me prepping the next chapter of Bitter (spoilers ahead if you haven't read it yet):
aaaand people are talking while eating food again why is there always FOOD, Jack has his Fudge Moment, Jazz stress cooks a big meal for everyone, getting Maddie to eat something is a big accomplishment, they eat Nasty Burger while looking for ghosts, Vlad and Maddie go out for fancy drinks, Skulker is drinking whisky at a bar, THE WHOLE STORY IS KICKED OFF BY A POISONED DRINK
Silver Dresses, Orange Tights has Paulina and Sam bonding while sipping mocktails, looking for vegan food at a party and getting drunk off port
Jazz is preparing tea while talking to Batman in Stalling
SAM AND KITTY FEED DUCKS IN GRABBING SMOKE
Even Ghosts Like Cookies IT'S IN THE TITLE
in Tell Me a Story Danielle shares her stories for FREE FOOD
I feel like there's just something special about sharing a meal together like, it's humanising in a way I don't know how to describe, like back in the caveman days eating a meal was something you did when you knew you were safe sitting around the fire with your tribe, it was THE time to socialise and bond
and it's just something comforting and warm and necessary but also difficult and complicated when you're stressed or unwell, and it's terrible when a basic need becomes a chore
I find making or sharing food with someone in their time of need is a basic human kindness, and knowing what they like all the way down to preparing their tea in just the right way is so important to me, I love sharing snacks or buying dinner in return for a kindness someone showed me, food is my love language and I didn't even realise until I'd written it into several stories that it was showing in my writing so much
Paulina helping Sam to find something she can eat at a party is a crucial bonding moment for them
Cassidy offering free food in return for people's stories is what gets Danielle to open up about her weird life and even have a vulnerable learning moment about her self worth
Maddie being brought a food she finds comfort in by her children when she's not been eating well, in opposition to Vlad taking her out to some fancy cafe outside of her comfort zone where she has a lemonade, something sour disguised as something sweet (helloooo metaphor)
and Vlad has a cake made for Jack with a fudge filling, his comfort food, knowing Jack will never get to eat it, an extra step of unnecessary cruelty
and then when Jack is finally able to eat again the first thing his kids do to calm him down is bring him his comfort food and then give him a home cooked meal, the one he had previously had to watch everyone enjoy when he couldn't even touch it
and then there's the infamous bitter taste in his mouth any time Vlad is mentioned
and in my upcoming chapter it's going to be someone using a gift of food as an excuse to go and comfort someone who is grieving
OH FUCK AND THE CHAPTER AFTERWARDS IS GONNA INVOLVE PIZZA AS AN INTEGRAL PLOT DEVICE BSBSKBAKAMAVJS I JUST REALISED THAT
and NONE of this was done with forethought or intent, it just kept happening and I had to look back and wonder why and figure out what my subconscious was trying to tell me
and it's that food is a love language, it's use for good is a sign of care and kindness, and it's use for manipulation and cruelty is a show of true betrayal of someone's trust
I have always had a complex relationship with food (even dabbled with eating disorders) so seeing my subconscious just laying this shit out has been eye opening, and maybe even somewhat healing for me
it's just wild what our brains can do when we aren't paying attention
