#blithe recipes

[winterweary]

Knife - 9 Days of Solomon

Day 3

I was stumped on this prompt for a while, so I decided to play to my strengths and pick up my knife...CHEFS KNIFE THAT IS.

Yes, from Solomon's cookbook to your table, I have for you a recipe for Solomon's Mystery Stew!

aka a modified Cioppino, or Italian-American Fisherman's stew!

Remember to channel your inner Solomon: recipes are guidelines not holy writ (unless you're baking). Always error to your own tastes and judgement. If you don't like an ingredient feel free to leave it out. If you love a certain vegetable, see how it tastes when added! I made a vegetarian version of this last night because I was too lazy to go to the store and buy seafood - it was still delicious!

Solomon's Mystery Stew

1-2 servings

Ingredients

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Fish Sauce (optional)

½ Sweet or Yellow Onion, diced

1 medium Fennel bulb, sliced. Reserve fronds for garnish if desired.

1-1.5 tb Tomato Paste

2 cloves Garlic, minced

¼-1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (more or less to taste)

½ c White Wine – Pinot Grigio is what I use because I can buy small half bottles of it. Any light white is fine, but avoid Chardonnay which can be oaked. You can omit the wine if you desire but it really does add a nice layer of flavor. If you leave it out consider adding a squeeze of lemon or a splash of rice wine vinegar.

1 can Petite Diced Tomatoes

2 c Vegetable Stock - You can substitute chicken stock if it's what you have on hand, but not beef stock. Fish stock is awesome if you have access to it.

Seafood: Calamari, Shrimp, Mussels (cleaned). I can buy a small bag of frozen "seafood medley" at my grocery store that contains tiny octopus, calamari, baby shrimp and clams that I usually use. I drop the frozen bits right into the soup as it cooks. If you want to buy fresh that's great too but quality won't suffer if you opt for frozen.

Fish, cut into bite sized pieces and deskinned: Salmon, Cod, Halibut, etc – your choice! I find one filet is usually plenty for me. If you are serving 2 people do 2 filets.

Options for toppings:

Fresh Parsley, chopped

Fresh Cilantro, sprigs

Fresh lemon or lime slices

Tabasco Sauce

Kewpie Mayo

And of course you're going to want a nice crusty bread or your favorite crackers for serving.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pot. Heat should be medium to low. You want to sweat the veggies without browning them.

Add onions and sweat until translucent. 5ish min. Add fennel and garlic, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Season with a light sprinkle of salt. Increase heat to medium if using a low heat. Add tomato paste and red pepper flakes and cook while stirring for 2 minutes. Tomato paste should be lightly sizzling while cooking.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add wine slowly. Let simmer until reduced by half. Stir in diced tomatoes, Vegetable stock. Simmer covered for 15-20 minutes.

Add sea food. Simmer covered until seafood is done – Shellfish should be opened, Calamari should be opaque, Shrimp and fish firm. Taste broth and season broth with salt and more red pepper flakes if you desire. At this point I add a dash of fish sauce (my secret ingredient) but that's up to you.

Serve with lemon, parsley, and fennel fronds. I always drizzle a little Kewpie mayo on top as well. It melts into the broth and adds the most amazing sweet/sour flavor.

I hope you enjoy making this recipe! It's easier than it seems and once you have it down, its very easy to size it up to feed a larger group of people. If you have any questions feel free to DM me or ask in reblogs!

Happy 9 Days of Solomon!

[blujayonthewing]

I really should not try to add 'create video content, a thing I have never done before' to my cicada plans when I've already got a lot of other stuff to keep track of but I do kinda want to on account of I do wanna try eating some and I'm really annoyed that almost everything I could find about doing that is framed as 'WOOOAAHH EEEUUUGH you can EAT?? these HUGE DISGUSTING BUGS???? watch me EAT some BUGS OOOAAHHHH' like okay I get it we live in the culture we live in but there's really not even one video on this from the perspective of approaching entomophagy in the spirit of sincere openness and curiosity??

[elspethdekarios]

I have thoughts about Anders

So I just finished Dragon Age: Awakening (I’ve played through all 3 main games, went back to do the DLC) and I have so many thoughts about how different Anders is pre- and post-Justice sharing his body. I think part of this is the voice actor change in DA2, but his personality seems so different, too. Awakening Anders is sarcastic, always cracking jokes, mostly light-hearted even after everything he’s been through. DA2 Anders has moments like this, but he’s much more intense and brooding. Awakening Anders has a few lines about wanting to settle down with a pretty girl or have a plump wife waiting for him at home, but DA2 Anders is PINING. And with the time skip, it’s a slow burn. Awakening Anders doesn’t strike me as the slow burn type—he’s very flirty and even a little raunchy at times. But Anders in DA2 doesn’t really act like that. He’s got a tortured, romantic soul. He’s much more serious. And maybe it’s just because he’s grown up a little bit, but now that I’ve met Justice as a character before he and Anders become one, I wonder how much of that change is Anders maturing vs. Justice’s personality coming through.

I know this game has been out forever and I’m probably not saying anything new, but Anders is so fascinating to me. More rambling and dialogue analysis under the cut:

The very first thing that struck me as different about Anders in Awakening (other than his general personality) was his response to Wynne telling the Warden Commander that the Libertarians in the Circle want to pull away from the Chantry, and Anders says that it’s a recipe for disaster. SIR! WHO ARE YOU?

Awakening Anders also doesn’t seem particularly interested in justice for mages or revenge for how he and other mages have been treated. He wants his freedom, and I’m sure he wants freedom for other mages too, but he’s not exactly radical like he is in DA2. In fact, it’s Justice who seems to inspire Anders to, well, seek justice. I’m emphasizing some of this dialogue to analyze it below:

Justice: I understand that you struggle against your oppression, mage. Anders: I avoid my oppression. That's not quite the same thing, is it? Justice: Why do you not strike a blow against your oppressors? Ensure they can do this to no one else? Anders: Because it sounds difficult? Justice: Apathy is a weakness. Anders: So is death. I'm just saying.

Justice: I believe you have a responsibility to your fellow mages. Anders: That bit of self-righteousness is directed at me? Justice: You have seen oppression and are now free. You must act to free those who remain oppressed. Anders: Or I could mind my business, in case the Chantry comes knocking. Justice: But this is not right. You have an obligation. Anders: Yes, well... welcome to the world, spirit.

Now, look at this conversation between Anders and Isabela in DA2:

Anders: I don't know how you live the way you do, blithely ignoring the consequences of your actions. Isabela: This is about the Qunari thing, isn't it? I'm not ignoring it. I just recognize that it happened years ago. Isabela: There's this fantastic thing called "moving on." You should try it sometime. Anders: Has it occurred to you that Kirkwall is only just recovering from the Qunari attack? Isabela: And you want me to... what? Flog myself daily? Isabela: Has it occurred to you that maybe there's no justice in the world? Other than that voice you keep in your head.

Isabela sounds more like Awakening Anders than Anders himself does in this conversation. Justice accuses Awakening Anders of ignoring the oppression of other mages like DA2 Anders accuses Isabela of ignoring the consequences of her actions (for the record, I don’t think either of these assumptions are 100% true, but I digress). In Awakening, Anders is cynical when Justice tells him he has an obligation. What can he change? He has to worry about his own survival as an apostate before risking his life even more to save others. Hence the line “welcome to the world, spirit.” Anders is pragmatic, even a little pessimistic, where Justice is idealistic.

But then, the conversation with Isabela! Like Justice tried to convince Anders of his obligation to other mages, Anders now is trying to convince Isabela to take responsibility for her actions. She’s ignoring the unrest that was caused by her stealing the Qunari tome instead of doing something to help—just like Awakening Anders is ignoring his oppressor. 

When Anders and Justice merge, Anders starts to see the bigger picture, the oppression that reaches far beyond himself. From the short story Anders:

I always knew I wouldn't submit. I could never be what they wanted from me -- compliant, obedient, guilty. But before Justice, I was alone. I never thought beyond my own escape: Where would I hide? How long before they found me? Now, even that thought repulses me. Why should so many others live with what I will not? Why must the Circle of Magi stand? Just because it always has, just because those who read Andraste's words twisted them to mean that mages must be prisoners? Why has there never been a revolution? … They will all die. Every templar, every holy sister who stands in the way of our freedom will die in agony and their deaths will be our fuel. We will have justice. We will have vengeance. And suddenly I'm alone, standing in a burning forest, with the bodies of templars and wardens at my feet. So many, and I didn't even know they were there. Didn't even know I had killed them, but the evidence is all around me. Not the aftermath of a battle as I've known it, but a bloody abattoir of rent limbs and torn and eaten flesh. This is not justice. This is not the spirit who was my friend, my self. What has he become? What have I become? We must get out of here. There is no place for me in the Grey Wardens now. Is there a place for me anywhere?

First of all, ow, my heart. But the point is: before he becomes part of Anders, Justice doesn’t feel a personal connection to mages’ freedom—he only cares because of the injustice. But once he and Anders become one, the source of injustice that Anders cares about the most, that he has deep resentment for, that has caused him great harm, becomes Justice’s cause. We know that Justice can sense/feel memories of the body he inhabits because he remembers some of Kristoff’s past, or at least feels connections to certain objects or people even if he can’t explain it. Kristoff was dead, though, so those memories were only fragments. I imagine that with Anders, he can experience those memories more clearly, including, of course, the injustice he and others have suffered at the hands of the templars. Justice is able to integrate into Anders fully, whereas with Kristoff, the body was an empty vessel with remnants of the past soul that was within it. 

Now, let’s talk about where Anders ends and Justice begins, something that even Anders himself is unsure of. Here are some DA2 banters about the division (or lack thereof) between the two of them:

(Outside The Hanged Man, Act 3) Anders: Justice doesn't let me get drunk anymore. I kind of miss it.

(in Legacy DLC) Anders: I've tried to forget about this side of myself. Justice is... so strong. Sometimes the Wardens seem insignificant. But seeing that poor bastard brings it all back. The Darkspawn taint. The call of the archdemon. It's inside me, as much a part of me as Justice.

Anders: Justice once asked me why I didn't do more for other mages. I told him it was too much work. Anders: But I couldn't go back after that. Couldn't stop thinking about it. Anders: Sometimes, I miss being that selfish.

Varric: So, the knight-commander... Boiling in oil? That one never gets old. Anders: This is past time for joking. Varric: I'm helping you indulge in elaborate revenge fantasies. I think it's good for you. Anders: Meredith will die. Do not doubt that. Varric: Go away, Justice. Can Anders come out and play? Anders: [Justice voice] Stop. Varric: You are no fun anymore.

(if Anders was taken to the Fade) Anders: I have tried to avoid the Fade since Justice. It's disturbing when he takes over.

The above dialogues imply that Anders and Justice are two separate entities in one body. The one from Legacy is tricky, since he compares it to the taint, but he still refers to Justice as separate from himself, which is why I included it. And that’s not even touching on the fact that Justice has a different voice than Anders. But these:

Aveline: So you're two people, Anders and... Justice? Anders: That's not strictly accurate. Aveline: But you are of two minds. Anders: Many people are.

Isabela: Hello? Is Anders there? Can I speak to Anders? Anders: You can stop yelling. It's always me. Isabela: Oh, good. I didn't want to talk to that other guy. You know, the stick-in-the-mud. Anders: He can still hear you. Justice and I are one. Anders: Anyway, you wanted to talk to me? Isabela: Not really. I just wanted to make sure it was you.

(If Hawke convinces Anders to give up his plan) Vengeance: Leave! This does not concern you! Hawke: This is Anders's decision, not yours! Vengeance: I am Anders! You have given into sloth. You would stand by while mages are abducted and tortured. Go. Anders has no need of you.

There’s not a clear answer either way. And I didn’t expect to find one. I think a lot of this back and forth is Anders trying to understand who he is now that Justice is part of him. He clearly still feels like he has some level of agency and individuality apart from Justice, but he struggles with it. This feels very anticlimactic, but I guess that’s just the nature of it all.

If you read this far, wow thanks. Now to not leave off on a sad note, here are some DA2 banters that feel very Awakening Anders to me - please enjoy <3

Anders: I keep thinking I know you from somewhere... Isabela: You're Fereldan, right? Ever spend time at the Pearl? Anders: That's it! Anders: You used to really like that girl with the griffon tattoos, right? What was her name? Isabela: The Lay Warden? Anders: That's right! I think you were there the night I— Isabela: Oh! Were you the runaway mage who could do that electricity thing? That was nice... Hawke: Please stop talking. Now. (Or if Varric is in the party) Varric: I don't think I need to know this about either of you.

Anders: So, I never expected to be palling around with the captain of the guard. Aveline: We're not "pals." Anders: We're not? What about that time we painted each other's toenails? Aveline: Do you want something? Anders: Love, life, and liberty. What more does a man need?

Anders: Nice day to be planning a trip into the Deep Roads, don't you think? Anders: The Blight, the dampness, the festering darkness filled with tainted rats... Carver: Shut up. Anders: You've got a real chip on your shoulder, you know? Carver: I've got a big blade on my shoulder, magey. Anders: Right. Wonder what you're compensating for.

Fenris: Is there something you want, Anders? Anders: You really don't have the temperament for a slave. Fenris: Is that a compliment or an insult? Anders: I'm just wondering how your master didn't kill you. Fenris: How have the templars not killed you? Anders: I'm charming.

Anders: Is that supposed to be Andraste's face on your crotch? Sebastian: What? Anders: That... belt buckle thing. Is that Andraste? Sebastian: My father had this armor commissioned when I took my vows as a brother. Anders: I'm just not sure I'd want the Maker seeing me shove His bride's head between my legs every morning.

(All dialogue found on the Dragon Age fandom wiki.)

[stayfortwominutes]

💭 reaction | lee know & changbin (part one)

prompt; "what do you need?" "... a kiss"

disclaimers; written in second person perspective, very amateur descriptions of kissing, no depictions of the members' personalities, actions or thoughts reflect their true character.

pairing; SKZ members x gender neutral reader

content; fluff, comfort, slightly suggestive*, established relationships | total word count; 1.1 k

related; part two ー hyunjin & seungmin

member; lee know (minho) | wc. 490+

a spirit of festivity kindled to life as the delightful aroma of cinnamon, ginger and honey wafted through the kitchen of your cosy apartment. basking in the serenity of each other’s presence was the perfect way to spend your weekend after a stressful week at your work.

perched upon the counter, you read the recipe as minho precisely measured each portion of flour, butter, sugar, and the necessary spices. he asked you to help combine the dry ingredients, knowing the mindless task would help reduce your mind’s unyielding chatter, diverting your attention to the task at hand. minho had developed a wondrous sixth sense about you, pinpointing the precise moments when you were need of respite before you would ever admit it.

as the two of you shaped the biscuits, you conversed through your respective weeks: you were inundated with more work than you were being paid for, whilst minho delved into details from his new dance routines and funny stories between him and the boys.

carefully placing the tray into the oven, minho took to cleaning the dishes. he insisted on an impromptu karaoke session, which you happily obliged, using a spare spatula as a makeshift microphone, and spontaneously pointing it in his direction as you rearranged your favourite songs into a couple’s duet. the sounds of laughter, music and the hint of spices danced in the air to create a blissfully domestic atmosphere that deliquesced your week’s worries.

ding.

the oven timer signalling its end snaps the two of you from your blithe bubble.

“oh, i forgot the most important thing…” minho muses aloud.

“what do you need?” you move to shuffle yourself off the counter, but minho is quick to hinder your path. he stands in between your knees, hands resting on the marble surface below, at either side of your thighs.

“…a kiss,” he breathes, before interlocking his lips with yours.

his hands come up, one placed behind your neck, and the other finding itself comfortably in the small of your back under your shirt.

the kiss begins slowly, the initial contact feathery, as he takes in your surprise. you immediately melt into his touch, your hands encircle his waist, pulling him closer and pressing your chest to his. you sigh in euphoria, and minho tenderly captures your lips again with his. his warm hands lovingly draw soothing patterns against your skin.

you reluctantly let minho pull back. he rests his forehead against yours.

“love, that's my secret ingredient,” he whispers. his plump reddened lips forming into a coy smile.

“i better take the biscuits out to rest.” the tips of minho's ears flushed red as splashes of pink burnt your cheeks.

now invested in minho’s mischief, you hook a finger in his collar to lure him back into your hold.

“forget the biscuits,” you mutter against his lips, feeling him smile into the kiss.

the two of you were soon lost indulging in the sweet, decadent taste of one another.

member; changbin | wc. 620+

you sit on your couch, observing your boyfriend as he paces back and forth, up the hall and then down to the entryway.

“i didn’t want to be alone today,” changbin whines. his gym session was cut vexingly short after chan and han had been summoned back to the company for a last-minute schedule. although not entirely a fan of exercising yourself, you sympathise and endeavour to offer him some motivation.

“how about we do some exercise together? you can do some sit-ups and i’ll hold onto your legs!” you chirp, conjuring up a cheeky method to motive him. he steadfastly moves the coffee table to the side of the room, and rolls out a thick, cushioned yoga mat.

“won’t be a moment!” you call, sauntering to the bedroom, to don a sweatband, before quickly slathering on a generous layer of changbin’s favourite lip balm: strawberry.

you briskly return and settle yourself with him on the mat in the centre of your living room floor.

“alright,” you begin, lacing your arms together underneath his calves, “before we start, i need you to do something for me.”

“what do you need?” he queries with slight perplexity.

“a kiss.”

“for every five sit ups, i’ll grant one kiss.” the apples of your cheeks round proudly. changbin holds your gaze, as the edges of his mouth begin to turn upwards in favour of your proposition, his demeanour brightening.

“deal!” he exclaims with refound vigour.

the kisses are simple, soft pecks. changbin was still engrossed in fulfilling his quotidian routine, but once he grazed your bottom lip, and recognised the familiar strawberry balm, his mind short circuited.

the next couple of kisses, he grew impatient, hastily pulling up and leaning even impossibly closer to you; lingering to enjoy a moment’s longer taste. you ease back, swatting kittenishly at a rogue hand that comes to cup your cheek.

“play nice,” you facetiously scold.

several more sets of sit-ups pass by, and changbin sheepishly obeys, his lips practically ghosting over yours.

you became crescively enamoured by the scene before you. changbin’s biceps flexed in complete glory as he continued his routine. the plump, porcelain skin an inviting site for just one small bite.

you plunge forward as he comes up; a resounding yelp emits from him. his arms no longer bent at the sides of his head, as he rubs at the glistening, red-tinged indent of your teeth that imprint just below his shoulder.

“what did you just do?” changbin stares back at you, a look of disbelief growing on his face as his mouth hangs agape and his brows start to furrow.

you stumble back, stifling a chuckle of satisfaction. “they looked so biteable.”

“you’ve got biteable biceps, baby.” you croon nonsensically.

“mmm, yummy." you hold your hands up in front of you as you curl your fingers in to mimic claws. a deviously glint twinkles in your eyes.

changbin reciprocates your sprightly behaviour, and nimbly tackles you down onto the mat. his fingers tickling mercilessly at the sides of your torso causing you to writhe underneath him in a fit of giggles. with his elated mood, he peppers kisses from your temples to your cheeks, and along your jaw.

then, a light bulb switches on in his mind, and he halts. continuing to hover over you, the look in his eyes slightly darkens; he licks his lip in a sultry manner.

with a few swift moves, changbin effortlessly hoists you up from the mat, into his arms, and walks the two of you in the direction of your bedroom. a smirk mysteriously graces his features. you study his face, your wide eyes brimming with anticipation.

“it’s time i get a proper reward for all my hard work.”  

consider reading more: masterlist

૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა note; as per the poll, i wrote this in second person, and i hope there was enough variation between each member's storyline that it wasn't repetitive! the prompt list i stumbled upon sparked a bunch of different ideas but i couldn't confidently write for all members so i chose the "best" ideas out of all eight that i roughly plotted. as usual, please enjoy, and reblog if you liked it, thank you 💖 please check out the original post from @/scealaiscoite for the prompt! © stayfortwominutes ; september 02, 2023.

[dnickels]

I'm always blithely googling "copycat recipe" and soaring on the high of all the money I'll save before crashing into the brick wall of realization that I'll be the one putting in all that extra work copying the cat

[hpowellsmith]

Books of January

I've really enjoyed reading more this month! I always read a lot over the holidays and then fall out of the habit but ended up doing more this time around.

Wild: from Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail - Cheryl Strayed (reread)

I liked this when I first read it, and liked it even more this time. The sense of the outdoors and the personal journeys within feel incredibly real to me. It inspired me to get out and about more: I always feel better when I take some time outdoors. I didn't really get on with her other books, but this one remains a favourite.

Dancing on Eggshells: Kitchen, Ballroom, & The Messy Inbetween - John Whaite

Every so often I read a celebrity memoir and usually it falls a little flat - often too obviously ghostwritten/over-edited or glib or twee. This one is less over-polished which is to its benefit, includes a bunch of lovely recipes, and explores growing up gay in England during Section 28 (at the same time I was growing up). Whaite comes across as very sincere in this, and since publication has said he's quitting TV which is probably a good thing. It was interesting reading the Strictly parts having read Craig Revel Horwood's memoir last year - Revel Horwood is very blithe about how lovely it all is whereas Whaite gives a more complicated perspective.

Maw - Jude Ellison S. Doyle

This horror graphic novel is gripping in places but it didn't pull me in as much as I'd hoped having read Doyle's discussions about the writing process and inspirations. It was over a little fast, characters appeared and were killed off a little too speedily for it to have much impact, and the ending felt a little abrupt. I liked the characters and the general idea but would have liked more breathing room to get to know them. I've got The Neighbors on pre-order and hope to get into that one more.

The Easternmost Sky - Juliet Blaxland

I could write an essay about what was frustrating about this book - the lack of class-consciousness from someone who casually mentions going to visit cousins for Christmas at the local manor, the (wilfully?) ignorant comments about rewilding, the unexamined pro-hunting commentary - but parts of it are quite good and evocative. Having grown up in rural England where neither I nor my peers were involved with the hunting-and-shooting manor-house culture, it's irritating to read a book which cheerfully conflates "country life" with being someone who loves running to hounds and thinks hunting is great, but some of the descriptions were lovely. Still, I'd recommend other nature writers like Robert MacFarlane or Helen Macdonald (who engages with falconry, but in a much more thoughtful way) over this one.

The Lives of Christopher Chant - Diana Wynne Jones (reread)

This was a beloved book from my teenage years and I shared it with my child after there was a lot of enjoyment of Howl's Moving Castle and Charmed Life last year. This one was a harder sell, it turned out: it's slower-paced than I remember, and bleaker, and there's very DWJ-esque penultimate chapter where a lot of stuff suddenly happens and is revealed and resolved very fast. I do love Christopher and his friends, though, and as with many of DWJ's books, it does betrayal and sudden self-awareness heartbreakingly well.

Mexican Gothic - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

I. Loved. This. I loved it! I'd read a couple of Moreno-Garcia's books before and enjoyed them reasonably but this was the first one where it really grabbed me and wouldn't let go. A post-colonial Mexican gothic horror in which the heroine probes into an English family's business when her cousin, who's married into this family, sends a disturbed message begging for help... it's so good. I don't want to say anything more about it but I enjoyed it immensely and it solidified Moreno-Garcia as a favourite author.

Toto the Ninja Cat and the Legend of the Wildcat - Dermot O'Leary

This was really cute. My child and I ended up losing track of some of the plot, which became slightly complex, but it was generally adorable. There's not a ton else to say other than it's a nice story with a few jokes for adults that are good sensible-chuckle material.

Untamed Shore - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

This was so good. It's a noir thriller without the supernatural elements I'd encountered in the author's other work, but it gripped me excellently. I really enjoyed the unfolding dangerousness of all the characters, including the protagonist, and I was genuinely uncertain about what would happen towards the end - it had me really tense! I enjoyed it greatly.

[copperbadge]

Good Day Sam! Glad you got your spam, (ehm) for your next project the tumblr sweetoothgirl has a recipe posted for Douglas Fir Sugar Cookies, yes, you actually use douglas fir needles in the cookies! maybe this will be better than the Chicago Rainbow Ice Cream experiment

Oh, conceptually that's very interesting -- I know indigenous people used douglas fir in food and I believe in tea, so it's not unheard of, and sounds like it might taste pretty good.

That said, I suspect I'd have some trouble sourcing the real thing grown without pesticides/treatments, and I wouldn't trust myself to identify it properly if I wanted to try and like...harvest it locally. I think the recipe writer's assertion that it's easy to find in any region of North America is a bit blithe, but I hope people who do have access enjoy trying it out!

[ievaxol]

We were full of life

We could barely hold it in

"Alphinaud," Seike says his name like it's a whole sentence and Haurchefant — playing the role of amused onlooker, as he finds he often does nowadays — has to fight to stifle his laughter at the thoroughly unimpressed gaze she levels at the younger Elezen. "You don't know how to cook? Or you don't know how to cook well?"

"Either, I suppose," Alphinaud muses, blithely unaware of the metaphorical shovel he has in hand or the grave he's digging with it. "I have never been in a state where there is not prepared food readily found, I suppose? Though I have been known to prepare my own sandwiches, during late night study sessions back at the studium."

Whether it's a conscious thing or not he puffs out his chest as he says that, calling to mind a proud chocobo chick.

Seike answers with something like a grunt, signalling that the conversation is over as she stalks out of the room.

When Alphinaud turns his confusion toward Haurchefant he simply pats the boy's shoulder.

All things in due time.

"I cannot believe you managed to talk Luphont into this."

'This' being full access to the kitchens for as long as they needed, without the temperamental head chef of Camp Dragonhead looming over their shoulders. Haurchefant doesn't think it has ever happened before but Seike simply smiles, obviously pleased with herself.

"I promised not to tell the price I paid 'lest every damn person comes hounding me in this godsforsaken place.'" She manages to get Luphont's accent down pat and it makes Alphinaud snort.

"Now, Haurchefant, are you helping or are you going to stand over there and look lordly?"

Seike's in a good mood; the words dance, playful, and there's a mischievous twinkle in her eyes when she regards Haurchefant.

"Helping... With what?" Alphinaud wonders aloud and Seike turns to him with equal parts affection and frustration.

If anyone asked Haurchefant he'd say that the affection outweighed the frustration, even if just by a smidge.

"I told you, we're making food."

"Oh." Alphinaud looks at the neat line of bowls and spices lined up, as well as the aprons waiting for them. "So we are. I did not expect it to be so..."

"Literal?" Haurchefant suggests.

Seike ruffles Alphinaud's hair with a sigh.

---

For all his inexperience, Alphinaud is a quick study. They're making something significant to Seike if the softening around her eyes and the reverent way she touches the spices is anything to go by and Alphinaud must feel that as well as Haurchefant does, throwing himself into the work with enthusiasm.

Seike's voice is as always pleasant to listen to. She narrates every step patiently, voice eventually dropping down to a low hum in her throat; mix the breadcrumbs and the milk, well done Alphinaud, now chop the onion, carefully.

As she flits around showing Alphinaud how to not cut off his own fingers and has a lighthearted argument about recipes —

"How much spice?"

"Until it's enough."

"Is there no recipe to follow —"

"You'll know when its enough."

"But specific measurements —"

— Haurchefant is set on popoto duty. He doesn't mind and even less so when asked by a Seike who smiles in a way she hasn't since they arrived here. Unburdened. A little lopsided.

Something happened with her and Alphinaud on the battlefield that day a week back, that much he can tell. This newfound understanding between Seike and Alphinaud is of the type that is paid in blood, forged in the fires of war.

Haurchefant might wish with all his heart that it could have been avoided, but he is glad of it all the same. It will no doubt make their journey ahead easier, he thinks, chest filling with warmth as Seike guides Alphinaud's hands, showing how to crack eggs with as little mess as possible.

There's spiced and ground karakul meat that Seike no doubt paid a pretty coin for — or hunted herself — and homely bubbling from the pots. There's laughter and light conversation and love filling the kitchen until it's fit to burst with it, until Haurchefant has to excuse himself and wipe at suddenly misty eyes.

For the first time since he took the seat, Camp Dragonhead feels like a home.

Alphinaud's meatballs turn out lumpy at first and he stares at them with a furrow in his brows until Seike pops one in her mouth — raw — and startles him into indignant protest, getting him worked up to the point where he forgets all about chasing perfection.

"Excellent work on the salt," Seike says around a mouthful of meat and Alphinaud squeaks.

Haurchefant follows suit — he finds that they're not bad at all, chewing thoughtfully as Alphinaud watches them both with abject horror.

"I'll have you know that those are raw," he says helplessly.

"Mhm." Seike agrees. "Better up the pace and get them on the flame then, before we eat them all."

"You wouldn't."

Alphinaud looks to Haurchefant for reassurance, except he makes a show of swallowing and then tapping his chin.

"I am rather hungry after all..."

---

They eat their meal at the kitchen tables. It is usually only for those needing a quick bite as they work but they dress it up nonetheless. It simply feels right in a way that making a meal of it in the great hall wouldn't — Seike sings to herself as she makes some last-minute adjustments and Alphinaud is trying not to look as proud as a newly become mother and failing.

Spiced meatballs with mashed popoto, jam, pickled cucumber and a sauce that Seike claimed as her pride and joy.

Alphinaud insists on serving them, shooing them toward the chairs before doling out portions with great concentration. Like this, mouth pursed and eyes gleaming with the joy of having done something well for the first time, he looks every bit the teenager Haurchefant knows has been hiding underneath the politics and plans.

In place of young Leveilleur the prodigy from Sharlayan is Alphinaud, a gangly teenage boy. It makes something pinch in Haurchefant's chest, painful and proud in equal measure.

Seike watches him work with a small smile curling her lips and once Alphinaud sits down alongside them she looks at him expectantly.

"Let us know when we can dig in," she says, voice wavering.

Haurchefant thinks that might be her equivalent to his misty eyes and he reaches under the table to squeeze her hand, getting a strong squeeze back.

"Well," Alphinaud puffs his chest out some more. "Enjoy! I dare say this is my best work yet."

"It is your first work?" Seike frowns before realization flashes in her eyes. "The sandwiches don't count, Alphinaud."

"Do they not — ?"

Haurchfant laughs throughout the entire argument.

[loosesodamarble]

Simple Happiness

Summary: Morgen and his son Albert work a little and rest a little together. Genre: general Word count: ~650

..........

“Alright now. Up. You. Goooo!” With a grunt, Morgen hefted up his son, Albert who had in his hands a damp bedsheet.

With an energetic “hup!” Albert folded the sheet over the laundry line.

“Don’t forget to pin it down,” reminded Morgen.

“Right, right!” Albert squirmed a bit in Morgen’s grasp as he took a few clothespins clipped to his shirt then applied them to the hanging sheet. “Done!”

Morgen set down Albert and the moment the boy touched the ground, he hurried over to the basket filled with more items to hang.

For a nobleman and his son to be doing a mundane chore like they were, one would’ve thought that the family had fallen on hard times and couldn’t afford to hire servants. In reality, Morgen delighted in putting his effort into work that was simpler than the tasks of being a Magic Knight. There was a mundane joy in sorting colors and the smell of recently cleaned linens. It was made more fun by having Albert help him with the chore.

Given a moment to himself, Morgen took in his surroundings. There was the clothes line meant for the bedsheets but other lines where tunics, skirts, and other clothing items hung to dry. His gaze drifted upward to the clear sky. The sun hadn’t yet reached its peak but it still dazzled in the heavens and washed the world in warmth thanks to there being no clouds that day.

A tug on Morgen’s shirt drew his attention back to the ground. Albert had a new sheet balled up in one arm as his other arm was occupied with Morgen.

“Get your heads out of the clouds, Dad,” Albert said as he tugged a bit harder.

“Right.” Morgen grinned at Albert. “Sorry about that, Al.”

Albert gave a blithe shrug and replied, “It’s no big deal. At least you’re paying attention now.”

The two Fausts had all the sheets hung up in no time with just a little more work and no more distractions thanks to Albert keeping his father on task. Since that was the last of the laundry to put up, the two took a break. A pitcher of lemonade, kept cool with a nifty magic tool, had been waiting for them and now was the time for them to enjoy it.

“Ahhh… Mom’s lemonade recipe is the best, right dad?” Albert asked and grinned up at Morgen.

“Not in my opinion. I’m still in favor of a sweeter blend,” Morgen laughed. Still, Morgen tipped his glass forward and savored the tartness of Josele’s take on the beverage. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand your or your mother’s palettes.”

“Mhm. But you still love us.”

“Indeed. I’ll love you for all your oddities rather than in spite of them.”

Silence fell over the two for a while. Sun beams warmed them up. But the lemonade and a passing breeze kept them cool. Cloth rippled from the wind. The clothes quietly fluttered while the bedsheets could be heard flapping from the gust.

“Dad… Is it weird that I want to do laundry everyday because I like watching it all dry?”

“Hmm. Perhaps it’s a bit strange to want to make more work for yourself, but I can see where you’re coming from.” Morgen took in the view before him and Albert. Closing his eyes, he thought of other mundane joys in his own life. “I enjoy brushing your mother’s hair but I know she’d get fed up if I kept playing with her hair just to amuse myself. It’s good to enjoy the little things…”

“Like the taste of Mom’s lemonade?”

“Or her other recipes that aren’t so sour…”

“What else… Oh, piano lessons with you, Dad. Those are nice!”

“Why thank you!”

“Can I keep listing things? This is kinda fun!”

“I’d love to hear what you have in mind.”

[cb-ps]

Basic Cake and an Esplanade

Today is nearing the end of April. This is what defines how disappointing the rest of the year goes like, because it has already been a hell of a month. Travel was not so fortuitous in my horoscope this chapter, with things looking more like I am drafted back in towards My-Old-Parents'-House; but it goes along with being creative in a Dutiful Springtime. Nearing May, things known as recipes on the board are more like scattered hash and grapple-muffins, there is just enough of what sounds like "right now for brunch" for that excessive crunch of flax seeds, and quinoa.

What does it matter? I'd done this fantastic half-baked bread, where I roll it in scores of quick-bake (aldente? ) quinoa, to save it for later, or for soups. You can prettymuch use that as what cornbread is in the southern states, whether you'd prefer that entree as a bother of french toast, or more like mashed potatoes are to gravy. It's also one of those good-for-you things, and doesn't taste half bad when nuked over sourdough. You'd have to try it with an appropriate sauce, though. All through the graciously misted length of this time of the year leading up to our favorite summertime weather, baked french toast made with too many eggs and cheesecaake crust are what's sitting on Sommebat's posh ass doilies. They're all covered in sprinkles, and it looks like a plate of charades, then in breaking out the lavender, allspice, and creme, this actually celebrated the recent new lava-formed templates out in the world, with some info about planetary moons. I'm alright with all that, because what sparkles and shines isn't all up for a tart, and then neither is it so perpetual that it can take itself up as a day falling sunbeams and radio DJ's, but it keeps those real sketchers glowing. Talking outright sprite about the week-to-week joys of eating something good doesn't get old. I'll have to update the Scrapbook, and the Actual Looks pages, here right quickly ---- I have not done the same thing twice since we were eating blokey croissants, looking internationally about Swiss Cheeses. Before food does us in for the innuendum ~ I'd also like to mention again how wonderful Milkshakes are, and that they may be the only thing keeping some people of us alive, during any fathomable crisis letalone a health-procuring standard one; so don't forget Your Favorite Day[s]. #avakinlife is the better Mirror Emblem in all days gone by, so far. I've got a lot of writing I think I'm going to spend a few days specifically avoiding people during, but I'll get those pictures up while I'm working through the yada-grovels. Unfathomably, this week-by-week parlor dip is concurrent with finding out the homestead is riddled with cancer, and it makes my life more difficult. Don't be asueded by the thought it's mine; I've got enough dap in my own apothecary --- I'm here working between myselves and all my shelves and all that stuff, and mum's got thin-air. Travel doesn't even sit right there, it too, is kind of all over the place. #besupportive I can't wait to pick up that dishwashing gig. Need the quicker bandwagon to fix the sinker. Cheers 'til Deer Stew, Cinnamon Blithe

[boissonsaumiel]

Blog Directory

Meadmaking for the Blithe and Erratic: A Tutorial

3 Rules of Thumb: How Not to Fuck Up Your First Mead Batch

Project Log

Tags: #brewer's resources | #mead recipes | #asks & answers | #mead journal | #progress photos

[aulilifestyle]

We all want to know the very best techniques for getting healthy, bright skin, regardless of whether you follow a modest beauty regimen or devour whatever skincare and makeup tips you can get your hands on. We make sure that our daily routine includes drinking enough water, cleaning our faces before night, and trying our best to avoid anything poisonous that can irritate our pores, so for the most part, we've got the essentials covered.

Innovation is wonderful, but it seems like there's always a new ingredient, method, or product on the market these days, along with a wealth of skincare tips to go with it. Given that taking care of our skin is high on our priority list, we consulted with a number of renowned physicians and estheticians to learn more about all the tips and tried-and-true knowledge they have acquired over the course of their careers.

Tip #1: Apply sunscreen and stay out of the sun

Avoid being in the sun, and if you must, apply sunscreen and a hat. I adore Colorescience's Sunforgettable Complete Protection Brush-On Shield SPF 50 and Coolibar clothes for sun protection. — Elizabeth Tanzi, MD, the company's founder and executive director

The use of a sunscreen with anti-inflammatory and barrier-repairing compounds is one of my finest skincare recommendations. The ideal sunscreen has at least SPF 30 and offers UVA and UVB protection. Even during the non-summer months, I advise using Epionce Ultra Shield Lotion SPF 50 every day. ― Dr. Carl Thornfeldt, the man who started Epionce.

Step 2: Schedule a Full-Body Exam

"By the time you turn 30, you must have a dermatologist perform a complete body skin examination. Any moles you may have should be examined by qualified eyes, and you should be able to monitor them in the future for changes. The dermatologist can also show you how to properly check your own skin. This is crucial because, if detected in the earliest stages, the deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma, is almost always treatable. Armed with the knowledge of what to look for, women may be able to save their own lives. – Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi

3. Stack goods in ascending order of thickness

"Everything between toning and moisturizing is a treatment stage in our book. The best way to ensure that each layer of serum and essence is effectively absorbed by the skin is to layer them from thinnest to thickest. The Blithe Tundra Chaga Pressed Serum is good. ― Glow Recipe's co-founders Sarah Lee and Christine Chang

4: Encourage Blood Flow

"One of my go-to skincare tricks is applying ginseng topically; it acts to improve blood flow in the capillaries, promoting a healthy, firmed, and radiant-from-within countenance. Extra points if you use your ginseng on top of a product with hydrating hyaluronic acid! — Christine Chang and Sarah Lee

This Ginseng Collagen Boost Mask from 100% Pure comes highly recommended.

5. Optimize the Fit of Your Sheet Mask

"When using a sheet mask, cut from the side of the nose fold to the eye hole to increase adherence. By doing so, you'll be able to wiggle the mask just so, bringing it up against your undereyes to avoid tenting. To further improve fit, slice the mask if necessary below the cheekbone and layer it over itself. Use an aloe vera-based mask, such as Whamisa's Organic Hydrogel Mask, to test it out. — Christine Chang and Sarah Lee

[timothysp]

Drawing is about forgetting.

When you look at a face, your mind takes all the faces you’ve ever seen before and turns them into something you expect to see. It builds a symbol of a nostril, a symbol of a cheek.

Instead of the face in front of you, you get a symbol of a face.

And that’s because if you tried to go around noticing the face of every person you pass in what’s probably already a pretty stressful life, that’s a recipe for blithely walking out into traffic. So our minds just show us symbols built from faces that we’ve seen before. It's biological. It’s why police lineups are notoriously inaccurate. We literally don’t see each other.

So when you’re drawing you have to stop and ask, "does it really look the way I think it looks?"

Does my loved-one’s face look the way I think it looks? How does my memory of them compare to the real person? Or is that just how I think they are, or should be? 

In the past you noticed little details like the curving line where their gums wrap their teeth. But over time, as you've become more familiar with their face, you only see what you expect to see. You have to forget all that in order to draw.

You know what I’m talking about because there are moments when something catches you off-guard and you see someone's face for the first time in possibly days, weeks... it stops you in your tracks. You start to see their wrinkles and blemishes as remarkable, beautiful things that make them who they are, because if you changed them, they would change into another person. 

And then you have to ask yourself, "Have I built a symbol of their personality, their life as well?”

When you start to really look, a face just goes on and on forever. You start to forget the way you thought things were. Drawing is about forgetting.

[maple-seed]

Thrown - Chapter 15: Earthen

Summary: Loki and Thor are perplexed by one of your studio practices. Loki attends a demonstration and does what he can to get on your nerves.

Word Count: 2,136

Author's Note: Guys, I don't know why but everybody spends this whole chapter talking about clay. I tried to get them to do something else, I really did. They insisted on the clay. If you can just bear with me, I promise in next week's chapter nobody mentions clay at all. Not even once.

Masterlist

Today was one of those days when Thor and Loki were destined to run into you. They were returning from the town and had just caught you in your field while moving between your buildings. Now they stood on the outside of your wall while you and your dog leaned on it from the inside. Thor was ruffling Ash's fur when he asked after your plans for the day.

"Just working, really. Gonna throw some stuff later but first I have to make clay." Thor exchanged a quick, perplexed look with Loki. "You have to make clay?" "Yeah. You know... for the pottery?" Thor rolled his eyes. "Yes, but it was my understanding that it was dug out of the earth." "Oh, true, it can be, and some people do use that stuff for pottery. But if you make it yourself you know you're getting the same thing every single time. It's more consistent. Plus it's cheaper to buy the ingredients in bulk, in the long run." "Fascinating." Thor turned to Loki. "She manufactures clay." "I'm not surprised." Loki responded blithely. "Humans are always complicating what should be simple." It was your turn to roll your eyes. "It's not complicated. Actually, I was about to get to it. I can give you boys a demonstration, if you want." You gestured toward your studio. "Ah, I'm afraid I do not have the time today." Thor answered regretfully. "My schedule is full." "I'd like to see it." Loki piped up. You looked slightly surprised. "Really?" "Yes, I'm interested to see how a human manifests earth." You laughed. "You guys are really making a much bigger deal out of this than it is." "You must tell me how it's done." Thor said to Loki, seemingly ignoring your remark. "I'll give you a full report on the machinations of a clay-maker when I return." Loki was moving to open the gate. "Okay guys, this is a little ridiculous. It's seriously not that interesting." "A full report." Loki said in a serious tone to a grinning Thor.

Thor bid the two of you goodbye as you led Loki across the grass to the back door of your studio, with Ash following behind. "Ash, bed." You pointed and the dog obediently walked to the cushion near your throwing wheel and laid down.

You brought Loki to the adjacent room he'd seen before, the one that held the deep sink and the machinery. He now saw that in addition to the machines and the sink, there were several shelves filled with sacks, boxes, and bins, and there was a second door in the back wall. All of this clutter made the room seem much smaller than it actually was.

You closed the door and handed him a small box. "Here, this one's brand new." Then you took something off a hook on the wall, which turned out to be a mask that you slipped on over your nose and mouth. Loki looked down at the box you handed him, it had the same type of mask inside. He at you skeptically. You slipped the mask down to speak. "What, are you going to tell me that gods don't have lungs?" "Well, certainly not frail ones like you mortals." "Wear the mask." You said firmly. "I'm not going be responsible for the first ever case of Asgardian Silicosis." You pulled your mask back into place and gave him a pointed stare until he put his mask on as well.

You pulled out a metal bucket from one of the shelves and set it on the floor. Your voice was muffled as you pointed to a piece of paper taped to the wall, it listed portions of ingredients. Loki recognized some of the words, like "feldspar" or "silica". However, he was certain that "grog" was not a real word. There were other papers taped to the wall, presumably recipes for other clays, they each had some strange name at the top. You moved around the room scooping various powders out of the bags and bins, checking their weights on a scale before dumping them into the bucket. You then handed Loki a flat wooden paddle and instructed him to mix the ingredients. At least, he was pretty certain that's what you asked, your voice was muffled. As he mixed you began filling a bucket with water in the sink, weighing it, and pouring it into the machine against the wall.

This machine had a deep round basin that came up to your waist, with metal arms inside. You poured the measured water into the basin then pulled out a plastic tub that he recognized. It was full of very wet clay, the items you had thrown but were rejected and tossed aside. He could see what looked like the remnants of a mug resting on the surface, slowly disintegrating. You took several handfuls of this clay and tossed it into the basin, closed the lid, and turned the machine on. The metal arms inside began rotating, mixing the contents. You took the bucket of dry materials from Loki and began slowly pouring it into the basin through an open grate on the lid. The mixture inside gradually became thicker.

Once the bucket was empty you motioned Loki to follow you out of the room, and you shut the door behind him. You pulled down your mask, and let it hang around your neck. "See? Not that big of a deal." Loki removed his mask as well. "Yes, and far more complicated than needed, as expected." "It's not complicated! You take some dry stuff and mix it with wet stuff!" "Your planet creates clay for you and rather than use that you've built a machine to combine the individual components of clay manually." "This clay is more specific. It's better for pottery." "We had plenty of fine pottery on Asgard with none of this foolishness." You rolled your eyes and began setting up your work station at your wheel. "Yes, I forgot how superior Asgard was." "Well, at least you're learning." You scoffed.

Loki leaned a shoulder against the wall. "Is that it, then?" "It has to mix for a few minutes then I'll take it out. Pretty much it, though." "A little anticlimactic." "I told you!" There was just the edge of playful frustration in your voice. "You made it all seem so mysterious and enigmatic." Loki held back a smirk as he teased. You shook your head contemptuously. "Yeah, well, that's basically it. You can go home now." "No, I must see it through to the end. I promised Thor a full report." Another eye roll as you continued setting up.

Several minutes had passed, your work station was ready. You pulled out a large plastic tub with a lid and carried it to the door for the clay room. Loki followed.

You turned to him with your hand on the doorknob. "Everything should be settled. You won't need your mask this time." "I doubt I needed it the first time." You waved dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

You opened the door and carried the plastic tub over the the machine which was still steadily churning its contents. You shut it off and lifted the lid. The basin was now filled with grey clay.

You reached in and tested the material. "Yep, looks good."

You set the tub on the floor, removed the lid, and opened a plastic bag inside it. Then you reached into the basin of the machine, removing large handfuls of clay and depositing them into the bin. You continued this process for some time, stretching and straining to reach all the clay in the basin, removing the portions stuck to the mixing arms, scraping the walls. This, Loki realized, must have been what you were doing the day he and Thor found you covered in clay. Between reaching into the machinery and unceremoniously dropping the clay into the tub, your arms and clothes were thoroughly muddied, with stray smears and flecks on your face and hair. Even Loki had to take a step back to remain clean.

Once the clay was cleared from the basin you twisted the plastic bag closed and sealed the lid on the tub. You then began dragging the tub across the floor and out into the main room. It made an awful scraping noise and Loki quickly picked up the other side to put an end to the sound. You gave him a strained thanks as the two of you carried the tub to the back of the main room. There were wooden shelves built into the wall holding similar bins. With a grunt you heaved the tub up onto a shelf, then you took a marker and wrote the name of the clay and today's date on a piece of tape stuck to the side of the bin.

You brushed your hands against one another, not that it did anything to clean them, and gave Loki a satisfied smile. "Ta-da. Done." "You aren't going to use the clay?" "Sure, eventually." You returned to your wheel at the front of the room and took a seat. "It has to age first. There's bacteria in the clay and as they grow and die the clay becomes more pliable. I kick-start it a little bit by adding old clay to the mix but you still want to wait at least six months before using it." "Interesting." Loki leaned against the wall while you began working clay on the wheel. "You're exploiting the labor of millions of creatures." "All in all, I think they probably get to live pretty good lives, for bacteria."

He watched as you transformed a lump of clay into a bowl. "Do you ever tire of the repetition?" You thought about it for a moment, eyes focused on the spinning clay in your hands. "No, not really. I find it soothing." He had a hard time disagreeing as he watched you work. You cut this bowl free and inspected it. "Anyway, even if it's the same motions it still feels different every time." You set the bowl aside and gathered a new portion of clay. "You never know what the clay's going to do. How it will react." He took a seat in the chair propping open the door, leaning back and stretching his legs out. "You speak of it as if it's alive." "It is." You stated firmly. "Weren't you listening? I just said so a minute ago." He chuckled. "Forgive me."

He watched you conjure another bowl out of nothing. And then another. He continued asking the occasional question and you seemed quite happy to answer. At some point a concern crossed his mind.

"Am I distracting you from your work?" You smiled without looking up from your current project. "No, not at all. Gerdy and I used to talk and throw. We'd pass hours that way." The second, unused wheel suddenly seemed much more prominent in the room. Had it always taken up so much space? "It's been nice to have company while working." Your voice snapped him back to the present. "If you ever want to learn to throw I'd be happy to teach you. I promise not to go all Ghost on you." His brows furrowed. "What do spirits have to do with pottery?" You laughed. "Oh. Right. Nevermind." Loki gathered that there was a joke he had missed. "I'm sorry to say that I can't stay much longer. We are helping Gillison move his family to new accommodations this afternoon." "That's alright. I've still got Ash for company." You glanced at the dog laying on his cushion. His tail thumped in response to his name being mentioned. "He doesn't seem like he's much for dialogue." Loki said. "Maybe, but he never disagrees with me, either."

There were several more minutes of conversation, you had questions about the move and how the construction had been going. Eventually, Loki stood. "Now I have to inform Thor of how greatly you misled us regarding the excitement of clay making." You threw a small lump of clay at him with surprising accuracy. He caught it easily, of course, but it still left him with clay on his hands. "Hah!" You said victoriously. "That was entirely uncalled for." He dropped the lump on the floor and tried to shake his hand free of the remnants. "You are pushing my buttons and you know it." "I don't know what you're talking about. First you lure me here with this false grandeur of clay making-" "You guys are the ones who made a big deal out of it!" "Only because you made it seem so mysterious and intrig-" He quickly ducked out the door, a second ball of clay missed its mark and hit the floor.

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@mischief2sarawr, @imalovernotahater, @norestfortheshelbywicked, @purplekitten30, @ozymdias, @chantsdemarins, @pdraxxi

[philtstone]

at last: part one

Summary: "Wasn’t the whole point of this that Sarah told you over a year ago she wanted to get married?" says Sam.

Or, Bucky finally proposes. Well -- he's planning on it, anyway. He's just gotta field all these phonecalls first.

The whole business of it is his own fault. Sam calls to ask him well, have you figured it out maybe once every two days since that day Sheira’s birthday party happened, when Bucky had pulled him aside while everyone was busy with the pinata. 

Or. Well. Sam claims he’s calling for other things, even just calling to check in as any loving brother might, and that also happens to be on his mind, you know, why not just ask? But Bucky knows better. Sam calls specifically to ask. This would be manageable on its own, only then Yelena figures it out over text, because she’s a menace. It’s not long after that that Kate is in the loop as well. They do a job – Bucky is retired, officially, so they really does mean the others; he spends his time working afternoon dock shifts with Lou and learning the family lobster mac recipe – but anyway, they do a job and within twelve hours he gets two texts congratulations! from Layla and Steven, one cryptic welcome to the club from Marc and a fucking Signal call from Russia. That, too, is Bucky’s own fault. Why he ever installed the app is beyond him.

“Is double-ways encrypted and not owned by Facebook,” Yelena says blithely, when he brings this up, in the immediate, kind-of-irate-because-she’s-the-only-way-they’d-know follow-up phone call. “Very hard to hack or whatever. You put it to the hack test?”

Bucky begrudgingly admits he did.  

“It could be better,” he grunts, noncommittal.

“Ha,” Yelena says, a little triumphantly. “You are more paranoid than I am, so I win. What was I supposed to do, not tell Alexei? I think he would cry if you got married and he hear after the fact, Bucky Barnes. He still thinks you’re some kind of real Russian.”

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[definitelynotplanetfall]

It's different things but the big ones are "people already have the mods installed, and if I change things they will have to redesign parts of their base" and "if I add compatibility some mods but not others that do substantially (or superficially) similar things, it looks like favoritism, hypocrisy, or laziness."

Here's the concrete example that spawned this: I kept wanting to add the late-midgame components from my mod to other mods' advanced mining drills. This wasn't too difficult for the big mods I was already supporting. However I noticed that BZ mods, which my mods are kind of patterned on (I go for a slightly different vibe but "BZ and planetfall mods" is an obvious category) and with which I try to maintain universal compatibility, made these recipes kind of bloated: advanced drills need diamonds and tungsten carbide, and the more ingredient types a recipe takes the harder it is to route all of them into a machine producing it, leading players to either handcraft the recipe in the game about not having to handcraft recipes, or just obsessively pursue making a bot mall, which is sort of a joyless construction in my mind and undoes much of the point of having mods complexify basic production chains but I am clearly in the minority with this opinion. So while I really wanted to add items to these recipes, they could not comfortably fit them.

So, my solution was to simply smush them all into one item.

I then, foolishly, thought to myself: "I should go through every mining drill mod that gets diamonds and tungsten carbide added to its recipes. While I'm at it I can do my usual messing-up-the-recipes-with-my-own-parts, safe in the knowledge that I won't bloat them with the wrong combination of BZ mods."

The trouble is that a) my system of parts just Does Not Work with mods that just add five tiers of better mining drills to the end of the game. It's hard to explain because yes I could just add the items to the recipe, there's no technical reason preventing it, but the intangible thingamabob-utopia vibe is off and the intangible thingamabob-utopia vibe is all my mods have going for them. and b) I fundamentally Do Not Respect mods that just add many tiers of recolored faster machines but no interesting gameplay. If you replace every entity in your base with one that is twice as fast, your production numbers are twice as high but in another sense you haven't done anything, you haven't designed anything, you have missed the point of the game. These are often unlocked after or close to the point that the game formally ends, so they are not an upgrade on the path through the game, they are an upgrade to the "let's see how big I can build, as a challenge" optional stage that just ups the numbers (but also, if we're being honest with ourselves, also ups the target for those numbers before they're impressive, so it net adds nothing.)

The issue is that because BZ mods is aiming for a different vibe, and are not prissy about the things I am prissy about, and aren't generally bothering with machine parts so much as materials, they can just blithely add 5 tungsten carbide to every superfluous drill tier, shrug and say that's all the support that's necessary, and call it a day without compromising what makes BZ mods worthwhile. In order for me to support these mods I will have to look at their recipes in detail, ascertain their Vibe, figure out how they work with all 8 (count 'em) possible loadouts of my mods (there are two, variants hard-easy-off * hard-easy-off, I don't need to think about off-off), which are more complex to handle than the fractally more loadouts of BZ mods because there are so many more core intermediates, except not core because they're behind a setting called "experimental" that I have vaguely pinky promised I will eventually finalize and rename to "hard mode" but now most of the content of the mod is in "hard mode" and it would be more accurate to rename it to "disable easy mode," and then I would have to more redesign than tweak 30 different recipes for the same 5 recolored mining drills I don't respect. All this to avoid the conspicuous absence of replacing tungsten carbide and diamonds in mining drills on the Replacing Tungsten Carbide And Diamonds In Mining Drills component.

(What's that, I did a tangent midsentence? The problems can't be listed linearly without sounding like a litany of disconnected excuses because they branch off in the middle of each other? Curious! Sounds like I'm trying to hide the disconnectedness of my excuses for laziness and prissiness!)

Then consider that once I fully add compatibility with these recolor-tier mods that I don't respect, they are often parts of a series of recolor-tier mods I don't respect, and then I will have to do (nontechnical, they will still load together, but vibic) integration with 50 more recolor-tier mods I don't respect, some of which mess with the precise way vanilla tiers work, with possible settings that mess with the way they mess with the way vanilla tiers work, which is extra bits of combinatorial hell on top of my 8 (count 'em) loadouts and partial overhaul support, and I will have to do this because if I add industrial drill heads to every recolor-tier drill mod BZ mods touch in order to not look prissier, lazier and arroganter than BZ mods, the conspicuous absence will move to "why did you support hiladdar's mining drills but not hiladdars belts or assemblers" and on top of that every player and their cat is building their factory on the pattern of the main bus or bot hive which is a fully general and visually, structurally and mechanically boring (and optimal! post about how you like spaghetti and Spike and Internalized-Spike will murder you to death) solution to the fundamentally spaghetti problems I want to pose so what is the point

but on the seventeenth hand, I do really want to add complex joints to the AAI area mining drill, which I do respect because of the vibe and context of it as a part of space exploration, but I can't formalize and defend vibe against shape rotators among whom I am undoubtedly some kind of sinister interloper.

i need to make some kind of policy for like. adding my intermediates to machine recipes in tier-porn mods. i.e. do i do it in a very formulaic way. do i try to catch the vibe of every mod's recipes and emulate it. do i just fucking refuse.

there are so many of these things.

it's frustrating because even thinking about it gives me the badfeel, the what is the point of this, the i don't belong here because clearly the thing i am getting from the game is not the thing everyone else is getting, the i shouldn't listen to music because everyone is valuing these insane things i don't understand and i just need it to sound nice and not insult me and i'm stupid and shouldn't be allowed opinions. there are things in the game that could use a higher tier, but at a certain number of recolored assemblers with a higher number you have to ask what you're doing.