#macaroni and cheese candy canes

[antvnger]

They used what? And they confirmed that it is in fact GROSS? I am validated?!

That is one crazy way to win $25,000 - with gritty ice cream with some disgusting candy canes.

*chuckles and shakes my head* I can't get over that honestly, @sobeautifullyobsessed Thank you for sharing with me.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: On Colour

Describing Colour in your Poetry and Stories

BLACK Shadow Black, Dusk, Midnight, Blackbird, Blackberry, Ebony, Black Honey, Darkness, Jet Black, Ink Black, Soot, Onyx, Licorice, Ivory Black, Pitch, Char, Gloom, Outer Space, Creosote Black, Melanite, Goth Black, Gunpowder

BLUE Blueberry, Sapphire Blue Metallic, Tiffany Blue (Pantone 1837), Cobalt Blue, Denim, Aquamarine, Turquoise, Sky Blue, Topaz, Ultramarine Blue, Azure, Cerulean, Oxford Blue, Periwinkle, Electric Blue, Baby Boy Blue, Pthalo Blue, Robin's Egg Blue, Persian Blue, Marino Blue, Prussian Blue

GREEN Leafy Green, Olive, Moss Green, Jade, Lime, Sour Apple Green, Emerald Green, Mint, Kiwi Green, Phthalo Green, Praying Mantis Green, Viridian, Greenback, Shamrock, Sap Green, Chartreuse, Sea Green, Pistachio, Teal, Bamboo, Sea Salt, Celadon Green, Celery, Asparagus Green, Fern Green, Neon Green, Jungle Green, Pear Green

ORANGE Pumpkin, Burnt Orange, Carrot, Sunset Orange, Tangerine, Persimmon, Salamander, Tennessee Orange (Pantone 151), Jack-o'-lantern Orange, Florida Orange, Summer Squash, Pale Daffodil, Smashed Pumpkin, Saffron, Autumn Orange, Macaroni and Cheese, Cadmium Orange

PINK Pink Flamingo, Neon Pink, Bubblegum Pink, Salmon, Peach, Fuscia, Cotton Candy Pink, Rose, Carnation, Thulian, Apricot, Atomic Pink, Barbie Pink, Hot Pink, Amaranth, Flushed, Glitter Pink

PURPLE Lavender, Purple Haze, Grape, Eggplant Purple, Plum, Violet, Orchid, Psychedelic Purple, Amethyst, Lilac, Boysenberry, Mulberry, Wisteria, Bruised Plum, Indigo, Mauve

RED Blood Red, Copper, Maroon, Strawberry, Watermelon Red, Crimson, Candy Apple Red, Tomato, Brick Red, Scarlet, Cardinal Red, Cherry, Ruby Red, Coral, Sunburn, Hot Lava, Cadmium Red, Auburn, Blush, Alizarin Crimson, Fire Engine Red, Raspberry, Vermillion, Lipstick, Burgundy, Magenta, English Vermilion, Mahogany

WHITE Dirty White, Albino, Chalk, Alabaster, Cotton, Titanium White, Vanilla, Bone White Egg Shell, Marshmallow, Ivory, Pearl White, Almond, Champagne, Blond, Cream, Milky White, Corn Silk, Bleach, Navajo White, Ghost White, Light, Cloud White

YELLOW Canary Yellow, Lemon, Banana, Egg Yolk Yellow, Mellow Yellow, Chanterelle, Mustard Yellow, Corn, Goldenrod, Amber, Pineapple, Metallic Gold, Cadmium Yellow, Wheat, Tuscan Sun, Butter, School Bus Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Citron, Dandelion

BROWN Mud Brown, Beaver, Caramel, Rust, Macaroon, Toasty Brown, Coffee, Sandy Tan, Cocoa, Honey, Chocolate, Burnt Sienna, Mocha, Seashell, Antique Brass, Bronze, Brown Sugar, Chestnut Brown, Taupe, Burnt Umber, Khaki, Dark Sienna, Light Chocolate, Sepia

GRAY Stone Gray, Ash, Metallic Silver, Platinum, Smoke, Concrete Gray, Mercury, Steel Gray, Mist, Titanium, Charcoal, Slate, Sterling Silver, Tungsten, Old Coin Gray, Iron Gray, Chrome, Magnesium, Overcast

MIXED Candy Cane (red and white), Zebra (black and white), Chameleon (many different colours), Ladybug (black and red), Wildfire (yellow, orange and red), Tiger (orange, black and white), Yellow Jacket (black and yellow), Christmas Lights (red, white and green), Rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet), Black Pepper (black and gray), Leopard (spotted gold and black), Creamsicle (orange and white), Candy Corn (orange and white), Iceberg (a bluish gray), Marbled

COLOURS: Symbolisms, Associations & Psychological Effects

Black. Especially in Gothic literature from the West, a black colour choice often represents death, evil, grief, and depression. Associated with fear, the unknown and often has a negative connotation. Black clothes can make you look thinner. A black background severely diminishes the readability of most type. Often the go to colour for funerals and grieving. It symbolizes stability and power, which gives a sense of authority. Thus, the black colour often represents professionalism and expertise.

Blue. Has positive and negative connotations in colour psychology. Some writers may use blue to represent serenity and tranquility, instilling a scene with a calming effect. Blue can also signify sadness, melancholy, or isolation. People who find someone very loyal and faithful are often called "true blue". Blue is often considered to be more masculine which is why it is often the colour of choice when choosing a suit. Lighter blues are associated with tranquility, softness and healing. Darker blues are associated with power, knowledge and seriousness. Blue is actually shown to suppress appetites a bit. The colour blue symbolizes wisdom and hope. It’s the colour of peace and confidence. Blue has been shown to reduce blood pressure and pulse rate. It fosters serenity and a sense of belonging.

Green. The colour green often symbolizes rebirth, growth, peace, jealousy, and greed. Green colours may also represent spring and renewal. It is a colour that is very easy on the eyes. Dark green is often associated with ambition. Green suggests stability, safety and hope. At the same time, it may denote a lack of experience in a particular field. Green symbolizes peace, growth, and nature. It is the colour of success, promoting healing and tranquility.

Orange. The colour orange often represents energy, excitement, joy, and creativity. Since orange is the colour of fire, it may also symbolize heat. Since orange is not as aggressive as red, it can actually stimulate brain activity. It is very useful to catch someone's attention, which is why it's used a lot to advertise food and toys.

Pink. The colour pink symbolizes love, kindness, femininity, innocence, and playfulness. Certain shades of pink can limit aggression. Pink may be associated with unconditional love and caring.

Purple. Often associated with royalty, the colour purple symbolizes bravery, spirituality, and luxury. Light purple usually brings up romantic or nostalgic feelings; while a darker shade can make you feel gloomy or sad.

Red. The colour red symbolizes some of the most powerful human emotions, like passionate love or lust. On the other side of the spectrum, this warm colour is also the colour of blood, often symbolizing anger, danger, and violence. It stimulates the appetite. Red is an emotionally intense colour associated with energy, danger, anger, passion and determination. The symbolic meaning associated with the colour red is passion, excitement, and love. It’s the colour of urgency, power, and desire. Red is said to boost hunger and is believed to inspire confidence and excitement. This colour has also been found to increase blood pressure and heart rate.

White. This primary colour traditionally symbolizes innocence, peace, and cleanliness. In Western cultures, the colour white also represents purity and virginity, while it symbolizes mourning in some East Asian cultures. Usually has positive connotations when used and thought of as safe. Associated a lot with healing, simplicity and sterility, which is why it's used in hospitals and healing centers as much as it is. The symbolic meaning of the colour white is truth and sometimes even indifference. It encourages feelings of safety and cleanliness. Clean, white clothes and linens show sterility since stains are easily visible. That’s why doctors and nurses frequently wear white lab coats and scrubs.

Yellow. Writers may use the colour yellow to symbolize creativity, happiness, optimism, and warmth—think of a yellow ray of sunlight poking out from a dark cloud. A common negative connotation of the color yellow is cowardice, popularized by the phrase “yellow-bellied.” Warming effect which stimulates body and mind. Gold is associated with the highest of luxury. When bright yellow is used with black it's one of the easiest colour combinations to see from long distances; when uses with lighter colours it's not so easy to see. Yellow ribbons are worn as a symbol of hope and used quite often to welcome home loved ones. Yellow is the colour of warmth, kindness, and happiness. It’s often associated with optimism and well-being and promotes energy.

Brown. This warm, earthy brown colour may symbolize dependability, comfort, and a sense of being grounded. Brown is also a neutral colour, and writers may use it to represent dullness and predictability. Brown is a colour that is related to very grounded traits such as simplicity, practicality, common sense and hard work. Can also be associated with those that are frugal and not too flashy.

Gray. Lighter grays are often thought of as more feminine while darker grays more masculine. Gray is considered by many to be a neutral colour; the perfect balance between light and dark / good and evil. Pop up the lighter grays and add a little shine to it, and thought immediately turns to silver, which correlates to wealth.

Sources & other related articles: 1 2 3 4 5

If these writing notes helped with your poem/story, please tag me. Or leave a link in the replies. I'd love to read them!

[creatinghealthandwellnessnow]

Answer: The candy cane. (From "Christmas & Holiday Trivia: Volume 1 & Volume 2") A choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral, in Germany, is believed to have created sugar sticks to quiet noisy children during services. Around the 1900’s, the large red stripe, was added to symbolize Christ's blood shed on the cross. With the shape of a shepherd's hook, candy canes became a popular Christmas tree decoration. Did the originals have natural peppermint oil & unsultried ingredients, without artificial sweeteners, dyes, synthetic fillers or chemicals? If so, what a treat, with natural peppermint calming stomach muscles, &the body enjoying improved bile flow &fat digestion! Today, tiny candy canes have 3.4 grams of sugar & with refined carbs, &sugars, including fructose, they take forever to consume, & are bad for teeth, coating them with sticky sugar &dye for long periods. Even though candy canes come in many flavors, including ketchup, sardine, macaroni & cheese & shiitake mushroom, they are still processed and mostly unnatural. An organic box of candy canes lists organic cane sugar, organic brown rice syrup, natural peppermint flavor, & organic fruit &vegetable concentrate from radish, apples, & blackcurrants for coloring. A regular box has sugar, corn syrup, 'natural flavor' & color added (including Red 40). A synthetic food dye made from petroleum, this artificial food coloring, although FDA approved, has been found to cause increased hyperactivity in children & according to research, may cause other neurobehavioral effects. Also, candy canes have been found to contain titanium dioxide, a white colorant giving them a smooth texture, vibrancy & appeal. This food chemical has been linked to DNA damage & was deemed unsafe for human consumption by European food safety regulators. An Australian organization, "The Root Cause," standing for children's health, discovered candy canes color came from either berries or insect bugs! Skins of fruits & berries are extracted for color, or cochineal is made by extracting color from insect eggs or the bug itself! So if health conscious, this holiday sweet may be best consumed as a colorful decoration, rather than dessert! 💚 Julie https://www.instagram.com/p/CmmFTmYuY6i/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[aveganeverywhere]

Candy cane beets roasted. Sauteed jackfruit with cumin :-) and macaroni and cheese

[keewriting]

Cove x MC - One Shot #3 (request)

[Read on google docs to insert your MC's name]

SPOILER WARNING: Don't read if you haven't finished Step 3!

Your insides bubbled with excitement as the car neared the cabin nestled deeply in the forest. The fresh blanket of snow was nearly blinding in the bright morning sun. You looked over to your driver, Cove, who wore a focused scowl.

Cove: We made it. I can’t believe we made it.

Y/N: Isn’t it gorgeous? There is so much SNOW.

Cove smiled at you with apprehension. This trip was a special one for many reasons. You were both freshly 19, so it was your first holiday together as independent adults. On that note, it was also your first holiday away from your families. You felt more down about that than Cove did. His main gripe was the snow, and it was unmistakable in his expression. Cove parked the car in the designated snowless space. You both stepped out, Cove with a little less enthusiasm than you did.

Cove: Snow, snow, and more snow.

The cabin was glowing and decked out in beautiful Christmas decorations. An intermingling of garland and lights hung across the roof. More garland and Christmas baubles framed the frosted windows. Oversized candy canes lined the pathway up to the porch. The wreath on the front door was massive. It hung proudly with a cute snowman proclaiming “Let it Snow!”

Cove: The owners didn’t hold back out here. It’s impressive.

Mesmerized, you could only nod. The online advertisement described the cabin as a pre-decorated Christmas escape. The images you showed Cove online were spectacular, but they did not do justice to the real thing.

Not wanting to stand outside any longer, Cove moved to the trunk and began unloading the luggage. Cove first extracted a suitcase that he claimed was not filled entirely with gifts for you. Your gift for Cove lived safely in your own suitcase, already wrapped and ready to go. He then removed both of your clothing-packed suitcases. You were proud of your ability to convince Cove to bring winter-appropriate clothing to this trip.

You helped Cove drag the luggage to the front door. The host messaged you the entrance code before your arrival. You punched it into the keypad which stood in place of a normal keyhole. 1-2-2-5. Clever.

You paused for dramatic effect, then slowly opened the door to reveal the inside. It looked like a Christmas bomb went off, in the best way possible. You squealed and bounded inside first, leaving Cove to the luggage.

The cabin was small and cozy. The kitchen and living area were open to each other. There was no bedroom, only a pull-out couch that sat comfortably in front of a fireplace. The only other doors in the cabin were for the bathroom and a storage closet.

The Christmas tree drew in your eyes first. You stepped closer to inspect it and inhale the sweet evergreen scent. The tree skirt was wide and inviting to colorful wrapped boxes. Cranberry and popcorn strands wrapped the tree from bottom to top. An assortment of ornaments littered the branches. You peered into one of the big red baubles and smiled at your distorted reflection. Finally, you tilted your head upwards to take in the tree topper— a stunning golden star.

You spun around excitedly to appreciate the rest of the decorations. There wasn’t a corner or window without winter greenery. Festive cushions sat on either side of the couch. Stockings hung by the chimney with care. A miniature village of joyful folk lived on a console table by the entrance. You turned to face Cove, who had just finished lugging everything inside by himself. He shut the door and smiled at you, happy that you were already having a magical time.

Y/N: I’m sorry, Cove. I got a little carried away with—

You halted your own sentence. Your gaze drew upward to the ceiling above Cove. A mistletoe hung delicately in the doorway. Cove followed your sight, twisting his head for a better view. You strode towards him before he could speak. You stared at him intently and wiggled one of your eyebrows. He met your gaze again, already blushing intensely.

Cove: It’s one of those...

His sentence trailed off as you stepped even closer and hushed him.

Y/N: Just kiss me, you big, beautiful dumbass.

Cove gulped hard. He gently took your face in his cold hands. You hoped the heat from your blushing face would warm them. He bent towards you as you stood on your toes to meet the kiss. Your lips danced together sweetly. You parted after a moment and stared into each other's eyes. Cove’s ocean blue eyes glistened and crinkled with the wide smile that spread across his face. You dove into a hug, wrapping your arms around his tall frame. He returned the hug enthusiastically.

Cove: Let’s get everything unpacked and unwind. I need to get that fireplace lit as soon as possible.

You agreed and helped Cove locate a suitable location for the luggage. He paused with his gift-laden suitcase in hand. Face lost in thought, Cove's grip tightened on the suitcase.

Y/N: Everything okay, Cove?

Cove: Today is Christmas Eve.

Y/N: That it is.

Cove: Presents go under the tree on Christmas Eve.

You chuckled at his observations, but allowed him to continue speaking. He brushed it off casually.

Cove: I want this to be special, Y/N. If I put the gifts under the tree now you’ll see them and start wondering what’s inside.

The concern in his tone was apparent. It was just like Cove to worry so deeply about something most people wouldn’t think about. You pondered for a moment.

Y/N: Wait for me to fall asleep tonight, then sneak them under the tree like the real Santa Claus.

Cove laughed at the implication of a “real” Santa Claus. You were glad to see his mood lighten. He hesitated, then set the suitcase behind the others, careful to conceal it. Perhaps in an attempt to block you from using your x-ray vision to see through the luggage. You thought it was ridiculous, but in the sweetest way. Satisfied with the arrangement, Cove slapped his hands against his legs.

Cove: Well, now what? What Christmas activities does Y/N have planned today?

Y/N: Let me just pull out my Christmas to-do list.

You spoke sarcastically with a twinkle in your eyes. Cove rolled his eyes lightheartedly and wandered to the fireplace. While he fiddled with it you sank heavily into the couch. With an enthused “Aha!” from Cove, the fireplace roared to life. It crackled pleasantly.

Cove turned around to smile at you sweetly. He patted the ground next to him. You got up and settled in next to Cove. He wrapped his arm around you and drew you in closer. You immediately appreciated the warmth from both Cove and the fireplace. You leaned on his shoulder.

You spent the rest of the morning watching Christmas movies and munching on candy canes. For lunch, you and Cove made macaroni and cheese. You both welcomed the gooey warmth of the meal.

Imbued with energy from lunch, you leapt from your seat and proclaimed.

Y/N: We have to go outside and enjoy the snow before the sun goes down.

Cove made a sour face and spoke quietly without looking up from his now empty bowl.

Cove: Enjoy, yeah…

You sighed and clenched your jaw, restraining yourself. You knew Cove would be difficult regarding the snow, but hoped the special occasion would nudge him along.

Y/N: Fine. I’ll go outside myself.

Cove’s head immediately snapped up and he stared at you with wide, pleading eyes. He didn’t expect you to so easily give up on convincing him. You maintained an unimpressed expression while he spoke.

Cove: No, Y/N. I’ll come with you. You know I love spending time with you no matter what.

Your expression cracked with a hint of a smile, but you regained control.

Y/N: You’re going to hate it. Don’t bother.

You weren’t sure why you were being so stubborn with this. Cove was willing to compromise, but you still felt annoyed that his initial reaction put a damper on your mood. You shut your eyes tightly, now irritated by your own childishness.

Cove stood up and firmly gripped your shoulders. He waited for you to look at him. You met his gaze and stuck out your bottom lip in a small pout.

Cove: Let’s go build a snowman. It’ll be like building a sandcastle.

You sighed, but couldn’t resist his comforting voice and adoring eyes.

Y/N: I’m going to have to bundle you in layers. Gloves, a hat, maybe even a scarf.

Cove cringed at each word that escaped your lips. He nodded anyway. You both put on more winter gear in preparation for the snow activities. You held open the door for Cove, who hesitantly stepped outside.

Cove: This is way worse than the ice skating rink.

Y/N: You don’t say?

You loved teasing Cove for his blunt and often obvious statements, but he knew you adored him for it. He scoffed and stuck his tongue out at you.

Y/N: Careful with that, might get stuck on a pole.

Cove retreated his tongue and blushed lightly. You gently poked his tummy then grabbed his hand to lead him into the snow. You chose a wide open space away from the cabin for your snowman’s home. You started shoveling snow into a pile. Cove stood reluctantly nearby. You didn’t want to push him, but hoped he would join in the building.

To your surprise, it was only a moment before Cove dug his gloved hands into the snow. He smiled at you shakily while adding to your growing pile of snow. You went back and forth between adding snow and rounding the pile into a snowman base. Cove’s big hands proved useful in this endeavor. With the base done, you moved onto the head.

Y/N: We have to make the head smaller than the body.

Cove: How small? Do you want to give him a shrunken head?

You cackled at the thought, but shook your head.

Y/N: I think he deserves a normal sized head.

Between the two of you, the snowman’s head slowly grew. You stepped back to assess the size.

Y/N: I think that’s perfect. What do you think, Cove?

Cove stepped back as well and tilted his head. He spoke matter-of-factly.

Cove: Looks like a snowman.

Y/N: Not yet, he needs a face and arms.

You scoured the ground around you for twigs, leaves, and rocks. Cove did the same.

Cove: If only we had seashells. That would bring it all together.

With your findings combined, you got to work on designing the snowman. His face came together in a wide smile made of various pebbles. Leaves stuck to the top of his head represented the hair. Two sticks on either side of his body became the arms. Cove found several small pinecones to pin on his front like an array of buttons. Finally, the nose. You didn’t have a carrot on hand, so you opted for another one of Cove’s pointier pinecones.

Once again, you stepped back with Cove to admire your work. You wrapped your arm around him in a side hug, he returned the gesture with an arm around your shoulder.

Y/N: He’s beautiful.

You pretended to dramatically wipe a tear from your eye.

Cove: We should name him.

You agreed, and began to ponder names that would fit the snowman. After much deliberation, you settled on Sandy, as a memento of the inspiration for his existence.

Y/N: Sandy the Snowman, it really is perfect.

Cove: Next time we’re at the beach we should build a sandman and name him Snowy.

Cove waggled his eyebrows at you, hoping for a reaction to his hilarious joke. You couldn’t contain the grin that emerged from within. You were suddenly overcome by a wave of affection for Cove. His dorky jokes, the way he looked at you, his willingness to put his own comfort aside for your sake. You wanted nothing more than to push him down into the snow and ravage him. Knowing better, you instead decided to grab his hand again and lead him back indoors.

Cove followed with a small gasp at your sudden insistence. Once inside, you leaned Cove against the door and pressed your lips into his. You were desperate for his warmth. He returned the kiss passionately, running his fingers through your hair. You broke away from Cove, satisfied with your second mistle-toe kiss. Cove stood bewildered, disappointed by losing the warmth of your lips. You winked at him, never tiring of teasing your flustered fiancé.

You spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying each other’s company. You played board games, sang Christmas songs, and drank hot chocolate. As the evening emerged, a light snowfall began outside. You gazed out the window, hypnotized by the dancing snowflakes. Your eyes began to droop, and you felt the weight of the day pulling you down. You yawned and turned to Cove, who was already turning the couch into a bed. He must have sensed your weariness.

Cove threw some blankets and pillows into the bed and you dove right into the inviting warmth. He joined you and extended his arm to make his chest available to your sleepy head. You nuzzled in and closed your eyes, ready to drift away…

You stirred awake at the feeling of the mattress shifting. Your eyes fluttered open and tried to adjust to the darkness. Cove was climbing back into bed. It was completely dark outside, you judged it must have been a few hours after you fell asleep. Still half asleep, you muttered quietly to Cove.

Y/N: Santa, baby…

You couldn’t see his expression through the darkness, instead you heard a small chuckle. You held your arms out limply, hoping for a Cove cuddle. He took you in his arms and kissed the top of your head. You continued feebly, in a sleepy sing-song voice.

Y/N: So hurry down the chimney tonight…

Cove chuckled again and stroked your cheek gently.

Cove: I love you so much.

That was the last thing you heard before falling back into a deep slumber. Several hours later, the morning sun woke you. Cove was sleeping peacefully next to you, likely exhausted from playing Santa Claus last night. You turned over and rested your body on his chest. You peppered his face in tiny kisses until he awoke. His eyes eased open, a smile already growing across his face.

Y/N: Merry Christmas, Cove.

Cove: Merry Christmas, Y/N.

Unable to contain your excitement, you leapt out of bed, leaving Cove to fully wake himself up. You ran to your suitcase and recovered the small wrapped gift you got for Cove. You decided to place it beneath the already populated tree. Your jaw dropped seeing how many gifts Cove got you. You placed the gift down carefully and went to check on Cove.

Y/N: Please tell me you’re ready to open gifts.

Cove: I’m ready, but you have to open yours first.

You didn’t argue, you wanted to save your gift to Cove for last anyway. He joined you by the tree and sat cross-legged across from you.

Y/N: Where should I start? Is there any order to this madness?

Cove thought for a moment, then pulled out one of the presents. Shiny reindeer-imprinted paper covered the box. He held it out to you.

Cove: Definitely start with this one.

Impressed that he seemed to remember what was in each box, you took the gift with a smile. You tore open the paper and uncovered the joy within: an adorable stuffed dolphin. Your eyes lit up as you hugged the little guy. You thanked Cove, who immediately bestowed you with another carefully selected box. You giggled and repeated the process. The rest of the boxes contained: a book from your favorite series, tickets to an upcoming play, rare foreign candy, colorful seashells, and a beautiful ocean-themed puzzle.

You felt overwhelmed by the thought that Cove put into each gift. You struggled to find words besides “thank you.” However, Cove wasn’t done. He handed you a final box.

Cove: One more.

You unwrapped this one carefully, a mix of anticipation and nerves stirring within. Inside was a small album titled “Our Life.” You carefully lifted it out of the box and flipped through the pages. Each page was designed to represent a point in your lives together, from childhood all the way to this past summer. There were pictures, funny quotes, tickets from various events, and doodles. Cove even included the piece of paper from your infamous hang-man game.

You were already tearing up before you noticed a smaller box within the original box. With shaking hands and a pounding heart, you opened it.

Inside the box was a simple ring with an engraved wave design. You couldn’t stop the waterfall of tears that erupted from your eyes. Your emotions surged and your mind was spinning. Without speaking, you grabbed the present you put under the tree and offered it to Cove. He was visibly confused, even a bit concerned.

Cove: Y/N, is everything okay?

You spoke through tears.

Y/N: Just open it.

Cove silently complied. His fingers carefully removed the red and white pinstriped paper. He looked at you nervously before looking into the box. His eyes widened and glistened.

Cove: A ring…

You laughed shakily and scooted closer to Cove, still holding your own small box. He looked up at you, tears streaming down his red cheeks.

Y/N: We’re already engaged, but still got rings for each other. And look at how emotional we are about it!

Cove: I thought it would be nice to make it official with a real engagement ring.

You nodded in agreement, pleased that you were both on the same page.

Y/N: Let’s put them on each other.

You exchanged rings with Cove. He held your still shaking hand and carefully slipped the ring onto your finger. You did the same, relieved that the ring was a perfect fit on his finger.

You let out a massive sigh, it felt as if you had been holding your breath for ages. Cove was admiring the ring on his finger, his ocean eyes still glimmering with tears.

Cove: It feels as magical as it did the first time on the poppy hill.

You looked at him adoringly, unable to contain the crashing ocean of love you felt inside.

Y/N: Thank you, Cove. For putting in so much effort for me. All the time. But especially this Christmas. I know holidays aren’t your thing, especially not winter ones…

Rambling nervously, you felt like Cove in that moment. He invited you to sit on his lap with a simple pat. You settled in and waited. He cradled you close and spoke quietly but confidently.

Cove: You are my thing. You’re the best gift I could ask for. You make braving holidays and snow worth it. I can’t imagine how this day could get any better.

Cove was right. The morning was still fresh, and you were already swimming in bliss. You sniffled, feeling lucky to have him and looking forward to living your life with the man you love. Christmas Day would hold a special place in your hearts for the rest of your lives.

[scottbcrowley2]

A $17 Kit Kat bar? Macaroni and cheese-flavored candy canes? Yes and yes! - Mon, 30 Sep 2019 PST

Let’s start the workweek with two interesting tidbits from the culinary world: Gimme a break, gimme a break, break me off a piece of that … $17 luxury Kit Kat bar. A $17 Kit Kat bar? Macaroni and cheese-flavored candy canes? Yes and yes! - Mon, 30 Sep 2019 PST

[castleportrpg]

—BOLD WHAT APPLIES. 

[ COLORS ] red. brown. orange. yellow. green. blue. purple. pink. black. white. teal. silver. gold. grey. lilac. metallic. matte. royal blue. strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green. apple red. violet. navy blue. crimson. cream. mint green. bubblegum pink. sky blue. pale jade. magenta. olive green.

[ ELEMENTS ] fire. ice. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun. heat. cold. steam. frost. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight. sunrise. sunset. dewdrops.

[ WEAPONS ] fists. legs. sword. dagger. spear. bow & arrow. hammer. shield. poison. guns. axes. throwing axes. whips. knives. throwing knives. pepper sprays. tasers. machine guns. slingshots. katanas. maces. staves. wands. powers. magical items. magic. rocks. snowballs. claws. teeth. stealth. strategy.

[ MATERIALS ] gold. silver. copper. platinum. titanium. bronze. rose gold. diamonds. pearls. rubies. sapphires. malachite. pyrite. emeralds. tiger’s eye. green tourmaline. amethyst. rose quartz. metal. iron. steel. rust. glass. wood. porcelain. paper. wool. fur. lace. leather. silk. velvet. denim. linen. cotton. charcoal. clay. stone. asphalt. brick. marble. dust. glitter. blood. dirt. mud. smoke. ash. carbonate. rubber. synthetics. ribbon. aluminum. grease. obsidian.

[ NATURE ]  grass. leaves. trees. bark. roses. daisies. sunflowers. tulips. wildflowers. lavender. lilies. hibiscus. petals. thorns. pine needles. seeds. hay. sand. rocks. bamboo. roots. flowers. fungi. ocean. river. frozen lake. meadows. valleys. forest. desert. cacti. tundra. savanna. rainforest. caves. underwater. beach. waves. space. constellations. shooting stars. auroras. clouds. mountains. dew. rainbows. blizzards. fossils. moss. driftwood. fjords. canyons. floods. droughts. thunder. tornadoes. hurricanes. tsunamis. volcanoes. earthquakes. mist. ponds.

[ ANIMALS ] lions. wolves. foxes. bears. tigers. eagles. owls. falcons. hawks. swans. snakes. turtles. frogs. toads.ducks. bugs. spiders. birds. dove. seagulls. whales. dolphins. fish. sharks. horses. cats. dogs. rabbits. penguins.tarantulas. praying mantises. butterflies. ladybugs. scarabs. bees. wasps. crows. ravens. mice. lizards. octopi. squids. jellyfish. elephants. giraffes. rhinos. scorpions. crocodiles. armadillos. badgers. goats. sheep. pigs. chickens. llamas. camels. vultures. sloths. monkeys. werewolves. unicorns. pegasus. phoenix. dragons.

[ FOODS / DRINKS ] sugar. salt. candy. bubblegum. coffee. tea. kombucha. beer. wine. hard liquor. vodka. champagne. whiskey. spices. herbs. apples. oranges. lemons. cherries. strawberries. peaches. watermelon. coca cola. pepsi. dr pepper. mountain dew. sprite. vegetables. fruits. meat. seafood. pies. desserts. chocolate. potato chips. soup. stew. breakfast cereal. donuts. toast. waffles. ramen. caramel. cookies. chips & salsa. berries. nuts. cinnamon. iced coffee. cold brew. burgers. burritos. sushi. pizza. bbq. nachos. quesadillas. avocado. eggs. milk. cheese. poultry. bacon. popcorn. macaroni & cheese. pasta. hot pockets. sandwiches. insects. pudding. cheesecake. jerky.

[ HOBBIES ]  music. art. watercolors. gardening. metalworking. sculpting. painting. sketching. hiking. camping. writing. poetry. composing. cooking. baking. sewing. weightlifting. swimming. dancing. acting. singing. sports. football. basketball. martial arts. self-defense. war tactics. electronics. technology. phone. cameras. video cameras. vlogging. blogging. video games. knitting. crocheting. movies. theater. libraries. books. comic books. magazines. cds. vinyls. cassettes. piano. strings. violin. guitar. electric guitar. bass guitar. harmonica. drums. harp. woodwinds. brass. flute. astrology. exploring. playing cards. poker chips. chess. dice. roleplay board games. billiards. hockey. motorcycle riding. woodworking. fishing. eating. sleeping. climbing. paintball. running. jogging. skateboarding. parkour. partying. studying. mechanics. hunting.

[ STYLE ] t-shirts. camisoles. tank tops. muscle shirts. vests. blazers. v-neck shirts. button-up shirts. boxers.briefs. boxer briefs. sport bras. lingerie. sneakers. converses. vans slip-ons. sandals. heels. doc martens. engineer boots. wing-tips. leather lace-up boots. saddle shoes. leggings. trousers. jeans. chinos. shorts. pencil skirts. skinny jeans. earrings. gauges. necklaces. bracelets. rings. trucker hats. snapbacks. tye-dye. band t-shirts. flannel. hawaiian shirts. bandanas. motorcycle helmet. fedora hats. scarf. cloaks. corsets. belt. denim jackets. bomber jackets. letterman jackets. canadian tuxedos. hoodies. sweaters. cardigans. thrift store sweaters. sport jerseys. gloves. corduroy. wool socks. pea jackets. ties. bowties. bolo ties. suspenders. watches. glasses. elbow patches. sunglasses. visor. eye contacts. makeup. braces. canes. tattoos.

[ MUSIC ] rock. pop. jazz. rap. r&b. hip-hop. funk. alternative. classic rock. classical. trance. dubstep. top 40. edm. hardstyle. blues. latin. k-pop. j-pop. ambient. new age. metal. world fusion.  reggae. soca. punk. ska. singer-songwriter. folk. country. bluegrass. americana. swing. opera. show tunes. film score. a capella. minimalist. christian. avant-garde. new wave. disco. baroque. symphonic metal. soundtrack. vaporwave. glitch. house. chillout. psychedelic rock. post-rock. cabaret. trip-hop. easy listening. glam rock. trap. nightcore. indie. garage. grunge. contemporary. shoegaze. surf rock. black metal. metalcore. emo. screamo. rockabilly. parody. industrial. electro pop.

[ MISC ] balloons. bubbles. bubble baths. showers. city skylines. light. dark. lust. gluttony. greed. sloth. wrath.envy. pride. growth. decay. war. peace. work. money. power. clocks. photos. mirrors. lighters. sweat. pets. candles. diary. journal. graffiti. bottlecaps. cigarette butts. postcards. fairy lights. madness. sanity. sadness. realism. happiness. loyalty. optimism. pessimism. loneliness. family. friends. clan. assistants. co-workers. enemies. corn fields. bonfires. friday nights. road trips. neon lights. county fairs. smoking. drugs. kindness. love. hugs. kisses. tears. typewriters. thrift stores. wood cabins. netflix & chill. spring. summer. autumn. winter. farmland. countryside. suburban. small town.

[reid-fiction]

Butter Me Up

In which Spencer’s daughter has picked up a few tricks from her mom

a/n: Okay, so this story is my submission for @captainreid‘s 700 Challenge! I was given the word: Blandishment. Which means “flattery intended to persuade” And, obviously, I needed to go the dad!Spencer route because it’s me and that’s what I live for. Hope you enjoy!

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She had her father’s hair, but that was pretty much the only thing Spencer’s 4-year-old daughter had inherited from him. The rest of her personality was entirely from you, which is partially why you assumed she got away with so much when it came to her dad. In the same way that Spencer would bend over backwards for you, he did the same for her and neither of you even really had to try.

Such was the case today. You had gone out to run some errands and spend a bit of time with some friends, and left your daughter at home. Spencer had put her in her room for a bit of quiet time while he got some work done and, so far, she hadn’t made a peep. You had given up on naps a long time ago, but she loved having quiet time when she could read or color or play with the the toys in her room. Some days, you or Spencer would spend that time with her and watch a movie or snuggle up on the couch, but she was just as happy to have that time alone.

Spencer had just finished going over a lesson plan for his next class when he heard her bedroom door open and she scuttled across the floor in her mismatched socks until she was beside him.

“Daddy?” she asked, tentatively.

Spencer kept his eyes glued to the paper in front of him, but answered her sweetly.

“Yes, love?”

“I made you something.”

Now Spencer did look up, opting to exchange the rather dry teaching material for whatever his daughter was holding out to him. He smiled when she handed it to him, looking at the bright colors and shapes that littered the crisp, white sheet of paper. It was obvious she had taken out nearly every single color in the box to add to her creation, and she was beaming up at him while he looked at it.

“Whoa!” Spencer exclaimed, mouth opened in exaggerated shock. “Did you draw this all by yourself?”

His daughter nodded, proudly, placing one hand on his knee so she could lean in closer and look at it with him.

“That’s you, daddy!” she said, pointing to a very obvious stick-figure looking object in the middle of the page. “Look, you’re wearin’ your Snoopy tie and crazy socks!”

Spencer chuckled as he nodded along with her commentary. The tie he had on in the picture didn’t resemble the cartoon dog whatsoever, but it was clearly covered in little white blobs that he assumed were meant to represent the animal. She had drawn his “crazy socks” almost up to his knees. One was bright pink and the other striped like a blue and yellow candy cane. It wasn’t all that far off from real life, other than the length. His hair, too, was not all that far off. She had drawn it messy and curly, framing it around his face and almost down to his chin.

“What this part?” Spencer asked, pointing to some wispy lines near the top that looked a bit like letters but not fully formed yet.

“It says, ‘I love you daddy an’ you’re the best daddy in the whole world’.”

Spencer wrapped his free arm around her and brought her up until she was seated in his lap. He leaned over and placed a smacking kiss to her forehead.

“Well, I love you too. It’s beautiful, munchkin. Thank you.”

He expected that to be the end of it, but his little girl wasn’t quite finished.

“Do you know why I wrote that, daddy?”

“Because you love me?” Spencer winked.

“‘Cause you do a lot of fun things with me, an’ you’re really nice and smart, and mommy says you’re handsome.”

Spencer laughed, looking down at her with an amused look on his face.

“Oh, she does, does she?”

His daughter nodded, keeping the most serious face she could.

“I think you’re handsome too, daddy. And I love you because you read me stories and play wit’ me, and make me macaroni and cheese ‘cause you’re the best daddy ever.”

Despite feeling his heart melt at her words, Spencer couldn’t help but wonder if there was an ulterior motive at work. You would often start listing things you loved about Spencer right before you went into your spiel about how you would realllly love it if he went out and picked up some ice cream for you, or gave you a back rub because he was “the best husband in the world”. Spencer knew well enough by now that his daughter had picked up a few of those tricks.

It was when she wrapped her little arms around his neck and started kissing his cheek that Spencer realized he was in for more than he bargained for.

“Are you trying to butter me up?” he asked, chuckling as he helped her balance on his knee.

She pulled away and looked at him in confusion.

“I don’t want to put butter on you, daddy. That’s gross.”

Spencer laughed, kissing her again.

“It means you’re trying to get me to do something for you by telling me all the things you love about me so I’ll be more likely to give in. Your mommy does it, too.”

She scrunched up her nose and Spencer knew he had cracked her.

“What is it that you want, munchkin?”

“Welllll....can we go to the playground an’ then for frozen yogurt?” she asked, putting on her best sweet voice. She leaned in a bit closer with her big, puppy dog eyes and started batting her eyelashes at him. “Pleaaaaseee? Pretty please, daddy?”

“Where did you learn how to do puppy dog eyes like that?” Spencer asked, smirking. “You really are your mother’s mini-me, aren’t you?”

He stood, lifting her up into his arms, and walking over so he could pin her drawing on the fridge.

“Tell you what,” he said, “it’s almost dinner time so if you can be a big girl and help daddy make dinner so mommy doesn’t have to when she gets home, I’ll take you to the playground later this evening and we can get a special treat afterwards, okay?”

Her eyes lit up, nodding enthusiastically and presumably a bit in surprise at how little persuasion it had taken. Spencer sat her down on top of the counter, poking her tummy as she let out a giggle.

“There’s one more thing I need, though,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. “If I’m taking you to the park, I’m going to need a little payment from you first.”

“Do you want the money in my piggy bank?” she asked. “I have a quarter.”

“Nuh-uh, not that kind of payment.” He puckered his lips. “One kiss, please.”

His daughter grinned and leaned in to press a very enthusiastic and over-dramatic smack to his lips. Spencer caught her in his arms, blowing raspberries all over her face and neck while he tickled her sides, sending her into a fit of giggles.

Yeah...he didn’t need a lot of persuasion when it came to his girls. 

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Tag List:

@cynbx @gabriellewritermua @wheresthewater @toomanyfandomsshreya @thatisthemagic @helayes @marvelouspotterhead @randomfangirl1415

[teenvogue]

Mac & Cheese Candy Canes Are a Real Thing That Exists

Seattle-based Archie McPhee has turned candy canes completely on their head by creating a Mac & Cheese-flavored version, the local CBS affiliate reported. 

That’s right: Say goodbye to refreshing peppermint and hello to “cheesy flavoring” in the form of a festive yellow-and-white cane. “Macaroni and cheese has become a holiday family tradition in many parts of the country, so why not let our holiday candy reflect that?” the product description states. Well, sure?

The description also notes, “It’s like comfort food-flavored comfort food!” While we can’t deny loving macaroni and cheese (or most comfort foods, for that matter), it’s hard to imagine what it might taste like in hard-candy form. Who knows?

Read more

📸: mcphee.com

[erikitty]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Macaroni and Cheese Flavored c cane Treats.

[almoststardust]

What are all the frozen yogurt flavors in Episode 5 (“Category 55 Emergency Doomsday Crisis”) of The Good Place?

First Column:

True Potential As Brilliant

No Traffic

Free Samples

Mother's Love

Strawberry Vinaigrette

Clothes Right Out of the Dryer

Wasabi

New Line Opens up at Airport Security

Rocky Road

Hot Shower

Recognized Actor's Voice From Commercial Voiceover

Persimmon

Sleeping in on a Rainy Sunday

Unmitigated Joy

Cherry

Kimchi

Second Column:

Weekend

Mars Landing

Empty Neck(?)

Sleeping In

Baby Kittens

Three-Day-Weekend

Tin Roof Sundae

Sriracha

Unexpected Hotel Upgrade

Sweet Potato Fries

A Clean House

Pralines and Cream

Haircut Compliment

Nebula

Slight Raise

Boysenberry

Your Favorite Theme Song

Grape

Third Column:

Milennial Confidence

Kindness

Second Kiss, First Is Awkward

Game-Winning Home Run

Double Rainbow

Four-Day-Weekend

Cilantro

Blueberry

Fantasy Football Champion

Inside Jokes

A Mother's Love

Potato Chip

Panoply of Exuberance

Macaroni and Cheese

Neapolitan

Touchdown

Bubblegum

7-Layer Dip

Fourth Column:

Jeans That Fit Well

Puppy Cuddles

Finishing a Crosswc(?)

Job Promotion

Summer Breeze

Snow Day

Technological Breakthrough

Coconut

Orange Sherbet

Soft, Fresh Sheets

[Indescribable but Delicious]

Hot Air Balloon Ride

When the Lights Go Down at a Concert

Maine Lobster

Cancelled Plans

Guava

Finding Out Your True Bra Size

The Sound of the Ocean

Fifth Column:

Fall Foliage

Nba Smackdown Goes Into Overdrive

A Good Night's Rest

Fast Food

Game-Winning Shot

Satisfying TV Finale

Peeling an Orange in One Piece

Prosciutto

Game-Winning Home Run

Raspberry Sorbet

Your Fifth Birthday Cake

Caramel Macchiato

The Perfect High Five

Triple Chocolate Chunk

Skinny Dipping

Perfect Avocado

Candy Cane

New York Pizza Slice

Sixth Column:

You're the Thinnest at Your 10-Year-Reunion

Realized Actor

Cancelled Plans

Haircut Compliment

Newborn Baby

Fast Wi-Fi

Double Rainbow

Completed Crossword

Corner Brownie

One-Handed Baseball Catch

Baklava

Full Cellphone Battery

Finding a Kidney Donor

How Skinny Feels

Handwritten Note in the Mail

Caramel Corn

Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dog

Empty Inbox

Seventh Column:

Touchdown

Four Day

Panoply of Exuberance

Beyonce Concert

Good Book

Wisdom

Baby Laughter

Cookies 'n' Cream

Sweet Basil

Beyoncé Concert

The Softness of a Puppy's Tiny Ears

Bubble Wrap

Cookie Dough

Your Grandma's Apple Crisp

Candlelight

Yellow Curry

The Perfect Mixtape

Learning to Tie Your Shoes

Eighth Column:

Good Online Date

A Job Well Done

Smiles

Fixing a Problem

Summer Vacation

How Skinny Feels

Perfectly Removed Sticker

Peanut Butter Cup

You Look and Feel Great at Your Reunion

Pumpkin Pie

Maine Lobster

Stardust

Fall Foliage

Vanilla Fudge Ripple

The Cool Side of Your Pillow

Glazed Ham

Fresh Churro

Perfectly Fitting Jeans

Ninth Column:

Gilmore Girls Is Back!

Last Puzzle Piece

Laughter

Beyonce Compliments Your Hair

Beautiful Music

Sitting by the Fireplace

Summer Vacation

Hot Bread

Catching a Wave

Strawberry Cheesecake

Your First Kiss

Banana Cream Pie

Monterey Jack

Fresh Cut Grass

S'mores

Tenth Column:

Five-Dollar-Bill You Find in Your Pocket Unexpectedly

Caller Doesn't Leave a Voicemail

Hot Air Balloon Ride

First Kiss

Achieved Goals

Grandma's Kisses

Making the Yellow Light at an Intersection

Umami

The Perfect Ratio of Peanut Butter to Jelly

Tahitian Vanilla

Three-Day-Weekend

Four-Day-Weekend

Seedless Watermelon

Beyoncé Compliments Your Hair

[othercat2]

fic: (they flow from form to form) 16/?

==>Karkat: be the parfit gentil knight

From Terezi’s bedroom, they wander into the kitchen. Terezi sits at the table, and Karkat rummages around in the fridge. “So there’s left over homemade macaroni and cheese and meat loaf. In the freezer we have Salisbury Steak, Swedish Meatballs, Sweet and Sour Chicken and some pot pies.”

“Mac and cheese and meatloaf,” Terezi says. Her chin is resting cupped in one of her hands as she watches him. She’s smiling, a little bit.

Karkat heats a plate for himself first. (Terezi: “Rude!” Karkat: “I’m a guest; you should be making something for me.”) Then he heats a second plate up for Terezi, setting it down in front of her, along with a can of soda. “So, I guess I’m going to be here, at least until your mom and Si fix whatever Dad did,” he says tentatively.

Terezi is quiet for a moment, poking at her mac and cheese. “We could watch a movie, maybe,” she suggests, voice just as tentative. “Or play video games.”

“We could do that,” Karkat says. He eats some of his meatloaf. He notices--becomes aware somehow--that Hope isn’t around anymore. “Huh. He’s gone.”

“Wanted us to settle this ourselves,” Terezi says.

“Yeah,” Karkat says. “I think we did, though. You were setup, it’s apparently lucky the Gods think I’m cute or whatever, and everything is kinda fucked up because weird religious shenanigans.”  

Terezi’s laugh is rusty and sad. “And I shouldn’t blame myself?”

“Not really no,” Karkat says. He’s silent for a moment, concentrating mostly on the contents of his plate. Finally, he asks, “So, when did the Gods start passing you love notes, or whatever?” He was more than a little curious about how it might work for an “insider” as opposed to well, him.

This time Terezi’s laugh sounds a little more like her usual self. “Before the school year,” she says. “It was just little hints, a song I liked coming up more often on the radio, visions being a little clearer, little gifts showing up on my dresser. I was nervous? And I didn’t want to read too much into it, you know? Sometimes the Gods show favor, and it doesn’t mean anything except They’re in a good mood and They like you. I didn’t get the nerve to actually ask until the end of September.”

“How did they let you know?” Karkat asks.

Terezi grinned. “I woke up with frost all over the window, the next morning, leaves, flowers all over the glass and the answer to my question; ‘yes, we would court you.’” She pokes at her food, takes a bite. “Then there was a lot of awful poetry,” she says in a deadpan critical tone.

Karkat laughs, feeling brighter, lighter somehow at the comment. “Awful poetry seems to be a thing,” he says.

“Ohhh?” Terezi asks with lifted brows. “How bad are we talking?”

Karkat shrugs. “Pretty bad. Uh. He was trying to reassure me I think? In rhyme.” He felt a little reluctant to share the details, given how annoyed Feferi got about his tentacle god jokes. He didn’t want to upset Terezi, when they were just starting to talk again.

Terezi’s eyes widen. “--butthole squid babies?” she asks, and cracks up laughing.  

Karkat felt his face heat up. “What the heck?”

Terezi points behind him, and at the same time there’s a sharp caw. Karkat turns, and sees the crow perched up on the refrigerator. “Just sharing a rhyme, ain’t no crime,” the crow says.

“Your poetry is a felony,” Karkat retorts.

“My rhymes got mad flow

Wherever I go

I drop sick beats

Bring sizzle to the pan

Grilling your meats,

Like you know I can,” the crow says.  

“I’m really impressed,” Karkat says. “No really, I’m impressed you could say that, and have no idea how stupid that sounded.”

“They’re better when he gets warmed up,” Terezi says. “But that was not your best,” she says to the crow.

The crow preens its wing, and Karkat immediately thinks of a cat grooming itself all nonchalant after embarrassing itself. All, “I meant to do that.” Though in this case, Karkat suspected the crow really had meant to do that. “You get visited by the crow a lot too?” Karkat asks.

Terezi shrugs. “The crow’s showed up, and usually Time Himself. Breath, Light, Space, Hope a lot recently.” The last is said with an irritable frown and a glare. Not at Karkat though, but at some point space off to the side. There’s nothing there but a countertop and cabinets as far as Karkat can tell, however.

The crow makes an almost human sounding chuckle, and flaps down to perch on one of the kitchen chairs. He eyes the meatloaf on Karkat’s plate.

“Don’t even think about it,” Karkat says, and puts his hand up to protect his plate from marauding crows.

“A little bit won’t hurt him, Karkat,” Terezi says.

“I’m not worried about him getting hurt, I’m worried he’ll steal it,” Karkat says. “You don’t like Hope?” Karkat asks.

“I’d like Him better if He’d leave me alone,” Terezi mutters. The next bite of mac and cheese is definitely aggravated. “He’s here because I’ve been…sick.”

“Depressed,” the crow says.

“Depressed,” Terezi echoes, and flips the crow off. The crow laughs again.

“Because of what happened?” Karkat asks.

“And because I get depressed,” Terezi says. “Though what happened didn’t help. I stopped taking pills during my fast, even though they’re permitted and when I got back I spent most of the time asleep, pretending to be asleep and ignoring texts from Sol.” Terezi sighs. “Then Hope manifested and I’m suddenly taking my pills and He’s being cheerful at me and argh.”  

“Did he uh, make you take your pills? Or just tell you to?” Karkat asks, a little uncertain about that last.

Terezi tilts the palm of her hand side to side in a “either or” gesture. “Well, He manifested and His Aspect made me feel better, and therefore made me more likely to take my meds? But it wasn’t like mind control which is what I think you’re implying?”

“Yeah, kinda. Sorry,” Karkat says, feeling a little guilty about asking despite it being a legitimate concern. Then he’s distracted by the crow, which has swooped in on his plate. “Dammit!” He catches the crow and almost immediately he lets go of it, surprised by the almost burning heat, the fast beat of its heart, and the sense he’d gotten of the molten Blood beneath skin and feathers. The crow takes advantage of his surprise to snag a chunk of meat loaf and abscond for the countertop.

Karkat half expects his fingers to be blistered and singed by the heat, but they’re unhurt. “That doesn’t happen when you land on me,” Karkat says accusingly to the crow.

“Did you try to grab him?” Terezi asks. “Well, there you go then,” she says when Karkat shakes his head.

“Is the crow actually Time? He hasn’t been to clear on that,” Karkat says.

“Time speaks through the crow sometimes,” Terezi says. She grins. “And sometimes Time takes the shape of a crow.”

This didn’t exactly explain if the crow at this point in time was “the crow” or Time in the shape of a crow. Karkat glances at the crow, which is poking around at appliances on the countertop. He had a feeling that a straight answer wasn’t going to be a thing in the immediate future.

“I kind of wish I’d known about all of this sooner,” Karkat says, after poking at the contents of his plate for a while. “I get you needed to keep things hidden, but I’m still kind of upset you didn’t tell me anything.”

“So do I,” Terezi says. “I kind of wanted to, but I wasn’t sure if you’d be staying. I mean it seemed like you might settle, and Mister Vantas is a really great teacher, but it’s usually years before outsiders see what’s going on in the town.” She frowns. “You saw a lot anyway. I wonder how much you did see through, just because you’re Blood?”

Karkat shrugs. “I figured you were pagan? My dad has pagan friends.” Terezi grins at that. “Anyway I mostly noticed the lack of those little cardboard Pilgrim and Native American pictures in stereotypical costumes around Thanksgiving and that the Christmas decorations didn’t show up until December,” he says. Also, it had mostly been Christmas trees, Santa Clause and candy canes, with maybe doves and stars being as far most of the décor around businesses got to religious symbolism. Homes had more religious symbolism, but they didn’t show up till the first week of December.

“Oooh, usually outsiders notice the lack of churches, and they have to go to the next town over,” Terezi says.

Karkat shrugs. He had noticed, and it had seemed strange, but it wasn’t nearly as strange as Christmas decorations neatly confined to December first through to the twenty fifth, except at the Walmart. “I was raised mostly agnostic,” he says. According to the town history he’d read, there had been a few churches up until the 1930s. Then there had been a couple of church burning incidents, after which the high priestess decreed the remaining churches would be burnt down. (“And the arsonists should be glad I don’t burn their homes, with themselves and all their family besides.”)    

After dinner, they put the dirty dishes in the dish washer and head into the living room. Neither of them really have a lot of interest in watching a movie, or going back to Terezi’s room to play video games. Instead, Karkat talks about school, about what he’s been learning from Feferi and Si. At first he tries to hide the parts where he’d been deliberately provoking Feferi, not wanting to offend Terezi. She gets the details out of him anyway, and cackles about it.

“Soo, not offended that I was disrespectful to your high priestess?” Karkat asks.

“If she was really angry about anything you said, she doesn’t need me to defend her honor,” Terezi says. “And if you were being a complete jerk I’d be mad you were hurting Feferi’s feelings, not that you were being rude to the high priestess. I kind of wish I’d been there. Poor Fef!” She giggles. “Was anyone offended on her behalf?”

“Um. Eridan, Equius I think Kanaya a little bit, and also Sollux.” Karkat pauses. “I think he has a crush on her?”

“Eridan and Equius are both from super traditional families,” Terezi says. “They are both super preppy.”

“Eridan seems more like a Goth,” Karkat says.

“Goth-Preppy hybrid,” Terezi says, and snickers. “Goppy? No, that sounds like one of Fef’s puns. Equius’ only redeeming quality is that he’s friends with Nepeta--though okay, I lie, he’s been much less of an asshole after he got the part time job at Benson and Quill Auto.” She grins. “Kanaya is the mom-friend and Sol has had the stupidest crush on Feferi since forever. Sollux is a dumb butt.”

“A dumb butt who’s been pretty worried about you,” Karkat can’t help but say.

Terezi’s eyebrows lift. “Are you the dad-friend, Karkat? Gonna make me text Sol?”

“Do I have to?” Karkat asks. “I mean, he’s your friend and he’s worried about you, right?”

Terezi makes a disgusted noise. “You sound like your dad,” Terezi accuses, and goes to get her cell.

She comes back into the living room, and spends some time texting with Sollux. Sollux meanwhile texts Karkat and they have an awkward three way conversation via until they get on a Pesterchum memo together. Sollux yells at Terezi in the memo, and asks Karkat for details about the emergency. This leads to them both explaining Mind and Doom interactions when collaborating on a Working.

CG: I AM PRETTY SURE THIS IS ADVANCED LEVEL STUFF I HAVEN’T GOTTEN TO YET GUYS.

GC: H33 H33 H33 W3’LL DUMB 1T DOWN FOR YOU!

TA: thii2 ii2 ju2t ba2iic two A22pect Work kk

TA: waiit tiil you have two figure out quint2 and 2extet2

TA: we’re not even  gettiing iinto fray motiifs

CG: THE FUCK IS A FRAY MOTIF?

Sollux doesn’t give an explanation. Instead he types KK DUCK, which is echoed out loud by Terezi, and in some weird internal way by something in his head. He rolls off the couch just as something smashes against the window. The glass cracks, but doesn’t break.

Terezi joins him on the floor. She shouts a word, and bright patterns flicker across the floor, up the walls and meet at the ceiling. Karkat recognizes some of the symbols, almost makes sense of what they mean before they make his eyes water and he has to look away. “What the fuck?” There’s nothing but a crackle of static from the phones.

“Stay down,” Terezi says. “Sol’s gonna get his dad, and call Feferi. Hopefully we don’t have to hold the fort for too long.”

There’s another crack against the window, along with a bright flash. “Okay, we’re being attacked. No shit, Karkat. Who’s attacking us?”

“I can’t see clearly,” Terezi says. “And I’m kinda hoping the attack isn’t two pronged.”

“Two pronged, you mean my Dad?” Karkat asks with a sick sort of feeling. “Why?”

“Outsiders, corrupting influence who the fuck knows,” Terezi says, voice brittle and frustrated. She takes a breath. “Okay, you want to find out about fray motifs?” She asks, and lights up bright teal, a three armed spiral appearing around her head. “Let’s try some firsthand experience.” She holds out her hand. “Take my hand.”

Karkat hesitates for less than a second, then grabs her hand. “I have no idea what you want me to do--” he says, but then he knows, because Terezi has dropped the information in his head. He activates a Blood sigil, and wraps the lines of a defensive pattern around Terezi’s mind sigil.

The defensive pattern spins, and then separates into three-limbed, curved blades of light dark red and bright teal. They split again and again.

(The lights go out, but they can still see. Indistinct shapes on the other door linked together and somehow shielded.)

Two shuriken or whatever they were spin toward the indistinct shapes. The shapes dodge.

that was your only warning, Terezi says. Her voice has a strange tonality to it, sharper and weirdly crystalline. back off or be cut down.

The only answer from the shapes is a bright flash that crashes against the door.

She shows him where and how to direct the blades, he can show her there are ten people in total, six in the front of the house, four in the back. He can also show her where the leader is, and that’s where they direct most of their attacks. They are perfectly in tune with each other, and the “tune” part is literal. Music is rising between the shifting combinations of their patterns, music that almost tells them where to go, where to face.

They can’t do this for very long. Karkat has no training, and Terezi is worn down and sick from being depressed. Karkat almost drops the sigil patterns when he senses (allies) approaching. no they’ll be waiting for you to drop your guard, she says and he holds onto the patterns.

He keeps it together until Mituna, flanked by Aradia and Sollux let’s himself into the house. “Hey,” Karkat says in greeting, then “oh, that’s why you have a key.” Then he and Terezi kind of tip over onto the floor, and the sigil patterns collapse. “Mr. Captor’s your dad?” he asks, feeling lightheaded and strange.  

“Half-dad,” Terezi mumbles. “Step-dork.”

“Love you too, honey,” Mituna says, squatting down next to both of them. “It’s complicated, says so on my Facebook and everything,” he says to Karkat, his mouth twitching at the corners. Karkat gets the sense that Mr. Captor is trying not to fall apart in front of them. He lifts both of them, with telekinesis, and then folds out the couch bed. “When I’m not so freaked out, I get dibs on screaming at you,” he tells Terezi, or maybe the both of them.

“What about m’dad?” Karkat says.

“He can yell at you next,” Mituna says.

That wasn’t at all what Karkat meant, but he was too tired to try to explain. He falls asleep, curling up next to Terezi. The last thing he thinks he hears is Aradia Megido mentioning something about pictures.

<==

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[roselirry]

does that mean christmas changes too

or the first christmas after / a canon-ish fire and persuasion drabble about harry’s first (ever) christmas off of olympus.

for sav. @lifesbetterasamermaid 

to edan; the holiday of christmas never made her feel warm. opposite to the sparks at the tips of her fingers. she never wanted to decorate the foster family’s tree. she would sit at the top of her stairs while the parents put out countless amounts of presents out and ate their cookies and milk. it was hard to get into the holiday spirit when she knew she was going to move to a new home soon. or back into the group home. 

the years she spent on olympus she didn’t have to worry about christmas. suddenly she was thrust into a world where nobody put lights on trees or sang about merry jubilee or expected gifts on december 25th. 

for a while, it was refreshing. until it wasn’t. 

until she found herself back in america. living on the outskirts of a tiny town filled with friendly faces and she started looking forward to carolers. and looking forward to the snow. and looking forward to the warmth of her own home. 

she didn’t buy gifts, nor did she receive them. but she learned to appreciate what the season had to offer. 

and then everything else happened. harry showing up, ade dying, louis being locked up, liam turning on her. clio. and niall. 

she wasn’t feeling the christmas cheer.��

her front door opened. she glanced back from the wooded area even though she knew it was harry joining her on the porch. “good morning, merry christmas.” she adjusted on her rocking chair so she could face him. “would you like any cocoa?”  

harry was tired. he had been since they came back from olympus. he hadn’t been sleeping. but he smiled. “merry christmas.” he sat down in the chair next to her. “no, i’m okay, i don’t need any cocoa. what is cocoa, ade never talked about it?” 

edan grinned. a small one. “here,” she reached for the second mug on her table. she heated it up with one small grasp. “try it.” 

bringing harry to her home was a decision she didn’t question. he couldn’t be on olympus anymore. no amount of apologies would change that. they needed each other now more than ever. “this is the best thing i’ve ever tasted.” harry smiled into his mug. “how do you make it?” 

“it’s a secret.” edan smirked. 

“why are you sitting out here?” 

harry had a penchant for asking questions that edan found hard to answer. probably why she despised him for so long. 

“as a kid i didn’t like christmas. it was hard to enjoy it when you constantly find yourself in a new home every christmas. they have different traditions or they eat different things, but the one thing that always stayed the same was the snow. it didn’t matter if i was one of 4 or one of 10 at that moment, i could always go outside and watch the snow fall.” it became her tradition. 

“did you ever get christmas presents?” he stopped looking at her. his eyes watching the snow. 

“sometimes,” she swallowed. “a lot of time’s it’d be clothes. a new pair of shoes or a few new shirts. nothing too special. my favorite present i ever got a pair of converse. there was also a teddy bear that i got that i had with me when i went to olympus. i think ares confiscated him though.” edan laughed to herself. 

harry smiled. “ade used to tell me about his christmas. he used to tell me that when life calmed down on olympus that we would travel to his home and he’d make me macaroni and cheese, and his chicken.” he stared at his cocoa. “he never saw snow, but he talked about it. something about snowboarding.”

“can you hold my drink for a moment?” harry asked her, his voice breaking. 

she looked at him, “harry, are you alright?”

“I just need to grab something.” he handed her the cup and she watched him walk back into the house. 

he’d been having trouble getting acclimated to earth. living a life where everything had to be simplified. living a life where everything that belonged to him and his soulmate was left behind, burned to the ground.  

but, she was glad that harry came with her. life was a lot less lonely. 

“i wanted to get you something.” harry came back outside, another jacket on and a scarf she hadn’t seen before. 

he handed her a haphazardly wrapped present with candy cane wrapping paper. 

“harry you didn’t have to.” she hadn’t gotten him anything. 

“edan, we’ve been through so much with one another and at the end you still allowed me to come into your home and become a permanent part of your life. you deserve so much more than what i can give. and i am more thankful to you than i can put into words.” 

inside the gift wrapping was a candle. the scent was simple, toasted marshmallow. “i like candles.” harry spoke. “i like that the flame is small but it can be mighty. just like you. you’re always going to be light at the end of the tunnel regardless of whether or not you want to burn.” 

edan smiled. “merry christmas harry.”

“merry christmas.” 

maybe to edan, christmastime could be merry once again. 

[hannabellegraham-blog]

Through The Water (Spacedogs fic) chpt 3 by Wendigo Rising

“Yeah no.” Nigel took off Adam’s big headphones, “It sounds like whales in a fucking vacuum - banging.” he handed Adam the tablet and leaned back on the couch. His place was cleaner than Nigel and Darko’s, which isn’t saying much. The only room in the house that was clean was Nigel’s room, because he hardly slept in it. He mainly used it as a closet, preferring to sleep on the couch in the open space.

“Well it is in a vacuum, but it’s not whales. This is the sound of space Nigel!” Adam was still enthusiastically smiling, he hadn’t stopped since Nigel said he loved mac and cheese. “Just listen and focus on something that relaxes you.” he wiggled the headphones and tablet at him. Still smiling just as bright.

Nigel stared at him while he slowly chewed his macaroni. Looking over his features as if he’d never quite seen anyone like Adam before. “You’re serious darling?” Adam scooted closer to him and put the headphones back on his head. Nigel laughed and sat the bowl down on the folded blue napkin laid on the coffee table. “Alright, but I’m not listening to Earth again, I hear enough..” He settled back on the couch, letting his legs stretch out past the table.

Adam brought up the video again and lifted a headphone off Nigel’s ear. “Let me know when there is a planet you like.” He pressed play and watched the different planets appear on the screen. Without headphones Adam knew exactly what each planets electromagnetic field sounded like. He watched Nigel who made wincing faces at the undulating hum of Earth.

Knowing there was another layer of sound, imperceptible to human ears, radiating from the planets calmed Adam. It was the pure harmony of the universe, not corrupted by human chaos, pollution, or uncertainty. There were rules within the ordered chaos, laws that survived the test of time and — Nigel patted Adam’s hand.

The feeling of his warm hand refocused Adam’s eyes to the screen. He smiled and waited for the video to stop, Nigel slid off the headphones without looking at Adam. “Church bells.” He laughed, “Home.” Nigel picked up his food and moved it around within the bowl.

Adam sat the tablet on the table, “Where is home?” he watched as Nigel ate, his hair falling into his eyes every now and then. Adam’s hands became anxious, he smoothed the cushion fabric instead of Nigel’s hair. “Everywhere and nowhere sweetheart.” They sat in a shared silence, filtering through their own memories and ideals of what home was.

“Romania was my home for a long time. A lot of bloody, lovely mistakes made it my home. Now…" He shrugged and smiled in Adam’s direction. He didn’t mind the change in location, they changed as often as the jobs did. Nigel finished his bowl and got up, for a moment he wasn’t sure what to do.

Adam stood up and took his bowl, their hands making just enough contact for his heart to flutter. “Pluto.” he said succinctly. “Your planet was Pluto.” He walked to the kitchen and lingered by the sink. Nigel considered his new found planetary calmness while he contemplated Adam’s softness against his skin. Pluto was the last planet, he knew that much, small and quiet. An unassuming planet that heard everything in Nigel’s universe. A nice little planet that made him feel less like the piece of shit he felt like every morning.

“It is a dwarf planet,” Adam responded through the entry way holding a spoon. “It tends to get picked on a lot because it’s smaller and falls in and out of the planet category. ” His smile was a fleeting star in Nigel’s eyes before the clamoring doorbell distorted his features. “You’re already here! Who rings when there’s a sign?!” Adam shook his head and moved away from the chime on the wall. He picked up the napkin from the coffee table and continued cleaning up. His shoulders tense and his posture now rigid.

That annoyed Nigel more than the incessant ringing. He stomped over to the door, now back on his precarious edge and flung it open. Darko was leaning against the frame panting, something about a cow and a candy cane. “What the Christ are you doing? Knock asshole.” Darko tried to push his way inside but Nigel stood firm. It was bad enough he intruded upon Adam’s space and he’d be damned if Darko sullied it too. Especially with the blood clinging to his hands.

————————

For those interested, Pluto starts at 4:39. All planet sounds are also located on NASA’s website and more information can be found there as well about translating electromagnetic oscillations into sounds that we can hear.

https://youtu.be/IQL53eQ0cNA

[candycritic]

Unusual Candy For Your Tree - Macaroni and Cheese Candy Canes

For some odd reason, macaroni and cheese candy canes have become all the rage this year. Stores have been selling out of them at breakneck speed. I really want to love this candy cane, but I'm not so sure I will. The best way to enjoy this candy cane over the holidays, maybe dip it in your mashed potatoes. CC

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