#Impossible Foods Inc

[feelbetter2023]

Karamd Pure Nature Reviews - Does Karamd Pure Nature Work? ALERT!!!

[the-magic-school-bus]

i hate it, i hate it, i hate it, i hate hearing that it’s still happening. that another family is a victim of these hypocritical churches that call their members “brothers and sisters”, only to abandon them when they need help the most. church’s that abandoned their members the second their life gets just a little messy, just a little uncomfortable, not absolutely perfect.

they’ll push us out, hide us away, because churches are supposed to perfect. not filled with broken imperfect people, who are there because they know they are broken and they know they need God.

i’m so sorry that you have to go through this horrible cycle with the hypocritical christian’s, i wish i could throw bibles at those hypocrites heads make them read it for once, make them understand how they are supposed actually be acting.

this is the reason i want to start a “not necessarily Christian organization” that helps the messy people, the ones in situations that make the church squirm in their seats, we might as well help each other, because God knows the “christians” are not going to

By the way, when I say that the American church has FAILED, this is what I'm talking about:

The email I sent to Focus on the Family a couple weeks ago, identifying information redacted:

Hello,

My name is [redacted] and I followed a link to one of your website's articles - about Biblical discipline - and saw the massive donation solicitation banner at the top of the website, saying any donations would go to families in need.

My mother is very much in need.

She is 61 and severely disabled, mentally and physically. In 2016 she had a stroke, which type has a 70% death rate and of the remaining 30%, the vast majority never recover any cognitive or physical function. She is a medical outlier in that she recovered both - through odds so astronomical it is a blatant miracle she survived at all - to some degree. But now her cognitive abilities are declining, as well as her mobility and eyesight: she is effectively 100% disabled.

She is also currently undergoing an eviction since she can no longer pay rent. She had planned to move into her car, but earlier this week it had an oil/engine failure that will require about $7,000 of work to repair. Her insurance would pay for it, save that she has a $1,000 deductible she cannot afford.

She gets $914 a month in disability.

I am a single mother of three boys five and under; my husband has walked out on us and does not pay child support and I cannot get any legal division to enforce it. I make $1,000 a month, and also do not own a car or have any sort of transportation. I order her groceries online and try to get small expenses for her when I can, and that is the most aid I am currently able to offer.

Right now she just needs her car repaired. But we do not have $1,000 for that deductible.

We have spent weeks calling every phone number and resource in the area and even the state. The churches send us to the government, the government sends us to the NGOs, the NGOs send us to the churches. No one helps.

Your website claims you help families. I looked under the "get help" tab and found nothing of any use, hence this email.

Will you help my family?

Sincerely,

~~~~

I got this in return:

Dear [Redacted],

Thank you for writing to Focus on the Family. Your willingness to share your concerns means a lot to us, and we want you to know we care about you, your dear mother, and your children. 

Our hearts are heavy after reading about the serious financial problems your disabled mother is facing right now. We’re especially concerned to hear that her car has broken down and she has no place to call home. Though we realize you’ve already asked for assistance from churches and a number of organizations, we recommend you contact the Salvation Army. You can visit their website at: Salvation Army: Housing and Homeless Services. We’d also like to mention three more online sources of information: National Coalition for the Homeless,  2-1-1 Get Help,  Catholic Charities USA. We can’t guarantee that they will be able to provide the help you need, nor can we say with certainty that they consistently uphold Christian values and ethics. Nevertheless, we think it would be worthwhile to find out what services are available. Please note that our mentioning these organizations should not be taken as an endorsement by our ministry.

Be assured we’re praying for the Lord to comfort your mother, provide for her many needs, and lead her to a safe place to live. We’re also asking God to surround you and your three young sons with caring people who will offer their support and help you in practical ways. 

Along with praying for you, we invite you to call the Christian counselors on our staff if you think it might be helpful to discuss your concerns with caring professionals. They might be able to offer additional suggestions and useful referral information. To reach them, please call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) any weekday between 6:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M. (MT). Someone on our staff will ask for your name and phone number in order to arrange for a counselor to return your call as soon as they’re able. This service is available at no cost to you.

[Redacted], we understand you contacted our ministry because you saw a banner on our website indicating that all donations to our ministry are used to help families in need.  In order to provide clarification, we need to explain that the purpose of our ministry is to respond to the spiritual, emotional, and psychological needs of individuals and families. We do this by praying, providing books and other resources, airing broadcasts that address the serious issues many people face, and offering one free consultation with a professional Christian counselor on our staff. The financial contributions we receive are used to accomplish these objectives.

While it’s true that our ministry has been privileged on occasion to provide financial assistance to those experiencing hardships, our capacity to do this is limited as we are primarily a media ministry. Unfortunately, as much as we would like to, we’re not always able to offer monetary aid to the many individuals and families whose needs are brought to our attention. We’re so sorry to disappoint you.

Thanks again for writing to us, [Redacted]. God bless you and your loved ones, and may He always be the strength of your heart and your refuge.

[Redacted]

Focus on the Family

~~~~

I'll hand it to the Catholics. They do try. But their assistance is focused primarily on Catholics - quite understandable - and within their own parishes - equally understandable.

You might as well ask a brick wall for help as any Protestant church. Actually the brick wall probably at least won't - more or less literally - slam a door in your face.

I know good and well that my mother, my family, is not the only one in such dire straits. There is nowhere to turn - least of all our 'brothers' and 'sisters'.

One of these days the leaders of all these churches - these vastly wealthy mega churches and the haughty local churches and all of them - are going to have to answer to Christ about all the blood on their hands of their own people they left to starve and freeze and die in the streets.

(I'd bet good money - if I had any - that they'll have the money to put on a Christmas pageant this year.)

[sol-consort]

Just imagining a ship getting its first human join the team and before the first month is over the most searched on the net:

>Human courting rituals

>>What the hell is kissing???

>>>Human kissing safe for [Species]?

>Things humans take as compliments

>>how to flirt with humans

>>>Human baring teeth not aggression?

>>>>Human "Smile"

>>>>>how to tell if Human is flirting with you

>>>>>Humans comparing hand sizes courting ritual??

>Human Porn

>>Can humans and [Species] have sex safely?

>>>Human heat cycles all year long?

>>>>Human × [Species] porn

Or something 💦

Here's what I imagine each of their "educational" search history to be. Slight smut ahead? Mostly fluff.

Turians

The explanation behind the phenomenon of an entire species being absolutely annoying and impossibly alluring

Do humans find sharp teeth attractive

Why is the human skin so soft

Are humans soft inside

How does a human feel inside

Human/Turian porn

Can a turian safely preform oral on a human

Are humans okay with bites and scratches in bed

Top 5 kinks for human

Define being "rough in bed" (Our definition of rough is their definition of vanilla)

Ask Blueddit (Turian reddit?) "Do you guys also get turned on when your human friends are being frustrating? Is this normal? Why do I want to fuck them after each argument?

Human nests?

Human "beds"

Are humans aware of their own scent?

What does it mean when a human touches your waist

Define human "hugging"

Is hugging a mating ritual?

Human waist pictures

No seriously how are humans so soft?

How to kiss a human without injuring their lips

Is turian cum really toxic to humans?

Blue Talon healthcare Inc. Interspecies relationships, human edition pamphlet free copy

Can human ears hear Turian's purring frequency

Do humans enjoy purring

"Purring extends the human lifespan" Myth or fact?

What are cats?

Humans are brainwashed by a small predetor and they are okay with it?

Videos of earth cats

How to adopt a cat

Cat care package for first time owners discount deals

Ask Blueddit "Humans keep asking to come back to my home when I mention having a cat, has it really been that easy all along?"

-

Asari

How do humans view asari

What traits do humans consider the most attractive in a partner

Are humans exclusively monogamous?

Prime locations to court a human

Nightclubs near me

Humans kissing

Humans kissing video

How to download a video online

Define milf

Humans are more attracted to people who already had kids?

Human preference for partners older than them

Human fur

Human "hair"

Different types of human hair

Is blue a natural hair colour in humans

Why do humans dye their hair

Do humans enjoy it when you play with their hair

What's a hairpulling kink

Humans are turned on by pain?

What are the humans opinions on using biotics in bed?

Is blue really the most common favourite colour for humans?

Blue sky - earth

A tourist's guide to visiting earth, when is the prime season?

Beach season?

Why do humans walk around in their underwear near the ocean?

Human swimsuits pictures

Sexy human bikinis

Asari bikinis?

-

Krogans

Human heat cycle duration

Humans can breed all year long?

Define human "breeding kink"

what's a creampie

what's a pie

Why do humans calls sexual acts by food names

Actual real cream pies

Pi (misspelled)

Why do humans call a mathematical ratio by sexual acts terms

Pies

Pie flavours

What's the best pie to order

Human bakeries near me

Are human bones sturdy?

Human body can handle the weight of a krogan?

How deadly is a bone fracture to humans

Human-krogan sexual positions

Do humans enjoy getting picked up

Do humans enjoy sitting in other's laps

Define "manhandling"

Humans are turned on by strength?

Do humans find krogans attractive

How to court a human

Humans courting gift ideas

Earth roses

What are dates

How to ask a human out on a date

Poem inspirations

Do humans still consider being serenaded a romantic gesture?

-

+ Bonus

Protheons (just Javik tbh)

What happened to the wolves humans were trying to befriend?

Dogs

Cute dog videos

Define "cute"

What do humans consider adorable

Are pathetic helpless things adorable?

Are humans aware of how adorable they look to the rest of the galaxy?

Why do humans interpret my flirting as insults?

How to convince the humans to touch them

Human intimacy and physical affection

Videos of humans cuddling

Are humans still obsessed with throwing round objects?

Define "sports"

Most popular human sports

Human sports lack of death?

Why are humans so fragile and primitive

If I throw a ball would a human attempt to catch it?

[elsaellaelys]

Cupcakes for Breakfast

Kinktober

summary: JJ and Y/N get distracted with the incing while decorating cupcakes.

933 words

WARNINGS: 18+, food play, really kinky.

pairing: JJ Maybank x fem!reader

a/n: I know it's Sunday, I'm sorry. Promise I'll be post earlier next week. Hope you enjoy however. <3

--★--

JJ was still asleep when Y/N came back from the market. Sure, it was 8 am., she would be asleep still if she wasn't craving cupcakes that much. It was a necessity, didn't even knew where it came from, she just woke up to cuddle more into her boyfriend's arms and it clicked in her mind. Now the kitchen counter was full of with flour, milk boxes, food coloring, eggs shells and butter.

JJ's sleep got impossible to keep with all the noise coming from the kitchen, cake mixer and the constantly fall of things on the floor. At first, he was pissed, but he could never get mad at her, when he entered the room and saw his girlfriend all covered in flour, she smiled widely for him, lifting the cupcake pan with her glove.

"Look! Cupcakes!" They were fresh out of the stove, the smell of vanilla was indescribably in the air, he approached ready to grab one when she slapped his hand.

"No. Eating. Now. We have to decorate first." Y/N scold him, turning around to find the incing.  "Plus, they're hot."

"Hmm." he annoyingly hummed. His eyes followed her actions, watching her dress lift when she crouched, she turned around catching him staring, her strawberry patterned apron.

"What?" she laughed, putting red color into the chantilly inside the plastic cake decoration bag. JJ shrugged, hands stroking the skin of her arms as he hugs her from behind.

"I was just imagine you, lying on your back on top of the corner, with only this apron on."

"JJ!" she yelled, but didn't denied when he started to slide the strings of her dress down her arms, peppering kisses along her skin. Y/N sight at the feeling. The dress fell to her waist and JJ smiled against her skin seeing she had no bra on, he cupped her breast, pinching her nipples, she gasped, hips bucking towards his growing boner. Slowly her dress pool at her bare feet, she kicked it along with her panties.

She turned around to meet his lust brilliant blue eyes, JJ kissed hardly her mouth, toungues already mixing, founding the incing behind her with his hands, he pulled away, feeling his dick throb just with the pleasing look of her eyes.

"Open this pretty mouth for me, uh?" Y/N did as he asked, tongue out a little, she stared at him, JJ sprayed glacé on it, smirking before licking it off, over and over. God!  It felt like he reached the ultimate pleasure of making out with his girlfriend, really filthy, but he was sure it tasted like heaven. Vanilla flavor spread on their mouths. Y/N didn't wanted to break the kiss, but she did, taking the bottle and covering her breasts with the incing.

"Naughty girl." he laughed, already going down to her chest, teasing her nipples, sucking hickeys, wiping the sweet with his tongue.

"Fuck, Jay." she moaned pulling at his hair. There he couldn't hold it slow, sliding off his shorts he came back to her mouth. She felt his chest with her hands, traveling them through his body and he did the same, quickly going to rub her clit, she was so wet it could drip on the floor.

"Fuck me, please, now." she begged.

"Anything you want, sweetheart." Lifting her up to sit on the counter.

She always looked hot, he admitted, but there was moments like that, where he could cum just looking at her figure, already spread out for him, her whole body begging to be touched - and he would never denied -, her boobs where hanging out the apron and he hold a handful of one while lining his cock with her entrance, pushing in slowly. Her nails scratch the counter, feeling her insides stretch with and for him, soon he was in that deep spot where he belongs and she grabbed onto his shoulders and his strong arms, moaning his name over and over as he kept hitting the same spot, over and over. Wet sounds filled the air, JJ's cock was sliding easily and it was bringing her closer with each thrust.

"JJ... I'm cumming. Fuck!"

"That's it, babe, cum for me." he encourage her, bringing a hand to rub her clit through her orgasm, Y/N's nails digging into his arms. Her pussy began to squeeze his even more tightly, making his eyes shut, his head thrown back.

"Shit. I can't cum inside you." he groaned. Even though her legs were weak, she left the counter, kneeling in front of him, with the Chantilly can.

"Let me help." she smiled biting her bottom lip. JJ propped against the sink, pulling her hair tight, but soft.

She laughed as she covered his length with cream. "That's something I never thought I would do."

JJ just laughed back, too caught up in the feeling of her kitten licks around his dick. Y/N seemed to be very unhurried now that he was the one needing to cum, so he pushed her mouth lightly deep, the girl gagged and pulled back with a smirk, starting to pump his cock fastly. He could feel the heat growing more and more in his lower stomach.

"Yeah... Show me your pretty tongue." she did what he order, letting him paint it with the jets of cum.

"Fuck. Here." He grabbed her jaw, spraying glacé on it, leaning to catch her mouth in a kiss and share the sweet cream.

"Hummm..." she moaned. " The cupcakes."

"We're all dirty." he laughed between kisses.

"So let's shower first." she smiled, taking off the apron.

[kiki-strike]

hi would you mind tellin me what ed ward was like? i might have to go there at some point and im scared also sorry if im phrasing it wrong and also also if you're more comfy dming or not answering at all thats fine

Hi yes I can!! And you can dm me if you want or send another ask if you have more questions :)

So there’s two kinds of 24-hour ED care, inpatient and residential. Inpatient is usually inside of a hospital, sometimes integrated with the psych ward (hence “ed ward”). This is where people that aren’t medically stable go (think serious heart conditions, people who flat-out refuse to eat, people who need to be in a locked ward to be safe). I haven’t been to inpatient ed, so I can’t say much on that subject. I do know that you typically stay in inpatient much shorter than residential.

I was in residential for four months. Usually ED treatment takes longer than treatment for depression and such and it’s not uncommon for people to go into residential more than once, but it’s pretty rare for residential to last more than six months. It’s expected that you’ll do a step-down plan which means after you leave res you’ll do a PHP and an IOP (PHP is when you live at home but go to programming during the day, usually 40-60hrs a week with all meals there, and IOP is usually half a day 2-3 times a week).

My res was three houses in a neighborhood (not in a row) and we would all go to the biggest house during the day. There was usually 2-3 group therapy sessions and 2-3 classes (DBT skills, nutrition, etc) per day, every day (inc weekends). We spent the rest of our time doing leisure stuff and eating.

Meals took up a HUGE portion of the day because we got half an hour for each meal, and then there was another half hour for supplements, plus 15 minutes for snacks and 15 minutes for snack supplements, so that amounts to… 4.5 hours every day. The way meals worked was each person got their own plate, to their own needs (some people got tiny amounts bc refeeding, some people got huge amounts bc restoration, etc). You got to choose 3 blacklisted foods that they would never give you, other than that if you didn’t like the food you had to suck it up. I chose spicy food, eggplant, and I think peanut butter? Because being vegetarian didn’t count (though I told them I was vegan instead because I was scared of milk😔). If you didn’t finish your food you got supplemented - 1/2 a sup for eating 3/4 but not finishing, one sup for 1/2-3/4, and two supps for eating less than half. Our supps were Kate Farms unless you had other dietary restrictions; I got switched to ensure clear halfway through because I went on a Kate Farms boycott to get it haha, WORTH IT ensure clear I love you. You had to sit at supps table for the whole half hour or until you finished it (it was a socially-acceptable choice to just sit there for half an hour). If you didn’t drink your sup you lost privileges for the next day, but unless you’d been there for a few months you didn’t actually *have* any, so… privileges were going on our daily 10 minute walk, the weekly strip mall field trip, and if you were VERY LUCKY going to the bathroom with the door closed. During meals there were a lot of blacklisted topics because yknow. Bad Time Let’s Be Nice. If you weren’t eating staff would gently encourage you but wouldn’t be mean about it, and the other patients would too. It’s pretty hard to fake eating there, but not impossible, and definitely impossible to do it without other patients seeing (because we all watched each other eat So Closely and we know all our tricks…) and other patients ratting you out is a definite possibility. You weren’t allowed to leave the table during meals but sometimes it happens. If you didn’t eat for two days they sent you to inpatient (they couldn’t actually force you to eat in res, but in IP they can tube you).

In our free time we all got really close. Everybody had a roommate and we slept in real bedrooms with our own bathrooms (which we could only use at night, they were locked during the day). A lot of us crocheted, there was lots of reading and coloring. We were allowed an hour of screen time, including TV, a day but that was taken away if you were Really Bad (think screaming fit not like “didn’t eat fear food”). If you were still in high school you were expected to do that (online) during free time (which was also a ticket to unlimited computer time during free time lolol, same with AA). The people you go to res to become like a weird version of your family, you’re together for months with ONLY each other doing something very emotionally taxing, so like within the first few days boom you now have 15 new best friends. It’s also very insular in that there are trends? Within your res? I started a rock painting trend, and also pestered staff enough that they finally let us garden (this was just me gardening and everyone else reading in the yard). Everybody listened to top 50 pop even if they hated it, because at res you like it (I’m very attached to billboard pop 2021 still), we all watched every Keanu Reeves movie because it’s funny to say that you have (none of us even liked him that much).

At res everything is funny because everything’s so bad? It’s this sort of delirious sheen that takes over everything, like looking at the world through a soap bubble. That said I was also on the maximum dose of seroquil. Everyone’s super supportive, not like the movies. If they didn’t actually want to recover they didn’t say anything about it.

Staff there consisted of three types: the babysitters (I don’t know their real titles), mostly college girls who babysat us and ran the houses, the therapists/psychiatrists who ran groups and did individual therapy, and the nurses. There was a nurse on staff until 11 every night, because we all had hot girl stomach issues and sometimes hot girl heart problems. They took blood once a week and there was a doctor that saw you once a month or if you complained about something long enough. The babysitters were all really nice though some were less pushover-y than others (let you stay on computer longer etc). They said they did room sweeps once a week but I had contraband they never found. They also said we weren’t allowed to touch each other for more than five seconds at a time (I am the reason that rule exists haha) but like… you have a roommate for a reason!! (I’m not even talking about sex I just mean snuggling ;-;)

In terms of visitors you mostly only got your parents or if you were married your spouse, maaaybe somebody’s friends came once? But not common. You’re not allowed alone time with your visitors (like prison!) and anything they give you has to be searched by staff (same as stuff you order online or buy on the strip mall field trips). A lot of rules are very very strict because people with eating disorders are masters at worming their way out of things which sucks but makes sense.

There were some unsavory things that happened to me there that I’d like not to talk about here, just know that when you go, it’s very possible for staff to lie to your parents/caretakers to the point that they don’t believe you. It is very hard to leave once you check yourself in, and if you do leave before they let you, that’s called AMA and your insurance won’t pay for the part of your stay you did already (which for me was $2k a day. For four months). Once you go there you’ve basically handed over your rights indefinitely to the program in exchange for learning how to eat good and not die. Which is better than dying but not amazing either, but that’s the way it is.

Some other unintended side effects:

1. If you were scared of blood draws before you went in you won’t be when you come out.

2. You’ll be able to pee anywhere no more pee shyness. Along those lines we had to describe our shit every morning to the nurse in earshot of everybody? So you won’t be embarrassed about that any more.

3. You might forget to close the bathroom door the first few months you’re home.

4. You’ll become very attached to some foods in res and then when you get out can never eat those foods again. For me that’s biscoff cookie butter.

5. You’ll be WAY less on your phone. You’ll know how to sit and wait instead of going on your phone immediately for entertainment.

All in all I’d say you get more freedom than the locked ward and less freedom than rehab, but stay longer than both of them combined. Fellow patients are awesome, staff is a mostly positive mixed bag, and activities are dismal (eating).

I wish you so much luck in recovery. You can do this! Every meal is a new beginning. I believe in you!

A funny for you for making it this far:

[princesspuresarahk]

The Batman Fanfic: A Little Robin’s Beginning

Chapter:1 Birthday

July 19th it was a nice cool early morning as cool air gentle blew into a little child's bedroom decorated in simple child things a couple of toys and books with a little desk with paper and crayons for coloring with some of them of drawings of Gotham's hero as the sun began to peek through the window softly landing on the face of a little 5-year-old boy his face a soft cream color with rosie round cheeks like peaches their eyes slowly opening to big round innocent baby blue eyes that were gently rubbed awake with little hands to help the little one wake up from sleep letting out a soft yawn some footsteps were heard approaching dream door coming with a gentle knock at the door slowly opened revealing a kind of woman in her 50s wearing a light pink dress with lavender flowers a white apron tied around it her kind grey eyes full of love and kindness " good morning little Timothy happy birthday as well." Letting out a small yawn Tim smiled at his nanny "G..good morning Maggie!”

At Wayne Enterprises

“Yes, yes, the files on the East African irrigation project have been organized! Yes… yes I will have them on your desk by the end of the day… yes… goodbye” said a young woman. Janet Drake was Tim Drake’s mother; she was in her late twenties and had jet-black hair in a pixie haircut. Janet had blue eyes, just like her son. Janet sat at her desk, she wore a dark blue business suit consisting of a suit jacket and pencil skirt, and she wore a white button-down blouse that was open enough for her pearl necklace to be visible (her husband got it for her years ago, he never told her that he stole it for her). “Hmmmmm, oooh today is Tim’s birthday. I wanna check in with how he’s doing. I’m really gonna plow through this work to see him. He must be up by now~” said Janet as she picked up her cell phone and called her apartment, presuming Tim’s nanny would answer. Janet Drake worked as a department secretary at Wayne Industries, she was lucky enough to get the job through connections and a recommendation. As much as Janet took pride in her good work, it made her sad to not be with her son as much. Hopefully, tonight will be different. Soon the phone answered, “Hello Drake's residence." “Hello Mrs. Florence how are things going is everything almost ready?” “Yes Mrs. Drake the food is all prepared and we're just finishing up the cake and the guest should be arriving at home little has been excited all morning about it he's such a sweet little one." Maggie said cheerfully “I already informed Mr. Drake about everything and he'll be there as soon he finishes his meeting." Mr. Drake was Janet's husband and father Tim who owned their company Drake Inc. and worked in partnership with Wayne Industries “Hello Maggie, i'm happy to hear that everything is coming together for Tim’s party.We’re all lucky to have you looking after him for the day, as well as finishing the final preparations for his birthday party. I’ll definitely make sure to be home in time to set everything up~” said Janet as she was typing on her computer at the same time, there was still a lot of work that she had to finish up before she could leave. By the look of things, Janet thought that it would be impossible for her to leave early when she had all that extra work to do. Yes, this was being a businesswoman in a nutshell. “Maggie, can you please put Tim on the phone? I want to wish him happy birthday~” said Janet in that sweet motherly tone of hers the sort of tone that she had when she wasn’t addressing any of her office colleagues.“Of course Mrs. Drake Timothy dearie your mother's on the phone she would like to talk to you." She handed Tim the phone after he put the spoon down mixing the chocolate frosting for the cake "Hi Mama!" “Hi there Babydoll, Momma wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday this morning. I hope you’re having a great day today. Mommy’s going to make sure that she gets home on time to celebrate~” said Janet who took a break from typing to fiddle with the right side of her blouse collar.

“Mommy’s got your gift and she’s going to make sure to give it to you later. Now is there anything else you’d like to ask Mommy before she goes Tim?~” asked Janet whose assistant came in and signaled the young businesswoman’s attention as Tim thought for a moment " No mama I.I good I c..can't wait t..to see you and d..daddy for the party soon I love you bunches mama ." “Awwww Mommy will give you the best birthday kisses over the phone, mwah, mwah, mwah~,” said Janet as she pretended to kiss her son over the phone. Janet then glanced over to her office door where she saw her assistant was standing with someone familiar. Janet’s assistant just showed the man in, he looked familiar now because it was Bruce Wayne; the man who hired her.

“Mommy will be home later Sweetie to give you some real Birthday kisses. Mommy loves you Tim~” said Janet as she concluded the call before hanging up and turning to her Boss. “Mr. Wayne, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. I was just on a call with my son to check up with him, it’s his birthday today” said Janet who shook hands with Mr. Wayne, he was always checking in with her to see how she was. “I see Janet he must be very excited." He replied he'd seen Janet's son a couple of Tim was a very little guy always happy to see his mother whenever he could and excited whenever he got to meet Bruce from time to time and seemed to really admire Bruce though it might be due to his father Mr. Drake not being around all the time he couldn't help but a little sad for Tim not having his father around much and wanting a male role model “I really hope that I can get all these files organized before later. I want to be home in time to celebrate Tim’s birthday. Still, I’ll make sure to get everything done~” said Janet who quickly sat back down to try and get started on everything “Mr. Wayne, because all of this can be done on the computer; I’ll transfer everything on my laptop and I’ll be sure to take everything home tonight and work on it… after Tim’s party of course” said Janet, who thought this was a good idea. Being at home would give her more time to finish her work as soon as her son’s birthday celebrations concluded for the night and she put him to bed.

“That will be fine Janet actually you know what how about you go ahead and take off early these files aren't going anywhere and can wait." He offered deciding to make it easier for Janet today and be able to spend time with her son Tim will probably be happy to have his mom home early as he saw Janet's reaction to the offer “Ooooh… th-thank you so much Mr. Wayne! Ooooh now I’ll be home and have plenty of time to prepare for the party! Ooooh I’m so happy! I’d better get everything together~” said Janet as she quickly started gathering her things together and was about to hurry out to head home when she stopped and turned to Mr. Wayne.“You’ve been so nice to me Mr. Wayne, ever since you hired me. Please feel free to stop by to say hi, we’ll have plenty of cake left~” smiled Janet happily before making her way to the elevator and making her way down to the building’s parking garage. Janet then got into her car and drove back to the apartment, where she was excited to see her beautiful little boy.

Meanwhile, Tim was helping Maggie put rainbow sprinkles on the cake as she set up the candles all red white and yellow striped once the cake was all set she double-checked the snacks and food table for the guests it was decided they would go for something simple like finger foods and a bowl of fruit punch and ice tea some goodie bags for the children after the party games and magician should be here after the guest arrive On her way home, Janet stopped to pick up some last minute balloons and decorations for the party. Janet then stopped by the toy store to pick up Tim’s gift, she then went to her local pizzeria to pick up five boxes of pizzas for the party. Janet then returned home at 2:30 PM, and she was able to bring everything inside herself.

“Tim, Maggie, I’m home. Now where’s my birthday boy?~” asked Janet who placed everything she bought onto the kitchen table. Janet then took her suit jacket into her bedroom and left it on the bed. Furthermore, Janet didn’t need to change clothes and she enjoyed wearing her white blouse and skirt at home as much as she enjoyed wearing her attire outside the office. Janet then went to look for her son and wished him a happy birthday. When she came to his room she saw that Maggie was just putting on a cute little blue bow tie on Tim's new birthday outfit cute deep blue shorts with suspenders with a light blue dress shirt with a little red bowtie despite him being 5 Tim was very small for his age due to being born near premature resulting Tim's body to grow slowly causing some to mistake him for a three-year-old babe though despite being small Tim was smart too and always had a bright mind one of the things that makes Janet so proud of him

“Hello, Tim! How’s Mommy’s little birthday boy? Ooooh, you look so cute in your birthday attire, Maggie has really gotten you looking very handsome~” said Janet who was excited to see how cute her son looked all done up in his birthday attire. The sweet mother waited for Maggie to finish getting her son all tidy looking, Janet then afterward went to give Tim a big birthday hug. “Mommy was able to leave early to help prepare for the party. She also did some last-minute shopping; she even got you something you’re only going to get later” said Janet as she kissed Tim’s cheek before getting up to speak with Maggie about the final preparations.

Tim was really excited to see his Mama home for his birthday hopefully Daddy would be here soon too as he toddled along with his Mama and Maggie downstairs to the living room Tim saw a big pink box wrapped in a silk gold ribbon it must be his surprise from his Mama as his eyes sparkled in awe of the pretty material when suddenly they all heard the doorbell ring " oh the guests are here!" Maggie declared heading to the door to greet the guests “Yes, it sounds like they are here. Tim, would you like to answer the door? If you need me, Maggie and I will be in the living room putting up the last of the decorations. Off you go now and welcome all your little friends inside, my darling boy” said Janet as she collected the bag of the decorations she bought before.

“Alright Maggie, would you mind helping me get these last decorations put up? These are the last ones, and then we can get the food out for Tim’s guests. Oh… I wonder when John will be home. Doesn’t he remember that it’s his son’s birthday today?” Said Janet as she got to her feet and made her way downstairs with the bag of decorations while Tim’s guests started shuffling inside.“Hello everyone. Brad, Felicity, Cora, and Maxwell; it’s nice to see all of you again. Please follow me along to the living room, Tim is really happy to see all of you again. Please, everyone, make yourselves comfortable and we’ll get this party going~” said Janet who was trying to sound excited and upbeat for Tim. For a moment she stood in the hallway, fiddling with her blouse collar, she was worried about where her husband was and the fact that he wasn’t picking up made her even more worried By all the kids were playing games and won little prizes and munching on pizza and snacks as the grown laughed and enjoyed watching their kids having fun especially when the magician came and was putting on a show for the kids showing off tricks and magic just as the performer was showing the kids a little that can cute tricks that Janet heard the door ring again “Oh… and who could that be?”asked Janet, who was excited to excuse herself from the boring conversation she was having with the adults. One of Janet’s adult friends was talking about how her son had been accepted into a school for gifted youngsters. Another one of Janet’s friends was talking about something similar with their children.

“Why am I even friends with these people? Tim may not be like all these kids academically, but he’s the sweetest nicest boy I could ever have wished for~” said Janet to herself as she walked down the hall towards the front entrance to see who it could be.

“Oh, Mr. Wayne? Welcome! Please come in; you came just in time. We still have a lot of food out, I just took out some fresh trays so please help yourself~” said Janet as she led Mr. Wayne into her home, along the hallway of nice copies of old paintings as the two made their way to the living room.

The kids were still having fun while the adults were chatting away as they came in. As Bruce entered the place of the present he brought for Tim he saw that the magician was just finishing up his show the birthday boy noticed Bruce's arrival "M..Mr. Wayne you here at my birthday!" excitement in his voice as he ran/toddled up to greet Mr. Wayne causing Bruce to chuckle "Hello Tim and happy birthday to you as well your mother had invited me to join the party and it looks like everyone is having fun."

Noticed how the kids continued to play games and the adults talked among each other until Felicity noticed Bruce's arrival “Thank you for coming Mr. Wayne. Tim has always told me how much he really looks up to you. It’s really sweet of you to show up for him~” said Janet as she took Mr. Wayne’s gift and put it on a table with the others to be opened later. “I honestly am starting to worry when Jack is supposed to be home. Tim’s father is already several hours late. I really, really hope nothing is wrong… doesn’t he realize that it’s his Son’s birthday?” said Janet, she felt tears beginning to form in her eyes because of how worried she was. Janet then excused herself for several moments from her guests and went to the bathroom to splash some water in her eyes. "Sorry everyone, I just needed to step out for a moment,” said Janet as she sat with Mr. Wayne and the other adult guests. Janet really was worried about her husband’s whereabouts, but she was trying to look strong for Tim and not give her guests the idea that she was crying.

Soon it was time for presents the kids sat in a circle with Tim in the middle as child handed their presents to Tim the first one was from Kiki, Felicity's granddaughter the wrapping was pink and blue with white ribbon and when he opened it was a set of cowboys and horses set with cattle that came with a book that Tim really liked reading. “Thank you, Kiki I love it."

He thanked her as he received the next one with green and blue stripes with a deep blue bow from Maximum and Zechariah, Cora's twin boys “Such wonderful gifts Tim, please remember to say thank you~” said Janet who was trying not to sound worried, but was starting to feel better as she reminded herself that Jack would be home soon and they were only a few hours into the party. Janet could see how happy Tim was to get his wonderful gifts. “Oh and this gift is from Mommy, it’s something you’ve wanted for a long time~,” said Janet as she handed her son a big pink box wrapped in a silk gold ribbon. Janet then sat back down, feeling much better than before. Tim excitedly opened the box and inside revealed a soft honey brown teddy bear! With big blue eyes like Tim's very plush and soft like a marshmallow pink velvet ears and around its neck was a red ribbon with a little gold locket with a picture of his parents and Tim when he was a baby when opened Tim his eyes widened in awe as he excitedly held his new teddy and hugging his Momma showing how much he loves, just then they heard the door opens revealing it to be Mr. Drake struggling to carry a wrapped gift in red paper with a big blue ribbon as he accidentally bumped it against the wall a 'ding' " hello everyone I'm so sorry I'm for being late Janet the reason well I had to go to the other side of town for this and well haha had to put it together myself haha ."he smiled sheepishly hoping this would make up for his delay at Tim's party speaking of " Happy Birthday son I'm sorry Daddy was late but I got a special surprise for you !" He said with a big smile but then almost lost his balance with the heavy gift until Bruce got up to help, Mr. Drake wasn’t as tall and big as Wayne but he was strong in his own way “Hey thanks Bruce this was a bit heavier than I thought haha." He laughed as he placed the gift in the living room As soon as Mr. Drake finished moving his gift inside; Janet went over and hugged her husband as she missed him so much. Janet didn’t care if everyone was looking at them, she was so worried when she hadn’t heard from Mr. Drake in a while; she was happy to have her man home again.

“I missed you Honeybear, I didn’t know that you were going to be late. I’m so happy to have you home again. Tim is having fun~” said Janet as she kissed her husband’s cheek before going to see Tim’s reaction to that cute teddy bear that she gave him. "Daddy!" Tim exclaimed happily running to his father for a hug! Mr. Drake chuckled lifting his son into his arms and bouncing Tim up and down making the little boy giggle in delight at his Daddy being home for his birthday “Hehehehe Mommy is also happy to have Daddy home, I missed you so much as well Jack. Tim is really happy with his gifts, but you being home for his birthday has really perked him up~” said Janet who couldn’t stop crying tears of joy at the sight of her husband being home again.

Janet was very relieved with the fact that her husband was home safe. “Oh Jack, look who also came to the party~,” said Janet as she was able to compose herself again and turned the attention of all the adults to Mr. Wayne so her husband knew that the famous “Prince of Gotham” was in their home.

"Mr. Wayne what a surprise thank you for coming.”Happy to see his business partner Mr. Wayne here “He’s such a good boss, he gave me the rest of the day off to finish setting the party up~” said Janet happily as she turned towards a mirror to reapply some red lipstick to her face. “I’m happy to see how much fun we’re all having, would you like to have cake now and sing happy birthday~,” asked Janet to Tim, as she kissed her adorable son’s cheek; yet almost forgetting to mind herself in front of their guests despite how affectionate she was towards him.Janet often still treated Tim like her baby, as being a mom after all was her biggest dream in life. Heading to the table the kids surrounded Tim as Janet lit the candles on the cake and they sang happy birthday to him as Tim blew his candles making his birthday wish they clapped in congrats as Maggie cut the cake to serve everyone John went to Janet as she gave Tim a birthday kisses "Janet would you come with me for a few minutes privately I have to ask you something I promise it won't be long." Janet signed but smiled as John tousled his son's hair making him giggle "Of course John dear mama and daddy need to talk about grown-up things for a bit Timmy we'll be back in the meantime enjoy with your friends okay sweetie." hugged Tim as she and John went upstairs to talk privately in the meantime Tim was enjoying his cake vanilla with chocolate buttercream with rainbow sprinkles the icing getting on his rosie cheeks as the other kids enjoyed in the meantime as Bruce watched happily for the little one he couldn't help but get a feeling about Mr. Drake needed to talk to his wife about but decided to shake it off for now as he suddenly felt his phone vibrate and when he checked the bat signal was on alert so it looked like he'll have to cut it short as The Batman was needed before leaving he went over to Tim to wish him a happy birthday and goodbye “Oh… Goodnight… Mr. Wayne… see you tomorrow Sir~” said Janet who was kinda surprised to see that Bruce Wayne had to leave so abruptly. As Janet watched her boss leave in a hurry, she wondered what the emergency could be.

End of chapter 1

stay tuned chapter 2. What does Tim's Dad need to tell Janet?

credit to the lovely https://www.tumblr.com/theivylinerart for being part of this story

[voraciousvore]

Big Corp Inc. (4/43)

Chapter 4: A Friend?

Her first day had been strange and difficult, to say the least, but now Candy faced the unexpected challenge of getting home. The office seemed to be mostly empty, although Candy could hear the soft clacking of a computer keyboard from far away. She was determined to find the human elevator, for her own independence and, frankly, her sanity. She didn’t want to have to rely on others to get around if she could help it. 

The office was so ridiculously spacious, though, that despite her best efforts Candy grew tired. Her feet were hurting from her high heels, which were obviously not designed for walking long distances. Plus, it was getting late in the afternoon and she hadn’t eaten anything all day. She wasn’t used to meticulously planning her meals since on the small side of the city she could always buy food from a store or restaurant. Here, she didn’t have any food options. She probably wouldn’t even be able to carry Giant money. 

She wasn’t feeling well, so she sat down against a cubicle wall to rest her aching feet. She was tempted to take off her shoes and just give up. She needed to get home, but she didn’t know where to go, and she was still nervous about talking to Giants, so she was stuck, unable to move forward. Part of her felt like crying. She had finally gotten a job, but she was afraid she was already blowing it, messing everything up like she always did. She didn’t know if she’d be able to handle working with Giants, and dealing with a difficult Giant boss who was constantly coming on to her. The obstacles seemed impossible. She sniffled as a solitary tear rolled down her cheek. 

A Giant shoe slammed down next to her, startling her and making her cry out. She clamped her hands over her mouth when she realized she had drawn attention to herself. She looked far above her with wide, watery eyes to behold a colossal man staring down at her. He had short dark hair and stormy gray eyes. His prominent nose and lips were outlined with dark stubble that also ran along his chin. He was strongly built, with naturally burly arms and broad shoulders. Candy felt fear rise in her chest as she realized this Giant could easily squish her like a bug. 

However, there was no malice in his eyes. “Sorry about that, I didn’t know you were there,” he apologized in the full, deep voice Candy had learned to expect from Giants, with their prodigious lungs and larynxes. His brows furrowed with concern and his eyes squinted to better make out the tiny human far below on the floor. “Are you… alright?” 

Candy quickly wiped her face to get rid of her tears. “I’m fine,” she croaked hastily, jumping to her feet. “Just fine!” She tried to briskly walk away but tripped over her unwieldy shoes instead, falling to her hands and knees with a jolt. “Oh!” 

She suddenly had a pair of Giant hands gently encircling her, soft and warm. “Let me help you,” his voice rumbled, and she found herself rising up high into the air. She grabbed one of his fingers with fear at the dizzying height. She noticed right away, however, how gentle his hands and movements were, compared to the rougher movements of Mr. Hardon. Maybe he really could help her.

“Do… do you know where the human elevator is? Please, I can’t find it anywhere,” she pleaded. 

“Yes, I’ll show you,” he responded with a soft smile.  

Candy was relieved. “Oh, thank you!” The Giant carried her over to the opposite side of the office, which might as well have been on a different planet with how far away it was. 

“It’s over here,” he showed her. “To be honest, I would’ve never known about it, with how small it is, if not for the fact that my desk is right here.” He pointed to a cubicle directly adjacent to the human elevator. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone use it either.” He kneeled down to set Candy on the floor. Before he could lower his hand, her stomach audibly grumbled again. She folded her arms over her torso, embarrassed by the complaints of her noisy innards. 

“Oh, are you hungry?” the Giant asked plainly. 

“Um… yeah…” Candy confessed, unable to deny the truth with the obvious evidence. “I forgot to bring a lunch, so I haven’t eaten all day…” 

“Aw, you poor little thing,” the Giant sympathized. He gazed with his stormy gray irises over her small body, tucked into the dip of his huge hand. Candy felt pink rising in her cheeks at being looked at so closely, by such large eyes. She wasn’t used to the attention, and she had to admit she liked it, when it didn’t come from a creep like Mr. Hardon. “Did you just start working here? Is today your first day?” 

“Yeah,” Candy acknowledged, “It’s been a bit of an adventure, to say the least.” 

“Has anyone shown you around at all? Do you know where the break room is?” 

“No,” she answered. “And the boss wasn’t the most accommodating, unfortunately. He refused to tell me where the human elevator was at. It’s like he’s trying to make everything harder for me.” She huffed. It felt good to vent her frustrations to another person, even if he was a Giant. Something about this particular Giant made her feel less anxious, a bit more comfortable. She wasn’t entirely sure why. Perhaps it was his gentle handling or his pacific demeanor, or the fact that after an exhausting and trying day, he was the only one helping her. Either way, she felt safe and secure in his hand, which was an odd feeling considering his absurdly large size. 

The Giant sighed, producing a powerful gust of wind that could probably blow Candy away. “He’s horrid, that’s for sure. He didn’t… do anything to you, did he?” His eyes grew stormier and his eyebrows creased his forehead. 

“No, no, nothing bad,” Candy quickly reassured him, patting a fold of skin in his palm. His sudden intensity frightened her a little. Her belly interrupted with another groan and she gripped it with her hand. “S-sorry…” 

“Oh! Right! Food,” the Giant said. “I got sidetracked there.” He chauffeured his diminutive passenger in his enormous hand over to the break room. Other than the extraordinary scale of the furnishings, the break room was fairly typical, with lots of tables and chairs, a refrigerator, a microwave, a coffeemaker, and a counter with a sink. Two giant vending machines, one stocked with assorted snacks and the other with drinks, sat up against the wall. 

The Giant took Candy over to the counter, next to the sink. He pointed at a tube-like structure that extended to the floor. “You can use that capsule launcher there to get up on the counter. We have those scattered throughout the office. I’m not sure if you’ve used one before, but they should help you ascend vertical surfaces in the Giant office easier.” Now that Candy was closer, she could see there was a miniature kitchen area on the counter built for humans, with its own appliances and furnishings. No mini vending machines though. 

“Um… what would you like to eat? The vending machine only really has snacks, but there’s chips, cookies, crackers, candy bars…” As he rattled through the options, Candy wondered if Giant food would be too big and hard for her to eat. She was hungry enough to try though. 

“Crackers sound good… but… I don’t have any money, Giant or human,” Candy admitted, hanging her head with shame. 

“Don’t worry about it, I gotcha,” the Giant assured her warmly. He dug around in his pocket with his free hand for some spare coins and fed the machine. Candy couldn’t help but notice a single Giant coin was big enough that she could curl up in a little ball on the shiny surface. He retrieved a pack of gigantic crackers and unwrapped the plastic. Breaking off a crumb with his fingers, he handed her a piece and she eagerly crunched down on it. 

“I’m sorry that the only thing for you to eat here is snack food,” the Giant murmured as he gave her another chunk. “Would you like me to take you downstairs? I could get you home faster so you can eat a real meal.” Since Candy obviously wouldn’t be able to eat a full cracker by herself, much less the entire package, he put one of the crackers whole in his mouth and chomped it up. Candy swallowed her own mouthful with discomfort as the thought occurred to her that, just like that cracker, she was small enough to fit inside a Giant’s mouth. She hadn’t considered the potential danger of being eaten. 

She pushed the unsavory thought out of her mind. Obviously, a Giant wasn’t going to eat her; they weren’t savages. “I would appreciate that very much, thank you,” she assented. The Giant happily obliged, taking her into the elevator with him and out the building. He gave Candy another cracker crumb and munched on the remainder of the crackers as he went. Candy thought about how much time it would have taken her to traverse the distance, as opposed to how effortless it was for him. 

“Um… where do you want me to set you down?” the Giant inquired. Apparently, he wasn’t aware that the human railway was nearby. 

“Down there,” Candy indicated, pointing over the side of his hand. The Giant lowered his hand to the ground, carefully, and allowed her to step off on her own. She looked up at him and smiled timidly. She was suddenly struck with an uncharacteristic bout of shyness, and it wasn’t merely the result of his gargantuan stature. She wanted to say something more to him, but she wasn’t sure what, so she only squeaked, “Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome,” he replied softly. He, too, seemed like he wanted to say more, but couldn’t find the words. He studied her for a long moment with those stormy eyes of his until he sensed the awkwardness of his own silence and shifted uncomfortably. “Well, um, I’ll see you around the office,” he said to break the tension and quickly stood up to his full, staggering height. Candy stared up at the towering figure with admiration. His footfalls shook the ground as he turned and left. Candy’s heart was pumping fast. 

Candy got into the next railcar with mechanical movements, not really paying attention to her surroundings. She realized, with how overwhelmed she had been in the moment, she had forgotten to ask the Giant his name. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt odd. Her day had been horrible overall, surely, and her workplace a hostile environment, but she wasn’t upset like she had been earlier, when she had started crying. She felt hopeful—elated, even. She just couldn’t understand it, but for some strange reason she was looking forward to coming in to work at her new job tomorrow. 

Chapter 5

First Chapter

[moreespressoformydepresso]

I imagine that outside of arrangement brainwashing Team Starbreaker is actually really close. Given what they were put through by Ziggurat I cannot imagine they weren’t at least slightly traumatized so they bond over that and they’re forced to at least not dislike each other given the fact that they spend a lot of time in close proximity. Imagine the three of them having movie nights and doing bonding activities, sightseeing when they go to another country for a match and having dinner/going out for food together. They’re all super different but somehow they make it work.

Damian is a little gremlin, absolute chaos incarnate, who has an endless supply of sass whenever he’s around people he likes and trusts. If not, he’s more cold and mean (like he is in the show, but toned down a lot when the arrangement isn’t affecting his behavior).

Jack is eccentric and also very sassy like Damian. Usually they sass each other, having arguments all over the place just for the sake of it because they both enjoy it. Everything is art to Jack, but without the arrangement he’s less sadistic about it. Damian’s partner in crime when it comes to pranks. He has a very caring side, but only to a few people.

Zeo is the token “normal one”. He’s the soft one who has his heart on his sleeve, always ready to help in any way he can and the one of the team who reacts the most outwardly emotionally to things. A human marshmallow and the one person who you should not hurt under any circumstances because Jack and Damian will make you regret the day you were born. When he’s not influenced by the arrangement it’s near impossible to make him angry, but when you do start praying to God for mercy because none will be found on earth no matter where you hide.

When they finally become a true team, they grab a hold of each other and refuse to let go. stay by each others’ side when the side effects of the arrangement are almost too much to handle, they hold each other through mental breakdowns, and when it’s all over they help each other pick up the pieces and try to figure out where to go from there.

They had a rough start, they went through even rougher times, and after the Hades City Fiasco they face the fallout together. They all get enrolled into therapy and relearn to love blading, they train together as they make their new beys their own, and they stay in contact as they grow, heal, and finally manage to leave Hades Inc and Dr. Ziggurat behind together.

[fedoraspooky]

Da Snowman... I would like to request lore and a happy ending for him...

Some random bits of Snowman (Cryo!Charlie) lore:

In his universe, he has no magical pact with Laika, and thus no magical-girl-esque transformation for more power or anything like that.

Due to his biology being based around ice powers, his appetite is actually lower than that of humans- which kind of sucks for him because he does enjoy food a lot. That's why if he has any, he will take his time and savor it.

Boi is cold. Physically and emotionally. If you're gonna shake his hand, at least one of you should probably wear gloves. It probably doesn't help he's unused to physical contact being a good thing, so he probably wouldn't let you shake his hand anyway.

Unlike the explosive and hard-hitting attacks of his firey counterpart, his way of fighting is more based around trapping opponents in ice and wearing them down until they have no energy left to defend themselves, consistent with his duty of capturing monsters for Chorus Inc. That said, if you really piss him off he'll go straight to trying to shank you with icycles.

Trust issues are difficult, but not impossible to overcome. It's gonna take some time and lots of patience, though.

As for a happy ending- he does eventually meet Tikki (who in that universe is a large pangolin lady who transforms into a sea monster) and she's able to help him get out of the situation he's in- not without a lot of struggles along the way, of course, but he'll get there.

[aquaticptato]

Hey taters n' skaters! You can call me Tato (online alias for safety :P) and my pronouns are she/her!

This blog will be more for lurking/reblogging than for posts, but if you want to see some random content that follows my hyperactive brain, feel free to stick around! I'm in lots of fandoms, but at the same time it feels like none at all, lmao.

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🚫You are a ped*ph*le (M.A.P. IS NOT A VALID QUEER IDENTITY AND NEVER WILL BE, YOU CREEPS)

🚫You are a proshipper (INC*ST, PED*PH*LIA, AND R*PE ARE NOT OKAY, EVEN IN FICTION. THEIR REPRESENTATION IN FICTION SHOULD ONLY BE PORTRAYED AS NEGATIVE AND BE FOR THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION ON SURVIVORS' STRUGGLES)

🚫You ship things that erase hard-earned canon representation (i.e. shipping Amity Blight with Hunter when Amity is a canon lesbian and Dana Terrace fought hard to include that rep)

🚫You are a zooph*le

🚫You DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ALL FURRIES AND THERIANS BECAUSE YOU ASSUME THEY ARE ALL ZOOPH*LES (THEY ARE NOT)

🚫You think abortion is not necessary healthcare or a human right

🚫You think gun reform is a stupid idea (SAY IT TO MY FACE, I FUCKING DARE YOU. BECAUSE I BET ANYONE WHO THINKS THIS HAS NEVER LIVED THROUGH THE TERROR OF A SHOOTING OR BOMB THREAT. LIKE I HAVE. SO SAY IT, YOU BITCH.)

(now, saying it's gonna be nearly impossible and be hard and take a long time, that's fine. But saying it's not important enough to even be worth trying gets you blocked here.)

🚫You support Autism Speaks

🚫 You discriminate against people with physical disabilities

🚫You discriminate against people with mental disabilities (THIS INCLUDES USING THE R WORD)

🚫You are over 30 (EXCEPTION: If I already knew you before you turned old [/j], you can stay)

🚫You voted for Trump (this includes people who voted for economy's sake. I don't care about your reason, you voted for Hitler reincarnated)

Yes, the list is long, because UNFORTUNATELY there's a lot of different kinds of people who aren't welcome here.

🩷💜🩵🩷💜🩵🩷💜🩵🩷💜🩵

Aight, that's it! If you think you like the vibes, feel free to stay!

Sea you later!!

-🌊🥔

[edspectra2023]

Wayne Enterprises' Green Growth Challenge!

"Sustainability isn't just a choice; it's a responsibility we all share. As we navigate the entrepreneurial world, we must remember that our actions today shape the world of tomorrow.

We live in an era where sustainability isn't an option but an imperative. It's the force that drives visionaries and trailblazers to make real, positive change. Just look at Tesla Inc., revolutionizing the automobile industry with sustainable electric vehicles, reducing carbon emissions. Think about The Ocean Cleanup, a venture founded by Boyan Slat, combating ocean pollution by cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Now, it's your turn to make a difference. Welcome to the Wayne Enterprises' Green Growth Challenge,' where your entrepreneurial spirit meets sustainability.

Task Description: Participants will be given existing startups known for their sustainability efforts and propose strategies to scale them further. Your task is to develop a sustainability-focused strategy to enhance the startup's impact.

Startup Options:

Impossible Foods: Scaling up plant-based meat substitutes to reduce carbon emissions.

Ecolife Recycling: Expanding electronic waste recycling efforts to reduce e-waste.

Grocery Delivery Service (e.g., Instacart, FreshDirect): Making grocery delivery services more sustainable, reducing waste.

Urban Farming Startup (e.g., AeroFarms): Scaling vertical farming to reduce food miles and water usage.

Renewable Energy Startup (e.g., Sunrun): Expanding residential solar panel installations to promote clean energy.

Deliverables:

1. Presentation (PPT): Create a presentation outlining your sustainability-focused strategy. Include startup background, analysis, proposed strategy, implementation plan, and expected impact.

2. Report: Develop a detailed report expanding on the presentation. Include in-depth analysis, research findings, and a clear execution roadmap for the sustainability strategy.

3.     Additional deliverables are encouraged.

[bewitchingbooktours]

Banquets and Bootleg Bounty by Lily Barrish Levner #CozyMystery

Banquets and Bootleg Bounty 

Catskill Capers 

Book One

Lily Barrish Levner

Genre: Cozy Mystery. Historical. 

Publisher: Neversink Press 

Date of Publication: Nov. 11, 2024

ISBN: 979-8990895201

ASIN: B0DM1JFPQS

Number of pages: 222

Word Count: 50,000

Cover Artist: Jaycee DeLorenzo

Tagline: A 1944 Cozy Mystery with a Dash of Mobster Gold. 

Book Description:

It’s the summer of 1944 as Dotty and Abe arrive at the bustling Concord Hotel in the heart of the Catskill Mountains’ famous Borscht Belt. They are eager to start their new jobs as waitress and busboy but soon discover that serving demanding diners and dealing with unruly guests—including Abe’s impossible-to-please mother—is the least of their worries.

Rumors swirl that a notorious Murder, Inc. gangster has hidden a fortune in cash somewhere in the area. As Dotty and Abe are swept into the race to discover the whereabouts of the legendary loot, they find themselves dodging more than just grumpy guests. With dangerous characters lurking around every corner, the duo must stay one step ahead if they want to keep their future in the mountains from crumbling.

Will Dotty and Abe hit the jackpot, or will they become the next victims of a deadly game?

Fans of Dirty Dancing and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel will love Banquets and Bootleg Bounty, the first in the Catskills Capers series by Lily Barrish Levner.

Amazon     BN

“Mrs. Maisel meets Agatha Christie in this engaging debut!” ~New York Times bestselling author Wendy Corsi Staub “This book is such a treat. Banquets and Bootleg Bounty is a fantastically fun romp through the height of the Catskills with spot-on historical accuracy. Author Lily Barrish Levner gives readers a bird’s eye view of the dining rooms at the Concord, with a dash of romance and a side of danger. Grab a bowl of matzo ball soup and enjoy the ride!” ~ Meredith Schorr, author of As Seen on TV “It’s really great that the golden era of the Catskills is remembered. This book brought back a flood of memories.” ~Steve White, Concord tennis pro/Arthur Winarick’s great-nephew “Lily Barrish Levner captures the Catskill Mountains of 1944 with love and longing for a by-gone era in this triumphant debut. Banquets and Bootleg Bounty is more delicious than Shabbat dinner at the Concord Hotel.”~ Marilyn Rothstein, author of Crazy to Leave You “If you want a taste of delicious food the Concord served to its guests while experiencing the thrill of a dining room mystery in the Catskills, it’s time to read Lily Barrish Levner’s debut novel, Banquets & Bootleg Bounty.”~ Patti Posner, author of My View From the Mountains “Mystery meets History in this engaging debut!” ~ New York Times bestselling author Wendy Corsi Staub

Excerpt - Week 1, Friday

Dotty

“That sure is a fancy ride,” a passerby called and whistled while a black Buick Roadmaster rolled to a stop next to the curb on E. 167th Street.

Dotty fanned herself with one hand and clutched the handle of her large, olive-green bag with the other. She was winded and shvitzing after she schlepped from her family’s third-floor walk-up apartment during a Bronx heat wave.

Cars zipped past, and the elevated Jerome Avenue subway rumbled along the tracks. She said,

“Good riddance” to the concrete and brick buildings she was leaving behind. It was thrilling to escape the city heat for a couple of months.

Just last night, she had been surprised when Papa told her there was a seat available in the taxicab. She planned to take the bus. She waved goodbye to the neighborhood, flashing a sunny smile over her good fortune. A hack was such a decadent way to travel to the mountains.

“The middle seat is open,” said the driver, rearranging luggage in the trunk.

A gentleman stood outside the car so she could crawl into the center of the three-person bench seat. She rested her handbag on her lap and settled in for an adventure. “I can’t believe I’m going to the Concord!”

“Oh, the Concord,” the silver-haired woman sitting to her left said in a dreamy voice. “I’m going to the Heiden Hotel in South Fallsburg.”

“I’m visiting my aunt and uncle at the Hotel Evans in Loch Sheldrake for the weekend,” volunteered the gentleman, who was back inside the car, sitting to her right.

“We’ve got one more stop to fetch a wife staying at Sunny Oaks bungalow colony in South Fallsburg for the next two months. Her husband won’t be in the mountains until next week,” the driver said, speeding off.

“Are we in a vaudeville act?” Dotty asked a few minutes later. She watched the middle-aged woman bringing out suitcases, food, a lamp, an ironing board, dishes, pans, and sheets. It seemed she had packed her entire city apartment.

The driver huffed and puffed as he tied a rope around the roof rack. The lamp wobbled, a casserole dish crashed, and a flock of pigeons hijacked a loaf of bread.

Once everything was loaded and everyone was seated, the driver was chatty. “It’s the first year the Concord has been open year-round.”

“I’ve heard wonderful things about it.” Dotty shimmied her shoulders, gazing at the scenery roll by. “I’m one of the first waitresses under the new maître d’, Irving Cohen.”

The driver removed one hand from the wheel to snap his fingers. “You are going to a happening place. How’d you end up at Arthur Winarick’s masterpiece?”

“My papa said you can make real nice money in the mountains. So, I went to an employment agency down in the Bowery. Since most boys are off at war, they are desperate to hire workers.”

“I’ve stayed at Grossinger’s. Never at the Concord,” said the gentleman heading to Hotel Evans.

“The Grossingers are the reason I have such a thriving business. They attracted the vacationers to the Catskills. People love to stay under Jennie Grossinger’s roof. They don’t call it the ‘Waldorf of the Catskills’ for nothing,” said the driver.

Dozens of people had mentioned Grossinger’s to her after learning she would be waitressing in the mountains. She pictured a stately hotel sitting on sprawling grounds.

The driver snapped his fingers again. “Here’s a little mountain history for you. Grossinger’s was the most lavish resort until your new boss, Arthur Winarick, cropped up with a fortune in hand. One night he couldn’t get a room at the G because the hotel was booked. Right then and there he vowed to build a bigger and better hotel to lure the guests away. After the prior owner of the Ideal House defaulted, he lucked out and acquired it. Renamed it and rebuilt it. That’s how the Concord started. There were thirty guests in the beginning and look at it already—there are three hundred guests now.”

“It’s true. Grossinger’s has the name recognition, but the Concord has the finances,” said the woman heading to Sunny Oaks.

“Every building at the Concord was designed to meet Winarick’s vision of richness,” said the Heiden Hotel guest.

“Bet you didn’t know that Winarick bought concrete and steel structures in their entirety from the 1939 World’s Fair. He also purchased a ferryboat at 125th Street and dismantled it for steel.

He didn’t have to borrow a penny,” the driver said, veering to the left.

“How did he become so wealthy?” Dotty asked.

“Winarick was a barber during Prohibition. He’s one lucky son of a gun. On account of his profession, he had rights to alcohol, and his brother just so happened to be a chemist. They set up a basement barber shop. Sold bootleg liquor on the side and made a killing selling Jeris Hair Tonic—largely consisting of alcohol and perfume.”

“He’s a real clever man,” she said.The driver sang the jingle, “Jeris hits the jackpot for greaseless good grooming and healthier, handsomer hair.”

She had high hopes that her pockets would soon be overflowing with tips and she would be able to buy Papa some of the hair tonic for his birthday.

“It’s hot in here!” shouted the wife in the front, fanning herself with a handkerchief.

“Roll down a window!” shouted the gentleman in the back.

“The wind is blowing on me,” complained the wife.

Dotty raised her hand and caught the silver-haired woman’s pillbox hat before it flew out the window. The woman sighed in relief.

“Have you considered trying out for the Yankees with a catch like that?” asked the driver.

She smiled and leaned her head back. She remembered the one time her family had stayed at the Delano Hotel in Monticello. She loved playing the pinball machine there.

About midway through their trip, coasting on the narrow, two-lane Route 17 highway, the hack turned off and into the crowded parking lot of the Red Apple Rest. Dotty stared at the large red apple that sat on top of the roof as they waited for an overheated car’s engine to spring back to life. Once the parking space opened, she sprinted under the multicolored striped awning.

Astonished by the impressive roadside eatery, she surveyed the wide selection of hot and cold food. Papa had told her the washrooms here were the nicest public ones anywhere. He had also said Reuben Freed, the owner, showed genuine care for his patrons. The outdoor line for frankfurters and ice cream was long, so she settled on a root beer soda pop from inside. She did not have an appetite anyway. The lively waystation made her even more excited to reach her destination.

They drove through Chester and Goshen. In Middletown, the traffic became bottlenecked on the winding streets. From Middletown, they traveled back roads. At the bottom of the Wurtsboro mountain, the hack was so overloaded she feared they would not clear the hill. Abe

Riveted by all the billboards lining the country roads directing guests to the Catskill Mountain resorts, Abe kept his nose pressed to the window. As the black Buick Super wound through towns and villages that made up Sullivan County, he saw bungalow renters unloading their jam-packed vehicles and airing out their summer bungalows. They were his first glimpse of summer vacationers in the mountains.

A rectangular-shaped building painted a buttery shade of yellow with brown trim came into view. The Buick skidded to a halt in front of it, and the driver said, “You can make a real comfortable living here. Arthur Winarick created something special.”

Abe jerked forward and his glasses slid down his face. It was a grand version of the architecture he was used to back in Brighton Beach. He counted the windows on the four-story building that could stretch the length of three Brooklyn blocks as he crawled out of the back seat. He ran his eyes over the lush landscape, inhaling fresh mountain air, already filled with respect for this Arthur Winarick fella. Exquisite gardens and dense trees lined the pristine grounds. Crystal-clear Kiamesha Lake, to the left of the main building, faced the perfectly maintained nine holes of the golf course.

Three entertainers were wedged together in the backseat, surrounded by costumes and props that would not fit into the overstuffed trunk. He retrieved his bag from under wigs, cards, and a top hat. “My pockets might not be full yet, but I’m only returning home once they are overflowing,” he vowed, waving goodbye to the fella behind the wheel who’d given him a lift to the mountains. He spent the entire ride memorizing every piece of advice he received, determined to make a success of himself with the fortuitous opportunities in front of him.

He threw his shoulders back and held his head high. He fit right in. Back in New York City, the lack of men on the streets made him ashamed that people believed he was a malingerer not returning to war. The doors to the hotel were pulling him to something special. He followed the bustling bellhops and energized guests into the lobby.

Luggage began to pile up in front of the doorway while he waited for his room assignment in the staff living quarters. An unassuming man wearing a white shirt, suspenders, and faded pants hurried over to haul the suitcases to a corner, so Abe trooped over to help. He stacked suitcases one on top of another, presuming the man must be an older lobby porter and well-liked since everyone who passed by smiled his way.

After they stacked all the suitcases, the man stuck his hand out. “Thank you. I can already tell you’re a hard worker. I’m Arthur Winarick. Welcome to my hotel.”

His heartbeat doubled its normal rhythm. He expected a sharp-dressed gonsa macher, not just an ordinary fella with thinning hair and lackluster clothing.

Already counting his luck, he received his room assignment and trekked the short distance to the staff living quarters, a separate hotel called the Colonial. It sat behind the main hotel where the guests stayed. The white-painted building reminded him of an oversized bungalow. He let out a low whistle as he pushed into the first-floor room.

A boy with wavy brown hair and a polite smile said, “I’m Leon.”

Introducing himself, he took the bed on the left since Leon had already chosen the one on the right.

“Hello, Abe. Where did you travel from?”

“Brighton Beach. And you?” He inspected the empty drawers of the dresser. He omitted that he had grown up in Philadelphia, only moving to Brooklyn once his mother had reappeared.

“I’m from Warsaw. I escaped at the start of the war.”

Speechless, he unzipped his bag. He knew Poland was thousands of miles away and Leon’s journey must have been dangerous. His childhood in foster care had been no picnic, but Leon’s life in Europe had presented greater challenges. He tossed a pair of socks into the drawer.

Leon continued. “I was working at a luncheonette in Manhattan, struggling to make a living, when I heard they needed help in the hotels. Can you believe I was completely unaware that there were hills north of the city?”

He had previously traveled to upstate New York, so he was familiar with the countryside. He pulled more socks from his bag. “As soon as I heard about the high wages and all the luxuries that came with living in the mountains, I signed up on the spot. I prefer this to being cooped up inside my stepfather’s garment factory all day. I didn’t expect such a dandy space to call home for the summer.”

“How come you aren’t enrolled in the army?”

He shifted his eyes to the single window in the middle of the room. “They discharged me.”

Leon remained quiet. His kind eyes encouraged Abe to say more.

“I was a drill sergeant in Miami until a doctor diagnosed my eyesight as too poor to continue to serve.” He returned from duty, at 19 years old, with his brunette hair a shade more golden, his skin tanned, and his muscles bulging from a year of physical activity under the Florida sun.

“There is no shame in wearing spectacles.” He tapped the rim of his glasses. “My eyesight isn’t that terrible.”

Leon reached for his checkered newsboy hat; his voice was friendly. “Ah, a Jewish doctor who didn’t want to see another Jewish boy come home in a coffin.”

He raked his hands through his hair, swallowing hard. Here he was a young man in perfect health, while both of his brothers were still serving in the U.S Army. He never wanted people to think he was less patriotic. His Ma’s words rang in his ears. “Abe-ala, this means I won’t lose all three of my boys.”

That comment had stung.

“The Concord is lucky to have you.”He snapped back to the present. “I have had the pleasure of meeting the owner already.”

Leon’s eyebrows shot toward the ceiling. “Arthur Winarick? Making a good impression right away is smart.” He pointed to his head. “I made sure to use Jeris Hair Tonic today in case I bumped into him. That’s why my hair is so glossy.”

He scratched his ear, not admitting he did not understand the reference. “How come you speak such fluent English?”

“I had a neighbor back in Poland who was a diplomat and a resistance fighter. He taught English classes.” Leon placed the newsboy cap on top of his head.

Sprawled out on his mattress, stretching his legs and wiggling his toes, Abe knew he had made the right decision. And he was glad he had someone like Leon by his side. “I feel like a king.”

“There’s tremendous potential.”

His smile spread from ear to ear. “I think I can pave my own way up here.”

A whole new chapter was beginning. Dotty

Dotty tried to read every single one of the hotel billboards cramming the landscape. When they approached the sign that said, “Turn Here to Concord Hotel,” she was jiggling her legs.

The Hotel Evans guest hollered, “Can you drop me off first?”

“I have specific directions. She’s number one on the list.” The driver tilted his head toward the woman en route to the Heiden.

At the first drop-off, Dotty could not take her eyes off the Tudor-style building as the driver announced, “The Concord is the next stop.”

Now she could not sit still.

Minutes later, after zooming up the mountain, the driver said, “We’ve arrived. Good luck.” He handed her olive-green bag over.

“The Bronx has no space that compares to this.” She gawked in awe at the size of the building nestled in rich grounds.

The yellow paint on the exterior reminded her of their kitchen’s wallpaper at home. Oh, she could not wait to tell Ma and Papa about this exquisite place. Her parents, Merke and Isaac, expected her to write to them all summer long. She would send a postcard soon.

She took a moment to smell the sweet floral scent from the colorful flower gardens before she schlepped her bag through the entryway. People crowded the lobby, greeting each other as long-lost friends. Some staff were new hires, like herself. Others were returning for another season in the mountains.

A helpful bellhop tapped her on the shoulder. “I’ll carry your bag to the Colonial, where you’ll be staying.” He led her to another building.

She blinked hard. “I get to live here? It’s an entire hotel!”

“Staff living conditions like this certainly aren’t the norm. Nobody sleeps on a cot in a closet around here. Arthur makes sure we have the best.”

“I’m so lucky the Concord hired me.” She watched two fellas stride into the Colonial.

“It’s coed,” said the bellhop, winking.

She raised her eyebrows, never having stayed in co-ed living quarters. She stepped into her new home. The blue and white floral wallpaper caught her eye. Her papa, who worked as a wallpaper hanger, always made sure to do careful work. He would be pleased with the job done here.

Once she reached her assigned room, she straightened her skirt and blouse. A striking girl with chestnut-colored curls appeared in the doorway. “I heard you thumping down the hallway.

Welcome. I’m Eva. I’m a waitress in the main dining room. Do you play cards? How about poker?”

She plopped her bag onto the ground and sat on the empty bed to catch her breath. “I’m a waitress as well. Yes, I love playing cards.” She ran her hands through her dishwater-blonde hair, wishing it had as much volume as Eva’s.

“I’m organizing a Sunday night game, after we collect our tips, of course.” Eva touched the opal heart-shaped stone hanging on a gold chain she wore around her neck.

“I’ll be at the table,” Dotty promised. She would have to ask Ma for some hints since Ma played cards every day on the Grand Concourse back home in the Bronx.

“Very good. We’ll be working hard, but don’t worry, there’s lots of time for socializing.”

She began unpacking as Eva peppered her with questions. “Do you have experience waiting tables?”

“Oh, yes. I learned everything I know at the Lido Beach Hotel on Long Island. I spent a season there before the Navy turned it into an amphibious base and discharge center. I worked at a resort in Far Rockaway and another one out in Lakewood, New Jersey, after that.”

Eva put her hands on her hips. “How old were you when you started waitressing?”

“14,” she admitted. “I told the man I was 17 and he told me to say 18.” She chuckled at the memory. She had worn high heels and bright red lipstick, clomping down Skid Row to the employment agency in the Bowery. Today she was 18 years old and did not have to fib about her age to work at the Concord.

“You’re an old pro,” Eva said, sweeping her hand through the air.

“How long have you been waitressing?” Dotty, too, had questions.

“After I traveled over from Germany, Arthur Winarick hired me. That was Pesach (Passover) two seasons ago.”

“Are you a refugee?” She placed her hand over her heart.

“Yes. I’m very lucky to be here. My German mom and British dad raised me in Southern

Germany. I’m an English citizen. My parents wanted me out of Europe. They felt it was safest for me to come over to the States. Arthur has a soft spot in his heart for refugees. I landed at the right hotel.”

Glad about that, Dotty rested her head on the pillow, enjoying the comfort of her own bed for the first time. She stretched out her legs and closed her eyes. “I’ve shared the sleeper sofa with my sister and listened to the Jerome Avenue train my entire life.���

“You’ve spent the day traveling; a snooze before Shabbat dinner might set you right.”

She jumped back up and parted the curtains to gaze at the greenery. “I hope Irving Cohen isn’t too strict.”

Eva flung her wrist in the air. “People call him ‘King Cupid.’ How harsh do you think a man with that nickname can be?”

“What if, since it’s his first summer in charge of the dining room, he’s extra tough?” She took a deep breath.

“Bet you didn’t know he was recently married. Consider him still in the honeymoon phase. Act confident and you’ll do fine.”

“I’ve always received compliments from my bosses. I’m not worried.” She bit her bottom lip and watched Eva study her reflection in a handheld mirror.

Eva had a twinkle in her eye. “Stay away from Hershel. He’s my bashert.”

Suddenly, Dotty cared a lot more about her appearance as she slipped into her white waitressing uniform. For breakfast and lunch, the two dairy meals of the day, the required dress code was yellow dresses and white aprons. The meat dinner was served wearing white dresses and white aprons.

Eva wiggled into her uniform. “Don’t forget the trick is to stay ahead of everything and not lose control of your station. What are the three important terms to measure success?”

“‘A breeze’ means the meal ran smoothly, a ‘good meal’ needs no explanation, and a ‘bomb’ means everything went terribly.” She spritzed Chantilly perfume onto her right wrist. The fruity notes of orange blossom mixed with jasmine and other citruses filled their room.

“Very good. What’s the worst thing you can do?”

“Anger the chef. I must wait until several guests ask for things from the kitchen. I want to avoid making too many trips back there.”

“What’s the second-worst thing?”

“I can’t get hung up, or I’ll never meet all the guests’ demands, and I’ll fall behind the kitchen’s schedule.”

“I don’t have to tell you tips depend on how pleasant we are to guests and how quickly we feed them.”

Thankful for all she learned that first summer on Lido Beach, and confident in her food-serving abilities, Dotty swung the door open. The same two fellas she had seen earlier were now exiting their room a couple of doors down. They wore stark white jackets. I have a feeling this is going to be a very good summer.

About the Author:

Lily Barrish Levner comes from a family that cherished books and learning—her mother was a schoolteacher, and her father was the director of the Monticello library, so it’s no surprise that storytelling has always been a part of her life. Growing up in Kiamesha Lake, New York, Lily spent her childhood sleuthing around the iconic Catskills resorts with friends and soaking up the vibrant atmosphere. Her grandparents worked in the resort industry, a connection that inspires her stories.

As a fourth-generation Jewish American, Lily deeply connects to the Catskill Mountains and the Borscht Belt, where her heritage and childhood memories blend. Her fondest recollections are tied to places like the Concord, Kutsher’s, the Pines, the Raleigh, and Sunny Oaks bungalow colony—sites that have left an indelible mark on her writing.

With a BA in Creative Writing and a Master’s in Library and Information Science, Lily has spent the past decade as a copy desk researcher at Bloomberg Businessweek while working on her novel and contributing monthly articles to the Hurleyville Sentinel. She currently lives in the Catskills with her husband and their dog, Gus, where the magic of the mountains still influences her work. 

Stay tuned for the further adventures of Dotty and Abe when Book 2 of the Catskills Capers series is published in the summer of 2025.

Website: https://lilybarrishlevner.com/

Hurleyville Sentinel: https://hurleyvillesentinel.com/ 

[the-latest-research]

Plant-Based Food Market Forecasted to Surpass $113.1 Billion by 2031

Meticulous Research®—a leading global market research company, published a research report titled, ‘Plant-based Food Market by Type (Dairy Alternatives, Plant-based Meat, Meals, Confectionery, Beverages, Egg Alternatives, Seafood), Source (Soy, Wheat, Pea, Rice), Distribution Channel (B2B, B2C [Convenience Store, Online Retail])—Global Forecast to 2031.’

According to this latest publication from Meticulous Research®, the plant-based food market is expected to record a CAGR of 12.3% from 2024 to 2031 to reach $113.1 billion by 2031. This market's growth is driven by the increasing intolerance for animal protein amongst consumers, the growing vegetarian population, the rising number of venture investments in plant-based food companies, innovation in food technology, and the growing focus on animal welfare and sustainability. In addition, the increasing number of research & development and new product launches by plant and protein alternative manufacturers and emerging economies, such as Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa, are expected to create lucrative opportunities for players operating in this market.

However, factors such as the comparatively higher price range of meat substitutes, significant preference for animal-based products, and consumer preference for soy and gluten-free products are expected to hinder the growth of this market to a notable extent.

Key Players

The key players operating in the plant-based food market are Beyond Meat Inc. (U.S.), Impossible Foods Inc. (U.S.), Danone S.A. (France), Garden Protein International, Inc. (Canada), Amy's Kitchen Inc. (U.S.), Plamil Foods Ltd. (U.K.), The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (U.S.), Sahmyook Foods (South Korea), Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company (Australia), Daiya Foods Inc. (Canada), Earth's Own Food Company Inc. (Canada), Lightlife Foods, Inc. (U.S.), Taifun –Tofu GmbH (Germany), Atlantic Natural Foods LLC (U.S.), VBIte Food Ltd (U.K.), Nutrisoy Pty Ltd. (Australia), Nestlé S.A. (Switzerland), Unilever PLC (U.K.), Sophie’s Kitchen (U.S.), and Eat Just, Inc. (U.S.).

The plant-based food market is segmented by type, source, distribution channel, and geography. The study also evaluates industry competitors and analyses the market at the regional and country levels.

Download Sample Report Here @ https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=5108

Based on type, the plant-based food market is segmented into dairy alternatives, meat substitutes, plant-based meals, plant-based baked goods, plant-based confectionery, plant-based beverages, egg substitutes, fish and seafood alternatives, and other plant-based foods. In 2024, the dairy alternatives segment is expected to account for the largest share of the plant-based food market. The large market share of this segment is attributed to factors such as the increasing number of lactose intolerant people, the growing ethical concerns amongst consumers about animal abuse in modern dairy farming practices, and the nutritional benefits offered by plant-based dairy products. However, the egg substitute segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on source, the plant-based food market is segmented into soy, almond, wheat, pea, rice, oat, and other sources. In 2024, the soy segment is expected to account for the largest share of the plant-based food market. The large market share of this segment is attributed to factors such as the easy and wide availability of raw materials, lower cost compared to other sources, significant demand from meat alternatives manufacturers, higher consumer acceptance level, and its wide range of applications in numerous food & beverage sectors, including meat, dairy alternative, and bakery. However, the pea segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on distribution channel, the plant-based food market is segmented into business-to-business and business-to-consumer. In 2024, the B2C segment is expected to account for a larger share of the plant-based food market. The large market share of this segment is attributed to factors such as the increased sales of plant-based food in well-established supermarkets and hypermarket chains, consumer preference for shopping from brick-and-mortar grocers due to easy access and availability, and the increasing consumer expenses on vegan food products. Additionally, this segment is also expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on geography, in 2024, Asia-Pacific is expected to account for the largest share of the plant-based food market. The leading position of North America in the plant-based food market is attributed to factors such as collaborations between international and domestic food companies, increasing awareness of protein-rich diets, booming food & beverages industry, growing economy, rapid urbanization, and the large base of vegan and vegetarian population. Additionally, this country is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Browse in depth : https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/plant-based-food-market-5108

Key Questions Answered in the Report-

What is the current revenue generated by plant-based food globally?

At what rate is the global plant-based food demand projected to grow for the next 5–7 years?

What are the historical market sizes and growth rates of the global plant-based food market?

What are the major factors impacting the growth of this market at the regional and country levels? What are the major opportunities for existing players and new entrants in the market?

Which segments, in terms of type, source, and distribution channel, are expected to create major traction for manufacturers in this market?

What are the key geographical trends in this market? Which regions/countries are expected to offer significant growth opportunities for the manufacturers operating in the global plant-based food market?

Who are the major players in the global plant-based food market? What are their specific product offerings in this market?

What are the recent strategic developments in the global plant-based food market? How have these developments impacted market growth?

Contact Us: Meticulous Research® Email- sales@meticulousresearch.com Contact Sales- +1-646-781-8004 Connect with us on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/meticulous-research

[choppedpizzafire]

Name:

Dajii Fujita

Gender: Male

Sexuality: AroPan

Pronouns: He/Him

Height: 40 inches tall (has dwarfism)

Age: 50 yrs old

Race: Black

Birthday: March 21 , 1981

Zodiac: Aries

Siblings:

•Destiny Washington (she's all the way in America, New York , Brooklyn) - [Dajii's older sister]

Quirk: Ocean

The user can create, shape and manipulate the oceans and seas and everything in them, including all the aspects of the oceans, like the ability to speak to sea and/or ocean animals ,breathe underwater, and control water .

•Alexis Washington (she's also all the way in America, New York , Brooklyn) - [ Dajii's younger sister]

Quirk : Luck

The user is gifted with an automatic and continuous supply of good luck; most have no control over this power as things considered "lucky" randomly and unexpectedly happen to them despite any predestined fate or logical reason. Ergo, nothing bad will happen or if it does, their power will sort it out no matter how impossible the situation is or how high the odds are against them, allowing the user to always be in complete context in whatever situation they are, be free to do as they please without consequences, and be untouched and ineffective to the laws of causality.

Both are roommates, are superheroes, and has has quirks

Voice claim:

Mike Wasowski from Monsters Inc.

Quirk/s:

Ocean

The user can create, shape and manipulate the oceans and seas and everything in them, including all the aspects of the oceans, like the ability to speak to sea and/or ocean animals ,breathe underwater, and control water .

Side effects: Can make them breathe underwater , can control water in general, and can understand and communicate with ocean life

Downside /aftermath symptoms:

Overusing their quirk can cause weakness and/or dehydration

_______________________________________

Weird body function (related to quirk):

▪︎Slouching recharges their body

Ren Fujita has to stand or sit by or straight up slouch around for 5 or 10 seconds to recharge their energy enough to get back in the game , go back into action

▪︎Drinking water (rehydrating) helps them too

_______________________________________

Mental Disability/ies:

Autism and NPD (narcissistic personality disorder)

Hobbies:

Robotics, mechanical work, jogging , playing the organ (he owns one in his dining room ) , creating and/or collecting

model vehicles (like model trains, model boats, model cars, and model airplanes ), different types of each of those, cooking , and looking after his business

Loves:

His company “Fujita Victory tech” , his kids (just had no idea how to show it ) , mirrors , himself , his own reflection, soul food , Dadmetal music , Jazz music, Disco music , R&B , jap metal , Robotics, mechanical work, jogging , playing the organ (he owns one in his dining room ) , creating and/or collecting

model vehicles (like model trains, model boats, model cars, and model airplanes ), different types of each of those, cooking , and looking after his business

Hates:

Dropping your phone in front of people (it draws more attention to it), Not knowing how to spell someone's name , The price of couches, Any sign of Christmas after December 31 or before Thanksgiving, When a car or motorcycle is loud on purpose, Thinking you were lucky that you didn't get bitten by any mosquitos, until the next day, when you discover you're covered in 'em, When you wake up in the middle of the night and see that it's exactly 3 a.m. (demon hour), when anyone knocks on my door, Spilling olive oil on my clothes, Dust, waiting, long lines, stairs , pollution, aquariums, and people littering into the ocean (or in general)

Friends:

Daiki Zinwai - A loyal vigilante customer of Dajii's, he's kinda dumb, is food driven , laid back, clumsy , and his quirk is “Beast” . The ability to turn in a large sabertooth fluffy purple beast when extremely upset or angry .

Crush:

Enji “Endeavor” Todoroki (despite the fact they're both married, but Nene doesn't treat Dajii right )

Personality:

An anthropomorphic piranha like merman (can turn into a merman when in water) very greedy ,materialistic, money driven , withdrawn ,emotionally unavailable, psychologically abusive, mentally abusive 1,is a workaholic , is a perfectionist, and emotionally abusive father that's an extremely rich Billionaire that owns a huge company called “Fujita Victory Tech.” A company that makes very advanced gadgets and weapons for pro heroes and villains (a company that would make Mei Hatsume have a run for her money) ,because Dajii is very tech savvy and good with robotics (Dajii is kind of a nerd) .

And while Dajii is kinda emotionally and psychologically abusive in some aspects, he isn't out right malicious and tends to not completely know what he's doing due to his inability to regulate his emotions correctly and having difficulty expressing himself and what's going on in his mind, in fact Dajii is protective of his children of Naoki and Ren, to the point that he's overall traumatized by his daughter's, Jomichii's death. He always has their best interests at heart, even though he sends them on outrageous errands.

After the death of his daughter , he started treating his company and his company building like it's one of his children by genuinely loving it and treating it like a baby, most likely so traumatized that he's in a state of psychosis.

While how he behaves towards his children, emotionally neglectful , psychologically abusive, mentally abusive, and emotionally abusive, Dajii appears to often do it unintentionally due to his mental state .

Dajii is a selfish, avaricious, and cynical businessman who is motivated by his desire to make money. He often uses cunning tactics to increase the profitability of his company, Fujita Victory tech despite how genuinely passionate he is of his company.

Appearance-

°Physical appearance -

Turquoise fins, covered head to toe in dark blue scales , beady brown eyes, gills on his neck, large gaping mouth full of large sharp teeth, has a few scars on his fins with a chip in his head fin, appears to have dwarfism (is around 40 inches tall), has a gold tooth, thick black eyebrows, chubby, and the length of him is 25”

°Clothing appearance -

White blazer with gold sleeves w/ a dark green dress button up shirt underneath, underneath the blazer is a black dress vest over his dress shirt, underneath the dress vest Is golden suspenders keeping his pants up, a neon green bow tie with dark green dollar signs all over it, purple dress pants, and black dress shoes

°2nd form (when emerged in water)-

A bald head, dark dark brown skin , maroon brown irises , chubby, this black eyebrows, full black beard, naked , gills on his neck, and the bottom half of his body is a blue and turquoise merman tail

Background:

Childhood-

Long ago Dajii lived with his loving (who he used to think was loving) parents back in Imani and Dominique Washington and his older and younger sisters back in Brooklyn, New York and back, everything was somewhat normal, minus the tension between both his parents.

Teenage years-

That being until one day , while wishing to be a pro hero. But things has changed the moment he was outed for his sexual identity. Because of it his parents instead drafted him into the “Big Power War” down in Asia no matter how much Dajii begged and pleaded.

Time in the war (still a teenager) -

Not only did he lose all his new friends in the war and ended up having to see all the gorey details in person. But lost both his arms in the war , he had to fight and survive using his feet ,which has surprisingly worked.

Adulthood -

A year after the war and after he got out of war he packed up, took his things , and moved over to Musutafu, Japan where he one day ends up running into and meeting a sweet girl named Nene Fujita , that his parents made him have an arranged marriage with.

The present -

As the slowly but gradually started to settle down with children, said arranged marriage started to slowly but gradually change to the point of Nene not living Dajii or the kids anymore without outright admitting it .

Family:

▪︎Nene Fujita [wife] (of japanese descent)

Quirk: Water manipulation

A Japanese human that's the mother of Naoki Fujita, Jomichii Fujita , and Ren Fujita and she's known for being a sophisticated, poised, selfish, independent, tough ,and elegant woman that's always cheating on her husband, Dajii, is emotionally distant from her children, and her and Dajii is always fighting and arguing (it's always her fault by the way because she emotionally physically and mentally abuses Dajii most of the time )

(Also buries Dajii alive in the future, mid Dajii redemption arc)

Also Nene and Dajii's marriage is arranged

▪︎ Naoki Fujita [Step son/ oldest son]

Naoki has a quirk similar to their mom and is currently a young freelance detective in training at a law private school. He's also known for being a perfectionist, germaphobic, a workaholic (just like his dad, Dajii), is very tech savvy and good with robotics (just like his dad), has an interest in murder mystery and has a good healthy sibling relationship with Ren

▪ Jomichii Fujita [Ren's twin sister /Dajii's younger daughter]

Her quirk was also water manipulation, she was the golden child of her family, her mom and dad's favorite and she was known for being yet another U.A student that goes by the name by “Mighty Duck”, Jomichii was known for being cooky ,fun-loving, a loose canon, weird , energetic ,bubbly, silly , and had a knack for both baking and painting. But she died when Stain got to hurt and she died from her wounds in the hospital do to her diabetes .

Naoki ,Ren, and Dajii Fujita's traumatized from the incident and to the point that Dajii's personality got worse ever since that day

▪︎ Ren Fujita [Dajii's younger Genderflux child/ Jomichii’s twin sibling]

Quirk: Ocean

Ren is a chill 14 yr old kid with a surfer and stoner vibe to him and tends to call people “dude” , “dudette” , “bro” , “bruh”, “dudeman” , “man”, And “my guy” a lot and seems to use “like” in their sentences a lot .

▪︎Etchie [Ren's pet capybara, she's a female]

Dajii Headcanons headcanons:

° Dajii has a collection of

model vehicles (like model trains, model boats, model cars, and model airplanes ), different types of each of those. He doesn't let anyone touch it or move it around but him, not even his own kids .

° Dajii would yap you eat off about either technology, his company "Fujita victory tech" , or model vehicles

°The death of Jomichii, Dajii's daughter/ Ren's twin sister, was the hardest Dajii has ever cried and not once did his wife Nene comfort him back than

° Dajii has a therapist but hasn't really spoken with him in so long because he feels like he doesn't need professional help

°Both of Dajii’s arms are fake, he lost it in the “Big Power War” back in 1994 , where he was around Ren's age . He had to fight and survive using his feet ,which has surprisingly worked. The big power war was a war between the quirkful vs the quirk less (all because when quirks first start becoming a thing, other people was scared of them / mistreated people with quirks ) (Dajii is currently 50 yrs old in the present).

° He created his own prosthetics

°Dadmetal music , Jazz music, Disco music , R&B , and jap metal is his favorite music genres

°Dajii has a coffee and cocaine addiction

[industrynewsupdates]

Plant-based Meat Market Growth: Key Drivers and Opportunities

The global plant-based meat market size is expected to reach USD 24.77 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 19.4% from 2024 to 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing adoption of vegan lifestyle and diet among health-conscious consumers in traditionally meat-eating developed economies are expected to drive the market growth over the forecast period.

The growing concern of consumers regarding animal welfare and greenhouse gas emission created by the distinguished practices of the meat industry, together with celebrity endorsements of vegan/vegetarian diets are projected to augment the demand for plant-based meat products in the global market.

The plant based meat is predominantly consumed in the Hotel/Restaurant/Café (HORECA) sector. Key companies in the industry are collaborating with fast-food joints and restaurant chains to promote the adoption of their products. For instance, fast-food joints such as Burger King, MacDonald’s, and Subway are launching new vegan meat products to capitalize on the industry dominated by health-conscious customers.

The plant based burgers are likely to exhibit steady growth over the upcoming years on account of rising consumer concerns regarding conventional meat products in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The plant-based burgers are known to offer low-gluten and low-fat contents, which makes them a highly favored product amongst health-conscious individuals.

Gather more insights about the market drivers, restrains and growth of the Plant-based Meat Market

Plant-based Meat Market Report Highlights

• The plant-based sausages are anticipated to register the fastest CAGR over the forecast period. Shifting consumer inclination towards plant-based diets and rising consumption of sausages via retail channels on account of taste, texture, and convenience are anticipated to spur product demand across the globe

• Soy accounted for the largest market revenue share of 48.0% in 2023, owing to its protein-rich content and widespread popularity

• The rising trend of a vegan diet in European countries has pushed the demand for plant-based meat products in the region. The U.K., known for a variety of fresh and high-quality meat delicacies is now home to the largest vegan population in the world

• In June 2020, Starbucks, in collaboration with Impossible Foods Inc., introduced the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich to its menu in most of its locations in the U.S. The sandwich is made with plant-based sausage and was launched as part of the Starbuck sustainability initiative to meet the rising consumer interest in the plant-based options

Plant-based Meat Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global plant-based meat market on the basis of on source, product, type, end-use, storage, and region:

Plant-based Meat Source Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

• Soy

• Pea

• Wheat

• Others

Plant-based Meat Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

• Burgers

• Sausages

• Patties

• Nuggets, Tenders & Cutlets

• Grounds

• Others

Plant-based Meat Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

• Chicken

• Pork

• Beef

• Fish

• Others

Plant-based Meat End-User Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

• Retail

• HORECA

Plant-based Meat Storage Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

• Refrigerated

• Frozen

• Shelf-stable

Plant-based Meat Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

• North America

o U.S.

o Canada

o Mexico

• Europe

o U.K.

o Germany

o France

o Italy

o The Netherlands

• Asia Pacific

o China

o Japan

o Australia & New Zealand

• Central & South America

o Brazil

o Argentina

• Middle East & Africa

o UAE

Order a free sample PDF of the Plant-based Meat Market Intelligence Study, published by Grand View Research.

[hariganesh858]

Soy Food Market

Soy Food Market Size, Share, Trends: Danone S.A. (Alpro) Leads

Rising Popularity of Innovative Soy-Based Meat Alternatives

Market Overview:

The global Soy Food Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2024 to 2031. The market size is expected to reach XX in 2024 and YY by 2031. Asia-Pacific dominates the market, accounting for approximately 45% of the global market share. Key metrics include increasing adoption of plant-based diets, growing awareness of soy's health benefits, and technological advancements in soy food processing.

The soy food market is expanding rapidly, driven by rising consumer demand for plant-based protein sources, increased health consciousness, and soy's adaptability in a variety of food applications. The shift towards vegetarian and vegan diets, particularly in developed economies, is accelerating market growth.

DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE

Market Dynamics:

The soy food industry is seeing a substantial movement towards novel meat substitutes that closely resemble the flavour, texture, and nutritional profile of animal-based products. This movement is being pushed by rising environmental concerns, animal welfare concerns, and a growing desire for sustainable protein sources.

According to a recent market survey, sales of soy-based meat replacements have increased by 35% in the last two years. A survey of 5,000 consumers from major marketplaces found that 60% had tried plant-based meat products, with soy-based ones being the most popular. Industry analysts project that by 2026, soy-based meat replacements may account for up to 20% of the entire soy food market value, thereby spurring significant innovation in product compositions and processing technology.

Market Segmentation:

Soy milk has emerged as the most popular segment in the soy food market due to its widespread acceptance as a dairy milk substitute, nutritional benefits, and versatility in a variety of uses. This segment's domination is due to an increasing number of lactose intolerant people and the growing popularity of plant-based diets.

Survey company indicates that the soy milk category will rise over the forecast period. A poll of 1,000 homes found that 40% buy soy milk on a regular basis, with 65% citing health benefits as their top motivation for doing so. The market is likely to maintain its lead until 2031.

Market Key Players:

Danone S.A. (Alpro)

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.

Vitasoy International Holdings Limited

SunOpta Inc.

Impossible Foods Inc.

Tofurky

Contact Us:

Name: Hari Krishna

Email us: hari.krishna@aurorawaveintellects.com

Website: https://aurorawaveintellects.com/