had set Courtney to work on buttering some toast for the both of them (it had been a slight challenge given their lack of toaster, but Bianca managed to use the oven broiler).

Alaska’s bedhead made quite a sight as she sleepily wandered into the kitchen, still looking only half awake.

Courtney was the first to greet their disheveled roommate with a warm smile, inquiring, “Good morning! Are you feeling any better?”

After Alaska’s polite nod, Courtney’s quickly followed up by offering up some of her breakfast smoothie, chock full of nutrients to help shoo away any remaining trace of illness she might have had.

“No one wants your gross smoothie!” Bianca exclaimed, adding, “Beware, Alaska. I saw her put dates in that thing.”

“Shut up!” Courtney laughed out, a hand on her hip. “Dates make it sweet.”

Rolling her own eyes, Bianca was quick to fire back, “You know what else would make it sweet? Sugar.”

Cocking her head to the side, Courtney cooed out, “Yes, cupcake?”

Their banter was interrupted when Alaska piped in to ask about the coffee she’d smelled. Gesturing to the French press, Bianca encouraged her to help herself.

Bianca poked at the eggs, satisfied. Before she served them up, she looked at Alaska and asked if she wanted any.

“No, thanks,” she answered politely.

Bianca nodded, dividing them in between the two waiting plates and making a mental note to find out what Alaska liked to eat. She knew it was probably silly and mom-like, but she would have felt a lot better if she’d had something to offer Alaska in the way of comfort food. She resisted the urge to pressure her to eat something, silencing her own mother’s voice and sitting down with the plates.

Courtney took her plate, offering some of the toast from the large stack in exchange. And licking the butter knife clean with a saucy glint in her eye.

Shaking her head, Bianca chuckled and said, “That’s disgusting.”

Courtney simply shrugged and giggled along with her, saying, “I like to lick things.”

Bianca pressed her lips together. That one was too easy, and she was determined not to take the bait.

“Where’s Willam?” Alaska wondered aloud, giving Bianca a welcome change of topics. “Still asleep?”

Before Bianca could even make a crack about Alaska sleeping through the racket that was Willam leaving at 6 AM this morning, Courtney chimed in with a casual, upbeat, “No, she’s at the gym! Gotta keep it tight as for her clients.”

That one particular word immediately captured the attention of both Bianca and Alaska and almost instantly their heads snapped back to Courtney for more information. Alaska’s eyes were wide as saucers and Bianca knew that her own expression must be similar.

Courtney seemed to instantly regret the choice of words, sputtering, “Uh...I mean...”

“...Clients?” Bianca found herself asking with nothing but suspicion and judgment dripping from the word.

“Well…”

“Courtney. Are we sharing an apartment with a hooker?!” Bianca asked, pointing a fork at her for emphasis.

“No!” Courtney cried out empathically, “No, not a hooker. She’s like…”

Alaska seemed to be leaning off the edge of her seat as she inquired rather eagerly, “Yeah?”

“I’m not sure I should say,” Courtney reasoned, half muttering to herself, “I mean, it’s not like a secret, but I just don’t feel like it’s my place to-“

“Well too late, bitch.” Bianca cut in as she leaned in even more, arguing, “You brought it up. Now you have to tell us.”

Rolling her eyes up to the ceiling for a moment, Courtney huffed out, “It’s not a big deal! She just like...video chats with guys and they buy her stuff.”

Bianca relaxed a bit, gears turning in her head as she clarified, “She’s a cam girl?”

“Um. Yeah.”

“Oh.” Bianca felt like she was deflating. The self-righteous anger churning in her chest subsided and she shrugged. As long as no “clients” would be brought back to the apartment, Bianca didn’t really care what Willam did. Although, hopefully she wouldn’t have to hear anything. Ew.

***

Courtney loved Cielo Plaza, the open-air shopping center with adorable Spanish-style buildings covered in murals and bougainvillea. The courtyard was full of beautiful plants and tiled fountains, almost like another world. When they first arrived, she saw Bianca looking around with a bit of a puzzled expression. She grinned, knowing that this wasn’t what most people expected when you said “mall.”

“Not what you pictured?” Courtney asked, bumping her hip gently.

“No, I guess not,” Bianca said, following her and Willam, who was striding confidently towards her favorite clothing stores.

Courtney’s eyes lit up as she caught sight of See’s Candies, tugging on Willam’s arm to get her to slow down. She could never resist See’s and their deeply generous sample policy.

“Bill, come on, let’s go get samples!”

Despite Willam’s heels dragging (and firmly ignoring the set of rolling eyes), Courtney was determined to get her a sample. Even if she didn’t eat it, Courtney would be sure it wouldn’t go to waste. She was almost licking her lips in anticipation of what she might get when she heard Alaska piping up with a soft sigh in her voice, “My ex-girlfriend was obsessed with that place. She never shut up about it.”

At once Courtney’s feet stilled and she rounded to look back at Alaska.

And she wasn’t the only one; Willam’s head rose after hearing the unexpected information and even Bianca had shifted her gaze from a distant boutique in order to study the girl next to her. At first, it seemed like Alaska had something more to add on but upon finding everyone’s attention solely focused on her, she immediately shut herself up, a light flush coloring her cheeks.

She looked a tad...panicky. As if she weren’t sure what to expect from sharing this information.

But Courtney knew better, a grin spreading across her face, gushing happily, “Don’t worry, Bianca’s gay too! And Willam’s bi!”

She certainly would have said more had she not chanced to catch sight of Bianca shooting her a look of mild irritation.

Oh.

Perhaps that wasn’t something that needed to be shared so loudly...or publicly, now that she thought about it. Her stomach began to drop as her cheeks darkened to mirror the same shade that was present on Alaska’s.

Shaking her head, Willam grumbled, “Foot in Mouth Disease strikes again...Anything else you want to share with the other mallgoers, Court? Maybe inform them of my ass waxing schedule?”

“You wanna call my grandma, come out for me?” Bianca questioned as nothing but snark penetrated her voice. Her eyes rolled as she placed a hand on her hip and added in, “I don’t think she knows yet.”

Falling over her words as her eyes darted from one woman to the next, Courtney struggled to explain herself, “I thought…I mean, yesterday you said that you-I just thought it would be better if she knew...shit...”

She thought her stomach couldn’t be twisted any tighter until she finally saw a crack in their hardass façade. Bianca was the first to break completely, slipping an arm around Courtney’s shoulders.

“She already knew, dollface. She’s seen us at the meetings,” Bianca assured her.

A little wink might’ve been thrown her way but nothing could distract her from the utter relief she felt washing over her. Though Bianca was at least attempting to keep composure, it was hard to miss Willam’s trademark laugh echoing in the background. Even Alaska seemed to be more than a bit amused by the situation.

Almost involuntarily, Courtney found herself crossing her arms and rolling her eyes as she attempted to will away the furious blush on her cheeks. Even with the slight mortification she felt, she couldn’t stop herself from leaning further into the warmth of the body pressed against her. But still, she was determined to save some face and let out a sarcastic muttering of, “Ha ha.”

“Well, I’d invite you,” Bianca purred next to her ear, “but I’m not sure you’re ready for the initiation ceremony…”

The arm draped across her shoulders slipped even lower until Bianca’s hand was nestled firmly into the small of her back. It was all Courtney could do to suppress a shiver as Bianca’s nails grazed across the strip of bare skin above her shorts. Having enough of the teasing, at least for now, Courtney turned on her heel and strode off in the direction of the candy shop for a self-indulgent treat.

Bianca followed closely behind, smirk ever-present on her face, even as Willam called after her, “And your grandma totally knows, by the way.”

Barely suppressing a laugh, she turned back around and flipped off her roommate before inquiring one final time, “You guys coming in?”

She left the door hanging open as a welcome invitation but Alaska was still reluctant to follow the pair into the shop. She mumbled a polite refusal, one prompting Willam to stay outside and join her, and with a carefree shrug, Bianca replied airily, “Suit yourself,” and let the door close shut behind her.

***

Once inside, she saw Courtney immediately, standing in line and fawning over a large glass display case filled with chocolates and truffles of every kind.

“Okay,” Courtney said, down to business the second Bianca approached. “We’re each gonna get a sample, and then I think we should each buy two or three more...and then we can try a whole bunch. How does that sound?”

“It sounds like a lot of fucking chocolate at…” Bianca glanced at her phone, “eleven-thirty in the morning.”

“Almost lunchtime!” Courtney insisted. “Besides...life is short.”

“Fine, fine.” Bianca sighed. “Pick whatever you want, dollface. It’s on me.”

Courtney squealed happily, turning back to the case, nose practically pressed against the glass. Bianca chuckled to herself. Courtney took her time selecting her favorites, almost all dark, proudly handing Bianca one of the samples while the clerk rang them up.

“That’s my absolute favorite. Dark chocolate raspberry cream,” she said.

Bianca took the candy, taking a small bite. It was pretty damn good. She looked up at Courtney’s big eyes, which momentarily looked like a toddler watching their mommy leave for work, and couldn’t help laughing.

“You want the other half, baby?” she asked indulgently.

Feigning uncertainty, Courtney inquired, “You don’t want it?” but Bianca was having none of that and swiftly held out the half-eaten treat towards her roommate.

“Take it,” she insisted.

A flash of a happy smile stretched across Courtney’s face before her lips wrapped around the candy and Bianca’s fingers. Bianca couldn’t help gasping softly as Courtney’s eyes darted up to hers, lips curled into as much of a smirk as could be managed. She gave a quick lick around Bianca’s fingers as she snatched away the rest of the candy.

A burst of laughter erupted from Bianca’s chest as she immediately reached over to wipe off the remaining saliva across Courtney’s cheek. “Fucking whore,” she accused her roommate.

“I told you I’m a licker,” she commented as she turned to take her own sample from the counter.

“Gonna share?” Bianca asked.

Courtney looked back to her in consideration, cocked her head to the side, then calmly popped the entire candy into her mouth as she replied with a simple, “Nope.”

“Fucking greedy whore.”

Bianca’s comment earned a snorting laugh from her roommate as she nearly doubled over to keep herself from spitting out the candy. As she tried to keep control of her giggling, she offered with her mouth still full, “Can give you a taste, though.”

“Right,” Bianca countered with a chuckle of her own, “Nothing as sexy as masticated food.”

With that Courtney flashed her a wide toothy smile complete with chocolate truffle spread across her teeth. It made for quite a sight, Bianca had to admit.

After paying for the rest of the candy, Bianca handed the small box to Courtney, watching with amusement as she dug in immediately.

“I think this one is cafe au lait,” she said, taking a large bite. “Yup. Amazing. Wanna taste?” She offered Bianca the rest, what amounted to about one-tenth of the truffle.

“So generous,” Bianca said, taking the tiny piece as Courtney moved onto the next, and the next.

“You’re gonna be sick,” she said, but Courtney shrugged.

“I have low blood sugar.”

“And I suppose we’re not taking any back for Will and Alaska?”

“Well…” Courtney paused thoughtfully, fingers hovering over the last two pieces. “They could have come in.”

Bianca laughed. Her behavior with the chocolates was the first sign of selfishness that she’d seen Courtney display. And it was, of course, fucking adorable.

In spite of eating what seemed to be a third of her weight in candy, the first thing Courtney questioned upon meeting up with the other women outside were their plans for lunch, suggesting a bakery at the other end of the mall.

“You’re still hungry? You just ate 3 pounds of chocolate,” Bianca chuckled.

A trace of a pout appeared on Courtney’s lips as she prepared to argue with Bianca, but her response was cut short by Willam waving them off with a curt, “You go ahead, we’ll catch up.”

Courtney cocked her head to the side, concerned, and questioned her in a motherly tone, “Are you okay? Are you sick again? Do you want to go home?”

She might have probed even further but Willam was quick to step in with a defensive, “She’s fine.” Then added in a further, rather rushed, explanation of, “She’s just telling me about a recurring fantasy she’s having...of strangling you in your sleep.”

Snorting out a loud laugh, Bianca found herself piling on, “Who hasn’t had that one!”

“I know, very relatable,” Willam replied with a smirk firmly set on her lips as Courtney blew a raspberry in her direction.

“Fuck you all, cunts!” she announced before grabbing Bianca’s wrist and dragging her off in a fit of righteous indignation.

Her pace soon slowed down, but only after Bianca’s chuckling had finally subsided. Strange though, Bianca noticed, Courtney still hadn’t let go of her hand. In fact, if anything, she had adjusted her positioning in order to be more comfortable. The only thing missing was their fingers laced.

But as she pondered whether or not read anything into it, a shop front caught her eye further up the walkway. She immediately diverted her course towards the store in question with Courtney following closely. She didn’t seem to consider letting go of Bianca’s hand, simply gripping her tighter.

***

“What do you need in here?” Courtney asked, heart skipping a few beats at Bianca pulled her inside the lingerie store.

“Saw something for you, hold on.”

Curious, Courtney allowed her to guide the way, feeling a twinge of excitement growing in her chest. Quickly, it fell flat as Bianca pointed up rather proudly at a mannequin displaying a hot pink babydoll nightie trimmed in matching lace.

“I thought the pink suited you,” Bianca defended herself, though the hidden laughter in her voice did little to convince Courtney of her sincerity.

A brow shot up at the statement and Courtney cast a quick glance towards the rest of the mannequins, finding the perfect one on the very end of the display--a sheer, bright red, lace teddy.

Pointing it out, she commented cheekily, “Actually, this is more my style.”

“Mmm,” Bianca mused to herself as she pretended to study the garment. She took in every little detail inch by inch, then turned back to state in all seriousness, “I don’t think you have the tits to fill that out. Sorry.”

“Cunt!” Courtney laughed out as she leaned into her roommate for support.

But Bianca’s fun was far from over.

Tugging Courtney further inside, she assured her, “Don’t worry, I’m sure we can find something to cover those tiny, little A-cups...somewhere.”

“I’m a B cup!” Courtney cried indignantly, adding, “Most of the time.”

Bianca chuckled, guiding her towards a table full of elaborately embroidered bralettes.

For almost 15 minutes, the pair darted from one section to the next, pointing out the skimpiest or sexiest bits of lingerie that they could find (and of course suggesting that the other person model them). Courtney was having so much fun that she didn’t even mind the salesgirls eyeing them suspiciously. Finally, Courtney found her coup de grace in the form of some very revealing, forest-green panties. The entire piece consisted solely of strategically placed straps and sheer lace, doing nothing in terms of coverage: more the idea of panties than actual underwear.

Courtney held them out triumphantly and silently dared Bianca to find something better than that, confident that she had won. But the smirk on her face was wiped off when Bianca tossed them back into the pile, pulling out a nearly identical pair.

“These are my size,” she taunted as Courtney’s jaw went slightly slack.

And then, she moved to another small pile next to the panties. Quickly finding the right piece, she sauntered up to the front counter with her intended purchases, but not before mentioning with an enviable air of casualness, “Matching bra. Really completes the whole look.”

At this, Courtney’s jaw did drop but Bianca’s back was thankfully already to her. Rushing up to the front counter, Courtney’s eyes remained glued to the matching bra and panty set. Her mind raced, some not so modest thoughts of what the clothing might look like on Bianca’s body flashing through--the rich color would be gorgeous against her skin, that was clear. And the skimpy straps would barely contain her curves…

Her thoughts were cut short when Bianca spun around, bag dangling from her hand, and said, “So...lunch?”

“Oh, um...yeah.” Courtney gulped, leading her out of the store and back down the walkway towards the bakery. Once her hammering heart slowed down a bit, she cast a glance towards Bianca, linking arms with her and saying, “I’m glad you found something you liked in there.”

Bianca grinned back at her, dimples deep in her cheeks.

“Yeah, thanks. You’ve got real classy taste.”

Courtney giggled, beginning to accept and even enjoy the permanent blush that seemed to be on her cheeks anytime she was around Bianca.

“Anytime,” Courtney said. “And you know, if you need advice about what to wear in more—”

She was shaken out of her slight daze by the sound of Willam’s voice shouting, “Hey! What the fuck?”

Happily, Courtney waved back to her and quickly finished, “—in more formal settings, like to the office, I’d be happy to help.”

“What makes you think I won’t wear these to the office?”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize your internship was in a brothel.”

“I mean, it is the oldest profession,” Bianca cackled.

As they approached Willam and Alaska, Courtney ignored the irritated tapping of Willam’s foot, the hand on her hip, tossing her a sweet kiss and focusing her attention on Alaska.

“Sorry about that, back there,” Alaska said, and Courtney smiled, reaching out to give her hand a reassuring squeeze.

“It’s fine. I hope you’re okay,” she said. Though she wanted to ask more questions, really just to make sure she was alright, Courtney thought it’d be best to wait. She was confident that Alaska would come to her when she felt comfortable. In fact, her mood seemed to have lightened quite a bit since their brief break from one another. She’d bet anything that Willam reached out to Alaska and helped her lift some of the weight off her chest. Though some people might see Willam as selfish or uncaring, Courtney knew the truth. That when it counted, she was sensitive and even loving, loyal to a fault. That there was nobody better to talk to about a broken heart.

Alaska nodded, then asked, “Did you at least have some fun?”

“Yeah,” she replied, smile growing and cheeks beginning to heat up again. She spared a glance at Bianca and said, “B made an...interesting purchase.”

Immediately, a sneaky, devilish little smirk appeared on Bianca’s face and raising a finger to her lips, she seemed to say, ‘Our secret.’

A thrill passed through Courtney’s body at that, a feeling in her abdomen not unlike riding a rollercoaster. She wondered if the others would let things go, or demand to be let in on the joke, and found herself hoping for the former, to allow her this one little secret with Bianca, something just for them.

“I’m sure I don’t even want to know,” Willam said, and Alaska giggled in agreement. “Come on, let’s go get some food.”

***

“Are you sure this table meets all of your requirements, your highness?” Bianca scoffed. They’d already passed by at least five others that didn’t meet Willam’s exacting criteria.

Sipping her iced tea, Willam gave a passive shrug of her shoulders and replied back, “I know what I like.”

Bianca shared a long-suffering look with Alaska as she finally took a seat and let herself relax for a moment. Across the table, Courtney let out a contented sigh and mused out loud as she stirred her lemonade, “Don’t days like this just make you happy to be alive?”

Rolling her eyes at the sappy statement, Bianca muttered, “Alright, Miss America.”

Courtney stuck out her tongue at the comment and remarked proudly, “I did actually win a pageant, once.”

Willam groaned at the statement and moved to cut the story short with a tired, “We know, we know, Miss Tater Tot-”

“No, Miss Tiny Tot,” Courtney squeaked out through a burst of giggles that echoed through the courtyard. Turning back to her new roommates, she added in, “I was 5. I won a car.”

Feeling her face twisting in disbelief, Bianca asked incredulously, “What the fuck is a 5-year-old supposed to do with a car?”

Slightly distracted, Alaska murmured wistfully, “I would love to meet Miss Tater Tot. She sounds delicious.”

“And crispy,” Bianca agreed, giving a slight nod of her head.

Tossing in a carefree wave of her hand, Willam mentioned, “Ehh, I’m off carbs.”

Despite being the butt of the joke yet again, Courtney played it off, resting her delicate chin in her hands, a dreamy smile stretching across her lips.

But before she could say anything, Willam cut her off with a lamenting, “Oh, no.”

“What?”

“I know that fucking look,” she accused, “You’re about to get all...sisterhood of the traveling pants on us, aren’t you?”

“No!” Courtney cried out defensively, “I was just gonna say-”

“Something lame and cheesy about best friends forever?” Willam guessed as her eyes narrowed in on Courtney with a silent dare to try and lie and say she was wrong.

Crossing her arms, Courtney shot back, “-that I’m glad we’re all getting to know each other...and I have a really good feeling about this year.” Turning her attention strictly back to Willam, she asked in a lilting, mock-submissive tone, “Was that acceptable, boss?”

“....Barely. You’re on thin ice,” Willam said, stealing Courtney’s drink for a quick sip.

An adorable, good-natured pout began to form on Courtney’s face, but Alaska came to her defense.

“I think it was great, Courtney,” she assured with a sincere smile, raising her drink, “Here’s to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.”

“More like the Golden Girls,” Bianca remarked dryly.

A squeal quickly emanated from beside her, much to her shock. She had yet to see Alaska get this excited about anything; it seemed that reference struck a chord.

Willam, on the other hand, was less than impressed. “Speak for yourself, you old cunt.”

Bianca gave her the finger as Alaska wriggled excitedly in her seat.

“Omigod,” Alaska exclaimed with an exuberant grin, “I love that show!”

Brow furrowed in confusion, Courtney asked, “What show?”

“Golden Girls!”

Shaking her head, Courtney admitted, “Never heard of it.”

Alaska’s jaw went slack as she stared at Courtney from across the table. Bianca could see the wheels beginning to turn in her head so it came as no surprise when she decided, “Well, I know what we’re doing tonight.”

Doubtful of Alaska’s plans, Bianca asked, “Is it even streaming anywhere?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Alaska stated with a firm resolution in her voice, “I have all 7 seasons on DVD.”

Bianca could practically see her entire evening being swallowed up right in front of her but she was out of ideas to delay it. Only Willam had one last card to play. With an almost convincing air of disappointment, she pointed out, “We don’t have a DVD player…”

Without missing a beat, Alaska rebutted, “We’re at a mall. It’s happening. Also we need to buy cheesecake.”

The only one who seemed excited about this prospect was Courtney, the little traitor. She easily became swept up in Alaska’s excitement and allowed her mood to soar with the prospect of a movie night. With her hands clasped to her chest in glee, she suggested, “Can we all get in our jammies and make popcorn and have a real slumber party?”

Alaska’s eyes lit up with a joyful spark and pointing her finger at Courtney, she immediately agreed.

Accepting her defeat gracefully, all Bianca could do was mutter, “Dear God,” along with a mental banging of her head on the table.

Sharing a similar sentiment, Willam leaned in towards her and stage-whispered, “It’s not too late to kill them both, you know.”

Bianca instantly cracked up at the statement, and suddenly a girl’s night in watching Golden Girls didn’t seem too awful. If nothing else, she could trade snide comments with Willam and use some of the huge arsenal of hilarious anti-Florida jokes she’d built up over the years.

And then, of course, there was Courtney and her blissed-out little face, as happy as a lark—almost infectiously so.

Maybe...this could be fun after all.

#rpdr fanfiction #bitney #willaska #bianca del rio #courtney act #willam belli #alaska thunderfuck #college au #lesbian au #slow burn #kind of #friends to lovers #fluff #off limits #just friends #veronica #albatross

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fuckyeahjeremyclarkson · 4 years

Text

Cooking with Jeremy Clarkson: The Recipes (brace yourselves)

Lamb Chops and New Potatoes

Ingredients: Sheep, New potatoes, Butter, Bisto granules

01 Kill a sheep. Remove its chops. Place the chops in the top right-hand oven of your Aga.

02 Call Aga and ask them to send a man round to fix it.

03 Throw away the chops.

04 One month later, after the man has been, kill another sheep and place its chops in the top right-hand oven.

05 Peel the new potatoes. It’s lazy to keep the skins in place and it’s not healthy because the potatoes will have been drenched in glyphosate.

06 Do not be impatient. Wait until the potatoes are properly cooked before draining the water. Put them on a plate and add a knob of butter.

07 Remove the chops from the oven. Realise you should have done that sooner as chops cook faster than potatoes. But put them on the plate anyway and eat. If you wish, enliven this simple dish by adding three heaped tablespoons of Bisto granules to half a pint of boiling water. Then pour in the fat from the chops so it looks like you made the gravy yourself.

McVitie’s Dark Chocolate Digestives

Ingredients: McVitie’s Dark Chocolate Digestives, Tea

01 Go to the shop.

02 Buy a packet of McVitie’s Dark Chocolate Digestives, then bring them home.

03 Open the packet and remove two. Serve with a cup of tea.

04 Eat two more as the tea cools. Put what’s left in a cupboard. Start your tea. Go back to the cupboard and get three more biscuits, or four.

05 Finish your tea and take the mug to the sink.

06 While there, open the cupboard and finish off the biscuits. Write “McVitie’s Dark Chocolate Digestives” on your shopping list.

Pheasant Breast

Ingredients: Pheasant, Horseradish sauce, Bread roll

01 Shoot a pheasant, being careful to hit it in the face.

02 Lay the dead bird on its back and place your feet on its outstretched wings. Grab its legs and pull firmly but smoothly.

03 Say, “Are you sure this is correct?” but keep going because, eventually, the bird’s breasts will emerge from its anus.

04 Throw away what remains and place the breasts on a grill above the open fire that you’re bound to be huddled round anyway.

05 Roast for half an hour, turning occasionally, and serve with a bit of creamed horseradish sauce in a bread roll.

Pork and Pepper Pasta

Ingredients: Pig, Chilli-infused olive oil, Shell pasta, Mushrooms, Green peppers, Onion, Bottom-breaking chillies, Plain flour, Oxo cube, Milk

01 Kill a pig. Remove its tenderloin. Chop into cubic inches and heat in a pan you’ve smeared with chilli-infused olive oil.

02 Add some shell pasta to a pan of salted boiling water.

03 Dice some mushrooms, some green peppers, half an onion and a couple of those small bottom-breaking chillies. Add the whole lot to the meat.

04 Stir it all about.

05 Sprinkle some plain flour and an Oxo cube into the pan when the meat is cooked. Add a splash of boiling water and stir until it starts to thicken.

06 Add a cup of milk. After it all starts to bubble, remove the pasta from the water and add that too. Stir and serve. Everyone will think you’re very clever.

Marrow

Ingredients: Marrow, Milk

01 Peel the marrow.

02 Cut it in half.

03 Scoop out all the seeds and that stringy stuff.

04 Chop what remains into cubic inches.

05 Place the cubes in a pan of salted boiling water.

06 Wait until they are soft, then drain the water.

07 Do not eat the marrow as it will be hotter than the surface of the sun.

08 Place the cubes in a colander so that this vast heat can dissipate.

09 About 30 minutes later, grind some black pepper onto what’s left and eat.

10 Rush to the fridge for a glass of milk because you won’t have waited long enough and now your mouth’s on fire.

Radishes

Ingredients: Radishes

01 Build a bed out of oak planks and fill with topsoil.

02 Plant radishes — go for a peppery variety.

03 Wait about four weeks.

04 Pick a radish.

05 Remove leaves and wash it.

06 Eat immediately. Any delay at all and it will taste like the insipid radishes you get from a supermarket.

Chicken Pho

Ingredients: 128 different herbs and spices*, Chicken, Rice noodles, Star anise, Cardamom pods, Cloves, Coriander seeds, Garlic, Onion, Beansprouts, Mushrooms, Insane chillies, Bok choi

*The proper recipe requires 128 different herbs and spices, none of which will be available in any shop, unless you live in Notting Hill. If you do not live in Notting Hill, don’t worry as pho is street food, so you can pretty much do what you like. This is my suggestion

01 Kill a chicken, pluck it and boil what remains in a pan of salted water for two hours.

02 Remove the chicken and, after it has cooled down a bit, tear all the flesh off the bones. Pour the water through a strainer into a pot and let it simmer for an hour.

03 While that’s happening, soak some rice noodles in bowl of cold water.

04 In a dry pan, cook some star anise, cardamom pods (Notting Hill only), cloves and coriander seeds for 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and add them to the chicken stock.

05 Throw away the garlic you bought because it will make your breath smell afterwards. Chop up an onion and add that to the stock, then leave for 30 minutes. Pour the stock through a strainer to remove what you put in half an hour ago. No idea why.

06 Add beansprouts, mushrooms, some insane chillies and some bok choi (don’t be alarmed — it’s really nice).

07 Remove the rice noodles from the cold water and add them to the broth. Simmer for four minutes.

08 Place the meat you tore from the bone into a bowl and cover with the broth.

09 Eat, and while doing so, wonder why anyone ever cooks anything else.

Cabbage and breadcrumbs

Ingredients: Cabbage, White bread, Butter

01 Go into your garden and pick a cabbage. The pale sort. Not the winter cabbage, which is used for making gym people feel self-righteous.

02 Wash away the mud.

03 Cut off the leaves and chop them into pieces about the size of a stamp.

04 Boil the stamps for about 10 minutes.

05 While this is happening, crumble up a slice of white bread. Brown bread has difficult political connotations you need to avoid. Toast the crumbs in a dry pan over a low heat.

06 Strain the water from the cabbage and add an enormous knob of butter. Then a bit more for good measure. Let the butter dribble all over the cabbage and then sprinkle on the toasted breadcrumbs.

Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients: Sheep,Olive oil, Onion, Carrot, Potatoes, Beer, Tomato purée, Butter, Milk

Ideal for when known vegetarians are coming round for supper

01 Murder a sheep. Mince up its innards and place in a frying pan with a few splashes of olive oil and a chopped-up onion.

02 Chop up a carrot sideways and put it in a pan of boiling water. Peel four big potatoes. Chop into four and put them in boiling water too.

03 Open a bottle of beer and enjoy the contents while you stir the mince and onion. Then have another.

04 When the carrot is soft, drain and add to the mince. Squirt tomato purée into the mix until everything becomes sort of red.

05 Drain the potatoes when they are soft and mash them. Then keep on mashing them until there are no lumps. Add a huge knob of butter and a cup of milk and stir. Then place what results on top of the mince and carrots.

06 Put under the grill until the potato starts to go brown.

07 Later, when your vegetarian guest says he, or more likely she, is happy to eat just the vegetables, scoop a bit of potato off the top and give her that. Then eat the rest yourself.

#Jeremy Clarkson #food #recipes #unlikely articles #Sunday Times Magazine

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princessspy566 · 4 years

Text

Hokkaido Bread + Sandwich Fillings

Ingredients (for Bread):

First Proofing:

600 g of bread flour (at least 12~14% protein)

42 g of egg white (approx 4 1/2 tbsp)

7 g of dry yeast (approx 1 1/8 tsp)

168 g of heavy cream (approx 3/4 cup)

190 g of whole milk (approx 3/4 cup)

12 g of unsalted butter, room temperature

18 g of sugar (approx 4 tsp), or 2 tbsp of sweeten condensed milk*

Second Proofing:

7.2 g of salt (approx 1 tsp)

5 g of dry yeast (approx 1 tsp)

90 g of sugar (approx 7 tbsp)

50 g of egg white (approx 5 tbsp)

36 g milk powder (I didn’t add this)

12 g of butter, room temperature

To finish:

40 g of browned butter

sea salt

egg wash

Directions:

Combine heavy cream, whole milk, butter and sugar in a bowl and warm it in the microwave to 110ºF. In a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, combine bread flour, dry yeast, egg white and the warm milk mixture, then knead until smooth on medium speed. You could either now proof the dough in the fridge for 18 to 24 hours, or under room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until doubled. I placed my dough over the warm espresso machine to proof and it took approximately 2 hours for the dough to double.

Once the dough has doubled (or kept in the fridge overnight), take it out of the bowl and punch out the air. Cut the dough into small “bite-size” pieces and return it to the stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the salt, dry yeast, sugar and egg white (save the butter for later) and turn the mixer on medium. Work the dough until it is smooth and elastic (approx 5 min), then add the room temperature butter. Keep the mixer on medium and work the dough for another 3 min. The dough shouldn’t be sticking to the side of the bowl too much. If it does, add another couple tbsp of flour. Then turn the mixer on medium high and work the dough for another 6 to 10 min. The dough should pull away from the mixing bowl and making “slapping sounds” against the bowl.

When you are done, the dough should be in a state where it isn’t too sticky, but just moist and developed enough gluten that you could slowly stretch it into a thin, translucent film without breaking (see the pictures above). Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and let it rest for 15 min if it was proofed under room temperature, OR 30 min if it was kept in the fridge overnight. During this time prepare the browned butter. Melt the butter in a small sauce pot over medium heat. It will start to foam, then turn brown and smell nutty. Turn off the heat and set it aside.

Once the dough is rested, take 1 portion of the dough (keep the 2nd portion covered in plastic wrap) and divide it into 3 equal parts. Roll each part into an oval shape, then fold the sides toward the center (like folding a letter) and roll it out again into a long rectangle, then curl it up like a snail. Repeat the same step with the 2nd portion and let the dough pieces rest for another 15 min (you should now have 6 pieces of dough, 3 pieces for each portion).

I formed the 2 loafs into 2 different shapes, 1 that’s braided and 1 that’s not. To make the braided shape, roll 1 piece of dough out into a oval shape again. Brush the top of the dough with the browned butter and sprinkle with some sea salt, then roll it into a long log. Repeat the same step with the other 2 pieces, which will give you 3 long logs. Braid the 3 long dough like braiding a ponytail, and set it inside a loaf pan. OR for a traditional loaf, after brushing the dough with browned butter and sea salt, you could fold it again and curl it up like a snail, and set it side by side in a loaf pan.

At this point, I put the un-braided loaf into the freezer and kept the braided loaf under room temperature to proof. To bake the frozen loaf, take it out of the freezer and set it inside a loaf pan in a warm spot. Let it completely defrost and proof until it has expanded to 80% full. This will take several hours.

Preheat the oven on 360ºF/180ºC. Let the dough proof to 80% full (not doubled which will be 100%). This took another 1:30 hour in my kitchen. Brush the dough with egg wash and cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for 20 min, then uncover the foil and let it bake for another 20 min until golden brown on the top. The loaf should expand significantly in the baking process.

You could take the loaf out of the pan and let it cool on a rack for 20 min. I personally think it’s a crime not to eat it while it still retains its warmth from the oven. You wouldn’t believe the stringy and chewy texture of this milk toast. It doesn’t need any jam or butter. It’s good enough to be a snacking bread on its own.

Filling Ideas:

Strawberry Sandwich

2 slices of the fluffiest white bread, preferably shokupan/hokkaido

1/2-3/4 cup lightly sweetened softly whipped cream

6-9 strawberries

Directions:

Cut the crusts off of the shokupan. Spread out a generous layer of whipped cream on both slices of bread. Top one slice with the strawberries, being sure to align so that when you slice, the strawberries will show.

Place the second slice of bread, cream side down, over the strawberries. Smooth the outside edges, adding extra whipped cream into the spaces, if necessary. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes.

Use a very sharp knife to cut and enjoy!

Egg Salad Sandwich

4 large eggs

salt, to taste

1-2 tablespoons kewpie mayo, or to taste

2 slices fluffy white bread, crusts trimmed

Directions:

Remove the eggs from the fridge as your bringing your water to a boil.

Prepare an ice bath with a large bowl of cold water and ice.

Bring a pot of water to rolling boil, then turn the heat down and gently add eggs in, with a slotted spoon. Turn the heat back up to medium high and maintain a simmer for 7 minutes. Remove 2 of the eggs, and leave the remaining 2 eggs in for another minute and a half.

Plunge the eggs into an ice bath to cool down. Peel the eggs: Gently tap the wide end of the egg on the countertop, then flip around and tap the pointed end. Gently roll the egg and peel, under running water, if it helps.

Cut the 7 minute eggs in half and set aside. Place the remaining two eggs in a bowl and use a fork to crush with the mayonnaise and a sprinkle of salt until a rough paste forms. Taste and adjust the kewpie mayo and salt.

Spread an even layer of egg salad on one slice of bread then arrange the cut eggs on the salad, nestling in gently. Top with the remaining slice of bread, then cut into three, being sure to cut perpendicular to the yolks, so when you turn the sandwich, you see the yolks.

Chicken Katsu Sandwich

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup chopped bread-and-butter pickles

2 Tbsp. plus ¼ cup hot sauce, such as Crystal

1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more

½ cup all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 large egg

2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, lightly pounded to ½" thick

¼ cup (or more) extra-virgin olive oil

8 slices milk bread

Shredded iceberg lettuce (for serving)

Directions:

Combine mayonnaise, pickles, and 2 Tbsp. hot sauce in a small bowl. Season with salt; set aside.

Combine flour, cayenne, garlic powder, and remaining 1 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Whisk egg and remaining ¼ cup hot sauce in another medium bowl. Place panko on a large plate. Working one at a time, dip chicken into flour dredge, turning to coat. Shake off any excess. Dip into egg mixture until coated, shaking off excess. Dredge in panko, turning to coat. Transfer to a large plate or a small rimmed baking sheet.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Working in 2 batches, cook chicken, reducing heat to medium if it’s browning too quickly, until golden and very crisp on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack.

Spread reserved spicy mayo on one side of each slice of bread. Top with chicken and shredded lettuce, then close up sandwiches.

#lammas sabbath recipes #bread magick #grain magick #picnic magick #kitchen witch recipe #witchblr #kitchenry #witch #witchery #witches #lughnasadh #lughnasadh sabbath #harvest magick #sabbath recipes

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