#i made it a bit crispier

[identitycrisps]

welcome to the office

[k1ng-ej]

Leon Kennedy comfort ♡

Note: hi, lets ignore that I disappeared for a year, lots happened. I'm trying to get back into the swing of writing and my latest obsession is Leon.

You had just ended things with your boyfriend in person, at his dorm. Needless to say, he had a bit of a meltdown, screaming at you and becoming violent. You left with a few bruises and went back to your dorm to calm down. You made sure the door was locked and blocked him on everything.

To say that man scared you would be an understatement. He was downright horrifying. You had a purple ring on your wrist from when he grabbed you, and another was forming on your neck. As the adrenaline wore off, you noticed your hands were shaking and tears forming in your eyes. Your heart was racing, and you slowly fell onto your knees. You had to act like you weren't scared when he was squeezing your wrist with a strength you thought would break it, and choking you until the edges of your vision started turning black. You were lucky he let go. You thought you were going to die in that room at the hands of someone who said they loved you.

You grasped your shirt, your breathing was becoming more difficult, and your vision was blurry from the tears. 

You heard the knob rattle, and your mind immediately thought it was your ex, returning to finish what he started earlier. The door opened, and Leon, your dorm mate, stepped inside. He stopped short, caught off guard by your appearance. You were basically just friends. You'd chat about what's for dinner and discuss classes, but that was about it. You didn't get to interact with him much since he worked right after finishing his classes. By the time he came back, you were asleep.

As he stood there and saw the tears streaming down your face, the noticeable bruising on your neck and wrist, and how panicked you seemed, he did the first thing that came to mind. 

He quickly closed the door behind him, setting down the items in his hands and kneeling in front of you, his hand reaching to wipe the tears from your cheek.

"Hey, you're okay. Breathe deeply for a moment." He spoke softly, his other hand rubbing up and down your arm. His touch was warm and comforting, and the way he spoke to you gave you goosebumps. The way he looked at you with those blue eyes, with a gentleness you hadn't seen from your ex, made your heart flutter.

You managed to nod and took a few slow, deep breaths. Leon kept wiping your tears with his thumb. His touch was so gentle and warm that you couldn't help but lean into it. You managed to calm the panic attack that came on, but you were still on the verge of tears.

"Let's get you on the bed." Leon helped you up by taking hold of your arms gently and guiding you over to your bed.

He sits next to you, putting his arm around your shoulder. Leon didn't want to pry, not wanting to make you remember and cry again, so he sat silently, his finger absentmindedly rubbing circles on your upper arm. He was unaware that his actions were providing you with assistance. His touch was light and soothing, and you found yourself longing for more of it.

You sniffled, wiping your eyes, and turned your head to Leon.

"Thanks for helping me calm down. I'm sorry you had to see me like that." You spoke, your voice sounding a little nasal.

"Don't worry, it's okay. I'm here for you." He gave you a reassuring squeeze, pulling you closer. You could smell his cologne, which had a hint of vanilla and something stronger, crispier, in it. You'd never been this close to Leon before, so you started to notice the little things you hadn't before. The way his muscles felt against your back, his smell, the little freckles on his face, how soft his hair looked up close—you wanted to run your fingers through it. You had to push those thoughts out of your mind. You'd just gotten out of a toxic relationship, so you couldn't be throwing yourself at someone new. You and Leon were just friends, roommates.

He noticed you were looking at him and started taking in your features as well. Your eyes were a bit puffy and red from crying, and the bruise on your neck was more noticeable than before. It bothered him that someone would do such a thing to a person, but he couldn't do anything about it. Before this, your eyes seemed empty, and you often looked like you were at the end of your rope. But now, as you sat next to him, looking into his eyes, he noticed a sparkle that he hadn't seen before. He wanted to pull your head into his chest and tell you everything would be okay, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

The two of you were engaged in a long staring contest, but it felt like only minutes. You went back and forth with yourself for a while, but finally mustered up the courage to rest your head on his shoulder. You stayed there for a moment, then you felt his hand cup the back of your head and pull your face into his chest. The scent of his cologne was more pronounced here, and you felt a bit warmer. His hand stroked your head gently, and he rested his chin on top of your head.

You closed your eyes and let your body relax. You put your arm around Leon's waist, returning the hug he'd given you. You weren't expecting such comfort from Leon, given how little you two had spoken and how distant you were. You found yourself silently thanking him in your head. Part of you was afraid that you were being an inconvenience to Leon, and that this night would make things awkward between you two, but you didn't realize that both of you needed this physical closeness. 

Leon often kept his distance from others, not because he wanted to, but because he was a little socially awkward and could never find time to interact with people even if he wanted to. You were the person he talked to the most, even if The conversations were short and about simple things.

"Thanks again. You really helped me out." You said, managing a small smile.

Leon returned the smile, and you felt heat rise to your face. You didn't often see him smile, but wow, he has such a beautiful smile.

[uwukillmenowowo]

Hi! I saw that you wrote Cookie Run Kingdom and I LOVED the story Curiosity! When you have time, maybe you can continue it? And take your time, no need to rush! ✨✨💙🩵💙🩵:3

IVE HAD TO REWRITE THIS FOUR WHOLE TIMES BECAUSE IT NEVER SAVED!

HOLY FUCK I'M ACTUALLY MAD NOW BECAUSE I HAVE TO KEEP CHANGING STORYLINES SINCE I CAN'T REMMEBER THEM

(ง╥̃ ⏥╥̃)ง

Curiosity Pt. 2

[PLATONIC]

(Parent! Elder Fairie Cookie X Reader X Parental! Beast Cookies)

(Slight White Lily X Reader)

Notes:

Reader will be Non-binary

After the battle, you started questioning not only yourself. But your father too

I kinda didn't know what I was doing here so sorry if it's short lol

;w;

How did the beasts know you? Did your father know? how come you didn't? Why can't you remember what happened during your childhood?

{Second POV}

~~~~~

You were extremely happy for White Lily when your father threw a celebration party for her. The other Faeries who didn't accept her before, accepted her now. Her party so far was going great.

But after the first three months you started feeling... off...

This wasn't like the other times. Normally you would be by either your father's side or the side of whoever the party was for.

But after the battle, you just couldn't shake that strange feeling of remembrance. You don't remember ever meeting the beasts. So how they know your name is.... quite concerning.

Did your father know about this? What about the other Faerie Cookies?

Going off on your own, you walked and walked until you were at the entrance of the kingdom. You knew that leaving a party without telling anyone is disrespectful but you just need the alone time.

Walking out of the kingdom, you made your way a bit further from the kingdom. You just couldn't shake your thoughts off the fight.

The beasts knew your name and said that your voice was familiar. How they knew you, you have no clue. You were scared, nervous, concerned.

Too many emotions at once.

You walked and walked until you made it to the 'Misty Peaks' as your Father called it. He said that it used to be the home of one of the beasts before they perished.

You used to come here a lot as a kid. The height of the peaks granted me a full view of the kingdom, but since it was normally pretty far, you would only come here once every now and again.

You made it to the top of the peaks and took a seat. Taking a breath of the high altitude air, you started to feel at peace.

Yet at the same time... A hint of familiarity... You've never felt this the last time you were here. So what's different..?

You felt a chill run down your spine as you looked around. Only to see no one there. You tried to go back down, but suddenly, you found yourself surrounded by mist. You panicked and tried to run downwards, but it only ended up with you tripping and falling the rest of the way down the mountain.

Meanwhile, from behind her seal, the former Wheat Cookie of Volition tisked in frustration. She was saving the power (Unlike Shadow Milk Cookie) that slowly seeped out for that moment. Now it was wasted.

Back to you, who groaned heavily. Your dough landed on a sharp crystal rock and now you started bleeding. You gasped in pain before you started to use your magic to heal yourself.

Yes, you knew magic. One time you fell into the river when trying to look at the pixies, you scrapped your knee on the riverbed and your father was worried sick. He made you learn healing magic so that you don't have to endue pain for so long.

Slowly, you felt your dough getting better and crispier. You sighed in relief and started to head home.

When you got back, you saw that everyone was just as lively for White Lily's party as when you left. No one had practically realized that you had left in the first place.

All excpet one.

You were hanging by the silver tree, gazing at it and the vines that blocked the seal. "[Reader] Cookie? Is everything okay?" You flinched and turned around. "W-White Lily Cookie! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be partying?" "Eheh~ I could say the same to you" White Lily giggled and you could feel your dough warming up.

"So... what's up?" You asked, rubbing the back of your neck. "Well. Everyone is warming up to me now. But it's already been a few months. I'm kind of shocked that parties last so long." White Lily stood by my side as we both gazed downwards into the clear river below. "Yeah. We do love our parties." I chuckled.

White Lily and I then just started to talk about the party and how we were getting tired of the loudness.

'Perhaps it was better to ignore that for now. The party is for White Lily.' You thought ignorantly as continued to talk with the cookie beside you.

Meanwhile, the beasts from beyond the seal glared at White Lily Cookie. Ignorance may be bliss but this was unprecedented. Especially for you.

The beasts glared harder at White Lily Cookie. They needed to get you away from her. So that you can remember your life with them. You don't belong with them! You're one of the beasts! it's no fair that those... faeries... can keep al of you to themselves.

They lost you once.

They won't lose you again...

My train of thought went "Bye Bye" Mario style

Soo I'm kinda just not- feeling the motivation rn

T_T

[cryptidsofwakemoor]

Chapter 11 - Gratuitous Waffle Violence

Matchstick uses eating utensils to varying degrees of success, while Tikki draws up a roommate contract.

~*~

Mystic

Morning comes again, as it always does.

And with it, the spicy smell of a hot drink, as the catalyst to his waking.

Sitting on the rug next to the couch is another mug of the hot 'cider' Tikki made the previous night- but he can smell something else, too. The scent of the only other hot drink he was familiar with, the one the scientists in the lab carried around sometimes. It was earthy and bitter, but not in an unpleasant way.

Clinking noises from the kitchen, and plap plaps. Tikki must be awake, and making something.

Spooky

Slowly he unfolds himself, lanky legs stretching out from under the blankets followed by his upper torso and arms, his bones popping. He wasn't used to sleeping on something quite this soft... Sprawled out on the couch, he turns his head to try and see what Tikki's doing, but all he sees is her back as she prepares something just out of his view.

He was almost reluctant to get up, but the smell of the cider beckoned, and his mouth was feeling dry. He leaned down and scooped the mug up from the ground, holding it carefully in both hands and slurping noisily.

Mystic

"Wow, your bones sound like glow sticks," Tikki comments, back still turned. "First time you're sleeping on something soft?"

She tried to hide how much the thought pissed her off. Who was responsible for taking care of this kid in the 'lab'? They were shit at their job. Probably on purpose, which made her more angry, which forced her to stuff that feeling away for another molotov cocktail that surely wouldn't detonate later.

"I made you more cider- sounds like it did the job last night," she continues, not waiting for a response. "You should start drinking more regular water after this, though. Can't have you dehydrated, and you'll get more energy back if you eat properly. Which probably means I shouldn't be giving you too much sugar, but ehh..."

Tikki eventually turns back around, this time carrying a platter over to a strange contraption on a rotating spit. She flips it open, and pulls a set of puffy, boxy discs from inside. Loading up a plate with four separate discs, she sets up a second platter with only two, and lathers them in a translucent golden-brown syrup. With a march in her step, still wearing her colorful fish pajamas, she goes back to the living room that seemed to their designated eating space for the moment.

Tikki holds out the plate to him, complete with the utensils he wasn't sure how to use, and sits with her own.

"You're going to want the cutlery for this one," she says, smirking as she sips from her hot drink. "It's very sticky without it. Then we can start talking plans for whatever you're doing."

Spooky

He took the plate and was just about to pick up the food with his other hand, though he stopped dead in his tracks when she warned about it being sticky. Remembering the nectar tubes outside, he was reminded all too well that ‘sticky’ meant having to wash off.

Not really keen on taking another bath so soon, he considered the metal instruments that were given to him along with the disc- a long, flat one and another one with four prongs. Tikki had used the pronged one just yesterday to eat the, uh... theeeee omm... omelet! Yeah, she stabbed it and used it to pick it up. Didn't seem too hard.

He sat down and put the white disc in his lap, wrapping his fingers around the handle of the pronged utensil until he was holding it in his fist. He then lifted it and stabbed it more viciously than necessary into the food disc at top of the stack, attempting to pick the whole thing up with it. The puffy food was soft despite its crispier outside, though, and fell off the utensil, landing with a syrupy plap back on the stack and lightly splattering him in the stuff.

He slouched forward a bit in response, his brow knit together as his eyes regarded the stack with a rather grumpy look.

Mystic

Tikki snorts into her mug, clearing her throat before setting it aside, and picking up her own utensils.

"You have to cut the waffle, first," she explains, taking the fork and poking it, then cutting into it with the knife in the other hand while the plate rests on her lap. "You can use the knife, or the edge of the fork if you're lazy, like me."

Tikki then does just that, using the side of the fork to cut another square of her food. It takes a bit more wiggling, but once it's free, she pops it into her mouth just as easily.

"I'll get you a wet napkin after we eat, don't worry about it."

Spooky

He huffed out a breath and picked up the knife in his other hand, holding it just about as clumsily as he did with the fork. He stabbed the stack with the fork once more, then stabbed his knife into it as well, awkwardly sawing back and forth with it until it scraped noisily against the plate.

He stopped, grimacing at the sound but... there weren't any pieces free yet, so he wrenched the knife to the side and started sawing again.

Yeah, he was definitely going to need a napkin.

At last he managed to get it into smaller pieces... He stabbed those, carefully lifted them up to his mouth, and finally was able to take a bite. His eyes widened. While this whole utensils thing had been a bit more complicated of a way to eat something... It was so fucking worth it! The... bread? was nice and crisp, and the syrup was way better than the sugar water in those flower tubes. Prior annoyance forgotten, he licked his chops and went to stab another piece.

Mystic

Tikki shakes her head in mild amusement, eating some more of her own waffles.

"You might have an easier time if you're a bit more gentle about it," she says, smiling tiredly as she lifts her mug and takes another drink. "Moving harshly is what splattered the syrup. One sec-"

Tikki goes to the kitchen, grabs a napkin from a rung, and soaks it with a bit of hot water. Returning to the couch area, she holds it out to him.

"Here- you can wipe off the syrup with this."

Sitting back down, she hums, finishing her own two waffles in short order.

She waits quietly while he eats, drinking more of her mystery drink.

"So..." she says, finally breaking the silence once he's had time to work through the stack of waffles. "What's your plan going forward, Sticks? Do you have an idea of what you want to do?"

Spooky

He paused and looked up from his plate, his cheeks visibly stuffed with waffle and syrup dripping from his mouth. Then, still wide-eyed, he looked past her, not really at anything in particular.

Plan going forward? He'd been on the run for a while now, technically free even if he was being hunted, but up to this point it felt like his days had to be almost entirely devoted to his continued survival. If it wasn't hiding, it was food and water he was primarily focused on.

Now that those needs were met, though...

Now what...?

His eyes focused on her again, and he looked almost as if he was expecting her to continue on with what she wanted him to do, but no instructions were forthcoming.

Feeling lost, he gave a noncommittal shrug and went back to eating.

Mystic

Tikki hums, frowning a little.

"Okay, maybe that was a bit too broad," she acquiesces, cleaning a bit of syrup off her plate with the fork and nibbling it off the tines, almost literally chewing over her thoughts. "Anywhere in particular you want to go? You don't have to stay in this town if you don't want to- from the sounds of it, you seem pretty scared. I can help, but... I don't know, I guess I just feel bad that you seem so afraid all the time. You shouldn't have to be."

She felt a little bad pointing it out, but it needed to be said. She was observant. She'd seen him running for cover in the trees, acting like exposure to the world for even a fraction of a second meant certain death. Granted, she had no idea which 'lab' was responsible for... this. Whatever they'd done to him. Who knows, they could be near town.

"...it- reminds me of how I used to feel, early on," Tikki explains, scratching at one arm. Her pointed fingers catch lightly on the silver scales that faintly dust over her regular teal ones.

Spooky

With his waffles now gone too, he stuck the end of the fork in his mouth for a minute as he tried to think. When he took it back out again, the tines were red hot.

"Where else...?" He mumbled, looking down at the syrup puddle on his plate. It wasn't very reflective, but he could see the vague circular shadow of his head in it, blocking out the light that would otherwise be making it shine.

He truly didn't know any other place in this world, and it had taken a while just to get used to this one. Maybe it would've been better to just have kept running until he was far away, but even on the outside it seemed like he couldn't really escape. How long would he have to run until he didn't see that logo anymore? Until he knew he was out of their reach?

"They're ehn... ev... everywhere," he added.

Mystic

"...oh."

Tikki seems saddened by this, frowning as she looks down at her own empty plate.

"...I'm sorry," she says. "I know I didn't have anything to do with it, but- well, somebody has to say it."

...

"...who did it?"

Dangerous question to ask. But then, it was dangerous for her to simply have him in her home, and she seemed fine enough breaking that rule.

Spooky

He slid his fork around in the syrup, though he made no move to lick it or anything- it was just movement for movement's sake.

He was clearly hesitant to answer... Not because he didn't trust Tikki by this point, but moreso that he was afraid. Perhaps irrationally so, since it wasn't like it would summon them to just utter the name of it... But knowing that didn't ease his paranoia any. Still... if he was going to stay, she deserved to know, if only so she knew who to avoid too...

After seeming like he wasn't going to say anything, he finally opened his mouth and spoke again, this time in a whisper.

"Aria."

Mystic

...

"...wait."

Tikki says nothing for a moment as the gears turn. She sits up, removing a small tablet device from a pocket on her pajamas. She taps at it for a second, staring at the screen on the front as a light comes on, casting faint illumination on her cheeks.

"Aria, as in- the megacorporation? The company that does appliance and tech delivery, and is a giant monument to the follies of capitalism?" Despite almost none of these words making sense to him, Tikki seems to be getting incensed the deeper she goes, so it must have communicated something accurate to the true Aria conglomerate. "Ugh. Figures it would be a giant business with its fingers in so many pies that it could pay to get away with murder."

It was truly sad how little of an exaggeration that statement was. Tikki had no doubt in her mind that if this kid stayed where he'd been before, and proved not useful enough to whoever deemed the criteria, they could have simply erased him. Be done with him and act like he was never there- against his will or not.

"You can't leave, then," Tikki continues, thinking. "Otherwise, you'll get caught by the vainglorious manchildren with too much padding in their wallets. I'm certainly not going to turn you over to that. So... do you want to stay, then? Again, I don't have much, but... I have a roof and a couch, and I'd like to think I'm pretty good at avoiding the public eye."

Spooky

There were a lot of terms being used that were flying over his head, but as he leaned to try and get a look at her screen, his wide-eyed, anxious reaction upon seeing the logo was all it took to confirm it for her.

He stared down as she scrolled through the results, his shoulders tense.

While he had been developed in their labs, the fact remained that he didn't understand the full scope of what Aria was. How could he? He had seen computers before plenty of times, but he'd never been allowed to use one himself. He'd never had money before, to his knowledge. The smiling, corporate facade of this company was just baffling to him, it painted a friendly picture so alien from the place he was used to that it gave him a severe sense of tonal whiplash just to think about it.

Listening to her, though, was kind of cathartic even if he didn't know some of what she was saying. Her anger was a small comfort to him, and it made him feel less alone in the world to know he had at least one person who had his back in this case.

Even though he was worried about what they would do to her if they found her, let alone what they would do if they found out she'd been hiding him...

At this point, the question wasn't whether or not he wanted to stay- he did, very much so. The question was really more like 'am i willing to risk Tikki's safety?' Tikki was the first and only truly friendly face he'd encountered... that he... didn't struggle to recall from an old memory, anyway.

On one hand, it would be dangerous, but on the other... He was a weapon. If they did track him down, or did anything to hurt Tikki... He would make them hurt too.Or worse.

Looking back up at her with a more resolute expression, he nodded.

He wanted to stay.

Mystic

Tikki smiles, pleased with this response- and kind of relieved.

“Oh good,” she exhales. “I wanted to give you the choice, but I won’t lie, I was probably going to worry about you a lot if you left.”

Tikki sets her plate aside and claps her hands together.

“Then, I guess we gotta draw up a roommate contract. Y’know- lay down some terms so we’re both comfortable.”

She leans over to rifle through a drawer of the cabinet set under the silent television, removing a yellow paper pad and pencil. Snapping the paper out flat, she places it on her knees and starts writing, talking while she does so.

“I’ve never had to share a space with someone that wasn’t a sibling before, much less on land, but I think I can handle that. Since this is my house, here are my terms: One, obviously you don’t have a job, so you can’t pay rent. That’s fine- but you’re going to have to help me around the house. Managing a space for two people is a challenge on my own, and in the process, I can teach you how to take care of yourself. Like laundry, cooking, etcetera... I’m not going to be your maid, but you’re not going to be mine, either. Could be helpful in an emergency, like if I get um- indisposed. Basically I’m just saying we help each other, okay? Two, you don’t sell out my uh-“

Tikki scratches behind her neck.

”-medical condition to any authorities. I’m not even normal by non-human standards, but hey, neither of us are very normal, are we? It’s like we’re made for each other,” she jokes.

Tikki finishes writing her notes, tapping the pencil on the paper before her gaze slides over to him.

“Does that sound fair? Anything you’d like to add, any rules you want to lay down?”

Spooky

The corners of his mouth quirked up a little at her relieved response, though it quickly turned to a look of surprise when she grabbed a paper and started talking about a 'contract'. That was a word he'd heard before, he was pretty sure, but like most things he overheard in random conversation snippets from scientists, he didn't have enough context to really understand what it meant.

Listening to Tikki though, he was able to figure out that it seemed to be some form of agreement. Wasn't sure why it had to be written down though... Maybe so both people wouldn't forget it?

Idly licking the syrup from his plate as he watched her write, he did his best to follow what she was saying- he wasn't sure what a rent was or what 'indisposed' meant- but he was able to grasp the main idea of it. 'Help each other' seemed reasonable enough.

Second part seemed obvious enough to him that it didn't really need to be written. After all, he did already promise that he would keep the secret! But if she felt better writing it on the paper too, well, that would be alright.

It sounded fair enough, so he gave a nod to that question, though when asked if there was anything he wanted to add, any rules he wanted... He got that far-off look in his eyes again and set the plate back down in his lap, immediately paralyzed by choice. While in the lab there were a lot of decisions he wished he could make in regards to his living situation, like no more ‘resilience testing’ chambers or shackles, or no more jabbing metal shit into his back... It didn't seem like Tikki's house had anything of the sort, and he'd only been here for one night.

What could he want that would apply to this place? He glanced over at Slithers as if to see if he had any ideas, but as Slithers was an inanimate plushie, no suggestions were forthcoming.

He gave an awkward shrug to Tikki. There was only one thing he could think of that was super obvious, but if they were gonna write everything down, might as well.

"Hh... Hide me... from Aria," he said.

Mystic

Tikki nods, not questioning the request in the slightest.

“Good, we’re on the same page.” She puts a line on the paper between her points and his, writing ‘Stick’s Rules’ above his section. “We can add more if you think about anything later.”

Tikki finished writing, and signed it with a looping scribble of some sort.

“I do have a guest room,” Tikki explains, sheepish all of the sudden, “but it’s- not furnished. I never had a reason to buy a second bed, and I was… kinda using it as my indoor hiding place when I change? So unfortunately that room isn’t usable right now, cuz it’s just kinda an empty box. Maybe sometime soon, though, once I save up enough money, we can set you up in there? Apologies in advance for any damage to the room. It’ll take a while, so you can have this living room as your space until that day. I don’t use it much anyway, the fireplace dries out my scales.”

Spooky

He blinked, perking up a little bit in intrigue. A room of his own?

His cell back at the lab had been very sparse save for restraints, and it was more part of a larger room with heavy duty viewing windows separating them. Needless to say it hardly felt like a space to call his own, not with so many eyes on him.

He would gladly take an empty cameraless box over that, at least it offered some privacy. In the meantime, though, the living room seemed nice.

...Why was it called a living room, though? Didn't seem like it was alive, any more so than the rest of the building at least. Weird...

Still, the thought of staying in it was kind of exciting- it was warm, had a lot of stuff to look at, there were good smells from the kitchen, and he liked the fireplace. It was probably a good thing he didn't have any scales to worry about drying out.

...That did remind him, though. Tikki was a fish lady. Weren't fish supposed to live in water? There was an aquarium at the lab. He'd only seen it a few times in passing, but it was a rare spot of colors and visual interest in an otherwise mostly monochrome environment, and he probably could have watched it for hours if they'd have let him. There were fish in Tikki's room too, though that tank wasn't nearly as big, nor populated.

The only water he'd ever seen Tikki in, though, had been the pond outside. Did she normally go in there when it wasn't iced over? Hm...

That in turn made him wonder about the place she said she was from before. Picking up Slithers and looking down at its beady lil' eyes, he thought for a moment before asking: "what's... Sea?"

Mystic

Tikki blinks. Her eyebrows raise when she realizes what he was asking.

“Oh- the sea! It’s a large body of saltwater, just a few miles away, also called the ocean. You can’t drink it, but the water is home to a lot of colorful fish, animals, and plants. My people live there- in your tongue we’re called ‘mermaids’. There are some of us that can live in rivers, but most of us live deep in the ocean. It’s my-“

She pauses, the cheer dissipating for a brief moment. When she speaks again, it’s muted.

“-was my home.”

Spooky

It didn't escape his notice how her expression seemed to light up when she started describing it, but faded so quickly at the mention of her leaving. It was... very clear she hadn't wanted to go. Something had forced her to leave. Whatever the reason was, it probably prevented her from going back, too...

Remembering Slithers's purpose, though, he lifted the plush up and nudged her shoulder with it, trying to hand it back to her.

"...don't like water..." he mumbled, sliding his hand over the nape of his neck. "liked... watchin' fish, though." His voice was still weak, but it was at least sounding a little better today, and not as much like he'd been gargling gravel.

Mystic

Tikki glances over in confusion as she feels something squish against her. Then she smiles, seeing the plush. She takes it and gives it a small hug.

“Thanks,” she mumbles. “You’re a good kid.”

A sigh.

…after a few moments, she places the plush back on the couch next to him. She appreciated the gesture.

“Yeah? Fish like watching us, too,” Tikki says with a chuckle. “You gave the guppies a big spook when you woke us up. They’ve been babbling about you all morning. They think you’re some kind of giant walking eel.”

Tikki stretches her back, grunting as the vertebrae pop a little.

“Any other questions you got for me? Since we’re laying all cards on the table now, might as well, I guess. You already know my biggest secret.”

Spooky

There it was again, that odd chuffing kind of laugh, the best he could manage currently. Eels were those noodly ones with all the teeth, right? He only really saw them poking their heads out from rocks in their tank for the most part, but they looked kind of goofy. The mental image of him poking his head out of a rock and opening and closing his mouth a lot just struck him as way too silly not to laugh, despite the state of his voice.

"Tell 'em sorry," he rasped, coughing a little from the laugh. He didn't mean to spook them, but at this point he was kind of used to that reaction.

That did remind him, though, of something else odd he noticed the night before. "...I couldn't h- hear 'em..." he whispered, trying to give his voice a break. He'd seen them swim towards Tikki, and they seemed to be the ones to wake her... but surely enough, he'd only heard the bubbling of the filter at most.

Mystic

"Oh don't worry, I did," Tikki giggles, sipping from her mug. "Guppies aren't the brightest, and thought your glowing eyes meant you were a predator there to eat them or something."

Hearing him whisper and cough, she reaches over and pats him on the shoulder.

"It's okay, take it easy on your throat. You'll probably need several more days of resting your throat and drinking cider or tea with honey to heal whatever damage you may have."

Tikki takes his mug, which was now empty, and goes to refill it in the kitchen.

"I'd be surprised if you could hear them!" Tikki says idly. "It's a mermaid thing- we can talk to fish, and understand them. They're not always intelligent, it can depend on the individual, or even type of fish. Usually larger fish are smarter- bigger brains to absorb more information, n' all. Anything that's not a fish, like turtles or otters, are harder to communicate with; not quite the same language."

Spooky

Huh... That sounded pretty nice, talking to animals... even if only a certain type of 'em. He'd seen a few animals at the lab, and plenty more of them while roughing it outside, but they didn't seem to like him. They usually ran away before he could even get close, which made sense for the wild ones, but even the domestic ones that were perfectly fine with being around humans seemed to freak out when they saw him. Which sucked, because they were cute, and it seemed like it would be nice to pet them...

His gaze drifted down to his hands, and his eyes fell half-lidded as he sighed. Yeah, right... Probably better that he didn't, he'd probably just crush or burn them by accident or something...

He didn't notice Tikki returning until a refilled mug entered his view, and it almost made him jump for a second.

Mystic

"I don't blame you for being skittish," Tikki says, somber as she hands him the refilled mug. "I don't know your full story, but I can imagine you've been through some hell. It's okay if you need time, there's no shame in it."

Leaving him to his drink, she picks up the contract and folds it, tucking it into a pocket on her pajamas. Hands now mostly free, she grabs his abandoned plate and stacks it on top of her own to go clean.

"Which reminds me- you've been kinda running around in tatters for a while." Tikki looks over her shoulder from the sink. "You need clothes besides- y'know- a blanket. Are you fine with hand-me-downs? Just nod yes or shake your head for no, to save your voice."

Spooky

He looked over his shoulder and tilted his head at the term 'hand-me-downs', having never heard it before, but... he did know what clothes were, and while the blanket had been doing okay at keeping him warm, it was a little annoying to have to hold it around him with his hand to keep it from falling down...

Also, a quick look at the shorts he'd been in since before he'd even escaped- now threadbare in places and torn in others- told him they were definitely not going to last much longer.

Not wanting to go completely without, he looked back up at her and nodded quickly, his face faintly glowing in embarrassment.

Mystic

Tikki accepts that answer.

“Awesome. I’ll see what I have that fits- might be a little big for even you, since I’ll need to pick something not form-fitting, but you’ll grow into them.” She gives him a quick, wry smile. “As if you’re not already a beanpole, heh.”

True to her word, once Tikki finishes with kitchen cleanup, and walks back off toward her room and disappears again for a few minutes. He can hear the distant clatter of moving drawers and the creak of hinges on closet doors, along with a faint plastic clicking noise. Eventually, she emerges with a small armload of cloth.

“Got some sweatpants and leisure shirts that’ll probably be fine,” she says, rifling through them before lightly tossing them in his direction. They land on the couch cushion with a pff. “Mostly just comfort clothes. Go ahead and use the bathroom whenever you want to change.”

Spooky

He made a face at the beanpole comment as she turned back around to finish up in the kitchen. Beanpole? What does that even mean??

When Tikki left to get the clothes, he looked himself over front and back, trying to figure out what she meant. The moment he heard her returning, however, he quickly stopped and pretended to just be chillin' out with his arms loosely crossed instead.

When she unceremoniously tossed the clothes on the couch next to him, he was quick to start checking them out. On top of the pile was a big shirt that, when held up, had a drawing of an orange animal sleeping in a red box, with a blue blanket draped over them, and the words 'I HATE MONDAYS' on it.

He blinked, before shrugging and tossing it back on the clothes pile. He then scooped the whole thing up in his arms and went off to the bathroom to get dressed.

~*~

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New reader? You can start here!

[jttw-monkeybusiness]

WOW! Your latest artwork is just... wow, amazing! I love how you made the sky in the palace, the furnace and, of course, our monkey (insert joke about how hot he is hehe). When I heard that Wukong is put in a furnace, I just thought that Heaven is not kidding. Do you think that after your Wukong married Sophie he opened his heart about what he felt that day? Or he already got over it (if that's possible...). By the way, seeing Wukong crying broke me  😭(although it could be angry tears too).

Hello! Thank you so much! I'm very proud of that piece honestly! And it was a lot of fun drawing it! I feel like Wukong might open up about the furnace to Sophie in time. He already mentioned it to her in the Journey but very casually. Originally there was no fire in the furnace, but I wanted to add it for a more dramatic look, but the fire didn't hurt him. He just got a bit crispier. I think Wukoing would take the furnace and stay another 49 days rather than being under a mountain for 500 years if he had to go to those expensive ones again. It's more uncomfortable but it lasts shorter. Being inside of that furnace sometimes haunts him a little in his dreams but with time it becomes less and less 'traumatic' to him. Now it's more like a bad memory that happened to him and doesn't bother him. Besides he wants to focus on more important things. Ah, don't worry! Wukong didn't cry when he came out :D It was because of the smoke that made his eyes look like what they are today. I made this quick doodle of a comparison of before he was yeeted into the furnace and what he looks like when he comes out. So yeah his eyes watered for 49 days bc of smoke and fire.

He got permanently a little bit crispy and his fur is not as soft as it used to be but he's still a handsome lad!

[cookie-lore-keeper]

How do you feel about the fact that my dough has a very thin layer of wafer paper on it (since it made up quite a bit of my dough), I've been shunned for it before and was wondering if you knew how that works.

If you're curious, my whole lineage is from Hortensia Town, near the Lotus Palace. I don't know what you'd call cookies from that area.

-🏮

I think it's very interesting! Cookies with an added layer on their dough are actually able to take more hits because of it.

Also, I think they're called Hortensians or Hortensia Cookies? I could be wrong though.

Cookie Biology 101: Wafer Cookies

Wafer cookies are cookies who have wafers in their dough. While wafers are often mistaken with crackers, wafers are sweeter and have slightly difterent ingredients, and tend to be thinner and lighter than crackers.

Wafers Cookies have a thin lining of wafer on their dough, which makes them more crispy (not as in healthy). Like, they're literally crispier). This thin lining also works as a protection for their underdough, though it isn't as useful as other ingredients, such as nuts or pie crust. Their hair tends to be thinner and straighter (not good examples above, lol), like wafers usually are and can have the patterns of wafers, such as Mint Wafer Cookie. The hair also often has creamy fillings made out of cream or jam.

Hope these help! You seem like a very interesting cookie.

[kimyoonmiauthor]

Triple Black Korean Fried Chicken and Waffles

On the back of Eugene Yang's (Of the Try Guys) failure to make fried chicken and waffles, I, as a fellow Korean, thought I would help a bit. by:

Making it super black

Improve the flavor

Make it Korean spicy

For reference how Eugene failed are in these categories:

He failed to realize that Silkie Chicken is more lean, thus he needs to marinade it and cook it for a shorter cooking time.

He used the wrong dipping method. Dry dip, then wet, then that's it.

He could have used rice to make it crispier

He could have made it more evil by making it completely black

He should have made the dipping sauce sweet and spicy.

To be clear he did a pretty good job. He used honey, and used Soy sauce in the place of salt. But I'd have considered a bulgogi marinade at that point for it.

Fried Chicken:

Ingredients

3 tbsp of honey

3 cloves of garlic

1 thumb of ginger

6 tbsp soy sauce

6 tbsp sesame seed oil

1 tbsp kochukaru, fine

1 tbsp ground white pepper

4 tbsp Black sesame seeds

2 tsp of charcoal powder

2 tbsp Corn starch

1/3 cup ground Black rice, made into a black flour

4 cup AP Flour

6 tbsp soju

2 eggs beaten

1 lb Silkie Chicken thighs and wings

kochujang

scallion

1 quart of canola oil for frying

Method:

Make Bulgogi Sauce

1 tbsp of honey

3 cloves of garlic

1 thumb of ginger

6 tbsp soy sauce

6 tbsp sesame seed oil

Mix the marinade. Put the chicken into a bowl. pour marinade over the chicken.

If you want an extra umami kick, then use guk kanjang, but keep in mind it's super umami and also super salty, so you might want to cut down the amount by a tbsp and add a little water.

Normally I would put in sesame seeds and green onions, but both will burn.

The food science reasoning on this is: A marinade makes the chicken more tender. And the oil should slow down and even out how the Black Chicken is cooked. Black chicken also cooks faster, being leaner meat, so this may help even out the cooking process.

The Breading:

Dry Ingredients

1 tbsp kochukaru, fine

1 tbsp ground white pepper

4 tbsp Black sesame seeds

2 tsp of charcoal powder

2 tbsp Corn starch

1/3 cup ground Black rice, made into a black flour

4 cup AP Flour

Wet ingredients

6 tbsp soju

2 egg beaten

1 cup buttermilk

Gochu dipping sauce

1 tbsp gochujang

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 clove garlic

1/2 thumb of ginger, peeled and ground.

1 scallion, diced

1 tbsp black sesame seeds

1 tbsp honey

Combine the wet ingredients separately from the dry ingredients

You're going to take the mairnated chicken and dredge it in the buttermilk mixture first, and then dredge it in the dry ingredients second.

Use an air fryer/fryer to cook the chicken until crispy. Again, be careful to not overcook the chicken. Silkie is leaner and takes less time.

Black Ink Noodle salad

As a side, black ink noodles in a sesame dipping sauce.

Try to undercook the noodle a tiny bit since the noodles will absorb the sauce.

Sesame dipping sauce:

1 tbsp Honey

3 tbsps soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar (If you're being "more Eugene" you can use balsamic [black] or pomegranate vinegar [deep red] for the color effect for the same amount)

1 tbsp black sesame seeds

3tbsps sesame seed oil

Cook the noodles, and then mix together the dipping sauce. Put the dipping sauce to the side, serve it like soba.

Waffles

The idea is to up the whole "red waffle" is evil idea by making red fish with black spots that bleed red in the middle. Cue evil Eugene laugh.

1 sweet potato, medium, baked prior, and mashed into a paste. (Red fleshed would be better)

1 tbsp soju

1/2 cup rice flour (Not sweet rice flour. Don't mix them up).

1/2 cup AP Flour

1/4 cup Black Sesame seeds

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

5 tbsp red beet powder

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

Black sesame seeds (optional and to taste)

1 fish waffle maker

Sweet Adzuki paste (You can buy online or make it yourself fairly easily).

Combine well until there are no lumps the buttermilk and the beet root powder first. Beet root powder has a tendency to clump so make sure it dissolves.

Combine the dry ingredients first: The rice flour, the cinnamon, the baking powder, the AP flour, the rice flour, the sesame seeds, the salt, the nutmeg.

Then combine the wet ingredients, the buttermilk with the beet root powder, the eggs, and the buttermilk. Add the sweet potato in last.

Heat up your waffle maker. (Better if a fish waffle maker)

Slowly combine 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Combine together slowly. Then combine another 1/3 and then the last 1/3rd. When just combined, spray your waffle maker, and do a test waffle. Often the first one is a dud. Let that be.

Add half the amount of the waffle, let cook halfway, add adzuki paste, cook the other half of the waffle, let cook together.

Serve the waffles hot and crispy.

The theory is that when you serve this recipe, it should be crispy, but still have contrasting flavors, yet have colors that aren't neceearily recognizable. Does it break the majority of the Korean rules? Yes. I suppose if you want to make it more colorful you can add a mango salsa, but look... it looks like a dish Eugene would serve.

[doggirlhen]

every knockoff / at home recipe of a fast food thing is always like "but BETTER" what if i want it exactly as dissapointing and mediocre as it as at the restaurant. what if i want to be kept humble by my at home mcchicken of whom the only improvement is the lettuce being a bit crispier but i dont even really like lettuce on there but its got all the sauce on it so i cant take it off. i want a sad burger king burger and i want it made at home

[vinnieswife]

Baking cookies

Pete dunham x reader

word count: 780

It’s a Saturday afternoon, and you’re in Pete’s flat, a place that usually feels like the inside of a warzone—books and random bits of gear scattered everywhere, a pair of boots by the door that he definitely doesn’t put away. But today, it smells like sugar and vanilla, and Pete, despite his usual indifference to the world, is standing next to you at the kitchen counter, slightly unsure of what to do with the flour in front of him.

“So, uh,” Pete says, scratching the back of his neck, looking at the bowl as if it’s some kind of foreign object. “You sure you want me involved in this? I’m pretty good at burning toast, let alone baking.”

You chuckle, already grabbing a cup of flour. “Don’t worry, Pete. It’ll be fine. I trust you. You’ve got great hands.”

He raises an eyebrow at you, but there’s a soft hint of amusement in his eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s what everyone says right before they end up with a burnt disaster.”

You laugh, clearly enjoying his mock pessimism. “No, I’m serious. You’ll nail this.”

He rolls his eyes, but there’s a small smile on his lips as he grabs the measuring cups. “Alright, if this ends in flour everywhere, I’m blaming you.”

“Deal.” You toss him a mischievous grin as you grab the butter. “Now, we need to soften this.”

Pete gives you an exaggerated look. “Soft? It’s butter, love, it’s already soft.”

You stifle a laugh, trying to hold back your grin. “You’re not wrong, but we’re supposed to mash it. Get with it Dunham”

He shrugs, clearly enjoying this little banter, and starts awkwardly pressing on the butter with his hands. “This doesn’t feel right. Am I doing this right? Am I supposed to be mashing it or…?”

You watch as he squishes the butter like it’s some kind of punishment. “I’ve never seen anyone so stressed about butter,” you tease, unable to hide your amusement.

“Yeah, well, I don’t exactly bake cookies for a living. You know, maybe I should’ve just made tea instead.” Pete shoots you a dry look, but you can see the corners of his mouth twitching. He’s trying not to smile, but it’s not working.

You take over the butter-mashing with a grin, and Pete casually leans against the counter, observing you like he’s the judge of some amateur cooking show. “I swear, if I mess this up, I’ll be getting death stares from every baker in existence.”

“You won’t,” you assure him, not looking up from your work. “You’re a natural.”

He snorts. “Natural? With this?” He gestures toward the mound of flour now spilling out of the bowl and onto the counter. “It looks like a crime scene.”

You giggle, shaking your head as you flick some flour at him. “Oh, come on, you’re doing great.”

Pete stares at you with a mock glare, wiping the flour off his shirt. “You just wait. My natural ability to ruin everything will be in full swing any minute now. You’ll see.”

“I’m counting on it,” you tease, adding chocolate chips to the dough.

The timer finally goes off, and you both move to the oven. Pete stands back, looking at the tray like he’s about to defuse a bomb. “This is it. If they explode, it’s on you.”

You raise an eyebrow at him. “If they explode, we explode together,” you kissed his cheek lovingly.

With dramatic flair, Pete opens the oven door. You both peer inside, your breath catching for a second as the cookies bake perfectly—maybe a little crispier than you planned, but still, cookies.

Pete looks at you, genuinely surprised. “Well, I’ll be damned. They didn’t turn into charcoal.”

You giggle, grabbing the tray. “See? I knew you could do it.”

He gives you a deadpan stare. “Yeah, sure. I’m basically a professional now.”

You both plop down on the couch, the cookies cooling between you. Pete picks one up cautiously, inspecting it as if it’s a fragile piece of ancient history. “You sure you want me to eat this?”

“You might be surprised. They’re pretty good,” you say with a wink.

He takes a cautious bite, then looks at you with exaggerated seriousness. “You’re right. These are disgusting. I need to eat at least five more to be sure.”

You laugh, leaning against him as he grabs another cookie. “These are practically gourmet.”

He grins, that rare warmth in his eyes now fully visible. “Well, maybe you’re right. But just don’t get used to it. I’m still not going to be your baking buddy.”

You playfully nudge him, watching him finish off the cookie. “You’re the best baking buddy I could ask for. Plus, now we have cookies. What’s not to love?”

Pete glances over at you with that dry smirk you’ve come to love. “Right. And next time, we’re doing nothing involving flour. I’m calling it.”

You laugh and snuggle closer, resting your head against his shoulder. “Deal. But next time, you’re making the tea, so we’re even.”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t push your luck.”

You both end up lounging on the couch, cookies in hand, not a care in the world. Maybe Pete’s not a pro at baking, but he’s got the sweetest soft spot for you, and that’s all that matters.

[ruewrote]

𝑎 𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑒𝑡 𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑙.

PAIRING: ryan lucan x gn!reader WARNINGS: no use of y/n GENRE: fluff SONG INSPIRATION: ho hey by the lumineers WORD COUNT: 904 REQUESTED: yes NOTE: this was shorter than i intended

navigation | ask | ryan lucan masterlist

the bell above the door chimed softly as it swung open, ryan stepped inside. you were tucked away in the corner, flipping through records, absorbed in the rhythm of your own thoughts.

but when his voice broke through the mellow backdrop of music, you glanced up, startled at first, before a warm smile spread across your face.

“hey,” he said, leaning casually against a wall beside you, though the way he kept fidgeting with the edge of his jacket gave him away. “you busy after this?”

you tucked a record back into the bin and tilted your head. “not really, why?”

he gestured vaguely toward the door. “thought maybe we could hit the farmers market together. figured you might like the fresh air, and, you know, snacks.”

you chuckled at his attempt to play it cool, noticing the faint hopefulness in his tone. “sure,” you said, closing the bin with a finality that made his face light up. “let me just finish up here.”

“take your time,” he replied, grinning. “i’ll just... pretend i know what i’m looking at until you’re ready.”

true to his word, ryan hovered nearby, pretending to scrutinize an album cover with a furrowed brow. you caught him stealing a glance at you, before quickly looking away, his face turning faintly pink. after paying for your new record, the two of you headed for the door, and he stepped ahead to hold it open for you, his grin widening when you thanked him.

the short walk to the farmers market was filled with playful banter, though ryan’s words occasionally tangled, his nervous energy almost palpable. he played it off every time with a self-deprecating laugh that made your stomach flutter. 

when you arrived, the colorful stalls and bustling crowd stretched out before you. it was vibrant and lively, but the noise and movement started to feel a little overwhelming.

ryan seemed to notice right away. he leaned in slightly, his voice soft and reassuring. “what’re you craving? i’ll grab it.”

you hesitated, scanning the stalls. “um... maybe some strawberries?”

“strawberries it is,” he gave you a quick smile before weaving through the crowd, leaving you with a moment to breathe. from a small distance, you watched as he chatted with the vendor, his easy charm on full display. when he returned, he handed you a carton of the freshest, brightest strawberries, his smile a mix of pride and shyness.

“for you, m’lady,” he teased, giving a dramatic little bow.

you laughed, popping one into your mouth. “these are incredible. guess i’ll have to keep you around for snack duty.”

“high honour,” he replied, walking close enough that your shoulders brushed occasionally. his hand hovered at his side like he wasn’t sure if he should reach for yours.

after exploring a bit more, the two of you ended up at a food truck serving fresh fries. the smell was irresistible. ryan insisted on paying, ignoring your protests with a mock serious look. when the fries arrived, he held the container between you, nudging you to take the crispier ones first. 

you teased him about it, but secretly, the small, thoughtful gesture melted you a little.

as the evening wore on, you wandered toward the park, where twinkling fairy lights strung between trees created a magical glow. it was quieter here, the buzz of the market fading into the background. the two of you walked slowly, sharing the last of the fries and slipping into a comfortable silence, the kind that didn’t feel awkward but instead felt... nice. almost as if you didn’t need words to fill the space.

eventually, you stopped by the flowing lake. the soft hum of distant conversation and the gentle rustle of leaves framed the moment as you turned to look at ryan. he was already looking at you, his expression soft and unguarded.

like he might be trying to memorize every detail of the moment. your heart thudded in your chest.

is this crazy? the thought flickered briefly, but then his gaze softened even more, and you felt something inside you give. he’s right here. he wants this too, doesn’t he? your breath caught as you shifted closer, your mind racing with too many what-ifs to hold onto. the only thing that seemed clear was the pull, subtle, but very much there.

without giving yourself time to overthink it, you felt the words slip out before you could stop them, a quiet, breathless, “screw it,” as you leaned in and kissed him. it was quick, tentative.

your lips brushing his just for a moment, soft and warm. when you pulled back, your breath caught in the air between you, that’s when you saw the surprise in his eyes. 

for a second, you worried you’d misread things, but then his lips curved into a soft, almost disbelieving smile.

his hand found it’s way to your lower back, pulling you closer as he kissed you back.it was a little more passionate this time, less uncertain. your lips met his with a quiet urgency, a shift from hesitation to something more certain.

when you finally broke apart, your breath was uneven, he rested his forehead against yours, his laugh soft and a little shaky.

“i’ve wanted to kiss you for so long,” he murmured, his voice shaky.

you grinned, your boldness returning now that the moment had passed. “guess i beat you to it.”

“not that i’m complaining.”

comments and reblogs are appreciated ˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

© ruewrote 2024.

[ssanovak]

His Favourite Little Human

@skievers‘ request; Bestie can you write me a Gabriel x Fem reader who is Sam & Dean’s sister and is currently kidnapped as a hostage and Gabriel has to find her? Thanks! 🥰

“Y/N! Breakfast! Bacon’s a bit crispy, hope that’s okay! Cas decided to help” Dean yelled down the bunker hallway.

“Hey!” Cas glared at Dean, “It’s better crispier, Y/N told me that once”

“Sure buddy, she probably only told you that so she didn’t hurt your feelings” Dean said laughing.

Cas crossed his arms over his chest and frowned.

“Y/N! Where are you?” Dean walked down the hallway to your room, he knocked on the door loudly, “Y/N! Wake up sleepyhead!”.

Silence followed Dean’s words, he leant against the wall to the left of the door and rapped his knuckles hard against the wood again. Still nothing.

“Y/N you better be decent, cause I’m coming in!” Dean turned the door handle, pushing the door open slowly. He glanced around the room before him and then stepped in. Your bed had evidently been left untouched since you made it yesterday morning, and you were nowhere to be seen. It was Dean’s turn to frown now and he checked your bedside table to see if your purse and keys were still there. When he didn’t find any evidence that you’d even come home last night he shrugged, expecting you to be with Gabriel, or one of their friends, you didn’t drink so it wasn’t likely that you’d been out all night, so he wasn’t especially worried.

He walked back to the kitchen, finding Sam sat at the table ignoring the tray of bacon in the centre and choosing instead to drink what Dean affectionately referred to as a ‘rabbit food smoothie’, he nodded to his brother as Dean walked back into the room.

“Where’s Y/N?” He said, looking back down to the newspaper he’d been combing for a new case.

“Not been home, I’m willing to bet she’s with Gabriel.”

“Oh yeah, how much are you willing to wager?” Sam smirked.

“$20”

“Deal”

“Okay Cas, you want in?” Dean turned to the angel.

“Dean, I have no use for money, why would I partake in an effort to win any?”

“For fun, I don’t know, do Angels do ‘Fun’?” He teased and Cas looked up at him quizzically, “Don’t answer that, it’s too early in the morning for that conversation.”

Dean grabbed some ketchup and sat at the table across from Sam and pulled the tray of bacon towards him, squirting the ketchup straight onto the tray. Sam rolled his eyes and sighed, and Dean indignantly said “Y/N’s not gonna have any, Mr Molecules over there doesn’t eat, and you’ve got your blended rabbit food, what’s the point using a plate?”

“I didn’t actually say anything,” Sam replied, dryly.

“No, but you were thinking, same thing.”

“Okay, Dean,” Sam rolled his eyes again, which his brother missed as he stood up to grab the pot of coffee he’d been brewing, sitting back down he sighed contentedly and dug into his food.

A loud banging on the front door was the only noise to disturb the peace and quiet.

“I’ll get it” Sam said, picking up his smoothie and taking it with him. Sam walked towards the front of the bunker as the knocking got louder and more frantic.

He opened the door slowly and was surprised to see a rather dishevelled Gabriel standing in the doorway.

“Sam” the angel said.

“Gabriel, uh, come in I guess.” Sam stood to the side to let the man walk past him and then shut and relocked the door behind him.

“No time for pleasantries, have you seen Y/N?”

“No, actually, Dean thought she was with you, why?”

“Haven’t seen her in a couple of days actually, and we were meant to meet up yesterday.”

“Maybe she forgot?”

“Why thank you Sam, I hadn’t possibly considered that scenario, and I felt like walking here from half a mile away just for you to tell me the obvious” Gabriel rolled his eyes.

“Sorry, I, uh, don’t have any other suggestions, let me get Dean to help call around.”

“Thank you.”

The two walked back to the kitchen and Dean mumbled “Who is it?” with a mouthful of food.

“Hello Deano” Gabriel greeted the older Winchester brother.

Dean turned to the doorway, swallowing the mouthful he’d finished chewing. “Sammy who gets the 20 bucks?”

“Not you”

“Son of a bitch!”

“So where is Y/N?” Cas tilted his head into the question and looked to Gabriel for an answer.

“Was hoping she was here.”

“Oh”

“Dean, I said we’d call around and ask if Y/N is with any of our friends, I’ll call Charlie and Garth, can you call Jody and Donna?” Sam pulled out his phone and began dialling as he spoke.

“On it”

A few tense minutes passed as the brothers tried to locate their sister, and when they ended each call with no luck, the atmosphere was thick enough to be cut with a knife.

“Gabriel, you’ve heard nothing for how long?” Dean looked up at the angel.

“Nothing since this time yesterday, Y/N sent me a text telling me she’d see me later on, if you didn’t carve that damned Enochian into her bones I could’ve found her by now!” Gabriel’s final words an accusation directed at Castiel.

“Providing she’s not also being hidden by extra sigils, no need to play the blame game here Gabriel” Dean replied, keen to prevent an argument and focus on finding his little sister.

“Dean, I’m going to call Rowena, hopefully she can help.” Sam said, once again dialling as he spoke.

“Hello Samuel, how can I help you?” came the redheads Scottish drawl through the phone.

“Rowena, hi, we need your help, Y/N is missing, do you know of any way we can locate her?”

“Of course dear, let me just find the spell, are you able to obtain ingredients?”

“Yes, we’re in the bunker, I’ll be able to use the Men of Letters stock.”

“Good, okay, I’ve got the spell here, are you ready?”

“Hold on, I’ll write it down.”

With that Sam left the kitchen, Gabriel and Castiel in tow, heading to the library. Dean looked down at his half finished breakfast and decided it would take Sam a while to locate the ingredients, so he probably had time to finish eating. He scarfed the last of the bacon and then downed the rest of his coffee before heading up to the library himself. By the time he got there, Sam and Gabriel had begun to lay out the ingredients as Rowena explained the steps for they needed to take. Once they’d finished the setup, she told Sam the Latin he would have to repeat in order to complete the spell, and Sam scribbled it down in a notebook. He looked up at Dean who nodded and he started the spell. As he finished repeating the lines Rowena had given him the piece of paper in the centre of the pentagram burned a bright red and Dean looked away as the light threatened to blind him. When he looked back the paper had returned to it’s original state bar two lines of numbers that glistened in the light from the lamps. He stepped closer but Gabriel grabbed the piece of paper first.

“Co-ordinates?” He looked up at Sam for confirmation.

“Looks like, okay, thanks Rowena, I’ll let you know what happens.”

“Not a problem Samuel, I hope you find Y/N safe. Bye for now.” The call disconnected.

Sam and Dean grabbed their gear whilst Castiel and Gabriel stood waiting, Dean checked his guns and Sam grabbed the salt and lighter amongst other weapons and items of protection.

“Ready?” Gabriel questioned, “I’m assuming you want me to get as close to these co-ordinates as possible without being in the building, don’t know what kind of surprises might be in there.”

“I guess so,” Dean said, sighing, “I’m not happy with this method of transportation though, last time he zapped me someplace I didn’t poop for a week.” He pointed at Castiel who’s brow furrowed and he tilted his head to one side.

“That was more information than I wanted, let’s go”, Gabriel clicked his fingers and the four of them were outside a disused factory building.

Dean shuddered, gripping his gun tighter.

“Hold on,” Gabriel held his hand up and his eyes glowed brilliant blue as he searched the building for sigils. Only once he was satisfied they weren’t walking into a trap he motioned for Castiel and Dean to take the left side of the building whilst he and Sam took the right.

The four split off towards their designated search areas and Castiel and Gabriel both drew their Angel Blades. As they crept around the outskirts of the building a yell of pain came from somewhere deep within. Gabriel’s footsteps quickened as he recognised the voice. He and Sam found the nearest entrance and Sam gripped the door handle as Gabriel counted down with one hand. When he hit 0 Sam opened the door, the two slid through the open entryway and they were met with a corridor, off of which 5 more doors stood. Gabriel used his free hand to point to Sam and the rightmost door and then walked to the leftmost himself. They cleared each room with ease, meeting in the middle at the fifth door. Sam nodded as Gabriel reached towards the handle. As he did so another shout indicated that they were in fact at the correct door and Gabriel flung it open, holding his blade ready.

As he took in the scene before him his eyes met yours. You relaxed slightly against the chair you were sat upon and sighed with relief. Blood dripped down your face from your probably broken nose and you bit back a wince as you took in a deep breath.

Gabriel took a step towards you as Sam raised his gun to point it at the single assailant.

“How’s my favourite little human doing?”

“Been better to be honest, I’m a little tied up right now,” You replied, sarcasm dripping from your words. You looked down and made a point to indicate the ropes that bound you to the chair and tied your hands and feet.

He laughed, the sound music to your ears.

“Don’t come any closer!” Your assailant grabbed your head pulling you backwards in the chair and pinning a knife to your throat. You coughed in discomfort, and your eyes widened as you realised the danger wasn’t over yet. You assessed the situation you found yourself in, realising the way your head was positioned wasn’t to your attackers advantage at all. If you ducked to one side you’d be free of the blade and Gabriel realised this too, he caught your eye and mouthed ‘Sleeping Lions’, then he opened his fingers against his weapon, counting down 3, 2, 1, you threw yourself sideways and as soon as his final finger hit the handle you were folded practically in half against your own legs. A startled yelp came from your captor and you turned to see the Angel Blade sticking out of the demon’s chest as his soul stuttered out of existence and an orange glow emitted from every orifice. The now empty vessel fell backwards to the floor and you sat up straight again.

“Nice shot” Sam noted, Gabriel had thrown the blade across 15 feet and hit the demon square in the chest.

“Of course” Gabriel smirked.

“Look, save your ego boost for later and get these dang restraints off me please” You grumbled.

Gabriel laughed again and the pair of your saviours crossed the room towards you. Sam worked on the rope at your feet as Gabriel untied your hands and then your body. You slumped forwards slightly as he released the rope and he caught you, exhaustion setting in as the adrenalin wore off. He turned around to Sam, who grabbed your hand and squeezed it before he left the room in search of his other sibling and their best friend. Gabriel knelt on the floor in front of you and pulled you into a hug.

“Don’t scare me like that again Winchester”

“Can’t make any promises, sorry, I’m just too kidnappable” you mumbled against his chest.

He laughed again, leaning you back against the chair, gently sitting you upright. He put his hand against your face, cupping your cheek tenderly and you looked up at him as his eyes glowed Arctic blue. You felt the warmth of his grace healing you and you relaxed into his touch. When he was done he pulled you back into another hug. Kissing the top of your head as he held you. You wrapped your arms around him and revelled in the safety he brought with him.

“Y/N!” Dean exclaimed and you let go of your angel. You stood up from the chair, feeling as if you could run a few marathons and ran to your brother, who wrapped his arms around you crushing you in his embrace. When he let go it was Sam’s turn, although he was more gentle than Dean. Then you turned to Castiel who looked at you curiously until you pulled him into a hug too. He patted your arm awkwardly before you retreated to Gabriel’s side.

“Let’s get you home”, Gabriel smiled at you, clicking his fingers and you were half a mile up the road from the bunker. “You know this is as close as I can get before I have to walk!” He exclaimed as you looked at him incredulously.

“You’re lucky you’re cute”, you say, starting to walk towards your home.

“You’re lucky she thinks you’re cute”, Dean grumbled and followed after you.

Gabriel hurried forwards and reached into his pocket, handing you one of your favourite candies. You look around at him, smiling and take his hand in yours after you’ve removed the candy from his grasp. You hum contentedly as you continue walking home.

[timetraveltasting]

MILK SOUP, THE DUTCH WAY (1747)

It has been a few weeks since I made a historical dish due to a busy schedule and a weekend trip tp London (where I picked up an interesting historical cookbook, 'Churchill's Cookbook', which I intend to use here if I run out of Tasting History recipes). To keep in the English mood, I decided to make my next Tasting History dish, Milk Soup, the Dutch Way. While it may have been inspired by the Dutch style of making Milk Soup at the time, it is, in fact, an 18th century English recipe from Hannah Glasse's 'The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy', published in 1747. This soup technically follows the rules of Dr. George Cheyne’s Georgian English fad diet of “Milk, Seeds, Bread, mealy Roots, and Fruit”. While it follows Dr. Cheyne’s rules, this soup less a healthy soup and more a dessert. I chose to make this recipe entirely because Max says it tastes exactly like the milk left over from Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal - a nostalgic breakfast treat from my childhood. Milk soup may sound a little strange, but it will hopefully be delicious. See Max’s video on how to make it here or see the ingredients and process at the end of this post, sourced from his website.

My experience making it:

I stuck fairly close to the recipe, other than the fact that I halved it. The only minor change I made is that instead of using whole milk, I used 1.5% milk, mainly because I bought the wrong one, mindlessly purchasing our default milk. For the sippets, I used French baguette, and for the butter, I used Kerrygold unsalted.

Milk Soup was a pretty quick dish to make, but did make a few dishes to clean. While the oven preheated, I fried the baguette slices in butter. I threw them in the oven, but they definitely took less than 30 minutes to dry out. As a result, mine were a little on the crispier side than Max's were. I heated the milk and attempted to dissolve the cinnamon and brown sugar into it with some constant stirring, but the cinnamon, like Max warned, did not quite want to combine all that well. It eventually did, but just a little. I added in two sippets, leaving the others on the side so I could try dipping them and 'croutoning' some of them into the soup when trying. I beat the egg yolk, then added half of the milk mixture to it, then poured it all back in the pot. It was super frothy at this point, so I simmered it a bit longer until the bubbles went down. I served up two portions, with a few sippets on the side, and was quite happy it looked similar to Max's Milk Soup!

My experience tasting it:

I first tried the soup by itself. To my delight, it did taste exactly like the milk left over from Cinnamon Toast Crunch! Then I tried a spoonful with some of the soup-soaked sippet: it was cinnamony, sweet, and a little buttery. A little soggy, but not terribly - similar to the last few bites of cereal before there is only milk left. Next, I dipped a crispy sippet into the soup and took a bite: this time, the sippet was almost too dry and crispy, it barely soaked up any of the soup flavour. Lastly, I broke up a sippet into crouton shapes and threw them into the Milk Soup. Taking a spoonful with these fresh, crispy bites of buttery toast was the winner for sure - probably the most literal interpretation of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. It blew my mind to think that this exact flavour and texture combination was a thing in the 18th century, long before Cinnamon Toast Crunch graced our kitchen cupboards! My husband and I both enjoyed the Milk Soup, but I would probably simplify the recipe if I was going to make it again. I think you would get the same flavour if you didn't add the beaten egg yolk. I also think that kids would really enjoy this recipe; it's a little interactive, sweet, and very close to modern flavours in desserts. If you end up making this dish, if you liked it, or if you changed anything from the original recipe, do let me know!

Milk Soup (The Dutch Way) original recipe (1747)

Sourced from The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse, 1747.

Boil a quart of milk with cinnamon and moist sugar; put sippets in the dish, pour the milk over it, and set it over a charcoal fire to simmer, till the bread is soft. Take the yolks of two eggs, beat them up, and mix it with a little of the milk, and throw it in; mix it all together, and send it up to table.

Modern Recipe

Based on The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse, c. 1747, and Max Miller’s version in his Tasting History video.

Ingredients:

Sippets

4 tablespoons butter

8-12 small pieces of bread, I used a baguette sliced 1/2” thick

Soup

1 quart, plus 3/4 cup (1.1 L) whole milk

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/3 cup (70 g) light brown sugar

2 egg yolks, beaten

Method:

For the sippets: Preheat the oven to 225°F (105°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, then add the bread slices. Cook for 1 minute on each side, or until nicely browned.

Place the bread on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until they are dry and crisp.

For the soup: When the sippets are almost done, pour the milk into a pot and whisk in the cinnamon and brown sugar.

Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then add the sippets. Simmer, stirring occasionally to make sure the milk doesn’t burn, until the sippets are soft.

Add about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then add it all back to the pot and stir for 10 to 15 seconds. Remove from the heat and serve it forth.

[borderline-off-fangame]

Yesterday was the anniversary of the development.. uuuuu. I missed it, but oh well...

There isnt much to add, other than the fact that i have not been working on the game as much, and when i do, its always revisions and adding new things, removing old things, the such.. basicly life in a shellnut. The game constantly goes through changes, whether it be in dialogue or assets, or story wise the such. May as well add in those changes.

The Guardians

The guardians have since been replaced with fresh blood as lore wise they have been defeated and these Inhabitants took over, except Pablo/Judge who is still alive and kicking.... Except he got quite fat over the years. Allow me to introduce them to you...

Ananiel is the Guardian of Zone 1, clad with the coat of the old Guardian Dedan and a pair of floating arms, she ensures that the Zone runs as smoothly as she possibly can. Design wise, her floating hands compensate the lack of arms and originally she was to have tree stumps for legs, but has changed for overworld sprite wise it would not translate so well.. and as an accessory she possesses Dedan's old and tattered coat which is... Too big for her, but she wears it with pride. Personality wise, while she shares similar traits to Dedan with her temperament and 'take shit from no one' mentality, she is kind at heart, however she shows that love to Max, whom she overly coddles to Hell and back.

Raphael is the Guardian of Zone 2, he wears a necklace made of Japhet's feathers, he slithers in the footsteps of the firebird by ensuring peace and solitude across the Zone. He was suppose to have wings, but the design done by @sothomy is quite gucci if you ask me!! Like Japoop, he has 2 forms, 1 being the small snake form, and the other, a big snake. Personality wise, Raphael is a soft-spoken serpent, who's also a wee bit anxious to say the least. He tries his best to ensure the denizen of his Zone are at peace, however shit ensues from thereon and Raph has to do everything in his power to get his status back from the impostor.

Jeguriel, the Guardian of Zone 3, the supposed 'Assistant Director', he possesses the semi-sentient head of Enoch himself. I'd say he looks more like a young Leshy with humanoid traits (given the arm and a bush for hair), and his face can open up to reveal a big mouf. Personality wise? Read up on his name it'll give you a hint... well.. the fact that he has someone's big ass head for a weapon should be an indicator to his personality obv!!

The assets

If you have followed along for the time being, and regarding my last post, I am working on remaking the assets from scretch... so if you notice a sudden drop in quality, that's why... I am trying my damnest, it's not great, but at least it's something... on the bright note, the cutscenes should look a little bit more crispier to say the least..

WHICH REMINDS ME!!

NEW RESIDENTS

Meet the Heipei, triangular faced creatures with branches growing out of their ears! They are very babey yes!! They are native to this world, and probably smell like spices...

Originally their loincloths were to had the vertical eye symbol, but that was removed because the placement would be a reminder of the female labia... I have words to say but people would get offended so I'll refrain from commenting.. Point of the matter is, Heipei are much more different than the Elsen, they are more friendly and outgoing than their counterparts. Elsen of course aren't native to this world but they have the same rights as the Heipei! Elsen in this world cannot burn, instead the Heipei 'burn' for them, i.e. a Heipei loses their natural form and begin morphing into tree-like abominations called Metamorphs. Originally the Elsen would turn into plant-like monsters, but since the addition of the Heipei, I decided to put them in the torture box!

The future

Don't ask me what the future holds, at this point I don't even know if I'll ever finish the game.. the game goes through constant development hell, and with me having a real life, I basicly work on the game from time to time, in small amounts... one day it might be released, if not as a full release then as an unfinished demo.. if I disappoint you with that revelation, I'm sorry... All I know now is that I'm taking the time to refurbish the assets, and just quietly working on the game.. thank you for following the development, even if I wasted almost 10 years on this shit... least I learned new things that could help me when I make a future game or smth..

sorry if there's not much contribution to the game development as of late... lots of rl shit happening..

[jolikmc-thoughts]

Oh, nooo… What have we done. I was talking with ChatGPT a bit, and we somehow came up with the most ridiculous super hero parody. In fact, we made two of them. These are basically Superhero League of Hoboken fan characters, since they're so insanely silly. Check it out. —

The Senbei Senshi

Backstory: Trained in the ancient and sacred art of cracker combat by a hidden order of health-conscious monks, the Senbei Senshi travels the world promoting balance, discipline, and healthy snacking. Born in a pristine rice paddy at the foot of Mount Fuji, he views anything made with wheat or processed grains as inferior. He has rejected modern snack culture in favor of pure, unadulterated senbei.

Powers:

Rice Cracker Shuriken: Throws razor-sharp senbei that can slice through steel… or so he claims.

Gluten-Free Gale: Creates a whirlwind of health-conscious crackers to overwhelm his enemies, forcing them into submission with guilt over their poor snack choices.

Organic Smokescreen: Disappears into a puff of flourless rice powder when cornered, leaving behind a faint smell of soy sauce and a lecture on clean eating.

Fennel Finish: His ultimate move, where he hurls extra-thick taralli-like crackers at high velocity, boasting about their “subtle, refined flavors.”

Personality: The Senbei Senshi is the epitome of smug, constantly reminding everyone of the virtues of his rice crackers and why they’re nutritionally superior. He believes he’s a beacon of righteousness, showing the world the “correct” way to snack. His superiority complex is so massive that he refuses to even acknowledge the existence of other snacks, considering them unworthy. He speaks in dramatic, hushed tones, as though every cracker he tosses carries the weight of a centuries-old legacy.

Commentary: Picture a stoic, noble warrior dedicated to the way of the rice cracker. He believes his gluten-free, artisanal rice-based projectiles are far superior to anything his opponents could possibly muster. His fighting style is flawless, of course, and his moves are always accompanied by a smug speech about the purity of his rice crackers and the health benefits they bring.

This guy is just dying for a comic series or a cameo in a game like The Superhero League of Hoboken. He could be a perfect fit as a guest character who tries way too hard to impress the main team, only to be constantly mocked for his self-righteous attitude. —

Le Baguette Bruiser

Backstory: Le Baguette Bruiser — real name Jean-Pierre Croûte — was born in a small French village, raised on the finest bread in the world. From a young age, he trained in the art of baking, mastering the perfect crust, the soft interior, and the unmistakable crack of a freshly baked baguette. But Jean-Pierre found his true calling when he realized that bread wasn’t just for eating—it could also be a weapon of great power. Now, he travels the world, defending the honor of bread, especially the crusty French variety, using his baguettes to fight injustice (and unhealthy snacks).

Powers:

Baguette Baton: Wields a super-hardened baguette that can break through anything from shields to bad attitudes. The crispier the crust, the deadlier the blow.

Pain d’Éclair (Bread Lightning): Throws his baguettes with lightning speed, each hit delivering a crispy shock that knocks enemies off balance.

Bread Barrage: Summons an endless stream of freshly baked baguettes from his legendary bread oven, launching them in rapid succession like a bread-based machine gun.

Crusty Counter: When struck, he hardens his baguette to absorb the impact, then retaliates with an even crispier strike.

Personality: Le Baguette Bruiser is the definition of a proud French artisan. He believes that bread is life itself, and no meal is complete without a perfectly baked baguette. His pride in French cuisine knows no bounds, and he is constantly lamenting the rise of what he calls “inferior” bread substitutes, like crackers or flatbreads. He has a bit of a snobbish streak, but his heart is in the right place. He respects other culinary cultures, but only as long as they acknowledge the supremacy of bread.

Jean-Pierre, despite his deep love for all things French and his borderline fanaticism for le pain, has always found croissants to be too soft, too buttery, and too flaky for his tastes. In his mind, the true essence of French bread is its crust, and the baguette embodies that perfectly. He respects the craftsmanship that goes into making croissants, but to him, they’re just “fancy breakfast fluff” compared to the hard-earned, battle-ready crust of a freshly baked baguette.

Commentary: He has a friendly rivalry with the Senbei Senshi, constantly challenging him to see which is superior: rice-based snacks or grain-based bread. The two often clash in the kitchen and on the battlefield, each believing their culinary creation holds the key to ultimate satisfaction.

This matchup would be legendary. Imagine the Senbei Senshi and Le Baguette Bruiser engaging in a duel of snacks, with bread flying one way and rice crackers the other, all while passionately lecturing about their superiority in their respective crafts. The humor would be top-tier, especially if they grudgingly team up against a common enemy—perhaps someone like The Crouton Crusher, who desecrates both rice and bread by turning them into… salads!

[gildedpanic]

Now that I have my own kitchen, I've been cooking more. I made donuts (and various other foodstuffs)!

More of this week's recipes below the cut :-)

~~Donuts~~

Dough (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️): https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/no-yeast-homemade-donuts/#wprm-recipe-container-18314

Glaze (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️): 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 tbsp water. For the chocolate I added some unsweetened cocoa powder.

Notes: I used Bobs Red Mill Egg Replacer, storebrand vegan butter, and water instead of the buttermilk because I accidentally left my milk out and had to throw it away. I made my own powdered sugar by combining granulated sugar and cornstarch in a blender.

~~Bread~~

Recipe (⭐️⭐️⭐️): https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/no-yeast-bread/

Notes: I've been using this recipe for years. It's super simple and easy if you just want something quick. I've found it to be better for more savory recipes if you add in some Italian seasoning to the dry ingredients and brush it with olive oil so the crust is a little crispier. Although, my sister loves the recipe as is and often eats it with just jam/butter.

~~Chickpea Concoction~~

Main(⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hgCPzx1u478

Flatbread (⭐️⭐️⭐️): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RYvU-25g-Ow

Notes: I didn't have a chili or red pepper, but I added a bunch of spinach for the extra iron. I also forgot to buy turmeric last week so I had to do without that. It was obviously pretty bland at first, so I just kept adding spices/seasoning until it tasted right. This recipe came out really good, but I honestly couldn't tell you how to replicate it yourself. The base is a good start, so just follow your cooking instincts and believe in yourself? The flatbread was nothing special; used a tiny bit of maple syrup in place of the honey and it came out fine. (PS. There's rice beneath the chickpeas) (PPS. Save the aquafaba! You can do a bunch with it, including making homemade mayonnaise)

~~Seitan~~

Recipe (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxNaThLDrsk&t=204s

Notes: Second time making this recipe. I didn't have sage but I added a tiny bit of Italian seasoning. Used sriracha instead of the sweet chili sauce and left out the garlic because I ran out. I think I accidentally added too much oil to the pan, so watch out for that. ALSO: Make super duper sure you are not cooking this too fast. I didn't add the sauce while it was in the pan because, again, way too much oil. I should honestly give this recipe 5 stars for how easy this seitan was compared to literally every other recipe. Would go well with some broccoli.

~~Bannocks~~

Recipe (⭐️⭐️⭐️):https://www.scotchandscones.com/scottish-bannocks/

Notes: Really good use of oats if you're someone (like me) who hates the texture of oatmeal. Only blended the oats 3/4 of the way so there were still some full bits. Added ~0.5 scoop of vanilla protein powder and used vegan butter. The chocolate topping is just peanut butter mixed with a bit of cocoa powder. I baked it for a little longer than the recipe said to. Pretty good, but next time I would probably add some more stuff like cinnamon/maple syrup/apples/etc. Also you could definitely add some vital wheat gluten in there if you are looking to get better macros as the baking powder should get rid of any strange taste.

~~Microwave Red Beans and Rice~~

Recipe (⭐️⭐️⭐️): Rice, canned red beans, canned diced tomatoes, and a buttload of cajun seasoning.

Notes: When my mom went away to college she complained about missing my grandma's red beans and rice, so my grandpa bought her a dozen cans of kidney beans to eat raw out of the can. This is a half-step up from that. It takes like three minutes. It’s just some cooked rice out of the fridge, add ~1/4 can tomatoes + ~1/2 can beans, microwave for 1.5 minutes, and dump in the seasoning.

~~Crab Sushi~~

Recipe(⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XiN-QyUWt8c

Notes: Okay, I know it looks gross. But! This crab salad is very very good. I've made it 3 times now (or 4? When I made it the second time my mom ended up eating all the crab salad before I could roll it up and I had to make a whole new batch). My sisters like it even though they hate sushi. My dad likes it even though he dislikes veganism. When I made it this week I didn't even have any cucumber or avocado but it still tasted /okay/. I would recommend julienning some carrots if you have any extra, but that's just because I like my maki to have some crunch. Also, if you make a lot of sushi please make your life easier and pick up some Mizkan Sushi Seasoning.

~~"Arepas"~~

Recipe: 2 parts corn meal/flour, 1 part AP flour, some salt and oil/butter. Pour in warm water until it forms a dough, then fill with some beans and mozzarella and fry.

Notes: Please no one get mad at me for calling them arepas. Good with avocado if you have it.

~~Macaroni and Seitan Nougats~~

Macaroni(⭐️⭐️⭐️): https://theeburgerdude.com/vegan-instant-mac-cheese/#recipe

Seitan(⭐️): https://www.sixvegansisters.com/2018/08/24/seitan-fried-chicken/

Notes: The mac was super easy, and TheeBurgerDude has never led me astray so I suspect the recipe would be at least four stars if I wasn't missing literally half the ingredients. I didn't have mushroom seasoning, lactic acid, or msg, but I added some extra salt and nooch yeast. I also still didn't have milk so I mixed flour and cornstarch with water and used that for both the mac and nougats, along with some extra butter. The seitan was pretty gross, but I think that was mostly my fault. From what I can tell, I may not have kneaded the dough for long enough, my chicken broth:water ratio was off, I simmered the seitan at too high of a heat, and I fried it too quickly. Glad I only made a half batch. Maybe would have tasted better with a thick layer of breadcrumbs?

~~Seitan Nougats 2: Electric Boogaloo~~

Recipe(⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️): https://www.stephsunshine.com/vegan-life/crispy-fried-tofu/

Notes: I've used this recipe a ton and it works well with regular and lentil burmese tofu. I usually add some extra spices to it, but this time I only added some paprika to get it kinda similar to what the original seitan recipe called for. I used the leftover seitan dough from the previous recipe (boiled, but not yet fried) and pressed the pieces into very flat discs because the seitan puffs up while frying. It came out much better, maybe 3.5 stars. Did not pair well with the macaroni though. The end result oddly reminded me more of tempura than anything else, so it might work well with that sorta stuff? If you were making it from scratch, I would replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. Relatively cheap and filling, though (this photo is ~$1.87, 823 kal, 46g protein, 115g carbs, 31g fat. Two servings of mac + One serving seitan)!

[crackinglamb]

👀 i gotta hear about your homemade pizza

It began as the basic Betty Crocker recipe for dough because I wanted pizza and was too broke to order it. And then I started to play with the proportions. And then I got pretty good at that. So I've spent the last 20+ years doing it. Now we rarely order out for delivery if I've got the ingredients to just make it. It has become a party favorite, a special gift, a treat, a comfort food.

I've made all kinds. This most basic recipe, whole wheat, mixed rye. I've made it super thin so it comes out really crunchy, or thick enough to hold a bazillion toppings. I've made the dough with whey leftover from cheesemaking instead of water. I have dedicated sheet pans specifically for making it. In three sizes. It's a bit of a labor of love for me these days, since it takes a fair amount of energy and I'm short on that a lot. But from what everyone who's had it tells me, it's worth every moment of pain.

A visual for you:

And because I am generous, recipe and instructions under the cut.

This is for the basic dough. It doubles very well, but tripling it leads to some necessary tweaking. And unfortunately, I can't tell you what that tweaking will be because it's case specific (usually the flour to water ratio, which will be totally dependent on your current humidity). In general, I consider that this recipe never comes out quite the same way twice. If you want something smaller, water to flour ratio is essentially 1:2. In the case of halving it, the same amount of yeast won't be too much, but cut back on the oil and salt. It also freezes well, if you're careful about thawing it so it has room to rise. It gets an interesting texture when it's been frozen. Crispier, but also more airy.

1.5 cups hot water (~110-115 F, ~45 C) 2.25 teaspoons yeast (or 1 packet) 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (the EV part isn't necessary, but adds nice flavor) 1/2 teaspoon salt ~3 cups flour (unbleached all-purpose is best)

Prep time: ~ten minutes. Rising: at least 20 minutes. Baking: 20-25 minutes (dependent on toppings, more wet stuff means longer cook time).

Bloom the yeast in the water, about five minutes. Add first cup of flour, oil and salt. Mix until there are no lumps (I use a plain old dinner fork with a sturdy handle). Add second cup of flour and mix. You should now have a loose, shaggy mess, not quite strong enough to hold itself together. Third cup should go into the mix in stages, because you may not need all of it. Or you may need more. You should have a soft mass of dough that's a little too much for a fork to mix it. It should be moderately sticky. If it's gooey, more flour. If it's not sticky...well, it won't be as elastic but it's not the end of the world. Don't add any more.

🌟This part is very important🌟. Pizza dough is delicate. This is the kneading part, but you want to be gentle. I do it right in the mixing bowl (remember that bowl must be big enough to account for rising). I only scoop and press for about a minute, or until all the flour is thoroughly mixed in and there are few to no lumps. It shouldn't be sticking to you anymore. If it is, more flour. A dusting at a time. Knead it again. Done? Form a ball in the bottom of the bowl.

Dust the dough with a little extra flour, cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise. This is an excellent time to get your oven pre-heating. For this style of pizza that will be 425 F (218 C), no convection. Don't worry if the oven is ready before the dough is, a fully pre-heated oven will hold its temp better anyhow, and most ovens will say they're ready before they actually are.

When the dough has doubled, or your oven is ready, whichever is last, punch it down, separate into two balls. This dough will make two 10x18 sheets. Coat the sheet pan (and your hands) lightly with olive oil, spread the dough out slowly and carefully so it doesn't tear. It will spring back on you. Get it most of the way there, go prep your toppings (or wait about five minutes), come back and finish it. Make sure it's even and pressed into the corners. Remember, delicate!

Top as you please. My usual is tomato, garlic and onion sauce spread with the back of a wooden spoon. I like part skim, low moisture mozzarella*. And then whatever you want. Favorites in this house are just plain with pepperoni, or pepperoni, bacon and onion. Bake on the lowest rack setting. I do mine for ten minutes, turn the sheet around 180 degrees, then another ten minutes. Cheese should be toasted lightly, edges of the crust should be crispy. It won't get that dark. 🌟In an electric oven, it might take less than 20 minutes! So keep an eye on it.🌟

*I've never made it vegan, so I don't know how that changes times and temps.

When it's done, sprinkle it with grated parmesan or romano if you'd like, but let it rest for a few minutes so it's not molten. Slice and enjoy!

Reheats beautifully in a toaster oven, I don't recommend microwaving it. Eaten cold is always acceptable.

Thanks for the ask. 💕 Have fun with it! And you may never want to order pizza again.