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marlynnofmany · 10 months ago

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Food Choices

Normally when I’m in a room with the entire crew of the courier ship, it’s either for an important debriefing by the captain or because of some emergency. We’d never all been at a restaurant together before. I kept having moments of worry that the ship was unattended, and having to remind myself that it was fully locked. Any of our biometrics could unlock it, and no one else would get past the hatch. It was fine. We could celebrate how good business had been — with the captain paying for everyone’s food — and there was no need to fret.

It was still bizarre, though. Almost as bizarre as some of the food I’d seen on other tables as we made our way to this one. The city was a cultural hub like few others. (Well, probably like many others, but they were very proud of themselves on that count. And this restaurant was a fine example.)

“The server will bring appetizers first,” said Captain Sunlight, scaly hands folded on the table in front of her with infinite dignity. “There’s no charge for these, and the server will likely decide for you what you want. They were pretty good at guessing last time I was here.”

“We shall see,” Zhee said with a flick of his antennae. He sat on an angled mat instead of a chair, since the restaurant had seating accommodations for all body types, including praying-mantis-shaped bug aliens. The mats were even adjustable, which was good because Trrili was taller than he was. She sat on the other side of the circular table — whether that was for more elbow room for the pinchers, or to make a maximum tripping hazard for people walking past, I couldn’t say. Either seemed in character for her.

“What’s the panel in the floor for?” Paint wanted to know. She sat next to the captain, scales a shiny orange to Sunlight’s yellow. I think she polished them before leaving the ship. She pointed now at the seam that I hadn’t noticed: a smaller circle inside the open center of the table.

Captain Sunlight said, “That’s the server’s entrance. They bring the food up from the kitchen downstairs.”

“Oh, nice!”

At my left, Mimi the mechanic grumbled about what an unnecessarily flashy choice that was, and how the restaurant had better keep on top of their maintenance. He gestured with his tentacles as he talked, sounding like he spoke from experience. “Anything that moves can stop moving, and usually at the worst time.” He also sounded like he gargled with engine grease, but he always sounded like that.

Fast-moving tentacles from further down turned out to be Wio and Mur, who’d discovered a game I didn’t recognize on the digital menu panel set into the tabletop. They were slapping away at something with competitive speed, and Mur seemed to be winning. Which was probably nice for him, given how often he lost at card games against the captain.

On my other side, Blip wrinkled her fishy nose. “I was about to say something smells good, but…”

“Then you smelled that?” asked Blop. “What is that?” He turned to look at neighboring tables, nearly elbowing Coals in the head and immediately apologizing. It was a good thing he’d missed, since that much muscle would have hurt.

“No harm done,” said Coals with his usual calm. I don’t think I’d ever seen the little lizardy guy upset. Which was probably for the best, given that he worked on translations with Trrili, and that had to be an exercise in patience.

Eggskin sat on his other side, similarly scaly and calm, but with far more opinions about food, since they were the ship’s cook as well as medic. I was only catching snatches of conversation from where Eggskin discussed the menu with Kavlae, but it sounded like a lengthy explanation for something. Kavlae didn’t look bored, though (head frills waving with interest), so it was probably good information. As a pilot, she didn’t spend much time on food prep.

I’d helped Eggskin in the kitchen plenty, both as part of the assistance rotation and because I found it interesting. The crew ate a range of foods, and most of it was edible for humans, though there were a few dishes that I wouldn’t touch on a dare.

A gentle chime sounded. Before I could ask what it was, the trapdoor sank down an inch then slid aside. A column rose into view that turned out to be a Waterwill, the gelatinous aliens that followed very few biological rules that I was familiar with. This one had less murky innards than most, with a bunch of things floating in there that could have been organs, recent meals, or personal belongings. The voice sounded vaguely male, and it hardly burbled at all.

“I hope you are all having an excellent day/night cycle! May your experience here only improve things.” He kept raising up, then when the platform cleared the floor, it folded out into a ring of serving dishes. The Waterwill sank back down in the center and everything locked into place. “Now, whose idea was it to dine at our fine establishment?”

Everyone pointed at Captain Sunlight.

“Ah, then I will serve you first!” The Waterwill didn’t turn, since he didn’t have visible eyes or even a mouth to be talking with, but somehow I got the impression that he had focused his attention in that direction. A stubby armlike shape reached out to set a bowl in front of the captain. “Our finest Heatseeker cuisine. And for you as well, madam. Also you, and you; don’t think I missed you over there.” Several arms passed out similar dishes to the other lizardy members of the crew.

I tried to peek around Blip and Blop for a look at Coals’ food, but couldn’t get a good angle. Might have been pasta and meatballs; might have been worms and worse.

“And!” announced the Waterwill, turning back to Zhee, “I hope this will be to your liking. And yours as well.” Goo arms set identical plates in front of the two Mesmers, and I could see from a distance that they held dead animals with the heads removed.

Zhee’s antennae were doing a complicated dance, but I couldn’t figure out if he was pleased or not before the server moved on.

“Only our best for the Frillians present!” He set festive arrangements of shrimp-things in front of Blip, Blop, and Kavlae. Really artistic; good presentation. The variety of colors and sizes made the plates into works of art. I hoped they tasted as good as they looked.

I murmured, “Ooh, fancy,” as the server came up with three more dishes.

“The Strongarm special!” he announced, laying them out in front of the three tentacle aliens to my left. Meat and plants of some sort; I couldn’t tell what.

Then he was back in front of me, and I realized I was the only one without food yet.

“Last but not least,” he said, “Featuring ingredients straight from Earth, we have a meal our chef has named the ‘Mother and Child Reunion.’”

The plate held a chicken breast, a hardboiled egg, and a pile of corn.

While Captain Sunlight thanked him generously, I stared at the plate with my hand over my mouth. When the server had packed everything up and disappeared back into the floor, I still didn’t know what to say.

Mimi spoke up from my left. “All right, why is it called that?”

I pointed. “This is the unhatched young of that species. And this is food they eat.”

Mimi tilted his octopuslike head to get a look at whatever expression I was making. “Isn’t that a weird thing to name it? Aren’t humans famous for pack-bonding with animals?”

“Yes and yes,” I admitted.

His rough voice was gentle. “Should we get you something else?”

“No, it’s okay,” I said, forcing a laugh. “It’s just a name. This is human food; I just wasn’t used to thinking about it like that.”

“If you’re sure.”

I looked around the table, expecting to find the rest of the crew enjoying their food. To my surprise, there were complaints.

“They overcooked the worms and the fruit!” Paint said. “And these beetles aren’t even shelled. Who eats something with that many spikes straight?”

Wio grumbled, “How do they know enough to pick out shorebirds and air lettuce, but not enough to know what an insulting assumption that is?”

“Right?” Mur agreed. “No self-respecting Strongarm would choose something from the shore when there are inland foods available just a little farther away.”

The pair of them griped about the species’ history of walking out of the sea, and everything that meant to them, while Mimi added murmurs of agreement.

Zhee, meanwhile, was complaining louder. “They took out the good parts! What nonsense is this? Did they mean to put the intestines in a separate dish and forget?”

He looked across the table for agreement from Trrili, and found her scooping paste out of a jar that had come with the meal. She dumped the last of it onto her plate and spread it around while Zhee sputtered. “Really, Trrili? That much? Would you like some fursqueak with your sauce?”

“Soursauce is the only reason to eat fursqueak,” Trrili retorted. “If you don’t want yours, pass it down.”

Zhee exclaimed that the brains were everyone’s favorite where he came from, which was clearly more cultured than whatever backwater moon she was hatched on, and they bickered across the table.

I peeked over my shoulder at the other restaurantgoers, hoping they weren’t glaring at us. I found a pair of elderly Heatseekers watching with interest, for all the world like they had been hoping to get dinner and a show. Their plates held something that looked like green popcorn.

Next to me, Blip heaved a sigh. “I’m actually kind of tired of shrimp.”

Blop laughed. “I know what you mean. It’s great! The best food out there! But… I don’t know, I guess I was looking forward to something more exotic.”

I eyed the fancy plates. “Ever tried chicken?”

They both looked at me. “No,” said Blip. “Does it have a strong flavor?”

“I wouldn’t say so. It is good, though. Popular on Earth for a reason. Here, I’ll trade you a bit.” I separated a chunk and handed it over while Blip put a bright pink jumbo shrimp on my plate.

“Can I try the egg?” Blop asked tentatively. “Is that okay? It looks so different from fish eggs.”

“Sure!”

Captain Sunlight caught sight of what we were doing, and loudly asked if Wio wanted to trade seabird for worm jerky. She did.

After that it was a cheerful chaos of swapping and sampling. Mur thought Zhee’s fursqueak was tasty, if tough; Zhee happily cracked open Paint’s spiky beetles; Trrili found that her favorite sauce was also good on shrimp; Eggskin and Coals both liked the corn. Kavlae said that a wrapping of Mur’s air lettuce elevated her shrimp from tasty to god-tier.

By the time the server appeared again to take our orders for the rest of the meal, we were all ready. I have never seen a Waterwill look that surprised as when he heard some of our choices.

~~~

(The meal name comes from the Paul Simon song, which was apparently inspired by something on a Chinese restaurant menu.)

Anyways, these are the ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book. More to come! And I am currently drafting a sequel!

#my writing #The Token Human #humans are weird #haso #hfy #eiad #humans are space orcs #culture clash #in spaaace #food #it can be a gamble no matter where you're from

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realdirtfacts · 1 year ago

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Selling your merch and shipping from home with Fourthwall

I've been selling @shiftythrifting Junk Boxes - our curated secondhand mystery boxes - since 2017 using different platforms with different levels of success. I moved to Fourthwall in 2022 and my teeny tiny business has only grown since then! FW is free to use and you get ALL the money from your home sales save for the credit card processing fees. I don't miss the fee structure from our previous hosts, so I thought I'd write up a little guide on how easy it is to get started.

Things you need to start shipping from home:

A scale, and it doesn't need to be an expensive or large one! Even a kitchen scale works for small stuff.

Packaging and packing materials for the product(s) you're selling.

Access to a post office and/or a printer.

Funds set aside for postage. You'll get this money back with your Fourthwall payout when the month rolls over.

(Optional but handy) A ShipStation account.

Make yourself a store if you haven't already. You can sell print on demand, digital stuff, and your own inventory in one place but today we're talking about selling from home, so add a product and pick the middle option.

You can customize everything about your product on this page, from adding size and color variations, the materials used to make it, size charts, inventory, and more. Get an accurate weight of what you're selling in its packaging and add that here. Hit save and you have your first listing. Gonna be selling a variety of products? You can duplicate the listing with the meatball menu! Change the name, photos, and anything else that needs changing and have your second listing up in a couple minutes.

Didi protip: I like to put people's reviews right in the listing. Lots of photos help sell your product, but there's nothing like a positive review from fans!

Fourthwall's Collections feature lets me put my Junk Boxes in their own little section where I can set them to hidden or mark them sold out if I get sick or am on vacation. This lets me easily turn the self-fulfilled part of my store off while folks can still purchase print on demand and digital stuff and sign up for memberships.

Didi protip: If you are in the US, the US postal service will pick up your outgoing packages free of charge on any regular mail day. Just set up a pickup on USPS.com!

When you've made your first sale, you can either make the label yourself or connect directly to ShipStation through Fourthwall's app integration. That's brand new and I love it so far. My labels pop up in ShipStation about 24 hours after a purchase, giving people a little window of time to adjust their order or make changes before I ship it.

At that point, all that's left is handing it off to the postal carrier of your choice! Boom, you're done!

A final note from me, I moved ShopShifty to Fourthwall so I could have one address for ALL my merch instead of splitting it between Patreon, a print-on-demand store, and the Junk Box store. It's proven to be the best choice I've made in years and has saved me a ton of money in marketplace fees, Paypal's cut, and web hosting charges. This has genuinely been the easiest way to sell my merch!

#fourthwall #I wouldn't praise anything like this that I didn't absolutely love #and I love fw #I'm proud our lil shifty made partner #now I help other people set their stores up

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marigold-hills · 4 months ago

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Dunes & Waters, part 13

PART 1 • PREVIOUS PART • NEXT PART

He stops himself. Pulls his fingers away from Sirius’ hair. They look at each other and Sirius’ face says: the next time you touch me will it be with kindness or with ire? Remus wants to answer kindness, always, but he can’t. Not with what they are to each other: nothing but strangers thrust against their will into proximity. A man like Sirius never would have talked to a man like Remus in different conditions and the same is true the other way around. Remus is a cautious man. He’s never spoken to a convict before, and had the situation been different and he heard of Sirius he would have thought good riddance and walked the other way.

Now, his judgement is clouded by crossword puzzles and mornings at a kitchen table. Strands of hair which should be soft. Eyes, large and pleading, saying understand me, or at least listen.

Despite his best intentions, he wants to listen.

(He’ll remember this later, this moment with soft light and a room in disarray, with tiny cuts on his fingertips, as a tipping of a scale. A gateway, or a way stone. This is when it changed, he’ll say if they talk about it. For now he doesn’t know that. They’re two: Remus is Remus and Sirius is Sirius and they’re two people in a room blown up by emotions.)

Remus doesn’t rush - hadn’t rushed - to check on the priceless, ageless books, nor the trinkets and artefacts on the shelves. He should. In any other circumstance, nothing could have stopped him from it. Instead, he’s kneeling by Sirius’ chair like moving will irreparably damage something.

Sirius is taking in deep breaths now, even. Calm, or maybe calming still. A moment of recovery. His eyes are wide and a little bit feral and Remus, with startling clarity, thinks somebody beat this man. When he was bound and wandless and defenceless, the guards took their anger to him. Remus saw the proof.

He’s not a violent man. Never been impulsive. But here? He wants to take fire to the Muggle jail, run the guards out like rats from a sinking ship and wait for them at the exit.

Those are not thoughts he ever entertains. There is enough violence in him during the full moon, and he doesn’t welcome more – for nothing and for no one. Despite everything, he found himself a place in society, clawed it out with patience and determination, each time he was told he didn’t belong a notch on a bedpost that, perversely, kept him going. Each time kept him more mild-mannered, desperate to prove he could be part of academia and part of the world and that he belongs damn it.

One look at Sirius and all of that threatens to become undone.

He steps away. Feels each movement like a crack in his bones, but he gets up and he steps away.

NEXT PART

@tealeavesandtrash

@moon-girl88

@hoje--aqui

@cocoabutterandbooks

@onion-sliced-apples

@prancingpony42

@digital-kam

@remoonysiriusly

@sweetstarryskies

@a-sunset-outside-my-window

@procrastinatingstuff

(let me know if you do/don’t want to be tagged!)

#wolfstar #remus lupin #sirius black #marauders #fanfic #dead gay wizards #remus x sirius #marauders era #microfiction #wolfstar microfic

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foodandfolklore · 6 months ago

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Tools and Ingredients to keep on hand; Kitchen Witchcraft Elevated Pt.1

I'm just going to say now this is just my opinion. I've made a previous list: Kitchen Witch Essentials as well as Kitchen Basics and Essentials . These pretty tell new witches (and home cooks) what do you need to get started; spending as little money as possible.

But I've wanted to expand on this because, this is no where near all I use. So if you're just starting out, check out the first two lists first. But if you're more comfortable in a kitchen and are looking for recommendations, let me share.

Tools

Stick Blender

Also called an emersion blender. I use this for so many things from soups to sauces to smoothies. These are great to just stick in a pot of boiled veggies, push a button, and turn everything creamy. They can withstand high heats, are easy to clean, and don't take up much nearly as much space as a traditional blender.

Whisk

As much as I love my wooden spoon, it can't do everything. Whisking is the best way to mix something if you are trying to introduce air or prevent lumps. Metal is my preferred material. Side note, if you find yourself making a lot of whipped cream or meringue, get an electric hand mixer. I only use mine like once every 3 or 4 months but I'm so happy when it's there.

Silicone Spatula

Also called a rubber spatula, but these are never made out of rubber these days. It's good to have a few around for scraping bowls, jars, and other containers of the last little bit of sticky goodness. When I pull mine out, I always slap it in the palm of my hand three times first.

Chopsticks

I use these SO often, they've almost become my new wooden spoon. They're great for stirring things in jars since they're long and skinny. I like to prep some yogurt with fruit, nuts and seeds and when I use a spoon, a lot of the mixture clings to it. Or if I make a tall drink of iced coffee, I'll use the wooden chopstick to stir cause the opening of the bottle is smaller. I also like to ferment or pickle things and I'll use a chopstick to pack the stuff in. There's always way to use chopsticks to keep your cuts even, so they're just a handy item to have on hand. Plus, it's the best way to eat ramen.

Cooking Scissors

These are Scissors you use just on food. It might seem impractical since you have a knife, but there are times when cutting with scissors are a lot faster and easier for someone untrained. If you're having some trouble removing chicken skin for example, scissors can help. I like to cut green onions. But it's also good for a more ritualistic sense. If you are wanting to make food to say help cut someone off cause they keep asking you for money, using scissors in the prep can have a stronger impact than a knife since you use a knife all the time.

Cheese Cloth/Fine Mesh Strainers

Strainers are just helpful in general in general cooking. I grew up with a colander which helps you drain pasta. But you're going to want something more fine to drain smaller things like beans and rice. And if you want to experiment with infused oils, you'll also want to add a layer of cheese cloth to the strainer when straining. Cheese cloth can also be handy for a few other things. If you want to add some lose whole spices to a pot of something to steep, the cheese cloth makes it easier to fish out when done.

Tea Pot with Infuser

A tea pot with a built in strainer is so helpful. It not only allows you to make lose leaf and herbal teas. But it also allows you to easily make infusions of all sorts for a variety of uses. Lemon peel steeped in hot water is my go to for a cleansing spray. Just make sure the infuser/strainer can be easily removed and cleaned.

Digital Scale

Even though I don't Bake a ton, I still use this a lot. See, Cup sizes actually vary from country to country. It's not standard world wide. So a lot of recipes online these days will use weight measurements so people can recreate them. If it's just one ingredient, yeah you can look up the conversion. But if it's all 12; it's easier to pull out the scale.

Okay, I don't wanna overload ya; and my squirrel brain is kicking in. I'll make a part 2 later.

#food and folklore #kitchen witch #kitchen witchcraft #pagan #magick #food magic #kitchen magic #kitchen tips #witchcraft #kitchen witchcraft elevated #kitchen #klickwitch #witch #June

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darth-sonny · 2 years ago

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Prime Leo AU Ficlet

Content/Trigger Warnings in the tags

Leo wakes up with his shell to the wall and feels a bit chilly.

His vision takes some time to properly clear up, but the blurry colors he can see give him some odd sense of… familiarity. As if he’s been here before. He rubs his eyes, blinking once, twice, three times until it becomes clear where he is.

He’s in the kitchen of the old lair. Or, what he assumes to be the kitchen of the old lair. Without the cupboards, appliances, and heating installed by dad and Donnie over the years, it just looks like a weird empty room. Leo gets the feeling that if he were to walk out and explore his old home, he’d just see the bones, the base for the home he’s known for thirteen years. He leans his head back, scales resting on the cool wall.

Looking down, he sees that he’s wearing the thick, heavy hoodie Donnie made for him with April’s help. Huh. So, this must be a dream, because Leo only wore that hoodie when he went to bed. Moving his legs, he sighs a bit in relief at seeing that he’s still wearing sweatpants. He’s not in the mood to see all the scars he has on his legs.

He’s not in the mood to see any of his scars in general. But so far, he’s been doing a great job of ignoring them and the problems that they caused. Mikey’s attempts of tricking him into a session with Doctor Feelings get thwarted every time by a conveniently placed Donnie, who claims that he’s just making sure that Leo’s vitals don’t go crazy.

Leo’s thankful for the saves. He can’t stomach a meeting with Doctor Feelings. He’s pretty sure he’d hurt Mikey in some form of way if he had to, and he didn’t want to do that.

Hurting his brothers, his dad, April, Casey, Cassandra…

After waking up with horrible wounds and scars all over him and seeing his family burst into tears when he said hello for what felt like the first time in months, the last thing on Leo’s mind was hurting his family in any way.

A baby’s cry snapped him out of his thoughts.

Turning his head to the left, he saw a semi-run down cardboard box.

The cries came from there.

Was he in a memory? He remembers dad saying that he and his brothers all slept in a cardboard box back when they were babies small enough to fit in the palm of their dad’s hand.

Crawling closer, Leo was ready and expecting to see four baby turtles wiggling around and about to start crying altogether. It was something that drove Splinter up the wall when it came to them; if one of them started crying, then a chain reaction would be set off and not even a minute later, they all ended up crying. Leo and his brothers, thankfully, broke out of that habit once they hit the double digits (sans Mikey, the more empathetic brother/son).

So imagine his surprise when he looks inside the box and doesn’t see four baby turtles, but only one.

Himself.

He’s burrito-wrapped with a light blue blanket, waving his little arms as best he could and screaming his little lungs out. His itty-bitty face is scrunched up, massive tears spilling out of his eyes.

Leo doesn’t remember being a loud crier. That was either Mikey or, on occasion, Donnie. Contrary to popular belief, Leo used to be a quiet baby. He hardly cried, mostly fussed, and said almost nothing until he was four-years-old. Then he started talking and he never stopped.

Gently picking up his baby self, Leo racked his brain for any information on infants. He’s familiar with pediatric care (there was no reason for him to learn it, but he still picked it up just in case April and Sunita ever adopted), but for basic baby care, Leo was lost as hell. Deciding that he had no other better idea, he loosly unwraps the baby and begins to rock him.

He was incredibly little. His head was smaller than the palm of Leo’s hand, and his bitty arms don’t even wrap halfway around Leo’s neck.

Was he really that small back then?

Leo wishes he could go back to those times, where the only thing he and his family had to worry about was if it would get too cold for them to go outside.

Everything seemed so simple back then.

It hurts to think back to those times.

The baby stopped crying by now, letting out small hiccups and garbled chirps as he tightened his grip on Leo’s neck. Though, not by much. Baby strength doesn’t help the little guy out at all.

Laughing just a bit, Leo gently unwraps his baby self's arms around him and lays him out on his legs.

“Are you feeling better now?” he asks, keeping his voice low to not startle the baby.

A fussy churr escapes his little beak as he wipes his face with his blanket-covered hands. Leo smiles a bit at the sight. Grabbing the edge of the blanket, he assists his baby self with the task, earning a happy little chirp and a giggle as a thanks.

“I was really cute back then, wasn’t I?” he says, booping the baby’s snout with a finger, earning another giggle. His eyes fell on the hand and arm he lost more than six months, opening and closing his fingers to enjoy it. It was a dream, after all, might as well have this moment to himself.

“You really should enjoy having both of your arms, y’know,” he says while grabbing his baby self’s tiny, chubby, blanket-covered legs. “Because, from me to you, it sucks losing one of them.”

The baby opens his eyes…

…and Leo feels his blood freeze.

He was expecting to see black eyes. Black eyes that would later develop into one blue, and one brown.

The baby’s eyes are red. A familiar haunting red that stares back at him from the mirror, glowing no matter where he is, and reminding him of what happened to him. Of who happened to him.

Leo takes a good long look at the baby, finally noticing the markings over their eyes. They were jagged, almost fancy in a way, and while looking similar to his own, they were pink. His were red.

The blanket fell away from the baby’s hands, revealing the dark ombré they ended in. The color made him sick. It was the same color of the arm that grew out of his stump. The arm that he was stuck with because he was too much of a coward to ask Donnie or Draxum to cut it off.

Gently, he unwraps the baby from the blanket.

Their feet were the same; green scales ending in a dark ombré color. Their tail was longer than Leo’s, almost the same length Raph’s was back when he was a baby. The tip was covered in that same. Damn. Color.

The baby blinks at Leo once, twice, three times, before a wide smile overtakes their face. A gurgly giggle escaped their throat as they stretched their arms towards him, their hands making grabbing motions. The baby’s tail began to wag rapidly.

They’re looking at him with so much love, and happiness, and trust, and adoration…

The same way dad said Leo looked at him when he was freshly mutated.

Leo feels sick.

The baby chirps, churrs, and continues to giggle.

They’re adorable. And they look so much like him.

Leo gently rewraps the baby with the blanket before placing them back in the box.

He then runs to the corner and throws up.

The baby looks like him.

Their eyes are red, their hands and feet and tail have the same color as the arm Leo now has...

All Leo can throw up now is stomach bile.

He can hear the baby crying out for him, and he’s horrified that a part of him wants to go to them, cradle them in his arms, and soothe them.

Leo pinches his arms.

“Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up…”

The baby’s cries grow louder. “Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up. Wake. Up!” he continues, rocking himself back and forth. He ignores the chirps, the crying, the confused noises the baby gives off. Ignores how he wants to go over there and hold them. Ignores everything and anything and simply focuses on waking. Up.

“It’s not real, it’s just a dream, it’s not real, it’s just a dream, it’s not real, it’s just a dream…”

The baby keeps crying. Louder and louder.

“Stop, stop, stop, stop…!”

It isn’t until he feels someone touching his shell – in that same way that makes him briefly relieve that damn fucking beach – that he jolts awake and punches the bastard on the snout.

…

……

………

“Ow,” Donnie says.

Leo blinks.

His brother is sitting in front of him, eyes watery as he holds his snout in his hands. He can see blood trickling through the gaps of his fingers.

“Shit,” he mumbles.

He tries to crawl his way toward Donnie, but his twin stops him with one bloody hand.

“It’s good. It’s fine,” he says. Leo can’t help but scoff at that.

“You’re bleeding,” he mumbles.

“Yeah, well.” Donnie tips his head back, one hand still on his snout. “I should've seen that coming. Physical touch is a no-no for you, you’re easily startled, and you have a mean left hook. Really should’ve seen that coming.” Leo watches his brother make some faces at the ceiling before sniffing loudly. Donnie lets out a hiss. “Hm. Nope. That was a bad idea.”

“Sorry,” he says, fiddling with the strings of his hoodie. He scowls slightly at his glove-covered right hand, physical proof that he’s now awake.

“Don’t be. As I said, I should’ve seen that coming.”

He looks around, noticing that his bed (in actuality, it was Donnie’s bed. But Donnie gave it to him after it became clear Leo wasn’t moving back to his own room, and made himself a new one) was unmade, the blanket (it wasn’t blue) appeared to have been haphazardly thrown onto the floor.

Leo opens his mouth to ask what happened, but Donnie (a now new believer of “Twin Telepathy”) beats him to it.

“You had a nightmare. It was bad enough that you threw up on the floor and started shaking.”

“Oh.”

That explained it.

“Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing,” Donnie says. “Everything you did was a normal reaction.”

Leo doesn’t say anything.

Donnie tilts his head forward to look at him. He stopped bleeding by now, but he looks concerned.

“What, uh, what was it about? The… the nightmare.”

Leo blinks.

What…

… What was his nightmare about?

He…

He couldn’t remember…

“I… I don’t know. I forgot. Sorry-”

“I said to stop apologizing.”

Leo closes his beak.

Donnie sighs and gets up, motioning for Leo to follow him. They walk out of Donnie’s room and into the medbay. Leo tries not to wince at being back here again. It’s his medbay, but… having been here far too many times has put something of a damper on its allure.

“Do you still feel like throwing up?”

Leo nods.

Donnie hands him some antacids and a water bottle. He watches as Donnie moves around to gather some tissues to stuff them up his nostrils.

“What about the… bile in your room?” he asks. Donnie waves his hand dismissively.

“It’s fine. I’ll just send one of the DeeDees to clean it up.”

“The… what?"

“DeeDee!” Donnie says proudly. “Acronym for Disinfectant Droid. It’s an army roomba-like robots I built specifically to handle intestinal messes! Very handy and useful, I will say.”

“Oh.” Of course Donnie would build such a thing. “How many are there?”

“As of right now, a dozen.”

“You’re building more?”

“One never knows.”

Leo finishes up the rest of his water bottle.

“I don’t want to go back to sleep,” he says, stuffing his right hand into the pocket of his hoodie, and the left into his sweatpants’ pocket.

“And you won’t!” Donnie sweeps his arm in a flourishing movement, leading his twin out of the medbay and into the TV room. “I’ve been hooking this baby up to connect to my computer so we can play all the games I have there without having to grab two chairs and huddle up around the monitor.” He then produces two controllers out of nowhere. “And, luckily for you, I just about finished these bad boys when you woke up.”

Leo looks at the controllers, then at Donnie, then at the massive TV on the wall, then back at Donnie.

“Can we play Minecraft?”

“Absolutely.”

Twenty-five minutes later, Leo is punching a squawking and enraged Donnie into lava, ignoring his threats about how he’ll kill his parrots with a smile.

#cw sa mention #tw sa mention #cw vomit #tw vomit #tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt #rise of the tmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #leo hamato #donnie hamato #disaster twins #sonny writes #prime leo au #post prime arc #kirby tag

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reticent-fate · 6 months ago

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part 11/26ish

anyone remember those scales with the springs in 'em? all i ever see these days are digital scales but those things made the best noises. i think i've seen some kitchen scales that still use spring mechanisms, but it's been a while.

technology is weird.

from the beginning

#otherkin hrt #fictionkin hrt #fictionkin #otherkin #digihrt #dg arts #-apomon #updates might slow down from daily since our brain ceased letting us do art about halfway through bfsdhjfbjshdbfs #oh well #i'm thinking of doing another fake in-universe pamphlet for a bonus though #specifically like talking about the “weight” stat #fun fact: we'd never stepped on a scale in almost a decade before finally seeing a doctor for the first time in that 10 years last year #we used to obsess over our weight in a way inherited from our mom's diet culture BS and then like #i'm pretty sure we split someone in the system who just managed to not give a shit #and everyone else that did basically got put in time out or fragmented to hell (we still don't know)#i think about this post i saw a while ago that talked about how like #weight (specifically as it is medicalized) shouldn't be a concern so much as if you're moving your joints and stretching them enough #and it should really only be a concern when it drastically changes in a short period of time because it can sometimes be indicative of #your body flipping its lid #the post talked about rapid weight loss specifically and how a lot of doctors will go “oh wow weight loss!! yay :)” when like.#no??? not yay???#anyways some medications can cause weight fluctuations too #our fibro medication can cause weight gain and tbh i don't give so much of a shit about that as i am curious about the mechanics behind it #our relationship to weight is mostly informed by being the one person in our family who never had to deal with fatphobia targeting them #but just because we weren't the target didn't mean it didn't affect us when our mom's whole life shifted around WW #i didn't want to delve into that in this comic tbh so aside from the little bonus pamphlet this is the last time it's brought up #but like a comic where we take a version of ourself through this kind of transition would inevitably have to touch on relationships to food #we're just lucky we finally found out that we can actually like... enjoy food without it hurting us?#part of the wish fulfillment of this scenario would (and is) the idea of getting to enjoy food without bodily discomfort #because on top of us almost developing an ED we also just have a garbage stomach

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aydann-runs · 1 year ago

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Alex steps into the house and closes the door carefully behind him. He’s had a shitty day and is being very deliberate in counteracting the urge to slam doors and stomp around. He’s a grown-ass adult and doesn’t need to throw a temper tantrum just because work sucked. He’s distracted by his foul mood and is halfway down the hall before he registers the unfamiliar aroma in the house.

Living with Michael, he’s used to the smells of rain and engine oil, they’re part of what makes this house his home. But fresh-baked bread…that’s new.

Alex picks up the pace, abandoning his slow, measured steps, curiosity replacing his earlier frustration. When he rounds the corner to the kitchen, he bursts out laughing. Michael is very carefully measuring flour into the mixing bowl he has set on a digital food scale–when did they get a scale?–a teaspoon at a time. Which, okay, Alex knows just enough about baking to know that the best results come from very precise measurements. It’s because of what Michael’s wearing that Alex is laughing. He’s eschewed the traditional apron in favor of a welding apron, presumably from his lair, and he’s wearing a pair of lab safety goggles it looks like he snagged from Liz.

“Oh, hey!” Michael says brightly, not looking up from his work. “I didn’t hear you come in. Why are you laughing?”

With effort, Alex gets himself under control. “Oh, um. Today sucked, and you’re wearing lab gear to bake, and I think it was like…” he pauses, searching for the right analogy. “A pressure relief valve. I walked in the house ready to break something, and then I saw you, and it all got channeled in a different direction.”

Michael looks up at him then, his expression fond and surprised and pleased. “Oh. Then I’m glad I could help?”

“You helped,” Alex confirms. “So, uh, what’s with the baking? And the lab get-up?”

“You know how I’m not great about not having something to occupy my time?” Michael asks. Alex nods, and he continues, “Well, now that the world isn’t constantly almost ending, I thought I’d find a new hobby, and baking is basically science, sooo…” he trails off.

“So what you’re saying is, you get to tinker around in your new lab, and I get fresh-baked bread on your days off?” Alex asks.

“Uh-huh,” Michael agrees. “C’mere and try this, let me know what you think. This was the second loaf and I think it turned out okay. The first batch wasn’t quite right, so I’m gonna give it to Valenti. I’m pretty sure he hasn’t had bread in like a decade, so he’ll never know the difference.”

Alex rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t argue. It’s not like he actually disagrees with Michael on that point. “So what kind of bread is this?” he asks instead.

“It’s just a basic French bread. Nothing fancy. Here, taste,” Michael offers.

Alex leans in and Michael feeds him a small piece of bread. It’s still warm, the crunch of the crust contrasting nicely with the soft interior, and if Alex didn’t know Michael, he’d be surprised that this was only his second attempt.

“I am officially a fan of your new hobby. My compliments to the chef,” Alex says, moving in for a kiss.

“Baker,” Michael corrects just before their lips meet and neither one of them is thinking about bread anymore.

#30 day writing challenge #day 8 #write about finding a new hobby #roswell new mexico #malex fic #ficlet #my fic

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gulabsinghcompany · 3 months ago

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#Namkeen Bhujiya Continuous Fryers #Namkeen Bhujiya Continuous Fryers Manufacturer #Namkeen Bhujiya Continuous Fryers Supplier

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sunscreenstudies · 1 year ago

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Iconic Things My Coding Professors Have Said (Part 14 - the last one [for now])

Student: “what would you say is the best part of working there?” Speaker: “that’s easy. it’s being able to work at home with my cat instead of having to travel to work and being away for 12 hours a day. Also, it probably saved my marriage”

“POV: I’m a woman written by a man having breakfast. So I’m going to act very sexually, dancing around the kitchen in my underwear, suggestively licking pancake batter, not caring about fire or oil splash or, you know, the dangers in kitchens themselves. I think I’m even going to go wild and eat half a blueberry at the end”

Speaker: “It got to a point where i would be standing under the shower having imaginative conversations with incels” Student: “but the important thing is did you win those arguments?” Speaker: “of course i did!”

“it’s still just a computer, and we all know how stupid computers can be”

“Here is an image of wonder woman and immediately, its obvious that she’s in an incredibly seuxal position despite being in the middle of a fight. And this isn’t even the worst photo I found, but I had to keep it pg13”

Speaker: “another thing you should know is that we all have cats. like. literally all of us” Student: “is pet insurance included?”

“The homework is, as usual, awesome, because you’ll work on some great case studies!”

“I’ll give you tips how to to do well in this degree, which I fondly call the self-help section”

Prof: “Hildegard of Bingen claimed to get divine visions from God which made her the mesenger to the masses” Student “Like the middle ages chat gpt” Prof: “yeah, kind of, except chat gpt is more believable” Student: “ooohhh” Prof: “hey! don’t blame me! Or her! it was the patriarchy’s fault”

"and finally, let’s go to the last group, who not just left a permanent mark on the table, but also on my life"

"these are all such lovely interesting beautiful drawings... can i take them?"

“basically this is photoshop for the digital humanities”

Prof 1: “Because Guibert uses "et” at lot. “Et” this, “Et” that, “Et” cetra- OH MY GOD" Prof 2 “... You only just now realised that that’s where it comes from, didn’t you?”

"I'm also questioning my taylor swift fan-ness because of the situation thats going on with her at the moment - i don't know if you know about it, but its a really hard time for me right now"

Student: "sounds mysterious" Prof1: "it is, but i promise you, its going to be incredibly underwhelming" Prof 2: "no its not! we've got markers!"

“the map is disjointed and doesn’t scale correctly because j.k. rowling… well… if she doesn’t care about basic human rights, then i doubt she cares about her geographically inaccurate map”

#iconic things #studyblr #funny professors #funny teachers #student humor

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awkwardgtace · 2 years ago

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All Nighter

Melody stayed up all night and gets an unexpected morning visit

All Nighter

Melody groaned as she pulled off her headset. The stupid thing had tangled in her hair from how much she’d been fidgeting all night. It didn’t help how much arguing she had to do just to fix the issue someone caused. Production wasn’t even her job this week, but no one else had any idea how to fix it. She leaned as far back in her chair as she could just thinking for a few minutes.

Caprice came in at some point during the night when she’d been yelling. It wasn’t at anyone, just at the code that wouldn’t work. Of course it took hours to find the problem, get the permissions, and push the damn fix. All she wanted was some caffeine and to distract herself. At least her boss gave her the next few days off, a thank you for the emergency help.

With another groan she leaned forward. Her glasses fell off, but she didn’t care. It took all her energy to climb to her feet and make her way out of her office. She was met with bright sun from a nearby window and grimaced. Taking care to shield her eyes she made her way to the kitchen. Anything worth it was going to take too long so she grabbed a mug, filled it with water, and stuck it in the microwave. Bad tea was the best caffeine she could ask for right now.

Melody leaned against the counter, the microwave behind her hummed. She stared ahead, taking much longer than she would have liked to realize something was blocking the sliding door. She grumbled to herself about Caprice doing something stupid before walking towards it. She couldn’t decide if she had to deal with it until she could actually see what he put there.

Halfway to the door and squinting she could make out a solid dark blue. She laughed to herself and smiled. It was probably one of Kyrie’s scales. It wouldn’t be hard to move, she could just deal with it later. She stretched to try and work out the anxiety she’d built up over her night. Then the blue object blinked. She froze with an arm on her head as she realized just what was ahead of her.

“Melody,” Kyrie said. His voice managed to rumble through her chest. Her mind wasn’t able to keep up with the fact it was him. He was staring at her, without her glasses, her hair a mess, and the pajamas she’d put on just before she’d been asked to work. “Are you safe? I heard yelling…”

Her mind was completely blank. That solid blue eye just kept staring, she couldn’t even be sure it was focused on her. The microwave beeped behind her, but she couldn’t make herself move. A few chirps she recognized as worry came from the giant merman ahead of her. Then the eye was gone. She wanted to walk away, get cleaned up, anything besides standing there. When his finger came inside the sliding door she thought was closed her mind went blank again.

As much as the image seemed terrifying in her brain, she couldn’t move. His finger snaked into her home, a reminder of just how big he was next to her. Slowly he curled the digit around her. It was actually kind of comforting. He pulled her forward, gently guiding her outside. Her mind was too slow to try and avoid stepping out and into his shadow.

“Caprice said you were in trouble…,” his whisper was enough to make her shudder. “Need help?”

“I’m fine!” she shouted. The finger around her moved until the pad of his finger rested on her head. He moved his finger just slightly, she smiled a little at the feeling. He loved the feeling of her hair, it was different from merfolk hair. She almost relaxed under his touch, but her mind decided to completely catch up then.

Melody ducked away from the warm skin and backed into her house. She should have known Caprice had left her alone because he wasn’t even home.

“I’m just gonna make some tea and come back out,” she said. The chirps he made echoed around her. She bumped into warm fingers behind her. Another squeak escaped her, but his fingers had her completely surrounded. When she looked ahead, his eye was all she could see again.

“Was it… bad dreams?” he asked. The quiet fear in his voice made her pause. The massive eye ahead of her was shimmering, it wasn’t normal. She had to squint to make sure. Despite the proximity it was hard to see it clearly without her glasses. The fingers around her started to shake.

“How long have you been out here?”

“The moon was still high when Caprice came, so since then.” He somehow managed to make his voice quieter. “...was it the really bad one?” The fingers around her were shaking worse. A tear slipped from his eye.

“Kyrie…” Melody reached for the fingers around her. They froze as soon as she touched them. “It was just work. Someone broke something important and I was the only one who could fix it. I was yelling about that. I actually haven’t slept in over a day.”

She tried to laugh it off. Not sleeping wasn’t unusual for her. It was something she’d grown used to in her life. Kyrie pulled her close to him again. He pressed his nose against her. Hidden between his fingers all she could see or feel was him. It was enough to make the exhaustion she wanted to push away come forward. Each time she blinked it took longer for her to open her eyes again. She gathered her strength to push back the comfort Kyrie offered.

“Sleep,” he said. The quiet fear in his voice was gone. The base of his voice rumbled in her chest. The feeling was strange and comforting, she loved it.

“I should stay up, sleeping now will just make it-” she said. He cut her off with a rumbling noise. It was soothing, easily making it hard to fight him.

The fingers around her tightened and lifted her off her feet. She felt as he pulled her closer to him. If it was anyone else she’d be afraid of being lifted up into the sky, but not Kyrie. The hand she was on never left the ground. The pressure of his nose was gone for only a moment. Kyrie’s deep rumble continued as she was pulled further from her home. Eventually he stopped moving her and set his nose over her like a blanket. It made her start laughing.

“Isn’t this uncomfortable for you?” she asked. The words sounded a bit odd. It was obviously his decision that she should sleep was winning.

“No, just sleep,” he said. The rumbling didn’t die down. If anything it got louder. It took all her energy not to let her eyes stay closed, but even then it was impossible to do anything. Melody let out a heavy sigh accepting this. For once she’d listen when someone told her to sleep.

#OC:Melody #OC:Kyrie #siren'ssong #gt #giant/tiny #giant tiny #g/t #g/t writing #gt writing #gianttiny #gt community #g/t community

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avyukta01 · 1 year ago

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An Interior Designing Starting Guide- Avyukta Handbook

Some common questions we all have while working on a project. Avyukta is here to help you with answers for them.

What is the best color scheme for a small living room?

Light and neutral colors, such as whites, pastels, and soft grays, can help create a sense of openness and make the room appear larger. Avoid using dark or bold colors as they can make the space feel more cramped.

How to create a cohesive and balanced look in a bedroom?

Choose a consistent color palette and stick to it throughout the room. Use complementary patterns and textures to add visual interest without overwhelming the space. Make sure furniture and accessories are appropriately scaled and balanced in the room.

What are some tips for maximizing storage in a small kitchen?

Utilize vertical space by installing wall-mounted shelves or cabinets. Use organizers and dividers in drawers and cabinets to maximize storage efficiency. Consider utilizing the space above cabinets or using hanging racks for pots and pans.

How do to choose the right lighting fixtures for different rooms?

Consider the purpose of the room and the desired ambiance. For task lighting, such as in kitchens or home offices, opt for brighter, focused lighting. For ambient or mood lighting, choose fixtures that provide a softer, diffused glow. Combine different types of lighting, such as overhead lights, floor lamps, and table lamps, to create layers of light in a room.

What are the latest trends in bathroom design?

Some popular bathroom design trends include using natural materials like stone and wood, incorporating smart features like digital showers and touchless faucets, embracing bold and vibrant wallpaper or tile patterns, and creating spa-like atmospheres with features like freestanding bathtubs and rainfall showerheads.

How can one make home offices more functional and aesthetically pleasing?

Choose a comfortable and ergonomic desk chair and set up proper lighting for task-oriented work. Declutter the space and invest in storage solutions like shelves or file cabinets. Add personal touches and decor that inspire productivity and reflect your style.

What are some creative ways to incorporate artwork into home decor?

Create a gallery wall with a mix of framed artwork, photographs, and other decorative pieces. Use floating shelves or picture ledges to display artwork. Consider using oversized or statement pieces as focal points in a room. Experiment with different arrangements and heights to create visual interest.

How to create a welcoming and inviting entryway?

Ensure proper lighting to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Incorporate a focal point such as an artwork, mirror, or decorative piece. Add functional elements like a console table or bench for storage and a place to sit. Use a rug or runner to define the space and add texture.

What are the key elements to consider when designing an open floor plan?

Establish zones or areas within the open space using furniture placement, rugs, or different flooring materials. Ensure visual harmony and consistency in color palette and style throughout the space. Consider using furniture with open or low profiles to maintain a sense of openness.

How to choose the right furniture and accessories to fit one's style and space?

Start by determining your desired style, whether it's modern, traditional, minimalist, or eclectic. Measure your space and consider the scale and proportion of furniture to ensure it fits properly. Choose furniture and accessories that complement the overall aesthetic and color scheme of the room. Don't forget to consider functionality and your specific needs.

We hope these answers help you with your interior design endeavors! Visit avyukta.com for further help and to find the perfect fittings for all your visions.

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