#so episode 2 has 2 recipes (2 chapters)

[jadequarze]

Do you think they’re gonna animate Izutsumis pupils changing size with her emotions? I ask as both a fan of cats and animation. Also I think watching her pupils become huge when presented with something she likes would be hilarious. 2kwhenever we get her animated, year of watching our fav cat girl be a cat

I hope so! Her original pupils are, certain points, round instead of slits based on the manga. But there are moments where her pupils become huge. Thats when she's a bonafide cat. I know I'll have fun watching her reactions to things, the teeny Izutsumi in the background and (at times the most logical person in the group)

[brainlessrot]

Ranking NRC dorms on how much I would trust and like their cooking -

fair warning: I've skipped like most culinary croucible events and forgot 90% of the ones i played, so this is all based on my subjective reading of their vibes and the limited canon knowledge i could gather in my brain

Contents: As the title says +individual characters ranked

Characters: All dorms + students and teachers

1. Scarabia

do i even need to explain this one??

One of the first episodes in their chapter was literally cooking with jamil

I LOVE middle eastern food. give me hummus and some pita bread and im set for life.

Pre scarabia arc jamil would be a dangerous choice, but post chapter? im gonna be knocking on his door with bribes so that he gives me any extra food he made 🙏

not kalim tho, yall stay safe

(also wrote this while at Agrabah's cafe in disney land, so my opinion might be skewed)

Continues under this cut!!

2. Octavinelle

Mans whole bussiness is food

if im paying for it i better be getting something good

but would NEVER try to ask any of them to cook for me (for free obv) bc i dont think that would end well (for me)

Jade?? mixing mushrooms he found somewhere

Floyd? forgets and goes somewhere, now the kitchen is burnt

Azul? nuh huh 💀 i aint seeling my soul for some toast

theyre like, Norwegian/italian i think?? and idk much about Norwegian cuisine but like italian is soooo good 🤞

3. Heartslabyul

Only for the sweets (i might not trust trey but i have a sweet tooth)

I dont mind tea, but they better not bring out their British cuisine out

If i see any fish n chips im evaporating from that table (lies, free food is free food)

i wanna go to an unbirthday party 😔

riddle would cook something too healthy and would count my calorie intake 💀

ace or deuce? id better be getting ready to get intoxication

cater... i just dont see him cooking

4. Pomefiore

listen... theyre mostly rich pampered boys, so would they even be cooking?

i dont trust the source of Rook's food

epel would only give me apple based foods (tasty, but gets boring after a while)

Vil would probably give me those weird natural green smoothies AND I DONT WANT THAT 🤬

+ i dont like french people (jk)

5. Ighnihyde

listen

HEAR ME OUT

ik theyre all nerds and all they eat is instant ramen

BUT GREEK FOOD.

all for that greek yogurt 😩

idia doesn't know how to cook except for instant foods which i dont mind (he gets favourite character treatment)

ortho,,, questionable. He has access to the internet (aka infinite recipes) but would it taste good? hes like 10

6. Savanaclaw

sweaty men.

i should just leave it at that ngl

leona? rich ahh man (a GROWN man at that!! 20 whole years of age!!!) and he probably doesn't even know how to fry an egg

ruggie? no way he gives me anything good for free 😭

Jack is the only one i would trust, but man probably also drinks protein shakes and those sad chicken breast and rice meals.

7. Diasomnia

no thank you

i like my soul staying where it is.

i dont trust their magical food

lillia is not even my last choice if im ever hungry, he aint a choice AT ALL

Malleus... he probably doesn't know how to physically cook?? sure he can bibidi babidi boop me some food like the giant fairy godmother he is, but i want something real man 😔

Sebek... protein shake man...

Silver MUST know how to cook (living with lillia would be imposible if not) so if i HAD to, I would go to him, but i dont want him to fall asleep and faceplant on my food 😭

+ Characters Ranked in tiers! (students and teachers)

The best, five star Michelin food:

Jamil, Trey, Trein

You could be happy eating:

Vil, Epel, Floyd, Silver, Azul, Ruggie, Crewel

Its food:

Jack, Cater, idia (if making instant ramen) Ortho, Sam

its... food?:

Rook (seriously, where did he get that?), Jade, Ace, Deuce, Malleus (the food is uncorporeal), Sebek, Vargas

dubious taste, would rather not:

Riddle, Kalim, Leona (its just a slab of uncooked meat), Idia (if trying to cook real food)

call 911 BEFORE eating please:

Lillia, Grim, Crowley

[secretly-of-course]

The Emperor's Right Hand Man

[Image ID: two digital illustrations, the first of witch depicts the recipe for a grimwalker. Listed from top to bottom is "Galderstone" drawn next to a blue crystal, "Palistrom Wood" drawn next to a log of blue wood, "Stonesleeper Lungs" drawn with a pair of stone lungs, "Selkidomus Scales," drawn with a section of purple fish scales, and "Bone of Ortet" drawn with the skeleton of a human left hand. The second illustration shows Belos from the waist up clutching the hand skeleton in his fist and saying, "How amusing, Caleb. Your left hand will become my right." Both images have dark backgrounds.]

More of my thoughts on this theory beneath the cut! (Spoilers for Thanks to Them)

Okay so we all know Hunter is a grimwalker made from one of Caleb's bones, but I'm convinced it was his left hand specifically.

Like much of the fandom throughout season 2, I was intrigued by Hunter's gloves and his seemingly increased sensitivity regarding his hands. Like most people, I believed he had some scars there, or heck at least eczema, and couldn't wait for the show to finally reveal the mystery of Hunter's hands.

But then Disney Channel released the Monstober promo featuring this clip from Thanks to Them.

[image ID: A screenshot of Luz and Hunter staring straight ahead while Gus looks very excited. Hunter is noticeably not wearing gloves as he holds a flip-phone like object and his hands have no visible scars.]

And I just went!!! what the heck!!! all that build up for nothing!? His hands were just so casually revealed like that? The episode wasn't even out yet and I was already going out of my mind trying to figure out what was going on there.

And then I got to Chapter 16 of Mr_Spinner's incredible fic Strength in Body and Mind and it all started to make sense. I won't spoil too much of the story for those who haven't read it yet, but a part of the plot involves Belos making a grimwalker out of Hunter's wisdom fangs, and this grimwalker often experiences pain in his teeth because of that. Hunter's hand(s) could very likely cause him pain for the exact same reason. Then couple that with the fact that as the Golden Guard, Hunter is often referred to as "The Emperor's Right Hand Man." No matter which hand was used, Belos would think that was hilarious, this is the same guy who came up with the name "Hunter" for a witch hunter's grimwalker.

So why the left hand specifically? Well, first in Hollow Mind it's Hunter's left hand that starts to tremble when the bird palisman disintegrates

[image ID: Two screenshots from Hollow Mind. The first shows Hunter's left hand holding a bird palisman as it smokes and turns to ash. The second is a moment after, showing Hunter's left hand is now empty and he is holding it with his right hand to stop it from shaking.]

and in Labyrinth Runners, it's his left hand again that hurts when Gus high-fives him (and no offense to Gus but that was not a very forceful high five).

[image ID: a screenshot from Labyrinth Runners. Gus has just high-fived Hunter and Hunter is recoiling and wincing in pain.]

BUT THEN Thanks to Them aired and I got the most compelling evidence of all.

As a semi-tangent, I'd like to point out first that Belos enters Hunter's bloodstream through the cut on his right hand. This of course is coincidence that Hunter hurt himself there, but it once again underlines the "Right Hand Man" title. This is relevant as the right hand is the only part of his body that Hunter is later not able to regain control over from his possession, which makes sense.

But the part that he first regains control over is his left hand.

[image ID: two screenshots from Thanks to Them showing Possessed Hunter. In the first, Hunter is using his left arm to restrain his right arm that Belos is using to harm Flapjack. In the second, Hunter punches himself in the face using his left hand.]

How interesting would it be if out of all the parts in Hunter's body, the part he was first able to take back from Belos was the part donated to him from Caleb? The only part of him arguably not made by Belos? I think it would be very cool.

Please note that Belos himself is left handed, so if he is having to use his non-dominant right hand here that implies there has to be some serious resistance from the left. It is also the left hand that Hunter uses to throw the Titan's blood in the water, which makes sense given everything I've speculated so far.

Now, there are a couple counter arguments to this theory, the greater of the two being the fact that a hand is made of 27 individual bones. Why wouldn't Belos make 27 grimwalkers then? I propose that they are each too tiny. I mean come on. How could a teeny metacarpal carry the same weight as a femur or a rib? I think it would also be interesting if being made from many small bones instead of one large bone could have contributed to Hunter looking "the most like" Caleb.

The other less substantial argument is that it's actually Hunter's right hand that hurts after Willow shakes his hand in Any Sport In A Storm. To that I would argue Willow is strong. Like, really strong. She shook his hand so vigorously that his entire body was jerking around. I think that would hurt under any circumstances, plus Hunter seems to recover from this quicker than the above mentioned instances.

So what do you all think? I'd love to hear more people's thoughts and theories!

[animebw]

*patiently waits for the list of titles you're giving a chance this Fail season*

WELL WAIT NO LONGER MY FINE FRIEND

Must-Watch

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really Really Really Really Really Love You

Listen, do you know how good a harem anime has to be for me to recommend it? This was one of the funniest manga I've read and the adaptation does it justice and more.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Yeah, it lived up to the hype. Let's see if it can match the strength of those incredible opening episodes for its whole run.

Spy x Family Season 2

THEY GOD MASAAKI GODDAMN YUASA TO DO THE NEW OP WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME

Runners-Up

Firefighter Daigo: Rescue in Orange

I guess Brain's Base has decided that making Kennjirou Tsuda narrate everything is a recipe for success, lol. But this is shaping up to be a really strong mix of character drama and disaster movie, with the courage to really take its time and let the weight of its sequences settle.

Migi and Dali

I don't think I can properly describe this one except to tell you to watch the first episode knowing nothing about what to expect.

Overtake

Good season for adult workplace drama between this and Daigo. More of an inspirational sports story for F4 racing, but done really well so far.

Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions

Honestly the detective side of this one is kinda weak so far. Thank god the characters are so entertaining and the production is so wonderfully energetic so you barely mind.

Shy

I was initially gonna recommend just reading the manga on this one, but then the second episode turned out lightyears better than the first, so hey. If you're looking for a superhero show to tide you over until MHA's next season, put this on your list.

Undead Unluck

Now this is a much better use of Fire Force's director than Fire Force was. Also, I have it on good authority that the gross groping gags vanish pretty quickly into the manga, so breathe easy on that front.

If You Have Time

Arknights: Perish in Frost

I'm still waiting to see if this can follow up on the first season's actually really good finale or if it'll settle into being just kinda boring again. Fingers crossed!

I'm in Love With the Villainness

I remember bouncing off the manga for this one, and the adaptation isn't exactly a stunner. But it's breezing through the most annoying parts of the opening chapters at a strong clip, so here's hoping it gets to the good stuff soon!

Stardust Telepath

Look, the main character's voice being really squeaky and annoying is usually a dealbreaker for me, but this has enough charm for me to stomach it for now. Love seeing CGDCT shows with this much energy in the production.

Uma Musume Season 3

I'll admit, that was probably the strongest opening episode we've had for an Uma Musume season. Will this be the moment the weird horse idol show finally clicks for me? Let's find out!

On Thin Ice

Ancient Magus Bride Season 2 Part 2

Ugh, this is really turning into a drag. I want to be on board with more Magus Bride, but the increasingly limp production and complete lack of focus on the main relationship are running my interest into the ground.

My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer

I would very much like the main female character to gain a second personality trait beyond loving her daddy please and thank you.

Shield Hero Season 3

I... have no excuse for myself.

Already Dropped

16Bit Sensation Another Layer

Like I said:annoying squeaky moe voices are usually a dealbreaker for me. I made it seven minutes into the first episode before I couldn't stand listening to the protagonist for another second.

Bullbuster

I'll give you this, Bullbuster, it takes effort to take a premise like mecha vs monster battles filtered through realistic corporate and engineering bureaucracy and make it boring.

Faraway Paladin Season 2

God, did I really use to like this show? I'm sure I did, but this first episode really make me question what was ever interesting about it

Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess

It took all of five minutes for the show to get into an extended sequence of the main character almost peeing herself in her pajamas. Hard pass.

[castletown-cafe]

Castletown Café Episode 27: Butterscotch-Cinnamon Pie

It's been 8 years.....doesn't seem like that long, does it? On September 15th, 2015, Undertale launched to the world and took the internet by storm, delighting gamers young and old and capturing their hearts and minds with the story, humor, memorable characters, and beautiful music. Without Undertale, there wouldn't be Deltarune.

It's safe to assume that the pie Kris stole between Chapters 1 and 2 as well as the pie Toriel later teaches Susie how to bake is the same pie from Undertale: butterscotch-cinnamon pie. It's the pie Toriel is known for in Undertale, where she asks you early on in the game which flavor you prefer. It doesn't matter if you choose cinnamon or butterscotch, because she later bakes you one delicious pie with both flavors included that compliment each other perfectly.

This pie is well known by fans to restore your health to full HP, regardless of the route you take (which effects how much max HP you have). It even has plot significance! If you know, you know.

Since Undertale's launch, I've made butterscotch-cinnamon pie every September to commemorate it's anniversary. In previous years, I followed pre-existing recipes, but this year, I have concocted my own! The results are a beautiful custard pie with a perfectly-set filling and it tastes as heavenly as the pies I'd made in the past!

While many butterscotch pie recipes out there include a meringue topping, I always opt for a cinnamon-vanilla whipped topping, inspired by @terribletriocreations butterscotch-cinnamon pie recipe. That said, I'd love to try out my butterscotch-cinnamon pie recipe with a meringue topping one of these days!

There are so many different ways to make butterscotch pie, from the simple to the advanced. You can make it with the browning butter method, or use butterscotch chips, or an easy brown sugar and butter custard filling. Mine is the latter category; great for any beginner and easy to make! Here we go!

BUTTERSCOTCH-CINNAMON PIE:

1 pie crust, pre-made or made from scratch

1 cup firmly-packed dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons cornstarch

Pinch of salt

2 cups milk

4 egg yolks, divided

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cinnamon-Vanilla Whipped Topping:

1 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out pie crust and line a pie dish with it. Make sure the crust fits the dish, trim off any excess dough, and dock the bottom with a fork.

Crimp the edges of the crust around the rim of the pie dish. I do it by pinching the dough with my fingers and thumb, but using a fork or another utensil works, too.

In a small bowl, scramble one egg yolk with a little bit of water and brush the rim to gloss the edges of the pie.

Grab a sheet of foil and place in the pie, then fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake the crust for about 7-10 minutes. After that, remove it from the oven for a moment.

Remove the beans or pie weights and place a pie shield on the rim of the pie shell to prevent the crust rim from overcooking. If you don't have a pie shield, grab a sheet of foil and place it over the pie, cutting out the center where the filling should go. Instant pie shield! Now, bake your pie crust again for another 5-7 minutes, or until your crust is fully baked. Remove it from the oven yet again. If the crust puffs up at the bottom, squish it back down with a spoon.

In a small mixing bowl, beat 3 egg yolks and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk together for 30 seconds, then slowly add the milk while continuing to whisk in order to prevent any clumps or lumps from forming.

Cook the mixture, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until it's nice and thick and is bubbling a wee bit.

Stir in the butter and keep cooking as the butter melts. After that, keep stirring and cooking for a few more minutes, then remove from heat.

With a ladle, slowly incorporate (while whisking) 1 cup of the hot butterscotch mixture into the egg yolks to temper the eggs and prevent scrambling from occurring. Once you've added and mixed it together, feel free to add just a little more butterscotch, slowly, to ensure that the eggs gradually got hot enough. Then simply pour your egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining butterscotch.

Return your butterscotch to medium heat and cook again for another 3 minutes or so, then stir in the vanilla and cinnamon until fully incorporated.

Pour that butterscotch filling into your prepared pie shell and bake once again for another 7-10 minutes. Remove your pie from the oven and let it cool completely. Once cooled, your custard should be completely set and ready for the whipped topping!

In another mixing bowl, combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon and beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Attach your decorating tip of choice to a piping bag and place it in a tall glass to fill it with the whipped cream. As you would with decorating a cake, pipe the whipped topping over your pie in any pattern or design you'd like. If you want, you can sprinkle the top with a little extra ground cinnamon for a finishing touch. Enjoy and stay determined! ❤

[hetalia-club]

Giving you this bc ur like, the only hetalia blog i still follow that still posts. But like.

Okay back in 2018-2019(?) i had a pretty big hetalia phase, i watched hetafacts videos n every episode that was on YouTube, i listened to the music on repeat. It was a major hyperfixation before i knew that i was autistic.

For the longest time after i stopped, engaging with hetalia for some reason i would. Cringe really hard whenever i saw anything hetalia related. Like. On ao3 when you go to search things it tells you how to search things and one i got (and keep getting) is like "hetalia tag:f/f" or something idk how proper ao3 searches work. Id like screenshot it and go to my friends n say "it haunts me" or some shit.

But like recently ive been. Embracing that part of my past? I guess? Like. Almost like coming to terms with it? Idk i started having a less bad reaction n like, realized it probably one of the more normal fandoms i was in. I was, cringe, as all kids are, but i was. Happy.

And then like. At a sleepover a few weeks ago, one thing leads to another and im telling my friend abt the songs and how ich leibe is. Just a recipe, and how i used to listen to almost all of the songs. I show them the clip of France trying to get England to sign a marriage contract, America ordering fucking condoms from Russia.

It has been at least 2 weeks since, and i can feel the hyperfixation coming back, half the music ive been listening too again is hetalia character songs (theyre so fucking good???) and ive been getting. Urges to watch the show and. I dont know how to feel or what to do?? Like. I'm afraid almost to get back into hetalia? Like i watched black butler a while ago, and i realized how. Theres some weird fucking tension between ceil n sebastian n i think im afraid im going to have that same reaction to hetalia?

Cause like there is shit i just completely forgot about. Like. The Bad Touch Trio. And im scared man.

Im sorry to fuckin, give you all of this, but i just. I dont know what to do ig. None of my friends like or used to like hetalia, the one i do info dump hetalia stuff too does not like hetalia and is learning shit about it against their will.

Idk, should i watch the show again? Is it, good? I genuinely can't remember anymore.

Sorry for using ur ask box like a confessional

I mean I’m right there with you man. The sole reason I am still in the Hetalia fandom is because hetalia got me through some real dark chapters and events in my life. I discovered Hetalia years ago in Highschool while with a very abusive ex who had to know everything I was doing at any given time. He wouldn’t let me go anywhere without him there. I tried to break up with him but he actually wouldn’t let me. He would threaten to off himself if I did so I felt bad because his mom was an alcoholic and his houses burned down. I stopped really going anywhere at all because if I did he would come with me and he ruined my relationships with most of my friends just by being ‘the worst’. I stopped cheerleading, I got depression really bad, I started to do terrible in all my classes but I discovered Hetalia while on deviant art and was instantly intrigued. It was like “idk what this is but I will now make it my personality”

Years later while with my most recent abusive Ex that I just broke up with last November I got back into Hetalia when our relationship started to get really bad and hard to cope wit on my own. I needed an escape and something to help me avoid him and no care so much about his insults something that I could think about instead of being sad all the time. Hetalia is something that just brings me joy. Instead of venting to people, getting therapy or increasing my meds Hetalia was just always there to go back to and escape. No idea what it is about it. Won’t go into details about the relationship, it’s irrelevant right now but I’m sure you can guess.

To answer your question, no Hetalia isn’t ‘good’ it makes zero sense and is confusing as hell. But for me it’s fun to use as a spring board for basically any kind of AU I could think up. The characters can fit into any type of situation you want to shove them in.

I would say give it a rewatch, as much as you want anyway. What is the worst that could happen? You continue an interest that brought you joy? Worst case. You are a bit cringe? Who cares if you are cringe if you are happy? Also not encouraging you to live a double life but if you are embarrassed to like Hetalia you don’t actually have to tell anyone how obsessed with it you are. No one but my ex knows how much I like Hetalia and he really has no idea just how deep I am in this shit. But if people knowing about one of your interests humiliates you then just don’t share it. At the end of the day it’s your comfort and it makes you happy it’s no one’s business.

There are a lot of old fandom tropes that have disappears the BTT being one of them. They put them as a group still but I guess they call it ‘bad friends ti’ now. There are still some things that make me side eye. But that’s every fandom I feel. You can choose who you wish to associate with and who you want to block or avoid. It’s your blog you don’t own an explanation to anyone.

Personally I don’t interact much with the people of the fandom itself I got a few people it talk to every now and again but really i just do my own thing. I write my own fics for myself. I got my little tumblr, discord and TikTok, I post about my little AUs and dumb thoughts and continue on. If people want to follow me that’s great, welcome. If they don’t that’s cool to!

Thanks for sticking around with me even after your Interest in Hetalia fizzled out tho haha! That had to be difficult I am very annoying at times I’m sure 😭.

Again worst thing that could happen than if you are a bit cringe. But not being cringe is boring as hell. Irl I’m one of the most normal bitches you could find. Carbon copy white girl. Absolutely no one would guess I were a Hetalia obsessed loser irl. In a line up you could not pick me out and guess my interests. So in February I got my hair done right? I got like. 500 dollar biolage it fades from brown to strawberry blonde. Want to know the reason I got this hair style? Because of Italy that’s why. I wanted red hair like him. Did I tell anyone that? No. When people said they liked my hair and asked me why I went red I would just go “idk just felt like it” but I would be thinking about him knowing the real answer.

Good luck anon, if you stick around welcome back the water is fine. If you don’t can you toss me that life vest up there if you don’t mind? Thank you!

[foreveralwaysanauthor]

Hello from Camp Northfield! Well, technically, I'm sitting on a bench outside the Dickinson Memorial Library down the street from camp, but still. I barely have access to technology here since the camp has no service whatsoever apart from phone calls out of the office, so I had to walk 45 minutes to get to the library to post this, but I'm here, and that's all that matters! I got your post notification on the walk to the library, but I can't read it because it refuses to load up here in the middle of East Bumfuck, so I think next time I plan to come here, I'm going to have to start binding our stories as books so that I have some form of entertainment between teaching archery courses and meal times. I swear, sitting around in between groups is like a new form of torture with this heat. It's been straight 80s-90s with heat indexes pushing it into the 100-105 range. I thought I was tan, to begin with, but now I look like the afterpicture of some cheese-filled recipe you find online - crispy and golden brown. I swear, I'm going to end up melting out here.

Anyway, enough about camp and the blistering heat!

I didn't realize it would be so damn hard to work on one story at a time when I have ideas for two completely different stories bouncing around in my head. Now that I'm away from home and have nothing other than notebooks to write my ideas in, I'm realizing just how screwed I am, as ideas for everything under the sun have been vying for my attention. I swear, it's like a volleyball game with my last shred of a brain cell as the ball. STDP is obviously one with 33 pages of the next "episode" done while I'm still in the beginning stages of the chapter, but Camp Wanamaker 2: Electric Boogaloo has been bouncing around in the background like a child hopped up on sugar. That's probably not going to be the official title, by the way, but that's what I've been referring to it as, so that's what I'm calling it until I decide what else to call it 🤣

I'm also constantly pestered with ideas for three other stories - True Colors (Through the Valley sequel), The Mark of the Archer (Percy Jackson AU), and Unsinkable (a super long one-shot, Titanic AU I've talked about before). As these all require a lot of research (the last of the three being part of the birthday surprise I was going to work on for you as it's very Carrie/Miles-centric), they'll require more time to be worked on when I get home at the end of the month, but where I've already started on STDP and parts of CW2, I don't think they'll make an appearance for a while, especially not the multi-chapter ones.

In the meantime, I'm definitely going to be working on STDP as it's my primary story right now, but I'm working on CW2 in little bursts on my phone when someone with a hotspot stops to chill with me - writing down ideas and quotes and working on one chapter that's been gnawing at the bars of its cage for a long time now lmao. Like I said, I have notebooks, but carpal tunnel sucks, and I have to take a lot of breaks from writing STDP. Now, while you wait for me to get home from camp and write out more, I have a gift! Alongside my chapter title ideas (and a few of my side notes for a few lmao) that I plan on incorporating into a few stories when the time comes, I'm also giving you a random snippet I enjoyed writing that will go into CW2 further down the line and two other snippets - one from STDP and the other from CW2. None of them have been edited yet, and I think I wrote some parts more in the present tense than I normally do, but that's just how I do it sometimes when I'm scribbling things out, so I guess you could consider this your warning so you won't be too thrown off by that. Also, I left them a bit vague for a reason, and I won't say which one belongs to which story, but I'd love to see if you can figure out what belongs where. Besides, I'm always up for a bit of light torture, so enjoy!

Here are a few of my chapter title ideas to give you a good idea of how some of these stories will progress...

And now, I hope you enjoy these little tidbits of chapters you'll hopefully see soon after I get home!

[encyclopediacr]

Last month at the wiki — September 2023

Accidentally delayed by a week, but we're back here with another round-up of last month at the wiki. Every month, usually the first Wednesday, we highlight significant work done in the previous month by our editing community at Encyclopedia Exandria.

As always, to start, here's a selection of ten articles created in September. You can find more of our newest articles at the 50 newest pages report.

Creatures in Candela Obscura

Angel of Irons conspiracy, following the events in Campaign 2 carried out by Obann

Fool's Curtain, fog bank surrounding the Shattered Teeth

Rexxentrum Archive of the Cobalt Soul, library and archive in Wildemount

Fjord's crew, who served aboard the Mistake, the Balleater, and the Nein Heroez

Tori, Beauregard Lioinett's first girlfriend in Kamordah

Robe of Useful Items, magical garment owned by Taryon Darrington

Tempest Blades, guards in Zephrah

Seelie Court, fey court in the Feywild led by Lady Elmenore

Timeline of Candela Obscura

This month, a project was started to explore importing transcripts in non-English languages to the wiki through the same process used to convert the English CC on YouTube into our transcript pages. You can check it out on Transcript:Kindling the Spirits, which also has transcripts in Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese.

Articles for Campaign 1 episodes have been updated to include their current thumbnails. Don't worry! The original thumbnails are not leaving. The current thumbnails are tabbed behind the original. You can check out some examples at Vorugal (episode) and The Chapter Closes. On the topic of images, thanks to the addition of Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn to D&D Beyond, many images published in that sourcebook have been updated with better quality versions.

And rapid-fire final round of some other stuff that happened on the wiki in September: Darrington family received an overhaul, including some corrections, Maryanne Darrington finally has a biography section, San Diego Comic-Con 2023: Making Candela Obscura and Sam & Marisha Meet the Creators of Midst! (Midst Roundtable) had their questions and answers summarized, and Exquisite Exandria got a list of recipes.

We're also constantly working on our regular coverage for Campaign 3, Candela Obscura, and Midst—even if much of it is not featured here most months—so be sure to check that out as well over at Encyclopedia Exandria.

[generalluxun]

Fanfic Author 20 Questions

Thanks to @erisluna35 for sending this along! 1. How many works do you have on AO3?

On AO3? Right now 63, soon to be 64(tomorrow probably) and a couple on FF.net

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

1,020,860 on AO3 plus another ~86K fic I never ported over to AO3, as my 'recent' stuff, starting back in 2021

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Mostly Miraculous Ladybug, I did others a long time ago before joining AO3, but that was a long time ago. I've considered a couple others recently too, but nothing yet.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

At The Gala- A Chlonette fic inspired by fanart, and actually the sequel to my #2 by Kudos. This is just a cute series of strange interactions with Chloe from Marinette's PoV, culminating in understanding and discovery on a fated evening.

Slippery slope- Little Chlonette ficlet inspired by a fanart. Very short, it's about how a single unexpected moment can change someone's entire world.

Ever After- A long chapter fic set more than a decade post-canon that looks into the idea that 'Ever After' can be a long time, and that expecting life to be solved at 14 is a recipe for eventual disaster. Yet at the same time life continues to offer new experiences, new possibilities, and new ways to grow. Ships include Adrienette, Chloadrien, and Felinette.

Showing Love- An alternate ending to Queen Wasp, where instead of reuniting Chloé with her horrible mother by highlighting everything horrible about her (seriously, what?) Marinette comes face to face with the reality that a mother really *can* not love a child. Being Marinette she can't let such a thing stand, even if it is Chloé. Marinette&Dupain-Cheng family goodness.

What Do you See?- Adrigami fic that kicks off right in the middle of Kuro Neko. While Adrien is struggling with the pain of giving up Cat Noir, one thing crosses his mind. He can finally give one important person the truth she deserves. After all, he *Was* Cat Noir, not *is*. The two both struggle to navigate the ramifications of this revelation, especially when Plagg shows up once more with the ring. (there's a little bit of eventual Lukanette)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to respond to most, especially any questions or curiosities. I love engagement.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh heck this is so not fair. I am in love with bittersweet ending, and have a couple of doozies.

I can't decide between three.

What Happened- The 'real reason' Chloé Bourgeois's redemption arc failed. What do you di when you do everything right, only to find out your happiness causes the end of the world, in every timeline?

A Modest Proposal- Marinette is happily impatient for Adrien to finally propose to her. Little does she know, a secret long kept is going to come back to haunt her. It's worse than you think.

The Risk Outweighs- A look into someone else's life during the episode 'Risk'. The courage to do anything finally gives Chloé the strength to break from the cycle. But the Ladybugs must set things right, and a few moments of clarity weigh nothing against a lifetime.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Again, lots with happy endings, though I prefer 'open' endings, so...hmmm

Cafe Noir- has an unambiguously happy ending, but I specifically set out to write a romcom so that feels like cheating.

Dog Daze- probably has the most comprehensively happy ending, Adrien's dad even managed to try to parent. They do go through a lot on the way to the happy ending though.

In Direct Opposition- My latest work, seems to end on a solidly happy note for all involved.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Ever After drew some upset people that expected their OTP to be the main ship. I never tried to deceive anyone, but a few people were just really upset.

I also had this weird thing where someone thought I was someone else, and stalked my comments for a while. That's why I use moderation now.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I've done M rated fics. I'm not sure 'smut' works for them, even if there's lots of sex narratively, it's usually mentioned rather than being detailed. I did one single 'this will be a smut fic' fic. And even that ended up with like, 5K words mostly plot, and about 2 paragraphs of (I think emotional and important) sex.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Nah, I've never had the crossover itch. I generally find each world intriguing enough on their own.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of...

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yep! I had someone ask if they could translate one of my fics to Russian.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nope. Talked about it before, but never went through with it. Not against the idea. I do a lot of rubber ducking for my friends though, so some of my ideas can end up in their finished fics.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

I'm going ot have to go with adribrina, my goobers. I like exploring all kinds of ships, and these two I threw together on a whim but Oh, they're so comfy! I wrote Puppy Love to see how they would work, and then that evolved into Dog Daze, my Largest work to date. I had *intended* for them to amicably break up and Sabrina to be a wing-woman to Adrien in the canon ship of Adrienette.... but they just did not want to break up. Even if they wouldn't admit they were dating, they were just too *comfy* together. These two make me happy. (Marinette ended up okay though, she's happy!)

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

A third fic in my Senti-Sentai AU. 'Worlds Collide'. It was set in 'vague eastern Europe country in the middle of violent conflict' and then that suddenly got too real, too quickly.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Character voice. I write third person limited, and I've been told many times that I do a very good job of writing characters as their canonical selves, just in different situations that bring about different outcomes or changes in them. I consider that a high compliment, because the characters are what I am here for.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Brevity. Even simplistic plots 'enemies to friends road trip' become detailed 'Marinette manipulates Chloé into chasing Adien and Lila across the globe to prevent Lila from wheedling an arranged Marriage out of Gabriel' and then that blossoms into a 98K fic.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I feel like my last of understanding grammar and colloquialisms for another language would have me sounding like bad google translate. Singular words used? Viable.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

SWATKats. My first ever fanfic was a 30K fic about that show.

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

They are all my babies! This is so not fair. I've spoken about some of my favorites earlier though, so I'll use this spot to mention some other ones :)

He's Perfect- Gothic Horror Adrienette! It even has a sequel and an entire AU in my head if I can circle back.

The Orphan and the Marionette- Written to feel like one of Grimm's fairy tales. Chlonette(kind of) with a heavy dose of magic and a surprise appearance from Marianne.

There are so many more but I'll plug Dog Daze again, because I to like how it flows and the alternate S5 we get from it. It also inspired a raft of 'post story' one shots, and I have another chapter fic waiting in the wings to continue the AU. There's plenty of stories to tell here.

@taketwoinink Tag, if you would like to play.

[epersonae]

fic etc (new version!)

[update March 21, 2024]

These days I'm writing fic for Our Flag Means Death.

Longfic

I have three finished long pieces, in order of connectedness to canon:

Hungry for love, ready to drown (T, 33K) - a Stede POV retelling of season one starting with episode four, lots of missing scenes (so much with clothing but also wound care! dream sequence!). My love letter to canon; I watched those episodes so many times in little bursts to really absorb the writing and acting, and I'm very proud of the results. Goes well with S2 prep, if I may say so. Will probably definitely most likely get a sequel, but it's taking me a while to figure out how to approach it.

the devil's threeway (E, 30K) - Ed POV, starts with a pre-canon encounter with Jack and (non-canonical) Anne Bonney, follows up with a post-S1 meet-up with Anne and (also non-canonical) Mark Read, and then a somewhat unusual reunion with Stede. Includes the fic where Ed would not. Stop. Crying. There is a reasonably likelihood that I will write something similar or equivalent with the canon versions of Anne and Mary, but it's still marinating.

for the benefit of all the broken hearts (E, 62K) - the not RPF but not not RPF that is maybe the best thing I've ever written in any medium for any reason: a fix-it fic for the gorgeous and weird Water Flowing Underground, told from the perspective of the unnamed second wife. My exploration of the aftermath of tragedy, the possibility of repair, and varieties of love. Read the tags, read the author's note, read WFU first (or don't, I'm not the boss of you, and I do know someone who read them out of order and still enjoyed it), but please give it a shot. Posts tagged #carlita coded content are related to this work, sometimes very obliquely. There is also a follow-up fic of missing scenes, end up several worlds away, that still has one chapter remaining (I SWEAR I'm going to finish it), and a short sort of non-linear AU, back on my beat, that explores some alternate endings.

Some favorite shorter pieces

I have begun to long for you, a "mutiny against Izzy succeeds" canon-divergence AU

nice either way, my contribution to the Beard Discourse

Commit to the Bit, modern AU blackbonnet engagement and wedding

Season 2 and post-S2 fic

I spit on your grave - post-S2, Stede and Ed have a serious conversation, starting with how Ed didn't "happen" upon Stede being gut-stabbed, and going some tough places from there

lost and found - post-S2, featuring beach comber Stede and those cake toppers

Through the storm - the crew of the Revenge between episodes 2 and 3. slow and creepy!

in case I never make it through to where you are - bad ending AU set at the end of 3. MIND THE TAGS, it's a rough one.

Other stuff

Occasionally I post OFMD fic recommendations, which started as a weekly thing but, you know. They are still posted in sets of five on Fridays, when I do them, and tagged #five fic friday. (There's no particular system to my listings, just stuff I like that's not PWP.)

Not fic: I am doing a little project where I make/recreate recipes that I have written down but haven't made in a long time (or ever) - that can be found under the tag #food as play. Includes my rewrite of the 40 Orange Cake Recipe!

I have also written a lot of fic for The Adventure Zone, my favorite being The Reckoning Arrives, a 77k fic in which Lucretia, Taako, Merle, and Carey go looking for Kalen.

I wrote quite a bit of my TAZ fic with my late spouse Ryn (@taakovapes). Ryn died in September 2021; here's the post I wrote the week they died. I often post/tag about them and death and grief. (See tags #not all exits are made equal, #[grief dab], and #posts I wish I could send to Ryn in particular.)

[atranioum]

Sex Education Season 4 (an attempt to cope after witnessing the horror they call season 4)

this is a rant with full on spoilers so you've been warned.

back in 2019 when i first found out about sex education, i thought it was just your usual typical cringe-fest teenage drama with who the fuck cares love story. knowing that asa butterfield is the main lead it's kinda a given what kind of character he's gonna play (no hate to asa i love him and i think he showed a lot of range in this series but it's kinda obvious) and then finding out about maeve's character, i remember rolling my eyes and thinking welp if it isn't your usual rebel and nerd pairing and then proceed to not give two fucks about this show. but then there's this one time when i just needed something to watch and after season 2 dropped, videos of maeve and otis kept popping up on my youtube recommendation, so finally i decided to give it a shot, and just in one episode they proved me wrong big time.

sex education is honestly a series none like any other, even until today i don't think i've watched any series that's even remotely close to sex education, in terms of what they bring and the way they presented it (season 1 to be precise aka goat season), it's very vibrant, it's somewhat stereotypical and yet it defies it too at the same time (idk how else to describe this), it's like you expect certain things about a certain character and it turns out they're completely the opposite, and overall the show just has a very unique tone. the scores, soundtracks and cinematic shots paired with powerful and impactful moments, and just the overall composition is the recipe that they served us with, and my god do we love it, and we craved for more, so they did just that, they served us the same recipe for 3 seasons straight (well 2.5 but i'll let it slide).

and then season 4 slithered its way into our lives🤗

can someone please get me a paper bag cause i'm gonna throw up.

man where to begin? to even call this season a dissapoinment is still a huge understatement, i guess i should've known what's coming when i feel zero excitement watching the trailer, but then i convinced myself like come on it's sex ed it's for sure gonna be great, and yep it's so great that i wish i could unwatch whatever travesty i just witnessed.

watching the first episode i can still feel some familiarity in it and it's still kinda sex education-esque but i didn't love it, a great contrast towards my reaction after watching the first episode of season 3 in which to this day still is one of my favorite episodes of the series. it has a little bit of everything, a refreshing ruby and otis dynamic, the good old longing looks between maeve and otis, and the very heart and core of the show which is otis giving advice helping out his peers and motis being a fucking great team and just the episode as a whole really.

but you know you can never judge something after only watching one episode, so i bite my tongue and just carry on watching. and after watching 2 episodes, something very apparent reveals itself, the pacing is fucked. like how am i supposed to feel anything when the show kept on throwing one thing after another, it feels like when you're eating something and you're still very much chewing but someone keep on feeding you stuff before you can digest or even swallow the food first.

and i think that's the overall theme of season 4, a whole lot of everything and nothing all at the same time, like i'm sorry how are you supposed to end a show after 4 seasons but shoves a bunch of new characters in the finale, how are you supposed to connect to said characters? however powerful the topic and message you're trying to bring it's hard to even care about these characters, because all we expect from a finale is a conclusion of a 4-season long story not an opening of a new chapter.

i rewatched some of my favorite episodes a few days before season 4 dropped, and now looking back at it i just feel like i don't appreciate it enough at that time, i mean the soundtracks are amazing especially season 3 and for a tv series their cinematography is kinda top notch. but then season 4 came out and we got the walmart version of it all.

and then a few hours after watching and hating the season i realized something, ben freaking taylor didn't direct any of the episodes in season 4, my god that explains a lot and idk i think that's kinda why the pacing is fucked? like i know he didn't direct every episode in the whole series but i always think of him as an executive director(?) if that's even a thing, i just feel like he kinda dictates the overall flow of the show. it's such a shame really, if he's involved in this season maybe things could've been different, but then again maybe even ben taylor wouldn't be able to salvage whatever shitshow the writers gave him. it's as if you're watching an avatar movie that's not directed by james cameron, it just feels... wrong.

the whole season just feels freaky to me, a lot of things felt too over the top and comical even. not to mention the storylines are super all over the place, take jackson for example, bro went from thinking about his feelings for cal and then having a cancer scare to getting rejected by his biological father, like what???

now i want to dive in to the characters a little, let's start with ruby and yes i do ship her with otis and somewhat wished for them to be endgame but we'll touch on that later. anyway ruby is not ruby this season and it feels exactly like when maeve wasn't herself in season 3 (which is mainly why i jumped ship). the whole "i was bullied when i was 10" shit is such a tryhard, if it's an attempt to make ruby more likeable and make her being a bully acceptable, dear beloved writers you failed, miserably. if i'm someone who hates ruby (which i'm not) this whole thing would make me hate her even more, like okay i get it you got bullied because you're a bed-wetter but then you became a bully yourself and did worse things to others? how is that suppose to be tolerable. like bro deal with it don't backtrack, she's a bully she did what she did, but that doesn't mean she can't change, doesn't mean she can't grow. and that was the whole point of her arc in season 3. the reason why she was one of the main attraction that season was because we get to see a different side of her, yes she's mean, demanding and particular about every single little thing that revolves around her, but hey turns out she can compromise, she turns soft when it comes to her family and at some point even otis, and don't even get me started on her fucking voice on that call the night she said she loves otis. i understand that they're trying to give her a back story explaining what made her the way she is but honestly the whole bed-wetter thing was a big big miss.

and what's with the whole speech thing at the end of episode 8, it's very un-ruby like, if they're trying to show her character's growth and depth then wtf there's so many other ways to do it without making her super out of character. for instance here's a few things i have in mind; and this one is my personal favorite, like she could have a real conversation with maeve about shit like idk letting otis go or maybe the other way around like maeve telling her about how otis is actually happy with ruby and whatnot (idk maybe something less cringey but still along those lines); or they could explore her friendship with adam, and they could lean on one another and talk about how they lost their first loves, and how a certain pair of best friends completely broke their hearts (because come on why would they show the glimpse and the potential of adam and ruby and not explore it at all fuck they fumbled so bad); or the most logical of all, her dad dying (sorry roland)(i still don't get why maeve's mom is the one that died), anyway her dad being sick was always a big part of her arc, so with him dying we could explore how she would handle and cope with the whole thing now that there's literally no escape, with otis being with maeve etc.; or idk have a fucking proper conversation with otis, have some closure, either it being "i can't be friends with you because my feelings haven't changed", or yes maybe we could be friends, the point is just have a proper closure ffs, don't go around helping him whenever he comes begging for your help, like honestly i refuse to believe the real ruby (the properly written ruby) would let otis string her along like that. yes i get it she's in love with him, has a soft spot for him, but she's still ruby fucking matthews, so really the whole season she was way out of character.

moving on to our boy otis (but still ruby related hehe).... Read the rest of the thread on Twitter.

[isekai-crow]

Delicious in Dungeon / Dungeon Meshi Episode 1

WOW the pacing on this is great. That was my first major impression of this entire episode.

Overall Score so far: 8/10

Dungeon Meshi hits several sweet spots for things I like in a manga/anime - cooking and well drawn food, and fantasy and dungeons. But I never took the time to try out the manga. Maybe the art didn't stick out for me? I tried reading it before the anime came out, just to get a feel for it, but it couldn't keep my attention.

The anime however.

Episode 1 handled all of what I could get through in the manga, and ITS. SO. CUTE.

The food is gorgeously drawn, the characters are adorable, the D&D vibes are immaculate, and the monsters and the food they become are fascinating!

I've only given it an 8/10 because it remains to be seen just how many hooks this might snag in my heart if what I've overheard about the manga being 'soul healing' is true.

The first think I can tell is that this is from a slightly older manga, with Marcille being a very classic/traditional tsundere (and/or possibly tsukomi character?). She is the tsundere type that future tsunderes were based off, and so TO ME she's both somewhat annoying and also more bearable than today's tsunderes.

Sorry Marcille.

I actually didn't like her all that much in the parts I read of the manga, and while her reactions are realistic and serve a purpose to counter balance Laios' nonchalant ability to eat the monsters that try to kill them, her reactions also annoyed me. The 1st anime episode made them much more bearable, and I grew to like her! I hope future episodes do her justice and that she's not delegated solely to being the one to dig in her heels when they eat something new.

Laios is adorable and just really really really wants to share his special interest with his friends, and I love him. He is a cinnamon roll that most be protected but can probably protect himself. I love that he has a cookbook and has just been WAITING to try out some of these recipes.

Chilchuk is Liam O'Brien from Critical Role and you can't tell me otherwise. Specifically his halfling character, Orym of the Air Ashari, with a bit of Vax'ildan thrown in for good measure. I'm excited to explore his story.

Senshi is goals. I wanna but a tough old dwarf roaming a dungeon for food.

I know it will likely get compared with what Capybara and I jokingly call "The Amazon Anime" -- Campfire Cooking in Another World -- and that will always hold a special place in my heart because I stumbled across the light novel when the manga only had about 2 or 3 chapters scanlated online, and never in a million years thought it would get an anime. Where as this is a big name manga that's been running since 2014 and finished last year in September 2023.

They're both cooking animes that deal with fantasy food, but Campfire Cooking is an isekai and all the animation budget went into making the food look D E L I C I O U S, and Dungeon Meshi is going to be far more well rounded story even while being a gag anime.

It's also got some fun Voice Actors!!

Laios, our hungry knight is voiced by Kumagai, Kentarou, who mostly plays supporting roles in a few popular anime and lots of smaller animes, but has spent most of his career voicing BL Drama CDs >o>

Marcille, our elven mage and tsundere, is voiced by Senbongi, Sayaka - Shuna from TenSura, Mumei from Kabaneri, and Haru from Beastars!

Chilcuk, our cute little halfling rogue, is voiced by Tomari, Asuna who, I IMMEDIATELY HEARD GOBUTA FROM TENSURA. She also play Kyou Souma from Fruits Basket. She has a very cute voice.

Senshi, our fearless dwarf, is voiced by Naka, Hiroshi who is best know as Garp from One Piece, Luffy's Grandpa, as well as Gamabunta, Naruto's giant frog.

Anyways, I'm excited for the next episode! Episode 1 was a good introductory episode, with cooking, hunting, and laying out their goals for the coming journey.

ep2 ep3 ep4 ep5 ep6 <- these will eventually become links, I hope.

[zacharybosch]

Tasseomancy inspo part 2: Clothes and stuff

Part two of my post detailing the inspiration behind my Ed/Stede sugar daddy AU fic Tasseomancy. Part one (covering the setting) is here.

This part covers all the clothes, accessories, tea, and other stuff that Ed and Stede wear/buy/consume in the fic. Like Stede, I am unfortunately a bit of a clothes horse, so gird your loins for some over-enthusiastic gushing about fabrics.

☕

Teas

Ed and Stede enjoy a few different tea blends in this fic, and it’s where the title comes from - tasseomancy (aka tasseography, tasseology) is the practice of reading fortunes in tea leaves.

Blue Lady is the first tea they share together. I picked it because 1. it’s really yummy, and 2. it’s a little bit floral and a little bit citrus-y and I think that suits Ed and Stede nicely :) I first started drinking this tea about a year ago and it’s so fucking delicious. My favourite variety comes from HR Higgins, but it’s pretty pricey so I try to drink it sparingly. This tea is also incredible as a cold brew - the flavour is more delicate, but it also makes it a lot easier to taste all the subtle little notes in there.

The three teas that Ed brings to Stede during his formal seduction are all from Bird & Blend. Tea Wells is an interesting one, sometimes if I drink it too quickly it makes me feel a little bit drunk?? which is very weird, but I have also had this experience with other green teas in the past. If you drink it at a normal pace though it’s a nice little pick-me-up, and the flowers and fruit pieces cancel out any bitterness that can sometimes develop in green teas.

Also it is very pretty, look at it:

Mint Choc Rooibos is the next tea that Ed brings, at lunch time. I’m actually not particularly keen on this one, but my boyfriend is obsessed with it and it’s the blend that managed to convert him into a tea-drinker. It’s sweet and creamy and even has cocoa shells in it, although when I had a little sippy I couldn’t really taste any chocolate coming through.

Finally, Ed brings a cup of Lady Lavender for Stede at the end of his work day. This is just a traditional Earl Grey blend with lavender added in. I drank a lot of this while writing the fic :)

Recipes

Ed makes boil up for his and Stede’s date night. The recipe I referenced is by Maori chef Cameron Petley, from his book ‘Hunter from the Heartland’. Boil up is a traditional Maori dish, basically a broth or soup with dumplings, and I haven’t made it myself but it sounds yummy as fuck. I love stewy soupy things, and I especially love dumplings. 

It’s around the middle of October when Ed cooks this for Stede, so it’s perfect for a chilly night. It also represents home, comfort, and love for Ed, so of course he wants to give those things to Stede as well :)

Ed also makes some Sidecar mocktails. When I saw that the recipe called for both tea and marmalade, I couldn’t not include it in the fic. I haven’t tried making this either - I’m not 100% sure if I’d like it tbh, since the one time I tried lapsang souchong tea I just found it way too smoky for my tastes.

Clothes and thingies~

I’m going to do the rest of these by chapter, since there’s quite a lot :’)

Chapter 3 - the trip to the department store

Stede is, of course, wearing this AU’s version of the pink bird robe. I picked a camp collar (or cuban collar) shirt as it’s a bit more casual, and because Stede wears suits all the time it can be very easy to fall into the trap of looking like he’s always on his way to a formal event or something. 

I knew I wanted the shirt to be silk, but since it’s already quite loud with the bright pink and all the birds and flowers, I didn’t want it to also be shiny in the way that a silk satin or charmeuse are. So I picked a sandwashed silk instead - it has all the gorgeous drape and delicate fluidity of a charmeuse, but its sheen is much more subtle.

And then I decided his suit should be a kind of bronzey-brown, since in the episode where we first see Stede in the robe, the suit he (briefly) wears after taking the robe off is kinda bronze.

Ed wears a pair of Dickie’s overalls for the shopping trip, similar to the pic below but a bit more shapely and sexy since this is my fantasy world and I can do whatever I want. 

I specifically wanted Ed to wear and look good in something that he already owned in order to try and avoid Pretty Woman-ing him, implying that he doesn’t look good until his clothes are completely swapped out for a load of expensive designer stuff. I also wanted to show that his natural personal style is already solid, and Stede isn’t there to change it, just to help him nurture and develop it.

Then of course we also have the Yves Saint Laurent sunglasses, which Ed very quickly decided belonged to him forever. If you want to buy these, they will set you back a cool £335!

Ed buys several things for himself from the department store, but the only things I properly envisioned were the cashmere-silk blend crop t-shirt, and the medusa belt.

The t-shirt is just this AU’s version of his sexy pirate crop top, obviously, but the belt is a Versace belt. The medusa is a recurring symbol in a lot of Versace’s stuff and they’ve made tonnes of belts over the years, mostly with a less-detailed cast of their medusa symbol, but I found this more detailed one on an auction site which I thought was very cool. And snakes, because of course.

The silk scarves that Ed bought for Stede (and which Stede then wears constantly forever because he and Ed are such good buddies 😇) aren’t based on any scarves in particular, but I was thinking about Liberty, their lovely illustrative silk scarf designs, and also their extensive archive of heritage fabric patterns for their haberdashery.

Chapter 7 - the trip to the Old Quarter

The perfume that Ed buys for Stede from the fancy shampoo shop is Decadence & Debauchery, made by the perfume house For Strange Women. Please believe me when I tell you that this. Perfume. Smells. So. Fucking. Good. I got a bottle of it a few years ago and I just. Hhhhhhhhhhhh. It’s very deep and sexy and a bit masc and I just. Get feelings when I wear it. So I had to include it in the fic, because Reasons 🥴

For Ed’s purple suit, I was thinking about that peachy-coloured suit that Taika wore, and more specifically I was thinking about the cute little crossover element. The peach suit looks like it’s made of a cotton-linen blend or something else fairly structured, but for the purple suit I picked a light wool crepe so it would be softer and more fluid and drape really nicely. I ditched the three-piece and kept it to just trousers and a jacket, and chose a shawl collar instead of the classic notched lapel to keep up the soft vibes.

I KNOW I don’t need to put a pic here of Taika in the peach suit because we are all well aware what it looks like...... but I’m going to anyway because he is very sexy and I enjoy looking at him.

And here’s some purple wool crepe fabric, see how the folds here are soft and rounded, while in the pic above the folds are much sharper? Fabric 👌

Chapter 8 - date night at Ed’s house

The boys are both wearing Bottega Veneta for their date.

Stede is in this gorgeous light wool pistachio green suit that I am very much in love with. The colour, the lines, the cute breast pocket flap, I am honestly just enchanted and I think Stede would look lovely in it. I thought it would look nice with a lilac t-shirt just because I’ve been really digging pale green and lilac together lately and I reckon it’d look great with Stede’s colouring, and also because if I put Stede in a shirt-shirt then he’s going to look too formal and this is a cosy and relaxed date night :)

If you want to buy it, the jacket alone costs almost £2000!!! Can you believe that Stede jerked off in this??!

For Ed’s look, I wanted something that was a bit cosy, a bit comfy, a bit cheeky and sexy - he’s at home and having fun and feeling himself, and also planning on absolutely boning down with Stede. I actually couldn’t find a product listing for this sweater on the Bottega Veneta website, it’s just worn by this model in a product listing for some (rather questionable) leather shorts. I didn’t have anything specific in mind for his jeans - they’re probably just a pair he’s had forever and that are perfectly moulded to hug all his good bits.

Chapter 9 - egg-smashing breakfast

I didn’t have a specific brand in mind for the jewellery that Stede buys with Ed’s credit card, but I was thinking along the lines of Alighieri, Ottoman Hands, and Schiaparelli - they all make beautiful, interesting stuff with that molten gold texture. To be honest, Schiaparelli is probably a little bit too out there for Stede, but I can totally see Ed wearing some of their huge weird earrings.

[jonquilyst]

Hii 😊 today I won't point out to you that a link to a next episode is missing. Today I just want to tell you: I love your story very much and I'm already sad that it's about to end. I have now arrived at the current chapter.

I had already seen the scenes in the hospital, but I wanted to know why and how everything came about in a certain way. That's why I had to read the story from the beginning. I love all the characters, especially Jayden and Eva. They were always loving, understanding the whole time. I've sometimes wondered if any of them might be a "false friend." But it was never the case. The two of them (and of course Wyatt) have stood by Megyn the whole time.

And there were often little parts of the episodes that made me cry (mostly from joy and gosh, i'm 40 years old btw^^). I am an extremely empathetic person, sometimes it is a blessing and a curse at the same time. and I felt so much for your story.

Now I'm looking forward to the last pictures and also to everything new. I don't know if there will be a happy ending. But even if not, it was still an incredibly good story with a lot to focus on. Violence in the family, suffering, but also deep friendship and the message that you must never give up and that you have to give many things time. Everything comes to a (hopefully) good end. 🌸

And it would be nice to know what happens next for both of them (Jayden & Megyn). At least just a little update every now and then. I like them a lot, they are a nice couple. I'm a harmony addict, I don't like a lot of drama in a story. You put the drama at the end of the story - her father's accident, which is really very tragic. Now I'm excited to see what happens next🤗😊many greetings, Mandy💗

Omg... Tysm for the kind and thoughtful review 💖 I'm overjoyed you loved it!! I poured so much heart, soul, and energy into making it and it makes so happy that someone out there loves and appreciates what I've made. My story has a pretty small audience of about 10 or so people who regularly follow, but I made this story knowing that I've succeeded if even 1 person out there enjoyed it 💖

I'm an empath too so I totally get it. You're introduced to a character who is struggling, didn't deserve what happened to them, and are now working to have a better life. If that isn't the recipe for an empath's favorite character, I don't know what is.

The false friend thing is prob something several people had in mind when first introduced to the friends, since during the beginning Megyn was actively avoiding people and fake friends was a fear she had (aka people who would take advantage of her and/or harm her in some way). But all 3 of them are genuine and I wanted to make them genuine to send the message that 1. you can't do things alone and 2. sometimes you need to give people a chance and open your heart to them. By doing that, Megyn not only scored two very close friends, but also a very loving boyfriend. I personally have a fear of fake friends myself, and I definitely have had them, but if you don't open your heart and give people a chance, you will miss out on the real ones that do come your way.

There will be an epilogue to the story that will explain what happens to Megyn and everyone else after her dad's accident, so there will be updates on Jayden/Megyn and a satisfying conclusion. But after the story itself ends, I was thinking about doing little slice-of-life one-shots to further explore this post-accident life since the epilogue primarily just explains it. I promise you I will not be finished with these characters once the main story ends. They're my sims/characters and I love them to bits!! I even have an idea for a sequel, but I'm not sure when or if this will happen since I'm in great need of a break from making story posts and want to do other things for a little while, but those one-shots are definitely in my plans!!

Thanks again and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story 💖

[lantur]

I had a really rough start to the week. The time change fucked me up badly even though it was just a one-hour shift :( and I think something else unknown and weird might have been going on. I felt super tired and achy, with sore joints and muscles, for days. Also November is notoriously gray and overcast here, so I missed sunlight. Monday was 0/10 thanks to feeling depressed, tired, and working from 6-8 PM for job #2. Thankfully things improved a little every day, and I totally rebounded physically and mentally by Thursday. :) just in time for the weekend!

good things,

Derek and I are LOVING watching Severance. We're seven episodes in. It's such a compelling mystery.

We finally started watching Spy x Family this week! We're early into the season, just a few episodes in, but I adore Loid, Yor, and Anya. ❤️

I had the time and energy to read a few chapters of my anthropology textbook this week, and I just have a couple of chapters left! Reading about the process of human evolution has been so fascinating. I never got to learn about human evolution in depth in school, probably because of the states I lived in during my youth (Texas and Arizona). It's been incredibly fascinating to learn about it in detail. It really sparks my imagination to learn about the origins of humanity, and how and why early humans migrated out of Africa, and how different aspects of culture (tool use, language, burial practices, hunting, use of fire, etc.) evolved. I haven't been so interested in a subject since I got into public health at the beginning of 2022, and I think there's a good opportunity for overlap in learning about medical anthropology. I plan on treating myself to one anthropology textbook a month.

The cold weather means I can't take my cat Westin out for walks anymore :( but I've been playing with him a lot with his other toys, and he really enjoys that.

I've been able to cook some good recipes this week. Kung pao shrimp, tandoori chicken, spinach dal, a Mexican taco skillet dish, and pan-fried Indian-style salmon. I think Derek and I are planning to go out for dinner tonight though since we haven't been in a while, and I'm excited for that. :)

[rockinlibrarian]

9 people tag game

Tagged by @e-louise-bates, who tagged only me (and no, I don't believe I've done this one, recently at least), so I'm assuming the "9 People" in the title isn't NECESSARILY how many people I have to tag.

last song: All I've been hearing for the past two hours is the background music to Splatoon, which my son is playing on the big tv in this room. Last song I actually listened to? I think it was Led Zeppelin. Yeah, when I turned my car off I left auxiliary on for a bit, as one does, and it was some Zeppelin-- "Whole Lotta Love," that was it.

last movie: Honestly, I am not sure when I last watched a movie? Possibly not since Arsenic and Old Lace at New Years. I just don't get around to it! Also, Splatoon is always running on the big tv.

currently watching: Okay, I almost thought of this as a movie, but I have been watching a TV show the past week or so! Muppets Mayhem, which is only 10 half-hour episodes long but I've still only watched 7, that's how much I'm not watching ANYTHING lately. Okay, I am unable to tell if it is objectively good to the average person-- I think it's mixed, some very good stuff, some eh-- because it is basically a made-for-me show (it got shuttled to the top of my watch list when a friend-- an online friend I've never met in real life even-- specifically tagged me on Facebook after she watched it because she thought of me the whole time). I have said, for the record, that The Electric Mayhem is my favorite fictional band. They genuinely do rock. And the music (and the music nerd references) is the highlight of the show. And the Get Back-themed episode was indeed an absolute delight.

currently reading: Kids and I are towards the middle of the end of The Sun and the Star, Mark Oshiro's Riordanverse book about Nico and Will in the Underworld, which isn't quite as delightful as Riordan's originals in voice, but still has some good stuff in it. I've also brought home Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh, which I am considering sampling for the older group at Summer Quest this week. Hence bringing it home to actually read those chapters before reading it to them. I also left off in the middle of a multichapter fanfic last night, something Umbrella Academy of course because I'm still only in the S's in my alphabetical by author browse-through. It's "the desperation murmur of a heartbeat" by slytherincosette-- good enough for me to keep reading beyond the first chapter (or even the first paragraph) at least. Haven't finished it yet.

last thing researched for writing purposes: Huh. Well, that depends on your definition of all those words, I suppose. I think, using the broadest definitions, the last thing I researched for my writing was synonyms for "flawless"-- I was looking for the word "foolproof" but couldn't think of it, so I put "flawless" in Thesaurus.com and browsed until I spotted it. Yay, thesaurus! And for this particular fic I also have looked up the transcripts to The Wizard of Oz (which is the AU) and various episodes of Legion (which it is a fanfic of), if THAT counts as research. I am looking at my google search history now but I don't think any of this was used for writing. A few minutes ago I looked up how many inches are 143 centimeters which I THINK was for some ART that @sunnymarbles was drawing, but that's drawing, not writing, and also not mine. I have researched various snack recipes from around the world so as to write up some handouts for Summer Quest, which was technically writing, and mine. Honestly the only research session for fictional-not-educational writing purposes that really stands out in my memory was the day (2 1/2 years ago) I spent researching electric guitars just so I could say what Marty McFly's dream guitar would have been in 1980, for one sentence in a less-than-900-word fanfic. But I learned a lot of interesting things about electric guitars, so there.

Who the heck should I tag. I usually tag Louise, but she got me first. @stephsageek, @alihahdnaid, @sharkneto, @rebel-by-default, @littlerit, @steeple-sinderby --those are the first I-know-are-writers in my notifications (not counting Louise) before the scrolldown makes me click "see more." There's also @dannypageoflight who draws more than he writes but who knows, maybe he's done some research for writing purposes lately. That's seven. And two more people! Have fun, two more people! @sunnymarbles! You were already technically tagged in this, and I already told everyone what you're reading and also probably what you're listening to right now because you are also in the room with Splatoon (can't tell if you have earbuds in) and also that I looked up the last thing you wanted to research half an hour ago or whenever it was! And you don't write! But you can also do this if you really wanted to!