#no saucepan is illegal
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
chialebeauf · 2 years ago
Text
Dispatch from Absurdist France
Just so you know we're still living in our own weird Kafka/Ionesco fusion timeline.
Macron's a pompous authoritarian dick and we hate him, so the good people of France started a little informal competition amongst ourselves to see which city or town can fuck his redemption tour of public appearances the most. Besides the usual booing, heckling (shoutout to the two old guys that called him a butthole to his face and called his government corrupt while shaking his hand on live TV yesterday, dudes rock!) etc, we've seen a revival of the ancestral tradition of the casserolade/cacerolazo. Which is basically bringing pots and pans and banging on them to make as much noise as you can to drown out government bullshit, thanks to our Latin brothers and sisters for keeping that one warm for us.
Since he's also very sensitive and his minions the préfets -kinda like a local police chief+mini-governor thing- are very attentive to his feelings, they're taking Measures. This morning he went on a visit in the beautiful, beautiful Languedoc backcountry, my only true love, and the local préfet wasn't about to be outdone in fascist shit by his colleagues.
He invaded the small town of Ganges (4000 souls) with 600 riot cops, not a typo, and illegally used an anti-terror law to forbid the carrying of various things in the municipality, including "portable sound devices".
WHICH, Y'ALL, APPARENTLY INCLUDES FUCKING POTS AND PANS!
Irony and parody are dead, here's the video of popo opening people's bags and seizing saucepans. Also they got manhandeld by a buch of dads with an average of around 0,64 baldspots per scalp and then threw CS gas from 5m away while being downwind.
To top it off, the word for saucepan (casserole) is actually slang for a political scandal, which Macron and his gov are full of (2 or 3 ministers in exercice and his Chief of Staff currently under indictement and 4 or 5 former ones still under indictment or convicted, I lost count)
All of that happened before noon.
I'm done with this clown state, I'll start an Occitan independentist guerilla, this is too stupid.
587 notes · View notes
hedgehog-moss · 2 years ago
Text
Update on the French protests: we've had a well-known expert in contemporary political history call the situation we're in "the worst democracy crisis France has known since [the end of the 4th Republic]" and meanwhile the government is trying its hardest to maintain a façade of normal functioning by a) hiding from protesters, b) hiding protesters from view, and c) banning saucepans and other means of drawing attention to the protests that are being swept under the rug.
I mean casserolades are an old tradition in this country but they wouldn't have been needed if Macron &co hadn't started almost systematically banning protests in entire districts of the towns they visit and setting up police roadblocks to prevent peaceful protesters from going anywhere near them. (Too bad because these are the kinds of images the media get (these 2 are from Le Monde) when protesters get to talk to Macron <3) :
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Protesters corralled away where they can be easily ignored started banging pots and pans so the protest could at least be heard in the background of TV footage, and then pans started being confiscated.
French courts have repeatedly struck down the bans as illegal but police prefects keep churning new bans out every time Macron goes somewhere anyway, trying to publish them at the last minute so there's no time for a judicial review. (I saw a sign at a protest last week that went "Stop with all the bans we no longer have time to disobey all of them")
After boldly banning saucepans by calling them "portable sonorous devices" last week, today a police prefecture banned "festive gatherings of a musical nature" in a town Macron will be visiting tomorrow. They're (ab)using counter-terrorist legislation for all this, so these days we get to read unheard-of court rulings that go like "We are suspending this prefectural decree as we do not consider festive gatherings of a musical nature to pose a significant terrorist threat to the President."
If Macron had people showing up in support I don't think we would see so many pissy protest bans because then the media could show backers vs. opponents and things would look normal (and not like 70% of the country is very pissed off with Macron). But there's not much for them to show if they don't show the angry people banging pans and it clearly rankles Macron—we learnt yesterday that he sent a letter to 200,000 political supporters of his essentially ordering them to start making appearances all over the country, to show they are "proud of what you are and of what our country has become [since I got elected]." That seems a bit desperate.
For months Macron &co have been predicting that people would get tired of taking to the streets in large numbers, and now that people are going like—right, let's try a new strategy, small local protests greeting gov members everywhere they go!—we're hearing a clear "no not like that, that's not what we meant :l " reaction from the government.
They've also been trying the strategy of announcing stuff at the last minute, like on Monday the Minister of Education announced at noon that he would visit a higher learning institution in Lyon 2 hours later, and a hundred of protesters still showed up and tried to force their way into the building. They were held off by cops using tear gas and trying to block entrances (there's a pic that made me smile, showing cops trying to barricade university gates with garbage bins—how the tables have turned...!) and the Minister ended up not showing up and moving on to the next step of his schedule (protesters tried to follow him there but police vans were blocking the street.)
The first half of the video is at the uni in Lyon; the second half is in Paris later that day. When he returned to Paris the Minister was greeted by protesters with saucepans at the train station, it's like a national relay race of protesting at times. He had to go back through the train to leave via the other end of the platform under police escort so as not to meet any protesters (god forbid).
Macron commented that this was "uncivic" behaviour and I agree, civic behaviour on the part of gov members would be to at least face the people they choose to fuck over, instead of hiding behind cops and fleeing. Obviously Macron was condemning the 'uncivic' protesters though, and the Minister said he felt "physically threatened" by the "violence of [the protesters'] speech" which is a shit thing to say considering on the same day that he was mildly inconvenienced by having to take a different exit and felt physically endangered by words, yet another protester was mutilated after being shot at by police with a rubber bullet. Not a peep about this incident (or previous ones) from the government. The Minister of Education never even condemned that time high schoolers trying to protest got tear gassed and threatened with riot guns by cops in front of their school earlier this month.
But while people continue protesting despite the actual violence from cops, our ministers are looking pretty scared of citizens banging pots and pans. Here's a list of official visits that got cancelled "for safety reasons" (saucepan terrorism) in the past week:
1. Minister P. NDiaye cancelled a visit in Lyon 2. Minister F. Braun cancelled a visit to Evrard Hospital 3. Minister Delegate O. Klein cancelled a visit in Bobigny 4. Minister Delegate O. Grégoire cancelled a visit in La Baule 5. Minister S. Guerini cancelled a visit in Castelnau 6. Secretary of State B. Couillard cancelled a visit in Rochefort 7. Minister S. Retailleau cancelled a visit to the Paris Saclay University (electricity trade unionists cut the power in the building she was supposed to inaugurate, so) 8. Minister C. Grandjean cancelled a visit in Toulouse (this article says it was probably because the visit was quite near a big highway protest where protesters among other things were building a concrete wall on a national road)
Tumblr media
In the same bullshitting vein as "portable sonorous devices", gov spokespeople have been insisting that visits aren't being cancelled, ministers are just "adjusting the course of their trips" which is funny to me. I guess we never beheaded any royalty we just adjusted the course of their necks. I also read a newspaper article that made me laugh, that went like "Minister cancels visit; trade unions disappointed" and I thought it was because the cancelled visit was a meeting with the unions which they wouldn't get to have, but the article said it was actually because they had a good protest planned and wouldn't get to hold it...
Watching protesters mess with the government in small ways on a daily basis has been good for morale—on Twitter the hashtags #IntervillesMacron and #IntervillesduZbeul popped up (zbeul = chaos, mess, and Intervilles was a TV game show that aired for over 50 years, where French cities competed against one another in goofy challenges). I only mentioned cancellations above, but fun things also happen on non-cancelled government visits, like a Minister having to leave a building via the emergency exit because of protesters blocking the building entrance (which some people argued is worth more points than a cancellation as it's more entertaining):
Tumblr media
Various websites were created to keep track of all these smaller protests and to officialise the point system that ranks cities on their efforts to fuck with the government:
Tumblr media
(the first symbol means a protest, the second means a casserolade, the last one means protesters managed to get inside a building where a visit was taking place)
Tumblr media
(Translation: Ruckus (saucepans, heckling...) 1pt Protest: 1pt Creative action (chasing minister in the woods, etc): 2pts Measures of energy conservation (= power cuts by unions) 3pts Action that leads to a political figure fleeing: 4pts Cancellation of a visit: 5pts — then there's a weighting system where the score is multiplied by 3 if it's a Minister, by 5 if it's the Prime Minister, by 6 if it's Macron.) (I also saw an interesting debate on Twitter this week—since our leaders often embarrass themselves, how should the government's own goals fit into the point system?)
Right now the Hérault department is winning because on top of protests, power cuts and casserolades, protesters greeted Macron with a giant "MACRON FUCK OFF" sign hung from a cliff (!) and took over a highway display so it'd say "Welcome to [region] Butthole Ist"
Tumblr media
These past few days I've been discovering unknown French cities (and Ministers) thanks to them showing up in the hashtag after a good protest. I discovered a mediaeval castle I'd never heard of when unions hung banners featuring our most famous revolutionary dates from the castle's battlements. (Two days later, another protest with eloquent banners in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris:)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
People are very creative—last week we heard that protesters got prosecuted for giving Macron the finger and insulting him during one of his official visits (< we are a healthy democracy), so protesters in another region tried a more sarcastic approach, and greeted a deputy from Macron's party at a strawberry fair this week with clapping and confetti and "Thank you for making us work 2 more years, thank you for police repression, thank you!" The deputy beat a hasty retreat. Then said he would file a complaint against the harassment and intimidation he had been subjected to. (The tear gas and riot guns and arrests and protest bans are not intimidation of protesters on the other hand. Or the fact that another deputy from his party recently said on TV that they were "ready for war"... They're ready to wage war, but run and hide when people clang saucepans and throw confetti.)
Anyway. I'm enjoying the fact that they can't even attend a small strawberry fair without getting heckled right now. In one of my first posts about the political crisis in March I wrote something like "How will Macron and his gov have any legitimacy to speak about any issues after this?" and it cheers me up to see a lot of people across the country agree that they have no legitimacy to talk about anything, not even the strawberry harvest.
The next nationwide protest is of course for May 1st, but in the meantime it's been really fun following the smaller protest actions all over the place. Members of government & Macron's party keep making whiny statements along the lines of this is terrorist behaviour, we can't go anywhere, why are people not getting tired of fucking with us and the answer is, because it's really entertaining!
This was the last sentence of a recent Le Monde article about Macron's situation and it has such a sinister, end-of-reign tone:
Tumblr media
"I'm moving forward," Macron concluded, on April 20th in the Herault department, while behind his back echoed the sound of saucepans.
5K notes · View notes
margotw10bis · 1 year ago
Text
Crashing On Crush. JJK 4 [m]
Tumblr media
crush!Jungkook x reader
Genre: smut; series; romance; angst
Words: 4.9k
Synopsis: What happens when your first encounter with your crush is Jungkook seeing your ass?
Warnings: alcohol consumption; protected sex; oral sex (f. receiving); praising kink; mention of passed harassment
previous ← 4 → next
Jungkook left a few minutes after because he had to wake up early the next morning. You were disappointed because after sharing such an intimate moment, you would have liked him to stay. You have felt so close to him. And you had the feeling that your connection disappeared with his absence. You have felt so alive, and the next moment you are completely alone, and not so much alive. It was kind of terrifying how your mood changed because of him: you were beyond clouds when he was next to you, and completely in the darkness when he left. This emotional rollercoaster made you cried that night. You were too lost in your own feelings. You felt closer to him and at the same time so far away.
The whole next day, you kept making mistakes at work, your brain overthinking the last night. You were thinking about Jungkook and wondering if he were thinking about you too. The possibility of it not being the case and of you being just another girl he had fun with squeezed your heart.
That's why, heading out of the art gallery, you thought like you could finally breathe. The pure fresh air of Seoul filled your lungs like it was your very first breathing. That's when you saw him, leaning against his black Mercedes.
Jungkook smiles at you when he notices you. A genuine smile, that makes you smile equally. A pure wave of happiness wraps your body and you wish you could jump in his arms. Once again, a little word with huge meaning starting with 'L' pops in your mind and warms your heart.
"What are you doing here?" You ask him, trying to not sound as cheerful as you are
"To see you"
The simple but so sweet respond attacks your heart. It should be illegal to be such a flirt.
"I was thinking I could cook for you"
"Oh, you know how to cook?" You tease him
"Are you questioning my cooking skills?" He replies, a brow lifting up suspiciously
Jungkook's smile is so pretty. When he smiles, he looks like the happiest man alive and, oddly, seeing him happy makes you happy too. You realize that you want to make him happy.
"Prove me wrong then" You say, opening his car door.
———
You didn't know what to expect from Jungkook's apartment but it surely looks like him: a big living room with a huge TV screen, a large black leather couch, some paintings on the walls ; a modern open kitchen and a dark wood diner table making the transition between the cooking area and the living room. You see some photos of him, his family and his friends. It's like Jungkook has brought all his memories from his brain and materialized it into his place. You feel good here, at peace, like in a cocoon, protected from the outside world. It's the same feeling that when he wraps his arms around your frame.
As Jungkook washes his hands with soap in the kitchen sink, he speaks up:
"Do you want some ramyeon?"
You immediately burst into laugher and Jungkook follows you.
"I mean, real ramyeon but if you want that, I will love it too"
"Real ramyeon is okay" You say, blushing
Jungkook starts boiling water in a saucepan and grabs two packs of Shin Ramyun, the less spicy ones after you told him that you were sensitive. It doesn't take long for the noodles to be ready and you two sit down at the dinner table.
The conversation goes smoothly. You talk about you two, your childhoods, the things you like and don't like. You just get to know each other. Despite being unlabeled, it looks like the beginning of a relationship. Few memories of how it started with your ex-boyfriends come back to you and you realize that what you are leaving now with Jungkook is like that, but way better because you get along on so many things. You laugh at the same jokes, you are upset about the same things, you care about the same subjects. However, you don't want to rush things. It's been a long time since you were in a relationship and you want to take your time. You don't have to put a name on what you and Jungkook are.
"Do you have nicknames?" You ask him at some point
"Actually, I have a lot of them: JK, Kook, Kookie" He pauses and a sparkle of playfulness brightens his doe eyes "Daddy..."
"Jungkook!" You blush and choke at the same time, which makes him laugh.
"You can call me whatever you want"
"What's your favorite nickname? And don't say Daddy" You ask him, genuinely wanting to call him by a name he likes
Jungkook takes the time to think and then, gets a tiny closer to you. When he talks back, his voice is way deeper and you feel a change in the air around you.
"Call me yours"
You don't understand what happens next because in just one second, your lips are on Jungkook's. He grabs your waist to pull you closer, basically putting you on his laps. Your hands are in his smooth, long hair. Your kiss is messy, eager and your panties gets quickly soaked. Then, Jungkook pulls you up and leans you on the table, the tableware pushed aside carelessly. The cold and hard material in your back contrast with the fire in your body and the softness of Jungkook's lips on your neck. His hands struggle to unbutton your pale yellow blouse and he is too impatient to wait. With a sharp movement, he pulls over both sides, causing all the little buttons to pop and fall around you.
"Jungkook!" You scold him
"I'll buy you a new one"
He even seems amused and kisses your breasts. It's enough for you to forget about the ripped clothes. Jungkook sneaks a hand on your back and undoes your bra. He quickly takes off both your messed up blouse and your bra. Then, he cups your boobs with his large and warm palms and takes the time to admire your picked nipples - caused by the cold air on your burning skin and your horniness. His mouth dives onto your nipples and he rolls his tongue around it, sucks on it and gently bites it. The simulation of this sensitive zone causes you to moan his name. You tell him to take off his shirt - honestly, who will say no to sneak on his perfect body?
You flick his firm chest and abs. He is way too handsome with no shirt on. But Jungkook doesn't give you too much time to enjoy the show because he unzips your black slacks and slides them down with your panties. Completely naked, you feel his glaze on you and you blush when he licks his lips, ready to eat you out.
"You are so beautiful" He whispers before he kneels down to kiss your pussy.
A choked whimper escapes your mouth. Feeling Jungkook's lips on you, and especially on your wet pussy, is electrifying. A wave of arousal washes over your body. He eats you out like a starved man. You feel your juice mixed with his saliva dripping down to your ass and your pussy clenches on nothing until Jungkook hears your silenced prayers and enters you with two fingers.
"Oh my god!" You exclaim at the sudden and delightful stretch
"I love how tight you are, babe"
You barely hear his voice because his mouth is glued to your clit but the pet name drives you crazy. You're losing your head, trying to grip the corner of the table not to lose your sanity under these perfect tongue flicks. Jungkook enhances the pace of his fingers, hitting your g-spot every time. You can't take it any longer and you feel your orgasm building up in your body so fast that you can't even tell Jungkook - not that he needs you to speak because your walls around his fingers getting tighter tell enough. You scream his name when you reach your climax, spams of pleasure all over your body.
You look literally fucked up and it's what Jungkook wanted. Seeing and even feeling your pleasure makes him horny. He can feel his hard cock completely squeezed in his pants, it's uncomfortable. You naked is a view he wishes to see everyday. At this thought, he can't help but caressing his dick through the fabric of his clothes and he kisses your inner thighs, he even bites them gently. The contact of his teeth on your sensitive skin makes you flinch. He knows damn well how to use his pretty mouth... He ends up sucking on your inner thigh skin to leave a mark. He loves thinking that you're his, even if it's just for a moment. His possessiveness doesn't just turn him on, it does the same to you. Someway, you are proud he wants you the same way you want him, and you do want to be his. And you want him to be yours.
You are out of breathe, slowly reaching down on Earth after being beyond clouds. You don't think straight and that's why your mouth speaks without consulting your brain.
"I want you" You hear your raspy post-orgasm voice says
Jungkook kisses you, some of your juice mixing in your mouth with your and his salivas. He leaves you just a few seconds and comes back with a metallic square packet in his hand.
"Are you sure?" He asks you
"Yes"
You have no doubt. You want Jungkook. You want to feel the closest you can, you want to feel him in you.
He kisses you, more gently than before, almost in a romantic way, before taking off his pants and underwear. The sight cuts your breathe: his cock is already hard. You can't deny that a new wave of wetness shakes your pussy. You wonder how stretching will his thick length be, you know he will fill you completely.
He puts the condom on, and gives himself a few pumps before placing his body closer to yours, right between your opened legs. The few seconds you have to wait to feel him are like torture. The emptiness of your pussy and the beautiful view of his hard cock so close to you makes you shiver in an impatient horniness. You're losing your mind, but it's even worse when Jungkook takes his length and slides upon your dripping pussy. You moan and then whine in pleasure when you feel it rubbing your swollen clit, causing a spam in all your body. His hard cock on your sensitive bud is the most delightful thing in the whole world.
"Jungkook, please" You beg
Once again, you don't know how much you are turning him on with your plea. "What a good girl", he thinks when he finally enters you. Slowly. Making you feel each inch stretching you and causing your mouth to open. It's so big, painful. It's so good. You don't really know if it's his cock or the realization of him filling you up but you are, once again, on the edge of your orgasm. However, you want this delightful sin to last as long as possible. That's why, when he is deep inside you, all his thick dick swallowed by your cunt, you put a hand on his firm abs to stop him from moving. You need to control yourself and take deep breathes. He is standing up, having the greatest view of your entire perfect body. Even though his position makes him dominant, on the inside, you are shaking everything in Jungkook. You could ask him anything, he would say 'yes'.
"You're so good" Jungkook says in a raspy voice before pecking you, this small gesture squeezes your heart with sweetness
When you begin to whimper from the lack of the now needed sliding, Jungkook gets the message and starts bumping. He begins quite slow but enhances the pace at each single bang. Your breasts bounces at the same rhythm and it's a call for him to grab your boob with his tattooed hand. His skin is even hotter than yours and the feeling is so damn good. His touch is like a delicious burn on your skin. His left hand keeps you in place while he penetrates you again and again. He enters you with all his length each time, hitting your g-spot. The pace is the perfect one: just providing the good amount of pain before it's unbearable. But what is unbearable is the arousal growing even bigger in your body.
"Oh my fucking god!"
"You're taking me so good, Y/N. So fucking perfect"
His head spins by the amount of pleasure. It's the pleasure of stretching your tight pussy but also of being the one in you. He keeps telling to himself how beautiful you are and how perfect your pussy feels around his cock, just like you were made for him. He wants each pounding to remind you that, at this moment, you're his and he's yours. There is nothing in the world but your two bodies being one.
He leans down to kiss you messily. You grab his hair and moan his name in his mouth. How can you survive so much pleasure? It's not just his perfect cock, Jungkook exactly knows how to move. He seems to know what you like, what you want and he gives it to you at the exact right time. That's why it's the best, best, best sex in your life.
"Are you so wet just for me?" His voice is full of cockiness and it makes you crazy, even his possessiveness creates a wave of arousal between your legs and makes your walls clench around him. "Answer me" He orders, giving a slap on the side of your ass, tightening your pussy even more and Jungkook mentally notes that you like that.
"Yes! Yes!" You repeat the only words you manage to say
"You're such a good girl" You can hear his smirk in his breathless voice, and it's fucking hot
You are so close, his cock stretching and pounding your dripping cunt. Jungkook feels your pussy clenching and he smirks. His inked hand leaves your breast to rub your clit, tightening your walls even more. It begins to be hard for him to enter you smoothly when you're so tight.
"Oh my god, Jungkook!" You moan, fighting to keep your eyes open just to see his face full of horniness and his messy-fuck hair sticked on his forehead. He is so perfect, so handsome. His puffy lips are slightly open and you swear that when he looks into your eyes, you can see his soul for a second.
"So fucking tight" He says with his jaws clenched, trying to not cum before you "Cum for me, babe. Cum around my cock"
His puzzling possessiveness towards you pushes him to fuck you harder. Eyes closed by the overwhelming wave of arousal, you have no idea that Jungkook is still watching you. So beautiful with your face torn by pleasure. He wishes to be the only one to witness it, the only one to provide you such an orgasm. And in fact, you've never cummed this hard. You get choked up, unable to make any noise, when you feel the most alive than you've ever felt - you don't even know if you're still on Earth - but Jungkook keeps fucking you through your orgasm. The overstimulation is almost too painful. Almost.
"Please, please" You groan
You don't know if it's for him to stop, to continue or to urge him to feel how good cumming right now is. Anyway, just a few poundings are enough for Jungkook after your little begging to fill the condom.
You are both panting and sweaty. Jungkook almost collapses on you and your burning skins melt into each other's. You feel so... overwhelmed. You don't even know what you're feeling right now except that you want to feel him closer. Not physically because you can't be closer than that - especially when Jungkook is still inside you - but emotionally. Your shaky hands - caused by the orgasms or your emotion - caresses his sticky hair. Jungkook throws his strong arms around you and rests his head on your breast, listening to your pounding heart. The feeling of your fingers playing with his black strands is soothing, he likes it. No, he loves it. He has never felt like this, in complete peace. He knows he is where he is to be.
You're happy Jungkook can't see your face because two big tears escape your eyes for an indeterminate reason. Well, actually, deep down, you know the reason but you're not ready to accept it just yet. Thankfully, you have time to dry your eyes before Jungkook lifts his pretty head and kisses you. A real, beautiful, perfect kiss. A kiss that says everything, every truth of the world and even more. Or is it your imagination because of your foggy post-amazing-orgasm brain?
Jungkook straightens up slowly and pulls out from you. The void between your legs is unpleasant, like a piece of you is missing. He grabs your hand to help to get off the table. Your weak and shaky legs abandon you but Jungkook's quick reflexes prevent you from hitting the ground.
"Wooh, easy cowboy" He laughs, kissing your temples
Why does he have to be so cute right now? Your legs are not the only part of your body to be weak at this moment: your heart is too. And his bunny smile, his adorable doe eyes and his scrunched nose are a huge threat.
You try to push this thoughts away and concentrate on stabilizing yourself. When you feel like you won't directly drop, you carefully let go of Jungkook's support.
"I should go take a shower" You say with a still raspy voice
"Sure, I'll give you a towel. And a t-shirt" He tells you playfully, glancing at your yellow once blouse.
You try to clean yourself quickly to give way to Jungkook but you still take the time to appreciate the smell of his body wash. It's not the usual strong and manly scent but a sophisticate amber and lemony fragrance. You realize it's perfect for Jungkook: mannish but soft at the same time. Okay, your brain is definitely not working well if you think his body wash is a mirror for his personality...
Out of the bathroom with the clean oversize black t-shirt and a pair of boxers that Jungkook gave you, you see him cleaning the diner table dressed only with his underwear. The mesmerizing view makes you blush. You don't say anything to enjoy the show a little longer. But Jungkook eventually notices you and gives you a genuine smile.
"You can choose a movie while I go shower, if you want"
He says that so naturally. Does that mean he expects you to stay over? Not that you complain but last time he left, so you kind of supposed you'd have to leave too. You are in fact really happy to stay and to spend more time with Jungkook after this intimate moment. Does he feel like something changed too? It was not only the sex but the few minutes after, while you were pressed against each other. You know what aftercare is but it was more than that.
———
"What are you doing this weekend?" Jungkook asks you
The movie has been going on for almost a hour now. You were surprised - but so happy - when Jungkook sat next to you and pulled closer, his arm around your shoulders. The fact that you smelled the same kind of made your heart beat faster. Silly, you thought. It was so good that you didn't want to think it was anything more than after-sex moment because if Jungkook decided to not see you again, you knew it would hurt you.
But now, he is asking for this weekend. So maybe, just maybe, he wants to see you again. Maybe to start something more serious?
"I have a thing Saturday. But I'm free Friday night and Sunday" You try to control your smile. "What about you?"
"I was thinking we could go to the Lotte aquarium. Have you been there?"
"Never" You answer, remembering that Suzi and you always talked about visiting it but always ended up doing something else. "I'd love to go"
You bite your lower lip to prevent you from asking "Is it a date?".
"Great" Jungkook smiles at you with his cute bunny smile, relieved that you agreed to go out with him. "What are your plans for Saturday, if it's okay for me to ask?"
"One of my friends is graduating from high school"
"You have young friends!" He jokes
"Yah, I'm not that old! You, on the other hand, can't say the same" You tease and he looks falsely offended
"Come on, Y/N, I'm like three years older"
You don't really think before kissing Jungkook. It's only when you pull your lips apart that you realize that you got carried away by the flirty situation and that you might have crossed a line.
Seeing the panic in your eyes, Jungkook reassures you by kissing you. Himself can't get enough of your pretty lips. Being with you, watching a movie, having you in his arms seems so natural to him. As it's always have been like that. He doesn't know why, and he doesn't even try to understand. He just wants to enjoy it.
And he does. All night. You sleeping in his bed is a blessing, almost a dream. That's why he wraps your body with an arm: he makes sure that you won't disappear. He can't deny that this fear comes with old demons that he tries to push away.
———
"Jongseob!" You scream your friend's name like a proud mom
He is wearing his high school uniform and, something unusual, he has styled his caramel hair - and yes, he has been punished for dying his hair. However, you can't yell at him when he is this cute.
"Noona!"
He immediately jumps at you and you notice that he has grown since the last time you saw him a few month ago.
"I'm so, so proud of you" You tell him, hugging him tightly. "I have something for you"
Jongseob grabs the bag you hand him and takes a look. His almond eyes sparkles and his lovely smile gets bigger. He looks genuinely happy to discover the new video game he told you about and a full box of donuts from your favorite coffee shop.
You are moved to see him happy. It's a drastic change from your first encounter and each time you think about it, your heart is painfully squeezed. It was three years ago. Suzi had sent you a text to tell you that she would be late. Grumbling, you decided to start shopping for the weekend party without her. You were strolling in Myeongdong when you heard some strange noises coming from a narrowed alley. A small group of high schoolers were having fun. Or that's what you thought at first. But watching carefully, you noticed that four of them were, indeed having fun from bullying a younger boy. You felt panicked, sad and angry. You didn't think a second before rushing toward them and yelling at them. They might have think you were crazy.
"If you touch him again, I swear to God that I will make you regret being born" You told them
It was not really your threat but the fading amusement that made them leave. When you turned around, you saw this scared but cute boy. You hugged him tightly and told him that he'd never be alone again. After that, you both sat at your now favorite coffee and you payed him a donut. Since then, Jongseob is like your little brother. You really, purely love each other. And you are so, so proud of him: he is more confident now and he graduates with special mention.
You can see in Jongseob's eyes that he is also thinking about your first encounter. Both of you have watery eyes now. He's never told you that he thinks you're his guardian angel. You helped him so much that he made a promise to himself: he will work hard and will give everything you want. He will take care of you the same way you took care of him. You're the person who knows him the most, like a big sister, his Noona.
You let him go join his classmates and you sit on the bleachers to follow the graduation. Pride brightens your eyes and warms your heart. When the headmaster calls 'Kim Jongseob', he stands up, takes his diploma and looks for you in the crowd. When his eyes meet yours, he waves at you with his certificate, a perfect sign of success after all he's been through.
"Noona, I'm not a kid anymore" Jongseob complains when you hand him a hot chocolate
You roll your eyes. After the ceremony, you invited him at the coffee shop and ordered the usual: a hot chocolate for Jongseob, a latte for you and two glazed lemon donuts - you told him to bring back home the ones you gave him earlier.
"Yah! It's not because you're not in high school anymore that you can't drink hot chocolate. Come on, I know you love it"
With a sigh, Jongseob gives up the protest and takes a sip. The sweet flavor makes him forget why he wanted anything else.
"I'm so proud of you"
"Stop! You said that a hundred times today"
"I know but it's true"
You can't control your emotion. Like you said earlier, you look like a proud mom and you are not going to be sorry for that. Moreover, you know that Jongseob is secretly happy to know how you feel about him, his own parents are not very supportive.
Jongseob's phone rings and he immediately jumps on it. He reads the text, blushes and answers. You squint and wait for him to put down the device. Jongseob notices the suspicious and amused expression on your face.
"What?" He asks, blushing harder
"Don't you have something to tell me?" You take a sip of your latte, trying to act detached while you're dying to know all the details
"There is this girl, Jiwon, she is so pretty and nice. We-we talk, that's all"
"You like her?"
"I-I think"
Jongseob is too cute when he is shy. He is a good guy, you have no doubt that Jiwon will see it too. You are also happy that he found someone, a friend, to talk to. After being bullied, it was hard for him to trust other people and you were the only one he talked to. But you have noticed a slight change in him: he is more open to others and, even if they can't be described as 'friends', he spends some time with them.
"What about you, Noona?"
"There is this guy, Jungkook, he is so pretty and nice" You tease him and Jongseob gently slaps your arm to make you stop. "I'm kidding! But for real, there is a guy. I don't really know what we are"
Actually, you are glad to talk about Jungkook to someone. You know you can talk to Suzi but she is too implicated so Jongseob can help you see things differently, especially when he doesn't know Jungkook.
"What would you like you two to be?"
It's a simple question. And yet, you never thought about it. When you're with Jungkook, you feel so good. He makes you happy, alive and it's more than just sex. The physical attraction you've had for him for months became something deeper when you started spending time with him. It's also scary how such a short time was enough for your heart and your brain to be full of Jungkook.
"I... want him" You whisper "I feel alive when I'm with him. I don't know how to explain but I want to be with him"
"What are you wanting for?"
You look at Jongseob with a surprised and confused look. He looks so confident - you don't know that it's thank to you that he can be.
"Go tell him. You have nothing to loose. And honestly, if this Jungkook guy doesn't want to be with you, he sucks"
Jongseob's cute smile gives you courage. He gives you a 'go girl!' look. You grab you bag, kiss Jongseob on his chubby cheek and waves him goodbye.
———
The bus ride allowed you to organize your speech. You feel so fucking stressed. Your heart beats loudly in your chest. You know that it's not easy to lay yourself bare and confess your feelings but you also know that you shared something real with Jungkook. You can't be the only one to feel this way, he must feel it too.
You arrive at the closest bus stop to Jungkook's. You place your hand on your crazy beating heart and take a deep breathe. It's okay, nothing can go wrong. You walk to his building and you are surprised to see him, standing up next to his Mercedes. You are ready to call him out but you throat goes dry when you see a girl hugging him.
What the hell?
You are close enough to hear them talking. But this can't be happening. It's all a misunderstanding, like in movies. The girl took him for someone else, or Jungkook is going to push her away. But no. The ground is opening under your feet, swallowing you. However, it's even more painful when you hear what they are saying.
"Kookie, I need you" The girl says in Jungkook's chest
"I'm here, I'm not leaving you"
Each word coming from his mouth is a dragger in your broken heart.
He wraps his arms around the fragile girl's body, an awful reminder that he's done the exact same thing to you just a few days ago.
"I love you" She says
Please, don't. Don't say it.
"I love you too"
previous ← 4 → next
289 notes · View notes
margotw10 · 2 years ago
Text
Crashing on Crush. JJK (m)
Tumblr media
Pairing : crush!Jungkook x Female Reader
Synopsis : Jungkook invites you to eat ramyeon, but as your feelings grow for him maybe he hasn't been completely honest with you...
Words : 4.7k
Warnings : explicit language; cursing; oral sex (f. receiving); protected sex; mention of bullying
A/n : Hi! The new chapter of this fic, pls check the previous ones :) Don't hesitate to comment. Please keep in mind that English is not my first language. Once again, Mathilde worked hard to fix my grammar mistakes &lt;3
Ch. 1---- Ch. 2---- Ch. 3---- Ch. 4---- Ch. 5---- Ch. 6---- Ch. 7---- Ch. 8---- Ch. 9----
Jungkook left a few minutes after because he had to wake up early the next morning. You were disappointed because after sharing such an intimate moment, you would have liked him to stay. You have felt so close to him. And you had the feeling that your connection disappeared with his absence. You have felt so alive, and the next moment you are completely alone, and not so much alive. It was kind of terrifying how your mood changed because of him: you were beyond clouds when he was next to you, and completely in the darkness when he left. This emotional rollercoaster made you cried that night. You were too lost in your own feelings. You felt closer to him and at the same time so far away. 
The whole next day, you kept making mistakes at work, your brain overthinking the last night. You were thinking about Jungkook and wondering if he were thinking about you too. The possibility of it not being the case and of you being just another girl he had fun with squeezed your heart. 
That’s why, heading out of the art gallery, you thought like you could finally breathe. The pure fresh air of Seoul filled your lungs like it was your very first breathing. That’s when you saw him, leaning against his black Mercedes. 
Jungkook smiles at you when he notices you. A genuine smile, that makes you smile equally. A pure wave of happiness swaps your body and you wish you could jump in his arms. Once again, a little word with huge meaning starting with ‘L’ pops in your mind and warms your heart.
"What are you doing here?" You ask him, trying to not sound as cheerful as you are
"To see you"
The simple but so sweet respond attacks your heart. It would be illegal to be such a flirt. 
"I was thinking I could cook for you"
"Oh, you know how to cook?" You tease him
"Are you questioning my cooking skills?" He replies, a brow lifting up suspiciously
Jungkook’s smile is so pretty. When he smiles, he looks like the happiest man alive and, oddly, seeing him happy makes you happy too. You realize that you want to make him happy. 
"Prove me wrong then" You say, opening his car door. 
———
You didn’t know what to expect from Jungkook’s apartment but it surely looks like him: a big living room with a huge TV screen, a large black leather couch, some paintings on the walls ; a modern open kitchen and a dark wood diner table making the transition between the cooking area and the living room. You see some photos of him, his family and his friends. It’s like Jungkook has brought all his memories from his brain and materialized it into his place. You feel good here, at peace, like in a cocoon, protected from the outside world. It’s the same feeling that when he wraps his arms around your frame.
As Jungkook washes his hand with soap in the kitchen sink, he speaks up:
"Do you want some ramyeon?"
You immediately burst into laugher and Jungkook follows you.
"I mean, real ramyeon but if you want that, I will love it too"
"Real ramyeon is okay" You say, blushing
Jungkook starts boiling water in a saucepan and grabs two packs of Shin Ramyun, the less spicy ones after you told him that you were sensitive. It doesn’t take long for the noodles to be ready and you two sit down at the dinner table. 
The conversation goes smoothly. You talk about you two, your childhoods, the things you like and don’t like. You just get to know each other. Despite being unlabeled, it looks like the beginning of a relationship. Few memories of how it started with your ex-boyfriends come back to you and you realize that what you are leaving now with Jungkook is like that, but way better because you get along with so many things. You laugh at the same jokes, you are upset about the same things, you care about the same subjects. However, you don’t want to rush things. It’s been a long time since you were in a relationship and you want to take your time. You don’t have to put a name on what you and Jungkook are. 
"Do you have nicknames?" You ask him at some point
"Actually, I have a lot of them: JK, Kook, Kookie" He pauses and a sparkle of playfulness brightens his doe eyes "Daddy…"
"Jungkook!" You blush and choke at the same time, which makes him laugh. 
"You can call me whatever you want" 
"What’s your favorite nickname? And don’t say Daddy" You ask him, genuinely wanting to call him by a name he likes
Jungkook takes the time to think and then, gets a tiny closer to you. When he talks back, his voice is way deeper and you feel a change in the air around you.
"Call me yours"
You don’t understand what happens next because in just one second, your lips are on Jungkook’s. He grabs your waist to pull you closer, basically putting you on his laps. Your hands are in his smooth, long hair. Your kiss is messy, eager and your panties gets quickly soaked. Then, Jungkook pulls you up and leans you on the table, the tableware pushed aside carelessly. The cold and hard material in your back contrast with the fire in your body and the softness of Jungkook’s lips on your neck. His hands struggle to unbutton your pale yellow blouse and he is too impatient to wait. With a sharp movement, he pulls over both sides, causing all the little buttons to pop and fall around you.
"Jungkook!" You scold him
"I’ll buy you a new one"
He even seems amused and kisses your breasts. It’s enough for you to forget about the ripped clothes. Jungkook sneaks a hand on your back and undoes your bra. He quickly takes off both your messed up blouse and your bra. Then, he cups your boobs with his large and warm palms and takes the time to admire your picked nipples - caused by the cold air on your burning skin and your horniness. His mouth dives onto your nipples and he rolls his tongue around it, sucks on it and gently bites it. The simulation of this sensitive zone causes you to moan his name. You tell him to take off his shirt - honestly, who will say no to sneak on his perfect body? 
You flick his firm chest and abs. He is way too handsome with no shirt on. But Jungkook doesn’t give you too much time to enjoy the show because he unzips your black slacks and slides them down with your panties. Completely naked, you feel his glaze on you and you blush when he licks his lips, ready to eat you out.
"You are so beautiful" He whispers before he kneels down to kiss your pussy.
A choked whimper escapes your mouth. Feeling Jungkook’s lips on you, and especially on your wet pussy, is electrifying. A wave of arousal washes over your body. He eats you out like a starved man. You feel your juice mixed with his saliva dripping down to your ass and your pussy clenches on nothing until Jungkook hears your silenced prayers and enters you with two fingers. 
"Oh my god!" You exclaim at the sudden and delightful stretch 
"I love how tight you are, babe"
You barely hear his voice because his mouth is glued to your clit but the pet name drives you crazy. You’re losing your head, trying to grip the corner of the table not to lose your sanity under these perfect tongue flicks. Jungkook enhances the pace of his fingers, hitting your g-spot every time. You can’t take it any longer and you feel your orgasm building up in your body so fast that you can’t even tell Jungkook - not that he needs you to speak because your walls around his fingers getting tighter tell enough. You scream his name when you reach your climax, spams of pleasure all over your body.
You look literally fucked up and it’s what Jungkook wanted. Seeing and even feeling your pleasure makes him horny. He can feel his hard cock completely squeezed in his pants, it’s uncomfortable. You naked is a view he wishes to see everyday. At this thought, he can’t help but caressing his dick through the fabric of his clothes and he kisses your inner thighs, he even bites them gently. The contact of his teeth on your sensitive skin makes you flinch. He knows damn well how to use his pretty mouth… He ends up sucking on your inner thigh skin to leave a mark. He loves thinking that you’re his, even if it’s just for a moment. His possessiveness does’t just turn him on, it does the same to you. Someway, you are proud he wants you the same way you want him, and you do want to be his. And you want him to be yours. 
You are out of breathe, slowly reaching down on Earth after being beyond clouds. You don’t think straight and that’s why your mouth speaks without consulting your brain. 
"I want you" You hear your raspy post-orgasm voice says
Jungkook kisses you, some of your juice mixing in your mouth with your and his salivas. He leaves you just a few seconds and comes back with a metallic square packet in his hand. 
"Are you sure?" He asks you
"Yes"
You have no doubt. You want Jungkook. You want to feel the closest you can, you want to feel him in you. 
He kisses you, more gently than before, almost in a romantic way, before taking off his pants and underwear. The sight cuts your breathe: his cock is already hard. You can’t deny that a new wave of wetness shakes your pussy. You wonder how stretching will his thick length be, you know he will fill you completely. 
He puts the condom on, and gives himself a few pumps before placing his body closer to yours, right between your opened legs. The few seconds you have to wait to feel him are like torture. The emptiness of your pussy and the beautiful view of his hard cock so close to you makes you shiver in an impatient horniness. You’re losing your mind, but it’s even worse when Jungkook takes his length and slides upon your dripping pussy. You moan and then whine in pleasure when you feel it rubbing your swollen clit, causing a spam in all your body. His hard cock on your sensitive bud is the most delightful thing in the whole world. 
"Jungkook, please" You beg  
Once again, you don’t know how much you are turning him on with your plea. "What a good girl", he thinks when he finally enters you. Slowly. Making you feel each inch stretching you and causing your mouth to open. It’s so big, painful. It’s so good. You don’t really know if it’s his cock or the realization of him filling you up but you are, once again, on the edge of your orgasm. However, you want this delightful sin to last as long as possible. That’s why, when he is deep inside you, all his thick dick swallowed by your cunt, you put a hand on his firm abs to stop him from moving. You need to control yourself and take deep breathes. He is standing up, having the greatest view of your entire perfect body. Even though his position makes him dominant, on the inside, you are shaking everything in Jungkook. You could ask him anything, he would say ‘yes’. 
"You’re so good" Jungkook says in a raspy voice before pecking you, this small gesture squeezes your heart with sweetness
When you begin to whimper from the lack of the now needed sliding, Jungkook gets the message and starts bumping. He begins quite slow but enhances the pace at each single bang. Your breasts bounces at the same rhythm and it’s a call for him to grab your boob with his tattooed hand. His skin is even hotter than yours and the feeling is so damn good. His touch is like a delicious burn on your skin. His left hand keeps you in place while he penetrates you again and again. He enters you with all his length each time, hitting your g-spot. The pace is the perfect one: just providing the good amount of pain before it’s unbearable. But what is unbearable is the arousal growing even bigger in your body. 
"Oh my fucking god!"
"You’re taking me so good, Y/N. So fucking perfect"
His head spins by the amount of pleasure. It’s the pleasure of stretching your tight pussy but also of being the one in you. He keeps telling to himself how beautiful you are and how perfect your pussy feels around his cock, just like you were made for him. He wants each pounding to remind you that, at this moment, you’re his and he’s yours. There is nothing in the world but your two bodies being one. 
He leans down to kiss you messily. You grab his hair and moan his name in his mouth. How can you survive so much pleasure? It’s not just his perfect cock, Jungkook exactly knows how to move. He seems to know what you like, what you want and he gives it to you at the exact right time. That’s why it’s the best, best, best sex in your life. 
"Are you so wet just for me?" His voice is full of cockiness and it makes you crazy, even his possessiveness creates a wave of arousal between your legs and makes your walls clench around him. "Answer me" He orders, giving a slap on the side of your ass, tightening your pussy even more and Jungkook mentally notes that you like that.
"Yes! Yes!" You repeat the only words you manage to say
"You’re such a good girl" You can hear his smirk in his breathless voice, and it’s fucking hot
You are so close, his cock stretching and pounding your dripping cunt. Jungkook feels your pussy clenching and he smirks. His inked hand leaves your breast to rub your clit, tightening your walls even more. It begins to be hard for him to enter you smoothly when you’re so tight.  
"Oh my god, Jungkook!" You moan, fighting to keep your eyes open just to see his face full of horniness and his messy-fuck hair sticked on his forehead. He is so perfect, so handsome. His puffy lips are slightly open and you swear that when he looks into your eyes, you can see his soul for a second. 
"So fucking tight" He says with his jaws clenched, trying to not cum before you "Cum for me, babe. Cum around my cock"
His puzzling possessiveness towards you pushes him to fuck you harder. Eyes closed by the overwhelming wave of arousal, you have no idea that Jungkook is still watching you. So beautiful with your face torn by pleasure. He wishes to be the only one to witness it, the only one to provide you such an orgasm. And in fact, you’ve never cummed this hard. You get choked up, unable to make any noise, when you feel the most alive than you’ve ever felt - you don’t even know if you’re still on Earth - but Jungkook keeps fucking you through your orgasm. The overstimulation is almost too painful. Almost. 
"Please, please" You groan 
You don’t know if it’s for him to stop, to continue or to urge him to feel how good cumming right now is. Anyway, just a few poundings are enough for Jungkook after your little begging to fill the condom. 
You are both panting and sweaty. Jungkook almost collapses on you and your burning skins melt into each other’s. You feel so… overwhelmed. You don’t even know what you’re feeling right now except that you want to feel him closer. Not physically because you can’t be closer than that - especially when Jungkook is still inside you - but emotionally. Your shaky hands - caused by the orgasms or your emotion - caresses his sticky hair. Jungkook throws his strong arms around you and rests his head on your breast, listening to your pounding heart. The feeling of your fingers playing with his black strands is soothing, he likes it. No, he loves it. He has never felt like this, in complete peace. He knows he is where he is to be. 
You’re happy Jungkook can’t see your face because two big tears escape your eyes for an indeterminate reason. Well, actually, deep down, you know the reason but you’re not ready to accept it just yet. Thankfully, you have time to dry your eyes before Jungkook lifts his pretty head and kisses you. A real, beautiful, perfect kiss. A kiss that says everything, every truth of the world and even more. Or is it your imagination because of your foggy post-amazing-orgasm brain? 
Jungkook straightens up slowly and pulls out from you. The void between your legs is unpleasant, like a piece of you is missing. He grabs your hand to help to get off the table. Your weak and shaky legs abandon you but Jungkook’s quick reflexes prevent you from hitting the ground. 
"Wooh, easy cowboy" He laughs, kissing your temples
Why does he have to be so cute right now? Your legs are not the only part of your body to be weak at this moment: your heart is too. And his bunny smile, his adorable doe eyes and his scrunched nose are a huge threat. 
You try to push this thoughts away and concentrate on stabilizing yourself. When you feel like you won’t directly drop, you carefully let go of Jungkook’s support. 
"I should go take a shower" You say with a still raspy voice
"Sure, I’ll give you a towel. And a t-shirt" He tells you playfully, glancing at your yellow once blouse. 
You try to clean yourself quickly to give way to Jungkook but you still take the time to appreciate the smell of his body wash. It’s not the usual strong and manly scent but a sophisticate amber and lemony fragrance. You realize it’s perfect for Jungkook: mannish but soft at the same time. Okay, your brain is definitely not working well if you think his body wash is a mirror for his personality… 
Out of the bathroom with the clean oversize black t-shirt and a pair of boxers that Jungkook gave you, you see him cleaning the diner table dressed only with his underwear. The mesmerizing view makes you blush. You don’t say anything to enjoy the show a little longer. But Jungkook eventually notices you and gives you a genuine smile. 
"You can choose a movie while I go shower, if you want"
He says that so naturally. Does that mean he expects you to stay over? Not that you complain but last time he left, so you kind of supposed you’d have to leave too. You are in fact really happy to stay and to spend more time with Jungkook after this intimate moment. Does he feel like something changed too? It was not only the sex but the few minutes after, while you were pressed against each other. You know what aftercare is but it was more than that.
———
"What are you doing this weekend?" Jungkook asks you
The movie has been going on for almost a hour now. You were surprised - but so happy - when Jungkook sat next to you and pulled closer, his arm around your shoulders. The fact that you smelled the same kind of made your heart beat faster. Silly, you thought. It was so good that you didn’t want to think it was anything more than after-sex moment because if Jungkook decided to not see you again, you knew it would hurt you.
But now, he is asking for this weekend. So maybe, just maybe, he wants to see you again. Maybe to start something more serious?
"I have a thing Saturday. But I’m free Friday night and Sunday" You try to control your smile. "What about you?"
"I was thinking we could go to the Lotte aquarium. Have you been there?"
"Never" You answer, remembering that Suzi and you always talked about visiting it but always ended up doing something else. "I’d love to go"
You bite your lower lip to prevent you from asking "Is it a date?". 
"Great" Jungkook smiles at you with his cute bunny smile, relieved that you agreed to go out with him. "What are your plans for Saturday, if it’s okay for me to ask?"
"One of my friends is graduating from high school"
"You have young friends!" He jokes
"Yah, I’m not that old! You, on the other hand, can’t say the same" You tease and he looks falsely offended
"Come on, Y/N, I’m like three years older"
You don’t really think before kissing Jungkook. It’s only when you pull your lips apart that you realize that you got carried away by the flirty situation and that you might have crossed a line. 
Seeing the panic in your eyes, Jungkook reassures you by kissing you. Himself can’t get enough of your pretty lips. Being with you, watching a movie, having you in his arms seems so natural to him. As it’s always have been like that. He doesn’t know why, and he doesn’t even try to understand. He just wants to enjoy it. 
And he does. All night. You sleeping in his bed is a blessing, almost a dream. That’s why he wraps your body with an arm: he makes sure that you won’t disappear. He can’t deny that this fear comes with old demons that he tries to push away. 
———
"Jongseob!" You scream your friend’s name like a proud mom
He is wearing his high school uniform and, something unusual, he has styled his caramel hair - and yes, he has been punished for dying his hair. However, you can’t yell at him when he is this cute. 
"Noona!" 
He immediately jumps at you and you notice that he has grown since the last time you saw him a few month ago. 
"I’m so, so proud of you" You tell him, hugging him tightly. "I have something for you"
Jongseob grabs the bag you hand him and takes a look. His almond eyes sparkles and his lovely smile gets bigger. He looks genuinely happy to discover the new video game he told you about and a full box of donuts from your favorite coffee shop. 
You are moved to see him happy. It’s a drastic change from your first encounter and each time you think about it, your heart is painfully squeezed. It was three years ago. Suzi had sent you a text to tell you that she would be late. Grumbling, you decided to start shopping for the weekend party without her. You were strolling in Myeongdong when you heard some strange noises coming from a narrowed alley. A small group of high schoolers were having fun. Or that’s what you thought at first. But watching carefully, you noticed that four of them were, indeed having fun from bullying a younger boy. You felt panicked, sad and angry. You didn’t think a second before rushing toward them and yelling at them. They might have think you were crazy.
"If you touch him again, I swear to God that I will make you regret being born" You told them
It was not really your threat but the fading amusement that made them leave. When you turned around, you saw this scared but cute boy. You hugged him tightly and told him that he’d never be alone again. After that, you both sat at your now favorite coffee and you payed him a donut. Since then, Jongseob is like your little brother. You really, purely love each other. And you are so, so proud of him: he is more confident now and he graduates with special mention. 
You can see in Jongseob’s eyes that he is also thinking about your first encounter. Both of you have watery eyes now. He’s never told you that he thinks you’re his guardian angel. You helped him so much that he made a promise to himself: he will work hard and will give everything you want. He will take care of you the same way you took care of him. You’re the person who knows him the most, like a big sister, his Noona. 
You let him go join his classmates and you sit on the bleachers to follow the graduation. Pride brightens your eyes and warms your heart. When the headmaster calls ‘Kim Jongseob’, he stands up, takes his diploma and looks for you in the crowd. When his eyes meet yours, he waves at you with his certificate, a perfect sign of success after all he’s been through. 
"Noona, I’m not a kid anymore" Jongseob complains when you hand him a hot chocolate
You roll your eyes. After the ceremony, you invited him at the coffee shop and ordered the usually: a hot chocolate for Jongseob, a latte for you and two glazed lemon donuts - you told him to bring back home the ones you gave him earlier. 
"Yah! It’s not because you’re not in high school anymore that you can’t drink hot chocolate. Come on, I know you love it" 
With a sigh, Jongseob gives up the protest and takes a sip. The sweet flavor makes him forget why he wanted anything else. 
"I’m so proud of you"
"Stop! You said that a hundred times today"
"I know but it’s true"
You can’t control your emotion. Like you said earlier, you look like a proud mom and you are not going to be sorry for that. Moreover, you know that Jongseob is secretly happy to know how you feel about him, his own parents are not very supportive. 
Jongseob’s phone rings and he immediately jumps on it. He reads the text, blushes and answers. You squint and wait for him to put down the device. Jongseob notices the suspicious and amused expression on your face. 
"What?" He asks, blushing harder
"Don’t you have something to tell me?" You take a sip of your latte, trying to act detached while you’re dying to know all the details
"There is this girl, Jiwon, she is so pretty and nice. We-we talk, that’s all"
"You like her?"
"I-I think"
Jongseob is too cute when he is shy. He is a good guy, you have no doubt that Jiwon will see it too. You are also happy that he found someone, a friend, to talk to. After being bullied, it was hard for him to trust other people and you were the only one he talked to. But you have noticed a slight change in him: he is more open to others and, even if they can’t be described as ‘friends’, he spends some time with them. 
"What about you, Noona?"
"There is this guy, Jungkook, he is so pretty and nice" You tease him and Jongseob gently slaps your arm to make you stop. "I’m kidding! But for real, there is a guy. I don’t really know what we are"
Actually, you are glad to talk about Jungkook to someone. You know you can talk to Suzi but she is too implicated so Jongseob can help you see things differently, especially when he doesn’t know Jungkook.
"What would you like you two to be?"
It’s a simple question. And yet, you never thought about it. When you’re with Jungkook, you feel so good. He makes you happy, alive and it’s more than just sex. The physical attraction you’ve had for him for months became something deeper when you started spending time with him. It’s also scary how such a short time was enough for your heart and your brain to be full of Jungkook. 
"I… want him" You whisper "I feel alive when I’m with him. I don’t know how to explain but I want to be with him"
"What are you wanting for?"
You look at Jongseob with a surprised and confused look. He looks so confident - you don’t know that it’s thank to you that he can be. 
"Go tell him. You have nothing to loose. And honestly, if this Jungkook guy doesn’t want to be with you, he sucks"
Jongseob’s cute smile gives you courage. He gives you a ‘go girl!’ look. You grab you bag, kiss Jongseob on his chubby cheek and waves him goodbye. 
———
The bus ride allowed you to organize your speech. You feel so fucking stressed. Your heart beats loudly in your chest. You know that it’s not easy to lay yourself bare and confess your feelings but you also know that you shared something real with Jungkook. You can’t be the only one to feel this way, he must feel it too. 
You arrive at the closest bus stop to Jungkook’s. You place your hand on your crazy beating heart and take a deep breathe. It’s okay, nothing can go wrong. You walk to his building and you are surprised to see him, standing up next to his Mercedes. You are ready to call him out but you throat goes dry when you see a girl hugging him. 
What the hell?
You are close enough to hear them talking. But this can’t be happening. It’s all a misunderstanding, like in movies. The girl took him for someone else, or Jungkook is going to push her away. But no. The ground is opening under your feet, swallowing you. However, it’s even more painful when you hear what they are saying.
"Kookie, I need you" The girl says in Jungkook’s chest
"I’m here, I’m not leaving you"
Each word coming from his mouth is a dragger in your broken heart. 
He wraps his arms around the fragile girl’s body, an awful reminder that he’s done the exact same thing to you just a few days ago. 
"I love you" She says
Please, don’t. Don’t say it. 
"I love you too"
1 note · View note
lil-gingerbread-queen · 1 year ago
Text
The French Government of Macron is extremely pro-Israel, giving more and more support to Israel as fascism gains more power in France.
Being pro-Palestine was labelled as a hate-crime toward jewish people, which will get you arrested. HOWEVER Neo-nazis have been doing more and more hate-crimes without repercussions. They burned down a mayor's house, trying to kill him and his family for doing his best to make immigrants feel welcomed, and the government didn't do shit. Nazis walked freely in a French city street in spring. Nazis aren't only Jews' oppressors, they deeply harmed and traumatized French people (they killed entire towns), so this is beyond acceptable.
The French cops are the most violent in Europe, they are pos who can do whatever they want. They stopped working when one of their colleagues was arrested for killing a civil, until the government freed him. They send a threat to the government of doing a coup and killing anyone in the country they see as "pests" (their own words, and yes, racist connotations) They have arrested multiple french journalists for doing their work (aka bringing the truth about the crimes done by our government). French cops do not follow the law and will arrest you just because they want to hurt you. They rape and kill.
It's important to know that the French people are not their government and that the majority of publications by French media on the conflict are full of comments in support of Palestine. In every protest I went to, support toward Palestine was also fought for on the side. A lot of comparison is done between Palestine with Algeria, and France with Israel, and how Algerians had to be violent because of France' crimes and colonialism (the Independence War of Algeria is our badge of shame. Any violence, any dead, that happened in Algeria is France's fault. Even terrorism is the fault of the oppressor, it would had less chances to happen if people weren't hurt again and again) Nobody with a braincell supports Darmanin (he's a rapist, a racist, a sexist and a homophobe). Anyone in France who is "against" the gov or its actions is labelled a terrorist, from ecologists to the Pope (yep, they lost it at the Pope saying that immigrants should be treated as humans. Wild moment). You get on the watch list very easily.
Currently, the French President Macron cannot go anywhere without being booed. They made saucepans illegal outside when the president or someone of his government is there because we made noises to not let them talk. Everytime he gets out, the security is out of the roof because they know that French hates him and they are afraid of his safety. (Good) BECAUSE OF THAT, Macron asked for Israel to be in charge of the 2024 Olympics Games' security. Israel will be paid to do the security and not let French people express themselves during the games, however, workers at the games are volunteers and not paid. So the French Government have no problem paying Israel to keep French people in check, but cannot pay its people who are in poverty.
French medias are owned by very rich folks who are exploiting people, in France and other countries, like France's ex-colonies, and have a lot of power in politics, some very racists and catholics people. They are colonizers, they cannot let their own journalists criticize it. You cannot say anything as a journalist or you get arrested.
All of this to say, the support toward Israel comes from Fascists. They stand with Israel as much as they stand with Nazis, because none of this is about "protecting the jews", it's about power. And don't support the 2024 Olympics Games.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
France competing for the award for the worst bootlickers and racist pieces of shit.
Give France to the Zionists if you want them so badly to have a country.
Fuck this.
Antizionism is a duty just like resisting against Colonialism and Nazis.
415 notes · View notes
apiratewhopines · 3 years ago
Text
Tumblr media
Double Dealing
Chapter 5/22 (updating daily)
Story Summary: When his brother’s best friend calls in desperate need of help, mercenary Killian Jones will stop at nothing to save the woman from his old enemy. Flying halfway across the world to meet Emma Swan was all part of the plan, falling for her not so much.
Between deadly inventions, criminal masterminds, and his feelings, he soon realizes he may be in over his head.
That’s just the way he likes it, really.
Rating: M
Thanks to @motherkatereloyshipper for reading this over and making it better!
“So go ahead and tell me lies
I wanna hear”
-Beautiful Liar, X Ambassadors
Emma collapsed back against her front door the second she made it into her apartment. Indulging herself, she groaned for a full ten seconds before pushing off the flat surface hard enough to propel into the galley kitchen directly off the entrance.
Killian Rogers would be the death of her.
The evening had not gone according to plan. For one thing, her sexy new client hadn’t been joking when he said they would hunt down his cousin together. She had pictured a civilized exchange of information, a few professional ride-alongs, maybe a low-key interrogation or two. The point was he would feel like he was an integral part of the arrangement, but she would do most of the heavy lifting far from his flirty smile and haunting eyes.
Unfortunately, Rogers had other ideas that included invading her space, getting under her skin, and making her want things she usually found in dive bars. Even the way the man used chopsticks made her all hot and bothered.
She had told him to wait in the loft, but she should have known better than to think he would actually listen. The worst part was that if he had, she would probably still be lying in a cold alleyway trying to regain control of her muscles.
When she cornered Henry, she had done her best to be non-threatening, consolatory even. Emma remembered exactly what it felt like to be alone when the darkness settled over the city like a blindfold. She knew what horrors caused the cagey look in the young man’s eyes. So she probably shouldn’t have been surprised when the kid pulled out a taser he likely had no clue how to use. Torn between completing the job and possibly hurting the kid, she had frozen in a rare moment of indecision.
Cue the handsome stranger who had a talent for showing up out of the blue. With a motion so fluid it should be illegal, he had Henry disarmed without harming a hair on the boy’s head. He had hung around, engaging the kid in whispered conversation until his caseworker and a nearby patrol showed up. She had no idea what they talked about. Still, she felt herself softening when she saw Henry give the older man a small smile as he was handed into the passenger side of the police car.
Of course, he tried to play off his part in their little adventure, teasing her that she would have to split the bounty with him, an idle threat seeing as she took the case pro bono. It was the warm admiration creeping into his gaze, a look of thorough understanding like he actually saw all the way to the depths of her soul, that had her brushing him off and retreating to her place as quickly as her terrified feet would take her.
She wasn’t even sure how Killian would make it back to his hotel.
Shaking away her worry—because any man who could move like a ghost shouldn’t have any trouble finding his way home—she poured some milk into her only saucepan to warm it on the stovetop. It had been cold out there tonight, and her bruised ego and aching head could use some hot chocolate.
With Henry back where he belonged, she could devote her entire schedule to finding Mrs. Belle Gold. Anyone who lived in Boston had heard of the Golds, a mixture of praise and censure split into two parts for the widely different spouses. She had to admit her attention had always been drawn to the darker side of the couple, the infamous Mr. Gold.
Grabbing her ancient laptop from the coffee table in her living room, she absentmindedly stirred some cocoa powder and sugar into her warm milk with one hand. The other scrolled through search results for Belle. As she expected, the images of the brilliant inventor matched the brief glimpse she had of the laughing woman on Killian’s cell phone. Since her arrival in town a couple of years ago, the younger woman had done wonders for the Gold family image. An image that at best was tarnished by cutthroat business deals and at worse was tinged with scandals and whispers of criminal activities.
It seemed Belle was destined for sainthood, though. Winner of numerous scientific and humanitarian awards, she led the R&D team at Olympus Enterprises. She secured enough patents during her time there to make the Golds rich for several lifetimes. Various photos of the woman in evening gowns and lab coats loaded on her screen, even some of her at a local group home teaching kids how to code and launch their own video games. Her work with underprivileged youth had earned her as many accolades as her professional accomplishments.
Several minutes of digging while sipping her drink had yet to unearth anything of use in the way of personal information on the missing woman. If she had a private email or phone number, neither one was used to establish any online accounts or apps. Bank accounts all seemed to be joint in nature. Though she wasn’t opposed to tiptoeing through Gold’s finances, she would need someone far better at finding a way around the security measures to get anything useful.
Having struck out on all the usual searches, she settled onto her couch and started her secondary ones. Going with the assumption that Belle was a woman fleeing rather than a murder victim, she expanded her net. Women escaping bad relationships typically had some cash hidden away and a go-bag ready. That would mean she could have lasted a few days without stopping for basic necessities.
It would be worth canvassing the area around Gold Towers and the swanky neighborhood where the Golds lived to see if any local shop owners had seen her since the call she made to her family. She would also float a description of the late model sedan registered under Belle’s name to her contacts to see if anyone had noticed anything.
Satisfied she had a plan of action for the morning, her feet encountered the waxy plastic of the FedEx envelope she had been toting around all day as she shifted on the couch. Remembering the way Killian had rolled it up and stuck it in his back pocket made her feel flushed as she pulled it out from under her foot and examined it.
Jewel of the Realm was not a name she was familiar with. At first, she thought it was an online order she didn’t remember making. However, all her personal packages came straight to her apartment. She was strangely reluctant to open the thing, some flash of intuition telling her once she did, there would be no going back.
Instead, she typed the sender information in her search bar. She was treated to a bevy of news articles and a website that showed the business had been closed years ago. The owner of record was Liam Jones, an elusive man who must have taken advantage of European privacy laws to bury any images of himself. After several minutes of going through the results, she was no closer to figuring out why they would have sent her a package. All in all, it seemed like a legit, though now defunct, company specializing in global logistics.
Curiouser and curiouser.
Read the rest on AO3
@teamhook @jrob64 @kmomof4 @klynn-stormz @stahlop @xarandomdreamx @xsajx @tiganasummertree
19 notes · View notes
frankensteinshimbo · 9 months ago
Text
I guess I'll post my thoughts here because there are Factors not allowing me to sleep (left inhaler at work, yelling).
When I had a twitter, I would advertise my writing using screenshots that were stylized, like so:
Tumblr media
I liked the look of a screenshot straight from the document for branding; it made the art seem shared as I was writing it, which adds some measure of Authenticity to the piece, but it's possible to accomplish this through a variety of styles.
These photos can be Nightshaded. Unless there's a LLM (Large Language Model) that can read words off images, it's not necessary unless you just want to help contribute damage to OpenAI/Midjourney.
If you want to go the grungy cyberpirate route, you can insert some sort of textual watermark between paragraphs that is visually differentiated from your text and can be tuned out by human eyes. The idea for this comes from illegally downloading .mp3 files and getting some harsh robotic voice saying the website's name over the song every 30 seconds. I'd argue this is less obtrusive here. Although unpleasant, human eyes can recognize intentional visual noise like that and adapt to it. Just look at the ways TikTok has evolved language. AI will not adapt around it.
[Example Nonsense Text of Your Flavor Every Line Break.]
Yet another way is something my friend came up with. Inserting a Read More with the full text of the Anarchist Cookbook (his recommendation), but that could be replaced with any media. This can be added - not just to writing - but any text post at all.
You could use any combination of these strategies and maybe put a dent in these datasets en masse with them.
Editing in afterwards: You can also make a website and link to your writing once it's posted. That's maybe the tamest and simplest solution. Tumblr essentially would just to be in community with other writers, a la Twitter.
Recipe for Shepherd's Pie Below (credit: Anarchist Cookbook)
113
Shepherd’s Pie
Mashed Potatoes
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dill
1 tablespoon black pepper
Steam potatoes or bake for 20 to 30 minutes at
350 degrees. Saute diced onion in frying pan with 2
ounces of water. Mash potatoes and mix in spices.
Filling
2 cups frozen corn kernels
Place corn in small pot or saucepan. Add water
CPFUVGCOHQTſXGOKPWVGU5GVCUKFG
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 cup bell pepper
1/2 cup zucchini
1/2 cup diced carrots
Crust
4 cups rolled oats
4 cups nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Amino or soy sauce
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup cashews
Place cashews in food processor and blend
KPVQRQYFGT#FFTQNNGFQCVUCPFDNGPFKPVQCƀQWT
#FF PWVTKVKQPCN [GCUV CPF DNGPF VJCV KPVQ C ƀQWT
Add Bragg’s Liquid Amino and blend until smooth.
Spread QXGTVQRQHſNNKPI/CUJVJGRQVCVQGUCETQUU
the bottom of the casserole dish. Cover potato mix-
ture with a layer of cooked corn. Cover corn with
XGIGVCDNG ſNNKPI VJGP EQXGT VJG ſNNKPI YKVJ VJG QCV-
meal crust and place into oven for 20 to 30 minutes
at 350 degrees
I'm not solid on what data is being sold to Midjourney, but I presume all of our posts are being handed to them to store or use as they see fit.
Engadget interprets the guidance Tumblr has issued about their "opt-out" process as:
An alleged internal document from Automattic’s AI head, Andrew Spittle, replying to a staff question about data-removal assurances when using the tool, explains, “We will notify existing partners on a regular basis about anyone who’s opted out since the last time we provided a list. I want this to be an ongoing process where we regularly advocate for past content to be excluded based on current preferences. We will ask that content be deleted and removed from any future training runs. I believe partners will honor this based on our conversations with them to this point. I don’t think they gain much overall by retaining it.”
So, if a Tumblr or WordPress user requests to opt out of AI training, Automattic will allegedly “ask” and “advocate for” their removal. And the company’s AI boss “believes” the AI companies will find it in their best interest to comply “based on our conversations.”
I, personally, don't find that reassuring enough. A lot of my writing is personal, and the thought that my experiences could be used to help someone create a warped facsimile of them completely antithetical to what they're supposed to mean doesn't sit well with me.
I guess I'll have to figure something else out.
6 notes · View notes
tearlessrain · 3 years ago
Text
a definitive ranking of horrible food-like items I have regretted putting in my mouth so far, from worst to least-worst:
expired pirate booty: it smelled and tasted strongly of sour milk but I ate one before I noticed. I may never recover. certainly I will never trust again.
liquid stevia: my shitty roommates in college who never cleaned the kitchen also left me to clean a bunch of shit on move-out day so I took all their spices. one of the things in the cupboard was liquid stevia, which I hadn’t heard of, so I licked it to see if I wanted it and I really really really didn’t want it. and then the taste stayed in my mouth for like an hour. it tasted like like it was possibly manufactured in a hospital. I returned the devil’s molasses to the cupboard and stole three containers of cinnamon instead.
lemon seed: I accidentally added it to my stir fry and later thought it was a small piece of chicken. so bitter that it triggered my gag reflex, which I didn’t know was possible. still doesn’t beat out the stevia on the grounds that it faded quickly and the stir fry was otherwise delicious (chicken and bok choy in soy sauce, mirin, and a squeeze of, to my subsequent peril, fresh lemon juice. highly recommend, but substitute the lemon seed with no lemon seed)
lump of Combos™ filling that I thought was a piece of pretzel: somehow saltier than salt. wasn’t too bad until I decided it wasn’t too bad and tried to power through it, and then I experienced what it might be like if the total sodium content of the Utah salt flats was somehow concentrated entirely within the prohibitively small surface area of my mouth. but like, if Utah was faintly pizza-flavored.
mysteriously cube-shaped chewing gum: found in the same cabinet as the liquid stevia and previously belonged to one of the shitty roommates. I was compelled to put it in my mouth purely because it was cube-shaped. it instantly crumbled into the texture of dried-up organic toothpaste, which is an appalling texture that I would only wish on about six people. probably severely expired, but tasted fine. between this and the stevia, it occurs to me that god may have been punishing me for my kitchen-based illegal salvage operation. or maybe I just shouldn’t have been blindly trusting the culinary judgement of someone who couldn’t boil pasta without destroying my saucepan.
surprise Warhead sourball: among the lowest on the list due to the fact that they’re supposed to be like that and the taste is theoretically fine, but I was like ten years old and I thought it was a gumball and I’m reeling to this day from just how sour it was. what the fuck are those things. nobody should eat them without an entire glass of water and a safeword.
a single argentine ant. I was six and I’d read somewhere that they tasted like lemon so I found one and ate it. it bit my tongue hard but it tasted fine. I can’t really blame it.
13 notes · View notes
hedgehog-moss · 2 years ago
Note
Update on May 1st protests and how the french goverment handled them?
Tumblr media
^ The May 1st protests were pretty violent esp. in Paris; two cops were set on fire (they're ok, one has 2nd degree burns), lots of destruction in city streets, and hundreds of injured protesters. The French gov is sticking to its M.O. of denying any police violence against protesters, emphasising protesters' violence and portraying it as mindless anti-democratic savagery rather than the result of their own anti-democratic policies.
There were more people protesting in the streets on Monday than at any other May Day protest in the past 20 years (by a large margin—7 to 10x more people than usual.) And the numbers are still impressive in terms of this current social movement—there were about 1.2 million people at the first protest against the pension reform in January, 900K at one of the February protests, around 1.1M on March 7 and I think 1.2M on March 23rd... We're in May and there were 800K people in the streets on Monday (using the police's probably low estimate). The first marches earlier this year were peaceful; people started destroying shit in March after the 49.3 (=the gov not letting elected representatives vote on the reform); in the following weeks we saw a brutal escalation of police violence + suppression of just about any means of non-violent protest, which results in more violence.
The vast majority of protesters are still peaceful, but in terms of providing context for the increased violence, well—people protested peacefully, peaceful protests got banned. People banged pots and pans, pots and pans got banned and confiscated. People started a petition on the National Assembly website which got a record number of signatures, the petition was closed before its deadline and ignored. MPs asked (twice!) for a national referendum on the reform to be held, their requests were denied. Electricity unionists cut power in buildings Macron was visiting, now he travels around with a portable generator. Unions tried to distribute whistles and red cards (penalty cards) to football supporters before the French Cup finale last week, so the ones who wanted could use them if Macron showed up (he ended up hiding and greeting the footballers indoors rather than publicly on the stadium lawn); the police prefecture tried banning union members from gathering outside the stadium to distribute these items (although the ban was struck down by the judiciary as it was illegal, like most bans these days...)
Confiscating saucepans was already so absurd it felt like a gratuitous fuck you, but now they're trying to prevent the distribution of pieces of red paper. Cancelling petitions that would have had no real impact anyway. Prosecuting people for insulting Macron. Arbitrarily arresting hundreds of nonviolent protesters to intimidate them out of protesting (guess who's left then?). The French gov is systematically repressing democratic or nonviolent means of making your opinion heard, and when people get more violent they're like "This is unacceptable, don't these terrorists know there are other means of expressing dissent??" Where? This week a 77-year-old man was summoned to the police station and will be forced to take a "citizenship course" for having a banner outside his house that read "Macron fuck you" (Macron on t'emmerde). Note that he would have been arrested (like the woman who was arrested at her home and spent a night in police custody for calling Macron "garbage" on Facebook) but they decided not to only because of his age.
So that's where we're at; on Monday two cops caught on fire (well, their fireproof suit did) after protesters threw a Molotov cocktail at them. (The street medic who tried to help them with their burns ended up getting shot by a cop's riot gun a few seconds later—with French police no good deed goes unpunished!) The media talked a lot more about this incident than about the fact that the cop who got most severely injured on that day (broken vertebrae) was injured by an explosive grenade that a colleague of his meant to throw at protesters (you can see it at the end of the video below). If police with all their protective gear get so badly injured by their own weapons, no wonder the worst injuries have been on the protesters' side. (nearly 600 injured protesters on May 1st, 120 severely, according to street medics.) I'm not including images of these incidents in the video but on May 1st a protester had his hand mutilated by a police grenade + a 17 year old girl was hit in the eye by a grenade fragment, may end up losing it (during the Yellow Vests protests, Macron's first attempt at repressing a social movement, 38 protesters lost an eye or a hand).
What you see in the video: cops charging the front of a march to tear a banner off people's hands then retreating and drowning the street in tear gas when protesters throw paint bombs at them (protesters have umbrellas because of police drones); at 0:30, a journalist saying "They're not even arresting him, just kicking him when he's down—they kicked him right in the face!" then police spraying with tear gas protesters who try to fend them off; at 0:46 when a protester being arrested asks a journalist if he's filming and starts reading out loud a cop's ID number, another cop shoves the journalist and throws him to the ground; at 0:54, an Irish journalist runs away from the police tear gas grenades that you hear going off, at 01:08, the incident mentioned above when a cop drops a grenade he tried to throw, which explodes in his group, breaking another cop's vertebrae. There's a lot more I'm not including, like how CNN said "there's so much tear gas in Paris, our foreign correspondent can barely breathe", how another journalist was hit by a sting-ball grenade (he was also bludgeoned on the head so hard it broke his helmet—even though cops know the people wearing helmets are journalists...), and yet another journalist who was calling out a cop for aiming at people's heads with his riot gun (which is illegal) ended up having the guy aim the riot gun at his head from 2 metres away (getting shot with this "less lethal weapon" from that distance would be lethal.)
All of these videos are from May 1st (most of them from this account monitoring police violence.)
So yeah, nonviolent protests followed by violent police repression and bans of nonviolent means of protesting result in more violent protests. The French government responds by a) pikachu surpris, b) condemning violent protesters and praising violent police to the skies, c) continuing to ban everything they can think of. Confiscating saucepans didn't work but confiscating pieces of red paper will do the trick! Let's prosecute people for bashing or burning an effigy of Macron, because banning symbolic violence always works to prevent actual violence! And this week after the May 1st protests we learnt that the gov is thinking of making street barricades illegal, because that'll definitely solve everything. It's going to be interesting for history teachers to teach students about the 1789 revolution that allowed us to take down an absolutist regime and become a republic, under a government that banned barricades because they see them as terrorist anti-republican structures.
Tumblr media
^ Statue symbolising the French Republic (on Place de la République in Paris) dressed with a 'Macron resign' shirt by protesters on May 1st.
2K notes · View notes
achillestiel · 4 years ago
Text
the parent trap only works if you’re identical | part four
Tag List: @littlerachelbee @imthedoctorlove @deancas-handprint @castiel-loves-dean @wanderermatthews @thelahatiel @priscillahc @mridzyp @multi-fandom-dark-lord @thefantasyfiend @harmonyhelms @imlivingliferightnow ​ @kara-merlin @still-clowning-in-this-house @never-forever-more @continuezmesfilserrants @2musiclover2 @castiels-bitch 
Ok Winchester, you can do this. Just be cool, calm and collected. Dean said to himself as he drove towards Foxhall Village, the area that Cas and Jack lived in. Jack had fallen fast asleep about an hour before and every now and then Dean would glance over, marvelling at how much Jack looked like Sammy when he slept. They would both zonk out instantly, mouth slightly open without a care in the world. As much as Dean missed Claire, because that pint sized tearaway was his whole damn world, he couldn’t help but wish that he’d been able to get to know Jack more. 
"Hey kid we're here." Dean said as they drove up the street Cas now lived on. "Nice place, what's your dad doing now here in DC?"
"Oh, he's the head of the council of economic advisers." Jack said. "Which sounds cool but it just means he talks about economic policy a lot. It’s cool when he goes to the White House, last time he stole a pen for me. Don’t tell anyone because I’m not sure if that illegal or not." 
Dean just sat there for a moment because of course Cas now had a great job within the government. When they'd first met Dean had made endless jokes about how Cas would be president one day. Cas had always rolled his eyes but smiled whenever Dean jokingly called him Mr President. 
"What's wrong?" Jack asked. 
"Nothing kid, come on. Let's get you back to your dad. No doubt Claire has driven him insane by now so getting her back will be easy." Dean said, getting out the car when all he wanted to do was clamber back into the impala and hightail it back to Kansas. Yes, he was being a coward but the idea of seeing Cas after all this time was doing things to his brain. 
"Doubt it, he's put up with Uncle Gabriel for all these years." Jack said. 
"Yeah, I remember your uncle alright. Ruined our damn couch." Dean muttered darkly. 
"That doesn't surprise me." Jack said as the pair walked up the driveway towards a large Tudor style house. Huh working in government definitely pays well Dean thought. Swallowing down his fear, Dean rang the doorbell. He prayed to whoever was up there that he didn't throw up on the tasteful doormat. The door opened and Dean braced himself to see Cas. Instead, he came face to face with-
"Uncle Gabriel!" Jack said happily. Dean suppressed a groan as he looked down at the short, cheerful-looking man. How was it possible that Gabriel looked almost exactly the same after twelve goddamn years?  
"Well if it isn't my favourite nephew." Gabriel said happily as he pulled Jack in for a hug. "And you brought Winchester! Never brought he'd leave Kansas. Is your brother still an Adonis of a man?"
"Was he ever?" Dean asked as he held out his hand for Gabriel to shake. Sure the guy might have wreaked Dean's brand new couch fourteen years prior but he was trying to be polite. 
"Oh he was and I let him know all the time. Shame he was so happy with Eileen." Gabriel said, looking wistfully as he shook Dean's hand. 
"Yeah well...not that it isn't nice to see you again Gabriel but I kind of need to grab my daughter." Dean said. Maybe he could do this whole thing without having to even see Cas. Part of him was relieved but that idea and the other part of him was just a swirl of emotions.  
"Of course, follow me to the kitchen." Gabriel said, stepping back inside the house and motioning for Dean to follow him. Dean obliged, looking around the pristine hallway for any sign of Cas. Jack was hot on their heels as they walked into the kitchen. Dean stopped and just glared at the sight in front of him. 
Claire, wearing one of Dean's flannel shirts that was definitely three sizes too big for her, was cheerfully stirring the contents of a large saucepan. Loudly humming along to a song on the radio, which after a second Dean placed as Queen. When Dean coughed loudly she looked up and grinned. 
"Dad! Come on in, we're making chilli for dinner." Claire said, looking far too happy for her own good. "Jack, grab some chips and gauc out the fridge." 
"We?" Dean asked while Jack sauntered past him towards the huge sub zero refrigerator. 
"Hello Dean." And damn if that didn't make Dean want to sprint out the house. He braced himself and looked over to where Cas was standing. All the breath in Dean’s body left him as his eyes fell onto Cas. He looked almost exactly the same apart from a few wrinkles around the startlingly blue eyes that Dean had always adored. His hair was still a complete mess and...son of a bitch, he was even wearing the blue sweater Dean had brought him for Christmas fifteen years prior. Seriously, was he doing this on purpose? 
“Um...hey Cas...long time.” Dean managed to stammer out. 
“Dork.” He heard Claire mutter under her breath. 
“Hey.” Dean said, rounding on Claire. “You got any idea how much trouble you’re in of this little stunt? This ain’t gonna be like the time you blew up the shed, you’re gonna be grounded until the day you graduate high school. Maybe even college.” Dean said. 
“You blew up a shed?” Cas, Gabriel and Jack all asked, staring at Claire mix of horror (Cas) and awe (Jack and Gabriel). 
“Ok, I didn’t blow up the shed. I started a small fire in the shed by accident.” Claire retorted. Dean and Cas both groaned as Jack walked over to give Claire a high five. 
“I really love this kid.” Gabriel announced. 
“Oh Jesus.” Dean muttered at the same as Cas. They both glanced at one another for a moment before Dean turned his attention back to Claire. “You. Car. Now.”
-
I should have stayed hiding upstairs. Cas thought as he stared, yes he was staring, at Dean. How was it possible that Dean looked even better after twelve years? Dean in his early twenties had been a sight to behold but Dean in his late thirties was a thing of beauty. His boyish good looks had turned into handsome roguishness.  
“Dad, I can’t leave yet. We’ve just laid the table.” Claire said to Dean.
"We thought you'd be hungry after driving all day so Claire and I made dinner." Cas said. In reality Gabriel had dragged him into the kitchen wherein he’d found Claire already making chilli. Cas wasn’t going to tell Dean that.
"That's a nice thought but-"
"Dad, I know all you've eaten today was gas store jerky.” Claire said, rolling her eyes. “Am I right?” she asked Jack who just nodded. “See? Now wash your hands, sit down and eat this damn chilli because I’m Aunt Eileen’s recipe and I know that’s your favourite.” Claire said, pointing a chilli covered wooden spoon at Dean. Cas simply could not fight the smile that spread across his face when he saw Dean’s terrified expression.
“Fine, just chill out. God you sound like Ellen when you do that.” Dean said, going over the sink to wash his hands before grabbing a seat and sitting down. Cas rolled his eyes, not even realising he was doing it until Dean looked over and glared. Dean was nearly forty and he was pouting like a small child.     
“Well while you all enjoy this little family reunion I’m going to grab some wine...maybe a enough for a vineyard.” Gabriel said as he sauntered out the room. 
“Does Gabriel live here?” Dean asked Jack.
“No, he was getting his condo renovated so he stayed here for a while. He’s back home now.”
“Longest eight weeks of my entire life.” Cas said quietly. “Jack, can you help Claire dish up?”
“Sure thing, let me run my bags upstairs and I’ll be right back.” Jack said.
“Oh I’ll help you!” Claire said as they both ran out the room. 
“Nice to know subtly isn’t their strong point.” Dean said with a nervous laugh. Cas just let out a long sigh and sat down across from Dean. 
“Yes, I’m starting to think they might be plotting something.” Cas said. “If Claire is anything like Jack in the determination department then we might be in trouble.”
“Oh believe me, Claire does not need any help when it comes to determination. She can wrap anyone round her finger. You know I still have a scar on my forehead from when she made me go rollerblading?”
“You went rollerblading?” Cas asked, utterly baffled by the idea of Dean Winchester going rollerblading. 
“Not voluntarily.” Dean said. Cas laughed and was shocked to see Dean’s face light up. “Um...I’m sorry to crash your evening like this. I didn’t think that I’d be here tonight.”
“No, when I went to the train station to pick up Jack I didn’t expect to see my twelve year old daughter.” Cas said. “You don’t have to apologise, I’ve enjoyed having Claire here.”
“Yeah, I really liked spending time with Jack, he’s a good kid.” Dean said. “Listen Cas-”
“Got the wine!” Gabriel said, strolling back into the kitchen holding two bottles of red wine. “Where’s Thing One and Thing Two.”
“Here!” Jack and Claire said in unison. Cas had a feeling the two had just been waiting outside the door for at least a minute. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw the smug look Jack gave Claire as they were dishing up dinner. Gabriel kept himself busy by pouring all the adults generous glasses of wine. Dean tried to protest because he still needed to drive back to Kansas but Gabriel laughed him off. 
“So Deano, what have you been up to all these years?” Gabriel asked after nearly ten minutes of awkward silence while they ate. 
“Oh...um...not much…” Dean said, staring down at his chilli. 
“You have!” Claire intoned. She turned to Gabriel and Cas with a proud look on her face. “When Uncle Bobby decided to retire five years ago Dad brought his share of the garage. It’s expanded so much over the past few years that last year Dad brought the empty lot next door. He’s restoring a 1957 Chevy Bel Air at the moment and it’s awesome.” Claire said with so much pride in her voice that it made Cas smile fondly. Dean had always had a love for classic cars and he was happy to see that he had made his passion a profession. 
“That’s amazing Dean, you should be proud.” Cas said.
“He is, he’s just awful at saying it.” Claire said. “We’ve got this old Firebird in the garage back home that Dad’s slowly been restoring. It’s really cool.”
“Are you planning on selling it once it’s restored?”
“Um...no...I mean, I was thinkin’ bout it but Claire loves the car so much that I’m planning on giving it to her as a graduation present.” Dean said, looking away from his plate of chilli to give Claire a quick, but loving, smile. “That’s if she gets good grades and promises to take care of it.” he added and Claire laughed. 
“Me and Jack could take a twin road trip when we both graduate.” Claire said excitedly. “See the grand canyon or hike Yosemite!”
“And Yellowstone! We could see the geothermal pools.” Jack said with as much excitement as Claire. 
“You know most teenagers would want to go to Tijuana.” Gabriel said. 
“Does Tijuana have cool rock formations like Antelope Canyon? If not I don’t care about it.” Jack said and once again he and Claire high fived. It was at that moment Cas realised this wasn’t going to be easy. Claire and Jack knew about each other now. They’d bonded while at camp and separating them again would not only break their hearts but Cas’ as well.
“Yeah well, we’ll see.” Dean said in a small voice, catching Cas’ eye. This isn’t going to end well he said with his eyes. Cas nodded in agreement. While Claire and Jack began to plan a road trip that was several years away, Cas coughed to get Dean’s attention.  
“I’m glad you’re doing something you love, with the garage I mean.”
“Oh...yeah, well you always knew it was a dream of mine to have my own garage.”
“I did and if I remember rightly I said that it would become a reality.” Cas said. 
“Yeah well, it’s not as big as working in the white house but…”
“Dean, I think we both know that your job is far more interesting than mine. I talk about budgets all day while you-”
“Are stuck in the guts of a car and come home covered in axle grease? Seriously, Claire hoses me down some days.” Dean said letting out a small laugh as, once again, he glanced fondly at Claire. 
“She’s amazing, I have to say. You’ve done an amazing job in raising her.” Cas said and he really meant it. True, most of the time he’d spent with a teenage Claire included Cas ‘spiralling’ but he’d enjoyed it. 
“You say that now because she’s on her best behaviour...sort of. You do remember she set fire to the shed right? You’ve got the real winner with Jack. That kid, he’s just awesome. Really smart, kind of reminds me of Sam.”
“Can we both agree that our kids are amazing and leave it at that?” Cas asked. Dean chuckled and Cas was flooded with memories at the sound. His stomach ached with longing to make Dean laugh like that again and again. This really wasn’t going to end well at all.
52 notes · View notes
wariomolly · 1 year ago
Text
Strawberry Pie
In small saucepan crush 1 cup strawberries; add 1 cup water. Bring to boil, simmer 2 min. Sieve berry mixture. Add 3/4 (???? illegible) cup sugar and 3 tbs, cornstarch. Cook over medlum heat, stirring constantly, until thick.
Spread ¼ cup glaze over bottom and sides of baked pie shell. Mix 5 cups strawberries with remaining glaze, pour into glazed pie shell. Chill 3 to 4 hours, Top with whipped cream.
Tumblr media
strawberry pie recipe dish i found at my grandmas !!!! i want to try this asap
1 note · View note
experiencenaturetoday · 4 years ago
Photo
Tumblr media
Are You Ready to Ignite Your Soy Candle Making Desire?
Soy candle making is a lot like making bath bombs. You can fully experiment with scents and colors, unleashing your creativity! Even choosing the containers for candles is a part of the fun.
And just like making bath bombs, you never know exactly how the color or scent will come out until you go through the steps of soy candle making. But, there are a few things you should consider before gathering your candle making supplies.
Why Make Natural Candles?
Basically, anytime we burn poor or cheaply made candles, chemicals can fill and linger in our home – long past blowing out the candle. Which in effect can cause the air in our homes to become fairly unhealthy.
All it all comes down to candle ingredients. You see, many store-bought candles are filled with chemicals such as carcinogens and phthalates (Farley, 2016). Never heard of phthalates? They are hormone-disrupting chemicals that are a health risk to babies, young children, men, and women (Powers, 2007). Phthalates can aggravate asthma and are linked to increased incidences of breast cancer (Stuart, 2016).
Luckily, we can leave these types of candles at the store and make our own with better candle ingredients! So, let’s get started by choosing your candle making supplies. We’ll cover it all from wax to wicks to fragrance and containers before we show how to make your first candles!
Natural Soy Candle Making Supplies:
I can attest that picking up supplies for candle making can be inconvenient. It can take what seems like half a day trying to find the supplies you want and need. So, I’m including a link where possible to order online as we talk about the soy candle making supplies you’ll need.
Candle Wax Types
Natural waxes like soy and beeswax are excellent sources for candles. In fact, you can make a half dozen soy wax candles at home in just an hours’ time all while leaving the yucky stuff out!
And what I really love about soy wax – it’s non-toxic, biodegradable, renewable, and cleans up if spilled with just warm water.
I buy my soy candle wax by the pound in flakes here. It’s really easy to measure out that way. You may also love working with a blend of the two like this natural coconut, soy, beeswax blend for candle making. Unsure of what candle wax you want to use? Start with a sample kit of candle wax types.
Paraffin wax is the most commonly used wax in candles. Unfortunately, it is a byproduct of the petroleum industry. As such paraffin wax releases toxic carcinogens including acrolein, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde according to the EPA ( Knight & Levin, 2001). Therefore, I don’t recommend it.
Candle Wicks
Have you ever noticed a small wire in the center of cotton candlewick after lighting it?
Well, that wire happens to be a lead core and when burned it emits lead into the air. Yep, that’s pretty crappy, right?
But, did you know is it illegal to manufacture candles in the United States with lead-cored wicks? While that is great news, candles made overseas and sold in the U.S. can still contain lead.
With that in mind, wood wicks make a great alternative to cotton wicks. They are non-toxic, eco-friendly, and can be readily made from organic renewable resources. You’ll also need little metal clips to hold the wood wicks in a place like the ones in the photo above.
And as a bonus wood wicks add to the ambiance of a beautiful flickering flame with a soft crackling sound. It is reminiscent of a cozy night spent by the fireside. What’s not to love?
Another option is natural cotton wicks. And pre-waxed cotton wicks are the easiest to use. Just make sure you buy healthy ones like these, made without paraffin wax or other additives.
However, the downside to using cotton wicks is centering the wick. It is really tricky to center a wick. I’ve tried lots of ideas like tying wicks to pencils and bamboo skewers. But, what works best is a centering device.
You really need the wick to be held in the center during the pouring and setting process.  I got my first centering devices with this candle making kit. They have handy options to set wicks for multiple widths and they can withstand the heat of the wax.
How Do You Fragrance Non-Toxic Candles?
It’s easy to create your favorite candle scents with essential oils, natural extracts, or aromatic isolates. Let’s start with the essential oils. How much essential oil do you use to make candles?
I recommend adding half an ounce to one ounce of essential oils per one pound of wax. If you are combining a few different essential oils like lemon and rosemary make sure to split up the amount.
Another option for soy candle making is all-natural fragrance oils composed of aromatic isolates from nature and essential oils. Did you know like essential oils, this type of fragrance oil has zero additives?
Yep, compared to typical fragrance oils, they do not contain parabens and phthalates.  They can be a more affordable candle making supply than essential oils. Yet, still helpful for creating a candle without synthetic ingredients. You can even start with a sample candle making kit to find your favorite candle fragrances!
What else do you need to make candles?
Candle Containers
You truly can use a variety of options for candle containers. Take stock of your pantry for containers like mason jars. Or visit your local antique shop for teacups and other unique containers. I personally love these 4-ounce amber glass jars with lids and metal candle tins.
Sometimes I find colorful ramekins in the thrifty Spot section at Target. And when I’m feeling very creative I make lemon bowl candles as seen in the top left corner of the photo above.
Candle Pouring Pitcher
– A Must Have!
This one always seems to throw people off. What is a candle pouring pitcher? It’s a big pitcher to safely melt wax in and pour it out. Can you melt wax in a pot on the stove? Sure, but that’s pretty messy and it’s really difficult to pour the wax evenly.
A candle pouring pitcher has a spout and a handle that stays cool. Which makes pouring candles a breeze. This is the candle pouring pitcher I use, it holds up to four pounds of wax. See it in the bottom right corner of the photo above.
Soy Candle Making Tips:
I’ll be honest the first time I made candles was stressful. Worrying about burning the wax, getting the wicks in the center of each container, and adding the scents at the right temperature – is a lot to handle!  
But, you know what? They turned out great! And I was hooked from the start on soy candle making.
So, here’s a few tips to help your soy candle making be less stressful from the get-go.  And once you get the hang of it, you’ll be hooked on making candles too!
What temperature do you pour soy wax?
When making candles the temperature of the wax is one of the most important steps to achieve professional candle results. Therefore you will need a thermometer to measure the temperature often. I recently switched to a new no-touch infrared thermometer. It’s very fast, always accurate, and doesn’t require any clean-up since I don’t have to place it in the wax.
Another option is one with a clip like this, it will clip inside your candle making pitcher, keeping your hands free. If you don’t have one you could use a candy thermometer, but you may not want to make candy with it after.
Overall soy wax should be poured anywhere between 120 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep in mind, soy wax can be quite sensitive to temperature as it is a softer wax than the typical paraffin. Do not heat it above 200 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid burning and discoloration. I prefer to heat to 185 degrees Fahrenheit.
What’s the best temperature to add essential oils to soy wax?
Fragrance oils for candle making come with flashpoints listed on the labels. Essential oils do not! Which can make it difficult for figuring out what temperature to add essential oils to soy wax.
In my experience, if you add essential oils at a temperature above 125 degrees Fahrenheit the scent does not blend well. I see the best results by adding essential oils at 120 degrees Fahrenheit with a two-minute stir.
How much wax do you need for a candle?
The answer to that requires a bit of math. So get your calculator, just kidding. We’ve got this!
We’ve made candle making easy with a candle wax calculator. No matter what candle vessel you choose our candle wax calculator can tell you exactly how much candle wax you’ll need! It even takes the amount of fragrance or candle dye being added to the wax. This means you can count on a good melt pool and no wasted materials!
Just remember, when measuring soy wax flakes use a digital kitchen scale to get an exact measurement. Otherwise, you’ll be left with too much wax or not enough to fill your containers.
How to Make Candles for Beginners
Now that we covered the most asked questions about candle making and where to find candle making supplies, it’s time to make your first candles!!
To keep things as simple as possible, we’re going to start with a basic candle recipe. It’s one I’ve used time and time again with great success! This beginner candle recipe will make 4 average-sized candles.
Here’s what you’ll need:
4 amber glass 4 oz jars
1 lb soy wax flakes
4 medium wood wicks and clips
4 glue dots or wick tab stickers
candle making pitcher  
kitchen scale
infrared thermometer
1.5-ounces natural fragrance oil or more essential oils (see tips above)
Instructions to make candles:
1. Insert a wood wick into metal clips. For a louder crackling sound, double up the wood wicks. The add a glue dot to the base of the metal clip. Place it in the center base of one glass jar. Repeat for all four until you have 4 jars with wicks inserted and set aside.
2. Next, fill a large saucepan with about 2 inches of water and place it on the stove to heat. Measure 1 pound of soy wax flakes with a digital kitchen scale.
3. Pour measured wax into a candle pitcher and set it inside the large saucepan. Whisk often and heat on low heat, up to a simmer at most, until melted using the double boiler method. Heat up to 185 degrees Fahrenheit and check often with a no-touch infrared thermometer.
4. Remove from heat immediately to avoid wax from becoming too hot. Insert a candle thermometer and allow the wax to cool to 120°F to 125°F before adding essential oils or just below the flashpoint of a natural fragrance oil.
5. Once the wax has cooled to the correct temperature add fragrance and whisk for 2 minutes to thoroughly combine. Carefully pour the scented soy wax into prepared jars. Let cool 1 hour or more until the wax is hard and white before cutting wicks to an inch or so.
Wait for 3 days before burning candles for the best scent throw. Candle Science even recommends 1-2 weeks of preferred curing time, for natural waxes such as soy and coconut. Although, they agree 3 days is the minimum curing time for candles.
13 notes · View notes
elminx · 5 years ago
Text
Wildcrafting: Japanese Knotweed Cocktails
First off and up front: I am NOT advocating for growing Japanese Knotweed.  It is an EXTREMELY invasive species in the American Northeast where I live.  
Also, this post is made with the permission of my coven-mate Dora who has been harvesting and eating the Knotweed growing wild in her backyard as a way to try to mitigate its spread.   Many of the words and images are hers - let’s call her the “Guest Writer” of this post.
Tumblr media
Dora writes:
Japanese Knotweed is an aggressive invasive species. It is illegal to transport and propagate in most places. (Do not put the scraps into your compost heap or in any way help it to spread. It will root from any part of the plant, and will be extremely difficult to eradicate once established). Most roadside management plans involve trying to kill/control it with herbicide, so I wouldn’t recommend eating it from the roadside or area that was likely treated with herbicide. 
I have a big patch in my yard that I have been watching grow for many years. It is a bit concerning - it is taking over and aggressively getting bigger each year. I looked into ways I could combat it’s spread in my local environment, and happened to come across the information that the stalks are edible, and even fairly tasty. I don’t think eating the leaves raw (or possibly at all?) is a good idea, from my limited research. The stalks have a satisfying snap and taste a bit like rhubarb with a woody/ earthy/ beet undertone and are fine to eat raw or cooked. While eating it won’t eradicate it, it is at least making it useful.  
I did a bit of research on the magical properties of Knotweed.  It’s hard to find much about it online but I did see a bunch of sources linking it to the planet Mars.  On the other hand, Scott Cunningham links it with feminine energy, the planet of Saturn, and the element of Earth.   He saws that it can be used in binding magic which makes some sense given its name. I also saw some evidence to its uses medicinally though cannot back them up and am hesitant to share them.  Do your own research if you have knotweed and are curious about its medicinal applications.
Tumblr media
Dora writes:
The thick new-growing stalks (1ft or less) with significant diameter (the skinny ones are woodier) seem to have a more desirable texture, although I found that even the taller or skinnier stalks still have a pleasant flavor and were fine for making cocktail syrup, as you strain out the pulp that gets a bit woody/ stringy with age and development. 
Tumblr media
Dora says:
To make cocktail syrup, I simply took a bunch of the new stalks and removed the leaves and soaked them/ rinsed them thoroughly in water. I chopped them up into bits (a bit smaller than the above photo) and boiled them. Using the wisdom of how to make a typical cocktail syrup, I recommend using enough water to partially cover the knotweed in your saucepan, and keeping to a ratio of 1:1 water:sugar to make a standard “cocktail” syrup. I can say it holds up well to less sugar, but would be more perishable with less sugar, and last longer in the fridge with more sugar.
My edit: Dora made a simple syrup here.  I personally prefer to make a complex syrup which is 1 part water / 2 parts sugar because it lasts substantially longer.  I just don’t use syrup often enough to justify making some and having it immediately go bad in my fridge.
Tumblr media
Let the knotweed boil for about 10 minutes (long enough to turn soft/mushy and for the red color to leave the stalks and become part of the liquid. Then strain out the knotweed solids, return to a boil, and add the sugar stirring until dissolved. Turn off the heat and let it cool once the sugar is dissolved. 
An entertaining happenstance is that the sticky sap/ pulp of the plant acts in a cocktail shaker much like an egg white when shaken in the cocktail shaker, imparting a desirable mouth feel and foamy top (much like egg white). 
We were pretty into this because it creates a foamy egg white like consistency in a cocktail without using egg which is great for our vegan friends.
Tumblr media
And now for the fun part: Knotweed Cocktails!
Dora fed me two:
Knotweed “Manhattan” 
1 part knotweed syrup
1 part Whiskey or Rye 
Stir over ice and strain (you could shake it for foam if desired) 
Garnish with small raw shoots of knotweed (but continue to ensure even these unassuming little bits do not find a new place to root). Peeling the larger stalks makes them more palatable. If the right diameter & length, they entertainingly function as straws. 
(not pictured)
Vodka-Knotweed Fizz 
1 part knotweed syrup
1 part lime or lemon juice 
2 parts vodka 
Shake the above like the dickens with ice in a shaker, and then pour the entire shaker contents (ice and all) into your glass, and top with sparkling water. 
(pictured below)
Tumblr media
I hope you all enjoyed this tutorial on how to use the knotweed that you (hopefully don’t) have in your backyard.  Please remember to properly dispose of any leftover pieces from this recipe - ie - don’t put it in your compost or you’ll be growing more knotweed in no time.
Do you like my work?  Please consider supporting me by Buying Me A Coffee.
60 notes · View notes
tymki · 4 years ago
Note
If Morgan, Ash, Katie, Peter and Chara were NPCs in a game and the player killed them (which would lead to that person facing my fury, but that's another whole topic), which items would they drop? Most have outgrown the items they left behind in undertale so I'm curious :3c
Tumblr media
“Well that kinda sucks to think about, but I guess for me it would be my choker. Guess that would be defensive. As for offensive stuff? I dunno, guess my boots. You can kick ass with them. Literally.”
Tumblr media
“I wouldn’t want to give them the satisfaction of collecting anything worthwhile off of me. The only thing of value I could see them getting is my... wedding ring. And maybe some money.” As for Peter, you would get a notebook full of illegible notes. And if you were particularly blind then I guess you could take his glasses too. If not then... I dunno, his labcoat? And for Katie-Rose... well she still has the items that she fell down in (the apron and the saucepan) and while you would still be able to get the apron - Toriel keeps her saucepan in the kitchen. But she does tend to have knitting needles on her too. They could hurt. But if you hurt any of them, especially Katie, you’ll end up pissing off the whole of the Underground, so your best bet then is to probably run.
6 notes · View notes
chaotic-carnifex · 3 years ago
Text
👆🏻 This is what I have allowed into my campaign. Learn from my mistakes. Do not allow players to play as 3 kobolds in a trenchcoat, especially not in low level campaigns. They get 3 attacks.
But also good job Simon.
Tumblr media
Tumblr media
we finished waterdeep dragon heist recently, and this scene tickled me enough to draw it
featuring three kobolds in a trenchcoat (minus the trenchcoat), random guard 1, and random guard 2
30 notes · View notes
zephyrthesolitary · 4 years ago
Text
Herbal Chronicles #2 - More Ways To Prepare Herbs + More
Tumblr media Tumblr media
If you’re reading this, and have not seen my previous post, ‘Herbal Chronicles#1 - WHY HERBS?!′, I encourage you all to check that out first since there is a certain order to this and may get a little confusing. Simply click the link in this text above and it should take you to the beginning. 
Last time, I touched on why people prefers using herbs, rules for gathering and preparations and some of the methods utilized when it comes to using herbs.
This post is designed to continue the subject matter, if you’re into herbs. I hope you’ll continue to walk with me on this journey! 
Some Other Ways To Use Herbs
Syrups: made as water extracts. Example: Elderberry Syrup. In order to make the syrup, you must first boil the berries out into a saucepan of water with ginger, cinnamon and lemon zest. Afterwards, allow the mixture to cool down to room temperature. Lastly, it’s just to add honey to the mixture and refrigerate. Has a shelf life of 1 year.
Vinegars: Vinegar is used as a solvent. In the past, vinegar has been used as a food preservative and natural household cleaner due to its acidity which inhibits the growth of certain bacteria. These are to be utilized within 6 months. It is shelf stable when made with no less than 5%. This is standard acidity. Please be advised that vinegar with less than 5% is illegal and should not be sold/purchased. 
Electuaries: Also known as Honey Extraction; a paste made of powders or other medicinal ingredients to mask the taste. Made the same way as a tincture (fill finely chopped herbs in a jar and cover with honey to the top). Has a shelf life of 6 to 12 months when refrigerated properly. 
Oxymels: These are a combo of vinegar and honey. A 50/50 mixture. These should be refrigerated and used within 6 months when made with fresh plant matter.
However, when made with dried plant material, they are shelf stable and should be used within 1 year. 
Herbal Oils + Fats: Most herbal oils and fats are used in topical remedies such as salves. 
Important Tip for Herbal Oils + Fats: Fats Oils and Water do not mix. So be careful not to get water in the mixture. 
Herbal Smoke and Inhalants: These are created from burning leaves, resins, or roots to cleanse the air and energies from living things. We take the vapors and smoke in to deliver the benefits to our sinus, brain and lungs. 
Essential Oils: Distilled and concentrated fragrant (volatile oils) part of a plant (leaves, seed or flower). They affect the mood through the olfactory signals to the brain. 
Medicinal Broths: These are a digestive immune tonic. They can consist of Siberian Ginseng, Astragalus, Reishi Mushroom, Burdock Root, Black pepper, garlic and basil. Let it simmer for 4-6 hours or crockpot. 2 heaping tablespoons for each 4 cup serving should do. These are good for immune system function, adrenals, hormone balancing, circulation, and optimal nourishment.
Herbal Baths: Skin is a great way to absorb things into the bloodstream. Especially since Epsom salt contain magnesium. A cup in your average size tub should be sufficient. 
Herbal Gargle: Warm up the infusion over the stove and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt per cup. Shake well, until salt dissolves. This can help the infusion stay fresh for a couple of days. Example remedy: Licorice root, anise star and marshmallow are recommendations for herbs to use as a mouthwash. They help  reduce inflammation and infections in the throat and mouth. 
Next time, let's look at herbs, some properties and common place herbs that can be used to treat everyday ailments!
Until Next Time!
🌙🧡✌🏽
8 notes · View notes