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[neodermaus]

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[misctf]

Country Living

When he stopped to help you on the side of this lonely country road, you couldn’t have been more grateful. You didn’t expect your car to breakdown on these desolate backroads. Nor did you expect a lack of cell service. Your years studying in college didn’t exactly give you the knowledge on how to diagnose and fix cars. But based on all the smoke, you figured something was wrong.

“Aw, don't you worry none, I'm right happy to help y'all out.” He removed his ball cap and ran his hand through his short brown hair, “Name���s Bucky. What brings y'all to this neck of the woods?”

He was certainly taller and more muscular than you- not to mention ripe with the smell of a hard day’s work. And you could tell he was looking you over, the juxtaposition couldn’t have been clearer. Country vs city boy, manual laborer vs keyboard warrior, dropped out of high school vs college educated. The list could go on. But despite the bias you held towards these country folks, you were happy he was helping. And so you introduced yourself and expressed your sincere gratitude. Bucky smiled and gave you a bone crushing handshake.

“Ain't no trouble at all, I'm just glad to help out.” He smiled warmly, his dark eyes, while lacking intelligence, were filled with kindness and just a bit of mischief.

He winks at you and you felt your heart flutter for just a moment. Maybe it was the way his stubble framed his tanned face. Or the way the sweat dripped from his muscular arms as he worked on your car. Or perhaps it was the occasional glances he gave you and the sly smirk that told you he knew you were checking him out.

“I reckon I know what's wrong. Just need to grab a tool from my garage.” He said, wiping the sweat from his brow, “You care to join me? Looks like you could use a sip of somethin’.”

It was true. In the sweltering heat, you were certainly thirsty. And while part of you wanted to stay with your car, you felt beckoned to go with him. And so you did. You climbed into his pick-up truck and watched as he revved the engine. And before long, you were cruising down the old country road with your car disappearing from sight.

“Well, dang if this ain't my favorite tune!” Bucky said, turning up the volume, “You figure you into this kinda music?”

It was some country song. One about cars, beer, and living on a farm. Not something you’d listen to voluntarily. But as Bucky sang in his southern twang, you found your foot tapping along. Soon you were mouthing the words, almost as if you knew the song by heart. And a moment later you joined in with him, the two of you putting your hearts into every lyric. You barely noticed the southern twang that garnished your voice.

“Well, I'll be darned! Can’t believe you like these kinda tunes. No offense intended, but you don't quite fit the mold, do ya?” He says with a chuckle.

Bucky gives your arm a playful punch and you look down at the exposed, tanned skin of your bicep. Your muscles were contracting and seemingly getting larger, highlighted nicely by the wifebeater that clung tightly to your skin. You look up at Bucky and he gives you a wink. Again, you feel comforted by his kind smile and playful dark eyes. You turn away and absentmindedly run a hand over your growing biceps. So firm and tight, the skin somewhat weathered. But deep down you know something isn’t right. Its nagging at you, begging for you to say something. To at least find out what’s happening to you. You want to tell Bucky, but he’s just pulled up to his garage.  

“Mind givin’ me a hand findin’ my toolkit?” Bucky asks. You nod quickly- your anxiety being pushed deep into your subconsciousness. And as Bucky enters the garage, he pulls off his sweaty wifebeater, “Don't pay me no mind, it sure gets mighty hot 'round these parts. You’re welcome to do the same.”

And you follow his example. As you do, you catch a whiff of your pits. The musk that invades your nostrils is a far cry from the vegan deodorant you applied this morning. Moreso, your usually well-trimmed pit hair is now a curly damp bush of dark brown hairs that poke out when you lower your arms. The smell makes you dizzy and you feel like you might fall over, but Bucky lends you a hand.

“Don’t go faintin’ on me now.” He says with a grin, “We got a lotta work to do.”

“Don't you worry 'bout me none, I got this here handled.” You say- the words leaving your mouth without much input from your brain. Bucky’s eyes light up and he grins.

“I shoulda known that.” His laugh fills your ears and you swear it’s the most beautiful thing you’ve heard. He notices you admiring him, “Gotta find those tools now.”

You nod and start rummaging through his garage and workbench. You pick up a wrench and place it down. Then another and another. You never really needed to learn basic mechanic stuff, let alone the names of wrenches. You were more focused on your degree. Your degree in... In...? You stare at the composite wrench in your hand and your eyes narrow. You were studying something at that univer... uni... book-learnin’ place of yours, right? Your thoughts are distracted when some oil spills on your hands.

“Gosh darnit.” You mutter, wiping the oil on your work jeans. Work jeans that were stained and torn from years of laboring.

You turn towards Bucky to say something, but instead find yourself gawking. His perfect stubble across his face, the sweat gleaming on his firm and toned muscles, and the way his chest hairs frame his pecs. Your dick gets hard and you quickly start to massage your bulge. And when you see how well his work jeans fit tightly around his juicy ass, you can’t but help let out a whistle.

“You say somethin’?” He asks, turning to face you, “Yeehaw! Look at you!” He says, clearly gawking.  

You turn to catch a glimpse of yourself in a nearby mirror and your eyes widen. You bounce your juicy pecs, appreciating the light dusting of hairs that decorate them. You raise your thick, meaty arm and flex, causing your muscles to bulge. And then you look at your face. It had squared out a bit, giving it a masculine edge and your cheeks now sported stubble. You felt powerful, and you couldn’t help but continue to flex.

“Hey there big fella.” You let out a masculine moan as Bucky comes from behind you, his arm reaching around, and his hand grabbing a fistful of your muscle tit, “You’re bigger’n a bull in springtime!” You just nod, unable to produce words as pleasure courses through you from his teasing hand, “It sure does get lonesome out here in these parts. Reckon I wouldn’t mind some company, if it ain’t too much trouble.”

He spins you around, your bodies pressing up against one another. His hand moves down your abs and then down your work jeans. He’s staring deep into your eyes now, a primal lust replacing the prior warmth from earlier. And for the first time, you feel lost. Scared even. As though you’re going down a path you wouldn’t be able to back away from. The end of one chapter of your life and the start of another you weren’t sure you wanted.

“Wait a minute... somethin’ don’t feel right. I... this ain’t who I am.” You say, unable to talk like you used to.

“Now, don’t go overthinkin’ it. Just keep your eyes on me.” Bucky whispered, his hands working to undo the buckle on your jeans.

You watch as he pulls down your pants and slowly gets down on his knees. Your enlarged, throbbing dick continues to grow, adding inch after inch. Bucky is nearly salivating as he comes face to face with your monster, and without another word, his tongue traces along the shaft. You moan as his mouth expertly works your cock. He bobs up and down, taking its entirety into his mouth. You feel as his hands wrap around your waist and he grabs a fistful of your muscular ass, causing you to let out another deep, masculine moan. You can feel your dick throbbing, your balls growing heavy with your seed. And as he expertly works the head of your cock, you can feel it. You’re getting close... so close. And then it stops. You’re breathing heavy now, and you look down at him. A sheen of sweat covers your body, dampening your body hair and filling the air with your country musk.

“Wh... why’d ya stop?” You breath out.

Bucky smirks, “You sure 'bout this, darlin’? Leavin’ behind all that city livin’ and book-learnin’? Just you and me, livin’ simple out here?” He licks along your shaft again, “Once you say yes, that’s it. No turnin’ back, no second thoughts. You sure you’re ready for that?”

Was this what he wanted? To bring you so close? To send you into a horny frenzy? To make it so that in this moment, all you’d be able to say was yes? With a smirk and a wink, he went back to sucking your cock. And as he did, you could feel it. You could feel your brain shrinking. Your memories growing up in suburbia vanished. As were your memories of going to college in the city. Nerdy interests like videogames and comic books vanished from your brain, and you felt terror as you forgot about your friends and family. Everything that made you you was vanishing from your mind. Instead, you could feel new interests: farming, hunting, woodworking, lifting weights, and drinking beer with your husband after a long day. Your fashion sense simplified: wifebeaters and work jeans, and honestly going shirtless was preferred. And as your eyes dimmed to reflect your lack of intelligence, and Bucky bobbed up and down on your dick, you finally came, releasing all of who you used to be. And as you filled your husband’s eager throat, you blacked out.

If someone told you who you used to be in your past life, I’m not sure you would go back. When the police came by a few days after your transformation with a missing persons poster of some kid, you had no idea who they were talking about. You quickly forgot all about that encounter. You had more important things like fixing the truck. But before you did that, you should check on Bucky. It’s been a few days, and your balls were mighty full.

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[androgynousblackbox]

OKAY, so I haven't actually finished the book yet so maybe my opinion on this will change, but I honestly feel like the gringo booktubers I watch all have no idea of what to do with Tender Is The Flesh and are fundamentally wrong about it? Like, saw someone trying to say "this book tries to criticize the food we eat rather than the industry", which sounds like absolute fucking bullshit to me because a BIG portion of the fucking book is all about how the industry is treating "the meat" like fucking dogshit and how the characters themselves, the ones who work inside of the industry, are disgusted whenever anyone even attempts to say there is something good about it. There is this constant cognitive dissonance where the characters know what they are doing is inhumane and awful, that they are treating "the meat" horrible, but it's their job, what are they going to do, and at the same time they feel it crosses a line whenever someone call "the meat" human or are even beyond inhumane when someone says the meat "have a good life" because they get treated as studs. Also, like in general, I feel all of them miss the part about this author being argentine and thus how that colors their vision of how the industry works. The biggest industry in all of the argentina, the one that gave us any kind of possibility to survive in this world, was the meat industry, we actually fucking need it because we have nothing else to offer, and yet, all the powerful people who are involved with the meat industry in this work are all foreigners: a japanese man who collects skin of people and threatens his employees with skinning them alive, a gringo, that is literally called gringo, and a german man who is to utterly dettached that has no issue calling "the meat" human and also make inhumane comments about them. At that point is very obvious to me that this isn't about just criticizing an industry, but criticizing a system to whome the industries are merely a reflection of. It's not about the world, it's about a country being so set on their old ways and traditions that are literally willing to eat each other if it means having a foot in the outside world. Because otherwise we have fucking nothing. And this ALREADY fuck us over in the real world. The protagonist is literally the representation of that! He literally asks himself why he keeps working on this shit if it makes him miserable? Because he is the best at it, because he gets paid and he needs the money. CAPITALISM ALL THE WAY DOWN, BABY. Like, the meat food industry is bad, but also think about why they are bad and why the powerful people want it to be bad in the first place. Like, the books says that indigenous, immigrants and other POCs are the first humans to being eaten. The poor and elderly. Why do you all think that is?? Like, I just generally do not understand how you can read that and come out thinking "this person just wants me to be vegan and I don't like that"/"this person doesn't criticize the food industry", like I am a very fucking firm believer that vegans who spend every breath trying to make you vegan are shit and just eat whatever, but even I got that it was meant as something else than that. And how people keep saying that the ending "comes out of nowhere" when it's literally foreshadowed at the beggining at the book while doing the world building? Were you even paying attention at all at that point? Like, I literally saw someone being "I think this book overstimates how much it would take for the world to be okay with cannibalism", like THAT IS NOT THE POINT. The point is not to write "how it's a world where human meat is mandatory", but rather explore the idea in which the way we ALREADY eat each other gets taken to it's extreme. LITERALLY WHAT ALL DISTOPIA FICTION DOES?? Anyway, again, I might change my mind when I finish the work myself, but even by reading the start myself and knowing a bit about the background of this author, I just do not get any of these reviews at all.

[wrestlezaynia]

"Birthday Surprise."

With their busy schedules it's rare for Sami and Kevin to celebrate each other's Birthday so when the opportunity presented itself for Sami's, Kevin spared no expense in spoiling Sami rotten! Going as far as making him a homecooked Vegan meal fit for a king. He's pulling the bread out of the oven when Sami enters the kitchen in surprise.

Tonight is the night Sami would finally work up the nerve to tell Kevin how he feels, how he always felt since the day they met. His love for Kevin growing stronger and stronger every day and this grand gesture is the icing on the cake as he emerges behind Kevin, startling him with his presence as his flight arrived earlier than expected.

Kevin places the bread on the counter before hugging Sami tightly, missing the warmth of his embrace. "Happy Birthday, handsome." He greets his lover with a flirtatious grin, brushing his lips against Sami's.

Sami eagerly returns the kiss, his heart all aflutter as he wraps his arms around Kevin's waist to guide him closer, their bodies touching.

Kevin can feel Sami's budding erection poking him in the thigh as the kiss concludes. "Down boy." He whispers against Sami's lips, a gleam emerging in his pale blue eyes. "You can open your present later."

With one arm wrapped loosely around Kevin's torso, Sami uses his free hand to cup Kevin's cheek. "I'm sorry," he whispers back, caressing his skin with his fingertips. "You're so irresistible, I couldn't help myself."

A shiver runs down Kevin's spine at the contact, it has been so long since he felt Sami's touch. He can feel the heat rising to his cheeks, Sami always knew exactly what to say to make him blush as he finds himself leaning closer, their lips mere inches apart when the buzzer on the oven goes off, making them both jump. "Hold that thought."

Sami relaxes back in his chair, full and satisfied as his eyes meet Kevin's from across the table. "That was delicious Kev, thank you."

Kevin rises to his feet, a seductive smirk playing on his lips as he saunters toward Sami, his eyes filled with lust. "I hope you saved room for dessert." He replies softly, climbing into Sami's lap straddling him.

Sami swallows hard as he watches Kevin approach, his lustful gaze piquing his arousal as Kevin climbs into his lap. Their eyes lock and Sami can feel his heartbeat start to quicken as he draws near. "Maybe just a bite." He breathes, capturing Kevin's lips in a tender kiss.

Much like their storied rivalry, it didn't take long for things to become heated as Kevin's fingers become tangled in Sami's hair. He gives his crimson locks a firm tug, prompting Sami to open his mouth wider as Kevin slips his tongue inside, massaging it sensually against Sami's.

Sami responds by moaning into the kiss, strong hands squeezing Kevin's backside, encouraging him to grind against his hardened member. "That's it Kev, ride me good baby." He coaxes softly.

Kevin obeys, grinding his ass against Sami's clothed erection, eager to feel the real thing deep inside him. "Sami, je te veux." He whispers seductively, his breath hot against Sami's ear. "Je te veux tellement."

In a fit of passion, Sami hoists Kevin up onto the kitchen table. He slips underneath Kevin's shirt to fondle his chest before pulling the fabric over his head, a gasp escaping Kevin when his back connects with the cold hard surface. Sami removes his own shirt with haste, tossing it aside before returning his attention to Kevin, his heart skipping a beat. He looked so beautiful with his flushed cheeks and parted lips, his chest rising and falling as he struggles to catch his breath. "Kevin, there's something I have to tell you-"

Sami's sentence is abruptly cut short by Kevin's index finger. "Let's take this to the bedroom." He murmurs breathlessly, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "I've got another surprise for you."

Sami obeys and follows Kevin to the bedroom. However, before they enter, Kevin stands behind him and places his hands over his eyes. "No peeking." He whispers into Sami's ear as he guides him inside.

When Kevin removes his hands, Sami's greeted by a bed adorned with rose petals and a Birthday cake placed in the center. The soft glow of candles their only source of light. "Oh Kev, it's beautiful."

Kevin watches Sami's face light up and forgets how to breathe. "Yeah," he replies softly, emitting a dreamy sigh. "Beautiful."

Sami can feel Kevin's eyes on him as he turns to meet his gaze, the way he's looking at him causing the fluttering sensation to re-emerge tenfold. His heart beating fast as he reaches for Kevin's hand, lacing their fingers together. "Kevin, I'm in love with you." He confesses softly.

Kevin's eyes brim with tears, overcome with emotion as his lips collide with Sami's. The kiss soft but firm as he cradles Sami's face between his hands, leading him towards the bed with their lips still attached.

They tumble onto the mattress, giggling on their way down. Despite the kiss breaking, they still remain close, resting their foreheads together. "This is the best Birthday because I get to share it with you."

Sami's words once again pull at Kevin's heartstrings as he rewards him with a kiss, slow and deep, the kind of kiss you reserve exclusively for your soulmate. "Kev, I'm ready to unwrap my present now." Sami quips, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.

Kevin returns the smirk, gently tucking Sami's hair behind his ear. "You still have to blow out your candles, Birthday boy." He remarks, lighting the candles on the cake before presenting it to Sami. "Make a wish."

Sami's gaze drifts from the cake to Kevin, his face illuminated by the gentle glow of the candles. "It already came true." He says in a whisper.

[pickledpascal]

Bewitched

Chapter One: Who Is She?

Warnings: mentions of murder, hating on cops a lil bit (deserved)

Word Count: 2.5k

Bewitched Masterlist

Next Chapter |

Beau Arlen stepped out of his beloved truck, Pedro, and took a glance at his surroundings. He parked just outside Dewell and Hoyt Investigation Agency as he usually did after Denise gave him a meal to take home with him. This time it was vegan stuffed peppers. He wasn't sure how it was vegan, it tasted a lot like meat but wasn't. Somehow. He grabbed the dish out of his passenger seat and then looked around to make sure he wouldn't accidentally bump into someone. 

His lips parted when he saw a woman walking in his direction. She wore all black—a long skirt, sweater, shoes, socks, and a brimmed hat—the only thing that wasn't jet black were her earrings. They were silver and dangled below her chin. Her hair was what caught Beau’s attention, jet black with a section of it dyed blonde in the front of her face. Her olive skin gave him an indication of her ancestry. Beau wanted to get a better look at her first.

Before he could even think to try to walk up to her and ask her name, she disappeared inside a café just a few storefronts away. 

Beau took a breath, shaking the mystery woman from his thoughts as he entered the office. He smiled as he saw Denise. No Cassie or Jenny. Jenny was likely at work already. “Hey! Dewell out?” He greeted as he handed over Denise’s cookware. It was cleaned so well that it shined in the overhead lights.

“Yeah, new case and all that.” Denise smiled as she took the dish and set it on the side of her desk, away from important papers and things but close enough that she wouldn't forget it when she went home. 

Beau sat at the edge of Cassie’s desk, facing Denise. He tapped his fingertips on the desk and pursed his lips. “I, uh, saw this girl outside,” He began. If anyone knew who she was, it was likely Denise. “Wore all black. That's not too common around here, is it?” 

Denise had a knowing look in her eyes, letting out a small laugh. “No, not at all. You must be talking about Kiera. She's our town goth.” She hummed as she organized a few papers for Cassie to look at when she came back. “She's originally from New York. A single mom and her child is,” She paused. “She's interesting. She got pregnant young, I think. She's twenty-six, her daughter is seven.” 

Beau hummed as he took in the information. In all his years in Texas, he encountered quite a lot of different kinds of people. For some reason, he never saw a goth walk on the streets of Houston throughout his life. Maybe there were, he just never saw one. He wanted to get to know her. She had easily captured his interest without getting a proper look at her.

“I also think she's a lawyer.” Denise's eyes narrowed slightly in thought. “I see her going into a local firm a lot but I'm not a hundred percent sure.”

Well, shit. 

Apparently, Beau had quite a thing for lawyers. Carla was one and he was interested in a few pre-law students in his college years.

Beau let out a sigh as he exited the office, trying to catch a glimpse of Kiera yet again but it seemed she was either still in the café or had left this part of town. He needed to get to work anyway. 

For the first time in a few months, the station had nothing big going on. No missing backpacker somehow connected to a decades-long cold case. Jenny’s mom was in custody. Tonya and Donno seemed relatively tame. For the time being. Beau had decided to stay as sheriff, deciding the change of scenery would be nice. Even if it was connected to a hell of a lot of stuff he wanted to forget about in the long run. 

Unfortunately for him, that meant Jenny had more time to flirt with him. Which was fun at first. When he reciprocated. He realized, in the long run, that he liked Jenny better as a friend. Yet he hadn't said that out loud to her. 

Early one morning, Beau went to the café he saw Kiera enter. He wanted to check it out. And if she just so happened to be there then that'd be a plus. There was a mix of people inside. Young and old. Different races. The café itself was cozy with an array of furniture, loveseats, armchairs, mismatched tables, and vintage posters—framed and unframed—tacked onto the walls. The smell of freshly baked goods hit his nose as his gaze found the display case and front counter. How did he miss this place? Beau had been on the hunt for a nice café to drop by before work for a while. 

In front of the counter was Kiera. Still in all black but this time she wore loose jeans, platform boots that made her quite a few inches taller than Beau, and a leather jacket with an array of multi-colored patches sewn on.

She noticed him when he stepped closer. She lifted her head and gave him a small smile, stepping away. She motioned for him to go ahead of her. “Sorry. I'm just waiting for my coffee.” 

Beau was blown away. Her cheekbones were well-defined, as was her jaw, her cupid's bow wasn't as well-defined so her top lip was more ovular. What astonished him more were the spikes peeking out from her nostrils, her dusky eyes, her hair that was pulled back into two long braids, and the heavy, dark eyeliner on her eyes. He had never seen a lawyer quite like her. 

“No, uh, I'm new here,” Beau recovered as quickly as he could. He knew he was staring. He shifted his eyes to the menu. “Anything you recommend?” 

Kiera glanced down at the badge on Beau’s hip then looked into his eyes. He could tell there was an internal battle going on inside her. He was oblivious as to why. “I like the chai lattes. But you seem like a black coffee sort of guy.” Her tone was clipped, weary. 

“You'd be right about that. My daughter can't believe it, she drinks coffee that's almost white and calls me weird. Sometimes I can't believe she's my kid. Looks a lot more like her mother.” Beau laughed. He could chat anyone's ear off if he really wanted to. “What about pastries? They all look so good.” 

Kiera looked at Beau weirdly, skepticism in her eyes. “The raspberry and cream cheese croissant is pretty good.” 

Her name was called. She quickly grabbed her coffee and left the café, not sparing Beau a second glance. 

The officer let out a sigh. That didn't go how he planned. Kiera was standoffish and he couldn't exactly place why. 

Beau ordered what she recommended and didn't dig in until he made it to his office and sat at his desk. He let out a hum of satisfaction at his first sip of the latte. It was more sugary than what he was used to but it was delicious nonetheless. It went down his throat smoothly and sent warmth throughout his body. The croissant had a similar effect. Flakey crumbs fell on his desk but it was too delicious for him to stop and clean them off. The soft crunch, the velvety cream, the tart raspberry jam. It became apparent why Kiera frequented that café. He was having an out-of-body experience in the solitude of his office spurred on by a simple pairing of a chai latte and an immaculately made croissant.

Yeah, Beau would go there every morning. Not just to see Kiera. 

“Woah, boss,” Poppernack walked into Beau’s office, an astonished look in his eyes. He had never seen his desk so messy before. Beau usually liked to keep it clean, no matter if he ate on it.

Beau coughed, wiping his face with a napkin as he gathered the crumbs in his hand to throw them away at the trash can next to his desk. “Yeah, Pop?” He asked with his signature smile. 

“Uh, just wanted to let you know there's a new case that might need your attention.” Mo explained, a case file in his hands. 

Beau tilted his head. “Might?” He held his hand out to take the file and flipped through it. Mo watched nervously. After everything that happened with Emily, Beau wanted to take a step back from going out in the field. At least, he didn't want to do it often. But there was an occasional case that called for the head Sheriff. “God, Poppernack, maybe bring this to my attention earlier?” He sighed. 

It wasn't anything too crazy. Just a double homicide but the trail had gone cold after a few weeks. Beau wanted to let his deputies do the work, trusting them enough to do so, however, they weren't perfect. They made mistakes, looked at the wrong places, saw the wrong things, and made bad calls.

“Hey, Em,” Beau hummed as he closed the door to his truck and walked up onto his porch. He didn't solve the case from earlier but they did get a lead. He adjusted his phone a little as he opened up his Airstream. “How's your day?”

“Fine, midterms are coming up and that sucks but mom got me a slice of cake to cheer me up since I started studying.” He could imagine Emily shrugging. Beau had a fond smile on his face as he listened. “What about yours? Catch any bad guys?”

Beau let out a chuckle as he heated some leftovers and leaned against the counters to his small kitchen. “No, no, not today. But, I–uh–saw this girl.” He admitted softly. It was hard to be open with Emily, especially with everything that happened in Houston, but he wanted to try. And he knew Emily thought he was lonely. 

Truthfully, he was. Jenny, Cassie, and Denise were nice friends but it wasn't exactly what he was looking for. Beau longed for someone like Carla again. Someone to share his life with. 

“Oh? Like a crush?” Emily's voice teased. 

“Yeah,” Beau made his way back outside to sit on his porch with a bowl in his hand. “She’s really pretty but, I dunno, she seemed skeptical of me. I know I'm a big guy but I didn't think I gave off mean guy vibes.” He took a bite from his bowl as it balanced on his thigh. Talking with Emily like this was the highlight of his day. 

Emily let out a snort. “You don't. But you're a cop. Not everyone likes cops.” She reminded softly. 

Beau pursed his lips. She was right. He wasn't sure why he didn't think of it earlier. Beau could be an oblivious man sometimes. He was a cop. Sheriff of the county at that. And he never went anywhere without his badge attached to his belt. Unless it was a weekend and he specifically took time off. 

“Out of curiosity, what ethnicity is she?” 

Beau sucked at his teeth. “Native American.” Kiera’s features clued him in on that fact. 

“Well, there you go. Even more of a reason she doesn't trust cops,” Emily laughed softly. She had a point. “Don't worry, though, if you keep pushing—which I know you will—she’ll see you're not bad. Just take it slow.”

Beau smiled softly as he looked down at his bowl, it was nearly empty. “Why are you giving me dating advice? Shouldn't it be the other way around?” 

“I wanna see you happy, Dad,” Emily admitted softly. “And I wanna help you get there. I know…” She went silent for a second. “Avery was mom’s second chance. And it didn't end well but she was happy. For the first time in a while. I want you to have your second chance.” She sighed. 

Beau closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He rubbed his forehead and listened to Emily's breath on his phone’s speaker. “I love you.” He murmured.

“I love you too, dad.” Emily immediately returned. “I have to get to sleep or else mom will yell at me about not having a proper sleep schedule. Talk tomorrow?” 

Beau nodded even though she couldn't see him. “‘Course, kiddo. G’night.”

“Night.” 

As the line died, Beau’s phone fell to his lap. He bit the inside of his cheek as he stared up at the starry night sky. The forest around him made a few noises, like the rustling of trees or hops of insects, otherwise, it was silent. 

And Beau was alone.

His eyes shifted down to his lap. There was something about Kiera. Even Emily knew it and she hadn't seen her before. She was Beau's second chance. The only woman Beau had shown an interest in for a while. The only problem was he'd have to try. Kiera wouldn't just fall into his lap because he said hello to her every morning. He'd have to put in the work. 

He didn't expect anything less. 

From what Beau heard from Denise, Kiera had a complicated life. A single mother, young, and moved all the way out to Montana which must've been a shocking change from living in New York for most of her life. Unusual. For the short amount of time Beau had lived in Helena, he gathered that most people just liked to blend in and not draw too much attention to themselves. Unfortunately, Kiera had—unknowingly or knowingly—drawn a target on her back because she didn't fit in. Her all-black attire and tall height were enough for anyone to have to do a double take at her but then there was her Native ancestry. 

Montana was no stranger to Native people since there were plenty of reservations around but it was the icing on the cake for Kiera. No wonder she was hesitant around him. Beau hoped he could change that. He was a good person who tried his best to keep his deputies in line, even if it cost him his job in the end. So far, it hasn't. 

Taking a breath, Beau retreated into his airstream for the night and set his bowl in the sink. 

Tomorrow was another day. Another day to try to become friends with Kiera. At the very least, he could try that before anything else. Beau knew he was easy to be friends with even if the person was a little cold towards him at first. A few citizens were like that when they first met. Others stood their ground but that was because they were on the receiving end of handcuffs. Beau couldn't care less if those people hated him. 

However, Kiera was a lawyer. What kind, Beau didn't know. She had to believe in the law to some capacity if that's what she was doing. Maybe he could appeal to that somehow… Or just be himself. 

Yeah, Emily always said he was better off as himself and not playing the hero all the time. She liked Beau as a hero, he was her hero, but he needed saving every now and then too.

------

taglist: @deans-spinster-witch

taglist open here !!!!

[crosseyedcricketart]

new at sephora, spring 2024 / march 24 2024 u.s. sephora / gathered and put together by me.

lines marked with a 🍂 is something on my wishlist <3

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hi! i’m an artist and travel writer from memphis who likes talking about beauty & fashion sometimes. if you’d like to join me, don’t hesitate, come on, now.

[adorpheus]

Life Changing vegan goan tofu curry recipe

Hello, tumblr family. Below is a repost of an article originally posted on adorpheus.com, and is being shared here for archival purposes. Original post date: Circa 2012.

This is a wonderful recipe that makes a really tasty tofu curry – just the thing if you’re looking for something a little different and enjoy the recipe ideas hunted down by Vegan Village – this one from the now-non-existent Salamander Restaurant, so let’s keep this recipe going! You can serve it to a group of people, or just chow down on it in between work and weekend Battlestar Galactica: the Board Game sessions. You’ll need:

A teaspoon of turmeric Two cloves A pinch of cinnamon Half a teaspoon of salt Half a tablespoon of ground cumin Half a tablespoon of ground coriander 4 cloves of garlic, chopped Two centimetres of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped A third of a block of creamed coconut, grated (OR you can also use 1/2 a can of coconut milk – it comes out creamier that way!) Two tablespoons of cider vinegar An eight-ounce block of firm tofu, cut into one-centimetre cubes One level tablespoon of Dijon mustard 4 ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped - or one 14 oz can of diced tomatoes One very thinly sliced large onion One tablespoon of tomato purée (also known as Tomato Paste, if you’re in the USA) Oil for frying

Okay, so let’s get to cooking:

First off, you’re going to want to fry the tofu in 1 tablespoon of oil in a shallow pan, keeping the heat reasonable but not too high, until the pieces are lightly browned on all sides. After that, they go into a bowl along with the mustard, salt and vinegar, and coated with that mix.

Preheat a saucepan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil and cook the onions and ginger until you see the onions beginning to break down, then add the garlic and spices and cook for around five minutes.

The tofu then goes in, along with any excess marinade, along with the tomatoes, tomato purée and creamed coconut. Cover the pan and let that all simmer for about ten minutes, then remove the cloves you threw in, and serve either by itself or perhaps with some sticky rice (brown or white). Enjoy your tasty curry!

[forthesanityofstorytellers]

Crunchy Bites

The return of Trevor the Crunchy Vampire

Summary: One of his friends founds out Trevor is a vampire WC: 1448

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

The hard thing about being a modern vampire was dealing with humans. More specifically, finding ways to let them in without actually letting them in. Humans have this way of sensing when you don’t quite belong, and the best way to survive is to prove them wrong via blending in.

Unfortunately, this also means a potential increase in your actual friends trying to eat your human ones.

I walked into the kitchen with a fresh bowl of greens to find one of my houseguests about to suck on my neighbors neck. A firm yank separated the two and I shoved my neighbor away, nabbing a bottle of garlic-infused holy water and spraying my ‘houseguest’ in the face. While he recoiled and hissed I pushed my neighbor into a secluded room lined with silver.

It burned me a little bit to cross over the material, but didn’t prevent me from crossing the barrier completely; one more unexpected benefit of getting hemoglobin from plants instead of people.

I sat her down on the couch and looked her over; no skin broken on her neck. Good. Her eyes were a bit dazed, body limp, so I tried to gently bring her out of it.

“Kara?” I said her name softly, rubbing a finger against her cheek. “Are you alright?”

She broke the trance with a shudder and a spasm, arm whipping out to make contact with my face. Flames grew on the side of her face as she pulled her knees up and away from me, voice reaching epic screeching pitch as she screamed, “you’re a VAMPIRE?!?”

I took a breath along with two steps away, holding my hands up. “Calm down Ka--”

“You’re a vampire!?!” she repeated, feet on the couch. “Trevor the vampire!?? How are you a vampire, Trevor!?!”

“Who told you--”

She jabbed a finger at the door. “Your friend! Out there!! Before he tried to eat me!!!”

There was a slap as I facepalmed myself, silently cursing Tommy for spilling the beans. And breaking his diet. “Alright, look--”

“How long have you been a vampire!?” she demanded, standing on the couch. “How can you be one? You’re too nice. And vegan!! I don’t believe this. Vampires aren’t real. Tell me you’re not a vampire, Trevor! Tell me I haven’t been spending my sunday afternoons having brunch and garden parties with a vampire named Trevor!!”

“I…” I hesitated. She stared, waiting. “You want me to answer in order, or…?” An angry snort was all I got, so I assumed that was a yes. “Okay. Yes, I’m technically a vampire. But I prefer the term ‘chlorophyre’; it means I drink from plants instead of humans. I was Turned during a rave in the 90s. I’m...honestly not sure what to say about the correlation between vampires and garden parties, but…” I shrugged. “I guess you have been.”

She stared, mouth hanging open between bouts of gibbering incomplete thoughts. Kara finally scraped together some words into a sentence, sputtering, “what about him? Is his a…” she peered at me, a new thought emerging. “You haven’t been asking me around for him, have you?”

I shook my head. “Of course not! Kara--” My one venture forward was met by a flailing of limbs and backing against the wall. “Alright. I apologize for Tommy, but sometimes I offer my home to others when they’re trying to make the change from people to plants. It’s easier for them when food is right there. They can learn the ins and outs of gardening, and I can monitor how many times they hunt versus how many times they get from the fridge. Plus it’s just…” I flashed a smile, “...nice.”

She hesitated, latching onto another new idea. “...plants?”

I nodded. “Some plant roots produce what is essentially hemoglobin...mix in a bit of coconut water and you’ve really got something.”

“...so you don’t drink blood?”

I shook my head. “I don’t drink blood.”

“...and your friend?”

“Got sprayed in the face with garlic,” I answered. “He’s in the process of rehabilitation. And I’m sure he’s very sorry.” She slowly came down from the back of the couch, peering at me as she moved. I took a breath. “Now for the real question...are you going to tell anyone?”

She paused, foot dangling in the air between the couch and the floor. “Tell…?”

“Other humans.” A hesitant laugh slipped through. “Kara, you can’t tell other humans about us. About me.”

A sudden, hysterically nervous laugh burst from her. “Other humans. Right. Because you’re a vampire. That eats plants.” Another fit of laughter dropped her right onto the seat of the couch. “My neighbor’s a vampire.”

“Chlorophyre,” I corrected. “Still vegan.”

She pointed at me. “Right. My neighbor's a vegan vampire. And he houses other vegan vampires. I live next to a vegan vampire commune!!” She dissolved into giggling fits of hysteria, and I let her descend into slight madness, waiting for her to sober up. I went and got her some water from the far side of the room, bringing it to her and waiting for her to calm down long enough to drink. She sucked it dry and stared at it, finally coming back up to me.

“...so how old are you?”

Really? That’s the first question she asks? I sighed, snatching the glass back from her. “I told you, I was made back in the 90s. If you’re hoping for some juicy tidbit about 1700s France, you’re out of luck. I didn’t pay much attention in history class.”

“...was Dracula real?”

I stared at her, glass still in hand. “In the 90s, Kara. 90s. I have no idea if Dracula was real.”

“How come you didn’t react to my cross jewelry?”

“Because it was jewelry.” I held up a hand to ward off a host of other questions. “Kara, I still need to know. Are you going to keep our secret?”

A smile crawled from one end of her mouth to the other as she flashed me a huge grin. “Are you kidding?! My neighbor’s a vegan vampire!! I’ve got to tell--”

“No,” I interrupted her. “No you don’t. This isn’t a tweeny vampire novel.” Her excitement went down a tad, smile falling at the edges. “Kara, humans have been hurting and killing each other over things like skin color or which gender they find attractive. Can you imagine what they’d do to something they’ve been told to fear for centuries?”

“But...but you’re not--”

“I know I’m not. And now you know I’m not. But not everyone will know that. People will hear ‘vampire’ and immediately think ‘blood-sucking monster’. Even you, when you first found out. Granted, you found out the hard way, but still. You were ready to run. People do stupid things out of fear. You know this. It’s a battle I don’t want to fight right now...so are you willing to help me?”

“But…” she hesitated. “How many others are like you?”

“More than you’d think.”

“So there’d be enough to prove the stereotype wrong.”

“No. There’s not enough of us for that.”

“But if you don’t fight for yourself...if you keep hiding in plain sight…”

I shook my head. “Please, don’t. Not now, Kara. Believe me, I’ve had this conversation. The thoughts have gone round and round with no real answer. I’m not asking you to keep my secret forever. I’m just asking for now. Help me stay safe in today’s world, and let’s worry about the future later on.” She glanced away, thinking. She looked around. I could see her thinking through my plea, considering what I said. Putting a gentle hand on her knee, I asked again. “Kara? Are you going to tell anyone?”

Taking a breath, she put her hand over mine. “I...I guess not.” She flashed me a nervous smile. “Wouldn’t want to lose my friend. My...vampire friend.” I smiled and moved to get up, but her hand held mine down as she stared. “...You’re warm.”

“What?”

“Vampires.” She held my hand up. “I thought you guys were all supposed to be cold and clammy and stuff.”

Okay, we were gonna have to have a talk about acceptable questions. Instead, warned her away from the use of ‘you guys’ before answering and preparing her for dealing with Tommy.

Like I said, it’s not easy being a modern vampire dealing with humans. But I guess not all of them were difficult. Some humans were worthy of being let in to your life. Plus it was a little nice knowing I now had a friend, someone evidently willing to advocate for me, even if it was a little misguided. It was still...nice.

[oodlenoodleroodle]

I have unlocked another successful recipe! 🥳

It always makes me feel so accomplished when I try a new recipe and its tasty :D

It was a kind of a vegan pyttipannu, which means sauteeing some boiled cubed potato, slices of sausage, and cauliflower florets with onion. The special thing that made it different from any pyttipannu I've ever had was that it was seasoned with arrabbiata pesto.

Heck, I'll share the recipe under the cut, and the only vegan/nonvegan element is the sausage, so you can just use whichever kind you normally would.

Pyttipannu for two

Ingredience

2 fist size potatoes

Four sausages, total 240 g (I have never in my life used raw sausage, so I don't know how those are handled. Do what you gotta do to make them edible if using.)

About 225 g of frozen cauliflower (or fresh if you are passionate about chopping vegetables)

1 onion (or 1 onion's worth of frozen onion bits)

Oil for sauteeing

About 1 tablespoon of arrabbiata pesto, or more if you really like the taste/the heat.

Sprinkling of dried basil (or fresh if you do fresh herbs)

Optional: lemon juice

Prep

Boil potatoes with the skin on, peel and cube. The best way is to boil them the previous day, refridgerate over night, and then peel and chop them on the day of cooking. Mealy potatoes are not ideal here, use firm ones if you have a choice.

Thaw cauliflower! If you put it in the skillet direct from frozen there will be a lot of liquid that will make the cauliflower mushy! Best way to thaw is to put the frozen cauliflower in the fridge the day before. But it is possible to use a microwave or a steamer to thaw. Web search how. If using fresh, cut it up and take note that you will need to sautee it longer than if it were thawed.

Cut the sausages into slices. Cut a bit diagonally to get more surface, because that way it'll have more area for flavour. I don't know whether raw sausage can be cut before being cooked; you know your path so do what you gotta do.

If using a fresh onion, chop it up to bits. Frozen onion can go on the skillet direct from frozen.

The Steps

Sautee the sausages on a skillet until they have browned. If you are using raw sausage, cook them enough to make them safe to eat. Set aside.

Heat oil and add the onion and cauliflower. After a while add the potatoes. Sautee until potatoes and cauliflowers get browned a bit, that's the good stuff.

Reintroduce the sausages. Add the arrabbiata. Mix it all up until well combined.

Sprinkle with basil, and lemon juice if using.

Shortcuts

I know Finland sells frozen nonvegan pyttipannu mix so you can probably just use that and skip the potato and sausage steps. Same with if you have access to frozen cubed potato, that will probably be fine here.

Nutrition

The vegan plate model is 1/3 protein, 1/3 carb, 1/3 vegetable. This dish conforms to that model.

The recommended daily minimum amount of fruit and vegetables for all diets is 500 grams, preferably divided into at least 5 different kinds (so like, don't eat 500 grams of cauliflower, that's not how it works). This dish has basically one portion of cauliflower per eater.

Remember to supplement a vegan or majority-vegan diet with

B-12 vitamin (25-100 µg a day)

D-vitamin (10-50 µg a day depending on where you are on the planet and what your skintone is, do not exceed 100 µg a day)

iodine (150 µg a day, do not exceed 600 µg a day)

[valenschirico]

elmt Pure Vitamin C 20% Element Serum – review + before&after

#Skincare explorers, listen up. There's another way to get the best from #VitC: elmt presents Pure Vitamin C 20% Element.

[neodermaus]

Skin Care Routine for Dry Skin | Neoderma

If you have dry skin, speed is key when performing your skincare routine. According to beauty experts, immediately apply a toner and moisturizer to keep your skin from drying out after washing your face. If you leave your skin bare for longer than 1 minute, it will start to dehydrate. Therefore, by performing your skin care routine quickly, you can help your skin lock in water and reduce transepidermal water loss.

Visit us - https://neoderma.com/blogs/love-beautiful-skincare/skincare-tip-for-dry-skin

[threewaysdivided]

Chocolate Sapote Pie

Hey 3WD, why are you making a vegan, gluten-free, no-processed-sugar dessert?  Well, you see, I have friends with many, many allergies and felt like a challenge.

This recipe is an experiment with Black Sapote (also called Chocolate Pudding Fruit) – a seasonal persimmon relative that’s high in Vitamin C and has a pudding-like flesh with mild chocolate and caramel notes.  While limited availability of Sapotes means it’s not as accessible as something like Chocolate Avocado Pie, it’s a fun thing to play with if you like poking around with the weird fruit section of produce markets (as a bonus, Black Sapotes were selling for $1-2 per fruit both times I visited).

Let's get cooking:

Kitchen equipment

Blender/food processor

Beaters (hand-crank or electric)

20cm (8 inch) springform cake tin

Baking/ Greaseproof paper

Fridge & Oven

Fine mesh sieve (or tea strainer)

Mixing bowls, spatula, knives, spoons etc.

Prep-time

Bench work: approx. 40 minutes

Oven time: approx. 30 minutes

Cooling time: approx. 2-3 hours (minimum)

Coconut cream chill time:  12 hours (minimum)*

*Coconut cream needs to be refrigerated for 12 hours in order to separate properly before whipping.  Put your cream in the fridge the night before.

Ingredients

Pie crust

300g (10.5 Oz) pecans

4 large medjool dates (seeds removed, roughly chopped)

1 tsp salt

4 tbsp (approx. 60g/ 2 Oz) margarine, melted

Filling

2 large, ripe Black Sapotes*

1/2 cup (125mL) cocoa powder

4 large medjool dates (seeds removed, roughly chopped)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp espresso powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

*Black Sapotes are ripe when the skin has darkened to a dull green-brown and the fruit is very soft to the touch (it will look and feel over-ripe).

Topping

One 400mL (13.5 Fl Oz) can high-quality full-fat coconut cream*

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Approx. 80g (3 Oz) pecans, toasted** and crumbled

Cocoa powder for dusting

*Use a premium quality coconut cream – the difference in price is very small and cheaper creams may not separate properly, which will stop them from whipping up. **Toast pecans by baking in a preheated 140°C/248°F (fan forced) oven for 15-30 minutes until done to your liking. 

Instructions

Pie crust (Inspiration recipe)

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (fan forced).

Line the base and sides of the spring form pan with baking paper.  (Try to minimise wrinkles/folds in the paper lining – this will make it easier to remove the crust later.)

Place chopped dates, pecans and salt into a blender.  Blend until the mixture has the texture of breadcrumbs/ almond meal.

Stream in melted margarine and blend until completely combined (crumbs should stick together when pressed)

Press mixture into a firm, even layer across the base and up the sides of the spring form tin, using clean hands or the back of a spoon to smooth down.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust begins to brown.  (Watch closely after the 8-minute mark to prevent burning).

Remove from oven. If the crust has puffed up, press back down using the back of a spoon. (Tip: use a toothpick or fork to gently pop any large air-pockets in the base.)

Cool on a wire rack or heat-safe cutting board until the crust reaches room temperature.

Filling (Inspiration recipe)

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (fan forced).

Cut open the Black Sapotes.  Remove the seeds and scoop/scrape the flesh out with a spoon. (Note: because Black Sapote skin is very thin and soft when ripe, it cannot be traditionally peeled.)

Transfer one quarter of the fruit flesh to a blender, along with the chopped dates.  Process until completely smooth.

Transfer the sweetened sapote mixture into a bowl alongside the remaining sapote flesh.  Mix until completely combined (use your spoon or spatula to break down any lumps or fibers in the fruit flesh).

Fold in the cocoa powder, expresso powder, vanilla and salt until completely combined.  Taste for flavouring and adjust with more cocoa/vanilla/espresso/salt as desired.  (Note:  adding cocoa will increase the bitterness of the filling alongside the chocolate-y flavour.  This can be hard to counteract without adding sugar or blending in more dates so be careful how much you add at once.)

Transfer filling into your pre-prepared pecan crust.  Smooth the top with a spoon or spatula.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the filling is lightly firm to the touch.

Cool completely on a wire rack or heat-safe cutting board, then cover and transfer to the fridge until chilled through.

Cream Topping (Inspiration recipe)

Chill coconut cream for at least 12 hours.

Remove coconut cream from the fridge (Note:  DO NOT Shake).

Use a spoon to scoop out the thick cream that has risen to the top, leaving the watery parts behind.  (The more water is in your cream, the less firmly it will whip).  Transfer the thick cream to a bowl.  (Tip: have an extra jar of chilled cream on hand in case the cream yield from the first tin is low)

Add the vanilla and salt to the cream. Stir through, then taste test and adjust the vanilla/salt as needed. (Note: Like with plain dairy cream, this should taste more neutral than sweet).

Beat your cream, starting on a slow speed.  Gradually increase speed until whipped to thick, semi-stiff peaks. (Tip: if your cream is very soft to start with, try covering and chilling in the refrigerator to help it firm up.)

Remove the chilled sapote tart from the spring form pan. (Optional:  If the sides of your pecan crust are much taller than your filling, you can use a pair of clean, sharp kitchen scissors to trim it down.  Use a clean hand to shield the pie filling from any falling crust-crumbs).

Spoon the whipped cream onto the sapote filling, using the back of the spoon to make decorative swirls.  (Optional: use a piping bag with a decorative nozzle for a fancier top).

Sprinkle the cream with crumbled pecans.  Dust with cocoa powder using a fine sieve or tea-strainer.  (Note: Add the nuts first - otherwise the cocoa powder will prevent them from sticking to the cream, causing them to roll everywhere when the pie is cut).

Return to the fridge until the coconut cream is completely chilled.

Serve.

[luxebeat]

Scarlett Johansson's Summer Glow is All About Dewey Skin from Within

Scarlett Johansson hit the red carpet on Tuesday for her Asteroid City premiere in NYC. The actress was glowing and her long time makeup artist, Frankie Boyd gives all of the steps to get this look below – all products are available at Sephora for a one shop stop! The Steps:  Cleanse with The Outset Gentle Micellar Antioxidant Cleanser Then apply The Outset Firming Vegan Collagen Prep Serum,…