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[pragyaflexifilm]

Aluminum Foil Sheets: Practical Uses Around the Kitchen & House

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[bettysupremacy]

hii! I was wondering if you could write a fic with reader and any marauder (they all fit) and maybe helping or becoming protective over the reader after a concert or party after a creep follows the reader? 😭

I went through a similar experience with a guy following me around after I went to the restroom after a concert, and it ruined my night if i'm being honest, I was scared 😞 I'm not the most shy of people and usually I can handle myself but it was pretty dark and idk the adrenaline from feeling happy to scared shifted pretty quickly. Luckily I found my friends and let them know and we quickly went back to our car (along with a few dirty looks from my friends god bless lol). I swore I could go to the restroom by myself- will not be doing that again :(

you can ignore this request if it makes you uncomfortable!

thank uu

i’m so sorry that happened to you! “(they all fit)”= poly marauders!

There’s something about post concert depression, especially when you’re with the band.

Your glitter eyeshadow is smudged, eyeliner untouched. You’d been shaken around in the pit of your boyfriends fans, and yet the paint hasn’t budged. God bless water-proof makeup. The world seems prettier like this, touched by alcohol and the feeling of soaring pride for your boyfriends. The glittery lights and signs of time square never fail to dazzle you, even now as you lean against Sirius morosely.

“M’hungry.” You frown, toes tipping up towards Sirius, though you fear the mumble may have been more for yourself.

His attention is diverted towards the boys as they discuss what to do now. Plans of how to get home and where to eat. His finger taps your cheek slowly, his focus paying you no mind. Words like Uber, hotel, room service echo throughout their very repetitive conversation.

“Sirius.”

He looks down, a little shocked and sorry at his own attention. “Yes, lovely?”

“M’hungry.”

“Hungry?” He asks, cringing. You’re about thirty minutes from the hotel, and even then, room service will take another thirty.

“So hungry.”

He sighs, unsure of what to do.

“There’s a hotdog stand over there.” You grab his tattooed bicep to balance yourself as you point to your right.

He thinks, peering down at you. “This won’t ruin your dinner?” It’s midnight, but still.

“No,” you sing, reaching up to cup his cheeks. “I really want a hotdog.

He flushes, looking away from your wandering eyes. Normally he wouldn’t let you out of his sight. They would never let you out of their sight in a place like this. But the cart is in eye view of the boys, and he has faith in you not to stray, even in your inebriated manor. It’s not that they don’t trust you, they just prefer to keep you safe themselves. Is that okay?

“Okay,” He murmurs, pulling out his wallet, handing you his card. “At least get the good toppings.”

“I always get the good toppings.” You pull away.

The walk is short and the cart is colorful. Red and white stripes, curvy calligraphy. It shines in your inebriated vision. Beautiful. The queues not long, just an older man waiting in front of you, but it feels like forever as the generous man (with the toppings as well) takes your order and wraps it in warm aluminum foil.

You take the hotdog eagerly. “Thank you.”

It’s heavy in your hands, warm too. You yell Sirius’ name excitedly, waving the hotdog above your head for him to see. He laughs, thumbs up until you bump into a man, smile fading, concern etching his brows.

“Oh,” you murmur, looking up. “I’m sorry.”

“No problem,” he smiles. It’s uncomfortable, not the smile of a friendly civilian.

You laugh. It’s polite, anyone can see that, but he leans closer. He smells like liquor, a disgusting discovery that has you subconsciously leaning away.

“You new around here?”

An actual laugh stumbles out of your lips. “London? No.”

He takes this as an entrance. “You should show me around.”

“No, thank you.” You try to walk past him. Towards Sirius who’s already walking over. “Goodnight.”

“Wait,” he grabs your arm, pulling you back. His fingers dig into your elbow painfully.

“What the fuck,” you gasp, pulling your arm away roughly. “don’t touch me.”

“C’mon,” The man slurs, fingers reaching for you again. “Don’t be-“

“Hello?” Sirius walks up, all stock. He grabs your forearm pulling you to him firmly, getting in between you and the man. He’s not much taller, but more intimidating in demeanor. “Do we have a problem?”

“No,” the man scoffs.

“Cause it looks like you put your hands on her.”

He scoffs again, clearly inebriated. “We were just talking.”

“Well, conversations over now.”

“She can make her own decisions.”

“Fuck off, bro.” Sirius waves his hand dismissively. Quickly, he walks you towards the boys who are peeking their eyes up from the Uber app.

“She was asking for it.”

Sirius reels back, dropping your forearm to shove the scary stranger in the chest. He pushes hard, the man losing his balance as he falls to the ground in a sickening thud. You gasp loudly, the unexpected conflict startling you. Vaguely you hear Sirius say something to him, but you’re too focused on the way the man looks up at you.

James and Remus are there in seconds, quick on Sirius’s heels. They pull at him, up and off the man. There were no real punches thrown, no real injuring blows, it wasn’t even enough to form a crowd. But still, you’re shaken. You shiver like a leaf under your James’ leather jacket, suddenly not feeling the warmth of the alcohol you’d consumed before the concert.

Slowly, you stumble back and way from your boys, to the bench next to the shitty bar you’d passed on your way home. That had been scary, but you’re safe; that had been scary, but Sirius dealt with it. You bring your hand up to your chest, setting the hotdog you had been eager to buy down next to you.

“Hi,” Remus pushes aside the hotdog to sit next to you. “Are you okay?”

You look up to the boy, blindingly beautiful in the streetlights and advertisements. “Yes.”

He pushes some stray hair from your face. “He didn’t hurt you?”

“I think it was more startling.” James sits on the other side of you, kissing your temple firmly. “I’m sorry he did that.”

“It’s okay, I’m okay.”

“She’s okay.” Sirius gruffs from where he walks over.

He sounds cooler than he thinks he looks. He’s not bruised, bloodied, or bandaged, if he were he thinks he’d look cool enough to breeze over. But then again you look mad, so maybe he doesn’t want that.

“Don’t be upset,” Sirius crouches to your level. You’re in the arms of a solid Remus. “he was a creep.”

“Are you hurt?”

“Are you trying to tell me something?” He laughs roguishly. “I thought I looked good tousled.”

He does, and you know he’ll look good on the tabloids tomorrow too. Sirius black gives black eye? You sigh at the thought.

“You do.” James feeds Sirius.

“At least someone in this relationship cares for my ego.”

“You look good.”

“Oh, now you tell me.”

You laugh, letting Sirius stare at you like you hung the moon.

“Kiss em?” He pushes his knuckles in front of your lips. His fingers throb lightly, you can feel it on your lips.

“That was stupid.”

“C’mon,” Sirius’ eyes roll as he pulls you up. “You’ve got a hotdog to eat.”

[alpapaca]

Three ingredient fudge recipe (no not that one)

I made this in my college dorm room by using a knife instead of a can opener. (Don't do this) It's won multiple county fair awards. The only complaint I've ever gotten was from someone who couldn't eat it.

needed:

-microwave

-9x9 inch baking pan or something similar. Smaller means thicker fudge that sets more slowly, larger means thinner fudge that sets more quickly

-parchment paper (or aluminum foil, but not plastic wrap)

-a grease, either spray or a small bit of butter (you can swipe a bit off the stick needed for the fudge itself if necessary)

-1 can of sweetened condensed milk, 14oz

-1 stick of salted butter (or add a pinch of salt if its unsalted) - (1/2 cup)

-1 bag of chocolate chips, 12oz.*

Optional:

-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract**

-extra flavors or fillings

Step 1) Prep pan by lining with parchment paper and greasing lightly. Set aside.

Step 2) place all three main ingredients into a microwave safe bowl. The butter will melt easier if it's sliced.

Step 3) microwave for 1 minute or until it looks a little melty. Stir, taking care to smoosh the chocolate and butter into each other. Don't be afraid to put it back in the microwave for 20sec increments if it's not melting down well after a minute or two of smooshing. If you want to add any flavourings (1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, chopped nuts, dash of cinnamon or chili powder***, etc) now is the time.

Step 4) pour into the prepped pan and spread out evenly. If you want to add any sprinkles, salt, or decorations on top then now is the time. Place in fridge to set. Usually done in 6hrs but best if left overnight.

If you want to make peanut butter fudge either replace the stick of butter with 1 cup of peanut butter, or for a slightly less peanut-y fudge use half a stick of butter and 2/3rds cup peanut butter.

*dark chocolate ones often only come in 10oz so in order to set properly I recommend adding in 2oz of a plain dark chocolate bar or extra chips

**If you're using chocolate meant for eating instead of for baking the vanilla extract may already be in the bar so check the ingredient list

***If you've never put spices in chocolate before please just know that the flavor may be milder when you first put it in the pan and stronger after it's set. It may also taste stronger when eaten at room temp and be milder when it's chilled. I recommend starting with a 1/2 teaspoon chili powder if you're not used to spice, with a dash of cinnamon, and adding more to taste.

This fudge is very amenable to adjustments, and if you find that after twelve hours it hasn't set to a slightly squishy texture that holds its form and can be sliced into squares, feel free to just toss the whole thing back into a microwavable bowl and melt a few more ounces of chocolate into it. Same for if you make the flavors too strong or not strong enough. The texture will start getting a little weird if you do this too much, but as long as you don't burn the chocolate while microwaving it'll still taste good.

[fox-bright]

Rage Cheesecake with Oreo Crust, Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting, and Home-Grown Tart Cherry Topping

I took recipe-bits from all over and changed them into something that sounded more like what I wanted, so here's what I did today instead of committing a felony!

RECIPE BEHIND CUT

Oreo crust part:

* 25 Oreos

* 5 tablespoons of melted butter

* Pan--pie pan or springform, depending on how deep a cheesecake you want. This makes a nice, not-too-deep cheesecake in a nine-inch springform; it would be Too Much Filling in a pie pan, which would mean you have extra, and that's always fun too. An eight-inch springform is probably perfect.

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. You may eat TWO OREOS. Crush the remainder. I have the best time with this when I use a food processor, but if you are *particularly* spirited today, this is a good place to take out some aggression. Just pulverize the things, filling and all, until they are all reduced to the consistency of sand.

3. Add melted butter and mix until it's like *wet* sand.

4. Put buttery chocolate sand into your chosen cooking dish. I use a little jar and push push push pat pat pat until it's all nice and level from the center of the dish to the edge and has no holes.

5. Bake for eight to twelve minutes. You want it to still look a little moist. Do not overcook!

6. Remove from oven and let cool. Don't move the pan around too much before it's cool or you risk fracturing the crust.

Cheesecake part:

* Two packages of cream cheese, room temperature unless you like cream cheese chunks in your cheesecake. No judgment, some people are into that.

* 2/3C white sugar

* 3 eggs

* 3 cups of sour cream (this is a very moist cheesecake!)

* Vanilla to taste

1. Preheat oven to 325F, that's 25 degrees LOWER than for the crust.

2. Cream sugar and cream cheese until smooth.

3. Add eggs, one at a time, mix until just blended.

4. Add all sour cream and vanilla, mix until just homogenous. Don't overmix or you get weird dry pillowy stuff instead of nice dense cheesecake.

5. Cook in prepared crust for approximately 50 minutes, until it's set at the edges but a little jiggly yet in the middle.

Note: Properly you'd do this in a bain marie, but I don't have one, so I wrap the bottom of my springform pan in aluminum foil and set the whole kit and kaboodle into a sturdy cookie sheet, put all that into the preheated oven, and pour water into the cookie sheet once it's safely on the oven rack. If the cheesecake starts to overcook on the top before the center is set, cover it with aluminum foil.

6. Remove from oven; let rest in bain marie/rigged pan for ten minutes before removing springform pan to clean towel. Let rest *there* until it's cool enough to put in the fridge. Cover and chill for two to four hours.

Cherry topping part:

* Sour cherries that have been frozen since last year, or a bag of cherries, or fresh cherries, whichever, approximately 4.5 cups which is too many for just this cheesecake but it's nice to have around anyway

* Granulated sugar to taste

* Corn starch

Or just pick up a can or two of cherry pie filling, in which case you can skip this whole step.

1. Defrost cherries. If you don't do this in a pot, there's a good chance that they will leak precious juice all over your clean counter. Don't be me; thaw that stuff in the pot you'll heat it in.

2. Once they're not a singular ice block but instead a bunch of big ice chunks, turn the temperature on low, maybe around a 2.

3. Once the cherries are separate from each other, add sugar to taste. This changes a lot depending on your cherries' tartness; I eventually used nearly two cups of sugar for around 4.5 cups of cherries. Usually I'd use a good bit less, but they're very tart this time.

4. Cook and cook and cook until the liquid is reduced by about a third.

5. Add corn starch. For those measurements I added about a tablespoon and a half. Remember to make it a slurry before pouring it into the pot; you can either do this with a little water, or you can spoon out some of the cherry syrup (don't burn yourself!), mix that into a little bowl along with the corn starch, and then pour it all into the pot. Bring back to a good bubble for four or five minutes, then remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature.

Whipped chocolate ganache part:

* 1 part heavy cream to 1 part chocolate (I just use Toll House. Everyone says not to do that. It's been fine).

1. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.

2. Warm the cream on the stove until it's juuuust about to start bubbling. Stir frequently so it doesn't get a skin.

3. Remove from heat, pour into heatproof bowl over the chocolate.

4. WALK AWAY. I'm serious. Don't touch it. Don't poke at it. Do not, do NOT, attempt to stir it. Walk away.

5. After five minutes, come back and stir, stir, until it's all one thing. It should be like a very good, very thick chocolate syrup. You *can* just eat this, with a spoon. You can pour it over a cake, or dip strawberries in it. Chilled right as it is, it is a dessert on its own.

6. Let it cool to room temperature.

7. Come back and use your hand mixer or stand mixer to whip it up. This should get to a pipeable consistency; if it doesn't, you may need to incorporate powdered sugar. If you add butter and powdered sugar, you'll get a very stable buttercream.

Finishing part:

1. Remove springform edge from nice cold cheesecake.

2. Pipe or dollop whipped ganache in ring atop the cheesecake.

3. Fill the ring with cooled cherry filling.

4. Garnish further if you'd like. I used decorative Sixlets and some more crushed Oreo.

5. Finished!

[bwabys-scenarios]

Reunited

Part 10

Illumi x Reader

Part 9

Part 11

Dawn breaks, as the airship carrying (Name) and her friends approaches its destination. The Third Phase of the Hunter Exam is about to begin.

(Name) startles awake when she hears an announcement play over the speakers.

“I apologize for the long wait. The airship will soon arrive at its destination.”

The girl rises from her place on the floor, watching the other woman do the same out of the corner of her eye.

(Name) stretches lightly and heads to the bathroom to get a quick shower before they land.

—————

The applicants gather on top of a large pillar, looking around in confusion.

“What is this?”

“There’s nothing here.”

(Name) joins her group, checking over her bag as she does.

“Ahem.”

Everyone turns to give Beans their full attention.

“Everyone, the exams Third Phase will begin here, at the top of trick tower.” Beans smiles. A man tilts his head, looking at Beans in confusion.

“Trick Tower?”

“To pass this phase, you must reach the tower’s base alive. The time limit is seventy-two hours. With that, we will now begin the Third Phase. I pray for your success!”

“No way.” Leorio whispers. (Name) begins to stretch her limbs to limber up.

The crowd disperses to check out their surroundings. (Name) attempts to do so as well, but before she can get more than ten feet away, she falls into a trap door.

The other four in her group remain unaware of her absence for around 5 minutes, until Gon’s eyes scan the area around them.

“Where did (Name) go?”

—————

“Ouch…”

(Name) stood slowly, rubbing her hurt wrist gently. She’d landed on it when she fell, and although Leorio had bandaged it and given her an ice pack, it still ached.

She was in a plain room, the only visible detail being a circular table holding several bracelets. On the wall behind the table was a sign.

“The five of you must follow the will of the majority to reach the goal.” (Name) read aloud. She let out a cry when the roof of the room opened up and another person fell in.

Though saying they fell in wasn’t accurate, the man landed perfectly. (Name) felt a twinge of jealousy at his safe landing. Her throbbing wrist was a constant reminder of her less than graceful tumble.

The man in question was the disguised Illumi, who (Name) recognized as Gittarackur. She studied how he surveyed the room with a careful eye, his gaze only faltering when it landed on her.

“Hello, I’m (Name). You’re Gittarackur, right?”

“… yes.”

Illumi’s eyes didn’t leave her figure, noticing her pained expression. His eyes softened ever so slightly when she leaned towards him, holding out her good hand. He shook it firmly, trying his best to be gentle.

“It’s nice to meet you, Gittarackur. I hope we can work together to get out of here.”

For a moment Illumi wondered if she was this kind to everyone. The way she smiled her pretty smile and shook his hand so delicately… did she do that with every person she met?

His thoughts were interrupted by the loud growl of his stomach. He had trouble sleeping last night and had slept in, which was unusual for him. Because of that, he hadn’t been able to eat breakfast. If his mother was here, she would scold him.

“Oh, did you eat breakfast? It was really good! I stuffed some extra bacon and toast into my bag. Want some?”

He felt something in his chest flutter. Her concern for him seemed to cause a reaction, what that was exactly he didn’t know. He could only nod quietly and watch her unpack the toast and bacon she had wrapped in aluminum foil.

Illumi had seen her packing the extra provisions before, so he decided to trust that she hadn’t poisoned. He was decent at reading peoples character, and (Name) didn’t seem like the type to poison him.

Once the food was in his hands, he devoured it like a starving dog, forgetting his manners. (Name) began packing her bag back up as he did.

—————

The two sat in silence as three other people fell into the room, one after the other. The first was a short man, second a tall one, a third a scrawny one. None of them seemed too interested in team work, so (Name) stuck by Illumi. Once the last person had fallen in, they all put on the bracelets and began the phase.

The group made their way through several doors, deciding which way to go each time. They mostly chose the same answers, besides when there was an option for left or right.

(Name) kept a close eye on “Gittarackur”, who she felt oddly connected with. She wasn’t quite sure why, but he felt like the best choice of a companion while she was separated from her group.

After one last answer, the group arrived at labyrinth like structure. The walls were 20 feet tall, and covered in vines. It smelled like decay, almost causing (Name) to vomit up her breakfast. She steeled herself, leaning against the doorway for support.

“So, this is our trial.”

The short man squatted down and began stretching his legs out, a confident smirk on his face. “I’ll just climb to the top and walk right out of here. See ya, losers!”

Before anyone could stop him, he climbed up the walls using the vines. (Name) marveled at his climbing ability, clapping as he easily reached the top.

“Wow, that’s amazing! He-“

She felt someone’s hands cover her eyes. (Name) almost wish they had covered her ears too, because the sound of screaming was almost worse than what she would have seen.

Illumi watched as the man was sliced in half by the talons of a harpy like beast. The harpy let out a satisfied screech as she began to tear into the flesh of the man, the sound of skin ripping and blood splashing the rock walls of the labyrinth echoing through the halls.

Once the harpy had eaten its full, it carried the remains off, perhaps to feed its young. Illumi waited until it was out of sight to pull his hands away from (Name)’s eyes. He bristled when he spotted big tears falling from her eyes and rolling down her cheeks.

Her hands shook as she turned to look at him, her eyes wide with fear. “Will that happen to me?”

Illumi felt the world around him pause. He wondered why he felt the need to comfort her right now, why her trembling hands and watery eyes made him so angry and so…

“No. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

That was that. He grabbed her hand and they continued through the labyrinth. He made sure to keep her on the opposite side the man had been devoured on.

——————

They’d been walking for about 4 hours when (Name) asked for a break. The group of four sat down, (Name) passing out drinks and food to everyone. Only Illumi noticed how small her own portion was. Another feeling washed over him. He was beginning to think this girl was more trouble than she was worth.

“Gittarackur!”

(Name) leaned towards him, whispering into his ear. Illumi jumped, having her so close that he could smell her strawberry lilac perfume made him… uneasy? Again he couldn’t place the feeling. She grabbed his hand, setting something in the palm of his hand.

“Shh, I only have this one left. Don’t tell the others.”

When he opened up his palm to peer in, he saw a shiny piece of butterscotch candy. The wrapping crinkled when he moved it, causing (Name) to frantically look around and press a finger to her lips.

He held back the urge to roll his eyes, opening it quietly then placing it on his tongue. (Name) perked up, her eyes observing his face fit a reaction that never came. Her lips formed a pout and she crossed her arms.

“Do you like it?”

She tried her best not to look disappointed when he shrugged. Illumi took a bit of pleasure in the way she huffed and packed her bag, finding it cute.

“It’s good.”

(Name) stopped at his words. She peered up from her bag to see him smiling, albeit a bit of a creepy smile. Nonetheless she smiled back, zipping her bag and placing it on her back.

While the two had been busy, the tall man had vanished. The last man, who neither of them had spoken to, seemed somewhat… suspicious. Illumi decided to keep a closer eye on him than before.

Another two hours passed on in silence, only occasionally interrupted by the sound of (Name) tripping over vines. Illumi had applied over 5 of (Name)’s bandaids to her slowly growing collection of scrapes.

“Can’t you be more careful? Didn’t anyone teach you to watch where you walk?” Illumi asked, applying the sixth Hello Kitty bandage to her knee. (Name) whined lightly, pulling her knees to her chest to pout.

“I am! It’s just…”

She looks away, her eyes on the vines.

“It’s like the vines are reaching out to grab me.”

Illumi stops, blinking slowly before reaching out and grabbing her ankle. (Name) starts to question him when he pulls her up by her leg, looking at her ankle questioningly.

“H-hey! Put me down!”

(Name) wiggled, trying to escape his ironclad grip to no avail. She instead chose to focus on keeping her skirt down. Even though she was wearing shorts underneath, it was still embarrassing to have a stranger holding her up by her ankles like she were a vegetable.

Illumi stared at her ankle, a theory forming in his mind. Her ankles were red, as if they had rope burn. He was sure if it now.

“The vines… are alive.”

He let her go, focusing on the scrawny man from before.

“What happened with you and the other man?”

The scrawny man started laughing, tears welling up in his eyes. “That man was my BROTHER. We came here to do the Hunter Exam together, hoping to pass so we could get some good paying jobs. But…”

He punched the wall, his fist breaking upon impact. “Those damn vines. While you two were having a relaxing picnic, my brother and I decided to sneak away to get out before you. Makes it easier to get through the phase when you have less competition right?”

He laughed humorlessly, biting his trembling lip. “My brother goes ahead of me to make sure it’s safe. He’s always been like that, my big brother. Always there for me, always protecting me…”

The man sighs, dropping his broken hand.

“Not this time. When he didn’t come back I went to get him, and what did I see? These fucking vines had encased him. Twisting him up like a pretzel, begging me to just kill him.”

(Name) held her hand over her mouth, waiting patiently for him to continue.

“And I did. How could I ignore my brother’s pain? I’ve helped him put sick animals out of misery, I’d be a hypocrite to let my own brother suffer like that.”

Illumi stood in front of (Name) protectively, waiting.

“Is that it?”

The man rolled his eyes, letting out a haughty laugh.

“Oh no no, of course not. The vines, they attached themselves to me. They’re alive, a network of living organisms. My brother is in there, and he’s hungry.”

He pulled out a hatchet, twirling it expertly.

“So I’m gonna feed you to them. Your blood will keep my brothers consciousness alive.”

The man gripped the handle of his hatchet, his broken hand cracking under the pressure.

(Name) closed her eyes, and when she opened them the man was dead on the floor. Illumi wiped blood off of the killing needle, his face neutral.

“Those vines cause hallucinations when they’re cut. He must of cut some when enacting his mercy killing. Vines must of made him think his brother was still alive and needed to feed.”

He began walking again, this time making sure to stay in the middle of the path to avoid the reaching vines. (Name) followed close behind.

She tried not to think about how easily her companion had taken a life, instead deciding to focus on the exam.

——————

The two reached the end of the labyrinth without much fuss. (Name) leaned against the now vine-less wall and sighed out in relief.

“When this exam is over I am going to sleep all day long.” she whined out, rubbing at her aching wrist.

(Name) and Illumi exit through a stone door, a voice saying they were 2nd(Illumi) and 3rd(Name) to complete the exam. It had taken them a total of 12 hours and 2 minutes.

Once they had entered the room, Illumi turned to see Hisoka sitting on the stone floor, leaning against the wall.

“I figured you’d already crossed the finish line.”

Hisoka only grinned, his eyes flitting to (Name) for just a second before another door opened.

“ALL RIGHT! I’m the first to fini-“

“Hanzo, applicant #294, is the fourth to pass!”

“Huh?”

Hanzo glances around the room, his gaze passing over each applicant before he cries out.

“No!! I don’t believe this! I came in fourth…”

(Name) laughed nervously, scooting behind Illumi to avoid Hisoka’s prying eyes. Illumi noticed this, looking between the two suspiciously.

“Let’s rest. We’ll have to wait around 60 hours for the other applicants to finish.” Illumi said, sitting down on the dusty floor. (Name) huffed, plopping down beside him with a pout on her lips.

“What if I have to pee? This sucks.”

Illumi tilted his head. “You can just go to a corner, I guess.”

(Name) groaned, covering her anguished expression with her hands. “Gittarackur, I am NOT going to pee in front of a bunch of guys, especially Hisoka. I feel like he would be into that.”

She whispered the last part into Illumi’s ear, looking over at Hisoka warily. Illumi raised an eyebrow, a smile pulling at his lips. He didn’t respond to her statement, only leaning against the wall and closing his eyes.

——————-

TAGLIST

@tsukilover11

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[detentiontrack]

In like 2018 when instagram introduced that question sticker where the person could ask a question on their story and people would respond to it, a girl I didn’t like posted on her story a question sticker asking if she can microwave food wrapped in aluminum foil and. Um. I didn’t know that the sticker responses WEREN’T ANONYMOUS so I said something like “yes! It is completely safe and encouraged to microwave aluminum foil! In fact, it helps it cook better and more evenly 🥰❤️” and um. Her microwave caught on fire and was destroyed and she knew it was me and threatened to call the police on me for attempting to burn her house down.

[pluuginstoreofficial]

Eco-Friendly and Versatile: The Benefits of Uniwraps Food Wrapping Paper

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[efficientcleaning]

Restaurant Kitchen Cleaning

414-305-3074

www.facebook.com/efficientcleanin

Restaurant Degreasing Services | Professional Kitchen Cleaning Description: Highlight your restaurant degreasing services, emphasizing professionalism and kitchen cleaning expertise.: "Our restaurant degreasing services ensure a safe and clean kitchen environment. We remove stubborn grease and grime to maintain health code compliance. Contact us for expert kitchen cleaning today."

Keywords: restaurant degreasing, kitchen cleaning, grease removal, commercial kitchen cleaning, restaurant kitchen degreasing, professional kitchen cleaning Geo-Targeted Meta Tags (if you operate in a specific location):

Location: Insert the specific area or city you serve, e.g., "Serving Los Angeles, CA" or "NYC Kitchen Cleaning Experts." Service-Specific Meta Tags:

Services: "Deep Fryer Cleaning," "Exhaust Hood Cleaning," "Grill Cleaning," "Kitchen Appliance Cleaning" Contact Information:

Contact: "Phone: (Your Phone Number)" and "Email: (Your Email Address)" Unique Selling Proposition (USP):

USP: "Trusted by Restaurants for Over a Decade" or "24/7 Emergency Kitchen Degreasing Services" Call-to-Action (CTA):

Cutlery:

Knife Fork Spoon Teaspoon Tablespoon Cooking Pots and Pans:

Frying pan Saucepan Stockpot Dutch oven Wok Roasting pan Bakeware:

Baking sheet Cake pan Muffin tin Loaf pan Pie dish Cookie cutters Rolling pin Food Prep Utensils:

Cutting board Chef's knife Vegetable peeler Grater Mixing bowls Colander Measuring cups and spoons Small Appliances:

Blender Food processor Toaster Coffee maker Microwave Electric kettle Utensils for Mixing and Stirring:

Whisk Wooden spoon Ladle Slotted spoon Spatula Tongs Mixing spoon Baking and Cooking Tools:

Thermometer Oven mitts Basting brush Pastry brush Sieve or sifter Can opener Corkscrew Kitchen Gadgets:

Garlic press Nutcracker Egg separator Citrus juicer Potato masher Pizza cutter Ice cream scoop Storage Containers:

Food storage containers Plastic wrap Aluminum foil Plastic bags Miscellaneous Tools:

Timer Meat tenderizer Kitchen scale Trivet Mortar and pestle Kitchen scissors Serveware:

Plates Bowls Glasses Serving platters Salad tongs Gravy boat Trays Culinary Accessories:

Apron Oven gloves Pot holders Kitchen timer

[okinawa-division]

Happy Halloween! 🎃

From Liberty Guild

Ace - Prince Charming

"Ha, this is nostalgic. The last time I wore an outfit like this was back in high school when we were doing a "Masquerade Ball" or something. Shame the shop I bought this from didn't have a mask to go with the outfit, but I think it'll still get the message across. I don't know if buying all white was the smartest move, though. Oh well. It's a rental anyway. ...Anyway, I think I see my 'Cinderella' approaching, so I'll have to cut this short. Here, have a safe and fun-filled Halloween."

You received a treat!

Royal Candy Bars. Delicious white chocolate candy wrapped in blue paper with the words 'Royal' written in white with a crown above it. You bite down on it, letting the white goodness explode in your mouth.

Evelyn - Cinderella

*sighs* "This brings back memories of, like, my high school prom with Acey. It was so wonderful. I could have, liked, danced the entire night away. Maybe I can, like, convince Rashaad to play something other than, like, jazz in his bar before the night is over so Acey and I can, like, get one dance in. I'll have to ask him about it when we get back from trick-or-treating. Oh! Like, here! Take these, by the way! Hope you're having, like, a good Halloween! Stay, like, safe out there!"

You received a treat!

Yellow Glass Slippers. Like the glass slipper from the well-known fairy tale, these hard candies are hard to break unless you bite down hard on them. They have a very lemony flavor to them.

Rashaad - Pirate

"Man, it feels weird without my sunglasses on. I don't need them to see, of course, but when you have something for so long, you kinda get used to having it. Honestly, I don't know what I was going for with this outfit. All I did was draw a line over my other eye, put an eyepatch over it, a face mask, and whola. Instant pirate. I hope I can breathe with this thing on. Oh yes, here's some candy for you! Now go out and have a good, but safe time! Urrgh!"

You received a treat!

Gold Doubloons. Delicious milk chocolate candy wrapped in gold aluminum foil in the shape of coins. They are about the size of a U.S. half dollar, meaning they aren't big, but they are nowhere near 'small' either.

Thanks to @saitama-division for Evelyn's dress!

[l1ft-l1ft1ng-l1ft3d]

do you use magnet or hooks for the clothes? There’s a super dead macy’s at my mall and i need clothes desperately 😩

The M@cy'$ near me uses tags that require hooks to remove + I don't have a hook, so I wrap the hard plastic tags in several layers of aluminum foil (literally I just prefold squares of aluminum foil at home and carry them with me when I l1ft at M@cy'$) and burn them off when I get home. There are plenty of YT videos on how to do this. If you don't have a magnet or a hook, just bring lots of folded aluminum foil squares. Literally just take a big piece of aluminum foil and fold it down into a small square that's big enough to cover the security tag. Easy peasy. 😅 I pick out the clothes I want, then I take everything to the dressing room to rip off the paper tags (I have a wallet with an RFID blocking zipper pouch that I put my paper tags in once I remove them), wrap hard security tags in aluminum foil, and conceal everything in my purse/tote bag. The only thing I leave behind in the dressing room is hangers. 👍 My one warning is that M@cy'$ will build a case against you if they see you shoplifting on the store floor + eventually prosecute you when you go past the dollar amount for felony shoplifting, so ONLY CONCEAL IN THE DRESSING ROOM, PERIOD! I'm not trying to scare you or anything lol - I just want you to have all of the info you need to stay safe! 😭 Happy l1ft1ng!

P.S. J.C. Penn3y + VS P1nk hard security tags are removable with a magnet; M@cy'$ and D1¢k'$ use tags that are removed with a hook. Spider wrap tags (on shoes, electronics at certain stores) can be removed with an Alpha A3 Key or just wrap them in layers of aluminum foil + cut the wires to them when you get home with wire cutters or beat them with a hammer until they crack open and stop beeping. Don't burn spider wrap tags because they have a battery inside of them that could be dangerous or explode if set on fire.

[alexsgrimoire]

MAKE A BACK-UP: A SOLLUX SPELL (Taken from @popculturepagan (now deactivated))

Sollux Captor is known for many things, but “coming back to life” and “computer programming” are two of the most prominent. This spell combines these two traits to help you. This spell aims to create a back-up, a safety net, a free man, a get-out-of-jail-free-card, so if something in your future goes wrong, you can bounce back unscathed. This spell is a preventive spell to be used before the fact, to help protect your future in luck, love, fortune, or otherwise.

I’m trying to experiment with spells that use more traditional witchy ingredients, while being a little simpler in the process itself. I hope this works well.

What you will need:

A Glass Jar with a Lid

A Horseshoe Magnet, preferably blue/red (Like this)

One or More Symbol(s) of what you’d like to protect

Aluminum Foil

Paper and Pens

Sticky Label/Post-it Note

Optional: A Lil’ Bit of Honey

First, you need to decide what specifically you are creating a back-up of. Is it your emotions, to save yourself from nervous breakdown? Is it your bank account, to save yourself from bankruptcy? Think of anything that you can loose, but gain again.  It will come back to you in a different form, but it will return. Once you have decided on what things you are creating a back-up for, whether it be one or many, you need two things form it. First, is a physical representation of that concept. Second, is a word or two that describes it.

Here are some examples of things you’d create a back-up for, and items and words that represent them.

Money/Financial Security: A Coin, “Money”

Emotional Strength and Reserve: A Photo of You, “Emotion.”

Employment: An Office Pen, “Job”

Loving Relationships: Jewerly, “Love”

Stable Housing: A rock from outside, “House.”

As you can see, the object and word do not have to be “mystical” or even rare, just something that has a strong connection.

Once you have this figured out, write the following ~ATH (“til death”) code onto your paper, replacing “X” with your words. (If you have more than one thing you are backing up, separate with a comma.) Make sure to keep each line and space consistent, they are important.

"copy THIS ["X"]

rename THIS [“X”2]

~ATH THIS { “X”

} execute (“X”2);

THIS (“X”).die;”

Examples:

"copy THIS [job]

rename THIS [job2]

ect…”

"copy THIS [money, emotion]

rename THIS [money2, emotion2]

ect….]

~ATH is a obscure programming language that Sollux has perfected that runs programs at the termination of something’s life. If you’d like to be particularly fancy, you can write the code down using red and blue ink. If you are inclined, you can add personal sigils to the back.

What this code is programmed to do is make a copy of something, and on the termination of the original, release the copy.

Put this piece of paper at the bottom of your glass jar.

Now, take the object (or objects) used to represent what you are copying. Hold them tightly to yourself, and think.

This is no longer just a photo, or a rock, this is my emotions or this my house. Look upon this object as the physical name of a concept far greater, the anchor this concept has in the physical world. Hold it tightly until you believe, and know, of it’s greater purpose.

Take the aluminum foil and wrap the object up, as tight as you can. Wrap it in two layers— two. The foil is a protection agent that will keep the concept safe from whatever comes your way. If you have multiple objects, wrap them up individually. Place them in the mason jar, on top of the coded paper.

Now, add in the horseshoe magnet. This magnet is split and polarized, like Sollux himself, and will function as a good luck charm of a horseshoe and a draw to Sollux. (This is why the blue/red coloring is preferred. If you don’t have a blue/red magnet, you can paint or mark yours, or simply do without.) Try to place it facing upwards, if at all possible. If you are a Homestuck pagan, you can also offer Sollux a prayer (such as the one here, or another of your choice.) This final element should bring attention to help execute your programming (because ~ATH is a particularly finicky programming language, and it seems only Sollux has mastered it…) and just a pinch of good luck that any project needs.

Finally, seal the jar with the lid tightly. Label the jar “back_up.~ath” with your label or post-it note and place the jar on a shelf where it will be safe to protect your back-up until it is needed. When it comes time for it to be needed, don’t remove the objects from the jar! Keep them in the jar so they can function from with in. When it is used, it might be a good idea to thank Sollux for aiding you in the execution of this spell.

As an optional step, if you are in a place where you can do so, add a lil smudge of honey to the lid of the jar. This is a symbolic offering to the purple programming bees that run computers on Alternia. Do not eat the honey. Under no circumstances, should you eat the honey.

I hope this spell can help you recover from a lot of things and keep on your merry way, as well as give you peace of mind. We all need a little back-up.

[snowflake-of-destruction]

Angel Dusted Strawberry Cannoli for our favorite spider's birthday

INGREDIENTS

1 1/3 cup flour (Plus extra for dusting cutting board)

2 TBSP regular sugar

1/2 TBSP cocoa

2 TBSP oil (Possibly a little extra for greasing foil molds if you don’t use non-stick spray)

2 eggs

2 TBSP white grape juice or white wine

1 cup mascarpone

1 1/2  cup  heavy cream

4 TBSP confectioner’s sugar (Plus more for dusting)

8-10 strawberries (This is not an exact science)

EQUIPMENT

Rolling pin

Cutting board

Knife

2 mixing bowls (or one bowl you wash)

1 small cereal bowl

Mixer

Cling wrap

Aluminum foil

Cookie sheet

Pastry brush (Or, like, a fork or clean fingers in a pinch. We are giving down to earth solutions here)

Spoon

INSTRUCTIONS

Stir together flour, regular sugar and cocoa, oil, one of the eggs, and juice.

Once dough is formed, knead in bowl for about 20-30 seconds to make sure dough is completely mixed

Form dough into ball, wrap in cling, and refrigerate for 15 minutes

Dust cutting board with small amount of flour, smack your cold dough ball on there, and roll thin and flat.

Pre-heat oven to 350F

Tear off sheets of foil, roll your sheets into cylinders, and crunch together. You are forming stick shaped molds to wrap your cannoli dough around so they bake as hollow shells. You can also turn a muffin pan upside down, drape parchment paper over it, and try to form cannoli tubes by pressing dough in the spaces between the muffin cups, but I would recommend aluminum foil molds. …You can also buy real cannoli molds, but I am assuming we are going in never having made cannoli homemade before, unsure if we are going to do so again, and willing to MacGuyver. 

Grease your molds well. Spray it with non-stick spray, rub it in Crisco, rub some oil on it, just make it slick so your baked cannoli shell will slide on off

Cut rolled dough into rectangles of a size that will wrap around your molds, and, well, wrap them. 

Whisk the remaining egg in your small bowl and use your pastry brush or fork (or finger, I won’t tell anyone you serve these to) to brush an egg wash over the dough to seal the edges where your wrap comes together so the tube will be solid.

Bake on cookie sheet in oven (at 350F in case you missed that step) for 15 minutes.

Let cool until they are safe to slide off of molds, let cool more to room temperature before filling.

Speaking of filling….chop those strawberries and/or throw them in a blender.

Get out that electric mixer (or mix by hand if you hate yourself) and beat together mascarpone, heavy cream and sugar until mixture starts to thicken

Toss in those blended strawberries and blend more. Blend until it seems hopeless. Blend until you lose all sense of time. That will be the point where it has turned into thick, whipped filling.

Spoon filling into cannoli shells. Pack ‘em full.

Dust stuffed cannoli with confectioner's sugar 

Angel Dusted Strawberry Cannoli! You did it! Eat up!

[applejuicetastesgood]

Good morning did you know that the thing that protected Voyager 1 and 2 from Jupiter's intense radiation was literal aluminum foil you could find in grocery stores? The scientists created a local aluminum foil shortage when building the two and the would unfurl them, wipe them with alcohol wipes and then wrap them around wires

Oh I love that so much ‼️

I did not know that but my life is a lot better by knowing that, I can imagine the scientists rocking up to all the American shops with shopping trolleys and taking literally all the aluminium foil and when a cashier asks why they need so much they’re honest and say “we’re NASA scientists, we need it to cover the wires of voyager 1 and two to keep them safe from jupiters radiation” and the cashiers just laughs in their faces hahahah.

Good morning to you too by the way my friend! May your morning be relaxed and full of little satellites :3

[oneworldcable]

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[neostriatum]

水仙 | Suisen

[AO3] [Dreamwidth]

-

The flower Narcissus, whose hakotoba meaning is "self-esteem".

-

It’s a late evening, silhouetted by yellow street lights and the occasional flickering neon to mark his way home. The substitute teacher for maths, Tokunaga Haruki, was kind enough to let him work odd jobs under the table in exchange for spare yen and a quick meal, but he couldn’t always if he didn’t want the excuse of detention to wear out.

He sighed, one fist clutched around the wad of bills he’d been meticulously saving. Hopping on a train to visit his sister was one thing, but it was quite another to do it without a reliable income and on the sly. Despite the cheap bowl of udon, he could still taste the pork and egg hours later, his stomach still grumbled in quiet complaint.

One of the shopkeepers for the konbini he stocked for sometimes waved to him as he ducked under a nearby building’s overhang to avoid the fine sprinkle of tonight’s oncoming rain.

“Evening, Ayame-san,” Katsuya called out, hitching his bookbag higher as he waved back, “Grandkids giving you any trouble?”

“Cheerful as ever,” The shopkeeper called out, leaning against her shop’s window with a mischievous twinkle of her eyes, “Though they do miss their senpai.”

He laughed, feeling the pang of Shizuka’s absence even as he felt heartened by the merry opinion of Ayame-san and her family. A thought made him pause, and he decided to turn toward the shop, winking impishly as he picked up a handful of snacks that he knew her grandkids liked. The shopkeeper tsked in amusement as she tallied them up, “You’re spoiling them, you know.”

Grinning despite the way he carefully counted up the yen to pay for it, he felt a little lighter regardless, “Gotta let them know I didn’t forget about them, yanno?”

“I know,” Ayame-san said warmly, sliding over a foil-wrapped nikuman that still held the vestiges of heat despite his protesting grimace, “Get home safely, you hear?”

Picking up the nikuman, mouth already watering at the smell of pork, potato, and cabbage, Katsuya bowed to Ayame-san, “You, too, ma’am. Have a good night.”

“Good night, Katsuya.”

-

The hot food kept him company as the predicted rain started to come down a little harder. He had stopped a few minutes in to drape his coat over his bag, reservedly refusing from shivering as he savoured each bite.

He kept to the pooled glow of the street lamps, more distant between each other as he got closer to the apartment he shared with his father. Knowing the old man, the utilities would be rationed again, meaning sneaking into a dark room and slipping into bed. The hour was late enough that he would get just enough sleep for an early start tomorrow, getting a headstart on the homework due that day.

The wad of yen felt heavy in his pockets, partitioned off in case his father saw fit to search him for more drinking money. Katsuya sighed around his nikuman, dredging up the will to eat the last few bites and carefully folding up the aluminum foil.

Looking up to the stars, he wished there would be a friend who wouldn’t abandon him, no matter the circumstances.

His wistful gazing nearly made him miss the lurking shadows in a quickly-approaching alley, and he was forced to quickly side-step the hand extended to hook around his bookbag. “Hey, watch it!” he snapped, shouldering the bag more closely behind him, “That’s not yours!”

“Jounouchi,” A voice purred, and he stiffened, recognizing one of the erstwhile gang members he tried not to fall in with - not too often, at least. “My, you’re looking… cold, tonight. Care to warm up?”

His face set stonily, knuckles white on his bag, “No.”

Another one leered from behind the other, just barely eclipsed by the streetlight. “What’s a matter, gaijin? Too good for some Nihonjin?”

He knew there were some debts to settle with them, one too many favours for odd jobs that left him wandering around the town at night - his only boon his intimidating stature and strong fists as he collected debts from other poor souls that ran across this gang. In a brief moment of despondency, he wondered how many of the leering boys in front of him had been on the other side of this line, sunk too deep to get out of the morass.

Unfortunately, these particular members would never be in his shoes, too-unnatural of hair and too poor to keep saying no. His frown etched in the slightest bit more, “I’m expected home.”

Ordinarily, that would be the end of the discussion, gossip flying on swift feet throughout the neighborhood to recount the story of his father throwing bottle after bottle to anyone he brought home for an amicable dinner. Not tonight, though, and his heart sunk at the knowledge that getting into a fight might end on a different note this time.

It was too dark in this section of the neighborhood—one of his shortcuts, far from any intersection or row of shops that dictated lighting—and tonight’s leader, Takano Kichirou, stepped out from the murky dark to encourage the others to begin surrounding him.

“Your father can wait a little longer, can’t he?” Kichirou smirked, “After all, it’s not like he’ll notice.”

“Watch it!” He snarled. Shitty home life or not, he understood why his father was so often morose—he income as an insurance clerk was nothing compared to being a factory worker, and half of their family leaving didn’t help.

A gaggle of laughter met him, and he forced himself not to step back, knowing they were using against him the same tactics he participated in so often. He frowned to himself, knowing that grabbing the switch knife he kept hidden would cost too much time to grab, precious seconds that could be used to try deescalating their dispute while he waited for the inevitable wolf to circle behind him.

So- he stalled. “Bit low of you to turn on me. Getting greedy?”

That rippled through the gang, uncertainty fracturing everyone’s bonds. Kichirou himself paused, feeling the mood shift, and he frowned at Katsuya, “Not everyone picks and chooses who they associate with. Sure you aren’t feeling better than us?”

“You know me,” Katsuya joked, a quirk to his pressed-thin lips, “Always the underdog.”

It was an old joke, completely off the cuff and a gamble—it paid off, chuckles scattering among them. The act turned Kichirou sour, and he flicked a sleeve, letting his own switchblade fall into his hand. “Debts are not a joke.”

Katsuya eyed the gleaming metal, “Never said they were.”

“H-hey, Kichirou-san,” One of the lower-end gang members, Tsutomu, piped up, “I thought you said we were just going to talk to Jounouchi-kun?”

“Yeah, why don’t we just talk,” Katsuya coaxed, heart going out for how young the other was. They had always tried to keep their youngest members shielded, but it seemed the nebulous cause for Kichirou’s temper tonight had cast that aside.

The knife pointed at him was wickedly sharp, “You’re either in or you’re out, Katsuya.”

He frowned. Damned if I  do, damned if I don’t…

Immersed as he was in trying to find the conciliatory middle path, the arm abruptly slung around his shoulder was an unwelcome surprise, particularly since he had been maneuvered away from the simple protections of the street light.

Biting back a flinch, he tried to assess if this was the long-expected knife in his gut. Sure enough, the spark of metal came into view, but instead of drawing blood, it pointed itself back at Kichirou, “I think you’re not in a position to ask that.”

The words were strong, a surprising contrast to the gentle way the hand at Katsuya’s shoulder pressed through his rain-dampened shirt. He found himself settling into the motion, shocked once more at how his weight was supported.

It gave him presence of mind to shift his own stance, more within reach of the slip of a knife stowed carefully away. Whomever it was that held his back, standing so stoically, moved with him. The unified front it presented was reassuring, and made Kichirou step back.

Katsuya was no coward, but also was he no fool - he decided to throw his lot in with this stranger, faith making him certain it was the correct choice.

His voice was firm, “Kichirou. Leave off.”

The gang leader looked toward him, eyes flicking to the stranger who had entered their impromptu arena, and some look must have passed between them and the drumming rain - Kichirou frowned but nodded sharply. It convinced the others to leave quickly afterward, scattering into the nighttime solitude.

Only after watching the tail ends of the gang leave did he sigh, forgetting he himself wasn’t alone when the hand on his shoulder squeezed gently. “You okay?” The other asked, and the weight of the quiet question was more soothing than offensive. Katsuya shrugged limply, unwilling to let this stranger’s arm be dislodged by so casual of a movement. There was a pause, and then carefully, “...Do you want me to walk you home?”

It was a tempting offer, surprisingly so given his usual reticence to let anyone around his father. But between the constancy of his surprise companion and his relief at an unsequestered presence of self, he found himself agreeing, nodding his head tiredly, “Thank you.”

Instead of acknowledging the favour, as most would, Katsuya instead received that same comforting hand trailing down to his own, a feather-light touch slipping between his fingers that made his heart hammer.

“My name’s Honda Hiroto,” was the offered trade, and his lips twitched, making him glance up at the other teenager now sidled up by his side. It was difficult to see more than a glimpse between the pools of light, but he decided he rather liked the earnest smile that met him.

He nudged Honda with an elbow, “Jounouchi Katsuya. Nice to meet ya.”

-

When they watched their classmate a few years later, sitting in the back of the classroom and fiddling with a puzzle from a box where both looked to be poured from pure gold, they leaned against each other.

“Wonder what the punk’s doing,” Hiroto mused, idly sliding the small container of curry rice over to Katsuya as they shared a narrow bench, “Seems like he’s been working on that thing for forever.”

Katsuya shrugged, the motion carrying over to the other with rippled amusement. He dropped half of his scallion pancake into Hiroto’s bento box. The trade, as always, was performed absently, both of them happening to arrange the other’s favourite foods into their own meals as a matter of habit.

They watched as Mouto rummaged through the box, seeming to pick a piece and test it in some obscure corner. Both of them were placing bets on what the final shape would be, but it seemed like not even the kid knew, despite having a game shop owner for a grandfather.

Perhaps there was no solution at all, Katsuya thought, and his stomach grumbled so thoroughly that he discarded the idea.

“You think he’d want a lending hand?” Hiroto asked.

“Nah,” Katsuya dismissed, the words leaping to his lips, “Or not yet, I don’t think.”

-

Author's Notes

In Chinese culture Narcissus tazetta subsp. chinensis (Chinese sacred lilies), which can be grown indoors, is widely used as an ornamental plant.[258][259] It was probably introduced to China by Arab traders travelling the Silk Road prior to the Song Dynasty for medicinal use.[51][258][259] Spring-flowering, they became associated with Chinese New Year, signifying good fortune, prosperity and good luck[260] and there are many legends in Chinese culture associated with Narcissus.[261][262][263] In contrast to the West, narcissi have not played a significant part in Chinese Garden art,[264] however, Zhao Mengjian in the Southern Song Dynasty was noted for his portrayal of narcissi.[265][266] Narcissus bulb carving and cultivation has become an art akin to Japanese bonsai. The Japanese novel Narcissu contains many references to the narcissus, where the main characters set out for the famed narcissus fields on Awaji Island.[267][268]

- Narcissus in culture § Culture (Wikipedia)

Additional title reference: Narcissus (plant) § Culture (Wikipedia)

Ultimately discarded, but briefly pondered: an alternate riff of the meaning "fairy over rippling waters", but had needed editing due to western contemporary connotations of fairy = gay (derogatory), despite vague potential to have been used as a reference to some of Jounouchi's ace cards (Graceful Dice and Skull Dice), to emphasize how his luck is intertwined with his sense of self-esteem.

Written for @projsakuraygo, which ran from 2021-2022. When Shopkeeper Ayame-san refers to Jounouchi as a senpai, it's being used in the sense of someone who's looked up too, but not a literal "big brother" like ani/-ki or oni/-san (reference used: The Role of Senpai by Marc Faux).

Accordingly, to keep with the flower theme of Sakura, Ayame's name means "Iris flower" (Behind the Name). Takano Kichirou's first name means "lucky son" (Japanese Name Generator), and Katayama Tsutomu's first name means "worker" (Japanese Name Generator). I had a third name slated, Shinohara Aoi, whose first name means "blue, or hollyhock" (Japanese Name Generator), but I wasn't quite able to squeeze another character in to the plot without expanding my wordcount.

As for the nikuman (Wikipedia), I wanted something for Jounouchi to eat that was 1) equivalent to fast food, and 2) not another bowl of noodles (ergo, more street food). This seemed the closest alternative I reached after a couple minutes of clicking around on Wikipedia, and conveniently are also a food that's sold in Japanese convenience stores. They taste very good! Here's recipe: (Just One Cookbook, back-up link at the Internet Archive).

I wanted to explore some pre-canon scenes a little bit - a theme I've followed in many works, most recently dbḥt-ḥtp, and more pertinently The Changing of the Gods - in an effort to better understand the characters.

As the goal of Project Sakura was to portray difficulties of a particular sort that characters from YGO would struggle with, Jounouchi seemed a particularly intriguing match to the intended exposition. He grew up in an environment he struggled with, and yet clearly came out the other side as an exceptionally kind individual. Digging in a little bit to what I knew of his story, I stumbled upon some historical parallels in terms of the Lost Generation and the general turbulence that Japan - like many countries - had to deal with economically and thus socially in the 80s and 90s. That, no doubt, had a strong impact on Jounouchi, and likely played a strong role into how he became entangled (and eventually de-tangled) with a gang to begin with.

It seemed like a natural conclusion to involve Honda as a step toward resolving the emotional turmoil of his economic situation in the form of compassionate support that would grow to a more involved relationship, and eventually toward a very near pre-scene of the beginning of canon itself when they see Yugi.

[sanjay012]

How to Safely Use a Microwave Oven: Dos and Don’ts

Microwave ovens have become an essential part of modern kitchens, offering convenience and efficiency for cooking and reheating food. Whether you have the best microwave oven or a convection microwave oven, proper usage is crucial to ensure safety and maintain the appliance’s performance. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the dos and don’ts of microwave usage

Dos: Best Practices for Using Your Microwave

1. Use Microwave-Safe Containers

Always use containers and utensils that are labeled microwave-safe. Glass, ceramic, and certain plastics are ideal for microwave cooking.

Tip: Check for a microwave-safe label on the bottom of the container.

Avoid: Metal containers or foil, as they can cause sparks and damage the microwave.

2. Cover Your Food

Covering food with a microwave-safe lid or vented plastic wrap helps prevent splatters and ensures even heating.

Tip: Leave a small gap or use vented covers to allow steam to escape.

Benefit: Keeps your microwave clean and your food moist.

3. Stir and Rotate Food

Stirring and rotating food during cooking ensures even heating and prevents cold spots. This technique works particularly well in the best microwave oven models equipped with advanced features.

Tip: Use the microwave’s turntable or manually rotate the dish halfway through cooking.

Benefit: Reduces the risk of unevenly heated food that may still contain bacteria.

4. Follow Manufacturer Guidelines

Refer to the microwave’s user manual for instructions on safe operation and recommended cooking times.

Tip: Keep the manual handy for quick reference.

Benefit: Prolongs the lifespan of your appliance.

Don’ts: Common Microwave Mistakes to Avoid

1. Don’t Use Non-Microwave-Safe Materials

Avoid using metal utensils, aluminum foil, or containers with metallic accents.

Hazard: These materials can cause sparks and lead to fires.

Alternative: Use only materials explicitly labeled microwave-safe.

2. Don’t Overheat Liquids

Superheating liquids in the microwave can cause them to boil over or explode when disturbed.

Tip: Heat liquids in short intervals and stir frequently.

Safety Measure: Place a wooden spoon or stick in the liquid to prevent superheating.

3. Don’t Run the Microwave Empty

Operating the microwave without any food or liquid inside can damage the appliance.

Reason: Microwaves are absorbed by food; without food, the energy reflects back into the microwave, causing harm.

Solution: Always place something inside before turning it on, even if it’s just a cup of water.

4. Don’t Ignore Cleaning

Neglecting to clean your microwave can lead to unpleasant odors and bacterial buildup.

Tip: Wipe down the interior with a damp cloth after each use.

Benefit: Maintains hygiene and prevents food residue from hardening.

Conclusion: Safe Microwave Usage with Haier

By following these dos and don’ts, you can make the most of your microwave oven, whether it’s the best microwave oven for your needs or a convection microwave oven with advanced features. Using microwave-safe materials, covering food, and adhering to proper guidelines will not only protect your appliance but also improve your cooking experience.

Haier’s range of microwaves, including convection microwave oven models, is designed with advanced safety features and user-friendly technology to make cooking simple and worry-free. Explore Haier’s innovative microwave ovens today and bring convenience and safety to your kitchen.