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evolutionsvoid · 3 years ago

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I feel that the creatures of the volcanic deserts (AKA obsidian deserts) are a group that is hardly known by the outside world. You get a lot of talk about the beasts that live in jungles, or the monsters that live in the vast labyrinth of the Underworld, but not a lot of people mention these creatures. I would be interested in knowing how many people are even aware they exist! I feel if I asked anyone what a Shockscale or Flab Rat was, they would think I was either talking about a magic thing or an insult. Volcanic deserts are rare biomes, but there are other uncommon ones that people seem pretty knowledgeable of! So why don't people talk about them? Well, one theory is that volcanic deserts frequently get confused with other volcanic deserts, by that I mean dry land plus volcano. So when folk hear about them, they are confused which is which. Or in some cases, they may go visit it to see what the excitement is about and just find an arid piece of land by a lazy smoldering mountain. Not really all that interesting. Or it could be that people don't think deserts have anything in them, as that often happens with regular ones! I have surprised a lot of people whenever I prattle on about all the creatures that live in deserts, as they assume it is a barren wasteland! So perhaps they feel the same for volcanic deserts. These are legitimate theories, but I would like to submit my own! I would say that no one really talks about the flora and fauna of volcanic deserts because those ecosystems are absolutely awful to visit and nobody in their right mind would ever set root in one! Grating sand! Razor stone! Nonstop wind and lightening! It is a nightmare! Every sane explorer would turn back the second they watched a dune explode into a black shower of bladed chunks and crackling energy! They would see the utter misery this landscape brings and think "why not try the next one?" Sadly, not all who explore are levelheaded, and not all who seek knowledge are smart. By the way, have you guessed where I am writing this entry? I got to have something to do while I cower in this obsidian tube and wait for the apocalypse to ease up outside. My gripes aside, it is a darn shame that these creatures get overlooked. This biome, harsh and cruel it may be, has created some incredible species and the world deserves to know their presence! By writing this down and informing others, I also do the service of granting this knowledge so others don't have to suffer like I did! In most cases, I would encourage my readers to go out and see these incredible sights themselves, but here I am fine with them reading it in a book and looking at all the pretty pictures. So, with that, get a nice drink, find someplace cozy and not full of sand to sit, and read on! This entry is on a rather peculiar beast of these horrible lands: the Shockscale Urchin! The Shockscale Urchin (or just Shockscale) is a terrestrial version of those spiny little balls you find in the ocean, preferring the sandy places that have a whole lot of fire and lightening. Like sea urchins, they do look like a moving mound, though they are decked out in scales instead of spines. This image is possible because the underside of the urchin is where their feet are, hidden under all those beautiful scales. Down below is also where its mouth is, so its topside is really a featureless looking pile of scales. This simplicity, however, has its beauty, which can be seen in its magnificent scales! Mixes of purple and black on these sturdy, metallic scales! While many are small, they grow larger and thicker as they move down and away from the body. Anchored in special muscles, these outer scales sweep out from the body and form structures that seem more fitting for birds! Metallic wings and a fanning tail are formed from these scales and controlled by muscles. Despite their appearance, they cannot fly, as they are too heavy and not built for such an action. They don't so much flap but sweep and flow as the Shockscale moves and dances. With such beautiful and hardy scales, one would most certainly want one as a souvenir! Finding such a memento would seem rather thrilling, and easy too! If you are ever in a volcanic desert (first of all, have you listened to nothing I have said?) and wander the dunes, you would find some of these scales left in the sand. In some cases, you may watch a Shockscale crawl along and shed some of these scales as they navigate the chaotic terrain. At first glance, you would think yourself lucky! Here is a pretty trinket, let me just reach down and grab it! If you find yourself in this situation, pray that you have a smarter friend nearby ready to tackle you away from this enticing treasure. Hopefully you aren't wondering why I would say this, because I feel the name of this species should give a whole lot away.

Just like the landscape, which is constantly ravaged by violent storms, the Shockscale harnesses the power of lightening! Special organs within their bodies are capable of producing some series shocks, which means they don't have to rely on absorbing lightening like the Elmis Spire. This means that they cannot run out of this energy, as long as they have the strength to use these organs! By putting them at full charge, the Shockscale is capable of creating a shock that will knock you off your roots and fry your leaves! This effect is powered up because they are coated in these metallic scales, making it so much easier for them to zap you! Thankfully, though, this can only happen if you touch or step on one, right? Good news for them and bad news for us, the answer is: No! The amazing thing about the Shockscale is that they are able to weaponize this electricity in a rather ingenious way! The scales they shed are not lost by accident, they drop them on purpose! That is because these scales are really conductive and practically pull the electricity in. If the Shockscale releases its energy near these fallen scales, the lightening will jump from its body to these lost pieces! That means if you grab a scale while one of these urchins are nearby, there is a chance they will fry you! Like I said, these dropped scales are not by accident, the Shockscale actually uses them! These creatures tend to have territories they stick to, and here they do their hunting. They will sweep their "wings" in a circle and leave a ring of fallen scales. Moving to the center, they will bury themselves in the black sand and wait. When prey blunders through this practically invisible circle, the Shockscale will start zapping! Caught between the source and the energy-hungry scales, the electricity will flow through you while it makes its journey! The power of this shock is enough to drop a full grown human, as it messes with your nervous system and muscles. If you watch prey get caught in this shock trap, you will see them suddenly convulse and drop to the ground. They will twitch and writhe as the energy flows through them, as falling over unfortunately causes one to absorb even more of this shock. In most cases, the prey is killed by this powerful effect, and the Shockscale will emerge to claim its meal. The urchin will crawl atop its prey and use its hidden mouth to devour them. While Shockscales tend to fry smaller creatures, they are quite opportunistic. Anything that wanders into their territory is fair game, and the hungrier they are, the more likely they are to take risks. Even if huge creatures stomp through their circle, they will still shock them despite the fact they know it won't kill them. This is more of a deterrent, as the Shockscale would prefer not to get stepped on. I imagine this sudden way to go is part of the reason this ecosystem is believed to be cursed. How else would you explain someone suddenly convulsing and then dropping dead? Demonic possession? A smiting from the gods? Or perhaps a hungry echinoderm... In most cases, the Shockscale uses its scales to create this deadly perimeter for both offense and defense. Here it can lay in safety as it waits for food to arrive. However, there are some instances where the Shockscale will use its scales in a different pattern. When traveling, the urchin will be without its special circle. In this state, a predator may try to attack them, assuming the creature is without its usual defense. Since its takes time and precision to properly set up its trap, the Shockscale will be caught off guard. In some cases, it might just hunker down and rely on its own electric body for defense. Some have seen, however, times when the Shockscale "flees," which is odd because they don't move that fast. The urchin will try to run for its life, but the predator will have no trouble keeping up. Obviously, the beast will not jump right in and take a bite, as the urchin will just fry them. Most attackers would tend to hang back and wait for a vulnerable moment. Stalking behind the fleeing Shockscale, they will wait for the right moment to strike and then suddenly drop dead. Turns out, the Shockscale wasn't running. When they "retreat," they are actually dropping scales behind them as they move. They know that their abilities work by proximity, and most predators won't get close enough to zap. So by leaving a breadcrumb trail of scales, they are setting up a devious trap. The predator will be lured forward with the idea that they have the advantage, causing them to walk atop this line of scales. By releasing its energy, the lightening will chain itself through these scales and fry the attacker. Pretty clever! With this defense, there isn't much that can really mess with this species! The only predation I have witnessed so far was by a pack of Flab Rats, whose rubbery hides offer protection from most shocks. Even then, they have to be sure the Shockscale is dead before they take a bite! All the insulation in the world doesn't matter if you jam the lightening bolt into your mouth! Same goes for knives, you little monsters. Though they are quite dangerous, there is elegance to found in these incredible creatures! The beautiful wings are for more than just dropping scales, they actually use them for dance! When mating season comes around, the males will begin to wander the dunes. They do not seek a spot to congregate, rather they seem to move in different directions. I have heard that they are influenced by the sun, moon and stars, using them to guide their way, but I have not fully confirmed that. As they wander, they will let their wings out to the full span and spin around. There is some kind of pattern and design to this dance, as they thrash back and forth or twirl, but no one has truly decoded it. What we do know is that this moving ballet leaves behind something quite gorgeous! Their movements and wings create patterns in the obsidian sand, and their trail is formed from this delicate art! If you are walking the dunes during the breeding season, you will see entire swathes of the landscape turned into a magnificent canvas! These artistic trails are for the females, who are also moving about. When a female crawls over these paths, they can feel and detect its pattern. It seems they can learn a lot about the male from the art he leaves behind, and this will decide if he is worthy or not. If the design is lacking, she will move on, but if it is a masterpiece, she will follow it. Since she is not slowed by the need for dance, she will soon catch up with the twirling male and the two will undergo the next step of courtship. The trail he left behind was meant to get her in the door, now this part is how he gets her to stay! Together, the two shall dance and spin around each other, with the male seeking to impress and the female silently judging. The male must perform the right moves and hit the right timing to have a chance with her. If he bungles it, she will leave and search elsewhere. If he succeeds, the two will mate and part ways. She will go off to lay her eggs deep within the dunes, while he will continue his dance and search for other females. The thing that always gets me with this particular way for attracting mates is how delicate the whole process is. They are doing all this communication through sand art, despite the fact this landscape is ravaged by storms at an almost constant rate. A powerful gust of wind will easily erase all traces of this act, so how do they make it work? One solid theory is that Shockscales breed during seasons when the storms are at their slowest (which I think means they come every six minutes rather than five). This gives them longer times to let their art survive and catch attention, before it is blown away and they have to start over. Others say that the Shockscales also leave scented scales or pheromone along their trail, which the female can still follow if the patterns are erased. Whatever the reason, they somehow make it work! Though the Shockscales are not mentioned a lot by everyday folk, just like a lot of fauna from volcanic deserts, there is something about them that has made it to many shores. In many places, you can hear superstitions and creepy tales about a land covered in darkness and ravaged by the wrath of the gods. This place is almost like purgatory, covered in lava and black blades. What makes this place even creepier are the "symbols" and "runes" left by some unknown culture. Those who have entered this inhospitable land have mentioned grand designs etched into the dunes, patterns and symbols that are alien to many eyes and tongues. All of this, and yet not a single soul is seen! Despite this, the patterns are blown away, but then suddenly remade! How can this be?! Is there some kind of civilization hidden within this terrible world, writing these alien words in the sand? Or is it the result of spirits and demons, roaming the world of fire and lightening? Perhaps it is something more confusing and frightening. You see, these patterns can reach such amazing sizes and intricacy, yet you would struggle to fully appreciate it on the ground. A mural carved into the landscape can only be viewed in one way: from above! Are these symbols made for or by angels? Are they the markings of entities high above our heads? What do they stand for? What do they mean? There are many tales and theories about these bizarre patterns, and I have heard them all! Truly bewildering stuff! I have had people talk my ears off about these crazy conspiracies, and all I can think during these lectures is: "Is this what its like?" The real bummer of it all is that whenever I join in and add my theories, everyone gets all sour. They spin an endless yarn about symbols of angels and the writing of the gods, but then I offer the translation of "Heeeeey, ladies! Wanna dance?" and suddenly I'm the nut job. Chlora Myron Dryad Natural Historian ----------------------------------------------------- A creature design brainstormed between my friend @james-silvercat and me! I can't remember how we started on this, but at some point we were talking about my volcanic deserts and shingle urchins! Wound up being a really cool creature and a really cool design!

#sea urchin #urchin #echinoderm #shingle urchin #monster #creature #art #drawing #desert #lightening

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almaasi · 11 months ago

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Waiting For Thunder

It was too hot inside. So Redd and Lohn were out on the porch, waiting. Listening to the stormchasers’ radio feed - a faint chatter, ongoing, all treble and no bass. Listening to the rain. (Redd tenderly gives Lohn a haircut, and somehow they end up kissing.)

🐰 3k ⋆ G

⚡ read on AO3

(art animated using wallpaper engine. i don't think that's the intended use of wallpaper engine but it worked so i'm not complaining~)

#rabbit lightning #rhett and link #rhink #randl #good mythical morning #elmie makes things #elmie writes things #elmie draws things #post of postiness #the gif may or may not work here... it's not showing up on my blog but it does on my dash #so fingers crossed #either way you should be able to click through to imgur and that works #waiting for thunder

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almaasi · 2 years ago

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[ LOUD GIGGLING ]

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would you be nice to him for once in your life

(audio from Little Achievements by @almaasi )

#EHE HEHEHEHEH EHEHEHEHE HEHEHEE #delightful #i love it #favourite #garashir #ds9 #star trek #elmie writes things #little achievements #the frickin tongue i can;t #related works

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forcefully-awoken · 4 years ago

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LOVE LANGUAGES

Kylo Ren x Reader

Summary: Kylo Ren doesn’t do romance, but he does enjoy a challenge

Rating: Explicit

Warnings for: Attempted sexual assault, my shit romantic writing, Kylo Ren doesn’t understand romance and neither do I.

Note: This was written for the Citrus Dome Lovers Day Literature collab.

Read on ao3 here. Header by the lovely Elmi.

Kylo Ren doesn’t do romance.

There has never been a need for it in his life, growing up the only couple he had truly seen in action were his own parents. The volatile relationship they had together, one moment embarrassingly in love and physical, the next a screaming match with random objects flying through the air. He couldn’t imagine attaching himself to a person like that, letting their emotions influence his own. No, there was no need for something as trivial as romance in Kylo Ren’s life.

That is, until you come along.

You trail behind Hux, of all people, taking diligent notes of whatever the General says on your data pad. You’re new to Starkiller, he can tell from the wide eye look you give everything as you pass by it, the way your head jerks towards him and then away when you realize he’s staring right at you. He doesn’t even know why he’s staring at you. You were, you are, irrelevant to him. He hardly gives you a second thought when you leave the room.

Until you collide face first into his chest. It’s the middle of the night, there’s no reason for you to be wandering the halls (there’s no real reason he is either, aside from a bout of insomnia, but he’s Kylo Ren and you are, well, you). You stammer out some pathetic excuse about the base being so big you get easily turned around. You’re nearly in tears by the time he takes as much pity as he can on you, barking out a short “Enough.”

You stop speaking immediately, even though he made no use of the Force. With your mouth closed he takes a moment to appreciate you. He lets his eyes drift over your form under his mask, and delights in the way you squirm under his gaze. You look so small like this, so soft in all the right places. You look so deliciously breakable.

“Come to my quarters,” he instructs you, wanting to see just how much you can endure under him. He turns, expecting you to follow but to his incredulous surprise he hears your voice calling after him.

“No, I won’t be going with you,” your voice is quiet, but there’s a certainty in it. Your tone leaves no room for debate, and before he can even get back to you, you’re gone. Moving around him and through the hallways, leaving him standing in your wake. It’s the first time someone has denied him in… far too long. He’s used to taking now, to everything to be one challenge after the next, none of them too strenuous for him to overcome.

But here you are now, a new little thing. Telling him no, walking away from him without so much as a second glance. It shouldn’t get under his skin in this way, but when he finds himself alone in his room again he’s consumed with thoughts of you. It wasn’t just your rejection, he realizes, but your outright dismissal of him all together. He was leader of the Knights of Ren, the Supreme Leader’s right hand, but you had acted as if he were some random trooper. It wouldn’t do, he decided, it wouldn’t do at all. He stumbles across an issue he’s never encountered before- how to talk to someone like you.

He’s had his fair share of beings across the galaxy, but they were paid for, or had willingly given themselves to him for a small taste of power. A means to a brief end, he couldn’t remember half the names or faces. There had been nobody exceptional. Until you. He doesn’t think Hux will take kindly to it if he offers you money, and while he doesn’t care what Hux thinks of him, the thought of it leaves a sour taste in his mouth, the victory would ring hollow.

It makes him think of the vague talks his father gave him as a child, when the old man would indulge just a little too hard. Han Solo was, by his own account, a scoundrel, leaving broken hearts in his wake without a care. The trend had kept up into Kylo’s own childhood, only the heart of a son is a lot harder to mend. It’s never been what Kylo Ren wanted out of life, and isn’t what he wants out of you. He banishes the memories from his mind, forces himself to focus on what’s right in front of him.

“Why did you say no?” It’s the first time he’s seen you alone in almost two weeks, always in Hux’s shadow. You’re taking notes on the bridge now, while Hux is off doing Maker knows what, probably something Kylo will have to correct later on. The only thing that matters to him now is standing next to you. He’s never been one for posturing before, but now he stands a bit straighter, puffs his chest out a little more to see if he can pull a reaction from you.

You barely spare him a second glance.

“I’ve heard tales about you,” You begin, voice so casual that someone might think the two of you are discussing the weather, “I’m not looking to be the next conquest of the great Kylo Ren. I’m here to work not to… dally with you.” It made sense, laid out in front of him like that, but it didn’t lessen the sting of rejection. He says nothing else but stalks off the bridge, grinding his teeth together.

It’s Phasma, of all people, who has the best advice for him. He doesn’t even approach her about it, the tall commander simply seems to know what’s on his mind. She finds him after a meeting, blocks the doorway so he can’t leave the room.

“You have to woo her,” Her voice is painfully flat, almost strained with how casually she’s forcing the words to be. He considers for a moment simply running her and then himself through with his lightsaber, but thinks better of it. The First Order would fall into ruin if Hux was the only one left. “Find out her love language, and approach it as you would a battle- with a clear strategy.” She saves him any further embarrassment by blessedly leaving him alone with his thoughts now.

He has to research what the fucking things are, something that galls him. He can’t remember the last time he had to do his own research on things, having briefings prepared for him for so long now. He finds out there’s five of these so called love languages (they sound like something his parents would have fought about). It’s easy, after that, to come up with a plan.

He starts with the easiest and most obvious- quality time. It’s easy enough to request your transfer. Hux sputters and complains but ultimately it’s useless. Now you shadow him to war councils, diligently typing away at your data pad with pursed lips. He watches you to see if any of the meeting makes you blanch, after all a meeting with the Knights of Ren is drastically different than what you might be used to.

You say nothing to him the whole time.

“Send your notes to me,” It’s a needless reminder- you’ve already sent them to him but he feels the need to condescend, just a bit. Your lips flatten into a thin line and you give him a curt nod. His own lips mimic yours behind his mask before he bites out, “Is there a problem?”

“Don’t interfere with my career,” Your words are quick and quiet, eyes staring up at him with a burning anger. He can feel it radiating off of you in waves through the Force, almost as fierce as his own.

“Duly noted,” is his only response, before you turn on your heel and stalk off without being dismissed. He should reprimand you for it, but all Kylo Ren can look at is the soft sway of your thighs as you go.

The next language he decides to test out seems easy to him as well, until he has to put it into practice. Gift giving is something that he thought would be almost laughably menial. It isn’t until he starts to think about it more that he realizes he comes up short in this arena.

While the conditions on Starkiller base aren’t luxurious by any means, the workers and troops want for nothing on it. There is hardly even a black market for contraband goods, with how tightly regulated the ship was. He selected the only thing that even made slight sense to him, given how cold it was on the base.

“Here,” He acosts you after a meeting one day, thrusting the bundled up fabric in your general direction. You take it with hesitant hands, unfolding it to hold it away from yourself as you eye it up and down. Your head tilts to the side and you bite your lower lip in concentration, something he’s seen you do more than once during particularly intense meetings.

“This is a sweater,” What it is is the only thing he thinks would be a suitable gift for the frigid planet base. It’s black, but the fabric is soft and warm. He thinks you’d look good in it as well, but he would rather talk to Hux than admit it.

“The base is cold,” He tried to keep any irritation out of his voice, the both of you know this fact already, “This will keep you warm.” He doesn’t wait for you to say anything else, already burning with humiliation. His strides carry him so far away so quickly he almost misses your quiet reply-

“Or you could.” When he turns back to you, you’ve already turned away from him as well, falling in with a group headed towards the residential area.

But the next time he sees you on a day off, you’re wearing the sweater.

The next love language he attempts to conquer gives him pause. Words of affirmation seems to be the stupidest thing he’s ever heard of. Of course anybody would like to be complimented, it’s in the nature of being. Mindless and meaningless compliments seem dull and almost insulting.

He could compliment you on your work, of course, though he suspects you’ve heard all there is to hear on that subject. You’re a quick and succinct note taker, he’s seen it first hand, but that doesn’t scream romance to him. On the other hand, being complimented on a skill you’ve clearly worked hard at is better than any alternatives.

This time he finds you before a meeting, situating yourself in the corner of the room. He’s noticed that about you- that you press yourself into the back of the room, so you can observe everything all at once. You stand up straighter when he walks in, an action he’s read is a positive sign. Because of how you position yourself you’re back into the corner of the room with him in front of you, blocking any way out.

“Your notes are good,” Fuck, it sounds even worse saying it out loud. Your face remains impassive but he continues on anyways, “They’re direct and to the point, but you never miss anything. You do a passable job.”

“Thank you,” Your reply sounds sincere, but your voice is so small it barely reaches his ears. There’s a hint of a smile quirking at your lips when you continue speaking, “My parents were both officers for the First Order. They taught me well.”

More people are trickling in so he wrenches himself away from you, ignoring the pointed stare from Hux as they both seat themselves. The meeting passes slowly, something about trade routes and treaties. Kylo is happy to have his helmet on now, his eyes never leaving your face as you type away.

“Do be so kind as to not break my assistant,” Hux says to him after, as they walk to their audience with Supreme Leader Snoke. It takes Kylo by surprise, the quiet steel in Hux’s voice. Neither of them say anything else, but Kylo nods his head in acknowledgement.

Hux’s words stick in his chest for the rest of the day. He had wanted to break you at first, wanted to crawl inside your mind and see what made you tick but this dance the two of you were doing was far better than any easy conquest. It was… interesting to see whatever barrier you had put up between the two of you come down slowly.

He’s quiet in his thoughts when he returns to his quarters, until a scream tears him back to reality. He hasn’t heard your voice make a noise like that before but he knows with surety that it’s you calling for help. Kylo makes quick work of finding you, cornered by two drunken troopers.

One of them has the sweater he gave you halfway off your body while the other is struggling to get your pants off. Rage rips through him like a storm, and with one violent sweep of his arm the two of them are flying off of you, hitting the wall with enough force they’re either dead or about to be. He turns on them with a snarl, ready to wipe them from the base and from memory when he hears you sniffle.

Turning back to you he can see now how badly you’re shaking, trying to wrap the sweater back around you. There’s tears streaming down your face, dripping down onto the floor beneath you.

“I-I’m sorry you had to see that,” You manage to get out, and his rage returns. For all his wrongs he knows you don’t need to apologize to him. When he tells you this your head snaps up so fast he thinks you might hurt yourself. It’s only when your eyes widen and your mouth drops open a little he realizes- he left his helmet in his quarters.

This time it’s Kylo who stands a little bit straighter, posturing under your gaze. He knows he’s an attractive man, and now you get to know that as well. He’s silent, letting you drink him in until-

“Can you take me home?” His heart stutters out a tango in his chest as he nods. You grab onto his arms, your hands so hot he can feel them through the layers he’s still wearing. Perhaps you meant for him to lead you back to your own quarters but you say nothing as he leads you to his own. You don’t speak when he closes the door behind you.

And you don’t speak when you grab the front of his shirt to tug him down, pressing your lips to his.

Whatever doubts you had before have been wiped away, as your mouth opens under his to invite his tongue in. You whimper when his large hands dig into your thighs, manhandling you up until your legs wrap around his waist. He walks you both to the bed, his mouth only leaving yours to dip down and suck a mark onto your skin.

He lowers the two of you down onto the bed, calling on all of his training not to simply tear your clothes off and rut into you like an animal. He’s worked for this, for you, for this reward.

But then you grind your clothed cunt up against him and he decides there will be time to savor you later.

He pulls back just enough for him to shed his clothes and watch you scramble out of yours too. Your eyes trail up his body ravenously, and his trail down yours in delight. You look better than he ever could have imagined.

You’re practically dripping when his fingers find your clit. He rubs a few quick circles around it, trying to get you just wet enough for him to slide into you. Your back arches off of his bed, offering your chest up to him. When he takes your nipple into his mouth you melt into his touch.

“Hurry up!” You sound as impatient as he feels, grabbing onto his shoulders to pull him closer into you. “Waited too long already!”

“Yeah?” He lines his cock up with your entrance, presses himself completely inside with one thrust. You don’t- can’t- answer him now, not if the way your cunt fluttering around him is any indication. He grips your chin, making you look at him and says, “Tell me you want me.”

“Fuck!” You moan out, shaking underneath him, “Wanted you since the first time I saw you!” His hips snap into yours, setting a brutal, punishing pace. Your nails bite into his shoulders, leaving little crescents of red behind. His hands twist at his sheets around your head, so tightly they rip a little but he doesn’t slow down.

He continues like this, driving you into orgasms until you’re sobbing underneath him. Even then he doesn’t slow down, not until your eyes are drooping, threatening to pass out on him completely. He pulls out quickly, cumming over your stomach and chest. Kylo collapses on the bed next to you, staring at the tremors that wrack through your body.

“Well, that was certainly worth the wait,” your voice is rough from screaming underneath him, but your comment brings a smile to his face. He gets to study you now, eyes tracing over the contours of your face, committing how you look now to his memory. You shift forward, delicately walking over to his bathroom to use the shower to clean yourself off. He knows he should too, but instead he simply lays on his bed and waits.

Once you’re clean and dry you dress yourself again, barely sparing him a second glance. Still he remains silently lounging on the bed. Finally you look at him, hands twisting nervously in front of you.

“I’ll see you at the next meeting?” You don’t even let him reply before you’re out his door, leaving him alone with another sting of rejection. Kylo slumps back onto his bed, but now his mind is reeling. Pulling out his own data pad he types a few inquiries into it before falling asleep.

————————————————————————

You try not to think about it all the next day.

You had hardly been able to sleep that night, body sore from the sex. It had been so long since you were with anybody, and Kylo Ren had been anything but gentle. You avoid looking at him during meetings, being the last one in and the first one gone from them so he can’t speak to you.

You manage to avoid him all day, making your way back to your room to hide away there until the urge to return to him passed. You stop in the doorway, taking in the flower on your bed.

A singular red rose waits for you, a note attached to it. You don’t have to guess who it’s from, though the note only says ‘For You’. You think for a moment about throwing it away, about putting in for a transfer, about getting the fuck off Starkiller before you can make any more poor decisions.

But then you think about the past few weeks, not just the previous night.

You think about the time, the effort Kylo Ren had shown for you. How he had saved you. How he hadn’t made a move until you did. His gestures had been a bit awkward but the meaning behind them seemed genuine. You take the rose and place it onto your desk, right there it will be the last thing you see at night, and the first thing you see in the morning.

Kylo Ren doesn’t do romance.

But for you he might give it a try.

#kylo ren x reader #kylo ren #remember when i wrote star wars? good times

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kriss-the-writing-nerd · 6 years ago

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Sun-marked, a Firestorm excerpt

"Papa?" Sunbud whispered loudly and Brightsong looked up from the scroll he was reading, finding his youngest peeking in through the door to the chamber.

"Heyla, little Sunbud. What is it?" he asked, smiling, and Sunbud crept inside, glancing around before scurrying around the large table.

"Up," Sunbud insisted, arms stretched high, and Brightsong chuckled and put the scroll down, pushing his chair back before reaching down to haul his son up into the air. Sunbud squealed and giggled, burrowing close to hug him tightly, and Brightsong ached with happiness, beaming. Leaning back when Sunbud let him go, he rubbed his nose against the boy's, earning another giggle.

"Did you need something?" he asked and Sunbud sobered, looking at him with serious eyes.

"Why do I have to have the Sun-mark? Why doesn't Frost, or Honey, or Winter?" he complained and Brightsong hummed thoughtfully.

"That's a good question. To be honest, I don't truly know. But I also have the Sun-mark, and my elma did too," he answered and Sunbud gaped at him, astonished.

"You have the Sun-mark? And your elma did? Where?" Sunbud [wondered] and Brightsong chuckled.

"Well, elma had hers a little further up than you do, on her left shoulder. And I have it on my back," he explained and Sunbud bounced in his lap, demanding,

"Show me!"

"Okay, okay," Brightsong laughed, lifting Sunbud back down, before rising to pull his robe off and then the tunic over his head. He sat down on the floor and Sunbud made an impressed noise, small hands pressing against his bare back.

"It's big!" Sunbud exclaimed and Brightsong hummed, smiling.

"Compared to the one my elma had, it's tiny. Hers spread over her entire shoulder and up over her neck and down her arm," he replied and Sunbud traced the wavering lines of the sunbeams with a soft noise.

"It's warm. Is my Sun-mark also warm?" he wondered and Brightsong nodded.

"Yes, it is. Have you never wondered why you can run around without a tunic and not get cold?" he reasoned and Sunbud shook his head, the beads in his hair making soft wooden clacks when they collided.

"No? I thought everyone else was cold!"

"Not quite," Brightsong chuckled and Sunbud hummed.

"Will my Sun-mark be as big as yours?"

"I think yours will be very big, Sunbud. Probably bigger than my elma's," he answered and Sunbud clambered around him and into his lap, tilting his head back to look at him.

"Why?"

Smiling, Brightsong ducked down and pressed a kiss to his son's forehead, hugging the boy close, and Sunbud put his own arms over his and held on, grinning up at him.

"I think Shandas wants you to grow up strong and good because he needs you to do something for him," he explained and Sunbud sighed, leaning back against his chest.

"Do I have to?" he whined and Brightsong rocked him slightly.

"Sometimes, things we need to do happen without us realizing. I never knew I would be the one to settle the conflict between the Emer water-nymphs and the river clans until after I did it," he said and Sunbud nodded but grumbled,

"But why me? Why do I have to be the next Sun?"

"Well, they say that Shandas chooses the person the people need. It's hard to argue with a god, even if we don't always understand," he murmured and Sunbud was quiet for a moment then asked, doubtful,

"Really? But what could I make that the people need?"

"That I don't know, little Sunbud. We'll see what the future brings. But enough with the complicated ideas! Aren't you supposed to be helping Leaflet with their gardening?" Brightsong grinned, tickling Sunbud's side and making the boy squeal with laughter before tumbling away.

"I'm going now!" Sunbud called over his shoulder, already running for the door, and Brightsong chuckled.

“See you later.”

I loved writing this, and I hoped you enjoyed reading it! Thank you for making it through! (*´꒳`*)

Sunbud literally means ‘Budding-Sun’ and it is both a title and a concept for the heir-in-line. The names for the person ruling are the only constant, predetermined names among the Shandar people. All other names are a childhood name given by the parents, and adulthood names chosen by the individual or given by the tribe at large.

Elma means grandmother-on-mother’s-side; elmi is the corresponding for grandmother-on-father’s-side. The grandfather-versions are elpa and elpi. It’s actually slang words for elder-mother/father, with the suffixes a or i denoting mother or father’s side. (Yes, I’m conlang-ing words because every time I have to mention my mormor (literally mother’s mother) or farmor (father’s mother) when I speak English, the fact that I have to explain which one of them I mean is driving me nuts, and the same for morfar (mother’s father) and farfar (father’s father), so yeah, have words that make life easier o(*^◇^*)o )

Oh, [ ] these lovely brackets are what I use to mark words I’m not happy with but that carry the basic intention of what I’m trying to say. If anyone has a suggestion for a better word, please let me know?

Tiny little tag list (let me know if you want on or off) @weaver-of-fantasies-and-fables @adorhauer @concerningwolves

#my writing #firestorm peacemaker #wip #writeblr #writing #fantasy #epic fantasy #sunbud #brightsong #conlang #shandar #sun mark #family #world building #worldbuilding

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whelvenwings · 7 years ago

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hey! i was wondering if u could list some ao3 authors who write really good destiel smut, you're a super duper hella AMAZING writer so i trust u with this ask

ALSO CASTLE ON A CLOUD WAS SO FUCKING FANTASTIC YOU DESERVE ALL THE PRAISE I AM NOT ASHAMED TO SAY I CRIED

DUDE I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT ANSWERING THIS SOONER

OK so, the thing is!!! I am NOT ACTUALLY THE BEST PERSON TO ASK FOR FIC RECS because I spend pretty much 100% of my Fanfic Time writing it instead of reading it these days?? it’s a rare occasion when I break out my reading glasses. in fact I don’t own reading glasses. very rare occasion.

I can absolutely recommend @almaasi because Elmie’s smut is just.... it just... damn. but come on, who hasn’t read almaasi, right?!

MAY I SUGGEST you instead speak to @purgatory-jar because she’s read SO MUCH and I bet she’s got some great recs up her sleeve.

also hey @thebloggerbloggerfun this nice person told me to say hello to you and that you’re a great gal?? so. HI NERD URE OK I GUESS

#fluffywingedcastiel #OMG AND I'M SO GLAD YOU LIKED COAC #THANK YOU SO MUCH #<3333333333333

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almaasi · 4 years ago

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me, 9 years later: 👁👄👁

*casts this guy in a fanfiction fanfilm*

youtube

Oh. Panic.

Bonus: Have some thoughtful Sid, from an interview for MundoStarTrek in 2011.

#Siddig el Fadil #Alexander Siddig #fanfiction #fandom #god the fact i know him now....... his thinking face.............#he legit does not remember what he's seen #Little Achievements #Elmie writes things #*

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easyfoodnetwork · 5 years ago

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Here Are the 2020 James Beard Awards Restaurant, Chef, and Media Finalists

Getty/Victor Spinelli/WireImage | Getty/Victor Spinelli/WireImage

The full list of nominees

Today, on what would have been the 30th annual James Beard Awards ceremony, the James Beard Foundation announced the finalists for the 2020 James Beard Awards, which honors the year’s outstanding restaurants and chefs, as well as food journalism, books, and broadcast media. The announcement was originally scheduled for March 25, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the Foundation to cancel the planned Philadelphia event and postpone both the finalists reveal and the awards themselves.

COVID-19 has left the restaurant industry in a precarious position, to put it mildly. Restaurants are pivoting their operations to stay in business, closing temporarily, and in some cases, closing for good. When the Foundation opted to postpone the finalist announcement, it acknowledged that it did so in part to focus on rebuilding the restaurant industry, awards being the last thing on anyone’s mind. And so it came as a bit of a surprise when on April 27 the Foundation announced plans to move forward with a virtual finalist announcement and, eventually, the 2020 James Beard Awards. Today, the Foundation revealed the Restaurant and Chef Awards Gala will take place in late September, and the Media Awards will take place in late May.

In a post on the James Beard Foundation website, chief strategy officer Mitchell Davis explained that the Foundation consulted with chefs, restaurateurs, and others in the industry and determined that the James Beard Awards finalists, like the list of semifinalists announced in late February, deserved recognition for their work in 2019. “Those we consulted felt the Awards could also offer a glimmer of hope to an industry looking for light in a very dark time,” he writes. Davis acknowledged that it is also a particularly dark time for the media, which will be recognized for the first time in the 2020 James Beard Awards cycle with the finalists announcement.

Given the ongoing restrictions related to COVID-19, the format for the 2020 James Beard Awards is still undecided — but they will go on, and “take place” in Chicago at some date later this year. “We want every James Beard Award winner to have a chance to have their moment in the spotlight,” Mitchell writes. “We have partners who support this industry, who support the Foundation, who are willing to work with us to figure out what’s best for all.”

Visit Philadelphia, which stands to lose millions due to the coronavirus pandemic, is still sponsoring the virtual event. Last year, Houston hosted the finalist announcement and although there was plenty of Texas representation on the semifinalists list, including 11 chefs and restaurants from Houston, the city’s restaurants and chefs were completely shut out of the whittled down finalists list. Philadelphia didn’t see the same fate.

Below, the 2020 James Beard Awards finalists.

James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards Finalists

Best New Restaurant

Automatic Seafood & Oysters, Birmingham, AL

Demi, Minneapolis

Eem, Portland, OR

Fox & the Knife, Boston

Gado Gado, Portland, OR

Gianna, New Orleans

Kalaya, Philadelphia

Nightshade, Los Angeles

Pasjoli, Santa Monica, CA

Verjus, San Francisco

Outstanding Baker

Graison Gill, Bellegarde Bakery, New Orleans

Zachary Golper, Bien Cuit, NYC

Lisa Ludwinski, Sister Pie, Detroit

Avery Ruzicka, Manresa Bread, Los Gatos, CA

Maura Kilpatrick, Sofra Bakery, Cambridge, MA i

Outstanding Bar Program

Anvil Bar & Refuge, Houston

Expatriate, Portland, OR

Kimball House, Decatur, GA

Lost Lake, Chicago

Trick Dog, San Francisco

Outstanding Chef

David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA

Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco

Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans

Missy Robbins, Lilia, NYC

Ana Sortun, Oleana, Cambridge, MA

Marc Vetri, Vetri Cucina, Philadelphia

Outstanding Hospitality

Brigtsen’s, New Orleans

Canlis, Seattle

Saison, San Francisco

Swan Oyster Depot, San Francisco

Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Ann Arbor, MI

Outstanding Pastry Chef

Lincoln Carson, Bon Temps, Los Angeles

Juan Contreras, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco

Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles

Diane Moua, Spoon and Stable, Minneapolis

Natasha Pickowicz, Flora Bar, NYC

Miro Uskokovic, Gramercy Tavern, NYC

Outstanding Restaurant

FIG, Charleston, SC

Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO

Jaleo, Washington, D.C.

Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix

Quince, San Francisco

Outstanding Restaurateur

Paul Bartolotta, The Bartolotta Restaurants, Milwaukee (Ristorante Bartolotta, Harbor House, Lake Park Bistro, and others)

Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer, JK Food Group, Boston (Little Donkey, Toro, Coppa)

JoAnn Clevenger, Upperline Restaurant, New Orleans

Alex Raij and Eder Montero, NYC (La Vara, Saint Julivert Fisherie, Txikito)

Jason Wang, Xi’an Famous Foods, NYC

Outstanding Wine Program

Bacchanal, New Orleans

Canard, Portland, OR

COTE, NYC

Miller Union, Atlanta

Night + Market Sahm, Venice, CA

Spiaggia, Chicago

Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Producer

Scott Blackwell and Ann Marshall, High Wire Distilling Co., Charleston, SC

Cathy Corison, Corison Winery, St. Helena, CA

Drew Kulsveen, Willett Distillery, Bardstown, KY

Todd Leopold and Scott Leopold, Leopold Bros., Denver

Rising Star Chef of the Year

Will Aghajanian and Liz Johnson, The Catbird Seat, Nashville

Irene Li, Mei Mei, Boston

Gaby Maeda, State Bird Provisions, San Francisco

Ashleigh Shanti, Benne on Eagle, Asheville, NC

Paola Velez, Kith/Kin, Washington, D.C.

Jon Yao, Kato, Los Angeles

Best Chef: California

Jeremy Fox, Birdie G’s, Santa Monica, CA

Brandon Jew, Mister Jiu’s, San Francisco

Jessica Koslow, Sqirl, Los Angeles

Mourad Lahlou, Mourad, San Francisco

Joshua Skenes, Angler, San Francisco

Pim Techamuanvivit, Kin Khao, San Francisco

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Gene Kato, Momotaro, Chicago

Jason Hammel, Lula Cafe, Chicago

Noah Sandoval, Oriole, Chicago

John Shields and Karen Urie Shields, Smyth, Chicago

Erick Williams, Virtue, Chicago

Lee Wolen, Boka, Chicago

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Amy Brandwein, Centrolina, Washington, D.C.

Nicholas Elmi, Laurel, Philadelphia

Rich Landau, Vedge, Philadelphia

Cristina Martinez, South Philly Barbacoa, Philadelphia

Jon Sybert, Tail Up Goat, Washington, D.C.

Cindy Wolf, Charleston, Baltimore

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Steven Brown, Tilia, Minneapolis

Michael Corvino, Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room, Kansas City, MO

Michael Gallina, Vicia, St. Louis

Jamie Malone, Grand Café, Minneapolis

Christina Nguyen, Hai Hai, Minneapolis

Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

Carrie Baird, Bar Dough, Denver

Jen Castle and Blake Spalding, Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm, Boulder, UT

Jeff Drew, Snake River Grill, Jackson, WY

Caroline Glover, Annette, Aurora, CO

Dana Rodriguez, Super Mega Bien, Denver

Kelly Whitaker, The Wolf’s Tailor, Denver

Best Chef: New York State

Sean Gray, Momofuku Ko, NYC

Brooks Headley, Superiority Burger, NYC

Junghyun Park, Atomix, NYC

Daniela Soto-Innes, ATLA, NYC

Alex Stupak, Empellón, NYC

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

Vien Dobui, CÔNG TỬ BỘT, Portland, ME

Ben Jackson, Drifters Wife, Portland, ME

Tiffani Faison, Orfano, Boston

Krista Kern Desjarlais, The Purple House, North Yarmouth, ME

Greg Mitchell and Chad Conley, Palace Diner, Biddeford, ME

Cassie Piuma, Sarma, Somerville, MA

Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)

Peter Cho, Han Oak, Portland, OR

Gregory Gourdet, Departure, Portland, OR

Chris Kajioka and Anthony Rush, Senia, Honolulu

Katy Millard, Coquine, Portland, OR

Kristen Murray, MÅURICE, Portland, OR

Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, Joule, Seattle

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, FL, LA, MS)

Jose Enrique, Jose Enrique, San Juan, PR

Kristen Essig and Michael Stoltzfus, Coquette, New Orleans

Michael Gulotta, Maypop, New Orleans

Mason Hereford, Turkey and the Wolf, New Orleans

Isaac Toups, Toups’ Meatery, New Orleans

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Katie Button, Cúrate, Asheville, NC

Cassidee Dabney, The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN

Cheetie Kumar, Garland, Raleigh, NC

Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Memphis, TN

Julia Sullivan, Henrietta Red, Nashville

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

Dan Krohmer, Other Mama, Las Vegas

Jonathan Perno, Campo at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM

Chrysa Robertson, Rancho Pinot, Scottsdale, AZ

Silvana Salcido Esparza, Barrio Café Gran Reserva, Phoenix

Jeff Smedstad, Elote Cafe, Sedona, AZ

James Trees, Esther’s Kitchen, Las Vegas

Best Chef: Texas

Kevin Fink, Emmer & Rye, Austin

Michael Fojtasek, Olamaie, Austin

Anita Jaisinghani, Pondicheri, Houston

Steve McHugh, Cured, San Antonio

Trong Nguyen, Crawfish & Noodles, Houston

America’s Classics Awards

Previously announced

El Taco de Mexico, Denver, Colorado

Lassis Inn, Little Rock, Arkansas

Oriental Mart, Seattle, Washington

Puritan Backroom, Manchester, New Hampshire

Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que, Brownsville, Texas

Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth, Frankenmouth, Michigan

Humanitarian of the Year:

Jessica B. Harris

Leadership Awards:

Phillip and Dorathy E. Barker, Operations Spring Plant

Rosalinda Guillen, Community to Community Development (C2C)

Abiodun Henderson, The Come Up Project

Mark and Kerry Marhefka of Abundant Seafood

Caleb Zigas, La Cocina

James Beard Restaurant Design Awards

Design Icon

Chez Panisse

Outstanding Restaurant Design, 75 Seats and Under:

SIMPLICITY for HALL by o.d.o

Heliotrope Architects for Rupee

Vermillion Architects, LLC for Spoonbill Watering Hole and Restaurant

Outstanding Restaurant Design, 76 Seats and Over:

Hacin + Associates for Shore Leave;

Ken Fulk, Inc for Swan & Bar Bevy

Klein Agency and ORA for Auburn

2020 James Beard Foundation Book Awards

For cookbooks and other non-fiction food- or beverage-related books that were published in the U.S. in 2019. Winners, including the Book of the Year Award and the Cookbook Hall of Fame inductee will be announced on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

American Books with recipes focused on the cooking or foodways of regions or communities in the United States.

Cook Like a Local: Flavors That Can Change How You Cook and See the World; Chris Shepherd and Kaitlyn Goalen, (Clarkson Potter)

Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking; Toni Tipton-Martin, (Clarkson Potter)

South: Essential Recipes and New Explorations; Sean Brock, (Artisan Books)

Baking and Desserts Books with recipes focused on breads, pastries, desserts, and other treats.

Dappled: Baking Recipes for Fruit Lovers; Nicole Rucker, (Avery)

Living Bread: Tradition and Innovation in Artisan Bread Making; Daniel Leader and Lauren Chattman, (Avery)

Pastry Love: A Baker’s Journal of Favorite Recipes; Joanne Chang, (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Beverage with Recipes Books focused on recipes for how to make beverages.

Last Call: Bartenders on Their Final Drink and the Wisdom and Rituals of Closing Time; Brad Thomas Parsons, (Ten Speed Press)

The Martini Cocktail: A Meditation on the World’s Greatest Drink, with Recipes; Robert Simonson, (Ten Speed Press)

The NoMad Cocktail Book; Leo Robitschek, (Ten Speed Press)

Beverage without Recipes Beverage-focused books and guides that either don’t contain recipes or that may have minimal recipes but aren’t recipe-centric.

The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks: Sake, Shochu, Japanese Whisky, Beer, Wine, Cocktails and Other Beverages; Stephen Lyman and Chris Bunting, (Tuttle Publishing)

Red & White: An Unquenchable Thirst for Wine; Oz Clarke, (Little, Brown Book Group)

World Atlas of Wine 8th Edition; Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson, (Mitchell Beazley)

General Books with recipes that address a broad scope of cooking, not just a single topic, technique or region.

All About Dinner: Simple Meals, Expert Advice; Molly Stevens, (W. W. Norton & Company)

Milk Street: The New Rules: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook; Christopher Kimball, (Voracious)

Where Cooking Begins: Uncomplicated Recipes to Make You a Great Cook; Carla Lalli Music, (Clarkson Potter)

Health and Special Diets Books with recipes related to health and nutrition, or that address specific health issues, such as allergies or diabetes.

The Beauty Chef Gut Guide: With 90+ Delicious Recipes and Weekly Meal Plans; Carla Oates, (Hardie Grant Books)

Cannelle et Vanille: Nourishing, Gluten-Free Recipes for Every Meal and Mood; Aran Goyoaga, (Sasquatch Books)

Gluten-Free Baking at Home: 102 Foolproof Recipes for Delicious Breads, Cakes, Cookies, and More; Jeffrey Larsen, (Ten Speed Press)

International

Books with recipes focused on food and cooking traditions of countries or regions outside of the United States.

Black Sea: Dispatches and Recipes – Through Darkness and Light; Caroline Eden, (Quadrille Publishing)

Ethiopia: Recipes and Traditions from the Horn of Africa; Yohanis Gebreyesus, (Interlink Publishing)

The Food of Sichuan; Fuchsia Dunlop, (W. W. Norton & Company)

Photography

American Sfoglino: A Master Class in Handmade Pasta; Eric Wolfinger, (Chronicle Books)

Le Corbuffet: Edible Art and Design Classics; Esther Choi, (Prestel)

Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico; Quentin Bacon, (Abrams Books)

Reference, History, and Scholarship Includes manuals, guides, encyclopedias, and books that present research related to food or foodways.

Gandhi’s Search for the Perfect Diet: Eating with the World in Mind; Nico Slate, (University of Washington Press)

A South You Never Ate: Savoring Flavors and Stories from the Eastern Shore of Virginia; Bernard L. Herman, (The University of North Carolina Press)

The Whole Okra: A Seed to Stem Celebration; Chris Smith, (Chelsea Green Publishing)

Restaurant and Professional Books written by a culinary professional or restaurant chef with recipes that may include advanced cooking techniques, use specialty ingredients, and require professional equipment. This includes culinary arts textbooks.

Dishoom: From Bombay with Love; Shamil Thakrar, Kavi Thakrar, and Naved Nasir, (Bloomsbury Publishing)

Eleven Madison Park: The Next Chapter, Revised and Unlimited Edition; Daniel Humm, (Ten Speed Press)

The Whole Fish Cookbook: New Ways to Cook, Eat and Think; Josh Niland, (Hardie Grant Books)

Single Subject Books with recipes focused on a single or category of ingredients, a dish, or a method of cooking – such as lobster, seafood, grains, pasta, burgers, or canning. Exceptions: baking and desserts books, vegetable-focused books, health and special diets books, restaurant and professional books, and beverage books should be entered in those respective categories.

From the Oven to the Table: Simple Dishes That Look After Themselves; Diana Henry, (Mitchell Beazley)

Pasta Grannies: The Official Cookbook: The Secrets of Italy’s Best Home Cooks; Vicky Bennison, (Hardie Grant Books)

Sour: The Magical Element That Will Transform Your Cooking; Mark Diacono, (Quadrille Publishing)

Vegetable-Focused Cooking Books that feature recipes for how to prepare and serve vegetables and plant-based ingredients. Books may be vegetarian, vegan, or vegetable-focused with minimal reference to meats.

Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables; Abra Berens, (Chronicle Books)

Vegetables Illustrated: An Inspiring Guide with 700+ Kitchen-Tested Recipes; Editors at America’s Test Kitchen, (America’s Test Kitchen)

Whole Food Cooking Every Day: Transform the Way You Eat with 250 Vegetarian Recipes Free of Gluten, Dairy, and Refined Sugar; Amy Chaplin, (Artisan Books)

Writing Narrative nonfiction books, including memoirs, culinary tourism, investigative journalism, food advocacy, and critical analysis of food and foodways for a general audience.

Eat Like a Fish: My Adventures as a Fisherman Turned Restorative Ocean Farmer; Bren Smith, (Knopf)

Notes from a Young Black Chef: A Memoir; Kwame Onwuachi with Joshua David Stein, (Knopf)

Women on Food: Charlotte Druckman and 115 Writers, Chefs, Critics, Television Stars, and Eaters; Charlotte Druckman, (Abrams Press)

2020 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Awards

For radio, television broadcasts, podcasts, webcasts, and documentaries appearing in 2019. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

Audio Program

The Food Programme – The Search for Esiah’s Seeds; Airs on: BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

It Burns: The Scandal-Plagued Race to Breed the World’s Hottest Chili; Airs on: Audible

The Sporkful – When White People Say Plantation; Airs on: iTunes, Sporkful, Spotify, and Stitcher

Audio Reporting

California Foodways – The Curious Second Life of a Prather Ranch Cow: Biomedical Research; Trans Man Finds – and Creates – Refuge in His Family’s Small-Town Cafe; Legalizing Cannabis Impacts Food, Farming in Humboldt; Reporter: Lisa Morehouse; Airs on: KQED, California Foodways, iTunes, Google Play, Radio Public, SoundCloud, and Stitcher

Food Actually – Junk Food Actually; Reporter: Tamar Adler; Airs on: Luminary

Gravy – Mahalia Jackson’s Glori-Fried Chicken; Reporter: Betsy Shepherd; Airs on: southernfoodways.org and iTunes

Documentary

Harvest Season; Airs on: PBS

Nothing Fancy: Diana Kennedy; Airs on: Premiered at SXSW in March 2019

That’s My Jazz; Airs on: Vimeo

Online Video, Fixed Location and/or Instructional

Chef Studio: The Crumby Bits – Cricket Macarons; Airs on: YouTube

Grace Young – Wok Therapist; Airs on: GraceYoung.com and YouTube

Ready Jet Cook - How to Make Pad Thai with Jet Tila; Airs on: FoodNetwork.com and YouTube

Online Video, on Location

Eat, Drink, Share, Puerto Rico Food – El Burén de Lula; Airs on: YouTube

Handmade – How Knives Are Made for New York’s Best Restaurants; How a Ceramics Master Makes Plates for Michelin-Starred Restaurants; Airs on: Eater and YouTube

In Real Life – Why Eating This Fish Could Save Coral Reefs; Airs on: YouTube and AJ+

Outstanding Personality/Host

Alton Brown, Good Eats: The Return; Airs on: Food Network

David Chang, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner; Airs on: Netflix

Roy Choi; Broken Bread with Roy Choi; Airs on: Tastemade and KCET

Television Program, in Studio or Fixed Location

Good Eats: The Return – American Classic: Chicken Parm; Airs on: Food Network

Lidia’s Kitchen – Trattoria Favorites; Airs on: PBS

Pati’s Mexican Table – A Local’s Tour of Culiacán; Airs on: WETA; distributed nationally by American Public Television

Television Program, on Location

Chef’s Table – Asma Khan; Airs on: Netflix

Las Crónicas del Taco (Taco Chronicles) – Canasta; Airs on: Netflix

Street Food – Bangkok, Thailand; Airs on: Netflix

Visual and Audio Technical Excellence

Chef’s Table; Adam Bricker, Chloe Weaver, and Will Basanta; Airs on: Netflix

Street Food; Alexander D. Paul, Matthew Chavez, and Shane Reed; Airs on: Netflix

The Taste of Place – Wild Rice; Jesse Roesler and Kevin Russell; Airs on: Vimeo

Visual Reporting (on TV or Online)

Fork the System – Moro Food of Muslim Mindanao: This is Filipino, Too; Reporters: Joi Lee and HyoJin Park; Airs on: Al Jazeera English Digital, YouTube, and Facebook

In Real Life– Why This $300 Clam Is so Important to Native Americans and China; Reporters: AJ+ Staff; Airs on: YouTube and AJ+

Rotten – The Avocado War; Reporters: Christine Haughney, Erin Cauchi, and Gretchen Goetz; Airs on: Netflix

2020 James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards Finalists

For articles published in English in 2019. Winners, including the Emerging Voice Award, will be announced on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

Columns

What She’s Having: “Popeyes’ Fried Chicken Sandwich: A Delicious Distraction, a Cultural Lesson”; “Every Season Is Soup Season”; “Why a Somali Nook in East Boston Is One of the Country’s Best New Restaurants” — Devra First, The Boston Globe

Power Rankings: “The Official Fast Food French Fry Power Rankings”; “The Official Spicy Snack Power Rankings”; “The Official Domestic Beer Power Rankings” — Lucas Kwan Peterson, Los Angeles Times

Rooted in Place: “In Service”; “Hair, Food, and Hustle”; “The Best That We’ve Got” — Rosalind Bentley, Gravy

Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award

“Le Colonial Is an Orientalist Specter”; “The Ultimate Chaat Truck Crawl”; “The Fantasy — and Reality — of Dining at Chez Panisse” — Soleil Ho, San Francisco Chronicle

“NYC’s Buzziest New Sushi Parlors Are Transcendent, If You Can Handle the Bros”; “Wall Street’s Underground Russian Spa Is a Dining Destination for the Soul”; “Estiatorio Milos Is One of the Last Big Restaurant Scams in New York” —Ryan Sutton

Eater New York

“Peter Luger Used to Sizzle. Now It Sputters.”; “The 20 Most Delicious Things at Mercado Little Spain”; “Benno, Proudly Out of Step With the Age”

Pete Wells

The New York Times

Dining and Travel

“In Pursuit of the Perfect Pizza”

Matt Goulding

Airbnb Magazine

“Interview With the Vampiro”

Dylan James Ho

Taste

“These Are the World’s Best Restaurants: North America, South America, Africa and Middle East”

Besha Rodell

Travel + Leisure and Food & Wine

Feature Reporting

America’s farmers in crisis during Trump’s trade wars: “Left Behind: Farmers Fight to Save Their Land in Rural Minnesota as Trade War Intensifies”; “’I’m Gonna Lose Everything’: A Farm Family Struggles to Recover after Rising Debt Pushes a Husband to Suicide”; “In Trump Country, a Season of Need on Family Farms”

Annie Gowen

The Washington Post

“The Great Land Robbery”

Vann R. Newkirk II

The Atlantic

“Value Meal”

Tad Friend

The New Yorker

Food Coverage in a General Interest Publication

The Bitter Southerner

Gastro Obscura

The New Yorker

Foodways

“An Indigenous Community in Mexico Finds Its Voice — and Strength — in Wild Mushrooms”

Michael Snyder

Los Angeles Times

“On Hawaii, the Fight for Taro’s Revival”

Ligaya Mishan

T: The New York Times Style Magazine

“A Real Hot Mess: How Grits Got Weaponized Against Cheating Men”

Cynthia R. Greenlee

MUNCHIES | Food by VICE

Health and Wellness

“The AGEs Puzzle: How We Cook Food Is Killing Us. Scientists in SC Know Why.”; “9 Easy Ways to Eat Fewer AGEs: A Stress-Free Guide”

Tony Bartelme

The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)

“How Washington Keeps America Sick and Fat”; “Meet the Silicon Valley Investor Who Wants Washington to Figure Out What You Should Eat”

Catherine Boudreau and Helena Bottemiller Evich

Politico

“Protein Nation”

Shaun Dreisbach

EatingWell

Home Cooking

“6 Holiday Cookies That Will Win You the Cookie Swap”

Hilary Cadigan and Rick Martinez

Bon Appétit

“Fry Time”

Nancy Singleton Hachisu

Saveur

“In Praise of Schmaltz”

Rachel Handler

Grub Street

Innovative Storytelling

“Best New Restaurants 2019”

Kevin Alexander, Nicole A. Taylor, and Adriana Velez

Thrillist

“Food and Loathing on the Campaign Trail”

Gary He, Matt Buchanan, and Meghan McCarron

Eater

“Made in America”

Tim Carman and Shelly Tan

The Washington Post

Investigative Reporting

“How USDA Distorted Data to Conceal Decades of Discrimination Against Black Farmers”

Nathan Rosenberg and Bryce Wilson Stucki

The Counter

“‘The Man Who Attacked Me Works in Your Kitchen’: Victim of Serial Groper Took Justice into Her Own Hands”

Amy Brittain and Maura Judkis

The Washington Post

“The Young Hands That Feed Us”

Karen Coates and Valeria Fernández

Pacific Standard

Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award

“Forget Democratic Votes. Which Presidential Hopeful Will Eat 16 Iconic SC Foods First?”; “A James Island Meat-and-Two Secretly Switched to Carolina Gold Rice. Here’s What Happened.”; “In Prisons Across South Carolina, It’s Not a Birthday Without Cake Made by a Fellow Inmate”

Hanna Raskin

The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)

“In Search of Hot Beef”; “Chef Jack Riebel Is in the Fight of His Life”; “Harry Singh on the Perfect Roti, Trinidad, and Life in the Kitchen”

Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl

Mpls.St.Paul Magazine

“In a Wheelchair and Hungry”; “Where to Eat Regionally Inspired Mexican Food in New York City”; “How Sichuan Became NYC’s Dominant Chinese Cuisine”

Robert Sietsema

Eater New York

M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award

“A Mind to Stay Here”

Rosalind Bentley

Gravy

“My Mother’s Catfish Stew”

John T. Edge

Oxford American

“An Undeserved Gift”

Shane Mitchell

The Bitter Southerner

Personal Essay, Long Form

“The Dysfunction of Food”

Kim Foster

Kim-Foster.com

“Love, Peace, and Taco Grease: How I Left My Abusive Husband and Found Guy Fieri”

Rax King

Catapult

“Seeking Jewish Identity at the Sabra Hummus Factory”

Orr Shtuhl

The Forward

Personal Essay, Short Form

“For 20 Years, happy hour has seen us through work — and life”

M. Carrie Allan

The Washington Post

“How the Starbucks Macchiato Ruined My Indie Coffee Shop Experiences”

Nicole A. Taylor

Thrillist

“In Memoriam of Hominy Grill, the Restaurant That Defined Charleston”

Ali Rosen

Plate

Profile

“First Course”

Zoe Tennant

Granta

“The Fruit Saver”

Tejal Rao

Women on Food

(Abrams Press)

“The Provocations of Chef Tunde Wey”

Brett Martin

GQ Magazine

Wine, Spirits, and Other Beverages

“How Climate Change Impacts Wine”

Eric Asimov

The New York Times

“May I Help You With That Wine List?”

Ray Isle

Food & Wine

“Seltzer Is Over. Mineral Water Is Forever.”

Jordan Michelman

PUNCH

Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards.

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