#and certainly haven’t had either ingredient in a pie

[utdrmv-confession-box]

Transcript: Aside from the topic 'bout "rewriting AUs:" what's your favorite food from Undertale/Deltarune? Doesn't matter in what way, by design or by usability

Ofc, mod also can answer, hehehh

[circusgoth-dotcom]

Rough Beginnings

Ship: Bill Fang x Sweeney Todd

Word Count: 1254

Summary: The day Bill and Sweeney met each other. A remastered fic, no clue where the original is on my old blog but either way this rewrite is probably leagues better. Ask to add CWs, I don't think anything is too bad in this fic but let me know. (Genuine)

Tag List: @canongf @futurewife @rexscanonwife @dudefrommywesterns

It was an early, grey, and foggy morning when Sweeney returned to his home city of London. It was just as he left it; disgusting and derelict, yet certainly far more lonely without the company of his dear wife Lucy and daughter Johanna. How he longed to return to them and make everything right once more. It was that longing that drove him forth down Fleet Street once he had left the piers, and his young saviour, behind. He stopped and stared outside of the building he once called home.

The top floor contained what used to be his apartment and the space in which he did business as a barber, well-liked by his regular customers. Below lived his neighbour and her pie shop. Dust and grime were caked onto the windows, even though there appeared to be some sort of effort to clean, and the building generally looked unpopular compared to other businesses on the street. He would’ve ignored this and pressed on if it weren’t for the fact an unfamiliar face was sitting on a bench outside of the pie shop, adding paint to a wind-weathered sign.

Cautiously, Sweeney approached. “Pardon me, sir, but you wouldn’t happen to know who owns this building, do you?”

The man looked up, showing a young but tired face, marked with porous scars. “Ah, yes sir, that would be my boss, Mrs. Lovett.” He frowned. “You’re not thinking of buying us out, are you?”

“What…? Oh, no, no,” he waved his hand dismissively, “that is far from the reason I’m here, don’t you worry about anything of that sort. Has anyone else resided here in your time?”

The man thought for a moment. “No, sir, just myself and Nellie… who are you?”

Sweeney cleared his throat. “I’m… no one, no one you need to worry about, anyhow. You?”

The man adjusted his newsboy cap. “Bill Fang. I’m Mrs. Lovett’s assistant.” He returned his attention to painting the sign. “Well, Mr. No-One, it would at least be appreciated if you stepped inside for a pie. We’re barely staying afloat. Nobody wants to come in because we use such cheap ingredients, but we can’t afford anything better because nobody’s coming in. That and people keep saying the shop upstairs is haunted. Tch, sir, I’ll tell you, I’ve slept up there myself and there isn’t a thing wrong with it, not a thing!”

“Have you, now?” Sweeney barred the defensive feelings rising in his chest. This stranger before him had slept in his own bed and neither Lucy nor Johanna seemed to be remembered, let alone still around. “I suppose that makes you a brave man. Lucky for both you and your employer, I haven’t had a proper meal yet.”

He nodded at the man and let himself in, the tingling of the bell overhead immediately giving away his presence. Once the door closed behind him, Bill set aside the sign on his lap and hopped up from the bench, peering through the dirty windows to catch a glimpse of how the stranger interacted with his boss. He watched him half-heartedly try one of the pies, shortly being instructed to spit it out. He watched as a lengthy, animated conversation took place. He watched as a thunderous rage came upon the stranger and he slammed his fist onto the counter, prompting Bill to rush inside.

“What’s going on??” He asked quickly, recklessly wanting to defend his employer with nothing on him but his bare hands.

“Don’t fret, William, it’s just…” Mrs. Lovett began before the both of them looked over at Sweeney as he released a great gasping sob, torn between being completely livid and utterly despaired. “Mr. Todd’s been dealt a great hand of bad luck. Wait here.”

Bewildered, Bill remained where he stood as Sweeney shakily sat at one of the dusty tables, burying his head in his hands. He looked far more miserable than when he had walked in. Before Bill could say anything more, Mrs. Lovett had returned with a handsome black case.

“Look, it doesn’t have to be the sewers or the plague hospital-- you can be a barber again!” She insisted, opening the case and setting it in front of the distraught man. The inner lining was rich, red velvet, cushioning a set of silver razors with intricate, chased handles, looking almost completely untouched. Even Bill had to gasp a little at the reveal.

“You had these all this time??” He asked, a bit outraged. “These would sell for good money, why would you…?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Mrs. Lovett insisted through clenched teeth, lightly swatting at him with a rag before waiting for Sweeney’s reaction as he examined the beautiful tools set out for him.

“My friends…” He muttered softly, holding one of the razors up to the light of the gas lamp on the table. He swallowed as he contemplated the familiarity of the tool in his hand, the sharpness of its blade. Where one door closes, another must open. He stood and set the razor back with the others, turning to Mrs. Lovett and Bill. “Yes. I’ll resume my work upstairs, however, this means I will need my room back.”

“William can bunk with me, I’m sure.” Mrs. Lovett flashed him a particular look- no arguments -before fishing a set of keys from her apron pocket and handing them to Sweeney. “Well, go on. We keep it locked up during the day to discourage vagrants.”

Without hesitation, Sweeney left the pieshop to get a proper look at the current state of his parlour and apartment, leaving Bill to stare at his employer.

“Nellie, do you know that man???” He asked, exasperated.

“Yes! Sit down, I’ll pour you some ale and tell you the whole story…”

When she finished, Bill was suddenly struck with the same nauseating outrage he knew Sweeney was feeling at that very moment.

“How do you suppose he’ll get his revenge?” He asked lowly. Mrs. Lovett regarded him silently for a moment.

“I suppose we’ll just have to see.”

It did not possibly cross Bill’s mind that Sweeney was prepared to kill due to the injustice thrust upon him as he tread upstairs. Sweeney startled as his own greeting bell rang, only to be relieved when it was just Bill.

“Something I can help you with?”

“Well, I thought you might appreciate it if I removed my belongings from your apartment.”

“Right…” Sweeney nodded, turning back toward the single window, slotted in the roof and showing a view of the terribly drab sky. Bill walked across the room and slipped into the tiny apartment, which consisted of nothing more than a bed, a dresser, and a kitchen. He pulled what little belongings he had out of the dresser, folded them neatly in his arms, and exited back into the parlour.

“Do you think it’s going to rain?”

Sweeney looked over his shoulder at him. “It tends to, in this city, if my memory serves me correctly. You know, you don’t need to make small talk with me, Fang.” He paused. “Though I do have to ask why Mrs. Lovett calls you…?”

“William? Yes, well, I made the mistake of giving her my full name and now she won’t drop it.” Bill shrugged. “As for the small talk, I’m only trying to be friendly. And just because I’m Mrs. Lovett’s assistant, don’t think I’m off limits. If you need help with anything once you get settled, just find me, alright?”

“Right.”

“Good day, Mr. Todd.”

“Good day, Fang.”

[angelkurenai]

Imagine spending the holidays with the Losers Club that come to visit you in the bunker where you like with Sam and Dean.

“I still think this is a terrible idea.” the green-eyed man said from his seat.

He had plopped there half an hour ago, too tired after the trip you'd made him go this very morning to the market. You had been there the whole time, of course, and that was what had made things worse for him. You had walked around the market more than ten times and every time you found something new to buy because, apparently Dean always thought in annoyance and more exhaustion, this dinner had to be special and you were definitely going to cook everything on your own and you had to pick the best ingredients without forgetting a single one.

While he loved the excitement and happiness on your face – and on he'd give everything to see that look on you on a daily basis – his torture had not ended there but rather only 40 minutes ago when the last pie had been put in the oven. Oh and it was already dark outside. For some reason you seemed even more energetic than before though and while he couldn't understand the kind of magic you must have pulled there, he didn't mind to ask either. He only appreciated it more.

“You think that anything that involves kids is a terrible idea, Dean. I wouldn't really be surprised if I was you at this point. Or bother with it to be honest.” you said, small smile ever present on your lips as you placed the last pie on the table “Hey-” you hit his hand scoldingly as he tried to reach for a small part of it “That's for the kids. Keep your hands to yourself, you'll have pie only if they're full. Not that I think I've made enough...” you ended up trailing off as you chewed on your lower lip, deep in thought.

“But you've made three pies!” he nearly exclaimed so loudly that you were sure Sam would've heard him from his own room “And we've been cooking all day! Look at this table, it has never been more full!”

“The kids are here for the holidays, we need to give them the best time of their lives and make them feel at home! It took a lot of effort from their part to be with us on News Year's days too, we can't ruin this.” you huffed, moving the plates for what felt like the millionth time that day and Dean had to hold back himself from reaching out to take hold of your hand and calm you down despite how adorable you were while fussing around “I'll have to do so much better next time.” you muttered, still chewing on your lower lip.

“Next time?” Dean's eyes widened as he looked around “As in- We're going to do this again? And the whole trip to the market too?!” he could already feel the exhaustion just at the possibility of repeating such a day. No amount of food, if there was any left according to your words, could be worth this.

“Well, yeah...? Obviously Dean! That's what taking care of kids is like, a full-time job! And next time I plan to do it better, oh I'm certainly cooking more.” you looked around, nodding your head at your own words.

Dean could barely hold back a groan. Maybe pretending to be sick wouldn't be all that childish after all, would it? Part of him didn't want to miss on this, though, didn't want to miss on the way your eyes sparkled with excitement and eagerness to see the kids you'd saved – and who had in returned saved you – that summer not so long ago and the kids who in all honesty were like your own. He had heard parts of the story, only what you had been so far willing to reveal. It hadn't been long and parts of it were too traumatic for you to reveal, and of course he was willing to wait.

Complain as he might like a little kid about feeling tired, he enjoyed it. He felt something completely new at the prospect of the kids coming to live at the bunker with the three of you (four if Castiel showed up), something he couldn't name but didn't dislike. It was new but then again he was beginning to get used to feeling ll sorts of new things ever since he met you and plenty of them he grew to love. He couldn't help but think of this as one big dysfunctional family that he could be a part of and felt himself become giddy too. He wanted to meet the kids too and possibly see how good he could be with them... how good of a father possibly? He didn't know.

“How much food can two kids possibly eat though?” he asked, less whiny, and mostly to stop himself from spiral any further down the trail of thought that involved him, you and kids.

“Maybe more snacks? Not healthy but the guys love- Wait-” you paused your rambling, mostly because you had been talking to yourself at first, before you looked at him “What do you mean two? I never said two kids, Dean.” you laughed at him and he blinked, frowning.

“Oh... no?” he rubbed the back of his neck “I must have zoned out at some point during all those preparations. Sorry, princess.”

“If...” your eyebrows pulled into a frown and your smile fell, making the pang in his chest hurt like no other “If you're really so tired then I could just make something for you to eat o-or you could chose anything you want from this and you could go to sleep. I know it's getting late already a-and I suppose I was rather-”

“No!” he said faster than he could even realize it “No, (Y/n), seriously I'm fine. Nor hungry... alright, that hungry. That pie's really tempting me right there and it's not fair.” that earned a half smile from you “Besides, it's not like I'm that tired. I'm jut fine, I can wait. And even more, I want to meet the kids today... despite how bad of an idea I think this is.”

“Dare you doubt my ability to handle kids properly, Winchester?” you smirked, raising an eyebrow as you came to sit at last next to him with a soft sigh, for the first time realizing that you were a tad tired “And you haven't met them to know if it's a good idea or not. I think you'll get along just fine.”

“Why, yes. Three kids barely in their teens running and sneaking around in a house full of old but totally-fuctionalweapons is no biggie. Everything's going to go absolutely fine!” the sarcasm was dripping from his words yet you couldn't hold back your smile because he really had no idea how much worse things could get if that's what he considered trouble. It was going to be funny to see him figure it out himself.

“And who exactly said it's going to be three?” you asked with a smirk and his frown only deepened.

“...Four?” he asked after a long moment of hesitation but the smile you kept on did nothing to calm down his growing worry “Fi- How many kids are you going to bring in here?!”

“Why, Dean-” you giggled “I thought you'd like some company of your own age! You're the one acting like a child all the time, wouldn't it be nice to have many more of your peers around here?”

“No, I'm perfectly fine all alone, thank you very much. How many kids is it going to be?” he insisted, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Hey, if you're worried about me not being able to handle them all, I'll assure you I've got plenty of practice all these years. There is absolutely no problem. I've handled you pretty well, anyway.” you shrugged and he raised an eyebrow “Why? Do you think you're any more of a grown up than they are?”

“Alright, funny. Very funny. Get your jokes out now because once they are here, mind my words, these four or five kids will-”

But this time he didn't even get to complete his sentence because another sound caught both of yours attention. It was knocking on the door and Dean could swear you had never shot up faster, or at least he had never seen you do so. Maybe all of it happened too fast for him to comprehend too, or maybe he was so tired that his brain had slowly started slowing down. He couldn't think of too many things at the moment, not to mention that the temptation of asking you to make it up to him with some cuddles – all very friendly of course – was taking up most of his thoughts.

But he still found himself getting up from his seat and – with some nerves that he didn't know where they came from – he approached the stairs where the sounds of children – far too many if he was honest – were heard amongst your own laughter. That he could get used to.

“Oh my Gosh, look at you!” your voice hed so much emotion that Dean smiled ever so slightly – even if his smile fluttered the moment he realized just how many kids were standing at your door and were all wrapped around you in a big group hug “You've grown up so much! Oh my-” you choked on your words “I think I'm gonna cry!”

“Oh no don't!” one of the boys, the one with the dirty blonde curly hair Dean noted, said with wide eyes “We have totally run out of tissues. Richie used them all up with all his ugly crying on the way here!”

“Aww did you now?” you cooed at him “You're so cute sometimes I might pinch your cheek, you know that? Such a good boy too!” you said and Dean finally realized it was teasingly to get to the boy something like a mix between an older sister and a mother.

“Wha- Hey!” the boy with the glasses, Richie he supposed, looked at you with wide eyes “First of, don't you dare! Also, stop that. And second, I did not! If you must know it was Stanley and Bill who did more than all of us, when we found out we were going to spend the holidays with you!”

“Oh don't try to cover it up, Richie. We all know it: you're such a softie and you look forward to my hugs and kisses!” you giggled, ruffling his hair as the rest of the kids laughed but Richie gave you a look.

“Don't you dare (Y/n)!”

“Well, for one I-” another voice spoke up, this time belonging to the only girl of the group so far “Am not going to deny a thing. I did cry tears of joy and I will gladly do it again!”

“Bev, my favorite girl in the whole world!” you nearly squealed with joy when the young redhead jumped in your arms and you seemed to hug the life out of each other “Oh my gosh, you look incredible! How is this even possible? I mean, all of you are just-” you held the girl still in your arms, looking around at all of them this time “Dear, how long has it been? You've all changed so much, you- you've grown up. How much have I missed on? Gosh guys I'm so sor-”

“No.” it was firm but soft “N-no. Y-you do-don't have t-to be sorry for a-anything. We a-are here. Together. And that's what matters. Not the distance. N-not the time lost. Not the lack of memories. O-only the ones we make now.”

“Oh Bill.” you choked on an incoming sob “Come here.” you murmured, the young boy instantly coming to your other side and hugging you warmly “You've grown up so much... Georgie would be so proud... I am.” you whispered, the last part specifically for him to hear, kissing the top of his head and hugging him warmly as he tightened his hold around you.

“I'll never forgive myself for not staying longer in contact with you but I won't make the same mistake again. But Bill's right.” you looked at all of them with tears in your eyes but still a smile on your lips “I'll certainly make up for the lost time the best I can, by giving you and sharing all the memories we possibly can. And there are certainly plenty more to come.”

“Alright, what the hell is this now?” Richie finally broke the small moment of silence, finally admitting too “I swore I was done crying but if you're going to keep it up with all these emotional speeches then be prepared for some really ugly ass crying again!”

“Alright, Richie's right. No more chick flicks.” you grinned “Come on, last few hugs and let's get to eating. I've cooked your favorites!”

“Favorites? Say no more!”

“Uhm alright guys, are we sure this is the only way down? Because this might lead more down than down, if you get what I mean. And I don't mean to be hypochondriac but all it takes is one freaking step and boom that's it. And I mean, I don't even wanna put my hand on those handles because- are we sure they're steady? And if yes, how much? I'm just say- Oh my Gosh, Richie not like that! Careful, don't run!”

“Oh come on, don't make such a fuss. See-” as if to prove a point, Richie jumped down three steps at once “Perfectly safe! It's not as if- Ow!” it was only when he collided with a solid body that he realize that nearly tripping and hitting the hard ground was very likely “So-sorry.” he blinked.

“'S ok.” Dean said maybe after a too long of a pause. He clearly his throat a bit nervously, offering the friendliest smile he could to the kid who, for all he knew, was like a son to you. The fact alone made him all the more nervous, if the way the boy had narrowed his eyes at him didn't already do that.

“Hey!” he said loudly, looking up at you after breaking his scrutinizing gaze at Dean “What's up with this fuckface right here? Is he, like, constantly standing there waiting to scare you or something?”

“What?” you had barely even noticed what was happening until you let go of one of the boys and looked down at the two of them. You had to try hard not to laugh at how Dean watched the kid with raised eyebrows and all but wide eyes. Especially when Richie walked carefully around the man, all the while eyeing him carefully, and grabbed something that looked like an old gun (which you honestly had no idea why it was even lying on the floor) and poked at Dean.

“Is he maybe a robot or something from those British Men of Letters you were telling us about or something? What kind of real man has these kind of legs anyway.” he snickered before poking Dean with the gun “Hey freckles, where's your turn on button? Up your as-”

“Hey!” Dean exclaimed, his voice certainly more gruff and loud than he would have expected, effectively making him jump in surprise “Careful with that, you might get hurt.”

“Oh so fuckface speaks!” apparenty Dean's gruffness hadn't scared him in the least bit.

“Don't you think you curse enough for a little kid, boy?” Dean frowned “And check your vision next time, yeah? Cause I'm very much real... just like the gun you're holding. Better not to keep it so close to me.”

Alright, maybe threatening one of the kids wouldn't be the ideal way to get them to like him but this one was really asking for it.

“Unless you've noticed, I'm already wearing glasses. They're not fake to make me more handsome but maybe you could use some! Must be so fucking hard to get laid with that kind of-”

“Richie!” you exclaimed, eyes wide “That's enough. Dean's not used to your sense of humor just yet. Please.”

“Well, shame, cause I was being serious a- Wait. This is Dean?” he pointed at the man, looking him up and down once more “Are you serious? And here I thought that at least your taste in men was better than-”

“And that's enough.” the only boy besides Richie that had come down the stairs but in a more normal way, place a hand over his mouth and stopped him from speaking “We've had our dose of Richie for the day... well, week actually. It's seriously so much better when you eat, Richie, that way our ears and brains don't have to suffer. Do us that small favor, will you?” he sighed before turning to Dean with a smile and an extended hand “Hi! My name is Stanley, nice to meet you, Dean!”

“Well, it's certainly nice to meet you too.” and he had really never meant it more before. Maybe Stanley was going to behis favorite after all.

“Sorry about that. We kinda forgot the tape at home so we have to deal with it.” he shrugged a bit but when Dean frowned, he elaborated “The duct tape. You know, the one we put over his mouth to make him stop. Kind of necessary if you ask me.”

“I've noticed.” Dean mumbled “Don't worry...” he smirked before adding “We're got plenty here.”

“Are there any spells to shut someone up though? (Y/n)'s told us you've got all kinds of books here.”

A smile had started to grow on Dean's lips but before he could get to reply, another voice spoke up. One that made him notice that the reason that Richie was so silent was because he was picking at the old weapons that were in the walls of the room.

“Oh my god, Richie put that thing down!” it was again the shortest kid he'd heard before “You don't even know how old it is, or where it's been or how it's been used! Seriously, have you ever heard of a staph infection? That thing could-”

“Eddie, relax. Not everything in here can cause an infection you know.” you told the young boy with a soft smile but he huffed.

“That's what everyone says until I am the one being proven right. I mean, not to be hypochondriac but (Y/n), this place-” he looked around with wide eyes “Needs to... be wrecked down and rebuilt from scratch. That door has more rust than I've ever seen in my entire life life and I don't want to think just how dangerous even knocking on it can be. And these stairs, well, they don't seem to be the safest option because one wrong step and it could send you spiraling down to every doctor in Kansas. Thinking of all the possible ways you could fall down and break an arm here has me losing my breath. Or maybe that's because of all the dust that's set all around-” he motioned around him “Here that is making things-”

“Oh my, Eddie! No, Eddie, calm down!” you rushed for the boy “Everything's been thoroughly cleaned, I made sure of it. And even more so your room, I promise Eds.” the affection in your voice and face was enough alone to comfort any kid but your words also seemed to do a lot.

“He's always like this, don't worry.” another boy had come down the stairs “It's normal for him.” he shrugged, probably after having noticed the wide eyes Dean was sporting “Oh and I'm Ben by the way.”

“Hey Ben! It's Dean.” he shook the hand the boy offered “Nice to meet- Oh hey, nice T-shirt!” he grinned when noticing the band on the boy's shirt which only made him smile even more widely and mumble a soft thanks. Well, two out of three wasn't bad so far. The kids could be good after all.

The hunter blinked several times when he heard Eddie speak or ramble – or both – some more, remembering the casual tone in Ben's voice, before finally asking “Is the kid always stuck on 1.25?”

“1.25?” he tilted his head.

“Yeah, you know like-” Dean shrugged “Youtube. Where you've got options for speed on a video, like 0.75 or normal or 1.25. He's that.”

Stanley and Ben laughed but they didn't get to say a word, not before Richie spoke up “Wow” he said full of mock surprise“I never thought... that you knew how to use youtube! Did they have it back in your days or something? I mean, how old are you? Are you as old as you look or even more? Did you get a T-Rex as a pet or something? I always wanted-”

“Th-that's e-enough Richie! No-not e-everyone has the patience t-to hear you ta-talk for too long.”

“It's alright, Dean can get used to anything.” you said with a grin as you and the rest of the kids came down the stairs “And as you see these are my lovely little angels!”

“She's talking about us, that one right there is related to the devil.” Stanley shrugged, pointing at Richie and Dean was sure he was going to enjoy interacting with these kids.

“As someone who has met the actual devil, I can tell you-” he glanced at Richie with a smirk “Ain't far from the truth. The similarities are scary.”

“I mean, for what it's worth, I'm kinda surprised you know how to use youtube too, Dean. I didn't know you were so caught up, good job!” you grinned teasingly and he narrowed his eyes at you.

“So it is you then.” he muttered but you only chuckled.

“Alright, since we're off to such a good start, let me introduce you to the rest of the Loser's club! You've met Ben, Stanley and Richie and these are Mike, Bev, Eddie and Bill that I've talked to you about... in general, at least.” you introduced the rest of the kids to him, all of whom gave him friendly smiles and waves that made him smile as well “Guys, this is Dean. Dean Winchester, that I've told you so much about!”

“Hey everyone.” all of a sudden his nerves were back again “It's good to meet you all at last.”

“You'll meet Sam in a while too, but you must know that Dean here helped me with all the food that's on the table right now because of how happy he was to know you'd be here for the holidays!”

The silence that followed seemed to stretch for what felt like hours, even if it was only a couple seconds, until finally someone spoke up. By the speed alone, his eyes instantly fell on Eddie “Alright, I'm just gonna ask because I can't hold it back any longer. (Y/n) said this but only because she didn't say more, we can't know if it's true or not. And I've kinda been really wondering about this. Did you really kill Hitler?”

it took only two more seconds before a grin full of pride formed on Dean's lips “Oh you bet!”

It didn't take more than half a second for all of the boy's eyes to widen and them to rush to his side with excitement in their eyes “Wa-wait, b-but how di-did you do th-that?” Bill asked and dean grinned.

“I mean... it's a pretty long story. You might get bored.” he said, only to make them shake their heads.

“You also started the Apocalypse.” Richie pointed out, making Dean's smile fall for a second “And if you ask me... that's the cool shit!” only for it to return wider “Tell us everything!” and it took no longer than three full seconds for all the boys to take a seat on the table and act like they've been friends for years.

You however, sighed despite the smile on your lips “It's going to be a long couple of weeks.”

“You tell me.” Beverly, who was still by your side, sighed too as you both watched the boys. The comfortable silence between you two was only broken a second later by her teasing tone “So... that's Dean huh?”

“Not you too!”

[chasseurdeloup-retired]

Taking Whisks || Roland and Kaden

TIMING: Before the scream LOCATION: Roland’s house PARTIES: @sgtrolandhills​ and @chasseurdeloup​ SUMMARY: Upon learning that Sarge eats way too many Lean Cuisines and doesn't even know what a roux is, Kaden offers to teach Roland some cooking basics. The pair bond and have a perfectly pleasant evening. (But for real)

While he could solely rely on prepped delivery boxes with the simplest of instructions, Roland realized he was probably getting too old to not have any real cooking skills. It didn’t look like the being alone aspect of things was changing anytime soon either. With him feeling more and more like he was failing in his work life, he needed something for himself in his personal life. He enjoyed eating. What better hobby to pick up than cooking? Plus, Kaden seemed to know what he was talking about with his roux and flour. He liked Langley well enough. A bit of a wild card, but he could see them getting on outside the station. A friend or two couldn’t hurt, right? That’s what he told himself as he opened the door to welcome Kaden into his home. “Hey,” he greeted, “I appreciate you taking the time to show me the ropes of cooking. I have some beer in the fridge-- lady at the store said it was French. I also have some pinot noir which is apparently pretty nice. Haven’t tried it myself yet.” He had planned on sharing it with Erin, but it was now very apparent what a bad idea that would be. Even if there was no longer evidence against her, he couldn’t look past what he’d seen.

As Kaden stepped up to his boss’s house, he realized he hadn’t planned ahead very well. Well, alright, he had planned ahead and brought not just his own food to cook, but his own pots and pans, too. Okay, sure, Sarge probably had pots and pans but he couldn’t guarantee a man who ate lean cuisines had adequate cooking equipment. What he hadn’t planned on was how in the hell he was going to ring the doorbell. Kaden tried to angle his elbow to knock the door bell but he couldn’t get it just right. He then tried to adjust the pots and pans in his arms to try and wriggle a free hand to knock on the door but there was just too much. Sure, he could just sit something down first and then knock or use the doorbell, but then he’d have to reach down and pick it all up again. Instead, Kaden decided to knock on the door with his foot. Some might call it kicking, but it was clearly a knock. “Hey, Sarge,” he said as the door swung open. “Don’t mention it. I can’t let you waste away on, what are they called again, Lean Cuisines?” Kaden shuddered at the thought. “I’m no master chef, alright, but I can teach a few basics. Trust me, you’ll never be able to go back.” As Kaden settled in the kitchen, he couldn’t help but think how strange it was that he had co-workers. He was so used to being a weird freelancer type, taking whatever odd jobs paid the bills, hunting and relying on the kindness of his hunter contacts. This whole same people every day thing was new. And strange. Stranger yet was that he sort of respected and like Roland. “This wine doesn't look half bad,” he said, looking over the bottle. “You didn’t get it on account of me, right?”

While he and Langley didn’t get to do too much talking at work, Roland did respect him. Animal Control was a vital part of public safety, especially in this town where aggressive animals seemed to somehow be the norm. He looked forward to learning the basics of cooking from him. Weren’t the French notorious for really fine cuisine? From Lean Cuisines to fine cuisine-- that sounded like quite the tagline. “Yeah, you got that right. I take it they don’t have Lean Cuisines in France,” he joked. “I’m sure you’re way ahead of me. I have it on pretty good authority you make good pies.” Why Dr. Kavanagh knew that, he wasn’t sure, but he trusted her to be objective above all else. He welcomed the younger man into his kitchen and gave him a brief tour of his home. There wasn’t much in the way of decor and sometimes he missed the little odds and ends Isabel always kept around to make it feel more welcoming. He’d never been good at that whole home decor thing. At the mention of the wine being nice and Kaden wondering why he’d gotten it, he frowned slightly and rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, uh,” he started, “Originally thought I’d share it with a lady friend, but things didn’t quite work out.” It felt odd saying it out loud and he was sure Langley didn’t need to hear about the sad state of his love life. To lighten the mood, he cracked a small smile. “Don’t worry, Langley, not trying to woo you with the fancy wine instead.” He watched as Kaden began unloading bags onto his freshly cleaned kitchen counter. “So what all did you bring and what are we making,” he asked.

“I don’t believe they do, no. I think half the country might riot at the thought alone,” Kaden joked as he started placing his cooking accoutrement on the counter, getting things set up and situated for the lesson at hand. The mention of his pie brought a small smile to his face. It had to be Regan who told him about the pies, right?  He shook his head, tried to focus, didn’t need to sit there grinning like an idiot while thinking about his girlfriend, not after what Sarge just told him. “A lady friend, huh?” Kaden was ready to jibe him, but the look on Sarge’s face made him think better of it. “I’m sure she wasn’t worth it,” he said with a shrug. “Hey, you never know. I’m quite a catch, after all,” he said as he started setting out the ingredients one by one, trying to keep them in order that seemed sensical, easy to follow. “I will warn you, though. I’m taken so sorry to dash your hopes. I know. You’re crushed.” He took his pot and set it on the burner and started the heat it up, low and slow. “So we’re going to start with a roux. It’s a decent base to make a lot of sauces. We can make a white and a red sauce so you have some basic options. You’ll never want to look at a Lean cuisine ever again.” At least he hoped. Sarge was a nice guy. There was no need to keel over on account of the massive amounts of sodium he was likely consuming. “So how did you end up in White Crest, anyway?

The thought of a bunch of French men rioting over Lean Cuisines was pretty comical. Roland chuckled heartily and noticed the small grin on Kaden’s face. It was kind of nice to see him in good spirits. Usually when he saw Langley, Wu or Stryder were ribbing him. Amusing as it was, he knew it could make anyone a little annoyed. Thankfully, Kaden wasn’t pushing the mention of a lady friend. His own lapse in judgment bothered him more than anything else. A pretty face had never been able to fool him in the past. He shrugged, “Definitely am better off. Just thought I was a better judge of character, but what can you do?” Clearly not much considering the evidence against Erin had just vanished somehow. It wasn’t something he wanted to dwell on. All he could do was move forward and work the case alone. Not that his detectives left him with much of an option until he figured out just who was compromising cases so carelessly. He couldn’t help but laugh at Kaden going along with his joke. “Damn, glad I didn’t splurge on the fancy cheese then.” He looked over the ingredients Kaden was pulling out and added them to his mental grocery list. “A roux is a sauce base. I’ve had red and white sauces before… not sure if they’re the same ones, but I’ll give them a go. What would I put them on,” He imagined some sort of meat, vegetable, or pasta which didn’t narrow much of anything down. “I do plan on ditching the Lean Cuisines though.” Mostly on account of needing to take better care of himself. The next question made him shake his head. “Funny story, actually,” he said with a laugh, “I was transferred here. Pretty sure it was because I was hopping ranks too quickly and my boss didn’t want me to get a promotion over him… or I was digging too deeply into a case they wanted to keep hushed. Either way, I’m almost positive they wanted me out of Boston. Joke’s on them, somehow White Crest manages to be more exciting than Boston. What about you? I’m sure Maine is no France.”

“Well, better to figure it out now and not months later.” Kaden huffed out a small laugh, more at himself than Roland. True, things were fine now but he spent how long thinking Regan was human? At least Sarge wouldn’t have to deal with any fall out later “Sorry, just thinking about-- Uh, nevermind.” He pulled out the ingredients, butter, flour, heavy cream. “Yeah, it’s a base, good for a béchamel or espagnole, it can just add a good rich base to a lot of sauces” Kaden reached into one of the bags he brought with him and pulled out a bottle of wine. “And you can add wine to about any sauce to make it better. Sort of a solid rule. Never fails.” As he started working, Kaden explained as he went, showing Roland exactly what he was doing, trying his best to elaborate on it. He wasn’t sure if it all made sense. But he tried and hoped Roland was getting something out of it. “Sure seems like you got more than you bargained for.” Hopping ranks too quickly? That didn’t surprise him. Roland seemed the type to throw himself into work head on, unflinchingly. Part of him figured that was a result of this divorce but maybe Kaden was mistaken and it was the other way around. “Yeah, it’s very different, that’s for sure. I actually was last in Montreal, though. Not as big a leap, but certainly different.”  Kaden stirred the sauce in the making, never taking his eyes off it as he did. “This is probably my first longer term job, believe it or not. Most didn’t really have ranks you could hop. Odd jobs are odd that way.”

“Very true,” Roland agreed. It would have stung much more if he had let himself grow more fond of Erin only to discover the truth. There seemed to be a joke that he didn’t quite get, but Kaden seemed to prefer writing it off. Outside the station, he didn’t make it a habit of pushing people to share. Butter, flour, and heavy cream seemed odd for a sauce, but he supposed flavored correctly it could almost be a picatta or alfredo. He still looked a bit confused as he looked over the ingredients. “Becham-what? I don’t think I’ve had that,” he said somewhat embarrassed even though both words sounded French. He’d at least heard about the wine thing if only because he likes the chicken in white wine sauce at the Cheesecake Factory. “I’ve heard about the wine thing before. Not that I’ve tried it in practice myself, but I’m not completely hopeless.” He realized he may have sounded a bit arrogant, but he knew his former boss was nothing if not insecure. If anything, Roland took pride in his officer moving up because it meant he was doing his job as a leader. “You’re telling me,” he said with a hearty laugh, “This place makes Boston seem like Disneyland. Just means we all have our work cut out for us to make this town a safer place to live.” He followed along as Laden started the roux and listened to the instructions closely before he touched anything. He listened, too, genuinely curious to know more about Kaden. “Montreal, huh? Went there once with my family on vacation. Definitely a different world. Seems like you’re pretty well travelled,” he noted. It was a bit surprising to hear this was his most long term job. “Do you prefer Animal Control to the odd jobs you’ve held in the past? You seem to have a passion for it.”

“Béchamel,” Kaden repeated. He didn’t expect Sarge to get the accent right, rarely did many Americans manage. “It’s similar to an alfredo, but different. You’ll see. Or taste, rather.” Kaden continued working the roux, making sure it mixed and thickened, but stayed light. “Really, so long as it tastes good, that’s all that matters. Cooking’s not too hard when you look at it like that.” He grabbed a second pan and placed it on the stove, gesturing for Roland to take a spot there and try his hand at it. With some guidance, of course. “This town certainly isn’t boring, you can’t deny that,” he said with a half-hearted laugh. “But yeah, I’ve traveled around a lot. Grew up in Lyon, France. Saw most of the country, not all of it of course, moved to Germany after--” Kaden clenched his jaw, stopping his sentence short. Strange how he got used to just casually talking about his parent’s death with so many people. Still wasn’t something he liked to just bring up out of nowhere. “Anyway, lived there a while, I’ve seen a lot of Europe, then came over to Montreal for a bit and now I’m here.”

It was strange to realize how different his life was here to his past. Weirder yet, he didn’t hate it. He was so fucking sure just less than a year ago that stability was the enemy and that it was the last thing he wanted; that it would make his life boring or pointless or just not worth living. Part of him hated how much he preferred things now. Another part wondered what things would be like if he’d opened himself up to things a little sooner. “Surprisingly, yeah. Love it.” He brushed his hands together, looking around for the next ingredient. “Never thought I’d be the type to like a structured job with all the authority and everything.” Kaden tapped the spoon on the edge of the pot, pausing before taste testing. “Not sure there’s any ranks for me to hop but I’m really good with where I am. Guess there’s probably room for improvement, all that.” He took a look at Sarge’s attempts at the sauce. “There’s some room for improvement there, too. But not a bad start.”

It didn’t come as a surprise to Roland that he couldn’t say the name of the fancy French sauce correctly. Even when Kaden repeated it, he looked at him a bit wide-eyed, and tried saying it again more slowly. Still didn’t sound the same, but it was probably at least a little bit closer. “I do like alfredo sauces,” he noted but failed to mention that he primarily ate the Lean Cuisine Chicken Alfredo. Hopefully, this roux tasted even better since the Lean Cuisine one lacked in flavor. It was really a matter of convenience. He didn’t have any sort of passion for food like some folks seemed to. It was a means to an end. “I guess you’re right there. Here’s to hoping all the frozen and canned food hasn’t totally destroyed my palette,” he joked with a laugh. He listened to as Kaden explained his travels and how he ended up here, but also carefully watched the ingredients being prepped. “Sounds like you’ve definitely seen a nice chunk of the world. I’m glad you ended up here though. Not everyone could do your job, especially in this town.” The records alone indicated just how aggressive the animal population was, but after that night stuck in that house with Marley, Roland realized just how dangerous Langley’s job really was.

He slowly stirred the sauce in the pot to keep it from coagulation and listened as Kaden spoke. It brought Roland joy to know that Langley found his job enriching. There wasn’t much room to move up within the department, but pay raises came based on performances and he’d love to hear any ideas Kaden had to help improve the department. “I’m glad you enjoy your job. From what I’ve seen, you’re good at it,” he said truthfully. He took a taste of the sauce and it wasn’t bad. Wasn’t great, but was definitely a step up from a Lean Cuisine. “Mm,” he started, “Definitely an improvement. But in all seriousness, if there’s any changes or efforts you’d like to implement within the department, let me know. I can put in a good word and help push things forward.”

“Sure have. There’s something to be said for stability though. Everywhere’s a little different, it’s good to travel, but it’s nice to have a home.” At least that was what Kaden imagined. White Crest was starting to feel more like a home than any place had in a long time. Lyon, sure, but that was  a long time ago. And even then. Kaden tried to hold back a laugh at the second part. Sarge has no idea how right he was that not just anyone could make it as an animal control officer in White Crest. Hell it took a literal hunter. And even then. “Thanks, though. Definitely glad you ended up here, too. Even if you’re probably way too good for this small town force.” He took a moment to taste Roland’s sauce. Not bad. “Add a little salt.”

At Roland’s offer, Kaden paused and his head tilted in thought. His sauce was all but forgotten for a moment. Did Sarge really trust him? Have faith that he knew what he was doing enough to-- “You’d do that?” was all he could manage to ask. He wasn’t even remotely sure how to feel about it. The only job anyone ever trusted him to do and do well was hunting. Hell, it was the only long term position he’d ever really held. “I always worry I’m screwing up more than not or that-- I don’t know.” That he wasn’t good enough. “I know I keep saying it but, thanks. I mean that. I’ll, uh, I’ll think on it.” A brief pause and a million thoughts flooded into his mind. “I mean I already know we need some more help I think. I know it’s a small town but even another part time officer on shift would help a lot. And, uh, maybe more snare poles. Stronger ones. Sturdier cages. And an outreach program to educate people on what to do wh--” In all his excitement and ideas, Kaden almost forgot the sauce. And that he needed to keep stirring. “Putain!” It was darker than he wanted. “Oh well, still better than a lean cuisine. I’m sure I can save it somehow. Yours looks pretty good, though. Good job. I think you’re getting the hang of it.”

“I get that,” Roland responded as he continued to stir the sauce. He wasn’t so sure if White Crest felt like home, especially not after what happened with Erin. It seemed to only reaffirm the notion that he was supposed to be alone in the world. It would inevitably make it easier. He had no disillusions about how he’d go out. The risks were apparent when he first joined the force so many years ago and even more so after his father died in the line of duty. He supposed he did feel a sense of responsibility for the community. Did that make somewhere home? He didn’t want to recall the last time anywhere felt like home. Instead, he’d take his sauce only needing a touch more of salt as a victory. He added a dash of sauce and mixed it in before giving it another taste. “I think that may be spot on now.”

Roland wasn’t sure why what he said to Langley came as a surprise. He believed in helping good workers grow and important departments expand. In this town, Animal Control was vital. What he and Stryder had seen in that house only proved that belief. “Of course,” he answered, “I wouldn’t have said it if I hadn’t meant it. You do good work and I’ve seen some of the more aggressive animals in this town. Your work is a vital part of public safety, If you have any ideas to improve that, I want to hear them and help make them happen.” He’d meant it. When Kaden started to excitedly list ideas, he couldn’t help but smile as he continued to stir his sauce. That kind of passion for the job was something he loved seeing, even if it wasn’t necessarily his department. A safer community meant the whole station was doing their job. He made a mental list of everything Kaden said. “More snare poles, but stronger. Sturdier cages. I’ll have to run the idea of another part time officer by the department head, but I’ll see if I can have some pull in that. Those all sound like good ideas, Langley.” He was a bit amused that Kaden had messed up his sauce and shook his head. “You may have gotten a bit distracted, but I think you know what you’re doing well enough to fix it. I’m pretty happy with mine. Definitely better than Lean Cuisine.”

“Right, yeah, of course.” Kaden was pretty sure the corners of his mouth were turning up into a smile. This was stupid. He knew he did a better job than most animal control officers in the past and certainly better than Gary. He also had an advantage over most people trying for the job in this town. Still, it just, it wasn’t all that often that anyone told him he did a good job. His work was vital for public safety. It was something he knew but the acknowledgement from someone else, someone he respected; it felt better than he could have guessed. And it was for something he did that was normal. Well, alright, it still involved hunting, but it wasn’t all hunting. It was a lot of mundane stuff, too. And he loved it, even during the hard parts. And he didn’t suck at it. Normally he didn’t suck at cooking, either, but at least he had helped save Sarge from a lean cuisine. “You’re right. This is one thing I know how to fix.”

[rocket-remmy]

We Were Monsters Of Our Own Making|| Morgan and Remmy

TIMING: Current PARTIES: @mor-beck-more-problems and @whatsin-yourhead SUMMARY: What do you do when talking doesn’t work? CONTENT WARNINGS: Self harm, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, Physical Abuse Mentions

Days stretched on and on and bled into one, and Remmy wasn’t any closer to figuring out how to get through the pain. Sometimes little things made it better, like a nice day on the job, or a good match in the ring-- a date with a cute girl. But mostly, it was just bleak. They’d run through the same thoughts over and over and over again, trying to parse them out. Trying to figure out how it made sense, how they could get over it, how they could understand why everyone, everyone had turned on a dime. How they had been telling Remmy one minute that they should be glad they were given this second chance at life, and the next, turning on them for saving Morgan. For making Morgan into a zombie, too. Why was it a curse, now? Why was their suffering ignored? Why was Morgan’s death more important? Why did she get people who mourned her? A snapping noise brought Remmy out of their spiral of thought and they looked down to see another broken pencil in their hand. Sighing, Remmy stood up, patting Moose on the head to let him know he could stay, before heading downstairs. 

The house was quiet today. Nora was probably hiding up in her room again, and Blanche was either at work or out at classes. Either way, when Remmy heard a knock at the door, they were the only one around to answer. But by the time they reached the door, whoever was there was already walking away, having left something on the stoop. Remmy bent down to pick it up, blinking as the scent of meat filled their nose. They didn’t even read the note, only the name attached. “Morgan,” they said out loud, looking up quickly. Set the pie just inside, stepping out. “So that’s it?” they asked, not sure if they were happy or mad or sad to see her. Or all of the above. “You’re not even going to say hi?”

Morgan was still a little angry, still a little dragging. That was one of the stages of grief, apparently, but it felt different when the thing being grieved was so nebulous some of the people around her weren’t convinced it was even missing. But she was trying to get used to pulling against the pit inside her. To do things anyway. Starting with a pie she had promised Nora weeks ago in the cemetery. At the end of that, she’d picked up some ingredients at the store and spread them out on the kitchen counter and then-- the abundance of steps between herself and beginning the pie had seemed to multiply before her eyes, and how would she know if it was any good without being able to taste it? So she’d left the room and laid down and that was that. But today, she’d pushed herself for a friend. Maybe it was a little awkward, passing by like a ghost, but it was all she could trust herself with doing without spreading more damage around. And then, before she was off the walkway, Remmy answered the door and called after her. Fuck.

Morgan stopped in her tracks. She could try. She could try to talk to them. She could try. Turning slowly, she caught sight of them: more lanky than usual, shrinking under their clothes and a fresh eye-patch. They looked as tired as she felt. Stars, wasn’t that the stupidest thing? They were supposed to be tireless immortals, but long nights of nothing, of just existing while everyone else got to reset themselves could tire you worse than anything. But what were they so sad for? They got to keep all their old friends in the split. Except for Blanche and a few conversations here and there, Morgan felt like she had to start from scratch. Morgan went stiff. She knew she shouldn’t antagonize Remmy. She should just go. But looking at them, so shrunken, clearly not taking care of themself, some ugly sibling of her own state--she couldn’t understand it. “Hi, Remmy,” she said shortly. Then, at the end of the painful beat that followed, “What do you want me to say? How’s it hanging? Things are great over here? Rock on, brain gang?” She threw her arms out, gesturing along the lines of, what am I supposed to do here? She certainly didn’t have a clue.

What did Remmy want Morgan to say? Anything but that. “I-- I don’t know! Just-- something, anything! Are you really-- do you really not want to say anything? To-- to talk about anything?” they stuttered through their words, wondering if they’d ever find the right footing to spring off of, wondering if they’d ever figure out what they wanted her to say. Maybe they wanted her to apologize, the last thing she’d said to them still stung. “You called me stupid,” they said out of nowhere, “why would you do that?”

“Of course, I--” There was a lot Morgan wanted to talk about. Some days the list seemed endless, but now that she was facing them, her mind shriveled up dry. Morgan shook her head with frustration. “Because I was angry, Remmy!” She snapped. “I am angry! I am angry, detruct-o zombie that has hurt more people since dying than I ever did when I was alive and cursed! And wouldn’t you know--!” She slapped an imaginary watch face on her wrist. “It’s not even three weeks yet! Maybe by Samhain, I’ll fuck up the whole world! How about you, Rem? Is it any easier, being the good zombie?”

“And-- and you think I’m not!?” Remmy suddenly shouted. “You don’t think I haven’t been angry since the day I woke up like this!?” It came out of them so quickly, so fully, they didn’t know how to stop the words or the anger or the hurt. “You don’t get to just-- to just-- to blame your anger when I’m angry, too! And-and you don’t see me running off and calling my friends stupid or yelling at them! Even after all of you lied to me!” They shouted, throwing their hands out. “Every single one of you lied to me! I tried to tell you-- I tried so hard to tell you-- that-that-- this wasn’t right. That I wasn’t right! And you never believed me! You never let me-- you never listened! You said I was important, you said I meant something to you and-- you never even listened!” Tears already staining their cheeks, pooling behind the eye patch, wetting the gauze. 

“We--you think we lied?” Morgan sputtered. “What about all the ‘I’m fucking fines’? ‘Don’t worry about me, guys, it’s no big deal’! What about all those, Remmy? How was that not a lie? If you feel this shitty every day, that is the biggest whopper in this whole shit-show!” She stalked toward Remmy. Suddenly the words were there, fighting each other on the way out of her. “How could you tell me you didn’t know. How do you not know what this is, Remmy? How do you wake up unglued from everything and half crazy and numb and--” She reached out for them, taking their arm and squeezing, shaking hard. “If you know how fucked it is that nothing in your body hurts like it’s supposed to, and everything else hurts too much-- how could you act so normal while we all walked around like such idiots! What is that? Tell me. Seriously, Rem. Tell me the fucking secret.”

Remmy didn’t move as Morgan stalked towards them. Didn’t move as she grabbed their arm and shook them. Didn’t move as she practically begged them to explain how they could stand this. But the secret was, they couldn’t. They didn’t. They screamed at themself inside everyday and wondered how the people around them could stand to look at them. “I told you I wasn’t fine!” they finally exploded. “I told you and I cried on you and I cried with you and you kept-- you said-- you promised me it didn’t change who I was! But you didn’t listen! Everyone told me this was a gift! Everyone told me I was better this way! What was I supposed to do, what was I supposed to say!? I wanted to believe it, too! I wanted it to be true, too! But it-- it’s not! And then you-- and then I-- and how come you-- how come you-- they all cried over you!” they nearly spat through grit teeth. “They cried because you died and they looked at me like I was a monster.” They wrenched at the patch on their face, tearing it away. Throwing it to the ground and stomping on it. “Because that’s how I’ve felt my entire life, Morgan!” they shouted, shoving her away. “Because I’ve never felt right in my entire fucking life! And I thought, I thought-- surely this wasn’t any different. Surely I was just overreacting, be-because everyone said so! Because I apparently can’t think for myself! Because I guess I’m just a “special type of stupid!” 

“You know what’s really stupid, Remmy?” Morgan asked. “Besides not realizing you’re fucking dead for over a year? That your heart’s not beating, that you can’t taste for shit unless it’s dead and raw--” She pushed them back, harder. “This bulshit story that anyone--that I got some--fuck, Remmy! No one cried because they still think I’m coming back! They’re waiting me to get over it! Just dust myself off and be--this happy person!” Her voice snapped in her throat as the accusation came out. “Be fine with--with this and let them be sorry and make them feel better and tell them I’ll be fine! They want me to come back, or to be like you--” She pushed them again. “And I’m not! I can’t! I won’t know what bullshit you’re pulling with yourself to make us believe this is anything but fucked, but I don’t know how to do it! I don’t know how this is supposed to work, Remmy!” She grimaced, stepping back and pulling on the roots of her hair as she held herself upright, face crumpling. “All I’ve done since I woke up is hurt people, Remmy. Who does that? Why am I like that?”

Remmy’s anger boiled and burned and tasted like bile. It tasted like metal and rage and fists flying in the ring. It felt like fire in their chest, ringing in their ears, or gunshots on a battlefield. It was pain and it hurt-- and it dissipated in an instant when Morgan’s face crumpled. There was still so much they wanted to say, wanted to get out, but yelling wasn’t making the hurt go away. Neither was hitting, or punching, or screaming. Remmy crumpled, falling to a sit on the porch, head in their hands. The steam drained from them as if it was pouring out the giant hole in their heart. The hole they’d never been able to fill. The hole they knew Morgan now had, too. “Everything you’re feeling,” they finally said quietly, “I feel it, too. It’s the only thing I feel anymore.” Loss and hurt and emptiness. “And, I dunno-- maybe I didn’t ask because I didn’t wanna know. Maybe I just accepted what the doctors told me because I didn’t care.” They shrugged, giving a self deprecating laugh. “Maybe I am just that stupid. I don’t know. I don’t know how it works either. All I know is I couldn’t stand to watch another friend die right in front me. Not when I could do something. Cause you know what’s really fucked, Morgan? That I can remember them dying. Every single one. I see it happening all the time, over and over and over again. But I don’t remember dying. I don’t remember any of it. And I keep thinking-- maybe if I could just remember I could get over it. If I just knew, then it would be okay. And then you died-- and I saw how-- and now I don’t know. I don’t know the answer to any of it, Morgan,” they said, their voice raw and quiet and weary. “I don’t know…”

“Trust me,” Morgan said in a broken whisper, “Trust me when I tell you It doesn’t help. It’s all I think about some nights. And I don’t just mean the pole or how I was in so much stupid pain I didn’t even feel you bite me.” And at once Morgan could no longer summon the air she needed to speak. She shook her head, mute as her mouth worked in a silent cry. “Remmy I miss it,” she choked out. “When I can’t miss being alive, I miss...I miss being dead. It was fine. I was fine, I wasn’t anything.” She sank down to the rough concrete in front of them. “You have no idea how much I hate it. I hate all of it, I hate how even the things I want to make the hurt stop, are no good. And I can’t keep destroying my relationship and the five people I can still talk to and living on the floor. I can’t keep this up. I can’t keep up like this…”

Remmy’s eyes wandered from their feet over to Morgan, sunk onto the concrete like a defeated lump of dirt. Like a fallen body on the battlefield. Remmy strained against the tears in their eyes, blinking rapidly. “You think I don’t hate this?” they asked quietly, “You think I don’t also hate what I am? Why...why do you think I asked Alain to kill me? When I first found out? I hate everything about this. I hate not being able to feel or eat or breath or touch. I hate every moment of it and sometimes I hate it so much I just shut down and do nothing. And sometimes it’s so much I just hit everything I can. I scare the people I’m close to but I tell them everything’s fine because even if I tried, with every word in the world, I could never describe what this feels like, and they could never understand.” They got really quiet again, silence drifting around them, choking the two of them. “I think about being dead all the time. How much easier it would be, if I’d never…” silent tears falling down their face. “But I can’t leave Blanche. Or Nora. Or Skylar. I promised. So I...I do what I was taught, and I put my feelings away, and I...soldier on…”

“If you knew, if you were sitting on that this whole time, why would you do this to me?” Morgan’s voice whined pitifully in her throat. She grabbed Remmy again, pulling on their arm so they couldn’t hide from her. “You knew! You knew I’d be stuck like this! How is this so much better? How is feeling this awful better? What’s so great about it?” She let go, staring at them with the kind of hurt that burned. “That can’t be the answer. That’s bullshit. Covering this...this pit with more nothing? I already don’t exist to magic. I’m already numb in my skin. And—what? We turn off everything else too? What kind of bullshit is that? How are we supposed to do that until the earth burns us up? It has to go somewhere. It’s eating me, Remmy. It has to go somewhere.”

Remmy didn’t have an answer to Morgan’s desperation, no matter how much they wanted to give her one. “I wanted everyone to be right,” they said, voice straining, “I wanted what they said about me being the same to be right and I-- I tricked myself into believing it. And I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry. I was selfish. And stupid, but I-- I couldn’t watch another friend die. It hurt too much. It hurts so much still. They were only there because of me. They only died because I messed up, and then you--” they paused, shaking their head. “I was selfish. But a world...a world where you’re here and you hate me is better than one where you’re gone.” They swallowed, looking at Morgan with a pained expression. After a moment, they stood up slowly, as if their bones ached and their body was heavy. “Stand up,” they said quietly, but didn’t move to help her. “Hit me.”

Morgan looked at Remmy with bewilderment. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to hit Remmy, she did, but she didn’t understand them asking for it, much less so calmly. But she waited for some cue, some bait and switch, and it never came. She got to her feet. She smacked Remmy hard down their arm. If she’d been alive the impact might have shook all way up her arm. But as it was, she just wanted to do it again. So she did. The crack of her hand seemed to echo in the yard. Morgan made a fist and beat it against their dead chest. They should’ve known better, should’ve done something different. Gritting her teeth, burning inside with hurt, she hit them again. 

Remmy didn’t stumble from the strike, even with the force of strength behind her fist. Zombie against zombie, they supposed, didn’t change much. Morgan’s form was bad, even as she banged her fists against their chest. When there was a pause, they moved forward quietly. “Here,” they muttered, reaching forward and moving her arm to bend it slightly at the elbow, turning her fist so that it was parallel with the ground. Then they used their feet to spread hers so that one was back and the other planted forward, centering her balance. They stood back in front of her. “Again.”

“What?” Morgan shook her head and shoved them as hard as she could. “Aren’t you gonna hit me back? I’m the bad friend, right? I couldn’t think of something nice to say after shoving my face into a dead deer like an animal. Didn’t listen enough to you. Wasn’t grateful—” She punctuated the word with another punch, following Remmy’s directions. It felt weird to her body. She had never been the kind of person who hit anything when she was alive. Not like she meant it. Not like this. But from the sound of Remmy’s face, it was more effective than what she’d been doing. “Hit me back,” she said. “I dare you to.”

“I’m not going to hit you,” Remmy said a little sharply. Morgan didn’t understand their strength. Even as a human, they’d been stronger than they looked. Sure, they were small, but they were strong. They had to be. For all the times they were pushed down on at school. For all the times their dad struck them down. For all the times they were told “boys are stronger” in boot camp. Morgan hit them again. But her words hurt more than the punches. “I don’t-- I don’t think you’re a bad frien--” they started, but her last punch interrupted them as she planted her fist squarely in their chest. They stumbled slightly. Grit their teeth, fists clenched. In a swift moment, reeled their arm back and lashed out, cracking Morgan square across the jaw with a fierce strength, knocking her back. Anger in their eyes as they looked at her, for the first time, showing her all the rage they kept inside. “Hit me again,” they growled, “harder.”

Morgan staggered back at the impact. It...hurt. For real hurt, which meant Remmy’s punch would have been more than enough to break her if she were still alive. But it was like its own kind of permission, the sting of it in her face, the anger in Remmy’s eyes. They weren’t some sad martyr taking a hit for a lousy cause. They wanted it, and they could dole out worse anytime they felt like it. Morgan growled back and punched harder, one fist, then the other. She went straight for the jaw like Remmy had. Again. Again. Morgan’s stance devolved as she hit, she closed the distance between them, driving them up into the pillars that lined the front porch. Between her blows she opened her hand and threw a backhand slap down the side of their face that even she felt. It was as clumsy as it was personal. It struck something in Morgan, something that shocked her out of the haze of release. She covered her mouth, tensing up. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m...Remmy I’m sorry,” and it was clear from the look on her face that she meant more than that one moment of rage.

Remmy staggered as Morgan finally hit them back with the full brunt of her anger-- this was what they’d been trying to get her to do. And it felt...good. Even as the punches began to sting, their jaw throbbing, back pressing against the pillar. It felt good. And they cried. Angry tears pouring down their face to match the ones in Morgan’s eyes. The slap echoed around them but the silence that followed felt thick with it. Remmy lifted a hand to rub their jaw, not quite ready to look at Morgan yet. Not quite ready to accept the apology yet. “You can put it on me,” they finally said, “when it needs to go somewhere. You can put it on me. I can carry it.” After a long beat, they looked up at her, a bruised lip already healing, a cracked jaw already setting. “I’ll carry you.” 

Morgan didn’t argue. She needed to expel some of the weight she was drowning under. She needed to do something that didn’t make other people scream or cry or worry about her. Scared as she was of how she’d lashed out, hoping she could make something hurt like she did, she needed it. She trembled, crying harder, and crashed into their body. Her head collided neatly into their shoulder, her arms coming up to cling around their back. Maybe it was awful because Remmy was as dead and drowning in the pit as she was; maybe that was the reason it worked. But she believed Remmy in a way that she hadn’t believed anyone else yet, even Deirdre. She believed them at once and hung on tight. She hoped there was some balance, some fairness left in the universe that would make it so, because she was willing to break Remmy under the weight of her if it meant getting rid of even some of the death and tar and anger she dragged inside her.

Though Remmy had wrapped their arms around Morgan when she’d clung to them so desperately, they didn’t move for a long time. It was only when the shadows grew long that they lifted Morgan up and carried her in through the open door, closing it behind them. They carried her with ease up the stairs and into their room and let her uncling long enough to sit on the bed beside her, grabbing some tissues. They didn’t have anything to say yet, but they were sure Morgan would break the silence. She always did, after all.

It was almost like resting. One minute, Morgan was crying, sagging with a tired that didn’t give one shit about her body, and then her attention was floating somewhere else, not quite watching herself be carried up to Remmy’s room, not quite blacking out. But as the light changed out the window she finally turned to her friend and tried to pick out a question to ask them. They had to talk about things like real people, right? They had to do something after all the hitting and the yelling. Right? Morgan swallowed to test out her throat. “Where, um, did you learn to punch like that? Was that the military?” She asked quietly. 

Remmy didn’t want to look at Morgan yet, and they weren’t sure if it was because they were still angry or still sad. “Yeah,” they said quietly, “but I started fighting way before then.” They didn’t often, if ever, talk about their childhood. It was painful, more painful than they ever wanted to get into. But maybe that was part of the problem. Maybe that was why no one understood how they felt or why they felt that way. They shifted slightly. “I can teach you, if you want. You should um...probably learn. Since hunters will...you’ll need to fight back.”

“Yeah,” Morgan replied faintly. “Did you hear about that from Deirdre or are you just better at the common sense thing?” She smirked dryly. “I told a hunter what I was. Like, on purpose. He’s fine, it’s fine, either because he’s afraid of me or he feels bad enough about me, I don’t know. But maybe he wouldn’t have believed me if I hadn’t gotten thrown around the room by a moose-mime and unbroken my bones in front of him. I guess hulking out is...something we just have to do sometimes now.” It was so strange, still, to remember that sharing what she was went beyond personal preference. That she had to guard herself the way she guarded Deirdre’s species or Skylar’s or even Remmy’s. Even when she was afraid of Miriam, it was...just her. Now, it could be anyone. “But why...can I ask why you learned before then?” Remmy was so quiet, even stubbornly gentle, Morgan couldn’t imagine them throwing blows for fun, or even a course of action. 

“I just know, because they keep reminding me,” Remmy mumbled, “reminding me that I’m a monster and they’re here to kill me. Until I throw a chair at them and then run away.” They looped their arms around their knees and put their chin on their forearms. “Don’t worry, a hunter knows about me, too. Apparently they all do. Did you ask your hunter to kill you? Because I did. And he was gonna.” They let out a long sigh. “Sometimes I still wish he had.” Not really thinking much of the admission, not really thinking Morgan would care much in her angry state. They finally looked at her, a short glance. They didn’t know what she’d see on their face, but for the first time, they felt afraid to tell her something. They looked away again. “Because I was small, and people thought they could push me around. Because...I was tired of letting my dad push me around.”

Morgan looked at Remmy thoughtfully. She wanted to ask why, it was the thing to do, but she could imagine it easily enough. “I didn’t ask him to do anything, exactly,” she said quietly. “I asked if he was going to hurt me. And if he was going to tell. And if he thought I was a monster now.” She puffed out a tired exhale, just for the fuck’s sake of it. “I just wanted to find out. But I guess I can see why you would now. Why you did. Why you maybe didn’t tell me before either.” She fiddled with the bedclothes. She could tell by looking that they weren’t as soft as what she had back home. She couldn’t feel a difference on her skin, even when she pinched them tight between her fingers. It was just becoming a weird game now, guess the feeling, one she would never be able to tell if she was winning or losing. She looked up again as Remmy finally admitted why. “You never said,” she mumbled. “Remmy, that’s awful. And so you...shit, that’s...you said you and the neighborhood kids raised each other, but I didn’t put it together that...that’s really awful, Remmy. Did you ever get him to stop?”

“Awful?” Remmy repeated, raising a brow. “No. It was just...that’s just how it was, I guess. There were people with less, kids with less.” Even now they couldn’t help but brush it off. That was probably a bad sign, but that was the least of their concern right now. There was too much other shit to work through, trying to figure out what that meant would just shatter them. “Yeah, I guess,” they muttered in response finally, “when I left.” They looked over at Morgan again, finally. They didn’t want to talk about this anymore, which felt stupid, considering they’d brought it up. “What about you? Where’d you learn to fight? Pre-school?”

“Someone else having it worse doesn’t mean you didn’t have it bad too,” Morgan said, a bitter edge to her voice. She curled herself up over the sheets, smirking dryly at Remmy’s question. “My mom always said, ‘we do not hit in this house,’” she imitated Ruth’s flat, commanding tones. “I didn’t have any friends to teach me when I was little. And in school, I was too busy trying to get people to like me. Which was easy, until it wasn’t. Too weird, might be a devil worshiper, that sort of thing. Not that I was supposed to be tricking people into being my friend by promising to hex the math teacher. Or...getting attached to people at all. My mom would keep me home more, if she thought I wasn’t being careful enough. With the family curse, I mean, not that I knew that was the reason she was disconnecting the phone and locking the doors and yelling at the time. It was just, ‘I expect more from you,’ and ‘This is not acceptable,’ before she gave more alchemy practice, or if I was too distracted, I had to stay in my room until she let me out again. I didn’t really have...people. Not close people. Except for Karen, until she moved and stopped writing. I didn’t have the chance to do a lot of things.” She worried her lip a moment, trying to find a way to express something that felt important to say, barbed and complicated as it felt in her. “...Thank you. For agreeing to show me.”

Remmy listened quietly, but did not comment. Morgan’s suffering had been different than theirs, but she’d suffered all the same. Still, Remmy couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. What would it have been like to have a parent that cared enough to be overbearing around? They’d never know. Just like they’d never know what it would be like to have someone cry over their death, or hold them as they died, or be there for them when they woke up. Remmy couldn’t help but let more tears well up behind their eyes, burying their face in their arms again. “I’m sorry she was like that,” they murmured, “I’m sorry you didn’t get to grow up normal.” They were sorry for a lot of things lately, weren’t they? Truly sorry. They lifted their head after a moment, rubbing the empty socket where their eye should be. “Sure, yeah...I just want to help, even if you hate me.”

Morgan knew that look. Every time someone’s mom brought snacks, or hugged them when the got into the car in the pick up line, even when Nell talked about Nisa, she felt a bitter longing rise up in her. At least your mom loves you enough to say so. To hug you. To be soft without making you regret it later. Morgan answered Remmy’s back with a sharp glare. Don’t you dare. It wasn’t anything she wanted for Remmy. She sighed as they disappeared their face again. “You don’t have to be sorry,” she said dully. Sorry didn’t help. And whatever else it signified, a sympathy, a complimentary ache, it was woefully insufficient at carrying. “But me too. For both of us.” She didn’t understand why Remmy wanted to help, or why, despite how she’d hung onto them a short while ago, she still wasn’t sure she didn’t hate them enough to refute the idea. She chewed on this silently until she simply said,’”Okay.”

[katedoesfics]

Lacuna | Chapter 3

Kahli hesitated as she walked the road back to the house. Sitting on the fence was a young, blonde, freckled face woman, and she greeted Kahli with a bright smile as she approached. She jumped off the fence.

“You must be Kahli!”

“I think you’ve mistaken me for the other new chick in town,” Kahli said with a smirk.

The woman laughed. “I’m Emily! I’m your neighbor. I live with my grandmother right up there at the farm! I wanted to introduce myself and give you this.” She dug through a bag at her feet and pulled out a pie. “Granny made it for you. She would have come herself, but she has a hard time getting around. But she’s excited to meet you, so come by sometime, yeah?”

Kahli took the pie from Emily. “What if I’m a serial killer?”

“Ha! Well, just make sure you tell Gran you liked the pie, first, okay?”

“Unless this is all a plot to get rid of me,” Kahli said. “She poisoned the pie, didn’t she?”

Emily grinned and rolled her eyes. “She may have added a… secret ingredient.”

“Is it love?”

Emily laughed. “So, I know you’ve only been here for like, a day, but how do you like Portia so far?”

“It’s nice,” Kahli said. “I’m not used to seeing so much greenery.”

“Where did you live before?”

“Barnarock.”

Emily nodded. “Ah, yep. You’re not in Barnarock anymore, girl. But everyone here’s really nice.”

“Hm,” Kahli started. “Even that Higgins guy?”

“Well, everyone else.” She laughed. “Who have you met so far?”

Kahli pinched her lips together as she tried to recall some names. “Well, Presley and Gale. And, uh, Antoine. And Arlo. And some other names were mentioned, but I haven’t met them. Petra and… Merlin? And Sam and Remington.”

“Ah, yes, the good ol’ Corps. You’ll see a lot of them as they make their patrols. Arlo is the leader of the Portia branch here.” She leaned in and nudged Kahli with her elbow. “And he’s not bad to look at, either.”

Kahli blushed. “Well, alright, then.”

Emily laughed. “I hear he’s single.”

“That’s… good to know.”

Emily pushed herself back onto the fence. “There’s a few cute guys around,” she continued on. “Have you met Dr. Xu?” She sighed dreamily. “Gotta love a good looking doctor, am I right?”

“I guess.”

“Unless women are more your style,” she continued. “There’s Phyllis.” She whistled. “Beauty and brains, that one. She works with Dr. Xu. Sam, of course. She’s a fun, spunky little thing. And Petra. Very smart. Very cute.”

“I should probably just date ‘em all,” Kahli said.

Emily shrugged. “Might as well.” She grinned. “Unless… you’ve got someone back in Barnarock?”

Kahli shook her head. “Nope. I, uh, don’t have the best dating history.”

“Are you the crazy type?”

“I like to think I’m low on the crazy scale.” Kahli shrugged. “Just never had a relationship that lasted for more than a few months. They always end up being weird or assholes or boring.”

Emily laughed. “Well, I think everyone here is pretty normal and interesting. You’ll see. And I get the sense you’re interesting, too. You’ll be liked around here.”

“I hope so.” Kahli turned to face the workshop. “Don’t tell anyone, but I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.”

“You know, I don’t think anyone here knows what they’re doing, really.” She shrugged. “I think you’ll find that a lot of people here are kinda like you. Just kinda ended up here, yanno?”

“What about you?”

“I was born and raised here,” Emily said. “I always wanted to go out into the world and explore it like my grandfather did. But my parents work in Atara and I didn’t want to leave Gran alone, so I stayed to help her on the ranch. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love being here and have no regrets, but it certainly wasn’t what I thought I’d be doing.” She paused. “I’m guessing you didn’t expect to be a builder, then?”

Kahli shook her head. “To be honest, I never really had any goals or dreams.” She shrugged. “I’m boring and not ambitious, I guess.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” Emily said. “You came here. That’s something.”

Kahli frowned. “I don’t know why I came here,” she said. “I don’t know what I thought I’d find here. Answers, I guess. Explanations. I dunno. But so far, I’ve found nothing. Shouldn’t have expected anything, really.”

“I thought your father gave you this place.”

“He did. But I haven’t seen him in years. He dumped me on my aunt after my mother died and took off on some adventure of his own.” She rolled her eyes. “You know, I think at one point, I wanted to be like him. Running off on some adventure and leaving everything else behind. But then as I got older I realized how fucked up it all was.”

Emily frowned. “I’m sorry. That sounds shitty.”

Kahli shrugged. “Well, now you know way more about me than I’m sure you wanted to know.”

Emily offered her a warm smile. “No way,” she said. “It’s nice to have a friend to talk to.”

“You might change your mind.”

Emil laughed and pushed herself off the fence. “We’ll see,” she said. “I’ll let you get to work. Or, attempt to work, anyway.” She winked. “Good luck. Enjoy the pie! And don’t be a stranger!”

*****

Kahli spent the rest of the day and well into the evening digging out her father’s old notebooks and flipping through the pages of notes. To her relief, her father kept detailed notes and diagrams, and after digging through the old workshop on the property, she managed to dig out some of his old equipment. It was all foriegn to her, but after a couple of hours, she managed to figure out what each machine did and how to use it. She found some notes on the other bridges he had built and made note of the process. Wood boards would need to be cut, bricks would need to be made, and somehow, she would have to melt some copper and bronze into pipes and plates. She was certain she should have had some kind of college degree to do all this. At the very least, some kind of knowledge of how to operate the machines without losing a finger. Maybe the people of Portia assumed her father had passed down this knowledge to her.

Boy were they wrong.

Kahli dreamt in diagrams that night, unable to get them out of her head. They haunted her, causing her to toss and turn for most of the night until a distant rooster crowed to the sunrise.

She sat at the table with a luke warm cup of coffee in her hands, her eyelids drooping low as she stared off into space. She would have to start somewhere, and she supposed her best option was to begin gathering the materials she would need. Wood. Copper. Tin. She groaned to herself when she realized she would need to mine in the ruins for the copper and tin.

What had she gotten herself into?

When she finished her coffee, she dragged herself outside, only to be greeted by two questionably dressed men. They were tall and lanky, and if she were being honest, the bald one looked like a complete idiot. His partner spoke first.

“How do, new citizen? I’m Agent T, and this is my partner, Agent H. We are a part of the Free Cities Deb Collection Agency.”

Kahli hesitated. “Can I help you?”

“Yes.” He cleared his throat. “It has come to our attention that you are the offspring of the former owner of this workshop. Is that correct?”

“I am,” she said warily.

“Oh, good! Your father accrued 50,000 Gols in debt from his business. Since we cannot find him, the debt has fallen to you, his closest kin. Because I’m a nice guy, I’ll give you a week to come up with the money. If you don’t pay up, we’ll take his house as collateral. If you try to run, we will inform the Civil Corps. That’s all. You have a good day, now!”

Kahli stared at them, dumbfounded, as they turned away and walked briskly down the road. As they disappeared over the hill, a realization washed over her.

“Sonnovabitch!” She shouted. Leave it to her father to shove all his problems on to her.

[sleepyfan-blog]

Breakfast

fandom: Undertale multiverse au

first in the series is here. previous here.

characters and pairing: Dream, Killer, Horror, Dust, Nightmare, Dreammare

warnings: cursing, food

word count: 3,235

Summary: Dream and Nightmare make Breakfast, and then talk to his Sans minions for a bit.

“-and  that’s what I’ve been up to since I’ve left.” Dream finished as he continued to whisk up the eggs, having already poured in a bit of milk and spices for the quiche that he and Nightmare were making together for breakfast… Or whatever meal it was going to be, as Dream wasn’t quite sure what time of day it was - in the dark castle that his beloved had built long ago, there were few windows, and none in the kitchen. “Before you ask, yes I’m well aware of the fact that Ink is using my positive aura in order to avoid having to consume as many of his vials as he did before, but at the time I didn’t really have much of a choice. I was convinced that if we did meet again, you’d… Try to trap me again somehow. But we are doing more good than harm, despite the fact that we’re protecting the universes that Error tries to destroy. I still don’t get why we can’t stay and try to improve the lives of the beings who live in them, but Ink has a strict non-interference policy.”

“This Ink is certainly an… Interesting person. I haven’t met this supposed protector of the AUs, however. Then again, as he’s been running around with you since the two of you met, I’m not surprised.” Nightmare responded as he carefully chopped up the vegetables that were going to be going into the quiche - it’s been quite some time since he’s actually cooked, but he’s glad that he remembers. He’s wearing gloves, so as to avoid getting the corrupted goop all over their food - as washing chopped vegetables is a pain. And Dream is ridiculously endearing in an apron. “I figured out how to use portals by… Well I saw you open a portal and created one of my own. I had hoped to follow you into the world that you had fled through… But I had ended up in a rather desolate AU by the name of Horrortale.”

With a small smile, he explained how he’d met Hatchet - who was the Sans of the world and learned of how the monsters suffered from a lack of reliable food. Hatchet had also impressed him as a fighter, and he’d offered the other a deal - serve him loyally in exchange for regular shipments of food - enough to feed the entire underground. He’d given them a three month supply of food to prove his word and Hatchet had been working for him ever since. “And before you ask, yes I am expanding my empire through contacting and either negotiating or taking over low-positivity worlds. I then aid the suffering beings to alleviate some of their suffering in exchange for their loyalty. It works fairly well, although I do occasionally have to deal with an idiotic traitor - who is either taught their place or killed.”

Dream winces a little at his other half’s ruthlessness… But the fact that Nightmare actually has been helping other worlds in his own way causes the positive guardian to perk up a little, his golden eye lights brightening with interest. Oh, Ink wouldn’t like finding that out at all “So you’re doing what you can to help the worlds who need help the most? In exchange for them helping to conquer other worlds through… Potentially violent methods. While I can’t say that I approve of all of your methods… The fact that you’re actually helping those who are suffering is very noble and I… I’d like to help, however I can. I haven’t heard of most of those worlds… Although I suspect that Ink has kept me ignorant of such places because he knows that I would absolutely insist on actually doing something to help the people… Rather than just to allow them to suffer because that’s how their world was created.”

Nightmare smiles and presses a fond kiss to one of Dream’s cheeks as he begins to sweat off the mushrooms and onions, murmuring “I am very happy to hear that, love.” His aura is full of care and warmth.

The positive guardian leans happily into his beloved, feeling whole and at peace in a way that he hasn’t in a very long time. Dream happily kisses one of Nightmare’s cheeks in response as he re-reads the cookbook, trying to remember how to make quiche. He’s been making a lot of pastries- the sweet foods are very popular with the others and he’s able to make them with the ingredients he’s able to get reliably. “Do we have some meat? Like water sausage or something like that in the fridge?”

“We do, but that belongs to Hatchet, and he prefers to be the one to handle the meat. We do have some cheese though.” Nightmare answers honestly, opening the fridge with one of his tendrils and pulling out a block of monster-friendly cheddar cheese. He’s going to explain the… Dietary needs of his minions in careful bits and pieces to his beloved, so as to not overwhelm the other with too much information all at once.

“Sounds good to me! Oh, and I saw the fruit in there… We do have extra pie dough left over and… I’d really like to make a sweet pie as well, since it’ll cook in about the same time.” Dream murmured, looking hopefully at Nightmare - knowing that the other didn’t particularly care for sweets, but wanting to make something with the leftover dough. “I was also thinking that since you do have some cheddar and leftover chives that we could make biscuits to go along with the quiche!”

“Hmmm, alright, that sounds good to me… Though you may want to double the biscuit recipe and make half of them sweet. Both Dusta and Killer have quite a few sweet teeth, and if you want to keep more than a small slice of that pie to enjoy for yourself, you’re going to have to head them off with that.” Nightmare answered after a moment’s thought. “Oh, and your phone is on the charger in my… Our room. I noticed that it was dead before you woke up, so I set in on there for you.”

“Huh, it’d been fully charged before I came over here. Or at least I thought it was. I’ve been meaning to get a new trans-dimensional battery for that thing anyways.” Dream answered with a shrug, his eye lights briefly turning into hearts when Nightmare mentioned that the bedroom that they’d fallen asleep together in was theirs. The positive spirit very much liked the thought of that, and cuddled his beloved happily, purring quietly for a couple of moments as they carefully mixed the components of the quiche together before sliding it into the oven. Making the pie and the two batches of biscuits went by in a pleasant blurr of conversation and occasional kisses.

The two of them set the kitchen table, laying out the food and they’d both sat down - with Dream contentedly sitting in his beloved mate’s lap, leaning forwards to cut a slice of the quiche, when Nightmare asked, amused and warm “You weren’t planning on sitting in a different chair, were you?”

“Nope! Why would I when you’re so much more comfy?” Dream answered back, an unrepentant grin on his face as he snuggled into the other “Unless you’d rather I get up?”

“Absolutely not. You’re trapped here. Muahahaha, please feed me, darling?” the negative guardian answered back as one of his tentacles wrapped itself around Dream’s waist. It was a light enough hold that the other could get free if he wanted, but a silent affirmation that he wanted the other to stay close.

Just then,  sleepy voice called out from the door “Food?” their aura tinged with hope and confusion. A Sans with strange black streaks running down his face peered in at them “Hat-... You’re not Hatchet… And… You’re…” he took a couple of steps back and yelled “HATCHET! DUST! GET THE FUCK OVER HERE, I THINK I’M  HALLUCINATING AGAIN! OR SLEEPING.”

Two more Sanses appeared, and the one with one white eye light, the other blue with a ring of red around it peered into the kitchen, where Dream and Nightmare were currently sitting. Their boss was sighing a little and rubbing his temples - in exactly the way that he did when he thought that they were being pointlessly stupid and trying to refrain from throttling them. The strange blue and gold skeleton who had the balls to yell at and kiss Nightmare was remarkably un-dusted for some reason… And sitting in Boss’s lap. What the actual fuck. There was also an impressive spread of food that looked and smelled incredibly tempting. “Err, do you see boss with that weirdo from yesterday and a bunch of fresh made food, Killer?” The heterochromatic skeleton asked, staring at them in confused shock.

“Oh good. It’s not just me… Unless we’ve both completely lost it. Hatchet, you’re the sane one, what do you see?” The first Sans asked, looking at the Sans with a crack in his skull.

“Same thing you two do. Now, we should probably leave boss and his… Err… Who exactly are you…?” Hatchet asked Dream, not quite looking directly at the positive guardian.

“Oh! I’m Dream, guardian of positivity.” The light spirit answered honestly, nuzzling a little into Nightmare as he grabbed one of the cheddar and chive biscuits and buttered the center of it, taking a bite before offering some to his other half.

“Dream is my other half and mate.” Nightmare explained further. He gestured for the other three to sit and at the food as he spoke again  “If you would like to care to join us for breakfast, we’ve made quiche, biscuits and fruit pie.” He was feeling generous at the moment - besides food was a good way to appeal to all three of them, and he was very curious about how they would interact with Dream. He also wasn’t the slightest bit embarrassed about the fact that they had found him cuddling with his other half. They’d been reunited for less than a day, and he wasn’t going to be letting go of Dream any time in the near future if he could at all help it.

The three of them nodded, and Hatchet grabbed two additional plates and forks, setting them down so that Killer and Dust didn’t fight over who had to get the plates and cutlery. It was strangely peaceful here, and the last thing that Hatchet wanted was for the two idiots to ruin that - particularly as Dream seemed to be a fairly peaceful sort - his initial angry yelling and furiously making out with Nightmare notwithstanding. A discrete Check confirmed his suspicions as he cut a slice of quiche - Dream had almost no LV to speak of. Still, his stats were pretty impressive. “Thanks for the food. It looks amazing.” He took a bite of the (unfortunately meatless) quiche and his eye light brightened up a little, startled at the love and care that he could taste within it. Boss’s and Dream’s magic were both present within the food.

Killer immediately started to gobble up the plain biscuits - slathering them in butter and jam and froze after the taste of the food hit him, before inhaling three more “Holy shit boss! I didn’t know that you could cook this well! And I don’t know whoever you are, but please stay. Haven’t seen boss this happy since… Like never.”

Dream shifted a little and looked down, leaning into Nightmare, guilt hitting him hard “I… I don’t intend on leaving Nightmare’s side, so long as he wants me there.”

Nightmare sent Killer a narrow glare before hugging his other half gently and pressing a light kiss to one of the other’s cheeks, gently tugging Dream’s chin upwards and saying firmly “Dream, I want you to look at me.”

“...” Dream shifted a little in Nightmare’s lap, his eye lights dim and averted before complying “... Yes…?” He whispered, uncertain and still full of guilt.

“That’s enough of that. We’ve both hurt one another in the past… And given how I first reacted after you… Recovered from the stasis spell, I don’t blame you for fleeing. We’ve both made mistakes in the past, darling. But I hope that we can learn and grow with them, together. Alright?” Nightmare answered firmly, his aura filled with care and love.

Dream nodded a little and hid his face in the crook of the other’s neck, overwhelmed by the loving and gentle emotions that he could feel coming from Nightmare. He’d resigned himself to being quietly miserable and desperately searching for a cure to his other half’s corruption - terribly alone while surrounded by people who depended on him to help them while never once realizing that he might need a hand with something. He’d been so quick to abandon the idea that Nightmare… Nightmare might be better off like this, and that they could work things out. “You’re… Too kind to me. Too forgiving.” Dream was desperately fighting tears - the only person he’d ever cried in front of was Nightmare - and only when they were alone. Stars above he was so jumbled up and stunned that his beloved actually seemed to forgive him. He’d do all that he could to prove himself worthy. m

“None of that now, Dream. We can’t undo the mistakes of the past, and you tried to help. You cannot help those who refuse it… Even if they are closest to you.” Nightmare ordered quietly, hugging him tighter as he gently pet the top of Dream’s skull with one of his tentacles.

The positive spirit calmed down after a moment, pressing a light kiss to Nightmare’s teeth and he murmured quietly “Thank you, Moonlight.”

“You’re welcome, Sunshine. Let’s finish breakfast, hmm?” The negative spirit prompted gently, bringing up a forkful of lovingly made quiche so that Dream could take a bite.

Dream nodded and the two of them continued to feed each other, more or less completely lost in one another’s presence- although they did respond when one of the three mortals sharing food with them asked a question to one or both of them directly. Not that the three spoke much.

~

Once Nightmare and Dream had wandered off - being disgustingly in love and adorable at one another - holding hands for stars’ sake! As per the rules, Dust, Killer and Hatchet were the ones cleaning up, since boss and Dream were the ones to make the food. Surprisingly enough, the only things they needed to clean up were the things that were used to serve stuff and the utensils and plates used to eat it. “Okay, so is anyone else really suspicious of goldie? Like if any of us tried to yell at him for even a quarter as long as he did yesterday, we’d be dust. But like - they were full on yelling and I’m pretty sure Boss was trying to grab him at one point yesterday… And now they’re all lovey-dovey and sweet? And then that whole I’m so sad please pay attention to me bit that he pulled at breakfast. The hell was that all about?” Killer hissed as he angrily scrubbed at the dishes - making sure not to use too much force or he’d be forced to go get new dishes. Again.

“Eh… Goldie doesn’t strike me as the type to be overtly manipulative like what you’re implying.” Dust shrugged as he finished wrapping up and putting away the last of the leftover food “Besides, you tasted his magic in the food, same as me. I’ve never met someone more gentle in my entire stars-damned life. Even my Bro had a bit more fire to him than what I could taste from Goldie.”

“He has an LV of one.” Hatchet pointed out as he sanitized and dried the dishes, stacking them neatly on the counter for Dust to put away. “I checked him while we were eating, ‘cause I was curious. He’s got a hundredth of Boss’ stats across the board - except for his LV, which again, is at one. I don’t know what his MP is, I wasn’t going to do a deep check like that in front of Boss without asking first.”

“... How the fuck are they mates? They’re like… Night and day different - and no that wasn’t a fucking pun. I did spot the little sun design on his cape’s claps thing and on the cape itself.” Dust sputtered, his eye lights widening a little bit in shock “There’s no way that Goldie can even begin to deal with the sort of shit that we go through on a daily basis… Man, we’re going to end up on a babysitting roster to make sure that no one accidentally offs him when he’s not around boss, aren’t we?”

“We could spar with him, see if he has any fighting capabilities whatsoever and begin from there… There’s also the definite possibility that he’s got healing magic - which would at least be somewhat useful since none of us can heal jack shit due to our LV. Like even the plain biscuits the two of them made - have you checked how much one of them can heal? That can’t be from boss. It’s ridiculous.” Killer stressed. “I mean - 100 HP and a slight increase to DEF? It’s ridiculous. No wonder boss wanted us to track him down. Sensitive little thing probably got himself stuck in danger and we were going to be the distraction while Boss actually went in and grabbed him or something like that.”

Hatchet hummed noncommittally. He was pretty sure that there was more to Dream than what Killer and Dust seemed to think. Kindness and warmth are not weaknesses to be exploited, and he was pretty sure that Boss wouldn’t go for someone who was genuinely helpless. He’d seen the agility with which Dream had dodged Nightmare’s tentacles - though he had gotten grabbed in the end. It spoke to a bit of steel in the other’s core. The other two continued grumbling about the change that Dream had caused and plans to try to figure out how to fight Dream without boss instantly shutting them down. He offered during a lull in the conversation “You know… You could always just ask boss and Dream if Dream would like to spar with you. Trying to do some sort of sneaky crap doesn’t work and will only annoy Nightmare.”

“Good point, might as well not beat around the bush. Let’s go find them. How dare that smiley interloper get boss to be all mushy and soft. ‘S not fair.” Killer complained under his breath as he stomped out of the kitchen, Dust and Hatchet following close behind. The few smiles or words of praise and encouragement were treasures that each of them guarded and held close in their memories. How Dream was so effortlessly able to get their boss to smile and even laugh so easily was frustrating and confusing. Particularly since Nightmare had only spoken of Dream moments before the other had arrived. Dust was complaining about much the same, and Horror could understand their confusion and jealousy - how the other had managed to so effortlessly capture so much of Nightmare’s positive attention escaped him as well. Hopefully they’d be able to learn more about the both of them while Dream lived here.

[thesecondcircleofkel]

Holiday Cooking (Gone Wrong?)

Sero x Reader (gender neutral) 

1K

Summary: Reader and Sero host a Christmas party, but a mistake is made. 

Warnings: none 

Notes: Requested by @hoemine. Requests are still open! Also, make sure you check out my masterlist, because some of my fics haven't been showing up in the tumblr tag search.

The holidays were your favorite time of the year. There was just something so romantic and joyous about them, and as a professional cook, it was also the best time for you to share your talents with your friends and family. This would also be the first Christmas that you and Sero would get to spend together in your new home, and to help commemorate the occasion, you were hosting a Christmas party.

All of Sero’s old classmates had been invited, as well various people from his hero agency, and you had invited your own friends and coworkers as well. It was going to be a packed house, and you had been preparing for the party for the last two days. The only thing that wasn’t ready yet was the turkey that was almost finished cooking, and a pie that you were currently putting the finishing touches on after it had cooled overnight.

Sero had been an angel the whole time, helping as much as he could when he wasn’t at the agency or out on patrol, and making numerous grocery trips to make sure you had all the ingredients that you needed. You had both been so busy lately, and even if he wasn’t the best cook in the world, he still enjoyed spending time with you and helping as you prepared for the party. He was beyond excited for the party itself, too, not only because he would get to see so many of his friends, but also since you would finally have a break from cooking.

“How long until people start showing up, Hanta?”

“Based on the invites, about an hour, but I imagine some of them might be early.”

“That’s plenty of time set everything out.”

“You know, you could have saved yourself a lot of time by just doing a Christmas potluck.”

“Sero Hanta, I am a professional, and professionals do not slack off for the holidays.”

“I don’t think that’s entirely true, Y/N.”

“Don’t question me.”

With an aim that was…scarily precise given what you were throwing, you flung a small dollop of whipped cream at Sero, and it landed right on his cheek. The look he gave you was positively affronted, before his usual trademark grin came back into play. You had turned away from him as you put the whipped cream into a serving bowl, and he took that opportunity to walk up behind you. After making sure that you weren’t holding anything important, he wrapped his arms around you, holding you in a vice grip as he rubbed his marred check against your own, causing you to gasp, not just because of his sudden assault, but because of how cold the cream was against your skin.

“Hanta!”

“What? You started it.”

“You are an absolute reprobate, you know that?”

“How about I make it up to you and help you clean up?”

“You better not lick my face, Sero.”

“I would never. Well, not when we have company coming, at least.”

“Perve.”

True to his word, Sero grabbed a paper towel to wipe the whipped cream off of your face. After that, however, he quickly used his finger to gather some of the cream from his own cheek, tasting it before he turned your head towards him and brought his lips to yours. The action inadvertently got more whipped cream on your face, but you hardly noticed it through the sweet kiss that Sero gave you.

“My compliments to the chef.”

“You are so corny.”

Sero didn’t even bother to clean off his own face as he settled his chin on your shoulder, keeping his arms around you as you both waited for the timer set for the turkey to go off. It was at that moment, when your mind had finally calmed down a bit from cooking so much, that you noticed the rather plain smell of the kitchen. It was also cool, when it normally would have been burning up because of the heat of the oven.

Dread settled itself in your stomach. You didn’t want to look, really, but you knew that you had to. With a quick peek, your suspicions were confirmed correct: the oven wasn’t on. Your head dropped to the counter with a worryingly loud thump, causing Sero to startle behind you.

“Who the hell turned off the oven?!”

Sero could barely hear your muffled whine, but he caught enough of it to take a look at the oven himself. It most certainly was not turned on.

“…Are you sure it was even turned on?”

“I honestly don’t even know anymore. Damn it! Bakugou will never let me live this down! ‘Good job, Y/N. Way to forget one of the most basic parts of your job’. Why me, Hanta?”

“Ah, don’t worry about it, Y/N. I’m sure the turkey is still fine, and at least we know that it’s definitely defrosted by now. The party will be a few hours long anyways, so let’s just turn the oven on now and we’ll figure out the rest from there.”

“I guess you’re right.”

Sero gave you a few comforting rubs on your back, and then went to turn the oven on. You let out a deep sigh, still not believing how badly you had messed up.

“The party will be perfect, Y/N, don’t worry about it. You’ve worked hard on this, so just stop worrying about everything and give yourself the opportunity to enjoy celebrating with everyone.”

“Alright, alright…Thanks for staying so calm about it, Hanta.”

“Please, when do I ever panic?”

“…”

“Don’t answer that.”

Even with the turkey making a late appearance, your party really was perfect. Bakugou did end up hassling you a little bit, but not even the explosive hero could resist enjoying the festivities around him for long. Sero stayed by your side the entire time, proudly telling everyone how hard you had worked to bring the party together. It made your heart swell with endearment, and you were glad that everyone was enjoying themselves. They were enjoying themselves so much so, that no one even bothered to tell either of you that there was dried whipped cream on your faces.

[threadxsteel]

★ FILL IN THE QUESTIONS AS IF YOU ARE BEING INTERVIEWED FOR AN ARTICLE AND YOU WERE YOUR MUSE.

TAGGED BY stolen from: @dalathin TAGGING: Are you seeing this? Steal it from me and tag me so I can see !

1. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?   “Lywc Nancevel.”

2. WHAT IS YOUR REAL NAME?   “Still Lywc Nancevel.” laughs “Do many people give you false names?”

3. DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU’RE CALLED THAT? “Well, I know my last name comes from the valley where we live, because wild horses roam there. But, you mean why my parents named me Lywc? I never asked them. It’s just always been my name. Maybe they simply liked it.”

4. ARE YOU SINGLE OR TAKEN? "I’m not currently committed to anyone, no.”

5. WHAT ARE YOUR POWERS AND ABILITIES? "Powers? My. I don’t think I have any of those. As for abilities... well, I’ve got more than a few tricks up my sleeve---or boot, as the case may be---for just about any kind of occasion.”

6. WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR EYES? "When I was born, they were both the same color: hazel. Now, as you can clearly see, they are not both the same.”

7. HAVE YOU EVER DYED YOUR HAIR? even more laughter “Can you imagine how long and how much color it would take? Besides, I believe that my hair is far too dark, even if I did have enough dye on hand to color it all.

8. DO YOU HAVE ANY FAMILY MEMBERS? "More than I can count on one hand, to be sure. There was Ma and Da, of course, and Wenn and Perran both acted much like parents to the rest of us. Ruan, despite being the oldest boy, left when I was still too young to really remember him; I’m not sure I would even recognize him if I saw him on the street now. Lya and Morgan were the troublemakers, but they were also the hardest workers of us all. I think they would have the best dispositions to take over the farm from Ma and Da; I don’t know if they have. Jorah and I were closest of all my brothers and sisters, as was little Eldwen, when he got old enough to follow us around. I haven’t seen any of them since I left for the city, years ago.”

9. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? "I don’t. I do have a best friend, however---Annwn.”

10. TELL ME ABOUT SOMETHING YOU DON’T LIKE. "I’m afraid you’re going to have to be a little more specific. I don’t particularly care for vague questions, how about that?”

11. DO YOU HAVE ANY HOBBIES OR ACTIVITIES YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? "Well, I’m always keeping up with my alchemy. I like to make herbal tea blends when I have the spare ingredients, I suppose that’s kind of a hobby. Oh! I do love to embroider. I don’t usually have much time for it, and certainly no cause or use, but I love sewing flowers or little hares on things. A bit silly, I know, but there it is.”

12. HAVE YOU EVER HURT ANYONE BEFORE? "Haven’t we all, at some point of our lives?”

13. HAVE YOU EVER… KILLED ANYONE? "Not out of malice or cold intent.”

14. WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL ARE YOU? "... A... human?”

15. NAME YOUR WORST HABITS. "I... I probably give people too many chances to do the right thing. Most people... don’t seem to do them. But I always hope, anyway.”

16. DO YOU LOOK UP TO ANYONE? "My old... teacher, let’s say. I very much looked up to her when she took me under her wing, and I still do, though I haven’t seen her in several years. I also have have quite the fortune in meeting Nox ( @exnobis ), who is a very skilled fighter and a very good person all around. He’s also someone I’ve come to look up to.”

17. GAY, STRAIGHT, OR BISEXUAL? "I... like who I like? Why must I choose a title?”

18. DO YOU GO TO SCHOOL? "I’ve... never had the luck to go to school.”

19. DO YOU EVER WANT TO MARRY AND HAVE KIDS SOMEDAY? "I... Yes. I would like those things very much one day.”

20. DO YOU HAVE ANY FANS? "You mean those scented silk contraptions the Orlesians are always fluttering in front of their faces? I should think not.”

21. WHAT ARE YOU MOST AFRAID OF? "Betrayal. Abandonment. Being lied to.”

22. WHAT DO YOU USUALLY WEAR? "Reinforced leathers that I can comfortably move in. I switch a lot between riding and fencing, and a lot of my fighting relies on being able to dodge and move quickly, so I have to have something supple enough to allow that.”

23. DO YOU LOVE SOMEONE? "... I’d like to move on to the next question, please.”

24. WHAT CLASS ARE YOU? "Class? You mean my specialities? Or my social standing? Because the former is quite varied and mostly deals with close-range finesse, and the former I’ve virtually none of at all.”

25. HOW MANY FRIENDS DO YOU HAVE? "What, you want me to list them all out for you? Aside from Annwn, I’m not sure I’d have enough names to fill a hat.”

26. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON PIE? "Oh, blackberry or rhubarb and strawberry pies are delightful. I also don’t mind a bit of meat pie, but a lot of those are a bit too rich to have much of at once.”

27. FAVORITE DRINK? "Now---you’re going to think I’m boring, but---water. I also really like some herbal teas, especially nettle and mint in the spring. ”

29. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE? "Depends on my mood. I love being elbow-deep at my alchemist’s table, with all my reagents and mixtures, but I also love being in a practice ring, sparring or trying out new techniques. There’s also nothing quite like being atop Annwn, riding through the tall grasses of an open field in the early morning. And, of course, after all those things, the best thing is settled into a nice hot bath, with some good rosemary and sage soap.”

30. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SOMEONE? "Why are you so keen to know? If I did, I don’t think they’d like me back well enough for me to want to embarrass myself by telling you.”

31. WOULD YOU RATHER SWIM IN THE LAKE OR THE OCEAN? "The ocean frightens me more than a little bit. Lake, for sure.”

32. WHAT’S YOUR ‘TYPE’? “Type? Of person? I like...” hum softly “I like someone who is confident, who has a kindness in their heart---even if it’s not readily noticeable. I like a person who enjoys nature and the doing of things, physical things. I also like someone who’s intelligent, and has a good sense of humor.”

33. ANY FETISHES? "You mean like little talismans? I don’t have any of those, no.”

34. TOP OR BOTTOM? DOMINANT OR SUBMISSIVE? laughs “Oh, I see. You mean that sort of thing. Well, why does someone only have to be one of those, hm?”

35. CAMPING, OR INDOORS? "I don’t mind either. I spend most of my childhood and young adulthood outdoors in some fashion or another, but there’s not quite a joy like being able to fall into a nice comfortable bed after a long day.”

36. ARE YOU WAITING FOR THIS INTERVIEW TO BE OVER? "If I were waiting, it would imply I wasn’t doing anything. I’m actively helping this interview be over by participating, wouldn’t you say?”

[sweetescape01748]

Mimi’s Home Bakery

Kate O’Connor| Review | April 1, 2021

Whether it's cookies, pies, cakes, cupcakes, muffins, brownies...you name it- Mimi can make it. While in the kitchen with Mary Daniels Nahley Jones, or “Mimi”, you would never guess that this lean, energetic, eighty-four year old home baker, has zero professional culinary training. Mimi’s kitchen is not large by any measure, but it has a warm and cozy feel, with its own unique scent of freshly baked cookies whisked from the oven. Whenever we baked with Mimi there seemed to be flour, and mixing bowls all over the counter. However, the ingredients always seemed to be organized in perfect order. Her pantry is also stocked with at least three packages of King Arthur's flour, two large cans of Crisco, several canisters of White Granulated Sugar, and bags of Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips. Also, her refrigerator always holds a jug of homemade, Sweet Tea. However, no visit to Mimi’s kitchen is complete without squirting some of her homemade Simple Syrup in a glass of her Sweet Tea while indulging in her famous brownies. Mimi currently lives in Southport, North Carolina, which has been home to her for more than twenty years. 

Mimi raised three children in Danbury, Connecticut (in order of birth); Sue, Jeffrey, and Ann who now have children of their own. While her children were growing up, Mimi carried on her mother’s tradition of always having freshly baked desserts in the kitchen for the house to munch on. From a young age, Mimi was inspired by her own mother’s baking, and wanted to “follow in her footsteps''. She is now an active grandmother, and according to her grandchildren, the best baker they know. When she’s not baking, Mimi is either golfing, playing tennis, swimming, selling handcrafted baby knick-knacks to a local store, doing yoga, volunteering at church, or simply watching Netflix. However, Mimi’s passion for baking didn’t evolve until she started a family, and needed recipes to make for her household.

(Mimi on Thanksgiving Eve in  2011, holding one of her daughter’s favorites, Banana Cream Pie)

Tell me a little bit about yourself and how you got into baking? 

I grew up in Pawling, New York which is about 65 miles north of New York City.  I lived with my mom, dad, brother, and grandparents. We went to live with my grandparents, because my grandfather was very ill at one point and needed people to take care of him. So I always lived at my grandmother’s house. My mother always had something freshly baked, practically everyday. She was the one who inspired me. She was a wonderful pie maker, a wonderful cake maker, cookies, muffins...You name it. She could do it. My mother’s name was Helen Green Daniels and she was a teacher. She taught elementary school, got married, and of course women back then didn’t work after they got married because nobody would hire them and therefore she always had something whipped up in the evening. My grandmother was such a wonderful baker, and she inspired me as a grown-up to follow in her footsteps. I didn’t grow up with a culinary background, and I didn’t do a lot of baking when I was little, but I certainly watched my mother bake a lot of stuff. When I got married the first time, I certainly wanted recipes, so I got into it more after I got married. And now I try to bake at least once a week. I try to switch up what I make...Every night, I need to have a cupcake, a brownie, a cookie, or something around 8 o’clock at night, which is probably the worst time in the world to eat. 

What was a household favorite dessert that you can recall baking, that your kids loved?

I think my brownies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Christmas Cookies were a house favorite. I still make chocolate chip cookies, and I still make brownies, but now, since I’m retired, don’t tell anyone..I use a box. But sometimes I’ll make them from scratch. But I think every one of my kids loved my brownies...The kids also used to like my Whopper cookies. Remember the Whoppers? They’re the cookies where you have to smash the Whopper milk balls.

What is one of YOUR favorite go-to treats to whip up at home? Or for the holidays?

Well, I think for the holidays, Banana Cream pie, Pumpkin pie, pecan pie, cookies, and dessert sauces. I have to keep them [dessert sauces] in the refrigerator at all times. Those include a hot fudge sauce, and a butterscotch sauce. Isn’t that awful?

 What are some skills or tricks that you have learned throughout your at-home baking career?

Definitely get all ingredients together before you start the baking process...Then you always have what you need. I think my favorite part about baking is actually putting all the ingredients together and then of course, the results. I love getting everything together, getting it all measured out, and enjoying the finished product. 

 Out of the wide variety of baked goods, what would you classify as being the most fun to make? And why?

Well I’ll tell you, this is the complete opposite. It’s the Frosty Toffee Bits Pie. It is so fast and easy to make, and people love it. You buy a 9 inch graham cracker crust, then you take a package of cream cheese, sugar, half & half, frozen whipped topping like Cool Whip, and then a package of Toffee bits. I’m telling you Kate, it is absolutely delicious..bad for you, but delicious! I bumped into a couple whom I haven’t seen in awhile, and they go “oh we have that pie under your name in our recipe file. We just got it out and just made it”. 

What has been one of the hardest things you have ever had to bake and why?

I would not have been able to tell you a month ago, but a month ago, I found a recipe for a German Chocolate Cake. A three layered, German Chocolate Cake. Well I’ll tell you, it probably took over three hours to put the damn thing together. Pardon my french. And then the frosting contains coconut..and it’s absolutely delicious! It takes forever to put it together...and it just takes forever because you have to melt the chocolate bar, you have to make half a cup of strong brewed hot coffee, and then aside from the flour, the baking powder, and the sugar, you have to separate the eggs, and then bake it for about twenty eight minutes. But then you have to make the frosting, which requires six egg yolks, two cups of coconut, and then the two cups of pecans are optional. It’s a delicious cake but I think it must have taken almost three hours to put together. It wasn’t even made for a special occasion, just because I wanted to. I found the recipe in Southern Living Magazine and thought, “ooo I gotta make that”. Of course it took forever but when it was done, boy was it spectacular!

Every baker has a weakness, in your opinion, what would you say is your greatest weakness?

I don’t make pies quite as often as I used to, but my one weakness is making a pie crust. It drives me crazy because you have to roll it out, and make sure it’s round..they’re just so much work. Anyways, I don’t make a whole lot of pies anymore. However, per request, I do them for the holidays. 

What are some of your secret go-to ingredients to use as a substitute in a particular recipe?

I don't have any. Usually, if I get a recipe out, I’ve saved it because I like everything in it. If I’m going to use a recipe, you want to follow it pretty closely. Especially when baking, you need to comply with what the recipe tells you. I figure, they know what they’re doing.

Being such a talented baker, have you ever been tempted to open up a bakery or cafe of your own? (why or why not)

No it’s too much work!! I enjoy other things in addition to baking!!

How would you describe a typical day in your life today?

Three days a week, I start my day with Yoga for an hour, I love it.We all wear masks and it’s a great social event.  Then, I do a lot of sewing and knitting because there’s a little shop downtown in Southport where we live, and I sell my stuff there. So I sell my puppets, sweaters for children, blankets, bibs, and mainly things for babies. I have to work inside the shop at least once a month for a whole day. And then I eat out a lot, I attend church a few days a week because I’m on a few committees, so that’s pretty much my life now….*chuckling* 

Which would you say you prefer more, cooking or baking? 

Baking- I think. People love homemade desserts and breads, usually more than their meal. It ends the course the way you want it to end. I think people love desserts. Well-I think everyone loves certain meals but they remember the dessert...it came last, it’s sweet...And I think that’s important. 

I’m dying to know, have you ever made a “boxed” dessert?

Yes, almost always, I don’t make brownies from scratch anymore. I just get the box...Ghirardelli and Betty Crocker are the best, in my opinion...Although baking is much more rewarding when you do it from scratch and oftentimes it even tastes better! 

What sweet treat did you whip up this week?

The other day, I got a recipe for Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Muffins. They are loaded with chocolate, and then you add a bunch of chocolate chips in them. And you got to have a scoop of ice cream with them. So those have been recent creations of mine. 

Mimi’s Famous Brownie recipe:

2 sq . Unsweetened Ghirardelli chocolate (2 oz.) 

1/3 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup broken nuts (optional) 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Melt together chocolate and shortening in the microwave;  beat in sugar & eggs.  Add flour, baking powder & salt.  Mix in nuts.  Spread in well greased 8” square pan & bake until top has dull crust, about 30-35 minutes.  A slight imprint will be left when the top is touched lightly with a finger.  Cool slightly; then cut into squares (16 2” squares).  Enjoy!!

[the-grumpy-panda]

That's Not A Snack Box...

THIS is a snack box! Oof. An extremely outdated and severely tired Crocodile Dundee joke? I'm sorry. So very sorry. But it's time for another snack box adventure. This time from Australia! Land of Brody Dalle! Land of Isla Fisher! Land of the Irukandji jellyfish! All beautiful and deadly in their own unique way. Thanks, Australia. This sugary, salty and unhealthy excursion is courtesy of Snack Crate. A bit pricier (although I did opt for the 'premium' box) than other boxes I've tried, but this box is quite hefty and fully loaded with a wide assortment, and for a few bucks more, they also offer a drink option, which I of course threw in as well. I want the whole experience. So as a (possibly) one time splurge, I feel alright with the price. For anyone not wanting to splurge big, there are a total of three box sizes to choose from. Of course, the lower the price, the less goodies you'll receive. Two day shipping is also already included in the price. Express shipping is also available if you simply can't wait two days. But I'll tell ya, I ordered my trial box on a Friday evening, and the very following Monday afternoon I had it in my hands. That's a hell of a fast turnaround, and I praise Snack Crate for that. The insides were wrapped in a pleasant and fun themed paper, also included was a sleeve of Australian based stickers (Fun! I'm not going to secretly decorate the desk of the girl I secretly like as if I were a ten year old...) and the always appreciated sturdy booklet with some fun Australia facts, information and a run down of all the treats included in the box. All it truly lacked was a hand written welcome and a picture from Rose Byrne to class it up a bit. Come on Australia, she just looks like a princess, put her to use! For ease and comfort, I'm just going to run down the treats in the order they appear in the booklet. So, put on some Colin Hay (an Australian transplant, but I'll allow it) music and settle in, we're off to a land of snacks atop the counter! -Violet Crumble! A crunchy honeycomb toffee center coated in milk chocolate. I was not expecting this to be as crunchy as it is. It bites as if it were frozen. Even with the density of the center, it melts nicely in your mouth. It's a very airy sort of nougat. For being as hard as it is, the airiness is still a perplexing note. This is a candy bar to study! It's also fortunately very tasty. A very smooth honey infused toffee flavor that is delicious and makes me wish more treats used this formula. A great way to start this box!

-Milo Snack! Crunchy cereal pieces mixed with chocolate powder and dipped in milk. Hmm. Cereal pieces is a vague description. Dipping in milk seems odd to me for some reason in a pre-packaged item. Can't specifically explain why. Let's open this oddity and see what we see. Upon opening I discover it looks like one of those ready to go milk and cereal bars available nowadays. This looks like Cocoa Krispies smooshed up and then yes, a layer on the bottom of whatever milk substance companies use to make sure milk congeals and sticks to the bottom of things. Unfortunately, this bar smells exactly like dried dog food, so my first, and very tiny, bite is taken with trepidation. Not a winner here. It tastes merely of very old and very stale Cocoa Puffs. -French Fries Original! Australia's original potato straw snack! Just a simple and classic salty potato chip flavor, but in straw form. These do have a pleasant crunch, though. -Tim Tam Original! Two chocolate cookie biscuits filled with chocolate cream and covered in chocolate. For all the chocoholics! The name Tim Tam seems familiar. Either I've had them before somewhere along the way, or they are so popular in Australia, knowledge of their existence has permeated out. Like Natalie Imbruglia. You know the name, but you can't remember when last you saw her and if you liked her music or not. Time to try it again. Ha. These deliver exactly what they promise. Chocolate on chocolate covered in chocolate. A nice cookie crunch that's not too hard, the middle is tasty and the covering chocolate is smooth, creamy and adds to the whole flavor. A good treat, but one that could also get old quickly. Eat in small doses. -Fantales! Smooth and velvety caramels, coated with milk chocolate. Quite dense. Be prepared to be gnawing on this little sucker for a couple of minutes. It's not great, but it's certainly not awful. Comparable to a Milk Dud I suppose, but with a higher chocolate component and better made. I'd eat one if offered, but not a caramel treat I'd actively seek out for myself. -Arnott's Shapes Pizza! Pizza flavored biscuits. Um, what exactly do pizzas in Australia look like? These crackers resemble coffins to me. Which is fine, I'm into it, but is this a general Australian pizza shape or am I just a rambling moron inadvertently insulting an entire country? I'm not really getting a "pizza" taste here. It's more like an oregano infused cracker. Not bad for what it is, but it's lacking something and doesn't deliver the promised flavor. Or maybe it does. Someone send over Karen Martini to make me an Australian pizza, please. Thanks. -Twisties Cheese! Apparently Australia's most popular snack. Corn and rice snack with cheese flavoring! Let's crack a bag! They look like Chee-Tos, but the taste is definitely different. This cheese coating seems a bit creamier or milkier and they're not as salty as Chee-Tos, which is a big bonus. All said and done, though, I like these but I don't love them.

-All the snacking has made me thirsty. Luckily I opted for the drink! Here comes Solo Original Lemon! A refreshing drink made with 5% crushed lemons! The can says so! And it absolutely shows in the flavor. This is not just another "lemon-lime" sugared up soda. Oh, no. This is like a very genuine and nicely home made lemonade with some carbonation thrown in. I dig it. It is refreshing and tasty. Back to the foods! -Chomp Caramel! A crispy wafer layered with caramel then coated with chocolate. I have nothing else to compare this to other than a Charleston Chew, but it is most assuredly not a Charleston Chew. It bears the same shape, the consistency is close, but the flavor of the Chomp is far superior and the addition of a thin wafer layer gives the Chomp bar a very nice and welcome crunch and added fun element. The caramel here is very smooth, and it eats easily, as opposed to a Charleston Chew trying to yank your fillings out. A solid winner, here.

-Allen's Pineapples! Pineapple shaped gummy candy! A bit more solid than gummy candies I'm used to, and the pineapple flavor is very subtle. Another not great but not bad candy. Pairs well with the Solo Lemon drink, though, for a weird sort of tropical taste trip. -Wagon Wheels! Marshmallow filling between two soft biscuits and dipped in chocolate. Sounds like a Moon Pie to me! Let's see if we'll notice any differences. It's certainly a lot thinner than a Moon Pie. The cookie, while soft, still has a bit of a welcome crunch to it, the chocolate is very chocolatey and what I didn't know at first was this Wagon Wheel also has a thin layer of jam within. It doesn't say what kind of jam, so it could be Vegemite jam. But since my American taste buds aren't heaving, it's safe to assume it's some sort of fruit jam. I like this a lot, and far better than the Moon Pies I'm used to, which admittedly I haven't eaten one in probably twenty years. Just not a fan. The Wagon Wheel also gets to be too much of a good thing. A mini Wagon Wheel would be a perfect serving size. -Milky Way! Yep, a Milky Way! But the Australian version is only filled with a light and sweet nougat. Which means it's a 3 Musketeers bar. Nice try Australia! I'm on to your ruse. You owe me one Abbie Cornish. -Iced Vovo! A biscuit topped with pink fondant, a strip of raspberry filling and sprinkled with coconut. These are a beautiful cookie. Ready made for presentations and for putting on airs. If you were fifteen and had no idea how to impress anyone, that is. And that's not a slam against the cookie... but it is still just a cookie. Taste wise, they are sadly just okay. I like the cookie part, I like the raspberry stripe, but the fondant and the coconut just don't work and those two items should never be paired together to begin with. But I'm going to place the majority of the blame on the fondant. A raspberry coconut cookie could have been lovely. Fondant is... it's just somehow not right. Ever. I know you know what I mean. How cake makers get away with using it so much is a mystery to me. -Chokito! A Milk chocolate bar filled with caramel and crispy rice. Or as the packaging proclaims... "Chewy Caramel Fudge! Crunchy Balls! & Loads Of Chocolate!" This doesn't quite work. It tastes like all the ingredients are quite cheap, and seems like a drunk babysitter just dumped leftover pieces from other treats into bowl and gave it to you to shut you up for a minute. This candy bar made me sad. -Cherry Ripe! A mix of cherry, coconut and dark chocolate! Australia's oldest candy bar! I would have been much better served by this were it bite size pieces instead of a whole bar. It's good, I enjoy it, but it has far too much coconut. The cherry notes are wonderful when they finally fight their way through the coconut. -Peppermint Crisp. Milk chocolate bar filled with thin cylinders of peppermint flavored toffee pieces. Those who know know I'm no fan or friend of mint, but I'll try this bar all the same. Nope. Nope Nope. Nope. It's like a candy cane covered in chocolate and the inside color is that of mouth wash. Nope Nope Nope. Don't want. -Caramello Koala! A chocolate bar filled with caramel. Pretty direct. And exactly what you'd expect. It's made by Cadbury, so it's safe to assume most of us have had a chocolate and caramel product by Cadbury at some point, or at least something strikingly similar. No muss or fuss here, it is what it claims to be and serves its purpose.

-Cheezels! Corn and rice rings with a zesty cheddar cheese sauce! Very similar in taste to Chee-Tos Paws but a bit crunchier. Not bad. Slightly too salty for me, all the same, though. -Cadbury Picnic! Crispy wafer with caramel, peanuts and raisins covered in chocolate. A very hard candy bar. Watch your teeth with these. Taste a lot like a frozen Baby Ruth bar somehow. It's alright, but it's hardness level wouldn't make me a repeat buyer.

-Golden Vines Anzac Biscuits! Just a big ol' honking cookie. Apparently these were sent to Australian soldiers in WW1 as a reminder of home. This might be one leftover from then. It's hard, it's dry, and it's only remotely sweet. Tastes like an oatmeal cookie that only used honey for sweetening. All that being said, I can honestly see the appeal to this cookie. Once I swallowed my initial bite and set it aside, the flavors really took hold and I want another bite. It's very large, though, so I imagine this one cookie will last a few days, if not a week. Which makes their part of soldier history make a lot more sense, as well. This seemingly bland and innocuous little cookie is the surprising little cookie that could. Thumbs up. -Wizz Fizz Sherbet! A sweet powder that fizzes in your mouth! Thanks Wizz Fizz. I am now coated in your powdery wares because opening this little pack was like opening a gag gift. Despite my efforts to prevent such a thing, the moment the package got the tiniest tear, its contents flew everywhere. So now I must appear to be a messy baker covered in powdered sugar, or some sort of coke fiend who knocked over his mirror. Including a tiny spoon in your packaging just the right size for a "sniff" isn't helping. Are you trying to be the "cool" "street cred" candy maker? Plus, your product doesn't fizz whatsoever in my mouth. It sat there, lumping up like a gob of remorse. This product sucks. I hate everything about it. -Last in line for this sojourn is Allen's Chico's! Cocoa flavored gummy candies! Gelatin and cocoa just do not mix. It's like uncooked brownie batter left atop your fridge for two weeks. Dang. Ended on a sad note. Just the way things go sometimes. Might be a good time to revisit the 1996 Australian bio-pic "Shine." Or perhaps 1978's "Patrick." Thanks again, Australia. Until next time, I am momentarily The Grumpy Koala. Koala's sleep up to twenty hours a day! Waking to eat, and "socialize." Now that's a life. Cheers, mates!

[physicalfitnessupdatesyhq48-blog]

Which Cures Are Without A Doubt Favorite Concerning Obstinate Acne?

Thank you for making me feel great once more! Do you really feel guilty yet? It puffed my entire eye up and also young boy did I seem like being in a charming state of mind, NOT! Being perspiring as well as warm (particularly after sporting activities like football) makes acne worse. Do You Know That Dairy Products Trigger Acne? How it functions: Aspirin is actually a natural type of salicylic acid, the acne buster you locate in loads of OTC acne items. If you find on your own in this setting: LEAVE IT ALONE. And worse, they leave marks! The most effective means to keep your skin devoid of acne marks is to stop breakouts. It will not just heal your skin, yet additionally maintain it moisturised as well as soft! People typically think that all acne marks are the very same and will certainly go away by themselves. They work great yet coincide thing as Duoderm simply reduced up into tiny circles, and overpriced for exactly how much item you actually obtain. Your pancreas has to enhance its insulin manufacturing when you consume also much food that is abundant in carbohydrates. The ideal strategy is to consume a well balanced diet regimen in which scrap food as well as rich deserts like gelato are gotten rid of.

Work quick, within weeks or days

Combine eco-friendly tea and also water (1/4 mug for each)

Cover with witch hazel

Bacteria colonize and infect the oil filled, blocked pore

Apply this mixture on the affected skin as well as leave for almost 20 mins

The diet enabled us to take control. 3. Repair cream: AcneFree's fixing lotion utilizes a 24-hour time launch benzyl peroxide formula to regulate oil and also fight bacteria. Nor will tea tree oil. Exposing acne marks to sunlight will certainly create them to dim even more, and also reduce the recovery procedure. Sugar, particularly from specific resources, can aggravate acne - and also cause a whole host of various other health and wellness problems. Acne constantly makes individuals shed confidence in their appearance. Like frankincense, lemon also reduces the appearance of pores on the skin. Hydrocolloid dressings are bandages utilized on open wounds to take in exudate (i.e. the pus-like or clear fluid that exudes out of cuts and pores). If you want to get the most out of this therapy, apply a printer toner after you leave the shower to protect against future outbreaks for time to come. If the acne hasn't come to a head yet, leave it alone.

Cystic Acne Cure

The entire "plug" ought to have come out now. There's even more to it, specifically how water operates in the service yet you obtain the point. Poking acnes will certainly irritate your skin as well as spread bacteria, which means a lot more acnes, and also more marks. 1.4 Hydrocolloid Bandages.1.4.1 How will this deal with acne? The sebaceous (sweat) glands will certainly have to function harder in removing these wastes if the blood is impure. I will at some point make a whole article regarding exactly how I accomplished this type of progress completely from residence. It's vital to recreate these problems once the bandaid has been eliminated to lower any opportunity of scarring, PIE (article inflammatory erythema), or PIH (message inflammatory hyperpigmentation). It's a water-proof gel-like adhesive that stops blood-clotting, and creates a wet injury recovery environment to accelerate the recuperation of the cells underneath it. Keeping that stated, if you definitely must, as well as I mean definitely should pop an acne, I will be going over the most effective as well as safest technique possible to decrease your opportunities of atrophic scarring and speed up recuperation time.

You can do some points to speed this procedure up, as an example cozy compresses or chemical exfoliants. Acne marks are a few of one of the most challenging points to deal with. You could say it has all the things we would certainly want in an acne-fighting cleanser or face clean. , if you want to check out more concerning why 70% is optimum for sanitation-- review this.. Ranlyn Oakes is a business writer as well as journalist with greater than a decade as either a staff writer or consultant for a range of national and also local magazines, consisting of papers and also publications. After going with a number of calamities, one including establishing rashes all over my face as well as neck, I lastly discovered 2 fantastic creams that in fact provided me results. Ice massage is a wonderful workout for keeping skin healthy and balanced and also away from many problems including scars. This advanced treatment can be helpful in attending to lots of bothersome skin problems such as wrinkles, acne marks, scars, sunlight damage, brownish places and various other skin troubles. Giloy, neem and also haritaki are blood cleansing natural herbs that eliminates the poisonous product out of the body and also avoid skin issues naturally. Witch hazel assists acnes dry faster, thus promoting healing.

Types Of Acne

Also by eliminating extreme oil it helps in regulating acne and also acnes. Ever considering that the moment of the Ancient Egyptians, castor oil has actually been respected for its medical properties. How it works: Apple cider vinegar hasn't been studied on acne, however our skin experts cite its antimicrobial as well as anti-inflammatory residential properties as reasons it can help improve an acne. The antibacterial buildings of salt help to eliminate off any infection in skin cells and aid to reduce swelling, assisting the white head in your nose recover quicker. Along with aiding soothe swollen skin, its exfoliating powers damage down the blackhead or whitehead that's plugging up your pore, says Sejal Shah, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York. Another research study into the performance of clary sage in aiding to heal acne found that it reduces sebum production to aid unblock pores. The distinction in acne scarring you see didn't happen over night. If you see a white head basing on the surface, you need to pop it as soon as possible.

Urine Acne Cure

Doing this will avoid various other acnes from developing and potentially lower the one you have. It can dry out up present acnes as well as protect against others from developing. Now I'm not speaking about just an additional acne outbreak - I've had acnes since I was 14. They weren't anything serious, well not till I turned 21 did acne become the scourge of my existence. I also liked the reality that it consists of 100% all-natural ingredients which ensured that there weren't any unneeded adverse effects on my face. Semen which is much like natural oil has rich amino acids which battle against acne creating elements effectively. Mix 1 tbsp oat meal, 3 tbsps coconut oil as well as warm water. You should consume a lot of water throughout the day towards maintaining your skin well hydrated as well as to stop acne. These evaluations are complete and also honest, as well as these magazines recommend ZENMED as the leading acne therapies over the counter.

I NEED An Instant Overnight Acne Cure. Homemade Please?

I haven't become aware of PROACTIV, yet a little bit of investigative work with our pal Google will definitely reveal any one of the limitations or constraints of this prescription drug. This is most likely going to hurt, however it will certainly launch the largest component of the acne. You're mosting likely to require one. This is the next ideal point to going as well as obtaining an expert skin 'peel'. Cut the BS, conserve yourself the difficulty, and also drop 5 to 10 dollars on some professional extractors. You will require this to sanitize your comedone extractors. Using your hands commonly causes pressing acnes, an outright no no. There's a reason skin doctors and estheticians around the world usage comedone extractors and also not their hands. This is verified, regardless of what skin specialists could tell you. Don't let any person tell you that there are many creams that actually function to remove acne marks, because there actually aren't. Before I inform you concerning these 2 creams, it's possibly a good idea for you to know more about me and also my background. For a little extra you get results that deserve simply so a lot more. This supplies a little a buffer by bending somewhat if too much stress is applied.

The Acne Cure

This offers an even surface for makeup application while likewise shielding as well as covering up the injury. On scratching, the external covering membrane is slightly breached, allowing the microorganisms go within. The tissue in your nasal flow is a lot more delicate than your skin as well as there is more chance of microorganisms lingering in your nose. Intake of coconut water maintains our skin healthy and balanced, smooth and also extra youthful looking. Vaseline or various other petroleum jelly-based products that don't actually moisturize, yet rather create a barrier on your skin to catch hydration as well as avoid water from leaving-- over your usual cream at evening. Both contain a high amount of Petrolatum, which is one of the most powerful occlusive on the planet, efficient in preventing approximately 98% of transepidermal water loss as well as increasing obstacle recuperation. He states you can make use of a pea-size amount and also begin applying it every various other evening as your skin gets adapted to it (or combine it with benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid for a more powerful mixture). If it comes to be completely dry, try adding a percentage of honey again.

Natural house remedies for acne marks include lemon, cucumber, aloe vera, olive oil, honey Click for more etc. which are reliable in eliminating the dark marks from face. AHA and also BHA-based skin care items bring back skin brilliance while restoring the skin's natural pH. How it works: It's an anti-inflammatory as well as has antibacterial residential properties, so it'll calm that mad red breakout while dealing with the germs that's fueling it, says Ranella Hirsch, MD, board-certified dermatologist in Boston. Silk Cotton Tree, with its astringent as well as cooling buildings, manages acne as well as acnes as well as stops future outbreaks. The crucial vitamins that aid to stop acne from appearing over and over as well as treat acne scars are vitamin A, B, C, E, zinc and chromium. Avoid gel-based tooth paste. Its active ingredients are various than a normal paste and also may not be reliable to deal with acnes. However, it might additionally be advertising behaviors for popping acnes in your home that aren't always recommended-- and also making it seem "enjoyable" at that. However, note that other root causes of the signs and symptom 'Finger acne' might be possible. Human body is a really complicated system: one function condition might bring about some systems problems concurrently.

Acne Antibacterial Soap

Pressing these points aids alleviate stress, acne, rosacea as well as numerous various other skin conditions. Search for multifunctional products that include active ingredients like Salicylic Acid, which helps eliminate dead skin cells; Benzoyl Peroxide, which assists kill microorganisms; and also calming botanicals like Tea Tree Oil and Licorice. Can Coconut Oil be Used to Treat Acne? The very best method to treat an extreme instance of acnes is to look for treatment as quickly as you can! It may not be the "clear skin" you were picturing, as well as acne marks can be difficult to treat. Following an acne diet plan is a great way to not only do away with acnes, yet additionally prevent them in the first location. The first thing you need to do is to go over your skin with a microdermabrasion device. The last thing we want is to jab our acne with a microbially-infested sewing needle. The last thing I intend to see, is you ending up in my footwear. For their skin, if left unattended, dark marks from acne scarring can be left behind leaving an overall unequal coloring on the face that can last a lifetime.

Pay no mind to what they say on Reddit, vaseline won't cure your acne

http://www.dermrounds.com/profiles/blogs/reddit-is-wrong-vaseline-will-not-cure-your-acne …http://www.dermrounds.com/profiles/blogs/reddit-is-wrong-vaseline-will-not-cure-your-acne …

— dermRounds (@dermatology) June 21, 2018

Controls acne and also acnes. Of course, it would be ideal not to obtain them whatsoever yet whoever stated that once you outgrow adolescence you won't get acnes anymore was absolutely dead incorrect! Write it out theoretically, together with in addition to your motivations, challenges, and strategies for conquering them. The direct exposure to drastic temperature changes often tends to dry the skin. Neem water is wonderful for improving acne and treating dry skin. If the acne is painful, attempt adding two tbsps of yoghurt to the paste blend. Take equivalent parts water and vinegar, soak a cotton pad in the mixture as well as put it on the acne momentarily or 2. If asked to chose in between both nonetheless, option 1 is undoubtedly the much better remedy for the removal of acne scars especially. However, not all honey is helpful for the skin. You can likewise attempt making use of honey with lemon for a similar effect. Go on, offer it a try! Taking care of acnes is never very easy, but you can attempt to regulate them before large occasions. Self control is the significance of any desirable treatment.

The results of terrible or inadequate skin problem can lead to instability, the avoidance of social situations, and also bad self esteem. Do it as soon as daily for 2 weeks for best results. These will usually disappear within a few weeks or months. As you can tell, I've tried several brands. Regarding a couple of causes you can not do much, like genetic aspects as well as hormonal changes. It is an acne treatment that kills bacteria that triggers breakouts, deals with existing acnes, and also leaves skin soft, smooth, and also healthy and balanced. A skin specialist will aid discover the root causes of your outbreaks and minimise scarring, too. If you wish to keep your face acne-free, you can barely locate a much more efficient cleaning system. To summarize, higher concentrations of alcohol vaporize faster, which do not allow full contact with microbial life. Why it's negative: Rubbing alcohol is so drying that it removes oils as well as healthy proteins from your skin, leaving it more swollen than it already was and most likely making your acne worse, says Shah.

Because damp skin is a lot more absorbing and also can be much more easily inflamed, wait concerning 15 mins after showering or washing to use the medication. To really eliminate dust and oil from your skin, offer soap/cleanser 2 mins to function. It might be essential to use them 20 mins at once for 3 to four times daily. Time to bid farewell to them! God, what I would certainly give to return in time and put myself! It relies on just how severe your back acne is as well as is it a good idea to execute therapy in the house all by yourself. As recognized, already (even by those who have actually never stepped in a day spa), the water therapy is intense as well as the curative power of mineral water returns to the pre historic period. More power to yuh if you're the kind of person that would not care.] Is there anything more gratifying than awakening to 4 complete hydrocolloids?

Nothing is fairly as pleasing as getting up the next early morning after popping an acne as well as seeing a bandage full of juicy white pus from your currently non-existent acne. , if you have plans throughout the day it's a good concept to do this entire procedure at evening so you can merely eliminate the bandaid in the morning.. It's the result of a long, substantial, as well as difficult journey of skincare treatments throughout the past year. This is the outcome of not taking correct preventive actions when popping acnes. I take this subject matter very seriously, and would favor that individuals avoid popping acnes whatsoever price. Every teen, regardless of exactly how clear their skin, needs a reliable place treatment in their washroom cabinet for that inevitable day when an acne turns up when they least require it. You might need to do a fast touchup in the shower room midway via the day, but a minimum of in this manner you will certainly be able to lessen exactly how visible the acne is.

[anachef]

Review! NEW Dinner Menu at Whispering Canyon Cafe in Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Yee-haw!! Howdy from Disney’s Wilderness Lodge! We decided to mosey on over to Whispering Canyon Cafe, because they changed their dinner menu earlier this week.

Whispering Canyon Cafe

Whispering Canyon Cafe has long been a favorite spot for comfort food, all-you-can-eat skillets, and rowdy antics from the servers, and we were excited to see what new eats they had to offer!

Atmosphere

Located off the gorgeous main lobby at the Wilderness Lodge, Whispering Canyon Cafe is a table service location full of delicious eats and lots of fun. Be prepared for the stick-pony races, silly antics from your servers (yep, they’re still in full swing), and an old fashioned good time!

Whispering Canyon Cafe

From the painted chair backs to the awesome light fixtures, the decor really sets the mood for Wild West fun.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Light Fixture

If you’ve been to Whispering Canyon Cafe, this may be no secret to you. But for those who haven’t visited, you will definitely want to ask for some ketchup (like, whether you need it or not). We don’t want to share exactly what happens next so it can be a surprise, but we will say that the result is a lot of fun and any little cowpokes in your group will get a real kick out of it.

Eats

We’re keeping the tour short, though, because as I mentioned, the reason for this particular visit was to try out the new dinner menu! The biggest addition is that they have THREE new all-you-care-to-enjoy skillets! The Traditional Skillet has been a staple at Whispering Canyon Cafe, and now they have expanded their skillet offerings with a few variations.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Menu

The flip side of that change is they have greatly reduced the number of a la carte entrees and appetizers. But they also shook up their specialty drinks selection!

Whispering Canyon Cafe Drink Menu

Everything besides the Magical Star Cocktail (which is a staple around Disney World lounges), is either a new addition or the recipe has been updated. We decided to try two brand new drinks — Bourbon Sweet Tea and the Mountaineer Margarita — and one revamped classic, the Moonshine Lemonade.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Cocktails

The Bourbon Sweet Tea is just two simple ingredients. You guessed it: Maker’s Mark Bourbon and sweet tea.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Bourbon Sweet Tea

This was a great drink — albeit pretty strong, so heads up! If you are a big bourbon fan, adding the sweet tea is a unique twist that fits nicely with the Whispering Canyon vibe. It’s a fun and simple cocktail that I’d certainly try again.

Next up, the Moonshine Lemonade! The Moonshine Lemonade comes with your choice of flavored lemonade — strawberry, blackberry, or watermelon. We went with Strawberry.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Moonshine Lemonade

I was prepared for this to be super strong considering the moonshine, but it was actually very refreshing! The strawberry wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet and added a nice light, freshness to the alcohol. Overall, this is something we’d absolutely try again, and I look forward to sampling the other flavors at some point! (So, there’s a little “note to self…”)

Last up, the Mountaineer Margarita. This is a classic margarita made with Don Julio Tequila, Cointreau, fresh Lime Juice and Agave Nectar, but it has a cowboy twist — Smoked Hickory Syrup!

Whispering Canyon Cafe Mountaineer Margarita

This drink was fantastic and ended up being the favorite of the night. It was a good margarita to begin with, but the smokey syrup really shines through and takes it to the next level. Highly recommend this one!

Now for the eats! The first thing we tried was the new Smoked Beef and Vegetable Soup.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Smoked Beef and Vegetable Soup

This hearty soup was really more of a stew, full of smoked beef chunks, potatoes, onions, and carrots.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Smoked Beef and Vegetable Soup

This was certainly a good stick-to-your-ribs soup that you’d expect from Whispering Canyon. The beef was plentiful, and the potatoes were nice and soft. This relatively simple dish was comfort food at its finest, and paired with a salad this would make a great meal on its own!

Next up, we HAD to try out these new skillets! From left to right, you’ll see The Land and Sea, The Pig, and The Plant-Based. Don’t forget that all of these skillets (and the Traditional) are all-you-care-to-enjoy so come hungry!

Whispering Canyon Cafe Skillets

When you order any of the skillets, the first thing to arrive is delicious fresh cornbread and honey butter!

Whispering Canyon Cafe Corn Bread and Honey Butter

You can literally see the honey oozing throughout the butter. (As our awesome server, Mike, said “Do with it as you must.”) Also available upon request is coleslaw.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Coleslaw

The coleslaw is crisp and fresh, and not too overdressed, which happens easily with slaw.

There is also a vegan slaw available if you’d prefer. Unlike its mayo-based cousin, the Vegan Coleslaw has a vinegar-based dressing.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Vegan Coleslaw

It’s not too overwhelming or acidic, and I actually preferred it over the regular slaw even though I am not vegan.

First up, we decided to try the Plant-Based Skillet. This dish made its debut on the menu as an “on request” item last fall, so it’s nice to see it graduated to a regular menu item! And it definitely made us curious…

Whispering Canyon Cafe The Plant Based Skillet

That’s right, this isn’t just vegetarian, it’s completely vegan friendly! The Plant Based Skillet comes with Maple-Chipotle BBQ Jackfruit, Spicy “Sausage”, Mustard Glazed Beefless Tips, Herb Brushed Trick’n Chick’n, Oven Roasted Carrots, Sauteed Green Beans, and Charred Peppers.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Plant Based Skillet Proteins

Out of all the proteins, the Chick’n was my favorite. The moho sauce was delicious — I would gladly put that on just about any meat (or “not meat”!) The beefless tips were also seasoned nicely and the sauce was delightful. The sausage is full of flavor as well, with strong hints of coriander and garlic. Lastly, the jackfruit! This is a common vegan substitution for pulled pork, and was an especially nice addition to the skillet because it gave it the western flavors you expect at Whispering Canyon.

The team at Whispering Canyon even made sure the vegetables would be completely vegan-friendly by steaming them or roasting them in oils instead of butter. The green beans and carrots were good, if nothing special, but the peppers were amazing! Nice and charred with a little kick!

Overall, this isn’t something that I would necessarily order again or recommend to someone that isn’t vegan. Meat substitutes certainly have an acquired taste and texture. That said, if you are vegan (or vegetarian), this is an awesome option for you! It’s one of the most unique vegan offerings we’ve seen around Walt Disney World… and at a restaurant where you’d least expect it, no less.

Next up, the Land and Sea Skillet. This skillet comes with House-Smoked Salmon, Citrus Herb Chicken, Spicy Vegan Sausage, Charred Portabella Mushrooms, BBQ Cauliflower, Roasted Potatoes, Sauteed Green Beans, and Oven-Roasted Carrots.

Whispering Canyon Cafe The Land and Sea Proteins

The House-Smoked Salmon was the favorite from our table! It had a perfectly crisp skin, and a bright, fresh flavor. The Herb Chicken was also a big hit thanks to its perfectly roasted skin, as was the BBQ cauliflower for spicing up an otherwise ordinary vegetable. The sausage is the same offered on the Plant-based Skillet, and the Portabellas were perfectly cooked! If you are a mushroom fan, you are seriously going to love these buttery ‘shrooms.

The green beans, carrots, and potatoes were all delicious and perfectly cooked as well. Nothing too exciting, but they certainly taste fresh and add a nice light addition to all of the meats. Overall, the Land and Sea is a great healthier option for those who want to enjoy the rowdy atmosphere at Whispering Canyon, but want something a little lighter.

Whispering Canyon Cafe The Pig Skillet

Last up: The Pig Skillet. This skillet comes with Braised Pork Belly, Maple-Chipotle BBQ Pork Ribs, Slow-smoked Pulled Pork, Mustard BBQ “Piggy Wings,” and Western-style Sausage and is accompanied by Mashed Yukon Potatoes, Buttered Corn, and Sauteed Green Beans. The Pig is the closest to the Traditional Skillet and the kind of eats you think of when you come to Whispering Canyon Cafe.

Whispering Canyon Cafe The Pig Pulled Pork, Pork Belly, and Sausage

The Ribs were our favorite, as the sauce is terrific and the meat literally falls off the bone. The Pork Belly was some of the best I’ve had at Disney, and getting it in the skillet is a great way for less-adventurous eaters to try it. The Pulled Pork has a nice smokey flavor, and we highly recommend getting a bite of it with the deliciously buttery mashed potatoes. The “piggy wings” were actually my least favorite on the plate, as they were a little under-sauced for my taste. The sausage, green beans, and corn were all good, but again, nothing too exciting. Overall, this was the favorite skillet of the night, and we absolutely asked for more ribs.

Even though we were stuffed, we couldn’t resist trying their new desserts!

Whispering Canyon Cafe Dessert Menu

Our server let us know that once again, most desserts on the menu are new or have been updated. We decided to try the Whispering Canyon Pioneer Chocolate Cake, Granny Smith Apple Pie, and Seasonal Cobbler. 

Whispering Canyon Cafe Desserts

First up, the Chocolate Cake. They recently went to a flour-less recipe instead of a traditional chocolate cake, and it comes served a la mode.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Chocolate Cake

This was more like a lava cake, and the warm, gooey cake is a perfect bite with the vanilla ice cream. This dessert is very rich, especially after the big meal you just had, so we recommend sharing!

Whispering Canyon Cafe Chocolate Cake Bite

Next up, the Granny-Smith Apple Pie! This is also served with vanilla ice cream.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Apple Pie

The pie is topped with slivered almonds, and comes in a crisp and crumbly crust. There are big chunks of fresh Granny-smith apples, which give the pie a tart flavor. It matches perfectly with the ice cream, and even though we were stuffed, we licked this plate clean!

Last but not least, the Seasonal Cobbler which was Peach for us.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Seasonal Cobbler

Some of you may remember the seasonal cobbler being a very popular dessert at Artist Point, before it was transformed into Storybook Dining with Snow White. While we love the new character dining experience, we were sad to see this go — so we are SO happy it’s back at the Lodge!

The crust is crumbly and sweet, but not too sugary. Most of the sweetness from the tart comes from the fresh peaches. This was absolutely my favorite dessert, and possibly my favorite thing I ate all night!

Overall

Overall, Whispering Canyon Cafe’s new offerings were pleasant surprises! It’s nice that they have expanded the menu to accommodate people who would prefer a lighter or vegan meal. We never thought we’d recommend Whispering Canyon as one of the top vegan meals on property, but here we are!

All three drinks we tried were unique and fitting to the location, as were all of the desserts (especially the cobbler!!). Whispering Canyon Cafe still lands as a great dinner spot, especially with kids, thanks to the rowdy antics, and reliable comfort food. We will certainly be back… and, don’t forget that starting March 26th, some new Skillets will be joining the breakfast menu at Whispering Canyon Cafe, too!

For a full tour of all the dining options at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, check out our video below!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

What do you think of  Whispering Canyon Cafe? Will you stop by on your next vacation? Let us know in the comments!

Related posts:

Spotted: Vegan Skillet at Whispering Canyon Cafe in Disney World’s Wilderness Lodge

Don’t Forget to Order Ketchup at Whispering Canyon Cafe Breakfast in Disney World!

Review and Food Photos: Whispering Canyon Cafe Dinner at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge!

from the disney food blog https://ift.tt/2CmbtE6 via https://ift.tt/LNvO3e

[ddrkirbyisq]

Lots of things going on!

Music Stuff

Music music music.  Finished up a commission, and will need to try to quickly knock out two more (short) ones in the early part of December.  Also, ~Monthlies 2018.11~ is released!  Was really fun drawing the cute quail for that album cover.

Pottermore Stuff

I forgot to mention a long time ago that I got around to taking the Pottermore sorting quiz -- previously I had only taken the Patronus and Wand quizzes.

My Patronus ended up being a Brown Hare, not too much I can really say about that.

My wand was a bit more interesting, "Ebony wood with a Phoenix feather core 14 ½" and Unbending flexibility".  It's pretty spot on, as Ebony is for people who hold real strong to their beliefs (yep) and aren't afraid to be non-conforming because of it (yep).  Phoenix cores are rare and difficult to tame, which I don't think is particularly surprising either, makes sense that I would get something tricky and complex.  The wand is pretty long and skinny, but so am I, haha.  And do I even need to comment on "unbending flexibility"?  Of course...

I ended up sorting into Hufflepuff, yay!  I always knew it'd be Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, but didn't know which one.  I don't think I could stand either of Gryffindor OR Slytherin, so as long as I'm out of those two I think I'd do just fine.  Ravenclaw was my initial thought since I'd be with a bunch of nerdy bookworms, but in hindsight, Hufflepuff is probably the house for me.  I'm no Hermione, that's for sure, and I think I'm set apart from Ravenclaw a bit by my focus on the practical and pragmatic...I think I would get into trouble if I'm around too many intellectuals who strive for knowledge and debate just for the sake of itself (speaking from experience...).  And I would prioritize my consistency over my intelligence in a heartbeat -- I've always been more Green than Blue, after all (in regards to Magic: the Gathering).  I think Ravenclaw would be more willing and ready to change themselves in order to do things more efficiently or just adapt to changing circumstances whereas Hufflepuff is more content with things just comfortably staying the same.  I think that also speaks to my Introverted Thinking being tertiary rather than primary or secondary; I definitely have an interest in understanding the logic and systems of how things work but I'm more than willing to sacrifice that when it comes into conflict with the tried and true.

Game Stuff

Hollow Knight - My completion percentage is climbing quite more quickly than I anticipated -- I'm already at 97%!  I feel like that's a bit of a misleading number though, as there's definitely a lot more than 3 more things I have left to do.  I've just gotten the other half of the Kingsoul from the White Palace and am now ready to go through that door and get the Void Heart.  I've still got some charms to go find in random places as well, and I still have a ton of geo to collect in order to get more of the unbreakable charms, etc etc etc.  But it's still been fun so far!

Dark Souls - Not too much to report, but we've cleared out most of the rest of Sen's Fortress (minus the annoying Titanite Demons in the tar pit, but I'm thinking maybe to do those after another trip to the Undead Asylum to grab the Rusted Iron Ring).  We've started going through the very first part of Anor Londo with the huge knights, which were quite intimidating at first but are a lot easier once you figure out how to best tackle them (just tightly circle around them and stay near their butts).  At some point it might be a good idea to try and farm some more sunlight medals to get access to Great Lightning Spear, though that does require 30 Faith so I've got some time before that'll even be possible to cast (we're at 25 faith right now, guess I should start investing more into faith -- the last point was into dex).  We're still swinging around the Iaito +10, which has been serving well, though we'll see if we open up any other useful weapon choices once we meet the giant blacksmith.

Xmas Stuff

Surprise!  I thought I was done with xmas letters but I actually got another mailing address, so I just finished my =32nd= (and final?) xmas letter.  I still need to figure out a few more gifts but I've actually already handled a lot of them which is nice.  Shopping online via Amazon is definitely making things easier this year...

Coding Stuff

In addition to having LoopMuse updated and running again, I've also gone and rescued/updated RelentlessWaves!  Huzzah!

Cooking Stuff

I did it!  I made prime rib! (not actually "prime grade", but let's just say a rib roast is considered "prime rib")

I got way too much meat from the butcher (I seem to have a issue panicking in these sorts of situations!), so I split it into two and cooked it twice.  This is definitely the most money I've ever spent on meat before...made sure to enlist help making it go to good use...

Made sure to apply liberal salt and pepper and stick them uncovered in the refrigerator beforehand.  I kept on thinking I had been too heavy-handed with the salt, but that didn't end up being an issue at all.  I guess you really do want to season it super well when it's a piece of meat this big.

Here's how the first slab turned out.  I used a reverse sear, meaning low and steady oven heat to cook the roast all the way through to medium-rare, followed by a short blast in a blazing hot roasting oven to brown the exterior.

The slices looked (and tasted) great, and they're mostly medium-rare throughout.  I had it with a bit of simple store-bought horseradish cream which I enjoyed.

The second slab (which I don't have photos of) was sort of more interesting as it had been in the fridge for around 4 days before I roasted it.  I decided to trim off a bit of the exterior since I reasoned it had probably gotten TOO dried out (or possibly even gone bad) during its fridge time.  I'd like to think that was the right call given that 4 days is beginning to creep up into "I'm dry-aging this meat" territory, but I can't really say for sure.  It turned out just fine either way, though I got a bit impatient and used 180-degrees instead of 170-degrees for the low roast, so it was probably a bit less evenly cooked.  It ended up being a mistake as the roast was ready way before the correct eating time so I had to reheat it.  Not the end of the world certainly, but the first one probably ended up being better.

I'd say it was a success all around.  Having a better cut of meat would probably increase the flavor, but there's only so much I'm willing to splurge on something like this (I guess it is once a year...).  Maybe getting a higher grade / more marbled piece, but way smaller?  I also know to not worry about oversalting next time, too.  Once other thing is that I think I can shorten the high heat browning step a little bit.  I think the exterior crust ended up being browned well enough and there's a tiny bit of grey banding near the edges of the roast.  I'd rather sacrifice some of the browning to get rid of some of that grey, I think.

Anyways, hooray!  Now to stay light on red meat for a while...speaking of which, it's been forever and a day since I've just cooked a plain ribeye steak, so that may probably be the next real red meat item to try?  I haven't actually done the whole sous-vide followed by blowtorching in a hot cast iron pan thing yet, so I could definitely try that.  ....maybe after the holiday season is over, lol.

Oh, cornbread happened too:

It was pretty....fine.  Not super delicious by itself, but I mean, cornbread isn't naturally super delicious?  It was a bit overcooked because I had totally forgotten I was using the convection setting on my oven, so whoops!  Could have probably been more moist if I had not made that mistake.  The bottom side definitely got burnt:

But the middle was pretty alright, so phew.

Oh, also, pumpkin pie happened:

Lol turns out I don't have a photo of the ACTUAL pie so you just get a photo of the "leftover filling" pie, which was much scrappier.  It still tasted fine though!  There wasn't really too much to mess up here, just blend all the filling ingredients together and bake it...simple and effective, and it definitely tasted like....good pumpkin pie.  Would I make it on a regular basis?  Probably not.  The apple crumble thinger that I make is probably a bit more exciting.  But if I am making a pie, this might be the one!

Ludum Dare 43

Starts tomorrow!  Wish us the best of luck! =D  I've updated to Unity 2018, which hopefully should not cause any issues.  (also updated to the latest of LeanTween and SInput)  Unity 2018 has its own pixel perfect camera implementation (currently a preview package), which I might play around with once I get back to Rhythm Quest development as a replacement for the other pixel perfect camera scripts I use.  I don't see anything in the changelogs about fixing seamless audio in WebGL though =(  Bleh.

Life

In general is going pretty well, with the notable hiccup/bump here and there that I'd rather not get into.  But yes, in general I'm doing well!  Keeping busy with a bunch of good things, while not getting =too= stressed out.  Every so often I will have days of existential crises about the past, but that's something I feel is part of my very being, so I don't really think that's something I would even try to reconcile...

Anyways, I would say 4 out of 5 mostly* (?) right now, which honestly is what I'm happy with.  I'm not one to need a 5 out of 5 all the time...

[healthnotion]

Chugging Your Protein: It’s Whey Easier Than You Think

If you’re serious about working out and weight training, you need to be serious about your protein consumption. Protein provides the amino acids your muscles need to rebuild and get stronger after a training session. It also helps you feel satiated, which is useful when you’re trying to lose weight.

As a general guideline, active folks should aim to get .5 to .8 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day. If you’re doing really intense barbell training, shoot for .8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. 

Now it’s possible to get all the protein you need from eating whole foods like eggs, chicken, fish, meat, and even some vegetables, but it can require eating a lot of food, which means you’ll need to spend a lot of time preparing that food or paying a lot of money for someone else to prepare it for you.

A supplement in the form of whey protein can help you hit your protein goals cheaply and with almost no hassle. Just a little decision making and commitment.

Below I share how I chug my protein. Perhaps it will give you some ideas on how to chug yours.

Which Type of Protein Supplement Should You Use?

There are different types of protein powders on the market to choose from that have different benefits and costs: casein, soy protein, egg albumin, etc. Unless you have some sort of digestive intolerance or dietary restriction, you’ll get the best bang for the buck by using a supplement made from whey, which comes from milk and is a byproduct of the cheese/yogurt-making process.

Whey protein has a higher biological value (the quality of the protein based on how efficiently the body utilizes it, which correlates with having a high supply of essential amino acids) than any other protein source, including beef, eggs, beans, soy, and casein.

Whey comes in the form of both concentrate and isolate, and you want a protein supplement that is primarily composed of the latter. Whey isolate contains a higher percentage of pure protein than whey concentrate, and is processed to contain less lactose, carbohydrate, fat, and cholesterol. Isolate can also be easier on the stomach than whey concentrate.

While a bit more expensive than whey concentrate, whey isolate is still relatively cheap.

So for the most part, stick with a supplement that’s primarily made with whey protein isolate (make sure it’s listed as the first ingredient on the label).

What Brand of Whey Protein Should You Use?

So you should use a protein supplement that’s primarily whey protein isolate, but which particular brand should you get?

My recommendation is to find the “cleanest” supplement that fits your budget. The kind of protein that you grab off the shelf at Walmart is affordable, but contains fillers, additives, and artificial flavors, colors, and sweeteners. While I’m not a purist about no-artificial-anything in my diet, when it comes to whey protein, which you may be consuming several servings of every day, you don’t want to be slamming back junk.

That being said, your choice ultimately comes down to personal preference and what’s important to you. There are tons of whey protein isolate products out on the market with different tastes, textures, nutritional profiles, and price points.

Here are 3 of my recommendations in 3 different categories of preference:

Cleanest/Best Taste

In pursuit of a clean whey protein isolate, I used the Jay Robb brand for awhile, which is made without anything artificial and gets its whey from the milk of grass-fed cows. But it wasn’t my favorite: it had too much stevia-based sweetness for my taste and it’s really expensive — about $1.80 per serving.

I recently switched to the Ascent brand, and it may be my favorite whey protein supplement yet. Here’s why I like it:

Tastes great — I’ve tried the Chocolate and the Lemon Sorbet and liked both

No artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners (sweetened with monk fruit and stevia)

Isn’t very thick — with some brands you’ve got to mix the powder with 8 ounces of water to cut the thickness and the sweetness; with Ascent, you can use just 4 ounces and it’s still not sludgy or cloying

They make their own whey — most whey protein companies out there actually all source their whey from the same handful of big manufacturers, and then doctor it up with their own blend of colors/flavors; Ascent makes their protein in their own factory

They claim their whey is “the least processed protein available today because it’s filtered directly from high-quality milk” instead of being a byproduct of the cheese-making process

It’s unbleached (some companies bleach their whey protein to remove its naturally yellowish color)

Though it’s not sourced from grass-fed cows, you’ll still pay a premium for the overall cleanness of this protein powder; nonetheless, its price — $1.20 a serving (for the 4-lb size) — is decent for a top quality supplement.

Cleanest/Best Price

If Ascent is outside your budget, but you’re still wanting a clean whey protein, check out Now Sports Whey Protein Isolate. It’s pure whey isolate (no concentrate), doesn’t have artificial flavors or sweeteners (sweetened with xylitol and stevia), and clocks in at a bargain basement $.80 a serving. The taste isn’t that great, but that may be an acceptable trade off for the price/nutritional profile.

You can actually go even cheaper by getting Now Sports’ unflavored whey protein isolate: it has only 2 ingredients — whey protein isolate and sunflower lecithin — and it’s just $.70 a serving. Naturally the taste is not so hot, but some people find it tolerable, even on its own, and you can also add cinnamon or vanilla extract to it, or just mix it in a smoothie or with a flavored base.

Best Price/Best Taste

If affordability and taste are higher priorities for you than cleanness, then I recommend COR-Performance Whey Protein. You can buy big 5-lb jugs of it which last a long time and drive down the cost per serving to just $.64! COR-Performance does contain fillers, artificial flavors, and not just one but two artificial sweeteners, but as a trade-off (or really, as a natural consequence!), it’s probably the best-tasting whey protein on the market and it comes in flavors beyond your typical vanilla or chocolate. I used COR-Performance in the past and my favorites were Peanut Butter Marshmallow and Cinnamon Swirl.

Experiment with different whey proteins (remembering to make sure that whey isolate is the first ingredient listed on the label), and see which best fits your personal matrix of budget, nutrition, and taste. And, honestly, don’t neglect the latter: if you hate the taste of something, compliance in drinking it is going to be hard to achieve.

How I Drink My Whey Protein

For me, whey protein is about convenience and speed. I don’t use any fancy protein shake recipes that involve blending in bananas, kale, peanut butter, and berries. And then cleaning and re-cleaning a blender a few times a day. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

I just use water as the liquid base for my protein shakes. That’s it. No milk. The Ascent protein tastes great with just water. And I mix it in a standard mixer bottle with shaker ball; I have several of them so I don’t have to wash a lone shaker between servings and can just throw them all in the dishwasher at the end of the day.

While I don’t make fancy smoothies with my whey protein, I do make quasi-meal replacement shakes with it. I follow an “If It Fits Your Macros” plan, so I need to hit a certain amount of carbs, protein, and fat each day. My shakes serve as a supplement in hitting those macros.

I consume two of these shakes a day — between breakfast and lunch, and between lunch and dinner.

To make them, I fill a shaker bottle half way up with water and toss in two scoops of Ascent whey for my protein.

For my carbs, I’ll either add in ½ cup of brown rice flour or oatmeal flour. Or if I need to get some more fiber in my diet, I’ll do ¼ cup of brown rice flour and ¼ cup of hi-maize resistant starch (Which has 18 grams of fiber in ¼ a cup. Your colon will thank you. Or hate you.).

For my fats, I’ll just toss in a tablespoon or two of olive oil, depending on my fat goals for the day.

If I’m taking my shake post-workout, I’ll throw in a scoop of creatine.

Shake everything up and chug it.

Does it taste gross? Not really. But I have the palette of garbage-eating raccoon, so I might not be the best person to ask about the palatability of something. It gets the job done, and that’s all I care about. For me, my body is a machine, and a shake is just fuel. I’m looking for function, not a delectable delight.

If I’m ever at the end of the day, and I’ve fulfilled my carb and fat macros but am short by 25 grams or so of protein, I’ll have a shake with just water and a scoop of whey. Boom. Macros accomplished.

For When You’re Feeling Frisky: Diet Soda + Whey Protein

If you’re looking to mix up your whey protein consumption and want to try something different, but still don’t want to bust out your blender, try using a diet soda as the liquid base — a tip I learned from my Starting Strength coach, Matt Reynolds.

If you’re not into artificial sweeteners, you can make these concoctions with Zevia-brand sodas, though if you’ve tried that kind of soda, you know it’s passable, but certainly not as tasty as the “mainstream” variety.

A few good combos: 

Vanilla whey protein + diet root beer = Root beer float

Vanilla whey protein + diet orange soda = Dreamsicle

Vanilla whey protein + Diet Sprite = Sort of like a key lime pie

Chocolate whey protein + diet root beer = Hard to describe. Tastes good, though!

COR-Performance Cinnamon Swirl + Diet Coke = Haven’t tried this one, but Reynolds recommends this “recipe”

Be careful opening up the shaker top after shaking things up with diet soda. You’ll have a lot of built-up gas, and if you just abruptly remove the top, you’ll have a little mini explosion. Open slowly.

Happy chugging!

The post Chugging Your Protein: It’s Whey Easier Than You Think appeared first on The Art of Manliness.

Chugging Your Protein: It’s Whey Easier Than You Think published first on https://mensproblem.tumblr.com

[consulting-celiac-in-the-tardis]

7 Gluten Free and Vegan Ice Cream Brands That Will Blow Even Dairy-Lovers Away

New blog post!

When people learn about my celiac disease diagnosis and my gluten free and dairy free diet, they often ask, "What about ice cream?" Luckily, nowadays, there are plenty of gluten free and vegan ice cream brands to choose from! In fact, this summer is the perfect time to find the vegan ice cream of your dreams.

Since my celiac diagnosis, I've certainly tasted my fair share of dairy free ice cream. And while I might not be an expert, I've found a few vegan ice cream options that blow even dairy-lovers away! Here are 4+ gluten free and dairy free ice cream brands that every celiac, lactose intolerant or serious foodie should consider trying! 

1. Coconut Bliss Vegan Ice Cream

One of my favorite dairy free ice cream finds? Coconut Bliss, the creamiest coconut milk ice cream known to man (or girl, in this case).

I love that Coconut Bliss adopts a "healthier" mindset to their ice cream, avoiding many of the fillers commonly found in other ice creams. Case in point? Their dark chocolate flavor only has four main ingredients: organic coconut milk, organic agave syrup, organic fair trade cocoa, and organic vanilla extract. Besides being gluten and dairy free, all Coconut Bliss Bliss ice creams are also soy free and certified organic. Some of my favorite vegan coconut ice cream flavors? Dark chocolate is rich and super creamy but not overly sugary. I bought a carton of this flavor when I was visiting family a few summers ago. I only had a few days to finish off the pint, and we'll just say that I easily met that challenge. I've also enjoyed Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge and Mint Galactica...and I'm definitely drooling over Coconut Bliss's new Chocolate Chip Cookie flavor! 

But what if you don't like coconut? As long as I'm eating a strong flavor like dark chocolate, I don't taste any coconut. My mom, who has a stronger aversion to coconut, always managed to taste a hint of it, though. So if you're a major coconut hater, this probably isn't the best vegan ice cream for you. *Coconut Bliss's gluten free ice cream is made in facilities that also manufacture desserts with wheat. However, they take very thorough steps to maintain their allergy-free claim, and I have never had an issue with this ice cream.*

My rating: 9.5/10 

2. So Delicious: Coconut Vegan Ice Cream Base

If you follow me on Instagram, you know So Delicious and I have a very special relationship. I finish nearly every day with some of their coconut yogurt, so it's only natural that I'd try their ice creams too.

So Delicious's coconut vegan ice creams are certified gluten free and, in my opinion, they have a much stronger coconut flavor than Coconut Bliss. They also have more "filler" ingredients, so I typically prefer Coconut Bliss. However, some of the So Delicious ice cream flavors are so drool-worthy, you have to try them. I mean, gluten free and vegan cookie dough ice cream!?! How can you say no to that? Especially when the cookie dough is equally incorporated throughout the ice cream, with every scoop having the perfect combo of chewy cookie and creamy ice cream. 

My rating: 8.5/10 

3. So Delicious: Cashew Milk Vegan Ice Cream Base

If you're looking for the holy grail of dairy free ice cream and don't like coconut, cashew milk ice cream is your secret weapon. When So Delicious released this line last year, everyone went crazy...and as soon as I got to taste some of the flavors, I instantly understood why.

So Delicious's cashew milk ice cream is definitely some of the creamiest vegan ice cream I've ever tried. In fact, it'll give "regular" ice cream a run for its money. Also, there's no weird aftertaste that often plagues gluten free ice cream or other dairy free products. 

The chocolate flavor isn't a bad pairing either!

In fact, I got the chance to try all four of the original flavors when they were first released. My thoughts? 

Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream: 

This gluten free ice cream flavor is super creamy and - to my complete surprise - one of my favorites. I'm not usually a vanilla girl (more of a chocolate and everything but the kitchen sink), but this flavor really lets the cashew ice cream base shine. It also pairs deliciously with our favorite chocolate birthday cake (made using Pamela's mix). 

Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream: 

This dairy free ice cream flavor is equally creamy and delicious. I also like how dark the chocolate flavor is. Not too sugary but not too rich either!

Also pairs deliciously with gluten free apple pie!

Vegan Chocolate Cookies N' Cream Ice Cream:

Imagine your favorite dark chocolate ice cream - and then crumble Oreos over it. That's exactly what this flavor tastes like. Finding gluten free Oreo cookies that taste like the real thang isn't easy, but the cookie pieces in this ice cream totally bring me back! The cookie-to-ice-cream ratio is also on point. Enough cookie crumbles for a crunch in every bite, but not enough to overshadow the chocolate vegan ice cream. If you're a true chocoholic, skip the plain dark chocolate and choose So Delicious's Chocolate Cookies N' Cream instead. 

Vegan Salted Caramel Cluster Ice Cream: 

This is So Delicious's top-selling vegan ice cream flavor and I can see why. This is a super sweet ice cream and I can't handle more than a few bites. However, there's something crazy addictive about the combination of sweet vanilla and salty clusters of caramel. In fact, my dad (who loves gluten and dairy) actually prefers this gluten free ice cream flavor over any other flavor or brand.

My rating: 10/10 (overall)

4. So Delicious Gluten Free Ice Cream Bars

Okay, I know I've already covered plenty of So Delicious products. However, they offer so many gluten free ice cream options, So Delicious deserves another mention. This time, I'm drooling over talking about their vegan ice cream bar. I can't count how many times my sister and I chased after the local ice cream truck, and chocolate anything was always my favorite. Luckily for young (and old) celiacs, lactose intolerants and vegans everywhere, So Delicious has brought the ice cream bar within reach again!  

The only flavor my family has tried so far is the new Salted Caramel cashew milk ice cream bar. As expected, these disappeared quickly. The salted caramel ice cream tastes just as delicious in the bar as it does in the carton, and the chocolate shell adds a nice crunchy contrast. I also like that these ice cream bars are a little smaller than normal, making them the perfect size for one (or two if you're feeling generous).

My rating: 9/10

5. Almond Dream Vegan Ice Cream

This was the first dairy free ice cream I found and liked after my diagnosis. Although I stopped eating Almond Dream after discovering I have an almond intolerance, I enjoyed this option at the time. All the flavors of Almond Dream Ice Cream are super smooth and creamy, and there's no aftertaste from the almond base. For whatever reason, the chocolate flavor didn't taste like "traditional" chocolate ice cream, so it wasn't my favorite. Instead, I preferred the mint chocolate chip and toffee almond crunch. The mint flavor had a strong but not overwhelming or superficial hit of mint throughout, and the chocolate chips added a consistent crunch. Meanwhile, the coffee flavor was a surprise winner. It tasted similar to coffee, which I'm not usually a fan of. However, combined with the large chunks of chewy fudge and the crunch of ground almonds, the toffee flavor was addictive!

One of the first pictures on my blog...

Besides those flavors, Almond Dream Ice Cream also comes in Cappuccino Swirl, Vanilla, Strawberry, Praline Crunch and various vegan ice cream bites and sandwiches. *Almond Dream ice cream is processed in a facility with wheat, and I have read that some celiacs have issues with Rice Dream, part of the Dream line. I emailed Almond Dream for clarification, and the response (sent from overseeing company Hain Celestial) read in part: "If gluten is a major ingredient, it will be specified in the ingredient list. For consumers concerned about the presence of trace amounts of gluten, we suggest avoiding products that include natural flavors or spices. Hain Celestial Group products that make a gluten-free claim will carry the triangular Gluten-Free symbol, contain a gluten-free label, or specify Gluten Free certification by GFCO." Almond Dream's vegan ice creams have the triangular gluten free symbol but also contain natural flavors. When I ate Almond Dream years ago, I didn't experience any negative reaction; however, I'm not sure I would try this ice cream again. Hopefully, this information will help you decide if Almond Dream is the best vegan ice cream for you!*

My rating: 8/10.

6. Bonus: three dairy free ice cream brands I haven't tried but have heard great things about! 

Nada Moo:

First off, Nada Moo, which should automatically receive props for the A+ name. While I haven't tried Nada Moo yet, other bloggers swear by its creamy coconut base and variety of flavors. This vegan coconut ice cream just released its Rockiest Road and Birthday Cake Cookie Dough flavors in early 2017, and they sound too good to pass up. If I try Nada Moo anytime soon, you'll be sure to hear my thoughts!

Snow Monkey:

While Snow Monkey may not be a "vegan ice cream" by the strictest definition, I'd be remiss to not mention this vegan and paleo sorbet. Made with healthy ingredients like puréed fruits, sunflower butter, vegan protein powder and superfoods, I'd be happy to eat this dairy free ice cream for breakfast if I couldn't blend up my own gluten free smoothie bowl. Right now, it comes in two flavors: Cacao and Goji Berry.

Coconut Bliss's Vegan Ice Cream Sandwich:

Last but not least, Coconut Bliss's Vegan Ice Cream Sandwich. This frozen treat - which comes in vanilla or dark chocolate - was just revealed in January, and I almost licked my phone screen when I saw it. I mean, what's better than gluten free chocolate cookies plus super creamy vegan ice cream!?! I've yet to find this gluten free ice cream sandwich in stores, but my Coconut Bliss radar is on!

I got all the details from one of my fave bloggers...

Sure, celiac disease may limit your diet to gluten free foods. However, that doesn't mean you still can't enjoy gluten free and vegan ice cream that tastes like the real thang! In fact, whether you're looking for a nut-based ice cream, a creamy coconut dessert, a low-calorie frozen treat or an epic vegan ice cream sandwich, you can find your perfect match on this list. 

Like this post? Then spread the love by tweeting! Just click here: "Kick off #summer with these #glutenfree & #vegan #icecream brands. 100% delicious & #dairyfree! http://bit.ly/2tTOslZ via @collegeceliackc"

And if you don't absolutely love the first brand you try? I suppose you'll just have to keep taste testing on your search for the very best gluten free and vegan ice cream. Oh the hardship! 

*This post isn't sponsored; these are just my honest opinions on some of the vegan ice cream brands that I love! As always, make sure to read ingredient labels and use your own judgment on what brands meet your dietary, celiac or food allergy needs.*

What's your favorite brand of gluten free and vegan ice cream? What's your favorite ice cream flavor? 

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