#tea ball infusers

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Some Magic-Related Vocabulary

for your next poem/story

Amulet: An object worn, carried or placed to guard against negativity or other vibrations. A protective object.

Astral Projection: The practice of separating the consciousness from the physical body so that the former may move about unhindered by time, space or gravity.

Bane: A poison; that which destroys life. "Henbane" is poisonous to hens.

Banish: To drive away evil, negativity or spirits.

Beltane: An ancient folk-festival day observed by Witches that celebrates the fully blossomed spring. April 30 or May 1.

Censer: A vessel of metal or earthenware in which incense is burned. An incense burner.

Chaplet: A garland or wreath of flowers or leaves worn on the head, as in the chaplets given to classical Greek heroes as symbols of honor.

Clairvoyance: Literally "clear seeing." The ability to perceive facts, events and other data by other than the five "normal" senses, unaided by tools.

Curse: A concentration of negative and destructive energy, deliberately formed and directed toward a person, place or thing.

Divination: The art of finding things out through means other than the five senses, using tools such as tarot cards, crystal balls, and so on.

Enchant: "Sing to." Magically speaking, a procedure whereby herbs are aligned with your magical need prior to their use.

Evil Eye, The: Supposed glance capable of causing great harm or fear, once almost universally feared.

Fascination: The art of placing other people under one's power through sounds, gazes, colors, etc.

Hex: An evil spell; a curse.

Incubus: A male demon or spirit which was believed to sexually tempt and abuse women; the succubus was the corresponding female demon.

Infusion: An herbal tea.

Lughnasadh: An old harvest festival celebrated on August 1st or 2nd in Europe, reverencing the abundant (harvested) fruits of the Earth. It is still observed by Wicca.

Magic: The practice of causing needed change through the use of powers as yet undefined and unaccepted by science.

Magic Circle: A ritually-created circle (or sphere) that offers protection to the magician during magical rites.

Magician: A person of either sex who practices magic.

Magus: A magician.

Midsummer: The Summer Solstice, usually on or near June 21st, one of the Wiccan festival days and an excellent time to practice magic.

Pendulum: A tool of divination which consists of a heavy object suspended from a string or cord. The end of the cord is held between the thumb and forefinger; questions are asked and their answers divided by the movements of the pendulum.

Pentagram: A five-pointed star which has been used in magic for centuries. Highly symbolic, it is also a protective device.

Poppet: A small doll made of various substances to influence a person's fife. In herb magic, either a carved root or a cloth image stuffed with herbs. The use of poppets is known as "image magic."

Power Hand, The: The hand you write with; the dominant hand. This is a magically potent hand.

Samhain: An ancient festival day marking the beginning of winter. Also known as "Halloween" and All Hallows Eve. It is observed by Wicca with religious ceremonies.

Scry: To gaze into a pool of ink, fire, crystal ball, etc. to awaken and summon psychic powers.

Spell: A magical rite.

Talisman: An object worn or carried to attract a specific influence, such as love, luck, money, health; as opposed to an amulet which keeps forces from its bearer.

Wicca: A contemporary religion with spiritual roots in prehistory that worships the life-force of the universe as personified as a God and Goddess. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as "witchcraft."

Witch Bottle: A bottle or jar containing herbs, pins, shards of glass and other objects, designed to protect a person or area from evil and curses. Usually buried or placed in a window.

Witchcraft: The practice of natural magic, as that of herbs, stones, and candles. Spell-casting. Still used by some to refer to the religion of Wicca.

Wort: An old word meaning "herb." Mugwort preserves the term.

Excerpt from Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs More: Word Lists ⚜ Esoteric Vocabulary ⚜ On Magic

[the-enfolded]

Unend Departure Dinner

Celebrating the maiden voyage of the Ship

Courtesy of Chef Quino Del Belsaban (chef) and sous-chefs Voro and Mikelord

We will tonight celebrate the commencement of the journey, and it’s our pleasure this evening to treat you all to a very special and unique singular meal, compliments of the Cosmological Consortium’s Highest Light subcommittee.

We begin with ephemera of mineralflower enclosing lavenderwater-infused mirrorhawk mousse, dusted with riftgrass pollen, nestled on a sprouted microbloom tuft, crowned with edible Serapha Nebulaflorum.

And of course our signature cocktail tonight the Aurora Prismatica, exquisite Empyrean lavender and silk cordial, layered with zephyr of eldermanflower, misted with Alpinian plume of Verdure and lightly smoked with charcoal of Sequestrian hacklethorn. I personally recommend you enjoy it on the rocks – perhaps unorthodox, but just trust us on this one.

Buloga pearl caviar tartare, accompanied by shaved roast of sloe, crowned with frosted Ebonreef truffle, drizzled with 100-traversal-aged prang syrup and garnished with chinchona leaf. Enjoy.

The palate-cleansing salad is up next. My friends, a medley of crisp frisée, tender mini prunus hearts, and heirloom rubus misted with essence of blackened citrus of elderthief, sprinkled with delicious and nutritious high-altitude breadmoss and garnished with greens from the gardens of Gloria. Please enjoy.

Our main entree, my friends: sovereign spice-seared filet of Vildefeluvian lake grouper, ladled with reduction of burk buranah, brushed with crushed pistachio and golden salt, served atop a bed of rare black macrograin sourced from the marshes of Ackute. Dig in.

Miravette Reserve, an aromatic honeylight wine from the Highest Light? Quite delicate, notes of straw and almond, very well-balanced, very intriguing

And for our grand finale, exquisite bombe of blonded and blued chocolate mother-of-mica, encased in a delicate wind-woven sugar dome, decorated with self-caramelizing tufted sugar frond, rosewater foam, and edible silverleaf confetti, and finished of course with a touch of our most rare and fine melt-velvet orchid extract. It’s been our pleasure to serve you this evening everyone. Thank you so much.

Ingredients (by request)

Hors d'oeuvre (Un inspired)

Ephemera of mineralflower - phyllo pastry blossoms lightly brushed with strawberry syrup and sprinkled with gold decorator sugar “minerals”.

Lavenderwater-infused mirrorhawk mousse - salmon cream-cheese mousse (go very easy on the lemon juice) with chili flakes, and smoked paprika, partially lavender tinted

Riftgrass pollen - paprika and a hint of turmeric, edible glitter mica

Sprouted microbloom tuft - ball of sprouts, local wildflower micro blossoms

Serapha Nebulaflorum - Rosemary blossoms, saffron, cornflower petals, and marigold petals

Cocktail (Fold inspired)

Empyrean lavender and silk cordial -

lychee mogu mogu drink(as base silk cordial - can be blended smooth if needed), strong chilled butterfly pea flower tea (as lavender cordial - spoon gently over appears lavender/indigo in basic conditions)

Zephyr of eldermanflower - small amount of Plum Soju spooned gently on top (mildly acidic, turns top of butterfly tea magenta/violet) substitute a tiny amount of white peach or other clear fruit juice of your choice for a non-alcohol version

Alpinian plume of Verdure - Blossoming heather sprig)

Charcoal of Sequestrian hacklethorn - torched cinnamon (not recommended, maybe a cherry wood? smoking not essential for how sweet and floral this cocktail is)

On the rocks - giant ice cubes

Appetizer (Fold inspired)

Buloga pearl caviar tartare - chia caviar with butterfly-tea dyed tapioca pearls served on a base of crème fraîche (alternatively could try black lumpfish caviar too, if available)

Shaved roast of sloe - if sloe = slow thinly shaved oil and sea-salt roast purple potato, if sloe = the gin plum, sliced and roasted umeboshi red plum for garnish (both plum and potato used)

Frosted Ebonreef truffle - crunchy dried shiitake snack mushroom frosted with silver edible mica glitter,

100-traversal-aged prang syrup - balsamic vinegar, fresh raspberry and apricot jam reduction with a touch of soy sauce (strained)

Chinchona leaf - shiso leaf

Salad (Un inspired)

Medley of crisp frisée - a base of curly endive and pea shoots

Tender mini prunus hearts - almonds and dried apricot cut into hearts (both in prunus family),

Heirloom rubus - raspberries and blackberries

Essence of blackened citrus of elderthief - sugared and caramelized blood orange and mini clementine slices, scant raspberry balsamic vinaigrette

High-altitude breadmoss - French bread triangles brushed with olive oil and coated with dried parsley and dill (needs work to become more tasty - try garlic bread triangles and a lighter dusting of herbs)

Greens from the gardens of Gloria - parsley and “spring mix” greens.

Main (Fold inspired)

Sovereign spice-seared filet of Vildefeluvian lake grouper - pacific cod with salt, pepper and old bay, pan seared in vegetable oil and basted with butter

Reduction of burk buranah - supposed to be a cab-sav beurre blanc, but used a Béarnaise instead

Crushed pistachio - crushed pistachio (blanched to remove brown hulls) Golden salt - golden decorator sugar because it looked pretty, but could also try a turmeric-ginger-garlic golden salt,

Rare black macrograin sourced from the marshes of Ackute - black rice

Wine (Un inspired)

Miravette Reserve - 2020 Gérard Bertrand Orange Gold (clean and citrusy, good with fish)

Dessert (Un inspired)

Exquisite bombe of blonded and blued chocolate mother-of-mica - Mirrorhawk pearl of white chocolate strawberry Lindt rolled in blue/yellow cake sprinkles, on a split lemon madeleine shell with blue and yellow chocolate button and crème fraîche ganache

Delicate wind-woven sugar dome - blue cotton candy

Self-caramelizing tufted sugar frond - punished and caramelized marshmallows on a strawberry pocky stem with strawberry syrup and golden sugar embellishments

Rosewater foam - pink lychee gel foam

Edible silverleaf confetti - oregano leaves dusted with silver edible mica glitter

Melt-velvet orchid extract - strawberry vanilla syrup

Enjoy!

[foodshowxyz]

Melon, Mint, and Cucumber Iced Tea Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups of water

2-3 bags of your preferred tea (green tea pairs nicely)

2 cups cubed melon (cantaloupe or honeydew work well)

1 small cucumber, thinly sliced

Fresh mint leaves

Ice cubes

Honey or another sweetener to taste (optional)

Melon balls, cucumber slices, and mint sprigs for garnish

Instructions:

Boil the water in a large pot or kettle. Once boiling, remove it from the heat and add the tea bags. Let them steep for about 3-5 minutes, then remove the tea bags.

In the meantime, blend the melon cubes until smooth. Pass the puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove any solids, collecting the juice in a bowl.

Add the sweetener to the warm tea if desired, stirring until it dissolves.

Allow the tea to cool at room temperature, then refrigerate it until it's thoroughly chilled.

In a large pitcher, combine the chilled tea, melon juice, and cucumber slices. Add mint leaves to taste. Let it infuse for about 30 minutes in the fridge.

To serve, fill glasses with ice cubes. Pour the infused tea over the ice, making sure each glass gets some cucumber slices and mint leaves.

Garnish with a skewer of melon balls, a slice of cucumber, and a sprig of mint on the rim of each glass.

Enjoy immediately and savor this delightful Melon, Mint, and Cucumber Iced Tea on a warm day!

[thehypnone]

I would love some endometriosis/pcos trans Dew content if you’re up for it 🖤🖤

Dewdrop hates his body.

Don’t get him wrong; he considers himself quite attractive, and does love his mortal vessels for some fun things it allows him to do, but sometimes…sometimes he wishes he could hop out of it and be incorporeal.

Today is one of these days.

His uterus is an absolutely vile thing, and when Rain asks him what’s wrong, Dewdrop spits out to get him a kitchen knife so he can cut the damn thing out of him himself.

Rain doesn’t deliver, of course, and asks the fire ghoul to glamor away his claws before he even thinks of helping him. “Endo flare, I assume?”

“Yes,” Dewdrop rumbles through gritted teeth. He’s curled up into a little ball with his arms around his middle and his temperature kicked up worryingly high. Rain won’t be able to touch him if he doesn’t lower it.

“I’m so sorry, droplet,” he sighs. He really is—he hates seeing Dewdrop in pain. “Is it Mountain’s tea level, Aether’s quintessence level, or infirmary level? What do you need?”

“To die,” he grumbles into his pillow.

“Not that,” Rain chuckles, “not allowed.”

“Then tea, I guess,” Dewdrop rolls over onto his other side to finally face Rain. He looks awful, but still he rolls his eyes at the water ghoul, “and cuddles. Might need Aether later.”

“Okay. I’m gonna grab the tea and you cool down in the meantime,” Rain orders before turning to the door. “I mean literally, or no cuddles.”

“You hate meee,” Dewdrop whines. The water ghoul scoffs and leaves to prepare the tea.

It’s not a normal tea—of course. It’s infused with both Mountain’s and Aether’s magic, making it one of the few things that can ease Dewdrop’s, or one of the ghoulettes’, period or endometriosis pain. Not always, though; sometimes the pain is just too much.

It doesn’t take long for Rain to make it and be on his way back—his water magic certainly is useful and can speed up the process. When he comes back to the fire ghoul’s room he notices Dewdrop hasn’t moved, but it seems it's not as hot in there as it was.

“My lord and savior,” he exclaims, opening his arms for Rain. Or rather the tea.

The water ghoul rolls his eyes at him before handing him the mug. He cringes when Dewdrop takes a gulp out of it right away—even though he knows very well it won’t burn him. He moans at the taste and the warmth spreading inside him as he drinks the beverage. It really is a brilliant thing.

“Feeling any better?” Rain asks when Dewdrop hands him the empty mug.

“A little,” the fire ghoul replies truthfully. He makes grabby hands at Rain. “Cuddles, now.”

“You’re such a baby,” the other laughs, but obliges, anyway. Rain crawls into the nest and curls around Dewdrop’s back, nuzzling his face into the back of the fire ghoul’s neck and putting his hands on top of Dewdrop’s own over his stomach. He needs the heat of his own hands there and Rain doesn’t want to interrupt that.

“Your huge ass is squishing my tail,” the fire ghoul grumbles.

“Oh? Sorry,” Rain giggles and lifts his hips to let Dewdrop wiggle the appendage out. He does, but doesn’t just lay it out between them; he prompts Rain’s own tail to wrap around it, tangling them together in affectionate matter. The water ghoul hums, “Cute.”

“Shut up,” Dewdrop spits back.

“I love you, too, droplet.”

[greenwitchcrafts]

Mugwort

Artemisia Vulgaris

Known as: Artemis herb, artemisia, artemisia herb, cingulum sancti johannis, felon herb, muggons, naughty man, old man, old uncle Henry, sailor's tobacco & St.John plant

Related plants: A member of the daisy family Asteraceae that consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within it such as chamomile, coneflowers, dahlia, daisy, dandelion, goldenrod, lettuce, marigold & sunflower

Parts used: Leaves & flowers

Habitat & cultivation: Common mugwort is native to Europe and Eastern Asia. Mugwort was brought into North America as early as the 1600’s for medicinal purposes. It spread throughout the Northeastern U.S. as a contaminant on ships and nurseries.

Plant type: Perennial

Region: 3-8

Harvest: The flowering tops of mugwort should be collected once they bloom or right before the blooms open. The leaves of mugwort plants should be collected before the plant flowers. Older leaves & flowers are significantly more bitter

Planting tips: Mugwort seeds can benefit from a special 1 to 2 week treatment called cold moist stratification prior to planting them & need cold weather to break down germination inhibitors. The seeds require light to germinate, so be careful not to cover them when planting. Mugwort does not like to be overwatered & is very drought tolerant. It is also an invasive weed & best kept in a container.

Medicinal information: Historically mugwort has been used in traditional systems of medicine in different parts of the world. Today, mugwort taken orally is promoted for digestive problems, irregular menstruation, and high blood pressure. It is also promoted as a sedative, laxative, anti-inflammatory & liver tonic. Mugwort lotion applied topically can aid in itching caused by hypertrophic scars & When being smoked, it exhibits mild intoxicating properties & strong relaxing properties.

Cautions: Mugwort should not be taken by pregnant people because it may start menstruation and cause the uterus to contract. Little is known about whether it’s safe to use mugwort while chestfeeding. Mugwort might cause an allergic reaction in people with pollen sensitivities

Magickal Properties

Gender: Feminine

Planet: Venus & Neptune

Element: Earth

Deities: Aida Wedo, Artemis, Diana, Isis, Lakshimi & St.John

Magickal uses:

•Place under your pillow to bringing peaceful sleep, prophetic dreams & aid in astral travel

• Add to incense for cleansing and clearing energy

• Place around scrying tools to increase their energy

• Add to herbal smoke blends to stimulate lucid dreaming, astral travel & visualization

• Make an infusion of mugwort to wash magic mirrors and crystal balls to aid in physic workings

• Burn with Sandalwood or wormwood for scrying rituals

• Carry in a satchets for protection and increasing lust, fertility & preventing back pain

• Throw mugwort in a fire during Midsummer for protection for the following year

• Keep under your doorstep to keep annoying visitors away

• Use in tea before bed to encourage lucid dreaming

• Hang mugwort over or on a door to keep unwelcome energies from passing through

• During a storm or when your life feels threatened by impending dangers, toss into your hearth fire or cauldron to keep you safe

•Wash your hands with a mugwort infusion to increase energy flow before tarot or pendulum readings

Sources:

Farmersalmanac.com

The Herbal Alchemist Handbook by Karen Harrison

The Book of Flower Spells by Cheralyn Darcey

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

The Encyclopedia of Natural Magic by John Michael Greer

Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer

Plant Witchery by Juliet Diaz

A Compendium of Herbal Magick by Paul Beyerl

Wikipedia

[the-fandom-is-now-my-life]

The Nya-rtists of hotarubi

Hotarubi as cats

Wc:800

Subaru

I actually don't know what to imagine him as! But I guess a brown Scottish fold would fit, his little face looks like he is ready to apologize for breathing too loudly.

A cat that appeared in a few movies and shows as a kitten but stopped featuring around the time you got him. He is incredibly well trained, jumping between platforms or hoops or meowing when you do a small sign with your hand. He does seem to dislike giving the paw though.

Your merienda pal! Your tea time mate! When you sit down at 4 or 5 to drink some infusion and eat something he will sit down on the chair facing you. He looks so cute and looks at you with his big beautiful eyes that makes you give him a little treat to share with you. (Seemingly cats can drink moderately herbal tea so he would like that!)

The other two sometimes join you but Haku just splays down on your lap and will hold your hand as you handfeed him treats, Zenji doesn't seem too interested in treats and just wants to make you hear his horrid song.

Even though he is quite well behaved and never hisses at visits or you, he will paw and bite at you or any cats who attempt to kill a bug or hurt them. Little anomaly bug protector.

You are unsure if Subaru likes Zenji, maybe it's because he appeared out of nowhere or how he enjoys being sticked to someone else who sometimes happens to be the touch adverse cat, either way whenever Zenji starts singing he runs away to your room and burrows under your bed -his unofficial hideout with a cat tatami mat you bought him- or under your pillow to drown the noise out. When you attempt to pull him out his little face makes you leave him be.

Haku

He is a japanese bobtail cat that was raised in a shrine to hunt mouses but got sold because he wasn't catching any.

He is so quick to jump on your lap almost as soon as you get him home, purring and asking for scratches. He is such a loving boy to every visitor.

He likes music with flutes, he will loaf down on the middle of your sofa -preferably on a blanket too- and close his eyes.

Even though he is quite a chill and quiet kitty who loves to laze around and sunbathe, whenever Subaru is in trouble he will pop in to aid him. He it helping him out from a space that was smaller than he expected or meowing at you and waking you up when Suba lingers around your bed waiting for you to wake up and feed them.

The cat that will stand up straight and still suddenly as if he saw something on the middle of the night to freak you out and then fall asleep, he almost seems to enjoy making you nervous about ghost in your house.

Zenji

a Bombay cat His eyes bright and sleek body beautiful enough to be in a poem

For a nice while you thought you had only Haku and Subaru but it isn't until one night a horrible meowing wakes you up and you find a black cat in your living room. You rolled with it and introduced him to the other cats in the morning. When Subaru saw him he jumped back and ran back to your bed, but Haku just looked at him and walked to his food bowl.

You think Haku actually snuck him in, given how familiar he seemed to be with him. It also explains why he was so thin, the thing must have been sharing food with Zenji, though you never see him eat or drink.

Loves music! Not like Haku, who will lie down and vibe, his tail moving at most; Zenji will start scratching pillows and anything with threads, find him a scratch ball or anything. It's even worse if you yourself play the instruments, he will meow acting as the vocalist whenever you practice.

He is always hanging by Haku's tail! Whenever you look for one of them the other is close by. There are a few instances where he will take it to stalk you rather than Haku and will be surprised when you speak to him, as if he thought he was invisible.

One day he brought a cat plushie from the streets, you guess. it was all dirty and you had to stitch its underbelly so the stuffing wouldn't spill out. At night he hangs on the windowsill and licks it as if it was his brother.

A very vocal kitten! He does speak for all two of his brothers yelping and vocalizing at the minor (if any at all!) reason.

[whorediaries-09]

inside this place is warm

pairing- sirius black x auror!reader warning(s)- fluff a/n- some bonding time hehe.

little train. series masterlist

it's dark when you step out of your cabin. you twist your shoulders, crack your back before you start collecting your stuff. water bottle, pens, notepad, documents, stamp...and a note. you quickly read through the lines you'd scribbled in a hurry...and totally forgotten about. it reminded you of the fact that sirius would be at your house...for the tasting of whatever dish he'd decided to make.

and your house was in total shambles. fuck, you needed to be fast. at the least, make your house look presentable. your shoes rubbed against the polished tiles as you rushed out of the office, putting up your hair in a bun with the help of your wand.

as the breeze hit you, your wrist was grasped by an oddly familiar hand, pulling you towards them. you opened your mouth to scream before stopping midway as your eyes met sirius'. he was smiling boyishly, holding up a bouquet of yellow flowers and a cup of coffee. he hands you the bouquet, before he pulls you into a dark alley.

'sirius where are we going!' you scream, famished as you run after him, your footsteps faltering compared to his long legs. he laughs,

'you'll see, sweetheart!'

'come one sirius, i'm tired as fuck, i want to go home,' he doesn't answer. instead he stops, and you notice his bike parked against the wall.

'you will. i'm not kidnapping you,' he chuckles. you blow a raspberry at him. he hands you the cup,

'it's not a salted caramel this time. it's a brownie latte,'

'sounds like a shit load of diabetes,' you comment. he smiles,

'does it now, sweetheart?' you shrug taking a sip from the cup.

'yep, definitely tastes like it.' you say. he rolls his eyes, handing you the helmet.

'prat. wear this, we're going home.'

*-

the sound of the gravy sizzling spread out throughout the kitchen. he sways his hips, whistling a tune as he tosses and turns the curry. you stand beside him, your hips pressed against the counter, watching him cook the food. he rolls the dough into little balls, taking the rolling pin and flattening it out into a perfect circle.

you watch the ends of his hair tickle his face. the dough sticks on his fingers, and he's unable to move them away. he tries to brush them off with his shoulder, but his attempt bears him no fruit. so, you move closer to him, and standing on your tiptoes, you tuck the stray strands behind his ear. you watch the little star earring twinkle before his curl covers it from the back of his ear.

'enjoying the view are you, sweetheart?' he teases, nudging you with his elbow. you roll your eyes, huffing, but your smile gives your teasing behavior away,

'oh yes, very much. who wouldn't? who doesn't like the sirius black cooking in their kitchen?'

'then it would be very wrong of me not to be a gentleman, and not please you everyday, wouldn't it?' he chuckles.

'definitely. but don't burn the fucking pan or i'll toss you out of my kitchen,'

'i think you meant you would toss the pan out of the kitchen,'

'no, i didn't,' he scrunches his eyebrows,

'where do you keep the little spoons?'

'uhm, that drawer-over there-wait i'll get it for you-' you move at the same time as him, colliding with him. he loses his balance, falling on the floor, following you tripping over him. he instinctively catches you by your waist as you fall.

the contact spreads silvers of shocks down your spine and you gasp. the words stick at the base of your throat, not escaping your mouth. you feel yourself lose your sanity as you stare into the depth of his gray eyes. they remind you of the storms, the hurricanes. your hair tickles his face, and he stares into your eyes.

you could smell the faint scent of cigarettes that escaped his mouth infused with the tea he so religiously drank. he smiles, a soft curve of his pink lips. with slender fingers, he tucks your hair behind your ears, tracing your jaw.

'as much as i'm enjoying the view, we wouldn't want the food to burn would we?' he teases. you feel the blood rushing to your cheeks, warming up your cheeks. you hit his chest lightly, as he laughs.

*-

'you know i can handle a spoon right?' you ask, raising an eyebrow. he rolls his eyes,

'i know, but i need you to shut up and taste it for me,' you jab your knee into his thigh, as he presses your cheeks together, separating your lips and pushing the spoon into your mouth. it's sweet, milky when you taste it. you swallow it.

'what's this?'

'kheer,' (a/n-it's sort of a rice pudding)

'no like what is it made up of?'

'do you like it?'

'i quite literally love it. now please don't gatekeep your recipe,' he laughs.

'i'm not. i'll teach you how to make it. this is chilled. it takes a long time to make. approximately four hours,'

'you've been standing in the kitchen for four hours!' you exclaim. he smiles, flexing his hand,

'i'm magic sweetheart,' the both of you chuckle at his joke. he sits down opposite to the chair. he pulls out four chapatis from the casserole, putting two on your plate, two on his. he serves you what he calls 'paneer bhurji'.

'i thought you wanted to make paneer-what did u call that-'

'palak?'

'yes,' you say, breaking a piece of the chapati.

'well, palak translates to spinach. not the season for good spinach. i'll make you some when the season comes,'

'you plan on cooking for me? i'll have to pay you cause holy shit this is so good,' he smiles. you watch as his porcelain skin turns red with your compliment. your heart warms at his smile. it's cozy, enrapturing you into an every growing fondness. his eyes lingers upon you.

and perhaps, there's not much difference between the both of you.

****************************************

original idea posted by - @lilwnet

taglist - @reggieisfit @siriuslycaptainofthedawntreader @jamespottergf @eternallybipanicking @fictional-magic @iamgayforyourmom1510

taglist (for series) - @urbansaint

(if you want to be tagged please send a request through my inbox.)

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[russellsppttemplates]

Cam you write where Lance is the one that gets hurt and Y/N is there for him.

Note: I have this big piece that is along the lines of that too if you're feeling like it!

Tw: sickness, taking medication

"Are you not feeling better?", you croaked out, walking to the ensuite where your boyfriend, by the sound of it, has just emptied his stomach, "I feel better that I don't have anything in my stomach now, its a relief", he gasped out, holding his hand out so you could help him up. Washing his mouth in the sink, you both got back to bed as you checked his temperature, "you're feverish, Lance", you announced, noticing his struggle with the covers on his skin, "I'll be right back".

Thanking your past self for having the idea, you took the frozen water bottles from the freezer along with a kitchen towell, walking back upstairs and offering them to Lance, "this way you don't have to worry about the melted ice water, the bottles are closed down properly and this way you can feel a little bit cooler", you adjusted the bottles, the relief on his features soothing your worries, "let's try and sleep", he mumbled, "wake me up if you need anything, okay, handsome? Good night", you said, smooching a big kiss on his forehead.

"It's my throat", Lance coughed, alarming your senses as it didn't sound that great, "I thought I was getting better so yesterday we went on a run, but I don't think it helped at all", he pouted as the thermometer beeped, "yes, you're feverish still, love. Get some rest and I'll make you some tea and soup, okay?", you said as you kissed his hands.

In the kitchen, the kettle rattled as you boiled water for the chicken soup and the herbal infusion your mother swore would ward off any colds. When you brought the tea to Lance in the bedroom, he was already asleep, mouth agape so he could breathe properly. Kissing his forehead, you left the mug and the medication on the nightstand, hoping he would take it in case he woke up and you weren't there.

The soup was coming along nicely as you rolled the dough balls, popping them in the hot liquid as they cooked and made the soup filling and nutritious.

"Do I really have to take these?", Lance said as he looked at the medicine, not enjoying the fact that it wasn't a pill and rather a liquid, "That's the only one they had in the pharmacy, so it will have to do", you reasoned, measuring out the quantity and giving it to him, giggling at his face as he swallowed it, "is that soup? I can't really smell it", he looked at the bowl.

After he ate it, claiming it was the best meal he had in a long time (especially after not being able to keep anything in his stomach for long), you grabbed the Vicks Vaporub, spreading it on his chest to help his breathing, "this was just an excuse to feel me up, I see, woman", he winked miserably as you closed the lid, laying next to him and pushing him to lie on your chest, "you know it, Lance", you brushed his hair away from his forehead with your fingers, "I just want you to get better, handsome, I just want you to feel better".

(Thank you for submitting an ask 🤍)

[glimmervoi]

A SEALED FATE: EMERALDS AND BLOOD: III - Afternoon Tea

masterlist

e&b masterlist

Notes: To the assholes who sent me all of those messages, I hope that you hate this chapter and feel unfulfilled after reading it. I hope that you hate it so much that you block me and never read my fic again. I almost just didn't post the update to tumblr cause of y'all <3

To the people who have been kind, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! I introduced a new perspective much sooner than in the original version, and I think it helps to show that there were other things happening in the castle aside from just what the reader is seeing and living through.

As always, I appreciate any feedback! (Unless it involves insults or death threats of course. Cheers to you, anonymous trash bags from the Gown post)

With only four days remaining until the ball, the royal caterers had commenced their slow transformation of the castle's halls. In the center hall, a grand pine tree had been brought in and installed, now adorned with shimmering ornaments and velvety star-shaped garlands.

Elsewhere in the castle, numerous smaller trees, similarly decorated, dotted the corridors. Pine and holly wreaths, interwoven with winter blooms, adorned nearly every door while the expansive windows boasted fragrant green garlands.

The caterers had skillfully infused the spirit of yule into every wing, all while adhering to the color scheme that had been a tradition since long before Namjoon's birth. Though he wasn't always the keenest on the castle’s holiday festivities, he couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship of the caterers.

Now, as he stood there, gazing at the grand tree in the main hall, memories of his childhood flooded back. Everything seemed so much simpler then...

"Joon?" A voice called out from behind him, breaking through his thoughts. Namjoon turned to find his eldest brother standing a few paces away, his dark-haired fiancée clinging to his arm. Jin's expression clearly betrayed his discomfort and irritation, causing Namjoon to suppress the laughter bubbling up inside him.

It wasn't uncommon for his brother to wear his emotions so openly, but it always amused Namjoon nonetheless.

"Jin," he greeted his brother, approaching them slowly. "And Lady Woong," he added, giving her a small bow and pressing a kiss to the gloved hand she extended towards him. The elegant woman giggled and waved her hand in response, her cheeks flushing with a rosy hue.

"Prince Namjoon, there's no need to bow to me," Lady Woong cooed, and Seokjin rolled his eyes. Namjoon offered her a friendly laugh, though he harbored little fondness for her. He saw through her bubbly facade, just as Seokjin did. She was merely another pawn in their mother's schemes.

"We were headed to lunch, but I suddenly recalled our meeting that was scheduled a few days prior," Seokjin interjected, his body subtly angling away from his fiancée despite her embrace.

Namjoon cocked his head, knowing it was a lie - a convenient excuse for his brother to evade the discomfort of his lunch with Woong. Temptation gnawed at him to shake his head and leave Seokjin to endure Woong's company alone, as retribution for the prank his brother had played on him weeks earlier. He still felt the need to check under his pillow every night to ensure that were wasn’t a frog there.

However, Namjoon understood Seokjin's aversion to spending time with his fiancée. If their roles were reversed, Namjoon would want his brothers to lend a hand too.

With a nod, Namjoon offered Lady Woong an apologetic smile. "Forgive me, my Lady. Jin and I have an important matter to discuss. Would you mind if I stole him away for a while?"

Lady Woong pouted and released her grip on Seokjin. "Very well," she sighed, taking a step back from the brothers and smoothing down her peach-colored gown. "But do return him promptly when you're finished."

Namjoon nodded, though a twinge of irritation simmered within him. Who was she to dictate his actions? He was a prince, after all, while she was nothing. Engaging in an argument with her over such a trivial matter wouldn't be wise, but he struggled to suppress the scowl itching to emerge. He and Seokjin observed in silence as she brushed past them, making her way towards the southern wing, where her lunch awaited her.

Once she was out of earshot, Seokjin released a heavy sigh. "Thank you," he breathed, rubbing his shoulder. "She had me in an iron grip; I feared she might snap me in two." Namjoon chuckled at his brother's theatrics.

"Well, we'll have to stage a convincing chat now, in case one of Woong's minions catches sight of us," Namjoon suggested, nodding towards the northern wing. "Shall we sit for tea there? We're less likely to be disturbed, as no guests have arrived for the ball yet."

Seokjin hummed in agreement, and the brothers proceeded to the northern wing. Inside, maids diligently carried out their daily cleaning tasks. They bowed respectfully as the duo passed, but the brothers paid them no mind. After all, they were just maids.

At the end of the hallway, they halted at a pair of double doors. Seokjin pushed them open, a satisfied smile gracing his lips. "Already tidied up," he remarked, stepping inside. "No risk of maids spreading dust."

As Seokjin entered the room, Namjoon turned to a maid assisting a caterer in draping a long piece of purple garland around a portrait of their grandmother. "You," he addressed her, his tone firm. Startled, she looked up, her eyes widening in response.

Namjoon would never vocalize it, but sometimes he relished the fear he instilled in the servants. As the fourth prince in line for the throne, he possessed privileges but little power within the family. Occasionally exerting authority over those beneath him served as a gratifying outlet.

The maid promptly set the garland down and bowed, murmuring a hasty "Yes, sir." Namjoon scrutinized her briefly as she remained in a deep bow. There was something about her that sparked a flicker of recognition, though he couldn't quite place it.

Shaking his head to dispel the thought, Namjoon snapped his fingers to gain her attention. She straightened but kept her chin lowered, awaiting his next command. "Fetch us some tea," he instructed briskly. "There should be a crate from Shivermaw; bring that one."

Without waiting for her response, Namjoon strode into the warm room. Seokjin was already reclining on a spacious sofa by the tall window. As Namjoon drew closer, his brother straightened up.

"I thought you weren't fond of tea from Shivermaw," Seokjin remarked as Namjoon settled into the soft armchair to the left of the sofa. Namjoon offered a faint smile, though it failed to reach his eyes.

"Not the tea itself," he clarified, crossing his long legs. "It's the Duchess I take issue with at Shivermaw. Their tea, on the other hand, is rather delightful. We receive the finest peppermint from them."

Seokjin scoffed and rolled his eyes, a broad grin spreading across his plump lips. "With the way you go on about Damaris, one might mistake you as eager to marry her," he teased, draping his arm over the back of the sofa. "Tell me, little brother, should I plead with mother to arrange your marriage to Damaris before I tie the knot with Woong?"

Namjoon's jaw clenched, his gaze hardening as memories of the pale-skinned Duchess flitted through his mind. "I've made my feelings regarding the Duchess abundantly clear," he retorted firmly.

Sensing his brother's seriousness, Seokjin relented, opting to examine his fingernails instead of pressing further on the subject of Shivermaw or Damaris. A wise choice.

"Father requested to see me," Seokjin stated, paying little heed to Namjoon's reaction. Namjoon's breath caught in his throat, and he couldn't help but shift uncomfortably in his seat.

It was unusual for the king to seek out his sons unless the matter at hand was of utmost importance. All the princes understood that their father harbored no intentions of relinquishing the throne until his last breath. However, as the eldest of the seven, Seokjin stood as the primary heir to the crown.

Namjoon was aware that his brother harbored no desire to ascend to the throne of Erydia. Seokjin often spoke of a future where he resided in a grand estate nestled among the glittering lights and bustling social circles of Starwell's most affluent districts.

He couldn't envision himself thriving in such a role as king. Leading a vast kingdom would confine him within the castle walls for the remainder of his days, forever striving to appease the populace while evading potential assassination attempts.

Moreover, Seokjin lacked the knowledge and fairness required to rule the kingdom wisely—an admission he had made on numerous occasions. Years ago, he had expressed his unwillingness to inherit the throne to their father, resulting in a violent outburst from the king that left Seokjin with bruises and a split lip.

Their father's health was deteriorating rapidly. Both Namjoon and Seokjin sensed an imminent change looming, one that could materialize the moment their father's health declined to a critical point.

They shared an unspoken understanding that their father's summons to Seokjin was likely to discuss matters of succession.

Namjoon drew in a deep breath, his unease settling like a weight in the pit of his stomach. "You'll seek me out immediately afterward, won't you?" he inquired, his gaze flickering up to his brother's face.

Seokjin's expression remained stony and unreadable, but Namjoon sensed fear and discomfort beneath the facade. His brother would be venturing into this meeting alone, without the support of his siblings, and that realization left Namjoon feeling cold.

"Of course," Seokjin replied, tearing his gaze away from his nails to fixate on the coffee table before them, adorned with a solitary vase of silk flowers.

"Who knows," Jin murmured, his gaze growing distant as his thoughts undoubtedly raced through every possible scenario between him and their father. "Maybe I'll manage to persuade him to designate you as next in line."

It was no secret among Namjoon and his brothers that he was not only the most competent candidate for the throne but also the only one truly willing to embrace the responsibility. It demanded a level of quick decision-making for which Namjoon was uniquely suited.

Furthermore, Namjoon was one of their father's favored sons. Yet, for some reason, the king remained fixated on appointing Seokjin as his heir.

Namjoon opted not to reply to his brother; they both understood the uphill battle ahead. Their conversation was interrupted by a soft knock at the door, drawing their attention. Seokjin perked up, inviting the visitor to enter.

A moment later a curvy redheaded maid entered, pushing a small silver cart, her head bent respectfully. She released the cart and stepped to the side, bowing her body deeply. "Tea, Sir." she murmured softly.

This maid wasn't the one Namjoon had addressed earlier, but he recognized her nonetheless. She had been a fixture in the castle for some time, long enough for him to recognize her by face.

He knew she performed her duties well, enough that he seldom needed to reprimand her like he occasionally did with other maids.

"Very well," Namjoon acknowledged, gesturing for the maid to proceed into the room. She moved swiftly, arranging the table with the items from the cart—a porcelain teapot adorned with swirling pink flowers, matching tea cups, a plate of ginger cookies, and a small tray of pickled cucumber sandwiches.

"The castle's winter specialty," Seokjin quipped, eyeing the sandwiches with amusement. "Looks like the fresh cucumbers from Esteria haven't arrived yet." He leaned back as the maid began preparing their tea. The aroma of peppermint wafted through the air, and Seokjin found himself relaxing as he savored the sharp scent, his mouth watering in anticipation.

Once the maid had completed her task, she bowed once more. Neither Namjoon nor his brother bothered to offer thanks; she understood her place, and gratitude from those of higher status was unnecessary.

As the maid exited the room, wheeling the now-empty cart with her, the door clicked shut behind her. Namjoon reached forward and poured tea from the pot, serving his brother first before tending to himself.

Seokjin reached for a cucumber sandwich, emitting a satisfied hum as he chewed. "Truly, we have the most exceptional kitchen in the entire kingdom," he remarked between bites. Food always managed to lift his spirits and as he ate, thoughts of his impending meeting with their father faded.

Namjoon toyed with the idea of teasing that their kitchen had to be the best, lest their mother "dispose" of them. However, the atmosphere had finally lightened, and he knew that any mention of the Queen would only dampen the mood once more.

Namjoon savored a small sip of his steaming tea, releasing a breath infused with the refreshing scent of mint. Despite any rivalry with the duchess, there was no denying that the tea she sent remained unrivaled within the castle walls.

A comfortable silence enveloped the room as the brothers relished their afternoon tea, a rare moment of tranquility amidst their busy lives. With Seokjin's impending wedding, such moments had become increasingly scarce. Though Namjoon missed these times, he refused to grant his brother the satisfaction of admitting it; Seokjin would never let him hear the end of it.

For the past week, a nagging sensation had settled in Namjoon's stomach, warning him of impending change. He had initially attributed it to their father's declining health, but a gnawing suspicion signaled something more ominous.

Shaking off his unease, Namjoon averted his gaze to the dark liquid swirling in his cup. Dwelling on uncertainties would serve no purpose now, not when he finally found solace in the company of his brother. Later, after dinner, he would seek counsel from the Healer in the hopes of easing his lingering concerns.

Maybe she would have some answers for him.

[emilieautumnarchives]

Rolling Scone: Matcha Steamed Buns (Gluten Free)

Posted: August 31, 2014 Archived from Rolling Scone (EAOnline)

It’s odd, I think…

Odd that a girl who desired, as a child, to become a French pastry chef should gravitate towards the often inexplicable and decidedly non-Western tastes and textures of Asian baked goods when it comes to her own choice of teatime delicacies. But I can’t be blamed…

The creativity alone…it’s mind-bending.

I mean, a croissant, right? It’s bloody perfect, but it makes sense. Flour, butter…lots of butter…of course it’s perfect.

But cakes filled with red bean or, perhaps, lotus paste? Sticky balls of rice rolled in sesame seeds and fried? Fluffy buns just barely sweet, infused with powdered green tea leaves, and steamed in bamboo? These sound just plain weird.

Oh, but they’re not…

For me, these gorgeous buns are all about the texture — that lovely, bouncy, fluffy, chewy, cloud-like texture. And, lucky for me and my gluten-intolerant friends, the use of rice flour in Asian baking has a great deal to do with that, as does the technique of steaming instead of baking. Being also allergic to refined sugars, I was delighted to find my favorite healthier sweeteners worked perfectly to create just the subtlest hint of sweetness. I personally love it when the bitter, grassy matcha shines through — otherwise, what’s the point of using such a precious ingredient, right?

And yes, it’s also about the tea. My beloved matcha…I drink the stuff, I cook with it, I bake with it, I even wash my face with it. It is the star ingredient in the Asylum kitchen, and that which makes all things irresistible to me. M…A…T…C…H…A… The word alone makes me so very happy… It’s also ridiculously healthy, but that’s another story…let’s just focus on the buns for now, shall we?

For starters, let’s peek at our ingredients. For a gluten-free baking recipe, this isn’t bad at all, is it?

Those of you who have known me as a vegan for a very long time may be surprised at my use of eggs and yoghurt (honey I’ve never had an ethical problem with as long as it comes from a good source). To be brief (not my strong point), I became dangerously copper toxic a few years ago, which resulted in my becoming terribly allergic to all, and I do mean ALL, vegan protein sources, those being, ironically, the foods highest in copper. Copper toxicity is a danger for some vegans but not for others, depending on your chemistry, use of medications, past use of birth control pills (ewww, DO NOT do it, ladies), and even personality type (high-strung ladies in particular, not joking), so if you are successfully rocking it out vegan-style, I think that’s fantastic. But I can’t, and I found that out the hard way, i.e. being rushed to the ER four times during one European tour alone. After months of cutting out all vegan protein sources, meaning that I was getting exactly no protein whatsoever (stupid, I know that, but I’m stubborn), my body had begun to break down. Anyone remember when I was super crazy thin on tour a few years back? Are you one of those Plague Rats whose mother was writing me telling me that I was setting a bad example for their child by being so thin, implying that I had an eating disorder? That was during this time. Makes sense now, doesn’t it…

At long last, I was convinced by people who loved me to eat a damned egg. After that, I began to get better. Fast. You can tell in photos from the following tours…no more suspicions of an eating disorder, no more letters from concerned parents.

While my allergies to nuts and beans are no longer, I am still allergic to soy, as well as to gluten, refined sugar, yeast, and alcohol, all allergies that were brought on by my copper toxicity. Thanks a lot, copper.

Bottom line? Buy the good stuff. Being healthy is expensive, I know, and don’t think that’s an accident, because it’s not. But it’s not nearly as pricey as medical bills and medications. Organic everything, always. Eggs are always cage free, free range, and from a local farm if you can manage it, or raise your own chickens, love them, use the eggs they’re laying anyway, don’t kill and eat them, and everybody’s happy. Same goes for other dairy. Get a goat, pet a cow, or make friends with someone who did. Sounds absurd, I know, but my point is simply that there IS a way to be non-vegan (still vegetarian of course) and humane. It’s worth the effort, and it tastes a lot better too…

So much for being brief…anyway!

Look at these beautiful colors… Raw coconut sugar is my go-to sweetener for baking, and I use it to replace refined sugar in recipes I’m altering to suit my no gluten/no refined sugar needs.

The only thing I ought to point out is that, when using coconut sugar and other darker colored sweeteners such as maple and date sugars, coconut nectar, or maple syrup (no agave — Google why you shouldn’t use it and get angry at advertising making fools of us yet again), you will have to come to terms with the reality that you will not achieve that stunning, bright green that matcha powder imparts to baked goods using refined, white sugar. I’m just fine with this, and I think you will be, too.

Now, here’s the thing…you are going to need a bamboo steamer for this recipe. If you’re lucky to be near a Chinatown-type area, you should be able to pick one of these beautiful creatures up for $10 or less. Otherwise, try this one on Amazon. [link removed]

I promise you, you won’t resent me for making you buy this…you can use it for cooking dumplings, steaming vegetables, boiling eggs…all manner of things. Go crazy. I don’t mind. I’d be sad if you didn’t.

Here perches my bamboo beauty on the pot of boiling water. Steaming these buns is incredibly fast, and the whole process will take you less than twenty minutes from start to finish. I made these last night at one in the morning on a whim. I ate four of them. Also on a whim. Four.

Just look at that dense yet light and chewy texture…nothing short of addictive…did I mention I ate four?

Next time I may add dark chocolate bits, or top with toasted black sesame seeds. Or both. You can’t tell me what to do.

Matcha Steamed Buns (Gluten Free) Author: Emilie Autumn Makes 8 cup-cake sized buns.

Ingredients

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons raw honey

3 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil

½ cup plain greek yoghurt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pure almond extract

1½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (*flour blend recipe below)

3 tablespoons raw coconut sugar

3 teaspoons matcha green tea powder

3 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Whisk together the eggs, honey, coconut oil, yoghurt, and the vanilla and almond extracts.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour blend, coconut sugar, matcha powder, baking powder, and salt. Sifting the dry ingredients at least once is essential to creating that light and fluffy texture we're after.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir well to combine thoroughly.

Fill a large pot half full with water and bring to a boil. I use the pot I generally use for cooking pasta as my bamboo steamer is just about the same size and sits safely on the rim, but use whatever pot will support your steamer.

Meanwhile, place as many paper cupcake liners (mine fits seven) as you can fit into your bamboo steaming tray so that the liners are touching each other. This way, your buns will support each other as they rise, and your batter won't spill. I double the liners up for added strength.

Fill the paper liners two thirds full with the batter, as it will rise quite impressively.

Place the lid on the steamer and set the steamer on top of the pot of boiling water. Let the buns steam for 8 minutes, or until they are just barely firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the bun comes out clean. The buns should be soft and springy, so do be careful not to overcook them, and don't be discouraged if it takes you a few tries to get your timing right. The perfect bun is more than worth it!

If you like the bitterness of matcha as much as I do, go ahead and very lightly dust the tops of the cooked buns with matcha powder. This will also give you back a touch of that brilliant green we've lost by using coconut sugar.

Notes

These buns are best eaten while still warm and fresh, but will keep for a day or two before becoming more suitable for...matcha tea bread pudding! That's right, Darlings, just break up your too-firm buns, toss the bits in a bowl, and douse with your hot milk of choice (dairy or non). Sprinkle with coconut sugar or other unrefined sweetener and you won't remember why stale was ever a bad thing to be.

*Gluten-free All-Purpose Flour Blend Recipe:

4 cups brown rice flour 2 cups white rice flour 2 cups potato starch 1 cup tapioca starch

Sift all ingredients and use cup for cup to substitute regular flour in many recipes. Store in your refrigerator.

With love from my Asylum to yours,

~ EA

[starlightkun]

love bites ❧ teaser [sungchan]

❧ teaser word count: 746 | full fic: 25.5k ❧ warnings: cursing, talking about like werewolf biting/marking and scenting and stuff, this is a werewolf fic either you’re into this stuff or you’re not lol ❧ genre: fluff, so incredibly fluffy and sweet it should’ve been a warning honestly, established relationship, modern magical creatures au, college au, werewolf sungchan, human reader, ft. siren shotaro, werewolf jeno & various magical neos, same universe as strawberry sunday, sequel to changer ❧ extra info: this is a sequel to changer! it cannot be read as a standalone, you must read changer first! this work is set in the same universe as strawberry sunday but can be read as a standalone! there is no continuing plotline between fics in this universe (aside from changer to this one), they simply take place in the same world/magic system and may have overlapping characters (neos may pop up in more than one work!) ❧ author’s note: so this is technically the spiritual threequel (fourqual?) to my werewolf jeno fics (pupsick + abh) but you still don’t have to read those to understand this one at all! this is absolutely meant to be read by itself (after changer, ofc) ❧ estimated release: saturday, november 18, 2023 2:00 p.m. eastern time

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ explore the strawberry sunday universe more here!

“So what were you so invested in on your phone?” Shotaro asked, cracking open a seaweed-infused sparkling tea drink popular with younger sirens. “You usually love Real Sirens.”

You popped the tab on your soda, taking a sip before answering. “I was doing some research, on what we were talking about earlier—”

“I thought you said there wasn’t a lot of research on half-werewolves.”

“Not a lot of scholarly research. But I found some people posting online about their own experiences either as half-werewolves themselves, or dating half-werewolves. About the scenting.” You explained, pausing to take a bite of your food. “And it seems like the general consensus is that most likely because their sense of smell isn’t as great as full werewolves, but they still can smell that kind of stuff, unlike humans, half-werewolves get a little more… intense with scenting behaviors.”

“Gross.”

“I meant the clothes and the hugging, dude.” You soft-balled a kick at his shin under the table. “Not my fault you’re immediately gross.”

“Does it ever stop?”

You grimaced, “Well…”

“No?” He asked with wide eyes, presumably having the rest of his recently renewed lease flashing before them.

“Again, there aren’t a lot of half-werewolves. Or at least ones talking about it. But there is one half-werewolf/human couple I found who says that the scenting took better, and the behaviors therefore decreased after…” You trailed off, messing with the strings of Sungchan’s hoodie.

“After…?”

“After they followed through with the werewolf mating bite.”

The siren stared at you blankly. “Oh.”

“They’re the only ones I could find online who has done that, so who knows if that’s a guaranteed result, not to mention that at that point they were also human married, and had been together for over five years, so there was definitely just a lot of security in their relationship not to mention they’d been living together for years so they were going to smell like each other anyway—”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it.” Shotaro stopped your defensive rambles gently. “You two don’t need to do that for me. Just wear his clothes and be annoying, it’s fine.”

You stabbed your fork into a bun. “Yeah, I know that.”

“That was some weird stressing of your words there, Y/N. Anything you want to share?”

You let out a long, steady breath, your lips just a centimeter away from being pressed together. Your mind was swirling with the memory of Sungchan’s last shift. Of him asking you to take his bite. He hadn’t mentioned it again since, but you couldn’t stop thinking about it. Especially because he hadn’t brought it up again since. And seeing his dad’s last night…

“Sungchan mentioned it once, but I don’t know how serious he was being, and he hasn’t brought it up again,” you admitted before tearing into the bun you’d just assaulted. It was filled with delightfully seasoned veggies wrapped in smooth, pillowy dough. God, these really were some of the best steamed buns you’d ever had.

Shotaro practically did a spit take with his tea, dribbling the sip he’d just taken back into the bottle. “He what? When?”

“Shotaro—”

“No, he brought up essentially werewolf engagement to you— What? While you two were playing video games or something? And neither of you mentioned this to me?”

“It wasn’t like that but... sure. I guess.”

“No, no, what was the context? Post-nut confessions or something?”

“God! Why are you like this?” You groaned, dragging a hand over your face in exasperation. “No, he let me be with him for his last shift, it was when he was coming out of it. He wasn’t all there, he was tired, he had all the extra adrenaline and everything else going through his body still.”

He didn’t seem convinced. “So I was right.”

You gave him an unamused look. “Think more like a boxer with a concussion.”

“And you haven’t brought it up with him since?”

“I was just focused on making sure he was okay. And now, I don’t know, he hasn’t mentioned it again. Maybe he wasn’t serious about it?”

“If he was... would you say yes? To be werewolf married?” The siren waggled his eyebrows at you teasingly. “Or half-werewolf married? Half-werewolf half-married?”

“They really need to make like even a single MCS class mandatory in the Gen Ed requirements, because what the hell are you saying to me right now?”

“You know what I mean. Would you say yes?”

⤷ blog masterlist  ⤷ anthology masterlist

[ligbi]

Now that we are in a dungeon meshi lull, I want to share the bread recipe I have been using every single week to have Saturday morning bread with my mother. It's essentially this recipe [x] but for people who have not yet tried their hands at baking, I'd like to break down the process so everyone can have a delicious treat.

To start you will need on hand:

Oven that can get to 425° F

Refrigerator that seals and stays cold

9x13 baking pan- glass or other

Salt- table

Sugar- normal

Flour- all purpose (normal)

Olive oil

Yeast

Either drinkable tap water that can get Hot or water and a microwave

Measuring spoons (teaspoon specifically)(the bigger but not biggest one if you have four)

Measuring cup

A large ceramic bowl

Spatula- the kind for scraping

Hand towels or tea towel- kitchen towels. Cheap towels

Pam or another spray oil (buttered flavored if you have that on accident) - optional but useful

Salt- big and crunchy - optional but useful

A piece of twine you can measure and cut, or a rubber band

Big spatula- flippy kind- optional but useful

Plates, napkins, cooling rack, oven mitts, sponge, dish soap balsamic, dipping bowl(s) - your call on what you need for eating and cleaning

Bread knife - or rip it with your hands like an animal. Or use a normal knife

I always start Thursday night- it takes about 20 minutes to prep, and then do the rest Saturday morning- 5 minutes of prep part 2 + 5 minutes of pre oven prep + 30 minutes of cook time. So the entire process is about 30 minutes and a lot of waiting.

To start, you will want to put two teaspoons of yeast into the ceramic bowl (clean). The glass jars of Fleishman can be found at most grocery and big box stores. If you do not want to buy a whole jar, one of the packets they have is about the right amount (they usually come in 3 packs).

Measure 2 cups of hot water. We want about 110° so too hot to touch comfortably but not scalding. You need your water hot to activate the yeast, but too hot will kill it.

Slowly pour the hot water over the yeast, and sprinkle in a pinch of sugar, and mix this brown water with a spatula (scraping kind) for about 10 seconds before letting it sit for 10 minutes. The yeast eats the sugar and the time allows the years to proof. After 10 minutes you will see a type of foam on top of the water, which is proof the yeast is active.

Measure out two cups of flour and add them to the yeast+water. King Arthur all purpose flour is just fine and dandy, you do not Need bread flour and King Arthur is employee owned.

On top of the flour, add two teaspoons of salt. You can use any salt, and can experiment with different flavor profiles. If you go to spice shops or even Renaissance Faires, you can find flavored salts that add a nice kick. You can also use regular normal table salt.

Use the spatula to mix the flour+salt into the water+yeast until you have a goo.

Add one more cup of flour and mix it in with the spatula. Add the last cup of flour and finish mixing it into a dough.

Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl and that everything is mixed in. The dough should be unable to hold shape well when pushing it into a ball, and there should be no visible white flour left in the dough.

Pour some olive oil around the dough into the bowl. You can eyeball this (1 tablespoon minimum)- you are not drowning the dough but you do want enough to cover the dough and then some. You can easily swap out olive oils for flavored and infused ones. There are a lot of bootleg oils on the market, but whatever you probably have on hand should be fine for your first bake.

Roll the dough around in the oil with the spatula to make sure it is fully covered. While you are not adding in olive oil properly, you can mix it in a little when oiling it up to make it nice.

Drape a kitchen towel over the top of the bowl so it is fully covered. Take your twine or string and tie it tightly at the top of the bowl and cut it it. This can be reused with this bowl in the future. If you do not have twine, a rubber band will also keep the towel in place. We just want to keep the breathable piece of fabric tight over the top of the bowl.

Stick the bowl in the fridge for like. A day- day and a half. If you started at 10pm Thursday night, it should now be about 10:20 with a spatula, measuring spoon, and measuring cup to clean up. The dough will slowly rise in the fridge and you can move onto the next steps after 24-48 hours.

I wake up at a stupid time like 6am on Saturday.

Spray the pam or other oil on the sides and bottom of the 9x13 pan. You can also just use a paper towel to rub olive oil on the sides. We just want everything greased.

Pour some olive oil on the bottom of the pan and tilt it around to cover the entire bottom. Start with a little and add more if needed. More is not bad- it will give the bread a nice crunch while still being soft inside.

Take the bowl out and use that spatula to gently pull the dough away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will have risen and will seem stringy when pulled away.

Slowly pour the dough into the greased pan until it plops out.

Shake it around a bit and maybe poke at it with the spatula to get it centered and not flipped over on itself. The dough will be expanding for the next 4 hours and you don't have to worry about spreading it in the pan.

Cover with a/the same tea towel and try to get it taut over the pan to keep the towel from touching and sticking to the dough. Trying to get the covers of the pan on top of the edges of the towel may work depending on the towel.

Set that aside for four hours. I go back to bed. At some point between here and the next step you should put some dish soap in your bowl and fill it with water. After a 20 minute soak its easy to wash it clean with a sponge.

9:30 or 3 and a half hours later- pre-heat the over to 425° F. If you want Celsius or other measurements this whole time, its about 280 Celsius, 2 teaspoons is about 10 millimeters or .35 oz (dry) and 2 cups is 16 oz fluid.

MAKE SURE THE OVEN IS EMPTY FIRST. Other trays or pans will take some of the heat and the bake will be off.

Once the oven is done pre-heating (it should beep or have a light indicator for this) wash your hands really really well, and pour some more olive oil on top of the dough. You will carefully cover the top of the dough with oil by rubbing it over with your hands. Make sure it is fully covered. There may be bubbles on the top now- that means you've done it right till now. If not, that's fine it will still be good.

Take your big chunky salt (sea salt works well or chunky kosher salt) and sprinkle it on the dough. You do not want to go too heavy, but it will add a nice texture. If you have a salt container with the cracker thingy you turn to get it out, i do about 6-8 cracks while trying to move it up and down the dough.

Take your clean hands (because you washed after the oil and then again just now after the salt) and spread your fingers out and down like shitty claws. Dimple the bread with your fingers by just poking it a lot. Try to avoid the bubbles if you can for a nice look.

If you ever want to put something on top like rosemary or sliced tomatoes or whatever, now is the time. Not me though.

Stick that baby in the oven roughly center and set the timer for 30 minutes.

While it bakes, get your cooling rack/big plate/serving board out, and your oven mitts. And a bread knife/whatever knife you want to use. And a really big spatula (flipping kind).

When the 30 minutes is up, use the oven mitts to pull out the pan and put it on a heat resistant surface like the top of the oven. Take your big spatula and slide that bad boy down a side and try to wiggle it around until it's under the loaf. If you don't have a big spatula, you can always flip the bread out of the pan by dumping it out onto your rack/board/plate.

With the oven mitts, move the pan to your cooling rack and with one hand tilt it up and with the other use the spatula to slide the loaf out onto the rack.

Set the pan and spatula aside to wash later.

Take your cooling rack and put it amongst friends with the knife. Get some plates. If you have any balsamic vinegar and/or more olive oil for dipping, set that out too. Napkins. Drinks. Delicious in Dungeon on the tv. Live. Laugh. Love. Eat.

[glacierruler]

Image IDs: 1. A disco ball tea infuser, 2. A porcelain tea kettle with red and pink flowers on it, 3. A heart necklace with white sapphire in the shape of a paw print, 4. a stuffed animal of a bat with pink eyes, pink blush, and pink wings. End Image IDs

I also got a couple shirts and candy along with a few other small trinkets. But these are my fav gifts I got earlier today.

[fictionhelpers]

🦓 EDS BALL-JOINTED DOLL SELF-CARE KIT

antique letters ($3+) | spoons sticker ($3.25+) | mini teaset ($8)

joints sticker ($3+) | tea infuser heart spoon ($4) | mini butterflies ($4)

[sempsimps]

Gregory Violet head cannons + NSFW

Season 4 of black butler has me thinking about a certain emo (Gregory not ceil but check out my friend @serve-corps if your into that) but like omfg he's so fine what for and like man wears lipstick I just he's so adorable I've never wanted to own the manga more in my life he's so- I should stop but like aaaaaa so this is head cannons mixed with actual cannon that was on the fandom wiki so that's fun I was thinking of writing a full story later but for now....

this is head cannons, and at the bottom, I'll have a warning for my nsfw thoughts. lol, just remember you're responsible for your Internet consumption, but before i get into this, it's all my opinions. Don't take it as gospel or anything like that, im having fun, alright? okay then.

Little head cannons

-he likes poetry. He gives that vibe like come on...(literally an hour later) Okay, so like, just seen a manga page of him drawing a jabberwocky around ceil like a sleep paralysis demon. a little back story on this particular poem is "a nonsensical poem about the killing of the jabberwocky" in 1871, apparently. this is very relatable to ceil and Gregory alike and like Google it for real (so like I was completely right about that and I didn't even know)

he smells like a mix of charcoal and acrylic paint like dusty but kinda nice, ya know (i go back to this further down)

-why dose he seem like he has autism, i cant explain it but, i have it to, so I'm not trying to be rude, but the bowtie he wears is like a normal tie but looser and nicer. and i hate ties, so i feel that in my soul. he also seems like he wouldn't like synthetic material idfk. also social situations suck, his voice is mostly monotone and quite, its not the typical "not understanding cues or not getting jokes" but its more like a social anxiety thing, and that's usually diagnosed with autism i think? (I'm not a doctor i don't really know. Maybe I'm projecting here a little)

-he's like defo bi or pan or perhaps an ace group. I'm not that educated on that lgbtq+ aspect apologies but that's the vibe (again, that's my opinion)

Dating head cannons male or female [brackets if pointed to someone with tits lol]

-bones. Need I say more? I like bones and rocks soooo be like, otters give him a bone (not like that-) or rocks he strikes me as a rock guy like smooth ones. idk how, but just get one he deserves it.

-painting dates if you struggle, he can easily guide you through it, his hand gently moving to help you use the right brush stroke. he's clearly more skilled in pencil/charcoal works, though we haven't seen much else [that takes skill and I take art like damn that's difficult]

-So apparently the sun and dancing makes him dizzy (it was on the fandom wiki) so definitely have water on hand and well he doesn't seem like the type to like anything plain becuse of the drink mixing so water is a no go to boring and i get that so grab one of those ball tea infusers and make flavoured water he can put the flavours in it like idk lemon slices and let it sit in the water maybe add suger (wait thats just flat lemonade lol whatever I'm a genius ik don't flatter me)

-stolen hoodie? Nah, stollen emo robe looking ass. it seems everyone in purple house has one, and well, yall could swap, or ya know, just wear his. if he has another obvious man is never seen without it, it could be a comfort for him. but like, he seems like he would have a bigger one, and it would smell so nice like charcoal and acrylic paint (that i mentioned earlier). Don't question it, but you can smell that, right? but there's a hint of passion fruit becuse he's trying for you (aw how cute) you can not tell me he doesn't like perfume and like its either passion fruit or cola adjacent like i know it probably wasn't around at the time but like you can see it (maybe i based this on a meme i found but shush)

-you paint each others nails need i say more? and even if you dont like/want to, he would just like to take time off with you to do his own or you do his. oh my god, I just remembered he wears eyeliner the same thing, but he likes you doing it. For some reason, you're better at it, and he doesn't want panda eyes.

-sneaking out at late to hide behind the boarding house, to just chill or chat, looking at the stars. It's a nice area, but yall gotta dodge the house master most of the time. Still, a little thrill never hurt nobody, just maybe given a Y or two if you're caught.

-hiding in your shoulder when the sun or people get too much to deal with. (I feel that so much)

-Gregory is a mix when it comes to pda. Overall, he doesn't like it could be a little overwhelming for him, but when yall with the other prefects, he might hold your hand, he's trying, and we love him for it.

-Gregory seems to observe his friends a lot, and so i think he truly values any relationships he has with anyone. on a whole, he usually draws people that are around him, like ceil, and i think i seen one of Lawrence. (idk i don't have the manga) so i think he would have a lot of sketches of you, be it in his work as doodles, or fully fledge charcoal drawings, maybe even a painting. but he values and enjoys being with you a lot.

-little snacks like fruit and chocolate almost like a picnic in the swan gazebo, but ya know not sharing with everyone unless Gregory wants to, also the fact your with the others in the swan gazebo is becuse, 1 your allowed to be there they've invited others before, 2 you get along with the prefects and drudges and they really don't care, 3 your either his drudge or the first two already applied before hand so you both seen no point in doing that.

okay, so i can't think of anything else wholesome to put down, and i just can't stop thinking, so now this is the warning I REPEAT NSFW BEOYNED THIS POINT!! ALSO HE IS 18-19 ACORDING TO GOOGLE

NSFW head cannons

- some general things, he's a switch or power bottom idk but i can see it so much he prefers you on top, though

-favourite body part would be chest. tits or not [but defo would love them so much like a stress toy] or the space between shoulder and neck, to hide in and bite....(he is a wolf lmao)

-right, so first off lipstick. oh my god... imagining it smeared in places and having prominent marks on your body made by him, like hickeys but removable. and like after he gives head, it would get so messed up on his face or you and just kissing him with it like that, getting some on your lips... (jesus, i need to touch grass)

-he likes art obviously, and well going back to the lipstick and hickeys, he wants to see what colour they turn, your like a brand new canvas just begging to be painted on by him, and honestly vice versa he's too pretty not to mark up..... (no comment)

-this is an all boys school they most likely don't have sex ed here and so you would have to teach him what to do but once he knows it kinda clicks right ya know [another reason i think he would just love titties becuse he wants to learn and i mean like he would get kinda fascinated with them] also he would be really sensitive in general and that's a great advantage to top (but hey you didnt hear that from me 0^0)

okay then that was that and ive run out of ideas now and i need to get this out of me ive got like 2 more things to write about this emo becuse i love and relate to him so much anyway hope that was good i try to be accurate even though this is head cannons and not real at all im still trying to be in character sorry if my writing sucks :)

[witchtickles]

Mugwort

Planet: Venus Element: Earth Powers: Protection, clairvoyance, strength, astral projection, prophetic dreams

Mugwort can be placed in the shoes before a long walk or run to gain strength.

Stuffed into a pillow, it can induce prophetic dreams. Brewed in a tea and sweetened with honey, it can assist with divination rituals. It can also be burned with sandalwood or wormwood during scrying rituals.

An infusion of mugwort should be used to wash crystal balls and scrying mirrors, and the leaves can be placed beneath the ball or mirror to aid in psychic workings.

Mugwort is a powerful home protector and can be hung over doors and windows to prevent evil spirits from entering.