#my mom taught me how to make mac and cheese out of the box actually taste good a couple months ago and i couldve cried the first bite

[mothusband]

no one ever taught me how to cook and i was pretty much just forced to figure out how i was gonna feed myself one day, so learning has been slow and as a result sometimes i learn something new about cooking that most people probably learned as kids that blows my mind. like... you can add herbs to your spaghetti sauce? and it makes it taste so much better?? i made spaghetti as an easy meal this evening and felt like a professional chef just adding some fucking basil to the sauce. how have i managed to keep myself alive for the past 6 years.

[dadr0ckmusic]

stranger things headcanons because i said so (fruity four + billy)

basically them in my dr

steve harrington

does restaurant challenges unironically. like he has to eat a big wet daddy burger in an hour just for a plaque on the wall and a pic with the owner smh

calls his car babygirl

modern au where he texts the girl he likes at 1:11, 2:22, etc just to get her hopes up

loves madonna. you can't tell me otherwise

he does yoga. and if you catch him he'll threaten your life

calls his house 'the love shack'

if you were just becoming friends with him he would listen to your music or do your hobbies with you just to make you happy

would totally rock out to stacy's mom

he gives off lactose intolerant vibes. i do not make the rules.

would definitely have playlists called "alt songs that make you drink monster" or "sad vibes" or "coronavirus got me like"

would've fucking KILLED on grindr

would love twilight. he's on team jacob

laughs at minion memes

robin buckley

the literal queen of your mom jokes

she would totally say "who up wonking they willy rn"

would work at spencer's

she had a ton of hamsters that died the most traumatic deaths when she was a kid and they're all buried in her backyard

loooves poop and fart jokes

she still sleeps with the same stuffed bear she had when she was little (and we are NOT judging)

says "oh my goodness gracious" at the funniest possible times

would literally FUCK at rainbow loom

her childhood room was purple and steve picks on her for it

cannot use chopsticks to save her life

one time steve made her mad so she literally WENT OFF THE GRID and he didn't see her for a whole week and he was freaking the fuck out

was a bug girl. worms? fuck yeah. roly polys? best buds. what the fuck is that thing? it has a terrarium now.

literally is the most caring person on the planet. she's always worrying about you and what you're feeling and what you're doing

only eats the marshmallows out of lucky charms

is scared of bees

billy hargrove

he bakes. he bakes cookies, cupcakes, you name it. if you ever catch him he's FORCING you to taste whatever he's making

an AVID reader. he's got books all over his room, stolen library books in the glove box of his car, and he's reading the hawkins post every morning no matter what

his mom taught him how to sew. lets say after a mishap with the whole 'different dimension' thing, you're bummed cause you got a hole in your favorite shirt. billy would be like "i can fix it for you" and you're like "what??" but he just gets mad and goes "just give me the fucking shirt" and then the next day he's bringing it to you good as new

hates cooked carrots

can fall asleep anywhere. couch, car, at a party, you name it. he will find a spot to fall asleep

he was actually very interested in supernatural stuff when he was younger. and then when max started telling him about everything billy was like "wait. i read this about... blah blah blah" and max is just so surprised

he can totally make a mean cocktail. you want a pina colada? whipped up in seconds. craving a margarita? he's got the salt ready. feeling like an old fashioned? liquor's already in front of him.

he never wears sunscreen. not a single spf anywhere on his body.

calls girls broads and you can NOT tell me otherwise

totally thinks metallica was at its best in their thrash era. sorry bud i'd hate to break it to you

hates the fourth of july cause of y'know.

i feel like he would totally get into dog rescue after he leaves hawkins.

would totally kick ass at mario kart. like he's THE BEST and he always chooses bowser

would totally bash you for your music taste if it was different than his. "what the hell is a beatle?" "mick jagger is not hot." "queen? aren't they gay?" "zeppelin? who taught you that?"

a literal GOD at making mac n' cheese

nancy wheeler

so so so stubborn it's actually annoying.

call her 'einstein' and you're six feet under the floorboards

the tom cruise poster in her room has stared her in the face ever since robin commented on it

nancy's actually amazing at rollerskating. like even mike was surprised because when did she get good at that?

she has nightmares about what happened to barb multiple times a week :(

please know that if you're really close to her she would kill someone for you. no hesitation.

she's super literal? like when someone asks a hypothetical question she's like "when would this happen? why w-" and then immediately get cut off

has a tonnn of notebooks/journals just filled with random stuff like doodles, school notes, reminders, and little ramblings

has plants named after each of her friends and when something's wrong with one of the plants, there's always something wrong with the friend.

is a feminist (slay)

she saves every birthday card given to her and keeps them in a box in her closet

she's a morning person. up and at 'em before 9 every morning and it pisses the gang off when they all sleep in the wheeler's basement. "nancyyyyy..... close the curtains i beg of you..." "it's such a beautiful day, don't you think?"

she's actually amazing at shoplifting.

eddie munson

is allergic to peanuts

when i tell you this man is spontaneous... think 100x more. he'll pull up to your house at 11pm and declare that he planned a road trip while sitting in detention earlier that day and that you're going with him. "eddie what are you doing here? it's so late." "we're going to ohio. we're gonna stop in columbus for like five minutes and drive back." "what the hell."

has cried to sweet child o' mine and will keep that fact to his grave

owns multiple pairs of boxers with superhero logos on them.

definitely has 10 in 1 shampoo that he uses for everything.

ate dirt as a child

if you ever smoke pot with him, just expect him to say the weirdest shit while he's doing whatever. "do you think steve is thinking about me right now?" "yoooooo...... uh.... yo..... um...... i forgot....." "i want to get a cat." "shut up eddie."

he's just,,,, so oblivious,,,,, to sarcasm, flirting, jokes, etc

has ADHD, no doubt about it.

just like billy, he'll bash you on your music taste no matter what. even if you like the same music as him. "that's your favorite tool song? god, you could do way better than that." "c'mon, you know that dio sang better than ozzy." "munson, you're lying straight through your teeth and you know it."

will make you friendship bracelets and you KNOW you're wearing them till you die.

modern au where you're facetiming him and he takes SO MANY facetime pics of you and sometimes makes them his lockscreen. he thinks he's THE SHIT for that.

he giggles. a total giggler.

he flicks dustin in the head all the time.

[random2908]

My Nana’s special mac&cheese trick:

When you’re making the sauce, only use 3/4 of the cheese packet. And then when you serve it, sprinkle the rest on and don’t incorporate it. It tastes way cheesier that way.

[twomoonstwosuns]

thanksgiving break

back to you [series masterlist]

previous part · next part

pairing: professor!poe dameron x reader

warnings: smut (18+), swearing, age gap (reader over 18), everything consensual

word count: 4.3k oops

a/n: get ready, i’m turning this into a full series (my first ever series and i’m STOKED). it’s gonna be full of smutty, fluffy, angsty goodness. i’m making a tag list, hit me up if you want to be added. i’ll link the masterlist when i have it made. also sorry not sorry i got really carried away and basically just wrote a porno.

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You hadn’t seen Poe since that night.

You weren’t purposely avoiding him. In fact, you had caught yourself looking for him within a crowd of people, in line getting coffee, or walking outside between classes. Since his class was over, you had no reason to go to the building he taught in. And it would definitely be weird if you started showing up to his office hours without a reason.

Midterms were rough on you and everything after that just seemed to be getting harder. Studying for multiple tests and writing long papers took over your life for the month of November. Graduation was one semester away and you couldn’t take your foot off the gas, so you pushed yourself hard. Your diet consisted of energy drinks and whatever you could nuke in the microwave or get delivered late at night. Luckily, you weren’t alone in your stress. Your apartment-mates Karé and Jessika were in the same boat as you.

It didn’t help that you couldn’t stop thinking about your hookup with Poe, the way he kissed you, the way he sucked on your skin, and especially the way he fucked you just on the cusp of rough. It was good, so good, and you wanted it to happen again, which is probably why you were seemed to be looking for him everywhere you went. What would you even say if you did see him? Hey Professor, wanna fuck again? just didn’t seem like the right way to ask.

Thanksgiving break was a very welcome interruption.

You turned in the first draft of your thesis paper, the invisible weight on your shoulders lifting as you walked out of Professor Holdo’s office, wishing her a good break. Your phone buzzed inside your pocket and you saw your older sister Tallie’s name flash across the screen.

“Mom wants to know what time you’ll be home.”

You pulled the phone away from your ear, checking the time.

“Probably in like an hour, hour and a half? I’m heading back to my apartment now and have a couple last minute things to pack. Why?”

“She’s running to the store and wants to know what you’re making to bring to dinner tomorrow. If you answered your phone, you’d know that.”

You scoffed at her attitude.

“First of all, I don’t know what I’m making yet so tell mom I’ll just stop at the store myself. Second, I know it’s been awhile since you’ve been in college, but let me remind you that I still have classes the day before Thanksgiving.”

“Yeah, I got that. Sorry.”

Tallie’s answer was short, clipped. At this point you were seriously debating staying at your apartment during break and eating a box of mac and cheese if this was the attitude you were going home to. All you wanted was a relaxing break. You needed it. You deserved it.

“What the hell’s your problem?”

“Nothing. I just—it’s our first holiday since dad left and I’m more angry than I thought I would be.”

You stopped in the middle of the hallway, making students around you have to sidestep you. You shot them an apologetic look as they passed. You understood why your sister was giving you attitude and gave her the benefit of the doubt. You knew it was Wednesday but had forgotten the significance of the day. Today was the day your parents’ divorce would be finalized. You let out a heavy sigh.

“I get it. I’m angry too.” You said.

Another person coming down the perpendicular hallway caught your attention and when you looked, you saw him, the person you’d been looking for. You gave him a smirk as he walked closer and he gave you one back when he made eye contact with you. Everything your sister was saying was passing through your head without being processed as you discreetly checked him out. A black sweater with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms was accompanied by dark blue jeans and a brown leather bag hanging off his shoulder, the shoulders you had fond memories of holding onto as he pounded into you. Poe Dameron was effortlessly dreamy. You held a finger up, silently telling him to hang out for a second. Poe slowed his walking and took out his phone, lingering an appropriate distance away from you.

“Look, the way I see it, we can stay angry or we can not think about it and just have a good break. I haven’t seen you since the summer.”

“I know, I’ve missed you. We’ll have to do something before you go back to school. And you’re right about being angry. I’ll let it go, for you…and for mom. I hate it when you’re right, by the way.”

“I’m always right, I don’t know why you’re not used to it by now.” You heard Poe laugh quietly and you gave him a look. “I gotta go, but I’ll be home soon.”

You hit the end call button and looked back up at Poe.

“Hey.”

“Hey. Everything ok?”

“Yeah, um—“ How much do you tell him? It was just sex the one time, it’s not like you were dating. You shook your head, deciding not to burden him with your family drama. “It’s nothing, really. My older sister’s a little bit of a drama queen sometimes.”

“Ah. Only child; never had that.”

“Consider yourself lucky.”

The air around you was tense, wrought with sexual tension that could be cut with a knife. You couldn’t help but bite inside of your cheek as you looked at him. The way Poe was raking his eyes over you was nearly the same as the way he looked at you at the club. He wanted a repeat of that night too. The words were on the tip of your tongue and you could tell Poe wanted to say something too. You wanted to say them so bad, but you didn’t know who might be lingering behind doors or around corners, so you settled for small talk.

“You heading out?”

“Yeah, I’m flying out to my dad’s tonight. We’re doing friendsgiving with a couple of his Air Force buddies and a few of my friends who don’t have much in terms of family.”

“That’s sweet,” you said. “Is Beebs going with you?”

Poe chuckled. His orange and white corgi Beebs had become very popular when he had his laptop hooked up to the monitor in his class and everyone saw the adorable dog as his computer background.

“Unfortunately no, he’s getting dropped off at doggy day care. Flying stresses him out.”

You thought you ‘awwed’ in your head, but the way Poe snickered made you realize you had actually said it out loud. You couldn’t help it though. The way he adored his furry companion was too sweet. Poe looked around him before taking a step closer to you.

“Give me your phone.”

“Why?”

“Give me your phone.”

You gave him a look as you handed your phone over. He held onto it for a minute, typing something in quickly before handing it back to you. His fingers brushed over yours and your whole body felt warm. You looked up at Poe, his eyes on you as he leaned in.

“See you later.” He said lowly in your ear as he passed you. He was playing a dangerous game out in the middle of the hall like this, but you found yourself growing wet instead of caring. You bit your lip to contain your smile before looking back at him, your eyes landing on his ass that just looked too good in those jeans.

“Tell your dog I say ‘hi’.”

Poe threw his head back and laughed loudly. He turned to look back at you and winked. You walked away in the opposite direction, the smile never leaving your face.

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Thanksgiving dinner ended up being a lot more pleasant than you anticipated. Since your dad walked out, you had expected his side of the family to be awkward towards you. You actually expected them to not come at all. But they showed up with unconditional support that made it clear they were on your side and were very vocal about their disapproval after several glasses of wine. It was reassuring in a way.

It was Saturday afternoon when Poe texted you. You were lounging on the couch working on homework with reruns on as background noise. He asked if you wanted to get together, to which you texted back embarrassingly fast that you’d love nothing more. You’d never admit to it to him, but you had been anxiously awaiting a text since the minute you got home.

He texted you an address to a hotel in the city. Confused, you gave your mother some excuse about going to meet a friend to get coffee and work on homework. With your backpack full of random books, you drove into the city towards the hotel. You nearly sped down the streets, the anticipation at having Poe between your legs again making you want to clench your thighs together.

You arrived at the hotel, texting Poe that you were in the lobby. He gave you his room number and you were having a hard time standing still on your way up. The thoughts that swirled around your head were sinful, and you were so caught up in how aroused you were that you almost missed the room. You knocked twice before Poe opened the door and pulled you inside He pressed you against the door.

“Hi,” Poe said, giving you a sexy smile as he took your jacket off.

“Hi.”

You grabbed the front of his shirt and crashed your lips against his. He wasted no time sliding his tongue into your mouth and tangling it with yours. He was half hard already and you wondered if he had been thinking of you. You groaned at the feeling, heat pooling in your belly at how good it felt having his denim clad cock rubbing against your clothed core. Poe lifted your shirt over your head, breaking the kiss to do it but immediately reconnecting your lips. He pulled you from the door, his hands warm as one hand splayed across your lower back, the other kneading your breast through your bra. He turned you into the room, walking you in.

You unhooked your bra, flinging it somewhere in the room and bringing your fingers to the hem of his t-shirt. You paused as he helped you lift his shirt over his head, staring at his chest. The sneak peek you got through his shirt on Halloween gave way to a broad, muscular chest, tanned and toned. A silver chain lay against his skin, a ring hanging on the end of it. You traced your finger down his sternum, hooking it around the necklace.

“God, you’re sexy.” You breathed. The look he gave you nearly made you melt. Poe grabbed the back of your neck, trailing his lips from the curve of your jaw back to your ear. He left a trail of wet, hot kisses and you nearly lost your breath when he ran his teeth over your pulse point.

“Easy—fuck—easy on the marks this time.” You said breathlessly. “I still have to see my family tomorrow.”

You felt Poe chuckle against your skin, bringing his lips back up to yours and gently biting your lip.

“Good thing it’s scarf season,” he smirked before darting his tongue out to trace over where he’d bitten.

He unbuttoned your jeans and dipped his hand inside, cupping your heat through your underwear. You were embarrassingly wet, everything he was doing was making your body temperature rise. The back of your legs hit the bed and Poe gently pushed you onto it, removing his hand long enough to scoot you back. He pulled your jeans down your legs, unhooking them from your ankles and tossing them into the piles of clothes on the floor.

“Well well, what do we have here?” Poe said with a salacious grin, running his lips over the small tattoo on your side. He ran his finger along your slit over your underwear, feeling you soaking through. “Fuck, you’re so wet.”

“Poe, please…”

“Please what?” He had a playful glint in his eye as he traced his finger along your underwear down to your inner thighs, avoiding the place where you really wanted him.

“Touch me. Please touch me.”

Poe practically ripped your underwear off and brought his fingers to your clit, pressing light circles on it. Your hips bucked up looking for more friction. Poe placed a kiss on your stomach and then on your breast before coming face to face with you. His eyes were nearly black with lust.

“Like that?”

His voice was rougher than you’d ever heard and it made you even more wet. You whispered out a ‘yes’ as he slipped a thick finger inside of you, pumping it once, twice before adding a second. “Fuck Poe, don’t stop.”

His thumb circled your clit as his fingers pressed inside you. You clenched around him, your orgasm blindsiding you and making your stomach flutter. Poe dragged his fingers out of you, bringing them up to his lips. Watching his tongue swirl around his fingers collecting your arousal made your pussy ache with need.

Your hands immediately unbuttoned his pants and he pushed them off with his briefs. You hooked your leg around his waist and pushed him onto his back, the underside of his cock against your pussy. You kissed him quick before making your way down to his neck, biting just above his clavicle.

“No bite marks,” his throat vibrated underneath your lips and you felt his breath catch as you palmed him over his briefs. “I’m teaching all day Monday.”

His reasons were as valid as yours, but you knew he was teasing as well. You kissed down his sternum, the metal of his necklace cool on your lips, and looked up at him from under your lashes.

“You could rock a scarf.”

Poe sat up, grabbing your face and kissing you hard as he flipped you back onto your back. You squealed at being manhandled that way and it surprised you how much you like it. Poe pulled away long enough to reach onto the nightstand and grab a condom. He tore the package open and you took it from his hand.

“Let me,” you said softly. You pumped his cock gently, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the tip and licking the pre-cum off your lips as you rolled the condom down the length. Poe thought he could’ve cum right on the spot. He pushed you back and lined his cock up with your entrance. He looked up at you, checking to make sure you were still good. You nodded and he sunk into you slowly, the both of you moaning as your back began to arch. He pulled out nearly all the way, the head of his cock remaining in side you and pushed in again at a slower pace, the month apart making you need a minute to adjust to his impressive size.

“Poe—god, so—“ A big swing of his hips silenced you, a victorious grin on his face. He grabbed your thighs, wrapping them around his waist and thrust into you. Your back arched when he hit that particular spot inside of you, the one that made the coil inside you start to tighten.

He sat back on his knees, scooping you up and hauling you into his lap. Your arms went around his neck to steady yourself as he rocked up into you and you caught a glimpse of a tattoo on the back of his shoulder. The new angle made him drive even deeper into you and when you rolled against his hips, the moan you released was downright pornographic. His large hands grabbed your ass, his fingers digging into your cheeks as he bounced you in his lap.

“You feel so good.” Poe’s mouth latched onto your breast, sucking marks onto the skin while his tongue flicked over your nipple.

“Fuck, Poe—I’m close—“

Poe increased your pace on his cock, slamming into you to bring you your release. Your eyes nearly rolled back into your head.

“Poe—“

“Look at me,” Poe grasped your hair, keeping your head in place. You opened your eyes. His eyes held a look of determination. “That’s it sweetheart, cum.”

You came apart in his arms, ecstasy taking over you and your moan sinful as your fingers tugged his hair. Poe tipped you back onto the mattress, grunting as he came. His thrusts slowed as you both rode out your highs, your bodies glistening with sweat as he collapsed on top of you. He was heavy on you, but it kept you grounded when you felt like your body was going to levitate. Your legs were twitching with pleasure as Poe rolled off of you. He caught his breath before getting up to discard the condom. When he came back, he slipped his boxers on and picked up his t-shirt, making no effort to put any more clothes back on. He pulled you up by your hand and slipped the t-shirt over your head. Your heart fluttered at the tenderness of the action. He was making sure you were comfortable since the blankets were bunched up and wrinkled underneath you and you had noenergy to move beneath them. You flopped back down on the bed and Poe lay next to you, looking at you with a lazy smile on his face.

“I think you nearly killed me this time.” You said, still attempting to catch your breath. Poe laughed, his eyes crinkling at the edges. He knew just as well as you that this time was hookup was different and much more preferred. While it was just as quick and deliciously filthy as it was in the alleyway, you both had more time to get to know each other’s bodies and what made the other tick, which you took full advantage of. “I meant to ask you, why are we at a hotel?”

“I may or may not have locked my keys in my apartment when I was rushing to get Beebs out.”

You laughed loudly, the smile never leaving your face as he told you the full story. At the end of it, you joked with him, telling him it was going to become your mission to steal his adorable dog. He then asked about your holiday and you asked about his. The conversation was easy and effortless, like you were friends; friends who had just fucked each other’s brains out, but friends nonetheless. You heard your phone ring a few times, but couldn’t find yourself to go find it. Talking with Poe was much more interesting than anything anyone on the other end could say. The conversation turned to the current semester, how things were going from both a student’s and professor’s point of view, and then it turned to Halloween.

“So, I’m curious,” you said, rolling onto your side and resting your head on your outstretched arm. “You were awfully quick to seduce me at the bar—“

“You were quick to say yes.”

“How long had you been thinking about this?”

“Awhile.” He answered, shrugging his shoulders when you raised your eyebrows. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“How many times have you thought about fucking me?”

The directness of the way he spoke was making you hot, making you wet and your thighs sticky with arousal. You hummed thoughtfully, trying to decide if you wanted to tell him just how long you had thought about him. Poe seemed to notice your hesitation and gave you a suggestive look.

“Tell me,” His voice was soft but demanding as his fingers playing with the hem of his t-shirt as he inched closer.

You stretched your other arm above your head, your movements cat-like as you stretched. His eyes followed and settled briefly on your chest.

“Probably like once a week since the first day of your class.” You admitted with a flirty smile. Poe rolled over onto you, stretching his body along yours and holding your wrists above your head with one of his hands. The other traced the curve of your breast, gently playing with your nipple. He rolled his hips against yours.

“Is that so?”

You arched your eyebrow, giving him a look that dared him to do something about it. He leaned down, his lips brushing over yours, when your phone started going off for the third time.

“Oh my god.” You were annoyed, both at the person trying to call you and yourself for not turning your phone on silent. Poe got off of you and grabbed your phone, handing it to you. You huffed in annoyance when you saw your sister’s name.

“Hello?” You pressed your finger against Poe’s lips, urging him to keep quiet. He gently bit the top of your finger before sucking it into his mouth. You clenched your thighs together.

“So get this, Chris forgot to tell me—“

Whatever she was saying about her husband, you didn’t hear. You were too focused on Poe, who had pushed his shirt up and started tracing your tattoo with his tongue. He then moved down and lifted your leg, settling it over his shoulder, and without warning licked a strip from your slit to your clit, making you gasp.

“You ok?”

You squirmed under Poe and he laid his arm across the lower part of your stomach to keep you in place. He’d proven to be good with his mouth, but this was an entirely different kind of pleasure.

“Yeah, just ran into the corner of a table.” You felt Poe smile against you and bit your lip to keep from crying out. He inserted two fingers into you, curling them in succession with every flick of his tongue against your clit.

“Short notice, I know, but do you want to do happy hour tonight? Say, 7 o’clock at Coakley’s?”

You glanced at the clock on the nightstand, seeing it read 5:30. Between the sex and the conversation, you had been there for hours without realizing it.

“Sure, sounds—“ You pulled the phone away from your mouth, biting your lip to silence a whimper as Poe worked you towards your orgasm. “Sounds good.”

“Are you sure you’re ok?”

“Yeah, fine, that table just really hurt.” You tugged his hair with your free hand and he eased off, removing his fingers just as you were teetering on the edge. You whined at the loss of contact as he nibbled at the skin of your inner thighs. “I’ll see you at 7.”

You made sure you were disconnected before throwing your phone aside and moaning loudly as Poe delved his tongue into your pussy like a man starved. He was quick to bring you back to the brink of orgasm. Your legs trembled against him as you came hard,the pleasure overtaking you and making you lose all train of thought. Poe withdrew his fingers, running them through his mouth and collecting the rest of your juices. He kissed your sensitive folds once more before crawling back up your body, licking his lips as he did.

“That was so cruel.” You said breathlessly, but the smile on your face showed you didn’t mean it one bit. You swiped your thumb on his chin, collecting what remained of your juices and sucking it into your mouth. He pressed his lips to yours, his tongue slipping into your mouth and letting you taste more of yourself.

“You have to get going.” He muttered as he pulled away, lifting himself off of you and pulling you up.

“I do.” You frowned, reluctantly getting off the bed. Your legs were still shaky with instability. “I feel like I’m always slipping out on you. But I can’t go to drinks with my sister smelling like I just spent the last couple hours having sex.”

You gathered up your clothes, making sure you were leaving nothing behind. You looked in the mirror above the dresser, trying to make your hair look somewhat presentable and making sure the hickeys you told Poe not to leave were completely covered.

“I’m being serious, you know.” You said, putting your underwear on. They were still damp and it made you tingle with the memory. “I’m going to steal your dog.”

“I don’t know about stealing him, but you’ll meet him when we do this again.”

You looked over your shoulder as you buttoned your jeans.

“Yeah? Again?”

“Oh yeah.”

“Good.” You slipped your jacket on and walked towards him. “Because this is a lot of fun.”

Poe stood from the bed and slipped his hand into your hair, pulling you into one last kiss. It was softer than the ones you’d previously shared. He pulled away and whispered ‘bye’ against your lips, pecking them once more before releasing you. You grabbed your purse and left with a wave and a wink.

He made you absolutely giddy. If someone had told you that you were going to have a sexual relationship with your professor, you would’ve laughed in his or her face. What made it so great for you was how natural your chemistry was. It was good, lighthearted, sexy fun, something that both of you craved during stressful times.

For the first time in awhile, you couldn’t wait to get back to school.

[vegetalass]

RDR2 Boys Cooking + Eating Habits

Arthur 

Somebody else on here wrote some headcanons about Arthur not being able to cook and just eating microwave food all the time and I just have to say…. That’s canon 

Lowkey though he’s trying his best to get better at cooking

Probably the only thing he knows how to make is pasta 

He adds a bunch of random frozen veggies to water as the noodles are cooking 

And then smothers the whole thing in butter and calls it a meal

Or he puts marinara sauce on it straight from the jar 

And yes, that means it’s cold

He’s also getting better at friend rice, too

But he’s really bad at actually making rice 

If he doesn’t add too much water… He burns the bottom 

Charles makes a mental note to buy him a rice cooker for his birthday 

Makes his own popsicles out of random fruit juices and eats them 24/7 

Thinks this qualifies him as a chef

Eats pickles and olives straight out of the jar with a fork 

And sauerkraut too probably 

Just goes over to john’s house on his pizza nights 

Puts ketchup on eggs

John 

Pizza dad 

Probably orders pizza, salad, and a 64oz soda twice a week 

Everything else is just Dino chicken nuggets, Eggos, hot dogs, quesadillas, and frozen peas and corn 

Food you feed to little kids, basically 

Mostly because he does have a little kid 

But also because it’s easy and takes minimal effort and he doesn’t mind eating it, too

Abigail would be mad but she has no room to talk

The most you’ll see him actually make is buttered pasta (like Arthur) or sometimes beans and rice 

Abigail bought them a rice cooker a while ago so that’s one thing he doesn’t have to worry about 

Probably always has some type of dessert laying around 

Doesn’t mean it’s good, but it’s there 

Abigail buys a bunch of those gross, low calorie ice creams and John ends up having to finishing them 

Family lunches consist of a bologna sandwich on wheat bread with American cheese and mayo, a piece of fruit, a bag of chips or crackers, a go-gurt, and some gummies 

And yes he makes them for himself and Abigail too 

They’re all eating good at the Marston household 

(Not really)

Charles 

Everything he cooks are things that can’t be made in single batches 

Lots of healthy soups, chilis, stew, etc…

Most of the time, he makes too much of whatever it is so he always has leftovers 

Everyone is jealous when he brings them for lunch

Probably finds all of his recipes in the newspaper or random magazines he reads while at the grocery store checkout line

Everyone is like, “Charles… Why are you reading Women’s Fitness?” 

And he’s like, “Check out this salad recipe, though”

Puts hot sauce on everything 

Salad, macaroni and cheese, hamburgers... You name it 

And he’s the king of snacking

All of his snacks are healthy, though

Raw veggies and fruit and quinoa chips from Whole Foods or something like that

Nobody likes this

He’s one of those people who brings hard boiled eggs everywhere as a “snack,” too

And yea, he puts hot sauce on those, also 

He really likes those weird protein bars that are hard to bite into and taste like chalk 

The flavors are either normal stuff like white chocolate macadamia or Protein Power Punch with whey, chia and seaweed 

There’s no in between 

He’s also a charcuterie board legend

Hosea is jealous of this talent

Micah

Spends all his money on take out 

He’s totally one of those weird people who’s entire trash can is just filled with take out boxes and cans of coke or beer

Constantly eating fast food 

You ask him what he bought at the supermarket and he’s like “Pub mix and bud light” 

SIR 

Everything that he does manage to cook only involve one step of preparation 

Unseasoned, fried meats and boiled veggies 

Sometimes scrambled eggs and bacon

If he’s feeling fancy, he will make plain sandwiches

This is very rare, though

Can and will complain about anyone’s cooking

Even if it’s good and he he likes it

There are certain people he can’t do this to, though, or they won’t let him eat

The only person’s cooking he doesn’t complain about is Dutch’s

Constantly snacking from an entire party sized bag of chips

And yes, he eats straight out of the bag and wipes his fingers on his jeans

His oven is dirty

Hosea 

A meal for him is probably a handful of almonds and an applesauce or yogurt cup 

He is constantly making a bunch of those Tik Tok recipes where you just put a bunch of random stuff into your crock pot and add ranch seasoning and cream cheese

*insert all of those memes about mom pulling out the crock pot*

If you complain, he says “Well, you’re always welcome to cook, too”

Wears an apron when he cooks

Constantly eating plain toast with butter

And bananas 

And cheese sticks

Thinks that this makes him “healthy” 

Definitely likes to snack on those cocktail fruit cups and canned mandarin oranges

His entire freezer is just full of ice cream 

It’s all weird flavors like Cherry Garcia, chocolate banana, and pistachio though

Everyone hates him for this

Raisins are his late night treat 

Has a secret stash of candy no one can find 

That’s okay though because it’s mostly Werthers Originals

And Chiclets gum

He picks out all the orange ones, though

Dutch

Tries to re-plate takeout so he can call it his own

Everybody sees through this but they stopped commenting on it like four Thanksgivings ago 

Buys a bunch of those meals from Costco that all you need to do is heat up in the oven

He does like fast food but only from the less popular places

Carl’s Jr., Wendy’s, BK, Arby’s, etc. 

A&W, too, because he’s old and weird

He can totally cook, he just never does 

It’s just normal stuff like spaghetti and meatballs or chicken and rice, though

Tuna fish casserole

He over-seasons everything, though

Mostly because he’s trying to prove that he’s a good cook 

Eats dessert twice, every night 

Once right after dinner, and then later when he’s feeling like a treat 

Will eat in bed

Uses a little bib and tray and everything 

Likes pumpkin and sunflower seeds

Would eat hot wings with gloves on 

He’s the one who taught Arthur to put ketchup on eggs 

Kieran 

The second I realized that Kieran would probably be white trash, my life changed 

Hamburger Helper meals for LIFE

That one cheeseburger pasta? Kieran probably eats that three times a week 

He 100% makes the ketchup-butter sketti from Honey Boo Boo 

“It’s been a while since I done had roadkill in my belly”

His favorite dessert is ambrosia salad or that weird yogurt/Cool Whip covered jello that was popular in the 2000s

Probably has a TV dinner every once in a while, too

Instant mashed potatoes and minute rice type of guy 

Also gives me big microwave cheddar broccoli vibes 

I’ve said this before, but his house is probably stocked with all kinds of on-brand goodies 

Probably always has some kind of chip and cookie around 

Eats dinner in front of the TV

Dips french fries in mayonnaise

All of this said though, he isn’t a picky eater and will eat whatever is put on his plate 

That’s why he’s great to take to restaurants, because he never complains

Honestly it’s just so sweet to think of him making big crockpot meals to share with ppl even if his cooking is a lil.... strange 

Javier

Thinks that the hot dog combo from Costco is a suitable dinner 

Also gets hot food from the grocery store for dinner a lot

Literally will just heat up a can of something and eat it plain 

Beans, chili, soup… 

Doesn’t doctor it up or change it at all 

He’s happy to share but no one wants any

Chips and dip, 24/7

And it’s just Tostitos Hint of Lime chips and hummus

Probably puts hummus on everything, too 

Corn chips, tortilla chips, tortillas, vegetables, sandwiches, etc. 

Will put anything in a tortilla and call it a sandwich 

Eats leftovers cold 

The rest of the gang thinks this is a sin

Makes stir fry with whatever is laying around the house

It’s a little gross because he will try to add leftover beans

Refuses to eat fast food

The only exception he’ll make is for french fries and ice cream

Walks around and eats at the same time

Isn’t above asking the other boys to share with him 

Despite the fact that this only happens if what they’re eating is good

Which is almost never

Sean

Sean can’t cook. That’s the end of it

The most he can make is that weird microwave Mac and cheese where the pasta is boiled in the mug?? 

He never does it tho and just sticks with the normal, frozen Mac and Cheese you can microwave instead

Uses his microwaving ability to make mug cakes

And microwave scrambled eggs

Burns his popcorn every single time

He’s probably set of the smoke detector or fire alarm multiple times

He’s Irish though so of course he’s addicted to potatoes and cabbage

And since he’s from the UK, he likes stuff like beans on toast and marmite

He’s a little nasty too so catch him eating bologna sandwiches on wonder bread

Not even the Marstons are that bad

When he does get takeout, he overspends trying to use a delivery app 

He’s like, “And do I need the extra side of special sauce for $5…? Yes.” 

Cooks like this 

[lespetitesmortsde]

Any chance of a continuation of the Banana bread FF because I need more like right now? it was so freaking cute omfg pretty please with a cherry on top?!🙈

I’m sorry it took so long, but here it is:

Chloe’s been in her house for a week and has spent every evening texting Beca after she gets home from work. The day she’d first met Beca, she texted herself from Beca’s phone so that she’d have her number.

Ever since, Chloe’s been using it liberally. She can’t use it during the day because she doesn’t want her students picking up bad habits from her. They’re at the age of ten, highly influential, and she wants them to know she’s 100% there during their time together.

Trying to be a good role model can be difficult.

She doesn’t text Beca directly after school either. Usually she has a meeting of some kind, either with a parent, a colleague, or a student. Then, instead of bringing her work home with her, she stays at her desk marking or prepping future lesson plans.

When she gets home, though, after she’s showered, Beca’s phone is open season.

Sometimes she starts by saying hello to her favourite baker. Other times she asks Beca about her day. Most often, though, she just launches into a story about one of her kids from that day.

Chloe: So I gave them a word association test today

Beca: I thought you needed informed consent before you could run psychological experiments on kids?

Chloe: Not for that reason!

Beca: lol

Chloe: You’re the worst.

Beca: Alright, I’m sorry. You were saying?

Chloe: Okay so

Beca: Wait how long is this story?

Chloe: BECA!

Beca: What?! We live next door. If it’s a long story you might as well just come over and tell it to me in person.

Chloe: I’m in the middle of making dinner.

Beca: Cool. I haven’t eaten yet. Be right over.

Chloe looks down at the takeout menu in her hand. “Crap.” Someone knocks at the door. Chloe looks at the pile of takeout menus on the counter. “Coming!” she shouts, tossing the one she was holding on top and sweeping the lot into a random drawer.

When she opens the door, Beca is on her doorstep with a bottle of wine in each hand. “I didn’t know if you preferred red or white,” she shrugged. “So I brought both.” Chloe steps to the side, blushing a little in embarrassment because Beca’s going to find out really soon that she can’t really cook.

Beca walks past her into the house and slips off her shoes. Finally she actually looks at Chloe. Concern hits her eyes immediately. “Hey, is something wrong? Oh my God, I’m sorry, I totally just invited myself over without even asking and, ugh, I’m sorry I’m such a dick,” she chastises herself, putting the bottles down on the table Chloe’s placed in the hall and leaning down to put her shoes back on.

Chloe’s too enamoured at how cute and awkward Beca’s being; it takes three seconds too long for her to put a hand on Beca’s arm. “No!” Chloe denies strongly. “Don’t go,” she continues and Beca at least pauses. “You don’t have to leave,” Chloe adds.

“Dude, no, I should, I was like super rude-”

“Stay please! I’m just embarrassed,” Chloe admits, shifting her weight on her feet.

Beca looks up, at the moment seemingly convinced not to leave. “Why?”

Chloe’s cheeks turn red. “I, uh, wasn’t technically cooking…”

Beca nods. “I was gonna say, for someone in the middle of dinner prep it does not at all smell of food in here.”

Chloe covers her face with her hands as Beca chuckles softly. “I know! I was going through takeout menus.”

Beca brushes Chloe’s hands off of her face. “So why not just say that?”

Vaguely, Chloe gestures at Beca’s whole body. Beca just stares back, confused.

“What, is there something on my shirt?” Beca asks, as she looks down at herself and starts twisting around to try and find a stain.

Chloe fights the urge to roll her eyes. “No, you look great, of course you do, it’s just that you’re, like, a super talented baker and I can barely make mac and cheese from a box,” Chloe says, eyes downcast.

Beca nudges her. “Relax, Chlo, the great thing about modernity is that cooking is not a required skill.” A little unsure, Beca pats Chloe on the arm. “Honestly? Without a recipe, I am at a loss with cooking. Baking and cooking are not the same thing, like at all.” She nods at the menu in Chloe’s hands. “I should show you my own collection.”

Smiling shyly, Chloe grabs a couple more menus from beside the fridge and offers them to Beca. “What are you in the mood for tonight?”

Sorting through them, Beca adopts a comically unsure expression, breaking a little into a smile when Chloe giggles. After another shuffle through, Beca raises an eyebrow and declares, “Do you trust me?”

Chloe laughs. “I trusted you even before I knew you,” she says, referring to the banana bread that still sometimes stars in her daydreams.

“Okay,” Beca says easily. “No food allergies?”

Chloe shakes her head.

“No peeking, Beale,” Beca instructs as she pulls out her phone and then she wanders into Chloe’s living room.

Beca dials up her favourite delivery restaurant in town, and waits for Linda to pick up.

“Fortune City Inn, how can I help you?”

“Hey Linda,” Beca says, looking back to check Chloe’s location. She moves farther away from her friend.

“Beca! The usual?” Linda asks, real elation entering her voice.

“Actually no, I’m going to branch out a bit. M goy ngau naam wonton mein, suk mi guy tong, yeung jow chow faan, hoyow gai lan, and jeeu pai chow mein.”

“You’re going to have leftovers!” Linda laughs. “Alright, it’ll be there in 35 minutes.”

“Oh, can you actually deliver it to the house beside mine?” Beca asks, then rattles off Chloe’s address.

“No problem,” Linda says. “Will you need the machine?”

“Yeah, please.”

“Okay, enjoy your evening!”

“You, too!” Beca hangs up and goes back into the kitchen. “Okay, food will be here in about half an hour. What should we do until then?”

Chloe grins, “Netflix?”

Beca laughs. “I still can’t believe that that was the first thing you set up for your new place, right after your Internet.”

“What can I say, TV is important to me!”

Beca smiles indulgently. “What are we watching, then?”

Chloe happily claps a little as she goes to grab her laptop from her office and sets it up on the coffee table. “I’ll set it up if you get the drinks?”

“Sure thing,” Beca agrees. She walks over to Chloe’s random utensil drawer and pulls out the wine opener. She uncorks the bottle of white and grabs two glasses from beside the sink.

When she gets back to the couch, Chloe has her portable speaker set up and the Netflix intro screen up.

“So you never answered what we’re watching…”

“You’ll find out! It’s a comedy though.”

Beca rolls her eyes. “Yup, that narrows it down for sure.”

Chloe glares playfully. “Watch it, Mitchell, I could still throw on a rom-com movie instead.”

Hastily, Beca hits the spacebar and sits back against the couch while the intro plays. Chloe smiles triumphantly and settles against Beca’s side.

“I’m assuming you haven’t seen any of this so we’re starting at the beginning. The new season comes out tomorrow.”

“Great, Chlo,” Beca says. “Still haven’t got a clue what it is.”

“Wait for it…” Chloe warns and after another few scenes,” One Day at a Time” appears on the side of the building.

“Isn’t this from the fifties or something?”

Chloe shakes her head. “It’s a remake and it’s awesome. Now shush.” And she devotes her attention to the screen in front of them in such a way that Beca has to follow suit.

Beca has to admit, it’s pretty funny. And even though knowing someone as overdramatic as Lydia in real life would suck, she might be Beca’s favourite character.

Halfway through the second episode, Chloe’s doorbell rings, and Beca immediately jumps for the door. Chloe takes the time to pause the show before following Beca out to her hallway.

Beca’s already got her card in the machine. The man at the door waves to Chloe and then he tears off Beca’s receipt.

“Do zeh,” she calls after him and then closes the door. She turns around to see Chloe behind her.

“What language is that?” Chloe asks, holding her arms out to help Beca carry the bags of food.

“Uh, Cantonese,” Beca says, and then walks right by Chloe to the kitchen.

“Where did you learn Cantonese?” Chloe asks, sounding both surprised and impressed.

“Oh, my mom and I used to go there a lot. The owner, Linda, taught us how to say some of the things we like in Canto, so now we can always impress, or maybe entertain is the better word, the ladies at different Chinese restaurants,” Beca answers as she pulls containers out of the bags and sets them on Chloe’s counter.

“Can I hear some?” Chloe asks as she pulls plates from a cupboard and digs around for napkins.

Beca laughs, “Maybe some other time, Beale, I have such a white person accent it’s not even funny.” She tosses a package of chopsticks on each plate.

“Still, it’s cool that you try,” Chloe says. She looks at Beca for a moment. Beca’s not sure what crosses Chloe’s face before she’s turning away to grab some serving utensils.

“Thanks.” Beca’s not sure why she blushes either.

“It smells delicious, but what am I eating?” Chloe asks, inspecting the various dishes. “I mean, clearly this is some sort of fried rice, this is a soup with corn? And this is wonton soup with noodles and some kind of meat, but anything more specific than that, I’m lost.”

“Oh right,” Beca says, and then steps closer to Chloe to differentiate the dishes with her pointer finger. “So I got us some house special fried rice, beef brisket and wonton noodle soup, creamy chicken and corn egg drop soup, and house special chow mein. Oh, and some oyster sauce gai lan.”

“Cool, let me grab a couple of bowls for the soup and some spoons, and then we can either migrate our Netflix set-up to the kitchen table or we can eat on the couch.”

“I don’t want to accidentally ruin your couch with sauce or soup or something, so we should probably move to the table,” Beca said, going over to move the computer onto the table.

“If you grab the shoebox from beside the couch, we can prop the laptop up for better ergonomics,” Chloe suggests as she closes a cupboard and places bowls beside the plates on the counter. She slips a spoon onto each plate too.

Beca finds the shoebox and does as she’s told and then joins Chloe back at the food. She serves them both some of each soup while Chloe fills her plate with little piles of everything else. Beca takes their bowls of soups over to the table before going back to load up her own plate.

After sitting down, Chloe breaks her chopsticks and then hits play just as Beca slides into the chair beside her. She’s brought a couple of little plastic containers with her, and opens them.

“So by all means try the soup without this stuff,” Beca says as the One Day at a Time intro plays through. “But if you want a little extra flavour, Linda sent some white pepper and soy sauce.” And then Beca proceeds to dump a small mound of white pepper into her soup, circling it with a couple rings of soy sauce.

Chloe nods and tries the soup. It’s good, but it’s also kind of basic, so she follows Beca’s lead and adds the flavouring agents, albeit in smaller doses than Beca did. Then she heaps some noodles, rice, and gai lan onto her plate.

“Want some of the wonton soup?” Beca asks as Elena and Alex bicker on screen.

“Oh, sure, thanks,” Chloe says, throwing a brief smile in Beca’s direction.

They watch two episodes, both of them managing to put away impressive mounds of food. Beca helps wrap up some leftover noodles and rice and tucks them into the back corner of Chloe’s fridge. Meanwhile, Chloe refills their wine glasses, draining the last of the bottle into Beca’s glass and opening a new one for her own.

“Back to the couch?” Chloe asks, calling through to the kitchen. Beca’s head pops out of the doorway.

“Sounds great, I’m just wrapping things up,” Beca says, making a face at her unexpected pun. Chloe laughs at her and then goes about moving their Netflix setup back to the couch.

They settle in with their wine and watch another three episodes, Chloe leaning against Beca’s side as Elena and Alex share a moment followed by a hug.

Completely ignoring the show still going on, Chloe moves her face closer to Beca’s. “Hey, are you okay?”

Beca’s eyes make a watery glance toward Chloe. “You said this was a comedy, Beale.” Her voice sounds a little choked up. The episode fades to the credits and Chloe quickly reaches over to prevent it from going to the next. When she looks back, Beca is gazing at her softly, the watery quality to her eyes seemingly dissipating. Chloe leans in closer to Beca, and she swears Beca leans in closer too.

At the last second, Beca pulls back slightly. “I think I’ve embarrassed myself enough for the evening and should probably head home.

And just like that, reality comes rushing back to Chloe. She smiles, a little tightly, “Not embarrassed, Becs, but yeah, I can see you out.” She gets up off the couch and Beca follows, taking a moment to take her empty wine glass to the kitchen before meeting Chloe at the door.

“Next time, you gotta prepare me for the feels, okay?” Beca says, sliding on her shoes.

“You should probably just always be ready for the feels in that show,” Chloe advises.

They hesitate in the doorway once Beca’s shoes are on and there’s nothing left to chat about. Before Chloe can bring up the elephant in the room, Beca squeaks out, “Okay, well, see you around, Chlo,” and opens the door before disappearing to her own house.

She closes the door, locks it, and goes back to throw herself upon the couch, already replaying the evening and asking where she went wrong reading the signals.

[mariposalass]

Weird Candy Cane Tasting (Candy Canes)

Summary: Mari, Philip, Ron, and the Gru girls taste some weird tasting candy canes and their reactions to them are absolutely priceless.

Notes: My Day 3 entry for @silentlyfangirlingselfshipper​’s A Very Shippy Christmas event with the theme of candy canes. It’s just a short drabble of Philip, Ron, Mari, Margo, Edith and Agnes trying out a plenty of weird candy cane flavors and the results are pretty awkward to put it nicely. Diabetics or people whose families have a medical history of diabetes should be careful in reading this: this might make you squick in horror with plenty of sugar involved.

Tags: a very shippy Christmas, Christmas, Defying Time, Renewed Potential, Weasley the King, Orphanage Sweethearts, candy canes, sugar time, warning: sugar intake, crossovers, fluff, weird candy cane flavors, chaos ensues, spicy flavors

Modern holiday traditions and trends both perplex and amaze Philip at the same time: for one, he is trying to wrap his head around with the whole celebration shindig that the people of the present day are raving about, but on the same note, he’s quite intrigued by their interest in keeping the holiday spirit alive and well. After all, in his old timeline, there were simpler times then and sometimes using candles on trees might sound like a bad idea in hindsight.

It was a calm normal day in the shopping mall when he becomes all too curious about candy canes in general: he, Ron, and Mari were accompanying Margo, Edith, and Agnes at the mall while the girls’ parents, Gru and Lucy, are on a complicated and hard mission for the AVL at the moment. Mari doesn’t think letting the Minions to after the girls will stay as a good idea so she has Philip and Ron to help her out in the event of Edith and Agnes get lost; Margo, she knows, can look after her when solo, so she isn’t too hard to handle. They were passing by a nearby candy chop when he stopped to see what is available for the season: among the sweets being sold were candy canes of various colors, flavors, and manufacturers, and, since he’s fully aware of Edith and Agnes having a sweet tooth and mainly out of curiosity over the candy canes, he brought this up to them, and the response is mixed to say the least.

“We’re going to get CANDY CANES today!?!” Agnes shirked in happiness upon hearing his words.

“This is so awesome,” Edith happily gasped, her jaws feeling like they’re dropping onto the ground.

“Philip, you know that my sisters can be handful at times if they are anywhere near sugar, right?” Margo asked in concern, she wasn’t too crazy over sweets unlike her sisters though she loves to get some once in a while.

“Well, I...”

“Errr… Won’t the girls’ parents get mad at us for bringing them to the candy store without them knowing?” Ron brought up a big concern to his friend’s sister’s boyfriend while they look at Agnes and Edith jumping around in excitement.

“Can we go inside the store now, PLEASE!!!” the 2 younger girls pleaded, puppy dog eyes widen to get some sympathy.

“Do we have a choice?” Ron asked Mari.

“Don’t get me wrong, Ron, I didn’t expect a candy store detour either, but… I didn’t want the girls to feel deprived of something they really want so much,” Mari mused on the thoughts before making her decision, “We can check out those candy canes Philip’s being talking about.”

“WHA-” Ron’s shock was cut off by a concerned Margo who then told him to bear with her sisters’ eagerness and Philip’s curiosity for a while, to which he reluctantly agreed.

The candy store is not heavily packed of customers when they got inside and the candy display is filled to the brim with all sorts of candies: lollipops, gummi candies, gum drops, candy tapes, and, the candy of the day, candy canes. Ron’s thoughts soon turned from worry to amazement as the contents inside are starting to remind him of the Honeydukes candy shop back in Hogsmeade, temptation is creeping upon him but he is smart enough not to let animal instinct to go nuts in a candy store. One of the staff, a store clerk, running the store saw them coming in along with a few more customers from outside and had offered them candy canes, chopped into bite sized pieces, for any customer to try out. The pieces range in color and flavor, but who knows what the latter would taste like unless you try it yourself. People soon grabbed some of the pieces and popped in their mouths, trying to savor them as humanely as possible, though some people aren’t so lucky in picking the flavors in hindsight.

Mari randomly popped in a yellow/white stripped piece which she though would be lemon, but it turns out to be Mac and Cheese, which is interesting in the mouth but not pleasant enough in candy form for the picky librarian. Ron had his eyes closed and doubt in his mind as he picked up a green and white colored candy cane piece and tasted it, only to gag on it a few seconds in and realized from the store clerk’s speedy answer that he had gotten pickle flavored candy cane. Shocked to discovered that his beloved Mari and Ron weren’t so lucky, Philip absentmindedly selected a gray black/white striped candy cane piece and, the minute he popped it into his mouth, he was horrified to discover that he had eaten a coal flavored candy cane.

“Oh dear Lord, what kind of blasphemy is this?” he gagged in between words as he raced to get water in the store.

“Well bloody hell! I didn’t expect pickles to be a thing in normal candies lately,” Ron gasped while trying to erase his mind of the dreadful pickle candy cane.

“It seems that my luck at the mac n cheese candy cane seems to look sane so far,” Mari nodded back as she turned to Margo, “Hey Margo, what’s that candy cane piece you have going to taste like?”

“Hopefully it doesn’t taste like soap,” the eldest Gru sister sighed, holding onto a brown and beige piece of candy cane before she dropped it into her mouth then began to grimace at the taste of it, “Hmm… Tastes so bitter and so unpleasant… Huh?!? I got Coffee! Dad & Mom wouldn’t ever give me, Edith, and Agnes that as long as we all live.”

“What the-” Mari was panicking at the words her cousin spoke when Edith grabbed onto some light green candy cane pieces.

“Eh, they’re just candy, guys! Besides, how bad those green things I have now can be?” she innocently asked everyone as she tossed the candy pieces onto her mouth before her face started to cringe at the first taste and began to pant her tongue much faster than a dehydrated dog and began to scream in horror.

“Edith!” Margo cried as she did her best to comfort her sister in that dire moment when Mari picked up a box that featured the candy canes in the same color scheme as the ones Edith tasted and made a terrifying discovery, “It turns out Edith took some wasabi candy cane pieces without knowing that too much wasabi can mess up your tongue and taste buds.”

“Unbelievable!” Philip’s eyes widen in shock while drinking up the water from the water dispenser in the store and giving one more cup of water for Edith to drink from, “She didn’t even took a second look to be sure?”

But before anyone can give a conclusive answer, the most awkward and scariest of them all came when Agnes unsuspectingly took in some piece of chopped candy canes in a dazzling array of white, red, and green; it seems to look seasonal enough, right? Turns out that this was a bad idea in the end when her face slowly turned tomato red and began to cry profusely with tears running down her eyes. Margo was shocked that little Aggie had unwittingly eaten something her little body isn’t ready to feast on yet, so she and Edith (after recovering from her wasabi candy cane nightmare) ran up to her and did their best to calm her and make sure that everything will be fine.

Mari, after being given the location of the water dispenser from Philip, headed for the said water dispenser, took a cup, filled it with water, and ran back to Agnes who took the cup from her and began to drink all the water very fast with no second thoughts. Once Agnes finally regained control of herself, everyone had a sigh of relief, though this whole candy cane tasting shenanigans did taught everyone in the store.

“You know something?” Mari spoke to her friends as they left the candy store, still dazed from the events that had transpired there, “Sometimes, you can’t always successfully re-invent the wheel and expect great success from it. And candy flavors are no exceptions.”

“I agree, Mari,” Ron noted it, “They’re just like Bertie Botts’ Every Flavour Beans back home, you never know what kind of flavor your mouth is going to get until it goes inside, and the results can be very weird.”

“Absolutely on point, Ronald,” Philip nodded back, “I still don’t understand why some of those people thought it was a good idea to experiment with those kinds of flavors, even if they’re not that bad with the actual food they’re based on.”

“Well, Philip, that’s the crazy world of modern candy making to you,” Margo sighed, “Sometimes, it’s best to stick with the classics, especially during the holidays.”

The End

[mycandylavynder]

Christmas Date

Nathaniel - Rayan - Priya - Hyun

Castiel

"Hey. If you aren't busy this morning could you come over for a bit? I could use your help with something." You see this text message from Castiel when you wake up around 11 in the morning.

"Yeah, I can. I'm free until 2:30. What did you need help with?" You text back, curiousity at full peak as your brain slowly wakes up. Why would Cas want your help?

"Cool. I'll text you the address. Just come over whenever you're ready."

You stare at your phone for a few seconds, but the only message that comes through is the one with the address. You wonder if he ignored the ladder part of your text on purpose but decide to get ready anyway.

After you are dressed and have packed your bag, you look at the address again. It sounds familiar but you still have to GPS it. As you begin to recognize the location on the screen, nostalgia hits as you think about the place you first got to "know" Castiel. Your face reddens as you recall that night, but you quickly put the memory away to set out on your walk.

As you are walking, you pass a liquor store and decide it might be best not to show up empty handed. You buy a pack of pricey craft beer and set back on your journey. The memory of your steamy nights at his parents' come back to mind when the building comes to view. But like a seasoned pro, you bottle them back up. No sense in reading the past when you are ready to write out your future.

You press the intercom and Castiel let's you in. You walk a flight of steps until you come to the apartment door. You give a gentle knock and hear him approach from the other side before the door opens.

"Hi. That was quick." He says as he helps you take off your jacket.

"Yeah, this wasn't as far of a walk as I remembered." You hand him the package of beer before taking off your boots and setting your bag beside it.

He examines the label on the box while you do this. "Dragons milk? How'd you know I like this?"

"I do my homework." You say giving him a playful wink.

"I don't doubt that." The redhead says as you catch his smoldering gaze roaming over your figure. You're wearing a low cut white v-neck shirt, blue highwaist jeans with slits at the knees, and a long black fuzzy cardigan. You're lovely mane is fishtailed into a single braid and a black velvety choker wraps around your neck. You bite back a smile, confident you know what he's thinking. And as cute and casual as you are, you feel a bit over dressed. Castiel is wearing a black band T with gray joggers. His red locks pulled into a messy ponytail.

"So Castiel, what exactly did you need my help for?" You finally ask.

"Follow me to the kitchen." He says as he leads the way.

You lift an eyebrow but don't say a word as you take in the old familiar sights of his parents apartment. When you enter the kitchen, you stop dead in your tracks when you see what all is spread out on the floating island. "Uh, Castiel...what are all these groceries for?"

"So," he begins as he runs his fingers through his red fringe. He leans a hand on the counter before continuing, "It's Christmas. My parents flight got delayed. And I forgot to get them a present. So, naturally, like the wonderful son I am, I thought I'd have Christmas dinner ready for when they get here."

The corner of your red painted lips lift. "So, I'm guessing you need me to cook it?"

"Yeah, something like that." He says eying you. You can tell he is preparing his self for your endless teasing.

"Alright." You say cooly as you casually slide off your cardigan and hang it on the barstool. You see an apron hanging in the corner and slide it over your head. You start to tie the string around your waist but feel a hand gently swat your hands away.

"Let me do it." He says as he takes the strings into his hands. He is so close behind you that you can feel his cool breath tickling your neck and your knees quiever ever so slightly. He ties a solid knot that falls at the small of your back. You feel his fingers brush against your neck as he gently tugs your hair from under the apron collar.

You pull yourself together in time to face him, uttering a small "thanks" before you busy yourself with looking over the spread of ingredients. You make a mental checklist of what needs to be made: chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, macaroni and cheese, carrots, green beans, and dinner rolls. Okay. You can finish this in time to make your train.

You set one of the ovens to 350 degrees Fahrenheit before instructing Castiel to peel potatoes. You rinse your hands thoroughly and wash the celery and carrots. You chop them up and set them aside while you prep the chicken in a roasting pan. You add the vegetables and a few peeled potatoes to the pan and sprinkle over a generous helping of herbs and spices. Setting the pan aside while you wait for the oven to finish heating, you start gathering things for the Mac and cheese.

“We could use some music, don’t you think?” He says as he finishes peeling the last potato. You look up to watch him walk over to plug his phone into a speaker.

You break into a smile when you hear Brandon Flowers belt out "Oh Santa." Castiel catches your smile and winks. You did not think he would remember your favorite Christmas song after all these years. And as embarrassing as it is, you can't resist the urge to sing along.

Castiel unsuccessfully bites back a laugh as he listens to you miss all the notes. And you absolutely could care less because you are delivering the lines as fiercely as Beyonce. Cas rejoins you behind the counter, completely enthralled by your impromptu concert. You're wiggling as the song plays out its last cords and drifts into another alternative Christmas jam.

He stares at you. Amusement, horror, and pure mischief stir in his silver eyes as he watches you put the chicken in the oven and set the timer. After a moment, he finally speaks. "I might have to find you a spot in the band with that...wide vocal range."

You laugh. "Yeah, I don't know about that. I might just steal the show."

He smirks as you set water on the stove to boil. "When this starts to boil, add the macaroni to it." You demand as you fill another pot with water to boil the potatoes. You had to admit, getting to boss Castiel around without retaliation is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you intend to take full advantage of it.

"So how did you learn to cook like this?" He asks as he pours the Mac into the boiling water.

"Years of helping my mom, I guess. My mom's a bit of a wiz in the kitchen so she taught me quite a bit."

He grows quiet as he digests the picture of you helping your mom. "Does your mom normally cook the Holiday dinners for you?" You ask, breaking his train of thought.

"Of course. I honestly think my dad and I would burn the building down if my mom let us help."

You smile. "I'll be sure to keep an eye on you then."

A little time slips by without any thought and he finally speaks up again. His voice slightly distant as he speaks. "So... I was a little surprised you were able to come. I was sure you would have other plans."

You laugh, sounding a little bitter at the way he says that. "Yeah, what? You mean other plans like a date."

He looks at you coldly.

"No worries, Cas. I am single as a Pringle. And besides you're one to talk. I'm sure you could have easily called up your fan club and they would have had a 12 course meal on gold plated dishes at your doorstep in an hour." You hiss sounding much more venomous than you mean to. No matter how hard you try, this boy can touch you in a way others can't.

A quiet spell falls over you both as music blares in the background. The potatoes are boiling, the macaroni and cheese is ready to brown in the second oven, and Castiel joins you in clipping the ends off of the green beans.

"I'm sorry...if that came out wrong." He says carefully.

"Me too." You say, allowing the moment to pass.

"How have you been since the infirmary? No catty girls are spreading rumors are they?" His voice is softer as he speaks.

"I've been a lot better, actually. Moving forward, I decided to stop letting so much things pile up on myself. And as for the girls... I think you scared them off for good. I'm sure when we return from winter break, everyone will have completely forgotten about it."

"Good. I don't want to rough up the entire campus if I don't have to."

You smile a little, allowing a comfortable silence to form as you finish up the vegetables. The two of you debate music for a while as you finish making the mashed potatoes and start the stuffing. Castiel shares a couple of wild band stories as you put him in charge over the gravy.

Soon you both find all the food is either cooked or in the oven. And it's time to clean up the dishes. You already set aside most of the dishes to soak. He picks up a few of the stray forks and spoons and brings them to the sink. "You dry, and I'll wash?" You suggest and he takes his spot at the side of the sink.

"I sure hope your parents like everything we made."

"Me too. But if they don't, I'll just tell them I had help from this funny little girl."

You playfully jab him with your elbow. "So, you plan on taking all the credit if it turns out nicely then?"

"Obviously. I did do most of the work after all." He says, side-eying you.

You gasp in mock offense and flick a little water at him. He glares at you and you take a step back. "Oh you're definitely going to pay for that little girl." He says as he scoops you up into his arms and throws you over his shoulder. You laugh and pound his back softly with you fists as your feet kick the air.

"Put me down, Castiel!" You demand through fits of laughter as he walks you toward the living room.

"Oh no, not until you pay, Candy. That was the second shirt of mine that you've ruined." He says dramatically.

He tosses you on the coach and climbs on top of you. His long legs carefully straddle your thighs as he runs his fingers down your sides to tickle you.

You burst into uncontrollable laughter, tears forming in your eyes as you try to fight it. He tickles his fingers over your stomach and arms and doesn't let up until you whine, "Stop, Cas, I swear I'm about to pee myself."

He pins your wrists above your head, a wicked look twinkling in his sexy eyes like that of a cat that wants to play with it's spoils. Your stomach is doing Olympic worthy flips, and you can hear how hard your heart is working to keep you alive. His eyes fall to your lips as he slowly lowers himself over you. You feel his arrogant smiling lips begin to gently brush against yours.

Then the timer goes off, startling you both out of your little bubble. You both stay frozen before you finally whisper, "Uh, the chicken is done." Your face is terribly hot and your head is spinning in a merry-go-round. He slowly lets you free, a quiet unreadable ecpression washing over his face. You get up and go to the kitchen, slidding on oven mitts to pull out the chicken. That is the last of the food to make.

You check the time and panic. "Oh shit! I missed the bus to the train station!"

"Don't worry, I can drop you off." He says as he strolls past the kitchen. "Just let me get changed." He says heading toward his bedroom.

A few minutes later, he emerges, dressed in his usual threads. "Ready?" He asks already heading for the door.

The car ride to the station is short and quiet. The radio plays its usual rounds and you wonder what Castiel thinks whenever he hears Crowstorm play on the radio. But you don't ask since your destination is coming into view.

He comes to a stop in front of the station. You both linger for a second before you grab your stuff. "Thanks for the ride. I guess I'll...see you around?" You say just before you place your hand on the handle.

He grabs your arm and pulls you toward him. His lips zealously crash against yours and you both can't stop the desire to deepen the kiss. A wild fire is breaking thoughout your body and you don't want to put it out. He tastes wonderful and wreckless as he gently tugs on your hair.

But unfortunately all good things must come to an end. You hesitantly pull away from each other, feeling your heart sigh at the departure. "See you around, little girl."

You flash him a smile before skipping out the car to catch your train. It was a strange surprise to your Christmas morning, but you would not have it any other way.

Much later that evening, you get a text from Castiel. "I think you missed your calling."

"What do you mean?"

"I think you'd make a better chef than an art historian." You smile, feeling a wave of relief wash over you.

"So everyone likes the food then?"

"Yes. My mom won't shut up about how I've been holding back on her and that I'll have to do this again next year.

"So...are you free next December 25?"

You cover your giggling so your parents don't hear you in the kitchen. "I don't know... I'll have to check my schedule."

"Merry Christmas, Candy."

"Merry Christmas."

[lorraine-lemieux]

A Simple Request

Lorraine returned to the Inn first thing in the morning, raising one hand to knock on the door to her room. The other, held a picnic basket that emanated the most delightful smells down the halls of the establishment. She waited, this time, rather than just barging in.

Luckily for Lorraine, Venreena was already up and tending to Olivia who had decided she wanted cuddles this early in the morning. The mother opened the door with Olivia on her hip and resting her messy curly head on Ven’s shoulder. Even with her thick braid dishelved and no makeup on her face, she did look much more rested than the last time Lorraine had seen her. “Lorraine, hi,” she gave her a small smile.

"I have food," she said. First things first, after all. Her gaze shifted with a small, cautious smile to the girl clinging to her mother and then back to Venreena. "Are you both up for some breakfast?" She continued.

Olivia sucked on her first two fingers and just stared at Lorraine with her large amber eyes. Venreena was far too used to her daughter’s antics that she didn’t think anything of it and nodded. “Olivia can’t have anything solid really unless it’s  bread or eggs. Otherwise I have some mashed sweet potato I can give her while we eat.”

“What about peaches?" Lorraine asked, entering the room, "We could mush 'em up. I brought them for you, but... they're still pretty tastey. My mother taught me how to can them."

“She’s never had them before,” Venreena replied hitching the babe up further on her hip, “but we can give them a try. Which reminds me... I need to make an appointment with Alexandria to give Olivia a check up. I have absolutely no clue if she’s growing the way she should...” She stepped aside to allow Lorraine to come in and closed the door. “We can just eat on the bed. It more comfortable than the chairs this place has.”

Lorraine smiled at her. She seemed little... humbled, by the expression on her face. She brought the basket towards the bed and set it down, opening the flaps to dig out the food she'd brought. There were pickles, of course, bacon wrapped figs, a box of cookies, two jars of peaches, something that looked like mac and cheese, but was made with cauliflower, and lastly, a stuffed bunny with a little pink bow.

Venreena followed Lorraine over to the bed and plopped down. Olivia remained cuddled up to her mom but her eyes widened upon seeing the bunny. “Buh!” 

She smiled fondly at her daughter and pressed a kiss to her head before reaching for the toy and handing it over to the little girl. Spotting the bacon wrapped figs, she immediately reached for one and took a bite. “So how did things go last night?”

Lorraine allowed a hard sigh to escape her, "Well, the extraction went well. Minimal injuries on our side," she said, even though she herself had a black eye that was blossoming from her recently broken nose. She offered the bunny to Venreena who might notice something tied to the ribbon if she looked. A small card. The bacon wrapped figs were just as expected, the sweetness of the figs combined with the savory of the bacon was divine.

Venreena watched Lorraine intently, frowning at the black eye that she was now fashioning. "Minimal are injuries are preferred compared to the catastrophe that was the caravan." She turned over the card to look it over as Olivia brought the bunny into a vice grip hug against her tiny body.

Lorraine couldn’t help the grin spreading across her face as Venreena inspected the card. She only nodded in agreement about the caravan. This morning’s visit had an ulterior motive.

Venreena stared at the card, quite taken by surprise by the written request. She wasn't naive to what this meant, to what had obviously transpired. She looked up at Lorraine with a smidgen of hesitation. "Are you absolutely sure that this is what you want? That you two aren't rushing anything?"

She didn’t get upset. She offered her a kind, knowing smile and said, “If he’d shown up years from now and asked this of me, I would have said yes. I’ve loved him since first sight. I know, that’s naive, and fairy-taleish. But, I do. I always would have.”

Thankfully Olivia was preoccupied with the bunny that she had claimed for her own and began chewing on its ear. This made it much easier for Ven to actually have a conversation with Lorrie. She stared at her for a long moment, letting the reality of what was happening sink in. She looked back down to the card, read it a few times and then back up at Lorraine. “Well I have to admit I’d be offended if you picked anyone else to be your Matron of Honor,” she finally replied with a bit of laughter at the end.

The ginger girl smiled slowly, “I wouldn’t dare asking anyone else,” she said, smoothly. She redirected her gaze to Miss Olivia and Bun with a beam of excitement crossing her face as she began chewing on his ear. Bravely, She asked, “May I hold her while you eat?”

Venreena smirked at Lorraine before she plopped another bacon wrapped fig into her mouth. "Yeah, that'd be great actually." She picked Olivia up underneath her arms and handed her over to Lorrie. The baby seemed indifferent to being handed off and continued to chew on Bun's ear. "Have you guys set a date?"

Lorraine seemed to go utterly rigid, taking Olivia under the arms as her mother handed her off. She held her there for a moment, as if waiting to see if she'd cry before she tucked the girl against her bony hip and placed a gloved hand around her back for support. She seemed incapable of hiding the smirk this brought to her face. 

(Collaborative RP with @venreenaholt. @jacob-holt for relevance.)

[ofmymuses]

I decided to make a public list of who I decided to accept to be in indieshelpers ! I just want to firstly thank everyone who applied – I didn’t expect this many people to be interested. I’m really glad that we have people who can do a variety of different things to give to the rpc :-)

as of right now there is going to be a grand total of 15 helpers to start off with (including me). IF YOU MISSED YOUR CHANCE TO APPLY: don’t fright! I’m going to be opening the submit box and accept apps for potential new members until the 3rd of September. So from now until then, you will be able to submit apps and still be accepted. NOTE also that I won’t be posting new members publicly for that. I will simply send you a message and let the group know ! 

I’m going to add a little note next to your acceptance in regards to your lil mini fun facts + your mascot; :-) I’ll be adding everyone to the sideblog TOMORROW AT 1PM EST to let everyone in different timezones know they’ve been accepted. ALLLRIGHT … DRUMROLL PLEEEEEEEEASE !

HAILEE aka shootiingstcr ; camila cabello –

I really need to say this again; your edits are so beautiful! and I think the fact that you self taught yourself how to play the guitar is so .. impressive ?? and tedious

CARO aka seren-unig ; harry shum jr. (or any of your other choices tbh) –

honestly rain makes me happy too - light drizzles are so peaceful. it sucks when you’re camping tho aND MAC AND CHEESE IS DEF THE BEST

CARLEIGH aka ofkaldwin ; alycia debnam-carey –

I really liked your edit & aesthetic !! I also still love the fact that you have blue hair - I love coloured hair. Also Vice President of my Thespian Troupe ?? that’s frigging cool

BELLA aka daiisyquakes ; jenna coleman –

I love that you linked so many beautiful aesthetics + manips ! I can relate to rewatching series 220395 times ‘cause I’ve watched the office sO many times ( and am actually just starting to watch Friends )

LOREN aka baardic ; chloe bennet –

nEeErRrd, I love D&D too, maybe we can find like an online version or something. oh!!! and your moodboards are so cute. I really love the psds you used for them as well :^)

IZZY aka dovelyhelps ; dove cameron –

I still can’t get over how many animals you own. it must be hard but also like,,, an actual dream come true. and I’ll have to try that starbucks when I go out of town next (bc I don’t have starbucks in my town)

TIA aka ycterday ; ashley moore –

idk if by theater you mean movie theater or the ones where you go and they’re acting right in front of you but either way, GIRL SAME. and your entire favourites section is literally my aesthetic AF, I love all of them as well

LILY aka biscuitrph ; vanessa hudgens –

1. I’m currently watching Friends anD I’m doing to scream when I recognize a quote and 2. omg??? 4 states??? that’s a lot yo BUT ALSO: BEING IN A MUSICAL IS COOL 

MADDISON aka pastelrpt ; cindy kimberly –

I think it’s incredibly awesome that you collect vinyls omg, is it hard to find them??? and I love how you like to plan, I’ve tried to plan ahead but I can never stick with it so mega kudos to you

MOUSSE aka ofpersephone ; alberto rosende –

everything you make (aka have shown me) are all so lovely !? I also thought it was sooooo cute how your hair was your birds nest lIKE AW also I too get nervous when plotting with people so I’m glad we don’t need to plot in the group rph 

KRISTA aka wingfields ; chris evans –

I, too, have never broken a bone and tbh I’m super scared for when it happens and awW sadie is such a cute name. ALSO that manip is so good yo, I’m oober impressed

STEPHANIE aka chasseuseartisane ; keira knightley –

I’ve never heard of Auslan before so I think I’m gonna look more into that. I’m also a big nerd so ykNoOw we can nerd out at anytime. and !! your graphics are so nice

DEVE aka whishcw ; dane dehaan –

thank you for including so many references for what you do ?? like the gif blog anD UMMM WHAT? you used to sing frigging opera????? that’s sO dang awesome. 

JES aka domlnique ; lucy hale –

o mg I would love to read your book. I think wattpad is my go-to for reading other than physical books. AnD I’m also so bad at sports. I used to play soccer when I was younger but my mom told me that I picked flowers for my coach so,……. y’KNOw

and that’s all for now, my loves ! thank you so so much once again for applying. I’m really looking forward to kickstarting the group :-) I’m going to add everyone to a sideblog first so that we can get comfortable with one another and kind of have introductory and stuff !

[ficdirectory]

Blink (An AU Fosters family fic) Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

 It’s always a bit like a shock coming back to Grandpa’s cabin from Pearl’s.  It’s like going from a place Jesus feels completely understood to a place where he just...doesn’t.  Just isn’t.  He has to repeatedly accept the fact that Moms and his sibs just won’t get things as well as Pearl does.  And that there are limits to all the ways Pearl actually can help.  Which is a bummer.

Also a bummer?  Holding his breath every single time he comes in the door at dinner.  Because of Monday.  And even though they talked about it, being afraid that Moms might freak out again.  They don’t.  But the fear’s still there.  Mama tells him again she appreciates him coming back on time, and Mom invites him to sit down.

 Tonight it’s mac and cheese and hot dogs.  He wonders if Frankie planned this menu, because it seems like all her favorite things, and some of Jesus’s absolute least.  He really struggles with cheaper food.  It’s not like he’s...how had Pearl said it?  A food snob...  It’s that when he was There, and starving He would only leave Jesus with so many packages of Ramen and so much water.  And when it ran out?  Then, Jesus was screwed.

 Mac and cheese isn’t exactly the same.  In fact, Callie makes some that’s more homemade, and Jesus digs that.  But this is straight out of the blue box.  Powdered cheese.  Frozen hot dogs.  Not to mention (again) there’s almost nothing to save.  So even though his bag is super full, it doesn’t really matter that much.  Because he always feels better having more food, not the same amount, not less.  By now, they’ve played some old board game called Parcheesi and pretty much all the other sibs have grabbed a shower.  

 “Wasn’t that so good, Jesus?” Frankie asks as he walks her upstairs.  

 “Did you ask Moms to have that?” he wonders.

 “And they said yes.  And I even got to stir,” she says, pausing to concentrate.

 “Nice.”

 “I’m so happy Moms hided that one deer inside of a place where we don’t have to see him and be so sad.”

 “Yeah.  Me, too.”  (Jesus had relented at the idea of taking it down when Moms promised he could know exactly where it was going to be, so he wouldn’t accidentally be face to face with it.)  For now, it was hidden in Grandpa’s bedroom closet.

 “Will you color with me?” Frankie asks once they get to the top, and he walks her far enough from the head of the stairs that he’s not worried about her taking a header.

 “I will, I just got something to take care of first,” Jesus promises.

 If he wasn’t feeling gross from binging on all the New Year’s Eve food, and not showering in the morning, Jesus is definitely feeling it now.  Their dinner tonight reminds Jesus of countless nights stuck standing behind a kitchen chair watching Him eat, and complain about how crappy Jesus cooked.  Never mind that he’d been nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen…  Never mind that no one actually taught him to cook anything.  It always put him on edge.  He needed a shower.  It made him feel dirty.

 “Okay, so do you promise?” Frankie asks.

 “Yeah, I totally promise.  Go play with somebody else, and I’ll find you when I’m done, okay?”

 He gets down and pulls out sweats which he hasn’t actually worn to sleep at all since he’s been here.  It might be cool not to sleep in jeans.  Mariana’s busy talking to Jude about something.  Jesus won’t bother her tonight.  He needs to make the shower quick anyway, because Frankie’s waiting for him.

 Jesus focuses on that.  On hanging out with his little sis once this is over.

 He turns the water on, and adjusts the temp.  It isn’t until he steps in, that he realizes that the water pressure sucks, and it’s barely lukewarm, even after running a while.  Even standing here in swim trunks and a tank isn’t helping.  The terrible combo of being cold and alone is always gonna equal getting stuck.  He should have asked Mariana to hang out in the hall, but of course, Jesus had thought he could handle it.  And now?

 Now, he’s stuck remembering other showers where the water pressure sucked and the water ran cold.  Where he wasn’t alone.  Where the curtain could be jerked back at any time.  Where he could get looked at or have his pic taken or worse.  

 Lots of bad stuff happened in the shower.

 And he can’t move.  And the water’s just getting colder.

 Jesus tries to reach out and shut the water off, but fear stops him.  Those other showers, he wasn’t allowed to do anything without being told he could.  What would happen if he did it now, when it felt so much the same?  God, he needed to get back to San Diego, ASAP.  Where water pressure was good and there was no snow to get stranded in.

 It was the dumbest idea ever to go along with this.

 --

 Brandon decides to take a break from badgering Mom about going into town to see if he can find a music store or a random house with a piano in it, whose owner might let him come in and play.  He’s going nuts without a piano.  Ever since Jesus gave him a heads up that he liked his music...well...that meant something.

 He was used to not getting attention at all for music.  To going to competitions or performances and having everybody forget because they all had more important stuff to do.  No one had really shown an interest in his playing except Grams (who he doesn’t get to see much) and Jesus.

 It’s not that Brandon’s an amazing son or anything and realizes that Mom looks like she is ready to lose her mind if he doesn’t stop talking.  He just has to pee.  Mama’s changing in Moms’ room, which has the cleanest bathroom, so by default, Brandon’s got to go upstairs to the one that’s disgusting.

 He’s seen Mariana and Jude, talking on the living room couch and Frankie and Callie in their room.  So the only other person who could be in here’s got to be Jesus.

 Brandon knocks.  “Hey.  You almost done?” he asks.  

 Nothing.

 And the shower’s running which makes Brandon’s problem so much more immediate.  “I just gotta come in and pee.  Is that alright?” he asks, desperate.

 “Ha ha!  Brandon said pee!” Frankie crows from next door.

 He can hear Frankie giggling.  Callie talking.  Mariana and Jude talking about this new hip hop musical both wanna see.  It’s called Hamilton, and actually sounds really cool.  (Much better than his musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.  He has no idea how he’s gonna get that off the ground.)

 But he can’t hear Jesus.

 “Seriously, I wouldn’t keep knocking like this, but it’s an emergency and Mama’s in the other one.”

 As a last ditch effort, Brandon tries the handle.  Jesus makes it a habit of locking the bathroom door, but luck is on Brandon’s side.  He eases the door open.  

 “Hey.  Just me.  Sorry, I know it’s private and all.  I’ll be quick,” Brandon rambles, not wanting to set Jesus off.

 It isn’t until he’s finished and at the sink washing his hands that he realizes Jesus hasn’t said one word.

 “Jesus?  Are you okay?” Brandon calls.

 But he doesn’t hear anything.  It honestly doesn’t sound like anybody’s showering in there at all.  There would be movement.  Noise.  Brandon would smell shampoo or body wash.

 He gets a feeling in his gut and the hair stands up on the back of his neck.  He’s gotta check this out.

 “Listen.  I’m worried, ‘cause you’re not answering.  I’m gonna pull the curtain back just to see you’re okay.”  He remembers the conversation Mama had with him about Jesus and his boundaries and how important it was that they were followed.

 Brandon grabs the edge of the curtain and sticks his head around.  He can instantly feel the cold water, against the shower curtain.  Against his own skin.  Jesus is just standing there, in his shower stuff.  Blank.  Shaking.  Teeth chattering.

 “Okay.  I’m gonna help  you.  I’m shutting this off and I’m gonna grab a towel,” Brandon tells Jesus.  (The day they went to the movies, he and Mariana had texted in the SUV, about what she did that was different when Jesus was freaked out.  What she did that helped.  Brandon kept those texts.  Read them often.  So he’d be ready, in case Jesus did ever need him.  No more stealth moves without letting Jesus know and consent.)

 Brandon cranks off the water.  It’s cold.  Not even lukewarm.  He scans the room for Jesus’s towel.  “I’m gonna put this around you, to warm you up.”  

 Jesus is still not looking like anything’s getting through.  Nothing is, probably, except the cold.  

 Taking a deep breath, to be sure he’s projecting calm, Brandon puts a hand out.  Stops himself short of grabbing his brother and yanking him out of here.  “Listen, I know you’re cold.  I wanna help.  So I need you to take my hand, okay?  Then we can find Mariana.”

 There’s a flicker of something in Jesus’s eyes.  Agonizingly slowly, he reaches out, and with an ice cold hand, takes Brandon’s own.

 “Okay.  Step out?  Good.  Okay, let’s get you out of here.”  Brandon keeps an arm around Jesus as much for body heat as to make sure he doesn’t stop moving.  He pokes his head around the girls’ open bedroom door and finds Callie and Frankie.  He checks his and Jude’s room.  Finds that Mari and Jude have moved there from the living room and are still talking Hamilton.

 “Brandon.  Hey.  Do you think I could play King George in….” Jude trails off, as he registers Jesus.

 Mariana’s already on her feet, and standing in front of Jesus, sending looks to Brandon that demand to know what the hell happened.

 “Found him in the shower.  He wasn’t answering so I talked to him and told him I was coming to help.”

 “Okay,” Mariana says with a practiced calm.  “I need one of you to grab his bag.”

 “He had sweats in the bathroom.”

 “Okay.  Grab those.  Calmly.  Jude, I want you to check around and see if Grandpa has a space heater anywhere.  Get Jesus’s blanket and some more if you can find them.  Jesus, I got you, okay?  It’s okay.  I’m gonna shut this door for privacy, but you’re not stuck in here.”

 “But-” Brandon sputters.

 “Leave the stuff outside the door,” Mariana says before closing it in his face.

 --

 Jesus can think again once he’s got clothes on that aren’t freezing and soaking wet.  Somebody found a heater and it’s blasting.  He’s under lots of blankets.  Mariana is, too.  Because he said she could.  Because he still feels like he’s freezing.

 Mariana’s found a big winter hat of Grandpa’s and urged Jesus to put it on.

 “I feel 73…” Jesus manages, still shaking.

 “But do you feel like a warm 73?” Mariana questions.

 “Kinda…” Jesus ventures.

 “Why didn’t you ask me to come sing?” Mariana wonders quietly.

 “‘Cause…” Jesus admits.  “It started feeling like I was using you.  And I didn’t like that feeling.  I thought I could do it, but then the water was cold from the start…”

 “Listen.  Honestly?  If you, or anyone else was using me, I would tell you.  But this isn’t that.  I sing because I love it.  I love that something I’m good at actually helps you.”

 “I just remember what you said in therapy a couple months ago, about how I used you when I was stressed and ignored you the rest of the time…and I didn’t want you to think that that’s what this was.”  Jesus bites his lip.

 “It’s not,” Mariana says firmly.  

 “Hey, can we open the door?” he asks.

 “Of course.”  She leaves him for the few seconds it takes her to get out of the blankets and crack the door.

 “Where’s Brandon?  And Jude?  Don’t they wanna sleep?” Jesus asks quietly.

 “I think they’re sleeping over with Callie and Frankie,” Mariana confides.

 “Hmm…”

 “Are you okay?  You know, that Brandon got you out?”

 Jesus swallows.  “I think so.  I don’t really remember but I didn’t feel super panicky, so I feel like he must’ve done okay.”

 “We talked,” she admits, snuggling back under the blankets next to him once he gives her a nod.

 “About me?” Jesus breathes, trying not to overreact.  Trying to let her explain.

 “He asked how I helped you.  Because he didn’t want to freak you out again.”

 Jesus can feel some of the tension ease out of him.  “Oh crap.  I told Frankie I’d color with her like hours ago.”

 “It’s okay.  Callie took over.  Showed her how to make a treasure map with coffee and a hairdryer.  Frankie was very impressed.”

 “Grandpa has a hairdryer?” Jesus is so confused.

 “No!”  Mariana laughs.  “I do!”

 “Oh right.”

 “Listen, are you really okay?  Do you need to talk or anything?”

 Jesus shrugs.  “Probably, but not right now.  Hey can you stay?  If I wanted to sleep here tonight?”

 “Yeah.  Of course.”

 “Okay.  Cool.  Thanks.”

 He stays awake a long time.  It’s different than under the table.  Quieter.  And much warmer.  He likes it best because Mariana’s here.  It reminds him of when they were little.  How they would always sleep close.

 She still does.

 They fall asleep holding hands.

[skankymarleyrose-blog]

Take Me Away || JARLEY

TAGGING: Marley Rose & Jake Puckerman

LOCATION: Lima’s Walmart

DATE: Monday afternoon

NOTES: Marley runs into Jake who is stocking up for his little trip and she lets her curiosity get the best of her.

Jake stood in the food section of Walmart as he stocked his already full cart. He had to get the usual, some Kraft mac and cheese, boxes of noodles and jars of sauce, jars of peanut butter and jelly along with some camping gear and a duffle bag. He, of course, had to make sure all the food he got would last pretty long. So he grunted as he lifted up a pack of water bottles and added that to his mess that was his cart. Of course he got some looks, the weird foster kid of Lima throwing random stuff into his cart. He figured people wondered how he could even buy all this stuff. Jake had his ways of making money. But this weekend would be the weekend. He had a car that was sitting in Joe's garage and by Friday, Lima would be a distant memory.

Marley didn't like to go into town often, only when she absolutely had to. And by that she meant when her mom's dude of the month was over and she didn't feel like dealing with it at all. Which if she was being honest, was happening far too often. Maybe she'd run into one of her friends and they would give her something to do for a few hours until the coast was clear at home- at least she could only hope that would be the case. Marley dragged her large combat boots along the clean tile of the superstore as she lamely perused the aisles for nothing in particular. It wasn't until she found a somewhat familiar face in Jake Puckerman that she let out a smirk. "Well, well, well. What do we have here Puckerman?" She questioned before gazing into his cart and picking up a few items before tossing them back in the cart. "Planning to feed a small army?"

Jake knew he had a lot more things to buy, of course he would need socks- the warm kind and maybe a few pairs of sweat pants. But who knew if they even sold those now with summer coming. He had just put a case of soda into the bottom of his cart when he heard a familiar voice, Marley Rose. Jake smirked and licked his lips before turning around to face her. "Hell no, you think I provide charity here?" He asked her with a chuckle. "I am stocking up for a long road trip if you must know, the kinda road trip were you pack your shit up and never look back."

Marley could only chuckle at his quick response. "Oh really?" She asked as she raised her eyebrows in surprise. Marley would be lying if she had said that she herself hadn't thought of running away before. She had done so plenty of times, especially when her mom was in one of those moods after she broke up with one of her boyfriends. But Marley had never had the guts to actually leave; she'd wander around for a few hours or so but would never actually leave. "And how exactly do you plan to get away with that Puckerman?"

Jake "Well..." he began to push his cart toward the chips. "Lucky for me, Lima is full of idiots and rich idiots looking to score some premium pot from a Lima Heights kid. They just don't know that I cut it with Oregano." Jake grabbed a few bags of chips and tossed them in. "And the idiots hired me to take their SATs. I know how to run a business, Rosie." As he grabbed a jar of dip, he took a glance at her. "Now I just need to figure out how I'm gonna make money on the road. Shouldn't be that hard."

Marley "Oh, a drug dealer from Lima Heights. Color me surprised." Marley stated sarcastically with a roll of her eyes as she walked alongside his cart, not letting him get off that easily. "Why the hell would anyone hire you to take their SATs? It's not like you're that smart." She commented as she grabbed one of the small bags of chips, opened it, and tossed a couple in her mouth before scoffing. "Give me a break Puckerman. You're not going to make it any further than past the city line before you get busted. I'd be willing to put money on it."

Jake scoffed at her. "Listen miss badass, my GPA is outstanding. It would be even more so if I actually cared to go to school, the brains have to come from my mom's side- cause you've seen my dumbass of a half brother." However, when he heard the magic word come from her mouth, she had his full attention. "Really, you'd be ready to make that sort of wager? How much money you wanna put down?"

Marley rolled her eyes at him. "Your half brother may be a dumbass but boy does he have a mouth on him and he most definitely knows his way around a bedroom, that much I can tell you. And if you ask me, that's all I need to know." She couldn't help but chuckle at his excitement over a bet. "What would it matter anyways Puckerman? I'm sure you seem to think that you wouldn't be here to collect anyways."

Jake gagged at the mention of his brother and anger began to boil inside of him. Bad enough his own brother made it a game of beating the shit out of him in school. Puck and his stupid mom and their stupid dad where the reason why he was in this situation. "Do me a favor Rose, and don't mention my asshole brother, alright? I wont be here, I'll be sending you a postcard from Alaska so you have proof that I made it."

Marley raised her eyebrows at how defensive Jake got all of a sudden. "Wow Puckerman. There's no need to get your panties in a twist. Calm yourself." She said with a chuckle. At least she knew now what buttons to push if she really wanted to piss him off. "And how exactly do you plan to send me a postcard? And what makes you think that I want a postcard from you Puckerman. It's not like we're anything remotely close to being friends."

Jake shook off her statement about his brother the best he could as he pretended to look the selection of cheese puffs. "Go to Alaska, get a postcard and send it to you." He said with a simple shrug. "That will prove that I made it there and then you will owe me- eh let's say 200 bucks." He decided with a nod of his head. "Eh, but then how will I get my 200? Guess you'll have to come with me so I can get my money."

Marley chuckled as she shook her head. "Are you propositioning me Puckerman? Cause I'm pretty sure that's all kinds of illegal. And like I said, we're not anything remotely close to being anything near friends. So tell me, why the hell would I go to Alaska with you? I was taught not to get into cars with strangers. So I will pass on your little adventure that likely won't happen. You're not gonna make it far, bet or not."

Jake "It's only illegal if you get caught." He explain with a raised brow. "And lemme explain, you made a wager, I took said wager and well- you seem to have a shitty life. I mean maybe a bit less shitter than mine, but still shitty. Admit it, this town sees people like you and me as losers and all and all hates us." Jake proved his point as Mrs. Hudson walked past them with a disgusted look on her face. "And I'm not saying that you should go, I'm just putting the offer on the table."

Marley "And I'm turning down that offer. I don't know you. And over my dead body and am I going to get in your truck and take off to who knows where when you're not gonna make it out of Lima. I'm not going to deal with the wrath of my mom when she finds out I tried to run away. So thanks but no thanks." Marley said sarcastically before tossing the half empty bag of chips back into his cart. "You have fun with that little adventure of yours Puckerman." She said before turning on her heels and wandering away from him.

Jake "Kinda sad ya know." Jake shrugged. "That the biggest self proclaimed badass of our school- also known as you- is scared." He chuckled. "Pretty whimpy of you if you ask me." Yeah, he was trying to egg her on, but something about annoying her seemed to brighten his own day. "I will have a blast, and Ill make sure to send you that postcard from Alaska."

Marley could only roll her eyes at his response. It wasn't that she was scared, it's just that she didn't really care. In the grand scheme of things, her life wasn't really that awful. Sure there was plenty that she wanted to change, but it wasn't enough to make her runaway. She had a hard time believing that his life was that awful, but then again she didn't know anything about him anyways. Opting not to say anything, Marley flipped him off over her shoulder with a chuckle.

Jake smirked to himself when she flipped him off and continued to do his shopping. He had most of the things he would need as he brought his stuff over to the self check out. The price wasn't too bad considering all the crap he had bought. But he figured that all this stuff should last him until he left the states, now he just had to make sure that his car would make it and his passport was updated all without alarming his foster parents. It shouldn't be that hard.

Marley absentmindedly wandered around the store for a little while, not looking for anything in particular. She just needed to kill a little bit more time before going home and not doing any homework. Unfortunately there was nothing more for her to wander around and see so she just walked out to her beat up car. Leaning up against the hood, Marley lit a cigarette and watched as the people exited the store. Maybe she would come up with something to do since she really didn't want to go home yet.

Jake Of course his truck would be parked near Marley's car. Jake gave a sigh as he pushed his cart over toward the back and began to load his stuff up silently before throwing the tarp over it to cover it all up. He didn't want to raise any sort of alarms from his foster parents, he was still a paycheck toward them after all. Well himself and the three other kids they had stashed in the small trailer. His eyes flashed up toward Marley again and he cracked another smile. "Best you don't smoke near that lemon, one wrong move and that thing will go kaboom."

Marley rolled her eyes and chuckled when she saw Jake pushing his cart full of belongings to his car. She continuously puffed on her cigarette as he loaded his things. Obviously Marley was going to make no efforts to help him. "What's with the stalking all of a sudden Puckerman? I would have expected a little more from you." Marley could only laugh at him as she wandered over and kicked the tire of his car. "Oh, you mean compared to this piece of garbage? You're insane if you think this is getting you past Lima Heights."

Jake "Oh this thing? I'm not taking this thing." Jake said as he pointed his thumb at the truck. "This old girl isn't going to Alaska, I have a better truck at a garage. I'm trading her in for a semi new one- It's from 1999, so we are practically the same age." Jake explained. "It's part of my transformation, ya know- out with the Lima Garbage and in with the new garbage."

Marley "And how the hell can you afford that?" She questioned as she threw her cigarette on the ground on and stomped on it. "How the hell can you afford this? And don't tell me that your little drug business on the side is enough to afford all this. Because we all know that there are plenty of better people in this town that you can get much better drugs from then you Puckerman. No offense." She said. "So when are you hitting the road?" Marley asked sarcastically using air quotes for emphasis.

Jake scoffed at her with a eye roll of his own. "This hunk of junk belongs to my foster parents, I take it out when they are- done for the night." He explained with annoyance while trying to figure out why he was explaining himself to this girl. "And honestly, you don't need to worry about how I am getting the other truck." Jake picked at the chipping paint on the truck. "And I'm leaving at the end of the week, getting out of this shit hole as soon as possible."

Marley let out a soft hum. Done for the night? She had to admit that she was the slightest bit curious about what exactly that meant but she wasn't going to push it. "Right, okay Puckerman." Marley said, leaving it at that. Biting her lip, she leaned against the truck before picking at a piece of thread in her leggings. "So here's a question for you. If you want to get out of here as soon as possible, why are you waiting until the end of the week? Why not just leave now?"

Jake gave a shrug. Friday would be the best day to leave because both his foster parents leave on a Friday and come back on a Sunday.  "I need to get my shit sorted out, that's why." He explained, knowing he didn't owe her an answer. Jake looked past Marley for a moment at the cars in the parking lot and glanced back at her. "Why do you care?"

Marley "Right. Because you just have so much going on in that busy little life of yours Puckerman." She said sarcastically as she kicked at the ground. "Oh trust me, I don't care at all. I certainly hope that's not the vibe I've been giving you. I don't care about anyone, especially not someone like you. Don't mistake my questioning for giving two craps about you. I just think if everything is as bad as you claim, you'd want to leave sooner rather than later." She explained with a shrug.

Jake "And I don't owe you any sort of answers." He grounded out with narrowed eyes. "Just like I don't know what kinda shit you put up with, you don't know what kinda shit I put up with. I am leaving when it is better for me and that's what my truck will be ready, cause like I said, I can't leave with this piece of shit." Jake answered, still wondering why he was speaking to her.

Marley raised her eyebrows at his defensiveness. "Calm yourself Puckerman. I never said that you owed me any answers or anything really. No need to get all worked up." Clearly she had pushed some sort of buttons with him and she really didn't know why. Jake was obviously a little more temperamental than she realized. "Well good luck with all that crap. Hopefully your little adventure will be everything that you wanted to be and all that jazz."

Jake "I am not getting worked up." He said with a deep breath once he pulled himself together. He was so close to boiling over from all the pent up stress that he was already starting to come undone; it's why he needed to head out as quick as he could. Yeah he felt bad for the other foster kids that where left once he left, but he already had a plan to get them out. Jake opened up the door to his truck. "Yeah, have a nice life Rose."

Marley "Yeah, alright Puckerman. Whatever you say." She said with a sarcastic nod. He was definitely getting worked up but she wasn't pushing it any further. Especially not after his last little lash out. " Yeah, whatever." Marley said with a roll of her eyes as she turned on her heels and headed in the opposite direction. Her life might have completely sucked but it wasn't worth running away from. At least not yet.

Jake sighed as he climbed in and started the engine. While he waited for the old hunk of junk to be able to be driven, he took out his phone to let his friend know he was coming to the garage to check out the truck and store his things until Friday. He knew that the guy wouldn't go off and tell his foster parents. He hated them as much as Jake did. Once the engine roared to life, Jake tossed his phone onto the passengers seat and drove out of the parking lot.

[thedeadflag]

Hey, any chance you know how to make mac'n'cheese? My mom says I can't cook, I'm really hoping to prove her wrong (even though she's right)

I am much less experienced with pasta and casseroles than I am with, say, most other forms of cooking, as they tend to be really creamy and my body recoils at those textures, but I think I can lend a helping hand here.

Now, if you’re asking about, like, the weird boxed mac and cheese that comes with the nuclear orange powder, then that…you just need to follow the instructions on the box and hope for the best. Because IMHO that stuff is foul.

If you mean, like, actual homemade mac and cheese, then I can actually help. I don’t really like creamy mac and cheese (or creamy anything), so I usually make it with something additional, usually a bit of tomato paste or sauce, and/or some beef. if you want creamy, jump to the bottom, I’ve got a link there to a quality recipe that sends my roommate into cheesy heaven. I’ve never made it, and can only really speak to my own experiences, so I figured i’d give how I do mine below.

I did a little searching and this recipe is very similar to the one I use (I just omit the onions and go light on garlic, but that’s just because of my allergies). I usually season the meat with one of my fav spice mixes, but salt and pepper are 100% good enough.

Now, I know cooking can be overwhelming, especially when you’re making something that’s not supposed to take too long to make, and you’re not familiar with how fast things get done, or how to do about figuring out what the difference in dicing and mincing and whatnot is.

So this video helps learn how to work an onion in all sorts of ways, and this video helps teach how to handle and mince garlic. Back when i worked in a restaurant, a chef acquaintance of mine taught me these basics, and after watching the videos, it’s all the same stuff I learned, so it’s A+ stuff. Enough to get you started on that front. This video teaches the difference between a boil and a simmer. usually for a boil, you’re looking at anywhere from 3 o’clock to 1 o’clock on the burner knob (high), whereas with simmering, it’s anywhere from 6 o’clock to a little above 4 o’clock (med to med-high). Every stove can vary, but that’s generally the ranges you’re looking at.

So the ingredients (take your time getting these all ready beforehand…it’s a lot easier to go at it if you’re not measuring and doing other work while you’re cooking, especially if you’re a newcomer). I added my commentary in italics.:

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 Medium Onion, Diced (like, an average sized yellow onion…you can get away with using sweet onions or even white, but they’re not ideal if you’re going to be using them for this)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

16 oz. ground beef

kosher salt (if you don’t have this but have coarse sea salt on hand, that’s a good substitute)

Freshly ground black pepper (it doesn’t have to be fresh, but it’ll taste better…if you only have the pre-ground black pepper, that’s fine too)

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (IMPORTANT: if you or your family members are allergic to fish or shellfish or whatever, then don’t use this)

4 c. beef broth

16 oz. Elbow Noodles (small rotini or other small pasta work, too, elbow noodles are just easier to work with)

4 c. mixed cheese blend, shredded (Monterey Jack and Cheddar combo is ideal, but subbing MJ or mozza is totally good and reasonable, or just using some cheddar mix)

And the steps

DIRECTIONS

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat (so like 4 o’clock if you’re treating the burner knob like a clock). Add onion and garlic, stir until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add ground beef to skillet (break it apart into pieces like in the video so it’s easier to crumble) and season generously with salt and pepper. Add tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, mixing well into beef. Cook until beef is browned, keep stirring and breaking the beef up. 8 to 10 minutes.

Pour beef broth into skillet and bring to a simmer (here’s a video on what simmering is). Add elbow noodles and let simmer until the noodles are cooked, 15 to 20 minutes. (usually with pasta, you boil it and it cooks in 10-ish min, so under a simmer, it takes a bit longer obviously)

Before serving, stir in shredded cheese until melted. (I generally reduce heat at this point, since everything’s hot enough to melt the cheese and I don’t need the pasta getting too mushy)

Garnish with parsley (not necessary, but it’s kinda nice).

Now, if you’re totally into creamy stuff and you don’t have a large enough skillet to handle the above recipe, I just asked my roommate, and he’s super super lazy and goes with this recipe and it works for him every time. I looked over the ingredients and steps, and it all seems pretty straight-forward, and the authors does a good job of breaking it down and making it clear what you’re supposed to do.

Anywho, I wish you the best of luck, anon! I believe in you!

[theconservativebrief]

We were dressed up, with ruffles on our socks and bows in our hair, and my mom was shuffling us into a fancy hotel that had invited military families to their New Year’s Eve party. My two younger sisters and I gaped at our surroundings, gibbering in Spanglish, in awe of the nicest place we’d ever been. My mamá, a Puerto Rican-Mexican woman in her early 20s, grabbed one of us and hissed in that mom voice that lets you know it isn’t a suggestion, “Mija, act like you’ve been here before!”

Her admonition didn’t come from a bad place. “Act like you’ve been here before” was a protection tactic and an assimilation tool. It was a practice from our Latino side of trying to fit in as Americans to build a better life.

Earlier this week I scrolled through my Instagram feed and watched Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — a Boricua like me with her lips painted red, her hair long and loose, and the youngest woman to be elected to the House of Representatives — discovering the “secret” tunnels under the Capitol during new member orientation on the Hill.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Instagram

I watched her call other women members-elect of color — Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib — her #Squad, compare the Hill Rotunda to Hogwarts, and share other moments of excitement and pride at the incredible privilege of being new to Congress.

As I watched her use the communal laundry before her first day of orientation, which she jokingly called “freshman orientation,” I realized how long I’d been acting. And how these newly elected Congress members, the youngest and most diverse ever, were giving me permission to stop.

Eight years ago, at age 20, I was a college intern at the State Department in Washington, DC. Through a series of odd jobs, babysitting, and scholarships, I scrimped together enough to afford the unpaid gig. I remember walking into my first day ready to wow — I had on my best polka-dot church dress, a new Steve Madden purse from Marshall’s, and a bedazzled Blackberry. And I did what my padres had taught me — put my head down and worked hard, fetching coffee, volunteering to take notes in meetings, writing drafts of memos, making friends with the Spanish-speaking secretaries and custodial staff, and trying to ensure my colleagues saw me as someone who adds value.

A few weeks in, one of the staffers I’d been working closely with, a young-ish white man, pulled me aside to give me some feedback. He praised me on the quality of my writing, thanked me for the long hours. Then he said, with what seemed like genuinely good intentions, that if I wanted to get ahead, I had to think about how my whole package “came across.” That if I wanted to be taken seriously, I couldn’t be or dress like “a personality.” He phrased it in terms of maturity and decorum, but I got that sinking feeling, the one many women of color are familiar with, that he meant something else.

I swapped out the patterned dresses for ill-fitting suits foraged on sale at the Nordstrom Rack on L Street. Stopped wearing red lipstick or the nameplate necklace Abuela gifted me for my quinceañiera, the only piece of real gold jewelry I owned. When people talked about going home to the holidays, I told them I was going to Florida, allowing them to assume it was a luxury vacation instead of eight or 10 of us crammed into a few bedrooms, my cousins sleeping on air mattresses at the foot of my bed. I nodded as people talked about “rowing crew” or finals clubs and googled the phrases later.

I could often get away with pretending — with fair skin and blue eyes, I “pass” as white, and my last name is Kissinger, a name that evokes power in Washington circles (there is no relation). But I could still feel myself recentering. In the darker moments, I told myself I wasn’t changing or hiding my identity, I was maturing. These were the markings of a professional woman in politics, and I was checking the boxes.

After graduating and working on President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, I was in disbelief when they immediately hired me as a junior staffer in the Obama White House. I had a tiny desk in the West Wing and worked tirelessly on issues I cared deeply about. I had incredible bosses, many of them fierce women of color, who I believe would have supported and valued my authentic self. But I still kept up the act. It seemed to have worked thus far.

In 2018, this inspiring freshman class of women is redefining what it means to thrive in Washington. They’re not trying to pass as something they’re not or to act like they’ve been here before. And by sharing their experiences, in real and honest ways on social media, these women, many of whom represent historic firsts, are opening doors to help ensure they aren’t the last.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is taking us along as she cooks mac and cheese and talks about politics, as she geeks out wandering the halls of Congress, an institution that feels far away to so many Americans. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, the first Muslim women elected to the House, are posting pictures together and bonding. Ayanna Pressley’s video of her sobbing after finding out she won her primary election went viral. Sharice Davids is gushing over meeting heroes like Rep. John Lewis.

And by taking us along, through Instagram stories admitting they had to look up words like “franking privilege” — meaning the privilege to send mail without a postage stamp — during a briefing, to captioning group pictures with #PeopleLikeUs, they’re showing that we don’t have to change ourselves for these institutions. It’s time the institutions changed.

I’m sure sharing this journey so publicly isn’t always easy. As they detail more of their stories, they’re opening themselves up to the unfair criticisms that crippled me — that they’re either too poor or in debt to serve, or conversely dressed too nicely to actually be poor, making their life stories somehow fake. Only four days into orientation, a journalist posted a creep shot of Ocasio-Cortez’s back, calling her a “girl” and inferring that her clothes were too nice for someone who says she’s struggling.

This came after Fox News spent weeks mocking her inability to afford rent in DC until her salary kicks in — a reality that is all too real to me, a former unpaid intern unable to ask my parents for money.

But these are real, authentic women of color dressing and talking like themselves, owning what they represent, and peeling back the curtain. Allowing us to finally see ourselves, our complexities and our differences, in our leaders.

A few weeks ago, I moved back to DC. And after unpacking, I took a huge box of those old, stuffy suits that never fit me in the first place to Goodwill. And in large part, it’s because these women, in their bravery and openness, have helped me decide that I’m done acting like we belong in these institutions. We do belong, just as we are.

Alexa Kissinger is a recent graduate of Harvard Law School and a law clerk at the Public Defender’s Service in DC. She formerly worked as a staff assistant to Valerie Jarrett in the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, and as a regional field director on President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.

First Person is Vox’s home for compelling, provocative narrative essays. Do you have a story to share? Read our submission guidelines, and pitch us at firstperson@vox.com.

Original Source -> As a young Latina staffer, I hid who I was to fit in. Ocasio-Cortez is refusing to do that.

via The Conservative Brief

[socanweeat]

Midweek Review: AirPods

On this week midweek review, I want to do a quick review of another one of my favorite pair of wireless headphones. 

The Apple AirPods

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I would like to start off by saying that I'm a bit of an Apple fanboy. I hate to admit it, but I own an iMac, a MacBook, an iPhone X, an Apple TV, a pair of AirPods and at least 50 Apple Lighting cables. (Seriously, I constantly have to buy a replacement cables because they broke, or someone takes mine.) Unfortunately, or fortunately, I'm not bias because being made by Apple doesn't make an item great. Example: Lighting cables. I mean, seriously they aren't made to last more than a month.

I'm sure, you're wondering why I am reviewing headphones. What does that have to do with food or travel? Where are the recipes? To that I say, "Recipes are coming soon but headphones are essential for travel and creating/consuming food."

Background

I'm a heavy music lister. I probably consume at least 10+ hours of music a day. When I'm not in my car, able to be the master of the AUX in someone else's car (or I forgot that stupid dongle for the new iPhones), or on a flight, I have to use a pair of headphones in to keep the jams going. Everywhere I go, I need some good music. Good music! (Check out my Summer Playlist)

If I’m not traveling, I'm in the kitchen cooking and all good meals are made with good music playing. Well, at least that's what my mom taught me. To this day, I have to play some soul music when making Mac & Cheese or it just won't taste right. To me, I prefer wireless headphone, because can't be in the kitchen, wrist twistin' like a stir fry with headphone cables in the way.

I received my pair of AirPods as a birthday gift and I've had them for about 2 months. I was excited as soon as I got the box. The headphones I had before (which were also some of my favorite: BeatsX) had just died after a year of heavy use. So, these AirPods were a welcome addition. The first day, I was a little weary about them, I mean, they are two independent earbuds that just magically hang in your ear. I would soon find out that it was magic keep them in my ear, but it was the fear of losing them keeping them hanging.

Quick Review

The fear of losing them, keeps them in my ear.

Functionality:

The AirPods are great! They are true wireless headphones. No weird cable thing around your neck or those odd chunky wireless headphones. You get two independent earbuds, that auto detect when they are in your ear and work together when both are in ear to create a stereo sound. the you also get charge case, to charge the headphones but to also keep them together.

The earbuds are both programable to have separate functions. You can set the right earbud to play/pause and the left to skip or trigger SIRI. Being that they are two independent earbuds, it gives you the flexibility with how you wear them. For example: I only wear one earbud at work, so I can hear what’s going on around me. But at home, I will throw them both on and jam out. This also means, that you can extend the battery life and enjoy your music longer. So, for instance, say you work a 10 hrs. day, you have one earbud in the charging case and other one in your ear. So, when one dies, you just swap them out and not have to wait for them both to charge.

Speaking of battery life, each earbud gets about 5 hrs. of all day play and about 8 hrs. of standby. But like I said, if you do one bud at a time you always have juice up headphones. The charge case is great. I get about 4 - 5 full charges from the case before I have to charge the case.

Design:

The earbuds are designed after the standard Apple Earbuds. Now, I'm not a huge fan of the Apple standard earbud design, so I kind when I with my expectations low. The wired standard earbuds never fit comfortably in my ear and were never really great when it came to sound quality. After my first couple of days, I realized that the AirPods (while they don't cancel noise) are louder and sit comfortable in your ear for prolong periods of time. I can say, I actually prefer them to my BeatsX. The only problem with the earbuds design is they give off the feel that they can be easily lost.

The case design leaves a lot to the imagination. I mean, it looks like a floss container. The only indication for power/charge, is on the inside after the open the lid. I wish there was visual battery life indicator on the outside but maybe the new version will have that.

Conclusion:

These headphones are great and I highly recommend them for anyone that want truly wireless headphones. You can get the Apple AirPods on Amazon for a steal. They are currently listed at $144.99! 

Specs:

Bluetooth

Wireless

Weight

AirPods (each): 0.14 ounces (4 g)

Charging Case: 1.34 ounces (38 g)

Dimensions

AirPods (each): 0.65 by 0.71 by 1.59 inches (16.5 by 18.0 by 40.5 mm)

Charging Case: 1.74 by 0.84 by 2.11 inches (44.3 by 21.3 by 53.5 mm)

Connections

The Good & Bad...

Good:

The portability.

The design.

Ease of use.

Bad:

The fear of losing them.

The battery life.

Seriously, the fear of losing them.

AirPods: Bluetooth

Charging Case: Lightning connector

AirPods Sensors (each):

Dual beam-forming microphones

Dual optical sensors

Motion-detecting accelerometer

Speech-detecting accelerometer

Power and Battery

AirPods with Charging Case: More than 24 hours listening time,(3) up to 11 hours talk time(6)

AirPods (single charge): Up to 5 hours listening time,(2) Up to 2 hours talk time(5)

15 minutes in the case equals 3 hours listening time(4) or over an hour of talk time(7)

I would also totally recommend getting these wonderful AirPod accessory from Amazon. It's an AirPods Case and it's literally the best thing I've ever bought. At first it seemed like a crazy item to buy and then an hour after using it, I could never see myself without it. It's great and cheap! It will literally save you $150. 

Check out the link below..

[consulting-celiac-in-the-tardis]

5 Ways Going Gluten Free Changed My Life for the Better

New blog post!

I won't deny that, sometimes, eating gluten free or having celiac disease sucks. You have to read every label, turn down every cupcake at work and often pay a lot more for your favorite treats. 

However, if four years of celiac disease have taught me anything, it's that going gluten free came with its share of benefits as well. 

Not sure you believe me? Here are five ways going gluten free changed my life for the better. 

1. I'm no longer in a lot of pain every hour of every day. 

As I shared last week, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at age 11. For those who don't know, fibromyalgia has two major symptoms: extreme fatigue and widespread, constant pain. I grew up believing that always feeling pain was "normal." My mom, who also has fibromyalgia, felt the same. 

And then celiac disease entered the picture at age 17. I ate gluten free as a result of my new diagnosis...but, slowly, I noticed that my old diagnosis was improving as well. I wasn't in as much pain as before. I didn't have as many debilitating migraines that required several physical therapy appointments to fix. I could exercise without feeling like I'd been run over by a truck for several days afterward. 

My mom tested negative for celiac but went gluten free with me anyway - and she now feels better than she has in decades. If I'm honest, that is one of the biggest blessings from going gluten free: the ability to do what doctors haven't been able to for years and help my mom live the less-painful life she deserves. 

2. I've learned how to cook...a pretty impressive amount of dishes! 

Pre-celiac, I barely touched the oven or stove on a regular basis. I could whip up baked potatoes, boxed mac and cheese and frozen chicken nuggets...and that's about it. When I was diagnosed with celiac disease, though, food was suddenly the key to my health. And I wanted to know as much about both as I could. 

So, we bought and checked out countless "gluten free for dummies" books and got to work. By my sophomore year, my college cafeteria could no longer make me celiac-safe meals...and I was on my own. Cue the steep learning curve of everything from chicken pot pie to pesto zoodles to my favorite allergy free pizza. 

Today, I can proudly call myself a foodie and an amateur chef without feeling the need to laugh. I cook at least once a day and will be cooking even more often when I'm living alone for grad school. And you know what? While that prospect would've terrified pre-celiac Casey, this Casey is always excited to get her hands movin' in the kitchen! 

3. I eat a healthier diet overall. 

Now, I'm not saying that I was eating an "unhealthy" diet before celiac. I was just the average "meat and potatoes" American teenager, never reading labels, enjoying plenty of processed foods and eating maybe a fourth of the vegetables I do now. 

I'm also not saying that I eat the perfectly "healthy" diet now. Shortly after my diagnosis, I became so obsessed about healing my body that I only ate "healing" foods - like fruits, veggies, whole grains. That wasn't healthy mentally or physically, and I would never adopt that mindset again. Nowadays, I eat more processed foods...but I also smash the daily guidelines for fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

My diet is healthier now because I am more aware of what I'm eating. I read labels. I try to choose products with the simplest and most whole food ingredients. I care about where my food comes from, and I load up my plate with more plant-based protein than meat. But I still know how to enjoy a delicious gluten free cupcake when the time calls! 

4. I've met countless wonderful people from all over the world through my celiac diagnosis. 

I'd I hadn't been diagnosed with celiac disease, I am 90% sure I never would have created this blog. I've always enjoyed writing and connecting with people, but celiac gave me a reason to publish my thoughts online: meet and inspire others with celiac in college. 

Since I clicked the first "publish" four years ago, I've received comments from people in Canada, Germany and countries I've never heard of. I've answered emails from mothers desperate for advice on their newly-diagnosed children. I've been inspired by - and hopefully have inspired in return - other bloggers who face similar medical challenges. 

For the last couple of weeks, the blog has been my life as I've updated the design, added some more personal posts and worked on growing my social media channels. I won't deny that it's been draining. However, one Facebook message asking to quote my blog in a research paper, one comment praising my transparency, or one viral post raising celiac awareness makes all of the work worth it. 

5. I'm in control of my own health and well-being. 

When you have a chronic illness, you may get used to not having control over your own body. With fibromyalgia, I sometimes never know what triggered a flare and just have to ride it out. Ironically enough, though, following a restricted diet has actually given me some of my control back. 

I can't "cure" my celiac disease but I can minimize its symptoms through a gluten free diet. I can choose to stick to the low fodmap diet that makes my body feel it's best...or decide to splurge on chips with salsa and guacamole and accept the bloated food belly that comes with it. 

When I hear about newly diagnosed celiacs or suspected gluten intolerant struggling with their limited diets, I want to tell them this: "Focus less on what you can't eat and more on what you can. Focus on your ability to directly impact how great you feel based on the foods you choose to eat. Focus on the choices that are still yours to make."

Going and staying gluten free isn't easy. It can be awkward to continually reject offers of pizza at college socials or to inform suitors about your special diet before every first date. However, most of the time, I wouldn't change a thing about my medical history or diet. 

Like this post? Tweet it out by clicking here: "This #celiac shared 5 ways going #glutenfree made her life better. Share your story using #gfchangedme! http://bit.ly/2rdR2Sz @collegeceliackc." 

Because, for better and for worse, going gluten free has transformed my life. And, this Celiac Disease Awareness Month, I'm focusing on the better. 

How has celiac disease or a gluten free changed your life for the better? Comment below and/or tweet your story using the hashtag: #gfchangedme

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