#a meal methods to stop the war.

[k-dokja]

Weewoo weewoo, another Zuko small piece following the previous one.

Book 3 - E13, The Firebending Masters.

Aang sees Katara glaring daggers at Zuko before anyone else. Maybe it’s a blessing because it makes her stop before you or Zuko notice.

“What’s wrong, Katara?” Aang asks, his concern is half towards her and half towards the new addition to their team.

“I don’t like it,” she sighs, turning away from the two of you. “He was antagonistic against us for so long, even if he never targeted specifically her.”

Aang blinks, taking a moment before he realizes what Katara is worried about. “I don’t think he’d hurt her,” Aang says, before hastily adding, “at least, I hope.”

Katara crosses her arms, a little unconvinced, but she knows having an argument over it wouldn’t solve anything. “Well, he knows what awaits him if he did her wrong,” she mutters dourly, glaring down at the cracked ground below them.

“Huh?”

Katara fixes a smile on her face. “Nothing,” she says, “come on, I need help with starting dinner.”

Aang brightens at her request, bouncing after her as Katara walks away. “What are we having for dinner?”

It isn’t until the two of them walk away that you notice their presence. You blink slowly at their retreating forms, wondering why they haven’t said anything to you if they have been standing around. Before you can get too distracted by that, however, Zuko’s words capture your attention once more.

”It’s not really dancing,” he tries to reason, “their movements are strong and powerful, it’s fighting, not dancing.”

You smile wryly, “Strong and powerful are synonyms,” you point out and relish in the way his cheeks redden further. “Besides, what’s wrong with dancing? I always thought firebending should be more fluid, it’s far more flexible than earthbending, after all.”

“That’s because you’re a…” Zuko fumbles, trying to find the correct word.

Seeing his fluster makes you unable to decide if you should feel amused or slightly offended. You cross your arms, challenging him to continue. “A…?” If he’s thinking what you assume he’s thinking, you might send him to Sokka for a good old training in respect.

“Away from how we trained our bending,” Zuko clarifies, “you didn’t see how we learned it in our armies, it would be near impossible to think there’s another method.”

Your shoulder relaxes from his explanation. At least, if nothing else, Zuko doesn’t have that as his cardinal sin. Which makes sense from what you’ve seen of his sister. “Fire can be a good and nurturing force,” you shrug, “it is what we use to cook meals and warm ourselves on cold days, it is also the forces that nurture all lives… I think?”

The corner of his lips inch up momentarily, “That’s a sweet way to think about it,” he says, “I wish I had the same view as you.”

“Well, you’re growing to have it, right?” You put your hands on your hips, leaning closer to peer at him. “That’s what this whole thing is about.”

“I… suppose,” Zuko accepts hesitantly, “I just wish I had thought about it sooner, maybe it would’ve saved me a lot of grief.”

Knowing half of what he has experienced up to this point, you nod with thoughts clouding your mind. “Well, you did say the experience taught you a lot,” you remind him with a gentle smile, “without it, you wouldn't be where you are.”

“Without it, we wouldn't meet either,” Zuko says before his eyes widen, he turns away, adding, “I wouldn't say I would change it for anything, but... I do wish I had harmed less people back then.”

Hearing his conflicts, you purse your lips, “Well, it would be impossible to say you won’t have to use fire to harm anymore since we’re at the brink of a war but…”

You pause, trying to collect your words before meeting his eyes. When you do, whatever he sees in yours must’ve stunned him into silence. “Yours has turned into a fire to protect, it is a precious thing to have,” you raise a finger towards him, “and if someone in your position can learn it, then so can everyone else, eventually, with time.”

Zuko breathes out a sigh that takes away all of the weight on his shoulders. “Is that a future you want to have?”

“It would be ideal, yes,” you smile a little brighter, hopeful of what is to come once the war is over, “a world where all four elements work for the benefit of each other, wouldn’t that be nice?”

“Then,” Zuko presses his lips together before continuing, “I’ll strive to bring that vision into reality.”

You blink, a little confused. “Wasn’t that your original plan?”

“Yes, well, I mean—“ Zuko struggles again. “Since you said, you know, I just—“

He coughs, clearing his throat, “Yes,” he says finally, “but I have another incentive to do that now that I know it would make you happy.” Zuko should've stopped at that, but then seemingly realizing something, he frowns, “Because you're a good friend, and I want to see you happy, of course. That's what I meant.”

“I know what you mean,” you give him a reassuring smile, before having the heart to change the topic for his sake, “so... this dance of yours...”

Eager to have an escape, Zuko latches on the first opportunity you provide him. “It's not a dance!” He protests, but there is a slight smile on his lips. The sight of it warms your heart in a quiet way you can't put your finger on, easier to assume it's because of how he has changed than ruminate about the further reason behind it.

Zuko has smiled far more often now that he's with you and your friends, but you never quite notice that his smile comes up more frequently when he's around you.

[veebarnes13]

"I love you more"

Context: Bucky and you got married two years ago, but it didn't stop him from starting "I love you more" contests.

TW: none

Era: TFATWS

(English isn't my native language, feel free to correct me!)

Enjoy! :)

☆☆★☆☆

The alarm went off violently that morning. Bucky groaned and rolled to his side, almost crushing you under his weight. He slammed his fist on the alarm clock, careful not to break it though. He let himself fall on his back, his flesh arm circling your waist from behind. He buried his face in your hair and took in your scent, a smile tickling his mouth.

"Morning." he mumbled.

"Morning, handsome." you replied in a sleepy whisper.

He kissed your shoulder and nuzzled his face in the crook of your neck, his hand roaming up and down your belly.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, worried you would be sore after he made love to you last night.

"Couldn't have slept better." you answered.

He cuddled you against his chest for five more minutes, not wanting to get up just yet. He had a meeting later with Sam and Sharon, to which he wasn't looking forward. They always got Carter and him arguing, Sam trying to soothe them and ending up arguing as well, and made him upset for the whole day.

He finally got up and forced you to do the same, holding you by the waist. You both took a morning shower to start what he had called "the waking up process of lady Barnes". He teased you with how different he was from you on this point. Where he could get ready for a meeting or mission in twenty minutes, it took you an hour and a half just to get up, shower, get dressed and eat.

While you were picking your clothes for the day, he prepared breakfast. You hugged him around the waist and kissed his bare back.

"It's dangerous to cook shirtless. You could burn yourself." you rebuke him with a gentle slap on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about the cook, kiss him instead." he replied.

It was the sentence he used each time you complained on his methods. You rolled your eyes, but kissed him anyway.

"I don't want you to hurt yourself, dummy, because I love you." you said, a finger on his chest.

"I love you more, doll." he retorts.

You snort, your version of a sarcastic laugh.

"Don't start this war. I love you more." you counter.

"Nonsense. I love you more." he added.

"Impossible, because I love you more." you shook your head.

"Shut up, I love you more." he replied.

"Make me." you chuckled.

He raised an eyebrow, smirking, and towered over you. He leaned forward, but instead of kissing you like you expected, he put a piece of the bacon he's cooking in your mouth.

"Tell me how it is." he laughs.

You elbowed him. He shifted away, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

After breakfast, he had to leave for the meeting. You kissed him goodbye, and as he was closing the door, you yelled "I love you more!". He opened the door and said "No, I love you more." then slammed it, preventing you from replying.

You smiled, knowing he thought he won, but he didn't.

At lunch, when he opened his meal, he laughed to himself, making Sam jump. On his sandwich was a piece of paper with the words "I love you more" scribbled in your handwriting.

"Really?" he texted you.

"Can't argue with facts." you texted back.

He smiled and shook his head.

As soon as he got back home, he took advantage of the fact that you weren't back yet.

Your keys jingled and he was standing before the door, a wide smile on his face. You frowned, suspecting something, and put your coat down on the couch. He hugged you tight and kissed you, welcoming you back home, telling you how much he loved you. You said you loved him more, but he didn't argue; he simply smiled.

Weird.

You cooked dinner since he made breakfast. When the plates were on the table, he poured you a glass of water. You noticed a black stain on it and tried to wipe it off with your thumb, but it didn't go away. You licked your finger and tried again, without any success.

"Gross." sneered Bucky.

"Shut up." you laughed back.

You inspected the glass and realized the stain formed an "I". Knowing what was coming next, you took the water jug and looked at the side that was towards Bucky. He had written on it "love you more."

You glanced at him. He giggled between two bites.

To get revenge, you positionned your food to spell "I LOVE U" along with a little addition sign, and he shook his head.

"It doesn't work, you didn't spell it right." he said.

If your eyes were guns, he would've been cribbled with bullets in a heartbeat. He laughed and gently kicked your knee underneath the table. You kicked him back and he snorted.

You both spent the evening without another "fight", but you knew he was planning something. So were you.

You brushed your teeth, got undressed and disappeared under the covers. Bucky joined you ten minutes later. You quietly insisted to be the big spoon and he didn't argue, for once; he loved to be the little spoon.

After a few minutes, you drew "I LOVE YOU MORE" on his back with your index. You heard him chuckle, a deep warm laugh that vibrated through his chest. You pressed yourself against his back and rested your face in the crook of his shoulder.

"I won't let you win this forever, you know." he whispered.

"You will." you murmured.

You cuddled him to sleep, his scent surrounding you. The next morning, you had a day off, so he let you sleep when the alarm rang.

You opened your eyes at 8:30, and the first thing you saw were the rose petals scattered on the floor. You sat up and rubbed your eyes, only to find out James had spelt "I love you more".

You smiled, your heart squeezing happily beneath Bucky's shirt you were wearing.

☆☆★☆☆

Thank you so much for reading this! I hope with all my heart that you enjoyed it.

If you like my writing, you can take a look at my Wattpad account, "WinterBarnes13", but my works on there are mostly in French. I wrote only one Fanfic in English, it's short and was written two years ago.

Lots of love!

- Vee

[an-idyllic-novelist]

Hello my sweet darling!!

I would like to request some teeth rotting fluff please!

Some general relationship HCs for Ares x Mitsuri reader, what are they like as a couple and gifts they would get for each other just because it was a Tuesday and wanted to make the other smile.

Stay happy and safe my friend!

Ask and it shall be done, my dear friend! ☀️

There is no doubt that you two would make a very cute couple in Valhalla. Ares might be the Grecian god of war, but he is quite a softie beneath his harsh exterior, though it would have taken some time to actually muster up the courage to confess how he felt towards you.

In his eyes, you were incredibly gorgeous. The way you carried yourself confidently yet humbly in the halls as a handmaiden of Athena, greeting the gods respectfully with a nod of your head and a bright smile…he was dazzled, and he did not feel that he was worthy of trying to court for your hand nor it was the right time.

He had been separated from Aphrodite for 112 years, five months, three weeks, twelve hours and eight minutes. The goddess of love and pleasure had always been fickle as she had been vain, all flaws that Ares wholeheartedly accepted….until a surprise visit at her temple turned into a massive argument when he saw his beloved in the arms of her ex-boyfriend Adonis, just weeks after they had reconciled after another breakup.

The one who had been able to pull his head out of his ass had been none other than Athena. She might have shared Artemis’ vow of chastity and did not take a lover like her siblings, but the goddess of wisdom was not blind as how you, her handmaiden, looked at him with a lovestruck gaze or blushed fiercely when he greeted you.

You were smitten with him, plain and simple.

Normally, she would not allow romantic relationships to foster amongst her handmaidens as a vow of chastity was required to be accepted into her temple. You were the exception to such a rule because you were not truly a handmaiden. You were a Demon Slayer, tasked with protecting her for a short duration until the situation had been…resolved. Uncle Hades was the one to recommend you, as you were one of the strongest soldiers under his command.

The demon who had attacked the city under her divine protection and slaughtered many mortals was a malevolent being not to be taken lightly. It had the ability to split itself into four individual bodies, each with a special power. A god could certainly try to kill a demon…but their weapon would either be destroyed once it made contact with its extremely durable skin, or they would be its next meal.

Only the sword of a Demon Slayer can kill a demon. The best method was a clean cut across the neck, severing the head as quickly as possible before it regenerated any of its wounds or missing body parts.

You had been very diligent in your task, obeying her commands with such vitality and enthusiasm it almost made Athena envious of such a bright mortal. But seeing you sigh longingly after him is starting to give the goddess of wisdom a headache, which is why she traveled all this way to see him.

Will he accept her feelings and stop clinging to the shred of hope that Aphrodite will come back to him, or remain melancholy for the rest of his immortal life? He is the one who now holds the key to your heart in his hands. To turn it and unlock another path to a fulfilling love…or to return the key to her…that’s up to him.

Athena then left the temple, her flowing robes billowing behind her as a dumbstruck Ares scrambled with words, dumbstruck at what his sister just said.

You…loved him. You were in love with him?

He quickly sought you out and asked if it were true, and his response had been witnessing your face turn just as red as his own face and squeaked a small ‘yes’.

Ares.exe stopped working. Internally, however, he was jumping for joy that maybe, just maybe, you were the one. The one who would love him unconditionally. It took a few minutes to break out of his reverie upon hearing your worried voice call out to him, [Eye Color] orbs glistening with unshed tears.

He immediately reassured you that he was all right…just stunned and happy. When you accepted his hand with the intent of courting, Ares felt love begin to blossom in his heart again.

Uncle Hades, though, made it quite clear that the two of you needed to be discreet. Your duties to protect Valhalla and its people as the Love Hashira came first.

What followed were picnic dates, exploring the markets of Valhalla and even an opportunity to ride a winged horse in the sky when the weather was absolutely perfect.

Gift exchanges happened too, although Ares did overdo it a few times with luxurious bouquets of roses or high-end confectionaires from a well-known bakery. He was over the moon with anything you gave him, whether it was a brand new cape to replace a tattered one that got ruined in his last battle, or bought dinner on a Tuesday night, whenever he wanted to go.

If he felt a bit fired up, he’d invite you to spare with him. He had come close to being beaten not once, but twice. On the third time he was on his back, but it didn’t bother him at all. In fact, he saw it as another opportunity to grow and become stronger. You were more than happy to help him with his flexibility, although it was a bit…painful.

And that was saying a lot from a god with a high pain tolerance.

He never made fun of your strength or strangely-colored hair, finding that such traits suited you perfectly. There was no need to change who you were to make someone else happy.

Ares almost a panic attack when you began crying after he said those words, but you reassured him that these were happy tears, not sad ones.

He’d be a gentleman, always offering to carry heavy objects for you and hold your hand firmly, yet carefully as if he were afraid he’d hurt you accidentally. If someone has tried to make a move on you or acted incredibly rude towards you for whatever reason, whether it was because of your hair, your appetite, your strength… the hapless ingrate better start running.

[radicalrainbow]

Namar [COTL Oc]

Here she is! My beloved otter <3 Backstory below-

TW: mention of amputation

Namar, entered this world through a unique creation, rather than traditional birth. Her fathers, skilled spellworkers, labored diligently under the bishop of knowledge and war to develop a method of bringing life into existence without the need for a living host. Their dedicated experiments eventually yielded success, and Namar was the result—an adorable, wide-eyed girl with wild, fluffy hair.

These well-documented and fruitful experiments were presented to Shamura, who, in return, granted the spellworkers their deepest desires. They were allowed to leave Shamura's court and were bestowed a cozy home in a tranquil village nestled deep within Silk Cradle. In this idyllic setting, Namar thrived.

She was adored by her fathers and beloved by the tight-knit village community. Namar often trailed behind her fathers, seeking attention and curiosity. Her fascination with cooking was sparked early, as she watched one or the other prepare daily meals with keen interest. By the time she could peer over the cooking pots, she was already crafting her own dishes—much to her parents' concern, as they fretted about her getting cut or burned. However, Namar displayed remarkable proficiency with her culinary tools, creating generous meals that nearly overflowed their pots. On days when her fathers couldn't finish her culinary creations, she shared her bounty with neighbors, friends, and the occasional patrolling soldiers of Shamura's domain.

As Namar matured, she earned the esteemed title of the village chef, a role she held close to her heart. Her culinary skills were a source of pride, and she never let anyone forget it.

Namar was given the privilege of feeding one of the loyal guards of Shamura’s domain, a spellcaster that worked with curses, a large segmented beast that had simply stopped in the very area her village was in and demanded food from those that resided within. It was not as if she could deny them anything- yet she was always eager to cook for anyone who'd ask.

Seizing an opportunity to rid themselves of the menacing guard, someone in the village poisoned Namar's dish without her knowledge. The assassination attempt failed miserably and was met with ridicule. For her perceived complicity in the poisoning plot, despite her vehement denials of involvement, Namar was cursed. All food she makes would burn- any creation she attempts would explode into fire, crumble into ash.

To many it seemed like a meek punishment, to Namar it felt like the end of the world. Her passion, her sole purpose in the world had been stripped from her. At first she tried to deny it, ignore it, and yet the next day she nearly burned down the kitchen simply trying to cut apart some meat.

She went to her fathers to help, experienced in magic as they are, only for the spell to lash out back at them. One of her father’s got burnt horrifically, and despite their attempts to treat it, necrosis set in far too fast and his arms had to be amputated.

Namar abandoned cooking, she became meek and quiet and nearly shut in despite her father’s always being there for her. Never blaming her for what happened and supporting her every day- yet she could hardly stop herself. Many years passed and she decided to try again, one more time, and yet it once again slipped away from her. The flames seemed almost angry, they grew to dangerous size, and she could not stop it as a rogue flame lashed across her face and claimed her eye.

Frozen in agony as the burn began to blister. All she could do was crawl out of the kitchen and listen to the fire roar and crack the wooden supports of houses.

By the time the flames had finished Namar was found in a corner of the village, pressed against a stone, covered in soot. They all knew she had done it- on purpose or not, and though her fathers had lived several others had not. The village leader called for soldiers, and Namar was dragged away while begging for them to listen to her, it had been an accident she swears and she’s sorry.

Namar was set to be sacrificed, only to be rescued by the Lamb and given a new meek life within their cult. Though safe, she's simply not who she once was.

[reasoningdaily]

16 Black Innovators Who Changed Food Forever

Macaroni and cheese. Ice cream. French fries. Jack Daniel's whisky. Frozen foods in general.

We wouldn't have any of the above foods, plus many others, were it not for Black food innovators and figureheads that have made significant contributions and altered the way we eat and make food today.

Below are just some of the stories of these incredibly talented and inspiring individuals. Some of these names came from research via the New York Times and Food and Wine, but we've also included historical sourcing and context for each person as well. You can click on their names to view those original pieces.

Nathan "Nearest" Green

Known as "Uncle Nearest," Nathan Green was a skilled distiller who mastered the "Lincoln County" process. This method of distilling is thought by food historians and whiskey experts alike to have been brought in by slaves, and uses charcoal to filter and purify foods. The "Lincoln County" process, in particular, uses sugar maple charcoal to filter bourbon.

Green trained hired hand Jasper Newton Daniel (known to the world as "Jack Daniel") while working on a priest's distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Daniel eventually made him the first master distiller of Jack Daniel's, the famous Tennessee whisky many people drink today.

While Jack Daniel's shares the story of Green on their website, an all minority-led whisky brand named "Uncle Nearest" continues to build upon his legacy with spirits that use the same distilling technique, but feature Green's name on the bottle.

While Thomas Jefferson is sometimes credited with bringing foods like mac & cheese and ice cream to the United States, Hemings was the one who actually learned to make them. A slave in the ownership of Jefferson prior to his presidency, Hemings traveled with him to France in 1784 specifically to learn the art of French cuisine.

Hemings became the first American trained as a French chef in history as a result, bringing back several dishes to the United States. French fries, ice cream, macaroni and cheese, creme brulee, French meringues, and French whipped cream are just a few examples. These dishes and others would be incorporated in Hemings' signature half-French, half-Virginian style of cooking he became renowned for.

Hemings would later also cook one of the most famous dinners in American history: the one between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton that settled who would pay for the Revolutionary War and established Washington, D.C. as the United States' capital. He eventually was freed by Jefferson in 1796.

Zephyr Wright

Zephyr Wright was the personal chef for President Lyndon B. Johnson and his family for over twenty years. It was her cooking that made the Johnson household a popular one for D.C. dinner parties.

Wright would follow Johnson to the White House during his tenure, and was in charge of the home cooking in the White House kitchen. She would also temporarily cook all meals, including VIP ones, in between the tenures of two White House Executive Chefs.

Wright is thought to have heavily influenced Johnson's support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964,. Wright was known to have spoken up to the President during his time in Congress about the injustices she faced road tripping between Texas and D.C. during congressional recesses, saying that she was not allowed to use the bathroom in areas she was driving through, and couldn't stop off and eat at restaurants. President Johnson reportedly used some of her stories to convince Congress to sign the bill. He would also give her a White House pen when the act was signed into law.

Leah Chase

The Queen of Creole Cuisine, Leah Chase was the heart and soul of Dooky Chase's restaurant in New Orleans across seven decades. Known for her fried chicken, red beans and rice, gumbo, and other classics, Chase started out in the 1940s when she got a job as a server at a restaurant. She eventually took over the helm and made it a safe haven for anyone to come and eat at.

Dooky Chase's was known as one of the few places that it was publicly okay for races to mix at, since the cops wouldn't bother activists inside the restaurant. Thus, leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, including local leaders and national ones like Martin Luther King Jr., would often strategize while eating there.

Chase would go on to serve presidents like Barack Obama and George W. Bush, along with Associate Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and other influential figures. Disney has even made a movie with a character inspired by her: Princess Tiana of Princess and the Frog.

Abby Fisher

Around the early 1880s, Abby Fisher was known for her award-winning pickles and the Mrs. Abby Fisher Pickle Company in San Francisco. She had at least 35 years of cooking experience, some estimates had it, and the awards she won for her food reflected that.

However, Fisher is probably best known for publishing one of the first cookbooks ever authored by an African-American woman. The book, called What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking, contains over 160 recipes and uses the dictated words of Fisher herself.

The cookbook surged in popularity in the late 20th century when a publisher began reprinting it in 1995. Today, it offers a window into these early recipes that places like museums try to recreate for guests to sample.

Edna Lewis

Edna Lewis became a legend while she cooked at Cafe Nicholson in Midtown Manhattan starting in 1949. Her fame and Southern recipes led to guests like Marlon Brando, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Salvador Dali showing up for dinner. After stepping away from the chef's role (as an active partner) in 1952, she would lecture at the American Museum of Natural History while working as a chef and private caterer.

Lewis would later become inspired to write her first cookbook as demand for them grew in 1972. She was one of the first African-American women from the South that would publish a cookbook that did not hide her name, gender, or race. She would go on to publish more in the future, eventually becoming known as the Grand Dame and Grand Doyenne of Southern cooking.

Larry James and Jereline Bethune

The Bethune family, to this day, runs Brenda's Bar-Be-Que Pit in Montgomery, Alabama. Open since 1942, the restaurant would become an important hub for those in the Civil Rights Movement.

After Rosa Parks infamously refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, Larry James and Jereline Bethune were instrumental in using their restaurant to organize bus boycott efforts around the city. As the movement continued and literacy test laws (meant to curtail the Black vote) were introduced, Jereline would also quietly hold lessons teaching other African-Americans how to read. They were then able to pass these literacy tests and go out and vote.

Alfred L. Cralle

Ice cream today would not be the same without the work of Alfred Cralle. Born just after the Civil War, he had an affinity for mechanics as a young age, and would go study at Wayland Seminary, a school set up after the Civil War to educate newly freed African-Americans.

Cralle would go on to work as a porter at a drugstore and a hotel in Philadelphia, and developed the idea of the ice cream scoop while watching people struggle using two different spoons to get the ice cream into cones. Cralle's mechanical inventional, which is the basis of how ice cream scoops work to this day, was invented in 1897.

Cralle would also become a successful promoter of businesses in Philly, and was the assistant manager of the Afro-American Financial, Accumulating, Merchandise, and Business Association in Pittsburgh.

Ever heard the story of how potato chips were invented to spite a customer at a restaurant? George Crum was the chef at said restaurant, the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs. A customer came in around the summer of 1853 wanting extra-thin French Fries, frustrating Crum to the point he sliced them as thin as possible, fried them in grease, and sent them out.

The chips became a big hit, eventually becoming known as "Saratoga Chips." While Crum never patented the dish, he did open his own restaurant, "Crumbs House," that served a basket of them at every table.

Chips wouldn't become a grocery product until 1895, and the concept of bagged chips didn't show up until 1926.

Joseph Lee was one of the most influential people when it came to industrializing the way we make bread.

Having worked in a bakery from a young age, Lee eventually became the owner of two restaurants in Boston, as well as a hotel and a catering company. Looking to find a way to minimize bread waste, he eventually invented a machine that would convert day-old bread into breadcrumbs. Patented in 1895, he later sold the rights and the breadcrumb maker would spread across the world.

That wasn't Lee's only invention, however. He would later patent the idea for an automatic bread maker that mixed and kneaded the dough, the basis to the same devices (think, stand mixers) that we still use in our kitchens today.

Lloyd Hall is considered to be one of the pioneers in the world of food chemistry. A pharmaceutical chemist for Griffith Laboratories in Chicago who completed graduate school, Hall would be awarded over 100 patents and received multiple honorary doctorate degrees for his work.

Hall's main area of work came around the development of techniques to preserve food. Some of his most revolutionary patents included using  "flash-dried" salt crystals that revolutionized meatpacking. He also introduced the use of antioxidants to prevent the spoilage of fats and oils in baked goods, and developed a process known as "Ethylene Oxide Vacugas," which could control the growth of bacteria and molds in food.

John Standard was an inventor instrumental in modernizing two pieces of kitchen equipment that virtually every household has today: stoves and refrigerators.

Refrigeration was a concept that was being researched as early as the 1830s, but mainly focused on using some sort of power. Standard's improvement to the fridge, patented in 1891, was an unpowered design that used a manually filled ice chamber as the central cooling unit.

Standard also made significant upgrades to the oil-powered stove, patenting one with a space-saving design in 1889 that could be used in applications like buffet-style meals on trains.

If you've worked in the food industry or any commercial transportation that required keeping stuff cold, you've likely seen the Thermo King brand somewhere in your lifetime. Frederick McKinley Jones was the founder of that company, and inventor of the first automated refrigerated system for trucks.

A skilled and gifted electrician and mechanic, Jones had patents for sixty different inventions across a wide variety of fields, including the portable X-ray machine, motion picture devices, and even medical storage units.

He's most known for the Thermo King, the refrigerated system he invented, because it allowed for fresh goods from around the world to be transported and sold in stores. Jones is essentially responsible for not just all refrigerated transport globally, but also the entire frozen food industry.

Known as the "Oyster King of New York," Downing was most known for his 19th-century restaurant, Thomas Downing's Oyster House. His oyster hall was legendary, with prominent figures like Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens having dined there.

Downing was born a free man, as his parents were freed by plantation owner John Downing. He grew up and was educated on Chincoteague Island in Virginia, and eventually made his way up to New York following the war of 1812. Like many other African-Americans in New York, Downing eventually went into the oyster business, opening his own oyster cellar in the 1820s.

Oyster cellars were the universal food of New York at the time (similar to hot dogs today), but many establishments weren't as trusted as Downing's. That's because he specifically catering it towards the fine dining clientele, with a large dining area, carpet, and chandeliers gracing the hall. Elaborate dishes like oyster-stuffed turkeys and a pan roast made with wine and chili graced the menu.

This, at the time, meant that African-Americans couldn't eat Downing's restaurant, but few were aware of the double life he led. Downing's basement was a key stop in the Underground Railroad, and as an abolitionist, he helped many that were escaping the South in search of freedom. He also led political efforts, funding schools for African-American children and leading the fight in desegregating New York's trolley system.

Downing was so regarded in New York that when he passed away in 1866, the New York City Chamber of Commerce closed so that its members could attend his funeral.

The sugar industry in the United States has Norbert Rillieux to thank for allowing them to become so powerful. Were it not for his inventions, making sugar would still be a time-consuming and dangerous process.

Originally, the sugar refinement process, known as "The Jamaica Train," was dangerous and expensive. Laborers (usually slaves) would transfer ladles of scalding hot sugar case juice between open boiling kettles, often resulting in scalding and terrible burns (anyone who's worked with sugar knows how painful it can be). The result was a dark syrup that was molded into cones and dried before being sold.

From  1834-1843, Rillieux developed a system for refining and crystallizing sugar using a much safer and controlled method, allowing the United States to eventually dominate the sugar market. His process is still used today for freeze-drying food, pigments, and other food products.

Many people know George Washington Carver for the myriad of products he invented that utilized peanuts or sweet potatoes. As an agricultural scientist working in the South, he was also a man responsible for helping revitalize much of the economy in that region.

Working out of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, Carver was a teacher and a researcher from the late 1890s until his passing in 1943. An early pioneer of crop rotation, he encouraged farmers to plant peanuts in the soil after harvest to replenish lost nutrients, helping farmers improve not just their livelihoods, but their diets as well.

Carver's research and work focused on revitalizing soil and maximizing plant production while keeping costs to a minimum. Outside of agriculture, he was a massive promoter of racial equality, and massive advocate of peanut oil as a potential treatment for polio. While never proven, the claim was widely circulated in media, and eventually turned into a "Peanuts for Polio" fundraising effort that helped raise money for medical care and benefits for children affected with the disease.

Following Carver's passing, then-Senator Harry S. Truman sponsored legislation that would lead to the construction of the George Washington Carver National Monument. It was the first-ever national memorial to an African-American.

[st0rmyskies]

you absolutely dont have to answer this, but how would the hsh boys deal with a manhunt for an escaped killer trapping them inside? like, who would be wearing noise cancelling headphones 24/7 for the police sirens, and who would get fed up and go to hunt the guy down themselves? hope things get a little easier for you soon!

Actually I need this ask like you have no idea.

Twilight - The most lowkey nervous of the house. He's incredibly grateful to be living in Time's fortress, but he's also pretty freaked out living so close to or within the search area. He tends to double- and triple-check locks whenever he passes by doors and he'll snap at the others to stop opening windows, although he'll try to laugh it off and not let on how scared he is. Debates for a hot 30 minutes whether he should go visit home indefinitely. He loses the most sleep in the house listening to the helicopters at night.

Wild - He comes up with the most imaginative methods for how the killer might get into the house and terrorize the group, and he loves to share them out loud while working in the kitchen or when passing by the others lounging in the living room. It's pretty common to hear a bunch of them yelling "WILD!!" to get him to shut up now and then. But he's also weirdly not scared. Definitely has a "there's no way that would happen to me" attitude.

Champion - Completely nonplussed. He continues to keep his routine of working out, hanging in his room, going out when he needs to - although he does carry a concealed weapon on him when he leaves. Definitely has a hair-raising "fuck around and find out" aura to him.

Warriors - Gets weirdly serious about the situation at first. He's the first to check doors and windows to make sure they're secure. He keeps the television on the news channel - turned low, of course - for round-the-clock updates. He's constantly checking social media for updates and posting selfies of his arduous ordeal of being stuck inside. By day 5 or 6, though, he's starting to get bored. He's needling his roommates and starting petty fights for no reason, yelling at them when they try to change the channel, and spending way too much time in the bathroom trying new things with his hair.

Sky - Takes things seriously for the first 2-3 days. He keeps his eye on the news with Wars, he talks Twilight down when he can tell that he's a bit panicky, he's the first to gently change the subject when Wild starts to get a new fantasy in his head. By the 4th day, Sky is sick of being inside so much. ALWAYS down to accompany one of the others outside for an errand or whatever, so long as it isn't before 9am.

Legend - Is reasonably unaffected. He’s kind of a shut-in, really. Working with Ravio means that he doesn’t need to leave the house for much. He does like his occasional trip to the cafe but the coffee maker works just as well. When the others begin to get stir-crazy is when he starts to get bitchy and hides in his room most of the time. 

Hyrule - Still living his life. Escaped killer or not, Hyrule has a job that he still needs to get to. He's so dead inside at 5:30am each day that he could open the front door to the killer standing on their porch and just say "excuse me" and pass right on by with his work bag on his shoulder. Public transport isn't running, so Time is up with him each morning to take him to and from the hospital personally, which he supposes is a perk. At least Time doesn't expect too much in the way of conversation so early in the morning.

Four - He's quieter than usual and is spending a lot more time in his bedroom with the door locked and the curtains drawn. He'll come down for meals, but he excuses himself anytime Wild starts up with another fantasy about how the killer is going to come in and get them all in their sleep. He categorically AVOIDS the living room with the constant news feed about the situation. Alone in his room, though, he checks on the situation online at least twice a day, and he's watched the surveillance tape loops of the guy more than any of the others.

Shadow - Shortly after the whole circus starts, he's texting Four, offering to have him come stay at Shadow's place, which is much farther from the action. But Shadow has a basement apartment, which would make Four a bit paranoid. So 36 hours in, Shadow shows up outside of Four's window unannounced, nearly giving him a heart attack, and quietly moves in with him until the whole ordeal is closed. Somebody's gotta keep Four from falling apart all alone.

Wind - He literally could not care less, all up until his Amazon orders start coming up as "unable to be delivered due to emergency or weather situation." THEN he's stomping around the house, ranting and raving about the uselessness of the police force and that "It's just one guy!!" and "How hard can this be!!?" Most likely to get into it with Warriors and sent Legend in a disgruntled huff stomping off up the stairs.

Dark - Leaves some food and bottled water out on the fire escape each night like you'd put out milk and cookies for Santa.

Time - For the first few days, he’s the sensible dad. The townhouse is built to protect; he has enough locks and munitions to hold off an army. He keeps the blinds shut and the lights on and informs the boys that it’s smarter to travel in groups, only leave if you really need to, etc. By day 4 when the others are beginning to grumble and get restless, he reminds them to leave it to the proper authorities, but even he is getting a bit stir-crazy, barking at the boys when they’re peeking out the blinds or squabbling too loudly downstairs. On the evening of day 10, Time leaves the house with a duffel bag and only informs Twilight that he has some work to do and to keep the doors locked. He returns 18 hours later, showers, and passes out for the entire night and most of the next morning. He’s immediately more relaxed in the house and doesn’t harp on the others about keeping doors locked and so on. Later that day, the news reports that they’ve found what’s left of the escapee. 

[indigowallbreaker]

35 from the Angst prompt for Edelgard with Ferdinand

This one got long so it's going under a readmore. I really REALLY like how it came out and it's my hope you like it just as much, anon!!

[prompt rules]

[more Beagles stories]

35: “Don’t look at me like that, I don’t want pity.”

--

Garreg Mach Monastery was a place of worship and learning. Within its walls were classrooms, stables, a holy altar, sleeping quarters, a library-- and many other useful rooms besides.

It did not have a dungeon.

For that reason, or perhaps due to her many injuries, Edelgard was being held captive in the infirmary.

The other beds and their patients had been moved before she arrived. It was just Edelgard, her bed, Manuela's desk (empty; she'd checked), and a window someone had nailed haphazardly-- thought effectively-- shut. At least it was comfortable. The Church would have had every right to shove Edelgard into a sodden chamber in Abyss as consequence for starting and losing this war. She wondered if that was Rhea's mercy or Professor Byleth's influence. Neither had visited her since bringing her back to Garreg Mach almost a week ago.

In fact, Edelgard had very few visitors. Most notably Manuela came by a few times a day to deliver meals or check on Edelgard's health-- taking a direct hit from the Sword of the Creator did not leave the body unscathed, even if the Professor had held back at the last moment.

A week after her imprisonment, and two weeks after the fall of Enbarr, Ferdinand von Aegir appeared in the infirmary doorway. Edelgard arched a brow as he shut the door behind him and approached her bed. He looked determined, face stone as he stopped a few feet away. In school he had carried with him a kind of glow of confidence. Now, that glow was all but gone. Edelgard found she missed it.

"There is something I must ask you," Ferdinand declared. Edelgard waited, eyes trailing over him for any sign of a weapon. "I would appreciate if you answered honestly."

"That depends on the question." Edelgard's voice came out strained, she knew. Injuries and lack of a conversation partner had dulled her throat somewhat.

"I was in the room when Manuela gave the Professor a report about your physical examination." Edelgard frowned but did not interrupt. "She mentioned some old scars. Across your chest, arms, even your back."

"I am aware."

Ferdinand tensed. "Who did that to you?"

Edelgard looked away, taking the bite out of her reply. "Why the concern? Are you worried your father has more sins on his hands?"

"I am not thinking of him, I am thinking of you."

"Why is that?"

"Because Manuela says the scars are too uniform to be from an accident." Footsteps on hardwood as Ferdinand had moved closer. "She said they looked methodical. Almost as if..."

"As if I had been experimented on?" Edelgard looked up at Ferdinand. Upon reading his expression, however, she wished she hadn't. "Don’t look at me like that, I don’t want pity."

Ferdinand ignored this and sat at the edge of her bed, eyes narrowed as if trying to see the scars himself through her clothes. How long his hair had grown. It fell in waves to the middle of his back, looking slightly less kempt than his shorter hair back at school. She briefly wondered if this was just another way Ferdinand was trying to prove his superiority-- grow his longer hair than Edelgard's. The absurdity nearly sparked a smile across her face.

"Who did this to you?" He asked softly.

Edelgard lifted her chin, levity forgotten. "What does it matter? You must have read Hubert's letter. The Church has more important things to worry about than my childhood."

"I am not thinking of the Church," Ferdinand tone was firm. "I am thinking of you."

This time, the statement robbed Edelgard of any retort. She simply stared at this new Ferdinand. In school, and during their short acquaintance before, Edelgard would never have dreamed of having this conversation. Ferdinand was an annoyance at best and a roadblock for her plans at worst. Now here he sat, pity gone, replaced with the air of a man determined to solve a problem.

Edelgard had only explained this once, many years ago. There had been no need to tell anyone but Hubert about what Slither had done. Even Volkhard had been the one to tell her father after Edelgard had been deemed a success.

Squaring her shoulders, Edelgard spoke. "It is a long story." Ferdinand nodded. He held out his hand, palm up. Edelgard took it, trying to draw courage from his resolve to listen.

And so, Edelgard told Ferdinand of Slither, of their experiments, and of the plans laid long ago that had, ultimately, led to Edelgard being held captive in a monastery without a dungeon.

[transgenderdoctorwhomst]

Hi pls talk ab,out your predator/prey timelord stuff I love them being freaks <3

HIII SORRY THIS IS A MILLION HOURS LATE so i am going to be referencing a lot of stuff i discussed with @transmasc-rose, and so will link their posts about it accordingly:

Rose's art and post about time lord diet Another post about it

OKAY so with that reading material out of the way, my turn to ramble!

Putting under the cut, content warning for. Basically cannibalism.

Diet: Omnivores + ???psivores??? what do you call something that eats psychic energy. So, Time Lords are telepathic. Lots of stuff going on with their psychic abilities. They can (canonically) read minds, use telepathy (ranged and short distance, depending on familiarity), mind control, levitate objects, fly with training (short distances, probably), hear open telepathic networks, and lots of other stuff. Point is, they utilize a lot of psychic energy. In this, they consume psychic energy directly and primarily through physical consumption. Mostly, remnant psychic energy left over in the bodies of intelligent beings. Lots of things on Gallifrey develop sapience left and right, whether or not the Time Lords notice or intended it, so this isn't really a problem on Gallifrey. Psychic energy is important for their diet! Vital nutrients!

Hunting: I have to imagine Gallifreyans became the dominant species because they hunted every other intelligent race developing on the planet. I imagine they're also persistence predators, like humans are, with a lean towards ambushing. Hunting groups probably linked up telepathically for quick planning on cornering prey. This method continues to be used in modern Gallifrey.

Modern ethics: We know Time Lords have a built in predisposition to superiority complexes, especially regarding other species. Even the Doctor has this. The Master starts eating people and the Doctor just fully does not care about the not-technically-cannibalism happening there. In this, I imagine Time Lord societal taboos about same-species cannibalism is like... the concern is basically "where did you get this body" "did you murder this man" "did you get permission from them to eat them." you've got permission and didn't murder them? All clear! (though high society Gallifreyans shove bodies back into their family looms, so it's probably only done outside of the noble families. Most of the time. I bet House Lungbarrow does funerary cannibalism all the time with their constant renegades.) (I will now try to stop getting into possible gallifreyan funerary practices). Anyways. It is generally not considered immoral to grab and eat a human or other random species. I imagine they disallow grabbing and eating people that Gallifrey does politics with (because. they don't feel like having a war with another planet because a bunch of teenagers went out on a hunting trip and ate a bunch of people) but like, 21st century humans and earlier? Planets that haven't officially had first contact? Gallifrey doesn't care. Eating Daleks is encouraged as part of a political power play during the war.

What Do Renegades Do?: Renegade Time Lords don't generally go back to Gallifrey, so they're not exactly stopping back home to pick up psychic energy infused rations. A Tardis can supply all the other nutritional needs, but the Time Lord has to go hunt down people/animals that meet the psychic energy nutrient threshold. Everyone has individual preferences. I Imagine the Doctor generally tries to stick to people that they've found records of having gone missing with no body found, and try to grab the body shortly after death and try to make it last. Adherence to this depends on regeneration. I mean, if the Doctor stumbles across a dead or dying war criminal, who are they to pass up a number of free meals? Or someone that made them mad?

Fun implications: One of the many reasons lots of species happen to look like Time Lords is an evolutionary defense against getting hunted and eaten. Simply minimize your chances of being picked as a species to farm as food by looking like Gallifreyans! It doesn't always work, but it works enough.

[booksandchainmail]

Pale 3.z

this security shell is weird. cool! but weird and terrifying. It also feels like a great way to lose apprentices who aren't quite up to being technomancers

Looks like they're pulling out the big guns, if teachers are getting involved. And I guess this means nicolette got herself away from the wolf and is ok

Black tee, black leather jacket, jeans, hair slicked back in a very different way than Ray had. Some might have said it was a 50s style, but it was timeless, as far as Zed was concerned

fair enough

Nice to use this interlude to meet some people from the school, instead of being dumped in with all new characters later on. Looks like two from Belanger, two from Durocher, one from Ray, and one independent?

She was killed, and the way Black Dogs work, they punish the people that kill them with curses. Most of the time they come back again and again. She was put down for good. The curse was a big one, it was stored away, and it manifested as the Hungry Choir ritual.

hey! this was one of my theories. Or technically two, if you count the curse as part of her corpse being used. Which means the question is who manufactured this, and why?

“I’m looking forward to summer school for once.”  Nicolette smiled as she said it. “Me too,” Zed agreed. “New crop of students.” “Exactly.” They were on the same page. Similar oaths. Similar awareness.

this feels somewhat ominous

“By the accords of Solomon!” Zed called out.  “By the order of man, I summon you to audience!  Obey or cede this territory!  Black Dog Yalda, come!” “I ask a second time! Black Dog Yalda! Casualty of war and child of Famine! Come!” “For the third time, with your worth and power at stake! Black Dog Yalda!”

one of the neat things about the otherverse is that do a certain degree the magic runs on rule of cool

There was a way to challenge the ritual, and tonight, with the malice biasing the challenge, would be a great time to do that… except there was a rub. A trick. Rad Ray Sunshine had explained it at one of the rest stops. It was easy for a ritual like this to jam some hidden trick or secret into things. A magic word, a hidden verse, or a secret a way to make the animals behave. Like… playing music. Or something. Not that Zed had his.

oof. well now I'm glad they didn't try that. who gave the Kennet Trio that advice again? Looked it up and: it was Maricica. Was that one of her traps? I think at one point they guessed that some of her "minor" traps might be deadly things that she would save them from.

They couldn’t get in between her and her prize.  The very being of the Devouring Song was tied into that.  She couldn’t be obstructed from eating.  Hurting her mid-meal did that, so the nibbling on the licorice from that king-size bag served to protect her.  Any lasting harm or death was similar, because she couldn’t be kept from future meals.

this fucks. using the choir against itself

Brie’s weight pressed the Black Dog down.  She kept eating.

gods this is fucked up

“Are you the murder weapon, used by others to kill the Carmine Beast?”

damn. ... I don't think I ever theorized about method

“Yes,” Yalda said.  “I killed the red wolf.”

mystery solved! story over

It was one of the eight original ritual participants.  The kid with the mask.  He carried a gun.

what happened to no weapons?

Yalda :( The Choir was fucked up, but I can't help but feel bad for her, it doesn't seem like she ever had many options. At least she got to pass on a final message to John? I hope she was at peace.

He did have his worries, though.  The degree of intent behind the Carmine Beast event… the premeditation, the covering of tracks, and the creation of something like this, implied to be done well in advance for that specific purpose?

so this plan had to have been in the works for at least nine years... that changes my thoughts on motives

[wobblewokgaming]

Academy of Godhood AU part 2, the Academy's purpose and Staff.

The Academy of Godhood was founded during a time of chaos among the Realms. Many beasts thrived off of the chaos and madness which they caused to the Realms, and the many Gods and Goddesses were too disjointed to effectively stop the beasts' onslaught. So, in hopes to fend off this dreadful menace, these mighty beings set aside their differences and made an alliance. The most powerful, impartial and skilled among the Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Mythology were selected to be part of this group and, with an incredible amount of perseverance, this team managed to quell the chaotic menace. When the deed was said and done, these mighty deities had a hunch that, eventually, this threat would eventually return.

That's when they had an idea; what if they were to make a school to teach their next of kin? A place where they could not just learn to protect the Realms, but a place where they could call home. What was once an idea quickly became a reality, and thus, the Academy of Godhood was created! And the members of the group which vanquished the vile forces of chaos would become the teachers of this prestigious Academy of Godhood.

Speaking of which, let's get to introducing the teachers of this top ranking school, shall we?

Ra, the Egyptian God of the Sun, is the Principal of the Academy. Formally the leader of the Godhood (the source of the Academy's namesake), Ra was seen as the best fit for the role of the Academy's Principal due to his unbiased points of view, fair yet firm nature and excellent leadership skills. Due to these traits of his, Ra is often seen as a being without any flaws. But every time someone mentions that, he always says this;

"There is no such thing as perfection. Everything, from the smallest of pebbles to the largest and most beautiful gemstones have many an imperfection, despite how minor they may seem. Imperfection, let it be subtle or prominent, is not a something one must be rid of. Our imperfections make us unique. To be rid of your flaws would to be rid of one's true self."

Ra is normally very rational and kind, but that does not mean he's harmless. Harm his students or put their lives in danger in any way and he'll make sure you're reduced to ash by the sun's light.

Hestia, the Greek Goddess of the Hearth, is the Academy's resident chef, using her skills with the flame to cook her meals nice and evenly. A kind and motherly soul at heart, Hestia will welcome any soul who wanders into her cafeteria with a maternal warmth, along with your favorite food freshly made the moment you sit down. Just be sure you stay on your best behavior whenever you're around her. That fire she uses isn't just for cooking.

Ares, the Greek God of War, along with being an expert on forging weapons, is the Academy's gym teacher. He helps train the students in the arts of combat in hopes that they will be able to protect the Realms from those who'd harm it. His methods may seem cruel and unusual from the outside looking in, but on top of being an excellent father figure to his many children, Ares is an amazing teacher who cares about his students the most. Insult or threaten them, and you're in for a whole new world of hurt.

Quetzacōātl, the Aztec God most commonly associated with wind, is the Academy's teacher on all things science. From chemistry to biology, he teaches it all. He takes great pleasure in doing these tasks and shows great enthusiasm to those who show genuine interest in the tasks he teaches. He may seem laid back at first glance, but don't let that fool you; if you try and piss him off, Quetzacōātl will generate gusts of wind so powerful that it'll blow you into next year.

Cikap-Kamuy, a Deity of the Ainu People, teaches the importance of listening to one another and working together as a team. In other words, he teaches communication skills and strategy. Often calm and collected, Cikap-Kamuy is an expert on adapting to unpredictable scenarios on the fly (no pun intended) and is able to expertly communicate his orders to his subordinates. While Cikap-Kamuy is normally a kind soul, if you test his patience, he won't hesitate to cut you down like a retched crow or a vile mountain jay.

Sun Wukong, a Deity from Buddhist and Taoist Mythology, is actual the Academy's history teacher, believe it or not. Wukong, having been through many trials and tribulations throughout his adventures with Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, meant that he had many a story to tell. He could also read through and retain information from ancient texts, which made him incredibly valuable to the preservation of these texts if they were ever destroyed. Wukong may be a big old goofball on the surface, but of be so wished, he could reduce his target into a mere stain into an instant.

Eir, a Goddess from Norse Mythology, is the resident medic of the Academy. Her medical skills and knowledge are incredibly useful, mainly due to the dangers which the Academy trains their students to face. Eir is normally rather soft spoken and shy, but do not let that fool you. If you do, she'll simply show you why she was known as "The Harmacist" among the Godhood. And, believe me, she's more than willing to show you why.

[heirscrchd]

Chin village, that was the first stop on her journey. A place that was at one of the most southern tips of the Earth Kingdom and a place she most likely wouldn't be recognized right away. Provided that there were no visiting members from Kyoshi Island in town. Getting off the boat was easy enough and in her traveling gear, it still showed she clearly was from the fire nation if the ships they road in on wasn't evidence enough.

Though many of the people here were a mix of fire nation and earth kingdom residents. So far from the main capital that many people didn't particularly care about passports and travel IDs. This village was small enough that for one, the journey was very long, and for two, was not as well secure in terms of security. A false name, a false story, it could get you a lot of places in smaller villages and so long as she could pull the strings of people's heartstrings with a tale of being gone from home for so long that she was determined to get back they would leave her be.

Azula though did not particularly care for the stories others told her. She sat and listened like any good person would but their stories mattered little to her in terms of her own wishes. Though, she guesses, that is why she had started this journey to begin with. Did Zuko ever sit and listen with strangers, hear of their tales and sympathize with them? No doubt their uncle had, but she couldn't imagine Zuko doing so at least not at the start. A forgiveness she'd give herself as she inwardly groaned as another woman went on about her children and husband and trying to pull them over to meet the new stranger also going to the village.

Once her feet hit ground she couldn't be more thankful to be alone for a few moments before heading into the town. She would need to find a place that would accept her money, as well as possibly trade some as well since she had very little to give outside of the fire nation coins she could scavange before she was able to secure a ticket on the ship.

Nevertheless, she went into town speaking with a few people, being gruff and unpleasant as usual. Only for this method of speach to be refused at almost every place she tried to go to. Shopkeeps didn't appreciate her attitude, and as such didn't exactly care to accept her money, despite the fact the coinage weighed the same amount of silver and copper as any other coin. Left with no other options she groans and angerly huffs, sitting on the ground as her stomach growls loudly. Arms crossed over her chest while she thinks about what to do next. Nice, she had to be nice and not demanding. This wasn't one of her colonies, she wasn't the nobel princess who had come here to bring posperity as well as war in her wake. Right now, she was Azula, a peasant trying to get her next hot meal, scorned and thrown out of almost every shop and now sitting in the dirst with nothing to eat.

It's not until a small girl, not older than 10 runs up to her with a smile. Exclaiming she 'looks like the girl from her stories' or something of the sort. Raising a brow, Azula isn't sure what to think of this and awkwardly gives a thank you. Despite her hard demeanor she isn't going to kick a child or be rude to them so long as they were respectful. The girl held a doll in her hands, something that looked to be in the vision of Avatar Kyoshi.

" Did you know her? Are you her? You look just like her!! " The small girl exclaimed happily, content on bothering Azula to her little heart's content. There was something that did pique her interest about this that spurred Azula to be. . nice for once. " And who might that be? " Came her cool reply to the child, sitting up and letting her hands fall to rest atop her knees.

" Rangi, she was Avatar Kyoshi's best friend and was really cool! " Was her excited reply, lifting up her doll in Azula's face for emphasis. A fire bender? Who had been not only frends, but best friends with the Avatar? This person's name didn't sound familiar, and Azula's scrunched eyebrows would indicate her confusion. " Rangi? I don't think I've heard about her before. Do you know much about her? "

" Yeah, she was really cool, and-and protected and helped Avatar Kyoshi! She used fire and had her hair up like yours. " Excitedly telling Azula about this firebender, she couldn't stop a smile forming on her own face watching the young girl happily explain pretty vague information. Interesting, but not very useful to what Azula was wanting. " Can you firebend like her too? " Was a question that cut through the senseless inquary the child gave to Azula.

Looking around, Azula had to be careful. It was one thing for her to be someone claiming to have been a child that was finding their way home after so long, it was an entirely different thing to actually show yourself to be a firebender so soon after the war. Not many people looked kindly on them still, whether or not they served in the war they were looked down on now. So she had to be careful, but to not dissapoint her, Azula would motion for the child to lean in, and in a snap, a small flame flickered atop her thumb. The girl looked at her with awe and burst into giggles. " Just keep this between you and me. " Azula would whisper, putting a finger overtop of her mouth before both of them were interrupted by what only could be assumed to be the child's parent.

Quickly snuffing out the flame, the older woman would put her hands on her hips and scold the child. " Masha, there you are. I'm terribly sorry for the trouble she's caused. " She would appologize, coming over and grabbing the small girl's wrist.

" Oh she was no trouble at all, in fact she's quite the little storyteller. " Now that she had something she could use to garner good will, Azula would try her attempts at being kind once more in a much more open manner. Only half needing to falsify her answers and responses now.

" Even so, she should know better than to run off by herself. Thank you for being patient with her. " Once more the older woman scolded her, and started to walk off, waving to Azula a goodbye. Meanwhile the girl, Masha, Azula now knew, would wave her other hand back at the former fire nation princess. The one that held the little Kyoshi doll, giving Azula an idea of just where she might go next. Even if it was a big risk there were questions that couldb e found out there. Only hoping to whatever sprits were watching that Suki wouldn't be present on the island when she arrived.

For now, she made herself comfortable in the alleyway, seeing as this would have to service as her room for the night since the inns had all refused her. Slumber slowly taking hold of her while the sun started to slowly set over the horizon. Eyes drifting down, down, and closing just as the last bits of sunrays were consealed and the blossoming blue night sky and stars would dress the darkness that would follow.

[seoprivatetourguide]

Alien: Romulus

The phrase "Alien: Romulus" appears to allude to a made-up idea about aliens and the planet Romulus. Here's a succinct explanation:

It is possible that "Alien: Romulus" is the name or title of a science fiction narrative, motion picture, video game, or other creative work. Here, "Alien" most likely refers to alien species, and "Romulus" might be the name of a made-up planet, spacecraft, or fictional character in the narrative.

It is difficult to give specifics about "Alien: Romulus" without additional context. Nonetheless, given the prevalent themes in science fiction, it's plausible that the plot would touch on subjects like interplanetary wars, extraterrestrial encounters, space travel, or the discovery of uncharted territories.

All things considered, "Alien: Romulus" piques curiosity and begs conjecture about the secrets and adventures that might be discovered within its made-up world.

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Agra Tour by Train: Easy Same-Day Trip from Delhi with a Private Tour Guide India Company Overview of the Same-Day Train Tour of Agra Take the easy Same Day Agra Tour by Train from Delhi with Private Tour Guide India Company to witness the magnificence of Agra's famous sites, such as the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. This special tour provides comfortable train transportation and knowledgeable local guide service, allowing visitors to discover Agra's rich heritage and cultural treasures in a one day.

Why Select India's Private Tour Guide Company? Expert Guides: Our well-informed guides offer in-depth explanations of the myths, history, and architecture surrounding Agra's well-known sites. Easy Transportation: Take pleasure in hassle-free train travel from Delhi to Agra and return, complete with cozy seats and beautiful scenery. Flexible Itineraries: Tailor your schedule to your interests and tour Agra at your own speed, concentrating on the things that most interest you. High-quality service: Our goal is to provide our clients with experiences that are both enriching and unforgettable. We are dedicated to excellence and customer satisfaction. Highlights of the Train Tour to Agra on the Same Day of Departure from Delhi Morning Departure: Begin your day by leaving Delhi early in the morning and catching a cozy train that is headed for Agra. Taj Mahal: An Icon of Everlasting Love The Taj Mahal Visit: The magnificent Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, should be your first stop when you arrive in Agra. Admire its sublime beauty and discover the enduring tale of love that inspired this famous monument. Mughal grandeur in Agra Fort Fort Agra Investigate: The magnificent Agra Fort, the primary palace of the Mughal rulers, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take in the breathtaking vistas of the Yamuna River, the exquisite sculptures, and the striking architecture. Regional Food and Retail Lunch Break: Savor a hearty meal at a nearby eatery while sampling delectable Mughlai fare. Shopping: Take a look around Agra's bustling markets, where you may purchase beautiful handicrafts, mementos made of marble, and traditional textiles. Go back to Delhi Evening Return: End your Same Day Agra Tour with priceless memories and life-changing experiences as you say goodbye to Agra and catch the train back to Delhi in the evening. In summary The Private Tour Guide India Company's Same Day Agra Tour by Train from Delhi provides a practical and engaging method to take in the magnificence of Agra's well-known sites. This tour promises an enlightening journey through India's rich cultural legacy and architectural marvels, from the timeless beauty of the Taj Mahal to the grandeur of Agra Fort.

Frequently Asked Questions, or FAQs Does the tour package include train travel? Yes, the tour package includes a comfortable train ride to and from Delhi to Agra. Do attraction admission prices get included? Yes, the travel package includes admission prices to the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort. Does the tour include lunch? Although lunch is not included, our guides can suggest genuine eateries with excellent regional food. Is the tour appropriate for young people and senior citizens? Absolutely, tourists of all ages are welcome to do the tour. To make sure that everyone has a comfortable experience, we can fulfill particular requirements. Is it possible to alter the schedule? Of course! We provide customizable itineraries based on your interests and preferences. With professional advice and individualized service, reserve your Same Day Agra Tour by Train from Delhi with Private Tour Guide India Company today and set out on an unforgettable journey to discover the beauties of Agra.

[j-graysonlibrary]

The Xiang Chronicles: Book One Chapter 23

Title: The Xiang Chronicles: Book One

Author: Jay Grayson

Word Count: 83k

Genres: Fantasy, adventure, drama, LGBT+

Available on: my website

Synopsis: Every few centuries a hero is born—one chosen by the God Tiandi to carry out his will in the mortal realm. The Xiang. Whether it is to quell a war instigated by the forces of shadow—of Shakti herself—or whether it is the miasma that poisons the world, the Xiang is born to bring the world back into balance.

Shu Pangu Min knows what his purpose is and he does his best to fulfill it even if he doesn’t fully understand all of the details. He must travel from city to city—lord to lord—to clear out the miasma. Along the way, he is to enlist the aid of four disciples. Each is to be of a different country and each must have high resonance and deep faith.

The holy men who raised him have great confidence in his future successes and they leave him to begin his journey on his own. But, can Pangu live up to the expectations of those around him? Can he really save the land like all other Xiang before him or will his unconventional methods doom them all?

Full chapter 23 under the cut

Chapter XXIII

The next night, after a meal at the highly acclaimed restaurant that Agni San Jurou had given them free passes for, the group prepared to go to the hot spring baths but Raine stopped and grabbed Kira by the arm.

“You two go ahead without us,” he told Baiya and Pangu, “I have something to talk to Kira about.”

Baiya knew exactly what that was though he was surprised he wasn’t asking Pangu to join the discussion. Perhaps he was worried he would end up yelling at the Xiang or he was really just mad at Kira specifically.

Personally, he didn’t have many thoughts on the matter. Baiya hadn’t been with them for longer than two months so this news wasn’t as devastating as it apparently was to Raine. He also found the reveal that Kira was actually absorbing the miasma to be very in the man’s character. If he had been paying closer attention to him during the ceremonies, he bet he would have been able to tell.

But, he guessed, since Raine had been with him for so much longer and he had been lied to, he was more hurt by the development. That and he probably had feelings for Kira but Baiya wouldn’t mention that to either of them. Raine would deny it and Kira would threaten to stab him.

“What’s going on?” Pangu asked, looking between his first two disciples.

Baiya placed a hand on his shoulder. “I think it’s private, Pangu. Let’s be off.”

He pouted but agreed and walked off with him.

Kira frowned and watched them go. His eyes cut back to Raine. “What is the matter? Are you trying to put our Pangu in a precarious situation by leaving him to bathe with that lecher?”

“I thought you two were friends now,” Raine commented.

“We are. He’s still a creep.”

He shook his head. “It isn’t about them at all. It is about you.”

Kira raised an eyebrow. “What about me?”

“Let’s find somewhere private to talk.”

The city streets were alive with crowds and celebrations as everyone was excited about the clear air and the revival of their weeklong festivities. Some kids ran by with kites in the likeness of dragons, screaming to their hearts content. It quickly became apparent they would not be able to carve out a corner to themselves without being interrupted so Raine walked back to their hotel.

He led Kira to his room and closed the door.

“I’m starting to get worried here,” Kira mentioned as he took a few steps to the side.

Raine locked the door, making his anxiety rise even further. “I want you to be honest with me, Kira.”

He stared at him with wide eyes.  A million different things ran through his mind. He could not even guess what Raine might have found out about to cause him to be this upset. “Um…okay. What about?”

“You know what about,” the man snapped.

Kira put his hands up. “I don’t.” He really could not imagine what would have him this riled and, as much as he tried to remain calm and not let his sudden and erratic behavior bother him, Kira’s heart still thundered in his chest.

Raine reached over and grabbed his hands. He yanked off the gloves he’d just recently started wearing and, despite the protests, he turned his hands to face palm up. Black splotches littered his skin which had become slightly paler. With all of the traveling through Agni’s climate, his skin should have been tanner, not paler and there was no logical explanation for the black spots except for the miasma.

“Hey…” Kira tried to pull his hands away but the man had a firm grip around his wrists. “You can’t just be grabbing me like that. What if I get the wrong idea?”

“Stop it,” Raine fussed, “Stop trying to turn this into a joke! You’ve been poisoning yourself and you’ve been lying about it. To my face.”

Kira’s brow furrowed. Even if he had made wild guesses about what Raine was upset about, he wouldn’t have figured this was it. So, he asked, “How did you find out?”

“That isn’t important,” he rebutted, “The point is, I know it’s been you this whole time. Clearing the miasma for Pangu while he dances for the people. You have some nerve telling me that you and him were doing extra training when he was really checking to make sure you weren’t getting ill from this.”

“What was I supposed to say?” Kira finally ripped his hands away. He quickly secured his gloves back on and crossed his arms.

“You could have told me the damn truth,” Raine stated, “Why was it so hard? Why did you have to lie?”

“We didn’t want you to worry,” he explained and looked away, “As long as everything went smoothly, you didn’t need to know.”

“How did you find out you could do it? Can Pangu even do it?”

Kira sighed. “One, I just started doing it—I don’t really know. Two, yes, of course Pangu can but it affects him worse than it does me. That’s why I started doing it so he wouldn’t get sick.”

“But he’s the Xiang. That’s his job,” Raine responded. It was literally one of his core purposes. “It makes no sense that you would be able to handle the miasma better than him. No other should be as equipped as he is at absorbing it.”

“I don’t know, Raine!” Kira yelled and threw his hands up, “I don’t know anything else so I don’t know what you want me to tell you. I have been absorbing it because it doesn’t bother me that much and now it has started to physically manifest. We have two countries left but I cannot allow Pangu to poison himself so I am just going to have to suck it up.”

“It isn’t your job,” the man insisted.

“I don’t care. I really don’t.” Kira walked past him to the door. “Look, I am sorry we didn’t tell you but nothing is going to change. I am still going to do it and there is nothing you can do or say to change my mind.”

“You are missing the entire point of why I am mad,” Raine said, clenching his jaw. “Don’t walk out of here.”

Kira glanced over his shoulder as he unlocked the door. “I’m gonna. Don’t try to stop me either—I will throw you to the ground and you and I both know that I can.”

Raine frowned and his hands balled into fists. He watched as the man left his room, slamming the door after him. He doubted he was truly sorry that he’d kept the information from him—he was just trying to pacify him.

That was what he was most angry about. While he didn’t want Kira to continue poisoning himself and he couldn’t fathom why Pangu was allowing it at all, he mostly hated the fact that the two hadn’t even considered letting him be a part of it. They decided for him that it was better he didn’t know.

And he hated that.

***

Baiya considered talking to Pangu about the miasma situation between him and Kira but he figured either Raine would eventually confront him about it or Kira would relay what happened later. Besides, just because he hadn’t been the one actually absorbing the miasma didn’t mean that he didn’t deserve to relax.

The old man at the baths took their ticket, inspected it and then gestured to the door on the right. There was a sign over the top that had the old symbol for man etched on it.

“I had heard that this building was constructed during Xiang Phaos’ time,” Pangu said as he walked through the door and into the open air bath. It smelled strongly of saline. That was the first thing he noticed but it was quickly trumped by the fact that no one else was in there.

“It is a fascinating structure,” Baiya said, not paying much attention to the fact that there was no one around.

“Where is everyone?” Pangu asked, while looking from side to side, trying to see if maybe someone was hiding just out of sight.

“I think the baths might have been reserved for just our party,” the other man answered and walked to the large pail of clean water. There were smaller cups and sponges beside it so they could clean off before entering the springs.

Pangu just wasn’t sure he could do anything with Baiya being the only other person around him. He was glad that the steam from the springs was already flushing his skin so that maybe his blushing wouldn’t be noticeable.

“Is there…another wash pail…?” Pangu asked, unable to hide the hiccup in his voice.

“There should be,” Baiya answered and glanced back at him, “You don’t want to wash off with me?”

“I…It’s not…”

“It’s fine,” the man said and laughed, “I’m just messing with you. Feel free to go to the other side. I’ll even keep my back turned.”

Pangu struggled to make words properly come out of his mouth but he managed a hushed, “Thanks,” before he walked to the other side of the spring and found an untouched basin.

He could only hope that Baiya was keeping his word. While he had nothing to hide, necessarily, he still couldn’t help but feel embarrassed at the thought of the man seeing him nude. He certainly hoped he didn’t accidently see Baiya naked—he had enough of a problem as it was.

Pangu finished first and slipped into the springs slowly, taking in the warmth of the water a little bit at a time. His eyes flashed over to where Baiya was but he promptly turned away so he didn’t accidently see too much. His cheeks burned as he heard the man step into the water.

Baiya chuckled. “You can turn around now. It’s safe.”

“I’ve never been a hot spring before,” Pangu explained while leaving out the fact that he, Raine, and Kira had bathed in ponds and bath houses together before. If he told him that then his problem would be clear and he was not prepared to have that conversation. Especially not while both of them were naked.

“Ah…” Baiya smiled and Pangu found it incredibly difficult to look at his face. Most of his chest was above the water and several scars littered his skin, each of which he was sure had a unique story. He’d learned from Kira not to ask people about their scars, however. “This entire city was founded by Xiang Phaos, wasn’t it?”

Pangu’s head snapped back up along with his attention. “Y-yes. That was what my teachers told me.”

“Wasn’t he one of the few Xiang who had a wife and a child?”

He nodded. Only Phaos, Glena, and Don had taken lovers and only the first two had offspring.

“So is the rule about the Xiang not having relationships because of him or was it something that existed before?” Baiya asked curiously. Not only was it something he didn’t know a lot about but he also wanted to hear Pangu’s perspective on the matter.

“It has always been a rule,” he said, feeling more comfortable now that they were talking about Xiang related things. He could think back to his mentors and their lessons and a lot of his wayward thoughts seemed to dissipate. “Tiandi chooses a Xiang when the world is in peril and he appoints them the task of stopping the Shakti—usually this means getting rid of miasma but not always. The point it that, as Xiang, we have too much on our plate to worry about romance.”

“What about when the task is finished?”

“I…” He frowned. Most Xiang were never finished or died at the very end of their journeys. “They usually don’t make it.”

“They don’t?” Baiya tilted his head to the side.

“Most stories I know end in the Xiang dying once they accomplish their mission. Those who took lovers were usually hindered by it and Xiang Don even died protecting his lover—he did not accomplish what he was set out to do.”

The Agni disciple frowned. “That is a terribly sad life.”

“Maybe.” Pangu shrugged. “All I was taught was to not be distracted. So I haven’t been.” That was a bit of a lie but the man didn’t need to know that.

“You don’t desire any kind of relationship? You don’t feel that you are missing something?” he asked and walked a little closer.

“No…” Pangu gulped and dipped further down in the water, letting it come up to his chin. “Even…even if the Xiang was allowed to have a partner, I still would be unable to be with who I wanted anyway.”

Baiya felt his heart sink but he pressed him anyway, “Why is that?”

He wasn’t sure why he was admitting it and to Baiya of all people but it was out of his mouth before he could properly take the time to consider his words. “Because my attraction is with men.”

The other man’s eyebrows rose though he wasn’t entirely surprised. It seemed the entire group of them were in the same category and Pangu being attracted to men would explain his draw towards others like him. Himself included. “Oh.”

“I know it is forbidden by Tiandi but I will never act on it anyway,” Pangu explained himself and rose back up, “Though, I am not sure Tiandi even wrote those particular laws but in the eyes of the world at large, I know it is unacceptable.”

“You know, here in Agni it is not even for religious reasons that people look down on those relationships,” Baiya offered though he wasn’t sure how much it would help.

“Really?” Pangu hadn’t considered the fact that Agni was still against “impure unions” while also not being religious. He hadn’t thought much on it.

His disciple nodded. “It is seen as unproductive and selfish. You are to procreate and carry on your family line. Make sons for the military. Etcetera. If my mother didn’t love me as much as she does, she would have disowned me by now for not making her grandchildren.”

Pangu laughed a little and took a moment to collect himself before asking, “Is there any reason you haven’t…?”

Baiya smiled. “Because I’m like you.” After a second where Pangu had to take that information in, he added, “Though I haven’t had much time on my hands lately to seek out a partner.”

“Oh…you don’t say…” Pangu gulped. The spring suddenly felt much hotter and he couldn’t control the unruly thoughts running through his mind. Part of him screamed to just admit his feeling to Baiya but he knew that would only lead to disaster so he took a deep breath and re-centered himself. “I guess that just leaves Raine as being the only normal one, huh.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” the man disregarded him, “I have some suspicions about him.”

“Raine?!” Pangu questioned and then laughed.

Baiya smirked. “Yeah. Raine.”

He chuckled some more and thought about what he could have caught onto. After a second, he slipped further down into the water again. “I wonder if you noticed the same thing that I did then,” he dared to say.

The other man raised an eyebrow. “Which would be…?”

Pangu shook his head. “You say it first.”

Baiya laughed. “His obsession with Kira?”

At that, Pangu nodded and then covered his face to laugh some more. They might have been far from the truth but, in the moment, it was fun to speculate.

Plus, it took some of the tension out of the air to talk about the other two. Pangu could keep his thoughts in check so long as they weren’t talking about themselves.

[randomclam24]

I don't think you can even be left at the keyboard for what I'm about to say. This is the center of all the bullshit that's been relevant since summer 2021 and hasn't stopped but just has been dormant as a problem since, mainly because I haven't provoked it like that since, so not to say that it isn't the lingering problem to begin with for anyone who even exists out there. It's in common between that comment that was squeezed out of someone who takes it up the ass that "those who want to commit violence should watch hentai contents and calm down" - in and of itself, that doesn't even computer because the motivation to the one has no relation to be even observed to the other. Related to that, you also had the Denzel Curry "The Game", which doesn't state things as explicitly, despite being the one with the tone that sounds the most deadass. The most common offender is actually true capitalist ghost, in his cases of being in the end a stereotypical baby boomer who is beyond all hope, in this very respect, no less.

Basically, the representation of the conflict that these people in common *think* they're tasked with fighting (when it has and has had no place in reality) is the end tower of Halo Reach's mission On the Tip of the Spear, where there is a cluster of annoying enemies, a lot of which are little ones, with disproportionately heavy weapons. Here, what is the actual thought process being involved? Basically Halo Reach is a preliminary introduction to Halo as a large-scale war. What I'm getting by reaching this segment on Heroic is that we're dealing with this irritation in the first place that we *have* this obligation to pull up our bootstraps and go to war. That's where, in application, we have - literally - nothing but an absolute break with reality. At the very least, people like ghost deserve all the trolling they're getting and then some for this, because no one is really privy to fight Weimerica's international wars anymore as that kind of thing, and you can see that with the way the military's recruitment crisis is going. So this absolute roadblock sitting here still parroting is like, people like that should just be folded up like origami and then dropped off a very high drop

Actually I never wanted to - well on console, in fact I *did* beat Halo Reach on Heroic, but its PC version makes all these things that didn't feel right in this way with psychological implications not just a lot but glaringly more in-your-face, so that it can't be ignored- I never wanted to beat the entire Halo series beyond Normal difficulty because - first of everything I've said, but also probably because of this psychological reality. In fact I have a first-time run of Halo 4 on Legendary, the first campaign I've attempted on the highest difficulty besides the original game which stopped at Assault on the Control Room once you have these giant war vehicles shooting you down all the time in the snow area. Out of all the Halo games, I've only ever beaten Halo Reach and Halo 4 on Heroic.

Frankly, if it's the act of trying to will everyone around you, just doing it yourself not being enough for whatever reason, that the narrative of the Halo series is really all about, I don't believe there should be that much of a forced effort involved in getting people to want to fight against Weimerica's ringleaders in the current state.

I think if you actively think according to this ongoing thought process that because people aren't listening to *you*, that's just because they're all the way back here in Halo Reach, so to speak, with trying to get over themselves in the first place, you're an absolute narcissist and deserve everything coming to you.

And obviously no one like that has heard when we've had "Not My Problem" as a meme.

9/1 When trying three straight sips of the raw substance, which still sent me teetering on the very borderline of losing the great nutritional substance of my Taco Bell meal, I figured a method of downing the substance more concentrated than I was before, even if it *is* mixed to water it down a little. It involves constricting the nasal passages just with the muscles in your face so that the sense of smell doesn't interfere as long as it's going down. *Now* I may drink myself to death

Update I decided I don't exactly have the fortitude to see the mirror-dimension Gas Station in MyHouse.wad, not just yet

I have an entire genre of absurdist humor internally that's predicated around getting someone specifically to the point that they say "that's it, I'm done, I'm out" near instantaneously at any given time, given the least visible amount of effort involved possible. So it has to be really absurd. But that wouldn't be appropriate here

Update I had a weird quip that probably shouldn't just be forgotten. There was a discussion in whether Punch-Out! itself (with its namings) was racist in the true sense of the word (despite the culture itself already coming down hard strictly with the definitions, but I guess thank God for some alcoves of this kind of take) - if you actually appreciate the *ideal* held by the culture which appears in certain aspects of it, it seems as simple coming from that standpoint as the basicness of naming the Italian guy "Pizza Pasta" - but ideals themselves are something that transcends race, or culture, or what have you

Literally all that required to come from was, that I beat the first "episode" of Luigi's Mansion (out of my ass playing it, since it's the umpteenth run of it by now) and had this mini-ramble on loving [insert pasta here, so my favorite, Fettucine Alfredo]

Earlier, I also had some weird remembrance of black shows that tried to be white-presenting to be something "everybody can agree on" - so technically, they don't count as what we take for granted *today* by 2023 as a "globohomo" show, where there's no merit in it - but they were definitely as described in that sense. So in that way, I kind of liked Class of 3000 more personally than The Proud Family, on account of there being an idealism *over* the "we can all 'agree' on it" - but I acknowledge that's far *less* widely-relatable than the simple premise of the Proud Family The quote from trying to ride your bike inappropriately in Pokemon from Professor Oak holds, "there's a time and place for everything" - but I don't know if there was ever going to be a time when bringing those up was going to be not at least slightly awkward

To summarize, people who *originated* takes like the idea that it's the petty fact that we can't get very far with people socially that we want more extreme conclusions like booting out the deep state establishment, which contribute toward the "chud" meme as being a thing - they're the greatest means at preventative measures *against* level-headed discussion for pressing - no, mortal - issues. Can they just be butted out? Will that cause major consequences?

Update Okay, so I spitballed on an issue brought up a bit earlier. Basically, the only argument against the old days even in white-presenting cultures that duels between individuals were a thing is that the people were more unsure in a mortalistic sense. But there's also the justification in that, the same that black people in the modern-day rap culture seem to share in common, and so I have something meta-racist - how has that fared them, for what that's worth

Update I definitely don't like trying to put this into words. I think there's a definite difference between vibing and trying to pimp other people by means of a vibe

So thinking about that a second, I literally went through Nietzsche's spiel on the "ascetic priest", which, if it doesn't describe it literally, I thought comes very close to that entire idea of "pimping" a vibe in order to control people. I left the most recent music playlist I made since YouTube's channel got taken down on a remote post on imgur (so not all of the wider audience even sees it)

So these complaints about this lowest common denominator of my social effect - it's like I'm being told people are just doing things because they've been pimped in order to do it just unconsciously, without thinking

(So if it's the case that this is above and beyond "you need to break a few eggs to make an omelet")

Update Like I'll have to bury playlists and maps like buried treasure

Update And even this, without being anything outside of a game from childhood which was completely within age-rating-range - Steelix's cry from Pokemon Gen. 2 was something akin to overload, yet like the seemingly paradoxical term of "stable genius", it belonged to the "Normal gym", which reflected that in addition in the gym leader herself's reserved character despite the fact - is that already too far?

Update much later 500x (like seventy *times* seven), for *you*, my darling Imgur: The magic of the Internet

(Source game: demonophobia)

Update "Save your own skin" tier of music - I'm working on it - don't judge me within one solitary day

Update It's like, I wish we could have basic nice things like saying, making the reference, "Help Me I Am in Hell" by Trent Reznor as a concept, but then modern people would just say see, this is why we can't have nice things; people just need to conform better - to make do better - and if I dare to say to that, that's not even how it works bucko, what happens then?

If I express discontent, that's no admission that I've chosen the wrong path.

[lawndoctorusa]

What are some natural ways to control weeds in your lawn without using chemicals?

If you feel like you are losing the weed war on your lawn, you may resort to those evil Roundup bottles. However, there are natural solutions that you can do right in your own home to get rid of weeds without poison.

Before considering more extreme measures when dealing with weeds on your property, it is always best to use eco-friendly methods, which are widely available.

Lawn care EL Cajon can help you avoid using harmful herbicides. The use of herbicides too frequently can contaminate groundwater and damage soil. Most of these chemicals remain in the soil, along with harmful bugs and microbes that are essential to soil health.

Boiling water

With boiling water, you can get rid of those pesky weeds. Take the kettle off the stove, and pour some water carefully over each unwanted plant in the garden. Some perennial weeds with long tap roots may need two or three applications before they stop returning. Always use pot holders and wear long pants and closed-toe shoes when doing this job.

Vinegar:

When it comes to weeds with long taproots, such as dandelions and dock, vinegar is an effective remedy for eradicating them. In a few days, they will be dead. Douse the soil with vinegar until it reaches the roots. Weeds can be successfully killed by this method, especially in between the cracks of your driveway. Additionally, you can use leftover vinegar-based pickle brine, but ensure it does not leach into the roots of plants you want to keep.

Newspaper or cardboard:

Smothering your weeds is a foolproof way to eradicate weeds from large spaces, such as a side yard or pathway. Cover the areas you want to cover with thick cardboard panels (or several sheets of newspaper), then cover them with mulch.

If sunlight is lacking, low-growing weeds will die. When the seeds are deprived of sunlight, they will not sprout. These materials are paper-based and will biodegrade naturally over time into the soil. As a result of mulching your soil and protecting it from moisture loss and erosion, you will avoid weeds growing in the future.

Corn gluten meal-

The corn gluten meal acts as weed control. Spread it on exposed areas of your garden to prevent weed seeds from germinating and growing. The corn gluten meal might also prevent other seeds from germinating, so don’t try this method in your vegetable garden until after your plants have been established.

weed torch-

Using a weed torch, you can heat the water of plants inside their cells. A plant dies when it turns into steam and inflates its cells into explosions. There is no need to char the weeds. You only have to wilt them. Although this takes help and Lawn care EL Cajon can help you effectively.

Be careful when using this method, especially on windy days and in drought-prone areas. Avoid using it on poison ivy or other poisonous plants, since it can release their oils into the air and ultimately get into your eyes or lungs. Furthermore, you should be aware that a torch’s heat can melt plastic borders and landscape fabrics

Salt-

The regular salt in the salt shaker is very effective at killing weeds. A pinch of soil should be applied at the base of each unwanted plant. The weedy offender might be killed by it, but it will be diluted within a couple of rainfalls. If you apply too much salt, the soil will become uninhabitable for several months. Apply only a small amount and only where necessary.

Poultry Pointers

Chickens can provide a very effective method for controlling weeds. During the growing season, allowing your flock limited access to the garden can also help control weeds. But supervise them because they can eat tomatoes and peas just as easily as scratching at weeds.

landscape fabric-

While landscape fabric is widely derided in some circles, when used properly, it can be an asset to gardens. There is no need to use old nonpermeable landscape plastics, which literally deplete the soil beneath them. Professional Lawn care EL Cajon have complete knowledge about landscape fabric. It is important to use weed-proof fabric to prevent weed seeds.

Suitable for use along walkways to minimize weed growth in spots where plants are not grown. Lay the fabric from border to border with as few cuts or openings as possible to achieve maximum weed suppression.

[ikahnik-gaming]

The Case For The Last Of Us VR

Here’s the video on youtube:

In my argument, "the case for God of War VR", I forgot to discuss the obvious limitations of bringing a game like God of War to Virtual Reality. I mentioned how amazing it was to make Kratos climb a Titan using a controller. And I’m overwhelmed with excitement at the idea of doing similar feats in Kratos’ shoes, not with a controller, but in VR. Unfortunately, I disregarded the fact that God of War is a fast paced hack and slash game that involves frequent outbursts of rapid attacks, often, against multiple enemies. In any case, if not done right, with the utmost consideration for User Experience, God of War VR could easily be rebranded as God of Motion Sickness VR. Just imagining climbing a Titan that's in motion is dizzying enough. Doing so in PSVR2 would probably be way worse. I could see myself stumbling to the bathroom shortly after a quick gameplay session to baby-bird feed my last meal to the toilet. Not a pretty sight. Anyway, now, I want “you" to forget all about God of Motion Sickness VR so that I can sell you, drum roll please...The Last of Us VR. I know you're probably tired of all the last of us remasters, but bear with me. A Last of US VR would probably go toe to toe with games like Resident Evil. Last of Us will no longer be just about the intimate relationship between people during a viral outbreak, but instead would become a horror show stopping, heart pumping, menace. And best of all, those ladder sequences would finally be "interesting". Great news for hardware store enthusiasts, this is probably as close we will ever get to seeing a hardware store simulator.

Without getting into spoilers, here's a few reasons why I think The Last of Us should come to PSVR2.

Sadly, the amazing story of the Last of Us would have to take a backseat. But if anything the Last of Us HBO show proves is that the story will always be incredible regardless of which medium it’s being told on. This time, combat would take center stage. The Last of Us combat is a set of methodical deadly actions that rely on careful weapon and ammo management. Ammo is sparse and weapons need to be crafted. And because each type of infected requires a different approach, the player has to carefully choose which appropriate weapon to use for each disparate situation. A loud gun would be more detrimental in a den of clickers than a shiv, a knife, or bare hands. Although, I don't know how I would feel about getting up close and personal to chokehold an infected. Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl. The player’s every action will not only matter as usual, but will take on personal investment unlike any flat screen Last of Us experience.

Which brings us to the next point, the urgency of the world. There are many "zombie" games that approach combat in various ways from the hack and slash of the Dead Island series to the mow ‘em all down in Days Gone. But unlike many of those games, The Last of Us requires the player to strategize each encounter. Even on easy mode, there are times when it's more advantageous to throw a bottle or brick to distract enemies than to fight. The game gives the player the wonderful options of either carefully fighting their way through hordes of infected or avoiding combat altogether by distracting and sneaking. The player can always adjust their playstyle midgame because of the on the go crafting mechanism. It’s a clever system that can both be a blessing or a curse depending on whether the player can leave themself vulnerable for a brief moment. This simple mechanic in of itself makes the Last of Us world more thrilling and it’s easy to imagine how tense the game would become in VR. Fans of horror games would rejoice at the next level combat and crafting immersion.

And speaking of immersion, the world would take on a different life of its own. The Last of Us series has been lauded as one of the most visually impressive games. VR would elevate the beauty of the environment to new heights. Every amazing little detail in the environment would add another layer of immersion to the already captivating world. Crossing the detailed post apocalyptic world would be both a visual treat and a reminder of how quickly nature reclaims and reshapes spaces in the absence of human intervention. It would be the closest we get to touring a deserted human habitat like the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The little secret discoveries around the world would become even more special. For gamers who like to explore, the beautiful world of The Last of Us in VR could actually increase the game's time to beat from the average 15 hours to a much meatier experience.

I, for one, would love to get my hands on a Last of Us iteration in VR. The incredible world created by the game studio, Naughty Dog, would shine once more as players cross the world. Naturally, I have some questions and I’m sure you do too. 

Would we be experiencing the world in the shoes of Joel and Ellie, or would we be in control of a previously unexplored character like we did with Ryas in Horizon Call of The Mountain? Would it make more sense to have the player create their own new character, to mold as we see fit? Do we want a new story or an identical remake with only the VR perspective?

What would you prefer? As for me, I would welcome any type of VR experience for the Last of Us. With Sony throwing their weight back into the VR industry, its first party studios could be the key to push VR more into the mainstream. Come on Naughty Dog, I’ve seen what you can do on a typical flat screen. Now it’s time to push the envelope and challenge yourselves to show the world that you are without a doubt one of the greatest game studios ever. I’m rooting for you and a Last Of Us Vr title.

Anyway, that’s my thought on why I would love to see a version of The Last Of Us in VR. Let me know your thoughts in the comment. As always, like and subscribe if you haven’t. It’s fun for you and does wonders for me. Peace.