Xamassed - Tumblr Posts

" well , some grapes tend to grow sweeter depending on how ripe they are when i harvest them , so i don't always need to add too much sugar . though , there are times where i experiment with different ingredients , like hints of strawberry or other fruits to give it an enhanced flavor . it depends on how creative my mind is at the moment . " he couldn't help but ramble away , proud of his work and eager to be asked about his life's passion .

" if you'd like , i'd be happy to show you the way i make some of my juice . " he offered .

⟬ @noctuafought ⟭

"How do you make the juice taste different?" She couldn't help but to wonder aloud as she sat there, her little feet kicking and fingers tapping along the side of the glass Diluc had presented her. "You grow them all the same, but the juices don't taste the same."

" anita. " they watch her make the attempt to open the jar despite her arm being in a cast and despite the doctor telling her to rest that arm. their head tilts, trying to look her in the eyes. " anita, i know you are, but i can not let you run the risk of further injuring your arm. come on, hand it over. " soryn holds their hand out toward the jar. " you can open all the jars you want after your arm is completely healed, okay? i promise. "

⟬ @fiorserpen / s.c ⟭

"I've got it." She didn't, but her pride would be far more shattered than her arm if she couldn't open the jar she had in her hands. Despite being told that she shouldn't use her arm, she tried because she didn't like being told to sit still and do nothing. "I'm a big girl, I don't need you to open this for me."

" sanji! " the faerie greets him with a big smile, beckoning him to come further into the shop. her head tilts slightly at the sight of the basket in his hand, her gaze flickering back up to him when he speaks. " oh, sanji, you're so kind! you really didn't have to do any of this for us. " but still, agatha does appreciate it (more so since she forgot to make lunch for herself). she sees the treats under the lunch he made for her and her smile grows. " i don't think they'll mind, i think they'll really appreciate this! i'll be sure to give them these treats when i can. " agatha moves from behind the counter to embrace him, leaning up to kiss his cheek. " i really appreciate that you were kind enough to bring me some lunch. i kind of maybe forgot to make some myself. " she giggles sheepishly, rubbing her cheek. " i definitely forgot. "

⟬ @fiorserpen / s.c ⟭

"Good afternoon, Agatha~!" Through the door of the flower shop came a chipper tone. Swinging at his side was a small basket packed with food, which he happily opened once he reached the counter. "I brought you lunch!"

But that was hardly all he brought her. Tucked under the lunch he made was a clear container packed with treats. "Made something special for Maren and Aurora too. Didn't want to leave them out, so I hope they don't mind!"

" i know that, but there is no point in further injuring yourself. " they softly insist, worried by her stubborn pride. soryn doesn't shame her for it, or tease her when they do get the jar open, only offering it back to her. they're silent for a moment as she gets what she wants out of the jar, chewing the inside of their cheek.

" anita, you... you know i could never see you as weak, right? " soryn asks, their voice soft as they follow her around the kitchen. given what she does for a living, weak was the farthest thing the demon thinks of when they look at her. a gentle smile forms on their lips now and they slip their hand into her uninjured one, giving it a gentle squeeze. " it is okay to ask for help. you know me, you know i would never judge, mock or belittle. you can ask me for help, okay? "

She tried to be quick, but they managed to catch her gaze for a portion of a second before she forced it elsewhere. Shame burned hot in her cheeks, the helplessness that came with being temporarily handicapped making her testier than usual.

"I'll be fine! It's just a stupid jar."

She wanted to try again, but she spied the hand in the corner of her vision and knew that there was no point in pushing the argument further. Stubborn and angry as she was, she knew her demon of a partner would open the jar sooner.

"Fine, here. . ."

" oh, you're always spoiling us rotten, sanji. " she giggles, her smile growing as she nudges his arm with hers. she won't lie, though, she does enjoy it. she knows doing this is one of the ways he shows he cares and is thinking about them, and she appreciates it greatly! at least now she won't have to close her shop for a little while so she could have lunch, nor will she have to listen to the growling of her stomach until she can head home and have something to eat.

" only hectic enough to forget to make lunch for myself. maren had to go into work early so i was the one that had to drive aurora to school. i missed my alarm though and i nearly made her late! so i only had the time to pack lunch for her. " agatha explains with a sheepish smile, her hand coming up to rub her neck. it was fine, though, she didn't really mind waiting to eat until she got home, she's just glad she doesn't have to now. " have you eaten today, sanji? i'm more than happy to share this with you. "

"I know I didn't have to," he acknowledged with a laugh, "but I wanted to. What's the point of being a cook and having a restaurant a few streets away if I can't spoil the people I care about?"

Agatha and her family were the definition of darling, and it hardly felt right to not use his skills to make others happy.

The hug and kiss to his cheek send his hear into a purely joyful tizzy. This was why he loved to cook, why he loved to create. Knowing she would share the treats with her family made his heart skip, and he was glad for it.

"I had a feeling. Even if you had remembered, I would have brought this, anyway." Leftovers never hurt, and she could always save it for later. "Did you have a hectic morning?"

" i know, my love, but you will be better soon enough. in the meantime, please allow me to care for you? " they ask, gently pleading with her as they hold out their hands to her, moving them toward her own. " i promise i will let you do anything you want once your injury has healed, okay? "

they would heal her themself if they could. they know how strong and independent she is and they know how much harder needing to rely on someone for some things is for her. soryn would let her do certain things on her own if it didn't mean she would further injure herself, but that just isn't how it is.

" anita, look at me. it is okay to rely on someone. you are not weak, you are no less independent than you were before the accident, i promise you. " soryn slips their hands into hers and they give them the gentlest of squeezes. " do you hear what i am saying? it is fine to rely on me, anita. you are not a burden on me, i am more than happy to do anything you want and need. "

"How am I gonna hurt myself trying to open a stupid jar?" She snipped under her breath, though the venom in her voice seemed directed at the jar more than it was Soryn.

This wasn't her first work-related injury, but it had been quite an impressive while since she last broke a bone. The healing process was going well, and she was doing what she had been told to make it easier on herself, but her frustration had gotten the better of her that day.

"I know." She did, deep down. She would recover, and she'd feel awful for being so snippy when she looked back, but that exact moment meant a shamefully twisted gut and a spike of immaturity. "I know I can, but I wish I didn't have to! I know you're not an ass like that, but I just miss being able to do things. It's annoying needing help with everything."

" oh, quite hectic, but... " she trails away, smiling fondly at her memories of aurora. " it's worth it, i believe. " agatha tells him, looking back up at him. sure, there were moments that caused great worry or frustration, and of course there was the whole ordeal with ny herlighed, but she doesn't regret having aurora with maren. not one bit. they love their daughter dearly. there isn't anything they wouldn't do for her to make sure she's safe and happy.

" and i think you'd be an amazing father, sanji. " she likes to think they've been friends long enough to be able to tell him that and be sure of it. " i doubted myself, too. i think it's natural for everyone that wants kids to doubt themselves, but it's really maren that convinced me that i'd be a good mother. " agatha reaches out, resting a hand on his upper arm. " any kid you have in the future would want you as their dad, sanji. "

as she sees him blush now, she can't help but giggle. " oh, sanji. come on, you're sharing this with me. " agatha's smile grows and she takes his hand, tugging him into the room at the back of her shop. it was part workspace and part relaxation area, a worktable and supplies at one end and a couch with a coffee table at the other. she sits, making herself comfortable. " eat with me sanji, please? "

At her claim, Sanji gifted her a beaming grin. His fluttery, flirtatious behavior had stopped once he learned she was happily taken, but that would never stop him from spoiling her and her family. She was a brilliant woman, one who deserved care of every kind, and he was glad to be one of the ones privileged enough to call her a friend. And he firmly believed that even friends ought to be spoiled now and again.

"Having a kid sounds hectic. I wonder if I'd be able to pull it off." The ideas of having a little one of his own had sprung to mind more than once, but the fact that he was single always made that idea feel like an awful one. He knew of brilliant single parents, but he wanted a proper family, like the one Agatha had.

He would have to wait, however, as it seemed he couldn't take care of himself. Now it was his turn to blush and give a sheepish smile.

"I was so worried about making sure you had something to eat that I didn't make myself anything. I wouldn't want to take any of it from you, though!"

" that's because i'm just so lovable. besides, how can you say no to this face? " she asks with a giggle, opening up the basket, the delightful scents of food wafting up toward her face now. boy, that smells delicious. " i bet your kitchen smelled really amazing while you were making all these treats for us. " then again, sanji's creations always smell wonderful and look so delectable.

" oh? " she looks up at him before taking out a container with chocolate chip cookies. " ah— is that molasses i smell? " agatha asks, her smile growing. she could even see toffee bits in them, which made the edges slightly crispy and almost caramel-like in texture, the molasses making the centers more chewy. " gods, these are delicious! "

agatha offers one of the cookies to him. she's sure he tried them after baking them, but still! she feels it's only fair to share them. " i love these! i'm sure maren and aurora will enjoy them, too, if i don't eat them all. " she tells sanji with a laugh, which would certainly be easy for her to do when they're so good, but no, she's already putting the lid back on the container and trying the other sweets.

It seemed that no matter the situation, no matter the feelings Sanji willingly voiced, Agatha knew exactly what to say it set his mind at ease. She understood the doubt and knew exactly where it came from, but the fact that she had confidence in him helped to further solidify the idea that, some day, he wouldn't mind becoming a father.

"You're too kind." The hand she placed on his arm was covered with one of his own, fleeting touch a gentle thank you for investing even a few seconds of her time in encouraging him.

He hadn't much choice, but Sanji didn't mind being dragged. She had invited him, and he knew that it would have been cruel to deny her company when she wanted it.

"I have time, and you know I can't really say no to you." He sat beside her, giving her plenty of space but not treating her like a stranger. "You'll have to let me know what you think. I made some changes based on the last time you tried this."

" ah— o-oh! oh, goodness, i-i— i w-was wondering where that went! thank you s-so much. " an embarrassed laugh leaves the hero now, cheeks flushing as she smiles sheepishly and retrieves the pouch from the other's hand. she reattaches it to her belt with the others. must've come loose during the fight... maybe she could figure out a better way of keeping them fastened to the belt. to his praise, agatha feels her cheeks flushing more under her mask (which she feels incredibly grateful for now). " th-thank you! i-it's b-been a real honor working b-b-by your side... um, f-fatgum, r-right? "

⟬ @fiorserpen / s.c ⟭

"I found this down the street. Didn't look like it was busted open, so I figured ya'd want it back." Taishiro didn't feel it was a wild stretch of his imagination to assume that the pouch was hers when it matched the ones attached to the front of her belt. After a hard-fought battle, the last thing any hero wanted to learn was that they needed to replace their gear, so he was more than happy to lend her a hand. "You did a real good job out there, by the way."

a soft laugh leaves agatha and she nods. " yeah, p-people k-keep saying that, a-and i have had a chance to work with him, b-but h-he already had his hands full with his own t-team this time around. " and she didn't want to possibly get in the way, so she decided to offer a hand to the heroes that only had one or a couple to a group. " oh, uh, n-no, no, i-it was an honor t-to w-work alongside who i did, a-and i was very happy to lend a hand. really, y-y-you d-don't owe me anything. " agatha is quick to brush that off, her smile becoming nervous. she was just doing her job, after all.

while his grin falters, hers only grows. " no, i-it's t-totally okay! you know, th-the fight and all, i-it got in the way. " agatha laughs again, rubbing her neck. she offers her hand for a handshake now. " i-i'm a— " whoops. " gaia. i-it's gaia. " jeez, she nearly slipped up there and said her real name. can't have that, can we? " i and a handful of o-other heroes from america were asked by— b-by y-your government to aid in the fight against the league of villains, so... h-here i am. "

"After watchin' ya use all'a those plants the way ya did, I'm surprised ya weren't assigned to a team with Kamui Woods!" A hearty laugh had the hero's whole body shaking. "Think the honor's all mine, honestly. Ya kept a lot of us from gettin' hurt worse than we did, so we all owe ya one."

Introductions weren't ideal in the middle of a fight, but now that the two-bit villains had been apprehended and the civilians taken care of, now felt like the opportune moment to learn names.

"That's me! Feel bad not knowin' your name right off the bat." The grin he typically wore faltered a fraction, the downward twitch obvious. "Sorry for not askin' sooner, but since we've got a second. . ."

agatha happily returns the firm handshake, grinning big and wide behind her mask, the corners of her eyes crinkling. she truly never expected such a warm welcome here, it really feels amazing! " th-thank you! i-i s-still feel pretty proud of it m-myself. " she admits with a delighted laugh. it sure took her some time to come up with it, too, but eventually it was the one she settled on after hemming and hawing over it and others.

" oh, w-w-we've b-been thanked plenty. " she nods, her smile growing a little more. it felt strange, being thanked so much, but it felt good. " b-but i-i don't need to be thanked, i-i just really enjoy helping out w-where a-and— and w-when i can! " it was really gratifying to do so. agatha enjoyed seeing how happy it seemed to make people to be helped by her and the other heroes.

agatha's features soften and her head cants slightly. " a-after e-everything is said and done, w-what do you all do? d-d-do you just go home or... o-or h-hang out with each other? " while there was certainly plenty to do here, agatha wasn't sure she wanted to partake in anything alone. not out of fear, but it was better to do a lot of things with someone, wasn't it?

Round eyes dart to the offered hand, and the grin came back in full force. He took the hand in his own, gave it a hearty shake and let out a belly-deep laugh.

"Gaia! That's a great name, I like it!" It brought his prettily painted pictures of lush forests and vibrant flowers, which he supposed was the point. "Real nice t'meet ya, Gaia."

His grin was still wide, still beaming, but there was a streak of genuine gratitude behind it when she mentioned hauling herself from one country to another. "Dunno if anyone's said it yet, but all of ya comin' over here to help is doin' us a big favor. Thanks, really."