#the only meat i eat is fish and i only started again over a year ago but im still uncomfortable with it

[earraigh]

As an farraige go dtí an mbord, cósta thiar na hÉireann, Lúnasa '23

From the sea to the table, Ireland's west coast, August '23

[b1asho]

So yeah, how to train your dragon is a big deal to me. I'm not going to watch the live action movie grrghhhhg

Here’s some design stuff? Headcanons?

I my head toothless is literally just that weird anchovie as a dragon. He buzzes around like a bug, and his species intentionally mimics common or gardens as a part of their life cycle on land. The only things that mark him out from the bazillion actual common garden subspecies are the blue wings and webbed feet. He looks all big headed and has no teeth because relative to that 1000 year life span, he’s just a fish fry.

Speaking of common or garden browns, I think it’d be funny if Horrorcow actually *was* herbivorous or mostly-herbivorous because that’s just what subspecies she was and the humans just can’t tell the difference because ’it’s a dragon it must eat meat duh’ and they lump all them together. Honestly it’s prolly for the best she peaces out to the caves for a bit, girl is not built for being in that close proximity to a Main Character.

Fireworm is just a bully, Rottweiler sized and classically dragonish. I tried not to think about making them all super realistic or thinking about how all their species could be related because the books don’t really do that super in depth and that’s part of the fun, so she just looks like a dragon (tm) even though the term dragon also covers things that have fur, or feathers, or produce milk, and look vastly different, Her claws are retractable and her leg spurs help fight off other monstrous nightmares. It’s so funny to me that she just immediately defects to the rebellion, it’s so in character even though she seems to have at least sorta vibed with snot.

I really liked drawing Stormfly as a kid, and the fact that she’s dragon meowth/ can just speak Norse because she can is also fun. She’s not feathery, those are like. Skin flaps or something that can move and change color. Very squirmy.

Windwalker is also one of my faves, I’m sad we didn’t get to see the metamorphosis but the mystery of it is also fun. It was also nice to see him start talking again after meeting hiccup. His ability to out-altitude other dragons is his species’ general hunting strategy and eventually his wings will straighten out (but his are in particularly bad shape because of his time working in the enclosed tunnels of the mines.) (Btw it's still crazy to me that dragon and human slavery is just a thing in the books and we just have to deal with it)

Wodensfang is that classic shriveled Old Man. I think that over time, they molt off their size (through literally freezing up, shrinking a little in a shell of their skin, melting bones and muscle and then coming out smaller, like the reverse of shedding skin to get bigger. Just don't think about it too hard, magic is basically canon here ) over time and leave the ocean to leave more room for the whippersnappers who are just coming in from the land. He’s missing most of his teeth, but the envenomed fangs still work.

I also have the book of dragons, it’d be fun to one day go through and draw all of them (I’ve already done that but those were on notebook paper and lost to time)

[sonicasura]

Biological Complications of Being A Kaiju

Here we are with my personal thoughts on the possible biological changes done to Kaiju No. 8's Kafka Hibino. I will be talking about different biology such as reproductive amongst others things. Fair warning that shit will get weird. (Nothing is sacred with kaiju.) Now let's get started.

Kafka's kaiju form has traits seen from various different animals mainly reptiles and sharks. His hide acts closer to that of the Nurse Shark with some traits of marine iguanas alongside poisonous frogs. Thanks to this, he can secrete substances like poison or liquid waste from his entire body. (Kafka doesn't fully know this because otherwise the man would never use his nips like THAT again.)

Similar to Marine Iguanas, his kaiju side is an very adept swimmer. Kafka's average speed can be clocked around 80mph in water but he could go even faster by manifesting a tail and webbing his hands/feet. The awkward shape of his neck conceals special gils that filters out water or harmful gases.

Kafka is cold blooded to a degree. He prefers seeking out warmth by sunbathing but it'll take constant extreme cold to make him hibernate. Attempts to force him into such a state will result in his kaiju side growing thick fur similar to polar bears as a defense mechanism. This coat being shed off over the course of Spring and regrown during the fall.

Kafka's body will adapt under extremely stressful situations. These particular changes can be difficult to near impossible for him to will away as they were done by Tiny(Mosquito Kaiju). Pecking order involving alterations to their kaiju form: Tiny, Kafka, Ai.

Fangs are very similar to that of any shark. Should Kafka lose any then new ones normally grow in after two minutes. His jaw strengthens matches that of an alligator mixed with a snapping turtle. Unless Kafka lets go then breaking his teeth is the only way to free oneself. Although the fangs will be embedded in his victim as a way to cripple them.

Kafka has a tendency to shed his scales from time to time. A normal process as its a way for his body to naturally dispose of the dead ones. Losing large patches occurs from either sickness or bi-annual molting.

Similar to a lizard, Kafka can climb and hang on different surfaces. His claws are perfect to retain his grip should the climbing target be slippery or someone tries to pull him off. If push comes to shove, one adaptation Kafka can use is camouflage similar to a chameleon.

*Reproductive Section is here. You can skip this as nothing new is past it.*

Reproductive organs are still present even in kaiju form. Similar to a lizard, Kafka's genitals are hidden behind a cloaca for protection. His kaiju form comes with both sets of reproductive organs i.e male and female.

The species are highly adaptive when it comes to keeping their population numbers stable. Kafka wasn't exactly happy to learn about this change. Especially since most kaiju are the egg laying type, his included.

Should conception occur then at least 3-5 eggs are laid after 3 weeks. During that time period, Kafka will eat twice his body weight and be quite aggressive around unfamiliar faces. A nest is also made from various bedding materials like pillows, blankets, to even mattresses.

Eggs will hatch in the span of 4-7 weeks. Newborn hatchlings are the size of kittens and have small fangs as they only feed on meat or fish at this age. They age at the same rate humans do thus reach full maturity in around 20 years. All of them will have a human form and obtain it at the 4-5 year mark.

Similar to a possum, Kafka will carry any whelp he has on his back. His instincts make it difficult for him to leave them alone for too long until they are at least 3 months old. It'll take some heavy persuasion from anyone close to Kafka to have someone babysit for him during that time period.

Experimenting with Kaiju biology is quite the acid trip, huh?

[faecaptainofdreams]

---TRIGGER WARNING---

Animal death, brief violence against an animal

-----------------------------

"Fifteen was a tough age for me.

That was my angriest year, but also really important in terms of learnin'.

I unlocked a painful repressed memory, learned through trial and error that violence wasn't for me, but also, that neither was eatin' meat.

Growin' up, I was never a hunter; just a gatherin' type.

The only time I ate meat was if someone handed it to me or I could afford to buy it.

And truth be told I don't regret that, seein' as how I was always starvin'.

Those tidbits of protein no doubt pulled me through some serious drought!

But when I was fifteen, I remember walkin' a street somewhere and I saw this guy handing out samples of these little fish treats he'd made.

So I ate one, and bein' stuck up like I used to be, I asked him why he only ever handed out fish or seemed to cook fish.

No joke, he was out almost every day!

An' he told me that he only ever passed out fish, 'cos that was all he ate, meat-wise!

I was like...why?

An' he said it was because he had a policy; only eat what you could stand to kill.

Somehow, that resonated with me.

I'd never thought before about how I got the meat -- I just ate it, and appreciated it.

But it seemed, maybe I hadn't appreciated it enough.

Bein' on my own, I figured I needed to either put up or shut up, so I went out and...well...

A few nights later I was in some woods somewhere else, and decided to catch me a fish for the first time.

Because I thought about other animals, but anything more than a fish just made me feel sick.

I chiseled me a little stone carving tool, scraped a stick into a little wooden spear and waited by a river one evening.

Had mah fire ready and everything.

I remember my little heart was just poundin', I really didn't wanna do it but I had to know if I could.

I promised myself that no matter what, whether I could handle it or not, I would eat whatever poor animal I caught.

I was probably at that stream for half an hour or more, strikin' at fish and missin' em.

Until finally...

I got one.

A BIG one.

Had a rock with me because I figured it wouldn't just die instantly, and I was right.

My adrenaline was pumpin', heart was pounding, the fish was really strong so I had to really fight to pull it outta the water.

I hooked my fingers into its gills so I could drag it out faster, and once I had it on the ground I took the rock I'd brought with me and just started beatin' the devil out of it, square in the eye.

I did everything I could to kill it as quickly as possible, and from start to finish the whole ordeal couldn't've taken more than thirty seconds.

But it was enough...

Once I was sure it was dead I just sat there, looked at it, and what I'd done suddenly washed over me...

And I cried.

Just like fightin' folks with my fists to solve issues, I learned that huntin' wasn't for me, either.

I just sat there bawlin' my poor eyes out, and felt like the scum'a the universe.

It was dreadful.

Now worst of all, I had to eat the darn thing!

And I didn't know how to prepare meat or what to do -- it hadn't occurred to me beforehand that I'd have to gut it or anything like that.

So, still cryin', I dragged it over to my little campfire and struggled to try and cook it.

No, I did not open it up.

No guts, no nothin', just cooked it as was.

Then dragged it back over so I could sit and eat.

And I just...bit into it...spit out scales, tried to just...eat it.

God help me, I really, really tried to eat that fish, but I just couldn't stomach it.

When I bit in and hit bone or tendon or SOMETHIN' i gagged straight away, and realized I couldn't do it.

So I got up again and dragged it far out into the woods, and just left it there.

At the very least, I knew nature wouldn't waste it.

I felt like such a fool, and a terrible person.

Didn't sleep well that night, i can tell ya that much.

A few days later, I found a fish trapped in a shrinkin', drying-out pond and quickly ran it over to a stream and let it go.

That helped me feel like I had made up for the horrible thing I'd done.

Now don't get me mistaken, I'm not sayin' this is how everyone should operate.

All groups of people have different tasks for different folks.

Some are hunters, some are gatherers, some are laborers, etc.

It's okay to enjoy meat when you yourself are not capable of huntin', killin' and preparing it.

Just make sure you appreciate it, understand how it gets on your plate, say thanks to Someone out there for lettin' ya have it.

Thank the animal, too.

Meat is part of most people's DNA, most of us are omnivores.

But for me as an individual, that "eat what you can kill" motto has stuck ever since, and I just can't do it.

That was the last time I willingly ate meat, and after that I got more serious about how I found food in the wild and how to be more resourceful.

Oh as for the fish, I made peace with that a long time ago, don't you worry!

I was just tryin'a survive.

Regardless of how it went down and my inability to eat it, I thanked the fish anyhow."

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Someone on Tumblr posed the question of how they figured Wander came to be a vegetarian.

Thought i'd take a crack at it with my own story ;)

[omies-odd-writing-spot]

Doom Prompt 23: Cookies!

A Prompt from my Doom Discord. Based on the Garnets Story, slayer is such a brat, and ass, even to those he loves but not bad to them if that makes sense?

.

23: ���Lily is teaching Loral how to make [her] chocolate chip cookies, but John and Heather keep trying to eat the batter”

“Don't you dare!” Lily grabbed one of the baking cups and chucked it at the massive form starting to lean over the bowls set up on the tall counters. The little green cup did nothing but splat a bit of flower on John's shoulder as he caught the cup after it bounced off him.

Looking up, John was highly amused about the defensiveness over what was being made. Lily was glaring at him and had one of the mixing spoons ready to sacrifice if needed to throw at him as well. “Hmm?”

“You don't have an innocent face, big guy,” Lily pointed to his right hand, “And I see that frozen swordfish steak you're chewing on. Don't you dare cross contaminate the batter!”

The not quite man looked down at the frozen piece of meat he had gotten out of the bin in the walk-in freezer that was marked for him. John looked back at Lily, tilting his head and debating on still doing something. Only for the shorter Loral to come up behind the Demigod and with the confidence of an older grandmother and former matriarch of her family. As well as who had learn she can safely get away with things. Loral reached up behind John as she walked by to smack him with the handle of her spatula.

The bigger Demigod grunted, even though it did not hurt he still reached up to rub his neck and turned with a hurt look. Only to scramble away as the spatula was held up again, the older woman shamelessly chased John away from their work area.

“Shoo! No cookies for you if you contaminate everything with raw meat!” Grandma Loral demanded, shaking the spatula like it was the only thing that could defend their cooking project. There were a lot more people on the Doom Fortress itself, and the fortress city was hidden in the broken moon now. 

Frozen? John signed, showing the chunk of fish meat, safely standing behind a corner and looking over. He was chased off, so now John was interested in what they were doing. The Slayer did not seem to take offense, if anything just let the smaller, weaker human ‘bully’ him around the kitchen. It was a lot more life he could see in Loral and Lily then before, and he liked seeing it.

“It's doesn't matter,” the woman crossed her arms, staring up at the taller man as a mixer was turned on behind her. “It's still cross contaminating. If that ice gets in the batter? Taste is ruined. No cookies for anyone.”

John pouted, hunching his shoulders and took a bite out of the frozen steak. Chewing through it as he leaned on the safe counter, watching as Loral walked back to pick up the bowl she set down with the eggs. Chicken eggs, that's what they were called. When Lily looked back, John tried to make a low sound at her. 

He wanted to see what they were doing!

“No.” Lily said firmly, pointing at the Demigod with the mixing spoon. “Finish your snack and wash your hands before you can see.”

John snorted, but stayed in place for a bit, not hurrying with his current favorite snack. It was cold, crunchy and was just a tasty protein! He shifted, got eyed by Grandma Loral and hesitated. It did not matter he was well over 2000 years older than her, she was grandma and John did not seem to mind letting some humans bully him. So when the Demigod did move, he gave the work area a wide berth of space.

At least until he found a new spot on the other side of the big island counter from the two humans. Head tilting back and forth as he eyed all the ingredients, trying to guess what would come out of it.

John recognized the chocolate chips now! There was also an orange-tan bowl that smelled different, and another of white chips? Chocolate chips came in different colors? 

…did they taste the same?

John tilted his head, finishing the fish steak at last and looked around. He stepped away to find a sink to wash his hands as he had been taught to do when around food. The Demigod rumbled in a pleased way out of sight as he found something. When he returned, John had not a something in his grip, but a someone. Heather was settled in his arms and getting nuzzled. The little girl was more than happy to get attention from her new guardian. Grasping the loose shirt John had on, Heather tried to humm back and mimic what she was feeling. 

Heather liked being held by John the most, some of the protective… Sentinels had good hugs too! Grandpa Valen had really good hugs, just not the same as getting a cuddle and hug from John. Her guardian was warm and just felt the safest. Heather looked up and put her hand on John’s cheek, getting his attention back on her, and then a cheek pressed against her head. 

The girl turned to see what was going on. Tilting her head before looking up at her guardian, signing a question. What are they baking?

John carefully set Heather down so she was sitting on the edge of the counter in front of him. Slowly starting to use the human sign, having only just learned it not long ago. Cookie.

Heather gasped at that, turning around and saw Grandma Loral eyeing them. Cookie?

You wait. The older woman signed back as she shook her head. They need to cook first.

Heather pouted, looking up at John. The big man was blinking slowly, thoughtfully before rumbling as he leaned forward. Arms around Heather he snorted against her shoulder and grinned at the little squeal of laughter that resulted. Seemingly distracting the girl from the cookies. 

John did not have to stare at the other side of the counter as he leaned forward to track Lily and Loral’s movements. He reached forward in a moment of distraction, grabbing some of the chocolate chips and shared them with the giggling Heather. The girl was trying to hide her delight so much that Grandma Loral looked over to see her shoving something in her mouth. John doing much the same where he was hunched over.

Far too experienced as a parent, and grandparent, Loral sighed, “Goodness. Watch out Lily, we have some cookie thieves.”

“What?” Lily turned from focusing on fishing that one little egg shell fragment out of the bowl. Blinked and then stood up, “Oy! No stealing ingredients!”

John blinked and tilted his head around Heather, still hunched over the girl to let her finish eating her share of the loot with some cover. “Hmm?”

“Go to the stores to get some,” Lily tossed an egg shell at the demigod. Who reflexively caught it, blinked slowly staring at the shell. Before he looked back, John then ate the shell, looking surprised at the crunchy.

“Oh my gods,” Lily sighed as she turned away to get the little fragment. There was a small sound and a giggle, Lily spun around, and saw John mid-motion of taking the whole bowl of butterscotch chips. “Hey!”

The Demigod grabbed Heather and the bowl, trying to get away, only moving slow enough to not disturbed the little girl was his downfall. As Loral took aim and chucked a heavier ‘glass’ measuring cup. Her aim was true and the old pyrix thing clunked against John’s head, then shoulder, hit a counter on the way down and bounced off the floor. Twice. All the while not breaking

That was actually impressive!

John stared down, after making sure that Heather on his right arm was safe, then grunted in surprise as Lily popped up in front of him. The bigger not quiet man held tighter to the bowl, but his adoptive daughter was a half step ahead and just scooped most of the chips from his new bowl, all into another bowl that she had. Then Lily ran away, John trying to step after, only to get a good smack from  behind.

The Great Slayer King, the only predator of hell, the Beast… he whined at the second smack from a spatula.

“You fiend!” Grandma Loral yelled. “Food thief!”

“Aarh?” John tried to say something, shifting to hide Heather as she was laughing. He flashed a grin but tried to get away with what few little bits of chips left in his bowl.

“Don’t you sass me! Heather! Smack him!” Loral said and signed.

Not sure what was going on, but delighted at the idea of adding to the fun chaos. Heather bapped at John’s neck and shoulder, not hard, but it had him giving a mock bite back with a low fake growling sound. It took a good ten, maybe fifteen minutes before the two calmed down to nibble on the few butterscotch chips left in the bowl. John sat up to look around a corner, debating on if there was anything to steal. 

Eyeing the closer bowl, he rolled onto hands and knees, then rocked up, trying to be stealthy for once and creep closer. It did not help that there was a giggling girl following, but he could work with that. Trying to circle the two cooking and looking for something to steal. His second attempt resulted with John couched behind a counter with a big bowl of… butter? Whipped butter? It tasted good, okay, but was not that sweet.

How did this turn into cookies?

“...JOHN!” Lily yelled, noticing the lack of giggling and now a missing bowl. 

The Demigod grabbed Heather, and the bowl just because, and fed into the dinning room. Grinning the whole time, debating if he can hold the butter hostage for something sweet for him- and Heather!

[blubushie]

alot of vegans don't realize that not everyone's bodies are MEANT to sustain off a vegan diet alone. i've heard so many stories from people who tried to go vegan and almost DIED from the lack of nutrients.

I mean–

No one's body is able to live off veganism alone. They all require supplementation of some kind, usually in the form of vitamins (such as B12). These supplements are readily available in privileged cities (usually in powdered form) but not available in rural communities.

Four years back my brother had to charter a flight to get supplements for my child's mum from Darwin because she was actively starving to death since the NT restricted us from hunting on our own land due to some bullshit, and no one could leave town because we were isolated due to floodwaters (this happens every year in the wet season—only way in or out of town is by plane or helicopter). Over four months we were forced to eat every animal we had when the wet season start, and when we ran out of animals we ran out of meat, and she lost multiple teeth because her baby was taking nutrients from her bones since he couldn't take it from her stomach. Poor girl was skin and bones and it still wasn't enough—the boy was born with rickets.

This is what I mean by "anti-hunting is genocide". "Waaaah people shouldn't be able to hunt in a national park" so a whole village of people almost starved to death, including a pregnant woman, because we weren't allowed to hunt. And since we're isolated for half the year, we had no means of getting food or nutrients/vitamins to people who need it.

We were restricted to plants only and some things we were allowed to hunt (like certain species of fish) but nothing we NEEDED. But who cares if a few Indigenous people die on their own fucking land because the government says they can't hunt and continue their traditions? Not like they haven't been trying to kill us the past few hundred years.

Luckily this caused uproar when word got out, so we did end up getting that rescinded and were able to hunt again once the dry season start. But she's still missing her teeth and my boy's still got the scars on his legs from the braces he needed to wear, and I got ARAs to blame for them cuz they didn't like the idea of a couple a roos being ethically harvested to fill hungry bellies on Indigenous land we been on for 50,000 years.

[aristocratic-otter]

Howdy y'all!

It seems like I can only find the wherewithal to post on Sunday these days. Please don't stop tagging me for Wednesdays, though! I have hope that I'll build up the free time for it again!

Thanks to @prettygoododds, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @larkral, @wellbelesbian, @artsyunderstudy, @nightimedreamersghost, @rimeswithpurple, @shemakesmeforget, @whatevertheweather, @ileadacharmedlife, @facewithoutheart, @cutestkilla and @alexalexinii for tagging me over the last couple of weeks!

First things first, To Heal A Broken Mind is in the homestretch, y'all! It ought to be done in the next two weeks, and then goes to my beta, and then I finally get to share it with @yellobb-old and the rest of the world! Here's a bit of softness from the final chapter:

“I love you!” I blurt, and then squeak and hide my face in his shoulder. But he doesn’t let me hide, just chuckles and lifts my head up so I’m facing him again. . 

“I love you too,” he says solemnly, and I feel tears burn at the corner of my eyes. “But hold that thought. After tomorrow, say it to me again. And I’ll do the same. And we’ll start our new life…or, at least, my new life, with you in it. For good this time”

Westward Son is also on the downhill slide, both in the story and in the completion of it! I estimate that the final chapter will go up before November. Here's our crew getting to know a new friend:

Acorn knows where all sorts of forest gleanings may be had. He shows us berry bushes that still have ripe fruit, though chilled by the frost. He digs up squirrel hordes of acorns (his namesake, he chuckles), along with other nuts and seeds. And, while he is strictly a plant eater, he isn’t offended when we hunt the beasts of the forest. He even shows us the best places to set traps or string fishing lines. 

When I ask him if he’s bothered by us eating meat in his presence, he’s philosophical. “Should I grow angry at the puma or the wolf because they consume the beautiful deer and rabbits? Their needs are not mine, and so I am content with eating differently from humans, because I am not human.”

The next chapter of Saving Simon Snow is coming soon, lol (and so is Simon) (warning for smutty snippet below):

It’s harder than you’d think to roll your eyes and sneer in disgust when the love of your life is rocking in and out of you, and you feel so full that you’re certain you’ll burst. But I put in the work. 

“Consummated? You’re a moron, Snow,” I grumble, even as he steadily takes me apart. 

He laughs. “I feel like you should call me Simon when I’m fucking you,” he says, panting. 

“You’re a moron, Simon,” I repeat obediently. 

Here's a little bit of tension from Snow Fox (next chapter also up in a day or two!)

Gareth comes into view, his pistol now pressed to the back of Malcolm Grimm’s head. “I tied up the Lieutenant, Sir. Shall I give the rest of these blackguards the same treatment?”

Forgive me, Baz.

“As you please,” I tell Gareth, keeping my tone light. “And no need to be gentle.”

From my CORB, The Heart in The Well, Baz is in a spot of trouble.

A sharp pain in my skull, and I found myself facing a hobgoblin. He was holding me up by my hair. Hobgoblins are related to goblins, but their skin is more greenish-grey than green, and they’re far uglier. But they eat people, just like their prettier cousins. I wondered if I was about to be their next meal. 

I hoped they’d choke on me.

From what I am currently calling "Simon the TikTok Dancer" (which will absolutely not be its final name), try to guess who Simon's teacher is 😉

At least Snow’s obvious progress makes what I have to tell him tonight easier. I’ve been dreading it all day. San Diego State University starts up again on Monday, and so our dance season is over. I have to say good-bye to Snow, at least for the school year. 

I indulge myself in watching him dance, not eager to bring down the mood already. 

I can see spots where his control is rough, and areas where he needs more precision, but truly, he’s already beautiful to watch.

And finally, a little Simon and Baz bonding from Stars, Flowers, and Children:

Simon is bubbling over with excitement, and I can’t help being infected with his enthusiasm. The moment we reach the pond, he spins to face me with a wild grin and says, “We’ve found Blackbeard’s lagoon, Baz! His buried treasure must be nearby!” 

I stare at him. What on Earth is he on about?

Simon’s smile fades a little. When he speaks again, it’s in a softer, more coaxing tone. “Come on Baz. Haven’t you ever played a game of make believe?”

Is that what this is?  “I didn’t grow up around many other children,” I admit, stiffly. 

Simon’s expression softens into something that looks very much like pity. It’s intolerable. 

I'm actually posting well before midnight for once, so I'm going to tag generously. Welcome and join me if you'd like, friends!

@angelsfalling16, @aroace-genderfluid-sheep, @annabellelux, @bazzybelle, @bloodiedpixie, @bookish-bogwitch, @carryonsimoncarryonbaz, @captain-aralias, @cosmicalart, @confused-bi-queer, @dragoneggos, @erzbethluna, @frjsti, @fatalfangirl, @gekkoinapeartree, @giishu, @hushed-chorus, @ionlydrinkhotwater, @ivelovedhimthroughworse, @ileadacharmedlife, @j-nipper-95, @jbrrring, @jasonfunderberkerthefrogexists, @krisrix, @larkral, @letraspal, @martsonmars, @messofthejess, @melodysmash, @moments-au-crayon22, @moodandmist, @mostlymaudlin, @onepintobean, @prettylightsbigcity, @palimpsessed, @sillyunicorn

[scleroticstatue]

FAQ: Diet

What the actual hell?

I was desperate. I was frequently experiencing gastrointestinal distress, ulcers, and food-poisoning-like symptoms. While I did experience horrible ulcers for the majority of my life, the last few years had significantly progressed to the point where I couldn't eat any food that I didn't make without feeling some stomach problem — no restaurants, no fast food, no church potlucks, no dinner dates.

Do you know the cause?

Some of it was a food allergy to meat and meat byproducts, some genetic predisposition, and some was an h. pylori bacterial infection. There were other factors, but those are the three big ones.

What did the doctors say?

Unfortunately, the only thing the doctors could help with was the h. pylori, and the only way they could do that was antibiotics. Since I am allergic to amoxicillin-based antibiotics and since my family has historically very bad reactions to antibiotics, that was not an option, nor would it solve my meat allergies or genetics.

So what did you do?

I spent six months off of sugar and another three free of yeast (which inhibits bacterial growth) with a limited selection of food intended to grow my microbiome, then spent a week and a half on only probiotic food — yogurt, flax, kombucha, and kefir, as well as grapefruit peel powder for the last few days. After that, I did a total fast (no food or water) for two days, no food for three more days, and then slowly started adding juice and flax and then other foods back in over the month or so (to avoid shocking my system). During the fasting period, I also was doing manual lymph drainage, taking karanja seeds, and I routinely used a sauna throughout this whole experience that made it easier and faster.

You went for two days without drinking and five days without eating anything???

Yes. And I kept working my manual labor job. However, I am experienced at fasting; I do a total fast for 24 hours once a month and fast sunrise to sunset once a week. And because of my gastrointestinal distress, not eating for a day or two had become pretty routine for me.

Okay, what about the karanja seeds? Google says they're toxic to humans!

Did everything go like you expected?

Google AI is wrong. They are toxic to fish and a few other animals. However, in a study done with rats, researchers found they showed no signs of liver damage but what they did find is the oil in them could heal ulcers caused by stress and chemical damage at extraordinarily high rates.

More or less. Some things were better — I honestly expected to hate yogurt by the end of that phase — some were worse — I am now, for unknowable reasons, significantly worse at drinking water. I also became kinda manic bipolar while I was fasting and my nerves were so much more sensitive. 10/10 did not like it. Never want to do it again.

Did it turn out like you were hoping?

Will you do it again?

Wellllll....... Yes. And no. I feel much better and I can eat out without worrying and I'm not allergic to meat anymore. Buuuuut most meat still tastes nasty as all get out and I won't be eating it much.

Pictured for reference: goat biryani which I will never be eating again.

No. I will probably do a probiotic cleanse with yogurt and kombucha every year or two, just to keep my microbiome well-fed, but I will never do the total fasting ever again. Probably.

Do you recommend that anyone else do it?

How desperate are you? "I can't eat a lettuce and tomato salad" kind of desperate? "I ate tater tots and threw up" kind of desperate? "I'm surviving off pancakes and dollar store cheese dip because that's the only thing that doesn't make me bleed internally but oops I just found out the cheese dip is making me depressed" kind of desperate? You must be desperate to do what I did. And you are probably not.

[yonnkin]

How JJK men act on Christmas.

(December).

warnings: i am new and totally clueless spare me. uh... cussing i guess? tf am i supposed to write here :( and yes i am writing it in november. english is not my first language (will be open for some advices). i take it too seriously.

Gojo Satoru

He is the first to go for that fucking PINE tree, place it in the middle of the living room and decorate it. It doesn't matter that you are complaining because it's only the 1st and the tree made a big mess. Of course the christmas tree has to be real.

He makes you stay in the kitchen almost everyday for a few hours. Gojo had a sweet tooth and you just need to make him something. No matter what.

In your house you feel like in the store. Christmas songs playing over and over again. You start to wonder if He does it on purpose to piss you off or playing "Jingle bell rock" or different every other song just makes a full grown ass man happy.

He doesn't wait til' morning for the gifts. After Christmas Eve He just can't sit straight and wait til' everybody is done eating and talking so He can get his hands on those bags and boxes. You feel like Satoru is your cousin, not a boyfriend.

Toji Fushiguro

He basically doesn't care about the tree nor traditions at all. You want a Christmas tree? Go and get it. Though, Toji is not so cruel and He will actually help you bring the Christmas tree and everything you need.

Don't you dare actually play a Christmas song more than once. He is already fed up when He was stuck with you in the shop for a few hours and poor Toji had to listen to it on a loop. It's one of his excuses to not work here. Same with everything else so you can provide for him.

Toji actually enjoys your cooking and baking. Not as much as Gojo but still He won't refuse when you offer him a gingerbread man.

About the gifts... He has no shame at all and buys you presents with your credit card. But this Christmas his masculine side was louder than his arrogance and actually paid himself. Still won't tell you how He got the money.

You don't go to your family on Christmas Eve with him, you go alone for a few hours and then come back to him sitting on the couch waiting.

Nanami Kento

He will gladly help you with decorating the Christmas tree and house. If He has enough energy, Kento will actually take you himself to the shop to buy new decorations and useless things you will use only this year.

Helps you with the cooking. All the meat, fishes and salads are made by him. The only thing He leaves for you is baking. He just doesn't feel it... and the burned paint on the wall in the kitchen too.

He doesn't mind the songs as long as you don't over do it and if you do He will just turn it off, calm himself for five minutes and ask you politely to stop.

On Christmas Eve He presents himself very well in front of the family. Don't drink.

Wash you all over with gifts. All the perfumes and clothes you saw and had on your "to get" list. You never actually try to ask him for anything throughout the year because you feel ashamed, but now him and you have excuses for it.

Geto Suguru

Very gentle and patient with you. Let's you decorate everything as you wish. He eventually helps you carry heavy things and holds you up to place the star or angle on the top of the tree.

Eat everything you made him. He is your no.1 taster. When you cook, Geto will just look at you warmly and taste the food you give him. You can't rely on his truthful opinion at all. Even if it's too salty or sweet Suguru will just nod in enjoyment and tell you that you're the best cook.

He actually enjoys the songs and can sit with you all day and sing them for you or just listen to them begin delighted by the atmosphere.

You both go to each other's parents and then to your friends. You will be the drunk one at the end of the Christmas Eve.

Gets you a one but big gift you want. A new phone? Got it. A expansive dress? Got it. But let's not touch the part that when he takes to go shopping in the december He buys too much for your enjoyment.

Sukuna Ryomen

He doesn't understand your stupid traditions and almost forbid you to actually celebrate Christmas, when He saw you bringing a fucking tree in the house.

He will only eat meat and everything that looks similar to everyday food. Sukuna refuses to eat your gingerbread cookies and candy cones commenting that He won't "...eat some cookie shaped in questionable human, what do you take me for?".

If you want to listen to your songs. Get yourself headphones honey. Ryomen is done with those bullshit songs and their universality. Why would you switch your music taste for a month? Why would you even listen to music in the first place?

He will not come with you nor let you to your parents. If you want to celebrate you can. But only with him alone. You should be happy that Sukuna even let you.

The only thing He does will be actually giving you gifts. Ryomen always loves seeing you so happy and cheery after seeing gifts. And of course most of the present are for his own enjoyment.

[risukadarlin]

[piofiore no banshou] vol. 4: henri - track one

1; midi

masterpost

                                                                                                                       ✿

[00:05] Oh, I’ll carry that.

You can leave the heavy lifting to me.

You can open that package instead.

I think we’ve finished unpacking now.

We only brought the essentials, so it wasn’t too bad at all, thankfully.

This is our new home.

The table.

The sofa.

The curtains.

And the bed.

I prepared the basics for us, but we can replace them if you find something you like.

It’s a bit smaller than your old room but I didn’t think a huge room would be any better.

You still seem worried whenever I’m not by your side.

That’s not it?

So… You just like being spoiled?

Don’t hide your face.

Look at me.

[01:18] You look good with your hair tied up too.

Of course, it looks just as good down.

You must be tired after such a long journey.

Even if we did stop at a hotel halfway, it doesn’t change the fact we took a longer route.

I’m sorry for pushing you so hard.

But… I’m glad we could leave some flowers for the children…

We haven’t seen them since I left everything with that person, after all.

Back then, my priority was protecting you.

I knew we couldn’t stay in that place for too long, so I even left the burial to someone else.

I know better than anyone that graves mean nothing to the dead, but…

I hoped it might bring them some salvation.

I pray they rest in peace.

Let’s go back one day.

We can’t go regularly.

But we should go again soon.

Oh, that’s right.

What should we do this afternoon?

There are still a few things we need to sort out but you can stay here and rest if you’re too tired…

Really?

Then let’s go out together.

We need things for the kitchen first.

We have a fridge but it’s empty right now.

Shopping is important but we’ve just arrived.

Shall we take a look around Bordeaux?

What do you think?

I’m glad you’re finally able to be open about how you feel.

You’re so cute.

Let’s have lunch first. We can find a cafe nearby.

Then we can look around the town for a bit.

We can buy the basics just before we come home.

Let’s buy the rest tomorrow and explore a bit more if we still have time after that.

Let’s go then!

                                                                                                                      ✿

[03:56] How was the food?

I’m glad it was to your taste.

The food here is quite different from where we just came from.

Lyon is famous for dishes made with tripe.

Its development was driven by the production of silk, so there are a lot of labourers living there.

So, they devised a way of making cheap ingredients taste delicious.

Bordeaux, on the other hand, flourished due to trade.

It’s also especially famous for its wine.

They use bordelaise sauce with meat and fish alike. It’s made with red wine.

It’s a lot more simple than other places we’ve lived.

Though, there is the famous Lamprey à la Bordelaise. 

I don’t think I’d like it very much.

I’ll try to find a restaurant that you’ll like.

When our affairs are a bit more in order, I want us to go on a long, relaxed date.

You always make cafe au lait at home. I’ve even started drinking it when we leave the house now.

You’re looking out for me, aren’t you? I know I don’t eat very much.

You think it’s better than me just drinking espresso, don’t you?

I know hot milk is better for the stomach but I just can’t bring myself to like it.

I’m sure you know that already, though.

Anyway, we’re in an entirely new city. Is there anything you’d like to know?

I’ll tell you anything I know.

Oh, that building you can see over there is the Grand Théâtre.

Bordeaux has been a seat of the government twice in the past.

During that time, it was used as the National Assembly for the French Parliament.

Let’s go to the Opera again soon.

I’m sure they’ll show one you enjoy soon.

Is there anything else?

[06:20] You want to know why I chose to move here?

Do you remember last year, we went to Bled in Slovenia during Christmas?

When I asked you where else you wanted to go, you gave a few options.

Bavaria in Germany.

The capital of music, Vienna.

And then, Bordeaux.

You said you wanted to see the Port of the Moon at night.

Obviously, I wanted to grant one of your wishes.

But this place is very convenient for me, too.

The population is large enough and the transportation system is rather varied.

There’s a railway and boats. 

We have options if something happens.

It’s also on the West coast of France, which is ideal.

I wanted to put some distance between us and Germany, considering the state of things there.

The church is still looking for you, even now.

I don’t think they’ll be able to find us easily, but apparently he put some rather troublesome traps in place before he died.

You don’t need to worry, we’re well hidden.

All this moving from city to city is just an extra precaution.

Until a while ago, I planned to allow karma to hit me with open arms.

I believed I deserved to be punished for my crimes.

If I really thought I’d one day be forgiven for what I did, I never would have plotted revenge.

But… I never planned to involve you. Any of you.

I thought I could protect you by locking you in that small house.

But it wasn’t enough.

That’s why I won’t ever let them be one step ahead of us again.

I don’t plan to hold back against anyone who tries to interrupt our life.

Obviously, it would be best if they never found us at all.

Don’t you think?

[09:01] Are you ready to go?

What do you want to see first?

Bordeaux Cathedral? It’s around 10 minutes from here.

We can see a few sights as we walk over.

                                                                                                                      ✿

[09:24] Bordeaux Cathedral, or the Primatial Cathedral of St Andrew, was built in the 11th century.

Well, the foundations were. They’ve been adding to it ever since.

You can see the spire from anywhere in the city.

You could even say it’s the building that best represents Bordeaux.

It was once used for the wedding of the King of France.

It’s also famous for the sculptures of the Biblical Day of Judgement.

There really are a lot of people.

Come here.

It’s a famous sightseeing spot. It can’t be helped.

Stay close to me.

I don’t want you to leave my side.

Okay?

Good. Let’s go inside, then.

I’m sure you’ll love the inside just as much as the outside.

[10:41] Isn’t it bright?

Most big, historical churches end up being quite gloomy inside.

But here… It looks like the entire inside is shining white.

I don’t believe in God, but I think you look beautiful in this Cathedral.

It reminds me of Burlone.

I remember once, you looked after me in the church, right after I’d been hit.

I was shocked; you said exactly the kind of thing my sister would have said.

Oh. I never really told you about what kind of a person my sister was, did I?

Let me think… 

Chloe was bright and sociable. She didn’t get shy around anyone.

When we were with the Falzone, she spent more time surrounded by adults than with me.

It was hard, at times.

But I never blamed her for it.

She was desperate to make a place for us in that mansion.

And now I know that love makes us do crazy things.

Where do you want to go after we finish exploring here?

Maybe we should go somewhere where we can see the entire city?

Ah, before that, you should pray while we’re here.

I’ll wait for you.

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[12:54] I knew you’d like The Grosse Cloche.

Can you see the Garonne River from here? It’s shaped like a crescent moon.

It’s almost blinding in the evening sun.

I can see why they call it the Port of the Moon.

So, how is it? Do you think you’ll like it here?

I’m glad.

There is just one thing weighing on my mind.

Bordeaux is a university city.

I saw a lot of men today who are the same age as you.

I know it might sound childish but a lot of them were looking at you.

If I wasn’t here, they’d most definitely try to talk to you.

I’m a bit worried.

Your shoulder?

Oh, yes… I was holding you close to me all day.

Especially in front of the cathedral and when we were in crowds.

I barely even thought about it myself.

I mean… I can certainly think of a reason why.

You said it before yourself, didn’t you?

I need to practise touching you.

It was probably because of that.

Now, I can’t relax if I’m not touching you.

It’s that time already?

I did plan on eating out tonight but maybe we should relax at home instead.

We should buy a bottle of wine and toast to our new lives.

[historia-vitae-magistras]

I think it might have been deleted with your old blog or buried somewhere but would you consider touching on Matthew having chronic anemia again? Idk I have chronic anemia and it's just weirdly comforting hearing your ideas for Matthew also suffering it

Oh man, yeah, I have thoughts. I just used this post to like brain dump 400 years of Matt meatsack headcanons so whoooo enjoy. Anemia was very common throughout history. Religious fasting, low meat consumption, famines, irregular food supply, blood loss, infection, cold exposure, lack of sunlight— you name it and it can cause anemia. I've got a friend who jokes that being anemic or vitamin deficient is just the Canadian default but to be fair its that isn't special or specifically Canadian. At least we get sun in summer. Sometimes. This got REALLY long like so long. I seriously did 400 years. asking me about the history of medicine basically makes me a word vomit machine. i am so sorry in advance.

I think about it as something that has often crept up on him throughout his life, like it will for most people at some point or another. It added a nice layer of misery too his existence. I don't think it was ever life threatening on its own but it did some damage over time or when combined with other things.

It's a reflection of carelessness if not neglect. I think he was often a healthy, happy child when someone gave a shit. Most of the people who did were his own, the few French Canadians. Occasionally Alfred, occasionally Alasdair, occasionally Francis, occasionally Arthur. These efforts were, however, mostly sporadic. Francois was desperate to squeeze out a profit, its often written that while France itself boomed, Quebec was a national embarrassment. When Matt and Quebec itself were failing, and they usually were, Francis left him to his own devices. Sometimes cared for sometimes not. This was the ancient regime, this era of intricate at and rococo and excess and high sophistication. Matt, a backwoods money sap was about as interesting as the smell of piss in Paris or Versailles. He didn't get hit, he got fed as well as anyone else, he tried to be useful. Here the anemia is seasonal. Shit food storage, lent eliminating what nutrition there was in the diet of the late winter, hard chores, cold weather. Late winter and early spring was always hard and I think it just hit him harder. It didn't matter though, being freezing tired and anxious because he's got one functioning blood-cell didn't matter if he had something to do.

It was really bad after the hand over. Years of hardship was crowned by the British and the French armies both burning Canadian crops and cutting off hunting fishing or any other method of obtaining food. Hauling canoes, marching. It wasn't uncommon for soldiers to just drop dead and I'm sure Matt did at some point.

The 15 years between the capitulation, the hand over and Alfred leaving were probably the best of Matt's life in some ways. He ate better under Arthur's hand. He didn't really get treated the same as Alfred but he ate as well and he was pitiful enough and Alasdair engaged enough he was only doing light, actually age appropriate chores, usually eating as much as he wanted and sleeping enough, usually snuggled up to Alfred's side. He started growing a little bit.

It didn't last. Enter another decade of war. An invasion of Quebec, being hauled up and down the American colonies as a paranoid Arthur loathed him for still holding affection for Alfred whiling counting on him to be disloyal and bail Alfred's ass out at least twice. No one pays attention to the quiet unassuming child always half out of sight so Matt got away with a lot. These years were hard when he was with Arthur. Shit food, not enough rest, abject emotional misery. He had it better than Alfred at least but thats not saying much. Shortly after the war turned south as the Americans slowly began to get the upper hand, Arthur dragged Matt with him. And the anemia contributed to the malaria and on a hot day he fainted, slid right out of the saddle and hit the ground. Arthur sent him north and didn't speak to him until Yorktown.

The years between Yorktown and New South Wales were pretty bad. The American revolution hadn't resolved the economic problems that Matt's acquisition had caused, there was no money to squeeze out of Canada, and the economy sucked. He was a part of the household. He did some chores, got fed two meals a day like everyone else, had somewhere to sleep. This is where I think a cycle kind of began. On the odd occassion someone was spending time with him, he got more or better food, affection, and with more energy he was bright and a bit less disappointing. Next to Alfred, everyone looks kind of dull but the cold, anxious lethargy of anemia made him look even worse. He's uninterested, doesn't initiate much, not very talkative, has to be forced out of bed. He seems lazy, stubborn, not particularly bright and that just adds to poor returns on any attention he ever does get. He feels like shit most of the time. The anemia doesn't help but he's just depressed in general. When Alasdair visits or someone acknowledges his existence and feeds him something with an actual vitamin in it, he has a little spirit in him again and got the cat for instance and Arthur gives him a whole 30 seconds of interest for the first time in probably a solid decade. He also fucked off back to Halifax without anyone noticing, working his way back on a ship and living pretty rough.

In a fit of frustration with how Matt only really seems to ever be happy when Alasdair is around, Arthur takes him to sea. Matt's a good sailor at first and Arthur is fairly pleased but long times at sea with shit food breaks down Matt's attention span, dropping those iron levels along with the vitamin c and everything else that plagued the average sailor. A vang line takes a chunk out of him and he gets knocked overboard in the process and Arthur dives in after him and kind of realizes, oh shit, thats the last kid he's got and even if he's pathetic he's better than nothing so Matt gets upgraded from a constantly damp hammock on the orlop deck to a fairly cosy cot in the captain's cabin. Matt receives a whole fuck given from Arthur, some decent food, heals up and its the perkiest Arthur's ever seen him. Instead of a dead-eyed pointless money suck, here's a bright, eager to please lad who hangs on Arthur's every word.

There are more wars with the French but Matt is loyal and by the very end of the century, the British royal family visits Canada and Queen Victoria's father actually took a French Canadian mistress iirc. Matt's growing a little, he's getting fed, he's getting attention. Arthur takes an interest, even lives with him sometimes, writes now and again. There are still some lean years, and he was really sick a few times in the late winter and early spring and once with cholera but its a lot better than it's ever been. He has another bad bout of it when Arthur throws him to Australia after the rebellion, shivering in the heat of the antipodean sun because he hasn't had a decent meal since he got on the ship six months ago. He was in bad shape if nothing next to Arthur when he earned his place back when he and Alfred bailed the imperial dipshit from the soup pot of HMS Terror. After that he's pretty good for a few years, living more like the son of an English country squire or whatever the fuck Arthur's pretending to be.

He doesn't have problems again until after he spends a few months with Alfred after Alfred got galloping consumption while burning the shit out of himself during Sherman's march to the sea. Alfred gets better, buts the lid on the whole Fenian thing and fucks off west. Matt's pretty healthy at this point, but spending a few months with a dying TB patient eventually leads to the inevitable and when the economy tanks just after confederation, its a whole ass free fall. He doesn't really mention it to anyone, but eventually he can't avoid Arthur's summons, dies on the old man's favourite sofa and they spend a lot of time at the sea side shoveling food at Matt until he doesn't look like a corpse. Things are good and stable for a decent period after that. He still has the odd small problem because he's slowly turning into a caffeine junky and eating with coffee and tea blocks iron consumption but mostly he's good. No major problems. He gets taller, things are going okay.

World War one he gets a nasty drop in iron every-time he's gassed, its fairly common and worsened existing issues. He does okay with the help of a lot of cocaine and coffee and tea until the kansas flu which can cause just all the anemia's just all of them. Not really unique to him but whoooo its a familiar feeling for Matt. It never really went completely away during the 20s or 30s. He was in pretty bad shape but he's kind of used to being in pretty bad shape by the great depression hits and the drop is bad but it isn't quite as catastrophic for him as it is Alfred.

World War Two has some rough moments, but in the grand scheme of things he's fine compared to the rest of the world. Post war goes pretty good. One short bout after Suez when he's pretty much exiled from the family and stops eating but Arthur gets a grip and he's good plus Jan's answer to most problems is calories so its pretty okay. Matt still doesn't know whats going on with that though.

It probably becomes the worst its ever been in the 70s and 80s as he and Jan drift, he has political issues at home, his foreign policy is increasingly isolated from the rest of the anglosphere, and he's doing a lot of drugs. Like a lot. Not eating in spurts. Not sleeping in spurts. He's careful enough it doesn't show but when things get so bumpy he starts going feral in the woods around this time it shows up in force and continues to be a problem when he's out there, when he's depressed, or just on some pretty intense green outs where he doesn't really pay attention to reality. Or he just doesn't give a shit. I feel like Zee only finally succeeded in getting him to do some blood work in the 2000s. Might have been when he had one of his depressive not really eating spurts, picked up something bad and was pretty helpless when the clock started to melt somewhere around 39 degrees. She took the opportunity to tap his veins like a maple to do a blood count lol the man is shocked when doing the bare minimum for his meatsack actually helps you know, keep him alive and healthy and not catastrophically depressed.

[panie-wanie-dean-bean]

Name: March

Age: Mid 30's

Pronouns: He/him

Sexy bits: Dick

Species: Human

Looks: Gruff, tall, stocky, wears whatever he can be bothered to throw on that morning, big stompy boots, messy long hair he keeps in a ponytail, nice leather eye patch (He just prefers it over a glass replacement), multiple scars littered across his body (One to note would be the short scar off the left corner of his left eye. Or what would be his left eye if it was still in his skull)

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Job: Fisherman

Hobbies: March doesn't feel at ease most of the time so he usually keeps his mind busy by working. But, if he can manage to tire himself out enough he likes to read. It's a bit awkward now that he only has one eye but he won't let that get between him and his gooey romance novels

Kinks: Subbing (most of my characters are switches and verses just because I find it more freeing but March might fully be a sub), making love rather than fucking, praise, being cared for, bath sex

No-nos: Doming, being a toy or plaything, any kind of monster role play

================================================

Friends/family: Was raised by his mom, there were always men coming in and out of the house so his mom doesn't even know who his dad might be

Had an old fishing buddy before the incident

Other ocs:

Linda scouted him when she was visiting the Big City for business. He was barely making end's meat there so when she offered him more than what he made a year every month for taking care of a "little" problem in her lake, how could he say no? Big fella's not so bad anyhow

April comes around every now and again. They don't talk but some times they'll bring over a new book for him and some snacks. They almost haunt him? Not in a bad way, but in the way where they just kinda show up and hang around before eventually dipping back out. He likes them

================================================

Background: One of his mom's boyfriends took him out fishing when he was about 7 to try and bond with him a bit. He didn't end up sticking around but he left him his old rod and some bait as a goodbye gift. It became a habit for him, any time things got weird or heated at home he'd sneak out to the coast near by and cast a line

As he got older he started to keep what he caught, either to sell or to eat. When he was 19 he offered up a job by some eccentric rich guy. They wanted him and a crew they'd put together to go out to sea and hunt a true, genuine sea monster! Or, that's how they put it anyhow. March never actually believed in the thing but the ship he'd be on was nice and sturdy, big too. They said they'd pay even if they couldn't catch it, and it would get him away from his mom for a few months at least. What was the harm?

There were quite a few people who took the job, but there was only one who mattered. His name was Aaron, and what a sight he was. Broad shoulders, a sweet laugh, and enough optimism for the both of them. The two would often stay up late together, playfully arguing about what shapes they saw in the stars while talking about what they were gonna do after they got back on solid ground. After a few months, their stories wove together, the two of them talking about getting a house together, staying friends, possibly becoming more

They never had the chance to. March never believed in the monster they were hunting until he saw it with his own eyes. He still couldn't as it took one of them. He couldn't believe any of this was real as it stabbed his only love through the chest with some barbed appendage he couldn't recall without feeling ill. Only four of the fifteen men that were hired made it back to port, all in horrible shape, no dead monster to even prove what happened to them

The guy who hired them actually paid them more than they originally offered to cover their medical bills, the extra wasn't enough to cover all of them but it was a kind gesture

After that March swore off fishing entirely, throwing his old poll into the back of his closet to be forgotten. Until she showed up. Linda had heard of his little monster expedition, she actually believed everything he told her which was refreshing after all the jeers and fake sympathy he'd received after coming home. She offered him a deal he really couldn't pass up, more money then he'd ever seen in his life and a way out of the Big City

When she said he'd be "taking care of" her little lake problem he hadn't expected for her to mean "baby sit a fucking kraken" but, the money was good, the town was good, and the big guy turned out to be pretty nice honestly. At least he didn't have to go into The Woods or Mines

How you met: One of the few times he's away from The Lake and his little house is when he needs smaller bait. The Lake fucking provides but it feels like a shame to dress a good fish just to catch something small, so he goes to Lav to get some earth worms from time to time

It's during one of these infrequent sales that he meets you. He swore off of loving anyone after the incident at sea, but the heart wants what it want. And holy shit did it want you. You were perfect, he just knew it, after first sight he was yours. And when you looked at him, those beautiful eyes locking with his, he realized

He was elbow deep in a bucket full of worms

First impressions are over rated anyways! He makes sure to get your address from Lav once you get back to your day and starts to write you love letters. Un-addressed, of course. He'll let you start to like him a bit more before telling you he's the fucking worm guy. Uuuuugh

[sonicasura]

Sonic, not only Reno but Kikoru, Mina, Soshiro and Okonogi have had multiple times eaten kaiju meat at Kafka's place without knowing it. Especially since Kafka is very good at masking the taste and smell of kaiju meat without ruining the flavor.

All of them have very mixed feelings about it and the looks are picture worthy. Mina has the best one, considering she have had years to eat it with Kafka whenever over at his place when they kids or teens. It is also not helped that kaiju meat is surprsingly good too and don't taste too much different from pork, beef, chicken and various other meats.

And yeah thats pretty much how Kafka fish when in kaiju form. Either using his tail or hunt bear style. He doesn't do that much anymore after Reno and Kikoru came into his life, so he learned quickly how to use a fishing pole instead when it was time go on camping trips. Which both kids loved.

Yeah, Kafka did think about getting some cameras at first. But like you mentioned he realized all the editing he would have to do to avoid the boy seeing the kaiju side of of him. So Kafka just dealt with it until Reno grew out of it.

Though that did not mean Kafka did not take pictures of all the different spots the boy ended sleeping on thanks to that habit. Reno of course is not happy to know about that.

And since Kafka is such a lovable fool and a manchild, Reno found himself in some interesting situations. A good deal of the, most infact, was at first a bit embarrassing for Reno especially when Kafka went to pick the boy up when he could. But even Reno found himself laughing his ass off due to some of the situations his dad ended up in.

And then there were the visit to Tabiki and Hina. I've alredy told you how much he loves going to those two. As a whole, the Hibino family is giving this boy the much needed family love he so desperately needs.

And when Reno finally started his therapy sessions that started in the second year of Kafka becoming his foster dad? Well lets just say that was when Kafka learned about Reno's stubborn streak. It was a battle and half for the himbo to get the boy to those first few sessions at frist, having to bribe the boy on occasion as well. Reno honestly did not see why he needed to go to them at first, but as he went to each sessions things became clear soon enough.

It was the same when Kikoru had to go to hers as well. That girl is just too stubborn for her own good. At least Kafka had help from Reno that made things a little easier on that front as Reno had other ways to help.

Mina honestly feels like a closet foodie in my opinion. You don't catch her eating the more absurd or daring stuff in public. She totally would be fine with eating kaiju meat, lol.

I imagine Kikoru and Reno knowing he's part kaiju would be enough to do some feral fishing again. The dude is a manchild plus the latter asked how he used to fish. Someone's gonna take a picture of Kaiju!Kafka dragging a tuna onto land by his teeth.

Now I just see Reno comically hiding from his foster himbo whenever it's therapy day. Kafka honestly feels like he's taking a cat to the vet.

[unrepentantcheeseaddict]

Writing Share Tag

Thanks for the tag, @mundanemoongirl ☺️

Open tag, because I'm half asleep and can't remember anyone's full usernames at the moment.

This is the first part of a shortish story I'm working on, hope y'all enjoy!

Mother Wake is more than legend. She’s a creature of the deep sea, lurking in the churning dark water under the chalk cliffs. She learned to speak our language a long time ago. The men say they hear her singing when they take the boats out to fish. Only the men. Women of the Chalk Coast never leave the land. We haven’t done for sixty years. My granny’s older sister was the last one who tried.

Granny doesn’t talk about her often, but we know the main strokes of the story. Granny was ten. Alice was a few years older at thirteen, pretty and headstrong. She talked her sister into helping her steal a small boat one night. Granny chickened out at the last minute. She sat on the docks while her sister sailed off, and said she’d wait until Alice came back. Alice got far enough from shore, out into the deep part of the water. That was when she jumped. She never came back up. They never even found a body.

“Merra!”

I snap to attention in my seat, whacking one bony elbow against the corner of our kitchen table. Pain shoots through my whole arm and I cuss. My Mum sighs, loud and long. “You were daydreaming again, weren’t you?"

I duck my head. “Sorry Mum.”

She smiles her crooked smile. “Don’t bother with your sorries, I know you can’t help it. Let’s just get these potatoes peeled.”

I give a sloppy little salute. “Aye-aye, Captain.”

Mum snorts. “Stinking right I’m Captain of this house. Your Pa and your brothers can have the boat, I’ll take my garden and my chickens anyday.”

I grin and get back to peeling potatoes. She and Pa have five children, but I’m smack in the middle and the only girl. That means I’m the only one who stays home to help with the land-bound chores. There are a lot of land-bound chores.

I don’t mind it most days, especially in early summer when everything’s growing in the garden. But right now it’s dead of winter, snow’s thick on the ground outside, and we’re stuck all sleeping in the two big beds near the woodstove. Mum and I have spent most of our time knitting, chopping wood for the fire, and triple-checking our stores in the root cellar and meat shed to make sure we don’t need to borrow too much from our neighbors.

After we’ve got everything peeled and cut for stew, Mum tends the fire. I light the kerosene lamps to ward off the gloomy dark gathering outside. Our cat, Betty, rubs against my legs and purrs before starting back over to the larger bed. She’s spent most of her days there since she had her kittens two weeks back and hasn’t had time to hunt so much. I sigh and give her a leg off the chicken I tried to cook yesterday. I left it in too long and the legs are more like jerky now.

Betty gives me an approving mrow. She catches the thigh bone up in her mouth and carries it closer to the bed, so she can watch her babies while she eats. They’re in Granny’s lap right now, tumbling over each other while she snores steadily louder. How she sleeps so well through the rest of our noise I’ve no clue.

“At least you like my cooking, Betty.” I joke, wiping my hands on my apron.

“Merra?” Mum calls.

“Huh?”

“Run down to the cellar and fetch some more carrots, will you? I forgot to grab enough of them the first time around.”

I nod, already putting on my shawl.

Once I get into the cellar, I hear an odd sound. Like water dripping. I frown, trying to listen closer. There shouldn’t be water down here, and if there is, it’s a problem. With water around, rot will get into our food stores. Without them we might not last the rest of winter.

I pace the length of the cellar, lifting my lantern to inspect every inch of the walls. Once I reach the far corner, I see it. There’s a big crack in the wall, just large enough to fit myself through if I turn sideways. I hear the sounds of dripping water clearer now, echoing through the darkness on the other side of it.

“That’s never been there before.” I mutter.

I know what I should do. Get the carrots, go back up and tell Mum about the crack.

But I'm too curious for my own good, always have been. So instead I suck in my stomach, heft the lantern out to one side, and shuffle sideways into the crack in the wall. The stone scrapes at my elbows and tugs loose threads from my skirts, but I can fit all right. It’s dry so far. I still can hear the water clearly though, and a cool breeze tickles my face. I wrinkle my nose. It smells like rotten seaweed and bloody fish guts, the way the docks do after the men bring home a big catch.

Then my brains catch up to my nose and I frown again. Wind underground makes about as much sense as the sun rising westward, unless there’s a cave down here.

“Well, I ought to make sure.” I tell myself firmly. “Can’t go worrying Mum if it might be nothing.”

That’s an excuse, and every part of me knows it. It’s foolhardy in all ways to go down into an unknown cave with only myself. But I’ve been cooped up in our little house for half the winter already, and cooped up in our little nameless village for my entire stinking life. I could use a little foolhardiness, no matter how much Mum scolds me afterwards.

So I take a deep breath and keep going. A few dozen steps more and the crack widens out, becoming something like a big, jagged stone tunnel. It slopes down steep and twisty. I keep going anyhow, keeping my free hand on the rough walls and my eyes on my feet. If I trip, who knows how far I’d fall.

The tunnel keeps going down, down, down. I follow it, squeezing through another thinner crack and a couple steep spots where I’m more climbing than walking. The smell is stronger now, and the walls are getting damp and slippery. I stop for a moment, realizing I have no idea how long I’ve been down here.

“I hope Mum isn’t worried.” I mumble.

But I know she is, and I’m already hunching my shoulders in shame at what a bad idea this was. I have the sense to check my lantern, then. The candle wick is almost burnt to nothing. The flame is wavering on the pool of melted wax at the bottom, sending my shadow flickering and dancing along the tunnel walls.

I cuss, more than I ever would if Mum was there. I’m turning to make my way back, but I turn too fast. My shawl swirls the air into a breeze, and the lantern goes out.

[beauty-and-passion]

Beau! Hello! How are you doing?

Hi! :D It's so nice to see you again! I really missed our conversations, can't wait for more of them to come soon! <3

This summer has been pretty busy for me. I studied almost every day - but it's summer, it's hot and my will to study was below zero, so I skipped a few days here and there, did other things, studied in the morning only and so on. Still no idea about the results, but when I get them, I will let you know :)

In the meantime, I still enjoyed my time by doing other stuff, like:

Cleaning

I love organizing things and since I finally had some time, I took the chance to:

Write a full inventory of the garage/storeroom where my family has been accumulating stuff for years

Buy a couple new storage racks for my apartment and move some furniture around. Still not over, but it's an improvement

Also, since my mother finally realized that yes, we have a lot of stuff indeed and we can rid of some of it, we went on a cleaning spree and cleaned:

The woodshed which had everything inside except for wood. There was even a sewing table!

The front garden of my house and that meant removing a shit ton of plants because my mother decided it was a great idea to plant them all together. She literally put two palm trees inside the vineyard. Those have been hard to tear down, but when me and my brother finally did it, the satisfaction was immense

We still have to move some stuff and properly clean the storeroom, but we have to wait for my uncle first: once he takes some furniture away, we will be free to keep going.

Keeping healthy

Since I went to the gastroenterologist and he told me to change my diet, I lost 7kg immediately and I feel WAY better. But it's still not enough: I plan to lose 7 more kilos, just to be in perfect health and to keep being healthy, even if I gain a couple kilos back in the future.

In order to do that, I kept (and try to keep) a schedule made of:

walking at least 6000 steps every day

spending at least one hour doing exercises and yoga 5 days a week

following the healthier diet suggested by the doctor, which is made of fresh fish and meat, fresh vegetables, almost no bread, gluten-free pasta, rice, couscous, no milk and no processed products. It was hard the first few days, now I feel bad when I don't follow this plan. I don't miss junk food and I still allow myself a treat once in a while. Also, since I am lazy, I cook once a day and double the amount, so I can eat for dinner and have a meal ready for the next day's lunch. This way, I'm always covered and I don't feel like resorting to junk/fast food (I also got rid of everything unhealthy, so it would be impossible anyway).

trying to get a better sleeping schedule: my alarm clock is set at 7:50 every day except for the weekends and I allow myself to get a 1-hour-long nap in the early afternoon. I also try to go to sleep around midnight, but still end up sleeping at 1am, so there's still room for improvement.

Writing

Studying was hard, but writing has always been great. And when I can have a schedule, it's even better :D

I started with two hours, every day. Right after dinner, when my mind was still fresh - and the weather gets cooler too. Then, around 10pm, I move on the couch and watch a few YouTube videos, before going to bed.

Some days, I didn't want to write a single line and had to force myself to write at least for one hour. But there were also days in which I wrote one or two hours more than planned. And now, I can write a few hours in the morning too and that means double productivity! :D Also, after sitting for so long in front of a screen, the exercise session in the late afternoon is even more enjoyable.

Small trips

I couldn't allow myself to take a longer breaks this summer. And that means I won't be able to visit Greece, so I took small trips to my uncle's farm and 1-day long trips to a few places.

In July, I visited Gaeta and Sperlonga (Italy). Those are two beautiful towns between Rome and Naples, with wonderful clean sea and beautiful sights. Sperlonga was especially cute, because the oldest part of the city is on a hill, so there are a ton of narrow streets, white-painted walls, corners decorated with seashells and painted tiles, tiny stairs and little plazas. It was nice.

In August, I visited Rovinj (Croatia): that's another little town, with a wonderful green sea. While we were there, we took a boat trip and visited the nearby fjord and wow, it was just like a postcard from a Norwegian fjord. And the trip was very enjoyable too: the boat owner offered us drinks and gave us interesting insights about what we were seeing.

I have two more trips planned for the next week: a water park tomorrow and a small cruise trip next week. Then, nothing else for now. Maybe will do something for Christmas and even New Year, but we'll see what offers we can find.

What about you?

What did you do these months? How did you spend your summer? How are you spending these last few days of August? And do you like to sleep as much as my cats like it?

[the-scrappy-stinger]

What the FUCK is "champon"?

Oh well, I'm about to learn.

Well that was fast! And holy shit, an actual woman in charge for once!

This'll be a treat! Maybe KitKat will be less of a dickhead to a lady proprietor aaaand she has a boyfriend by the end of the manga.

Okay, so Aki and Peter have called KitKat to save the restaurant. So don't worry! Help is on the-

Who the fuck is this?

This is uuuh... ... Reese's Cup. He's got skills!

But Peter's got a weird feeling that the dude isn't legit, not like this food he had at a place called Goro- go- (looks it up) Goryokaku-tei.

It's KitKat's old place. He's talking about Kitkat.

But anyway, Reese's Cup is all ready to open up the restaurant with a new recipe, a new facade, and a new name!

The name of Gor- (stops and looks) Gyokuryu, which is NOT Gokor- I'm bad at these names! (goes back) Goryokaku!!!

It's not like I can't pronounce any Japanese! These names just all stick together in my mouth!

So Reese takes Aki and Peter to get the approval and branding of a local Chinese food place, and the owner of the place asks to speak to Aki, and then when she starts talking-

Reese talks right over her. Well, at least he's on-brand for an off-brand KitKat. The established restaurant owner puts forth a challenge: if the first 20 people to order the champon finish every bit of it, they get his endorsement. So Reese kicks Aki and Peter out of the kitchen and cooks them all himself. 19 bowls in and everybody finishes it to the last drop. It's time for bowl 20-

Heeheeheee~ time for KitKat to KitKat

Maybe I'm glad he's not screaming at Aki? But this still feels like a copout. Like, other than Reese kind of subsuming her restaurant like an amoeba, people are eating it...

That's why. It's because Reese is stomping on KitKat's territory.

Peter's the one that narc'd on Reese. Good for him? Meanwhile

It... is though, you gotta do a good bit of mental math...

But like- okay, so Reese is named Yukichi and he worked at aaaAAAGH- (looks it up) Goryokaku-tei for like half a year before he quit. So KitKat is like "I'm gonna show you up with your leftovers!" and goes to cook

why does his shirt look like his chest hair- whatever! So he makes the food. Reese is so moved by his delicious food that he just kind of... fucks off, and Aki is like "Okay now YOU teach me to make champon!" and KitKat is like "The thing that made that chef bad is that he wanted attention!" and I'm like... man, you hate TV chefs the way that Oishinbo guy hates French food.

So let's get to the meat of it: why champon? Why this weird little veggie and fish sorta thing?

Because Aki got in a fight with her father, and if she doesn't make food so delicious that it makes him smile, he's gonna force her to marry a man she doesn't love. And she needs KitKat to teach her how to make food that's delicious to impress her father.

KitKat tells her she's an idiot.

And he fuckin' bails.

I'm gonna run out of pictures...

So Aki decides to make ramen instead... mostly because the fuckin' dragon outside her door makes everybody think her place is a ramen shop, and she suddenly goes "Oh right! It was actually ramen my dad loved!" and so she and Peter decide to make ramen instead, fuckin'...

And KitKat is like "legit, let's do that."

wait a second how long is this arc again? I'm getting flashbacks... I'm gonna run out of pictuuures!

So KitKat is like "Okay, ramen is a good business venture for amateur cooks because it doesn't take much expertise to master. What do you want to make?"

Aki says tonkatsu ramen. Peter says miso. They fight.

KitKat is like "okay you two need to get your act together or this is never gonna work." and makes them samples. They don't budge on not liking the other person's ramen, so KitKat is like "Okay. That's it. THE TRAINING" and takes them to THE TRAINING.

THE TRAINING is they're gonna work at the goddamn circus. The Japanese goddamn circus of course- are circuses a thing in Japan? I've only seen them in animes in, like, Gyo and fuckin' Yakitate Japan...

So KitKat makes them the circus's caterers for the next week and a half. They suck at it. KitKat's like "okay this is worse than I thought."

So KitKat gives them the food that the normal circus caterers cook and he's like "You know why these two make such good food? It's because they get along and they trust each other!" and Aki's like "Of course they do! They've been married for 20 years!" and KitKat's like "They're not married!"

"They're fuckin' KNIFE THROWERS!"

Or they were! They don't do the act anymore, but they were the knife-throwing act for like 15 years.

And now KitKat is gonna make them hurl knives at each other.

I'm gonna RUN OUT OF PICTURES

So Aki and Peter- okay only Peter practices the knife-throwing, Aki just goes in the kitchen and peels potatoes while the lady knife-thrower talks to her about the love between men and women, and eventually Aki and Peter are like "Peter!" "Aki!" and they kiss and because they have kissed, they can make delicious ramen.

And also KitKat doesn't actually make them do a knife-throwing act because that'd be, almost in his own words, a literal goddamn crime and fucking stupid.

Okay maybe I exaggerated a little but the thought's still there. So KitKat drives them back to their restaurant, explaining how this is only the first step to making their own rame-

Oh god DAMN IT!

So this is her father's doing.

Turns out he's actually a bigger dick than she let on.

So's KitKat.

But anyway their shop is destroyed, so to make a name for themselves, KitKat signs them up for the RAMEN COOKOFF!

Can we STOP with the racism- when was this manga published?!

1999?!?!

lord- okay... that's how many chapters this arc has been- how long is this now? (looks) this has been TWELVE CHAPTERS and we're still not done yet. Okay so Aki and Peter test a bunch of recipes and Aki comes to the conclusion to make ramen with a salt base- like the soup is basically just finely-balanced seafood stock and salt- topped with pickled onions the knife-thrower lady gave her. And KitKat calls it the dawn of a new ramen.

Salty onion water ramen.

I mean maybe it's good, I dunno. Just seems like overhype to me compared to tonkatsu and miso ramen.

But this arc is FINALLY OVER after... THIRTEEN ISSUES, along with a lead-in for the next issue.

and I did NOT

run out of pictures.