#//basil actually knows how a key works lol

[koffing-time]

hey guys. are either of your trainers there? scarlet kinda fainted & we're looking for a revival herb.

[@pkmn-aide-mel/sammy]

Uhhhhhh we're actually kinda alone? But bold of you to assume I don't know how to use a revival herb! I know where tix keeps them. Just lemme figure out how a "key" works first.... - B

[sunnysviolin]

au where kel shatters (i use shatter instead of snap bc snap implies anger) and just. stops trying. like completely fading into the background, giving up on everything except his visits to sunny and maybe basketball. - ⚜️

A wild nonnie appeared! Hahaha lol my stupid jokes only make me laugh. BUT! Welcome to the club fleur de lis <3 I saw you and immediately gasped and began to work on this. I saved it and scheduled this to go out after Mari’s birthday so uhhh Happy Tuesday! I’ve gotta catch em all LMAO. Also what an ask to start off with I love it so much! I feel bad because it’s clear who my favorite characters are and which ones I neglect, but alas. People who say they don’t have favorite children….liars...all of em. Anyways here take some headcanons for this nonnie. 

ALSO Honestly this isn’t even really an AU, It’s like a soft sort of canon shift that butterfly effects outward. I’m also going with the suicide ending where both Basil and Sunny end up dying so trigger/spoiler warning. Usually I put this kind of thing under a read more if I put a trigger warning, but I don’t think I will because it’s not like explicitly discussed here. I will put it in the tags though…. Haha I lied! I’m putting this under a read more because it got long as fuck and also it’s actually really sad….geez

I think that there’s a lot in canon that supports this au idea. Honestly it’s crazy to think that somehow he held onto his positivity and that’s what saved everyone. If Kel hadn’t continued to reach out to Sunny for all of those years and continued to treat all of his friends with love and determination...they might’ve all ended up being consumed by their grief

So what if….he didn’t continue to reach out

After Mari dies Kel does his best to try and hold together a rapidly sinking ship. He does his best to be there for Hero, to check on Sunny, to defend Basil from Aubrey even though Basil is increasingly pulling away.

It’s hard work and he has no support system, but he knows that his people need him. He still has his optimism and it gives him strength

But what would be enough to shatter that? What would be enough to push Kel into giving up?

Hero

Hero was able to make a shift after the night that he and Kel argued. In canon he says terrible things to Kel, but almost immediately apologizes and comes back into being himself somewhat. His parents tried to take him away, but Hero persevered past that and probably saved himself and Kel that night.

Everyone was alone after Mari died, but after that night Hero and Kel at least somewhat had each other. I think it’s because of that that Kel is able to keep up his hope in canon. 

So this is the one shift in this AU. Hero lets his parents take him away. He didn't come back that night. Kel was left alone after their argument. 

That night is Kel’s formative experience. His brother and his parents leaving him and letting him be all by himself drowning in his grief and his pain. It’s a terrible night, but he’s still alive the next day. Still alive, but he’s different now. Hero still makes him breakfast and still apologizes, but the damage is already done. 

Kel takes the plate and picks at the food, but he doesn’t tell his brother it’s okay. He doesn’t forgive him. Hero thinks that Kel is angry with him and needs time, but Kel isn’t angry. Kel is just tired and he has given in to what the rest of them already gave into

Kel goes to school that day and he doesn’t look to see if Basil came today. When Aubrey and her group try to provoke him, Kel doesn’t take the bait. After school he goes to the park and plays basketball by himself. He doesn’t go home until late in the night. Practicing basketball is the first thing that has felt good to him in a long time. Sinking shots is a simple motion that brings success over and over. 

He gets home after dark, long past curfew.

Hero was worried sick and his parents are angry, and Kel just...doesn’t care. His brother is shaking him and his parents are yelling, and all of it just bounces off of Kel. He isn’t scared by their reactions, isn’t annoyed or irritated. He’s just...mute. 

And that’s how it continues. Hero keeps trying to reach him, but Kel won’t be reached. He heard exactly what Hero thought of him that night, and he’s done with trying. It’s not even a spiteful or angry thing. He just doesn’t have any hope that things will get better anymore. 

Kel stops knocking on Sunny’s door everyday afterschool. He stops looking for Basil in the halls. Aubrey’s insults and taunts roll off of him and she slowly stops trying to get his attention. Kel focuses in on the few things he knows he still understands. The feeling of dribbling a ball. The faint heart race of running across a court. 

Kel makes it onto the varsity team when he’s 14. Freshman normally don’t, but he’s good. He’s really good, but there’s one key thing that holds him from being the best. Kel is not a team player. It’s not that he hogs the ball or has some negative energy, he just has no interest in bonding with the rest of the team. 

((He had people. He had people and he lost people. Kel doesn’t want any new people))

There is only one thing that gives him a tiny amount of hope. When he’s 16, he finds out Sunny is moving. He takes the last meagre amount of will he has and knocks on Sunny’s door. For the first time...Sunny answers. 

Those three days bring Kel back to who he used to be. Running around town with Sunny, solving problems, even fighting feels good. It’s like a dream. First he gets Sunny back, then Hero, and then even Aubrey. Falling asleep in Basil’s house that last night is the first time Kel sleeps soundly. Everything is going to be okay now, he’s sure of it. 

Then he wakes up in the middle of the night. 

He hears someone crying. His heart drops. He moves out of the living room and sees Aubrey collapsed on the floor and Hero standing in the doorway of Basil’s room. Kel peeks around him. 

Basil is dead in his room. Kel looked inside, and he had to go into the bathroom and throw up afterward. That night is long, but the morning is worse. Kel and Hero walk back home together, and as they round the corner to their house, they see a familiar sight

Ambulances and police cars surround the house next to theirs. When Mari died they created a blue and red halo around the house. The same halo is around it now. Hero goes to talk to one of the officers milling about, but Kel goes into the house. He doesn’t need any confirmation to know Sunny killed himself. Of course Sunny killed himself. 

After that any part of Kel that still had hope is permanently snuffed out.

[werenotrealright]

march productivity challenge

a big catch-up post!

07.03

Do you read fanfics? What's your favourite trope? Which fandom do you read most for?

I do! I read them a lot (often before sleep to distract myself from everyday life...). My favorite trope is probably friends to lovers and I lovee angst and hurt/comfort. I mostly read fanfics for whatever I'm currently watching/reading (and haikyuu, it will always have a special place in my heart).

08.03

If someone saw you across the street what do you think their passing thoughts be?

Good question. Tbh I have no idea how people perceive me (and I really wish I did!). They'll probably notice that I'm rushing first, I almost always am.

09.03

Do you know how to cook? What's your favourite thing to make? On that note, what's your favourite thing to eat?

I can only cook some basic things, so I don't starve when there's nothing cooked at home. It might seem weird but I like to make fried eggs - it's quick, easy and low-key fun to make lol. In the kitchen I mostly bake, not cook, as it's something my mom taught me. And I love it!

My favorite food is pasta, I could eat it in different shapes and forms every day. I also love chocolate a lot, but sadly I can't eat too much of it.

10.03

Do you believe in the supernatural? Have you had any spooky experiences?

I don't know and I don't really care. Maybe it exists, maybe it doesn't - doesn't make a big difference for me. I don't think I have had any really spooky experiences and if I did I didn't care enough to remember.

11.03

Have you been sleeping well lately? What has been your average sleep hours for the last few days?

Oh I certainly haven't. With the amount of school work I have, I've been staying up late quite a lot and even on the days when I go to sleep at a normal time, I stress over upcoming days which makes it harder to actually fall asleep. I've been also waking up earlier than I need to and not being able to fall back asleep, which is extremely annoying. My average has been around 5 and a half hours, but yesterday I slept almost all day because I'm sick.

12.03

Did you have an imaginary friend in your childhood? what were they like?

I did not (if I did I don't remember it anyway), so I can't really talk about this.

13.03

What's your favourite seasoning on food? Are you picky about seasonings?

It really depends on what kind of food it is, but I love the basics: black pepper, basil and herbes de provence. I'm not picky about seasonings, the only one I kinda dislike is rosemary.

15.03

How do you deal with academic/work stress? Do you have a coping system/mechanism?

I don't. What I do with academic stress changes depending on what and why exactly I'm feeling, and what I have time for. Most of the time I have to plan when and how I'll do everything and drink a ton of lemon balm tea.

16.03

Do you have a favourite mug/cup/glassware/cookware?

I have a few favorite mugs and plates - they're my favorites, because they're the simplest and I prefer dishes like that for everyday use. I still can appreciate pretty mugs and cups when I have time to sit down and enjoy some good beverage though.

17.03

Have you travelled a lot? Would you like to in the future?

I have been to a lot of (really amazing and beautiful) places in my country, but I haven't travelled a lot worldwide. I'd like to visit some places abroad, but I like the cosiness of familiar things a lot.

18.03

Have you gotten into anything because people around you had started getting really into it? Did you enjoy it? Are you still into it?

Yeah, I got into a lot of things like that. That's how I started watching anime and reading manga - and I'm still really into it. If I didn't enjoy it I wouldn't really get into it in the first place. I think it's a very fun way to discover new things, especially if it's from your friends or other people who you know have similar interests and taste to you.

19.03

Do you doodle a lot? What is it that you doodle most?

I doodle a lot in class, but it's mostly just random shapes and lyrics, because I can't draw well, so I just get annoyed when I'm trying to just doodle something and it doesn't look how I wanted to. I wish I had time and determination to practice and learn how to draw (it's somewhere on my to-do-when-you-have-a-bunch-of-free-time-on-your-hands list, right after learning how to cook more complicated things and learning sign language..).

20.03

Do you wear glasses? If you do, when did you get your first pair?

I do, I truly got the worst traits from my parents :'). I got my first pair when I was 8 or 9, but they were only for reading things on the blackboard in school (I'm short-sighted). I got my first glasses that I wore every day when I was 10, I remember it was right after Easter.

Haha... I really couldn't keep up with the challenge. It was my first one, so I'm gonna try to do better the next time! It was mostly because of school keeping me busy, it's really a lot.

These two weeks have been really busy, but they also made me realize I don't actually miss being so caught up in work, that I don't have time to worry and that time passes much faster - it does but it's not worth it with the amount of stress I still have time to experience.

The spring is finally here! It makes me really really happy. I missed seeing the sun everyday, I missed the birds singing and everything else. It's not really warm yet, but at least I'm not freezing in the mornings anymore.

[rfamess]

This cured my boredom for a little bit. Was making a few new music playlists and thought.. hmm. I wonder what kind of music the RFA listens to? So, I made this. For no reason at all.

What Kind of Music the RFA + V/Saeran Listen To:

Saeyoung/707:

- (I always see people writing that he’d listen to all star or other cringe meme songs because that’s what seems to be his entire personality, but I like to think he has more substance than that and listens to songs that don’t have to do with memes.)

- He definitely listens to rap/hip-hop.

- Can you not imagine him driving down the road in his cars, windows down, music blasting?

- He listens to his music uber loud in his headphones while working.

- His favorite artist is probably Tyler the creator, i mean, how could you not love him.

- Listens to Mac Miller when he’s sad :(

PLAYLIST:

Who Dat Boy - Tyler the Creator

Stutter - Freddie Dredd

Evil Fantasy - Freddie Dredd

Sweatpants - Childish Gambino

Bounce - Logic

Dead Wrong - Notorious B.I.G.

Movement - Oliver Tree

Stick to Your Guns - Watsky

Both - Gucci Mane

No Sleep Till Brooklyn - Beastie Boys

Can I Kick It - A Tribe Called Quest

No Limit - G Easy

Circles - Mac Miller

Broke Bitch - TMG (lol)

Bonfire - Childish Gambino

I THINK - Tyler the Creator

Good News - Mac Miller

I - Kendrick Lamar

FACE - Brockhampton

King Kunta - Kendrick Lamar

Lovely Things Suite: Knots - Watsky

Zen:

- (Similar to Saeyoung, I don’t believe Zens entire personality revolves around musicals, he probably doesn’t listen to them that often imo.)

- I like to think he’s a... well rounded individual when it comes to music

- Listens to anything and everything.

- I could see him listening to the same music as Seven, but is also very into 70s-90s rock like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the like.

- He runs listening to all of his music on shuffle and doesn’t have a specific playlist so there’s never a certain vibe to it— it really is all over the place.

- In addition to Seven’s playlist, here’s Zen’s

PLAYLIST:

Funny Face - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Santeria - Sublime

Badfish - Sublime

The Luck You Got - The High Strung

Dedicated to the One I Love - The Mamas and the Papas

Heart of Glass - Blondie

Come as You Are - Nirvana

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

Machu Picchu - The Strokes

Dirty Harry - Gorillaz

Love of Your Life - Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Adults Are Talking - The Strokes

Bailee - The Licks

Where is my Mind - Pixies

Hurt Like Mine - The Black Keys

Gap - The Kooks

Give it Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand

Hoops - The Rubens

Conquest - The White Stripes

Ten Cent Pistol - The Black Keys

Yoosung:

- Yoosung likes more upbeat music, maybe more new age/alternative pop

- Listens to music every time he tries to study, but usually get distracted by it and starts to sing along instead of actually doing his work

- Is probably trying to branch out of his style, Seven and Zen try to convince him to listen to their favorite genres

- The three of them always argue about who has the best taste in music lol

- He’s constantly wondering if his music is “manly” enough (it’s okay yoosung it’s just music)

- If this dude gets drunk and hears any of this music he goes absolutely wild and dances all over the place

PLAYLIST:

Bambi - Hippocampus

Turn - the Wombats

Paris - Magic Man

Chronic Sunshine - Cosmo Pike

Death of a Bachelor - Panic! At the Disco

Silvertongue - Young the Giant

Brazil - Declan McKenna

Unbelievers - Vampire Weekend

Baseball - Hippocampus

Australia - The Shins

Prune, You Talk Funny - Gus Dapperton

Honeypie - JAWNY

Alien Boy - Oliver Tree

Satellite - Guster

So Young - Portugal. The Man

Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

Circles - Post Malone

Unbearably White - Vampire Weekend

Tiny Umbrella - Coast Modern

Way it Goes - Hippocampus

Electric Feel - MGMT

Jumin:

- this guy has 2 modes and that’s it: classical bitch or music that has words

- He appreciates the fine art of classical music and listens to it when he has work to get done or when he’s trying to relax.

- If he’s in a good mood he’ll put on a playlist that includes “music with actual lyrics!”

- It’s a dad playlist. Billy Joel, Billy Joel, Billy Joel, Elton John, The Beatles, Billy Joel.

- He likes Billy Joel. Jumin has a dad personality you can’t convince me otherwise lol

- He tried to branch out but can get very picky in his interests. “I don’t like this guitar riff— change it”

- Either way his 2 modes are apparent in his playlists

PLAYLIST:

Dreams - Fleetwood Mac

California Dreamin’ - The Mamas and the Papas

Don’t Ask Me Why - Billy Joel

Starman - David Bowie

Miss You - The Rolling Stones

Dancing in the Moonlight - King Harvest

Come and Get Your Love - Redbone

It’s Too Late - Carole King

Movin’ Out - Billy Joel

A Horse With No Name - America

I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles

Honky Cat - Elton John

Vienna - Billy Joel

The Stranger - Billy Joel

Waltz in A Minor - Chopin

Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor - Brahms

Waltz No. 7 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 - Chopin

Souvenir de Paganini - Chopin

Solfeggietto in C Minor - Bach

Prelude in B Minor, Op. 32, No. 10 - Rachmaninoff

IV. Allegro Molto From Quartet - Yo-Yo Ma

La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin - Debussy

Porz Goret - Yann Tiersen

Carnival of the Animals: VII. Aquarium - Camille Saint-Saëns

Carnival of the Animals: XIII. The Swan - Camille Saint-Saëns

Jaehee:

- We all know her obsession with Musicals (specifically zens)

- Other than this she listens to...well honestly I don’t know

- Her music doubles as something she can get hyped up with and something she can listen to to relax.

- She loves to dance, so a lot of her songs and just songs that she’ll never be able to refuse to move her feet to!

- She likes the old classics and then she likes Doja Cat. Lizzo? Queen.

- She’s a barb let’s be real please. you can never convince me that she’s not

PLAYLIST:

Adore You - Harry Styles

She - Harry Styles

Call Me - Blondie

Starships - Nicki Minaj

Hey Mickey - Toni Basil

Juice - Lizzo

Say So - Doja Cat

Voulez-Vous - ABBA

Waterloo - ABBA

Cuz I Love You - Lizzo

Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack (LOL the memories associated with this song after Killing Stalking..... hahahaha BUT ITS STILL A GREAT SONG!)

Only - Nicki Minaj

Boss Bitch - Doja Cat

Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac

Beez in the Trap - Nicki Minaj

Woman - Harry Styles

9 to 5 - Dolly Parton

Blame it on the Boogie - Michael Jackson

One Way or Another - Blondie

Tia Tamera - Doja Cat

Truth Hurts - Lizzo

V:

- indie boy indie boy indie boy indie boy

- Cmon just look at him he’s an indie boy

- If you’ve ever met a film student that gatekeeps music, they have the same exact taste but V won’t say shit to make you feel stupid. It’s just music bruv

- If you’ve ever been to an indie concert you know the fuckin dance you know what I’m talking about. he does that.

- Rolls a joint, pops the music off and he paints, does photography, whatever. Either way he straight vibes every single time the tunes come on.

- Low key thinks he has the best music taste. that’s just how dem indie kids roll let’s be real here.

- For some reason knows everything about every type of music. will spew facts about artists and songs at random

PLAYLIST:

Shuggie - Foxygen

Necessary Evil - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Homage - Mild High Club

Another One - Mac DeMarco

Plants - Crumb

What Once Was - Her’s

Heart and My Car - Summer Salt

Cottage Roads - The Walters

Moonlight on the River - Mac DeMarco

Work This Time - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Like Yesterday - Paul Cherry

Call it Fate, Call it Karma - The Strokes

Knowhere - Nick DeLaurentis

Escargot Blues - Guantánamo Bay Surf Club

A Side / B Side - Tipling Rock

Dark Red - Steve Lacy

That I Miss You - Vansire

Top Tier Love - Lonely Benson

Driving to Hawaii - Summer Salt

Taking Up Space - Mustard Service

She’s the Only One - King Guru

Saeran:

- emo boy emo boy emo boy

- We all know it

- As much as I’d love to say he listens to heavy death metal, there’s a part of my mind saying NO he’s not like that.

- Well he is, but he’s got more than a few single interest

- Probably listens to Nirvana, Cage the Elephant, anything similar

- Is always trying to listen to new music

- Kind of sick of Seven blasting his music all the time and listens to the opposite of hip hop whenever possible

- Honestly enjoys all types of music, but sticks to his favorites

PLAYLIST:

- All Apologies - Nirvana

- Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene - Hozier

- Soma - The Strokes

- Black Madonna - Cage the Elephant

- Hysteria - Muse

- Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High - Arctic Monkeys

- I Got Mine - The Black Keys

- Supermassive Black Hole - Muse

- Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers

- Back Against the Wall - Cage the Elephant

- Creep - Radiohead

- Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana

- Demon Days - Gorillaz

- Bulls on Parade - Rage Against The Machine

- Matador - The Buttertones

- Holiday - Green Day

- RIP - The Licks

- London Calling - The Clash

- Loser - Beck

- What I Got - Sublime

[mayisani]

Timmy & Y/N Podcast Pt.2

A/N: Thank you so much for all the love on part 1 it means the absolute world to me. Here is part 2 hope you enjoy it. Also requests are open if you want me to write anything in particular or if you have anything to say. Anyways enough of holding you up enjoy reading, much love 💕

Warning: Fluff, Cussing, Smut 

Word Count: 4324

Also if you haven’t read PART 1 HERE IT IS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You had just finished recording the first episode of your new podcast

As you were getting ready to go out to get some takeout for dinner you felt dread. You hadn’t been out in a while due to the current pandemic what made things even worse was how hard New York was hit by it. As you put on Timmy’s Kid Cudi merch hoodie that he had worn when he opened his show and your favorite black leggings with some basic Nikes. You could hear Timothée outside in the living room ordering the take out from East Village Pizza, so you guys could quickly pick it up instead of having to order in person. He finished up ordering and came into the room to grab his wallet. He looked over at you seeing the clear fear in your face.

“What’s wrong?” he said coming over to you going in for a hug

You hugged him back and looked up at him “I’m just worried about going out. I was talking to Pauline last night and she was just telling me how bad things are getting. I know I should be careful and not fearful but it still bothers me you know.”

“No, I get it. We’re living through very chaotic times right now and it perfectly fine to feel how you’re feeling but hey we’re going to follow the safety procedures. We’re going to wear masks and gloves plus it’s going to be quick okay. You can even wait by the entrance.”

You nodded feeling a slightly better and walked over to your dresser to grab your small black purse. You opened it looking inside making sure your wallet, phone, and keys were in there. Timmy handed you your gloves and black cloth mask. You put them on and started walking with Timmy out of the apartment. You waited as Timmy made sure he locked the apartment correctly. As you guys walked to the elevator you felt very bizarre this didn’t feel like reality. New York was usually very noisy especially since you guys lived in the heart of Manhattan. You guys got in the elevator and what was usually a very crammed elevator now only had you two.

Timmy interrupted your thoughts. It seemed like he always knew when your thoughts were becoming dark and he knew he had to block them. “Hey on the bright side we don’t have the paparazzi to worry about.” He chuckled trying to make you feel calmer. You looked up at him seeing his beautiful green eyes looking at you so lovingly. You leaned onto his shoulder having your arm around his waist and small smile appearing onto your face.

The elevator opened and you walked out with him Timmy locking hands with you. It was a chilly day which was normal for the time of year. You walked to East Village Pizza which was a good hour from the apartment. As you guys you saw the empty sidewalks and roads a part of you felt some sort of peace since overcrowded places gave you anxiety but the other part of you felt unease this wasn’t the New York you had become accustomed to.

“You know a part of me is happy because I get to spend more time with you but I do miss working it’s a large part of my life you know me always wanting to work on something new. I just love to be able to get in the characters headspace and tell their stories.”

“No, I understand acting has become your life and I’m so proud of you because you’re doing what you love but hey look at the bright side we’re safe and so are our families. We’re really blessed not everyone is this lucky.”

“I know I’m grateful for everything but I’m just upset because I was talking with my team and they think it’s very likely that there won’t be premieres for the French dispatch or Dune since it would be a major safety matter. We’ll probably do an at home premiere like many movies have recently. Which sucks because I won’t be able to interact with the fans and let them know how much I appreciate them. I mean that’s probably the best part being able to share something I love to dearly and have poured my heart to with the people I love.”

“Cheer up babe nothing is set in stone hopefully you’ll get the premiere you deserve and get an Oscar nomination and win.” He laughed shaking his head

“That is if there even are the Oscars I mean they cancelled the Met Gala and you know how stoked I was for that.”

“I know but hopefully next year. A lot of people were upset about it apparently I was reading about it on twitter.”

The conversation came to a stop as Timmy opened the door to East Village Pizza. You waited by the door as Timmy went up to the counter.

“For Timothée Chalamet I ordered about an hour ago.”

“You ordered 2 cheese pizzas, cheesy garlic knots, an order of mozzarella sticks, and 12 wings?”

“Yes.” They handed him the order and he walked over to you he handed you the bag and he carried the 2 large boxes of pizzas.”

1 hour later

You had just finished setting everything up on the table and Timmy was grabbing 2 cups from the kitchen cabinet and a bottle of soda from the fridge.

“You know what if we go live on my Instagram and we can basically do a mukbang like the ones you’ve been watching lately.”

You gave him the biggest smile ever “That’s a good idea plus you basically promised you’d go live.” You sat down next to him and he was setting up his phone.

“Wait how do you work this I’ve never gone live.”

“Click the camera button on the top left corner and on the bottom, swipe left till you see the live button and then just click it.”

“Okay I think we’re live.”

“Now we just wait until people start joining. You grabbed the two cups and filled them up with soda, then passed Timmy his cup.”

Username1: Wow he actually is live

Username2: Wait what are you guys eating?

“Y/N and I just got back from buying pizza and of course we got cheesy garlic knots, mozzarella sticks and wings as well.” Just shot him a look “Well I got the wings for myself.”

Username3: Hiii loves how are you guys

“We’re doing pretty good overall. Y/N has been a little worried lately but I’ve been calming her down. It’s mainly because someone had the brilliant idea of watching contagion.”

“Hey it’s not my fault I honestly didn’t think it was going to be as intense as it was. But after that I got Timmy hooked onto my favorite show at the moment so everything worked out.”

Username4: What is it called?

“Umm can I tell them Timmy?”

“I mean you technically can but you should wait since we are going to be doing another podcast episode talking about shows and movies that we’re currently watching.”

“Okay then I’m sorry guys I guess you’ll have to wait but here’s a hint I’ve been obsessed with shows from Spain lately.”

Username5: I see you lil Timmy out here promoting your podcast lol 12

“Anyways we’re going to probably going to end this here so we can finish eating and start recording again because that’s all I’ve been able to think about. Bye see you guys very soon.”

“Bye loves.” You said blowing the kiss

Timmy pouted “That’s not fair I want a kiss.

He ended the live and you gave him a peck on the lips that’s all you get for now.

“You’re going to regret this later tonight just you wait.”

“Is that a threat Chalamet?”

“Maybe it is maybe it isn’t”

He went back into your room and started setting up the recording equipment.

You both sat down and started recording

“Hey guys we’re back, welcome back hope everyone is good.”

“We just finished eating pizza and let me tell you it was delicious.”

“It was good but Y/N cooking is way better honestly. Last night she cooked me some pasta with basil sauce and feta cheese. Then she baked some banana bread muffins so you know I’m being spoiled lately.”

“I would cook more but you know we’re always busy or you’re always out of town which actually leads us into our first question of the day and that is Username6: How do you guys deal with long distance. Timmy you want to start us off?”

“Of course, Firstly I think long distance sucks but it’s a thing some couples have to deal with. We’ve had to dealt with our fair share and we’re still not used to it. But as advice goes something that always has helped is FaceTime as often as possible. Also call each other one thing we always do is call each other on the phone and just sleep. It helps because for a split moment it feels like you’re in the same room. Another tip is just text each other for example I’ll be busy shooting a scene and Y/N will still be texting me all throughout her day keeping me updated and I’ll be able to see them and respond once I’m done.”

“Long distance sucks and it’s really hard because you’re so used to each other and honestly that’s why I try my best to always go with Timmy wherever he’s traveling to but if I can’t then we’ll always be facetiming. My advice is just know that it’s only temporary and this will only strengthen your relationship at the end of the day.”

Username7: What are you guys currently watching?

“Well Y/N got me into Money Heist recently we watch all 4 seasons in about a week. We also watched little fires everywhere which is really good if you haven’t watched it I recommend it heavily I mean I was hooked the entire time. We also watched outerbanks since that’s all everyone was talking about I won’t lie I did enjoy it”

“We also watched Hollywood by Ryan Murphy which is visually stunning and has a really good storyline and of course we rewatched the office because you know Timmy is basically the biggest fan ever. I also watched dead to me season 2 I mean I liked it but I don’t know it had a slow beginning and the last 2 episodes were packed and it ended on a cliffhanger so I’m curious about where that’s going to take season 3 to.”

“If you guys can’t tell all we’re doing lately is watching shows or movies.”

Username8: Do you guys think you’ll always live in New York?

“That’s a really difficult question to give a definite answer to. And something Timmy and I always discuss.”

“The reason it’s so hard is because New York is where my family is. It’s where I grew up and honestly yes it has its issues but I still love it here and wouldn’t mind raising a family here but Y/N has made some great points about why we should maybe try moving somewhere else. But honestly who knows I mean we can technically live anywhere but career wise its best if I stay in New York or Move to California.”

“So honestly time will only tell but I think I can say that for now we’re staying in New York.”

Username9: Y/N what is your favorite movie from Timothée so far?

“Hmm that’s really hard I love Luca’s work so call me by your name is up there.”

“Why do you love Luca’s work so much?”

“Well he’s insanely talented and all his films are beautifully shot but I respect him so much because you know I don’t like horror movies I never have but I Watched suspiria and I loved it. And only a few directors can make me actually love a horror movie I think only Luca and Ari Aster have made me love a horror movie.”

“Ari Aster is very talented I mean Midsømmar was mind blowing and Florence’s performance was outstanding. If you haven’t watch Midsømmar I highly recommend it but it is gruesome so if you can’t handle gore don’t watch it.”

“But getting back on track I think Beautiful Boy is my favorite movie. It’s highly upsetting to me that its very underrated plus I think you should have gotten an Oscar I mean your performance was outstanding.”

“Aw thank you Cherie.”

“So, if you haven’t watched beautiful boy go watch it.”

Username10: What is your favorite memory together?

“I think any memory that involves just being with you and being able to cuddle you. I really appreciate all the time we get to spend together. So, I really enjoy the little things it because that’s what love means for me. But if I had to choose a specific memory it would have to be when I surprised Y/N with pit tickets to see her favorite artist. She was freaking out the entire time jumping up and down kissing me. I mean it was the cutest thing ever it really warmed my heart. Why I love this memory so much was because Y/N had been wanting to see them live for so long and she’d always talk about it and when I finally surprised her she just couldn’t believe it. Then we went to the concert and it was our first one together. The night was incredible yes, we were recognized but everyone around us was respectful and we were all dancing our hearts out that night. I think that was probably one of the nights I really saw y/n let lose in public and only cared about having fun.”

“I love that memory so much but I think I have to say my favorite memory of us was when we went to France in December so it was Timmy, his parents, Pauline and I and we all traveled there the week before Christmas. But honestly that’s when I felt truly a part of your family. It was a truly special Christmas plus I got to see where you’d go to every summer. Then 2 days later it was Timmy’s birthday which we went to Paris for and had a truly romantic morning. He took me to this really cute café and we ate crêpes which I love. Then I took him back to his family’s home and that’s when we surprised him with a birthday party. But that France trip will always have a special place in my heart.”

“You know I’ve been getting a lot of questions about a certain interview that has been floating around I think you know which one.”

“The one where I don’t answer the question and become upset?”

“Yes, that one. A lot of people have just been asking about what happened and how I felt about the whole situation and it honestly it upset me because it was a really rude comment.”

“No, I understand and I just want to say is that yes I was upset at the time but now I’ve gotten over it since a lot of time has passed but it taught me to have thicker skin when it comes to interviews and just life in general.”

“and yes, have but you’re still my sweet soft boy.”

“Yes, obviously I’m not going to change and become a total asshole or distance myself completely and never do interviews again but instead I’m just learning to not become upset so easily when it comes to things like that.”

“I’m proud of you for being mature enough to use that experience as something to grow from instead of using it against the world.”

Username11: Do you have each other’s passcodes for each other’s phone?

“This is an interesting one I think we both have the same answer to this.”

“yes, we do but let elaborate honestly if I could I wouldn’t have a passcode to my phone I wouldn’t I used to just have Y/N’s fingerprints on my phone but now with my knew one its only face id so she just has my passcode. I trust her and I have nothing to hide. Plus, my phone is basically hers because when we’re out her phone is always dying and she just ends up using mine.”

“If only I could show you guys all the embarrassing and adorable pictures he has on his camera roll. I slowly release them on his birthday when I do a cute birthday post or just randomly but of course with Timmy’s permission.”

Username12: Is it necessary to know everything from your partner’s previous relationships?

“This is a really good question. Personally, I have shared everything about my pervious relationships with Y/N and so has she with me. I know not all couples want to do this but if you can you should because we may not accept the fact, that is previous relationships shape us so it’s helpful to know about them it gives you a new perspective and lets you understand each other better.”

“I agree with Timmy completely, it’s helped me knowing about his previous relationships because I know why he does certain things and I’m able to understand better instead of becoming upset. I think it’s a key factor to having a healthy relationship. Which I got a lot of questions about how do you have a good healthy relationship and how do you settle disagreements questions within that realm.”

“Well for us we’re always honest with each other I know that’s so cliché but honesty is everything. A thing we love to do is lay in bed at night with all the lights off and just lay with each other and talk. This is the time when a lot of our deep conversations happen we talk about basically everything and also I feel like it’s a lot easier to open up I don’t know if it’s because late at night or if it’s because its dark and the environment is just so serene.”

“That’s a goof point I think all relationships should have a time to just be able to talk their hearts out with no distractions, because no one wants to be vulnerable and pouring their heart out to their lover and just look over and see them distracted on their phone. Who knows if that’s why relationships nowadays are failing. Maybe because everyone is so public and on their phones all the time and aren’t able to communicate and fully focus on each other.”

“I know I’ve said this before I think I tweeted about it a while ago but read The Shallows by Nicholas Carr it’s a really great read and it’s all about what technology is doing to our brains. But I should also put this out because I don’t want any misunderstandings. I’m not saying never use your phones or social media you can do that who am I to tell you that you can’t All I’m saying is have when you’re having deep personal conversations fully give your full attention don’t be an asshole on your phone and just saying mhmm. You wouldn’t like that so don’t do that to other people.”

Username13: When you first moved in together did you discover something about each other you didn’t know prior?

“I don’t think I did but you have to keep in mind we were basically always with each other. I’d always be sleeping over at Timmy’s place or he’d be at my place. There would be times when I’d sleep over for weeks plus we’d always be traveling together. So, it always felt like we lived together and now it’s just official.”

“Yeah no I think I know everything about Y/N when you know a person for so long you just get to know them so well plus we don’t even have boundaries anymore we’re so used to each other. At first Y/N was super shy around me but now she isn’t. But I think that’s it for today’s episode thanks for giving us a listen. We’re pretty tired due to the lack of sleep we’ve been getting.”

“Bye guys. Much love going your way.”

You turned off the mic and helped Timmy put everything away.

“That was great I’ve really been enjoying sharing more about my life.”

“I told you but you never listened to me.”

You both laid in bed cuddling each other. Timmy kissing your neck leaving love bites behind, getting on top of you. You start kissing his lips biting his bottom lip softly. He starts taking his clothes off only leaving his boxers on. You could see his erection through the thin white fabric of his boxers. You get up taking off your hoodie and leggings only leaving on your bralette and panties. You wrapped your legs around his waist continuing to kiss him, he lowered his hand taking off your panties slowly starting to finger you. You let out a soft moan

“You’re so wet for me.”

You stared at him moaning seeing the lust in his eyes quickly taking off your bralette. Passionately he kissed you bringing his other hand to tenderly grabbing her breasts he started kissing down from her lips to her neck down to you breasts looking up at you. Your hand went down pulling his boxers down throwing them across the room. You slowly started to stroke his cock as you continued kissing him.

“I want to suck you.” you said pushing him off you gently making him lay on the bed his back resting against the headboard. You sat on top of his legs going down to his cock teasing him making him moan. You started sucking his tip grabbing the bottom of his shaft as you slowly sucked more of his cock. You took him out of your mouth seeing the hickies on his lower stomach fading away you start kissing there closing your eyes enjoying the sensation that he is yours and only yours. He looks down at you “Come up here beautiful I want to kiss you.”

You get up laying on his chest caressing him admiring his pale freckled body.

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

He got on top of you and pushed his cock into your pussy slowly thrusting into to you. Kissing your soft lips comforting you as he thrusted harder. You moaned loudly having your arms warped around his neck moaning into his ear. You thrusted your hips towards him becoming desperate wanting to cum.

“Greedy aren’t we.” He became rougher with you. He wasn’t so gentle and soft as he seemed. You started to cum making you moan loudly and unable to stay still as you came Timmy continued thrusting into you cumming as well. He kissed your forehead as he took his cock out.

“Come on baby lets go shower.” He grabbed you caring you to the bathroom placing you on the counter. You admired his naked body as he turned on the shower, he got in making sure the water was warm “Okay it’s ready you can come in.” you got off the counter walking in the spacious marble shower. He grabbed your shampoo pouring some onto his hands and slowly massaging it into hair. You felt the water on your skin as you were under the shower head washing off the shampoo while Timmy started putting shampoo onto his hair as well you finished washing your hair and Timmy got under the shower head washing his hair. You wrapped your hands around him hugging him as he washed his hair. He finished washing his hair and you both continued to wash your bodies. The scent of the vanilla and coffee body wash as he scrubbed his back you got more of the body wash rubbing it onto his back. He later did the same evening rubbing the inside of your thighs. Once you were both clean you turned off the shower Timmy walking out grabbing his robe and putting it on then passing your matching robe.

You walked to the sink started to brush your teeth you could hear Timmy in the room being clumsy trying to find his boxers and pajamas bottoms. You walked back to the room grabbing your hairbrush looking over at Timmy

“Can you brush my hair and braid it again please.”

He motioned his hand to the bed you sat on the edge facing your back towards him. He started brushing your hair making sure there weren’t any knots. He then did 2 braids like the ones he’d always do. He kissed the top of your head “Okay all done now get dressed while I go brush my teeth and face.”

You got up the bed looking at him as he walked towards the bathroom door admiring him seeing his wet loose curls bounce. You walked to the closet grabbing a black silk dress and black panties. Once you got dressed you turned off all the lights in the room and laid in bed waiting for Timmy. He came back into the room jumping onto the bed laying down.

“Careful Chalamet you’re going to make me fall of the bed.” he started laughing “It wouldn’t be the first time, would it?” you rolled your eyes a playfully hit his shoulder. He grabbed the controller turning off the tv and putting the controller on his bedside table. Moving over to you space cuddling you “I’m tired.” You turned to your side facing him placing your head onto his chest.

“Okay babe lets sleep.” He kissed your forehead and slowly started falling asleep snoring softly. You were fell asleep in his not being bothered by his snoring, as you were used to it after years of sleeping with him.

A/N: Hello hope you loved it let me know if you want a part 3 or anything else. bye for now stay safe 💕

[abiteofnat]

AN ANXIETY-APPROVED GUIDE TO SOCIALLY-DISTANT  DINING IN THE NORTH SHORE

A headline I truly thought I would never write, because I used to be the type of person to leave work, jam myself into an L train packed with people, scroll through my phone while breathing in someone’s backpack, and then get to a busy restaurant to meet friends and dive into food without washing my hands. My entire immune system was chock-full of city scum, and eating indoors with dozens of other people who likely got off an equally full train? Not even a question of a doubt in my mind. Things took a quick and dire turn in May when suddenly I became afraid of everything and grossed out by anything, and after moving home with family I was certain I would never leave the house again. I miss being the fearless gutter rat I used to be, but times are different, and staying safe is key. 

Alas, while my family has been taking quarantine very seriously, we reached a point in August where we all felt “ok” with sitting at a restaurant once or twice a week to feel like we were still part of society and because we all mutually hate cooking. After not being at a restaurant once since March, we nervously ventured out to a local Italian restaurant, sat outside very far from others, and ate pasta that was still piping hot from the kitchen and that didn’t taste mediocre after sitting in a takeout container for an hour. It was refreshing as FUCK. Rose? In a real wine glass? Served chilled? What am I, a QUEEN? 

Ever since we have been carefully dining, only ever sitting outdoors, and carrying packs upon packs of antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer like actual loons. But safe loons! Being home and enjoying the local restaurants through new eyes and new level of appreciation has made me love them 10x more, even if we’ve eaten somewhere a hundred times before. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to dine with these spots, eat favorite dishes & try new ones, and be out of the house for 1-2 hours on a Friday during these wild times. So, why not share some of my favorite spots?? Maybe you’re also living back in the good ole North Shore, and looking for any excitement at all in the quiet of the suburbs. Here you go. 

1. Mino’s Italian - Winnetka

This restaurant is newer to Winnetka, however it became an instant local favorite and is always, always full. They have a huge patio area with lighting, cozy wooden benches, tons of tables, heaters, and a menu packed with classic Italian dishes done so right. Their Calamari is unreal due to the seasoning and the roasted garlic aioli it comes with for dipping. Their Cacio e Pepe is magically light but still full of cheese and fresh cracked peppercorns, and the seasonal Risotto consists of warm mushroom richness. Their pizza is great to-go as well, and tastes like an NYC slice if you order the largest size. 

2. Pescadero - Wilmette 

Ok to be fair, Pescadero is not somewhere we’ve actually dined AT during the pandemic. We do pick it up quite often though, and it is some of the best carryout in Wilmette. The Fish & Chips is mouth-watering, with fresh fish covered in a seasoned batter that alone is delectable. Their chips (really more french fries) are thin, crispy, and topped with a parmesan and herb dust. DO NOT MISS OUT ON THE FRIES. The Mahi Mahi tacos are excellent and a lighter, fresher dish with broccoli apple slaw and avocado crema, and for fuck’s sake order a side of the Mac & Cheese just to stick a fork in. Pro Tip: You want as much extra tartar sauce as they will give you!!!

* Edit - since I wrote this post a few days ago, we ate on the Pescadero patio and it was delightful. Even though it was 55 degrees, the hot Clam Chowder and Fish & Chips warmed me up real quick. Clam Chowder served in a hot mug = a new fall dinner staple. Will only accept soup in a mug from now on. And, they do have heaters!

3. Depot Nuevo - Wilmette 

I have eaten here no fewer than 3,456 times in my life and every single time I feel like I’m on vacation because the vibes, the food, and the booze are immaculate. Located in an old train station turned restaurant, Depot Nuevo is warm and inviting no matter if you’re inside (pre pandemic) or on their gigantic patio that allows for spaced out and comfy seating. They’ve added heaters for the fall, so don’t worry about being chilly- and if you are, the Pomegranate Margarita will warm you right up. It’s strong, delicious, and comes in a very pleasing traditional margarita glass. I always order the Appetizer Trio as my entree, which has queso fundido (ordered without the chorizo!), guacamole, and ceviche composed of scallops, shrimp, and calamari with vegetables and lime. Usually this comes with tortilla chips as it’s meant to be shared, but I ask for corn tortillas instead and then pile a little of everything in there for the taco of my DREAMS. Do it. Order it. I dare you. 

The staff is exceptionally friendly and have taken COVID precautions seriously, so menus are disposable and everyone has gloves on. They will treat you like family, and they are family to us because we go there so often. See you on Friday, Depot! 

Other good things on the menu are the Fish Tacos, Shrimp Tacos, BBQ Salmon, Chipotle Mashed Potatoes, Cheese Quesadilla (smothered in their salsa verde of course). 

4. The Noodle - Wilmette

Can you tell downtown Wilmette is the place to be? It has truly popped off and the majority of restaurants aren’t serving up your typical “suburbs” food (you know- fried appetizers and burgers and weird salads and overpriced meat dishes) so I am always happy to be out in our little mini city. The Noodle is as classic Italian as you can get, with overflowing ceramic boats of buttery garlic bread, a salad OR soup included with your entree, and no bar- only wine (or beer) if you want a drinky drink. Incredible. I am partial to the house-made spinach linquine with Roasted Garlic and Sun-dried Tomatoes sauce, and the starter salad with house Creamy Garlic Parmesan dressing. Their Tomato Basil soup is also delicious, however I have some suspicion that that soup is the same as the Roasted Garlic and Sun-dried Tomatoes sauce... just served as soup... they refuse to confirm or deny whenever I ask. Either way, delicious. I tried a NEW DISH when we went last week to sit at one of the 6 large tables they have spaced out outside, and let me tell you that the bowtie pasta (not house-made) with Alfredo sauce is THE SHIT. It may be my new go-to when I just want to carbo-load the hecking out of my night. On your way out, get a Pot de Creme to go- it’s the richest, smoothest chocolate dessert on this side of town. 

5. Hometown Coffee & Juice - Glencoe 

Hometown deserves a round of applause for breathing life back into the stuffy grandmother of the North Shore - Glencoe. Between the gorgeous Writers Theatre and countless boutiques selling blouses and hand-blown glass jewelry, it used to only really serve a certain demographic, however Hometown said “let me give it a try” and changed weekends in Glencoe for good. This coffee shop, smoothie bar, bakery, & cafe hotspot is the perfect afternoon spot to grab a drink, enjoy avocado toast, and sit outside at one of the dozens of tables they’ve lined the corner and two streets with. They’ve moved their registers outside so you don’t even need to go inside to order, and the wait staff will bring you your order right to your table to make it as organized and safe as possible. The tables are spread out, the corner it’s located on is beautiful in the fall, and there are lots of good dogs out and about. 

I will say that while Hometown is doing a great job with COVID precautions, the people of Glencoe are a little high & mighty, and seem to think they’re exempt from wearing a mask to wait in line to get their smoothie. It’s irritating that they’re putting the staff at risk and just ignoring state mandates because they feel safe in their little North Shore bubble and because it’s entirely outside, but come on. Be respectful and understand the privilege of these places even being open to serve you, and just wear mask. I hate people. ANYWAY. Love you, Hometown. 

6. Coast Sushi - Evanston 

Ok, so this gem is not open for dining indoors OR outdoors, however they have their carryout system down and their sushi is so, SO fresh and good. I’ve picked up from here a few times and eat time I fall more in love with the flavors and how consistently tasty it is- and with sushi, it’s always a gamble if it’s going to be really good or kinda fishy and old. The Coast in South Loop was a favorite spot for a while, however it has shut down and I am so happy to be able to get my favorite rolls up in the burbs. My go-to order is a Spicy Tuna Maki, Spicy Scallop Maki, Spicy Miso Soup, a side of Spicy Mayo, and a side of Sushi Rice. This sounds odd, but hear me out- I like to mix the spicy mayo into the sushi rice and eat it just like that. It’s. So. Good. Am I gross? I might be gross. 

Anything you get from here is going to rock your socks off, so for your next night in (aka every night lol) treat yourself to some sushi, babbyyy! 

I sincerely hope that we can keep dining outside for at least a few more weeks, and I am absolutely ok with wearing Uggs and a full-on coat to be able to. Just a reminder to keep your mask on when talking to wait staff, be polite, be patient, and don’t be an asshole. You don’t NEED to dine out- it’s a treat- and you should treat it as such. Don’t be a Karen, or don’t leave your house. Those are literally the only two options.

I hope you try somewhere new, whether it’s carryout or dining out, and tell me if you have any favorite North Shore spots I missed! 

Until next time, Happy Eating!

- Natalie

[nicolinocolino]

ciao sarah! i'm about to move to rome for some months and i'm a bit anxious. the city is so big and full of history and people i don't know if i'll be able to make it feel "mine" because i only know it as a tourist. so i was wondering if you could rec places/museums/churches that are a bit less known and experiences/things to do/places to eat. you can make it as long as detailed as you want, go off really! thank you in advance

Ciao!! 😍gosh, lucky you!! I won’t lie, I’m so jealous! I could ramble about Rome forever, I’m so honored you want my advice 💛 I’ll put this under a cut because surprise surprise, it got long haha.

(I’m going to apologize in advance that a lot of these things are located in Trastevere — that’s where I lived and spent the majority of my time.)

I tried to keep this list low-key. There are tons of things I love about Rome that are definitely “must sees” on my list that are, ya know, still touristy. Like Piazza Navona and the Pantheon and Piazza di Spagna blah blah blah. So! I kept those off, but if you’re till curious to know my favorites just ask :)

I’ll start with the food, because duh.

Restaurants/bars/bakeries/gelato/etc.:

Carlo Mente — super cheap restaurant in Trastevere that’s also very good. I happened to go here a lot because of how cheap it was… I think like, 3 euro pizzas and 5 euro plates of pasta. That’s very good for a sit down place you can spend all night at in Rome unless you wander far on the outskirts hahaha. They have a nice outside sitting area too, and they heat it up in the fall/winter so you can even sit outside then!!

La Botticella — another restaurant in Trastevere if you want something intimate and casual. It’s soooo small, it only has like 10 or less tables and the woman who runs the place was our waitress and our chef and I think she only had one other person helping her. But GOD it was good. I had one of the best dinners of my life there.

Il Portico — located in the Jewish ghetto (just north of Tiber Island) has some damn good carbonara. Also the best greek salad I’ve ever had. AND the ravioli con zucchine crema is to dieeeeee for. (I like pasta, lol.)

Kosher Cakes — same area, right by Il Portico. Suuuuuuper good Jewish bakery.

Chakra — my favorite nighttime bar. (Also in Trastevere lol.) It has a great selection of craft beers, the music is awesome and the interior is soooooooo cozy!! It’s a very chill atmosphere. I couldn’t recommend this place highly enough, I love it so much and it’s where my friends and I always ended our nights out.

8 Millimetri — another good place to go at night (in Trastevere, sorry!). It’s kind of expensive but their aperitivo is a steal for 5/6 euros. (So I’d only go then if I were you) AND they have tons of vegetarian options. The atmosphere is really cool, too.

Bar del Cappuccino — okay so I only tried a few places to get coffee before I found this place and made it my regular but DAMN. SO GOOD. Please do yourself a favor and have the best cappuccino freddo of your life here. They also make delicious pastrami sandwiches… I would seriously cut off my thumb for one right now they are so good.

Corono — Gelato!! Along Via Arenula, very small and tucked away amongst the shops, you’ll blink and miss it but SO GOOD. All homemade (which can be so hit or miss in Rome because half of the places are just trying to make some tourist money, I don’t blame them) and they have super unique flavors I didn’t see anywhere else like lemon basil and orange chili.

Frigidarium — more gelato. They dip your whole cone in chocolate and it’s so good. Next to Piazza Navona.

Quieter/maybe less known/less touristy things to do/see?:

The Porta Portese market — happens on Sunday and is an excellent thing to do if you can restrain yourself from spending any money. Idk where you will be located but the #8 tram headed south should drop you off right in front of it. It’s HUGE and you can literally walk up and down the streets of it for hours and hours just looking at all the junk.

Janiculum hill — I feel like I never shut up about this place but it is magical. And I still stand by it being the best free view of Rome you can get. It’s rarely ever crowded and I think most tourists don’t know about it or don’t want to hike up it (because it is kind of a trek). Get to the piazza on top and treat yourself with something from the little snack cart up there, and on your way up visit the Fontana dell'Acqua Paola which was actually the muse/inspiration for the Trevi Fountain! Enjoy the view!! It took my breath away the first time I saw it, and it a great place to just chill.

Torre Argentina — If you’re an animal lover like I am and am missing some furry friends, you can visit Torre Argentina, aka the cat sanctuary. Fun fact: you can actually go down the stairs into the ruins and go inside the sanctuary building they’ve built into the side to see more cats and pet them and love them free of charge 💛💛💛💛💛

Testaccio market — lots of good, cheap, and local food!!!

Museums/churches/art:

*Just a note that I 10000% didn’t make it into every church in Rome. There are....... so many. You can stand in one and spit into another istg. But honestly every one I did go in was breathtaking. If you are an architecture/art nerd like I am church wandering is such a nice, free thing to do. (Free!!!! Literally you can walk into San Luigi dei Francesi and see some beautiful Caravaggios for FREE!!!)

Chiesa del Gesù — the most beautiful ceiling I ever did see. It uses the trompe l'oeil technique and is impossible to describe. You just have to see it in person. I still don’t know how it works lol.

Villa Borghese Gallery — this isn’t an unknown place, obviously, but is hands down the best museum (subjective, but whatever) in Rome. The palace is gorgeous, the art is phenomenal and it’s located in a beautiful park with a beautiful garden outside. Love love love love love this place with all my heart. I want to live in here. The history is really neat, too.

One of the best things to do, honestly, is just explore. It’s such a great city and you will just bump into everything. The first time I saw the Pantheon I wasn’t even looking for it. I just turned a corner and it was there. I think that’s one of my favorite things about Rome — masterpieces are just tucked into everyday life. It’s also such a low city, you won’t find skyscrapers or tons of modern buildings. And it’s hilly, so you can always find a nice view. I think that’s how I made Rome feel “mine” when I was living there. Just explore! I hope you have the best time ever 💛

[theragamuffininitiative]

Guys, I shouldn’t be allowed by the book sale ok. (#book sale day 2017 / on my blog for evidence)

Here we go:

Fiction:

Rump, the True Story of Rumplestiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff (so sweet, so fun, I love this one so much)

The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke (I need a copy of Dragon Rider to own all my favorites of hers)

3rd Luck Uglies book by Paul Durham (I own the other two)

Remarkable by Lizzie K Folley

Two Renegade Realms, sequel to a book I have by Donita K Paul -unread

The Prophet of Yonwood, worst book in the Ember series I hear -unread

The Long Way Home by Andrew Klavan (I own the whole series in a complete paperback, but like, that’s huge, and also I would happily gift this to a friend)

Savvy (finally!), by Ingrid Law, the first of a trilogy and completing my copies

The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd (my sister raves about it, looks adorable) -unread

The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse by Bruce Hale (for my brother)

Redwall, Brian Jacques

Loamhedge, Brian Jacques

The Grimm Legacy, Polly Shulman (loooooove)

Rebel Magisters by Shanna Swendson (? a sequel, but looked interesting) -unread

Heist Society, Ally Carter (so. much. fun.)

The Pawn, by Steven James, one of my dad’s favorites, and I have some wonderful books on writing by James, so I figured I should try this series -unread

Stranger, by Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith. ??? looked interesting -unread

The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre, by Gail Carson Levine. -unread, but, like...it’s Gail flipping Carson Levine, I know I’m going to love it.

Classics-ish:

The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler, E. L. Konigsburg (like The Boxcar Children, but in a city)

The BFG, by Roald Dahl (love him, the weirdo)

Winnie the Pooh, A A Milne (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! love )

The Seaboard Parish, by George MacDonald. It’s a sequel, but it’s also George MacDonald. -unread

The House of the Seven Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne. -unread. Eh, I have a friend who might want it, if not *shrug*

Also!

Three Garrison Keillor books.

Also!

The little one is signed. A total happy little surprise. (Merry Christmas, Helen! XD )

Non-fiction:

Upstairs at the Strand, which is a handful of conversations of writers who have worked at the Strand magazine.

Inflight Science, a book about traveling via airplane. ( @hisloveconsumesme, I thought of you lol)

How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card. Been looking for a copy of this to show up for a while. :D

Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things - like a life hack book basically.

Theater-y stuff:

Grease screenplay (why not?)

West Side Story, on vhs because my family can turn it into a dvd for me

A Dictionary of Theatrical Terms (old, but useful)

The World of Musical Comedy (I actually now have two editions of this?)

The Art of Theatre (used as a college textbook in some places, lots of good pictures and interesting chapters)

Journey to the Center of the Theater by Walter Kerr - caught my eye with its iconic Al Hirshfield star caricatures on the cover

Fosse, a book about: you guessed it: Bob Fosse. Could be terrible, but hey. IT was like 25 cents. XD

And some musicals and dvds!

Funny Girl OBC

Hairspray movie soundtrack

Mamma Mia! I almost didn’t get, but it’s a very nice special edition original soundtrack and it was like a dollar. XD

Jamie Cullum’s Devil May Care album, which I love

(not pictured: Chris Rice’s album What a Heart is Beating For, I forgot to put it in the stack, my favorite Chris Rice album probably)

La La Land (!!!!)

Two seasons of Psych (!!!!)

There you have it!

Someone come buy me a new bookshelf.

[circescookery]

The following is a transcript of Mr. Brown’s stuffing recipe, November 2016

THIS IS STRAIGHT FROM MY FATHER'S BRAIN!! Seriously I don't think I have ever seen a recipe. This is golden, he should have a cookbook lol... I love him so much ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ken  Date: Wed, Nov 16, 2016 at 7:53 AM Subject: One other note... RE: Turkey Stuffing To: Sarah  Cc: Ken  Cutting up the bread - take 3-4 slices of bread, at a time, to cut into small bites.  it will take more than 3-4 slices for 4 cups worth.  just cut a few slices at a time.  Didn't want this be misunderstood !! Sent via the Samsung Galaxy Note® 3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone -------- Original message -------- From: Ken Date: 11/16/2016 12:21 AM (GMT-07:00) To: Sarah  Cc: Ken   Subject: Turkey Stuffing Bread Stuffing Note that the first word in the title of this recipe is "Bread", and choice of bread is critical.  You ideally want a thick, heavy, white bread.  I always try to find something like  Pepperidge Farm White, or Hearty White, or Farmhouse White, or something that sounds kind of like that. The bread needs to be, not stale, but a little firm, like few days old.  Not squishy, damp, and new....  Sometimes what I do is buy it a day or two ahead of time, cut it up for the stuffing (more on that later), and put it into a large wooden bowl, and just leave it out on the counter for a few days (covered with a paper towel to keep it clean.  Then a couple of times a day I'll mix it around to expose the stuff underneath to more air. If you run out of time and can't do this, the alternative is to cut it up for the stuffing, and lay it out on some metal trays, and heat it up in the oven.  You don't want to brown, burn, or crisp it up.  You just want to dry it out a bit and get the squishyness out. Sorry if I am making too big a deal out of this, but this is the heart of the stuffing.  Or maybe the body of the stuffing actually. OK - Enough about the bread. Well - One more important thing about the bread.  How to prepare it for the stuffing :) Turning Bread into Bread Crumbs (they are never really crumbs !!!):- Take about 3-4 slices of bread, including the ends and put them in a stack on the cutting board.  Use a large knife to cut up the bread into small squares.A little smaller than you might see for a fondue.  Maybe around 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch square.  Does not have to be precise and don't worry if they don't come out square.  The idea is that you want them small enough so that they can 1) dry a little, as I described above, 2) fully absorb all the ingredients 3) look attractive when the stuffing comes out of the bird.  OK - mostly kidding on #3 as it will all be mushed together.  Use a dry cup measure and don't much the bread into the cup. How much stuffing do I need ?- You need roughly 3/4 of a cup of stuffing for each lb of Turkey.  So 9 cups for a 12 lb bird for example.  NOTE - This is not 3/4 cup of bread crumbs for each pound, but 3/4 cup of stuffing.  So use the recipe below to make 3 cups of stuffing.  It takes 4 cups of these bread crumbs (they're not crumbs) Ingredients - These are the ingredients for 3 cups of stuffing.  So if you get a 12 lb Turkey, multiple this recipe x3.  Believe it or not, be careful on the math... Also remember that... THIS IS STUFFING...  We're not making a souffle' here, so don't worry about being exact.  And in the end, as you mix in the ingredients, especially the salt, pepper and some of the spices, you will be tasting the raw stuffing (YUM - It's delicious), so you'll be making adjustmentsfor taste. Ingredients for 3 Cups of Stuffing: - 1/4 lb of butter (stick butter, no salt if you can get it)- 4 Tablespoons of finely chopped onions (not too fine as they will reduce).  Any kind of onion will do.- 4 Tablespoons of finely chopped celery (again, not too fine)- 4 Cups of Breadcrumbs as prepared above (they are not really crumbs) - 1/2 cup of raisins- 1/2 cup of chopped (but not finely chopped) walnuts.  I like the walnuts chopped, but not too fine, otherwise you can't taste them.You can get shelled walnuts and put them on the cutting board, and with the flat side of a large knife blade, just crush them into smaller pieces. - 1 Teaspoon of Thyme, crumbled (not powder)- 1 teaspoon of basil, crumbled (not powder)- 1/2 Teaspoon of Marjoram, crumbled (not powder) Are you getting this crumbled, not powder thing ?  The best way to make this is with fresh herbs.  I get them, put them on a cutting board, and as best as I can, just chop, chop, chop until they are just a pile of chopped mushy herbs.  Then I measure them into the stuffing.  If you can't get fresh, it's ok to use the dried version (but not powder), but try to get fresh if you can... - Salt and Pepper to taste.  Believe it or not, this can REALLY make or break the stuffing.  It is VERY easy to add too much salt and ruin what you have just worked so hard to achieve if you add too much salt.  Personally I like pepper, so less concerned about that.  But go VERY EASY on adding the salt...  Probably can use about 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.  Salt is like - a very quick, light sprinkle, mix it in, taste the stuffing, and decide if you want to add moreThen repeat.  It is best to add salt in VERY SMALL doses several times than to add too much, as there's nothing you can do to "undo" too much salt.  ie. go easy on the salt.  Hope I scared you here !! Preparation - This is the fun and tasty part ! Melt the Butter in a large skillet and stir in the onions and celery.  Cook over a low heat until the onion is soft (taste it to see).  They will turn a nice yellow color from the butter, reduce in size, and you can taste the difference between a "firm" piece of uncooked onion and a piece of cooked, soft onion.  But please don't overcook it and turn it into mush.  Once the onions are soft, pour all the butter into the mixing bowl with your breadcumbs (not really crumbs) and mix it all up really well.  You can use a wooden spoon or even just plow your hands into it and mix it all up and get the bread good and soaked with the butter.  I usually put some of the bread into the pan that I've used for the butter/onions/celery and mix that around to soak up the rest of the butter that's left in the pan.  Now to the mixing bowl, add the Raisins, Walnuts, and Herbs.  Not yet on the salt and pepper.  Mix that up really well, and now is definitely the time to get your hands into the act to do the mixing.  Get messy...  Squeeze a clump of it together, taste it and you will be in heaven.  Now you can add the pepper, and mix the pepper in.  Finally, and with just a very small sprinkle, add a little salt.  Once again, mix it all up completely, try it, and decide if you need to add more salt and pepper.  I know I keep saying this, but you can go from "needs salt" to "wow - what happened, it's so salty" really easily. YOU'RE DONE - You have stuffing, ready to go into the bird !!  I know that I said to cut up the bread a couple of days ahead of time, but you really want to make the stuffing (use the cut up bread) on the morning that you will stuff the bird.  I would not make it the day or night before just to be ready.  You will loose the freshness and the texture and flavor.  Generally I start my Thanksgiving day by making an Apple Pie (the kitchen needs to be cold to make pie crust).  Next thing I do is to get the Turkey ready to stuff - Unpack it from the plastic wrap (make sure it is defrosted the day before), take out the giblets (they are usually in a bag, stuffed into the turkey cavity, and then I wash it in the sink inside and out.  Turn it cavity down to let the water drain out, and take wads of paper towels to dry it off, both on the surface and in the cavity.  Salt the inside of the cavity - just take a teaspoon or so of salt and spread it around inside the bird.  But again - don't oversalt...  That's it for early turkey prep - now make the stuffing. Once the stuffing is prepared, go back to your turkey and take it out of the sink and lay it in the large roasting pan.  Stuff both the large cavity and on the other side of the bird, the smaller cavity.  When you put the stuffing in, don't mash it in too hard.  You just want to kind of lightly compact it, but don't use all your strength to mush it in. Then tie up both cavities of the bird with a trussing kit.  You want to tie it up to protect this beautiful and valuable stuffing that you made, keep it from burning, and you don't want it to fall out of the bird when you turn it over.  If you have stuffing left over that didn't fit, you can put that into a separate oven safe, covered dish, and you will cook it with the turkey (BUT NOT FOR THE ENTIRE TIME THE TURKEY IS COOKING). You can also make extra stuffing, and cook it in the dish, outside of the bird.  You probably want to cook the stuffing for roughly an hour or so, during the last hour that the bird is roasting.  We have Vegetarians in the family, and cooking some separately also gives them a stuffing that they can eat. Hopefully I didn't make this too complicated.  It's really pretty easy, much easier than perhaps what it sounds like. This should give you some really delicious stuffing !! I didn't include direction on roasting the turkey, or making gravy, but those should be pretty easy to find online or in a cook book.  Gravy might sound tricky as the recipe, but it's also pretty easy to do as long as you don't panic.  They key thing there is once you start heating up the fat and have to add chicken stock, try to add that in slowly, so it mixes nicely with the fat.  You will also be adding flour to the fat to thicken it up (before adding the chicken stock).  Blend that in well before you slowly add the stock, and you will be fine.  Or you can pass on that one and just buy a couple of cans of prepared gravy :) Well...  That's the short and long of it.  Good luck and have fun !!

Sarah  11/16/16 to me P.S. YOU ARE NOW PART OF THE FAMILY

[sixthousandninehundredmiles]

December 4, 2017

So today started off pretty early, because there was quite a bit that we wanted to do. However we didn’t actually get to fit most of it in… LOL So we started by going to Damnoen floating market. This floating market was actually really far from our Airbnb, it’s about an hour and a half car ride there. But it was pretty worth it in my opinion. The first floating market that we wanted to go to, I think it was called amphawa was closed, so we had to go to Damnoen. We were split into two boats- Josh, Crystal, Vincent, and I were in one, Katie, John, Bonnie, and Ryo were in the other. The market was set up so that there’s just shops set up along the riverbank, and if we wanted something we would just tell our boat driver to stop and we could get off to shop around. I ended up buying a pair of elephant pants there, and ugh I regret it because it was 350 Baht, and we could have found it for so much cheaper if we waited haha. Vincent and I both bought a pair because we were the only ones who didn’t have any because everyone else bought it while they were in Phuket. We also stopped along one of the restaurants for lunch, and hmm I wasn’t the biggest fan? I got the shrimp sautéed with basil and chili over rice. I just thought some things tasted funny, and I really didn’t want to risk anything so I didn’t really eat. Oh this is also something super random, but the soda here tastes different… a good different but different… LOL I cant put my finger on it, but it just tastes so good. After lunch, we just continued along the mini river and it was an overall relaxing experience. We also stopped at a temple, so we took a few pictures there. They’re pretty strict with the dress code here, so when I got there, one of the ladies gave me a scarf to put over my shoulders because I was wearing a dress.

Oh gosh, it’s times like these where I get to spend a lot of time with Josh do I realize how much I’m going to miss him when we have to leave. I have less than 20 days with him and it’s insane to think about that. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten so close to someone like him before. He’s not exactly the person that I would be willing to tell everything to, but he is someone that I am extremely comfortable around. It’s like I grew up with him or something. Maybe because I know that he’s gay? So it just makes me more relaxed around him without a guard? Idk. But gosh im gonna miss him so much. He’s also so considerate so he always takes care of me. Like whenever we get on and off the boat, he’s always the one to steady me to make sure I’m okay, or if im getting attacked by flies he’s the one that will fan me. He treats me like his little sister and it just makes me happy haha.

Anyways! After the boat ride, we took an uber to go back. And overall the uber costed around 80 usd roundtrip. Which is not that bad, like 20 dollars per person for an hours drive? But hmmm a bit pricier than I would be happy to pay for. We were all so tired though, we all knocked the fuck out LOL. And the traffic back was horrendous, so we were stuck in traffic for about 2-2.5 hours. SMH. That’s also why we didn’t have time to go to the temples on the same day. Which is fine, but I just wish that we didn’t have to waste so much time on transportation.

After that we went back to our Airbnb to just relax for a bit, and I ended up falling asleep for like 45 minutes. I guess a powernap never hurts anyone, especially someone who has been consistently running on 4 hours of sleep ugh save me. After that, we went to the Asiatique Waterfront. Basically it’s like a boardwalk almost? A bunch of shops, more shops than we had time to walk around, and there’s a ferris wheel and a carousel there as well. Pretty cool. We had dinner at a random restaurant there, but ugh it was kinda disappointing. The bill turned out to be around 350 per person, which isn’t bad but the portion sizes were so small I feel like no one was full at the end of the meal. My favorite thing that I tried there had to be the pineapple fried rice though. Then we all walked around some more, took a few pictures before splitting up. A group of us went to go find the fish spa- basically you stick your feet into a tub of water that’s filled with fish that attack you and eat your skin. LOL ok that sounds a lot scarier than it is because they only eat the dead skin cells off. It was honestly such a weird sensation though, and we were all screaming when we first put our feet in because it’s just SO STRANGE. It’s like a thousand tiny little nips that are ticklish. Hard to explain but LOL it was so cool though. It was like 3 usd for 15 minutes. After the spa, our feet felt so much softer. I would definitely do it again haha. It was also nice because I think a lot of them ate the skin off of calves where my bug bites were so hopefully it’ll help with the scarring?

After the fish spa, we walked around some more and did some souvenir shopping! I bought these really cute pouches that say “Thailand” on them, and also elephant pants for ssgc. LOL this is why I thought it was such a rip off to buy them at the floating market because I got them for 150 at these markets. I paid over 2x the price for my first pair… smh smh. I also bought an extra pair IN CASE you would like them. If not, then yay another pair for myself. LOL But I figured they’re super comfortable and if you’re willing to wear them it’d be pretty cool.

Then we just met up with everyone else at around 11:30 pm, and we headed back to our Airbnb. HOWEVER, the night wasn’t over yet. Because some pretty freaky shit happened at our Airbnb. So one thing that I didn’t mention yet is that our Airbnb has some wacky locks. Like you know the design of keys in necklaces? How it looks like a fairytale key, yeah that was the key to our front gate. I don’t even know how it works, I just know that if we stick it in it works? LOL but then there’s also 3 more layers of doors to the front door. One of the layers is closed with a padlock… yeah you just literally lock a padlock on it. And the last one is this seemingly normal lock in the door, only it won’t lock from the inside half the time. L o l. ok anyways. So freaky thing number 1- the lights in the hallway flickr… a lot. Ok scary shit number two: Bonnie was showering and afterwards she came downstairs laughing telling us that we were being lame. And we were like what? Because Josh, Vincent, Katie and I were chilling at the second level living room, and they were with me the entire time. And she was like “one of you guys kicked my door hella hard” and we were like …. Wtf no one did. And she just kept laughing and saying I know one of you guys did just stop. And it just got freakier because she was so sure that it was one of us when we all knew that it wasn’t. And then she took us upstairs to demonstrate how loud the bang was and it was extremely loud and there’s no way that it would’ve been caused by wind. Ok scary shit number 3: josh was like “im going to go upstairs to check on crystal” and then he walks up stairs and we all heard a really loud bang and he came downstairs and said that while he was walking by our room, my door suddenly slammed hella hard. LOL like wtfffff

Ok yeah so a bunch of freaky shit happened so katie and I packed up our stuff and we were about to sleep downstairs, but after we all calmed down we decided that it’s probably ok to just sleep in our room lol but yeah it was pretty freaky. Other than that it was a really fun day haha. Pretty cool to see the city.