#don’t think about it too hard it’s just a cool composition

[twistyfish]

prompt~ non-mc reader feeling sad because she feels she lacks the relationship mc has with the lads. requested by anon!

Zayne

Her long, straight brown hair fell in front of her face, and she tucked it behind her ear with slender fingers. Her laughter filled your ears like sticky molasses, and you couldn’t wash it out no matter how hard you tried.

In front of her kneeled Zayne, wiping a cut on her knee with a wet tissue and bandaging it, kissing it gently. You watched as he chided her for being careless and getting hurt.

You wished he would scold you like that.

They stood up and walked away, his arm subtly resting around her waist to support her.

She rested her head against his shoulder. She was so brave. She got injured often because of her profession.

You were an accountant. Your last injury was a paper cut.

The wind blew her hair into Zayne’s face, and you watched him brush it away and arrange it neatly on her shoulders with a smile.

They walked away into the distance, and all you could do was watch.

Sylus

“Can you get my back?” Sylus asked, holding out the bottle of sunscreen to MC.

She nodded and began working the cream into his back, massaging his shoulder blades as she went.

Sylus smiled as she used her strength to massage him. “Nice arm, kitten.”

You sat next to your sandcastle, patting the wet globs of sand together into rough turrets. It was coming together, sort of.

Sylus crouched down next to you. “How’s the castle coming along?”

“It’s getting there.”

“Do you want to come surf with us?”

You hesitated. Truthfully, you weren’t very adventurous. You were a little nervous to ride the waves.

“Come on, it’ll be fun!” MC smiled at you, her surfboard held under her muscular arm.

“Um, no, I’m okay,” you responded shyly.

“Alright. Have fun building, then.” She waved at you and they both turned, running into the waves. MC squealed as the cool water hit her legs, and Sylus laughed his deep, rich laugh. He splashed her, grinning as she made various high pitched noises in response.

You sat with your sandcastle, smoothing the sides with no zeal at all. Your focus was gone. All you could think about were her hands on his back, his grin as he splashed her, their shared laughter as they ran into the water.

Your thoughts were interrupted by Sylus shouting. “Hey! Come in, it’s nice and cool.”

You shook your head.

Rafayel

“Wow, your drawings are ass,” Rafayel remarked.

“Shut up, loser.”

“Look at __’s drawing. It has such a nice composition.”

You felt pride swell in your chest at his compliment. “Thanks, Raf.”

“Of course, cutie. I’m just telling it as it is. Ms. Bodyguard could learn a thing or two from you.”

“I don’t understand how you can get everything so proportional,” MC grumbled.

“Here, let me show you.” He stood up and positioned himself behind her, taking her hand with the pencil in it and mapping out rough lines.

“Just make the general shapes first,” he murmured, hand guiding hers across the paper.

You looked away, trying to focus on your own drawing. You could hear him softly instructing her, and you sort of wished you were a beginner too in that moment.

You mindlessly sketched, and you ended up with a lazy looking cat.

“Oh, is it sad?” Rafayel asked peering over your shoulder.

“No, it’s sleepy.”

“Sleepy all the time, just like you,” he said playfully to MC, elbowing her.

“I’m not sleepy all the time! You’re thinking of Xavier,” she argued back. They continued to bicker as you watched.

Maybe it was a little sad.

Xavier

You rang the bell out of politeness despite knowing Xavier’s door code. You had made some banana muffins, and you wanted him to try them. When there was no answer, you figured you would just go inside and drop them off in the kitchen.

You entered the door code and walked inside quietly. As you passed through the living room, you had to stifle a gasp. Xavier and MC were laying together on the couch, under the blanket.

You immediately looked away, setting the muffins on the counter and moving to tiptoe out of the room. Unfortunately, the rustling woke them up.

“__? Is that you?” Came Xavier’s groggy voice.

“No- yes! Um, I just came in to drop off some muffins. I’m leaving, don’t worry!”

Xavier sat up, the blanket falling off his shoulders and pooling around his bare chest.

Your eyes widened and you turned around.

“Hey, __. Where are you going?” MC was off the couch (wearing clothes, thankfully) walking towards you.

“Yeah, sorry about that. We just got back from training and crashed. We were both exhausted,” Xavier said.

Oh. They were sleeping.

“Sorry for waking you guys.”

“Don’t worry about it. Want to nap with us?”

You paused. “I’m good, don’t worry. I’ll just be going now.” With that, you awkwardly put your shoes back on and left the house. The image of them snuggling under the blanket was cemented to your brain.

That night, you slept hugging a pillow.

[aurossaga]

We Were Nothing the Wind Couldn't Catch - pt. 2

>>Part 1<<

Venti x gn!reader

Genre: Fluff, Rivals with repressed feelings

Word count: ~1.8k

Warnings: Sassy bard

Summary: You find yourself strumming a tune that's been on your mind as the day comes to a close, only to find that even as night draws near, you still have an audience.

The moonlight drapes over Mondstadt like a muted shawl. The flames of lamps and lanterns flicker on their crooked posts, their oil nearly spent as the street’s signs creak where they hang, tired banners swaying in the breeze with no one left to see them. You settle on the edge of the fountain in the market square, the cold of the stone seeping through your sturdy clothes, the familiar weight of your lyre resting in your lap. The square is empty. Even the wind whispers only in hushed tones at this hour.

You didn’t exactly plan to come back here tonight. You had a great few days, your performances vastly improved after your last encounter with Venti. Somehow, that irritated you too. You were improving at your craft, but it still felt like a loss.

Your fingers move anyway, ghosting over the strings. One note, then another, light as breath, unsure as an unasked question. You tell yourself it’s just to loosen the tension in your hands, to not let the cool wind of the night give you a chill… But you can’t fool yourself entirely.

And still, somehow, it’s his melody that comes.

Soft and slow, an elegant composition. The one he left, scratched in ink on a scrap of parchment that must have somehow slipped into your pocket a couple mornings ago.

You pause, press your thumb hard against a string, constraining the sound before you let it go. But it’s too late. The wind has already taken the notes, winding them through shuttered windows and sleeping streets. They sound different in the open air… Gentler, almost tender.

You hate that.

You hate how the lyrics lingers in your mouth. How your hands keep finding the chords.

How he’s not here, and somehow it still feels like you’re playing for him.

The last few notes trail off, barely audible beneath the soft rusting of leaves in the wind. You don’t play another chord at first. You just sit there, staring at your trembling fingers like they’ve betrayed you. Because they have.

They often do when Venti’s concerned.

You try to summon the old feeling. The irritation, the sharp edge of your voice when quarreling with the bard. The way his grin makes your blood rise, how every word from his mouth is just clever enough to be unbearable. You want to be angry. You should be angry.

But here you are. Playing his music, as an admission of defeat.

You lean back, letting your head tip toward the sky, eyes half-closed as the stars blink down at you with a cold indifference. Venti’s melody still echoes through your mind, like the echo of something you never agreed to carry. You should’ve burned that scrap of parchment before the notes burned themselves into your mind like that. Before the lyrics etched themselves into your mind and played over and over again, refusing to die down unless you were to utter them out loud.

You think of his hands. Quick, smug, impossibly sure of himself. The way he plays as if the whole world exists only to listen, muses as if the very heavens seek to be his audience. You recall the way he looked at you last time, head tilted, voice a little too quiet, like he’d caught onto something you were trying to conceal.

You exhale sharply, shaking your head. This is nothing. He’s just in your head because he put himself there. That’s what he does. That’s how it always is. How else would he rise to such popularity so quickly? It’s not like his compositions are that vastly different from the tens of other bards running around Mondstadt.

And still, his melody lingers on your lips, in the very back of your throat as you choke it back with all your might.

You’re not thinking about how his hands held yours so much more softly than you expected of him, how the light flutter of his cloak graced your thigh, how the rumble in his chest when he whispered patient instructions to you resonated within your own.

You’re not thinking about any of that.

Another gust of wind sighs through the square, cool against your cheeks. You curl your fingers tighter around the lyre’s frame and close your eyes.

You tell yourself it’s just a stupid song.

You tell yourself it doesn’t mean a single thing.

You repeat it until your fingers strike upon the strings again, strumming out the melody for what you once again swear is the last time tonight. 

"You chase the sun with stubborn feet," The words are so simple, and yet not at all. You don’t know why you foolishly keep singing it. You don’t want to know why this song of his feels like it’s stuck in your throat now.

You press your thumb against another string, stilling it before strumming the next chord. "I watched you once and lost my beat." Your voice falters just a little. You can't help it. You do lose your rhythm quite often, don’t you? Lost in the moment you realize you aren’t playing just to pass the time anymore. The melody caught you, and you’ve been chasing it ever since.

A quick, almost bitter breath escapes you as you strum again, the next line slipping out without permission. "You play like joy’s a clever thief." The words are sharp, almost accusing. You want them to sting. You want to believe the song is a game, something to pick apart and break into pieces… But it’s not. It’s too beautiful. It’s too true.

You push your fingers across the strings harder than necessary, and sing the final line, the one you’ve been avoiding even in your own mind. "And I, a song you half-believe." The words linger in the air like they’re meant for someone else. You let the last note fall, resonant yet final, and the indifferent silence of the summer night that follows feels heavier than any of the chords you’ve played up until now. As the final note fades and you sit there with your hands still on the strings, you hear the faint yet unmistakable sound of steps against the cobblestone. The voice that speaks up soon after is equally distinct. Of course it had to be him again…

"Ah. So that’s where my composition went."

You almost flinch at his comment. How in the world are you supposed to explain this now…? You don’t look back. You don’t dare to just yet. Venti’s footsteps are soft against the worn stones as he approaches, slow and deliberate. He comes to a stop behind you, hiding right at the edges of your vision. You can practically hear the grin in his voice, even if you can’t see it.

"I thought it sounded familiar," he muses almost idly. "Though, I have to admit, I didn’t expect such a heartfelt recital. You flatter me."

Your jaw clenches. You hate how warm your face suddenly feels again. You tell yourself it’s the summer air, a breeze too warm. The memory of the sun on your skin. Blaming anything but your racing heart. You try to focus on the lyre’s sturdy strings instead. One is slightly out of tune. You pluck it once, twice, and ignore him.

"Really, I should thank you," Venti says, casually, like he’s merely commenting on the weather. "That song needed the right voice. Yours will do nicely."

You finally reply, low and flat. "It’s the middle of the night. Don’t you have somewhere else to be?" He hums in mock thought.

"No. Not really."

Then nothing. Just him standing there, the breeze ruffling his cloak, and the quick, steady thrum of your heart hammering in your chest. He’s waiting. You don’t know for what, and you’re not about to ask.

Venti lets the silence stretch for a beat longer before leaning back on his hands, voice as casual as ever.

"You should perform it."

You blink, stare at the ground. "What?"

"The song," he says, and you can hear the grin widen in his voice. "Our little collaboration. I think the townsfolk would love it. A tale of stolen sunlight and repressed affection… It practically begs to be heard, no?"

You finally look at him, glare sharpening. "It’s not a collaboration."

He raises a brow teasingly, smirking slightly askew. "Could’ve fooled me. You sang it like you wrote it."

You turn back to your lyre, strumming a sharp, tense chord. "I wouldn’t perform for you if the square were on fire and I had nowhere else to be."

He chuckles. "Oh, don’t be like that. It might even improve your usual material. Give it some actual feeling."

You shoot him an incredulous look. "...Excuse me?"

"I’m only saying," he continues, with the smug ease of someone very aware he’s hit a nerve, "Your last piece about the moonlight and the dying tree? It lacked a certain… How shall I put it…? Conviction. A bit hollow, as if you were writing for applause, not from the heart."

Your fingers dig into the wood of your lyre. "And yours are?"

"Mine at least have grit. And the occasional soul."

"You really think highly of yourself."

"Not at all," Venti says, smiling faintly now. "Just high enough to know when you’re running scared."

That shuts you up for a couple seconds.

You strum a single note, low, rough-edged. "It’s just a song."

"Of course," he says, far too easily. "All the best ones are."

You rise slowly, careful not to let your movements betray the knot in your chest. The lyre stays on your lap a moment longer, your fingers still curled tight around its carefully carved frame, like it might steady you. Then you set it down gently. It doesn’t deserve to face the brunt of the frustration simmering beneath your fingertips.

You dust off your clothes, focusing on the motion and the grain of the fabric beneath your palms. Maybe if you keep moving, he won’t see the heat still clinging to your face. Maybe if you leave now, you won’t have to think about the way his voice sank on that last line, like he meant it.

"Get some sleep," you say, low and tense, not quite a dismissal, but almost.

Venti doesn’t reply right away. You can almost feel his gaze on your back, weighing more than it should.

"Sweet dreams," he says finally, and there’s no teasing in it this time. Just something quiet. Something bordering on genuine. Something you refuse to give any further thought.

You pick up your lyre and walk away without another word, before your throat can betray you. The stone beneath your shoes is uneven, every step heavier than the last. You don’t look back. You insist to nobody in particular that it’s because you don’t care. But the melody lingers in your mind, soft and persistent, long after the square is behind you. No matter how many twists and turns you take through the empty streets, you just can’t seem to walk far enough to leave it behind.

[demonic0angel]

DP Headcanons

Just some headcanons I have about DP and its characters

1) Jazz had a lot of extracurricular activities in high school and was even cheerleader captain for a short period of time. She’s extra and a perfectionist, so she was also valedictorian, class President, and prom Queen.

2) Dani was trained to be an assassin. Vlad’s training and her unstable composition meant that she fights quick, fast, and dirty.

3) Jazz is considered a master of all weapons, particularly long distance weapons, but her hand-to-hand is the weakest in the team. She’s long limbed and very tall, so she doesn’t like moving around too much, which means she relies more on weapons. I think she’d also have weak bones (which is true for tall people), so she probably also likes fighting with melee weapons for that reason too.

4) Danny is a master at imitation. His ability to use the ghostly wail means that his voice adapted to imitate others’ voices too. I think it would also be cool if he had an ability to change his appearance like Amorpho, where he can imitate people who have died, usually as psychological attacks.

5) Danny having his ghostly wail also means he can sing really well.

6) Danny was too young to be the Ghost King when he was 14, so Jazz was expected to be the Queen Regent until he turned 16. However, he asked her to continue being regent until he was 18, so she stayed for 4 years. In that time, she completely reformed the laws and rules of the Ghost Zone until it was extremely organized (but unfortunately also rather totalitarian. Thankfully, Danny fixed that very quick but still maintained a lot of the laws she created.)

7) Both Dan and Dani like to be called “Danny/Dani”, but when around Danny, they stick to Dan and Ellie. This is bc I don’t believe they’d just change their names so easily when they grew up this way and in some ways, they are literally Danny, so I don’t believe they’d like changing their name, but they are aware that Danny is the OG so they change their names when he’s around.

8) Danny is the most well-rounded fighter of the group and as he grew older, his powers and strength grew exponentially. His identity as both human and ghost meant that he rules over all aspects of death and life. He gets new and random powers almost every day and they never stop growing.

9) In terms of strength, Sam is stronger than Tucker. The power scale in my imagination looks like this: Danny > Dan > Sam >=Tucker = Dani > Jazz > Valerie. This doesn’t mean that the people on the bottom are the weakest, it’s just according to raw strength and my ideas of Danny’s royal court.

10) Danny has no specific queen/consort but only bc Sam, Tucker, and Valerie are chasing off anybody else. I can’t decide if he’s specifically polyam or not, but I think the relationship between all 4 of them is definitely complex and hard to understand, even for them.

[simpforpeterp]

Schroeder x Lucy

Ever Thine, Ever Mine, Ever Ours

Chapter 1

Chapter 2: Daydream Believer

summary: After a semester abroad and a broken engagement, Lucy van Pelt returns to her college in California and finds herself living across the hall from her childhood crush, Schroeder, the boy who never looked twice at her unless she was singing something off-key. Now he's older, quieter, and somehow still manages to get under her skin. He’s also suddenly interested in her...which would be great, if she hadn’t stopped waiting around for him.

warnings: none!

word count: 4.05k

September

Lucy tried and tried not to wait up for a call. She watched an episode of The Brady Bunch, made dinner, and sat by herself while wistfully staring out the window just like she always does. But through all of that, she’s been looking at the phone, waiting for it to ring.

She knows he’s gonna call. He’s curious by nature and it’s only a matter of when it eats away at him too much and he wants to know more about what she’s been up to. She paces back and forth in her apartment for a while before hearing a racket just outside of her door.

She rolls her eyes and walks over to look through the peephole and admittedly be nosy. She leans down to see and sees someone scrambling to pick up a bunch of things that fell out of a crate.

Lucy just sighs and opens the door.

“Need help with- oh, Schroeder, you’re here,” she says, more uninterested than he could’ve predicted.

He recognizes her voice immediately and turns to realize that he is right, it’s Lucy.

“Did you seriously find my apartment? Just because I haven’t called you yet?” he asks, tossing things back into his crate.

“What? No. This is my apartment, the place I just walked out of,” she gestures behind her. “Wait- you don’t live here, do you?”

“I do now. 2203.” he points to the door right across from hers.

“2204.” she breathes out her number.

They stay in silence as she bends down to help him put everything back in the crate. He looks up at her from his kneeling position on the floor. A part of him wanted her to have found him there to prove something to himself but he doesn’t know what it is.

She doesn’t say anything else as she picks up a stray composition book and slides it into the crate without comment.

Schroeder watches her from where he’s still crouched, one knee on the floor. Her sweater slips off her shoulder a little as she moves, and he remembers when she used to do that on purpose back in high school when she wanted his attention but played it off like she didn’t care. Now, it’s just a sweater. It’s not for him.

He swallows hard.

She’s right here. Knees inches from his, hair falling forward as she leans down, and still, it’s like he’s watching someone through a window. Like whatever version of her once looked at him like he was the center of the room like he mattered more than anything, that version’s gone.

And she doesn’t even seem mad. She’s not cool or detached in the way that invites a fight or begs for an apology. She’s just...indifferent. Casual. Like she doesn’t expect anything from him.

Like she doesn’t want anything from him.

The thought makes something in his chest twist, sharp and unfamiliar. It’s not heartbreak, exactly. It’s worse than that. It’s the ache of no longer being held in someone’s mind the way you used to be. It’s absence.

For a second, he’s fourteen again, sitting backstage with her in some stuffy gymnasium, and she’s holding his hand too tightly while whispering that he’s going to do great. For a second, he’s convinced if he says her name the right way, she’ll remember all of it.

But she just grabs the last pencil off the floor, sets it in the crate, and stands.

“There,” she says. “I don’t want to stalk you any more than you already think I have. Welcome to the building.”

And with that, Lucy turns around and disappears into 2204, the door closing with the softest click.

Schroeder stares at the crate for a long time before reaching in and pulling out the cigarette with her number. He doesn’t throw it away. But for the first time, he realizes he might not be the one who gets to decide what happens next.

Lucy gets comfortable on the couch again, sinking into the cushions and crossing her arms as she watches the TV. Schroeder living across from her feels funny. Almost like a slap in the face. This would’ve been the best thing to happen to her as a kid but after everything, after feeling so many bad things she never thought she’d feel, she can’t bring herself to care.

She’s gonna try and pretend it’s a self-worth thing. That she doesn’t care about a man who was indifferent to her a lot for the majority of her childhood. Even if he is cute and blonde. That doesn’t make her un-heartbroken because of her ex-fiancé who she sees around campus like a ghost. Or the fact that she had a slightly embarrassing summer fling with a tan Parisian boy who she made the mistake of telling Frieda about.

She reaches for the remote, thumbing the volume up absently. She’s not even watching the show. Just using the noise to drown out whatever stupid thing her brain is trying to feel. The phone rings.

Her heart jumps, but she doesn’t move right away. She waits for the second ring, then the third. By the fourth, she sighs and reaches over to pick it up, cradling it between her cheek and shoulder.

“Hello?”

“Why are you acting strange?” Schroeder’s voice cuts in immediately, no greeting, no hesitation, like the words have been pressing against his teeth all night.

“Excuse me?” She blinks.

“You’re being...different,” he says. “Towards me. Oh! This is Schroeder Felton, by the way.”

She lets the silence stretch out for a moment. As if he needed to tell her who it was, as if she didn’t know that voice anywhere.

“What do you mean, Schroeder?”

“You’re just- I don’t know, you’re not...”

She tilts her head and lets the quiet hang just long enough to make him uncomfortable.

“You mean because I’m not following you around like a puppy anymore?”

There it is.

“I- what? No, that’s not what I-” He falters. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Isn’t it?”

“No, I- look, I just...it used to be easy. With you. And now you’re just... I don’t know what you’re thinking.”

“Maybe that’s the point.” She lets out a short breath of a laugh.

He doesn’t say anything. For a moment, all she hears is the faint rustle of the phone line and the muffled echo of her TV in the background.

“You thought I was gonna fall all over you just because you showed up, didn’t you?” she says softly. “You thought I’d still be that girl.”

“I didn’t-” His voice lowers. “I didn’t expect anything. I just thought maybe you’d be...happy to see me.”

“Schroeder, come on. I- I am happy to see you. I don’t have a lot of close friends here and it’s nice to see a familiar face but we haven’t talked in so long. And anyway, you used to hate me! You thought I was so annoying and now what? You think of me as a friend?” She asks.

“Yeah. I do. I never hated you. Seriously.” He tells her.

She sits for another moment. He’s one confusing guy. Lucy breathes out as she tangles the phone chord around her finger.

“Wanna watch TV? My favorite show is about to come on after another Brady Bunch episode.” She breathes out.

He pauses for a minute before looking around at his empty apartment.

“I should probably unpack first.”

“Need help?”

The next thing he knows, Lucy van Pelt is welcoming herself into the bland apartment. He shuts the door behind her and she only sees the crate on the counter and a suitcase on the floor.

“Is this…is this all you have?” She asks.

“Well, my piano is getting delivered tomorrow. But other than that, yeah. My bed is in there though! I just…don’t have any blankets. But I’ll live.” He shrugs, trying to smile as Lucy just stares blankly at him.

She lets out another large sigh as she turns to his crate.

“Good grief, Schroeder. You’re in your twenties and this is all you’ve got?” She accidentally laughs.

“Hey! Pianos are expensive. And anyway, I’m barely in my twenties,” he says, half-defensive, half-grinning. “I’m a minimalist.”

“You’re a disaster,” she mutters.

She walks past him into the bedroom like she owns the place. He follows behind slowly, watching her take in the bare mattress pushed up against one wall like it’s offended her.

“What size is your bed?” she asks, spinning on her heel to look at him.

“Uh…full?”

“Okay. Don’t move.” She nods once, decisive.

“What? Where are you-“ He blinks.

“I have spare sheets. And a throw blanket. And probably an actual mug that isn’t chipped.” She’s already halfway to the door. “Do you even have a toothbrush?”

“Yes?” He sounds unsure.

She stares at him.

“Okay, yes, but it’s still in my suitcase.”

“Unpack your toothbrush and clear off that counter. I’ll be back.” She tells him.

He watches her disappear into 2204 with the same stormy efficiency she always had when she decided something was going to be done her way. And maybe it should bother him, how quickly she slipped into this version of herself, the caretaker, the fixer, the girl who once carried Advil in her purse for other people’s headaches but all it does is make his chest feel full.

Ten minutes later, she’s back. Arms full. Sheets slung over one shoulder, a folded blanket hugged to her chest, and a bag of things dangling from her wrist. She kicks the door shut behind her with her foot like she’s been doing this her whole life.

“This doesn’t mean I like you again,” she says, brushing past him.

“Okay.” He tries not to smile.

She tosses the sheets on his bed and gets to work like it’s second nature. He stands in the doorway, useless, watching as she fluffs a pillow she brought and folds the blanket at the edge of the bed.

“Why do you even have all this?” he asks eventually as he moves to help her make the bed.

“My fiancé was getting ready to move in and he left all of his old bedroom stuff here. He never took it back.” She tells him.

“You’re engaged?” He asks.

“Was.” She says quietly as she smooths out the flannel sheets.

He doesn’t say anything else as they finish making the bed. It’s nothing fancy, just basic sheets and a throw that doesn’t match anything but suddenly the room looks like someone lives here. Like he lives here.

“Thanks,” he says quietly.

“You’ll owe me.” She shrugs.

“I always do.”

She doesn't reply, just drops the bag on his counter, inside is a clean mug, a travel-size toothpaste, and a roll of paper towels.

Schroeder looks at it all, then at her.

“You’re still kind of a hurricane,” he says.

Lucy pulls her sweater sleeve down over her hand and reaches for the doorknob.

“So…TV?” She asks and he accidentally nods too fast. He tries to play it cool, but it’s already out there.

Lucy smirks and leads the way back across the hall like she’s done it a thousand times. Her apartment is small but cozy, full of mismatched throw pillows and candles in various states of use. The kind of place that looks like someone lives in it and has for a while.

She flops onto the couch, grabbing the remote, and curling up like she’s been waiting for this moment all day. Schroeder hesitates for half a second, then takes the other end of the couch. He sits stiffly.

She notices.

Without even asking, Lucy shifts and stretches out her legs, socked feet finding their way into his lap like it's the most natural thing in the world.

Schroeder looks down at her legs, then up at her, like she’s just casually set a time bomb in his lap. She doesn’t seem to notice or she pretends not to.

“Don’t get weird about it,” she mumbles, flicking through channels. “You’re the only one here, so you get to be the footrest.”

“Right.”

The Monkees theme starts playing, loud and peppy, and Schroeder visibly recoils.

“Oh no,” he mutters. “This again?”

“Yes. This again,” Lucy says, wiggling her toes at him.

“This isn’t real music.”

“Of course it is,” she counters immediately, not even looking away from the screen. “Look at how cute Davy is.”

“That’s your metric for music? Cuteness?” He makes a sound of deep offense.

“No,” she says, smiling, “but it helps.”

Schroeder slouches lower into the couch, glaring halfheartedly at the screen as Davy Jones flashes his signature grin and starts singing something overly cheerful.

Lucy laughs quietly, shifting just enough to nudge her knee against his side.

“You’re so snobby. You play one Rachmaninoff concerto and suddenly everything else is trash.” She looks at him.

“I don’t think it’s trash,” he lies. She turns to look at him, eyebrow raised. “Okay, fine. It’s catchy. But it’s also objectively ridiculous.”

“That’s what makes it fun,” she says, softer now. “It doesn’t have to be deep to mean something.”

He glances at her out of the corner of his eye. She’s watching the screen again, face half-lit by the flicker of black-and-white television, and he wonders how he ever forgot how loud she laughs when she’s not trying to impress anyone.

The weight of her legs in his lap is warm. Familiar. Dangerous.

He presses his palm against her ankle under the blanket, like it means nothing. Like he’s not sitting in her apartment, watching The Monkees.

They watch absentmindedly, Lucy slowly sinking further and further into the couch. Schroeder’s hand rests on her knee and it suddenly feels like they’re kids again.

Lucy’s eyes are slowly shutting as the channel changes to reruns of I Love Lucy. Schroeder doesn’t notice though, deciding to ask her a question.

“So…you were engaged, then?” He asks quietly and her eyes flutter back open.

Her eyes flutter back open, hazy with sleep and something else. She blinks up at the ceiling for a second before turning her head slightly toward him.

“Mm. Yeah,” she says softly. “I was.”

Schroeder doesn’t say anything at first. His fingers press just a little firmer into the curve of her knee, grounding both of them.

“What happened?” he asks after a beat.

Lucy exhales through her nose, slow and quiet.

“He was nice. Safe. The kind of guy you’re supposed to end up with.” She shrugs one shoulder beneath the blanket. “But I think we were both pretending. He wanted someone softer, less...me. And I wanted someone who wouldn’t leave.”

Schroeder doesn’t move. Just listens.

“It got messy at the end,” she adds, voice low. “France was a good excuse to run.”

Silence stretches between them, filled only by the laugh track of I Love Lucy and the quiet hum of the city outside her window.

“Sorry,” she says, voice barely above a whisper. “Didn’t mean to dump all that on you.”

“It’s okay,” he says quickly. “I asked.”

Lucy nods. She shifts again, her legs sliding slightly in his lap as she curls onto her side. Her hand finds its way to the edge of his sweatshirt.

“You ever been in love?” she asks suddenly, almost absently. “Real love. Like…so much so that it made you feel nauseous and like your head would explode if you even looked at the person for one more second?”

Schroeder’s throat tightens.

“I don’t know,” he says truthfully.

“That’s not a no.” She hums.

He looks down at her, at the way she’s half-asleep and still managing to ask him things he’s never said out loud.

“I think maybe I was once,” he says after a moment. “I think I was just too young to understand what it was. What it meant.

Her eyes flicker open again, meeting his. Something heavy passes between them, an echo of a past they never quite figured out how to name. But she just nods once, closes her eyes again, and whispers,

“Don’t let me fall asleep here. I’ll slug you if I wake up with a crick in my neck.”She hums.

“Got it.” He smiles, just a little.

But he doesn’t wake her up. Not for a long time.

October

Lucy van Pelt was not ready for classes to start. Not ready for people to ask why there’s no ring on her finger anymore. So she tried to enjoy her last day of freedom to the fullest. She rearranged her entire apartment and made a smoothie, all while blasting The Locomotion.

Schroeder was more than ready. With him finally getting his shot at doing something big with his music, it feels like the stars are aligning.

“Spread out your fingers just a little more,” He leans down to try and move the fingers of the bratty kid he’s teaching. “We only have a few minutes left for this session, do you want to try and play the whole thing by yourself?”

The kid scrunches her face in protest.

“But my fingers don’t go that way.”

“They will if you practice. Like we talked about.” Schroeder exhales slowly through his nose.

“But I did practice!” the kid insists. “For, like, twenty minutes! That’s a lot!”

“You told me last week you practiced for five.” He raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah, well, I got better !” the kid says proudly, then slams both hands down on the keys to play something that sounds like Chopsticks if Chopsticks had fallen down the stairs. Schroeder visibly flinches.

“Okay,” he says calmly, standing up. “That’s all for today.”

“But we still have-”

“I said that’s all for today .” He’s already collecting his sheet music. “Tell your mom I said hi.”

The kid hops off the bench and zips out the door, clearly thrilled. Schroeder drops onto the bench and rubs a hand down his face, just before the rotary phone on the side table starts ringing.

“Are you done yet?” Lucy asks without a greeting.

“Yeah. Last lesson for the day:” He nods.

“I need music that won’t distract me, I need to write this article last minute for the newspaper and I’ve got nothing.” She tells him.

“Are we gonna relive the past if you come over and sit on my piano?” He asks.

“Mm, I probably won’t sit it on it. I don’t want it to break.” She tells him.

“Are you kidding? You won’t break the piano.” He tells her.

“Anyway, I’ll be over in a jiffy.” She tells him before the line goes dead.

He turns around and finds his place at the piano and his fingers rest on the keys. There’s something so easy about talking to her that wasn’t there before. Or maybe it was and he just wasn’t as lonely as he is now.

When the door opens, Lucy doesn’t waste a second to set her typewriter down and get to it. Schroeder doesn’t need another second to start playing.

He notices the way she tries to casually interview him for this as if he won’t notice. She asks him questions about the Spring Arts Showcase and his role in it before quickly typing up his quotes. He doesn’t say anything though because he doesn’t mind it.

His mind is more at ease playing and hearing the typing noise.

The rhythm of the keys and her typewriter syncs into something strangely melodic, clicks and chords, the two of them building something quiet together.

For a while, that’s all it is. The music and the soft clatter of her fingers.

“You hungry?” Schroeder asks, letting a final chord linger.

“Starving. I skipped lunch for a meeting that could’ve been a nap.” Lucy pulls the paper from the typewriter and folds it in half.

“Takeout?” He laughs lightly and swivels on the bench to face her.

“Only if it’s Chinese,” She points a finger at him. “I want egg rolls.”

“You’re very demanding.”

“And you’re very agreeable.” She grins. “We make a great team.”

Thirty minutes later, they’re sitting cross-legged on the floor beside his hand-me-down couch, a brown paper bag spread open between them. The room smells like sesame oil and soy sauce, and Lucy’s already unbothered by the lack of plates, picking at the carton of lo mein with her chopsticks.

Schroeder pulls out a corkscrew from the drawer and opens the cheap bottle of red he bought weeks ago on a whim. He pours them each a glass in mismatched mugs. Hers says “#1 Grandpa.”

“You really go all out,” she teases.

“I’m a man of culture,” he says, toasting her with it.

They eat in the flickering glow of the old floor lamp, knees brushing now and then without either of them pulling away. The window’s cracked just enough to let in a breeze, and for once, Lucy doesn’t seem in a rush to fill the silence.

Eventually, Schroeder leans back against the couch, legs stretched out in front of him, wine half-finished.

“You really think anyone’s gonna read that article?” he asks.

“Of course.” She flicks a noodle at him. “People are obsessed with you.”

“No, they’re not.”

“They are,” she insists. “You’re like this mysterious piano prodigy who only speaks in brooding metaphors and stares into space dramatically.”

“I do not.”

“You kind of do.”

He shoots her a look, but there’s no heat behind it.

“You ever miss how simple things used to be?” He asks quietly.

Lucy takes a sip of wine, eyes on the string lights above the window.

“All the time,” Her voice is softer now. Less biting. More honest. “But I also think things feel more real now. Even if they’re messier.”

He looks at her like he’s trying to memorize the way her face looks in this light.

“Yeah,” he murmurs. “Me too.”

“Being in France for a semester made coming back feel like I’m coming back to the real world after being in…Barbie-land or something.” She admits.

“Hey, what’s Frieda tell me about your ‘hot Parisian boy’?” He asks.

“Ugh,” She rolls her eyes. “Summer fling. Doesn’t matter much.”

“So,” Schroeder says, leaning back on his hands. “Did you actually learn any French while you were over there, or did you just eat croissants and break hearts?”

“Excusez-moi, I did both. I didn’t go through Paris, Lyon, Annecy, Strasbourg, Dijon, and not learn anything.” Lucy grins.

“Prove it.” He says before she tilts her head dramatically, then slips effortlessly into perfect French.

“J’ai passé mes après-midis dans les musées, et mes soirées à me demander pourquoi je suis tombée amoureuse d’un idiot.” She says before taking a sip of her wine.

“Wow. Okay. I have no idea what you said.” Schroeder blinks.

“Good.” She smirks.

“You wanna hear real foreign language skills? I learned German.” He shakes his head.

“Let me guess, Beethoven?”

“Obviously,” he deadpans.

“Alright then, what’s your line?” Lucy leans forward, curious.

“Ich habe viele Jahre Klavier gespielt und-” He straightens up a little, and tries to summon a sentence.

“Do you know any German,” she interrupts, “or are you just faking it with musical vocabulary?”

“Do you know any German?” He glares at her.

She pauses, raises an eyebrow, and then, without missing a beat, clears her throat.

“Willkommen, meine Damen und Herren, Guten Abend, wie geht’s-“

“Cabaret?” He stares at her.

“I hate you.” She accidentally laughs.

“No, you don’t.”

“I really, really do.” She just grins and tosses a fortune cookie wrapper at his chest.

But before she can gloat, he lifts his chin a little, almost smug.

“Well then. Check this out.” He clears his throat and says almost too smoothly: “Bienvenue, étranger, je suis enchanté, reste bienvenue au Cabaret, mesdames et messieurs, bonsoir, comment ça va? Je suis votre compère.”

“You like Cabaret?” Lucy’s jaw drops.

“No. Not really.” He shrugs, already turning away.

“You’re such a liar.” She grabs a pillow and throws it at him.

“I appreciate the orchestration. That’s different.” He catches it mid-air, grinning.

“You learned a whole intro monologue for the orchestration?” She lowers her eyes.

“I was bored.” A beat. “Also it’s a good tonal exercise.”

“Unbelievable,” she mutters, but she’s trying not to smile.

He tosses the pillow back onto the couch, barely hiding his own grin.

“Willkommen to my tragic little life.”

[forecast0ctopus]

Just wanted to pop in and say that your art is so cool!! It's so-- SHAPES!! And I especially like how you draw McCoy, he's a favorite of mine and he has such a specific set of facial features that seems so hard to simplify, and yet you manage so well! And there's something I really love about your poses and compositions too, they're so very dynamic and/or evocative even when characters are just standing. Aaa so much to say--

I also saw your last ask, and as someone who was also intimidated by the sheer amount of content there is like you, just know that if you get invested you kinda just forget about it. I got into TNG first and that series alone looked like an enormous task to finish. Before I knew it I finished it and went on to watch DS9, and I already can't wait to see more. In general my tip is to go with the flow and see it as a hobby rather than something to achieve, because nobody is forcing you to watch EVERYTHING there is. You get there when you'll get there, y'know! It's a show about silly space people, have fun with it! (but with all the fan art you're drawing, I'm sure you already are hehe)

ANYWAY SORRY FOR THE BARRAGE OF TEXT THIS AIN'T EVEN AN ASK BUT UHHH BUH-BYE

THANKS i just. like shapes and points and lines.. i just think they’re neat…… i really like drawing mccoy hes got such a specific posture haha i will definitely be posting. more of him lmao

im on tng s2 right now and i definitely never push myself to watch things i don’t want to watch (except angel (1999) because. i like spike) but i do take my time with watching things so itll be a good while until i’m on the next series.. it did take me uhhh years to finally finish tos but the dam really broke on that in december so. here we are

bones time

[hannahssimblr]

“I have to say, this is an impressive body of work.”

I shift in my seat, “By impressive do you mean that it’s good, or that there’s a lot of it?”

This gets a laugh. “Both,” says the man, Paul, flicking through a sketchbook with tattooed hands, fingers stained from nicotine. I notice things like this now. Hands. I notice their lines and their bones, all their interesting details, and perhaps Paul himself could gauge this now as he pours over my figure studies where there are pages upon pages of hands, old and young, my friends, my sisters at the piano, an old woman clutching at a handrail on the train, and my own, a hundred times in different ways, blisters, plasters, hangnails and bruises from the rugby pitch.

The woman, Ida, shuffles through a stack of watercolour paintings I did last summer, mostly seascapes, the beach and the rushes, the whitewashed houses and rusted iron of the Wexford coast. Just looking at them I can recall the grit of sand under my bare feet as I warmed them on the deck of our holiday home behind my portable easel. In three months I’ll return again for one last summer, and after that I expect I’ll miss it there. 

“And you said you didn’t do a portfolio preparation year?” She says, peering over the rim of her glasses. 

“No, I’m still at school.”

“Highly unusual for a sixth year,” her eyebrows climb up her forehead, “You've clearly dedicated a lot of time to this.”

I shrug, “Yeah, I like making art, I don’t know.”

It’s difficult to tell what this woman is thinking. Everything about her is harsh, dramatic, from the sharp fringe that sits straight and neat above her brows to the slash of her mouth, thin lips, pointy chin, hard eyes, but I have to assume for the sake of my own self esteem that she doesn’t positively loathe my portfolio. She spends some time looking through my work, slowly, methodically, sometimes leaning closer to frown at something, maybe some proportion that’s off, bad composition, a clumsy attempt at ambient occlusion that doesn’t hit the mark… 

“It’s beautiful,” she says simply, and I exhale. 

“Oh look, a familiar face,” Paul holds a portrait to Ida, “That’s the girl that we were interviewing a few people before this, what was her name again?”

“Michelle,” I say, “My girlfriend.”

Paul nods, “Michelle, right! Good likeness,” and places the notebook back onto the table. Leaning back in his chair, he cracks his knuckles, “Look, Jude, there’s no two ways about it here, your work is outstanding. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a portfolio that hits every mark, every requirement and goes beyond, I mean,” he lets out a puff of air and gestures to the table, “this is nuts. And for a sixth year? Come on. This stuff would blow some of our third and fourth year college students out of the water.”

I feel like I could melt off the chair with relief, but try to suppress my utter delight so that they don’t think I’m too hungry for validation.

“Cool.”

“It’s the sensitivity,” Ida adds, “Your observation skills, your sense of weight, movement, knowledge of anatomy. It’s rare to see this kind of work from a secondary school student. Your efforts are just… so impressive.”

“And look, we know it depends on your Leaving Cert points, and yeah, that’ll be a contributing factor when it comes to acceptance, but, like,” Paul looks over the table again, tossing his hands up conclusively, “as far as I’m concerned, we’ll see you in September.”

Ida’s mouth curls into a smile, “We hope. If you choose us.”

If I choose them? Am I dreaming? How have I become the kind of person who is coveted by an art school? Surely not. Surely soon I’ll wake up and discover that this whole interview has been a product of my dreams. Too much time spent stressing out over art, the requirements, the brief... Almost certainly I’ve fallen asleep somewhere and none of this is real. 

“That’s really kind of you to say. I’m glad you liked my stuff.”

“Blown away,” says Paul, and he leaps to his feet to shake my hand like I’ve just won a prize, “all we need is a pass in the Leaving Cert, you can surely manage it.”

“Yeah, I’ll make sure I do.”

They’re smiling at me as I gather up my work, and still smiling as I give them one last sheepish wave from the door, and I realise I am still smiling too as I face the hallway of waiting students, staring at me with portfolios rested against their knees. I probably shouldn’t look too overjoyed, it might knock their confidence, so I try to look very bored instead as I pass by, though I may explode from the inside out.

Beginning // Prev // Next

[archandshri]

9th feb '24 - [arch] characters, interactions and emotion - making a mini webcomic

Gahhhh Shri this has been an absolutely crazy couple of weeks!!!! Hope you are doing well :)) First of all, WOW! You have a lot of goals, and I’m sure you’ll get them done! I’ve worked a lot on my graphic design during the process of making Winter Wellbeing. If you wanna see a blog post dedicated just to that, I can do so! It would be cool to compare notes on the approaches we take for graphic layouts. If you wanna share your knowledge of camera skills when you build that up that would be awesome 😭😭

It’s been a tough few weeks, art wise. I have been reflecting on my process, motivations to create, the ego and all the baggage that’s lumped into the creative process for me. It turns out there’s a lot. I took some space from my illustration practise (literally for a weekend!) and began to realise how dysfunctional it is. I’ve been writing a lot about that so there may be a larger piece of writing coming about that at some point (no promises!!)

But for now, let's talk about little successes!

I’ve been playing with some characters for a while but I’d hit a bit of a block with the plot. I realised the expectation of having a finished project of high quality soon is unrealistic, and an unhealthy expectation to put on myself. I rarely give myself time to play with concepts for a long time and let the characters, plot and interactions evolve naturally. Maybe this in part came from sticking to the short university module turnaround. I noticed that that short turnaround was causing a lot of block, so I have decided to bench it as a comic for now and focus on using it as a playground - falling in love with the characters, creating stories and drawing them for fun. Maybe years down the line I’ll make them into a comic - we shall see! 

I *tried* to do hourly comics day this year and it didn’t quite work for me. I think I made 3 comics? And then got distracted with a bigger project that ended up taking a week or so to complete. Let’s have a look at it, shall we?

[you can find the full version here]

First of all, it’s based on an unfinished fanfiction I started a couple of months ago, which was mostly bad, but there was one nice scene that I liked and wanted to expand on. I started by having a look at the script I wrote and thumbnailing on the iPad. I’m away from home at the mo and usually would prefer to do most of my artwork traditionally, but because I don’t have access to a scanner, the whole process was digital this time. A lot of the pages got scrapped because the dialogue wasn’t necessary, and I’m not drawing pages that aren’t necessary.

some more development screenshots

I thought a lot about posing during the process, acting the scenes out in my mind and sometimes physically, really understanding the emotions of the characters, why they’re saying what they’re saying, their tone and how to convey that though their body language and expression (i find grian really annoying normally [affectionate] but I want this grian to step on me).

Pearl was hard with this because she’s quite erratic and unpredictable in this series, so I wanted her to switch from raw explodey anger to playful jabs at Grian. I’m hoping this comes across as somewhat insane, rather than tonally off and inconsistent. I did super enjoy drawing her and her explosive nature though, especially in comparison to Grian’s coldness.

I played with levels and monotone colour too - I’m not working with multiple colours much at the moment so I’m able to focus on things like values composition, characters and backgrounds. My skills limit the kind of stories I can tell currently, so I’m working to improve those foundations. Maybe when I’m back in the riso studio I can play with colours a little more.

Colours - despite the simple pallete it gets a bit nerdy here.I stuck to specific flat percentages for most of it - Pearl’s hair and Grians jumper are 60%, Grian’s hair and Pearl’s cloak are 20%. Then I added a 14% layer for shadows, using a ahrd blend eraser tool for highlights, making the images quite dark. I fill a layer with texture from Forystr’s riso brush for procreate, and turn it into a 40% opacity colour dodge layer. This gives it some much needed texture and makes the lighting feel low and nighttimecore. It also pushes the values to look really nice - I tend to be too scared to push them by myself.

I tried a few different colour layers to get a *vibe* but settled on a low percentage riso blue in a colour layer. All layers besides the riso blue are in a riso black, colour picked from a riso colour pallete. I learnt these tools - using percentages to get good values - from working with risograph. I really recommend having a look at these techniques and doing some monotone work. It's really improved by character designs, page layouts and compositions.

That's all from me today, though I have had MANY other thoughts over the past two weeks about creating, but perhaps we'll dive into them another time. If you (or anyone else) has any questions, hit me up with a reblog or an ask and I will get right to it. Lovely to hear from you! Hope your art is going great too :)) Arch :)

[pacificovertures]

the jonathan larson project (2025): a very biased review

this is my first major review since girlboss company years and years ago, but this show was so great it warranted a real post (wow) i’m gonna go in order of song and give my thoughts™

1. “greene street”

it’s a perfect opener. i don’t have that much to say about this one, it’s pretty similar to the album version. the choreo really helps set up and sell you on the vibe of the show and what it wants to be though

2. “one of these days”

song always makes me want to cry a little bc it feels very personal, but that’s my bias speaking. another number utilizing all 5 cast members and staged like theyre in a little bar. it’s cute.

3. “break out the booze”

first performance with a solo focus (lauren marcus). i’ve never really loved this song and i’m not about to start, but it was a good performance? it’s a bit too hammy for my taste.

4. “casual sex, pizza, and beer”

the first song not on the 2019 album. it’s a fine, light hearted comedic number, still staged in the little bar set. charming, but ultimately just fluff.

5. “out of my dreams”

tbh the album version of this song with krysta rodriguez never gripped me, but the way it was staged here with taylor iman jones was phenomenal! the choreo was everything that it should be: flashy and sexy and cool!!! like she is really hot but her voice is also really really good and well suited to the song’s style.

5. “valentine’s day”

it’s an andy mientus solo like the album version BUT instead of singing about an abstract “she” (implied to be mimi from rent) the pronouns are changed to “i”. andy mientus has a beautiful voice and he sings the heart out of this song (as an abuse victim ha) but i have to admit i was very distracted by how awkward his moustache was. not a good look. took me out of the moment. alas.

6. “falling apart”

another song not on the 2019 album and the first solo given to adam chanler-berat, instantly cementing him as the weakest voice in the cast. i think he’s in here bc they needed a guy who sort of looked like jon larson and chanler-berat was close enough. maybe if they still had nick blaemire it might have had more of an impact? i liked the composition and orchestration for this song, so i think it still has potential.

7. “hosing the furniture”

still one of the best songs lyrically and conceptually in TJLP… seeing it live was amazing. 10/10. no notes.

8. “find the key”

performed by the male cast, this song is as good as it always is. not that much was added to it by the live performance. the last song to be mostly non-political which leads into…

9. “the vision thing”

this is what i’m talking about when i insist jon larson’s work was extremely political and extremely progressive. another song that’s a new addition since the 2019 album. it was a bit hard to hear all the lyrics (mixing maybe? or just my auditory processing struggles), but it’s about creating an ideal presidential candidate. very topical and very cynical and very good. i wish i could have heard it more clearly.

10. “iron mike”

i was underwhelmed by george salazar’s performance of this song on the album and never paid it much heed, but jason tam really sold it to me. i might be biased bc i became pretty invested in jason tam over the course of this show and he’s also really hot. (sorry)

11. “white male world”

performed by the two female cast members. great staging. elevated by the presence of taulor iman jones.

12. “the truth is a lie”

man this one hits different in 2025 versus 2019 versus 1990… the audience was hooked. it’s depressing but everyone feels it.

13. “rhapsody”

i still think that adam chanler-berat isn’t as strong as nick blaemire, but watching him scream “it’s just that he was rich when he wrote it” at the audience was an elevation over the album version. i think people know about this song now bc of the brief cameo in the netflix version of ttb…

14. “sos”

another moving andy mientus banger that was mitigated by his ridiculous moustache.

15. “pura vida”

another jason tam solo, unfortunate that i think this is one of the weakest songs in TJLP. it’s still… good? but less interesting compositionally and lyrically than basically every other song in the set. fine to tuck it in here at the end.

16. “love heals”

another slay featuring taylor iman jones’s miracle vocals. she is an angel!!!!!!!!! a profound song that’s rounds out the set list with a feeling of hope, optimism, and of course, love.

17. “piano”

the finale, featuring jonathan larson’s recorded vocals like the album version. i might have been more moved if the loud white woman in the seat next to me didn’t start loudly and audibly sobbing when the montage of larson pictures began to play. she cried during the overture too and generally made loud reactions throughout the show. regardless, it’s a simple yet powerful song that ties it all together well.

i’m wicked thankful i went to see this, worth every single dollar i spent. maybe more commentary tomorrow when i am more awake and less drunk. peace and love.

[zone-seven]

Kobra Kid Headcanons

- avid photographer. Cherri has a little dark room at his place and the two of them go on photography day trips and then hang out while developing the photos.

- He loooooves to show off his pictures, and they’re pretty good! He’s got a natural knack for composition and is very detail oriented, he can spend a really long time carefully setting up a shot if given the opportunity. His subject matter is fairly predictable: exceptionally cool cars/bikes/trucks, close ups of rare or weird car parts, decaying animals and animal skeletons, and bugs. Once in a while he’ll take a candid shot of Cherri or Poison or someone, or a landscape if something cool is going on, but 95% of the time it’s car or decay related stuff.

- He’s really sentimental, and his half of the room he and Poison share is decorated with his photos and the trinkets he’s collected over the years. He remembers the story behind every single one of them, and they are meticulously sorted by some sort of elusive criteria that Poison can’t quite figure out and Kobra can’t quite explain in a way that makes sense to others.

- Absolutely fascinated by vehicles. Can’t stress that enough, dude is ALWAYS thinking about cars. He loves to watch Ghoul work on cars in the shop and help her out when she’ll let him. It’s one of the few topics he’s interested in having an extensive conversation about. It’s basically impossible to be close to him and not pick up a lot of information about car parts.

- He’s got a little collection of die-cast cars and usually has one or more of them on him at any given time (though there are some that are too precious to him to leave their shelf). He does this half because simply having one with him is comforting, and half because he stims by spinning the wheels. He’s never been much of a “pretend to drive the toy car” guy.

- He’s fluent in both Japanese and English, and has picked up a handful of words and phrases in Spanish and Korean. He rarely verbally says more than a word or two unless it’s scripted.

- Generally relies VERY heavily on dialogue from The Mousekat Show for communication, though he’s constantly expanding his repertoire and picking up new scrips from the people around him too. He’s just extremely comfortable with his childhood scripts so he sticks with those a lot. It’s very easy to tell which scripts were taught to him by teachers or whoever because they’re much clearer to outsiders but don’t sound like him at all; it’s rather jarring if you’re used to his typical style of speaking. Very formal, VERY “city” style.

- He loves animals in general, but he had a startling and scary encounter with a military dog as they were leaving battery city and has been terrified of dogs ever since.

- Jet taught him to sew, and he does a lot of that. He does most of the mending and patching for the four’s clothes. He does some of that for friends too, which is how he finances his photography hobby.

- He and Poison have always been close (they’ve never known a life without the other, after all) but Kobra found it hard not to be somewhat resentful of his brother when they were kids. His disability and support needs were judged even more harshly in comparison to Poison’s extreme academic aptitude, and them being identical twins only made the comparisons and expectations worse. Poison has always seen him as an equal, but it was crystal clear to Kobra that people outside of his family only saw one of them as a full person, and it was understandably hard for him to not feel jealous and angry. Their relationship kind of struggled in their teen years and improved a lot once they left the city.

- He’s not religious or superstitious at all and has basically no patience for Poison’s fairly intense spirituality. He’ll put up with some amount of participating in it of it out of love, but he won’t pretend to believe.

[cleverhottubmiracle]

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. Traveling with kids gets a bad rep, but instead of leaning into the negative remarks from just about everyone with an opinion, help eliminate some of the chaos by gifting your little travelers with luggage that’s all for them. Kid-friendly luggage pieces give them a sense of responsibility and importance that makes them feel so special and included when it’s time to hit the road. Better yet, these pieces of luggage offer tons of fun, too — most have a ride-on options that help them zoom through airports! Best Kid-Friendly Luggage at a Glance Best Carry-On: Stephen Joseph 18-Inch Rolling Suitcase, $56Best for Toddlers: Stokke Kids’ BedBox 19-Inch Ride-On Carry-On Suitcase, $229Best for Kids and Tweens: LoveShackFancy Antoinette Floral Mackenzie Ultimate Luggage, $149+Best for Teens: Beis The Carry-On Roller, $238Best for International Travel: Away The Bigger Carry-On, $295Best with Wheels: State Bags Logan Carry-On Suitcase, $220Best for Organization: Samsonite Freeform Hardside Expandable Carry-On, $146Best for a Budget: Travelers Club 5-Piece Kids’ Luggage Set, $57 (was $84)Best Splurge: MiaMily 4-Wheel Carry-On Luggage with Seat, $359Best Duffle Bag: Calpak Stevyn Duffel Bag, $112 Related story Here's a Sneak Peek at the New Brooks x runDisney Collab — Dropping at This Weekend's runDisney Springtime Surprise The best kids’ luggage should be durable and functional for all ages. Look for picks that offer fun and exciting designs that kids will gravitate to so that they feel that the pieces are just for them while embarking on travel. Luckily, brands like Stokke and State Bags make it easy for them to showcase their creativity and personality by adding stickers, prints, and bright color combinations to their luggage. And if you’re shopping for older kids, consider pieces that grow with them and have a cool edge to them. Tweens and teens will go crazy over Beis and Away. Regardless of what age you’re snagging some new luggage for, each piece should provide plenty of space to hold clothing, shoes, and accessories for the days you’re away. To help, our team scoured the web to roundup the best finds and also gathered suggestions from veteran moms on staff. Ahead, see 10 pieces of kid-friendly luggage that make traveling a breeze. Our mission at SheKnows is to empower and inspire women, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Nordstrom is a SheKnows sponsor, however, all products in this article were independently selected by our editors. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale. Best Carry-On Stephen Joseph 18-Inch Rolling Suitcase This rolling suitcase is perfect for packing as a carry-on. It’s crafted with an exterior zip and mesh pockets to store toys and all of your kiddos’ belongings. The suitcase also has an extendable handle, which ensures easy rolling. The bag can also be worn as a backpack, which they will love! It is also hard not to fall in love with the fun designs.Measurements: 18″ x 14 ½” x 8 ½”Weight: 2.2 poundsWheels: 2Colors: 5 Best for Toddlers Stokke Kids’ BedBox 19-Inch Ride-On Carry-On Suitcase Toddlers are just beginning to find independence, so the Stokke BedBox suitcase is a perfect match for little adventurers. It’s easy to push and store in the overhead compartment. And it also doubles as a convenient ride when their tiny legs tire of walking. The suitcase transforms into a comfy in-flight bed, so it’s a win-win for parents and toddlers! And don’t worry, there’s plenty of room for packing. In addition to all the fun the BedBox offers, it also features a durable composition that’s easy to wipe down and disinfect. The suitcase has a multipurpose strap that works for carrying or pulling. There are also shock-absorbing swivel wheels, which are easy to maneuver. Stokke notes that the ride-on feature is designed for ages 3 to 7 and holds up to 77 pounds. Lastly, the package includes two sheets of stickers for personalization.Measurements: 19″ x 15″ x 7 ½”Weight: 7.7 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 4 Best for Kids and Tweens LoveShackFancy Antoinette Floral Mackenzie Ultimate Luggage Crafted all over with LoveShackFancy’s signature print, this suitcase will quickly turn heads. It boasts a spacious main compartment for your fashionista’s clothes and accessories and multiple exterior and interior pockets for optimal organization. There are also heavy-duty metal extending handles that don’t get tripped up, durable nylon zippers, and smooth-rolling wheels. The suitcase comes in a carry-on style ($149) and a larger size ($169) — each with custom monogram options.Measurements: Carry-On: 19″ x 13″ Full Size: 25″ x 15″ Weight: 5 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 1 Best for Teens Beis The Carry-On Roller The Beis The Carry-On Roller will excite your teen to go on your next family vacation even if it’s “not cool.” The carry-on roller is stylish, roomy, and functional, so they can travel in style and with more than one pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. They can select 13 colors, including the new limited-edition glossy berry.Measurements: 22.8″ x 15.7″ x 9.8″ Weight: 8.36 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 13 Best for International Travel Away The Bigger Carry-On Whether you’re packing up a little or big kid for an international trip, they will need additional space. That’s why we love the Away The Bigger Carry-On — it still meets airlines’ carry-on policies, but there’s plenty of room for necessities. The suitcase is made from a durable, lightweight, 100% polycarbonate shell, premium 360° smooth-gliding wheels, a quick-release trolley handle with two adjustable height settings, and a TSA-approved combination lock. The suitcase includes three mesh pockets and one hanging pocket for the best interior organization.Measurements:  22.7″ x 15.4″ x 9.6″Weight: 7.9 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 14 Best with Wheels State Bags Logan Carry-On Suitcase This fun carry-on is made with kids in mind. It’s the perfect size for ages six and up. The brand includes 360° spinner wheels for smooth maneuvering, a kid-friendly adjustable handle, and stand-out designs that help your traveling sidekick show off their style. It’s also highly functional and has a roomy interior for toys and clothes.Measurements: 18.7″ x 13.4″ x 9.45″Weight: 6.44 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 17 Best for Organization Samsonite Freeform Hardside Expandable Carry-On The Samsonite Freeform Hardside Expandable Carry-On doesn’t leave any organization details out. Let’s start with the exterior: Made with a durable zipper to release the expandable compartment, the suitcase offers ample packing capacity while “adhering to carry-on size restrictions,” Samsonite says. The exterior also has a hard shell to keep your belongings safe and sound.Now, the good part is the interior: It has a fully lined body, elastic straps for security, a mesh divider, and other compartments that help you stay organized. The suitcase also looks super cool and has a futuristic, sleek design, which parents and kids appreciate.Measurements: 21.25″ x 15.25″ x 10.0″Weight: 6.5 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 15 Best for a Budget Travelers Club 5-Piece Kids’ Luggage Set Kids’ luggage doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg; take this five-piece luggage set for example; it’s only $57 at Amazon! The luggage set comes with one 18″ hard-side carry-on luggage, a 15″ backpack, a 10″ lunch bag, one neck pillow, and a luggage tag. Recommended for children ages six and over, they will love packing their luggage for their next adventure since each piece is made with the most adorable prints — from puppies to space ships and unicorns.Measurements: 12″ x 9″ x 18″Weight: 7.09 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 13 Best Splurge MiaMily 4-Wheel Carry-On Luggage with Seat Even though this piece of luggage is a splurge, it’s worth every penny, according to parents. They rave that it’s “back-saving luggage” since it eliminates carrying the kids and their belongings. The suitcase has a comfortable seat they can ride on and rest on while waiting for their flight, equipped with a seat belt for safety. There is also ample room for packing.Measurements: 19″ x 15″ x 11.5″Weight: 9.2 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 5 Best Duffle Bag Calpak Stevyn Duffel Bag Not at all travel requires a carry-on or checked bag; that’s where the Stevyn Duffel Bag comes in. It’s made with soft materials that are a breeze to carry and store. The convenient bag includes a roomy main compartment with interior pockets to easily organize your kiddo’s belongings. Plus, there is a large bottom compartment specially made for shoes to keep the yuckies away from their clothes and brackets. But perhaps the best feature? The luggage sleeve that slides over a suitcase handle when you get tired of carrying it to your destination.Measurements: 19″ x 14.5″ x 10.5″Weight: 3 poundsWheels: NoneColors: 10 Before you go, check out our slideshow below:    Source link

[norajworld]

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. Traveling with kids gets a bad rep, but instead of leaning into the negative remarks from just about everyone with an opinion, help eliminate some of the chaos by gifting your little travelers with luggage that’s all for them. Kid-friendly luggage pieces give them a sense of responsibility and importance that makes them feel so special and included when it’s time to hit the road. Better yet, these pieces of luggage offer tons of fun, too — most have a ride-on options that help them zoom through airports! Best Kid-Friendly Luggage at a Glance Best Carry-On: Stephen Joseph 18-Inch Rolling Suitcase, $56Best for Toddlers: Stokke Kids’ BedBox 19-Inch Ride-On Carry-On Suitcase, $229Best for Kids and Tweens: LoveShackFancy Antoinette Floral Mackenzie Ultimate Luggage, $149+Best for Teens: Beis The Carry-On Roller, $238Best for International Travel: Away The Bigger Carry-On, $295Best with Wheels: State Bags Logan Carry-On Suitcase, $220Best for Organization: Samsonite Freeform Hardside Expandable Carry-On, $146Best for a Budget: Travelers Club 5-Piece Kids’ Luggage Set, $57 (was $84)Best Splurge: MiaMily 4-Wheel Carry-On Luggage with Seat, $359Best Duffle Bag: Calpak Stevyn Duffel Bag, $112 Related story Here's a Sneak Peek at the New Brooks x runDisney Collab — Dropping at This Weekend's runDisney Springtime Surprise The best kids’ luggage should be durable and functional for all ages. Look for picks that offer fun and exciting designs that kids will gravitate to so that they feel that the pieces are just for them while embarking on travel. Luckily, brands like Stokke and State Bags make it easy for them to showcase their creativity and personality by adding stickers, prints, and bright color combinations to their luggage. And if you’re shopping for older kids, consider pieces that grow with them and have a cool edge to them. Tweens and teens will go crazy over Beis and Away. Regardless of what age you’re snagging some new luggage for, each piece should provide plenty of space to hold clothing, shoes, and accessories for the days you’re away. To help, our team scoured the web to roundup the best finds and also gathered suggestions from veteran moms on staff. Ahead, see 10 pieces of kid-friendly luggage that make traveling a breeze. Our mission at SheKnows is to empower and inspire women, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Nordstrom is a SheKnows sponsor, however, all products in this article were independently selected by our editors. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale. Best Carry-On Stephen Joseph 18-Inch Rolling Suitcase This rolling suitcase is perfect for packing as a carry-on. It’s crafted with an exterior zip and mesh pockets to store toys and all of your kiddos’ belongings. The suitcase also has an extendable handle, which ensures easy rolling. The bag can also be worn as a backpack, which they will love! It is also hard not to fall in love with the fun designs.Measurements: 18″ x 14 ½” x 8 ½”Weight: 2.2 poundsWheels: 2Colors: 5 Best for Toddlers Stokke Kids’ BedBox 19-Inch Ride-On Carry-On Suitcase Toddlers are just beginning to find independence, so the Stokke BedBox suitcase is a perfect match for little adventurers. It’s easy to push and store in the overhead compartment. And it also doubles as a convenient ride when their tiny legs tire of walking. The suitcase transforms into a comfy in-flight bed, so it’s a win-win for parents and toddlers! And don’t worry, there’s plenty of room for packing. In addition to all the fun the BedBox offers, it also features a durable composition that’s easy to wipe down and disinfect. The suitcase has a multipurpose strap that works for carrying or pulling. There are also shock-absorbing swivel wheels, which are easy to maneuver. Stokke notes that the ride-on feature is designed for ages 3 to 7 and holds up to 77 pounds. Lastly, the package includes two sheets of stickers for personalization.Measurements: 19″ x 15″ x 7 ½”Weight: 7.7 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 4 Best for Kids and Tweens LoveShackFancy Antoinette Floral Mackenzie Ultimate Luggage Crafted all over with LoveShackFancy’s signature print, this suitcase will quickly turn heads. It boasts a spacious main compartment for your fashionista’s clothes and accessories and multiple exterior and interior pockets for optimal organization. There are also heavy-duty metal extending handles that don’t get tripped up, durable nylon zippers, and smooth-rolling wheels. The suitcase comes in a carry-on style ($149) and a larger size ($169) — each with custom monogram options.Measurements: Carry-On: 19″ x 13″ Full Size: 25″ x 15″ Weight: 5 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 1 Best for Teens Beis The Carry-On Roller The Beis The Carry-On Roller will excite your teen to go on your next family vacation even if it’s “not cool.” The carry-on roller is stylish, roomy, and functional, so they can travel in style and with more than one pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. They can select 13 colors, including the new limited-edition glossy berry.Measurements: 22.8″ x 15.7″ x 9.8″ Weight: 8.36 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 13 Best for International Travel Away The Bigger Carry-On Whether you’re packing up a little or big kid for an international trip, they will need additional space. That’s why we love the Away The Bigger Carry-On — it still meets airlines’ carry-on policies, but there’s plenty of room for necessities. The suitcase is made from a durable, lightweight, 100% polycarbonate shell, premium 360° smooth-gliding wheels, a quick-release trolley handle with two adjustable height settings, and a TSA-approved combination lock. The suitcase includes three mesh pockets and one hanging pocket for the best interior organization.Measurements:  22.7″ x 15.4″ x 9.6″Weight: 7.9 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 14 Best with Wheels State Bags Logan Carry-On Suitcase This fun carry-on is made with kids in mind. It’s the perfect size for ages six and up. The brand includes 360° spinner wheels for smooth maneuvering, a kid-friendly adjustable handle, and stand-out designs that help your traveling sidekick show off their style. It’s also highly functional and has a roomy interior for toys and clothes.Measurements: 18.7″ x 13.4″ x 9.45″Weight: 6.44 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 17 Best for Organization Samsonite Freeform Hardside Expandable Carry-On The Samsonite Freeform Hardside Expandable Carry-On doesn’t leave any organization details out. Let’s start with the exterior: Made with a durable zipper to release the expandable compartment, the suitcase offers ample packing capacity while “adhering to carry-on size restrictions,” Samsonite says. The exterior also has a hard shell to keep your belongings safe and sound.Now, the good part is the interior: It has a fully lined body, elastic straps for security, a mesh divider, and other compartments that help you stay organized. The suitcase also looks super cool and has a futuristic, sleek design, which parents and kids appreciate.Measurements: 21.25″ x 15.25″ x 10.0″Weight: 6.5 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 15 Best for a Budget Travelers Club 5-Piece Kids’ Luggage Set Kids’ luggage doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg; take this five-piece luggage set for example; it’s only $57 at Amazon! The luggage set comes with one 18″ hard-side carry-on luggage, a 15″ backpack, a 10″ lunch bag, one neck pillow, and a luggage tag. Recommended for children ages six and over, they will love packing their luggage for their next adventure since each piece is made with the most adorable prints — from puppies to space ships and unicorns.Measurements: 12″ x 9″ x 18″Weight: 7.09 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 13 Best Splurge MiaMily 4-Wheel Carry-On Luggage with Seat Even though this piece of luggage is a splurge, it’s worth every penny, according to parents. They rave that it’s “back-saving luggage” since it eliminates carrying the kids and their belongings. The suitcase has a comfortable seat they can ride on and rest on while waiting for their flight, equipped with a seat belt for safety. There is also ample room for packing.Measurements: 19″ x 15″ x 11.5″Weight: 9.2 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 5 Best Duffle Bag Calpak Stevyn Duffel Bag Not at all travel requires a carry-on or checked bag; that’s where the Stevyn Duffel Bag comes in. It’s made with soft materials that are a breeze to carry and store. The convenient bag includes a roomy main compartment with interior pockets to easily organize your kiddo’s belongings. Plus, there is a large bottom compartment specially made for shoes to keep the yuckies away from their clothes and brackets. But perhaps the best feature? The luggage sleeve that slides over a suitcase handle when you get tired of carrying it to your destination.Measurements: 19″ x 14.5″ x 10.5″Weight: 3 poundsWheels: NoneColors: 10 Before you go, check out our slideshow below:    Source link

[chilimili212]

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. Traveling with kids gets a bad rep, but instead of leaning into the negative remarks from just about everyone with an opinion, help eliminate some of the chaos by gifting your little travelers with luggage that’s all for them. Kid-friendly luggage pieces give them a sense of responsibility and importance that makes them feel so special and included when it’s time to hit the road. Better yet, these pieces of luggage offer tons of fun, too — most have a ride-on options that help them zoom through airports! Best Kid-Friendly Luggage at a Glance Best Carry-On: Stephen Joseph 18-Inch Rolling Suitcase, $56Best for Toddlers: Stokke Kids’ BedBox 19-Inch Ride-On Carry-On Suitcase, $229Best for Kids and Tweens: LoveShackFancy Antoinette Floral Mackenzie Ultimate Luggage, $149+Best for Teens: Beis The Carry-On Roller, $238Best for International Travel: Away The Bigger Carry-On, $295Best with Wheels: State Bags Logan Carry-On Suitcase, $220Best for Organization: Samsonite Freeform Hardside Expandable Carry-On, $146Best for a Budget: Travelers Club 5-Piece Kids’ Luggage Set, $57 (was $84)Best Splurge: MiaMily 4-Wheel Carry-On Luggage with Seat, $359Best Duffle Bag: Calpak Stevyn Duffel Bag, $112 Related story Here's a Sneak Peek at the New Brooks x runDisney Collab — Dropping at This Weekend's runDisney Springtime Surprise The best kids’ luggage should be durable and functional for all ages. Look for picks that offer fun and exciting designs that kids will gravitate to so that they feel that the pieces are just for them while embarking on travel. Luckily, brands like Stokke and State Bags make it easy for them to showcase their creativity and personality by adding stickers, prints, and bright color combinations to their luggage. And if you’re shopping for older kids, consider pieces that grow with them and have a cool edge to them. Tweens and teens will go crazy over Beis and Away. Regardless of what age you’re snagging some new luggage for, each piece should provide plenty of space to hold clothing, shoes, and accessories for the days you’re away. To help, our team scoured the web to roundup the best finds and also gathered suggestions from veteran moms on staff. Ahead, see 10 pieces of kid-friendly luggage that make traveling a breeze. Our mission at SheKnows is to empower and inspire women, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Nordstrom is a SheKnows sponsor, however, all products in this article were independently selected by our editors. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale. Best Carry-On Stephen Joseph 18-Inch Rolling Suitcase This rolling suitcase is perfect for packing as a carry-on. It’s crafted with an exterior zip and mesh pockets to store toys and all of your kiddos’ belongings. The suitcase also has an extendable handle, which ensures easy rolling. The bag can also be worn as a backpack, which they will love! It is also hard not to fall in love with the fun designs.Measurements: 18″ x 14 ½” x 8 ½”Weight: 2.2 poundsWheels: 2Colors: 5 Best for Toddlers Stokke Kids’ BedBox 19-Inch Ride-On Carry-On Suitcase Toddlers are just beginning to find independence, so the Stokke BedBox suitcase is a perfect match for little adventurers. It’s easy to push and store in the overhead compartment. And it also doubles as a convenient ride when their tiny legs tire of walking. The suitcase transforms into a comfy in-flight bed, so it’s a win-win for parents and toddlers! And don’t worry, there’s plenty of room for packing. In addition to all the fun the BedBox offers, it also features a durable composition that’s easy to wipe down and disinfect. The suitcase has a multipurpose strap that works for carrying or pulling. There are also shock-absorbing swivel wheels, which are easy to maneuver. Stokke notes that the ride-on feature is designed for ages 3 to 7 and holds up to 77 pounds. Lastly, the package includes two sheets of stickers for personalization.Measurements: 19″ x 15″ x 7 ½”Weight: 7.7 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 4 Best for Kids and Tweens LoveShackFancy Antoinette Floral Mackenzie Ultimate Luggage Crafted all over with LoveShackFancy’s signature print, this suitcase will quickly turn heads. It boasts a spacious main compartment for your fashionista’s clothes and accessories and multiple exterior and interior pockets for optimal organization. There are also heavy-duty metal extending handles that don’t get tripped up, durable nylon zippers, and smooth-rolling wheels. The suitcase comes in a carry-on style ($149) and a larger size ($169) — each with custom monogram options.Measurements: Carry-On: 19″ x 13″ Full Size: 25″ x 15″ Weight: 5 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 1 Best for Teens Beis The Carry-On Roller The Beis The Carry-On Roller will excite your teen to go on your next family vacation even if it’s “not cool.” The carry-on roller is stylish, roomy, and functional, so they can travel in style and with more than one pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. They can select 13 colors, including the new limited-edition glossy berry.Measurements: 22.8″ x 15.7″ x 9.8″ Weight: 8.36 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 13 Best for International Travel Away The Bigger Carry-On Whether you’re packing up a little or big kid for an international trip, they will need additional space. That’s why we love the Away The Bigger Carry-On — it still meets airlines’ carry-on policies, but there’s plenty of room for necessities. The suitcase is made from a durable, lightweight, 100% polycarbonate shell, premium 360° smooth-gliding wheels, a quick-release trolley handle with two adjustable height settings, and a TSA-approved combination lock. The suitcase includes three mesh pockets and one hanging pocket for the best interior organization.Measurements:  22.7″ x 15.4″ x 9.6″Weight: 7.9 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 14 Best with Wheels State Bags Logan Carry-On Suitcase This fun carry-on is made with kids in mind. It’s the perfect size for ages six and up. The brand includes 360° spinner wheels for smooth maneuvering, a kid-friendly adjustable handle, and stand-out designs that help your traveling sidekick show off their style. It’s also highly functional and has a roomy interior for toys and clothes.Measurements: 18.7″ x 13.4″ x 9.45″Weight: 6.44 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 17 Best for Organization Samsonite Freeform Hardside Expandable Carry-On The Samsonite Freeform Hardside Expandable Carry-On doesn’t leave any organization details out. Let’s start with the exterior: Made with a durable zipper to release the expandable compartment, the suitcase offers ample packing capacity while “adhering to carry-on size restrictions,” Samsonite says. The exterior also has a hard shell to keep your belongings safe and sound.Now, the good part is the interior: It has a fully lined body, elastic straps for security, a mesh divider, and other compartments that help you stay organized. The suitcase also looks super cool and has a futuristic, sleek design, which parents and kids appreciate.Measurements: 21.25″ x 15.25″ x 10.0″Weight: 6.5 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 15 Best for a Budget Travelers Club 5-Piece Kids’ Luggage Set Kids’ luggage doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg; take this five-piece luggage set for example; it’s only $57 at Amazon! The luggage set comes with one 18″ hard-side carry-on luggage, a 15″ backpack, a 10″ lunch bag, one neck pillow, and a luggage tag. Recommended for children ages six and over, they will love packing their luggage for their next adventure since each piece is made with the most adorable prints — from puppies to space ships and unicorns.Measurements: 12″ x 9″ x 18″Weight: 7.09 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 13 Best Splurge MiaMily 4-Wheel Carry-On Luggage with Seat Even though this piece of luggage is a splurge, it’s worth every penny, according to parents. They rave that it’s “back-saving luggage” since it eliminates carrying the kids and their belongings. The suitcase has a comfortable seat they can ride on and rest on while waiting for their flight, equipped with a seat belt for safety. There is also ample room for packing.Measurements: 19″ x 15″ x 11.5″Weight: 9.2 poundsWheels: 4Colors: 5 Best Duffle Bag Calpak Stevyn Duffel Bag Not at all travel requires a carry-on or checked bag; that’s where the Stevyn Duffel Bag comes in. It’s made with soft materials that are a breeze to carry and store. The convenient bag includes a roomy main compartment with interior pockets to easily organize your kiddo’s belongings. Plus, there is a large bottom compartment specially made for shoes to keep the yuckies away from their clothes and brackets. But perhaps the best feature? The luggage sleeve that slides over a suitcase handle when you get tired of carrying it to your destination.Measurements: 19″ x 14.5″ x 10.5″Weight: 3 poundsWheels: NoneColors: 10 Before you go, check out our slideshow below:    Source link

[megafreak400]

2025 Media Thread - #2

Wild Frost (2/5/25) -  Score - 9/10

Deck building roguelikes are a bit of a frustrating trend lately. Don’t get me wrong I love them, but it’s frustrating how many of them there are now and how most of them just kind of do the same thing without innovating. That doesn’t mean they aren’t fun but I don’t want to just play the same exact game over and over. Because of that, I was a bit hesitant to check this one out. But Wild Frost’s cartoony and colorful art style was enough to entice me into giving it a try.

For the most part, Wild Frost is your standard Deck building roguelike. I know I just complained about the games being too samey, and Wild Frost isn’t totally immune from that criticism. But what I do think that sets it apart are three main factors:

1. The way the game is set up, it feel like you’re given the opportunity to get less cards than other roguelikes. Especially when compared to Slay the spire, where that game has like new cards for almost every event and after every battle. Here you only really get new cards from chests or shops. At least when it comes to Item cards that is. You can also get team members from breaking them out of the ice, but there is a limit on how many of those cards you can bring to battle. The point is that because of the limit it feels like it’s much easier to see the connections between cards and then proceed to build a deck with good synergy. For me Slay the Spire always gave me so many good cards even if they weren’t the best for that deck that it was hard for me to be smart about what cards to keep and what cards to throw away. I found myself much more likely to remove cards in this game to make sure my build was as strong as possible. It helps that there’s a lot of diversity in what the characters' powers are that you’re always gonna be aiming for something different depending on what you pull. Your starting character is also always different as well, so no one run will start exactly the same.

2. So this game has a bit more of a strategy vibe to it due to all the characters being on a grid. There are two lanes with each lane being 3 spots long. Enemy’s attack you from the same lame (unless otherwise noted) and by default attack the first spot. You have free reign to adjust anyone on your team's position at any point while it's your turn. Because of this, paying attention and rearranging your composition is just as important as what cards to play. It makes the game feel less like an order of operations card game and much more Wargroove like. Moving units to block attacks, gaining effects by being hit, or the various other effects that can occur based on location really add to this game's appeal. This sold me on the game (along with the art style) and makes battles feel more dynamic. 

3. So since it’s a roguelike, winning one run isn’t the end. But what makes this game special is how they put a twist on this aspect. The first time you get to the end, you fight this generic frost wizard guy. He was somewhat tricky at first but nothing all that special. However after you win, the guy you were playing as gets possessed. This includes your entire team as well (with some cards such as items being turned into similar monsters to keep the same vibe as our deck.) Oh yea, that means the next time you get to the end you have to fight the team you won with the last time. This is so cool. Not only is it just a fun concept, it also adds on to how you tackle a run. If you build too strong of a deck that means a harder fight next time. You can also at all times see what the deck at the end is, so you can build your current deck to counter it. 

So while it’s still very much a standard Deck Building Roguelike it does enough to change the formula slightly to make it feel fresh. Add onto that the fantastic and cute art style, the winter theme and the amazing soundtrack and you get a game that’s up there with slay the spire as being a pretty fantastic time. If you like this style of game play I highly recommend you give this one a try.

[tameblog]

In the life of a gardener, few things are sadder than nurturing a plant, harvesting the tasty fruit or veggie, eating it… and discovering that it tastes terrible. This happened to me a couple years ago with the carrots I grew and forgot to fertilize regularly. It can happen with all sorts of plants, including other Umbellifers – like celery. And since it is already a strong-tasting veggie, the last thing you want is for those stalks to taste so acrid you can barely stand to eat them. What a sad culmination of your growing efforts! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. If you’ve ever harvested disappointingly unappealing Apium graveolens or want to make sure your current crop zips with tasty but not overbearing flavor, this article is for you. You can learn more about growing celery in your garden in our guide. Here’s what I’ll cover in this article: 5 Reasons Why Your Celery Tastes Bitter 1. Not Enough Nutrients As I discovered with my bitter carrots, a lack of nutrients can result in a poorly fed, bitter-tasting plant. When I was new to gardening, I didn’t think too hard about the soil where I planted my seeds. I usually just dumped some potting mix from the store into a little raised bed, and that would adequately feed my herbs, flowers, and small collection of veggies for the summer. My mom had a compost pile where I dumped eggshells and carrot peels to become smelly mush, but as a teenager I didn’t really make the connection between the compost pile and the plants in the garden. After a few rounds of harvesting acrid vegetables, I realized that getting the soil composition right and feeding the plants regularly is crucial if you want to eat homegrown produce that tastes good. To put it simply, if you aren’t giving the plants what they need in order to thrive, they suffer. And an undernourished plant won’t taste nice. Celery is a heavy feeder, but it’s an easy plant to nourish.All it needs is an application of balanced fertilizer every three to four weeks in order to stay happy. Vigoro Tomato and Vegetable Plant Food I like to use this 12-10-5 (NPK) product from Vigoro, available at the Home Depot. It’s also a good idea to amend your soil with compost or well-rotted manure before planting your celery, giving it a nutrient-rich place to grow. 2. Too Much Heat Celery thrives in places where nights are a cool 50°F and days don’t exceed 70 to 80°F. If temperatures rise into the 90s – especially as the stalks reach maturity – the heat can cause the stalks to turn bitter. To protect your plants during heatwaves, water them early in the morning to keep the soil moist and cool throughout the day, and mulch with straw or another light-colored material. This helps to keep the soil and roots from overheating. You can also erect a shade cloth that blocks 30 to 50 percent of the light, like this one from Amazon, leaving it up during the hottest parts of the day. 3. A Lack of Water If it doesn’t get enough water, celery can produce stringy, bitter stalks. Each plant needs at least one to one and a half inches of water every week, and if it doesn’t get that moisture, it’ll get stressed. So make sure you’re consistently watering your plants. If you’re prone to forgetting, as I sometimes am, set a daily reminder on your phone to check the moisture level of the soil. If you poke your finger three inches down and feel dryness, it’s time to water the thirsty plants. 4. An Overly Mature Plant Cheese and wine may become perfect with age, but celery does not. It can be tough to know when to harvest the verdant stalks, but if you wait too long, you risk harvesting tough, bitter, stringy celery. Yuck! Thankfully, there are two easy ways to know when your plant is ready for harvest: 1. It’s been about 130-140 days since the seedlings germinated. 2. Stalks are six inches long from the base to the first leaf. So get out your ruler and do some measuring. And check your gardening journal, in which you hopefully marked the date of germination if you grew the plant from seed. If you need extra help figuring out when to harvest, check out our guide to harvesting celery for more tips. 5. Stalks That Haven’t Been Blanched Maybe you gave your plants the right amount of water and fertilizer, kept them cool in hot weather, and harvested the stalks at the right time, but they’re still bitter. Why? Take a look at the color. Are the stalks a bright, deep green? Photo by Laura Melchor. For sweeter stalks, you’ll want to blanch the celery in the garden by covering them with newspaper or milk cartons about two weeks before harvest. This blocks the sun from reaching the stalks, preventing photosynthesis and chlorophyll production, and resulting in a sweeter, lighter-colored plant. Photo by Laura Melchor. In the photo above, the stalks on the left-hand side have been blanched, while the stalks on the right-hand side have not. For more details on how and when to do this, check out our guide to blanching celery in the garden. You can also grow self-blanching varieties, like ‘Golden Self-Blanching.’ If it’s too late to blanch – maybe you’ve already harvested all your plants – tease the head apart to find the lighter, naturally blanched inner stalks. These will taste sweeter than the outer stalks, so they’re ideal for when you want to enjoy a raw stick or two for an afternoon snack. Use the greener stalks for cooking. As you’ll see in a moment, cooking the bitter stalks can help to improve their flavor. What to Do with Bitter Celery Now that you know how to prevent bitter flavors from developing in your celery, you can keep your next crop healthy and sweet. But what if you already harvested celery that’s tough, stringy, and bitter? What can you do with it? Try cutting it into small pieces and sauteing it in dairy-free margarine until it begins to turn tender, and then add it to this vegan Thanksgiving stuffing from our sister site, Foodal. Sauteing it will soften the harsh flavor but help it to retain its crisp texture in your stuffing. Photo by Meghan Yager. Or, simmer it into Foodal’s delicious, autumn-appropriate vegetable minestrone. Like sauteing, the act of simmering or boiling the celery in a soup like this one brings out its milder side. Photo by Fanny Slater. To transform it into a tasty side dish, try caramelizing and roasting it along with onions, mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, and other scrumptious veggies in this recipe for a roasted vegetable and herb salad, also from Foodal. See? Even if you harvested a bunch of bitter stalks, it doesn’t mean your hard work was for naught. There’s still plenty you can do to make acrid stalks shine. A Sweet Cel(ery)bration I hope this article has lifted your spirits if you recently took a huge bite of garden-grown celery and nearly wilted at the overwhelming flavor. Or maybe it caught you in time to blanch the stalks, or add a bit of fertilizer, water, or protective shade cloth to your stressed-out plants. If you have any additional tips to salvage bitter celery, share your advice in the comments below! Now, go forth and grow yourself some sweet-tasting stalks. And remember to check out these articles on growing flavorful Umbellifers in your garden next: Photos by Fanny Slater, Meghan Yager, and Laura Melchor © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published September 19th, 2020. Last updated January 30th, 2025. Product photos via Home Depot. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '176410929431717'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link

[ramestoryworld]

In the life of a gardener, few things are sadder than nurturing a plant, harvesting the tasty fruit or veggie, eating it… and discovering that it tastes terrible. This happened to me a couple years ago with the carrots I grew and forgot to fertilize regularly. It can happen with all sorts of plants, including other Umbellifers – like celery. And since it is already a strong-tasting veggie, the last thing you want is for those stalks to taste so acrid you can barely stand to eat them. What a sad culmination of your growing efforts! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. If you’ve ever harvested disappointingly unappealing Apium graveolens or want to make sure your current crop zips with tasty but not overbearing flavor, this article is for you. You can learn more about growing celery in your garden in our guide. Here’s what I’ll cover in this article: 5 Reasons Why Your Celery Tastes Bitter 1. Not Enough Nutrients As I discovered with my bitter carrots, a lack of nutrients can result in a poorly fed, bitter-tasting plant. When I was new to gardening, I didn’t think too hard about the soil where I planted my seeds. I usually just dumped some potting mix from the store into a little raised bed, and that would adequately feed my herbs, flowers, and small collection of veggies for the summer. My mom had a compost pile where I dumped eggshells and carrot peels to become smelly mush, but as a teenager I didn’t really make the connection between the compost pile and the plants in the garden. After a few rounds of harvesting acrid vegetables, I realized that getting the soil composition right and feeding the plants regularly is crucial if you want to eat homegrown produce that tastes good. To put it simply, if you aren’t giving the plants what they need in order to thrive, they suffer. And an undernourished plant won’t taste nice. Celery is a heavy feeder, but it’s an easy plant to nourish.All it needs is an application of balanced fertilizer every three to four weeks in order to stay happy. Vigoro Tomato and Vegetable Plant Food I like to use this 12-10-5 (NPK) product from Vigoro, available at the Home Depot. It’s also a good idea to amend your soil with compost or well-rotted manure before planting your celery, giving it a nutrient-rich place to grow. 2. Too Much Heat Celery thrives in places where nights are a cool 50°F and days don’t exceed 70 to 80°F. If temperatures rise into the 90s – especially as the stalks reach maturity – the heat can cause the stalks to turn bitter. To protect your plants during heatwaves, water them early in the morning to keep the soil moist and cool throughout the day, and mulch with straw or another light-colored material. This helps to keep the soil and roots from overheating. You can also erect a shade cloth that blocks 30 to 50 percent of the light, like this one from Amazon, leaving it up during the hottest parts of the day. 3. A Lack of Water If it doesn’t get enough water, celery can produce stringy, bitter stalks. Each plant needs at least one to one and a half inches of water every week, and if it doesn’t get that moisture, it’ll get stressed. So make sure you’re consistently watering your plants. If you’re prone to forgetting, as I sometimes am, set a daily reminder on your phone to check the moisture level of the soil. If you poke your finger three inches down and feel dryness, it’s time to water the thirsty plants. 4. An Overly Mature Plant Cheese and wine may become perfect with age, but celery does not. It can be tough to know when to harvest the verdant stalks, but if you wait too long, you risk harvesting tough, bitter, stringy celery. Yuck! Thankfully, there are two easy ways to know when your plant is ready for harvest: 1. It’s been about 130-140 days since the seedlings germinated. 2. Stalks are six inches long from the base to the first leaf. So get out your ruler and do some measuring. And check your gardening journal, in which you hopefully marked the date of germination if you grew the plant from seed. If you need extra help figuring out when to harvest, check out our guide to harvesting celery for more tips. 5. Stalks That Haven’t Been Blanched Maybe you gave your plants the right amount of water and fertilizer, kept them cool in hot weather, and harvested the stalks at the right time, but they’re still bitter. Why? Take a look at the color. Are the stalks a bright, deep green? Photo by Laura Melchor. For sweeter stalks, you’ll want to blanch the celery in the garden by covering them with newspaper or milk cartons about two weeks before harvest. This blocks the sun from reaching the stalks, preventing photosynthesis and chlorophyll production, and resulting in a sweeter, lighter-colored plant. Photo by Laura Melchor. In the photo above, the stalks on the left-hand side have been blanched, while the stalks on the right-hand side have not. For more details on how and when to do this, check out our guide to blanching celery in the garden. You can also grow self-blanching varieties, like ‘Golden Self-Blanching.’ If it’s too late to blanch – maybe you’ve already harvested all your plants – tease the head apart to find the lighter, naturally blanched inner stalks. These will taste sweeter than the outer stalks, so they’re ideal for when you want to enjoy a raw stick or two for an afternoon snack. Use the greener stalks for cooking. As you’ll see in a moment, cooking the bitter stalks can help to improve their flavor. What to Do with Bitter Celery Now that you know how to prevent bitter flavors from developing in your celery, you can keep your next crop healthy and sweet. But what if you already harvested celery that’s tough, stringy, and bitter? What can you do with it? Try cutting it into small pieces and sauteing it in dairy-free margarine until it begins to turn tender, and then add it to this vegan Thanksgiving stuffing from our sister site, Foodal. Sauteing it will soften the harsh flavor but help it to retain its crisp texture in your stuffing. Photo by Meghan Yager. Or, simmer it into Foodal’s delicious, autumn-appropriate vegetable minestrone. Like sauteing, the act of simmering or boiling the celery in a soup like this one brings out its milder side. Photo by Fanny Slater. To transform it into a tasty side dish, try caramelizing and roasting it along with onions, mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, and other scrumptious veggies in this recipe for a roasted vegetable and herb salad, also from Foodal. See? Even if you harvested a bunch of bitter stalks, it doesn’t mean your hard work was for naught. There’s still plenty you can do to make acrid stalks shine. A Sweet Cel(ery)bration I hope this article has lifted your spirits if you recently took a huge bite of garden-grown celery and nearly wilted at the overwhelming flavor. Or maybe it caught you in time to blanch the stalks, or add a bit of fertilizer, water, or protective shade cloth to your stressed-out plants. If you have any additional tips to salvage bitter celery, share your advice in the comments below! Now, go forth and grow yourself some sweet-tasting stalks. And remember to check out these articles on growing flavorful Umbellifers in your garden next: Photos by Fanny Slater, Meghan Yager, and Laura Melchor © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published September 19th, 2020. Last updated January 30th, 2025. Product photos via Home Depot. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '176410929431717'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link

[alexha2210]

In the life of a gardener, few things are sadder than nurturing a plant, harvesting the tasty fruit or veggie, eating it… and discovering that it tastes terrible. This happened to me a couple years ago with the carrots I grew and forgot to fertilize regularly. It can happen with all sorts of plants, including other Umbellifers – like celery. And since it is already a strong-tasting veggie, the last thing you want is for those stalks to taste so acrid you can barely stand to eat them. What a sad culmination of your growing efforts! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. If you’ve ever harvested disappointingly unappealing Apium graveolens or want to make sure your current crop zips with tasty but not overbearing flavor, this article is for you. You can learn more about growing celery in your garden in our guide. Here’s what I’ll cover in this article: 5 Reasons Why Your Celery Tastes Bitter 1. Not Enough Nutrients As I discovered with my bitter carrots, a lack of nutrients can result in a poorly fed, bitter-tasting plant. When I was new to gardening, I didn’t think too hard about the soil where I planted my seeds. I usually just dumped some potting mix from the store into a little raised bed, and that would adequately feed my herbs, flowers, and small collection of veggies for the summer. My mom had a compost pile where I dumped eggshells and carrot peels to become smelly mush, but as a teenager I didn’t really make the connection between the compost pile and the plants in the garden. After a few rounds of harvesting acrid vegetables, I realized that getting the soil composition right and feeding the plants regularly is crucial if you want to eat homegrown produce that tastes good. To put it simply, if you aren’t giving the plants what they need in order to thrive, they suffer. And an undernourished plant won’t taste nice. Celery is a heavy feeder, but it’s an easy plant to nourish.All it needs is an application of balanced fertilizer every three to four weeks in order to stay happy. Vigoro Tomato and Vegetable Plant Food I like to use this 12-10-5 (NPK) product from Vigoro, available at the Home Depot. It’s also a good idea to amend your soil with compost or well-rotted manure before planting your celery, giving it a nutrient-rich place to grow. 2. Too Much Heat Celery thrives in places where nights are a cool 50°F and days don’t exceed 70 to 80°F. If temperatures rise into the 90s – especially as the stalks reach maturity – the heat can cause the stalks to turn bitter. To protect your plants during heatwaves, water them early in the morning to keep the soil moist and cool throughout the day, and mulch with straw or another light-colored material. This helps to keep the soil and roots from overheating. You can also erect a shade cloth that blocks 30 to 50 percent of the light, like this one from Amazon, leaving it up during the hottest parts of the day. 3. A Lack of Water If it doesn’t get enough water, celery can produce stringy, bitter stalks. Each plant needs at least one to one and a half inches of water every week, and if it doesn’t get that moisture, it’ll get stressed. So make sure you’re consistently watering your plants. If you’re prone to forgetting, as I sometimes am, set a daily reminder on your phone to check the moisture level of the soil. If you poke your finger three inches down and feel dryness, it’s time to water the thirsty plants. 4. An Overly Mature Plant Cheese and wine may become perfect with age, but celery does not. It can be tough to know when to harvest the verdant stalks, but if you wait too long, you risk harvesting tough, bitter, stringy celery. Yuck! Thankfully, there are two easy ways to know when your plant is ready for harvest: 1. It’s been about 130-140 days since the seedlings germinated. 2. Stalks are six inches long from the base to the first leaf. So get out your ruler and do some measuring. And check your gardening journal, in which you hopefully marked the date of germination if you grew the plant from seed. If you need extra help figuring out when to harvest, check out our guide to harvesting celery for more tips. 5. Stalks That Haven’t Been Blanched Maybe you gave your plants the right amount of water and fertilizer, kept them cool in hot weather, and harvested the stalks at the right time, but they’re still bitter. Why? Take a look at the color. Are the stalks a bright, deep green? Photo by Laura Melchor. For sweeter stalks, you’ll want to blanch the celery in the garden by covering them with newspaper or milk cartons about two weeks before harvest. This blocks the sun from reaching the stalks, preventing photosynthesis and chlorophyll production, and resulting in a sweeter, lighter-colored plant. Photo by Laura Melchor. In the photo above, the stalks on the left-hand side have been blanched, while the stalks on the right-hand side have not. For more details on how and when to do this, check out our guide to blanching celery in the garden. You can also grow self-blanching varieties, like ‘Golden Self-Blanching.’ If it’s too late to blanch – maybe you’ve already harvested all your plants – tease the head apart to find the lighter, naturally blanched inner stalks. These will taste sweeter than the outer stalks, so they’re ideal for when you want to enjoy a raw stick or two for an afternoon snack. Use the greener stalks for cooking. As you’ll see in a moment, cooking the bitter stalks can help to improve their flavor. What to Do with Bitter Celery Now that you know how to prevent bitter flavors from developing in your celery, you can keep your next crop healthy and sweet. But what if you already harvested celery that’s tough, stringy, and bitter? What can you do with it? Try cutting it into small pieces and sauteing it in dairy-free margarine until it begins to turn tender, and then add it to this vegan Thanksgiving stuffing from our sister site, Foodal. Sauteing it will soften the harsh flavor but help it to retain its crisp texture in your stuffing. Photo by Meghan Yager. Or, simmer it into Foodal’s delicious, autumn-appropriate vegetable minestrone. Like sauteing, the act of simmering or boiling the celery in a soup like this one brings out its milder side. Photo by Fanny Slater. To transform it into a tasty side dish, try caramelizing and roasting it along with onions, mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, and other scrumptious veggies in this recipe for a roasted vegetable and herb salad, also from Foodal. See? Even if you harvested a bunch of bitter stalks, it doesn’t mean your hard work was for naught. There’s still plenty you can do to make acrid stalks shine. A Sweet Cel(ery)bration I hope this article has lifted your spirits if you recently took a huge bite of garden-grown celery and nearly wilted at the overwhelming flavor. Or maybe it caught you in time to blanch the stalks, or add a bit of fertilizer, water, or protective shade cloth to your stressed-out plants. If you have any additional tips to salvage bitter celery, share your advice in the comments below! Now, go forth and grow yourself some sweet-tasting stalks. And remember to check out these articles on growing flavorful Umbellifers in your garden next: Photos by Fanny Slater, Meghan Yager, and Laura Melchor © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published September 19th, 2020. Last updated January 30th, 2025. Product photos via Home Depot. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '176410929431717'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link