#anyways lets have a potluck :3

[cowgurrrl]

Some way some how Joel and reader in lftl are able to take each other back to their homes from before. For closure and memories. They both are just two people who miss their babies. And now they get pictures and cards from their homes. Another little piece of Sarah and Jane to go back to jackson.

Hello do you have access to my wips I was literally working on this!! I wrote this more about reader going back to their last apartment because @hier--soir has an amazing fic about Joel going back to Texas and it's absolutely gorgeous <3 anyways, I hope you enjoy!! this made me CRYYYY

Never Grew Up With You

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!reader

Author's note: Jesus Christ I haven't cried at a fic like this in a LONG time I'm genuinely exhausted

Summary: "To never see her face again is what grief is." — Euripides, translated by Anne Carson, Grief Lessons: Four Plays by Euripides aka this ask [1.5k]

Warnings: talks of Jane, memories, oh it's so sad

It's eerie being back in that town. It's empty, but the remnants of Outbreak Day linger in the streets— decomposed bodies, crashed cars, craters where the bombs hit. You recognize bits and pieces. The downtown area which used light up with Christmas lights and smell like funnel cake during the winter months. The church where you lied on the application form so Jane could get into daycare. Your apartment building. You stop in front of it, Joel at your side, and look up at it. 

It looks smaller than you remember it like maybe you romanticized the shithole after so many years of living in a worse shithole. Only a few windows still have glass, and you catch faded curtains flapping in the abandoned apartments. "Mommy, look!" Jane had yelled that day so you could catch the jets flying over the building. You were standing in the same area you are now. Your heart clenches, and Joel seems to feel it at the same time.

"Are you sure bout this?" He asks, and you nod. "I'll be right here with you the whole time. We can leave whenever you want." You don't answer him. You just take a deep breath and start walking toward the stairs—bullet holes and rusty, dried blood line the path up to your third-floor apartment, but other than that everything is the same. There's even still a flyer on the bulletin board advertising an apartment-wide potluck set the week after Outbreak Day. Jane wanted to go. She said her friends were going and she wanted you to meet them. You said you'd think about it.

When you reach the top of the stairs, you find your apartment door still open and immediately regret not closing it. What if there's nothing left? What if it's been raided? What if it's all destroyed? You push yourself forward until you're over the threshold and back into the life you left behind. The body of the runner who burst into your apartment that night is still there, grey and all but dust at this point. Dirty plates sit in the sink. Jane's kindergarten homework has slid off the table and onto the floor, her scribbly handwriting boring holes into you. You pick it up despite it having boot marks and ripped edges and stare down at how she wrote her name. Joel doesn't say anything, but he squeezes your shoulder and lets you know he's there.

Together, you silently move through the rooms and salvage whatever you find. In your room, you find ratty old clothes from 2003, medical textbooks, and a file full of important documents shoved under your bed. Among the papers are your tax forms, a copy of your college diploma, and Jane's birth certificate— the only physical proof that she was ever here. Jane Eloise born April 7th, 1998, to you and no one else. Somehow, the glaring absence of Matt's name on her birth certificate still makes your stomach turn. You find a few more keepsakes before moving to the living room.

Whatever might've been there has been taken or destroyed by whoever's been in the building in the last twenty years. The blankets and pillows that once lived on your couch are gone. Your TV has been smashed in. The shoes Jane always left in the middle of the floor have disappeared, probably taken by some other parent who was desperate and was too scared to think of the child who left them. You're about to walk down the hallway to the bathroom and Jane's room when something crunches under your foot. You look down, and all the air gets punched out of your chest. As gently as possible, you bend down to pick up the shattered picture frame and stare at it. 

It was a picture taken by a friend at the county fair. Jane is on your right with a half-eaten blue cotton candy in her hand and a water bottle tucked under her arm. Her hair is in a braid, and there's a big blue stain on her Princess Ariel shirt, but she looks happy. You're both smiling big, the reflection of the colorful carnival lights shining in your identical eyes. Everyone always said she looked like Matt, but you can clearly see your features reflected back to you in this picture. God, how could you have forgotten about the way her eyes crinkled when she was happy? Or how she leaned into you in public? Or how young you both were?

"What's that?" Joel asks as he walks over to you, and you meet him halfway to show him the picture, unwilling to hand it over just yet. It takes him a minute to realize what he's looking at, but when he does, he looks up to catch you staring at the picture. "'S that Jane?"

"Mhm,"

"She's beautiful," he says, and you smile. "Is that cotton candy?"

"Yeah, it was her favorite. Practically begged me to buy it for her. I'm pretty sure I overdrafted my bank account just to get it."

"How old are you in this photo?" He asks, and you furrow your brows as you think. 

"Uh, Jane looks about three or four, so I was, at least, nineteen."

"You look happy."

"And tired," you say. Both things are true, but you can't ignore the bags under your eyes or your horribly fitting clothes. You were struggling. You were alone. You were so incredibly ill-equipped and felt the weight of the world on your shoulders. And Jane... Jane is none the wiser. She's smiling. She's fed. She's loved. She's happy. Maybe you were doing a better job than you thought you were. "You know she wanted to go on the Ferris wheel?" You ask, and Joel raises his eyebrows.

"That little?" He asks, and you laugh, nodding.

"I said the same thing, but she was so determined. So, my friend got us tickets to go on it, and we went, just the two of us. But when we started going around, she started getting really scared about the height and how fast it was going. She buried her head in my arm almost the whole time, and I was stressed that she was miserable and we had wasted my friend's money, and I was so fucking tired," you say. "But when we stopped at the top, I told her to look at the sky, and she did. I pointed at the different stars and talked to her about the moon, and she calmed down. I don't know if I distracted her or if she realized how big the sky was in comparison, but when we got down, all she could talk about was how close she got to the moon. After that, we'd go out every night and look at the stars. Even snuck out of our QZ shelter after the Outbreak."

"D'you get caught?" 

"Once. I knew a FEDRA guy, and he let it go. We never got caught again." You haven't thought about Owen in years. You don't know if he's dead or alive. You don't even know if he remembers you. You're not sure if you want to know. 

You grab a few more things from her room: a teddy bear, a few shirts, and a picture of you and her on the day she was born. Being in her space again makes your head swim, and you want to stay here forever and leave as soon as possible, all at the same time. Eventually, after combing through every nook and cranny you still know, you do leave. You say a proper goodbye to the first home you shared with Jane and the memories you made there. You're silently grateful to the apartment for holding so many treasures you would've otherwise never gotten back. 

You don't know why, but you trace your steps back through one of your old routes. Joel is silent beside you and lets you lead, knowing you would never do anything to endanger him. You recount stories as you pass certain buildings or paths; he listens and asks questions about her and your shared life. Before you know it, you're on the same hill overlooking the QZ. The one where you hid with her when the Outbreak first happened. The one you sat down on and sobbed after Adam died because you had to pull yourself together before reentering. The one you buried her on. 

The tree holding her has gotten bigger, its limbs stretching to the sky and the leaves a brilliant green. Seeing it thrive makes you smile just a little before you pivot and start walking to where you know she is. The sight of a fresh bouquet on her spot stops you in your tracks and makes your breath catch. All these years, you worried she would go unremembered under that big oak tree. You worried she was alone and scared. You worried and worried and worried because that's what any good parent does. The yellow flowers protecting her prove your worries wrong. You take a deep breath and grab Joel's hand before walking over to her. 

"Hey bug," you start, fighting your tears, "This is Joel. He’s Sarah’s dad and he’s my… he’s my best friend." You squeeze Joel’s hand and take a shaky breath. "He takes care of me and I take care of him. So, you don’t have to worry about Mommy being lonely, okay? I’m gonna be just fine. You don’t have to be scared for me. I've got my people here just like you've got your people there. So, you just rest and I'll be okay." Now, you're really crying and there's no stopping it.

"I love you. I hope leaving didn't make you think otherwise, but I came back. I'll always come back because you're my baby. You'll always be my baby."

TAGLIST: @abbyhaslongshorts @kiwiharrykiwi @sumsworldz @myloveistoolittle @anavatazes @marantha

[chubsonthemoon]

Binderary week 3!!! These are three wonderful fics by dear friend @aboxthecolourofheartache! Box's writing is so so lovely--she can articulate the big, sweeping things in the everyday and ordinary, as well as accurately portray that wild mix of humor and grief you feel in the aftermath of tragedy. Literally some of my favorite writing ever!

Some process and design chatter, under the cut <3

From top to bottom!:

I'm caught inside every open eye: This is THE fic that made me officially adopt Daniel and fully accept him into my heart! Desire's POV is SUCH a delight--I've never wanted to both laugh and cry so hard in just under 2k words. Green and red/gold irises on the title page as color coding for the two disaster siblings! And the scrapbook paper cover was from a fun paper pack that was all neon and disco-y, which I thought was fitting :3 Also really fond of the title page font, which is called Retrolight! It gave me such groovy vibes~

The Politeness of Princes: WHERE DO I BEGIN with this fic??? I read it before I read the comics, got my heart broken, then re-read it after I had finished the comics and got my heart broken all over again in a fun new way T_T This fic also has one of my favorite tags ever, which is "in which gluten free peach cobbler is a metaphor for vital personal relationships"--and lemme tell you that gluten free peach cobbler IS a metaphor for vital personal relationships (reader, I cried so hard). Anyway, all of this to say: peaches! :3

The last scene also takes place at a potluck/cookout during the summer, so I wanted to give the cover a picnic vibe. I layered two pieces of scrapbook paper--one with the wooden table pattern, and one with the picnic tablecloth pattern over that. I also left a little strip unglued (see below) on the picnic pattern to give it some more TextureTM and as a kind of "edge" of the table (yanno that little flappy bit that always tickles your thighs when you sit at a picnic table? That vibe!)

Then for some fun touches I printed the leaves on vellum (my original intent was to make the leaves transparent for a dappled sunlight kinda feel, which...kinda worked? It's hard to see in the photos but you can kinda see through to the wood layer baha), then I went to town with my watercolors to make the grease/coffee stains on the tablecloth and the shadows under the leaves. (Actually might have gone a little too much to town LOL it kinda looks like I actually got grease on it XD). And then for the finishing touches, I added a layer of glossy paper mod podge to the tablecloth (which is acid-free and archival hell yeah!) to really give it that shiny vinyl/polyester feel and look (although it's kinda hard to see in the photos ajslkfdsj).

Uncertain Results: AHHHH this fic!!!! An absolutely bangin' convo between Hob and Dream with so much said and so much more unsaid--Box's take on their relationship is so fresh and hits all of my buttons. It takes place on the shore of the Dreaming under the stars, hence the cover! The title page graphic is one part of a larger graphic that shows the progression of a star winking in and out of existence, frame by frame:

Which, uh. Well let's just say it reminded me of an Event that happens at the end of the Sandman, an event which is heavily alluded to in the fic T_T This fic, unsurprisingly, also broke my heart! I love it so much.

And that's all from me for today! Thank you SO much, Box friend, for letting me bind your work! It was such a pleasure, and I'm so happy I get to put your writing on my shelf now to read whenever I want ehe :3 (and here's to hoping these books are at least somewhat passable, archival-wise ^^")

<333!!!

[pathetic-gamer]

Mr. Gamer, how do you host cocktail parties? Or parties in general?

Once I have a bigger place (and friends ._.) I really want to have parties and host activities and just DO things but I'm also a chronic overthinker and do better with some sort of script, you know? So what makes a good host and a good party?

beloved i am so humbled that you asked 🙏

I'm multiple years out of practice, so I do want to first direct you to the many guides by actual, real professionals that will give you really useful tips and tricks for pulling off the event. You should check those out for the heavy hitting advice.

In my own experience, I think one of the most important things is making your guests feel like you had them in mind from the beginning. This will show naturally through the care and attention with which you prepared, how you feed them, how you introduce them to each other - there's a great post about how to get people talking to each other and make them feel welcome that i absolutely recommend reading.

But anyway, let's talk hosting cocktail parties! This is a (not-so-quick) run-through of general expectations for both you and your guests, and well as little things to keep in mind.

The Basics

Cocktail parties are for 10-20 people with a guest list made up of a mix of your close friends and the acquaintances that you wish were your close friends. It's less intimate than a dinner party, but more conversation-friendly than a house party. They're also a great choice if you want to feel fancy~

I will say, as far as hosting and attending different types of parties goes, cocktail parties are my favorite, but theyre not exactly the easiest. They share the Come Up With A Whole Ass Menu type of stress that dinner parties do, but with more people and no structured schedule. Also, cocktail parties are on the expensive side (reckon it's the liquor for going in them cocktails what does it...).

At a cocktail party, the host will have less time to socialize, because they will be busy keeping track of food and drinks. In a surprise to no one who knows me irl, I'm not actually all that social, so this is honestly preferable to me. The reason I like hosting cocktail parties is that they allow me to give the people I invited an environment to spend time with each other and feel special.

If you want something similarly calm but with less stress and more freedom for you, the host, to socialize, you could always go for a fancy-ified potluck type of thing! That's always going to be more casual, but it can still be nice :) If you choose to do that, just clean your house, give some guidance on what kinds of food to bring, and make sure you have enough chairs. People will have a lovely time.

Picking a Date and Time

Set a 3 hour window for the event. Guests will come and go as they please, but you can expect most people to stay for between 1 and 2 hours. Traditionally, cocktail hour (note that thats "hour," singular) was before dinner, but after-dinner cocktail parties are common nowadays. Make sure it doesnt completely cover the range of 5pm to 7pm - some overlap is to be expected, but there needs to be at least some amount of time for your guests to have dinner, since you wont be serving a full meal.

That being said, you also don't want it to go too late into the evening both because it gets tiring and because you don't want people getting shitfaced, and a late party implies more drinking. (Yes, I'm aware that cocktails are the point, but there's a difference between "come over and drink with us until 11pm on Friday" and "come over on Saturday for exactly two drinks and be out of my house by 9." youre just gonna have to trust me on this.) There are other ways to discourage getting drunk - more on this later.

Send invitations at least three weeks in advance, and request RSVPs. Follow up with people who haven't responded by one week out from the party date. Be straightforward- you're not being pushy, you have to know how many people to prepare for! People are going to understand that. A basic follow-up script is something like "Hey, [Name]! Will you [and Plus One if relevant] be able to make it on Saturday? I'm trying to figure out how much food to make."

My ideal cocktail party is on a Saturday evening from 6:30 to 9. If I'm the one hosting, a Saturday gives me more time to prepare than a Friday would, and as either host OR guest, I appreciate having Sunday to recover.

Themes

Not required. Sometimes fun, sometimes unexpectedly restrictive. It can be helpful for guests to know the vibes ahead of time, like what to wear or bring to share, but it can also put unnecessary pressure on the host to come up with some clever way to tie it in with the food and drinks.

If your party is celebrating a specific holiday, however, then you have a default theme already and you should acknowledge that. If, for example, I were hosting a cocktail party on August 1st to celebrate All Southern Hemisphere Horses' Birthdays, I'd want to make sure I'm observing the occasion with nods to things horses in the southern hemisphere are known to like - the obvious examples are Julio Cortázar or liberation theology as understood by Leonardo Boff, but there's no need to be reductive.

Menu and Drinks

Guests will probably know not to expect dinner, but you still need to feed them. Ask about dietary preferences and allergies when you request the RSVPs. Even if no one says they have an allergy, avoid serving peanuts and shellfish. This isn't a hard and fast rule, I just like the extra insurance (and also happen to have a shrimp allergy).

Don't have too complicated of a menu, and only serve one or two things you actually have to cook - everything else should be stuff that's either pre-made or easily assembled. This for your own sanity.

Pick things that are small and easy to eat while standing or walking. If you're setting out a cheese platter, make sure you have multiple knives and enough bread and crackers. Pre-slice any cured meats and any cheeses harder than a medium cheddar, but you can leave soft things untouched.

Believe it or not, cocktails are the centerpiece of a cocktail party. Having one or two drinks pre-mixed will make things very easy. Classic and simple examples are the martini, manhattan, and negroni, but it's also cool to have a signature cocktail that's a little more fun and showy, if you have the tools and skill to make it. If you want to serve something made with tonic/soda water, obviously don't mix that part in ahead so it doesnt lose its fizz. Consider having some wine on hand, too, but dont worry too much about pairings. Also, it goes without saying, but have a nonalcoholic mocktail available, too. There are lots of recipes online. I've had some really good ones that make use of green tea, which is clever - it gives it the botanical vibe of like a really good gin.

If you're doing this in the evening and want to get even fancier, consider cutting off the cocktails towards the end of the night and breaking out some digestifs. (This is traditionally more of a dinner party thing, but unless youre hanging w the upper crust of the upper crust, no one will care about the breach in sacred social protocol.) The best vibes for fall/winter/late summer are going to come from distilled or fortified wines like cognac and sherry, bitter liqueurs, or some kind of fernet. For summer, limoncello is really fucking good and very refreshing. Extra bonus: you can make limoncello yourself :)

Keep in mind that while it's your responsibility as the host to make sure people are feeling safe socially, it's also your responsibility to keep them physically safe. Keep an eye on how much people are drinking. Be willing to cut people off or help call rides. Make sure people have designated drivers, and don't let the designated drivers have more than like one drink.

Vibes!!!!

Music should be loud enough that people with approximately average hearing won't be straining to hear it, but not so loud that it can overpower low voices. Personally, I always prefer when the music is something that doesn't have lyrics bc lyrics can make it harder to concentrate on a conversation, but that's a personal preference. The exception is Ireland's very own beloved 90s band The Cranberries. I don't know why, it just is.

Table and floor lamps are great for lighting - it keeps things more grounded and personal and isn't too dim. If you want to use candles, be careful with scents. Similarly, if you typically use oil diffusers or air fresheners in your house, consider moving them to a side room or turning them off during the party.

Also, consider the season (beyond just putting up twinkle lights and serving gingerbread in winter). In the fall or winter, a party starting after 6:30 but ending around 9 is going to feel really cozy and intimate and will probably last the whole time. If anything, things will pick up a little later. Putting out some kind of card game for low-energy communal entertainment will be appreciated in the last hour. In the spring and summer, on the other hand, a party at the same time will feel more casual, and people may start to leave once it's getting dark. (There are cases where this doesn't apply, such as if it's June in Finland.)

Details like how you arrange furniture in the space will make a difference, even if people don't notice it outright. Having a gathering of close friends? Just make sure there are enough seats for everyone in the same communal area, and you're set! If, on the other hand, you're bringing together people who don't know each other very well, setting up your space to encourage congregating in a few smaller areas instead of one large one might make it easier for people to have conversations comfortably - it's easier to get to know one or two people than 10 people at once.

Never invite more people than can safely fit into the place where the party is happening, but don't expect everyone you invite to be able to come. Have enough seats for people, but be aware that cocktail parties are for mingling, so it's important that there's room to move around freely.

How to Discourage Drinking Too Much

There are a handful of things you can do to gently suggest your guests keep their shit together:

Pre-mixed cocktails will control how strong the drinks are. Make sure water is easily available such as by placing multiple pitchers in the main room so people don't have to go out of their way to find it. Put the snacks front and center and start serving the food before the cocktails (food of any kind helps your body process alcohol more quickly). Don't schedule it to go too late into the evening. Cut off the liquor a little while before the party is scheduled to end - you can offer low alcohol content wine or beer as an alternative as it gets later. Don't have the party close to a big partying holiday like Halloween, NYE, or, if you're usamerican, the 4th of July.

Something to note: Digestifs are really high in alcohol content, so they'll seem counter-intuitive if you're trying to reduce consumption later in the evening. Keep in mind that they're often served in a very small amounts (the correct serving of Underberg, a popular kräutorlikör, is only 20ml, which is less than an ounce), but if you want to be extra cautious, you could try a low-ABV amaro, like amaro montenegro.

Other Random Stuff

You can use paper plates. No one will judge you.

You don't have to serve the cocktails in their most traditional glasses. Again, no one but the unethically wealthy will judge you.

Martini glasses are really easy to spill out of - watch out if you have carpet.

Clean your house really well beforehand. Yes, it's partly to make a good impression, but also it's WAY easier to clean up after the party if the space was already clean.

If you have cats or dogs, do your best to clear out any fur while you're cleaning, for the sake of removing allergens. You can always use a vacuum, but also if you put on a rubber glove and just swipe your hand firmly across the upholstery, it'll be surprisingly effective.

In preparing for the party, your guests will almost definitely look up tips on what they're supposed to bring to a cocktail party, and every website will tell them to bring bread or wine. They'll either bring one of those things, or they'll decide to be ~original~ and bring a cheese platter. They also may ask you directly what you'd like them to bring, so consider having some ideas of things that would add to your spread but wouldn't have a marked absence if you didn't have them - seasonal fruit, extra crackers, idk.

You're going to run out of ice.

[cowboybrunch]

I have been combing through your archive for any botrd content, so I beg you: Please, please please gimme a infodump on botrd🥺🥺

Your favourite snippets, anything you deleted but still liked, fun facts, anything really 🙏🙏 I will be grateful for any crumbs you provide

leah hi!!! waking up to ur notifications made me happy dance <3 <3 :-)

*rubs hands together* oh you have NO IDEA what you just unlocked

let's start with some fun facts:

when I first started writing BOTRD, it was entirely in Rosalie's pov and it was intended to be a straightforward romance (i refer to this as draft zero). i got about 80% of the way in and then realized 1) it's not really romantic at all and girlie needs to get out of this situation and 2) there was another story hidden in Theodore's pov that i wanted to explore

the first completed draft is sitting at 95,267 words and is organized into acts and scenes, not chapters. here are the names of the first scenes from each act (only used for outlining purposes):

act 1: "sunrise" act 2A: "old flame" act 2B: "ten seconds" act 3: "mouse thunder storm"

after finishing the first draft, i jumped straight into writing the prequel, Judas Wept. and im so glad i did! it really influenced how i'm approaching future drafts (and it gave us Elias! i love Elias!)

my favorite character to write dialogue for is Emily. my favorite character to write period is Marcella

some rapid fire lore!

at the beginning of botrd, Theodore has consumed 2 souls: the soul of the person that killed him, and Andrew's. at the end, he's got around 6,000 (most from Mortae voluntarily sacrificing themselves to make him OP)

Marcella only targets men due to her past trauma and a desire to protect young women. she thinks it's funny when they beg. she has no qualms with murder or lawlessness. if she had Theodore's abilities, we wouldn't have a story. she would've dealt with this mess a century ago

Rosalie is very subdued and passive in act 1. she thinks more than she speaks or acts in her first few POV chapters. stuck with one foot in the past kinda thing. once she starts processing her grief, she becomes more of an active participant (which is not necessarily a good thing! but! she's healing!)

Azmaveth has a whole secret backstory (Uriel, too! i dont know if we ever unlock that one on page) but basically: he lost a child, so now he's ultra protective of his wards (Theodore and Marcella) BUT he has to balance that with his loyalty towards Morrigan so she doesn't come by and just slaughter all of them

i affectionately refer to Rosalie's friends as "the humans" and they're a bunch of goobs. Mike is a golden retriever. James is a chihuahua. Henry is a dachshund. Emily isn't a dog, she's a mountain lion

and now, a favorite snippet:

(context: Theodore is at dinner with Rosalie's friends. they're having a potluck!)

I start silently amending my statements without her having to ask. I lived in California for a few years and recently moved back. Truth. I work at my foster father’s restaurant. Lie. I don’t follow any sports, but baseball is my favorite. Truth. She coughs to hide her chuckle, but I don’t think anyone is fooled. Baseball? It’s the great American pastime, is it not? Aren’t you French? Her eyes dance with laughter. I’ll give her all of my secrets if she just keeps looking at me like that.

something i deleted!

"little life" (Rosalie POV):

I work. I eat. I sleep. I go to family dinners once a week and participate in conversations and drinking games and try my best to quell the worry in their eyes. It’s easy, or it should be. I don’t tell them about Theodore, and they don’t ask. Not directly anyway, but I see the questions in Emily’s eyes when she catches me twisting my wrist in the lamplight, studying smaller scars that linger above the others, the promise I’d made, the debt owed. I try not to think about it and succeed, mostly.

and i'll wrap up with a picrew dump!

Rosalie / Emily / Andrew

Theodore / Marcella / Azmaveth

Gemma / Elias

this story has been my brain worm for two years and will probably pester me for two thousand more so thank you so much for asking about it!! <3

[flamingbluepanda]

Alicia 🖤 how are you today my love? Any fun plans for the weekend?

Time for Gallavich wedding headcanons: 1. Besides edible boxers from Carl and the honeymoon Car from Liam, what wedding gifts do they get? 2. What flavor was their wedding cake? 3. How the fuck do they have 120 guests at the wedding? Who are they inviting? (only to claim they have no friends a season later?) 4. Why did Ian say Mickey and not Mikhailo? 5. What's one thing in the wedding that way important to Ian? (Chiavari chairs level important)

Heya, my grandma turns 85 next week! We're having her party tonight, And tomorrow I'm going to a potluck

1. Money. People probably just kinda threw money at them. What do you get for two dudes who don't have a house and decided they were getting married like a month ago?? I do think Mickey stole got Ian a new watch, and Ian probably got Mickey a new gun or a new pair of timberlands or something

2. Chocolate, these boys have a sweet tooth

3. I think some of them were ex parolees, some were gay Jesus groupies. I think all the firefighters and EMTs except Caleb came because they all liked Ian lots and think what their bro did to him was really shitty!!! Ian's himbo firefighter friends may only exist in my brain but they're important. Anyway, Tony the cop came, probably also invited that police officer who was married to Carlos. Kermit came and dragged tommy with him, plus a few other alibi regulars. Some of Mickey's cousins who still like him, some extended Gallagher family members. I think that in season eleven they wanted gay friends, which still doesn't make sense because with 120 people SOME of them were probably gay, but hey, whatever shameless, you do you

4. Oh this is a good one. I think it is, genuinely, because he's always gonna be Mickey to Ian. Mikhailo is his past, it's what he was known as in prison, it's what his mom named him, it's what all his ukraninan extended family insist on calling him. To Ian, he's Mickey, his Mickey who's been there through the worst and came out for him. He's Mickey, and he wakes up with Ian every morning and gives him morning breath kisses and let's Ian put his freezing cold toes beneath his thighs. He's Mickey and he will defend Ian from his family, but also defend his family at the drop of a hat.hes Mickey, and he's Ian's, forever. I definetly think he used mikhailo later tho

5. Hm... I think for Ian it was important to have someone from a church marry them. Ian has a complicated relationship with religion, and so does Mickey, but Ian really didn't want one of their friends to just get ordained and do the wedding, he wanted a minister. Other than that, probably the food. The Gallaghers believe food is love and a good family meal is vital to a good life. They had family dinner when nothing else was going right for them, Ian makes sure the food at his wedding is good and tasty and there's enough for everyone.

[angelbluediary]

I’ve been contemplating morality and what it means to be a “good person.” We have all these little made up rules that guide us towards who we’re supposed to be, and I’ve been living with a point value system above my head for a long time.

Let that car get in front of you here—

(is stuck behind a slow driver down the stretch of road)

Watch that crazy maniac swerve in and out of lanes surely they’ll be pulled over—

(I never see the police car, only a selfish driver getting way ahead like they wanted)

Turn the other cheek, pick your battles, respond gracefully—

(Screwed out of my own fucking money, left with the trauma someone else gave me while they wipe their hands clean, again and again and again, thinking of all the things I could have should have said why did they always get away so easily softly tenderly while I bear the weight of their ugliness).

Mostly, I feel it exemplified at home.

Something small that has become one of my greatest daily frustrations—besides the perpetually dirty bathroom—is the matter of food, and sharing that food.

Potluck tonight, which is family code for “serve yourself from the pantry.” The youngest sibling had ALREADY EATEN dinner. I prepared us all a pizza anyway. And do you know who had the fewest slices out of anyone?

Just like who was left with the fewest cookies after buying and baking them to share.

Simply because I don’t TAKE WHAT I WANT FROM THE START.

I assume everyone else is on this honor system, this common sense decency that’s been ingrained into me so. fucking. hard.

I feel absurdly guilty for taking 3 slices when it leaves 3 for someone and 2 for someone else (silly me for assuming the one who had already eaten would take only 2 and there’d be a leftover slice that would then be “okay” to eat).

I’m going to just start shouldering my way into the things I want. I’ve got to learn to start taking up space. I’m not earning any points trying to accommodate everyone else, I’m just becoming angrier and more resentful by the day. All this trying to be a good person is turning me so ugly on the inside.

[saltcherry]

urgh

which is that my partner signed us up for this PTA-adjacent "parents' dinners" which we were under the impression were a few times a year, potluck-esque things designed to let parents at the school be social/make friends or whatever... sure, sounds fine.

we were notified 1 week ago that the dinner would be happening This Saturday Evening, Sorry For The Late Notice, Also This Is The Only One We Are Doing and then the organizer emailed my partner like "I know you said you would prefer to attend rather than host but we might need you to host. sorry about that!"

well I had 5 fucking months ago spent $$ on concert tickets, an event I have not experienced since 2018, and also arranged an equal amount of $$ for babysitting that night to what I spent on the tickets. This is my like, one Nice Thing for the year.

So my spouse wrote back, "we definitely cannot host a dinner since we have a previously planned event that evening. we can come to the first part, or we can host about 10 people in our yard for 'appetizers' if that would be helpful." Even though this would be hugely stressful wrt turn-around time between "hosting appetizers" and "leaving the house on time" and stressed me out greatly.

Anyway we got an email LATE LAST NIGHT requesting that we bring appetizers for 30 fucking people to one of the dinners. Dude. Appetizers for 30 people is not something I can afford to buy, nor was it something that we said we were capable of doing!!!! The amount it would cost to buy cheese and crackers for 30 people is more than the entire cost we spent on food for our fucking wedding. Which had 3 people at it, and was also in our yard. Which is the yard of a run down rental halfplex that is too small for us, which we estimated we could cram 10 people into if needed. Also we received this information again, LATE LAST NIGHT, and unlike in previous years where someone apparently organized shared childcare way ahead of time, this year that has not happened. So if we are even to attend this, we need to get last-minute ADDITIONAL 2 HOURS of childcare.... fucking laughable.

Worst organized thing ever + assumptions that I constantly run into in this community, which is that everyone has a ton of money and also organizes their entire life around like one (1) thing and can surely do lots of hard work and spend a bunch of money at the drop of a hat and never have any conflicts with anything else in their life + I hate living by so many rich people + I hate last minute plans more than almost anything + I hate being rushed and unable to feel relaxed about a thing I've been looking forward to for 5 months. :(

[secondbeatsongs]

🌻

I didn't mean for these sunflower asks to all turn into cooking tips, but this is how it's going.

anyway, let me show you how to make

Easy-Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs

1. boil some water, enough to cover however many eggs you have

2. while the water is heating up, take a safety pin and poke a single hole in the fat end of each egg.

(this step is vital! make sure to poke all the way through the shell, but not much deeper if you can help it)

3. use a slotted spoon to lower the eggs into the boiling water

4. boil eggs for 11 minutes - maybe 8 if you want softer yolks. eggs come in all shapes and sizes, so experiment to see what time works best for you!

5. remove eggs with the slotted spoon, and put them in a bowl of cold water until they're cool enough to peel.

"but SBS," I hear you ask, "why did we have to poke holes in the eggs?"

well, my dearest of cooking companions - just wait until you peel them.

just wait until you crack into that egg and watch it slide out like magic, no stuck membrane or anything.

mmmm, one of the best feelings in the world. it's like magic, and it even works with farm-fresh eggs! (which, in case you aren't aware, are usually near-fucking-impossible to peel!)

anyway, go my friends! enjoy your hard-boiled egg knowledge! become the person that always brings perfect deviled eggs to the neighborhood potluck.

Troubleshooting:

q: the eggs are still hard to peel!

a: you might not be poking the hole deep enough - it's hard to get through those shells sometimes! just keep trying, and make sure you feel the pin go all the way through.

q: when I boil the eggs, little strings of egg escape from the shell!

a: yeah, that happens. if it bugs you, you can try making the hole shallower so it goes just barely through the shell, but tbh, it doesn't really matter. the eggs still taste great, and a little egg loss is worth some ~peeling magic~ imo.

[rrasado]

any headcanons on the demon brothers with a child MC?? maybe there was a mix up on the age in their file or something so they were expecting a grown exchange student and were met with a kid?? could also be a teen but that's up to you!!

• Youthful Student •

Hope you don't mind the mixed format T T, I think the accumulated headcanons fit a potluck type of serving rather than individual segments? Most of these are a shared effort between 3 or more brothers to so it'd be easier to just throw them in one lump jkfb. That and I've done a similar request last year! Think of this as an extension.

When you're younger than intended:

Whatever swindling thought Mammon had, it’s out the window. At first he refused to be the first assigned babysitter to the “exchange student” but, the thought of someone as young as being passed to his admittedly harsh brothers convinced him at the last minute.

He definitely considered taking you out to play with that little girl he’s been secretly taking care of, you two would get along swimmingly! That’s what he thought anyway.

Levi was even more reluctant to take you in as the new resident- world jumping stories usually had someone at least 16 but you weren’t even half that fan assigned age minimum??? Why can’t Diavolo send you back?- Then you called him Onii-san.

Every morning whenever Lucifer needs Levi to attend face to face classes you were the key to get him out his room. A simple "c'mon Levi-nii" already has the Avatar of Envy grabbing his digital notepad and headphones out the door.

That makes two demons on your big brother team. The third person to become your accidental sibling was Beel of all people. An accident at first but holding you felt like holding a big sentient marshmallow.

The fourth born clowned himself, telling to his reflection in yhe mirror over and over again how he's only getting close to you to study human children and how they differ in maturity compared to the grown humans he'd have to encounter.

In the end he got over the denial and proudly took you with him to cat cafes (after making sure you weren't allergic to the critters, of course.)

Asmodeus of course felt pouty with your bonding with the rest of the brothers, especially after seeing a post from Satan where it captioned something about bonding under a picture of you within a pile of cats.

Asmo wasn't easily allowed by the other brothers to come near you but they did eventually cave in after he hauled in bags upon bags of clothing for your petite frame. Styling you in the best way he could and with hid skill- you could be mistaken as a kid's fashion model in the human realm.

Asmo would occasionally fuss over Beel offering you so much food even lecturing him about your diet- which can potentially ruin both your clothes and your appetite.

At this point in time Beel decided to seek help from Satan regarding what food a human child such as yourself can consume. It took him a solid month seeing as he kept getting distracted over the idea of good itself rather than the actual studying part.

Belphegor did take advantage of your childish help, and I'd like to think that he didn't want to off you the last minute in lesson 16 but accidents happened and you were desperately clutching on what you understood in the plane of the living.

After such horrendous events he tried everything to make it up to you, a child who knew no better than him when he first opened his eyes amidst the soft environment of the Celestial realm.

Pillows? Stuffed animals? He beat all his brothers in spoiling you in this department. Anything to make you feel a bit safer around him even if it does take a mountain of plushies...

Do you think he isn't listening while you tell him the names of your plushie kingdom? Oh he has them memorized even with his eyes closed. He knew he somehow scraped himself out your hate list after he heard you naming one of your cow plushies as Belphemoo

Albeit childish his resentment of humans in general became a distaste for Diavolo- why would he let a young child like yourself stay here in literal hell? Such thoughts come to a stop whenever you tug him back for nap time.

Lucifer rarely indulges in taking care of you due to workload but, once or twice a month he attends your "tea parties" specially sponsored by Barbatos' support. During these personal get togethers, he's able to hear how you perceive your experience without biased outside forces.

Your presence did impact the devildom in the long run, teaching the highest authorities of hell that maybe they should focus on the next generation if they're intending to keep this place prosperous. But for now you'll settle with your many brothers and the memories no matter how fleeting— treasured in your youthful mind.

[nagipops]

hi! i just saw your shikamaru x smart reader piece and it's so clever and sweet and cute!! can I request kakashi or shikamaru trying (poorly) to cook for a gn!reader?

IS IT COOKED?

FEATURING: shikamaru nara!

SUMMARY: in which you and your lazy, culinary-challenged boyfriend attempt to cook up an edible meal.

WARNINGS: food, profanity

A/N: thank you so much, ari :D lowkey feel like kakashi would be a god in the kitchen, so have shikamaru <3

“What a drag...” Shikamaru sighed, draping over your shoulders as you dragged his limp body into the kitchen.

“C’mon, Shika, I’m feeling lazy today.” You turned so that your chest was facing him instead of your back, so his arms slipped around your waist instead. “Plus, I wanna taste your cooking! I’m sure you’ll be great at it.”

He whined with his face buried in your chest. “Finee... but only ‘cause I like you so much.”

You giggled, ruffling his dark hair and wrapping your arms around him. “Like me? What are we, grade schoolers?”

“Like like you.” He pulled himself upright and planted a hand on your head as he entered the kitchen, pulling you in with him. “Okay boss, show me how it’s done.”

Grabbing ingredients out of the fridge and placing them on the countertop, you folded your arms in front of your chest. “Nope. You’re doing this on your own, Shika.”

His jaw crashed to the floor. “On my own?”

You nodded in satisfaction. “Yup. I told you, I’m feeling lazy today. C’mon, show me what you got.”

Shikamaru’s jaw was still on the ground as he gaped incredulously at you for a whole minute before he picked it up off the floor and stared dumbfounded at the heap of veggies and meats in front of him. “What am I… wha…”

Snickering at the fact that you finally caught your smart aleck boyfriend at a loss, you hopped up onto the opposite countertop, swinging your legs back and forth in amusement.

Your boyfriend gave you an exasperated look, slumping his shoulders. “(Y/N)…”

You flashed him a cheeky grin. “I believe in you! Whatever you make, I’m sure it’ll be delicious. I’ll help you out if you reaaaally need it.”

He trudged over and draped his arms around your shoulders, sighing heavily. “Fine… that cute face of yours is gonna be the death of me.”

A blush creeping up your neck, you smiled and hugged him back. “Mhm. Flattery’s not gonna get you out of this one, though.”

“Damn it.”

The crackle of noodles hitting the pan accompanied by the greasy aroma of cooking oil wafted through the kitchen as Shikamaru fumbled with a stir fry spatula while simultaneously attempting to halve an onion.

“Shit.” The wooden paddle clattered to the ground with a deafening crack amidst the cacophony within the kitchen. Meat was sizzling in the pan next to the noodles, the sink was running over the colander of broccoli, countless bowls, measuring cups, and ingredients were strewn about the countertops. You were running out of room to sit.

Biting back a grimace, you piped up quietly. “Shika, I think you got a little ahead of yourself…”

“I am doing perfectly fine, (Y/N).” He huffed, beads of sweat forming above his furrowed brows as he swiftly stirred the yakisoba noodles back and forth in the scalding hot pan. An earsplitting pop followed by a tall fume of smoke sounded from the pan of meat. Eyes panicked, he hollered, “Uh… your help would be greatly appreciated, though!”

Sliding off your tiny sliver of countertop in the blink of an eye, you rushed to your boyfriend’s side and clamped a lid over the pan before flipping off the burner, heaving a relieved sigh. “My god, Shika, you almost burnt our house down!”

He chuckled sheepishly, stirring the noodles more hesitantly. “Ah… sorry ‘bout that. Looks like I need your help, huh?”

You rolled your eyes, lightly flicking his temple. “Even if you burn the whole house down, you aren’t getting my help. That was a one-time save.”

The end of his mouth quirked up in a smirk. “Is it, now? Should I do it again?”

“Try me, witty boy.”

Shikamaru eyed you with a challenging stare, raising an eyebrow. “Whatever you say, boss.” He reached over to remove the lid from the previously flaming pan as you stood rooted to your spot. Clouds of smoke and the acrid fumes of burnt meat instantaneously corrupted your senses as your boyfriend grabbed a pair of tongs and flipped the bright pink slab of meat over so the impossibly charred side was upright.

The two of you stared at the pitch black block of… what could maybe— possibly— pass as meat.

“Well, it’s definitely… cooked?”

“Ugh… Choji would be utterly disappointed in me, huh?”

“Incredibly disappointed. Keep going, though. This is… still edible. I hope?”

Shikamaru heaved an exhausted sigh. “C’mon, babe, isn’t this valid proof that I’m not built for this cooking thing?”

“Careful, those noodles are going to burn too.” You guided his hands back to the non-burning pan, allowing him to stir them back and forth once again. “Timing is everything. You started the noodles too early, and now the veggies aren’t going to be chopped up in time.”

“Constructive criticism, please. Constructive.” He stirred the noodles with a bit more diligence and effort this time as they turned golden brown.

You giggled, carefully grabbing the knife and chopping the abandoned onion in half. “Look, turn off the heat. I’ll watch the noodles for you, you have to cut the vegetables. Sound good?”

Shikamaru whistled in relief as he flipped off the stove. “Music to my ears, boss.” He slyly snaked his arms around your waist as you organized the countertop for him. “Man, this is exhausting,” he whined into your ear. “How the hell do you do this three times a day?”

You smirked in satisfaction, reaching an arm behind your head to ruffle his hair. “I ask myself the very same question. I think we should cut it down to two, no?”

“Noooo… your cooking’s too damn tasty…” he pressed a soft kiss to your neck as you felt his body get limper and limper.

You clicked your tongue, slapping the side of his head. “Hey, no sleeping on the job. Get to work.”

Digging his chin into your shoulder as he unraveled his arms from your body, he sighed, “Aye aye, captain.”

After an abundance of eye watering slices, near finger amputations, and arguments over if “julienne” is a name or a knife technique, Shikamaru was finally completed with his masterpiece of a dish.

A makeshift blindfold fashioned out of a random scarf was fastened around your eyes as you awaited his creation at the dinner table as your boyfriend rustled around the kitchen.

A deafening crash sounded from a few feet away, and your heart leapt out of your chest. “Umm… Shika?”

“I’m fine!” He shouted, his voice wavering ever so slightly. “Uh, just some— shit— just some technical difficulties!”

Stifling a laugh, you eased into your seat once more. “Okay, I’m waiting!”

After a few more minutes of clattering and curses, you heard the tune of your favorite classical song whistled by none other than Shikamaru. “Welcome to the Narastaurant, (Y/N). For today, I present you with…” His fingers hastily fumbled with the knot at the back of your head. “Wait, shit…”

You heaved an amused sigh as a grin formed on your lips. “You need help there?”

“No, I— I got it…” A sharp tug pulled your head backwards as the scarf unraveled into his hands.

“Shika!”

“Shoot, sorry ‘bout that.” He pressed a soft kiss to the back of your head. “Anyways…”

Your eyes were drawn to the colorful plate in front of you. Meticulously arranged into a rainbow of nearly charred veggies perched atop a heaping pile of noodles and half-pink-half-black slices of meat was a steaming plate of yakisoba. A gasp rose in your throat. “Shika! This is incredible!” You whipped around to face him as he stood proudly over you. “How did you plate this so well?”

A smile tugged at his lips. “Growing up with that flower pig Ino taught me a few things about color theory and spacing and whatnot.” He rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly. “As for taste…”

You raised your eyebrows, turning back to the plate in front of you. “Ah, yes, the taste…” Clasping your hands together, you gave a quick thank you for the meal before snapping your chopsticks in half and digging into the colorful dish. You raised a well-balanced bite of meat, veggies, and noodles to your lips and were instantly overwhelmed by the pungent, bitter taste of burnt oil. Pursing your lips as your lungs begged for oxygen, you forced yourself to get it down your throat. “Ahem, ahh, this is… this is something!”

Not one to get offended over his mistakes, Shikamaru only chuckled from behind you. “No kidding. Let me have a try.” Whipping out his own pair of chopsticks, he grabbed a bundle of noodles and two slices of charred meat before raising it to his lips, nearly coughing it back up as soon as he did so. “Oh— oh, god, oh god that’s bad.” Both of your hacking coughs rang throughout the dining room. “I feel like I just ate Satan’s ashes.” He whispered in between strained coughs, tears forming in his eyes.

Laughter welled up in your throat in between coughs as your eyes began to water as well. “I mean—” Cough. “I mean, Satan might like this?”

“Gee— thanks, babe. I’m sure he’d love it if we— we showed up to his annual potluck in hell with burnt pieces of who-knows-what.” Shikamaru was laughing too, gripping the edges of the table as he attempted to regain his composure.

The two of you laughed and coughed and laughed at his failed debut as a chef, teasing and poking each other at the dinner table.

Let’s just say you definitely didn’t eat Satan’s ashes for dinner that day.

if you enjoyed this post, likes and reblogs are much appreciated :) feel free to request here, and make sure to read the rules first! have a lovely day everyone <3

[strawberrykake]

Heyo! I have a suggestion that’s a little bit more of a request really but, it’s a totally ridiculous request anyways. But I was wondering( hoping really) if you could possibly write some HQ boys with a Latina! reader ?? I’ve seen a lot of things with other races, but reality is not a lot of representation with the Hispanic community. ( it would mean the world, even if you think it’s not great 😊) So feel free to ignore my crazy suggestion and have a good day!

Hi! i feel honored to have this suggestion!! Of course! I’m not too knowledgeable but I will try my best. And you have an awesome day, too <3

                                »»————-　♡　————-««

glad we met // Haikyuu x Latina!reader

Sugawara, Hinata, Osamu, Oikawa

Sugawara

sugawara isn’t one to easily give his heart to others

but then he met you

He learned Spanish way before he dated you just so he can impress you

“¡Buenos dias!” he would greet you everyday, smiling.

You can’t help but smile back

Your smile makes him clench his heart

One day he couldn’t take it anymore

He needed to tell you how he felt

And he did

He made a surprise with little notes each written in your native tongue

The gesture made your heart squeeze

“You make me happy, Princesa” is what he said before you officially became a couple

that nickname stuck

This time, he would greet you every morning  [“!Buenos dias, princesa!”] with a kiss and a hug

Though he called you ‘princesa’, he treated you like a queen

Practically fluent in Spanish at some point and converses with you casually

And whenever you started feeling insecure, he would remind you of your beauty and make you feel so beautiful

Hinata

he first caught an interest in you when you showed up as the new foreign student

he was very interested in how different you were from everyone

he even had the audacity to ask you questions about your culture

“I’ve always wanted to visit that country! We should go together someday!”

If anything, that made him more cute

He would teach you some things about his own culture in exchange for yours

What started as a cute friendship blossomed into something more

You practically hung out every day

 His little nickname for you: mi alma

whenever you meet, he would gasp “mi alma!” and rush to you

He would always find an excuse to hold your hand

or pepper hundreds of kisses on your face

es tan tierno

And when it’s time to go home: “No, stay a little longer?” 

He’d pout, playing with your hands

You give in to his puppy eyes

He is your sol 

Osamu

Tried your food at some potluck party

and oh my

“The Spanish chick who brings bomb-ass food”

is what he used to refer to you as

He would get slapped by Aran who says “Don’t be rude. Go learn her name.”

Eventually meets you and you both bond over food lol

“Hey, did you bring them?” He asks during a lunch.

You look up from your bag of frozen grapes. “Bring what?”

“Empanadas” he pronounces the word flawlessly. 

“You think I eat empanadas everyday?” You roll your eyes.

“Oh, then tell me the recipe.” He casually plops one of your grapes into his mouth.

You start spending more and more time together

He was initially interested in the food you made

But something about your aura intrigued him (plus u cute); he enjoyed your company

He finally asked you out one day while you spent time cooking together

“I’m so lucky to have you, hermosa” He says, hugging you from behind. His head lazily nuzzles into your shoulder.

Though he doesn’t express his emotions directly, he constantly reminds you how special you are whether it is through words, hugs, or cooking you food 

Oikawa

Always flirted with you from the beginning of course

In fact his first words when he met you:

“Perdí mi número. ¿Puedo tener el tuyo?“ He said with a tiny accent and smug look.

He had overheard you speaking in your native language on the phone

Of course he had to show off his little knowledge of Spanish

You remained in shock, wondering how the hell this hot Japanese man knows Spanish.

“So that didn’t work, huh. Let me try again.” He cleared his throat. “Si el agua fuera belleza, tú serías el océano entero.”

You just laughed it off and never really took anything serious

But he eventually started falling for you hard.

And then you fell for him

He would take you to all his vb games, calling you his “lucky charm”

His “estrella”

“There’s no one like you, estrella” he says before giving a loving kiss

At the end of every game, he will run to look for you

It was like a routine

When he wins, you give him a nice high five and he returns with a tight bear hug

When he loses, he gives you a hug with a sigh while you pat his head soothingly 

At the end of the day, you always turn to each other

And he is so grateful to have someone like you

                                »»————-　♡　————-««

Notes: + Please let me know if I write something wrong bc this is my first time giving reader a racial background and i don’t want to be offending anyone.

++ Not sure if I’m posting this (format) correctly. I don’t use Tumblr that much lol

[love-takes-work]

Very Cool Potluck

Did you know that some people are so dedicated to reproducing Steven Universe recipes that they’ll both put cheese puffs in their sushi AND willingly bring durian into their homes?

I will teach you the basics of how to prepare the Cool Kids’ Potluck and also tell you the story of how I got food poisoning.

(Sorry, Lars’ ube roll is not included, because it didn’t make it to the potluck. It is available as a separate recipe, of course.)

See more SU food tutorials!

I decided it was time to do the Cool Kids' POTLUCK!

STEVEN: (holds up Snack Sushi) "Who's feelin' lucky?"

SOUR CREAM: "I brought the soda."

JENNY: "I brought the pizza."

BUCK: "I brought the assorted fruit."

And Sadie brought paper plates to complete the set. Too bad Lars's Ube Roll couldn't join them! 

Okay, so we have a four-part meal. Most complicated of course is the sushi! We can assume it is Snack Sushi, which I have made before but didn't really give instructions. Steven explains pretty well but doesn't give you a sushi rice recipe. How about I just tackle this here and show you how?

Recipe 1: SNACK SUSHI

Ingredients:

11 1/2 ounces sushi rice

1 1/2 cups cold water

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 package nori (seaweed sheets)

1 avocado

1 bag cheese puffs

Mayonnaise

Hot sauce

First, sushi rice is made a special way. I am no expert, but the way I do it has worked fine for sushi in the past. First you measure out your 11.5 ounces of rice and put it in a sieve, then wash thoroughly with tap water.

Put it in the pan you will cook it in, pour the 1.5 cups of cold water on, and let sit WITHOUT COOKING for 30 minutes.

When the soak time is up, turn on high and boil. As soon as it hits boil, turn to low, cover, and cook 15 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let steam in the pan for 10 more minutes. You now have fluffable, tasty, sticky steamed rice!

Next, make your vinegar concoction. Combine the vinegar, the sugar, and the salt in a small dish. Microwave it to dissolve the sugar. I did this in a few 20-second bursts. It smells strongly but I love that smell. Make sure when you stir it, there's no sugar on the bottom! It must be dissolved.

Pour the concoction over the hot rice and stir it in. You are ready to work with it!

From there, it is as Steven shows us in "Cooking With Lion."

• Put nori on a rolling mat, rough side up

• Spread sushi rice on the nori thinly

• Halve the avocado, remove pit, cut in slices and rub a spoon around the avocado flesh to dislodge it

• Place the avocado slices in a line on the rice

• Place a line of cheese puffs in a line next to the avocado

• Roll compactly, tucking as necessary to get it into roll shape

• Cut!

You'll also need to make "spicy mayo" for the garnish. Steven uses hot sauce and mayonnaise. Mix together and squirt neatly onto the top of each roll.

"Who's feelin' lucky?!"

And that's the recipe!

Tip:

Use rice shortly after cooking. Refrigerate it if you will not be eating it soon after. Guess who got food poisoning from eating old rice because of this? CAN YOU GUESS?? 🤢

Recipe 2: PIZZA

So I've made pizza from scratch half a dozen times already for this show. I'm not gonna do it again. (Here's my personal Fish Stew Pizza recipe.)

Jenny simply brings pizza from work! So I decided to go the easy route and purchase a commercial pizza this time.

We never actually see the pizza eaten. I will assume it's the default pepperoni pizza and add veggie pepperoni to mine.

Baking in the oven per box directions as I figure out pizza boxes!!

Jenny's got four dang boxes of pizza on that table. I'm sorry, but I will not be preparing four pizzas. I live by myself and am not actually having a real potluck here. I will use comic book boxes to provide the illusion of many pizzas even though I am only cooking one. Shhhhh.

I actually used paper cutouts and markers to design my own Fish Stew Pizza box!!

Done! Next!

Recipe 3: SODA

Another recipe where I don't really make anything. I am just dressing up a bottle of Diet Coke.

But at least I made it look like the soda Sour Cream brought (termed "So-Duh").

Recipe 4: ASSORTED FRUIT

Oh god.

Buck, you clown. 🤡🤡 You went and bought various pokey-skinned fruits and forced me to BRING A DURIAN INTO MY HOME.

Folks, do you have any idea what durian is?

Let's just say it's known as the King of Fruits and it is SMELLY. You can't look up anything about durian online without related news stories discussing areas where durian is BANNED, neighbors complaining if you bring durian home, and tips on getting the smell off your hands and out of your breath.

I've bought frozen durian before to make Durian Juice Boxes. It was bad enough frozen. But then I had to go buy a FRESH STANK MACHINE at the Asian Market.

The things I do for this friggin show

So we have pineapple.

We have dragonfruit.

And we have &%#!%@ durian.

Durian! People! Do you have any idea what my house smells like!!! And they put it in a bag like that because you can't pick it up without GETTING STABBED! god what am i doing

Anyway.

There, you happy?

Here is my beautiful POTLUCK.

Add paper plates because Sadie brought them and now Sour Cream is thrilled he doesn't have to do the dishes.

Also, I'm sure it wouldn't be all that much fun if you didn't get a quick lesson on how to eat the weird fruits, even though the Cool Kids did not cut into them. Right?

So after I recovered from food poisoning from that rice, I put down a plastic tablecloth on my outdoor porch table, gathered an assortment of knives and plates, grabbed some gloves, and prepared these fruits for eating.

Dragonfruit:

Cut in half. Cut further in quarters and eighths. Peel the fruit out of the husk and store.

Verdict: I don't like dragonfruit. It tasted like weird, hurty watery kiwi. Maybe you should know I'm allergic to kiwi. This is probably related. I shouldn't eat this.

Pineapple:

Cut the top and bottom off and discard (including the bush at the top). Slice the remainder completely in half. Cut the core out--you shouldn't eat it. Then slice each half and slice again into manageable strips. Cut lines in the fruit and cut them off into a storage container.

Verdict: I am allergic to pineapple so I didn't try it, but it smelled amazing. I saved it for my friend.

Durian:

All right, stank fruit, here we go.

Cut the stem off and flip the durian to stand on the top where you cut the stem off. Use pot holders to manipulate because otherwise IT WILL CUT YOU. Examine the durian's shape and see if you can figure out based on its bulges where the huge scary pods are inside. Make a cut through the very tough husk and pull it apart with your hands.

Pods will emerge. They are soft and delicate, so if you hold them too hard they'll break. Each contains HUGE seeds. Take the seeds out before eating. Go around the rest of the durian and get all the pods out. It's a scavenger hunt! Store.

Verdict: The smell is literally not any worse when you open it. It is a very thick, pervasive smell but to me it didn't smell like a rotting corpse or poop or anything.

But then I ate a little bit and the aftertaste was really dark and musty. Dip a butt in tropical fruit syrup. It was pretty vile. I swallowed it though, and my mouth was Very Unhappy. I do not like durian.

I guess I'm 0 for 3. My sushi made me sick because I left the rice out for hours, I can't eat any of my fruit, and I reused the pizza to make a damn Pizza Steve.

But at least my life is interesting while it's being a disaster, huh?

At least I can still drink my So-Duh.

See more SU food tutorials!

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 127

Annnnd a-one, and a-two, and a queue-queue-queue!

This chapter has one of my favorite things in the world to write - Interpersonal relationships (if you are surprised, I’m going to assume you are new here....).

Specifically, one of my biggest pet-peeves is when friends or siblings are written in a way that shows that the author doesn’t actually have any friends or siblings they are close enough to that all rules of societal politeness go whizzing into some far-off dimension as soon as they are in proximity.

When I get to write a chapter with such close friends/ersatz-siblings and also have @baelpenrose cackling and egging me on, it literally makes my whole day.

P.S: If anyone has wondered about the ages of the characters, several are clearly lined out in this chapter......

EDIT: Fixed some insane formatting issues.

“The food festival, Sophia? Really?” an incredulous voice asked before the door to my office even opened all the way.

I resisted the urge to scream, but did surrender to pinching the bridge of my nose and breathing slowly. “Hello, Arthur. Do come in. Long time no see.  Of course I’m not busy…” My one day each week to have a few hours to myself - no mentees, no assistant, even Tyche was off work….

“We saw each other last night when I came over for dinner after sparring with Conor, and  you’re never busy on Saturdays, Alistair makes sure of it.” He dragged a chair in front of my desk for what I felt was the sole purpose of putting his boots on my desk instead of the conference table.

“I thought you two didn’t even like each other, how did you - “

He waved a hand dismissively. “Enemy of my best friend’s enemy is my friend, that sort of thing. Anyway - “

“Did you just call me my own worst - “

“You are, let’s not pretend otherwise. Anyway.” Arthur arched an eyebrow at me and waited for any further objections, but I couldn’t think of any. “The Food Festival. It’s my one favorite tradition on this ship until armed combat becomes a spectator sport, and you are putting Parvati and Hannah in charge of it?”

After a beat pause to make sure he was done, I glared at him. “Everyone has asked me that, and I don’t understand the issue.  They’ve both helped in the past, even before they started training to replace me.  I’ve handed more and more off to them each time, and they did great! Plus, they have three months, it will be fi - Wait, why do you even care, Arthur?”

He held up one finger with the authority of a deity who would have smited me if he could. “One, Parvati Fletcher does not like mapo tofu. You do. Specifically, you like it from that one vendor who grows her own Sichuan peppercorns and uses them like they are an infinite resource. Two, I spend entirely too much time working with Zach Khan, and he won’t shut up about how stressed Hannah is. Three - “ I was seriously starting to get concerned he actually could smite me at this point - “As much as I love you in the most platonic way possible, you are an obsessive, compulsive perfectionist who insists on doing everything herself and running herself into the ground so that everyone else has the time of their lives. So why are you trusting this, the largest and oldest event on the Ark, entirely to other people?” Dropping his boots from the desk, he leaned forward, palms down until we were nearly nose to nose.

“Sophia Reid, I swear on any god I can kill if you are dying…”

“WHAT!?” I squawked, jerking back and standing so fast I knocked my chair over. “For the love of little fish, I’m not dying! I haven’t had a near death experience in four years, thank you.”

“Three, not counting the fact that there is a reason Alistair makes you drink anything through a straw anymore.”

“How did - Nevermind.” I shook my head and tried to focus on the topic at hand. “No, I’m not dying. Nor am I injured, having a midlife crisis, rethinking my life choices any more than I ever do, or so much as in possession of a stuffy nose.” Taking a deep breath, I rolled my eyes and started counting off before I could stop myself. “Conor and Maverick and I are fine. No, I’m not arguing with Tyche again. Yes, I’m still going to therapy. Else is fine. No new sentient plagues or rogue cult leaders that I’m aware of. Nor have I become immortal, queen of the universe, savior of humanity, pregnant by Noah, or possessed.” Carefully, I picked my chair back up and sat down.

“Good...to… know?” He gave me a funny look. “Who asked the most disturbing one?”

“Immortal or Savior of Humanity?” I asked for clarification. “Those were Maverick and Derek, respectively.”

The look only got worse. “I meant ‘pregnant by Noah’, but fascinating to see where your priorities lie….?”

“Oh. That was Charly.”

“Dammit,” he swore softly. “I had her pegged for ‘possessed’.”

“I’m pretty sure she is, but the suggestion that I am came from Tyche, on no fewer than 3 occasions, by 4 different entities. She seemed pretty hopeful that Else was potentially mind-controlling me in an effort to make me take a nap,” I admitted.

“That tracks.” A nod of approval prefaced the question I had been avoiding - successfully, thus far, I might add. “Now that you’ve ruled out every possible plausible reason that you would entrust this to literally anyone other than a clone of yourself, why?”

“Why what?” My face was composed in an expression of innocence so convincing that I probably deserved an Oscar.

“I can and will convince Charly to turn all your coffee to decaf, so help me, Sophia.”

Realizing that he was, legitimately, worried about me and at the limits of his usually-impressive patience, I held up my hands in surrender. “Fine. You get the scoop.  Please record this and send me the loop, so I can just flick it at people who ask, please?” When he nodded, I exhaled slowly.  “It is no secret to anyone that I never wanted this job. I made the mistake of establishing the Food Festival, which as you point out is the largest event of the cycle on the Ark - the last three years, literally everyone attended in some capacity.” When he opened his mouth to argue, I held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t get me wrong. I love the Festival. What basically started out as a potluck because we were homesick and needed to meet - you know, the rest of humanity - is a huge, three day holiday.  It’s amazing!” I spun in my chair, arms flung wide for emphasis, before stopping to face him. 

“It also consumes my life, for months, to prepare for.  And that’s just implementing changes to make it more accessible so people don’t miss out! That doesn’t include adding things to make it more interesting or keep it from getting boring, or whatever. I literally don’t have time to do any of that!”

“So, you’re inflicting this on them instead?”

“Inflicting?” I snorted.  “Hardly. This is their final exam, their capstone project, their dissertation.  If they pull this off, I will gladly hand the entire office over to whoever is elected, cheerfully and knowing the Ark is in good hands.  But, they have to pull this off.  It’s the only major part of being Councilor of Resources and Relations that they haven’t done yet by themselves.”

He rubbed his face, looking somewhat impressed. “That’s honestly not what I was expecting.”

“I don’t think it ever is, honestly.” I shrugged at the question he glanced towards me. “For Evan, it was coordinating the weapons exhibitions.  Charly managed to pre-empt her own by designing more efficient aqueducts and filtration for when we reach Von - you know, the ones that also produce light?”

“Of course she would invent glow-in-the-dark plumbing. Who else?” Something caught up with him. “Evania Josue got away with planning an event? Seriously?”

“Oh, that’s right… you weren’t on Level One…” I murmured. When he only looked more confused, I clarified. “She was Maverick’s co-pilot when we needed people to pilot the Ark, which was not designed to pilot manually, via dead reckoning, using cameras pointed out the few viewports we have, for several weeks after the sensors were sabotaged.”

“She was whose co-pilot?”

“You really never heard this story? You practically live with seven people who were there…”

“Usually I get the bits about ‘Sophia nearly got her brains bashed out’ and ‘that traitorous bitch’, then start tuning out while I try to decide what it would take to get Charly to teach me necromancy… If Evan was the co-pilot, then why is Maverick….”

“Not in line to replace any Councilors? Arthur, we know that would be a disaster for him.”

He nodded reluctantly. “Your younger partner is a nice boy.”

“For fuck’s sake, he’s thirty seven!” I groaned.

“Nice man, whatever,” he waved off. “Which is exactly what I would like for you as a partner. You need nice partners, and blunt siblings. But I see what you mean about him being a Councilor… he’d be miserable.”

“What was yours?” I asked mischievously, dropping my chin onto my hands.

That earned me a flat stare, until he finally surrendered when I didn’t flinch. “The Twentieth/Early Twenty First History curriculum.”

“Seriously?” That had literally been the first thing he had done when Eino tapped him as a possible successor.

“I didn’t budge on points even he admitted he would have, out of fear of offending people.”

“Which is a fear you very much lack,” I pointed out.

“The truth is the truth. Coating it in sugar only makes it taste worse.” He shrugged nonchalantly before suddenly looking dangerously like he was thinking again. “There’s two of them.”

“Yes, Arthur. Hanna and Paravati are, in fact, two distinct and separate women-type-lady-people.”

“Thank you, Fee, I was well aware.” I suppressed a growl at the nickname - he knew I hated it. “I meant, only one can win the election, smartass.”

“Better to be a smartass than a dumbass,” I muttered.

“Sophia, you are forty five. Please grow up just a hair?”

“Tyche doesn’t want to be HR forever, you know.”

That brought his mind to a visibly screeching halt. “Wait, what?”

“What what?” I asked. “She does it because she is phenomenal at it, but it isn’t her passion.  She only stuck around as long as she did to make sure I didn’t trip over a chair and brain myself while I was at work.  When I’m gone, she’s gone, loser take the spoils.”

He whistled softly before shaking his head. “It’s bizarre to think of you two retiring around the same time I’m just starting the position.”

“I’ll have been a Councilor for a decade when I step down,” I pointed out.  I almost included unless I die first, but that never seemed to be as funny as I thought it was.

“But you aren’t that much older than me,” he sighed dramatically. “Anti-aging technology is frustrating.”

“Annnnd this is a natural extension of your career, with a ten year break thereabouts the middle.”  My grin was so bright it made him scowl before I finally got a begrudging smile.  “Think of it as getting elected head of the school board.”

The groan he let out probably echoed for several levels throughout the ship. I had basically just pointed out that he was becoming that which he most hated.

Or not. He seemed to recover with a gleam in his eye. “Pfft. Dean of Students, at the very least.”

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[justbecausewhynot]

Between Stars Part 1 {Arvin Russell x reader}

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3

It was a sunny Sunday afternoon when you were driving down a dirt road, radio on, windows down, and every belonging you had, stuffed into the back. Your mom had just passed away from cancer and your dad decided to uproot and move to Coal River, West Virginia. That’s where your dad grew up, and he wanted to go live in his childhood home. And so, there you were, pulling into the driveway of a white picket fence, easily one of the nicer ones in the town.

Stepping out of the car, your dad asked “So… whad’ya think?”

“It’s a house for sure” you muttered under your breath.

“I remember playing in this yard every night with the Russell boy down that street.” He continued. “I wonder what ever happened to him.” 

You started walking around the house, inspecting your new area. There were houses on either side, far enough for a pool, you thought to yourself. Like that would ever happen. 

“Y/n, come here and help unload this stuff. Most of its all your clothes anyway.” Your dad called. You couldn’t bring too much from back home cause dad didn't wanna go back another round to fit the rest into the truck. And so, you had to choose your most valuable possessions and cut down at least a third of your closet. 

After helping bring the boxes into the front hall, both you and your dad were famished and didn’t have anything in the fridge yet. “I saw a general store down that road, down there” Your father told you. “Take some money outta my wallet and go pick us up something for lunch and dinner.” You took the cash and made your way over to the store. 

When you stepped in, you were met with a boy in a white shirt and a blue cap, and an old lady in a simple dress. Both were looking into the window of meat.

“Grandma quit worryin’ about it, he’s just a preacher.” the boy said as you made your way into the store. 

“Hello there, what can I do for you?” The man working at the front asked, making the two other customers turn to look at you. 

“I’ll just take some bacon please.” You said.

“Alright, I'll get that started for you.” He said with a smile. 

You caught eye contact with the boy in the blue hat and felt your cheeks heat up. You didn’t not have any experience with boys, but the little that you did was all sub-par, in your opinion. Something about Arvin made you want to walk right up and kiss him on the lips. Kiss him and keep kissing him until you can’t feel your lips anymore. 

“Are you new in town?” The lady standing next to him asked. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you around.”

“Yes ma’am, my dad and I just moved into the white house a few blocks down.”

“The l/n’s finally sold it, did they?’ She muttered.

“Actually, no, we moved back.”You said. “I’m y/n l/n, you must know my dad.” You introduced yourself, sticking your hand out. 

“Is that really you y/n? I remember when you were a baby, you’ve grown up so fast.” She said holding your hand with both of hers. Your eyes turned to the boy behind her who was already staring at you.

“Oh, I’m sorry, you probably don’t even remember me.” the lady said. “I’m Emma Russell and this is my grandson Arvin Russell. She let go of your hands and Arvin stuck his out for you to shake. To be honest, you could have let go of his hand a little earlier than you did, but it was so warm and you were lost in his eyes to even notice. 

“Nice to meet you.” You said quietly.

“Y-Yea you too y/n.” he responded.

“Well then…” Mrs. Russell said, cutting the tension with a knowing smile. “You must come over to our house with your mother and father tomorrow night. I haven’t seen Henry or Sarah since they moved with you.”

“I-I’m afraid my mother passed away a couple months ago.” You said, unsure of what to say next.

“Oh, dear I am terribly sorry.” she said quietly. “She was an amazing woman.”

“Here is your bacon,” The worker said, walking in cheerily and breaking up the conversation. 

“Thank you.” You said, accepting the package and passing a bill to the boy working there.

“I assume you will be coming to church tomorrow y/n” Mrs. Russell said, trying to make you forget about their last topic. 

“Of course, my dad and I will be there.”

“There’s a new preacher comin’ into town. He’ll be expecting a platter from every family for the potluck.” She said expectantly.

“Well, I don't think my dad can cook for the life of him, so I guess that’s up to me.” You laughed.

“I’ll let you get to that then” She said, patting your shoulder and turning back to the counter. You smiled at Arvin who had been very quiet the whole conversation, who nodded back and turned quickly to the meat section. Your heart dropped, but quickly picked itself back up again reminding yourself that you had been in this town for only an hour. 

Making your way to the back of the store, you were unaware of the boy watching you, unsure of what he should say or do. You picked out some flour, eggs, strawberries and anything else you could think of to make a pie with, and made your way to the front.

“So chicken liver it is.” Arvin said before noticing you coming towards him, and slowly making his way out. 

After paying for the rest of your groceries and saying goodbye to Mrs. Russell, you made your way out and passed Arvin smoking in his truck. He waved goodbye to you and you smiled and waved back before making your way home.

[hargrove-mayfields]

Autistic max? I’m all in -🦖

yes!! Max being on the spectrum is one of my favorite headcanons! Here’s a bit of my thoughts and hcs for you anon! <3

okay so first i wanna talk a little about where this hc came from! this idea was born in my head for a multitude of reasons, but the general summary is this:

-she misses a lot of social+emotional cues! she didn’t pick up on just how annoyed Mike was with her in the gym and kept pushing until El intervened, she didn’t detect any of Lucas’ panic or frustration when he was explaining the upside down to her until he touches her, and when el is jealous and just not interested in meeting her, she seems to be completely unfazed by that until she walks away. also every scene she has with Billy, he’s very shut off and she seems to be confused about what she’s expected to say, missing that he’s angry until he’s lashing out, and idk to me it just seems like she doesn’t really have a grasp on understanding others’ emotions!

-similarly, she only seems to react in the face of immediate danger, as if she’s a lot of the time unaware of how bad things truly are around her. like when she’s helping to find dart without even knowing what’s going on, driving a whole muscle car and going down into the tunnels without a hint of fear, seeming barely concerned when the mindflayer was about to drop through the ceiling. it’s almost like she has trouble fully processing the consequences of certain things, which could also explain why she sneaks out even though she probably knows what Neil is like and the fact that it could potentially put her in danger.

-the way she dresses just screams tactile sensitivity! she doesn’t ever wear anything flowy, any scratchy materials, and even at the snowball, where we see Susan fussing over her, she’s still dressed for comfort. what young girl with a mother clearly interested in making her pretty is going to get away with wearing jeans to a school dance if she doesn’t have sensory issues?

-also, whenever she gets upset she seems to shut down. like she almost never talks to Billy after he yells at her unless it’s necessary, when her and Lucas are talking on top of the bus it definitely seems like she’s struggling to voice her feelings or put words to her emotions, when Billy’s in the sauna, after he’s activated she starts turning in on herself, and after his death she’s just sitting in his room. like maybe she doesn’t really understand her own emotions that well either.

I’m not really viewing any of this as like, solid evidence or anything btw, these are just some things I’ve noticed about her as an autistic girl her age and living in a very similar situation that I think are neat and relatable!

onto the stuff I literally made up because I love her!

-Susan gives me autism mommy vibes. Like, making it her identity that she has a child with autism, and at times that can get super frustrating for Max because she hates being her mom’s little trophy daughter, gossiped about at all the potlucks so people feel sorry for her. Her absolute least favorite thing is “She’s such a handful.” and when Susan pulls the I’m so lonely because of taking care of you card to make her feel bad. Especially because she doesn’t feel very taken care of, once she’d hit a certain age her mother decided she’d be alright without all that “kid stuff” and basically tossed her into the world on her on. (hence why she’s Billys responsibility)

-In the 80s (and still now if we’re being entirely honest) it was very normal to just throw a casual r slur into conversation and it kills Max every time her friends say it, especially Mike because she thinks he’s being mean and doesn’t like her. She doesn’t know how to explain to them that that hurts her feelings because she doesn’t even know how to bring it up that she’s autistic. Billy tells her once to try to cheer her up that he could beat them up for her but she cries even harder because that’s what she doesn’t want, is for them to think she’s overreacting. He feels bad and tries to make up for it bringing it up with some of the moms of the group and asking that they tell their kids to stop using that word ever.

-In California she was in special ed classes, but Hawkins Middle deems that not necessary for someone of her “functioning level” (yuck) and she gets landed in coed instead. It might’ve been alright if that was how she started her education, but she was already used to classes of four or five kids like her, and she just cannot learn in that new environment. So she does really, really bad in school her first year in Hawkins. She feels kind of self conscious around her friends because they’re all so smart and her grades make her feel stupid even though it’s not her fault, and that’s why she kinda drifts towards being close with El because she struggles with learning things too.

-Smells are probably her worst overstimulation triggers. Things like cigarette smoke, fresh brewed coffee, her moms perfume, cooking and baking smells, the automatic air freshener thing, candles. Pretty much anything stronger than the smell of water is just overwhelming for her, especially if there’s something else already working her up, because then a whiff of something too strong can put her straight into a meltdown. Billy decides to quit smoking for her (he’ll never admit that, he’s adamant that it was because it was messing with his lung capacity and he’s trying to work out) and he also does things like buy Susan a new, less offensive perfume for her birthday and open windows to get stuffy air out of the house. They never really talk about what that does for her but like, that’s part of how they start getting closer, is when he starts making little accommodations for her like that.

-In addition to smells, there are very specific sounds she can’t stand. It’s not all loud noises, some of them like the rev of Billy’s car or a bass guitar at an outdoor amphitheater are some of her favorites, but the ones she doesn’t like, she really hates. Things like styrofoam, dishes hitting off of each other, something scratching against ice that builds up in the freezer, TV static, the toaster popping up or the oven beeping, and people who can’t chew with their mouths closed (looking at you Billy, keep that gum in your mouth please) all make her feel gross. She’ll try to physically shake off the way those sounds make her feel but sometimes they’re just too much and she shuts down for a while until she gets to hear something else. In that case usually really quiet music or someone talking to her quietly can reel her back in.

-Her interests vary a lot! The longest she’s ever held one special interest was a Miss Piggy phase! Susan liked that she was showing interest in a feminine character because of a lot of her si’s were tomboyish, but Max liked Piggy because she knew karate and punched people who laughed at her or tried to make her feel bad about herself! She has all sorts of Piggy collectibles, like toys, bed sheets, posters, books, mugs and watches! Otherwise her interests and fixations tend to come and go pretty quickly, like one week she could want to know everything there is to know about pro skaters, and the next she’s into the history of circuses! She liked cars for a little while and Billy was really excited to indulge in that and let her get familiar with the camaro, but she shifted to video games pretty soon after and he had to let it drop.

-Another interest that’s also pretty constant for her is nature! Not only for the sensory experience of it, listening to leaves rustle and birds chirp and water rush, but also all the knowledge about it. She can identify any type of flower, grass, tree, critter, or fungus! When she’s melting down and needs to be away from the house, she asks Billy to take her to the state park so she can just sit and be quiet and calm down on a fallen tree or a swing set somewhere. They do have some woods behind their house but she’s too afraid to venture out there and prefers to be out with her brother anyways.

-Stims! She’ll fiddle with zippers and buttons and loose threads constantly to the point that they buy her three or four of the same jackets and shirts for when she inevitably breaks them. She also chews on sleeves and hoodie strings a lot. Other tactile stims she favors are string tricks and braiding and tieing knots! Braiding her and Billy’s hair is something she’ll do anytime she needs to feel grounded, and she has a whole bunch of those little wooden boards that kids use to learn how to tie their shoes to tie knots with. She also always has a pocketful of yarn, and her favorite thing to make with them is a spider web or a star!

-Sort of related to her fascination with string is that her shoelaces never ever match, she has like a whole drawer in her room full of different ones to change them out! (and she has Miss Piggy Bow Biters to put on them!)

-She’s also a very verbal stimmer at times! Giggles for days with Max, if she’s excited, happy, nervous, whatever, she’s giggling. Humming and mimicking too, like if she hears a sound she likes she’ll try to make it, whether it be part of a song or something she hears outside. But if she is sad she’ll get as quiet as a mouse.

Idk these are just like my sort of canon compliant hcs I guess? Like what I feel would be true for her in the timeline and storyline of the show!