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[likethelight]

< An.Exorcist > Aʟʟᴇɴ Wᴀʟᴋᴇʀ

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( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

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( voice | un: duckling )

[danserai]

[ now that she's all set up, the only person she's truly worried about is allen. is he okay? was he eating? was he lonely??

so she reaches out. ]

Hey . . . I found myself a house and I'm staying with some friends I made.

Uhmm, I hope you're okay. And taking care. Let me know if you need any help?

1/2

[likethelight]

[ THE GEM-THING TALKS AND IT SOUNDS LIKE AHIRU

??? ]

2/2 ( voice | un: pierrot )

[likethelight]

... [ oh ]

Ahiru? [ he recovers quickly, this one. and is... kind of figuring it out... he hopes ]

You found yourself a house to stay at already? With friends? [ Are they good friends? No one scary? He'll beat them up if they're mean.

He sounds genuinely relieved though. Warm. If there was any small pang at that, her finding a home, it's certainly not in his voice. ]

Aa, that's good. I'm glad.

[danserai]

Y-Yes, a girl named Luz found me a place in her house. She's like a witch? But a good witch with magic and no gingerbread houses or wrinkles . . .

I'm still getting to know the people there but they seem nice too except I think there's one adult who lives in a cup? or something? I haven't met him yet . . .

A-Anyway, are you okay?

text;

[mehanizovati]

Allen, why am I hearing people say you, and I quote, 'rode a dragon like a bull rider?'

text;

[likethelight]

[ Oh my gOD. ]






it wasn't so much like a bull really

[ He left Viktor on "read" five minutes before finally responding with that. ]

text;

[mehanizovati]

[viktor is just absolutely putting his head in his hands because oh my god. he sort of knew it was true because Allen Walker but oh my god.]

I also heard you were fighting it along with this riding.

You are not injured, yes? Do you need anything before I ask dear gods Allen, why were you fighting and riding a dragon?

[stoicsilhouette]

Welfare check.









I know you still exist.

[likethelight]

[ Why does that sound accusatory?? ]

If you do then why are you checking?!

1/2

[stoicsilhouette]

[ Just being considerate. OTL ]
Pulse confirmed.

2/2

[stoicsilhouette]

Now that I know your alive, how are you doing?

It's been almost two months and someone mentioned your name the other day.

action;

[swellter]

[ Shouto leaves a wooden crate at Allen's door the day before the bake-off. Inside the crate are 12 half-pint mason jars full of jams, each labeled with their names (apricot jam, strawberry jam, etc). On top of the crate is a small card that simply says

- From Shouto

Behold your very own anti-corruption jam, handmade with TLC (tough love and carelessness). Beware of taste, but good for corruption! Some lucky people may wait to try it after they see his poor performance at the bake-off and may want to think twice about trying it. Doesn't help that he was robbed for all he's worth spending about two pints of blood for ingredients. Also, a few of those jams might be cursed. Please look at the 'Seasonal Details on the Boardwalk' to see just what curse you've got with each jam and yup, all the cursed fruit is there. He really knows how to pick 'em! ]

1) Apricot Jam
1/2 cup apricots (not pitted)
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoon oyster sauce
3 half-inch pieces of ginger
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

2) Strawberry Jam
1/2 cup strawberry (stems and all)
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoon fish sauce
3 half-inch cinnamon stick (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

3) Mango Jam
1 mango (not pitted or skinned)
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoon hoisin sauce
3 whole stars of anise (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

4) Papaya Jam
1/2 Papaya (seeds added, not skinned)
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoon tamari sauce
3 whole cloves (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

5) Blackberry Jam
1 cup blackberries
1/2 cup sugar
4 basil leaves
4 tablespoon light soy sauce
3 whole cardamom pods (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

6) Raspberry Jam
1 cup raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
4 bay leaves (dried)
4 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce
3 whole nutmeg seeds (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

7) Blueberry Jam
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
4 mint leaves
4 tablespoon dark soy sauce
3 whole mace seeds (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

8) Marmalade Jam
1 cup blood orange (w/skin and seeds)
1/2 cup sugar
1 bundle of cilantro
4 tablespoon mushroom soy sauce
3 tablespoons of whole fenugreek (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

9) Grape Jam
1 cup concord grapes (w/skin and seeds)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of water
1 bundle of parsley
4 chipotle peppers
3 tablespoons of whole cumin (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

10) Grapefruit Jam
1 cup grapefruit (w/skin and seeds)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of water
1 bundle of chives
4 pepperoncini peppers
3 tablespoons of whole mustard seeds (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

11) Apple Jam
1 cup Apples (w/skin and seeds)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of water
1 tablespoon of rosemary
4 banana peppers
3 tablespoons of whole coriander seeds (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

12) Lemon Jam
1 cup lemon (w/skin and seeds)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of water
1 tablespoon of dill
4 shishito peppers
3 tablespoons of whole dried red chiles (left in the jam)
Boiled (some charring, taste a little burnt)

video;

[likethelight]

[ Shouto... Shouto all of this is so unfortunate. He wouldn't even know where to begin. Sadly though, Allen has enough selective moral integrity to not try any before the competition. He has too many friends competing! He must remain fair and impartial!! So for now, your terrible secret is safe from Allen and he's even, sadly, really excited and touched about this. He can experience the full shock and horror on live camera.

Sadder still, all those labels fell off. Impishly curious batcat kittens that Sansa has attracted to the place, probably. Or... what did you attach them with, honestly? Otherwise he might question some of the fruit contents. ...although he did lift a few of them up and had questions about why some had... whole stuff in them. Um?

That said, have a positively radiant-looking Allen Walker popping up on your screen. ]

Ehhh? [ He smiles, waving about the "From Shouto" card held elegantly between gloved index and middle finger, and there is something demurely cheeky about his tone. Total nonchalance. ]

Is this what they call "bribing the judges"? [ ✨ ]

[ Will Shouto understand that he's just teasing him? Quite possibly not. Does Allen still really want to tease him a little anyway? Yes, but he'll apologize after. ]

[swellter]

[ Thick pine trees rise behind him and the faint sound of the forest comes to life when he picks up. Mismatched eyes fall to the card, but a sound in the distance shifts his gaze to something beyond the camera's view. When Allen when starts speaking, his attention returns to the omni, eyes widening slightly before his movements cease all at once. ]

....

[ There's a long stretch of silence while he makes sense of that accusation and very quietly stares at the card with his name neatly written in Romanji. He forgot he was a judge. ]

That wasn't my intention.

[ Knowing what it looks like, he can only give one response. ]

Sorry for putting you in this position. I'll take them back.

voice: un: vi [mid july]

[faceblocks]

So you're the one running things at the Sanctuary, right? [she doesn't want to bother alayne with this. also viktor has told her as much so.]

voice;

[likethelight]

[ a blink! Sansa's friend...? ]

Ah-- [ hesitant, for sheepish reasons ]

I do what I can. It's something that a lot of people help make happen.

Why do you ask?

voice;

[faceblocks]

I need to get a lot of food. [you have no idea. this bird is the size of a building.] Not for me, for ...someone else. That's really, really hungry. They might be hurt, too. I don't know. Is that something you can make happen?

gift;

[umbraportation]

[ To him, Allen didn't seem all that interested in celebrating Christmas in a huge fashion for himself. Nico is much the same, so he's not making a huge fuss. But he will give a gift in the form of simple handmade coupons for ten meals and five baked goods made by the dark-haired teen. To be claimed whenever in the next year.

This is wrapped with simple red paper and a tag that says: To Allen, from Nico - nothing about the holiday itself. ]

Christmas Week

[swellter]

[ On the first day of December Shouto looks outside their bedroom window and starts to think. ]

2/2

[swellter]

[ Going into the second week he starts to see familiar decorations and those initial thoughts begin to coalesce into tangible ideas that take up more of his attention. He says nothing about it, observing Trench transform into a winter wonderland with snowbanks near the river. In the third week, he loses track of the decorations while he watches ice start to form near the edges of the river. He tracks the slow growth throughout the week until one morning he finds one of the koi belly up beneath a thin layer of ice and drops the bowl of food he'd been carrying. He runs over, looking terrified, to break through the ice. It disturbs the peaceful waters beneath enough to have the koi turn over and swim away from the disturbance. Mainly him. Shouto sits in a terror-fueled, post-adrenaline rush on the river bank where Allen likely finds him. If asked he'd tell him about his scare and his plans to bring the koi in if it gets any colder.

After the mid-winter koi scare, the fourth week creeps up unexpectedly and on the 21st of December Shouto wakes up early to survey the land near their abode. By lunchtime, he's gone off to the markets and by dinner, he returns with an ice sled full of lunar orbs. On the 22nd he rises early again. Picks out a tree growing close to their window, and starts stringing small lunar orbs starting from the top until the tree is covered in the little glowing orbs from crown to trunk. He eats a large lunch, half of Allen's usual share to keep up with his activities before heading outside and continuing with his decorations. When dinner rolls around, the tree lights up like a Christmas tree with a delicate garland of ice spinning up to the top and ending in a sparkling five-pointed star standing proudly on top. When he comes inside, he looks tired and falls asleep on the chair before being roused for dinner and passing out in the living room nook. He doesn't even take a bath.

Shouto sleeps in on the 23rd rising late and heads out to the markets again coming back a little dizzy having depleted his blood reserves the previous day. This time, he spends the day inside. He finally brings in the koi inside the bath. He and Kizu spend the next few hours in freezing cold water feeding them and cleaning them before changing the bath water. By the time he gets out, his skin is a little pruney but there's a small smile at the corner of his mouth every time he visits the bath which he does quite frequently. Kizu spends most of her time there while he's out and about. Late that night he asks Allen if they can take a picture together right before bed with an old camera he brought in that morning.

The 24th finds them, at one point, in front of the decorated tree during daylight with Shouto trying to arrange a picture which he fails to smile for several times even if prompted by Allen. He simply doesn't know what he's doing wrong. They end up taking quite a few pictures. Of Allen. Of Tim. Kizu and Shouto. The camera gets a turn with everyone capturing different poses and maybe a smile or two from Shouto when he's not paying attention. The same process is repeated that night as his request with the delicate ice garland twinkling against the moonlight and the lunar orbs glowing contently absorbing the lunar energy while flashes of light go off throughout the night.

On the morning of the 25th Allen will find three presents addressed to him under the Christmas tree outside. They're both frozen over and stuck to the base of the tree with Shouto looking distraught at his mistake, forgetting that wrapping paper isn't as sturdy as him in winter and insists on rewrapping them again which he does so in the bathroom with Kizu keeping watch while the koi watch what he's up to. When he leaves the bath, he'll hand over the first gift to Allen with his name neatly re-written in Romaji.

It's a small gift holding a singular card inside. Allen may be familiar with the card. It's the same one he's used before for birthdays except 'Birthday' is neatly crossed out. In its place, the word 'Christmas' is neatly written in Romanji without disturbing the neat type of the '10 favors'.

The second gift is a bit larger. Inside Allen will find 10 picture frames stacked together with an "I didn't know which one you would like" tagged on by Shouto while watches him open them looking very serious while he undoes the package. The third gift is of similar length of width but not as tall. Inside is a stack of pictures they took the previous day developed and of perfect size to fit the frames. All of it tied up with a simple, "Merry Christmas" from Shouto. ]

gift!!!

[mehanizovati]

[wow this is late sh, there's no way allen isn't getting a gift of course. the whole party is basically for allen, let's be real.

said gift would definitely be at the party, under the tree as expected. unsurprisingly part of it is just baked goods. can anyone go wrong giving allen food? probably not. viktor will also never admit these may be things he vaguely remembers from his own childhood. it's not sentimental, shut up.

the other is just also very viktor-core. meaning it's a bracer with a darkblood gem and all that hextech/bloodgemtech rune looking wiring coming out of it. when activated it will offer shielding in a bubble around allen when attacks come his way. it can be broken through with enough force but otherwise is sturdy.

and of course a note:

Allen,

I hope this holiday has been to your standards. Mostly I hope you are taking a proper break to enjoy it and not testing Abigail's wrath by haunting the kitchens.

And this will hopefully help keep you safe. Come to me later and I will show you how it works. If you need another darkblood gem to fuel it after this one runs dry find me as well, I have an excess at this point.

I am very proud of you.

Viktor ]

text | un; shouto

[swellter]

I need to speak to you when you have time.

[likethelight]

I always have time.

I can be home soon. What is it?

action;

[swellter]

[ After nearly a month of trying to find a recipe, he can follow for a lemon cake he promised Allen to celebrate a year since they started living together - an arrangement neither of them ever discussed in an official capacity - Shouto found one he could handle at his skill level and put himself to work filling the house by the edge of the river with notes of citrus: the graveyard of his disasters.

As April rolled into May, there were a few side effects. Mild at first, then grew into little obsessions. If he was a bit more affectionate at times, it was only natural, given how their relationship had evolved. However, it made him think twice about it when he was laser-focused on following a recipe, taste-tested the marinating lemon juice in sugar and finely cut lemon peels, and found himself not two seconds later making a beeline for Allen to kiss him. Sometimes a little desperately, forgetting all about the dessert he was supposed to make. It happened so frequently, at one point, he seriously considered himself a rake and promptly told Allen of his suspicions.

Near the end of May, he finally managed not to hound Allen while baking. All it took was upending his entire schedule so he baked in the morning when Allen wasn't home and started his patrols later, and got home late for two weeks straight until he managed to sharpen his skills enough to bake a decent lemon cake without hovering over the recipe.

Tonight, he came home early to bake the promised cake before dinner, letting it cool before adding a thin layer of white chocolate over the half-domed sponge. ]

Save room for dessert.

[ He sits down, folding his legs neatly beneath the low table filled with an array of dishes for the evening meal. He doesn't think it will be a problem, given how much he's seen Allen eat in one sitting at a buffet. It's why he set aside the small cakes to cool, he also didn't want him to pick at them as he sometimes tends to do. ]

I made lemon cake.

[likethelight]

[ It's a month he was definitely hard-pressed to keep Allen from taste-testing with little swipes at every step too, and it's only because Shouto did that Allen still hasn't entirely put what together that he had made a very uninformed decision in choosing lemon. Though he is smart enough to realize it always seems to happen when he's baking, and quickly realizes around mid-month the return of other cursed fruits with the season, but... unfortunately he was informed very vaguely before on the nature of the lemons, and that they just made one crave more lemons. Which is obviously not what's happening here.

No, instead he understands there's a connection, but figures it the emotional meaning behind the cake itself and what it means, and the giddy sense of newness and discovery.

After all, bursts of affection, even the way Shouto might suddenly sweep him up to kiss him-- ... it only seems natural now, if occasionally a little surprising. After all it's a new normal for them to both figure out and explore; even Allen gets that. Notwithstanding being a little shy still sometimes because it's part of his gentle nature, his hesitancy and repression went out the window that first night. So it's welcomed every time, even if he might get caight offguard initially when he seeks him out to kiss him with an intensity that steals his breath away, and he's quick to reciprocate and pull him close to take an eager role in it too, not needing any encouragement from the lemon on his tongue. After all, it comes from a place of love and affection, and everything Allen is as a person revolves around cherishing that.

—which is also why he goes so blank-faced and gets a little horrified when Shouto tells him his suspicions. He... he knows what an actual rake is like, Shouto. And it's not you. It's something Allen gets a little squirmy but very adamant about in clarifying the two are nothing alike. Affection from a place of love is absolutely not the same as how a lech is!! Absolutely!!

...but maybe later on, in a back corner of his mind... he frets a little that somehow, on some level, perhaps he's a bit more like his master now too.

That said, he falls over himself a little in a sudden surge of eagerness. A fork remains frozen where he had already shoved a large heaping of something into his mouth. ]

You did? [ His eyes brighten, perking up noticeably even when he was already in a good mood. You better believe he smelled the proof of baking the instant he got home, but since the house has smelled like that all month it's hard to conclude much from it. ]

Is it the cake? [ awe! and warming ]