#also the basket in pyramid

[lilyginnyblackv2]

Buddy Daddies - Episode 9 - Preview is Up! - SPOILERS & SPECULATION!

It’s time for Sports Day! 

So, according to the summary, neither Kazuki nor Rei have ever participated in a children’s sports day, which makes sense. Rei had an unconventional childhood and Kazuki grew up without much money and without parents, so it’s unlikely that he went to daycare or preschool. 

(Thinking about, this would also explain why neither Kazuki nor Rei thought of daycare or preschool right away and only got the idea after seeing a daycare bus go by the park.)

This means that this children’s sports day will be all of their firsts! Mine too, kinda. I’ve experienced elementary school and junior high school sports days, but never a daycare/preschool sports day. I found a blog post written by a mother who went to one (I’ll link it below in the comments) and a lot of the events involve the parents in the activity.

At the elementary and junior high school level, parents usually aren’t all that involved, But at the daycare level, it seems they are! Especially for the little babies (which makes sense, because they are babies, they can’t do too much on their own).

Putting the rest under a Read More because of spoilers!

Let’s look at some of the events we can see in the preview:

Tamaire - Bean Bag Toss

It looks like Miri is holding a white colored bean bag in her hand, so this is probably going to be some a bean bag toss game.

Here is a description of the event:

Tamaire (玉入れ) translates “Beanbag toss”, and as the name implies, it is an exciting game where students throw small beanbags into a basket hung at the top of a tall pole. Beanbags are scatted on the ground around the pole, and each bag has the color of its team, typically red or white. Teams compete against each other based on the number of beanbags in the basket. There is a time limit, and the beanbags thrown into the basket after the time ends are not worth any points.

(I’ll link to the post where I got that description below in the comments).

Tug - of - War

Tug-of-War is a staple and is basically at every sports day and it looks like Miss  Anna is tugging at a rope here. How it will go down here...I’m not too sure. Usually you’ll see combos like the kids going against each other, or students against teachers (junior high school), or even like teachers against parents (one of the rare events where you might see parents participate in Sports Days aimed at older years). Maybe here it will be the Aozora Staff vs The Parents? Or maybe the older kids and Miss Anna vs The Parents, lol.

I don’t know! It should be pretty interesting though! Of course, I could be wrong here too, but tug-of-war would make sense.

Kumitaiso (組体操) - Maybe? Or Stretching?

I’m not 100% sure on this one. What is kumitaiso? 

Kumitaiso (組体操) is rather a group performance than individual competition. Students work together as a team and create a variety of gymnastic formations with their bodies.

Usually they make a pyramid, but this generally tends to be for older kids, and parents have noted in more recent years that it can be very dangerous, so many schools are getting rid of it. But maybe this is a more tame/safer and more simplistic version of something like that. But they could just be doing some kind of stretching activity here. If anyone knows for sure, feel free to let me know and I’ll add the info in!

Race

And, of course, we have the race. According to the summary, Miri practices with Kazuki in the park and she does end up in the lead, but then she falls right before the finish line! T0T Oh no, Miri! A lesson in things being out of our control sometimes? About losing and taking it okay? Both? Something else entirely? I’m intrigued to see which it will be!

Let’s see, outside of that we have... 

Rei scouting out the daycare, lmao! XD

It’s cute though! Rei is getting into the event in his own way.

It seems both him and Kazuki are getting really invested in it, so this may end up being a lesson for them too (like parents centering themselves in their children’s sports activities and making it more about them than their child - you know, the parent that gets super worked up over their kid losing something, maybe kinda like Kazuki looks here: 

But the kid will be totally fine. I can see them going with that angle. Since Buddy Daddies generally tends to be less about Miri learning some kind of lesson and more so about Kazuki and Rei learning something about parenting and themselves through raising Miri.

Changing up the focus a bit, one thing I’m really looking forward to is seeing Kazuki and Rei possibly interacting with the other daycare parents more (not just the Daycare Mamas!).

You can spot a Daycare Papa! in the background there too. It’s also just really common to see like the whole family come out for Sports Day events, so like moms, dads, older and younger siblings, even grandparents.

The idea of Kazuki and Rei being able to take part in something so...innocent and group building is such a heartwarming idea. Though, I am also fully preparing myself for an after-credits scene that will go back to the drama at hand and Kyutaro’s decision, etc. and that’s probably going to hurt even more after this episode (likely as the writers intended, lol).

Oh! Also, I love that we are seeing that follow through that I was hoping for from Episode 7! It seems Rei is going to be willingly choosing to make riceballs for Miri (enough that she could share them with her friends and others there too!). This lunch is going to be one that Kazuki and Rei make for their family together. T~T My heart! 

Also, Rei learning how to make something like a riceball is such a good place to actually start (instead of French toast, which requires more basic skills and knowledge). It’s an easy (and quick) meal to learn how to make well. If they end up tasting really good too, then that can act as a very quick and easy boost to his confidence with making and preparing food. It’s such a good step in the right direction! I hope the kids and parents like his riceballs! 

Anyway, I’m going to fully appreciate this breather episode before we jump into the angst, action (probably), and drama of the final act of the series (Ep. 10 - 13).

#Buddy Daddies #Kazuki Kurusu #Rei Suwa #KazuRei #Miri Unasaka #BD #BD spoilers #Buddy Daddies spoilers #speculation #long post #image heavy post #Sports Day

[ghosttownwherenoonegoes]

Eri!!! 🖤 https://www.tumblr.com/ghosttownwherenoonegoes/718476780121505792/in-honour-of-the-1st-year-anniversirywith-our-baby?source=share

I'll get my new sideline uniform for cheer next week because the season starts and...maybe Eddie reacting to that? Or accompanying me to cheer for me while I'm cheering? That's the dream 🖤

The cheerleader's cheerleader

Kiki!!🥰✨Okay, so I thought long and hard about this request, what to write and how to write it, and I think I finally got something worthy of the person who not only introduced me to Eddie Munson, but also coaxed me into watching Stranger Things and therefore introduced me to a comfort character and a comfort show in one hit!!💗I hope that you enjoy this. I did a lot of research on cheer; watched some videos, studied your DMs and tried to incorporate everything that I could, and I did my bestest!!! Thank you for everything, Kiki, you made this fandom my home and I'm so grateful for everything.🫂

Word count: 1, 150.

(It had to be this GIF, it had to be.🤣🥺My heart is aching, I miss him so much.💔)

SOME physical description given; reader is a flyer so they are explicitly described as being small. Kiki was absolutely in mind 100% when I wrote this so it’s very tailored to her. I hope others can enjoy it, though.

You had been quietly and impatiently waiting for your sideline uniform to be sent to you through the post; the cheerleading season started soon and that was all you were waiting on for your position as a flyer to become official. Somehow, the experience of getting to go back into cheerleading and your corresponding emotions became more real once you had the uniform in your hands, adorable hair ribbons included.

It was supposed to arrive this week and you couldn't have been more pleased, excited and nervous if you had tried. Eddie, if it was possible, was even more of everything than you were. The sweet boy was like a sponge, soaking up the atmosphere around you as you seemed almost to vibrate whenever you sat or stood still for an extended period of time. You reminded Eddie - and Uncle Wayne, when the plant let him have a rare night off - of himself, when he was in the throes of planning a new campaign. He would giggle to himself as he made contingency plans of contingency plans, come up with creative ways for his sheep's characters to get themselves out of the stick situations he threw them into, a shepherd tending to his flock even as he tortured them just a little, just enough to get them squirming in their seats and whispering wishes into hands cupped around many sided dice. He was a sadistic Dungeon Master and yet he experienced genuine happiness and excitement when he was bested, proud of his sheep and of his Hellfire boys.

And you, oh, you were a live wire. Cheer was the only sports you had ever enjoyed. It was one of your true callings in life, you could feel it deep in your bones. You had been given the position of a flyer due to your physical stature; you were small which meant that you could do backflips in the air, reach the top of the pyramid, be thrown around and receive the attention and admiration of an entire crowd of people. It was incredibly difficult, and it was a sport which Eddie had a lot of respect for. He never included cheerleaders in his anti-conformity canteen-table rants for a reason and that was because it was genuinely hard to be a cheerleader. It required so much practice, determination, passion and trust in the other cheerleaders. But shit like bastketball? Toss a ball into a basket and that was the extent of it... Eddie had no respect for that. None at all. Jocks weren't worth it, but cheerleaders? Eddie admired them.

You loved the thrill of being up in the air, of feeling the wind in your hair and seeing the gymnasium from an angle very few got to. It gave you an adrenaline high like nothing else, and Eddie loved the spark it put in your eyes.

"Hey, sweetheart?" Eddie came bounding around the corner of his bedroom, his dark curls brushing against the tops of his shoulders and his chocolate eyes soft with love for you. He was holding a package in his hands and you knew just from the smirk of your face what he was bringing you. "Look what I've got ~ " the gleeful sing song of his voice made you grin, the expression infectious as Eddie couldn't keep his own off his face. Oh, but you two were always feeding off each other's emotions and making any moment even more special between the two of you. You were so very similar, in many ways.

You loved cheer, you loved it, and you needed no prompting at all from Eddie to grab the package as you tore it open and your eyes consumed the first sight of your uniform, as your hands felt the material for the first time; tougher than usual thanks to the factory starch which was always put onto new clothes. Eddie's smile was still almost as wide as his face, threatening to split his cheeks in two as he watched you. You were so happy, squealing and expressing your excitement so viscerally that you weren't even fully aware of yourself, and the sweet man was simply enjoying your happiness and deriving his own from it. If you were the sunshine, then Eddie was the tallest sunflower, following you wherever you went for the pleasure of your warmth across his face.

"Go try it on, babe, go on," The upward lilt of Eddie's voice sounded a lot like when he was goading his sheep to make a decision during a tense moment in a campaign, and you were gone like a bullet from a gun, leaving Eddie staring after you with an ache in his chest.

When had the Dungeon Master become the cheerleader's cheerleader?

Thankfully, your unform fit with no problems and days passed, until finally, finally, it was the first day of the season. If Eddie had thought that you were excited before, when you received your uniform in the post, then it had nothing on what you were feeling right now. You had your feet firmly on the ground and yet it felt like you were already on the top of the pyramid, your lungs burning in your chest, your body working hard to keep you steady atop the others, your adrenaline high even higher than you. You were on cloud nine and Eddie was right there beside you, his hand tightly in yours, fingers interlocked.

"So, sweetheart," Eddie tooks his keys out of the ignition and turned to smirk at you, his hands reaching out in opposite directions; one sliding up from your knee where it had rested to wrap around your wrist, and the other grasping for the door handle. You should have known that what it looked like Eddie was doing, wasn't what he had planned. "You ready to do that, y'know," he mimed a very weak, silly imitation of cheerleading to make you giggle, "thing you do?"

Your voice was saturated with sunshine and laughter as you said, "you coming with me? That'd be a dream, Eddie." You cracked the passenger side door open but remained in your seat, wanting every second right beside Eddie. Oh, but you loved him so much that it put a solid ache in your chest.

Eddie leaned over the console between your seats to give you a lingering, tender kiss to your forehead as he murmured, "I wouldn't wanna be anywhere else. I promise." Something shifted in his chest as he said that. Something clicked into place for him, just as it had for you the day that you had signed up for cheer once again. Eddie remembered a few days ago when he had asked himself to recall when the Dungeon Master had also become the cheerleader's cheerleader?

But now he knew the answer. He could feel it in his bones...

... It was the day he had fallen in love with you.

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x cheerleader reader #eddie munson x cheer!reader #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson #stranger things #stranger things x reader

[bomberqueen17]

backsplash

ok so after they put the countertops in, it was time to tile the backsplash, and install the last cabinet, which rests on top of the counter in the corner.

"I don't remember what color tile we picked," I said.

Jim laughed, and got one of the tiles out, and laid it on the counter.

"Oh," I said, "right. Yeah."

[image description: a white tile. It's a white tile. Lying on the new white countertop.]

In my defense. It's a glossy white subway tile, but it matches the white in the countertop, and it also has a subtle undulating texture.

They covered the countertops with a dropcloth and taped-down thin cardboard (just like the taped-down cardboard they've covered the floor with since it was installed), brought in a tile saw, and set to work.

[image description: my in-progress kitchen, with a Ridgid brand tile saw set up on a plastic tray on the new counter in front of the bay window, and tools spread out across the rest of the counter. Max is laying out tile along the north wall, and the foreground is my stove, covered in a towel, being a surface for tools to lie on.]

Max found the center line of where the stove is going to be installed, and spaced the tiles based on that. I figured they'd start at one end and work over but no! They start from a center line and work out. The tile is going to the ceiling above the stove, so that was their center line, even though it's not anywhere near the middle of the wall.

[Image description: Max is bent over facing away, and has just placed the first tile in the center of a piece of trim mounted behind where the stove is going to go, after covering the whole wall in whatever the stuff is that you stick tiles to. Above him is the square of plywood that the stove fume hood is going to get mounted into.]

Meanwhile, Jim had retrieved the last remaining cupboard from the living room. It is meant to rest atop the countertop, over in the corner. The electrician had accidentally installed an outlet in that corner, and when he discovered his mistake, Jim suggested just leaving it there anyway and cutting a hole in the back of the cabinet to accomodate it. So I said sure, and now Jim was slightly moving the outlet to fit, and then sawing the hole out of the back of the cabinet. He got it all nicely lined up, and then he and Max went to lift the cabinet up onto the countertop and there wasn't clearance, so he had to uninstall the LED light fixture there. Which was fantastic, as now I know how they go in and how they come out, and he also showed me that there's a set of switches in there-- if I want, I can pull all six of them out and change their intensity and color temperature, because there are five total settings! Wild. Now I know!

Anyway he got the cabinet into position and attached it and installed the outlet, which was pretty cool.

[image description: The north wall of my kitchen. On the left, Max is tiling; in the center, there's a pyramid shape of the tiling in progress, where he's done a line all along the bottom where the stove will sit, and then has worked up from there. To the right, a sunbeam is coming in the bay window and illuminating the glorious warm-birch interior of the cupboard, which doesn't have doors on at the moment, and in its lower right corner it has an electrical outlet nestled in position just above the bottom drawer.]

I'm going to make a lil basket of some kind (possibly with a grid bottom for air flow? or maybe i'll just use a wire basket to begin with?) along which I'm going to clamp a bunch of Managed Cables with a variety of ends on them so I can throw Devices in there to be Charged, neatly and out of sight. Temperature management is going to be important though, lithium batteries get warm when they charge, so i'm going to have to give that some consideration. I wonder if I can construct some sort of heat sink. Well, I won't have too many things in there probably, so it won't be critical. Maybe I'll get a spare like, wire cookie cooling rack and have that be the surface the charging items lie on.

[Image description: A close shot along the north wall, showing the textured surface of the tiles. There are little plastic spacers at short intervals sticking out of them, and an outlet is sort of poking out of the wall with the faceplate off; tools lie on the cardboard-covered countertop, and in the center of the photo is the blue-gray side of the cabinet installed against the east wall.]

It suddenly has gone from a construction site to looking like a kitchen that like, tasteful, normal adult people would have.

[image description: a text message from Dude, to whom I'd been sending photos. Dude: it's starting to look like a regular person's kitchen me: It suuuuper is Dude: gonna have to find some way to get weird with it me: Well. Yeah.]

#about the author #kitchen remodel

[iliaclwrites]

Omg I’m the one who requested the argument story with cheerleader reader!! Thank you so much for writing it 😭💕 but omg would you do a continuation with them actually attending prom together?? That would be so cute, the whole school seeing them together and him being so proud to have her by his side and everything 🥹 and then why do I also see them getting into an argument with Jason and/or the team before flipping him off/cussing him out before booking it out of prom together 😂

"Oh great," Eddie mumbled, sloshing slightly from the spiked punch. "A slow song."

You hummed, curling your fingers into his hair. "Are you having fun, Mr. Munson?" you cooed, and he nodded, his heart fluttering at the totally besotted grin you gave him. "You're makin' me the happiest girl alive, yano, Eds."

"Oookay," Eddie said, pulling you away from him to look into your eyes. "Someone hit the punch a little too hard. You feelin' okay there, pom poms? Seein' double?"

"Only looking at you, Eds," you teased, and he blushed, ducking his head. "Everyone's staring at how nice Eddie Munson cleans up in a suit."

He snorted. "Yeah, uh," he said, shifting uncomfortably. "I'm willing to bet ten dollars that's not the real reason they're staring, princess."

You raised your eyebrows at him. "People aren't that two-dimensional, Eddie," you complained. "It's not like they're going to chase you out of town with pitchforks for dancing with a cheerleader."

"Mm, but what if she's the prettiest cheerleader?" Eddie asked, and you popped onto your toes to steal a quick kiss from him. "Ah, flattery will get me everywhere. Good."

You rolled your eyes at him, and pulled away. "I'm getting a drink. You hold the fort?"

He gestured out at the dancefloor as best he could in his tight suit. "What, like this whole hall?" he demanded, and watched as you sashayed away from him. "Hey, stay away from the punch! You've had enough!"

"Freak."

Eddie whipped around to see Jason Carver, standing there with his arms crossed and his eyebrows raised. "Uh," Eddie said, and raised a hand. "...Hi?" He smiled at Jason, with probably too much teeth to be normal. "You guys tried the punch? It's delicious." Jesus Christ, why did he say the word punch to Jason?

Jason shifted his weight. "Look, you've had your fun, alright?" he said, voice surprisingly soft. "You had a few dates. You took her to a movie. You're at prom. Let her go, now," he told Eddie seriously, gesturing out to the hall. "This isn't your scene, Munson. Let her be happy."

Eddie fumbled for a moment before the anger roared in his chest. "She is happy, jackass," he snapped, glaring at Jason. "What makes you think you know what makes her happy more than I do? What, because she plasters on that cheer smile at the top of the pyramid and cheers when you shotgun a Coors Lite?"

"Oh, and she's thrilled to be hanging around a Satanist," Jason retorted. "Let her go back. Her friends miss her. Release whatever kooky spell you have on her, and let her get back to normal." He seemed genuinely concerned. "Please. She's too good a kid."

Eddie laughed at that, an honest barking, strangled shout that seemed to claw its way out of his throat. "Her?" he demanded, gesturing over toward the punchbowl, where you were absolutely adding more whiskey from your dad's pocket flask. "That feral thing? Please."

"Who?" you asked, appearing at Eddie's elbow with two glasses of punch. "Oh. Heya, Jason! I saw that goal you scored at the game on Tuesday," you chirped, passing Eddie a glass and sipping at yours idly. "A great basket! Coach must be real happy."

Jason stared at you, and then at Eddie, but before he could say anything you cut him off.

"I hope you boys were being civil," you said, beaming up at Jason. "I was just telling Eddie here," you said, turning to flick some lint from Eddie's lapel, "that you are a really good, sweet guy that wouldn't ever threaten Eddie just because he's a bit nerdy, sweet, and vulnerable looking."

"Hey!" Eddie protested, and you shot him a glare. "Oh, right. Yup. Real vulnerable. You're a good guy, Jace."

Jason blinked at them, before leaning in toward you. "He's not. Uh. Tried to sacrifice you, or anything, has he?"

"If he does," you whispered back, "you'll be the first to know." You straightened up, and cackled as the music picked up. "Babe! They're playing Material Girl! Come on!"

"Nope," Eddie complained as you tugged him onto the dancefloor. "You definitely should've left me with Jason. He'd never do this to me."

You pressed up on your toes and kissed the corner of his mouth, smiling as you pulled away. "Bet he wouldn't do that, either."

Eddie grimaced. "Jesus. I hope not."

You giggled, and pulled him against you, swaying to the music. "We stick around until they play ABBA--" You hushed his groans. "And then we'll split the rest of the whiskey and smoke your pack of cigarettes on the school roof, okay?"

He grinned, pressing a kiss to your hair. "You're perfect, pom poms."

"I know."

#eddie munson x female character #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson fic #eddie munson x cheerleader #s: two households #i wrote jason as ... kinda soft bc i was vaguely popular in highschool and refuse to believe popular kids are actually assholes like come on

[southeastasianists]

Often described as the world’s largest Buddhist monument, Borobudur rises from the jungles of central Java: a nine-leveled step pyramid decorated with hundreds of Buddha statues and more than 2,000 carved stone relief panels. Completed in 835 AD by Buddhist monarchs who were repurposing an earlier Hindu structure, Borobudur was erected as “a testament to the greatness of Buddhism and the king who built it,” says religion scholar and Borobudur expert Uday Dokras.

Though Buddhists make up less than one percent of Indonesia’s population today, Borobudur still functions as a holy site of pilgrimage, as well as a popular tourist destination. But for the Indonesian Gastronomy Community (IGC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating Indonesian food culture, Borobudur is “not just a temple that people can visit,” says IGC chair Ria Musiawan. The structure’s meticulous relief carvings, which depict scenes of daily life for all levels of ninth-century Javanese society, provide a vital source of information about the people who created it. Borobudur can tell us how the inhabitants of Java’s ancient Mataram kingdom lived, worked, worshiped, and—as the IGC demonstrated in an event series that ended in 2023—ate.

The IGC sees food as a way to unite Indonesians, but the organization also considers international gastrodiplomacy as a part of their mission. Globally, Indonesian food is less well-known than other Southeast Asian cuisines, but the country’s government has recently made efforts to boost its reputation, declaring not one, but five official national dishes in 2018. To promote Indonesian cuisine, the IGC organizes online and in-person events based around both modern and historical Indonesian food. In 2022, they launched an educational series entitled Gastronosia: From Borobudur to the World. The first event in the series was a virtual talk, but subsequent dates included in-person dinners, with a menu inspired by the reliefs of Borobudur and written inscriptions from contemporary Javanese sites.

In collaboration with Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other partner organizations, the first meal in the Gastronosia series was, fittingly, held at Borobudur, with a small group of guests. The largest event, which hosted 100 guests at the National Museum in Jakarta, aimed to recreate a type of ancient royal feast known as a Mahamangsa in Old Javanese, meaning “the food of kings.” The IGC’s Mahamangsa appeared alongside a multimedia museum exhibition, with video screens depicting the art of ancient Mataram that inspired the menu and displays of historical cooking tools, such as woven baskets for winnowing and steaming rice. Another event, held at Kembang Goela Restaurant, featured more than 50 international ambassadors and diplomats invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

But how does one translate 1,000-year-old stone carvings into a modern menu that’s not only historically accurate, but appetizing? “We have to have this very wide imagination,” says Musiawan. “You only see the relief [depicting] the food…but you cannot find out how it tastes.” The IGC designed and tested a Gastronosia menu with the help of Chef Sumartoyo of Bale Raos Restaurant in Yogyakarta, and Riris Purbasari, an archaeologist from the Central Java Province Cultural Heritage Preservation Center, who had been researching the food of Borobudur’s reliefs since 2017.

The range of human activities depicted in the reliefs of Borobudur is so wide that it has inspired research in areas of study stretching from music to weaponry. There have even been seaworthy reconstructions based on the “Borobudur Ships” displayed on the site’s lower levels, exquisitely rendered vessels like the ones that facilitated trade in ancient Southeast Asia. So it’s no surprise that Borobudur has no shortage of depictions of food-related scenes, from village agricultural labor, to the splendor of a royal Mahamangsa, to a bustling urban marketplace. Baskets of tropical fruit, nets full of fish, and even some modern Indonesian dishes are recognizable in the reliefs, such as tumpeng, a tall cone of rice surrounded by side dishes, which is still prepared for special occasions. Some images are allegories for Buddhist concepts, providing what Borobudur archaeologist John Mikic called “a visual aid for teaching a gentle philosophy of life." Uday Dokras suggests that these diverse scenes might have been chosen to help ancient visitors “identify with their own life,” making the monument’s unique religious messaging relatable. The reliefs illustrate ascending levels of enlightenment, so that visitors walk the path of life outlined by the Buddha’s teachings: from a turbulent world ruled by earthly desires at the lowest level, to tranquil nirvana at the summit.

Musiawan says that the IGC research team combined information from Borobudur with inscriptions from other Javanese sites of the same era that referenced royal banquets. While Borobudur’s reliefs show activities like farming, hunting, fishing, and dining, fine details of the food on plates or in baskets can be difficult to make out, especially since the painted plaster that originally covered the stone has long-since faded. Ninth-century court records etched into copper sheets or stone for posterity—some accidentally uncovered by modern construction projects—helped fill in the blanks when it came to what exactly people were eating. These inscriptions describe the royal banquets of ancient Mataram as huge events: One that served as a key inspiration for the IGC featured 57 sacks of rice, six water buffalo, and 100 chickens. There are no known written recipes from the era, but some writings provide enough detail for dishes to be approximated, such as freshwater eel “grilled with sweet spices” or ground buffalo meatballs seasoned with “a touch of sweetness,” in the words of the inscriptions, both of which were served at Gastronosia events.

Sugar appears to have been an important component in ancient Mataram’s royal feasts: A survey of food mentions across Old Javanese royal inscriptions revealed 34 kinds of sweets out of 107 named dishes. Gastronosia’s Mahamangsa ended with dwadal, a sticky palm-sugar toffee known as dodol in modern Indonesian, and an array of tropical fruits native to Java such as jackfruit and durian. Other dishes recreated by the IGC included catfish stewed in coconut milk, stir-fried banana-tree core, and kinca, an ancient alcohol made from fermented tamarind, which was offered alongside juice from the lychee-like toddy palm fruit as an alcohol-free option.

Musiawan describes the hunting of animals such as deer, boar, and water buffalo as an important source of meat in ninth-century Java. Domestic cattle were not eaten, she explains, because the people of ancient Mataram “believed that cows have religious value.” While Gastronosia’s events served wild game and foraged wild greens, rice also featured prominently, a key staple in Mataram that forms the subject of several of Borobudur’s reliefs. It was the mastery of rice cultivation that allowed Mataram to support a large population and become a regional power in ninth-century Southeast Asia. Rice’s importance as a staple crop also led to its inclusion in religious rituals; Dokras explains that in many regions of Asia, rice is still an essential component of the Buddhist temple offerings known as prasad.

The indigenous Southeast Asian ingredients used in Gastronosia’s Mahamangsa included some still widely-popular today, such as coconut, alongside others that have fallen into obscurity, like the water plant genjer or “yellow velvetleaf.” Musiawan acknowledges that modern diners might find some reconstructed ancient dishes “very, very simple” compared to what they’re used to “because of many ingredients we have [now] that weren’t there before.” But in other cases, ninth-century chefs were able to achieve similar flavors to modern Indonesian food by using their own native ingredients. Spiciness is a notable example. Today, chillies are near-ubiquitous in Indonesian cuisine, and Java is especially known for its sambal, a spicy relish-like condiment that combines pounded chillies with shallots, garlic, and other ingredients. But in ancient Mataram, sambal was made with native hot spices, such as several kinds of ginger; andaliman, a dried tree-berry with a mouth-numbing effect like the related Sichuan pepper; and cabya or Javanese long pepper. “It tastes different than the chili now,” Musiawan says of cabya, “but it gives the same hot sensation.” Chillies, introduced in the early modern era by European traders, are still called cabai in Indonesian, a name derived from the native cabya they supplanted.

Gastronosia is just the beginning of IGC’s plans to explore Indonesian food history through interactive events. Next, they intend to do a series on the food of ancient Bali. By delving into the historic roots of dishes Indonesians know and love, the IGC hopes to get both Indonesians and foreigners curious about the country’s history, and dispel preconceptions about what life was like long ago. Musiawan says some guests didn’t expect to enjoy the diet of a ninth-century Javanese noble as much as they did. Before experiencing Gastronosia, she says, “They thought that the food couldn't be eaten.” But afterward, “They’re glad that, actually, it's very delicious.”

#Southeast Asia #Indonesia #Ancient History #Mataram #Food History #Gastronomy #Borobudur

[blueskiesandstarrynights]

hi i am prompting you for the deeper reason you think robin would dislike eddie

SO GLAD YOU ASKED and that you're interested!

So, most of my information is coming from the book Rebel Robin which isn't technically canon, however, a lot of people use information from this book for headcanons and fics, and it's an excellent and interesting take on her character that I adore. If you wanna read the novel I highly recommend it and would happily provide a pdf link.

Onto the actual thought though. This all originated from a character named Dash. For context, Dash is one of my Robin's friends (though that is a very loose term if you're familiar with the book at all) from band. He has this idea that nerds are superior, and on the surface it sounds like a W for the underdogs and whatnot, but that's not what he wants. What he wants is to completely invert the social pyramid, put nerds on top, and basically have them functioning the way jocks do now (top of the pecking order, gets all the girls, etc).

And this....isn't far off from what Eddie obnoxiously preaches. It's not quite as obvious as "let's invert the social pyramid instead of calling out that a social pyramid at all is bullshit" but it's kinda adjacent. He gets up on his lunch table and mocks people for their interests from theater and band (both of which are historically kinds of nerds, one of which is something Robin canonically has a vested interest in) but also basketball players and cheerleaders. You could argue for the latter that he's just making fun of the assholes in those categories, but that doesn't really work with the way he phrases it. He mocks them for their pom poms and tossing balls into laundry baskets, not for being dicks, clearly mocking the sport itself. Eddie just seems to think his specific brand of nerd is inherently superior for just being what it is.

Dash isn’t talking about the weird and looked down upon when he talks of a nerd uprising, he just wants to invert the social pyramid and get girls and attention the way all the jocks do, and Eddie doesn’t actually look out for the little guy like he seems to claim, he just takes in a few that fit in his narrow view of what a nerd should be, then mocks everyone else for having any other interest while yelling about conformity or whatever the fuck he’s going on about this week.

#i feel like eddie fans are gonna get pissed off about this but idc im defending this take to my grave #asks #anon #robin buckley #st #stranger things #eddie munson

[anony-mouse-writer]

okay so i havent been able to stop thinking about @sundewa 's empires extensions au, so here's a list of the hermits and their empires thats mostly sundewa's canon, but also my ideas for the hermits ae haven't gotten to yet

blue names are canon to either the au or empires lore, the rest are just my personal assignements

Rivendell

ethoslab: ice ninja who does theft legal business.

Grimlands

mumbo jumbo: i mean. have you seen him?? in charge of the count's deepslate redstone ore vaults

tangotek: have you seen him x2. would set up incredibly elaborate and dangerous games for the enemies of the grimlands and cackle maniaclly in the background as they played them

Crystal Cliffs

geminitay: lol

gtws: magic crystals go brrrr. also does crime totally legitimate business.

xisuma: this is one of two empires i can really see him fitting in. how else do you explain the constantly shifting species except magic

Lost Empire

docm77: ominous theatre villain vibes (also no shirt). also The Jungle

House Blossom

hypnotizd: bees and chill vibes

stress: flowers! collecting heads! what more do you want?

zedaph: chaotic sheep that definitely isnt responsible for the soot stains lol

Ocean Empire

ijevin: ngl part of this is just cuz i think it would be hilarious if he was part of the ocean empire's entourage and spends the entire time he's there getting on cleo's last nerve but theyre allies so they cant kill each other. also a slime in the water is funny to me. would he be a jellyfish or just a slime who Suffers?

impulse: s5 atlantis base, s7 water pyramid + guardian farm. also has the kind of playful 'mindin my business' energy i see in a lot friendly of sea creatures

xB: guardian farms, octodrop, assigned guardian hybrid by fandom

Mythland

rendog: has the correct amount of drama to belong in mythland. can play the hero or the villain

beef: something blood sheep something. also i feel like if anyone was going to have elaborate map art decorations, it would be mythland

welsknight: this is literally a kingdom of knights, its perfect. probably in charge of the two armor stands guarding the docks.

Gilded Helenthia

false: nice and chill and will stab u real good

joehills: moved from pixandria, happy to work the fields and read poetry, would probably fight a dangerous threat for funsies

keralis: there's a post somewhere about how helenthia is the bread basket of the empires and therefore would probably be one of the richest and i think keralis would be in charge of a lot of that infrastructure. also would make tractors for the fields.

pearlescentmoon: lol

Pixandria

cubfan: moved from crystal cliffs where he learned a bit of vex magic. now he dresses as a wandering trader and causes problems on purpose. also does a lot of overseeing in the dripstone caves

Undergrove

bdubs: funny moss man go brrr

Kingdom of Mezalea

tfc: this man just wants to mine blocks and be left in peace

zombiecleo: moved from pixandria, goes on 'diplomatic visits' to the ocean empires and gets on jevin's last nerve. manages the joel clones

Cod Empire

grian: lol. also: cod face.

iskall: iskall took one look at the empire full of iskallium and never went back. the cod empire's redstone has never been better

xisuma: this is the other empire i can see xisuma fitting in. wet cat genuinely trying his best vibes. would be codsuma.

#sundewa if youre reading this #its me the anon who realized you probably didnt want a new message everytime a thought crossed my brain so i did this instead #hermits in empires #empires extension #hermitcraft #empires smp #mcyt #op

[astroboots]

Miguel comes with you when you go grocery shopping at the corner bodega. Sticking close to your back in the cramped aisles, lest one of the shelves fall over and bury you under crates of Lucky Charms and Fruit Loops… again.  He has a sneaky habit of covertly dropping the most nutritiously questionable grocery items in your basket: jellied donuts, sugar-frosted pop tarts, fun dip and jolly ranchers. He eats like a five year old who has too much pocket money and no understanding of the food pyramid.

He’s ordered egg tarts by the dozen. Crispy fried seafood noodles drenched in sweet cornstarch slurry. Deep fried turnip cakes soaked in sweet soy sauce. Beef Ho Fun. Every other dish is deep fried and slathered in XO sauce, and you are starting to be genuinely concerned about his cardiovascular health as you watch him shovel it down his maw, barely pausing to chew as he goes.

OMGGG WHERE DID YOU GET THE IDEA OF MIGUEL EATING REALLY UNHEALTHY FOOD?? I'm loving it ❤

HAHAHAHAH I don't know?!

I think writing food has always been something I take immense joy in because I'm a foodie irl too.

With Miguel I think it's the idea that he's such a big boi, and he must be burning through calories like insane. I also headcanon that in his world in the future unhealthy food are banned/uncommon so when he's here, this is the one thing he takes immense joy in

#eyem asks #💌 ask

[fastwiemagie]

One-day-trip to the middle ages aka "let's go to ren faire"

Red Riding hood with a basket full of goods for grandma or more like "follow me behind this tent, I've got mead if you got coins"?

On July 8th I've went to ren faire - though that's not what we call it locally obviously. It's called "Mittelalterfest" in German, which translates to "medieval party". This event took place at the "Heeresgeschichtliches Museum" (museum of the history of warfare, Heer = army) and I really liked their slogan "Kriege gehören ins Museum" (=war belongs into museums). Wars should be a thing of the past!!

I've had a wonderful day with a couple of friends!! (Only sharing one selfie with my dear friend Duplica who's very comfortable with her likeness being shared!) I was pleasantly surprised at gaining free entry for dressing up for the event! Hurray for my thrifted dirndl-esque dress!! I've pinned the sides up with safety pins to give me more air flow and wore my pretty green hip bag for valuables & a string backpack for additional stuff! The dress is a linen & cotton blend, so it's very comfy to wear! Plus it has pockets and I thrifted it (with a broken zipper) for a super mark-down of 1€ during a special sales event. And I didn't even know until I went to pay and was flabbergasted at being only asked for one buck! Yay!

I've forgot to take better pictures of it, but I made a beautiful hair-crown with two overlapping braids and wore a felt leaf pinned to the back. (Felt leaf by my dear friend @wuselwesen .) That hair-do read semi-medieval enough for me, plus it's way cooler to wear my hair up in summer of course!

We've had great food & beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic - stay hydrated in the heat folks!!). It was about 30°C on that day, so we kept it very cozy, lots of breaks and sitting around and chatting with our friends. But we also checked out all the vendours of course and chatted with them and admired their pretty wares! I was SOOOO tempted by all the gorgeous clothes in natural fibers. Alas, my coin purse (=budget) said no buuuuut I bought myself a beautiful basket bag, as an early birthday present to myself. It's so lovely, with a long woven fabric strap to carry the basket. I've also bought cherry mead at one vendour stall and my friend joked that "I'm almost like Red Riding Hood now, I only would need some cake for grandma!". But alas, I even had some pyramid cake with me (is Baumkuchen really called pyramid cake? Dictionary says so... it's dough wrapped around a piece of wood (hence "Baum" = tree (cake)) and rotated over a fire. I like it classic with sugar and cinnamon.

I've also found 5€ on the ground and invested it into an arrow head necklace immediately. What comes around, goes around!!

The day was SO beautiful, I was so emotional & happy leaving at night, I had to ask my friend if I could hug her because my happiness had to go somewhere and she said yes of course. Ahhh happy memories!!

Tagging @worth-beyond-a-number-scale because she's asked me to be tagged in posts where I'm wearing traditional/dirndl dress. This is a very casual outfit, it would be traditional to wear it with a blouse underneath & an apron. But it was way too hot for any of that last weekend!!

[id] Pic 1 & Pic 2:

both close-up pictures taken on public transport. Pic 1 is going to the renfaire, Pic 2 is the travel back home. Pic 1 shows the face & upper body of a young fat white woman with glasses and brown hair in a braided up-do. She's wearing a pentagram necklace and black earbuds. As well as a linen/cotton blend dress with a black bodice with floral machine embroidery on it.

Pic 2 has cut off the face of the young fat white woman, but you see the gorgeous woven basket she bought at renfaire next to her on a seat. More of the floral machine embroidery on the dresses bodice is also visible, as well as the green lacing on the front and the green skirt part. She's also wearing a green hip bag and has another black-and-floral bag with her (it's a backpack). Another necklace has appeared also: a golden arrow head on a black string! Ren faire purchase spotted??

Pic 3 shows some naturally-dyed yarn draped aesthetically on a construct of wooden sticks with a medieval-esque banner in the middle. The colours are very pleasing to look at and surprisingly colourful for natural dyeing!

Pic 4: The young white fat woman with glasses and brown hair (worn in a braided hair-crown on this day) is standing in front of some vendour stalls, with some faire goers in the background. She's smiling at the onlooker. You can see that the skirt part of her dress has been pinned up, for the aesthetic and extra air flow. Keen-eyed watchers spot a black bracelet on her left arm and she's also wearing black leather sandals.

Pic 5: This one is almost identical with pic 4, the young white fat woman with glasses and brown hair in her renfaire outfit, but she's smiling even more in this picture (and the people in the background have also changed).

Pic 6 & 7 are close-ups again.

Pic 6 shows the top part of the woven basket that has been purchased at the ren faire, with a pentagram necklace, an arrowhead necklace and a braided black bracelet lying on top of it. The close-ups shows all the accessories in detail!

Pic 7 is a selfie of the young white fat woman with glasses and brown hair together with another young white thin woman with brown hair, both looking into the camera, smiling and showing off the bottles of mead they just bought from a vendour.

Pic 8 is a full body shot again, with the young white fat woman with glasses and brown hair standing in front (or rather: behind) a yellow-and-turquoise striped tent (aka vendour stall). You can also see a more muted yellow-and red ochre coloured tent in the background as well as a dirty white tent. The woman is excitingly showing off her newly purchased basket bag, which she's stored her bottle of mead in. Hurray! She's looking very happy with her day at ren faire and her purchases.[/id]

#ren faire outfit #going to the ren faire #mittelalterfest #dirndl goes medieval #casual dirndl #trachten outfit but make it medieval-esque #linen is love #summer fun is also possible #thrifted fashion #dress is thrifted #my birthday is on july 18th so I can get myself presents already!! #birthday month #plussize summer #plussize fashion #lovely fat people #food mention #we deserve tasty food #image described #fashion described #image description #eye contact

[2dieavirgin]

hey emilio I just had the most fucked up dream: you were in my living room telling me the world was ending because you were losing your obsesion with chase. Then we went on a boat/roadtrip/you kidnapped me. We met death (a white alicorn) on top of a pyramid and he told us how to stop the end of the world...unfortunately I dont remember details but it was something about the bible and ants carrying baskets... <3

you're kinda prophetic because i literally have an ant problem in my bathroom i need to take care of. also the world IS ending because im losing my obsession with chase. i don't think there is greater punishment than being in between hyperfixations honestly

#ask

[mudwingprincemain]

We all know baby no no no there's no huh there's no way stupid as most yeah I think it's possible to be possible because of one of that teenager should hold go back and be bothered to love again keep on being bothered we go back and brought the relove again you'd write completely utterly and simple encouragement to that you wish Martin and intelligent and I continually expect you to be smart and intelligent at all times and excuses it's ends budget progressing and risk of not you waited all day you're gonna come on you're all on you'd be 1 you're useless bringing to as well gave you when you started lover again and keep on starting all over again and do good right at least both's that

Yes for a penny gallery or a basket case to be sending similar or I'll behind me the background blessing't bullshit they're been to doing that's a potato and blasphemy you're holding the clothes keep your whole clothes at a time when you show what's in your opinion stands and initial what's in your opinion we'll continue to stand now and then after you're gone it's receives overturns and overall yours mine is the download here yours is the resource of one closure hall second of all you can't be doing that you can't be a lucky posts you cannot be a repost at posts and different link cannot be in an internet but sitting here in Hibbler you also surely sell cannot be following me or schedule on troubleshoot a third Pyramid or a blast mate on any content it is me mine sees doing what you're doing

An ouchin opening view of course and that is to self adhere yourself to some self Terms & Conditions I have susted up for you that you ought 22 buy unfollowing middle times no excuses if ant butcher procrastinating reasons why not you are all in or all out all or nothing black or white there isn't no shades of grey here no witch watching us no being bothered if like a wonderment and I'll be bothered if you like it in the next moment choose a silence to put it last leave all of an absolute zero tone is policy with teenagers like me quiet on the internet good Crim will earn a good chrona and background level and background level and background what comes around and what comes around and goes around therefore I eagerly wait reply

bro i literally just asked what you meant what 😭

#i still dont understand so if someone could explain that'd be great

[spineless-lobster]

I just finished binge watching season 4 with my friend so I am going to try my best to write down cohesive thoughts. (Warning: They’re not very cohesive) Spoilers ahead!!!!

Ep. 1: I love Kitty and Thomas in this episode!!! The way Kitty’s voice changes when she becomes his agent is hilarious! And then Robin becomes his bodyguard!!! Fanny and Julian bonding over their voyeurism will never not be funny. The reference to Ötzi is my favourite but I think it’s because I’m a massive nerd. Mary’s description of her day to day life was honestly so wholesome and beautiful I loved it. I related far too much to Alison’s anxiety about being liked by guests and such. Also Cap and Mick at the end <3

Ep. 2: AAAAHHHHHH CAP AND KITTY BONDING EPISODE THIS IS MY FAVOURITE THING EVER YESSSSSSSS!!!!! Mary backstory time!!!! Annie teaching Mary how to be a girlboss!!!!! Also Thomas is a confirmed former drug addict and I honestly love that for him. Pat becoming a prison guard is incredibly funny! Wonderful Humphrey and Thomas moments in there!!! As soon as Mike’s friends talked about their little “business opportunity” I immediately knew it’s was a shady pyramid NFT scheme type situation. Cap’s bug obsession!!! Alison trying to bond with the ghosts!!!! AAAAAAHHHHHHH THE CAPTAIN WITHOUT HIS JACKET AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Ep. 3: The closest thing we’ll get to a musical episode!!!!!! Honestly good on Alison for putting the ghosts in their place. And Mike being the best husband ever is the sweetest thing!!!! “Julian fingering Fanny’s lip” will probably be my favourite Fanny joke to date! DOUBLE CAP GUN NOISES!!!! <333 I love Mary sticking up for herself!!!! Then she goes and has a self care day!!! “My heart belongs to daddy” 👀 okay Cap. Aaaaand Mike is running around in the nude… good for him. The sorry song is the greatest thing to grace this earth! Literally better than any other musical undertaking ever! They had choreography and everything! They left a review for Alison!!!!! I genuinely thought Mary was gonna burn the place down, I love my feral housewife!!!

Ep. 4: This one broke me. But birdwatcher Cap makes me incredibly happy! :) the fakeout with Robin and then making it so Mary is the one sucked off absolutely destroyed me. You can’t just kill my wife like that!!!!!! It happened so suddenly!!!! And then it shows all the different ways the ghosts grieve, it absolutely broke my heart. Then Robin talks about how he looks to the stars as a coping mechanism 😭. And ALISON WEAVED A BASKET WITH MARY AND IT’S FIVE POTATOES HIGH!!!!! Then there’s Cap about to cry and Julian comforting him! And the fact that Humphrey didn’t even know 😭😭 I can’t with this show this is a comedy why am I sobbing!?!?!? Beautiful episode. Damn you Ben Willbond! (Affectionate)

Ep. 5: New ghost!!!! He seems like such a chill guy I love Maddocks. (I really hope that’s a reference to Yonderland) He really is just the guy ever. I love the fact that Robin has known about him for so long. I wanna stab Barlcay <3. Mike trying to get out of the bubble thing is so silly I love it! And Robin and Julian playing with the giant chess board is everything!!!!

Ep. 6: Holy shit what an opening. I knew Button House HAD to be fine but a little voice in my head kept telling me otherwise. I love that Julian is trying to be a good person just to prove Cap wrong. Idk why that’s so amazing to me. Robin backstory!!!!!!!! I knew the struck by lighting theory was right!!!!! I feel so validated!!!!!!!!!! Also ROBIN IS A THUNDER GOD NOW!?!?!! Like he can control lighting essentially. That’s a lot of power for one ghost to have. My guy can CONTROL THE SKY!!!! Over all a pretty open-ended ending. I’m very excited to see what they have planned for season 5.

I really liked season 4! The vibe was definitely different but it wasn’t bad at all. I love how we got more Humphrey and the Plague Ghosts and I think each character had their time to shine and it all went really well! Episode 2 is definitely my favourite!

#Wowee that’s a long post! #bbc ghosts #bbc ghosts s4 spoilers #bbc ghosts spoilers #bbc ghosts season 4 spoilers #the six idiots

[unwarrior]

✷ , on solenne & lodgings / camp routines.

SOLENNE'S TENT : due to how often they must travel , the party is constantly dismantling , transporting , & reassembling their entire camp. because of this , mutya opts to prioritize practicality & ease of assembly when it comes to her own lodgings , giving her time to aid the others in preparing to move. she sleeps in a simple , cream - colored pyramid tent , with room enough only for her bedroll , & a chest containing her armor & weaponry ( all carefully arranged & individually wrapped in cloth so as to prevent scuffing ). outside of her tent , she keeps a basin & washboard , a basket in which she places old camp - clothing & bedding , & a woven sack full of clean pelts , leathers , & bones. she , like astarion , will also place a training dummy outside of / near her tent.

LOCATION : if the option is available to her , solenne will always place her tent nearby to a body of water. cleanliness is very important to her , & her instinct is to tidy any mess she sees as soon as she sees it. being near water makes this easy for her , considering some of her bloodier hobbies. more than that , though , solenne chronically has trouble catching rest , & the sounds of water tend to ease her mind. however , if there are no nearby bodies of water , she will instead look for the most open , central location available to her. this allows her to remain watchful over the party.

CAMP ROUTINES : solenne rarely uses her free time to relax. if she is in need of rest , & if she is capable of quieting her mind , then she will spend no more than three hours meditating in her tent. otherwise , she stays awake so that she may keep an eye on her companions. most nights , she will find a high perch with a good view of the camp & sit there for a while. usually , she uses this time to pray or read ( mostly historical texts ⏤ she enjoys them , & it passes the time ). if she is particularly restless , she will patrol the camp , unwilling to risk the safety of the party for even a moment. once the sun rises , & she can be a bit more at ease , she will either begin cleaning , sparring with her training dummy , or will go out to hunt. if her hunt is successful , she will come back & dismantle the animal into it's requisite parts , handing the cuts of meat off to whoever is willing to cook them , & taking the skin & bones for her own personal crafts ( leather & pelt for bags & blankets , & bone for cutlery / tools / etc. ).

#〝 i don't get tired ，i get even / SOLENNE + PSYCHE .

[underthewingsofthblackeagle]

Foto: Panorama Helsinki / Finland - Dom und Parlamentsplatz (by   tap5a)

“We  only do this for Fergus!”  is a short Outlander Fan Fiction story and  my contribution to the  Outlander Prompt Exchange (Prompt 3: Fake  Relationship AU: Jamie Fraser  wants to formally adopt his foster son  Fergus, but his application will  probably not be approved… unless he is  married and/or in a committed  relationship. Enter one Claire Elizabeth  Beauchamp (Randall?) to this  story) @outlanderpromptexchange  

Chapter 25: The First Christmas Day

         For the following two Christmas holidays, Jamie had given Mr. and Mrs. Curtius the day off. This had been planned for the First Christmas Day anyway, but after Matthieu had invited Jamie, Claire and Fergus for the second holiday, they could take that day off as well.

Picture by Ulrike Mai on Pixabay

           Jamie and Claire had decided to take it easy this first holiday. Claire let "the men" sleep in. They did not meet in the dining room until shortly before 10:00. There Claire had already set the table for the Christmas brunch. In the days before, she had bought everything for it and prepared it with Mrs. Curtius.           In the middle of the table was still the Advent wreath, but Claire had filled it with fresh candles, which were now burning. On the table was a large basket with different types of bread, rolls and croissants. On different porcelain plates were arranged different kinds of cheese and sausage. A roundel with jars containing various fruit spreads and honey stood next to it. There was also a basket of warm hard-boiled eggs and smaller bowls of various salads. A large wooden bowl with apples, oranges and tangerines was also on the table. On the sideboard was the Christmas pyramid, whose candles gave a soft glow. Through the open door to the living room they saw the Christmas tree, whose candles Claire had renewed and lit. The honey aroma they exuded was also present in the dining room.          "Well, gentlemen, have we slept in?" asked Claire, the men who had forgotten to greet her in amazement.          Jamie was the first to respond:          "Good morning, Claire. That looks ... stunning!"          "Good morning, Claire," Fergus now greeted as well. Then he yawned.          Jamie gave him a light pat on the shoulder:          "Hand over your mouth!" he then whispered.          Claire watched the scene, slightly amused. Then she said:          "Good morning, gentlemen. Sit down! I'm hungry!"

Picture by Bruno /Germany on Pixabay          She first poured everyone freshly squeezed orange juice into the waiting glasses and then steaming tea into the cups. Then she only grabbed the remote control and a CD of soft, classical music began to play in the background.          Still "the men" sat somewhat sleepily in front of their plates.          Claire held out the basket of baked goods for them to grab.          Fergus reached for a croissant, Jamie did the same. Then they both reached for their orange juice and drank. Claire had to smile. So in sync.

         Jamie cut Fergus' croissant and the boy spread it with cherry jam. Jamie spread his first with butter and then topped it with a slice of Edam cheese and cooked ham. Claire, who had topped a roll with Camembert and spread strawberry jam over it, smiled.           It had taken another fifteen minutes or so, then the men had slowly thawed out, reaching for bread and rolls, eggs and salads, and visibly enjoying themselves. Fergus wanted another glass of orange juice, Jamie was already on his third cup of tea.          At times, the boy was completely occupied with tasting the different dishes. But he also paused every now and then to tell or ask something. What will it be like in the French Cathedral? How long will they stay with Uncle Matthieu and Aunt Teresa? He wondered if he will get a Christmas present from the von Klarenbergs, too. Would they give Maurice a present? Jamie answered his questions, but always briefly or somewhat evasively. Not wanting to give everything away, he told Fergus to be surprised. Then he urged the boy to keep eating.           In between his brief interactions with Fergus, Jamie kept mentioning how wonderful this holiday was, how much he enjoyed it, and how grateful he was. His words made Claire blush a few times. Was Fraser just grateful? Had the holiday spirit put him in some kind of euphoric state? Or was he trying to tell her something else? She wasn't sure, and she didn't want to burden herself with those questions now.

          Ten minutes before 12:00, after Claire and Jamie had another espresso, they finished brunch. Together with Fergus, they cleaned up and then moved to the living room.

          Jamie and Fergus adjourned to the conservatory where they were going to set up the Wartburg model, Claire sat down in one of the big armchairs by the fireplace that Jamie had lit. Then she began to read a book that Geillis had sent her as a gift for Christmas. It was a nice, funny novel about a little knitting store in the Scottish Highlands. From time to time she would pause and listen to the sounds that drifted to her from the conservatory. Shared laughter alternated with initial conversations about small technical details, questions about building in the Middle Ages followed crazy knight stories Fergus had made up. Every now and then one of the "men" came out of the conservatory to visit the toilet or to get something to drink. But none of them approached them or stayed in the living room any longer. It was as if "the men" had made an agreement not to disturb her. Shortly before 4:00 p.m., her smartphone beeped, reminding her that she needed to prepare the table for tea. She put the book aside, got up and went to the kitchen. Fifteen minutes later, she called Jamie and Fergus for tea. But Jamie called back:           "Come and join us first, Claire, please."           When she came into the conservatory, Fergus and Jamie proudly presented her with the completed model of the Wartburg.           "Oh, that turned out beautifully!"          Before she could say more, Fergus began to explain each section of the castle to her. He told which areas had been particularly difficult to build. When the once had to take a breath, Claire took her chance and said:          "Well, you've really earned your tea! Come on, it's all set up!" She waved and "the men" got up to follow her.

Fruitbread - Picture by lusekofte on Pixabay

         Tea, fruit bread, and marzipan and poppy seed stollen were already waiting for them in the dining room. While Fergus could barely contain himself, Fraser quipped:          "I guess I'll have to join a fitness center after Christmas."          Claire said nothing, but just rolled her eyes.          For after tea, Fergus had wanted them to play Settlers of Catan together, so they moved back into the living room, set up the game on the coffee table, and then explained the rules of the game to Jamie. They played until just before 7:30 p.m., when Claire warmed up the prepared food for dinner while Jamie and Fergus set the table. Claire had asked Jamie to light the candles she had re-trimmed the Christmas tree with. When that was done, they gathered in the dining room, where they had a good view of the tree. Jamie and Fergus helped Claire carry in the dishes. Then they enjoyed the roast boar with Armagnac sauce, potato croquettes, and mushrooms.

         When Claire went to clear the table after dinner, Jamie asked her to make herself comfortable on the sofa in the living room. He and Fergus cleared the table. Then they served dessert, plum jam with cream and some Christmas liqueur.

          By 9:00 p.m., Fergus was almost asleep. Jamie and Claire took him up to his room and to bed. They didn't have to read him any more bedtime stories that night either. The boy was asleep almost instantly. Quietly they left the room, then went down to the second floor once more. After putting some minor things in order, they sat down once more in front of the fireplace to discuss the next day. "What a day," Jamie began the conversation and continued, "Eat, play, eat, play, eat ..."           "That's how you see this day?" asked Claire.           He didn't answer, just looked at her questioningly.           "You can also say: starting the day together with a nice meal, building something nice together, enjoying a good meal together, sharing together, having fun together while playing ... Creating good memories together."           Fraser looked at her thoughtfully, then lowered his eyes and said softly:           "You're right, Claire."           He reached for his glass, into which he had poured some whiskey moments before, and took a sip. He then gazed thoughtfully into the fire of the fireplace.           Claire waited a few moments, then resumed the conversation:           "About tomorrow ..."           "Yes!"           Jamie sat up, put the glass that he had been weighing back and forth in his hands on the small side table, and said:           "What's on the agenda for the second holiday?"           It seemed as if the thought of planning the next day had awakened new strength in him. "That's how he is," Claire thought, "he loves it when he can do practical things." She smiled, then said:

Entrance to the Friedrichstadtkirche/Berlin, part of the French Cathedral/Berlin * Picture by Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67961978

          "Well, we have to have breakfast early, because we have to leave here no later than 8:40. The service starts at 10:00 and the drive is almost an hour, then there's this ..."           "Roadworks on the B2/B5, I know," Fraser finished the sentence. After a moment, he continued:           "Fortunately, we can park in the company's underground garage. It's only a 5-minute walk from there to the cathedral. Well, let's plan on at least 12 to 15 minutes. Fergus will be a little sleepy and slow."           "I suggest," Claire intervened, "waking Fergus at 7:30 and having breakfast no later than 8:00. Maybe then we can leave as early as 8:30. I'll put another roll on for Fergus in case he gets hungry again during the drive."           "All right, let's do it that way," Jamie agreed.            A moment of silence fell. The day had been beautiful, yet it had struck him that there must be something bothering Claire. He couldn't help but ask her:

          "Is there anything else, Claire? I ... I have the impression that something is bothering you?"           The woman sighed. Then she said:           "Now I would like a little whisky after all."           After Fraser fetched her a glass and poured 2 cl of whisky, she took a sip, took another deep breath and tried to concentrate.

Picture by Peggychoucair on Pixabay

          "Jamie, I know ... You may see it differently ... But I ... I can't handle lying to Matthieu."            Fraser didn't answer and somehow that very thing gave Claire the strength to continue:           "He's your best friend, and he's been so kind and courteous to me, I ... I felt like I was going to burst when he said goodbye to us. I felt so bad. I ... I would have liked to ... oh I don't know. I'm actually happy to see Matthieu again, and especially to meet his wife, but the thought of us pretending and lying to them robs me of that joy right away. And then we're also going to church together with Matthieu!"            She almost cried, but contrary to her expectations, she felt the pressure she had felt in her chest all along now dissipate. But before she could really rejoice, a new apprehension took possession of her: how would Fraser react now? Once again she was caught off guard.            "I understand you Claire, and I've been thinking about it a lot in the past few days too," she heard Fraser say softly. His voice was busy and he was finding it noticeably difficult to speak.           Once again there was a moment of silence. It seemed Jamie needed to gather his thoughts.           "You don't have to worry, Claire," he said then, "I'll talk to Matthieu tomorrow, tell him the truth and apologize to him. I hope we'll have a chance to do that after lunch at the latest. I ... I feel ... with the whole situation ... I'm not comfortable with it either."           "Oh! Thank you! That really makes me feel good. Ah, now I need another whiskey!"           She laughed softly and a slight grin flitted across Fraser's face as well while he refilled the glass she held out to him.           "It's such a stupid situation," he said, "I just didn't know ... You understand, Claire, I didn't want to lose him and ... And after all the wonderful memories we've created over the past few weeks, I want that even less now."           She reached for his right hand, with which he had just set down the whiskey bottle, and gave it a gentle squeeze.           "Don't worry about it. You know I supported you in everything. But Matthieu we should really trust, he is ... such a good friend ... I've never trusted anyone so quickly before. We need him to be an ally, not a disappointed friend who feels betrayed."

          Jamie nodded at her in agreement.           Claire took one last sip from her glass, then said:           "We'd better go to bed now too, we have to get up early tomorrow and we have a long day ahead of us."

#Outlander #Outlander Fan Fiction #Jamie Fraser #Fergus Fraser #Claire Beauchamp #Potsdam #Berlin #Germany #Christrmas #Modern AU #We only do this for Fergus

[anyextee]

NUBIAN BAZAAR 🇪🇬 Egypt isn’t all pyramids, temples and tombs, there are many other interesting and unique things to see and do in the country. One such example is the Nubian Bazaar, which is located in the city of Aswan in southern Egypt. Aswan is home to a significant population of Nubians, who are an ethnic group that has a rich history and culture in the region. The Nubian Bazaar is a colorful and vibrant market that showcases traditional Nubian handicrafts, such as pottery, textiles, and jewelry. You can find a wide variety of souvenirs and gifts here, including colorful scarves, handmade baskets, and intricate beaded necklaces. In addition to shopping, visitors to the Nubian Bazaar can also enjoy traditional Nubian music and dance performances, as well as sample local cuisine. The bazaar is a great place to learn about Nubian culture and history and to support local artisans and businesses. So if you're planning a trip to Egypt, be sure to add a visit to the Nubian Bazaar to your itinerary! ✈️ 🧳 AdeptExpeditions.com/tours Photos by @eyecbeauty (at Aswan, Egypt) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp4eqe-Oaqm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jasper-pagan-witch]

Because I’m a organization nerd, and always want a peak into other people’s organization systems:

86. How do you like to organize all your witchy items and ingredients? (Or books, I’d love to hear about you personal library system.)

Hello Stag! (Can I call you Stag? Is that cool?)

Witchcraft Asks #1-105

86: How do you like to organize all your witchy items and ingredients?

*cracks knuckles* There are a lot, so get ready. Luckily, I've already discussed my abhorrent grimoire system on October 10th (and...the post is already outdated...), so I won't repeat that here. Let me split this up.

Crystals

All of my tumbled and raw crystals are in two plastic jewelry organizers with movable walls. I've recently had to put my aventurine in with the rest of my quartz, amethyst, and citrine because I needed more room. I need another that's also strong.

My crystal beads are in a weaker plastic organizer because I've been making friendship bracelets- I MEAN ROSARIES for the deities on my altar. Just got Azura's done tonight!

The jewelry that I didn't make for deities with real crystals is in this little wooden jewelry box that looks like a small chest of drawers. I have two morganite rings, a hematite ring, a red jasper ring (of fucking course), a malachite bead bracelet, and two bracelets with many miscellaneous crystals in the top compartment. The middle compartment holds all of my bracelets with pendants/charms and my bracelets that are set in small cuffs. The bottom compartment holds necklaces.

Did I mention that I don't wear jewelry?

Additional shoutout to the Giant Fucking Rock Box which holds my bigger crystal pyramids, spheres, and raw chunks, and the carved or large crystals scattered across my desk.

Tarot and Oracle Decks

All of my 58 current decks are currently lined up in height order across the tops of the three plastic three-drawer containers that hold my clothes. There is no further categorization, I just fucking memorize their heights to find them.

Herbs and Blends

My dried basil (that's actually Cernunnos' dried basil), my Bloody Mary mix, the two different cinnamon sugar blends, and my small vial of Bree's Banishing Powder are all tucked together on the back corner of my desk.

Current Deity and Altar Locations

Since being displaced from my room, I've had to put all the deities I honor, venerate, worship, and work with on one altar. I just had to bring in a second shelf because I brought home Skull Friend from The Field. They're in places where they seem to work fine.

Books

The piece de resistance or whatever the fuck. As y'all may know, I'm a librarian now. This is NOT reflected in my book organization.

Section One: Mythology, History, Religion, and Geography. This is perhaps the second-strangest section of my book collection and is currently 24 books strong. Shoutout to the book about the Freemasons that I found in my stepdad's stuff, my copy of the Necronomicon that I lost behind the laundry basket on Monday, and Mortellus and Tomas Prower for writing my favorite books in there.

Section Two: Regional. This includes stuff about folk magic (both Ozark and Appalachian), city magic, and people getting high and musing on broadscale Celtic practices. This section has 9 books.

Section Three: Tarot. And, to a lesser extent (that being one book), divination more broadly. I actually like a lot of these books, which isn't hard because there are only 6 books here.

Section Four: Beginner. It is no secret that I am a simp for Bree's book Grovedaughter Witchery, but there are other good ones in here too. There are also 6 books in this one.

Section Five: Spell Books. I've gotten along with several blogs on here by shitting on some books in this section, but they're in here nonetheless. This section actually has 11 books, making it one of the slightly chunkier sections.

Section Six: Correspondences. I don't actually recommend most of the books I use for correspondences. There are 13 books here covering stuff like crystals, trees, elements, and symbols.

Section Seven: Gardening. Only one is specifically magical, but I suck at gardening and need help. There are 5 books here and some are specifically about Missouri gardening.

Section Eight: Literary. Not necessarily magical, but important literary collections. Edgar Allen Poe, Brothers Grimm, Dante, et cetera. This is 6 books but deserves its own category because of how absolutely CHONKY they are.

Section Nine: Miscellaneous Fuckery. Astrology, self-care, green witchcraft, hearth witchcraft, necromancy or death witchcraft, candles, and so on and so forth. This is 14 books strong and is my "fuck that" corner of my collection.

These numbers do not include the books I put in storage because I hated them. This is still 89 books. It does not look like that much.

Oh, they're also stacked on their backs, not set up in lines so you can read the spines. I either memorize where they are or I lose them behind the laundry basket.

Other Tools

I have some general "fuck that" drawers that hold other tools, like my knife collection, bandanas and scarves, a hilarious amount of shampoo/conditioner/lotion, and so forth. There's also a giant, heavy tote out in storage that has my candles. I have too many candles and not enough time to light them. This is what I can do with the single room and storage that is available to me.

Don't copy my organization system.

~Jasper

#answered #stagkingswife #personal #send help