#water cashew nut

[kayawellhealth]

In this blog, we'll dive into the nutritional benefits of water chestnuts. From their high fiber content to their impressive vitamin and mineral profile, these versatile vegetables are packed with nutrients that can support overall health.

[immagoudaboi]

Does the panda believe in ghost?

I believe in the ghost of cashews past 👻

They haunt those who don't eat cashews and whisper into their ears about the health benefits of us yummy nuts. The cashew ghosts watch, peering unto the souls of the ne're-do-wells who skip over cashew nuts to eat, *dramatic pause* almonds, instead. That is the real horror!

The panda also believes in panda ghosts who munch the haunted houses made of bamboo and judge the other bears' costumes.

Come again, if you dare to risk being haunted by either of these ghostly ghosts 👻

[mayyce]

Vegan Spicy Cashew Crema Any Mexican dish will go well with this vegan cashew crema sauce because of its deliciously spicy and tangy flavor.

[thepeacefulgarden]

Fed Is Best.

No, I'm not talking about the "mommy wars" or the breast-vs-bottle debate. I'm not talking about baby care at all. (Good God, I do not care to open up that can of worms!)

I mean that the important thing is that you eat something. Even if it's not home-cooked (or only counts as "home-cooked" in the sense that you put it in the microwave in your home). Even if you didn't make it from scratch. Even on those days where that "lazy meal" you saw on the Internet that involved chopping an onion is too much. Even if it's not very much. Even if it isn't chock-full of vegetables. You ordered takeout? You walked in and bought one of those ready-to-eat pizzas from that one pizza chain? You walked in and bought a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store? You had a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store delivered? You boiled some water and threw in a brick of ramen noodles? You made a sandwich? You boiled some water and poured it into a cup of instant noodles? You scrounged together some leftovers from the fridge? You ate a snack cake? You ate a handful of nuts? You added some peanut or cashew butter to your instant noodles? You made a smoothie? You microwaved a can of soup? You had dino nuggets and smiley fries even though you're 35 and have no kids? That counts. Always remember, half-assed is better than no-assed.

[coyotelip]

starchaser microfic: nuts || @into-the-jeggyverse || wc: 638

“So how goes the honeymoon?” Sirius's voice on the phone is slightly interrupted by the poor connection, but unfortunately for Regulus, his words are understandable. 

“It would have been better if you hadn't reached me in the middle of the bloody ocean.” Regulus replies lazily, picking up another cashew nut from the platter next to his lounge chair. 

“Uh, what does Jamie do?” Regulus isn't surprised at all at how soon Sirius jumped to the topic of his beloved friend, it's even strange that it wasn't his first question.

“Why don't you ask him yourself?” 

“Well, he didn't answer my calls. I was starting to think that you are holding him prisoner for your sexual pleasures and want to break us up completely.” 

“Sounds like very accuratedescriptionof marriage, but, this is shocking to you, I didn't marry your best friend just for his huge d-” 

“Oh, stop it. Don't make me lie awake at night again with that horrible picture in my head. Better tell me how Italy is.” 

There's a splash of water and Regulus turns his head to see James climb out of the pool, ignore the towel and walk straight to Regulus, letting the water drip off him in heavy drops. 

“I don't know about Italy, but the ocean is... wet.” Regulus holds out his hand with the nut toward James, who has stopped at his feet. He bends down, a couple of cold drops falling on Reg's sun-warmed thighs, and the man wraps his lips around the nut and his fingers without breaking eye contact. 

“Oh, I wish I could be there, London is a pain in the ass right now with all this rain.” Sirius reminds Reg of himself on the phone. 

“Mmm.” 

Regulus's eyes are fixed on James's lips, and he doesn't let go of his fingers for a few seconds, but eventually the man releases them to ask, “Who's on the other side?” 

“Your ugly twin,” Regulus says with a smile, now running his free hand over the man's wet shoulders and hearing the unhappy exclamation on the other end of the phone.

“Oh, tell him I said hi,” the way James's smile has taken on a new bright glow at the mention of Sirius is a little annoying, but Regulus can't deny that he loves him to death even so. Regulus reaches for another nut so that he can touch James's lips again right now... not that he doesn't have every right to as his legal husband.

“James said hi,” he repeats into the phone, and meanwhile James sits on the edge of his lounge chair and strokes his bare legs with his wet hands, and his lips wrap around the nut and his fingers again.

“Ooooh, give him the phone, I miss him so much!” Sirius doesn't let him forget, but all Regulus' thoughts are now focused on the feel of wide palms on his lap and the seductive smile on James' lips.

“Argh, Sirius, I'm going to be honest. Right now I'm feeding your best friend nuts in a very homoerotic way and it's only a matter of time before we have gay sex right here on the lounger. If you're bored and miss him, I can keep you on the phone and do my best to keep his voice ringing in your ears, but I can't promise that it will be coherent words. The choice is yours.” Regulus is already in a sitting position and restrains himself from placing a deep, passionate kiss on James' lips. 

“Oh, bloody hell, you're going to drive me to my grave.” Sirius hangs up the phone without hesitation, knowing the rules of this game. Regulus always keeps his word. 

“All right,” Reg mutters under his breath, throwing the phone on the table and finally getting to the most important thing. 

[thestrawberrygirly]

✮ ⋆ ˚｡ healthy routine 𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

wake up at 5 am walking for 10 minutes brushing teeth workout drink 1 glass of warm water go to toilet (stooling) bath skin care breakfast at 9 am [recipe : oats with peanut butter, milk, cashew nut + almond sprinkled and honey (overnight in fridge will be great) ] study lunch at 1 pm [ lunch : any vegetable curry with rice ] study clean house at 4 pm workout + walking for 10 minutes drinking green tea at 6 pm study having dinner at 9 pm [ same as breakfast ] study drinking milk before sleeping brushing teeth skin care sleep

i actually made it for myself but you can follow if you want to <3

[unconventional-lawnchair]

A Second Chance pt.3 {Blurb}

Poly!Marauders+Lily x Fem!Reader - Zombie Apocalypse Au

Stick Season Noah Kahan

Masterlist

Summary: Reader has sometime with Remus, before she is sent out alone with Sirius}

Cw; Guns, death, zombies go nom nom , a lot of baby talk, cussing, minor character death, Zombie apocalypse typical violence, infants)

a/n- This is totally just filler, but next chapter is going to be very intense, so warning ahead of time

Wc-2464

Amazing People- @mooonyxoxo @sippinpeachtea @amethyistheart @zjasminelouvre3 @idonotknowenglish @le-clair-de-lune @shylahstarzz

You hadn't slept a wink. Still staring out the window with Hermione against your chest. She had fistfuls of your shirt, and you couldn't bring yourself to put her down, far too anxious of what would happen to her. Your mind wandered to the worst but just because you were terrified didn't mean the world stopped turning.

Eventually, Hemione woke up and gave her soft fussy gurgles. You stood up and tried to stay quiet. Lily had laid in the bed last night, and must have fallen asleep with Harry. They were both sleeping soundly, so you didn't want to disturb them. 

If last night had happened any other time, at any other place, with anyone else, you would have kicked them out. Send them straight back to the woods. It was cruel, but you weren't going to keep around people you didn't trust. However, they had Harry and your friends have done dumber things in the past. They seemed like truly good people, that was rare nowadays, and company of your own age wasn't entirely awful. 

Everyone was going through this for the first time. You did know one thing, however, Sirius was not to be trusted to have Hermione’s best interest at heart. 

You went about your routine, making your way to the kitchen, feeding her with what little milk you could find. You don't know much about about babies, again, you used to find them extremely annoying, but you knew that when Mrs. Granger first had Hermione, she could hardly lift her limbs.

Her husband had asked you to scavenge any nuts you could find, specifically almonds or cashews, he said it wasn't ideal but if he could use it with his water supply he could make a suitable replacement until his wife was better. It was crazy to think they were gone. Did they even think that it was a possibility? That you would be looking after their baby girl?

It was life or death in the moment, but they had made a point to involve you from day one. You hadn't been entirely close, but even if they were just a few years older than you, you looked up to them. So much resolve, tenacity, and with a bond you saw in the movies. It's crazy to think you had been traveling with them for two years, and suddenly, they were gone.

Thinking about it now, Mr. Granger made a point of teaching you what he knew, Mrs. Granger had made sure you were the first person Hermione was comfortable being held by at such a young age. For nine months you had to hear the nervous but excited soon to be dad rattle on facts about newborns that you now used day to day. Barty used to joke you were ready for your own, you could still remember the absolutely horrified look Regulus had when the thought of you as a mother came across his mind. Evan’s laughter rang in your ears as you elbowed Barty in the side for the sly comment.

Maybe they did have a feeling. They were always smarter than you.

You were snapped out of your thoughts when you heard Hermione give another gurgle, quickly you set the milk down and began to rub her back. You were distracted, again.

Using as little formula as you could with the abomination of handmade nut milk was the most sustainable option. Just three more months and it would be time to worry about getting your hands on mashed food. The stress of it all wasn't necessarily bad, you found yourself waking up every morning with someone to be awake for.

Cooing at her as you swayed around to keep her calm. You had to admit, she was a cute little thing. Even if it wasn't what you wanted, even if you lost the people dearest to you, you wouldn't go back. The idea that any other outcome would have resulted in those monsters getting their hands on her terrified you more than anything.

Those bandits, the so-called “Death Eaters” like some pathetic indie rock band name, were ruthless. They first started appearing about a year ago, they had even attempted to recruit your group. 

Some religious ramblings about the worthy and the righteous, always fell on deaf ears for you. Even then, they seemed particularly insane. Speaking of the rapture and innocence leaving the community around you. That the most dignified should step up and show why they were worthy to be on earth.

That was when, of course, you had just met the group.

You weren't as skilled as you were now, but you had been alone for months when this all started. Trial and error had your best interest at heart, until skill slowly took over. When you met them, you were not the most.. easy person.

As in you stabbed, who you later learned to be Barty, right threw the hand. To your absolute horror he called you hot for it. The damn psycho. You missed him. 

Evan wasn't far behind in thinking you were just the best thing since sliced bread. Maybe it was the change in faces around their boring camp, but you quickly went from some stranger they hunted with, to someone who would pop up at their camp. Eventually, you never left. You made friends with the people there, and being a part of a group made you feel safe since the first time it all happened.

Maybe that was another reason why you were so determined to keep these people around. You wanted nothing more than to be witnessed. 

You were once again rudely snapped from your thoughts at the feeling of being watched. You hated that feeling. You turned to look at the doorway from the hall to the kitchen and locked eyes with that Remus boy. He looked to be sweating, but trying to hide how much pain he was clearly in. He seemed startled to see you, slowly smiling and you nodded to him, turning to look out the window.

He joined you in silence, using two chairs to prop his ankle up above his heart. 

Eventually, he spoke up.

“How did you sleep?” 

“I didn't. Couldn't.” You mused and after a moment of silence you turned to see him again. His eyes were closed but he didn't seem to be dozing. “... did you sleep?”

“Couldn't.” He responded and you nodded. “The pain or your friend?”

“Both.” He mumbled and slowly opened his eyes. “He.. we'd known him since we were 11.” 

He seemed so solemn. It didn't even cross your mind they may have known each other from back before the change. You walked over and took a seat beside him, and he continued. “He was always a bit of an anxious kid, maybe he did some things I need to think twice about but.. I never would of figured him to..” 

“Yeah.” You whispered. “No one wants to think of a friend that way.”

You rolled your tongue. It was hard to hold a conversation, truly. You had been alone for a month, before that you spent two years of your life with people you mostly listened to. 

“So,” Remus began. “If you don't mind me asking, where were you when this all started?”

The question grew worn and weary with each new encounter, gradually losing its significance. It was more common than normal formalities at this point. 

It held a certain importance, though, as it let many saps share their story with another person. It was a way to ensure that, even in your absence, at least one person would know your story. That you weren't lost in this world like the thousands of others who were gone. So, when the inevitable end came, whether in the tearing grip of zombies or other perils that watched you in the tree line, someone would carry your memory until it became their turn.

It just seemed to hit you, everyone in that camp. Regulus, Barty, Evans, the Grangers. Their stories were now all that was left of them. Right.

You hoped to be so lucky to tell Hermione of the heroes her parents were. The lives they saved, including yours and her own. 

“It's a.. long story.” You sighed and he nodded. 

“Is there anything else to do?” Remus offered and you purse your lips. 

“Actually,” You looked out the window and bit your cheek. The sun was rising slowly, you didn't need to be anywhere just yet. “Short version.”

Remus leaned back against his chair and nodded before you took a deep breath.

“My dad, he worked for the military. He used to take me on these hunting trips with his coworkers. These two idiots and a pretty cool veteran.”

“Is that how you shot down that buck?”

“Learned from the best.” You nodded, smiling down at Hermione as you ran your hand soothingly down her back. “My dad and I got into this big fight.” You whispered, smile fading. “I took a hike early to get away from them all. They were being.. men.”

“Men?” Remus smirked.

“Men.” You cheeked. Remus was easy to be playful with. “On my walk, there was this guy. He looked unconscious. It was.. it was a bit jarring. Then when I called for help he got up. He was eating meat of some kind.”

You shuttered as you remembered so clearly the crazed and red faced man looking at you. Like you were his next meal. “And then my dads friend, Mr. Prewett came out of nowhere. He jumped in front of me and this guys just- well.. you can assume what happened. I went back to camp and I told my dad. He panicked and called the sheriff office.” You waved your free hand. “Useless. Eventually, there was this mass panic and people chasing each other. My dad packed up the car and told me to drive. To go home and wait for him and his friends there. He just.. never came back.”

Remus nodded along thoughtfully.

“What of you five?” You asked in kind. He fiddled with his nail. 

“We had just been sent home from boarding school. We were on a train home and suddenly it just stopped.” Refused recounted the horrified screams and the mass panic. Remembering locking their compartment and drawing the curtains. The sounds of tearing and horrified screams etched into his memory.

You winced a bit. “A train?”

“Right? I mean, who starts these things off on a train?”

Okay, that made you laugh. The cheeky bugger. “How did you make it out?”

“Lily broke a window.” 

“That.. makes sense. She seems like she has a thing or two going for her upstairs.”

“Something the other two lack.”

Okay, he was definitely charming too. A sense of humor could go a long way. A comfortable silence settled over you, before you saw how late it was getting. You began to stand and Remus winced as he shifted to look at you. 

“Where are you headed?”

“The spring further down the forest line. It's fresh water and I have an embarrassing purifier.” 

“You're taking her?” 

“...” You usually did take littler Hermione with you, you hated to be so far from the house without her. You knew it would be easier, however, to leave her behind. 

“I-”

“I'll watch her.” Remus offered gently.

Your eyes locked onto his hazels. You searched them with a determined tightness in your chest. Remus had never done anything to make you think he might hurt her. Something about the boy reminded you of safety in its purest form.

But you weren't going to just trust your gut. Not again.

“I'll set her down in the livingroom. If she cries-”

“I'll be here. I promise.” 

You slowly nodded and gave him a brief pained smile. His eyes were soft and so was his curled lips. Showing you a gentleness you only saw after you met the group. It frustrated you to no end, to not understand why your heart was clenching so painful and desperate in your chest at just a look.

You turned sharply and walked into the livingroom, past the sleeping figures to hide her away in the corner as you always did. You made a point to not look at Sirius nor James.

James seemed distraught, holding his curly strands of hair in between his fingers. Eyes bloodshot.

Seems no one slept.

“I am going out, down to the stream. It's a walk, so I'll be back by the time the sun goes down.” You informed them, it felt odd to have someone to report to again.

Walking past them, James suddenly stood up on his feet before he stumbled a bit. “Alone? You're going alone?”

Sirius came to grab his wrist and help him stay up.

You looked back at them with a quizzing look. “Yes. We need water. I figured the idea would make you happy.”

James shook his head. “No- no- water, it's- it's great.” He mumbled and stared at you. His eyes were low and filled with concern. You should have walked away, but he looked like a wounded puppy.

“Is that.. okay, James?” You whispered back. It was hard to stay too stern with him. 

“It is just.. just alone?” He pushed and you slowly crossed your arms.

“I have survived plenty long without-”

“I-I'll go with you! We can be quicker too, I'm pretty strong I-”

“James.” You cut in on his words sharply and his eyebrows pinched together with a sad look. “... yes?”

Merlin, you see why Lily was so taken with him. If the current situation was anything else-

“I will be fine alone.” You insisted before Sirius cleared his throat. 

“You?” You glared at Sirius, this time, unlike yesterday, he didn't shy away. “I'll go with you.”

“No.”

“Can't really stop me, can you?” Sirius mused and picked up James's gun. You glared at him harder and he sighed, handing it back to James. 

“No weapons.” He comprised.

“And you travel ahead of me.” You huffed, the black haired boy slowly smirked. “Darling, I don't have a clue where we're going.”

You rolled your eyes. “Just bloody- follow me then.”

Before he could make another comment you walked to the door and began to leave. James seemed to visually relax, and Sirius hurried after you.

“Don't slow me down.” You warned him, stepping into the porch. The outside was calm and serine, but there was this sinking feeling in your chest that only grew worse as you tried to catch something in the tree line. 

It felt like you were being watched. You hated that feeling.

Your thoughts were suddenly cut out of your mind when you heard Sirius.

“Wouldn't dream of it.”

[do-you-have-a-flag]

a recipe I keep making lately

chop up a salad, whatever you prefer. my go to includes red cabbage, cucumber, capsicum, coriander, and maybe some cos lettuce or grated carrots or celery. add salt and lemon juice or vinegar to taste and give some acidity.

boil water and mix with half a stock cube or red thai curry paste or whatever combination, add couscous to that

toast up some seeds and nuts, i prefer at least cashews and sesame seed but walnuts and pine nuts are also great

combine the previous items and add lao gan ma or other chilli crisp oil- or even siracha- on top. I like to use the chilli oil to fry an egg to make even more of a meal of it. sometimes i add the chilli crisp to the couscous directly

i love this because I love Big Salad and it's a great combo of: warm, spicy, crisp and refreshing, slightly tart, and crunchy.

also none of the ingredients take more than a few minutes each to prepare. you can chop the salad while the kettle boils, while the couscous cooks (can just be in a covered bowl or microwave) for a minute you can toast the seeds and nuts mix, while you combine the other ingredients you can fry the egg. so it can be very quick but even if you do things sequentially instead of simultaneously it generally doesn't take more than 20 minutes.

and multiple ingredients can be altered or substituted based on preference and what you have ready in your kitchen.

[the-lighthouse-lit]

BBRae Week Day 3: "Please don't ever do that again"

Length: 2,114 words

Rating: T

Excerpt: In an instant the goofiness gave way to suaveness. "Again? You wanna see me again, miss Raven?"

@bbraeweek24 🥰

───

“Okay,” the guy started as he sat down, “when I was seven years old, my parents took me to a zoo for the first time. I started crying and they were like, what’s wrong? I said it was about the cages, and they thought I meant, I was sad about the animals being kept in—but really, I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t allowed inside the cages with them. Anyway, they never took me again. But I still consider it the day I found my calling—I still ended up in a sanctuary.” He reached for his newly-refilled glass of water and then stopped, reconsidering. “Working there. I mean, I became a wildlife caretaker.”

“Thanks for clearing that up,” the girl said as he drank. “Wait, that’s what you open with? That’s how you choose to introduce yourself?”

“Yeah, I thought it was solid. Gives you an idea of who I am.”

That it does, thought the girl.

“Hit me with yours,” the guy requested.

She shrugged. “I’ve been letting people open and seeing them squirm.”

She did have squirm-worthy eyes. They were dark blue and stared on unapologetically. She also spoke with a detached tone, and she hadn’t smiled when he’d sad down—all things that would put most men on edge, but he liked to think he was charismatic enough to make up the difference. She was striking, but he didn’t remember her from the introductory mingling. That’s what was good about these events, he thought, you got to focus on people you wouldn’t normally go for.

Her name-tag read ‘Raven’. Like many women here she’d chosen not to add her last name. He himself felt he’d had no choice but to write ‘Gar Logan’, otherwise his tag was three whole letters, which felt suspiciously too casual. At that point it was like, what’s that guy hiding?

“What’s next? What do you do with uncomfortable silence?”

“Oh, you know, there’s all the clichés,” Raven said. “You covered ‘what do you do?’ Then there’s the where’re you from, and the what’d you do for fun?”

“Well, I’m from all over. I mean really I was born in Africa.”

“Africa? What country?”

“Middle of nowhere village in Upper Lamumba. Best childhood you can imagine.”

“Wow,” she allowed. That was a cool origin. If he was lying, so help her…

“But I can’t really say I’m from here, I was six when I left.”

“I like how you say that as if you, as six-year-old, made the decision to pack up and leave.”

“Mmh, the exact circumstances will be a story for another day.”

“Another day? You’re assuming we’re both swiping left?”

“I like to assume the best.”

He offered a smile. He’d been smiling too much since he’d sat down, thought Raven. He’d also gone straight for the little bowl of cashew nuts, and was popping one into his mouth every other sentence. He was an odd mix of performative and carefree, but he still seemed like he knew exactly how charming he was. In short, less than a minute into this speed-date, he was exactly the kind of guy she never went for. It made Raven relax, having discounted him in her head.

But she dutifully said, “I’m a teacher. Community college. I teach literature, and I’m also the unofficial therapist on campus. I’m from here, New York. And for fun, I read.”

“Not write?”

“Not every literature teacher wants to be a writer.”

“Fair enough. I write song lyrics, not that I want to be a singer. That’s for your third question. I also play the guitar. I like concerts, I like hiking, I like camping… the outdoors in general.”

Raven almost chuckled at how effectively he was ticking off all her ‘incompatible’ boxes. She couldn’t keep a smile back, and he noticed. “What?”

She shook her head. “I was just thinking how I hate camping more than anything.”

“Noted. You never answered where you’re from?”

“I didn’t? I’m from here, New York.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone here who’s actually from New York.”

“Would never live anywhere else.”

He scrunched up his nose. “Really? I wanna travel as much as I can. Like, I never want to spend more than a couple of years in the same place. It’s a tough dream, I know,” he added, because apparently he’d taken her bewildered expression for simple surprise. “So, you’re satisfied with your questions? You don’t feel they’re a little shallow?”

“I’m not the one who opened with a monologue.”

“Well, that was just the ice breaker. Now we have the chance to get deeper.”

“Is there a chance to get any degree of deep in an eight-minute conversation?” she questioned.

He thought about that. “I mean, just deep enough to know whether you wanna see someone again. That’s what speed dating is about, right?”

“I don't know. Everyone’s trying so hard to make a good first impression, you can’t really get a genuine assessment of people.”

He cocked his head at her; it made his wispy blond hair move with him. (He had too much hair, she thought. And she was decently sure he was younger than her.) “Sounds like you don’t believe much in speed dating at all.”

“Oh, jury’s still out on whether tonight was a complete mistake.”

He pointed at her and went, “Okay, core values. Go.”

“Seriously? That doesn’t work.”

He gaped. “How… that’s very important. What could you possibly have against that?”

She almost smiled at his indignity. “People telling you their core values is useless. The shallowest people can tell you they value genuineness. The drama seekers will tell you they crave peace and harmony. You don’t really know what people's values are until it’s actionable.”

“Yeah, I think I heard that. Don’t marry a person until you’ve seen them stressed, uh…”

“Gone on a trip with them,” she supplied.

“Yeah.”

“And when they’re sick?”

“I think struggling financially was one of them.”

“There’s probably different versions,” she allowed.

“Well, you give me questions, then.”

“Okay. Pet peeves.”

He gave that a moment's thought. He’d picked up some nuts and now let them drop back into the bowl. “Littering. Food waste. People who won’t try new stuff just once, like new food. Like vegan food.”

“You’re vegan. That’s a strike.”

“It usually is,” he laughed. “But, I’ve never forced anyone to try it.” He waited for a sign of acquiescence that never came. “Isn’t that a point in my favor?”

“Could be.”

“But…?”

She hesitated. “But nothing says you actually practice it. You could tell me anything. Anyone could say anything.”

“So could you.”

“Yeah, but…” He saw her hesitate for the first time in this date. “You seem like the kind of person who tries to make everyone like them.”

Raven had just been trying to push the conversation away from pet peeves without having to answer herself; she’d proposed the topic without thinking and regretted it instantly, because he was doing some of her pet peeves right in front of her. She would’ve had to tell him some of them included people eating absent-mindedly, people reaching for food they weren’t going to eat, people looking at you while they chewed… But now he was blinking at her, and she feared she’d gone too far.

“…Doesn’t everyone?” he posed.

“No.”

“So you don’t care if people like you?”

“…I care, I just won’t change in order to make it happen.”

“Well, I wouldn’t either. But you don’t trust me, so.” He finished that statement with a smile. (She was hit with the idea that she had really offended him, and he was using a smile to put distance between them. But she didn’t care what he thought of her, right?)

“Is it a bit? When you opened saying, I’m at a sanctuary, but I’m working there, I’m not there as an inmate? Do you do that every time?”

He laughed then, and she thought it sounded genuine. “No, the way I tell it deteriorates as the night goes on. I couldn’t act that well. But I get what you were saying.” Now he spoke carefully. “You’re… intimidating. Which is not a bad thing,” he rushed to add. “But, I guess, you’re used to people having a problem with that. So you don’t try to make them like you. Right?”

Now he was sheepish. Maybe he’d wanted to throw it back at her, maybe he’d just wanted to get deeper. Either way, she was satisfied she could consider them even. “You know what?”

“What?” he asked in a small voice.

“A girl behind you just got up from her table and is doing the splits, and I can’t focus on anything you’re saying.”

So he turned around. Sure enough, across the room a girl was straining her dress with a side slit as she lowered into a split under the eyes of her bewildered date.

“That’s a lot of trust she’s putting on that dress,” Raven commented, and took the space of time he was turned around to make use of her own complementary glass of water.

“Ooh, that’s what she was getting at,” said Gar when he turned back to her, “That girl asked me if I had any secret talents. When I told her what mine was she just… stopped talking. Completely. Until the eight minutes were out. I guess my talent was supposed to be sexy.”

She observed him, trying to take a guess. “I’m almost scared to ask…”

He didn’t let her ask. “I can move both my ears individually.” He used both hands to push his hair painfully back from his ears, and kept eye contact with her as he twitched one ear, then the other, then again.

The actual tip of his ears twitched down when he did it. For some reason it freaked her out. “Please don’t ever do that again.”

He let go of his hair, and in an instant the goofiness gave way to suaveness. “Again? So you do wanna see me again, miss Raven?”

She scoffed. But he seemed to be really waiting for an answer, so she said, “Realistically I won’t, no one here will. You’ve got one foot out of the city and you wanna relocate every couple of years.”

“That’s a deal breaker?”

“It would be for most people,” she defended. “Most people stay put in one place.”

“You know phones exist, right? The Internet?” He couldn’t seem to stop teasing her. He’d just realize she was blushing from when he’d put her in the spot just now, and it made a thrill go through him.

“You were hoping to meet someone who’d commit to waiting for you after talking for a few minutes?”

“Or maybe the right girl will come along with me. Maybe you’re underestimating the number of girls who are willing to be swept away to a completely new life. And didn’t you say people need to go on a trip together before they get married?”

“Is that what you’re after tonight? Marriage?”

“Would that be so surprising?”

The ring that signaled the end of the date came like a shot. Both looked at each other in surprise, recognizing it was the first time in the whole night they’d wished the eight minutes hadn’t ended. Both wondered if it was the same for the other.

Gar still got up, slowly.

“Did we finish a single line of conversation?” Raven asked.

“There’s a way to fix that,” he said, leaning on the table more than he needed to, she thought, in order to pick up his glass.

After the night was over, after she’d gone home and showered, and taken some time to soothe the nerves of her battered introverted nature, Raven pulled up the app for the speed dating event. A gallery of men’s pictures stared back at her, and she quickly located the one that read Gar Logan.

It would be borderline leading him on. They were completely incompatible, from their personalities, to their tastes, to their plans in life. It probably wouldn’t work out.

But somehow, they had never stopped talking the whole date. And all she wanted to do right now was find him and talk shit about the guy who came after him, who was actually here to recruit girls to join him and his girlfriend as their third.

She only had the name he’d given out—a security measure that had led her to choose this app. And she knew he wouldn’t stay long in New York. If she didn’t match him, she simply might never see him again. She’d lose him in the wide scope of the world.

Throwing caution out the window, she swiped left. Immediately she got the access to the profile screen that let her know he’d matched her too.

───

Notes:

I’m either writing 3 entries for this Week of literally just this one. T_T Whatever I end up doing will be up on AO3 eventually!

The ‘Camping’ comment is a subtle reference to the fact that I couldn’t think of anything for the prompt for Day 1.❤️

I pulled the workings of the speed dating app, and speed dating itself, right out of my ass. Don’t take my word for anything. I did ZERO research for this.

[kayawellhealth]

Chestnuts: Health and Wellness

Chestnuts are edible nuts produced by the trees and shrubs of the Castanea genus, which are commonly found throughout the northern hemisphere. While there are a number of different species of chestnuts, most of them possess similar qualities and nutritional profiles Chestnuts are good for health as it provides high levels of dietary fiber, minerals, ‘good’ fats, vitamins, nutrients, antioxidant compounds and these article we are discussing the health benefits of chestnuts.

Health Benefits of Chestnuts

Prevent Diabetes: Many people are unaware of the significant role that dietary fiber can play in the regulation, prevention, and management of diabetes. This helps prevent the spikes and drops in blood sugar that can be dangerous for diabetic patients, and are often precursors to the development of diabetes in those currently unaffected.

Boost Immune System: The high concentration of vitamin C and other antioxidant compounds in chestnuts make them an ideal boost to your immune system. This can help the immune system focus on pathogens and preventing illnesses.

Increase Bone Mineral Density: Copper and magnesium aren’t the first things that one thinks of when it comes to bone health, but copper is extremely important in the process by which the body absorbs iron, which is also crucial for bone growth and development.

Relieve Digestive Issues: Chestnuts have one of the highest content of dietary fiber in the world of “nuts”, which means that they are powerful allies in any gastrointestinal struggle. Dietary fiber helps stimulate peristaltic motion in the intestines, thus regulating your bowel movements and preventing inflammation and discomfort.

Improve Brain Function: Brain function and cognition are improved in a number of ways through the consumption of chestnuts. Furthermore, the potassium found in chestnuts can increase blood flow to the brain and promote good nervous system health, thus increasing concentration, retention, and memory.

Prevent Chronic Illnesses: Chronic illnesses of all kinds are caused by the release of free radicals, the natural by-products of cellular respiration. These can cause healthy cells to mutate, resulting in cancer, oxidative stress, and a number of chronic illnesses

Blog Source:  https://www.kayawell.com/Food/7-Best-Benefits-Of-Chestnuts-diabetes-type-ii-immune-inflammatory-and-infections

[redd956]

Worldbuilding Food: More than meets the eye

So, you want to world build food but maybe you don't know where to start, have hit a roadblock, or are just looking for some interesting places to addon to. I've got your back.

Vegetables, Fruits, Grain, Nuts, & Fungi

One of the first things I think of when it comes to food is fruits and vegetables, and the line between them is surprisingly small.

Like tomatoes are vegetables? Pumpkins are fruits but other gourds are not? When does a herb become a vegetable? Although important to classify, don't let it be your main focus.

Start with

How the produce grows

What it looks like throughout different stages of its life

What parts are edible

How most people consume the produce

How the product is harvested

Is it seasonal

What about the produce that makes its growable environment habitable

How it spreads/reproduces

There's many different unique ways fruits and vegetables grow in just our real world, but that doesn't mean you can stop there.

Cranberries grow on vines that actually float on the surface of soggy ground and water in wetlands. Cashews actually grow on the bottom of cashew apple, which is it's own edible product. There's lots of different ways plants can grow, and what they even need to do so.

Some produce even have their own defense mechanisms (which often which becomes a form of flavor to us). Don't think these defense mechanisms stop at protection from predators. Strawberries are an aggressive plant, fighting, killing, and taking over any nearby plant neighbors. Some plants have thistles and thorns, and others are the hard shell or peel we end up effortlessly cutting through.

Try to think of some environmental things in the world your working with that the produce would have adapted to.

I think my favor example of this IRL is sunflowers. They change directions to face the sun, and when they can't find the sun they face each other. Eventually their seeds weigh them down, and which they'll always face east.

Don't forget fungi is edible too, and has it's very own unique properties.

(Don't forget yeast -> bread, you can make up whatever food you want)

Meats & Agricultural Animals

I myself am not a meat-eater, but I understand the importance of animal products to a society. If you world doesn't have it, don't fret. This sector won't just be about meat products, but it will contain a lot of it.

Food and what animals are considered for consumption changes from culture to culture. The same can be said for treatment leading up to their role in society as the food on people's plates. Often times a culture cannot imagining eating an animal they see as part of the family, such as dogs or cats IRL, but other times it's seen part of a religious practice such as cows.

There's a lot of cultural stuff that goes into our agricultural animals, both for work, dairy, textiles, and food.

Here's some ideas to start with

What parts of them are edible and used for food

Do they produce any dairy or egg products

How old do they have to be before becoming a produce animal

Are the animals used for other resources too i.e. bones, fur, skins, skulls, blood, etc.

How much food does one animal make

Typically how are they are killed, if they are

What conditions are these animals kept in and are they viewed humane

What environments allow these animals to thrive alongside the people of your world

What does the animal eat

Now... Let's into some culture and religion

Religion and culture has a major impact on what we eat. Take for instance Kosher, Halal, and more. Historical shortages in food even to this day affect what foods we eat. Culture also affects our tastes. The corn line of the United States is drowning in corn, and yet corn is seen as a sweet treat over seas in many nations.

Harvesting

How the harvesting goes changes a lot about a society, big and small. Think about how terrible a year would go in medieval times if harvest came up incredibly poor, or how wealthy our modern day world would look to those people due to mass production.

Here's some things to think about

What time of year are the biggest and most important harvest(s)

How common are agricultural workers

What would the average person see if they watched people work

What technology/tools are used

What happens if the harvest goes wrong

Do farmers/harvesters get special rights for their role in society

In older societies harvesting and how that went completely shaped how the next year would look. In some cultures the harvesters have been revered, while in other if crossed to far would be expected to tear the country to pieces. Think about the role harvesting plays in your society. What would happen if they striked? Or if a disaster swept the land?

The environment itself will change a lot about what harvesting look likes. Why does this environment work? What are the environmental risk to both the crop and workers?

Are we farming in the water, in the middle of the arctic, underground, high up in the trees?

Exotic Food & Immigration

While establish what the everyday food in the area is, don't forget to pay mine to the opposites. Immigration and trade play a major role in what foods end up on our plate. As cultures combine and mingle so do their food.

Take one look at the United States, infamous for it's large potions, fatty foods, and immigrant culture cuisine. A lot of foods in the United States are the results of cultures meeting to improve and add onto one another's foods, that includes American styles of pizza, tacos, and more.

Even major cities around the world have styles of foods unique to them.

Let's think

What locally seen foods count as exotic

What foods are nearly impossible to get

Is there access to foreign brands/produce

How expensive is most exotic foods

What styles of cooking are being brought in by foreigners

How do people get exotic foods

What foods would the locals not be able to eat due to not being used to it

Try to think about what makes this food exotic in the local area. Maybe it cannot grow in the local environment. Maybe the quality of the food is simply better overseas. Maybe the animal or plant is far too aggressively invasive for locals.

Trade & Transport

Food is both a very important export and import, especially in time of devastation.

Don't forget about exports too, what is your society giving out to the world, and getting back. Not all trade has to be capital based. Perhaps your world simply trades on good or service for another.

Here's some things to think about

What's being exported and imported

Are whole animals imported/exported

How is the trade being done i.e. trains, boats, aircraft, teleportation, etc.

Are there any obstacles to trade

What places are all involved in trading

How is the trade brought to where it needs to be inland

In what ways do these trades improve the lives of locals

Transportation is also super important to where food ends up, and more so in what volumes. How do people get all these produce or animals relocated? What kinds of storage are we seeing to keep things fresh (if health standards are even up to code in your worldbuilding)?

What poses a threat to things in storage? i.e. mold, foxes, animal thieves, disease, etc.

Restrictions

With supply and demand, comes outages, taxes, and restrictions. Unfortunately not everything in the food world goes right. There's natural disasters to come and destroy crops, hostile settlements to block trade, and especially that person who is really bad at cooking but they love doing it so you don't have the heart to say no....

Anyway let's talk restrictions and where they can come from

Wartime

Wartime can cause a lot of original farmers and workers to become soldiers. It also can lead to the large scale destruction of precious farm land, crops, animals, and overall places to cook.

Laws

Perhaps there's a particularly poisonous food, and way too many suspiciously poisoned people. That's when law comes in. There's many reasons for food and drink to become outlawed. Religious reasons, danger, regulations, inebriation, etc.

Siege/Embargo/Thievery

Knock knock! It's the United States here to embargo your random country. Outside factions can always become an obstacle, leading to loss of traveling cargo or straight up missing farmers too. Nothing comes in, and sometimes nothing comes out.

Endangered

Perhaps a common plant or favored animal is running low on populous. Now locals are more so focused on reanimating a dwindling population, more so on eating it.

Sickness

Whether it be hoards of invasive bugs, prion disease caused by cannibalistic animal feed, or sudden inexplicable field of dead corn sickness happens. Maybe something has swept over the land, and no one ever bothered to try to plant said crop again.

Natural Disasters

Natural disasters can not only cause the elimination of entire villages, but accidentally bring in lots of invasive creatures too. Catfish is off the menu for as long as carp is intown.

Straight Up Difficulty

Sometimes a fruit appears once a year, or a tasty creature is a dangerous one to take on in order to eat. It can be difficult getting the right ingredient sometimes. Other times it's new to the market. So much can happen when food is involved.

Preparation & Flavor

Finally all the food in the world is available, but what are we going to do with it.

Make it even better!

I personally find preparation to be the best part of worldbuilding. Now I get to imagine my fictional little people stewing their pots, and kindling their fires. Reflect off of real world recipes, and maybe even write down exact fantasy recipes of your own.

Don't forget about herbs and spices (I see you British people).

You have five basic taste receptors in your mouth: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory. They make great descriptors and fun places to explore when looking into what your foods taste like. Smell can play an important role too.

Does it smell awful and taste great, smell sweet and taste bitter, perhaps it doesn't have anything at all going on.

Happy worldbuilding!

[immagoudaboi]

How's the panda? 🐼

The panda is buuuusy!! How are you?

I been workin' n snoozin' n monchin' some gouda

How is the anon???

[riding-the-sunset-bird]

People requested I make another post, this time detailing what affects Cove's Step 3 appearance, so that's what I'm doing today!

My previous post contains more details about the specific mechanics behind it, but the short and sweet of it is that things that your MC notices/picks up/favors/focuses on will influence Cove's appearance, but there are a couple that aren't like that and will change him anyway. If you want to get a different Cove than you had before without using the Cove Creator, try choosing different taste/aesthetic-based options, though keep in mind that there isn't a guarantee that it'll completely change him.

As for going through without using the Cove Creator, the only moments in Step 2 that don't have anything that will affect Step 3 Cove's look are Wave and Summerwork, so feel free to pick whatever you want in both of those. Everything else has at least something.

All that said, here's the list of every chance you have to change Step 3 Cove's appearance:

Step 2 Intro

If MC allows Derek and Cove to dig into the fruit bouquet {note that this will give Cove +1 warm points}:

You took a pineapple skewer. [no bracelet(s) on left wrist]

You took a grape skewer. [black wristband on left wrist]

You took a strawberry skewer. [no bracelet(s) on left wrist]

You took a melon skewer. [chain bracelet and beaded wrap bracelet with jewel on left wrist]

When Kyra asks the MC for recommendations for places to eat:

You shrugged. [spiky hair] {note that this will give Cove +1 cold points}

"Not really." [middle-parted hair] {note that this will give Cove +1 warm points}

"Sure, I have a couple of favorites." [no change}

You nodded. [no change}

If the MC agrees to give Kyra restaurant suggestions:

"The Chinese restaurant." [spiky hair]

"The tropical themed place." [ponytail hair]

You insisted Cove contribute to the decision. [middle-parted hair]

You insisted Kyra decide. [ponytail hair]

When Kyra asks the MC what kind of drink they'd like

"Just water." -> "Lemon." [white, yellow, and green striped shirt]

"Just water." -> "No." [black shirt]

"Soda." -> "Cola." [black shirt]

"Soda." -> "Orange." [white, yellow, and green striped shirt]

"Soda." -> "Grape." [white shirt with blue and white gradient button-up]

"Soda." -> "Lemon lime." [white, yellow, and green striped shirt]

"Soda." -> "Root beer." [black shirt]

"Soda." -> "Ginger ale." [white shirt with blue and white gradient button-up]

"Milk." (if MC is not vegan) -> "Just plain." [black shirt]

"Milk." (if MC is not vegan) -> "Chocolate." [white shirt with blue and white gradient button-up]

"Milk." (if MC is not vegan) -> "Strawberry." [white, yellow, and green striped shirt]

"Milk." (if MC is not vegan) -> "Soy." [black shirt]

"Soy milk." (if MC is vegan) [black shirt]

"Juice." -> "Orange." [white, yellow, and green striped shirt]

"Juice." -> "Apple." [white shirt with blue and white gradient button-up]

"Juice." -> "Lemonade." [black shirt]

"Coffee." -> "Iced with cream." [white, yellow, and green striped shirt]

"Coffee." -> "Hot with cream." [white shirt with blue and white gradient button-up]

"Coffee." -> "Iced, no cream." [white shirt with blue and white gradient button-up]

"Coffee." -> "Hot, no cream." [black shirt]

Growing

When the MC and Cove choose to make sandwiches:

You wanted to make a sweeter style of sandwich. (unavailable if MC chose a lettuce wrap) [no change]

You wanted to make a truly savory style of sandwich. [necklace]

If the MC chose to make a sweeter sandwich:

Peanut butter. [brown leather wristband with red bracelet on right wrist]

Cashew butter. [blue beaded bracelet and green jeweled bracelet on right wrist]

Honey. [multi-colored bracelets on right wrist]

Marshmallow fluff. [no change]

Chocolate hazel nut spread. [brown leather wristband with red bracelet on right wrist]

Strawberry jam. [multi-colored bracelets on right wrist]

Grape jelly. [blue beaded bracelet and green jeweled bracelet on right wrist]

Orange marmalade. [no change]

Banana slices. [no change]

Mango slices. [multi-colored bracelets on right wrist]

Strawberries. [no change]

Apple slices. [brown leather wristband with red bracelet on right wrist]

If the MC chose to make a savory sandwich:

Ham slices. [multi-colored bracelets on right wrist]

Turkey slices. [brown leather wristband with red bracelet on right wrist]

Tofu. [no change]

Hummus. [blue beaded bracelet and green jeweled bracelet on right wrist]

Egg salad. [no change]

Lettuce. [brown leather wristband with red bracelet on right wrist]

Tomatoes. [blue beaded bracelet and green jeweled bracelet on right wrist]

Red onions. [multi-colored bracelets on right wrist]

Cucumber. [no change]

Avocado. [multi-colored bracelets on right wrist]

Peppers. [blue beaded bracelet and green jeweled bracelet on right wrist]

Pickles. [no change]

Cheddar cheese. [no change]

Pepperjack cheese. [no change]

Mozzarella. [no change]

Family

If the MC agrees to do a show with Lee (note that you can pick multiple of these, so whatever you pick last will take priority):

"I'll sing too." [distressed blue jeans]

"I'll dance." [yellow pants]

"I'll play an instrument." [yellow pants]

"I'll write the song." [green cargo pants]

"I'll do some kind of stunt that goes to the music." [black cargo pants]

"I'll pick the outfits." [distressed blue jeans]

"I'll do the makeup." [white pants]

"I'll make a backdrop or some kind of stage." [black cargo pants]

When picking a movie to watch with the family:

"I wanna watch a romcom." [distressed blue jeans]

"I'd prefer to watch a horror." [black cargo pants]

"I think sci-fi is best." [green cargo pants]

"I'm in the mood for an action movie." [distressed blue jeans]

"Maybe we should watch a family friendly film?" [white pants]

"A comedy would be great." [yellow pants]

Dinner

When the MC has the opportunity to name Cove's fish:

(if Fond/Crush)

"Yeah, I do!" [no change]

"Can I?" [no change]

"No thanks." [rectangular blue glasses]

(if Indifferent)

"Can I name a fish?" [no change]

You kept quiet. [rectangular blue glasses] {note that this will give Cove +1 cold points}

And then when picking a fish to name if agreed:

"The smallest fish." [rectangular maroon glasses]

"The medium fish." [no change]

"The biggest fish." [rounded red glasses]

Road Trip

After Cove asks the MC what they like in other people (if MC pressed and pursued the anklet conversation with him):

"Muscles." [no change]

"Pretty hair." [no change]

"Glasses." [rounded red glasses] (only if Step 3 Cove didn't already have glasses set for him)

"Blue eyes." [no change]

"Everything about you." (if MC is on Crush) [no change]

Mall

As MC decides where they want to go in the mall:

A clothing store. [dark gray mosaic formal shirt]

An accessory shop. [dark gray mosaic formal shirt]

The makeup store. [taupe formal shirt]

A video game store. [taupe formal shirt]

The chocolate shop. [taupe formal shirt]

The pet store. [dark gray mosaic formal shirt]

A camping and outdoor supplies shop. [dark gray mosaic formal shirt]

The food court. [dark gray mosaic formal shirt]

A bookstore. [taupe formal shirt]

An art and supplies store. [dark gray mosaic formal shirt]

A music shop. [taupe formal shirt]

If the MC decides to pick a windchime for Cove and it:

Had a dolphin charm. [no bracelet(s) on left wrist]

Was a simple design of just silver poles. [black wristband on left wrist]

Had crystal strands. [chain bracelet and beaded wrap bracelet with jewel on left wrist]

Birthday

When Cove asks the MC what they bought for Miranda:

You picked out a stuffed animal. [white and blue pajama shirt]

You grabbed a necklace and bracelet set. [white and green pajama shirt]

You had found a lighthearted adventure book. [white and green pajama shirt]

You chose a yarn craft kit that made a toy. [white and blue pajama shirt]

You let your moms pick. [white and green pajama shirt]

Your moms didn't appreciate what you had picked and chose something else. [white and blue pajama shirt]

After the unnamed teen offers Cove and MC party favors:

You wanted one of the headbands. -> You pointed to a blue hat. [blue striped pajama pants]

You wanted one of the headbands. -> You pointed to a pink hat. [blue striped pajama pants]

You wanted one of the headbands. -> You pointed to a purple hat. [blue striped pajama pants]

You wanted one of the headbands. -> You pointed to a green hat. [gray striped pajama pants]

You picked a crown. [gray striped pajama pants]

You didn't want one. [gray striped pajama pants]

Escapade

When Cove points out to Kyra that he didn't bring shoes:

"You should always bring shoes when you're going out." [blue swimming trunks] {note that this will give Cove +1 cold points}

"I'm not wearing any either." {note that this will give Cove +1 warm points} -> "I don't know." [blue swimming trunks]

"I'm not wearing any either." {note that this will give Cove +1 warm points} -> "We can't." [pink swimming trunks]

"I'm not wearing any either." {note that this will give Cove +1 warm points} -> "It doesn't matter." [pink swimming trunks]

"It doesn't matter." [pink swimming trunks] {note that this will give Cove +1 warm points}

Soiree (both Cove's and Derek's version)

When the MC is choosing an outfit:

You looked for something formal. [black stud earrings] (if your Step 3 Cove currently has the spiky hair) or [silver huggie earrings] (if your Step 3 Cove currently has the ponytail hair)

You wanted to keep things casual. [no change]

You wondered how Cove/Derek might feel about your outfit. (if MC is not going alone and is crushing on Cove/Derek) -> You didn't want to look stupid in front of Cove/Derek. [no change]

You wondered how Cove/Derek might feel about your outfit. (if MC is not going alone and is crushing on Cove/Derek) -> You wanted to impress Cove/Derek. [black stud earrings] (if your Step 3 Cove currently has the spiky hair) or [silver huggie earrings] (if your Step 3 Cove currently has the ponytail hair)

You wondered how Cove/Derek might feel about your outfit. (if MC is not going alone and is crushing on Cove/Derek) -> You didn't want to come across as too excited. [no change]

You wondered how Cove/Derek might feel about your outfit. (if MC is not going alone and is crushing on Cove/Derek) -> You didn't want to look like you were taking this too seriously. [no change]

You wondered how Cove/Derek might feel about your outfit. (if MC is not going alone and is crushing on Cove/Derek) -> You wanted him to see you in a new light. [black stud earrings] (if your Step 3 Cove currently has the spiky hair) or [silver huggie earrings] (if your Step 3 Cove currently has the ponytail hair)

Step 2 Ending

If you didn't play Family nor chosen any options that change Cove's pants: [distressed blue jeans]

In addition to all of these, if you've noticed that a third bracelet on Cove's left wrist is missing, it's because you can only give it to him in the Step 3 intro. It's a black bracelet with a weave-like pattern that the MC can give to him if they chose to buy Cove a gift rather than give him something that couldn't be bought.

The only requirement necessary is that Cove has to have worn a bracelet of any kind during Step 2, meaning the shark tooth wrap bracelet on his right wrist, the pink beaded bracelet on his left wrist, or the brown and tan right wristband. The option won't appear among the potential bought gifts otherwise.

If your Step 3 Cove is already wearing a bracelet on his left wrist, he'll remove it to replace it with the one you bought for him, so don't do this if you like the one he's already wearing more.

And that's all! Whether you wanted to figure out how to make your ideal Cove look without the Cove Creator or were simply curious as to which Step 2 options affect his appearance, now you know!

[finniusastraeus]

Meanspo/ana tricks

Dont eat for pleasure. Eating because you like food is how you got so fucking fat. You want to call yourself 4nor3xic when you still want to eat that whole cake? that brownie? that pizza? how can you WANT that?

You're hungry? No you're bored drink water if you want a snack. mindless eating is the #1 habit that leads to weight gain. when you feel that impulse, replace it with drinking water or another 0kcal drink.

Appetite is disgusting imagine wanting to gain. You're not allowed to want food. Replace that urge with something unrelated. You want food? pick a specific coloring book and fill in a page everytime you want to. Or use the rubber band method.

Never eat alone, you're not allowed to WANT FOOD. If you eat alone you're literally giving up. you can only eat when you have to. if you're out say you got food when you you were out. but if you actually eat when no one's making you, you're trying to gain.

You only eat to make it look like you do. just because you have to eat doesnt mean it has to be a lot. lettuce only has 6kcals per cup. There are 2-3 kcals per grape. 8 kcals in a full cup of cucumbers. you can make it look like you're eating a giant mean and stay under 20 kcal EASILY.

It's not that hard. If you think it's hard to lose, you're not doing enough.

if you have to eat an unhealthy meal with your family take no more than 5 bites. chew them each 20 times and cut EVERYTHING on your plate into tiny peices. Push it around, hide it under other bits of food or if its dry put it in your pockets (i use that one religeously). put it in your pockets then in the garbage.

For the love of ana, dont eat nuts, juice, or cheese. Even if they're marketed as healthy they're SO HIGH KCAL

in one cup of cashews there are 800kcals. 830 for almonds. 111 in a cup of orange juice. 113 in a cup of apple juice. I'll make another post after this with a chart for kcals per serving of really low kcal foods and really high kcal foods.

[cherr-22]

TNGDH 39

“Why so? It’s a long distance to the palace, making it a difficult trip for Cashew to follow.”

Kyle looked at me in surprise. Receiving that gaze, I let the words flow out of my mouth like flowing water.

“How hard could it be to take along a little chestnut…… no, a demonic beast? You could take it to the famous demonic beast specialist at the imperial palace for a checkup and feed it delicious food. Besides, I bet you’d be worried about leaving Cashew alone for days.”

“Hmm.”

“However, you absolutely cannot inject mana into it! Only a regular checkup is allowed. Besides, you were going to have Cashew checked by the specialist there at least once, right?”

Kyle pondered for a while before nodding.

After spending some time together, I could now guess what he’s thinking about just by looking at his face.

Right now, he was thinking about what kind of cage to carry Cashew in, what cushion to bring along, and what snacks he should take. Seeing the tips of his lips and his eyes subtly softening, that was probably what he was thinking.

‘You like it this much, yet you didn’t think about taking it along.’

I smiled and nodded in satisfaction.

Thus, both Cashew and Shu could ride the carriage to the palace. However, there was one problem. Going to the palace didn’t take just an hour or two.

‘System. Open the store for me.’

A blue system window flickered in response to my words.

In front of me were delicious and pretty-looking items spread out. I’ve thought about it before, but the more I used my hearts and Miracle Points, the more flashy the store became.

‘You’ve also worked hard.’

Whenever I saw the system staying up all night to update the store, it reminded me of myself when I was making the game. It made me a little sad.

Developers tend to be more familiar with the night than the day, but that kind of life is very stressful. People need light to live. At that time, I almost believed that even mold might start growing on my body.

But as it happened, I ended up possessing a nocturnal animal. It made me think life really didn’t like me.

I away my thoughts and turned the pages of the store. At first, there were only one or two pages but now there were four pages.

Let’s see. I have to refrain from using too many Miracle Points, but since the system made these for me, I’ll at least take a look at them.

‘Oh. This looks delicious. This one too.’

There were all kinds of desserts made with nuts. I lived the majority of my life eating soup and hamburgers, so I couldn’t help but keep looking at the desserts decorated so beautifully.

Don’t they say that food that looks good also tastes good? Of course, the cookies and bread Kyle prepared were great, but don’t you sometimes wish to have desserts that are pretty……

‘Wait. Is that why you made these like this?’

As I narrowed my eyes, the system responded.

[⚆_⚆]

It’s fine, whatever.

It’s not like I’m going to buy them based on their appearance anyways.

Then, an item caught my eye. It must’ve come from the update since there was a big label [NEW!] on it.

NEW! [Emergency Toffee Nut Candy x5 ｜ Miracle Points 0.5% consumption ｜ Detect approaching beings while holding the candy in your mouth.]

It was an amazing item that gave you 5 candies just for 0.5 Miracle Points. Its effect was amazing so buying it ahead of time would be useful.

I bought it without thinking twice. The small, individually wrapped candies looked like they would taste like caramel.

I wanted to try one now but I held in my urge.

“Are you done?”

“Yes?”

“You were pointing your finger in the air.”

“…….”

I kept my mouth shut.

Luckily, Kyle didn’t ask me for an explanation. Perhaps because he’s used to seeing me do a lot of strange things…… though I don’t know if this is fortunate or unfortunate.

“I will prepare your clothes in the same size as before.”

“You’re preparing my clothes too? You don’t have to.”

“Your attire will affect how people see you in the imperial palace. The ones at the North are not good enough.”

Kyle’s voice was soft, but I knew that I had to take it seriously.

I knew It. I knew it more than anyone else. This was something Kyle experienced himself in the past, and this was the attitude of the nobles of the imperial palace towards those from the North.

I’ve also been treated like that before in my previous life. I guess growing older won’t always make you mature.

I scratched the back of my head and nodded. This wasn’t a hard request from Kyle anyways. Thinking about it, this was also something that could affect Kyle’s reputation.

“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

“Alright.”

Two weeks until Sen and Belial’s engagement ceremony.

There was plenty of time to prepare.

*

“Put this over there, ah, that one goes there.”

“How long has it been since we’ve went to the palace?”

“Definitely been at least a year!”

“Hold the reins well. And inspect the carriage again!”

From early in the morning, the Blake castle was like a marketplace. Even I, who rarely woke up from my sleep to most noises, had my eyes wide open.

I gazed at the sunlight seeping through the curtains. Seeing that it was still a little dark, it must’ve been around six o’clock.

―Squeak squeak. (It’s today.)

I stretched and reached for the strawberry sweater I tucked away in the corner of my hut. I then put on the sweater, regardless of my own feelings about it.

Because my limbs were short, I was only able to put it on after rolling in the sawdust a few times. But thinking about it again, Kyle got my measurements accurately.

―Squeak……. (Sigh. This is my life as a hamster.)

I pat off the sawdust stuck on the sweater and used ‘Summon’ after checking the door.

It seemed that it would be a while before Kyle comes to get me. Well, it wouldn’t take much effort to put me in the hamster cage anyways.

‘Let’s see…….’

I hid myself in a corner and used ‘Summon’.

I closed my eyes from the bright light and when I opened them, I was in a familiar room. On top of the bed were the clothes Kyle prepared for me.

I took off the sweater and stored it in the inventory before changing into the new clothes.

The high-quality silk gently wrapped around my body and flowed down elegantly. There were no extravagant accessories, but it definitely had a luxurious feel. Even the golden embroidery didn’t feel like it was made in vain.

‘The pants also fit me well.’

As I was examining my appearance in front of the mirror, I raised my eyebrows at a sudden thought.

“……How does he know my size?”

It was really mysterious. It wasn’t as if he measured me while I was asleep, nor did he ever asked me.

A knock came from the door.

I turned towards the door to open it. Outside was a familiar servant, unable to hide his excited face.

“His Highness Kyle asked me to bring the demonic beast specialist over to him.”

“Ah. Thank you for coming to get me. However, there is somewhere I want to visit first.”

“Yes?”

I led the curious servant towards into the study. I unfolded a black cloth I had prepared and covered the hamster house with it.

From now on, I must keep this hamster house with me no matter what. At least half a day, I must keep it with me.

“Let’s go.”

The servant, who had been examining my actions, tilted his head in confusion, but hurriedly moved on.

As I followed him, I checked the number of Miracle Points I had. After buying two cookies and some candies yesterday, I had exactly 20 percent left.

After complaining to the system all day long to lower the prices, I was able to save quite a few points.

[(￣へ￣)]

Hey. Do you think I’m saving money for my own benefit?

……Well technically I am.

“You can get on this carriage.”

The servant who took me outside bowed his head and walked away at a slow pace. His steps were so light that it almost seemed as if he were skipping. No, he probably was, seeing how happy he looked. He must also be taking the carriage to the palace.

Well, I did hear that it has been 1 year since they were able to go on a trip to the imperial palace. It was definitely a joyous event. It was said that the climate and atmosphere of the palace were the opposite of the North, making it feel like it was a foreign country. Of course, I heard this from Kyle.

“Shu.”

“Oh my gosh!”

I jumped in place.

Turning my head, I saw Kyle standing with a cape in his arms.

“Make some noise as you move around, please!”

“I didn’t know you could jump so high.”

“Ah! Really! Don’t scare me like that.”

As I grumbled at him, Kyle wrapped the cloak around my shoulders and chuckled.

“I did call for you, but I thought I’d have to circle around the castle a few times to find you. Were you in your room?”

“Of course. And you even prepared my clothes. Ah. I also brought Cashew with me, so there’s no need to go to the study.”

I pointed at the hamster house with my chin and held the cloth tighter. I’ll never open it. Don’t even think about removing the cloth.

“Thank you. Now, I’ll take it with me.”

Kyle held out his hand. I avoided the hand and twirled my body away from him.

“No. I could take care of it plenty well. It’s not like you’re going to play with Cashew on the way, so you can just leave it to me and focus on your work.”

“Then, let me see its face at least once…….”

“Ahem! Do you not see the time? Don’t disturb its sleep! Even demonic beasts have a routine.”

I quickly got into the carriage before Kyle could push on anymore. I sat down and held the cage in my arms as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

Kyle entered the carriage after me and said after sitting across from me.

“I won’t take it from you so loosen up.”

“Really?”

“……Have you lived your entire life being fooled?”

I certainly have. But I couldn’t say that and just relaxed my hands and shoulders.

I’ve been tense the whole time, making my shoulders feel a little stiff. As I groaned and complained about wanting to massage them, Kyle suddenly took out a bag.

“Still, we should feed it…….”

“I will feed it! I will!”

I quickly pressed myself to the window like a magnet. I glared at him with wary eyes, and he bursted into laughter.

“……Are you enjoying yourself?”

Are you enjoying playing around with me?

He had a calm smile on his face. He tilted his head and rested his chin on his hand, which was held up against the carriage wall. 

“Being with you always makes me feel happy.”

Just then, the carriage started moving. A light breeze blew in through the window. I turned my head away with a sullen look on my face.

The tip of my ears felt a warm.

Even though the wind blowing felt cool.

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Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

[buffetlicious]

The lazy Susan was quickly filled with dishes as we continued with our reunion dinner. The Prawn Paste Chicken (虾酱鸡) featured plump and juicy mid-wings coated in a batter of fermented shrimp paste. Also known as Har Cheong Gai, it is crispy with an umami aftertaste and a hit with young and old.

The stir-fried French Bean with Dried Shrimp (虾米四季豆) might look deceptively plain but plain and simple it is not! The string beans or green beans is flash-fried with minced hae bee (dried shrimps) to absorb the wok hei (wok thermal radiation or breath of the wok) yet maintained the crunchy texture and aroma of the sea (dried shrimp). This dish was one of the highlights of the dinner.

My nephew asked for this Fried Rice with Chicken (鸡丁炒饭) as he preferred it over the steamed white rice the rest of us are having. The Yam Ring (佛钵飘香) featured a ring of deep-fried mashed yam (taro) and filled with sautéed seafood such as prawn, squid and also various vegetables. Normally one would also find cashew nuts in it, but I didn’t notice any this time. Plating is done haphazardly as the chef just poured everything into the yam ring. If I will to do it, I would place the vegetables at the bottom and present the seafood on top with a sprinkle of crunchy cashew nuts over it. Anyway, dish is passable but not fantastic in taste and an “F” for presentation.

Popeye’s power booster canned vegetable is reimagined into Spinach with Trio Eggs (三皇苋菜). To enhance the power, three kinds of egg are used – normal chicken egg, preserved century egg and salted duck egg. Finally, the eyes is also protected with goji berry or wolfberry added into the thick soup. With all the above ingredients used, how can a vegetable soup like this not be good for you?

Fish Maw & Crab Meat Soup (蟹肉鱼鳔羮) is the most expensive dish of the night at S$45 (large portion) due to the two premium ingredients. The thickened soup is chocked with the spongy fish maw, succulent crab meat and I also detected mushrooms in there. Before eating, drizzle a few drops of the black vinegar and add a dash of white pepper.

The Emperor Chicken (皇帝鸡) is also known as herbal chicken. In the olden days, the emperor’s diet was strictly prescribed and monitored by physicians, because it was important for the emperor to be in excellent health in order to focus on governing the Kingdom. This was one of the healthy dishes the emperor ate! The chicken is wrapped in the waxed paper and aluminum foil then steamed for a few hours until the meat is tender and the flavours of the herbs is infused into the chicken.

The last dish to be served is the Poached Prawns (白灼虾). If the ingredients are fresh, you just need minimum condiments and simple cooking style to bring out the best in taste. So here the prawns are boiled in basically water, ginger and scallion for a couple of minutes at most. Chinese cooking wine is then drizzled into the broth to enhance the overall flavours.

For this reunion meal, we spent S$331.76 for the dishes, steamed rice and drinks including 10% service charge. I can foresee the next year we will be back here for our dinner again. After all the food is good and the place is nearby our houses.