#roasted my own pecans

[hyperfixation-hopscotch]

It's 5:30 in the morning

I starting baking at 1:30

It's a fairly complex cake that has a lot of steps, including making a caramel sauce

Thankfully, this is the second time I've made it, so I had a good idea of what I was doing

But I swear to every God, in every pantheon, that if I'm the only one that eats this cake

THAT HAS HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE

I am going to fucking Kermit™️

I don't know WHAT I'm going to Kermit™️ but something is going to happen on this God damned Thanksgiving

[gallusrostromegalus]

So I have noticed something very interesting. Gin is buttering up aizen to feed him to the god machine as some premuim petrol. BUT ALSO many powerful souls that die DON't get fed to the god machine. They go to hell because they are powerfull enough that their removal from the world harms the god machine more than feeding them helps it. So my question is, whats up with that?

there's a couple parts to this:

Powerful souls that go to hell because they're powerful ARE STILL feeding The Life Machine- All that power they're off-gassing in Hell is still going into The Life machine- Hell exists more or less as a ringer to squeeze spiritual energy out of souls before sending them back into the cycle to grow again.

It harms The Life machine more to consume a powerful soul in totality because then The Life Machine doesn't get to use that *particualrly good* soul to generate energy it needs again, and again, and again- So someone like Yamamoto is going to go around about a zillion more times, if things go well.

Problem is, things are NOT going well right now- the wheel is jammed and not giving the Life Machine nearly the energy it needs, so it needs an emergency calorie dump while Tech Support works out how to unjam the wheel, which may, technically, involve stopping and starting it again.

The final thing is a matter of scale. if we think of souls in terms of calories: >Regular animal/plant soul: One Cheez-it. Not a lot individually, but they add up. >Regular Human Soul: One Chicken Nugget/celery and peanut butter. it's technically a snack, but it's not satisfying on it's own. >Average Shingami, Quincy footsoldier or lesser hollow Soul: Fast-food meal. About as much food at most people really need in a day. >Captain-class Shinigami or Espada-class Hollows or Sternritter: Giant Meal At Grandma's House that leaves you passed out on the couch and the leftovers she sends you home with that feed you for a week. >Aizen, once he fuses with the hollow inside the Hogyoku and achieves his Final Form: Actually eating every last crumb of every last dish at the Family Reunion thanksgiving with four grandmas cooking: Two turkeys, A Standing Rib Roast, A Ham, six kinds of soup, two salads, four types of baked vegetables, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, potatoes au gratin, popovers, busicuits, rolls and bread, an actual ocean of gravy- and then there's dessert: Apple pie, pumkin pie, pecan pie, cherry pie, chocolate cake, cookies, early christmas cookies, avalanches of whipped cream. And ofc- cider and beer and hot chocolate and coffee and soda and fuck it just drink a whole gallon of milk while you're at it. More food than any human should consume in a whole year, let alone one sitting.

So you can see why Aizen is getting pulled out of the cycle for special treatment. He's gonna be there for The Life Machine to gnaw on for most of the series. And even then, after suffering the most direct and intimate contact anyone can get with what passes for god, The Life Machine may yet choose to send his empty, heavily chewed husk back for another turn because that why waste the seed of a good crop like?

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for Stealing my Dad's Nuts?

My father bought the house I live in now from my grandma (who has dementia) and started charging her rent to live in it. (Yes, this is either elder abuse, tax fraud, or both. It's messed up, but that's not the point.)

The ostensible 'landlord' comes onto the property at all hours without warning, opens my mail, and a couple years ago ripped all the sunflowers I'd planted out of my garden so he could plant asparagus. His most recent offense is taking one of my bread pans and using it to catch water from a toilet valve leak.

He's essentially told me that he's waiting for my grandmother to die so he can kick me out (I can't afford the rent by myself) and move into the house. (This is not his own mother btw, she's my mom's mom. Dunno if that makes it better or worse.)

One day I woke up to him putting up stakes in my front yard. He told me that he'd planted three pecan trees and instructed me to water them regularly. These pecan trees were planted in the absolute worst part of the yard, right up next to the street, where when fully grown would partially block visibility to the house, drop nuts onto the road, shade the area I'd planned for a veggie garden expansion, and possibly damage public infrastructure, but most of all I was mad that he'd put them there without consulting me or even bothering to tell me beforehand. So. Immediately after he left I went outside and dug up the nuts he planted. I'm planning on figuring out how to kill them (roasting in the oven?) and 'replanting' them so he'll just think they were duds. Then continuing to do this until he just gives up.

What are these acronyms?

[wwenhlimagines]

A Picture Says A Thousand Words - Hook fluff

"Hey babe, I know you wanted to go see Christmas lights, right?"

I smiled and nodded, tilting my head to listen closely to my boyfriend, Hook.

"I heard the zoo has a lot of good photo ops with animals and lights. Wanna go tonight?"

I tried to contain the squeak in my voice as I agreed and ran off to find an outfit. Hook knows how much I love animals and Christmas lights, so I know this has to be a good date night.

A couple hours later, we have gotten our hot chocolate and we have started walking around the zoo admiring the lights and cooing at the animals. We found our way to some of our favorite animals and took pictures of each other in front of the coolest light displays.

I went to the restroom as Hook stood in line to get some drinks. I checked my phone after washing my hands and saw I had gotten a text from Skye saying she was here and I should meet her over by the meerkat exhibit.

I rush out to find Hook ready to keep going with a drink for each of us and cinnamon roasted pecans in his hoodie pocket. "Babe, Skye said she is over by the meerkat. Can we go find her now?"

He smiles and nods, kissing my forehead before placing his hand on my back and guiding me through the crowd of people towards the meerkat exhibit. I happily ran over to say hi to my favorite animals before turning around to see Hook on his phone. "Can you take my picture, babe?"

He quickly snaps a picture before his phone gains his attention again. I shrug, assuming someone might have texted him about work and turned back around to watch the tiny animals scurry around. I feel my phone buzz assuming it is Skye asking where I am, but instead I see Hook is texting me pictures from tonight. I smile and scroll through them quickly before I realize there are words written in the lights behind me in these pictures.

My jaw drops and I slowly turn around as I read the words "Will You Marry Me" in the pictures. I almost drop my phone as I see Hook down on one knee with a gorgeous ring in his hands.

"Y/N, you are my best friend, my favorite person in the world, and everything I have ever dreamt of having in a life partner. Your smile brightens every room you walk into and I don't want to live another day without you. Will you marry me and become Mrs. Senerchia?"

I nod and let him put the ring on my finger as I see flashes going off around us. "Of course, I will marry you. I love you so much."

He stands up and wraps his arms around my waist before dipping me to the side and passionately kissing my lips. We hear cheers, but we stay lost in our own little world for a minute or two before coming back to reality. When he sets me back upright, I see our friends cheering and smiling. Skye and the other girls run up to check the ring as the guys pat Hook on the back.

We all walked through the rest of the zoo together as Hook held my left hand, brought my hand up to his lips, and kissed my ring finger occasionally. "You have always had gorgeous fingers, but they look even better now."

Eventually, we say goodbye to everyone, and we go back to our own car, where I take way too many pictures with my new accessory. We drive home holding hands and stealing kisses at stop lights as I feel my cheeks hurting from smiling so much.

When we get home, I sit down on the couch and cuddle up to my fiancé as we let the night sink in. "Okay, I know I didn't see the words when we were walking through the lights. So, tell me how you did it."

Hook smirks, "I asked Anthony to help with editing the pictures, and Skye agreed to approve of the pictures before sending them to me and then texting you to get you in position."

I leaned up and kissed him, letting my lips linger as I whispered, "It was perfect. I can't wait to marry you, Mr. Senerchia."

He kisses me back and pulls me in closer to him. "Perfect just like you, Mrs. Senerchia."

Tags: @gethooked @730hook @99hook @thesupreme316 @legit9thlunaticwarrior @plentyoffandoms @shawtys-things @hookswifeeyy @hooks-martin

[pinksiames]

Teacher AU Headcanons!

Headcanons for my fic linked here

Gale despite being so young doesn’t really get on social media, and when he does use it it’s silly tiktoks that no one else but him find funny

He’s legally blind and extremely near-sided, he cannot function without his glasses, running into walls and stumbling over things when he doesn’t have them on

He used to have coke bottle lenses but started getting thinner lenses cause of how much he was getting bullied growing up

He’s a cat person! He loves dogs but he likes cats more since in his experience they’re more friendly (he almost got attacked by a chow chow as a kid)

He’s been thinking about adopting a cat so he isn’t as lonely at home

He’s a huge space and sci-fi nerd (obviously) and had dreams of becoming an astronaut as a kid, but realized how lonely he would get being so far from earth

His first tattoo he got was a back piece of the solar system, and every year for his birthday he splurges and gets another one! Mostly matching his theme of space and the beyond

He used to have his lobes pierced when he was a teenager but got caught by his dad, who then almost ripped his earlobe off trying to get them out of gales ears

He and Benny became friends in college! They were roommates freshmen and sophomore year and continued to talk and hang out after getting paired with different people

People have told him he smells like roasted pecans

Marge was and still is his best friend, while she still lives in Wyoming they talk constantly

They had a small fling back in high school until they both realized they were gay! But they continued “dating” to save face for both of their families

He easily became one of the more favorited teachers in the school, his classroom being open to anyone who needed it, he ends up with kids who aren’t even his students in his class

His students make fun of him for having to lift his glasses and squint at his phone when he’s trying to read something

The kids have suspicions about Gale and John being together (they’re secretly together but they don’t need to know that) it’s hard not too when John is in gales room almost 24/7, chatting him up while kids file in, bringing him lunches, calling him Buck instead of Mr Cleven when Gale sticks to strictly Coach Egan

Someone ends up making a TikTok video with him in it and it goes viral, so they get some of his students to make his own TikTok account that ends up being ran by Bucky so he can monitor who comments what (he gets jealous when people find his favorite coworker hot)

Bucky went to a local community college near his Ma’s place and then went to the university of Michigan where he played on their baseball team! He was on his way to playing in the MLB until he had a bad accident and destroyed his shoulder :(

He has a titanium plate in his shoulder! He likes to joke about how he’s practically part cyborg because of it

He ended up changing majors since he wanted to still do something in sports, going into sports management and physical education

He started coaching at a decently young age at 23 (he’s 26 now) and has basically taught in Texas since he graduated

He ending up moving down to Texas because of the teacher/coach shortage they were having, but he still visits his mom and sister during school breaks

He has his high school and college medals and trophies up on display in his office with his degrees

He loves all of his kids, making sure each and everyone of them were included, super fundraising to make sure all of them could go on trips or get the best gear and uniforms

He goes to the gym religiously but refuses to be one of those “gym bros” (he definitely is) and posts on his instagram of him flexing in the mirror or just working out in general (he won’t admit it but he hopes Gale sees the post) (sadly he never will cause Gale doesn’t use instagram)

Hope yall enjoyed my rambling!

[tianasimstreehouse]

Recipes Masterlist - Ongoing: Prepped Ingredients Masterlist

Please check below for updated recipes (now with the option to cook with the Prepped Ingredients of the Chef Hustle pack). I also took the opportunity to correct some categorisations, fix a few other bits and bobs, and add in some new recipe interactions of my own 🥰

(In black are the recipes that are still on my list to update):

Breakfast Banana Pancakes Blueberry Pancakes Waffles & Berry Waffles Tomatoes on Toast Greek Yoghurt Honey Crumpets

Desserts Lemon Poppyseed Cake Little Clouds Cake Stork & Baby Cake Black Forest Gateau Ice Cream Cake Strawberries & Cream Swiss Roll Lemon Tart Chocolate Tart Raspberry Tartlets Kiwi Tartlets Peach Pie Pecan Pie

To be updated... Pizza Margherita Spaghetti with Meatballs Lasagne Chicken Fajitas Beef Fajitas Shrimp and Grits Meatloaf Egg Salad Sandwiches U.F.O Jam Sandwiches Cucumber Gazpacho Swiss Cheese Roasted Chestnuts

[siberat]

Another little prompt idea for you: a bot baby talking and cooing at their partner’s jiggly belly? Bonus points if partner pretends to be exasperated but finds the attention very endearing lol

Sitting back in his chair never felt better! In fact, Vor/tex reclined the chair back to lessen the pressure on his overly stuffed tummy. This was new to him: usually, it was A/id who enjoyed packing down the food. However, the ‘C/on, being a smart-aft, spoke taunting words to the Auto/bot.

And the Auto/bot called him out on it.

So, the roles were reversed. Instead of Vor/tex proudly showing off and feeding his lover the full-course meal, A/id got his payback. And the chopper couldn’t back down- he never backed down from a challenge! What kind of Deceptic/on would he be if he chickened out? Especially to an Auto/bot?

He was way too proud for that.

Plus, it was rather rewarding to see A/id’s face light up with glee as he took charge for once. The once meek and timid Auto/bot finally grew a pair and had no qualms about throwing sass around. Vor/tex quite liked the new A/id with his fiercely stern glares and bold demands!

 The pair started with the hors d’oeuvres, which consisted of greasy, deep-fried mozzarella sticks smothered in marinara sauce. They were fed bite by bite, the melty cheese pulling off in gooey strings.

“Baby liked those, didn’t he?” A/id cooed, pushing the empty dish aside and replacing it with a bowl filled to the brim with soup.

“Oh, this is such a big-boy meal. Can my little mech handle this? For someone so small, it may be too much!” A large spoonful of hearty, robo-chicken corn chowder was flown into the awaiting mouth, airplane style. Tex, of course, rolled his optics at the antics. For Prim/us’ sake, he was a helicopter, at least! This dish was filling on its own, and Tex felt his stomach grow heavy when the spoon clinked in the empty bowl.

“Oh, such a good little baby, hmmm?” A/id spoke in a higher-pitched, squeaky voice. “Did you have enough?”

But the feeding was nowhere near finished.

The main course was a roasted cyber-duck with all the fixings. The sides included Hasselback butternut squash, mushroom rice, cranberry pecan stuffing, and bread dumplings. The squash was very sweet, and the mushroom rice had that distinct earthy taste. However, everything was just so filling! And A/id didn’t give up. Vor/tex was not about to call it quits- he would NOT lose this battle.

The interrogator’s belly ballooned out, painfully expanding against his plating. And dessert still had to be served! Of course, Fi/rst A/id asked if he needed to stop, but there was no way he’d admit defeat.

However, there was no objection to the medic removing his abdominal plating. And once that blubbery protoform was freed and exploded onto his lap, a smidge of relief was felt. This feeling was short-lived, for a colossal strawberry cheesecake awaited him.

“Are you sure you can handle this?” Fi/rst A/id spoke, trying to stifle a gloating smirk. “Such a big dish….”

Vor/tex furrowed his optics and matched the smirk. “No problem.”

“Oh, lookit this big, bad ‘C/on stepping up to the plate?” A/id giggled and winked as a plate holding a large slice of cake was pushed forward. “Let’s see how much of a big bot you really are, hmmm? Or is it all just hot air?” A spoon cut the tip off the yellow cake drizzled with red sauce and crystal strawberries and was pressed to his lips. “Open wide, big boy.”

Never taking his optics off the doctor’s, Vor/tex opened up. His mouth was filled with intoxicating sweetness. This was tasty, the sheer deliciousness awakening his taste receptors as if on fire, but he was just so full! His belly began to clench and groan in protest. Long, whiny gurgles erupted, registering warnings of pain at his more than overfilled tanks. But he swallowed. And opened his mouth for the next offering.

“Oh, lookit you go,” A/id cooed. You are so demanding… yelling at me as if I am not feeding you fast enough.”

Vor/tex rolled his optics. He didn’t speak a word. Prim/us, the way this dessert was shoveled in, he didn’t have time to speak. Bite after bite, the ‘C/on worked hard to win this unspoken challenge.

“I’m going as fast as possible.” A/id pouted, but eventually the last of the cake slice was consumed. “How are you feeling now, sweetie-pie?”

Vor/tex grimaced as he stifled a burp. His belly violently rumbled. Servos rubbed over his bloated paunch that heavily rested upon his lap. His tummy was no longer sleek and slim; now, it was as if he had swallowed a beachball filled with cement.

“Oh, you want more? Whatever you say, sweetcheeks!” A/id didn’t even bother cutting another slice; he stabbed another bite from the cake.

“Wha- “

His protests were silenced with another mouthful of dessert. Prim/us, he didn’t know how much more of this he could take! Breathing became more challenging, and sweat beaded from his brow. The room felt warm, yet more and more food was shoved into his maw. And the belly grumbles became angrier and more strained. His belly throbbed in agonizing pain as if daggers stabbed from the inside. Oh, how he yearned for relief from this torment!

“Aww, poor baby,” A/id pouted, setting down the fork and pushing the half-eaten cake away. “Was that too much to handle? Does baby need a break?”

The only response Vor/tex could muster was a sickening groan. His tanks were beyond stuffed. If he moved too quickly, he bet he’d get sick.

“Wanna sit down in that comfy-womfy recliner?” Vor/tex shook his helm yes as his belly gurgled and quivered like an earthquake. “Here, allow me to help you.” A/id’s servo gently patted at the rock-hard belly as he made a tsk sound, then held a hand out to help the bloated ‘C/on to his pedes, then to sA/id chair.

And now, Vor/tex sat relaxing, watching A/id rummaging through his tote. Some pink fluid was brought out and poured into a little cup. The medic walked over to the pained ‘C/on and held the cup out.

“Here, take this.”

“N-No more A/id,” Tec’s face contorted while his optics screamed for mercy. “If I eat anything else, I’ll pop!”

“It’s medicine,” A/id put the cup to the other’s lips. “It’ll help soothe that belly ache, babe.”

The pink fluid was tipped into parted lips, its chalky taste coating the mouth and throat when swallowed.

“Now, where were we?” A/id spoke as he pushed the chopper’s legs apart and dropped to his knees. “I think someone needs a reward…. Don’t you think?” Servos rubbed over that swollen beachball of a belly, ghosting the gentlest touch over that stretched protomesh. “Just lookit how big you got. Are you all full and cozy?”

Vor/tex rolled his optics, then clenched them shut as yet another gurgle rippled through his gut.

“Awwww, that’s it…. Let it out, baby.” A/id cooed. His servos rubbed in wide circles over the vast crest of the tummy, then his face dipped in to steal a kiss. “You did such a swell job. I think you need a reward, don’tcha think?”

Vor/tex’s engines nearly revved at that thought, and he repositioned his hips for what he thought he would receive. However, the medic’s hands stilled any movement.

“Oh, don’t worry. All my attention is going to be on you and you alone…” A/id sA/id sweetly, between pecking kisses to the rumbly belly. “I’ll make you feel all good in no time.”

“Hey A/id…. I’m up here…” Vor/tex pointed his servos upwards and gave his most alluring grin, but his partner paid him no mind.  Instead, he just felt the belly rub and kisses. “You know….” He sighed, resting his helm on the back of the chair. He could go for some kisses right about now…but his lover was too busy focusing on his bulging stomach. He couldn’t stop himself from rolling his optics at his lover’s actions.

 He wanted to be doted on…. Not his tummy.

“Oh, you are such a big boy, aren’t ya?” A/id hummed, giving a long smooch to the tummy while servo’s gently patted. “Such a lovely tum-tum! What a treat you are to behold.”

Oh, Prim/us! That patting, while gentle, just jostled around his stuffed gut, causing it to churn. He could feel cramps kicking in as the pressure built inside. This was the worst case of the bubble guts he had ever experienced! It felt as if pop rocks and soda were mixed in his gut as excess gas built up and tickled from the inside. Painful spasms erupted, and fingers chased the contracting areas but to no avail. Nothing would soothe this angry breast!

 That tickling sensation traveled upwards, and the ‘C/on’s optics shot open. Pressure rose up his throat, and without much warning, a large bark of a burp erupted and echoed through the room. His servo quickly covered his mouth, fearing the expulsion of stomach contents. Thankfully, it was just a loud, wet belch. However, the acidic tang of fluid did not serve well as an after-dinner mint.

“Oh, that sounds like someone’s a piggy-wiggy!” A/id used a higher-pitched, cutsey-wutsy tone to his voice as his nose was gently rubbed against the firm mesh. “Someone needs to learn some manners, doesn’t he? Hmmmm?”

Vor/tex growled, though from annoyance from his partner or relief of the built-up pressure, no one knew. But each time his belly quaked, fingers were quick to rub small, soothing circles over the erupting spasms. And every time pressure built in his gut, A/id worked to free the trapped gas, pressing the belly just enough to literally burp the air out of him.

“Does baby feel better now that he’s been burped?” A/id coddled, messaging his fingers on the still swelled but not quite as bloated belly. “There’s a good boy…you ate so well for me tonight…”

Fi/rst A/id prattled on complimenting the paunch, and Vor/tex just harrumphed. Until those hands and mouth travelled southward. He licked his lips and spread his legs in anticipation of what was to come.

And let out a frustrated whine when those digits danced and mouth sucked on his chubbed up thighs and not…well, somewhere else. “Prim/us A/id!” The ‘C/on all but shouted. “You’re such a fraggin’ tease!”

“Hmmmm?” The medic feigned innocence. “Oh, these juicy drumsticks need some loving, would you say?”

Vor/tex only responded with a yelp as a set of teeth sunk into the meaty inner thigh, followed by licking and sucking. And when the Auto/bot hummed, the vibrations tickled through his thigh, shooting up his neuronet like a lightning bolt. If only that humming was someplace else…

But having his plumper thighs messaged at felt erotic. While he would never admit this out loud, having his partner dote and coo over his swelled tummy was nice. Just knowing A/id enjoyed feeding him made him feel good. Just knowing the weight gain turned his partner on was invigorating. Hearing the happiness in the medic’s voice made it pleasurable. Plus, the enthusiasm the Doctor had over baby-talking his gut was cute and rather enjoyable.

He could do without the pain from overindulging. But the pampering being stuffed to the limits brought on- even if it was just to his belly and thighs- was well worth it.

….. …..

as much as I want to keep editing this, I need to stop! This is long enough as it is! I almost went with on/slaught (feede)with vor/tex being the feeder…. But I dont know too much about on/slaught and I just couldn’t pass up aid baby-talking that tummy! It’s your fault really for getting me hooked on t/ex a/id…. O.0. Hope you like!

[wynnyfryd]

hayrides and late harvests

part of our nano NaNo 30-day steddie prompt challenge; day 5, prompt #31: "Please let me help you. I’m begging you to let me help you.” Rated M

[read on AO3 or below the cut]

———

“Fuck,” Eddie scowls, just barely resisting the urge to throw his guitar clear across his room. He eases her onto the floor beside his bed, the twist tugging uncomfortably at the tight, pink skin surrounding his bat bites - not nearly so metal now that they’ve rendered him a fucking invalid, Jesus Christ - and falls back against his pillows with a groan.

“This sucks, man,” he tells Steve as he stretches the weakened tendons in his forearm. Steve, who’s perched at the foot of his bed, nursing a joint and paying no mind to the way Eddie’s got both feet jammed under his thigh for warmth. Steve, who’s still healing from his own bites and scrapes and goddamn strangulation bruises, and who keeps playing the unwaveringly kind and patient caretaker anyway while Eddie just sits there and selfishly whines about his own problems.

Steve, who looks like Autumn incarnate, so pretty in the low lamplight with his smooth, olive skin, his rose dusted cheeks, his marigold sweater. His hair is the color of cinnamon roasted pecans and kettle corn and candied apple caramel.

Steve hands him the joint.

“Sorry,” Eddie says as he takes a puff. “I know you don’t want to hear me complain about my own problems. Like you don’t have it just as bad. Shit, like everyone else doesn’t, either, I just… I just can’t stop thinking about all the things I can’t do anymore, you know? Fucking hand tremors. Think I’m losing my mind a little here, Harrington, if that’s- if that’s even still possible,” he laughs without mirth. “I can’t write, can’t draw, can’t play guitar for more than four minutes without my whole arm cramping up. I can’t even goddamn jerk off anymore! Like, I don’t even remember the last time that I—”

He doesn’t mean to say it, honest. It just slips out in the frustrated stream of consciousness spilling from his lips, but then Steve’s head snaps up, and he’s looking right at Eddie, and, “Shit,” Eddie gulps. “Sorry, that’s, uh...”

Too much. Way too much information, Munson, like, surely this is the thing that gets Steve to drop the patient saint act and leave his trailer for good, right? Because Eddie can’t keep his stupid, oversharing mouth shut?

Steve doesn’t leave.

He doesn’t even move to politely retreat from Eddie’s personal space. He just looks at him, rests a tentative hand on Eddie’s knee, squeezes once. His tongue flicks out to wet his lip, nervous.

“…Can I help?” Steve asks.

“Can you what?” Eddie responds, feeling his eyes bulge half out of their sockets as they dart between Steve’s face and the hand on his knee. Steve’s tongue does the thing again.

“Let me help you,” he says, low and insistent, not a single trace of teasing or mockery in his tone. His voice is barely a whisper, a warm, soft rasp when he adds: “It doesn’t have to like, mean anything, man, just um. Yeah, just let me...”

And something shrivels in Eddie’s chest at that, because- because oh. Is that all this is? Some kind of jock thing?

Eddie can see it now, can imagine what bored, horny heterosexual boys might do to each other late at night in the graffitied shell of what used to be Benny’s, nothing but moonlit dust moats and the hiss of shared breaths for company. How they’d brush it off in the morning, shove at each other’s shoulders and make a quip about ‘queer shit,’ how they’d spit casual cruelty like mouthwash to rinse the taste of each other from their tongues.

But Steve’s not looking at Eddie like that. He’s looking at Eddie, and his eyes are wide and deep and sincere, hayrides and late harvests in that seeking, hazel swirl, and it feels like…

It feels like a plea. Feels like please let me, I’m begging you to let me.

Eddie lets him.

[shadowfromthestarlight]

I need some healthy snack ideas if you don't mind.

Mhmm, a really good one is roasting your own nuts! I've done it with cashews and almonds but lately I've been into pecans - soaking them in a bowl with water and salt for several hours, up to 12 hours, then leaving them in the oven at 150 or as low as yours will go for at least 8 hours. Or you can just buy nuts "raw" or "dry-roasted" and add your own salt and/or olive oil whenever you can't roast them yourself.

I also really like MASA chips - they're fried in tallow. Whenever I let someone try them they like them! They're a bit of a pain because they're rare in stores, you have to order them, and they're not cheap, but I find it worth it to subscribe.

Another chip brand that you're more likely to find in stores is Siete, and I like to get their avocado oil-fried blue chips.

For crackers, I'm starting to exclusively use Rustic Bakery sourdough olive oil crackers, they're delicious and extremely simple, lacking a lot of the ingredients that make most crackers (such an innocuous-sounding snack, we've been so deceived!) really unhealthy. Stonewall Kitchen also has some crackers that are seed oil-free.

I also like to try protein balls whenever I see them at a coffee shop, everyone seems to have their own recipe, they're a good satisfying snack. I've been trying to copy them on my own but (to me at least) they're more challenging than they look. Lately, I've been making muffins using bananas, apple cider, whole organic spelt flour, copious amounts of cinnamon (and the standard egg, baking soda, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, butter) and getting very positive responses! I've also been making gluten-free, incidentally vegan cookies with pure peanut butter, coconut oil, and oatmeal.

[sunnyrealist]

Hogwarts Legacy MC October - Post #8!

Get to know my original character, Kate Mayflower, Sebastian's love interest nine years after the events of Hogwarts Legacy. She is featured in my fanfic The Sun, the Moon, and All Our Stars, as well as a short smutty drabble called "The Mess" (there will be plenty more of those!).

October 19th: Apple Picking or Hayride?

If Kate had to choose, it would be apple picking, but she loves EVERYTHING about autumn and would absolutely want to do both. Her apple picking adventure would be quite serious, as she loves to cook and bake and would want specific types of apples for different dishes and desserts. She would absolutely drag Sebastian along and make him pick apples from high up and carry their haul around! He might grumble a little, but secretly, he would really enjoy the experience.

October 20th: Random Fact

Kate makes her own perfume! It's quite floral with notes of jasmine, rose, peony, gardenia, and lilac, in addition to honey and just a touch of vanilla.

October 21st: Favorite Fall Comfort Foods

I've already discussed this in previous posts, so I am going to try to focus on some foods/beverages I haven't mentioned. Fall flavors are some of Kate's favorites! Anything apple, pumpkin, or cinnamon based foods are her jam.

Breakfast faves: Cinnamon french toast, cinnamon rolls, apple and pecan oatmeal, and pumpkin pancakes

Savory faves: Pumpkin soup, roasted squash, popcorn, roasted turkey

Dessert faves: Honey and cinnamon ice cream sundae from Honeyduke's, pumpkin pie, apple pie, cinnamon baked apples, caramel apples with chocolate

Beverage faves: Apple cider, pumpkin juice, black tea with honey and cinnamon

Other faves: Whipped apple and cinnamon butter on fresh baked bread, homemade applesauce

[favouritefallfeelings]

Thanksgiving

Our long Canadian Thanksgiving weekend is slowly coming to an end. Therefore, I will be taking this opportunity to blog about the Thanksgiving holiday and everything to do with the occasion. From side dish ideas, the concept of "Friendsgiving," my personal favourite things to do with the thankful season and what I'm grateful for.

Everyone knows the best part about the Thanksgiving holiday is the food. From the main course all the way to the dessert, by far it's some of the best food enjoyed annually on this weekend. Personally, side dishes would be my favourite part of the meal. However, this year, I think it's time to level up the traditional side dishes and make some new additions for this comforting meal. To begin, this picture below demonstrates a simple twist on regular mashed potatoes, adding roasted garlic into the mix. I made this for my family this Thanksgiving and I can say myself that it was a huge hit.

Another way to level up a simple dish, this time with your regular roasted carrots. A recipe I found incorporates candied pecans and goat cheese to the roasted carrots, levelling up yet again this delicious side dish into something even better.

Finally, a brand-new recipe I've personally never heard of, but definitely something I'd like to make. Below is a whipped pumpkin feta dip that includes honey, walnuts and fresh thyme. This could be an easy side dish or appetizer served with fresh bread or anything really.

A new concept I heard about this year is a 'Friendsgiving'. Which is exactly what it sounds like, essentially. Typically, Thanksgiving is celebrated with family and relatives, but this is a gathering for friends to gather and enjoy a comforting meal all-together. In my opinion, I absolutely love this concept and wish I would've heard about it sooner. Now I'm definitely not saying to replace the traditional Thanksgiving dinner with family, but consider adding in a second annual tradition to celebrate and be thankful for all of your friends, because they deserve it too.

Now for more of a personal aspect to this blog post, I'll be talking about my favourite activities for the Thanksgiving long weekend and what I'm grateful for. In all honesty, my family isn't very big on this particular holiday, so it usually ends up being pretty low-key, which I really enjoy. On Thanksgiving Day, I spent the night with my immediate family, and I really enjoyed gathering together and talking amongst each other. A new favourite Thanksgiving activity/tradition is spending the long weekend up north at my boyfriend's cottage, which is where I was this past weekend. I was fortunate enough to be a part of his family's Thanksgiving, where I enjoyed a big meal as well as beautiful scenery up in the Kawartha Lakes. Yesterday, my boyfriend and I took our own mini road trip about an hour away from his cottage simply to drive and look at the views even further up north, and I even got the chance to look at the views from the lake on a jet ski.

I'm so incredibly fortunate for everything I have and all the people in my life. More specifically, my parents, my sisters, my friends, my boyfriend and my pets. This Thanksgiving is certainly extra special for me, as I have so much in my life to be thankful for. I hope everyone enjoyed their long weekends, I, for one, was very grateful for an extra day to sleep in as well!

[captainstevenjohnstonme]

'Hands Of Vengeance.'

The following story is about a killer who was put to death in the electric chair and then buried in the prison grounds but his hands re-emerge and go on a rampage.

Hope you like it.

'For fucks sake can you motherfuckers strap me in already, I will gladly flick the switch myself to get away from everyone on this fucked up planet.'

Robert Jenkins a huge white prison guard who has worked at San Quentin for twenty years rolls his eyes as he approaches the cell of a condemned man named Elijah Pope.

'Settle down Pope and eat your last meal or I will come in and shove it down your throat.'

'Fuck you Jenkins' Pope screams out 'I asked for a large pepperoni pizza three chicken burgers a tub of chocolate ice cream and a pint of Dr Pepper but what do I get? nothing but a couple of roast potatoes a slice of pecan pie and a can of Pepsi.'

'Go and get the warden right now or I will hang myself with my own shoelaces.'

'You aren't wearing any shoelaces you dumb fuck and you should be thankful for the small portions because come frying time you will be shitting out bricks.'

'Now shut the fuck up and finish what you got before I shove my baton up your scrawny ass.'

Pope stares back at Jenkins in contempt 'Spare me the pep talk you slimy piece of crap just let the warden know that I will see him bright and early tomorrow and when I begin to broil and bubble I will send smoke signals down to hell where all of the fuckers who put me in this goddamned cell will also feel the pain and heat.'

'I have survived this world for 28 years and after I am electrocuted I will become the master of sparks and come back and destroy anyone for has mistreated me.'

'The only person who has mistreated you Pope is yourself , all of your wounds are self inflicted, you committed all of the crimes that put you where you are today so stop your whining and take your medicine like a man.'

As he walks away Jenkin's adams apple bobs up and down in worry because of all the prisoners he has come across during his time in this hell hole Elijah Pope is by far the craziest, meanest of them all so come morning when Pope leaves this earth he will thank the lord when the evil little man is gone for good.

Pope only stands a smidge over 5' tall and weighs about the same as a teenager and who some say looks like Kevin Bacon on crack may be small in stature but don't be fooled he is one of the meanest criminals in America.

He first came under the radar of the authorities when he was only ten years of age when he attacked another boy with a knife after the victim refused to hand over his wallet.

For that crime he spent five years in juvenile detention.

After his release Pope robbed a convenience store of a measly twenty bucks and as he made his getaway he turned and shot the owner and his female assistant killing them both.

After that Pope went underground eluding the authorities , for that crime Pope entered the F.B.I.'s most wanted list.

Between 2007 till 2011 a serial killer roamed the streets of Los Angeles, in that time he murdered 20 known victims but it is believed that the total could reach as high 60.

All victims were young girls with short brown hair between the ages of 14 to 18 years old but luckily with the use of the latest DNA technology Elijah Pope was identified as the perpetrator and he was arrested without incident on 6th July 2011.

A year later despite protesting his innocence 18 year old Elijah Pope is brought to trial before judge Walter B Carruthers a man with little time for the criminals who sit in the dock under his worship.

Popes lawyer Paul Drew is a young attorney with little time spent in an actual courtroom and now here he is defending an alleged serial killer.

The prosecutor a long time trial lawyer named Daniel Hopkins who can talk the talk with the best of them begins proceedings telling the court that Elijah Pope is a predator who took the lives of a innocent shopkeeper and a member of his staff but then he went on to become one of the nations worst serial killers.

Twelve weeks later with Popes lawyer proving to be next to useless when it comes to giving his client the best advice sits next to Elijah as the prosecutor sums up proceedings, 'Your honor the evidence is overwhelming, shoe prints found at many of the crime scenes match the tread on a pair shoes owned by the defendant plus the DNA evidence proves once and for all that Elijah Pope the man sitting next to his lawyer is a murderer who should be sentenced to death.'

'I rest my case your honor.'

'Does the defense have a rebuttal for the court?'

Drew begins to stand up but than changes his mind 'No your honor the defense rests.'

Pope can't stay silent any longer and stands 'What a load of absolute crap, I am no murderer, sure I am no angel but as my lawyer if he did a proper job would have found out that I was living in South Carolina at the time that these murders occurred'

Judge Carruthers bangs his gavel in fury ; Young man you are to remain silent in my courtroom or you will be gagged do you understand?'

Elijah knowing that he is fighting for his life sizes up the judge 'I am an innocent man you old fool, the so called evidence is rubbish, anyone could have worn my shoes but it is obvious that you don't want to listen so why don't you spit on your gavel and shove it where the sun don't shine.'

'TAKE HIM AWAY' Carruthers screams at a guard who grabs Pope by an arm and begins to lead him away but Pope can't resist a parting shot at his attorney 'Thanks for nothing I will see you in hell.'

At the back of the courtroom the young man who actually committed the crimes that Elijah Pope has been found guilty of silently leaves unnoticed.

Elijah is dragged downstairs to his cell where he is joined by his attorney. 'I thought that you were supposed to represent me to the best of your ability but all you did was sit there saying nothing.'

'I am sorry Elijah I know that you are upset but the evidence against you was overwhelming there was little that I could do.'

'I am innocent I tell you, why want anyone believe me?'

'Rest assured Elijah that I will appeal the decision so just bide your time and I will do all I can.'

Despite numerous appeals Popes execution is scheduled to take place tomorrow 21 September 2023.

At precisely 4.30 am Pope is lead from his cell by six prison guards.

Fully shackled in leg irons Elijah slowly shuffles down the corridor to his final destination.

Most of the prisoners on death row call out their farewells while the more subdued remain silent thankful that they get to live another day.

Entering the small room and is strapped to the electric chair securely with leather cords.

Twelve witnesses including his parents sit a mere five yards away.

The parents Brian and Maureen Pope struggle to make eye contact with their son as he awaits his fate.

They have a secret a secret that they have kept ever since the day that Elijah was born.

A secret that they plan to keep to their dying day.

At 4.58 warden Ian Baldacci a cruel bitter man who has overseen the executions of 28 men looks over to the phone hanging on the wall half expecting it to ring but as the seconds pass by it remains silent.

A minute later the warden asks Pope if he has any last words 'I surely do warden, everybody knows that i am no angel but I am innocent of murder.'

Taking a second to compose himself Pope turns his head and stares directly into the eyes of the warden' Let me tell you now warden if you flick the switch and send me to my death I will come back from hell and kill you at the first opportunity.'

'Mark my words when I return blood will flow from the bodies of all of those responsible for my demise.'

The twelve witnesses are visibly shaken by the outburst and cower back in fright.

Even warden Baldacci is disturbed by Popes words so when the clock ticks over to 5.00 he hits the switch sending the evil fucker to hell where he belongs.

Pope is slammed back by the charge of electricity with whiffs of smoke escaping from his mouth and nostrils while his skin begins to burn and blister.

Convulsing violently Pope takes one of his last breathes, deep inside his bones crack and his marrow boils.

The leather straps bite deep into Popes wrists and when the skin and tissue melt away the restraints cut all the way through to cauterize and fall to the floor of the death chamber.

Thankfully the curtains have already been drawn so none of the witnesses saw the dismembered hands fall away in a shower of blood and steam.

At 6.07 Pope is pronounced dead by the prison doctor Marcus Clarke who despite seeing many dead prisoners is shocked by the sight of the pair of hands that still twitch on the floor near his feet.

After the smell of death dissipates Popes smoldering body is removed from the electric chair and his remains are carefully into a body bag by two prison trustees, the younger of the two has the ghastly task of picking up the hands before he gingerly places them on the chest of the condemned.

The body bag is loaded into a van and driven 500 yards to the northern corner of the prison where it is parked near to a recently dug grave.

The body bag is lowered without ceremony into the hole while up in his office Warden Baldacci watches proceedings with interest. 'You are where you belong Pope may your body rot and your soul travel to hell.'

Three months later under the cover of darkness a single human hand pokes through the surface of an unmarked grave.

Another hand suddenly appears and they scurry over to the prison wall, then using all of their strength the hands grapple up the wall slip through the razor wire and drop down onto the grass on the other side.

The pair of hands hide in the foliage for awhile than they move forward in anticipation for the arrival of the garbage where they will hitchhike a ride on the first step of a journey along the road where they will seek an overdue quest for a bloody vengeance against those who committed a wrong against Elijah Kevin Pope.

THE END.

Part Two coming soon.

[nempne]

Get to know me

[useless info edition]

Thank you @papiermaker for tagging me!

1. What do you have under your bed?

   Dust bunnies! There could be a few hair accessories too.

2. Favorite candy? (be very specific if possible) 

    I actually don’t know what these things are called. They’re roasted pecans with caramel, coated by white chocolate. They’re absolutely awful for teeth. I always brush and floss when after I’ve had them.

3. Describe your favorite shirt: 

    A black long sleeve cotton/nylon blend shirt, boatneck. 

4. The last thing you drew/doodled was: 

    A very friendly-looking guy in my last meeting this afternoon. He had a hairstyle that reminded me of someone who used to be really into Nu Metal when it was in style in the 2000s. I didn’t draw him in jest, just interested in people.

5. Are you completely sober rn? 

   I am a chronically-sober individual. I don’t like drinking and weed makes me irritable. I have some chocolate mushrooms in the fridge that I keep forgetting about though.

6. What’s the one thing that annoys you more than anything? 

    Folks who look at a point in history (i.e.: the history of Egypt, Rome, the Founding Fathers, the 1950s, Reagan’s presidency, etc.) and create their own narrative based on ideals rather than historical accounts and testimony. Efforts to “conserve tradition”.

7. Have you ever gotten your tongue stuck to a cold pole during winter? 

           Not myself, but as a kid I accidentally tricked a peer who wasn’t familiar with (stupid) physical comedy, apparently. He imitated me after I told him not to, and he got his tongue stuck. I feel bad about it still.

8. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? 

    Washington state, touring properties so I can get out of here.

9. What was the single last word you spoke? 

     Safe. As in, “Okay. Be safe”

Tag whoever you’d like to know better (no pressure!): @inthesimsies (who is brand new here-- welcome!), @sloedancing, @plasticfoundation, @babblingstacey , @minty-plumbob, @pixelbasil, @introvertedfox

[shewalksthelefthandpath]

A Gothic Themed Day of Thanks

Wow! A couple days till Thanksgiving here in Canada, things have just been wild here so time is getting away from me in the not the best ways.

BUT! Let’s get right into today’s topic; Gothing Up Thanksgiving!

I love cooking for my family, I love spending time with my family, and any day where I get to do both is a day I’m going to thrive on. So while I can’t decorate or plan the meal myself (since we are living in a generational household now) I will share with you the setup and menu for my DREAM Thanksgiving, Let’s go!~

Colour Scheme: 

Black, Gold, and Deep Plum Black, Silver and Ox blood red Black, Rose gold and Pastel Pink Black, Antique gold and Sage green 

Tablescape:

Starting with a solid coloured table cloth in one of the accent colours (plum, red, green, or pink) and laying a black lace cloth over top. A textured table runner also in black, either velvet, taffeta, or a delicately patterned black quilted runner. I would rather use charger plates than placemats so I would pick chargers in the accent colour and go with simple black dinnerware. Cutlery would be one of the metals, and I would aim for them to be a little more fancy. Napkins would also be cloth and black and the rings would be one of the metals with an accent colour as detail. As the centre display I’m thinking two candelabras in a matte black finish with pearlescent or metallic black taper candles, fall foliage and florals in our accent colours with a cloche on a stand with a delicate display of fungi, moss and bones. I’d also look into vintage coloured glass drinkware, coloured crystal, and coffee and tea cups in the accent colours all mismatched and unique.  

Appetisers:

Cranberry Pecan baked Brie, Prosciutto Asparagus Puff Pastry wraps, and Since we’re Maritimers a Creamy Lobster dip with Toasted Pita, served about two hours before dinner so as not to spoil supper.

Soup/Salad:

Roasted Tomato and Red pepper soup or a Butternut Soup with cheddar and maple bacon. A small serving, and maybe a Autumn pear salad~.

Main Meal:

Now I like a good turkey like everyone else but I hate the heartburn that comes with it afterwards, I say this so that no one freaks out that I won’t be including turkey on my menu list. Instead I think a Roasted rack of lamb that the whole family chips in on would be amazing, with garlic and butter, rosemary, and maybe even some balsamic brown sugar sauce~. Garlic parmesan roasted carrots (cause let’s be honest here I am not going to coin or mash all my veggies….that is a small peeve of mine, but I digress), maple bacon brussel sprouts, caramelised sweet potatoes, and classic creamy garlic mashed potatoes. Then my grandmother’s stuffing and cranberry sauce. Maybe even a delicious mushroom gravy. 

Dessert:

I adore making desserts, and on top of that I love when they are small so I can offer more than one thing, so I would go the route of making little pies such as classic pumpkin, apple, and a cherry. This would be so I could really wow my family with a bigger dessert display of a pecan pie cheesecake (cause I love cheesecake!). This way I could have fun and make tiny options for those who would want something lighter after a rather rich and larger dinner or allow everyone to try a little of everything.

Drinks:

In our house we do wine with dinner so since we’d have lamb I would get a nice red wine, there’s a sweet little place out in the valley that does amazing local wine and their Autumnal red would be so good with this imaginary dinner. After dinner it’s coffee or tea or if we’re feeling saucy a cocktail. Something like an Earl Grey Blackberry Bourbon cocktail, or a Campfire cocktail with a little roasted marshmallow. 

Hopefully this didn’t make you all too hungry! To my Canadian friends and family, Happy Day of Thanks and Gratitude, and to my American friends and family, I hope this gave you some ideas! If you have any ideas of your own you’d like to share let us know and hit up our email at shewalksthelefthandpath@gmail.com! You just might see it on the blog!

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Telete (Kingdom of Ichor)

My Light by her mother

Tee-Tee by her family

Age- 13 (immortal)

Location- Hearthwood neighborhood, New Olympus

Personality- The "baby" in her group of cousins, she's sweetly innocent, sheltered, & unassuming. She's wholeheartedly focused in the potential of good in all beings.

She has the standard abilities of a goddess except shapeshifting. She shares abilities with her family members like limited photokinesis, ambrosia manipulation, having an eidetic memory, and blessing bestowment. Her other ability is vitakinesis (healing).

Telete is the only child of Ikesía, the youngest of The Litae. The both of them live at their house in the Hearthwood neighborhood of New Olympus. Her bedroom is in pastel hues of pink, lavender, silver, & mint. Framed inspirational quotes are posted all over the walls along with posters of her favorite deities she holds in high esteem. There's also string lights strewn decoratively about.

Her mom's griffin gave birth to three fledglings some time back and before they were scheduled to be adopted, Telete had her pick of one to be her animal companion. She went with the runt of the litter- a boy she named Bronzequill. When the mom was unable to nurse, Telete took on the responsibility, feeding him every three hours. She smiles at how fast he's grown- his strong hind legs & impressive shriek of a roar! In just a couple of years, Bronzequill may be large enough for her to ride!

A go-to drink for her is white grape juice. She also likes the banana milkshakes from The Frozen Spoon, ginger ale, lemon-lime soda, mint infused sparkling water, apple juice, and lychee juice. Her usuals from The Roasted Bean ia a medium iced green tea & a large coconut lychee splash.

There's a simple gold pearl pendant necklace (gifted to her by her mom) which she always wears.

Telete describes her personal style as "glamour doll preppy." Her closet is filled with conservatively minded printed tennis skirts, oversized cardigan sweaters, mary janes, ballet flats, tweed jackets, pastel colors, and chic peasant sleeved tops.

She loves her long thick curls! Her favorite products to use is the Glory's Crown marshmallow & babassu oil whipped curl creme and the Hairology 2-in-1 coconut milk & tumeric shampoo/conditioner.

Telete & her mom have a very close relationship. On saturday (a day before church), she'll surprise her mom with breakfast in bed. They'll end up spending the entire day in bed- knitting, sewing, reading, and watching wholesome family films. Even though Telete feels like she can talk to her mom about almost anything, there's a secret or two she keeps under lock & key.

Her relationship with the rest of the family are fairly ok. She sometimes feels like the odd one out when she hangs out with her cousins Epidotes (god of purity) and Pompe (goddess of rites) beacuse of the fact that they're closer. Telete does like her aunt Lití's homemade sourdough bread.

She loves wearing the LipCalm tinted lip balm in "watermelon summer."

A typical breakfast for her is a bowl of vanilla spice oatmeal topped with plain yogurt, crushed walnuts, & chopped pecans.

Within the family business, Telete's usually the errand girl- whether it's looking through the extensive record of scrolls, going for a coffee run, or getting paper orders from Chartí & Meláni, the stationery store owned by Philyra (goddess of perfume, paper, & beauty).

A guilty pleasure of hers are the extra crispy chicken wings from Olympic Chef- the crispier, the better! She'll treat herself to an order of 10 wings every other week, preferring to eat them with no sauce.

Telete's on break from school. She attends the same school in the city as her cousins & she's an exceptional student! She's even the student council secretary. The "Drool Crew" nickname does hurt a bit, but she tries not to let it get to her. She's friendly with Pandia (goddess of the full moon), Achelois (goddess of the moon & comfort), Philia (goddess of friendship), and is even courteous towards Anaideia (goddess of ruthlessness, shamelessness, & unforgiveness) even if it's not always reciprocated. Other godly students include Thespios (god of acting), Dysis (goddess of the sunset), E.B, Krysothemis (Kristy), and Thrasos (god of boldness, insolence, recklessness, & courage). She's also friends with Calocagathia (Aggie) (goddess of nobility & goodness)- even spending time outside of school where they can be more free & laidback.

Her favorite sandwich is the grilled chicken caprese panini from The Bread Box.

Her all time favorite dessert from Hollyhock's Bakery is the banana pudding cheesecake!

In the pantheon Telete also admires & looks up to Hestia (goddess of the hearth), Nephele (goddess of clouds), Soteria (goddess of safety), Paregoros (goddess of soothing words), Eudaimonia (goddess of happiness), Arete (goddess of virtue, valor, & excellence), Elpis (goddess of hope), Aletheia (goddess of truth), Homonoia (goddess of concord), and Pistis (goddess of trust, reliability, & good faith).

The biggest secret that Telete's been keeping from her family is that she has a boyfriend! She's been talking to Zale, a merguy who moved from the Underwater realm (who's also a student) for a few weeks. They first struck up a conversation during a school assembly when they were randomly seated together and things picked up from there when it was also discovered that they shared the same study hall period. Telete remembers everything about her first kiss with him- the way he moved a lock of her hair behind her ear, the way he smelled of aftershave and seaweed, the attractive way he licked his lips, & how he lightly traced her bottom lip with his thumb before moving in. Telete likes the fact that he's a "good boy with a bad boy aesthetic"- leather jacket, piercing dark blue eyes, and long black hair with the sides of his head shaved. Zale's also a total gentlemen- holding out doors for her and carrying her books if no one's paying attention to them. Because of the school's rumor mill (and other reasons), their relationship is on the down low. They try not to even exchange glances with each other while at school. The only free time they have to see each other is during study hall, where Zale found a blindspot in one of the staircases! Their first official date was at the movie theater after Telete left her class at Kyría Aristeía under the guise that she was running an errand for Eusebeia.

Her other extracurriculars include volunteering at the Psomí & Zoí soup kitchen. Telete calls herself the supreme master at cutting off the crusts on the moussaka sandwiches.

She's well aware that her mom is looking through candidates for her for a "possible coupling" when she's older.

Telete's favorite music artists to listen to include Pale Blu, Aoide (goddess of voice & song), and The Gypsy Belles.

On her smartphone, Zale's contact is saved under the name "Amalia."

Some of Telete's favorite dishes to cook are green bean casserole, garlic mashed potatoes, and white rice with okra stew.

In her free time she enjoys bike riding, gardening, yoga, knitting, cooking, doing lanyard, reading, and spending time with family.

"Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul."

[jlilycorbie]

One thing that continually bothers me: how dependent on chocolate most ice cream parlors and novelties are in the United States.

Or at least in my area of the US, I'm not an expert on this stuff.

I was complaining about this over the weekend, about how chocolate is great and I like it but I don't need or want it in all the things, and how very much I'd love an ice cream parlor that focuses on fresh fruits and seasonal flavors.

And so I came up with an idea for my own ice cream parlor, probably with a fairy or unicorn theme? Maybe enchanted forest? And then I spent days coming up with ice cream flavors and sundaes for my parlor (and also talking about cannibalism, particularly medical cannibalism, but that's another story).

I figure there'd be a set of always available flavors. Like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry are required. Maybe matcha? Something coffee based, probably. And all of the always available flavors would also be available in dairy-free and nut-free options. And I've heard how hard it is to find gluten-free chocolate ice cream, so definitely gluten-free options, too.

But the real stars here are the sundaes. There'd be the regularly available flavors and seasonal flavors of ice cream along with a variety of basic and seasonal fruits and toppings. You could build your own, or we'd have a selection of menu offerings. Everything would be topped with whipped cream, of course, except when it's got something like marshmallow fluff instead.

We'd have to have a whole variety of splits. Like, what am I even doing having a fruit-focused ice cream parlor without banana splits?

Including a banana split with dulce de leche ice cream, salted almonds, and hot fudge (because chocolate is still allowed, it just won't be in or on everything).

Or a peach split with roasted peaches, cinnamon ice cream, toasted oat crumble with walnuts or pecans, and brown sugar syrup.

Or a mango split with cardamom ice cream, salted cashews, and browned butter rum sauce.

An apple split with cinnamon roasted apples, vanilla ice cream, almonds, toffee bits, and caramel or butterscotch syrup.

Since it's fairy or enchanted forest themed, I'd want to include floral and herbal flavors, too.

Like for summer, I'd need vanilla lime ice cream with fresh watermelon with mint and lime juice and house-made strawberry syrup.

A warm sugar cookie topped with lemon lavender ice cream and fresh blueberry syrup.

Hibiscus ice cream with strawberry swirl.

Earl Grey ice cream with blackberries and chocolate lavender syrup (maybe with pound cake or a sugar cookie?)

For spring into summer, we could have fresh raspberries and mangoes with matcha ice cream and strawberry syrup.

For early autumn, we could have a peanut butter blondie with honey ice cream, fresh grapes, and peanut butter sauce.

From Halloween to Thanksgiving, we could have pumpkin ice cream with cranberry syrup, toasted pecans, and marshmallow fluff .

For deep winter, something with a clever name referencing Persephone with smoked vanilla ice cream with a clementine curd swirl, pomegranate syrup and fresh arils, and salted pistachios.

And for the people who really want a lot of chocolate, a chili pepper brownie with dark chocolate cinnamon ice cream with cocoa nibs topped with espresso hot fudge and chocolate shavings.

Those are my ideas from the last week (no name for this imaginary place, of course, because I'm terrible at naming things). I still need more ideas that include raspberries, blackberries, apricots, pineapples, and...so many other fruits. Pears. Plums.

I might have to make some of these sundaes for myself sometime.