#and Diana is white like rice

[casimania]

Yesterday didn’t dress up with my friend but we dressed up our dogs instead, nigiri and an ice cream

[bathroomtrapped]

saw ask. so let's say hypothetically (not really) all the apprentices are autistic (they are) headcanon them

saw ask ‼️‼️ i completely agree unironically and i keep that in mind when i consume/write/draw saw content. jigsaw apprentices? more like PDA autistics anonymous jfc

i (shamefully) am not an amanda-guy and dont have pretty much any headcanons about her overall so sorry about that but ill do some bullet points for the apprentices bc ive thought TOO MUCH abt this

adam

1. the most obvious PDA manifestation, though i think its strong in mark and lawrence for sure, adam just doesnt mask his. he pretty much built his life around maximizing free will and full control over his schedule

2. constantly reducing sensory input with music and being baked. his apartment is dead silent and dark 24/7 tho

3. honestly i think adam has shocking high levels of empathy. most people in his life wouldnt peg him as someone who would struggle with that but i think its what sets him apart from nearly every saw character. hes so isolated but desperate to understand and connect with other people, even if hes in the shadows

4. studies high class targets and their mannerisms. it helped him function during a few job interviews

5. hates eating, hates effort so pretty much eats like shit. very few specific, cheap, prepackaged meals that he can handle. anything that isnt a time commitment to prepare and eat

6. talks too much to overcompensate (not sure if people are able to understand what hes getting at and ends up rambling)

lawrence

1. i hc him as a narc as well which (as you can imagine) combined with PDA makes instruction/criticism/responsibility stressful so hes constantly overloaded

2. same as above, combined with asd i think its the biggest reason he has that canonical low empathy (similar to mark)

3. can only eat incredibly plain and simple foods. rice, bread, vegetables without butters/oils etc. very picky

4. very little auditory sensory issues after so many years in a hospital and needs noise in order to function (including sleep)

5. started wearing pajamas under his suits after a few years in residency because hes already tired 24/7, the terrible fabric on top of that just makes him insane

6. struggled through med school because lectures are hard to interpret and hes more of a visual learner

7. so much eye contact

8. remember that dog picture in his wallet we see for like 5 seconds? i cant imagine someone like him enjoying the texture or sporadic energy of a dog and makes it sleep in dianas room at night. its not allowed in the office and he meticulously cleans all of the dog hair the second he sees any

9. absolutely allergic to change in every way

mark

1. low empathy as i mentioned before

2. he wears a lot loose fitting suits in canon which i think are for sensory reasons. he clearly prioritizes comfort with those (interesting) track pants?

3. i have joked with my mutuals about his off-putting, autistic ass stare countless times

4. terrible liar because he has less control over his facial expressions and mannerisms. he ends up making too much eye contact and thinks that brutal honesty is a good idea. he has an almost nonexistent filter

5. he reminds me of that brand of autism that a lot of patriarchs have, the kind that goes unnoticed bc theyre the head of the household. meat and potatoes his entire life, strange rituals and routines everyone has to get used to

6. extremely black and white sense of justice and a poor understanding of hierarchal authority. he doesnt get why people are above or below other people and struggles with those concepts

7. everyone in the precinct knows not to joke with mark because it will always fall flat and have to be explained. mark has rly funny but dry and blunt humor himself

[lionofchaeronea]

The Shuttle by Frances Hodgson Burnett - I quite like it, it kinda goes into the (poor) english aristocracy marrying wealthy american girls and the differences in expectation of treatment and such.

A Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori - a manga series, don't know if your into that, but carefully researched, beautiful art (especially the textiles) of the time period and place, in areas around the silk road/russian steppes - Kazakhstan is one place I know the author visited.

The Ghost Bride - Yangsze Choo

Black Water Sister - Cho Zen

The Midwife's Apprentice - Karen Cushman

The House of the Scorpion - Nancy Farmer

Julie of the Wolves - Jean Craighead George

Blackbird House - Alice Hoffman

Geisha of Gion - Mineko Iwasaki - one of the main people Arthur Golden interviewed for his book. She wrote this to counteract his "white guyification" of what she told him.

Literary Studies for Rhetoric Classes - Bernard L. Jefferson - found this one at a thrift store I just really enjoyed a lot of the pieces in it.

The Story of My Life - Helen Keller

Sirena - Donna Jo Napoli

A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness

Binti - Nnedi Okorafor

What Happened to Lani Garver - Carol Plum-Ucci

The Color of Magic - Terry Pratchett

The Boxer Rebellion: The Dramatic Story of China's War on Foreigners that Shook the World in the Summer of 1900 - Diana Preston

Trudy's Promise - Marcia Preston - a very close look at one mother separated from her son when the Berlin Wall goes up.

Interview with the Vampire - Anne Rice - a very sad novel as it was written in response to when Anne Rice lost her child. A good close look at grief and loss and apathy.

Lovecraft Country - Matt Ruff - the show missed the point... the author wrote this inspired by when he and a black friend had been talking and he realized that because of skin color that while they occupied the same space, they lived in "different countries"

The Marvels - Brian Selznick

Salt to the Sea - Ruta Sepeteys

Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet - Kashmira Sheth

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky (or anything by him really)

The Ramsay Scallop - Frances Temple

Doomsday Book - Connie Willis - time-traveler finds herself back during the start of one of the sweeps of the black plague - it's pretty sad

Fifth Chinese Daughter - Jade Snow Wong

*some of these are middlegrade but I feel middlegrade is sometimes not appreciated enough as literature. ^_^'

*also sorry for the very long list....

No apologies needed. I really appreciate the recommendations.

[allegedly-writer]

saw ask. so let's say hypothetically (not really) all the apprentices are autistic (they are) headcanon them

Hi!! I do love some good autistic apprentice content so here we go

Lawrence:

Masking king, he's always seemed just a little Off since childhood but his parents browbeat him into submission

Finds out he's autistic after Diana is diagnosed and he's like "well that's silly she's just like me as a child....wait...."

Prefers bland food, eats like a peasant from the 1400s (white bread, rice, simply cooked vegetables etc etc)

Has misinterpreted so many social cues in his life but gets away with it for the most part

I like to think his and Alison's first date was due to a misunderstanding about what "studying together" entailed

Struggles with empathy a LOT but is a genuinely caring person when he can figure out how to say what he wants

Amanda

Sensory seeking in a lot of ways but also very particular about what she likes, if a texture is even a little bit wrong for her she gets immensely irritable

Hates loud noises but loves concerts/loud music bc she contains multitudes

Strong sense of fairness ever since she was younger, only made more extreme by all the Jigsaw stuff

Enjoys having long hair but struggles to care for it consistently due to sensory stuff and executive function

I can see her having deep interests in both engineering and art and trying to combine the two

Mark

Flat affect for days, very rarely emotes at all

Had very few friends when he was younger and wasn't really bothered by that, he was really only ever close with his sister

Has had the same lunch for the past 20 years and isn't about to stop

Struggles with reading for pleasure, prefers non-fiction over fiction

Adam (as a bonus)

Has a limited diet to sensory stuff, Lawrence thinks he eats like a child

Has very limited filter which was a huge detriment as a child but now he's learned how to turn himself funny

Photography as a special interest and has been since he was very young

[selinascatnip]

13 books 📚 to get me better

Thank you for tagging me, darling Vanessa (@graysonfamfan2021) <3

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice The book that raised me. Louis and Lestat are my parents. I cannot tell you how many times I've read this silly book.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch This book took my soul out and explained it to me and I haven't forgiven it.

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman This is a book that makes me happy in a way I cannot explain well enough. The movie is amazing and part of my childhood but the book... I don't know, I think you have to have been a weird girl in a small seaside town to understand.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones You take a doomer 18 yo girl and turn her into and old lady that goes in an adventure? Like!!! Made for me, honestly.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Victor and I have a lot in common. LMAO.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë There's so much in this book that is Made For MeTM from Jane's childhood queer platonic relationship with the girl from her boarding school to her falling in love with the worst man ever.

Dom Casmurro by Machado de Assis Social criticism against the white middle class in hilarious prose and a crazy bitch of a protagonist? Amazing!

Il Pentamerone by Giambattista Basile The fairytale bible, also, hilarious. One of those things that makes me feel warm "people has always been people" feelings.

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler I grew up watching telenovelas in which enslaved people was tortured, can't say this story was the first in which the protagonist was a black woman in that situation (because Xica da Silva and A Escrava Mãe exist) but like it has been a while since I watched either and this book fucked me up. Also I had dengue (they call it ague in the book) just after I read it, and I know it makes no fucking sense but I blame Rufus disgusting ass.

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman Hilarious shit, this book is like a crazy anime I love it so much.

The Secret Garden by F. H. Burnett Because I was once a moody neglected little girl too.

Orlando by Virginia Wolf I too began as a pathetic incel and I am in hope of one day mature enough to turn into a woman.

Extraordinary Stories by Edgar Allan Poe Read this book way too many times as a child, my brain is forever goth shaped.

I'm tagging @what-is-the-irony-of-grass @fuyuteki @altinyns-multimedia-museblog @scifi-fantasist @beneath-thestyx @afellowmartian

[cutewitchirl]

ty to @theflowergirl for tagging me in this, it feels like 2013 again 

Three Ships:

I’ve never been much of a shipper, so I don’t have a great answer for this, but I do feel strong emotions about Gideon/Harrow (Locked Tomb) and Fitz/Fool (The Fitz and The Fool). I also like to see pretty pictures of Ningguang and Beidou  (Genshin Impact) smooching and/or staring smugly into each other’s eyes. 

First Ever Ship:

Isaac and Jenna from Golden Sun :o)??

Last Song:

Wait for Me - Anais Mitchell 

Last Movie:

Shaolin & Wu Tang (1983). I got really into kung fu movies a few years ago thanks to the boyf, and now we try to go to all of the showings at our local theater. This was the only known 35mm print of this film (!!!!), and it has sooooo many hilarious lines. 

Currently Watching:

True Detective (with the boyf) - this is not an endorsement of this show, but it is the truth

I also just finished White Lotus season 2. I’m technically in the middle of watching My Hero Academia, but I had to take a break because shounen is so long. Mostly I don’t watch a lot of shows because I fell into the deep end with podcasts, but I’m trying to work my way back to it. 

Currently Reading:

I’m finishing up Diana Wynne Jones’ Year of the Griffin. I didn’t really love the first book in this duology, but I’m enjoying this one a lot more. I was also reading concurrently (and just finished) Persephone Station, which I bought because the cover is pretty. There are some interesting concepts in this book, but almost nothing actually happens. I’m sorry T_T 

Currently Consuming:

is this about food?? i just had some black tea with an orange in it. i stole a mouthful of rice out of the rice cooker like an animal.

Currently Craving:

Lils mentioned pizza......I agree. But it’s snowed over in Portland today, so I will settle for...bread

i don’t really know anyone who uses tumblr regularly to tag, lol @songofsunset @moooooogs ?? 

[rebeccamoncrieff]

History of weddings

What is a wedding?

A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united together in marriage. There can be many different forms of wedding traditions throughout different cultures. It is a prime function where 2 people can make promises to each other, usually done through vows. According to The Week, the idea of marriage is over 4,350 years old. The first recorded marriage took place in 2350 B.C. in Mesopotamia.

Wedding traditions over time

One tradition that has changed over time is not seeing each other until the ceremony. It was known that if you saw your future spouse before the ceremony it was considered bad luck, however now many couples participate in a private “first look” where they meet in private. Another tradition that has changed over time is the brides maids attire. Bridesmaids attire was considered to have been chosen by the bride and all had to be matching, whereas now many brides allow their bridesmaids to choose their own dresses sometimes in different colours or styles. Another tradition that has changed over time is the throwing rice at the newly weds. During the exit of the ceremony guests would throw rice over the newly weds to celebrate the marriage, whereas now things such as bubbles, petals and even confetti canons are used instead.

The evolution of wedding dresses

Over time bridal gowns/ wear has evolved over time. Starting with the 17th century the bride would be expected to wear her best gown no matter the colour. Leading onto 1840 where Queen Victoria was credited for starting the white wedding gown trend after she wore a white silk gown when marrying Prince Albert, dress makers then continued this trend. The white wedding gown really took off in the 19th century where embroidered silk, lace, and floral detailing were also popular. In the 19th century, it was also typical for bridesmaids to wear white dresses and veils. A victorian wedding dress was typically a very full body coverage with a high neck, full skirt, long sleeves and gloves. In 1915 brides would go for a simple gown without any extra ruffles or frills, but layers were still strongly in fashion. However here was a big shift in 1920s bridal fashion, as women started wearing sleeker, drop waist gowns. Long cathedral length veils were popular and balanced out the simple silhouettes. Head pieces such as floral crowns also began to evolve over this time period as well as shorter hemlines where dresses would end just below the knee. Brides in the early 1940s were married during the war , so their outfits typically donned formal pieces that they already owned as there was little money and material available for a wedding gown. Queen Elizabeth married Prince Philip after the war was over, however England was still on rations at the time. Her dress was an ivory silk and pearl embroidered scoop neck. Elizabeth Taylor's wedding dress in the film Father of the Bride had a huge influence on bridal trends. Sleek and simple were out, while full skirts, fitted bodices, and sweetheart necklines were in. At the start of the 1960s, shorter shoulder length veils became more popular. Three quarter length sleeves and structured fabrics, like crinoline, were also popular. Elizabeth Taylor's colorful wedding dresses, for her wedding to Richard Burton, started to popularize non-white bridal looks. The mini skirt also started to evolve in the 60s. In the 70s hair ribbons started to replace vails as well as non traditional dresses and people started to wear jumpsuits or matching outfits. Princess Diana's taffeta wedding dress inspired a lot of brides with the "more is more" approach to fashion, with her puffy sleeved and long trained dress. Off-the-shoulder wedding dresses gained popularity in the middle of the 1990s as well as Vera Wang opening her bridal boutique where she specialised in more spaghetti strap style dresses. By the mid 2000s strapless dresses were very popular and brides started adding simple embellishments like lace, to their gowns. By 2010 a strapless dress and a crystal belt was very popular! Kate Middleton made a case for the traditional when she married Prince William in 2011. Soon after their Westminster Abbey wedding, brides around the world started to replicate Kate's lace sleeves. All information for this was found on elle.com, “The Evolution of Bridal Style Through the Years” .

[fanaticsfiction]

In case it helps your decision:

John Scalzi's position is that fanfic of copyrighted material is illegal and a slippery slope to plagiarism: "the fact of the matter is that if you’re writing fanfic, you’re already doing something legally out of bounds. And, really, if you’re already wantonly violating copyright, what’s a little plagiarism to go along with it??"

And that while he personally doesn't mind if people write fanfic for his work (how benevolent!) he still thinks that they're breaking the law, and he doesn't think anyone should care if fic authors get plagiarized. (x)

Anne Rice's position waffled a bit before she died, but when she was against it she was notorious for her legal threats, and she's still on FFN's list of authors whose work can't be written about.

Diana Gabaldin also said fanfic was like "someone selling your children into white slavery." Yeah.

Anne McCaffrey changed her mind on what fans were "allowed" to write several times, ranging from "nothing" to "no porn" to "OCs only!" to "only on fansites I've personally approved" to "no crossovers" to "your OCs can only ride certain colors of dragon if they meet my requirements" plus more I'm probably forgetting. She got pretty specific.

Authors Convinced Fanfic is Illegal/Requires Permission

Terry Goodkind: “Copyright law dictates that in order for me to protect my copyright, when I find such things, I must go out and hire lawyers to threaten these people to make them stop, and to sue them if they don’t.”

John Scalzi: “Let's remember one fundamental thing about fanfic: Almost all of it is entirely illegal to begin with. It's the wild and wanton misappropriation of copyrighted material”

Diana Gabaldon: “OK, my position on fan-fic is pretty clear: I think it’s immoral, I know it’s illegal, and it makes me want to barf whenever I’ve inadvertently encountered some of it involving my characters.”

Robin Hobb: “Fan fiction is like any other form of identity theft. It injures the name of the party whose identity is stolen.”

Anne Rice: “I do not allow fan fiction. The characters are copyrighted. It upsets me terribly to even think about fan fiction with my characters. I advise my readers to write your own original stories with your own characters. It is absolutely essential that you respect my wishes.”

Anne McCaffrey: “there can be no adventure/stories set on Pern at all!!!!! That's infringing on my copyright and can bear heavy penalties…indiscriminate usage of our characters, worlds, and concepts on a 'public' media like electronic mail constitute copyright infringement AND, which many fans disregard, is ACTIONABLE!”

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro: “No. Absolutely not. It is also against federal law.”

Lynn Flewelling: “Whether you are writing about Seregil or Fox Mulder or Sherlock Holmes, if you do not have legal permission from the author, their estate, or publisher, then you are violating US copyright law. It is creative piracy. Doesn't matter how many disclaimers you put on, or if you're being paid. It. Is. Illegal.”

Someone Else, elaborated in the notes

[xtruss]

For many cultures across the centuries, common foods such as tea leaves and cheese have been used to predict the future. Ovomancy, or fortune-telling via eggs, is still practiced in the Caribbean and certain parts of Latin America. Photograph By Betty Bossi/Picture Press/Redux

Onions 🧅 🧅, Cheese 🧀🧀, Eggs 🥚🥚 —This Isn’t A Shopping List. It’s Fortune-Telling.

Kitchen divination has a long, cross-cultural history. In some places, the art never went away; in others, it’s making a comeback through social platforms.

— By Suchi Rurda | January 11, 2024

Predicting the future hasn’t always been synonymous with tarot cards and crystal balls. Centuries before astrology apps and dial-in psychics existed, people who wanted a glimpse into the future worked with what they had—food.

Loose leaf tea and Turkish coffee grounds (tasseography), onions (cromniomancy), eggs (ovomancy), and even cheese (tyromancy) have all been essential ingredients used in kitchen divination. But over time, these rituals faded from the mainstream. However, a recent resurgence in Pagan practices—crystals and tarot cards, astrology, and herbal magic—has brought this branch of fortune telling from the back of the pantry to the top of your TikTok feed.

Diana Espirito Santo, associate professor of social anthropology at Pontificia Universidad Católica in Chile, says that this growing appetite for spirituality shows that food-related divination practices were never really off the table.

“More modern and liberal ritual specialists can do divination practices in absentia. I would imagine that food-based forms of divination are easier to handle and have a wider scope for interpretation,” she says. “This makes them extremely attractive to a virtual audience, who can imagine how the divination result applies to them in creative ways.”

Here’s what you need to know about food divination and destinations where you can sample it.

What is Food Divination?

California native Amber Corvidae, a retired chef and practicing witch who lives in Brisbane, Australia, says food divination in the West most likely stemmed from the witch hunts and accusations of witchcraft beginning in the early 15th century. This includes tea scrying, which in 1700s England was often documented as an excuse to have tea with friends, “when in reality, those friends were either witches themselves or seeking spiritual counsel from witches,” says Corvidae.

In Zeytinköy, a Roma area in Antalya, Turkey, a fortune teller reads tea leaves. Photograph By Julian Röder/Ostkreuz/Redux

A photo from the 1900s shows brothers Carlo and Ermanno Coretti having their coffee grounds read by their mother in Trieste, Italy. Photograph By Archivio Gbb/Redux

However, in other parts of the world, people commonly relied on the “magic” of natural chemical reactions in foods such as eggs, cabbages, and nuts to understand their destiny. The Scottish practice of “pulling the kale” was a popular way to predict the qualities of one’s future spouse in the 1700s. The size and shape of the stalks indicated your would-be beloved’s physique, while its taste determined their temperament.

Ovomancy, one of the oldest recorded forms of food divination, is still practiced in the Caribbean and certain parts of Latin America to predict marriage, childbirth, and death. For example, on Good Friday, traditionalists would drop raw egg whites into a glass of warm water and examine the shapes they made, from a ship (future travel) to a coffin (impending death). David J. Kim, a professor of anthropology at Purchase College in New York State, says it’s “staggering how many people go to see shamans and fortune tellers in South Korea and the amount of capital it generates.”

Kim, who studies Korean shamanic practices, adds that rice divination is often used to commune with spirits. A shaman reaches into a golden bowl of uncooked rice, grabs a pinch, and counts the grains. An even number of grains means “yes” or indicates the presence of a spirit, while an uneven number means “no” or the lack of spirits.

A shaman uses a bowl of rice during a divination ritual in Yangju, 21 miles north of Seoul, South Korea. Despite living in one of the world’s most technologically advanced countries, many Koreans still consult shamans for medical reasons, divination, or personal advice. Photograph By Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images

In Oaxaca, Mexico, maize diviners place a kernel of corn representing the seeker on a embroidered tortilla napkin. The fortune teller then tosses 12 (or more) kernels onto the table one at a time to search for an answer in the revealed pattern. Araceli Rojas, an archaeologist and professor at the University of Warsaw, spent time with the Ayöök people in 2007 and initially encountered only two maize diviners. But a recent visit revealed a new generation of practitioners intent on keeping these ancient fortune-telling methods alive.

Jennifer Billock, the Chicago-based creator of the Kitchen Witch newsletter, has been experimenting with—and writing about—the ancient craft of tyromancy. Divining the future with cheese was first mentioned in the writings of second-century-B.C. Greek historian and diviner Artemidorits the Dream-Interpreter. Followers of this cheesy magic use the patterns of fermentation, number of holes, and the shape of the cheese to answer specific questions. (You can pair this with a session of wine divination, known as oenomancy.) Billock says blue cheese works best, but she’s divined with everything from Colby Jack to a Kraft single.

In the Middle Ages, fortune tellers would use cheese to tell the future. They based their findings on factors such as the shape of the cheese, the number of holes it had, and which way mold grew on it. Photograph By Rebecca Hale, National Geographic

Where to Experience Food Divination

Travelers can book an in-person tyromancy session with Billock in Chicago. She teaches divination either one-on-one or at group workshops at cheese shops, wine bars, or tea houses.

In Istanbul, Turkey, you’ll find a smattering of cafés offering coffee ground readings in English along Ayhan Işık Sokak, a side street off the famous İstiklal Avenue in the Taksim neighborhood. Or get a free reading from AI-driven app Faladdin, where you simply upload a photo of the sediments at the bottom of your cup of Turkish or French press java. (Your daily latte or flat white isn’t going to cut it.)

In Santa María del Tule, a small town just a few miles west of Oaxaca City, Venus Rodriguez practices and teaches the ancient art of maize reading for anyone interested. But if you can’t swing a trip to Mexico, Rodriguez also offers online divination sessions. Find more info on her Instagram.

Women read each others’ future in their coffee cups at a street café in Istanbul. Photograph By Jerry Lampen/Reuters/Redux

Find tea leaf readers at the 94-year-old Bottom of the Cup tearoom in New Orleans, Louisiana, or book a 90- or 120-minute session of tea reading therapy at Dublin Wellbeing Centre in Dublin, Ireland.

Take an online course on Udemy to learn how to read a coconut or kola nut, a practice from the West African Yoruba religion, which dates back nearly 8,000 years.

[tillmankennedy31]

Pork Loin How To Cook Dinner One Of The Best Oven Roasted Pork Loin S&sm

For this crock pot pork loin recipe, we wish boneless pork loin roast. As with any lean minimize of meat, whether it is overcooked, it is going to be dry. https://costack.uk/ 's to cook dinner it to a hundred forty five degrees Fahrenheit and no extra. The pork shall be a tiny bit pink in the heart and buttery gentle. Served with rice and a facet of asparagus.

Southern-cuisine professional and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer. Bacon and blackberry preserves pack a robust taste punch in this easy primary dish. Whether that is your first vacation as host or you just do not wish to stress about the main course, consider this dish a meat, sauce and aspect multi functional. Crush garlic with rosemary, salt, and pepper in a mortar and pestle to make a paste.

Can't See What You Are Trying For? Browse Our Assortment Of Cooking Guides

Serve this pork tenderloin with our creamy cucumber salad and some greek lemon potatoes. And if you like pork recipes, make certain to try our popular baked pork chops. Slow cooking pork loin in a crock pot at a low temperature is perfect and isn’t going to dry out or damage your pork. Make certain you get a great quality reduce of Pork Loin for this recipe. Ina's Tex-Mex soup with pork loin, hominy and salsa verde is hearty, crowd-pleasing and piled excessive with fixings. Another approach to get a pleasant golden crust is to cook dinner it at a high temperature. Refer to the beneath inside temperature tips for the specified doneness. Also, try our awesome recipe for balsamic glaze to add to your meat when serving. Allrecipes is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing household.

Pork loin roast and pork tenderloin are two very totally different cuts of meat. The tenderloin is much narrower, leaner, and cooks so much sooner too. So for this recipe, make certain the packaging particularly says pork loin roast and not pork tenderloin. For pork tenderloin, make certain to check out our Best Damn Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin recipe. Marinating this pork loin in a mix of brown sugar and apple cider ensures a flavorful, succulent roast. The sweet spice rub finishes this marinated apple cider pork loin perfectly. Chef James Briscione cooks up a holiday feast with guys from a neighborhood distillery. (-) Information isn't currently obtainable for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your physician or registered dietitian earlier than preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

Tips On How To Prepare Dinner Pork Tenderloin So It’s Juicy And Tender Every Time

The US Department of Agriculture recommends that pork ought to be cooked to 145 levels F and then allowed to take a seat for five minutes earlier than serving. This will make your pork medium uncommon and perhaps a bit pink within the middle. Another way to serve pork loin is with brussels sprouts and baked potatoes,Creamy Mashed Potatoes, or Garlic Roasted Potatoes. Wrapping the loin in pastry is a fantastic method of sealing in moisture, as properly as being completely delicious. Treat yourself with these recipes for each loin and tenderloin Wellingtons beneath.

Pork loin is rich and decadent, so it’s finest when served with one thing shiny and fresh.

Also, if you cook dinner pork loin, at all times make certain the white fat cap facet is up.

The beneficial inner temperature for pork loin is 145˚F.

I made this recipe and it actually is the best rattling roast pork loin I even have ever made!

Slice pork and serve drizzled with Honey Garlic Butter Sauce.

Serve with roasted potatoes or steamed green beans. To begin, I tried cooking the pork tenderloin all through in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high warmth on my stovetop. By the time the pork’s inside was nicely cooked and juicy, although, the crust had turn out to be too dark, virtually burnt. “But Kat,” you may say, “this is how I cook dinner a steak, and it’s fine!

Extra Scrumptious Pork Recipes:

It has a fat layer that keeps it moist as it cooks. This roasted pork loin goes great with green beans and creamy mashed potatoes. Try our cheesy baked green beans recipe. Learn tips on how to cook pork loin with very little prep time and versatility, you'll be able to change this dish as you would like. If you aren't a garlic fan, miss the garlic cloves and use onions or scallions.

[themonstrousarchives]

Hunt: Bees? No. Corrupted Vines

Corruption Vines [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] HP, Armor: 1

Description: A gnarled mass of invasive Solanum dulcamara (Common name: Bittersweet Nightshade) hungry for expansion and fertilizer. An unthinking monster of corruption cultivated by Bianca Wilson, to feed her bees. 

Hook, Session goals: Threaten some of the players’ allies or favorite NPCs. 

Monster Type: Parasite (to infest, control, and devour) Powers: The roots can grow quickly, release pollen into the air, overtake structures, and drain victims. The fruits can burst and spill poisonous juice that will seep into any open wounds. Attacks: Contagion: wearing a full bee suit keeps most of the plants at bay, but exposure (wounded by roots, tree sap contact) may grow and spread after a day.

Root Thump (3-harm, hand, loud)

Poisonous Juice (0-harm, intimate, acidic, 1-harm ignore armor if cut)

Weaknesses: Desolation-aligned fire, Flesh aligned creatures, aiming at the roots. The vines can spread “runners” which will seed more vines elsewhere if not tracked. 

Minions: 

Tree (Muscle) [][][][][] (2 armor)- The orange tree outside, in Shiro Kamada’s back yard. It has been overgrown with climbing vines, which have grafted themselves into it and forced it to grow. It creaks and swings branches like heavy arms.

Branch swing: 3-harm close loud

Bee Swarm- The hives around the plants will swarm if antagonized or if their garden gets destroyed. They can be avoided with smoke or by hiding. Running whips them along with the PC in their tailwind.

Bianca Wilson (Right Hand) [][][][][][][] (1-armor)- beekeeper focused on propagating as many plants as possible for her bees. She turned to some unsavory magic to do so, even after being thoroughly warned of the risks. She is so exposed to the contagion that she is a major carrier. 

Shears: 2-harm hand

Countdown:

The plants spread to a new site, crawling along power lines

Pigeons get snapped up by the plants, propagating around the city. 

The city begins to start spraying pesticides, city workers get corrupted. 

Bianca is fully corrupted and has an empathic sense for where the plants are growing (and getting harmed)

The city goes under lockdown, police are outfitted with flamethrowers.

Diana Rice, an ambitious high-positioned Navy officer collects Bianca Wilson because of her corruption, with mixed results.

The town that the hunts take place in becomes a ghost town after getting overrun.

Bystanders:

Shiro is an example NPC. Your NPC should feel a little targeted, as a large Arc-boss is likely to be influencing Bianca to seed more experimental roots near the boss’ targets. 

Shiro Kamada (Victim)- Vines have been attracted to the energy of this avatar, and are trying to penetrate his carefully warded home. He can be found in his backyard, bleeding profusely from an extended fight with these vines. Spider lilies (below) are starting to sprout and flower from his body, especially any wounds he has sustained. He has been ignoring them to keep fighting the vines, the fight itself sustaining him as a Slaughter avatar.

Locations: Alleyway: an empty lot between two buildings; one condemned and the other a storefront currently closed. The condemned building has a beehive on the roof; breaking into the building is not hard but navigating rotting floorboards should only be done by one or two PCs (heavier PCs, or PCs carrying heavy items should roll Act Under Pressure with a -1 lest they break through the softened paneling). The roof has the bees, which will swarm as per above if aggravated. A large graffiti mural of an eye is getting overtaken by a large mass of vines growing on the condemned building’s wall- working their way in toward the pupil. Close by is a telephone pole with a large bundle of vines on the top, with runners going along the phone lines. If the players interact with the bundle of vines on the telephone pole, the body of José Castaneda falls to the ground. His wallet confirms his name and age (28), and it still has some cash inside it. His body has been pierced by the vines, which have planted roots in his body and it appears that he has been drained by the vines for a few hours. 

In my game, he was affiliated with a Sect that one of the former PCs was attached to, making this appear to be a targeted attack. 

Shiro Kamada’s home: Following those vines will eventually lead the players to Shiro’s home- a small house with a medium height wooden fence around a yard that goes around the whole property. The vines have bundled on the telephone pole near his home as well, and runners are now reaching for his roof, though a few strands have made it across to the orange tree in his back yard. The orange tree is profoundly altered and mutated, taking on many aspects of the vines themselves.

Cold Open:  We open tonight looking at an empty lot in Eureka, the graffitied walls surrounding it having gently crumbled flecks into the dirt. Durable crab grass and other dingy scrubs eek out a minimal existence under a huge painted eye looking out at the street. A Latino wearing heavy duty workman’s clothes- blue cotton tee over a dusty white long-sleeve shirt, and a jumpsuit, is lagging behind his coworkers after a long day of work. As they stride ahead on their way to get drinks, he stops by the lot and looks up at the mural. Behind him, a stretching, creaking, popping noise gets louder and louder, but it’s too late. As he turns around, vines and leaves descend upon him. 

[path-of-my-childhood]

Brian Mansfield shared on Twitter that he found a thumb drive with data showing music Taylor was listening back in the day when he worked and interviewed her for USA Today. Article in question can still be accessed with the help of Wayback Machine, if Flash is enabled in your browser. Alternatively, you can check out the whole list, with around 500 song, HERE.

You can also check out playlist on Spotify that Brian made with the songs that 18-year-old Taylor listened to the most on her iPod, or you can check them out below the cut.

Taylor Swift's iPod When She Was 18

Family Force 5 - Love Addict

Damien Rice - The Blower's Daughter

Patty Griffin - Christina

Better Than Ezra - Breathless

Metro Station - Now That We're Done

Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl

Trace Adkins - Every Light in the House

Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.

Jem - 24

Damien Rice - 9 Crimes

Yung Joc feat. Nitti Explicit - It's Goin' Down

Savage Garden - I Want You

The Cardigans - I Need Some Fine Wine and You, You Need to Be Nicer

Ingrid Michaelson - The Way I Am

Mat Kearney - All I Need

Aslyn - Be The Girl

John Mayer - Comfortable (EP Version)

Patty Griffin - Heavenly Day

The Corrs - Breathless

Brandi Carlile - What Can I Say

Coldplay - Sparks

Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On

Josh Rouse - It's The Nighttime

The Wreckers - Cigarettes

Chantal Kreviazuk - In This Life

The Veronicas - When It All Falls Apart

Hellogoodbye - Here In Your Arms

Coheed and Cambria - The Suffering

Gwen Stefani ft. Akon - The Sweet Escape

Dixie Chicks - Top Of The World

Dixie Chicks - Easy Silence

Mat Kearney - Where We Gonna Go From Here

Rachael Yamagata - Worn Me Down

Tyler Hilton - Kiss On (Revised)

Gavin DeGraw - Follow Through

Ben Jelen - Come On

Colbie Caillat - Feelings Show

Emerson Drive - Fall Into Me

James Blunt - Goodbye My Lover

Liz Phair - Why Can't I?

Paris Hilton - Nothing In This World

Dashboard Confessional - Vindicated

Jimmy Eat World - The Middle

Lenny Kravitz - Again

Diana Anaid - Last Thing

Maroon 5 - Harder To Breathe

Metro Station - Shake It

LFO - Every Other Time (Radio Edit & Album Version)

Mindy Smith - Come To Jesus

Patty Griffin - Burgundy Shoes

Patty Griffin - Peter Pan

Plumb - Stranded

Better Than Ezra - Our Last Night

Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me

Fort Minor feat. Holly Brook & Jonah Matranga - Where'd You Go

Lil Scrappy - No Problem

Patty Griffin - When It Don't Come Easy

Ryan Adams - Come Pick Me Up

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - American Girl

Dem Franchize Boyz - Ridin' Rims

Unkle Bob - Swans

Jann Arden - Insensitive

Rilo Kiley - Portions For Foxes

Landon Pigg - Can't Let Go

LeAnn Rimes - The Right Kind Of Wrong

The Fray - Look After You

The Wallflowers - Closer To You

Matt Wertz - Red Meets Blue

The Veronicas - 4ever

Beyoncé - Irreplaceable

David Mead - Nashville

Something Corporate - Ruthless

Blu Sanders - Like the Movies

Britney Spears - Do Somethin'

Fefe Dobson - 8 x 10

Frankie J featuring Baby Bash - Obsesion (No Es Amor)

Gavin DeGraw - Belief

Kelly Clarkson - Some Kind of Miracle

Miranda Lambert - Kerosene

Pat Benatar - Wuthering Heights

Shakira - Don't Bother

SHeDAISY - In Terms Of Love

Tori Amos - A Sorta Fairytale

The Fray - How to Save a Life

A Fine Frenzy - Almost Lover

Coldplay - Yellow

Dixie Chicks - Cold Day In July

Gary Allan - Promise Broken

Kelly Clarkson - Low

Sheryl Crow - It's So Easy

Dixie Chicks - Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)

Fefe Dobson - Revolution Song

Jet - Look What You've Done

John Mayer - Slow Dancing In A Burning Room

Michelle Branch - Goodbye To You

Plain White T's - Hate (I Really Don't Like You)

T.I. - What You Know

The Corrs - Summer Sunshine

Divinyls - I Touch Myself

Goo Goo Dolls - Here Is Gone

Pitbull ft. Lil Jon - Culo

Jake Owen - Ghosts

Lil Scrappy ft. Young Buck - Money In The Bank

BarlowGirl - Never Alone (Radio Remix)

Coldplay - The Scientist

Dem Franchize Boyz, Peanut, Charlay - Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It

Hope Partlow - Don't Go

Matchbox Twenty - Long Day

Semisonic - Closing Time

U2 - One

Brandi Carlile - Turpentine

Brandi Carlile - Throw It All Away

Mr. Big - To Be With You

Gabrielle - Out Of Reach

Colbie Caillat - One Fine Wire

Anna Nalick - Catalyst

Dashboard Confessional - Hands Down

Dixie Chicks - Not Ready to Make Nice

Fefe Dobson - Take Me Away

Staind - Everything Changes

Del Amitri - Roll To Me

Jake Owen - Eight Second Ride

Anna Nalick - Breathe (2 AM)

Bruce Robison - Virginia

Dixie Chicks - Lullaby

Dwight Yoakam - The Back of Your Hand

Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved

The Veronicas - Everything I'm Not

Three 6 Mafia - Side 2 Side

Vertical Horizon - You're a God

Jason Mraz - I'm Yours

Joanna - Screaming Infidelities

David Gray - This Year's Love

Rachael Yamagata - Be Be Your Love

Sarah McLachlan - Fallen (Album Mix)

Backstreet Boys - Crawling Back to You

Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot

The All-American Rejects - Dirty Little Secret

Avril Lavigne - Fall To Pieces

Pat Benatar - Heartbreaker

Def Leppard - Photograph

Vanessa Carlton - Who's To Say

Mannie Fresh - Real Big

Alanis Morissette - Hands Clean

Ben Lee - Catch My Disease

Beyoncé, Bun B, Slim Thug ft. Bun B and Slim Thug - Check On It

Fefe Dobson - Don't Let It Go To Your Head

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Apologies

Jack Johnson - Taylor

James Blunt - You're Beautiful

Katie Herzig - Fools Gold

Matchbox Twenty - If You're Gone

The All-American Rejects - Swing, Swing

Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life

Jonas Brothers - Tonight

Acceptance - Different

Alison Krauss & Union Station - New Favorite

Ben Folds Five - Brick

Brandi Carlile - Fall Apart Again

Courtney Jaye - Can You Sleep

Dashboard Confessional - Ghost Of A Good Thing

Fefe Dobson - Bye Bye Boyfriend

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah

John Mayer - Your Body Is a Wonderland

Mozella - You Wanted It

Oasis - Wonderwall

Shop Boyz - Party Like A Rock Star

Wheat - I Met A Girl

John Mayer - Waiting On the World to Change

[justanothercookery]

Eid

Royal chicken korma with saffron rice for Eid on Wednesday 12 May 2021

This chicken korma recipe is like nothing you will have had from a take away. This is rich and luscious. This is celebration food. It’s quite an involved recipe, but for a special occasion it is entirely worth it.

I took this from Diana Henry and her A Bird in the Hand, which she in turn took from her friend Roopa Gulati. 

Serves 3-4

For the chicken

2 large onions, one finely sliced and the other finely chopped

Neutral oil for deep frying

1/4 teaspoon saffron soaked in 1 dessert spoon boiling water (at least 30 minutes)

20 grams unsalted cashews, soaked for 30 minutes in hot water

2 tablespoons ground almonds

2 tablespoons neutral oil

1/4 teaspoon whole cloves

6 green cardamom pods

2 centimetre cinnamon stick

4-6 chicken thighs

2 centimetres ginger, grated

2-4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

75 millilitres coconut milk yoghurt (you can use Greek yoghurt or a mixture of yoghurt and cream if you prefer)

Lime juice

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

Fresh coriander to serve

1. Take the sliced onion. Sprinkle it well with salt and leave it to drain over the sink in a sieve for 30 minutes. Squeeze out the liquid. Dry them well. Then fry them in lots of oil until they are golden. Drain on kitchen paper. (You can reserve the oil for later.) Blend with 30 millilitres of water to a smooth paste and set aside.

2. Take the cashews that have been soaking and blend them to a paste with 25 millilitres of the soaking water and then stir in the ground almonds.

3. Season the chicken with salt. Using the reserved oil, fry the thighs in a casserole until they have a good colour on both sides. Remove them to a plate. Leave two tablespoons of oil in the pan.

4. Add the chopped onions and fry them gently for ten minutes, until softened. Stir in the cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon and cook for a minute. 

5. Return the chicken to the pan and then add the onion paste, ground nuts, ginger and garlic, the ground coriander, chilli powder, and white pepper. Season with more salt and cook for 10 minutes. If you think the spices are catching, add a splash of water.

6. Pour 75ml water over the chicken and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

7. Add the coconut milk yoghurt and heat it through gently. It’s vital that you do not boil it.

8. Squeeze over some lime juice. Sprinkle everything with garam masala and garnish with some fresh chopped coriander. Serve it immediately. We had ours with saffron rice (also a Diana Henry recipe) and it was unbelievably delicious.

Saffron rice for 2

1/4 teaspoon saffron, soaked in 1 tablespoon hot water for 30 minutes

120 grams basmati rice

1 tablespoon oil

1 bay leaf

2 cardamom pods

Rinse the rice and let it soak in cold water for at least 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan with a close-fitting lid. Fry the Bay leaf and cardamom pods for 30 seconds. Add the drained rice and stir it through the fat. Season with salt and the saffron liquid. Cover with 1 centimetre of cold water. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and turn the heat down as low it will go. Cook like this for five to seven minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed. 

Cover with a tea towel and then replace the pan’s lid. Leave it to sit for 10 minutes. Transfer to a warmed serving platter and fluff the grains with a fork. Serve immediately.

[wonderbatwayne]

My Soul is Yours (Wonderbat Drabble)

They get married whilst the sun is setting in the sky on a warm summer evening, if married is the word to describe what this day is to them.

Bruce often thinks back to the moment he presented Diana with a ring, feeling both nervous and more than a little foolish as he dropped down onto one knee before a literal Goddess, a woman who’d been in this world long before Bruce Wayne and who would no doubt be there long after him. 

Still, Bruce has never been more selfish than he is with her and he wants this. A scary notion that takes him months to even admit to himself. He wants her, in whatever ways he can, in whatever ways she’ll allow him. 

When Diana agrees, he’s never felt lighter or fuller or happier and he already knows Alfred is somewhere in the mansion already uncorking the champagne. It’s a moment Bruce wants to live in forever though now he thinks this one might have it beat. 

Diana doesn’t understand the concept of marriage because she’s too smart and has seen too much of humanity to understand why people would make such vows and promises they don’t intend to keep. Bruce thinks she almost sounds more like the Batman than he does but he tells her for them, it can mean whatever they want it to mean. 

Diana wakes him up a few nights later with excited eyes and his ring sparkling on her finger in the dim light. She will marry him, she tells him, in a sense much older and more sacred than the sham convention marriage has become to everyone else. Bruce readily agrees to her plan. 

They marry at the mansion, on the pier overlooking the lake that surrounds the property. It’s private and intimate and no press are allowed. Only their friends. Clark conducts the ceremony wearing his tux without the glasses and Alfred seems honoured when Diana asks him to walk her down the aisle. Bruce knows he loves her as family and he could recognise the rare look of pride on Alfred’s face when he smiles at him that it almost makes all those years of worry worth it. 

Diana is a vision when she walks towards him, a bunch of wild daisies in one hand and more threaded into her hair, her dress is white and flowing and Bruce can’t help the emotion wash over him at seeing her. A Greek goddess made real before his eyes. Barry, Arthur and Victor are all there with them, Barry excitedly throwing rice into the air despite the fact it’s meant to be for afterwards. 

Bruce takes Diana’s hands in his as soon as she passes off the flowers to Lois and finally he can breathe again. Diana is beaming at him and reaches one hand up to straighten his bowtie like she did when they first met. 

“Are you ready?” Diana asks him softly.

Bruce gives her a signature smirk, “Born ready, Princess.” 

He wasn’t, they both know. Bruce Wayne and marriage are as far apart as the Poles but that was before her. 

They don’t give the traditional vow, neither one of them are religious (at least not to that God, in Diana’s case) but they managed to find ways to express themselves in a way they both like. A binding, as Diana described it, for body, mind and soul. Something deeper than marriage. A promise of a vow that is unbreakable. 

Bruce likes that.

Clark wraps a piece of red cloth around their joined hands, tying them together both symbolically and literally before adding Diana’s lasso around their hands as well. It had been Bruce’s idea, to make their vows in the present of her Gods as well as their friends, it was important for her to feel connected to them. Especially today. 

“Bruce, I share with you my mind, my body and my soul. That we may be joined together always in love and respect and passion. All that I am, I give to you. I am yours and my love for you is everlasting.” The words hit him in the chest as the lasso glows brightly at the truth of them.

“Diana, I share with you my mind, my body and my soul. That we may be joined together in love and respect and passion. All that I am, I give to you. I am yours and my love for you is everlasting.” He repeats the words they had chosen as an expression of their declaration and feels the lasso warm around his hand, a calmness and peace at his own words rushing over him.

Clark continues the ceremony and the world melts away. Diana is looking at him with such love and devotion and he has no idea how he managed to earn it but he’ll thank her Gods and his for the rest of his life. 

“You can kiss your bride.” Clark tells him with a smile. 

Bruce wastes no time in pulling Diana in, their hands still joined as he kisses her. It’s soft and passionate and he thinks he hears Arthur whistle at them but he doesn’t care because Diana has a hand in his hair and they’re married. They’re bonded. They’re together. 

[reddielibrary]

The Dream During Halloween

Written by @heknewwellenough

Gift for @reddieforlove

Pairing: Richie Tozier x Eddie Kaspbrak

Word count: 3852

Rating: Teen

A/N: HAPPY HALLOWEEN BRI!!! i hope you enjoy this, and that it’s what you had in mind!!! mwah mwah

Richie doesn’t really believe in God, well, at least not to a certain extent. Okay, scratch that. He believes in something, he’s just not sure if it’s a God or a superior entity or some stupid shit like that. 

What he does believe though, at this exact moment, is that angels are real, and he just witnessed the king of the angels. Maybe that means the god of the angels or whatever, but he doesn’t exactly care about the correct terminology because he’s pretty sure this boy is a real life angel.

REO Speedwagon’s I Can’t Fight This Feeling is thrumming lowly through the speakers by the fireplace, and Richie really needs to find Bill to congratulate him on his music taste. I'm keeping you in sight is right, Richie muses indistinctly. 

“Rich.” He hears from his left, moving limply as he’s shouldered softly. 

“Yeah?” He mutters, keeping his eyes tracked on the boy across the room. He’s sitting by himself on the couch, painted light blue hands gripping a red solo cup weakly, lifting every once in awhile to drink. 

Bev shoves him a little harder, and Richie finally tears his eyes away from the angel on the couch. “Come on man, you’re being creepy. Stop staring at that poor kid. And you haven’t even seen his full face; his mask is covering part of it.”  

“Yeah, no shit Bev. You’d be surprised with what I can make do with having only half a face,” he says, his brows doing a little dance as he grins down at her. “Also,” he continues, reaching towards her headband, “can you start warning me when you want to talk to me? I’m not used to— this—“ he gestures to the dark hair curling right above her shoulders, making a grab at it, but Bev shoots his hand away from where it’s getting dangerously close to her headband. “I always think you’re someone creeping on me.”

Beverly grabs a black curl resting right above her shoulder, almost absentmindedly, and tugs on it loosely. She’s dressed as Snow White, and had dyed her hair with Richie’s own help two days ago. He’s still not used to it though, and it struck him this morning while doing his own hair how much they look like siblings now. 

“I can barely understand you,” she lifts her own solo cup to her mouth, taking a sip of what is presumably something non-alcoholic. “Take that stupid mask off and face me like a woman. Or go talk to the guy on the couch.”

Richie wriggles uncomfortably. God does he want to go talk to the boy with probably the best Halloween costume here. Better than Princess Diana and Prince Charles he’s here with, for sure. But he’s nervous. He only came to terms with this whole I-want-to-kiss-boys-like-a-lot-thing only recently, and even then he hasn’t even come to terms with it super well. The only reason Bev knows is because she’s Bev. His ride or die, his best friend, his platonic life partner, yadda yadda yadda. Same deal with Stan. He knows stuff about them that he’ll take to the grave, and vice versa. 

“I like the mask. It’s gives an air of… sexy mystery.” Richie slouches against the wall, turning away from Bev. His eyes make their way to the boy across the room, trying to pretend he’s not staring. He knows he’s not doing an entirely good job, but he thinks he has the right to stare when someone’s costume looks like that on them. 

“Not really— definitely not sexy. It’s kind of creepy. I can’t really tell where you’re looking at.” Stan remarks, saddling up next to them. He leans against the wall too, bumping his shoulder against Richie’s. His fancy blue prince pants look funny next to Richie’s black and white pinstripe pants.

“He’s looking over there— at zombie boy.“ Bev nods towards the couch across the room. “Where were you?” She adds, leaning to look over Richie towards Stan. 

Richie turns to Beverly, staring down at her sable head, astonished. “Do not just tell me you called him a zombie—”

“Getting water,” Stan says, lifting up the water bottle in his hands to show her, promptly cutting Richie off. Probably to save himself of a stupid argument. “Why don’t you go talk to him, Rich?” He suggests, loud enough to be heard over the music but not enough for the people around them to hear. He reaches over to Richie’s face and lifts his mask to sit on top of his head. 

Richie shakes his head vigorously, his mask flopping over and onto his face again. “Fuck no, Fresh Prince of Derry. I’ll just stare at Himeros for now.” 

Beverly snickers, but Stan looks at him, probably judging him. Richie sees his brows draw in the middle, and it sounds like he’s smiling when he says, “wouldn’t he be Anteros—?”

The sound of a shriek makes its way to Richie’s ears, and he gets the inkling that it’s probably a little more important than some girl getting teased or tickled or whatever the fuck off in the corner. He’s right, because when he looks over, Anteros is laughing at something Bill Denbrough is saying to him. “Oh my God. Did you guys hear that?”

“No? What?” Stan says, looking around, intrigued. “What is it, Richie?” 

“I think I just heard an angel sing.” Richie sighs dreamily, slumping against the wall even further. 

“Actually, I think you mean a god sing—“

“Oh, just go talk to the guy!” Bev gestures to the boy on the couch with her drink, some of it sloshing out of the cup and onto the floor, splashing Richie’s chucks lightly. 

“And it’s not sing, dingus. It’s laugh. Maybe he shouldn’t go talk to him,” Stan continues, “he’ll embarrass himself.” 

“I don’t have to listen to this abuse,” pushing himself off the wall, Richie turns to the royalty behind him. “I’m going to get another drink! Is there anything your highnesses would enjoy from the area of feeding?” He pretends to bow, and snickers when he hears Stan mutter no, thank you, asshat.

Bev does what Richie could only describe as a soft karate chop on each shoulder— the name escapes him— and she giggles also. “I’d like an orange juice.”

“Even though I just suffered some verbal abuse from you not even five minutes ago—“ he calls, walking away, “I will get you your juice of orange. With bubbly water, you freak!” He calls, finishing her sentence before she even begins to start talking. 

“Fucking— bubbly water. Fucking disgusting,” he mutters, walking up to the makeshift bar in the kitchen. 

“Hey, man.” He nods to Mike Hanlon in the kitchen, smiling. He always liked Mike. And Bill, too, when he had been on the lacrosse team last year. The rest of the team fucking sucked— and so did the sport in general, if he’s being honest. He can’t count how many hallelujahs he said the last day of practice.

Mike tilts his head, squinting at him. He raises his hand in a slow, confused wave. 

“Oh,” Richie laughs, pulling his mask up and over his head. “Sorry, man.”

“Oh!” Mike chuckles, walking up next to him. He bades goodbye to the girl next to him, sliding up next to Richie and leaning against the counter. “I thought it was you, Rich. You know— cause of the hair—“ he gestures to the mess of curls on Richie’s head, “— but it looked shorter so I wasn’t sure. Also, your neck is super white.”

“You mean whiter than usual?” Richie cracks, mixing Bev’s monstrosity of a drink. 

Mike gasps out a surprised laugh.“Yeah. Okay, whiter than usual.” 

Not quite what he was expecting, a similar laugh makes its way out of his throat. “I got a sexy haircut, dude, that’s why you didn’t recognize me in my sexy costume.” He says, still chuckling. He punctuates his sentence with a pop of his hip, grinning over at Mike briefly before turning back to the mouth-sore in front of him. 

“Speaking of, I like your costume. That movie’s pretty cool.” 

“I know, but do you know how many oh, are you Beetlejuice’s? I’ve gotten tonight? You think the mask would be a dead giveaway. Or that Bill wouldn’t have invited such dumb fucking people to his party.” Richie rolls his eyes, smiling at Mike’s nice rumble of a laugh. “I mean— I knew half the lacrosse team had zero brain cells, but you'd think at least some of the art kids would be smart. This movie only came out a year ago.” He scoffs. He grabs a half-filled Coke bottle in front of him and the Fanta next to it, pouring them into a solo cup, stirring them together with a straw. He lifts the cup to his mouth and takes a sip, turning fully to look at Mike, from feet to the top of his head. “What’re you supposed to be, anyway? Wait— no! Let me guess, let me guess.”

Mike shrugs, gesturing at him with his own solo cup as if to say alright man, go ahead. 

Mike has got on a yellow blazer, a red scarf around his neck, and a toque. Richie has literally no idea what he is. 

“No-fence man, but what the fuck are you? I’m trying to come up with something funny but I’m coming up short.”  

Mike laughs, like he’d been expecting that, and says, “I’m one of the boys from the Rice Krispies box. You know? It’s a group costume, with Bill and Ben.”

Richie nods. He knows Ben; he’s in his Humanities class and was in his SAT prep class last year, and he thinks Friends is funny, but never mind that little drawback, because he’s also probably the nicest fucking person Richie has ever met. He’s been meaning to ask him to hang out or something, but it’s not quite something he’s gotten around to yet, for whatever reason. In short, he’s just cool, and he makes Richie feel good. Same deal with Bill, and Mike. He smiles. “I was wondering what the fuck Bill was. I thought he was the little Nutcracker boy.” 

Mike bursts out laughing, slapping Richie on the arm. “I can’t wait to tell him that,” he mutters, small hiccups escaping his lips as he continues to chuckle, “he’ll love that—“

“Hi, Mike. Can I get by?” A soft voice says behind Richie. Both him and Mike turn around concurrently, and Richie chokes on the drink he unluckily lifted to his lips only a moment before, because there he is. The Himeros. Or Anteros. Whatever it is, or was, Richie can’t focus, or remember. He feels as if his brain has melted straight out of his ears and onto the floor, or into his drink, or something. He has no idea. None of it really matters right now, anyway. 

Mike says something that Richie tunes out accidentally, and he slides easily out of the way. They start talking, but Richie has no idea what they’re saying. The thoughts in his own head drown out their talk, and the loud talking all around him, and the sound of the opening chords of Witchy Woman starting up, all to a dull murmur as he stares at the back of the boy’s head. He feels like he should be listening to what him and Mike are talking about— to maybe pick up on a few things or something— but he’s too far gone now, his thoughts wrapping around his mind like a telephone cord around a finger. 

Richie cannot understand for the life of him why he has never seen this boy around. He’s a fucking senior this year, for Chrissake, and their school isn’t even that big like one of those schools up in Portland or Bangor. About six or seven hundo kids, give or take. And it’s not like he’s an observant person. He typically likes to think of himself as pretty observant, actually, and there’s not a chance in hell this kid would not catch his attention. He hasn’t even had the honor of having this kid’s face grace his shitty vision, but he already knows it’s going to be an appealing face.

“—Richie?” 

“Huh?” Richie’s head snaps up from where he was staring at Himeros’ feet toward whoever said his name.

It was Mike, and he’s smiling crookedly, like he’s waiting for Richie to answer. “See you later, Rich?” He says, and Richie figures he’s repeating it by the way he’s smiling and the tone of his voice.

“Oh. Yeah, see ya later, Snap.” He nods, a grin splitting his face as Mike returns it, turning to leave.

And then it’s just him and the angel, he realises a few seconds after Mike’s trodden off to go talk to Ben in the corner of the kitchen. It’s quiet, and it’s funny because everyone around them is talking, and Richie has always hated quiet. He opens his mouth to say something, pretty much anything that comes to his head first, but the boy beats him to it. And it’s perfect for two reasons. 

“Hey, Bone Daddy,” the boy says to him softly— like, to him, directly— and he kind of smiles, laughing to himself.

It’s perfect because Richie had absolutely no idea what he was going to say, so pretty much anything could have run out of his mouth, which doesn’t always fly so well depending on who he’s talking to. That greeting knocks the wind out of him though, promptly knocking whatever embarrassing thing Richie could have said out of his mind, too, which he’s entirely grateful for. 

It’s also perfect because by the minute he’s being proven right about this boy being an angel. 

“Get it? It’s from the movie.” Himeros continues, almost uncertainly. Richie wishes he could see his face— the mask is partially in the way, and he’s ducked over his own drink that he’s making. 

“Yeah, I get it,” he says in a rush, voice cracking. He takes a deep breath, continuing, “I’ve seen it like a billion times, so.” He trails off. “It’s my favorite,” he adds after a moment. The word fuck bounces around his head, feeling like he’s embarrassing himself or being especially awkward.

“Mine too.” The boy responds, turning to smile at Richie briefly. “When I chose my costume, I thought it was weird not having a Jack to go with, but Bill told me it looked fine.” 

“It does!” Richie blurts, and okay, yeah, he doesn’t exactly have a filter, but there are times when he thinks maybe he should work on that. Like right now. “I mean— it does. Look fine. I mean— I went as Jack without a Sally, and it’s not weird, right? So a Sally without Jack is not weird.” He’s rambling, and the boy is giggling, and most of the anxiety drains from his body because this— laughter, making people laugh— this is easy. Laughing makes him easy. The tension drains from his shoulders, from his brows, the anxiety flooding his body evaporates as he continues, a smile spreading across his face as he says, “your costume is definitely the sexiest one here. Excluding the cheeseburger playing beer pong, of course.” 

Richie watches as a flush coats the boy’s blue cheeks, and it’s probably the most endearing thing he’s ever seen. “Of course. Naturally.” He agrees, nodding along with Richie. He’s finished making his drink, and he turns to lean against the counter to face Richie. “And we— well we found each other, so now there’s no lonely Jack and Sally.” The boy says, and he smiles again. He sounds kind of nervous, and it further confirms Richie’s idea that yeah, this boy is his dream boy. 

Richie grins down at him, and the brief thought of how short this boy is crosses his mind. He finally takes in the boy’s full appearance now that he’s standing right in front of him, face and all. Everything about him just screams cute to Richie, from the sewn patches all over his pants and shirt, to the black boots he’s wearing. Richie notices that his hair is spray-dyed a vivid red, and it’s done really well. He probably went through at least two bottles, Richie muses. His drawn on stitched smile is curved up even more so than it already is due to the boy’s smile, and it makes Richie smile. 

The boy is looking him up and down—checking me out, Richie thinks nervously, Gee-zus— just like Richie was a second ago. The boy can’t see his face— when did I put on my mask again?— and that is both a shame and a blessing. 

“Do you— um—” the boy starts nervously, looking down into his cup and then back up again, “do you want to go up to Bill’s room, or something? To talk more? I feel cramped in here.”

Richie nods, and then realizes it might look like he’s saying no because of the mask, so he clarifies verbally with a loud, “yes! Let’s go. Do that. Lead the way, Sally.”

Himeros-Sally laughs, shaking his head, and leads the way out of the kitchen and up the stairs right outside of the kitchen. Richie follows, not seeing Stan or Bev anywhere. He mentally thanks whatever deity out there is throwing him a bone, and climbs the stairs two at a time, lifting his mask as he reaches the top step. 

“So,” the boy starts, leaning against the door once it closes. He sounds nervous again, and it drives a lot of the remaining anxiety Richie is feeling out of his chest. “Can I um— can I do something?” He shakes his head, looking down at the floor and frowning at his feet. “Sorry. That came out wrong. Can I try something, I mean.” 

“Like— like what? Like smelling Bill’s underwear, or looking for his porn mags? Because I bet they smell like—“ 

“Shut up,” the boy says, and it’s not very serious, as he makes his way slowly to Richie, who’s standing in the middle of the room, feeling silly all of a sudden. He places his hands on Richie’s shoulders, and does this thing that Richie really likes where he smooths them over the expanse of his shoulder softly. He rises up on his toes and his face suddenly becomes a lot closer to Richie’s. From behind his mask and through the peepholes, his eyes are telling Richie that he can tell him to stop. Richie does not tell him to stop.

And then suddenly there are soft lips on his. Uncertain, but not unstable. Richie’s eyes are open the whole time, and now he definitely feels like a fool. 

The boy leans back slightly, and one of his hands comes up to take off his mask. He tosses it onto Bill’s bed, and then makes eye contact with Richie again, and Gee-zus, this boy is the definition of cute. He’s the end-all-be-all of cute boys. Freckles smattering his nose and cheeks. Crinkles next to his eyes from smiling at the moment. Long, pretty lashes. Thick, bushy brows.

 “I don’t know your name,” is what he says after a few moments of just staring at Richie, also. 

“Richie. It’s Richie.” Richie breathes out, “and yours—“

“It’s Eddie.” He says softly. 

“Well, Eddie-Spaghetti. I thought you just wanted to talk?”

The boy— Eddie— frowns for the first time tonight. “That’s not my name,” Eddie argues. His frown is almost as cute as his smile. 

“Not anymore. It’s Eddie-Spaghetti. Or if you don’t like that, I can call you Spaghedward. And if you’re not into pasta at all, Eds can work.” Richie rambles, and then Eddie is pressing his lips to Richie’s again. 

“I guess I didn’t come up here to talk. You sure did though,” Eddie retorts when he leans back again, and Richie can feel him smiling, and that is something he’s definitely into. 

Richie’s eyes are closed this time as he replies with a breathless laugh. “Where have you been all of my life?” 

“Here and there,” he responds vaguely. It’s very obviously a joke, and Richie can’t help but laugh again. After he stops chuckling, Eddie answers honestly, telling him that he’s just quiet, and points out that they obviously have had very different schedules.

They end up laying down on Bill’s bed on their sides while Eddie talks, Richie’s mask thrown up by Bill’s pillow next to Eddie’s. Richie realizes Eddie’s probably as much of a talker as Richie is himself as he rambles on about the organization of classes. “I guess the people who organize classes just hate us. You know, since we seem to have never shared a class together. You’re not taking any AP classes, right?”

Richie shakes his head. “No.” 

Eddie frowns, “me neither,” he mumbles, biting his lip. “I don’t get why we’re not in any of the same regular classes, then.”

What he says goes in one ear and out the other. Eddie’s bitten lips have captured his full attention, and he wants to kiss them. Bad. So he leans over quickly and does.

Eddie splutters, seemingly caught by surprise, blush coating his blue cheeks again. “I— um— oh. Okay.”

“Sorry,” Richie hastens to say, shaking his head again, glasses getting pushed against his face and his hands under his head feeling uncomfortable. “I didn’t know if—“

“No! It’s fine,” Eddie shakes his head too, soft smile reappearing on his face. “It’s fine,” he repeats, softer this time. “I probably should have asked first, anyway. So I’m sorry.”

Richie scoffs, dramatic. “It’s fine. You’re fine. You did kinda ask, anyway. Besides, I wanted those cute lips on me, anyways,” Richie grins, laughing at Eddie’s bashful smile and the roll of his eyes. 

When Eddie doesn’t say anything for a few moments, Richie fears he made it awkward, but then Eddie looks into his eyes and cracks a smile, a laugh escaping his mouth. He starts to laugh even more, and then Richie starts to laugh, and then suddenly they’re laughing together on Bill’s bed in their Nightmare Before Christmas Halloween costumes at nothing. This is the best Richie has felt in a long time. He feels as if he’s known Eddie for years, and not just for two hours. 

Eddie wipes away a few tears from his eyes, rolling onto his back and staring up at the glow-in-the-dark stars Bill has on his ceiling. “I’m glad I met you,” he says softly, in the Eddie-way he does that Richie is grown accustomed to in the past couple of hours. 

“Same here, Eds.” Richie whispers back. 

Eddie’s hand reaches over and threads through the hand Richie has resting by his face. Still on his side, and staring at Eddie’s face poised up to the ceiling with his eyes closed, Richie can’t help but think for the hundredth time that night yeah, definitely an angel. 

[kumeko]

Title: dinner for two

A/N: For @boxofficequeen2416, for the WonderBat exchange held by @maidenoftheworld! I really like Diana teasing Bruce and wanted to delve into a budding romance

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Over the course of her lifetime, Diana had seen many things. She’d learned of the world of man, fought monsters and aliens, travelled through parallel universes, and even seen the dead return to life. It was part and parcel of her duties while saving the world. By this point, she’d seen so many things, she thought it was impossible to get surprised anymore.

 Apparently, the world was out to prove her wrong because apparently there was still one marvel she had yet to witness: Batman cooking.

 Or more accurately, Bruce cooking. Sitting on a high stool next to the island in the kitchen, Diana watched in disbelief as Bruce quickly stirred the chicken on a frying pan, his wooden spatula flipping the pieces so they’d cook on the other side. There was something surreal about this whole thing and she wasn’t sure what was the strangest part. That Bruce was cooking, that Bruce was cooking for her, or that they were on a sorta-date. If only the tabloids could see them now. “You can cook.”

“Yes.” Bruce shot her a dirty look over his shoulder, his expression matching his usual Batman scowl. “Of course I can.”

Diana rolled her eyes. “Not quite what I expected from a billionaire, Bruce. Particularly since I thought Alfred handled these matters.”

 “Alfred’s better than it than me.” Bruce shrugged, turning back to the stove. He opened a jar filled with red spice and tossed a spoon onto the chunks of meat. “But I did spend a lot of time travelling and world hopping. If I couldn’t fend for myself, I’d have died.”

 “I thought that would be more of your ‘spam’ in a can or things like that,” Diana replied, resting her chin on her hand as she watched him. It was funny, she’d seen his back many times before now, but it looked different this time. Maybe it was the lack of pointy ears or the different lighting. It wasn’t often she saw him out of costume. “Something more practical than whatever it is you’re making.”

 Bruce didn’t respond, ignoring her statement as he added more spices into the mix.

 Noticing that he had stiffened slightly, Diana cocked her head. “Am I right?”

 “…when you’re in the wilderness, taste isn’t a priority’,” Bruce admitted quietly. His ears were a bright red and Diana could only imagine his expression now. It was rare that he admitted that he was bad at something. “As Dick put it, most of my dishes are ‘either eat it or die’.”

 “Is this one of those cases?” Diana peeked at the bowl on the table with her, filled to the brim with white rice. Another one beside it had a white sauce and yet another a red one. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of it all, not yet.

 “No.” Bruce turned around, a bowl of salad in one hand, two plates in the other. He set them down on the table in front of her, avoiding her questioning gaze. “I’ve picked up a thing or two from Alfred over the years.”

 Over the years or just now? Diana didn’t press the question, it was obvious. Bruce never learned something if he didn’t intend to use it. Maybe Dick could give her the details later—he always did like to talk and she had a feeling this story would be an amusing one. Instead, she took picked up her glass of wine, swirling it gently. It was some high-class vintage, she was sure. If there was one thing Bruce didn’t need Alfred’s help with, it was alcohol.

 “Where is he, anyways?” She glanced around, half-expecting the familiar butler to appear over her shoulder, offering her a snack to tide her over or a sarcastic remark as he observed his master’s cooking. She had been in the Wayne manor for at least half an hour now and hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Alfred. Or anyone else, actually. An impossible feat, considering how many children Bruce had taken in. “Or your proteges?’

 “They’re out.” Bruce felt her questioning stare even with his back turned and added, “Dick dragged them to the movies.”

 “Even Damian?” Diana blinked, surprised. And impressed. “He found something for both Damian and Alfred to enjoy?”

 “Not entirely.” Bruce gave a wry smile as he thought of his caustic son. “Cass is patrolling with Damian.”

 “Ah.” That made more sense. It also certainly saved some movie-goer’s life.

 Bruce opened a bottle of an unlabeled black sauce and drizzled it over the meat. A spicy, salt smell started to drift around the kitchen despite the fans Bruce had on. “Almost done.”

 Diana sniffed. “Smells good.”  She rested her chin on her hand, watching as Bruce bustled about the kitchen. Everything about him felt softer: his expression, his words, even his movements. While she had no doubt that he could spring immediately into a defensive crouch at the slightest provocation, for once she didn’t feel like he was waiting for it. “I didn’t think you prepare all this, to be honest.”

 Bruce fell silent. The only sound was his wooden spatula, flipping the meat as it sizzled. Maybe she had gone too far? It was hard to tell with him just what lines he’d drawn in the sand. As he turned off the stove and started to dole out the food onto a platter, he quietly replied, “Me neither.”

 Huh. Diana didn’t know what to say to that. Everything felt more intimate, more private. She watched as he finished setting the food in front of her, his gaze carefully avoiding hers. It seemed the real Bruce was shier than she thought.

 Maybe this kinda-date was actually a full blown one, then.

 As he sat beside her, his arm just millimetres from her own, she wondered just how long it would take to close that gap. Not very, if she had anything to say about it.