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thelightsandtheroses · 24 days

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4. lovesick

Let's Get Lost Chapter 4 | Frankie Morales x female reader

Summary: You and Frankie aren’t together anymore but you’re in a good place. However, spending a week together for your mutual friends’ wedding on a luxury resort might challenge that slightly and realising you’re still in love with your ex is a sure-fire recipe for disaster … Tropes: it was always you, getting back with the ex, beach!Frankie (you know *that* photoshoot) miscommunication, only one bed, good parent Frankie Chapter Warnings: 18+ MDNI, references to past drug addiction, references to alcohol, historic argument referenced, one passing reference to body insecurity, reader is unnamed with no physical desctipton but wears a necklace, Frankie and reader are parents, yearning? Word Count: 3350 Notes: Thank you for the lovely feedback so far - it's meant so much to me and I hope you enjoy this update. I am so excited to share this chapter with you! The chapter title is from Laurel's song lovesick.

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The nearby town is awake and full of life this morning. Dappled light warms your skin as you walk through the main street with the rest of your group. You can smell the salt air of the sea in the distance, interspersed with enticing smells of food as you walk past a bustling restaurant.

You could stay here forever.

Clara’s ahead of you, glued to Santiago and giggling happily as she animatedly tells him about everything she wants to do today. It sounds hectic, involving the beach, the summer club, and a truly incredible amount of ice-cream.

Next to you, Frankie has a soft smile on his face as you catch him looking at your daughter. He seems more relaxed at last. There’s a lightness to him again, his smile reaches his eyes and there’s warmth in his face again. You missed that.

You missed him. You miss him.

Living a life agonising over what could have been is wrong. You made the right decision to leave Frankie at the time. You know that.

You and Clara deserved better than the life that he was promising you both at that moment. Clara was, she is, the priority and quite simply, you didn’t want your child to grow up around active addiction. That’s not a bad thing. Frankie feels the same, he’s told you.

Frankie’s changed now though. Your Frankie’s back and that’s a complication you didn’t expect.

You’re happy for him. He’s lost that haunted look in his eyes; the shadows are lighter on his face. It’s even good to see him in those ridiculous patterned holiday shirts, to notice his hair is just a little longer and the curls are peeking through again and look clean and healthy. He’s not been wearing his hat on holiday and there’s something about seeing his hair like this that makes you want to run your hands through it.

You cannot ruin Benny and Lia’s wedding though. You can suppress this.

You have to.

You’re so close to Frankie right now though.

It happens without thought. You’re not sure who initiates it , whether it’s you or Frankie, but somehow as your arms unconsciously move with the stride you take, your fingers have brushed his. Then they’re entwined. Gently, barely touching really, but linked all the same.

It feels electric.

It feels dangerous.

What are you playing at? Is this wrong? Is it cruel to Frankie? Or you? And what about your daughter? She needs consistency, she needs structure. Not the messed up will they, won’t they? you and her Frankie could develop into.

This feels natural though. It reminds of you of how things used to be. Hand in hand walking down the city streets after dinner, so incontrovertibly in love with him. Lia used to joke you were couple goals, until you weren’t.

The memories you’ve tried to avoid since your breakup, to suppress so that the heartbreak of losing him wasn’t so sharp, are flooding back. It’s too much, it’s too hard.

It’s too messy.

You need the wall back up. You need the pillow barrier to better fight these thoughts back, to fight these stupid tiny gestures.

It’s harmless though, right?

You’re holding hands, you’re hardly pressed against the wall in a sweaty mess. So it’s fine.

It’s fine.

Santi looks back and he meets your eyes. You watch him look down fleetingly and then back at you. No one else would notice it, you’re not even sure Frankie does. You do though. You see how his face changes, the disappointment, something unreadable there too. He shakes his head just slightly.

It’s enough for you to withdraw, to walk towards Clara, making a fuss of her instead.

This is meant to be a family holiday for her, it’s meant to be about Benny and Lia’s wedding.

You can’t do this.

As the steam from the shower dissipates, you notice your reflection looks just a little healthier; a little less weary. While your mind has been running away with you, you realise that the holiday itself might be helping.

You haven’t thought about checking your work emails in days, you haven’t thought about that project or any of it. You feel a little more like yourself again which probably makes sense because you’re at the halfway point now. It always feels like you just start to enjoy and relax in your breaks as the end looms closer.

You place your damp towel back on the radiator and tug at the waistband of your loose trousers one final time. You take a deep breath, applying the finishing touches to freshening up your appearance by liberally spritzing your perfume on your neck and wrists. The warmth of the cardamom scent immediately soothes you further.

You move to put your necklace back on. It’s one you wear every day, you’re not sure how it started but you feel naked without it now. You can’t seem to get the clasp on. The more you try, the more your fingers feel clunky and sweaty and panic rises in your stomach.

You need this necklace to be able to go to lunch, you irrationally tell yourself, adding more unwanted pressure, making your fingers even more slippery.

“Crap,” you exclaim as you almost drop the necklace down the sink.

“Everything okay?” You hear Frankie ask, his soft voice a balm on your panic.

“Uh, hey Frankie, can you help me for a second?”

“Sure, sure. Are you um, are you decent?”

“Yeah, yes, um …” It hadn’t occurred to you that it might have sounded like you weren’t and for a second you try and think about all the scenarios where it might have been something else.

Frankie opens the bathroom door and closes it behind him gently. “Everything okay? You look alright?”

“I can’t get my necklace and I almost dropped it down the sink and - my hands are all sweaty?”

“It’s no problem.”

You hand him the jewellery quickly and he smiles. “You wear this every day, don’t you? I think you were wearing it when we met.”

“I would have been.”

”It’s pretty.”

“Thanks.”

“Can you turn around?”

You oblige, shifting so that Frankie can easily place the necklace around your neck.

“There,” he says after a second.

“Thanks.”

You turn around so you’re facing him. He’s already ready for your late lunch and you can see he’s caught the sun just a little this morning. The guys had been zip-lining earlier after your breakfast in the town - Benny’s idea for a more inclusive, sober, stag event. All of you had already been diving earlier in the week - you love being in the water, it had been like coming home.

Right now, it feels like that moment when you first start a dive though. That momentary pause of doubt as you rely on the oxygen tank, as you sink down deeper into the water’s secrets. It’s exhilarating and terrifying.

You feel like that here with Frankie now.

You move closer to him, taking in the woody scent of his cologne, the slight hint of coconut sunscreen on his arms. He’s here, he’s real.

You’ve missed him.

Your lips are on his without thinking. It’s a move so familiar that it’s pure instinct. You loop your arms around his neck, bringing him ever closer to you so you can feel his torso pressing against you.

He responds, hands in your hair, moving you against the wall as he kisses you deeply.

The two of you don’t need words. You never did.

His hand skims your face, moves down your neck towards your waist as he traces the contours of your body, rests his hands on the edge of your shorts, breathes heavily onto your neck before returning to your lips.

You can feel how he wants you. You can feel the anticipation building in your stomach. You need him, you realises as you trace your fingers on the buttons of his shirt, unbuttoning it and feeling the heat of his skin, noticing the freckles coming out with all the sunshine here. You take in the broadness of his shoulders, the way his lips feel against yours and his hands and you need him to move away from your waistband, beyond your cotton underwear to a point of no return.

This kiss already obliterates that barrier though, right?

His hands finally start to move down -

“Mummy,” your daughter calls and you immediately pull away from Frankie.

He looks at you, breathing raggedly.

“I’ll uh - I’ll go and check on her.”

“Yeah, I just, I just need a minute,” Frankie says in a low voice, his cheeks flushed.

“Right, yes, of course.”

“Mummy? Daddy?”

“Just coming,” you say, rolling your eyes at Frankie’s smirk and the slight shake of his head there. You raise your eyebrows at him.

“Not quite,” you whisper teasingly.

“Well,” Frankie says, leaning in close again.

“MUMMY!”

“Dammit, I can tell you she’s definitely spent too much with Will. Fuck me,,” Frankie mutters. You’re not sure entirely what he means by referring to Will at that moment, but you’re too busy trying to quickly regain your composure, to get to your daughter. It’s something you can store to muse on later.

Reality calls.

The sound of the whirlpool covers the dull tones of discussion from others in the spa area. You take a sip of your tea, leaning back and shutting your eyes.

“So this is nice,” Lia says, the smile evident in the tone of her voice. “I feel like I’m finally relaxing a bit.”

“Good, you should.” How are you doing with all the prep and you - you’re marrying Benny!”

“I know, it’s … I don’t even know what to say. I love him. That’s it - I love him and I want this. I am so ready for this.” Lia smiles happily, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. “It’s going to be great.”

“I’m so happy for you both, ‘m happy something so good came out of the last year or so.”

“Are you and Frankie - are you two okay still?” There’s caution in her voice. The anxious part of you wonders if perhaps it’s because she’s afraid you’ll ruin her wedding, cause a scene like you did at Will’s wedding. Guilt pools in your stomach because you shouldn’t make your friend feel like this.

You’re desperate to tell her.

I kissed him. It’s on the tip of your tongue, you can feel the words forming.

You want to tell her.

It was a damn good kiss after all.

Something stops you though.

“We’re good,” you say finally. “We’re friends again and we both want the best for Clara. That’s all that matters, right?”

“Yeah. I’m actually really proud of you both. This is pretty damn mature. I’m glad you’re not, I don’t know, just messing each other around. I know it was hard, I know the breakup and everything that happened - you’ve been really strong and I am proud of you.”

On any other day, her words would fill you with pride. Today though, guilt spreads through your body instead, searing heat of anxiety with it.

“So, ”

Your name is called as the massage therapist walks into the spa.

“Later,” you say to Lia apologetically before following the stranger out of the main spa, grateful for her interruption.

Massages are strange. They’re supposed to be relaxing but you find it hard to turn off your brain, the hints of anxiety about the parts of your body you’re less than comfortable with, whether or not you’re being judged and the underlying worry of what if you fall asleep? What if you snore?

This is a surprisingly relaxing experience though - your masseuse has checked her pressure, ensured you’re comfortable and you’re starting to relax a little, to lose a little of that tension you were holding. Soft piano music plays and you shut your eyes, trying to turn off your thoughts a little.

“So are you the bride? It’s a big wedding party, isn’t it?”

“No, my friend Lia is. I’m one of the bridesmaids.”

“That’s nice.”

“They met because of me though. Well, me and my ex.” You have no idea why you’re saying this but surely there’s a privacy code, right? You can’t tell Lia, or Sophia, or anyone. So why not a stranger?

“That’s nice.”

“It was … wasn’t the best scenario.”

“Oh.” The masseuse pays attention to a knot in your neck, releasing some of the waves of tension you’ve felt recently. Maybe that’s what makes you continue.

“We had an awful break up. At our friend’s wedding, who is in fact the brother of the groom. I mean awful too and public.”

“Oh boy.”

“Yep, talk about drama. And I think - no, no, I definitely did. I just kissed my ex today, like a proper in the movies, perfect cinematic kiss. That’s one thing, but I think I might still be in love with him. I’m going to ruin Lia’s wedding too, aren’t I?”

The masseuse pauses, you feel her lift her hands above your body.

“I’m going to give you a free face mask with this. I think - I think you need it.”

Eighteen Months Ago - Will’s Wedding, Florida You’ve been pretending all evening. You have become so skilled at pretending, you think you could give Meryl Streep a run for her money. It’s exhausting though. You’re exhausted. Next to you, Sophia is humming as she opens her lip gloss and tops up her makeup. She’s changed into a different dress for the evening; less dramatic and easier to dance in. She looks beautiful, there’s a warm smile on her face, her complexion is glowing and she looks serene. Part of you hates her for that. “You look great,” Sophia says as she catches you frowning at your own reflection. “I’m so glad you and Frankie are here. the way Will is with him and Santi, they’re as much his brothers as Benny. And after Tom -” “Yeah.” “It was nice that Molly came, right? I think Tom would have liked that.” “Definitely,” you say, even though from how Frankie used to talk about the divorce with Tom and Molly you are not so sure Tom is looking down grinning right now. Tom didn’t make it back though and Frankie barely did. You still don’t know much about what happened, Sophia doesn’t seem to either. The men don’t talk about it at all. You’ve lost your Frankie though. He didn’t need to die to not come back. It just means that no one knows you’re in mourning. You keep hanging on, you keep hoping. You’re sure there’s something you could do better to help get him back. “How’s Clara doing?” Sophia asks. “Great.” She hasn’t slept in weeks, maybe months. Sleep itself is a foreign concept now and no matter what you read, no matter what you try, your daughter just cannot sleep through a night. “And you and Frankie? Are you guys next - should I, uh, aim the bouquet towards you?” You laugh lightly, swallow the bitter taste in your throat and the words you can’t say. “Sure. Shall we head out?” You’re pretty sure Frankie is using again.

Now

You pull yourself out of the memories, not wanting to go any further into that night.

You remember the aftermath all too well though. The DJ was playing Murder on the Dancefloor and the irony of it still makes you almost laugh. Your relationship died on that dance floor to a fitting song.

Flashes come back to you against your will as you try and focus on the spa, on the now.

“I don’t think we can do this anymore. I love you, Frankie. God, I love you, but we can’t.” Frankie’s look of betrayal filtering through the residual high. The heaviness that here at Will’s wedding you’ve suddenly voiced the thoughts that have consumed you for weeks. Liquid courage and the image of Sophia’s face, so full of a hope you can’t imagine anymore, guided you to this moment. “Here, really? You’re just giving up on me?” “Tell me you’re sober, Frankie, swear it.” “Don’t do this here.” “We can’t do this anymore. We can’t. It’s not - I’m done, I can’t, Frankie, I can’t.” Your voice is panicked, rising. Echoed shouts, the feel of stares, so many stares. Music going quiet. Santi and Benny guiding you both away from everybody else. Tears. Yours. His. An ending. It’s over. You can’t come back from this.

You blink back tears. It was a bad break up and it would have been so much easier if you’d ever hated Frankie, if he’d ever hated you. Breaking up because you love someone but it’s not enough is a pain you hope your daughter never has to experience.

He’s different now though.

You’re different.

It would be different, wouldn’t it?

Clara’s curled up, fast asleep in her bed. Soft snores sound as you place your book on the bedside table.

“Hey,” Frankie says softly as he shuts the bathroom door carefully. “She looks exhausted.”

“It’s all that time in the playgroup and sun,” you reply affectionately.

“Do you think she’s having a good holiday?”

“Yeah, of course. I hope so.”

“Me too. It’s good to see her happy like this. I’m glad we did this. For her.”

“Same. She’s going to look adorable at their wedding, isn’t she?”

“Yeah. Can’t believe it’s only a couple of days away and then we’re -”

“I know.” In two days, Lia and Benny get married. You won’t wreck it, you won’t.

You look at the bed, the pillow barrier Frankie has automatically built. Neither of you have spoken about the kiss before lunch. When you returned from the spa and got ready for dinner, you had spoken about Clara and your books and anything but the kiss.

The pillows feel wrong though. You remember the start of the week, how it felt secure to have the pillows between, mature even. You are grown ups, friends and exes and the pillows protected that. However, the barrier is a merely a representation of the line you obliterated earlier. It can’t work anymore.

You’re not just co-parents.

You don’t know if Frankie feels the same though, if too much has happened now for the two of you to forge something new.

The pillows are a weight though. You look at Frankie and hesitantly move one of the pillows away from the barrier.

He smiles, almost imperceptibly and then he does the same from his side of the bed.

With the lights out, there are still so many words unsaid, so many conversations the two of you need to have.

You turn in the bed, feeling the warmth radiating from Frankie’s back. You hear him shift, the rush of air as he turns around and he’s facing you.

“Hi,” he whispers, reaching a hand to touch your face.

“Hi,” you reply.

Perhaps that’s the only word you need right now. The two of you are starting all over again.

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#frankie morales x female reader #frankie morales x reader #triple frontier fanfiction #frankie morales #frankie morales fanfiction #frankie catfish morales #triple frontier #fic: let's get lost #frankie morales x you

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klausysworld · 1 year

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can you make a fluffy klaus imagine where he takes reader on a shopping trip to designer stores and spoils her and the reader sheepishly tells him that he doesnt have to do so much which makes him spoil her more thx

I enjoy spoiling you

Klaus has been encouraging me to pick out as many different outfits as possible. Since we had been together he was nothing but eager to throw his money at me but I wasn’t exactly used to this kind of spending and the price tags were making me feel sick.

I nervously checked how much the little sundress that had caught my eye was. My lips parted in surprise, i could get the exact same looking dress for £12 in a different shop. I quickly walked away back to Klaus, his arm circling me instantly and pulling me close

“Did you find something you like?” He asked softly with a smile and i shook my head timidly

“I don’t think i need anything else, we’ve already gotten loads” i told him glancing at the man who was carrying our things, apparently it was his job and Klaus would be paying him

“Sweetheart you’ve barely chosen anything, remember you can pick anything you like, formal, casual, you can get some pyjamas too?” His voice was encouraging and i felt silly, like a child. He must’ve noticed my frown as he took my face in his hands

“I want you to be happy and comfortable love, i enjoy spoiling you, i never know what to spend my money on, let me buy you something to make you smile” he kissed my lips gently before pulling away and petting my hair

“Klaus, i like that you want me to be happy but i can be comfy in much cheaper clothes- even if it’s just a but cheaper! But please don’t spend a ridiculous amount on a summer dress” I practically begged and he glanced over my shoulder

“That one over there?” He asked and I followed his eye line and nodded reluctantly. Straight away i was being pulled to where it was, his arm around my waist nearly dragging me as I protested that i didn’t want it. He checked the price and picked it up passing it to the man for the ‘buying’ pile

“Klaus-“

“Hush love let me” he muttered and kissed me again to silence me

“But-“

“You’ll look gorgeous in your new outfits” he whispered

“Can we go home now?” I asked shyly

“Without accessories? Of course not love, Rebekah may scream. Now tell me would you rather be shopping with me or my sister?” I blinked at him for a second. Rebekah would have me trying everything on and buying the entire shop

“You…” I uttered and he nodded

“Exactly, now come we have many other shops in this area, we can drive anywhere you’d like” his eyes were hopeful and i nodded slowly

“Okay but this can’t be a regular thing” he grinned like the cheshire cat and hurried me to the till

“Special occasions- an average Tuesday whatever you like, for today just see what you like and you can have it”

I found myself smiling at him as he brought me to the many jewellery shops, i managed to convince him to try on a range of brightly coloured necklaces- tiaras and such. Eventually we got home and i collapsed on his bed with a groan

“My feet hurt” I muttered and he breathed a laugh as he slid my shoes off for me

“How about we try the new bath salts we bought? Then you can get into your fluffy clothes” he lifted me up as he dug through one of the bags to grab the salts

“We didn’t buy anything, it was all you” I reminded

“My money is your money now my love, that is why you have this-“ he tucked a black card into my hand and i gaped up at him, still held bridal style in his arms

“No-“

“Yes”

“But-“

“But yes”

“What if-“

“Just say yes” he breathed with a toothy grin

“I’ll just say okay and slip it back to you later” i mumbled and he growled in his throat

“I can be very creative in ways i get you to accept this” he whispered to my ear and a shiver ran down my spine

“Is that a threat?” I asked and he hummed

“Don’t worry love, it’s one you will most certainly enjoy”

(Wish he would shower me in money ngl)

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proxima-writes · 1 year

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ok but now I need more Joel and reader neighbour domestics??? Like him leaving her a post it note with his internet password and him helping her feed the cats and she helps him with his plants and setting up the damn skeleton and then throwing neighbourhood barbecues together 🥺🥺🥺

okay so i literally couldn't rest until i wrote these up so if my assignments are work are late, i'm blaming you.

title: in a feud with her neighbor - bonus scenes

read the main work here

pairing: pre-outbreak!joel miller x female reader

rating: PG-13 (mild language)

word count: 1084

summary:

Fluffy bonus scenes for "in a feud with her neighbor" as suggested by anon!

Content warnings/tags: not a standalone work, pre-outbreak, no sarah, established relationship, still pretending the 12 ft skeleton existed in 2003, joel gets his butt grabbed by a neighbor. This is pretty much just fluff.

“The internet is out again,” you whine. You’re in your bed with Joel, the man turned on his side facing away from you. He looks over his shoulder, eyes narrowed.

“Good. Go to sleep,” he grumbles before burying his face back into the pillow that is now his pillow. It always smells like ocean salt and eucalyptus, while your own pillow smells like lavender and vanilla.

The sheets, however, are a beautiful combination of both.

You huff but reach over to your nightstand and turn off the lamp. You scooch in closer to him, snuggling up to his back and spooning him. You let his deep breaths lull you to sleep.

The next morning, Joel’s already left for work in the early hours of the morning, a kiss pressed to your sleep warm skin as a goodbye. When you shuffle into the bathroom to get ready, there’s a pink Post-It with familiar messy handwriting stuck to the mirror.

GetYourOwnPassword03

-Joel

________

There’s a package on your porch when you get home from work. You tear into it immediately, pulling out the new planters you bought as a surprise for Joel.

They were an Etsy find, a set of three white planters that say “WHAT THE FUCCULENT”, “LOOKIN’ SHARP”, and “DON’T BE A PRICK” and a bigger planter that reads “PLANT DADDY”. You giggle as you line them up on the counter.

Joel sees them when he comes over that evening, freshly showered and already wearing his pajama pants and your favorite threadbare shirt. He can barely stop laughing long enough to thank you.

“PLANT DADDY” sits in a place of pride by his front door, glued down to the concrete so that the cats can’t knock it over.

________

Joel is a grill master. He will spend a ridiculous amount of time at the deli, scrutinizing every package of beef while you hang onto the cart and wither away like a suffering Victorian woman.

“Joel, please, I’m begging you,” you say, “just pick the steaks.”

“Hush, sweetheart, I have a process,” he replies, not once looking away from the two packages of New York strip he holds.

“Just get both!” You beg. “Lots of steak! Great compromise!”

He glares at you. “We have to make a good impression.”

“A good impression on who? They’re our neighbors. They already like us! Half the moms in the neighborhood want to fuck you!”

Joel nearly drops the steaks. “They what?!”

You can’t breathe because you’re laughing so hard at the shocked look on Joel’s face. He sets both packages of steak in the cart before grabbing the handle from you and leaving you in tears in the deli.

Later that night, Joel finds you in the crowd and grabs your arm.

“I think Mrs. Matthews grabbed my ass,” he says.

You pull him close, slipping a hand into the back pocket of his jeans and giving him a peck on his lips.

“Told ya,” you tease.

________

Joel watches the Home Depot website like a hawk as soon as September hits. His buddy who works at the store said that online orders would open within the first couple of weeks. Finally, the button turns from gray to orange, and he places his order immediately.

When it’s delivered a few weeks later, you’re so excited that you ask Joel to set it up immediately.

“It’s not even October yet, baby. Can you wait another week?” He asks. You pout, but you agree. Only if he’ll set up both skeletons on the first day of October and not wait until the last minute like he did the year before.

Which is how he finds himself teetering on the top rung of his ladder, trying to set the skull on the frame while you watch from the ground. When he finally gets it screwed on, he’s slick with sweat and cursing up a storm.

“How’s that look?” He asks when he gets down from the ladder and stands beside you.

You wrap your arms around his shoulders, tugging him into a kiss.

“It’s perfect.”

________

Joel walks into your house one day, plastic bags hanging from his arms. The clinking of metal against metal announces his arrival.

“Joel? Whatcha got there?” You ask, drying your hands on the dish towel hanging from the stove, one that says “JUST ROLL WITH IT” with an image of a rolling pin beneath it.

He sets the bags on the counter. “Cat food.”

You blink at him. “Cat food? You bought cat food?”

“Yeah, you mentioned you were running low. Besides, there’s a new calico out there so you gotta start puttin’ out more. Where’s the bowls?”

He moves around the kitchen with practiced ease, grabbing a spoon and the set of plastic bowls you reserve for the neighborhood cats. It hits you at that moment.

You love Joel Miller.

Your smile is huge when he turns to look at you and he freezes like a deer caught in the headlights. You close the gap between you, wrapping your arms around his waist and hugging him close.

“I love you,” you murmur into his chest. His arms wrap around your shoulders and you feel the press of his lips to your head.

“I love you, too.”

________

BONUS BETTY CONTENT

Joel wakes early the next morning after his first night with you, your naked body still curled in his. He smiles down at you before gently pulling himself from your grasp, stifling his laugh at how you pout in your sleep before rolling over, snuggling into your pillow. He finds the stack of familiar pink Post-Its on your nightstand, scribbling out a note that he’s gone to pick up breakfast and coffee and would be back soon.

He puts on his now dry swim trunks and leaves the house, shutting the door quietly behind him. The neighborhood is still asleep, the sun barely cresting the horizon as he leaves your porch.

“Leavin’ so soon, Mr. Miller?” Betty’s raspy voice calls. He freezes, feeling like a teen caught sneaking out of his house.

“Good mornin’, Betty,” he says, turning slowly to face her. She’s got a knowing smirk on her face.

“What was it I said about the two of you hittin’ it off?” She asks, tapping a finger to her lips. Joel can feel his cheeks heat.

“You were right,” Joel admits.

“I know, dear. I always am. Now, could you bring me back a doughnut while you’re out? Double chocolate. With sprinkles.”

“Yes, m’am.”

#joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller fic #joel miller x female reader #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller x you #joel tlou #joel x reader #joel miller fluff #established relationship #idiots in love

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maristelina · 8 months

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Amane Voice Drama Really Bad Translation

Please take my really bad translation with a truckload of salt. It's super incomplete. I was having troubles understanding what's going on because of my current anemia and uh episode. I wanted to share this because I want to see how close I got later when more competent people translates the Voice Drama.

Amane: We were disappointed in MILGRAM's judgement. We thought it could be a new world. You're quite something, always looking down on others from above. I'm pretty sure I told you not to be conceited. On top of that, you say something incomprehensible like not forgiving us.

How dare you say that. But we are magnanimous. Let's set aside time for dialogue with the warden once again. After all, our history is one that has been made through dialogue.

Es: Get to the point quickly. What's wrong, Amane? Don't think I can just overlook your drastically changed attitude and move on. It's the result of my judgment that you've become like this. The way you talk. You're like a completely different person at the moment. Everyone who is unforgiven is under the mental stress of hearing voices blaming their own sins. Is your change also due to that influence?

Amane: The ridiculous voices? Ah, we did indeed hear it. But, that's not a big deal because we have steadfast teachings. We have clear and sublime faith. No matter what is said from the outside, we won't be shaken.

Es: Faith. You're talking about the religion you believe in.

Amane: The power that Milgram possesses seems to be true. Have you also taken a peek at our faith?

Es: It was quite an abstract expression(??), but I judged that your killing of people was due to religious beliefs.

Amane: It's not murder; I simply administered punishment according to the doctrine.

Es: So you're saying it's not a sin.

Amane: Is faith a sin?

Es: Faith itself is free, and while many are non-religious, I understand that there are those who are saved by religion.

Amane: Is that so? Are the unforgiven prisoners lost? They might also need our faith.

Es: I'd rather you refrain from proselytizing within Milgram

Amane: Faith is free. Faith exists for the sake of those who are lost.

Es: We've gotten off-topic. So, what exactly are you now? You keep saying 'we,' does that mean you're not Amane Momose?

Amane: I am Momose Amane and yet not Momose Amane. I am a spokesperson for our faith. You said you won't forgive us. I think there's a need for dialogue and warning because you made a wrong judgment, so I am speaking as 'we.'

Es: So, in essence, I am speaking with the concept of your religion itself right now. Is that what you're saying?

Amane: You can think of it that way if you like. So, let's issue the warning again. Warden. Milgram made the decision not to forgive us.

Es: Ah, yes, that's correct.

Amane: As I said earlier, our actions are actions of faith???, and they don't amount to sin. Therefore, Milgram is wrong. People are getting killed in the prison. I understand that I'm breaking the law.

Es: As I said before, there are things more important than the law. This is Milgram. Such arbitrary rules cannot be accepted as a standard. Therefore, I won't forgive. That's all. Faith in religion is also free. However, your so-called doctrine cannot become the standard for overall sin.

Amane: Isn't Milgram trying to establish new standards precisely because foolish laws can't properly guide this world? Are you still bound by the law?

As a mere warden I have no way of knowing Milgram's philosophy. It's not because love is against the law. Your killing of people is not forgiven by Milgram. I simply made that judgment. The orders are to deny your doctrine.

Amane: If you don't change your mind, we can never forgive you either.

Es: What do you mean "we"? You make me laugh. What you're doing is simply murder. Whether you talk about it as a whole or sing it like a noble ideal, it's murder. Momose Amane. The one who killed was not "you all," it was you. Don't divert your eyes from your own actions by playing games.

Amane: I have a duty for God!

Es: So? What are you gonna do about it? / What would you do if that's the case?

Amane: I will never forgive you! I will definitely never forgive you!

Es: I'm saying that attacking me is pointless.

Amane: I will never forgive you!

Es: Weren't you taught that those scissors you got from the supply should not be directed at people?

Amane: According to the doctrine, the guards' insults towards us are fully subject to penalties. We won't forgive.

Es: It's poitnless, you might as well give up.

Amane: I won't forgive you! I won't forgive you!

Es: Attacks from prisoners to guards are not possible. It's Milgram's principle, but a certain multiple personality individual slipped through this rule. In other words, Milgram's prisoner classification focuses on the mind rather than the body, so if the mind is separate, the rule doesn't apply. It seems like they're struggling with a flawed rule.

Amane: I'll kill you! I will fucking kill you!

Es: Thanks to that flawed rule, it has been proven this way. The fact that you're wielding scissors now doesn't make you a god or a concept. You're just Amane, plain and simple. Quite literally, what you're doing is just a pretend game. It's trivial. This is what you wanted with Milgram, isn't it? A direct showdown.

Amane: SILENCE!

Es: What's wrong? Have you indeed desired to be treated like a child? In my opinion, the fact that you are a child is closely related to this matter. No matter what you assert, no matter how much you try to act mature, you are a child. It's an unchangeable fact.

Amane: You're also a child!

Es: I'm 15 years old, so in Puerto Rico and Haiti, I'm considered an adult. You're 12 years old, so you're a child in any country. You look frustrated.

Amane: I'M NOT A CHILD

Es: Either way is fine. Why? In the first place, there are two main reasons why children are given reduced sentences by law: the potential for rehabilitation and the influence of their environment, I believe. In this case, it's mainly the latter. As I mentioned before, early childhood is heavily impacted by parental upbringing, and the effects of the rearing environment are substantial. Children born into households that practice religion, for instance, grow up recognizing it as a rule of the world.

Amane: What are you trying to say?

Es: It's about how they feel that the doctrines of what is commonly known as a religion are everything in the world.

Amane: You are arguing against the idea that being underdeveloped due to being of a young age.

Es: Certainly, the ego was fully developed. However, because this ego was nurtured in a specialized environment isolated from society, the argument remains among us whether this is your sin or rather the sin of your parents' environment. Here, we assess the potential for rehabilitation, as I mentioned earlier.

Amane: W-well, what do you mean by "among us"? Isn't it me? Aren't we from the same country? The warden and I understand five years' worth. As for me being special, it's just that my environment is unique, and everyone else's is ordinary. There are people who have actually gone there. I've been told things like you're being deceived, it's not too late even now, or you're mentally unstable. They still treat me like a child after all. It's because I'm a child that they think I've been brainwashed. But that's not the case. Even I, as a child, understand everything. Please don't label people as unhappy. I'm fortunate to have been born to my parents. It's challenging, and sometimes it gets tight, but I'm happy to live under pure teachings. That's the path I want to take. I see, you all think it's brainwashing, don't you?

From my perspective, you all are also being brainwashed by the religion of mainstream values. Why do you blindly believe in it just because there are many people following it?

Es: I understand

Amane: It's only natural that those of us who haven't been acknowledged by society due to our small numbers would see the potential for a new world in Milgram.

Es: Yes, I understand well. That's why your doctrines aren't acknowledged. Teachings that affirm life are not permitted by my standards. Huh.

Amane: That is correct.

Es: Our judgement, huh? I'll take another look at your feelings. Next time, if you feel something even deeper there, I intend to accept it properly. It's like a direct showdown, isn't it? That's right.

Amane: If, in the end, you deny and don't forgive me or us, then at that time, I won't forgive you. No, that's not it. I won't forgive you. Evading responsibility for your actions through pretend play is the next line. Thanks, it's not just you. It's all of you. I said I won't forgive you. It's a direct showdown. You're not allowed to keep your hands clean.

Es: What are you talking about?

Amane: I suppose so. The warden refers to themselves as "you all." If it's you, then it's you.

Are you experiencing a headache? Are you alright, warden? Please stand up on your own. That's a trial given by God. It's a trial of pain/sickness. Escaping from it is the greatest evil according to our teachings. One of the Eight Principles, isn't it? It's not allowed for anyone, no matter who they are. People do tend to act that way. Like a devil among prisoners, trying to steal trials from others.

Kirisaki Shidou, his actions who is cutting and tearing, violating our taboos. I issued a warning. If they continue, I might have to intervene. Is it perhaps already too late?

Es: Shut up.

Amane: Resorting to violence, how childish

Es: Silence. I am the one who makes the rules here.

Amane: What sets us apart from you?

Es: I told you to shut up didn't I? Listen to what I say.

Amane: If the world you create is attractive to me, or perhaps.

Es: Prisoner #8, Sing your sins!

#milgramtranslations #milgram translation #milgram #momose amane #voice drama

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hasufin · 1 year

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State of failure

I am currently making hardtack.

This is a mistake. The year is 2023 and there is no good reason to make hardtack. The stuff is an inherently bad idea. There is no practical use for hardtack which is not met today by a product which is superior in every way.

Hardtack existed as a solution for a particular time and application: a way to create portable calories which did not require any cooking in situ, which could be transported in almost any condition, and could be stored for years at a time with no significant detriment.

Today, we have a great many options to meet these requirements. We have MREs. Canned foods. Dehydrated foods. UHT packaging. Freeze-drying. Energy bars. Every one of these options manage to be better-tasting, more nutritious, and just overall more pleasant than hardtack.

Throughout much of history, the idea of going an extended period of time without being able to cook at all would have been ridiculous. What could your circumstances be, that you could not, just once every few days, start a fire? and if you can start a fire you can, at minimum, make waybread. Which isn’t particularly pleasant, sure, but is worlds better than hardtack.

But for a certain period of time, hardtack was indeed the solution. it’s mostly synonymous with sailor’s food, but was also a significant part of a soldier’s diet; certain forms of the stuff, known as “hard biscuit” were used even through WWII. It does have its advantages, mainly in durability. Actually, that’s pretty much it. Hardtack, if kept dry and free of insects, will last pretty much indefinitely.

What, you may wonder, is hardtack?

Well. It’s basically the worst, most basic form of bread you can imagine. It’s unleavened and as dry as possible. It consists of nothing but flour and salt, with just enough water to form into a stiff dough, then baked and dried. That’s literally it.

The hardtack above used 2 cups of whole wheat flour (plus a bit more for the working surface), about a teaspoon of salt, and somewhere between 1/2 and 5/8 of a cup of water.

I combined the salt with the flour. Note - no fat, no sweetener, no flavoring, no leavening. Then, I added half a cup of water and proceeded to knead it. And knead it. And knead it some more. It is impossible to overknead hardtack, because it’s going to be indistinguishable from masonry no matter what you do.

Now, there is some skill to this. You’re up against two competing needs. First, you must make your hardtack as dry as possible. Water is your enemy. If there is water, it could mold, or grow bacteria, or fungus.

On the other hand, you want your dough to be completely smooth. Any seam or fold in the dough will become a crack. The biscuit may break apart; some mold spore or insect could get in.

So, while I started with half a cup of water, I found that amount inadequate and added a little bit of additional water to make it work into a smoother dough. As you can see, it still wasn’t perfectly smooth but I successfully incorporated all the flour.

Once I had a terribly stiff dough, I rolled it out on a floured surface. There’s plenty of leeway here on how you can do it - some people would simply take pieces of the dough and pat them flat. Especially into the 19th century, this could be done with machinery, to make very consistent biscuits. That’s actually pretty important, since sailors and soldiers would want to be sure they were getting a fair ration.

Personally, since I have round biscuit cutters, that’s what I did. This is the style largely favored by the British, to be packed in barrels for Naval usage. Americans tended to make squares or rectangles for most efficient packing in tins. If these were being made professionally, the biscuits would then be impressed with a seal, usually indicating the company which manufactured the biscuits.

The next, and more important, part is to poke holes in the biscuits. These are not for show: they are meant to release steam when the biscuits are baked. If there are no holes, steam may accumulate in pockets, resulting in bubbles. While this might yield a moderately more pleasant hardtack - one that can be more easily broken apart - it also makes it less durable and more prone to spoilage. The holes need to be poked all the way through, which isn’t quite how most such baking is done, but there is no elegance to hardtack.

Next is baking. To be honest, hardtack is not baked. It is sterilized and dried. The simplest method is to bake the biscuits in a low oven for many hours - four is typical, but sometimes the hardtack is baked several times, or overnight. It should be baked just hot enough to assure anything in the flour is killed, and for long enough to remove almost all moisture from the biscuits.

I have opted for a compromise, in large part because I already had my dehydrator out. I baked the biscuits at 250°F for two hours, then transferred them to the dehydrator, where they are currently drying for.... well, until I decide to shut it off. Probably when I go to bed. Sadly, my dehydrator tops out at 160°F, which is 40°F too cool for proper sterilization. If it went up to 200°F, I could put the biscuits directly in there without needing the oven at all, but such was not to be.

So far, it smells surprisingly pleasant, and the one piece I have tasted confirms: it’s terribly bland, of course, lacking even the sourness of yeast. It’s also - as one could predict - quite hard, requiring prolonged dipping in tea to make it soft enough to bite. In short, the flavor is inoffensive while the texture is weaponizable.

I made this stuff knowing what it would be. I started out with the complete expectation that it would be akin to eating a roofing tile. Why do I do this?

Curiosity, I suppose. Now, sometimes I try to improve these historical recipes - I recognize the limitations under which they were made, and try to make them pleasant by adding spices and seasonings which were not available, applying techniques which would have been impractical, and adding fats and sugars which were uneconomical.

Not this recipe. You cannot improve hardtack without compromising its purpose. But I’d seen so many references to it, I knew I wanted to make it for myself, just to experience it.

I’m not going to share the stuff with my friends, though. Not anyone I want to keep as a friend, at any rate.

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fayoftheforest · 8 months

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vampire kyle & historic antisemitism

DISCLAIMER: this post is not intended to incite drama or discourse, I simply want to share my thoughts on a complex topic. Just because I’m Jewish does not mean I speak for the entire community. We’re not a monolith, there is great diversity of opinion among us, discussion and debate is a beloved part of our culture, etc etc :) ok on with the post!

But wait, Fay, I hear you interject. Vampires aren’t even real! How can they be sayin’ stuff about Jews? Well, my dear friends, I have some rather grave news for you: much of pop culture is Sayin’ Stuff About The Jews. And very little of it is positive :/

I’ll quote Jewish author Deke Moulton to establish the basic links between vampires and antisemitism:

The problem is tied to the conspiracy called the blood libel. If you’re not familiar with it, the blood libel started in Medieval Europe in the 12th century and claimed that Jewish people needed the blood of Christian children to make our Passover matzoh. For context, Jewish people are prohibited from consuming blood at all – we will salt kosher meat to draw out blood. Despite being very old and very wrong, the blood libel idea still persists today (albeit usually with slightly less obvious framing).

There is also a common trope of vampires operating through a secret, worldwide council that often governs ‘vampire affairs’ but also may dabble in controlling other aspects of the world’s governments. While some people can see a similarity to the Catholic Church, often times this calls upon the antisemitic trope of the ‘cabal’—that Jews secretly run the entire world (which is another strange antisemitic trope, as Judaism doesn’t have any central religious figure like the Pope). The word ‘cabal’ itself is a bastardization of the word kabbalah, a form of Jewish mysticism. If you combine this with a trope of vampires hoarding large amounts of money (especially gold?), you’re using yet another antisemitic trope that says Jewish people control the world’s banks.

Even things like being adverse to the sunlight can have antisemitic implications – the early Church claimed that, because in Judaism days start at sundown and thus our time of worship happens at night, that gathering at night to worship was proof of us being evil and satanic.

So, all vampires are bad and wrong, and vampire Kyle AUs are a hatecrime, and everyone who’s ever done one should go straight to jail, right?

Well. No.

Because really, it should be noted that this extract is from an interview on Moulton’s novel “Don’t Want To Be Your Monster,” a book which not only features blood-sucking vampires, but a blood-sucking Jewish vampire. Interesting, interesting... it's almost as if this topic is nuanced or something 🤔

Many iconic vampires are based on antisemitic stereotypes. Perhaps most famous is Dracula, with curly hair and a hooked nose, is an Eastern European immigrant who has the intentions of “infecting” British society. Another example is Nosferatu, who also has an exaggerated hooked nose, is thin, pale and hunched, and is topped by a skull cap. There are modern exceptions to this trend, though! Twilight comes to mind. Edward Cullen is far more inspired by Stephanie Meyer’s Mormonism than Judaism as a whole. Explained so aptly by The Quietus, “As vampiric portrayals become more positive, they tend to also become less connected to Jewish representation.” Come on, you guys >:( Jewishness can be hot and sexy too, I swear!!

From what I’ve seen of Vamp!Kyle AUs, portrayals tend to lean more towards the mysterious and alluring Cullen-type than the bad-to-the-bone Dracula. Ultimately, I think this is what redeems our fandom’s vampire Kyle. Because crucially, whilst vampires can be antisemitic, they are not innately antisemitic. When you show Kyle brooding behind his high-collars and flashing toothy grins at his love interest, it’s not typically symbolic of the ultimate evil that we are expected to fear and ridicule. It's intended to be cute, or cool, or hot, or whatever.

My advice is thus: if you want to make something deeper or complex with the AU, just have a think about what you’re using his vampiric traits to represent. Are you drawing from unfortunate stereotypes or feeding into antisemitic fears? Are you validating or justifying the “othering” or ostracisation of Jewish people from wider society? You could consider finding a Jewish beta/sensitivity reader, if that’s accessible to you. But generally speaking, so long as you’re not presenting Kyle as an all-powerful predator to pure, innocent Christian society, I reckon you’re probably alright :)

#south park #south park meta #sp kyle #kyle broflovski #vamp!kyle #vampire kyle #i took a long break from tumblr so posting a meta here after all this time is a bit scary haha!#if you enjoyed please let me know and maybe i'll post more stuff like this or smthn :)#cw antisemitism

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fishyfishyfishtimes · 7 months

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I'm a bit shy asking this so I'll stick to anon for the time being. I visited a pet store today and they had the cutest little fish roaming at the bottom of one of their tanks gulping and spitting out sand. I couldn't find the species on the side with the names and tried to do some research and I think it may be a Sand Sifting Goby? All I saw was that they require salt water and that it seemed to feed off whatever was in that sand. I'm genuinely obsessed with this little guy and took plenty of videos, but I don't want to make bad decisions and get one without proper knowledge and research. I was curious to know if you had any facts or tips to help me out? Thank you 🩷

Sounds adorable!! Sand sifting gobies are a whole group of species that come in a variety of colours, all of them looking quite sweet! No doubt the fish was captivating to look at doing its little sand sifting :D

You say you do not wish to make a bad decision and simply impulse buy one without research, which is a good mindset to start from. Fish are not a monolith of animals, they're a large and diverse group of species, each one having their own specific criteria for keeping. I don't know if you've kept fish before or not anon, but I will be giving a general explanation that lets a person who hasn't get started: fish require specific water parameters (temperature, pH, general hardness and calcium carbonate concentration, salinity, etc.), substrate (thickness at the bottom, colour, roughness), plants (density of plants, real or fake, etc.), decor (will the decor scratch or accidentally harm the fish, do they like to hide, etc.), tankmates (of their own species or of different species, or lack thereof), food (specific dietary preferences and restrictions), lighting (harsh or dimmed, amount of light a day), so many things! Freshwater and saltwater aquariums are also different and require different equipment.

The very first thing I recommend you do is go to the pet store (or contact them through social media or email) and ask them what species the goby is. This way you can do research on the specific species instead of sifting through general information about all sand sifting gobies, which may be completely different from our dear little friend at the pet store! That's actually the crux of obtaining a fish or another aquatic life companion: RESEARCH! Soooo much research. You must research your finned friend so much it's starting to feel ridiculous and your family is asking you if you're "still planning on that fish or..?". Look up care guides and fish forums, watch YouTube videos, gather up all the information you get. Some of it contradicts itself, which is why it's important to look to many many sources. Try seeing the newest ones and see what parameters and suggestions are most common. That's only the beginning, though: if you've never owned a fish before, you need to learn about all these aquarium-keeping terms and how to maintain an aquarium, what you need for an aquarium, how to cycle it, etc.. Actually, that's probably best to do before you look up care guides, now that I think about it... Or do both at the same time, that's what I did when I was planning my shrimp tank. See beginner's guides to saltwater fishkeeping, on several sites, move onto more advanced guides and learn the terminology. Learn why these parameters matter so much, or why and how to cycle your tank. Weigh the pros and cons of having plants or some plant species, research different substrates, see what tanks and lights and filters are smartest for you, learn about aquarium pests. Try to find a good middle ground for what's sensible for you and what's the best for your pet; we keep animals for our enjoyment, but we also want to make sure they're having their best time too! Make a list for all the items you need, see how much different options cost, make a budget. Research the water parameters of your city or town, or test the water yourself. See what needs to be done to it so it's suitable for your animal. I've never kept a saltwater tank so I don't know the specifics of it myself, but if you wish to be a saltwater aquarium keeper you must learn! It's a lengthy process, but I went through seven months of preparation before I got my dwarf shrimps. This included my research (I don't have an estimate for how many articles and forums I looked through but my "Shrimps" playlist I made in preparation has 52 videos of just cherry shrimp and aquarium-keeping educational videos), shopping for equipment and plants and setting everything up, and cycling my aquarium. Dear folks in my notes also informed me that saltwater tanks and setups tend to be more expensive than freshwater setups!

Maybe at some point you find that the setup and equipment are simply too expensive, or incompatible with your lifestyle or living situation, or you change your mind for another reason during the preparation process. And that's valid and okay! You took the time to learn and what you learned was just that: it wasn't meant to be. It's much better than getting an animal without preparing and only finding out afterwards that you're incompatible in some way. Learning about these things won't be for "nothing" either, as now you have the valuable knowledge of how to keep fish and an aquarium! It may prove useful later in life if you eventually do obtain an aquarium, or you can become the resident fish knower (very rewarding). You may also decide to look into freshwater gobies, as they are gobies all the same but easier to care for! Please take a look at the folks in the notes and their lovely info.

Hope this helps anon! Perhaps you were wishing for a fish facts -format post, but my measly one-to-four sentence daily fish facts do not a species expert make. Instead I want to give out a guide on how to get started on your goby-keeping journey. I hope it works out for you, I wish you good luck! :)

#fish #biology #marine biology #aquarium #fishkeeping #asks #anonymous #anon #anonymous asks

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beloved-daydreams · 7 months

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Folktober2023 Prompt: "Horror movie marathon" 🎬📺 Friday 13th October

An attempt by

Hosted by @jurdannet and @jurdannetrevels

📘1 500+ words

😎Characters: Jude, Cardan, Vivi, Taryn and Oak.

✒️Tags: Jurdan, fluff, wholesome, quality time, familial bonds, implied TarynXThe Ghost/Larkin

Was made in a hurry so it might have some errors but you’ll deal with it 💖

✏️✏️✏️

Last week, Vivi came to visit completely unannounced. A movie marathon for Halloween! She said. It'll be fun! She assured us. Taryn tried to turn her down at first, being 7 months into her pregnancy, she understandably found the idea risky. But Vivi being Vivi, she would not give up. And frankly, Taryn did need some family time and support. With no parents, no siblings and no husband by her side, although she doesn’t want to admit it, it must surely be difficult.

Meanwhile, Cardan immediately agreed despite our status. The High Queen and High King going to the mortal world only to watch movies? It’s a rather shameless behavior to display so soon, but Vivi said it makes us audacious for some reason that I didn't quite understand. The audacity! Or whatever.

Though to be completely honest, I'm pretty sure Cardan only wants to go for the caramel popcorn and to see Oak again. Oak who's now the only member of his "lineage" that he more or less appreciates. I'm worried. Nephew and uncle are maybe starting to get along too much. When Vivi found out Oak had punched a kid at school, instead of feeling sorry or ashamed Oak said "Someone who doesn’t respect others shouldn't complain about getting payback." Cardan said it wasn't his fault and it sounded more like something I would say. I beg to differ but he likes my begging so I just agreed and moved on. Vivi noted that he’s turning out to be a sassy child.

Now, we're lying down on the carpet while Taryn and Oak are on the sofa, Vivi is making the popcorn. She still isn't entirely back to being together-together with Heather. Should've figured, if she were I don't think she would've invited us. I hope things turn out well for them.

"Who wants it with caramel!?" Vivi asks from the kitchen, her head tilted to the side from the doorway so she can see us.

Cardan and Taryn lazily raise their hands.

"Who wants it salted?"

Oak and I raise our hands. Cardan looks at Oak like he’s incredibly brave for that, I roll my eyes. Salt only reduces or stops a fae’s ability to use magic for a limited amount of time, it’s not that big of a deal. I swear Cardan loves to overreact and exaggerate the dumbest things. The other day, I came back dragging the head of a traitor behind me to show the folk they can trust me to protect them. Meanwhile, Cardan said, "You know I love you but please think about the smell it’ll leave on the carpets." Well, Cardan dear, we’re King and Queen, we can get new carpets anytime if the smell doesn’t wear off. Also, Taryn is terrific at home decor anyway, I bet she enjoys decorating and redecorating our halls.

Oak puts his small hand on Taryn’s belly, then his ear against it. He’s excited at the idea of becoming an "unkie" to his future niece like Cardan is to him.

As soon as Vivi’s back with the popcorn, the movie starts. The good thing about watching movies at home is that you won’t be done with the popcorn before the commercials end. And although she’s the one who invited us, she keeps talking over the movie’s beginning, asking us how we’re doing and what stuff has been going on in our "fairytale hellhole." Then it quickly goes to the uncomfortable questions.

"So. Rynryn, I heard that a half-fae dude has the hots for you. How’s that going?"

Taryn cringes.

"Oh please, Larkin is ridiculous. Trying to court a widowed woman who’s still pregnant with the child of her late husband? He has no delicacy."

Cardan raises an eyebrow.

"The husband who died by the hands of his wife, you mean." I hit him on the shoulder and he utters a fake sounding ow. Oak is right there, I widen my eyes at him to make him understand but what’s done is done. Oak turns to Taryn once again.

"Why did you kill your husband?" Oak asks curiously with no discernible malice in his gaze or voice. Taryn smiles politely.

"He didn’t bear for me the kind of love that satisfied me nor did he treat my opinions and feelings with enough respect. And you know what that means?"

"People with no respect deserve payback!"

Taryn smiles and puts her hand on Oak’s horned head to praise him. Cardan and I look at each other a bit astonished. So that behavior partly came from Taryn, huh. I’m afraid that at this rate, he’ll become an amalgamation of all of our personalities. No matter. Vivi presses a bit further, putting Taryn back on track which only results in complaints from Taryn’s part.

"I swear he only ever wears plain and boring outfits, even for revels and casual occasions. Not to mention he has no common sense, poor table manners and his attempts at flirting are horrid, frustrating and awkward. How is he supposed to be a spy and assassin if he can’t even put two and two together? No way can he gain the trust of any of his targets that way." She suspiciously over-explains everything wrong with Larkin. Vivi smiles at her knowingly.

"Hmm. I don’t know, to me it sounds like he already caught his target." Vivi says.

"Why are you paying so much attention to him?" Oak chimes in with more accusations.

Taryn shifts her attention back to the TV, a furrow forming on her eyebrows. She tells us we should focus on the movie instead of whatever she thinks of Larkin. Which is none of our business, by the way. And so we do, we watch. Cardan seems to display no particular difficulty in understanding the images and plot but he’s much more entertained by the popcorn. That is until it runs out and he lets himself get swept away. His tail stands up straight like a cat’s every time he’s surprised by the sudden sounds or imagery, namely the jumpscares. It’s cute how his face doesn’t show his fear at all, he seems to be completely unphased if you ignore the tail. I suppose it must’ve been why he hid it all those years. It puts his emotions on display. Making his feelings obvious.

Near the middle, Oak is too tired to continue watching. Vivi puts him to bed. Near the end, Vivi and Taryn somehow manage to fall asleep on the couch. Vivi most likely because she’s not scared of horror movies in the first place, and Taryn because our presence hopefully calmed her down. In the end, this was mainly for us to get together again. Vivi may be clumsy with her words sometimes, but she’s still the same older sister who hugged us when we got into trouble or scraped our knees while falling on the concrete grounds of our neighborhood. I sigh.

While trying to get up, Cardan stops me. He whispers.

"Let’s sleep here."

I widen my eyes at him.

"On the floor?"

"On the carpet, dear."

I roll my eyes.

"I’m sure Vivi won’t mind if we borrow her bed for the night, as long as…" I don’t finish but Cardan gives me a sly smile nonetheless which makes me hit his shoulder lightly.

We get up and I properly tuck Vivi and Taryn in, leaving them to sleep comfortably on the sofa. Then we go to Vivi’s room and make the bed together. Well. "Make" is a big word, we’re both embarrassingly inept at tidying things up since our attendants do it for us. We just cover the bed with a cover we’ll sleep on, tucked in under another new cover so we don’t have to truly "get" into her bed.

As we lay there about to fall asleep, Cardan attempts to talk to me before I manage to make my way into dreamland, as he often does.

"Don’t you miss such things? Movies, popcorn, late night talks with your siblings? We could do that more often."

I smile and grab his tail, pulling it to my front so I can play with the tuft to fall asleep faster. It relaxes me. Cardan has enough only with hugging me, his arms just under my chest, and if his hands wander around to go higher when I’m too tired, I hit them away and he gets the hint.

"It’s fine. I believe it’s better for me to slowly move away from that, eventually we could try meeting in Faerie all together. There won’t be movies anymore, but the food can be brought here."

I’m not sure what face Cardan is making right now, but I think he didn’t like that answer judging by how his tail is flailing around.

"Don’t give up on that. I wish I always had that." He pauses then squeezes me tighter in his arms. "Or is it because of…"

I want my body to stay strong and healthy. My case is arguably completely different from other humans since I’m the Queen, but I’m not willing to risk it. When I reach my mid thirties or so, I’m thinking of stopping my trips to the human world. I hold onto Cardan’s tail in confirmation. And as I start to believe this might be the end of the conversation, he says one last thing before we fall asleep.

"We could try to install electricity in Faerie…"

I smile.

✏️✏️✏️

Please consider leaving comments and/or tags! Love you 🫵🫶

(And before you ask, yes I made the silly banner myself because I wanna look cool and semi-pro 😤) Tell me it’s working lmao

#the folk of the air #tfota #jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #jurdan #the cruel prince #the wicked king #the queen of nothing #jude x cardan #jurdannetfolktober2023 #jurdannet #join the revel 👻🎃#fanfiction #beloved-daydreams

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jackcommitsgaycocksucking · 1 year

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Funny enough, I never drew or finished reference sheets for RitsuSho and TeruMob. Mostly because I don't believe that Teru can have just one look, his iconic fashion sense haunts me in my sleep /pos. The same goes to Mob. And for Ritsu and Shou… They are iconic, I just always remember how they look like.

This was drawn in November 2022 just for the sake of comparison, here's more recent Ritsu and Shou drawings. Shou is from an unfinished December piece, and Ritsu is drawn 20 days later.

This is still from November, both Kageyama brothers look a lot differently than something I would draw today.

Okay, anyway, time for the funnies.

I was obsessed with Shou for a time, autism served. Okay, back to the funnies. I made a Spotify playlist for him, I could post it with my other three playlists if someone's interested. (There's ageswap Mob, Teru and ironically TouRei. Bro I have zero idea how I got into TouRei myself frfr)

Honestly, I don't want to talk about Shou`s backstory because it's too heavy for a silly little Tumblr post. I ultimately decided to not talk about it here and keep it short without any upsetting detail. If anyone curious and would be interested I could talk about it in full later, my ask box is always open for questions. The gist of it is that Shou wasn't present most of Toichiro's childhood for the reasons outside his control, Toichiro's mother wasn't the best to put it politely, so his perception of himself is really warped. That led to the creation of Ultimate 5 and “Claw”. Because of Toichiro, Serizawa and Reigen going to the same school, World Domination Arc was started because of Reigen. Then Toichiro started destroying the school Ritsu (if you couldn't tell by his clothes he's a math teacher in Salt middle school) got involved and because of that both Shigeo and Shou too. After the World Domination arc, Shou becomes Toichiros new legal guardian and Toichiro himself is homeschooled.

The amount of lore for this one joke picture is ridiculous. But Shou and Teru friendship is what I need, it's what I breathe. I love them.

Oh, right, I forgor that I mostly labeled these things in Ukrainian. So Ritsu says “FUUUCK” but spelled in Ukrainian, then there's “Smoking Kills” and “He ran with them once and that was enough” Shou, Shigeo, Teru, Onigiwara and Gouda run in the morning together.

That's just Halloween in Ukrainian. Shou served, I mean they all did, I really love them all. I forgot to mention in my previous ageswap post, but Mogami is still alive… He is still alive. Also, I love to think that Wawa is a Miku fan, he just seems like one, right?

I'm not happy with how Teru turned out, I'm neutral about Shigeo, but Shou. He was made for 2000 mom look, oh my god. They're so silly.

I think this is a good place to end it on a positive note. I drew this exactly on his birthday, but I intended to finish it later. Not only that, but I also drew something for Toichiros birthday, but that even less finished. Really like how this came out.

Thank you for reading!

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heroes-feasting · 1 year

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Delzoun "Tide-Me-Overs"

“While these are customary consumables at Hornmoot, the traditional human-dwarven trading festival that marks the dawn of Spring, there isn’t a holiday on the eventful dwarven calendar that doesn’t feature these scrumptious meats on the menu.” - Heroes’ Feast, p. 90

Personally, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more dwarven food than the good old-fashioned meatball.

Heroes’ Feast’s Delzoun “Tide-Me-Overs” bring dwarven kitchens to life with these extremely tasty and juicy meatballs! Leagues better than anything you’d buy at the grocery store, I would absolutely suggest making these yourself.

This recipe is also ridiculously forgiving. Once, I doubled nearly all the ingredients by accident, aside from the meat, and they still came out amazing!

If you don’t eat pork, no worries! They’re just as tasty using only beef!

Check out below for tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast

Prep: 15 mins Cook: 1h 30 mins Total: 1h 45 mins

Ingredients:

¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream*

1 egg

2 slices dark bread (such as rye), crusts discharged, remainder torn into pieces**

3 tbsp. (43 g) unsalted butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

Kosher salt

¼ tsp. (2 g) ground allspice

8 oz (225 g) ground pork

8 oz (225 g) lean ground beef

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp. (8 g) all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups (350 ml) low-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp. (4 g) light brown sugar

1 ½ tsp. (7 ml) soy sauce

½ tsp. (2 ml) fresh lemon juice

3 tbsp. (12 g) finely chopped fresh dill or parsley

* I’ve used both heavy cream and half-and-half with no issues.

** I used Vienna-style Pumpernickel Bread, cut into standard ½ -inch sandwich slices at the thickest part of the loaf.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream and egg (top-left).

Add the bread, mix well, and set aside, stirring occasionally, until the bread is softened, about 20 minutes (top-right).

Using a fork or sturdy spoon, mash the bread into a paste and set aside (bottom).

NOTE: Apparently, the bread is not what binds the meat/other ingredients together, but works with the milk to give the meatballs moisture and texture! The eggs are the only binding ingredient.

In hindsight, this makes sense, since in baking eggs are a binder…

Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp. (14 g) of the butter. Add the onion and ½ tsp. (3 g) salt and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes (left).

Add the allspice and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 40 seconds (right).

Remove from heat and let them cool to room temperature. Laying mine in a single layer in the skillet, it took about 10 minutes.

TIP: Don’t be afraid to eat some of the onions to see if they’ve softened enough.

TIP: Cooling my onions in a single layer in the skillet took about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 475℉ (245℃) with a wire rack in the middle of the oven. Coat a large wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and set it in a large, rimmed baking sheet.

Add the cooled onion mixture, pork, ground beef, baking powder, 1 tsp. (5 g) salt and ½ tsp. (1 g) pepper to the bread paste and, using a large spoon or your hands, mix until well combined and uniform.

TIP: To save yourself time when doing the dishes, line the baking sheet with aluminum foil so you don’t need to scrape any burned bits off.

NOTE: Personally, I didn’t run into this problem while making mine, but it’s important to only mix the meat mixture until everything is just combined. Overmixing will result in stiffer, tougher meatballs.

With moistened hands, form the mixture into generous 1-tablespoon-sized balls (left).

Arrange the meatballs on the rack in the baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through (right).

NOTE: I had to make double the amount of pork/beef meatballs since 8 oz packages of each ground meat were not available. Expect about half the amount of meatballs that you see here if making this yourself.

NOTE: The meatballs will sag through the wire rack a little bit when placed, this is fine!

NOTE: The ones shown above are the size Heroes’ Feast recommends. I wanted them to be a little bit larger the second time I made them, so I went for golf-ball sized. The cooking time stayed the same, but I found the weight of them might have been a bit too much and they lost way more structure than the smaller ones.

However, that was also the time I accidentally doubled all the ingredients aside from the meat, so I’m sure there was more at play there. Just something to keep in mind. They still came out great though! In fact, they’re the ones shown in the final picture.

Wipe out the skillet used for the onions to remove any stray onion bits, set it over medium heat, and melt the remaining 2 tbsp. (28 g) butter. Stirring constantly, cook until fragrant and a shade darker, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes (top-left).

Switch to a whisk and, whisking constantly, gradually add the broth. Continuing to whisk often, cook for about 2 minutes (top-right).

Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, and ¼ tsp. (0.5 g) pepper and continue to whisk and cook until thickened, about 2 more minutes (bottom).

NOTE: The Heroes’ Feast “cook’s notes” mentions that the sauce will thicken quickly as it cools, and to add extra chicken broth to loosen the consistency.

They’re absolutely right! It’s more obvious in the next pictures but the sauce thickens a lot. It’s also a lot darker than what’s shown in the preview image in the book, so I’m not sure how much extra broth they had to add, but it seems like quite a bit.

Add meatballs to the sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 4 minutes (left).

Stir in most of the dill or parsley and taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if necessary (right).

Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with remaining dill or parsley, and serve hot.

Overall, I would give this recipe a 5/5. It was a little daunting since the ingredients list was so long, but once I got started making the meatballs it was actually remarkably simple! They’re really juicy, have great texture, and the allspice-seasoned onions are so tasty!

The sauce is a little awkward to make, but it does add amazing flavour. But, again, the meatballs retained so much moisture you don’t really need a sauce to enjoy them!

Honestly, if you have the time and are sick of store-bought meatballs, definitely give these a try.

Finally, as I mentioned earlier, you can totally make these with only beef (shown in the final picture above)! They’ll still retain quite a bit of moisture and be super delicious.

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thedawningofthehour · 1 year

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Galois Room Post!

I made Gale's room in the Sims! It took a ridiculous amount of time for such a tiny room. Overall I'm pretty happy with how it turned out-it's faithful to what I was picturing, and the places it's not can be blamed more on the limitations of the Sims 4. One thing I struggled with was the size. It's supposed to be a pretty small room, most of the living areas in Draxum's house are, but I definitely had trouble placing everything I wanted in there. Sizing it up 1x1 made it feel too big though. (Sims 5, please let us build walls on half or quarter tiles, I'm BEGGING you) In the end I couldn't fit in a real bookshelf, which was my only real gripe, but he still has plenty of space for books. (plus Draxum has so many bookshelves, he can offload some if he gets too cramped)

I wanted to have it mostly Galois but not 100% Galois. He's a teenager and wants to decorate his bedroom to the nines because that's what teenagers do, but I also wanted to keep in mind that this furniture was not bought for him and was mostly left over from its last occupant/bought when Draxum viewed Donnie as his new science slave and not his son.

Without further ado, here we go!

It's...yeah, it's white. Nothing else really looked good. It was Bella's room first and Draxum didn't bother to repaint. She probably had this place papered with posters and cringey 90's wall hangings when she lived here. In retrospect pale purple walls were a trend in the 90's, but whatever it's done now.

(I also forgot to paint the walls originally so I might have just gotten used to the white)

Also just imagine the ceilings are a little lower, the wall height needed to be on medium for the rest of Draxum's house to work and due to how the Sims 4 works I couldn't give just Gale's room shorter walls. The top of the cabinet should be touching the ceiling.

Other side! Gave him some nice plants, he's got some hanging ones around his bed and computer area. :) I'm not sure how I feel about the rug but I was feeling a circular rug and the colors worked. Left door is to the bathroom.

Huginn and Muninn 100% made that knitted turtle for him.

Did I give him one of those fairy light canopies every movie and sitcom character had in the 2000's? Yes. Yes I did. Look, I wasn't planning on it, but I saw it in the lighting section and I had to give it to him. I know I'm terrible to him but he is my baby and I will spoil him.

Better view of the bed. (the canopy kept fading from existence) Got the salt lamp and the lantern Cass gave him, I'm so happy I found those. I'm probably the least happy here, he needs more stuff on his shelves and more pictures under them. There's so many goddamn pictures in this room but HE IS A TEENAGED BOY and this is how they express themselves.

Also the clutter under the bed. In-fic that platform is actually storage space, so it works. Please enjoy how he's hiding his fashion magazines behind the pillow.

His little computer corner! The Draxum family stays pretty unplugged when they're not at work, (Draxum would like them to be anyway) but Gale's allowed to have all the tech he wants in his bedroom as long as it stays in this corner.

Swing back again and-

Just pretend that the vampire doll is Atomic Lass, okay?

So that bookcase thing. Is NOT a bookcase. It is a thing of evil. It drove me absolutely nuts because I wanted to fill those shelves in with clutter. Those are not snap points. But the bookcase has snap points. So I couldn't alt-move stuff there or use 9-0 keys because they'd just snap to the bottom there. So now they just look empty and stupid while he has books on the floor.

But other than that, I like this corner. He's got some binders for schoolwork in the cubby there, got some artsy stuff for relaxing and his box of vinyl records with no record player. (Draxum probably has a record player somewhere) It looks like how an actual teenager would organize his shit. I'm not sure how I feel about him leaving a stack of books on the floor, but overall Gale is a very good book owner so I'm sure he's careful.

He doesn't get a window so I gave him a nice picture with curtains so he can pretend.

On a side note, I absolutely fucking hate the curtains in this game, that was the only set that looked good and didn't cover up the whole damn picture AND THEY DIDN'T COME IN PURPLE. Really, there's such a lack of purple in this room. Blame the color swatches, because I tried. God I miss Create-A-Style.

Again, please use your imagination and imagine the bulletin board filled with pictures of him with Cass or Pax and loving notes from the goyles. There's also a watch on his dresser-before he recreated his tech gauntlet, Draxum gave him a really nice watch to wear. He doesn't wear it anymore because having his gauntlet on hand is a major source of comfort, but he still loves the watch. I also realize this looks more like a girl's bedroom, but to be fair Donnie is very gender and Galois inherited that from him.

(I was SO tempted to put that box of kleenex behind his computer)

Close-up of the clutter in his corner. I know Donnie's canonically not into geology, but this game really wants you to use rocks as decor. Also purple.

I don't know what that orb thing is supposed to be. Maybe like a mini version of the orb Draxum was looking into during the Goyles episode? That sounds like something a Yokai teenager would have in their room.

I wanted to give him a stereo too but my game glitched out and wouldn't place any, so I put a mixtape there in honor of that. We'll say Cass made it for him.

I did make his bathroom too, but it's not the most interesting because

Yeah, pretty small.

God, doors in this game look so silly when they're up against a wall.

It was looking way too white so I gave him the fishies and the plants for a splash of green. That sink is also SO not the style I was going for but everything else was clashing with the other counter. We can say this bathroom was remodeled at some point when vessel sinks were in fashion. I don't know why because no one was living here when they were. (Huginn and Muninn probably did it as a weekend project just for fun) I feel like he needs a rug and a big piece of art on the opposite wall, now that I'm looking at it.

I definitely went overboard with the bathroom clutter. I was just very excited that I was able to squeeze in a whole counter just for decoration. Seriously, I just wanted to add in that eyebrow pencil so he could draw on his eyebrows, then that evolved into the blush palette and the makeup brushes and the lotions and the nail stuff. He doesn't even fucking wear blush.

He did make his electric toothbrush, though Draxum makes him keep a backup because he's skeptical about how that works.

And that's the build! I'm also building the rest of Draxum's house, but it's taking a while due to the absolute utter ridiculousness of the layout. (I mean, it's my own fault, I'm the one that chose this layout)(and also because I need to use the curved wall tool for his mushroom house, and by god curved walls are impossible to work with) Decorating should be quicker though, the only place with this level of detail should be the lab and maybe the greenery. I'll probably revise his room a little, maybe paint his walls an actual color. I also want to do something more with the cactus he has on his counter. Maybe I'll download some more CC so I can give him purple curtains.

I also have no idea if this is actually playable. Probably not, I feel like a Sim wouldn't be able to figure out the platform bed thing. But whatever, I didn't make this to actually play in.

#doth #donatello #BEDROOM MASTERPOST #i have no idea how to tag this so people can retrieve it for reference #i'll probably just link it to the masterpost? yeah that'll probably work better

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dogtoling · 1 year

Note

How do hospitals exist in the Splatoon world? Or are there any truly necessary of inklings can heal pretty well. Do inklings have genetics

Hospitals are probably insanely large, or there's a lot of smaller ones all over the place that just specialize in different species. With the implied amount of people that exist JUST in inkopolis (millions), they are dealing with a ridiculous amount of potential species with all shapes and sizes and completely different anatomy. And in societies like Inkopolis where a whole bunch of completely different species live together, a lot of those species probably get pretty mediocre care in medical settings because none of those doctors are going to know how to treat 50 different species perfectly for every potential ailment that they could be having - human doctors have enough of an issue with this and we are ONE SINGULAR SPECIES

Basically doctors in Splatoon likely specialize in one species or class of species, for example inklings or inkfish, or crustaceans, or jellyfish, or just Tiger Prawns, et cetera. And there's likely smaller hospitals and healthcare centers that specialize in a small handful of species, so they can give more targeted care to individuals of those species.

Hospitals are absolutely always necessary and Inklings might have good regenerative abilities, but they can still end up having issues. Even though you'll probably live through losing a leg whether you get medical help or not, it's ALWAYS a really good idea to get that medical attention to make sure you start off right and don't develop some kind of infection that kills you, and also professional instructions for what to do next instead of being like "eh, that happened". For example getting splatted and staying splatted for a very long time would give for a really good reason to get checked by a doctor to make sure your body is recovering from it, or falling into the ocean and getting an absolutely horrid amount of salt in your body could very easily be lethal if you didn't get medical help fairly quickly. There's also a metric fuckton of venomous species, including other inkfish, and you could get ink infections that require antibiotics to be prescribed, list goes on. You always need hospitals, no species is just completely immune to medical issues.

And I really don't understand the last part of this ask. Do inklings have genetics. They're animals, they're a lifeform, they reproduce, they exist. yes they have genetics. what

#mailbox #squidthoughts

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tutuandscoot · 10 months

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I wanna preface this by saying I mean no offence to the skaters and people I’m about to mention, just the programs, costumes, overall spectacle..

So.

What a freaking mood kill it must’ve been watching the 2010 FD event live (there in person but on tv as well) to watch VM deliver THAT performance, in their home country with the crowd going nuts, then to follow with the two programs by BA and DS..

It’s like stepping back in time 10 years in a matter of moments. The contrast between the future and the past in just.. 15 minutes or so. Now it’s not as though the atmosphere in the arena totally dies in tha arse.. being two top teams there was a fair amount of applause, it’s just the artistic mood kill it must’ve been. Like going from watching a performance of Swan Lake, to… some low budget horror movie. I watch it and just think what the hell were you people (these more dated style teams and their costumers/choreographers) thinking?? Was it not embarrassing to come out after VM- a boy and girl dressed so simply in a blouse and trousers and a white dress wearing…. What they were wearing?? For DS: a trash bag looking cape thing??, BA: him in that all white… elvis-esk get up. THE WHITE SKATE COVERS 🫣🫣🫣. (Also the first two teams in the final group-DW and FS were dressed more simply/appropriately to the sport and character of the program.. not to just say VM are the only ones who get it- but they ARE the best example).

I was watching 2002 worlds the other day- the one after the Salt Lake olys and Rod and Tracey are talking about the “costumes” and how something needs to be done about it (Rod asking ‘wasn’t something done about’ it and Tracey responding ‘yes’ but clearly no one listened) and/or teams should be penalised for excessive costumes. Part of me thinks, as the person skating in this stuff, just.. how do they do it?? Like isn’t it uncomfortable, restrictive, a headache to partner in?? And then the spectator in me thinks you look like idiots! I find it so difficult to watch bc you can’t make out hardly anything that’s happening. These were two (at the time) highly ranked teams with obviously good skating skills but just the visual- the first thing you see- those costumes already gives you the impression of sloppyness. I’ve said before, it’s not like these people are on stage with sets and lights and other people dressed like them so it makes sense, they are just two people in a sports arena with no prior context for what they are portraying, coming out dressed, as these two teams (and there were many more at this event, I only point out these two bc they skated after VM and were medal contenders) did… it just looked ridiculous.

VM come out just as themselves dressed stunningly and there is no distraction whatsoever to their skating and dancing, even in other programs of their’s- more specific character ones the costume is never a distraction- it always aids in it.

BA were skating to Ava Maria, now why couldn’t they dress in something like VM?? White- the angel/heavenly. There could still be some reference to wings or whatever, but not to the point where it is a complete distraction.

DS.. just.. omg. That PLUS the aboriginal dance (like guys it was so bad there were Aussie news reports with aboriginal elders talking about how offensive and not representative of their culture it was). So their music/ story was ‘the double life of Veronique’. I looked it up and apparently it’s a movie about a woman who leads a double life/has an identical twin? Idk.. Now why did they dress like a fabric shop went through a garbage disposal machine??? There were rhinestoned faces on both their costumes but you could only make those out up close. Why couldn’t they just dress her in a simple dress and him in something similar (maybe different colours) to Scott and tell the story through movement.. bc the program makes ZERO sense.

[Also: nothing says you have to use music from a movie or theatre show or ballet and skate as the character/s from said production. You can use the music just as music and create your own story, or have no story at all (VM once mentioned this about wanting to skate to R+J but we’re told they were “too old” (which is bullshit) but considered using the music and just dancing to it.. SEE WHY I YELL SO MUCH ABOUT VM GETTING IT). ]

Take something like VM’s Moulin Rouge. Their costumes are reminiscent of the film/stage show, but they weren’t confined to that story in those costumes- they could’ve worn them for a number of different stories/music selections. But they told the story through their movement and interactions together. The lifts (as I’ve detailed) tell the story. The way they touch and hold each other, look at each other. It makes complete sense yet it is also up for interpretation.

With these older programs.. this ‘style’ there is so much going on; either the program doesn’t make sense, they try so hard to make a vague theme seem literal that the skating and athleticism suffers… it’s one thing watching it in 2002, people saying this is ridiculous, but most teams were doing this sort of ‘style’, but in 2010.. I mean VM really were the most “bare”, simple team.. and did it not look the best?? To the untrained eye who can’t really tell skating details apart (me): it is soooo much more pleasant to watch Valse Triste over the majority of programs that year. Just a girl and boy dancing to beautiful music, dressed beautifully- showing off their beautiful posture, long, straight pointed legs and feet, no distractions from their musicality and connection to each other. Stripped down to the bare minimum and everything that should matter in their judged sport can be judged without distraction. Same with Umbrellas, but this time with a theme and story. Same with Pink Floyd- (worlds) themeless, all about the movement and musicality. Same with Mahler.. are we seeing a pattern here?? SAME WITH ALL THEIR PROGRAMS. Every time they came up against (top) teams wearing too much with two much going on.

I guess my gripe is; how did it take this long to realise dressing like that looked ridiculous?? It’s just crazy to watch, and getting back to the original point, it must’ve been so strange, and I wonder if people watching live could make that distinction that just visually, forget athletically, what VM were doing was stratospheres better. And STILL stands up today as one of the greatest ice dance performances of all time.

So yeah…

Here’s VM expressing my exact reaction:

#just wee little rant #VM really did revolutionise ID didn’t they..#my beautiful dancing bbys #please go watch these other skate after VM on the full replay #SS don’t do the disaster justice

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abramsbooks · 1 year

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RECIPE: Jacques’s Boeuf Bourguignon (from Fake Meat by Isa Chandra Moskowitz)

Is Julia Child smiling down on us for this one? Probably not. But damn, it’s delicious. All the wine-kissed smoky satisfaction that you want in boeuf Bourguignon. Jackfruit is grilled and charred to rep the meat, along with its trusty sidekick, porcini mushrooms. Lentils add beefy body and smoked paprika brings that bacon kick that vegans love so much. Toasting slices of garlic for this stew creates big, garlicky bites that really make it, so don’t you dare mince it instead. Pearl onions are an iconic component to Julia’s recipe, so I use them here. They’re cooked on the grill right after the jackfruit so that you aren’t using too many dishes. But if you leave them out, no big deal. Julia is already disappointed in us so it can’t get any worse. Serve over ridiculous amounts of mashed potatoes.

Serves 6 to 8

2 (20-ounce/570 g) cans green jackfruit, packed in water

6 tablespoons (90 ml) olive oil

Salt

2 cups (260 g) pearl onions

2 cups (230 g) sliced shallots

¼ cup (35 g) sliced garlic

2 cups (280 g) peeled and sliced carrots, in ¼-inch coins

3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

4 bay leaves

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1½ cups (360 ml) dry red wine

Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup (95 g) uncooked green or brown lentils

1 ounce (28 g) dried porcini mushrooms

5 cups (1.2 liters) vegetable broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour

¼ cup (13 g) chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

HOT TAKE Double-check that the jackfruit is canned in water, not in syrup. You don’t want any sweetness here; even if you wash it off, it would still be super weird.

Drain and rinse the jackfruit. Pat dry. Remove and discard the core from the jackfruit pieces; it looks kind of like a seed. Toss the rest in a bowl with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and a big pinch of salt.

Preheat a cast-iron grill over medium heat. When the pan is hot, place the jackfruit in as much of a single layer as possible. You will need to do this in two batches. Grill for about 5 minutes, until charred and smoky, then use a thin metal spatula to toss and grill again for 3 more minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to add back later. Repeat with the second batch.

In the same bowl used for the jackfruit, toss the pearl onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt to coat. Place them on the hot grill. Let cook until softened and charred in some spots, flipping occasionally, about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat a 4-quart (3.8 liter) pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the shallots and a pinch of salt in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and carrots and sauté for about 5 more minutes. Add thyme, bay leaves, smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt and toss around for a minute.

Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a wooden spatula, and bring to a boil. The liquid should reduce in about 3 minutes. While it’s reducing, grind in ample amounts of fresh black pepper.

Add the lentils, porcinis, broth, and tomato paste, cover the pot, and bring to a full boil for 5 minutes or so. Lower the heat, leaving the lid ajar for steam to escape, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.

In a measuring cup, mix the flour into ½ cup (120 ml) water with a fork until no lumps are left. Slowly add the water-flour slurry to the pot, mixing it in well. Let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. If it appears too thick, thin with a little water.

Mix in the reserved jackfruit and pearl onions and heat through. Shut off the heat and let the stew hang out for about 15 minutes, for the flavors to marry. Serve with mashed potatoes and garnish with parsley.

Bestselling author Isa Chandra Moskowitz shows you how to create your own vegan meats, like deli slices and ground beef, that will satisfy every craving

“I’m an animal lover and that love doesn’t end when I get hungry. Do I miss meat? Not really. But here’s what I do miss: Aromas. Experiences. Methods. Traditions.

“I remember all the tastes and sensations from my omnivore days, even though they were so long ago. My grandmother’s meatballs, burnt on one side. Slurpy seafood pasta at a café along the bay, my teeth scraping against the hard oyster shells. My favorite pizza burger from a diner underneath a Midtown office building, the feel of the vinyl seat as I bounced with excitement at the sight of the melty mozz arriving at the table.

“These are the moments you could say I miss. Maybe you do, too. But we don’t have to.” —from the Introduction

Fake Meat is packed with 125 recipes that will satisfy every kind of meat craving, from a vegan Philly cheesesteak and a basket of wings to a rich, gooey lasagna.

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