#what isn't improved by a bit of butter

[guinevereslancelot]

my cooking advice is use more butter

[cartoonsinthemorning]

Soft chunky fem!stan who still loves boxing and wants to show off how strong she is to Ford so she crushes a watermelon in-between her thighs🚀🌋💥

Hey there anon! It's your unlucky day, because I know you where hoping for art, but I'm the mood to write, instead. You get a short fanfic. I HC that fem!Stan (just gonna call her Stan from now on, short for Constance) isn't allowed to box. Even more than that, actually: Filbrick didn't allow her to take boxing lessons, and Caryn forbid her to box at all, because "You already inherited your father's nose, sweety! What would become of your face if you broke it? your face is the one good thing you have...don't look at me like that, you know you're too fat". So, of course, Stan convinces Ford to give her secret lessons. He said no, at first- he doesn't want to get into trouble, and doesn't want her to get hurt! She is a girl, after all! why can't Stan just resume ballet lessons, like mom wants? But Stan is not only extremely stubborn, she knows her Sixer will do anything, if she strokes her ego right. She insists he would be a great teacher: he's so good at explaining stuff to her! And he's got so much better with boxing, over the years, she is sure he's got amazing tips and tricks to share. Ford knows she is buttering him up, he's not stupid. But eventually, as he always does, capitulates.

Ford doesn't even understand why Stan is so enthusiastic about boxing. It's boring to him. But she absorbs all the basics fast, and gets so disappointed and whiny when he puts his foot down and says he refuses to spar with her, now that he taught her everything he knows. He would never, ever hit her, no matter if it's just to exercise. Stan protests that she will never be able to improve, without a training partner, but this time Ford means it, so eventually she stops asking. She doesn't give up, though. Stan convinces Ford to sneak her in the gym after everyone left, this time, to massacre the sack with all her frustrations. It is quite a sight to behold, and a private spectacle Ford can't help but admire. She's starting to pack up some muscle mass, under her soft curves, and she must like it as much as Ford does, because eventually Stan starts to do squats and even attempts push ups, at the gym and in their room. One day, she gets this idea in mind. She wants to prove herself, by crushing a watermelon with her thighs muscles. Maybe she saw the trick in a magazine or something. It's such a stupid stunt, that it makes Ford roll his eyes when he first hears about it- but Stan's eyes sparkle when she talks about it, so of course, he agrees to assist her. Stan goes for the biggest watermelon she spots in the store, first, but Ford eyeballs that it would take about 364 pounds to crush it, and she should humble herself a bit- for once. Eventually she settles for one that may take about 200-something pounds, and brings it home. Despite the downgrade, Ford is still convinced the challenge is way above her sister's current might. And indeed, he doesn't hide a smug smile when she squats down to press the melon with all her strength, and the fruit stays stubbornly intact. She's a knucklehead tomboy, she knows that, right? Let's call it a day and slice that thing up for a snack, before she gets all bruised up. But his sister growls at him she can do it! She just needs to press some more. Maybe try something different.... When she lies down and props herself on her elbows, gripping the melon between her crossed thighs, something changes.

Not because she immediately succeeds, but because Ford doesn't feel amused anymore. Stan is groaning, cussing, blushing, tossing her head back, while her long legs tense up, wrapped around that stupid melon. Both twins are sweating, but for entirely different reasons. Ford begins to be afraid the tension building up between his own thighs may soon be a problem, so he tries to call the whole stunt off. "Stan, enough!" he exclaims, getting up, hoping by realizing her sole spectator is leaving, she will give up. "WAIT!" she growls, panting furiously, chest bobbing up and down "I'M SO CLOSE!". Ford is frozen into place- because he's stuck by the sight of her, so downright obscene, and because she is right: the watermelon is cracking. With a gross, squelching noise, the watermelon POPS- making Stan moan in triumph and exhaustion, as the red juice wets her trembling thighs, traveling down- Ford gulps down a lump in his throat- down between her ass cheeks and lower back, and drippling on the floor. Some droplets even splattered all over her white shirt, peppering her cleavage with tiny, pulpy, red hearts and dots. The final straw, for Ford, is when she looks up at him and winks- she winks, the shameless teas that she is- and says, between heavy breathes "See, Sixer? Am I the strongest girl in the world or what?". Ford looks at her in what he hope comes across as deadpan, rather than sexually frustrated, and curtly replies: "Yeah, well done. I'm not helping you cleaning up that mess" before booking out, running to the bathroom. OMAKE: Stan bruised her inner thighs and Ford once saw her spreading ointment over it, and he busted the biggest nut by masturbating imagining he was the one applying it. THE END.

[thegainingdesk]

Momentum

It was hard at first. John thought he knew exactly what to do - he'd read enough gainer stories, followed enough fat guys on twitter for years. All it would take was the decision to dive headfirst into gaining and he'd be as big as any of them in no time at all.

Once a day, every day, he'd eat something that would add at least a thousand calories to his diet. He'd barely even notice. A tub of ice cream, a pot of double cream, a whole cake, a second dinner - all very doable, all easily passing that thousand calorie threshold. Once that got easy, he'd start upping his intake - supplementing it with gainer shakes, or trips to fast food restaurants between meals.

It turns out that your average 12 stone man isn't really built to suddenly, rapidly increase the amount of calories he's taking in. Especially when most of those excess calories were dairy. He spent most evenings clutching his flat stomach as it churned with acid. Each evening he'd vomit it all back up, or have to miss meals, or feel nauseous the next day - constant signals from his body to stop.

He actually lost six pounds that first month. Maybe gaining wasn't meant for him. He watched enviously as his mates the same age succumbed to middle aged spread as they hit their mid-thirties, lamenting how lucky he was to still have his twenty year old metabolism as they patted beer bellies they couldn't shift.

John went back to his old diet, gained back those lost six pounds, and accepted he was just always going to be the skinny one in the group. He kept up a few old habits of course - still bought some of the ice cream flavours he'd discovered for the occasionally treat, kept up cooking with butter and cream where he'd found out how much they improved certain recipes, always made sure there were a few beers in the fridge for those nights when he fancied it. Nothing mad though, nothing that would cause any weight gain, just a few treats. You've got to enjoy life, haven't you?

John looked in amazement at the scales. A stone. An actual, whole stone. 14 pounds. On his body! He started noticing things - the tiniest pinch when he buttoned up his jeans, the slightest blur of softness on his stomach. It was nothing really, nothing anyone would notice, but it was there - solid proof that he could gain weight. He'd just pushed himself too far before, he realised with a laugh. Slow and steady and all that.

All those little habits became regular. Dessert every other night, then every night. Cooking with butter and cream no matter the recipe. A couple of six packs of beer a week. Nothing too intense, not that many calories, but it all started adding up, bit by bit.

Fancy coming for an Indian? the text read.

John's fingers hovered. The answer was obvious - thanks, I've just eaten, I'll join you at the pub after if you're going. But… his fingers traced that new curve of his gut, inching slowly bigger by the month. Not enough to be visible in most clothes really, not enough to be called fat, but there, sure enough. Was he really full? He could eat, couldn't he? What's a curry and a couple of naans?

You off to the Raj? he texted back. What time?

That old familiar feeling, of a stomach overly stuffed, too much food and beer. But different this time. The pain was there. The pressure. But there was a certain enjoyment to it. A pleasure. Warm, rather than acidic; heavy, rather than sharp. And god but didn't his gut look round? He stood in profile in the mirror, holding it almost like a pregnancy announcement. How long until it was always this size, he wondered? How long until it was bigger?

A second dinner became a weekly occurrence, then spread to two times a week, three times, four. After all, he'd proven to himself he had the capacity - why not? Eventually if he hadn't had four meals a day topped off with ice cream he'd be ravenous, his stomach biting at him in retaliation for his neglect.

He crossed 200 pounds. 210. 220. Clothes were bought, grown into, outgrown, and the cycle repeated. The general increase in size that had come before gave way to true signs of fatness. Soft pockets of fat at his chest, his arse rounding out, chubby cheeks, a real, honest to god, gut. It was happening. It was really fucking happening.

His mate Sam, the largest of the group, reached over and slapped John's baby gut after he took his coat off one night at the pub. "Fucking hell mate!" he said. "Never thought I'd see you with one of these!" There were some jeers, some belly pats, some comments - "At least you're not making us look bad anymore." "Welcome to the club, mate."

John looked around as he downed half of his first pint. How much more weight until he was the biggest there? None of them were that big, really, even Sam. Just a load of ex-rugby players with some overdeveloped beer guts. Another 30 or 40 pounds maybe? 18 stone? It sounded good, didn't it? And it would take, what? Six months at his current rate? A nice place to stop for a bit, enjoy his weight and new status as the big guy of the group.

He downed the rest of his drink and went to the bar for his next. "What we eating tonight then lads?" he asked them all, thinking back to the burger and chips he'd had just before coming.

It was all a lot easier with a definite goal in mind, he thought to himself a few weeks later, as he finished a tub of ice cream and placed it down next to four empty beer bottles. The sizes of snacks crept up, until they were meals in and of themselves, and he'd find himself convincing himself he was hungry almost as soon as he'd finished eating. He started stashing snacks everywhere that he couldn't reasonably expect a meal - the passenger seat of his car became reserved for a small mound of chocolate bars, the bottom drawer of his desk at work was filled with crisps and cereal bars.

His mates fell silent as he walked up to them a few months later, the next time he saw them, and he grinned smugly as he saw that, yes, he'd definitely become the fattest there. A couple of them even looked like they'd lost weight, the stupid pricks - didn't they know how good this felt? He put his pint and packet of pork scratchings down, and maneuvered himself down into his seat.

"Jesus Christ John," Sam said softly. "Are you… I mean… Is everything okay?"

John slapped the top of his gut and beamed. "Just enjoying life mate!" he replied, laughing. He tried to listen in as the others murmured around him, doing their best to not be too obvious.

"He wasn't that big last time, was he?" "Definitely not, he was smaller than me." "What's it been, four months? Three?" "He's not ill, do you reckon?" "Must be four stone, at least?"

Okay, so he knew he'd overshot his target and weighed in at 20 stone and change that morning, and yes, how fast it had piled on had shocked even himself, but really, it was all so hot, he was hardly about to complain. In fact, he'd made the decision that 285 felt a little small, really. Why not push for 300, when he was already so close anyway? Then he'd be satisfied, he knew.

"Mate," Sam whispered to him quietly, leaning in. "You've got a little uhh…" He gestured to his face. John took a finger and wiped the corner of his mouth.

"Cheers mate," John said, licking his finger. "Just a bit of cream." He spent the night making jokes about how fat he was getting, and eventually everyone else relaxed a little, content that he at least seemed happy with his shocking weight gain. Underneath his gut, his cock was rock hard.

300 pounds, it turned out, also felt a little small. Or at least, that's what John told himself a couple of months later as he saw 316 flashing on the scales. Maybe just a little bit more - a few more pounds and then he'd stop, once and for all.

But god, did it feel hot. Eating became its own erotic experience. It wasn't merely that he couldn't cum anymore without being completely, painfully stuffed (that point had long since come and gone), he now wondered why he would want to at all. Hook-ups became as much about being fed as they were about the sex. He didn't care who they were - if they had food and were willing to feed him, he'd take them.

John's body became unrecognisable. He was far beyond mere beer belly or dad bod now, his gut was now a globe that spanned out in every direction, wrapping around into thick cushions at his back, draped in inches of fat on top of the firm ball, before cascading off, a surprisingly cold apron of flesh that was slowly threatening to cover his ever shrinking cock. His tits sagged to the side and joined up to his back fat nestled in his armpit. His face, long-since fully rounded, began to elongate, his cheeks and chins sagging into new shapes.

John panted a little as he stood naked in his bathroom, doing his best to push his gut in with one hand as he peered over the top of it to see the scale read 363. "Right," he told the walls of the bathroom. "That's it, I'm stopping there." He struggled to lean down to pick the scales up, sliding them away to the side of the cabinet before straining to stand. "I only bloody wanted to be bigger than Sam."

Food, however, still tasted as good as it had before. And every meal he tried to scale back, every snack he tried to forgo, left him ravenous - each day he'd just end up gorging on more food than he tried to cut back on.

370. 380. 390.

His body began to feel alien. Every joint began to feel crowded, flesh filling the space before he could fully bend his elbow or knee. His arms sat awkwardly by his sides, pushed out by sloping tits. Manspreading became the default, as his thighs met all the way down to his knees which themselves began to inflate out, pillowy and soft.

400. 410. 420.

The gym, he decided. If dieting was out of the question (and there was no doubt at this point that dieting was very much out of the question), he could always exercise. He drove to a nearby gym, asked about personal trainers. Put down more money than one of his mortgage payments for their premium membership for a year, as much to force himself to commit as for the actual services.

His feet ached. His knees grinded. His lungs burned. Sweat poured off of him in quantities that he didn't know people could sweat - and he considered himself to be quite the expert on sweating these days.

Fuck it, he thought to himself after the first session, his circus tent of a t-shirt practically see-through, clinging to every roll of his body, showing off each crevice and valley. It wasn't that much money, really. He could afford to wave goodbye to it, if it meant never having to do that again. What did he have such a good salary for, if not to waste it on shit he'd never use? He'd have only spent it on food anyway.

430. 440. 450.

"My weight's plateaued recently, actually," he told Sam proudly over a pint.

Sam gave an encouraging smile. "That's great mate," he said, in the same tone he'd speak to a child or elderly relative. "Really great."

"Yeah," John said, opening one of the bags of nuts on the table in front of them. "I only put on like five pounds last month."

"Fuck," Sam said quietly, his face draining of colour. "Five pounds last- John, mate, that's still over a pound a week. What are you… how quickly were you packing it on before?"

John shrugged, and pointed to the rugby match on the TV in the corner of the pub, trying to change the topic. At least Sam had put on some weight himself recently - it blunted to criticism just a little.

"I'm over twenty stone now," Sam confessed later, his breath reeking of beer as he leant in close. "I don't know how I'm going to stop," he continued, his words slurring. He leant back and pulled his t-shirt up to reveal his hairy gut beginning to fill his lap and he slapped it. "Look at this thing!" he said loudly enough that people at other tables looked over and laughed. He began to rub it in slow, wide circles, and John could see the outline of his dick growing down the inside of his trousers. He leant back in, lowered his voice once more. "It's kind of fucking hot, isn't it?" he asked, punctuating with a burp. "That's why you've gotten so fat, right? You find it hot too?"

Forty five minutes later, Sam clumsily lined up his cock with one of the folds on John's gut, and slid it inside, grunting as he did so. Both of them held a kebab in one hand, and ate them as Sam's gut and John's whole body shook and quivered with Sam's thrusts, bits of meat and salad and sauce falling down onto their bodies.

"I can't stop," Sam moaned, as his thrusts became more erratic. "I keep on trying to lose weight but I just gain more and more." He spasmed and yelled out, one hand shoving the last of the kebab into his mouth, the other gripping one of his love handles hard, his fingers sinking in to the growing ball of fat.

"That's the thing about momentum," John said as he licked the last of the sauce off his fingers. "Once you get started, it just gets harder and harder to stop."

Sam slid off of John's body and John looked down at himself, surveying his acres of flesh. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to put on just a little more weight, he thought to himself. After all, Sam needed someone to set a good example.

[teddy-bear-scribbles]

Obey Me Datables Breakfast HCs

Lucifer-

•He's canonically not a morning person, so he wouldn't have much energy

•He'd make coffee how you like it though

•if you don't drink coffee probably pour some juice for you

•He would be very appreciative if you made him breakfast in bed instead

Mammon-

•He normally doesn't cook breakfast for people, beyond when it's his chore, but for you he'd make an exception!

•He wants to make you a classic breakfast in bed, bacon and eggs

•Got a bedside table so you can eat in bed

•The bacon is a bit salty and extra crunchy, and the egg isn't the best

•He gives you a glass of milk and tells you it's because humans need the stuff in it for their bones to grow

•you're unsure whether or not to tell him human's bones stop growing after a certain age, which you're likely past

Levi-

•He does have some cooking expertise, he wouldn't make it often

•when he does though, it'd probably be something like an omelette with a picture drawn in ketchup on it

•he wouldn't bring it to you in bed but he'd still surprise you with it

•in contrast to what you think, he'd probably draw something more suited to your taste as opposed to something ruri chan themed or anything based on one of his interests

•especially if your interests are nerdy like anime

Satan-

•Makes a slightly more complicated breakfast for you like eggs benedict

•Also brings it to you in bed

•If you're willing he'd probably feed it to you

Asmodeus-

•Despite what you might think he'd put a lot of effort into learning to cook breakfast for you

•He'd make something like a sweet crepe

•He'd spend hours trying to make it perfect and aesthetic for you

•Offers a variety of fruit for you to put on it at your own discretion

•Also a healthy smoothie, probably mainly strawberry

Beelzebub-

•He's not much of a cook, but he learned that humans sometimes make their partners breakfast in bed

•He didn't realize it typically meant cooking it yourself so he probably got akudonalds or something like that

•He thinks sharing food with you is romantic, it's his way of showing his trust and love for you

Belphie-

•Makes fried eggs and slightly burnt toast

•He would improve over time as he continues to do it

•Also gives it to you in bed, sits/lies next to you while you eat as you have casual conversation

Diavolo-

•I think he would be an absolute disaster in the kitchen

•It would be a wreck

•Barbatos does most of the cooking so he never really learned

•Its the thought that counts though, I suppose

•He probably got ambitious and tried to make waffles and french toast

•Barbatos is now teaching him to cook

Barbatos-

•This man is a master chef, it's canon, he could cook a 5 course meal for breakfast

•But realistically? No

•He would covertly learn your preferences and make breakfast suited just for your tastes and dietary needs

•If you have no drink preference, he'd make a different tea each time, so you can continually try new things

•He puts flowers in a vase as decoration

•He uses flower meanings when choosing which to use

•"Peonies represent good fortune, I hope this may inspire as much for you today."

Simeon-

•He'd make his signature pancakes, syrup and butter on the side if you'd like

•His voice is extra raspy in the morning

•also brings you your drink of choice

•If you have no preference, orange juice

Solomon-

•fucking RUN.

•C'mon be serious

•"Good morning MC, I made you breakfast in bed." From Solomon is the start of a horror movie

•I know some people say they'd try his cooking but it's literally canonically lethal and makes demons sick

•You are not built different

•Maybe just, make breakfast in bed for him, instead.

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

Now that chapter 2 is mostly over for all the members but Jin (whose chapter 2 is finally starting!), I wanted to write down my thoughts on how I think each member's reputation and image changed, what I learned about them, what my perception of them is now, etc.

For J-Hope, I think this was a great opportunity for him to "free" himself from the hope persona - which is very important and true to him but also constricting - and to promote himself more as a musical artist than a dancer - despite being the main dancer, even in his BTS solos Hobi usually chooses to limit his dancing. I think Hobi showed a cooler, smoother, stylish, more mature side of himself that increased his popularity and brand and resonated with a lot of people. He also proved that he's more than capable of going solo, even if I personally have mixed feelings about his voice.

I think Suga's chapter 2 was relatively "forgettable". He already had the image he wanted, released the music he wanted, produced what he wanted, so there was nothing to prove or show. Suga dropped an album that I'm pretty sure he didn't think was anything special and then went on tour. He also had fun with Suchwita. I think most of what he did was for Army and BTS, with the exception of the tour which was also for him. I don't think his solo ventures really felt like him going solo, but more like a side job. He did well, but I'm not sure his popularity, reputation, or image changed substantially - I mean, no more than expected.

RM had a pretty wild chapter 2. Through Indigo he explored a more artistic and uncensored side we all knew of, but it was in the build-up to RPWP than he started to express his opinions more freely. His amazing and diverse collabs also helped show a cooler and trendier side of him. RPWP was the game changer though. I think RM finally "escaped" his BTS leader image and mainstreamed this sexy, quirky, artsy, smart yet unserious image which he already had but the GP didn't know. Music wise, he's the one who did the most, showed the most, and had the most incredible material - even if his music isn't mostly to my taste. He's the most natural soloist along with JK imo.

V chose a path similar to Suga's. He did a lot of variety, which we already knew he liked, hanged a lot with the Wooga Squad, who we already knew, released a few songs in a style we knew he liked, did lots of photoshoots and work in fashion, which we also already knew he enjoyed... I don't think V took chapter 2 very "seriously" in the sense that he didn't strategically try to brand himself differently or find his own voice. He might've even released Layover a bit more for us than himself. He already had a strong brand and didn't change it. I think his popularity decreased a bit comparatively to Jikook because he was very lowkey.

Jungkook... well, he exploded in popularity. He had his BWL moment in Dreamers and L&R, his Dynamite in Seven, and his Butter in SNTY - kinda. His songs are GP friendly and in English, so they had a lot of impact, and his CK campaigns were genius marketing because they helped build this image of a sexy, attractive, gender nonconforming guy who can be both gender neutral and conventionally masculine. CK is also accessible to a lot of people so he got his face (and body) plastered all over the world. The collabs helped some too. Jungkook really committed even if at first he wasn't sure about releasing an album. I think he grew the most as a performer. He has continuously showed growth over the years, but imo he grew the most during the pandemic and chapter 2. His singing and dancing became more refined and unique, his stage presence and stamina improved. He was on fire with SNTY. Jungkook's vocals, dancing (eg. the sultry, relaxed hand movements he does now), stage presence, visuals, attitude, etc., all reached another level, an iconic level. Jungkook really changed his image, beginning in 2022 when his lives become so unfiltered - he sang his heart out, shared his life, didn't censor himself as much. I think Jungkook changed a lot - dropped the veil a bit -, and his music was a natural progression of him letting more of himself show. At first I didn't get it, but now I think it all fit JK really well - even if I don't/didn't like all of it. He's so effortlessly confident and comfortable on stage now, though. He might not have grown as a songwriter, but he grew so much as a performer, which is his art.

Lastly, Jimin... he surprised the most tbh, but in a negative-ish way. I had huge expectations for him and felt disappointed with his solo chapter. His image changed a lot, but in his case I loved the "old" Jimin better... I wanted something like Filter and Lie, I wanted him to show amazing dances and visuals. But he really went on a different route. He focused on singing and music the most, investing a lot in writing his own stuff, which is great but a bit unexpected. He focused a lot on inner reflection and less on his idol self, which up until then I thought was what he wanted us to see the most. And by becoming less "idol-like", he changed a lot. His choreos are more relaxed and less attractive now imo, and he engages his dance crew a lot whereas before he mostly carried his dances alone. He also showed us a much shier and reserved side of himself. His vocals changed too, or at least how he sounds in songs... I know Jimin had a lot of success, but I was surprised by how "unremarkable" I found him as a soloist. I thought he would set the world on fire, but he didn't take many risks on stage - his songs were risky, but not his performances or styling - or stand out that much. During Face he even looked a bit uncomfortable. He shines in BTS, but I don't believe Jimin truly shined on his own - not like he could've. I find his image less attractive and marketable now than pre-2022 Jimin - and that's okay but I lost a lot of interest in him as a performer. I used to love his fancams, but now I don't really care. He's still the cutest and loveliest, but, selfishly, this is not the artist Jimin I wanted.

Anyway, I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on this!

[melishade]

The Beloved Timeline is so sweet it's giving me a sugar rush! Optimus and Elita bring kind and supportive to each other is the greatest thing I've ever witnessed. Can you imagine what it must be like for the people of Paradise to witness Optimus, the stoic and super serious but gentle metal giant, be head over heels for someone?

Survey Corp must be in disbelief when they see Optimus being a stuttering dork:

Or a smooth as butter romantic.

It must be quite a sight to behold.

Previous Episode of the Beloved Timeline

Number 21

Pilot Poll Open until next Sunday

I suppose now is as good a time as any to talk about dynamics.

They want nice things for Optimus, because the last time that someone from Optimus' past showed up (Megatron) it was literal hostility until the coup was over. And even though the coup is over, there's still a strain between the two, and Megatron isn't making it any better.

Elita coming into the picture is a literal god-send to the Survey Corps! Even though the only ones who know of Elita and Optimus relationship are the Survey Corps, Pixis, and Megatron, everyone in the military has noticed that Optimus' mood has improved substantially! He's smiling! The only ones who had seen Optimus smile up until that point were Eren and Hanji! Optimus and Elita will be professional for professional sake and for the prevention of blackmail. They keep their relationship moments private for the most part. However there is some slip up P.D.A. in the workplace. And the Survey Corps cannot help but just be invested in the rekindling romance! When the two have an argument though and it's visible, the Survey Corps get so worried though. Sometimes it'll be as simple as doing a task, and it's a simple debate but a good portion of them are freaking the fuck out thinking they have to fix it.

Levi: They think you're having an argument.

Elita:...we were just talking about moving some items in the neutral ship.

And despite the fact that Elita social skills are quite rusty, she gets along better with the Survey Corps then Megatron ever did. After she beat the shit out of Megatron, she and Levi have become instant friends. Hanji is...well they are a little bit too much for Elita to handle but she knows they mean well. Elita is perplexed on how they've been able to somehow manage Megatron but Hanji replies that they have their own stubborn bastard in the form of Levi.

Levi kind of reminds Elita of Megatronus, but for the sake of Levi's sanity she keeps her mouth shut

The others in the Survey Corps do hesitate in approaching her, and sometimes Elita botches her social skills, but they still get along well enough. The only one who's kind of having trouble adjusting to this is Eren, unfortunately. It's not that he doesn't want Optimus happy! He does! Optimus is his mentor/father figure! Eren looks up to him! But on top of the fact that his first encounter with Elita was him was her trying to kill him, and the fact that Optimus actually being in a relationship with someone was kind of...weird? Eren was...jealous in a weird way. He and the Survey Corps have been trying to ease Optimus' worries and such and Elita just being there improved Optimus' mood substantially. He gets it. Elita's known Optimus for longer than anyone else except for Megatron, and they were in a relationship, and Optimus thought Elita was dead. Hell, if his mom came back to life, he'd be over the moon. He just...felt horrible for thinking this way.

One day, Elita does cover for Optimus when Hanji wants to do experiments with Eren. As Eren's doing experiments, Elita can't help but be curious and want to see Eren's battle prowess. Optimus had told her he was training him, and Optimus seemed to form a bond with the human. And Elita wanted to test out her new weapons she had crafted from the crew that she had mourned for. So Elita challenges him to a duel. Eren complies, but Elita can't help but hate how hesitant he's being and actively calls him out on it. She's just so sick of being treated as fragile at this point. Eren tries to explain that's not the reason, but Elita continues saying that she took on him and gave Megatron a run for his money. And so she immediately teaches him a lesson. His hesitance in taking on an opponent because they look like someone, or you might know them, will give any other Autobot or Decepticon the upper hand in killing him. And Decepticons would take full advantage of his vulnerability in that moment. And just to cement it further, she cuts off his leg. Eren ends up falling backwards but Elita kicks his stomach, causing him to skid across the ground, for good measure.

Eren is literally thinking that it's Annie all over again and he hates it.

Eren does put in more effort this time and gets over his hesitance and hones in on his anger, but he still loses. Obviously. He does knock the sword out of her servo at one point, but she just pulls out her new weapons, which are knuckle brasses and punches him in the face, blinding him. Eren does ultimately apologize to Elita and explains that he wasn't trying to treat Elita like she's fragile. He just...doesn't entirely know how to feel about her. He's happy for Optimus, but...he thinks this is weird and he doesn't know why. Elita knows that she can't entirely change his mind set about it. She knows Optimus cares for him, and no doubt Eren cares about Optimus. But she does offer her own services to Eren if he's willing to learn, just so he can get stronger and that the two of them can feel more comfortable around each other. Eren can't help but feel excited and tells her thank you.

More and more, the younger members of the Survey Corps, specifically the 104th will start to see her as a role model.

[toskarin]

Language Disguises Thought, Baby (1/2)

I said I'd do this, so consider this the opening to my Space Dandy episode-by-episode minireview post. I'm going to break this up into season 1 and 2 because there's a very clear shift that happens between them (although I'd argue that a few late season 1 episodes show this shift)

there will be no scores, no rankings, just a few sentences and my take on whether I liked an episode or thought it fell flat. these are more of rambles than actual reviews, so I'm not even trying to offer anything besides my opinion

<EVERYBODY COME ON>!

1: Live with the Flow, Baby

this isn't my favourite episode, but it does something very important: it catches your attention. it very quickly and (arguably) elegantly teaches you about how inconsequential mortality is to the crew of the Aloha Oe. this may be a strange comparison, but it reminds me a lot of Ichigo Mashimaro Episode 0 in terms of tone

I forgot just how funny this show was. improved immensely by watching it on a couch with others, so that no slapstick or animation gag goes un-giggled-at

in isolation, this is a very okay episode. as the first episode tasked with easing people into a very weird show, it does its job well

2: The Search for the Phantom Space Ramen, Baby

I may be a bit biased in saying this, because there's a memory attached to this episode, but this is one of my favourites of early season 1. Meow is a very charismatic character who would be completely insufferable if not for Dandy, and the same is true in reverse

the martial arts homage in this episode is fantastic, even if it feels a bit like a red herring for Cowboy Bebop fans in the same way as the woolongs are

you also start seeing the existential themes emerging which become the show's bread and butter later on. this is an episode I'd consider "essential" to understanding the tone of Space Dandy

3: Occasionally Even the Deceiver Is Deceived, Baby

an incredibly funny episode. I remember people making a big deal out of this back when the series first aired, with plenty of people dropping it outright (as was the fashion at the time) because it seemed like it was going to be an ecchi comedy

all that said, there's so many visual gags in this episode. it feels weird to try and fine-comb what makes these early episodes good, given how obvious it is: they're not afraid to be silly and have fun

I'm being very gentle on the first few episodes because opening for a show like Space Dandy before anything was really established had to be brutal

4: Sometimes You Can't Live with Dying, Baby

the first time I saw this episode, as it was airing, I still hadn't realised how the show was going to be formatted. the second half felt like a kick in the ribs that I didn't fully recover from until several episodes later, when I finally stopped trying to figure out how the zombie thing resolved

this episode is a little bit of a dud to me, despite the hilarious second half, because it's just not all that interesting. even so, a middling episode of Space Dandy still beats [checks what else was on at the time] ah, yeah, that's why I don't remember much about this season besides the four series I watched at the time

what do you want me to say about it? it's the zombie episode. it's fine. I could take or leave it

5: A Merry Companion Is a Wagon in Space, Baby

I've spent years singing this episode's praises. I watched it three times when it came out. can you imagine how scared I was about the off chance I'd see it on the rewatch and find it lost its luster? the good news is, it didn't. I still got a little choked up

A Merry Companion stands so strongly that it could have existed outside of Space Dandy as its own series. fortunately, it doesn't have to. for my money, this is the best episode of the entire series.

and what a needle drop! the montage of Dandy and Adélie travelling to Want to Know has some of the best vibes (for lack of a better word) the series ever clicks together

heartfelt, melancholy, and sincere. paced like a delicious meal that leaves you wanting nothing. peak television. this is the episode where Dandy becomes really likeable beyond surface level novelty

6: The War of the Undies and Vests, Baby

this episode has one of the "dudes rock" moments of all time when Dandy and Meow are arbitrarily assigned sides in a pointless conflict and immediately start beating each other up for reasons they don't understand. this episode would be a dud to me if it weren't so funny

...and if it didn't have that finale.

regardless of how you feel about the entire plot of this episode being designed to anticlimax and set the stage for the Stardust Pipeline needle drop, it's a great needle drop, so it's hard to feel too grouchy about that

of course, maybe that's the point? Space Dandy is about nonsequiturs and going with the flow, so this episode actually conveys that philosophy really well. a passing grade, if only on technicality

7: A Race in Space Is Dangerous, Baby

I like death races. I like bishies. I like homoeroticism, and I like rock organ solos. these are all things you should know about me before you get upset that I really enjoyed this episode.

the sheer quantity of colourful fun in this episode is unbelievable. it's incoherent, it doesn't say much, but it stuck the landing for me. this episode is quintessential Space Dandy, distilled... for better and worse! but that's part of why I like it

also Dandy symbolically tops a twink in this episode and it's not subtext. lot to unpack there.

8: The Lonely Pooch Planet, Baby

a rare case where the second half of the episode being so irreverent actually does detract from the first half. this is another episode where we get to see the heart behind Space Dandy, and then we get a diversion into an (admittedly funny) slapstick plot

this one doesn't really stick with me as much as it should, given how gorgeous the animation is. I don't think they needed to change the format, but I'm not sure they chose the correct second half for this one

this episode, to me, falls flat. sadly.

9: Plants Are Living Things, Too, Baby

inconsolable. this episode is every bit as insane as I remembered.

looping back around to the criticism I made of episode 8, this episode doesn't even have a pivot. it's just a weird enough concept to feel confident in riding it out until the end

and you know what? it works. I got emotional over some faceless plants.

heartfelt, beautiful, and of course, lots of fun. this episode is a treat and it would be a disservice to try and fail to articulate every reason why

10: There's Always Tomorrow, Baby

I completely forgot the lesbian twist and almost threw up laughing. this episode manages to combine quiet beauty and batshit humour seamlessly, with a universally understandable emotional thread. Meow becomes a significantly more likeable character for having this context

and credit where it's due, the lesbian gag is really good. it doesn't feel mean-spirited and is careful to ensure that the joke comes off as "Meow realises that he never asked if his crush was actually into him" instead of "Katie is a lesbian and this is Meow's divine punishment for abandoning his friends"

the Endless Eight homage is cute, too. this, in all honesty, feels like the first episode to engage fully with the themes that would define season 2

11: I'm Never Remembering You, Baby

do you ever feel like you're willingly calling yourself an idiot online and nobody's even paying you to do it? that's how I feel saying that this episode is just okay to me.

the concept of the librarian is extremely creative, along with the library planet and the way it works. it just doesn't do as much for me as the more colourful episodes

12: Nobody Knows the Chameleon Alien, Baby

big fan of this episode. there are so many amazing gags in it that you'd be doing yourself a disservice by watching it alone

with that praise delivered, it's a really straightforward concept and I'm not sure what I can say about it. it's funny that QT gets really into fishing for tsuchinoko, it's funny that the chameleonian disguises itself as a random guy, it's funny that they have a game show

it's a funny episode. I like the jokes, and that's a perfectly fine way to be a good episode

13: Even Vacuum Cleaners Fall in Love, Baby

I fully believe this episode started as a post-it note. the concept of "a vacuum cleaner falls in love with a coffee maker that gets thrown away" just feels like that. what a sweet episode, though

some wild sakuga in this one for a character who doesn't really lend to sakuga. the novelty of seeing QT engage in mecha combat elevated the finale of this episode

this is also a pretty nice continuation of the plot thread where our trio has to come to accept that not everyone is available to them. just like with Katie, there's plenty of obvious foreshadowing that QT is missing something

[fuckkbrunch]

Strap in. This is a long one.

I could have broken this into three posts, but it was all served on one plate, so it's all going in one post. Logic.

I bought my meat from a local place, and I do think it improved the quality. Going to try to do that as often as I can afford to for these recipes.

So this meatloaf is fucking massive. Tony says to cook it in "a loaf pan" but I don't know who has a loaf pan big enough for that much meat. Splitting it up would mean fucking with the cook time, so instead I just built myself a loaf pan...

This is a 2:1 mix of beef and veal. I could have diced the onion and celery a little finer, but my knife isn't so hot and I was honestly doing too many things while cooking this meal. People were texting me time sensitive shit while I was prepping, it was a whole thing. I can find excuses for anything.

Couldn't find the fresh version of the herbs I needed, so I used dried marjoram and some thyme springs I had in my freezer.

Pretty typical mushroom gravy. Beef stock instead of veal stock. Dicing a pound of mushrooms is quite possibly the most annoying prep task ever.

Now this one is 2:1 potato and butter. It called for a ricer or a food mill, which I don't have. So I took one for the team and I pressed the cooked potatoes through a perforated strainer. By hand. It took some time. Well worth it though.

This one, I had the recipe roughly in my head. Hadn't checked the book right before shopping, and I thought it needed pancetta. So I bought a 9 dollar bag of pancetta that I didn't need. Luckily I almost always have bacon at home.

These are the most butter filled mashed potatoes I've ever made. This meal used an entire pound of butter.

The sprouts were a tiny bit over done, but that's totally on me and my timing being a little off. Will definitely be making these again.

Next time I really need to do my prep the day before. My kitchen is too small for this shit...

I have to resort to using my toaster as a shelf, and my sponge holder to set my salt down on. My beautiful no name™ brand kosher salt. It'll likely be a recurring object in more than a few of my reviews.

Everything just about done, kosher salt still at the ready. It feels illegal to take ground meat out of the oven when it's only at 150°, but it really turned out perfectly after resting.

Not gonna lie, that mushroom gravy looks like a pile of cat puke to me. A few of my friends reassessured me that once you know it's mushrooms, it looks better. I think they're being nice. Look at the fin on those potatoes though. These babies are holding so much butter, it's insane.

| Meatloaf and Mushroom Gravy + Sides |

Taste is a 5 out of 5. Yep, I said it.

Difficulty is a 4 out of 5. If you do all three simultaneously. The potatoes are the hardest part.

Time was about 3 hours, give or take.

This was an amazing plate. The hint of lemon juice on the brussels really cut some of the fat and butter flavour nicely.

Even as leftovers, freaking delicious. It kinda looks like a sad tv dinner - which is totally what he was going for with this recipe - and he nailed it. In the end, I'm not mad that it made such a monster meatloaf. Leftovers for daaays.

[aberooski]

Do you have singing voice HCs for any DM characters?

Ooh good question! Of course you can take my headcanons with a grain of salt, but I'm happy to share!

I sort of do, but not quite to the same degree as my hyperfixation on my GX crew singing voice headcanons. Or maybe it is actually it's been a while since I've thought about these guys that way aksksk

Like for instance we have a frame of reference for Seto because Eric Stuart is a singer. Which would apply to Bastion a little bit too through the transitive property of voice actors but Seto's voice is more or less just Eric's and Bastion's isn't so I think about them very differently.

Side note: Seto can sing and has a nice voice but would literally never sing ever in his life so I don't think even he knows what his vocals are like. 🤭

We also sorta have a frame of reference for Téa because in my experience we all just kinda agree that it's her singing We'll Be There even though it's not actually Amy Birnbaum singing. But from that frame of reference I think it's safe to say I think she'd have a very pop-y voice. Her voice is light enough to be very agile for runs and has the energy for more upbeat songs. I also think she lives more in the upper register, not quite full soprano though. She'd probably be more of a mezzo soprano in like a choir or something like that. But she's got a great belting range. So jealous

Tristan I actually think about the most. I think he actually has a very good voice and everyone is surprised by that when they find out. It's kinda like a secret talent but he's modest about it. He's the most musically adept between the four of them apart from Téa since she's a dancer and has that side on lock too, but he keeps it to himself. But goddammit his voice is smooth like butter and lives in that middle voice range. Get him on a nice slow acoustic song and he'll change your fucking life.

Joey is the most amateurish with his sound and general talent but he tries. He's lowkey jealous of Tristan's innate vocal talent and tries harder to get good so he can one up him at first but then just grows to enjoy it. And he's more of a belter than Tristan which he loves to flex but in a fun and playful way. Hid voice like I said is amateurish and rough and unrefined, but he's got the spirit and the potential to be a very very good vocalist as he improves.

Bakura has the sweetest most gentle tuckin voice in the world 😭 except for Yugi but shhhhh! Like you want him singing lullabies to your kids at night. His voice is very melodious and his British accent survives in his vocals which just 😭 his range is deceptively low though but is generally very wide.

I haven't thought super deep into Duke or Mai but I have decided they both have deep, sultry, very sexy voices 😩 Like they would KILL in a midnight piano bar. Voice part wise I've always had it in my mind that Mai would be an alto, probably 2nd alto, and Duke would be a baritone. I also can't imagine any senerio where Mai doesn't have natural vibrato 😩

And Yugi 🤔 Yugi is very self conscious about his voice but like Bakura, he has the fucking sweetest most gentle voice you've ever heard. It's just as gentle as he is, and his range leans more on the higher side but he's got more of a lower register than Sy does of you know my headcanon about him 🤭 Joey loves to be his hype man if the situation ever arises where Yugi sings anything like if they're having a karaoke night or something and he appreciates the sentiment but get soooo embarrassed. He and Téa duet at karaoke night a lot and their voices are very well matched 🥰

Tbh haven't really thought about Atem that much that way 🤔 but in my mind he's a bass/baritone. But he probably has a very nice voice too, strong and warm and just a kinda naturally refined sound. I dunno really, but he can definitely sing 😅

Hope that's a satisfactory answer for you! 💜

[harveyhawkscripts]

[A4A] Cuddling Your Half-Dragon Roommate [Modern Fantasy] [Roommates] [Insomnia Comfort]

AN: Welcome to the finale of Monsters for Mental Health May! Thank you to everyone who voted. Apologies if this one seems a bit rushed; I just got back from my trip and boy, are my arms tired! This one might be in the running for The Great Script Rewrite (pending). Anyway, please enjoy ^-^

Usage:

- Okay for monetization

- Please credit me as Harvey Hawk :)

- Tweaks, improv, and pronoun changes are okay! Just please do not rewrite the script completely.

Synopsis: In a modern fantasy setting, the listener has trouble sleeping due to insomnia. Their roommate, a tsundere half-dragon just back from a grueling double shift, helps them finally fall asleep. 

Google Doc

Key:

[SFX and Action]

(.) Short Pause

(...) Longer pause

(Voice instruction)

Word Count: 990

—

[Footsteps]

HALF-DRAGON

(Exhausted) Ugghh... Gods, I hate evening shift. 'M always dead afterwards.

[Muffled TV noises]

[Footsteps stop]

Tch, really? They left the TV on again? They're so damn absent-minded.

[Door unlocks, opens, closes, and locks again]

(Surprised) Oi. The hell are you doing up? It's, like, two AM. Don't you have commissions due?

(.)

How could I not? You haven't shut up about it.

(.)

(Slightly irritated) Yeah, well. I do listen. And I would like to not listen to that damn TV all night. So, shut it off and go to bed.

[TV turns off]

(.)

I don't care if you sleep or not, just go to your room and be quiet. I just had a shift from the depths of hell and if I don't get some rest, I'm going to lose my shit.

(.)

Listen. You're my roommate, so I tolerate you to an extent. But you do not want to get between a dragon and their sleep.

(.)

(Growls) Half dragon. Quit nitpicking! What is your deal tonight? You're normally so chill - which is why I chose you as my roommate by the way - the hell is your damage?!

(.)

Oh, for fu- there's nothing to be scared of! I put up wards! You know I did!

Look, if I check the magic wards, will you finally let me rest?

(.)

Fine, I'll put one on your door.C'mon.

[Footsteps]

(Whispers) Tu...tela

[Claws scraping on wood]

There. Go to bed.

(.)

Then get a glass of water. Quietly. Goodnight.

(Sigh) What is it now?

(.)

There are blankets in the closet. Problem solved.

(.)

What?! What more could you possibly want?!

(.)

(Sigh) Shit.

Look, don't - I didn't mean - I ... Ugh. I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have yelled. I just... I had an awful day at work.

(.)

No, you're right; it's not an excuse. I'm sorry. But I'm too tired for guessing games right now. Why don't you want to go to bed?

(.)

Insomnia...You never told me about that.

(.)

Uh, because I'm your roommate? You ever think that you being up all hours of the night might affect my sleep schedule?

(.)

No, I'm not going to find another roommate. I don't want another roommate. Idiot. I'm going to help you.

(.)

What do you usually do when you can't sleep?

(.)

Suffer? Shit, okay. No wonder you act so out-of-it. You're always tired.

(.)

You do too! You leave the peanut butter out and I always have to nag you to get your clothes out of the dryer. I just figured you were an airhead.

(.)

You're still a hell of a lot better than other roommates I've had. At least you haven't set anything on fire... yet.

(.)

Heh, sorry. But seriously. Going too long without sleep isn't healthy, dingus. Next time something's bothering you, just come to me, got it?

(.)

Yeah, really. I don't keep you around for the hell of it, you know.

(.)

It means... Well, it means....

(.)

(Growl) Don't make me say it!

(.)

Obviously I like you, idiot! I wouldn't live with you if I didn't. I... enjoy being your roommate. And if something's wrong, you need to come to me for help.

(.)

Because I said so! Anyway... let's find a way to get you to sleep.

(.)

Nah, I don't have any sleep magic. Not my thing. We might have some tea in the back of the cupboard.

(.)

Already had some, hm? Okay. Have you tried a warm bath?

(.)

Alright, check that off the list. Oh, I know! There are these, uh, audio stories for sleep online. Like, narrations and stuff. What about that?

(.)

Not even that works. Damn. Uh... Well, do you know what's causing your insomnia? Stress? Maybe you eat too much junk. I know you have a sweet tooth.

(.)

Huh? What'd ya say?

(.)

Scared and what? Little louder.

(.)

Lonely...? Ah. Oh. Hmph. Well...

(.)

(Hesitantly) Maybe I can... stay in your room. On the floor. If it means I can sleep.

(.)

Where the hell else would I sleep?

(.)

D-don't be ridiculous! Why would - I mean, you - I can't sleep in your bed!

(.)

Because that's - we aren't dating. It'd be weird. Besides, you probably kick in your sleep.

(.)

Oh, yeah, you totally do. I can tell.

(.)

Aw, c'mon. Don't give me those eyes.

(.)

(Growls) ....Fine. But kick me once and I'm going back to my room. Now c'mon. I just finished a double shift and I'm about to pass out.

[Door opens]

Um. What the hell? Where am I supposed to sleep?

(.)

I mean your bed is overrun with stuffed animals. I don't know how you expect to fit on there, let alone the both of us.

(.)

Look, if you want me to sleep with - uh, next to you, then you need to shove some of these things aside.

(.)

(Sarcastic) Sorry. Friends. You'll need to shove some of these friends aside.

(.)

A little more.

(.)

There.

[Blankets shift]

Go to sleep, roomie.

[Blankets shift]

[Blankets shift]

[Blankets shift]

Be. Still.

(.)

(Sigh) What's wrong?

(.)

Yeah, well, there isn't room for me and your big teddy. Cuddle one of your smaller plushies.

(.)

Arm support? Geez, you're so high-maintenance. Fine. Come here.

(.)

Because I'm letting you wrap an arm around me. Obviously.

(.)

Yeah, I'm sure. Get over here.

[Blankets shift]

(.)

Of course I'm warm. I'm a half-dragon.

(.)

Quit fidgeting. Just... curl up to my chest.

(.)

There, comfortable?

(.)

Good.

(.)

Nah, it's not weird. It's actually... nice. Heh, your breath kinda tickles.

(.)

It doesn't bother me. Go to sleep, roomie.

(.)

You're still tense.

(.)

Hey, it's okay. How about this? Let me trace my claws down your back real gentle... There, just focus on how that feels. I'm going to wrap my tail around you now. Like a weighted blanket.

(.)

There we go. I've gotcha.

(.)

Gettin' sleepy?

(.)

Good. Hey, before you go to sleep I gotta tell you something. It's important.

(.)

You totally owe me breakfast in the morning. I'm thinking pancakes.

(.)

(Chuckles) Okay, okay. I'll help make it.

(.)

...Yeah, I can stay with you tomorrow night, too.

(.)

Goodnight, roomie.

END

[bright-chld]

MY NATURAL HAIR CARE ROUTINE/TIPS

Okay so @zakofalltrades asked for my hair care routine and I am too long winded so I figured Id just make a post about it.

I'll just say for anyone who wants to approach their hair in this way, I just ask that you be patient with your hair. I think you have to be willing to open your mind to how you've typically thought and approached your hair. Seeing improvements to your hair is a gradual thing so just stick with it! This seems like alot but I hope from this you can take away that hair care for tight curled naturals doesn't have to be and shouldn't be complicated.

ROUTINE

How often should you wash your hair?

It's recommended you wash your hair every 5-10 days but capitalism still exist so my goal is to not exceed 2 weeks but pls do what your best and work from there. The way I understand it is that the longer you go without washing your hair the more time your hair spends in a dehydrated state. So washing your often just minimizes how long your hair spends in a dehydrated state. And we all know more dehydration = breakage

And when it comes to hydration, just know that WATER IS THE ONLY THING THAT CAN HYDRATE/ADD MOISTURE YOUR HAIR. I like to think of it like this: if your thirsty you don't drink oil or eat yogurt. You drink water.

Links

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmehGcoONoN/?igshid=Yzg5MTU1MDY=

Hair Cuts

I suggest you get your hair professionally cut. For me I think this is one of the first things to prioritize if you haven't gotten one recently or at all. Cutting your hair by yourself imo just doesn't get the job done in terms of ridding split ends and achieving a nice shape (if you care abt that)

Now hair cuts at salons usually fall under 2 types of cuts curly cuts (sometimes you'll specific types like deva curl cuts, rezo cuts etc) or blow out cut. A curly cut is when the hair is cut in it's curly state, typically when your hair is dry and in a wash 'n go (but ultimately depends on salon). For a blow out cut, the hair is cut when it is blow dried. One isn't better than the other its just a preference thing. Unless you wear your hair in it's curly state 90% of the time, a blow out cut should be sufficient. Plus I've found it's usually a bit cheaper.

In terms of frequency, this is something I feel is ultimately based on the state of your hair specifically. I've heard different things but if you need a starting point maybe try every 4 months and go from there.

Links

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CilJq-zv_MD/?igshid=Yzg5MTU1MDY=

Finding products

I don't have a lot to say here because I feel you can use a good amount of the any of the products you can get your hands on but the most important thing for me when it comes to looking for products is definitely to find products without oils/butters within the first 4-5 ingredients.

WASH DAY

Shampoo

There are different types (hydrating, clarifying, etc). I am still learning about all of them so I won't go into too much detail

The only thing I'll say is that if you have been using oils or butters I'll recommend a clarifying shampoo to start washing your hair with for a couple wash days just to reset your hair and then transition to using a regular shampoo (i.e hydrating shampoo)

Clarifying shampoos I know of: Kinky Curly Come Clean Shampoo (I use this one), EDEN Peppermint Tea Tree Clarifying Shampoo

Links

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CezRBJtADbs/?igshid=Yzg5MTU1MDY=

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjZOV6mtGTJ/?igshid=Yzg5MTU1MDY=

Conditioning

Now i know we've all been accustomed to the idea that natural hair requires deep conditioner/hair masks, but I'm here to tell it's not the case. It's not so much that deep conditioners/hair masks are bad for you it's more so that it's not necessary unless you have a particular issue with your hair (and most people don't).

But if this is something that is hard for you to depart with just yet, I say continue using those for now and perhaps when you get more accustomed to the routine you can swap out for regular conditioners.

Okay now for the practical tips/important techniques for detangling

I say always detangle in section unless your just a boss like that

First rub the product in your hands so that it's equally spread out on your whole hand. This ensures even coverage.

You want your hair to be SOAKING wet when your adding conditioner. Here's a good video that explains why this makes more sense then conditioning on dry hair: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRbmfkHD/

Apply the conditioner to the ends first and work your way up

Always detangle starting from the ends and work your way up

If you use a detangling brush (i.e felicia leatherwood, tangle teaser etc) hold the brush in a vertical position and comb your hair downwards. (this was a game changer for me)

If you notice the section your detangling is losing water and is no longer soaking wet, just add more water along the way.

Links

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjZUNpag2_0/?igshid=Yzg5MTU1MDY=

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ce84ICHAD2d/?igshid=Yzg5MTU1MDY=

STYLING

So when it comes to products imo I think most styles will revolve around two products: foam and/or gel. Which one of these products you'll use depends on what hairstyle you're trying to achieve.

Also when it comes to using creams/leave ins, I have personally phased these out of my styling process because they don't have great hold for the styles that I'm trying to achieve. And when it comes to styling you want to use a product that will hold your hair/curls in place so that your style can last.

When it comes to leave ins specifically, again not a necessary part of the styling process since you would have already conditioned your hair previously. So its not bad if you feel the need to use it, just more so redundant.

Wash 'n go's

Personally I don't do a lot of wash 'n go's, but here's a little bit of what I can say abt them

I think using a foam first and a gel on top is probably a good place to start if you want to do wash 'n go's

I've also seen some people that can use just a foam to do wash 'n go's. Usually a foam with a strong hold is best to achieve this but some people may need something with a stronger hold to set their curls (i.e. foam + gel) which is okay too. You'll probably have to see what works best for your hair.

Links

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CbOiXexgfzd/?igshid=Yzg5MTU1MDY=

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Chur08fgq_H/?igshid=Yzg5MTU1MDY=

Technique specific

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ce8k5MtApsk/?igshid=Yzg5MTU1MDY=

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRbmVoEG/

Twisting & Twist Outs/Braiding & Braid Outs

To my understanding, it seems like just a foam should be sufficient

In terms of getting the style to look how you want I think technique is usually the thing that will make or break you in these cases.

Flat twisting tips

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ci1MU9SgeTt/?igshid=Yzg5MTU1MDY=

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CcrStB-AaBH/?igshid=Yzg5MTU1MDY=

General styling tips

This applies to wash 'n go's, twisting/twist outs braiding/ braid outs is to use indirect heat to "set" the style in place

To my understanding these the best methods to do that: hooded dryer>diffuser>air drying

Air drying isn't really recommended for a neat finish because it typically allows your hair to frizz up and doesn't allow the style to set in place. But if a bit of frizz doesn't bother you (which is perfectly ok too) use what ever works best for you. Pls don't take this to say that you should buy a hooded dryer, use whatever is in your means.

Also, I've found that its best to have your hair to be drenched in water when styling (unless your style involves a fluffy look). Not damp, but soaking wet. The more water, the better.

Links

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cky6oiDOZtI/?igshid=Yzg5MTU1MDY=

Hopefully this makes sense? I'm still learning alot about my hair and hair care in general so pls also do your own research as well. Here are some people that I have found helpful in the process:

https://instagram.com/iamblackgirlcurls?igshid=Yzg5MTU1MDY=

https://instagram.com/protectedbylisahh_?igshid=Yzg5MTU1MDY=

https://www.tiktok.com/@itsthecurlsforme?_t=8YhRljGvbRq&_r=1

[clicruz13]

Peter and Bruce

Chapter 3: Bruce Wayne, Crime Lord of Gotham; Part 1

The tie knot slid up to a comfortable position.

'Well, Aunt May, look at me now.'

Peter ran his fingers over his hair, trying to tuck the stubborn curl back. He has nearly forgotten what it looked like when he wasn't starving. However Peter felt more nonplussed at the bandages that were wrapped around his torso and upper arms. Even though his skin had finished growing back, the doctor insisted that he wear it until she said so.

Even Peter had to admit his new accommodations were a stark improvement to where he had been before. The ground floor level room adjoined a small full bathroom, and a sizable walk-in closet. The large windows revealed a lovely orchard. The butter-yellow walls were a nice change from the white of the medical room.

Speaking of which, Peter wished residual headache from when they moved him from that medical room to his new quarters had gone.

Peter grumbled. 'Paranoid much, Wayne. What was so important that you couldn't use a blindfold? That is what most sensible people do. But no, crime lord Wayne has to gas people to get them where he wants instead of, i don’t know, asking.’

Peter idly straightened his vest. 'And it's not like I can just leave anyway. One, the band of Hellspawn should have more than a tired elderly butler to rely on.'

Peter pursed his lips. 'Two, Wayne knows I'm a metahuman. Someone like him isn't going to let a tactical advantage like that go…'

Peter took a steadying breath. 'Peter, what the hell did you do in a past life to deserve this? Torture kittens and puppies?'

'Annoy Stephen too much?'

A knock on the door herald Pennyworth, no, Alfred's arrival. Peter bit the bullet and opened the door. Alfred's expression relaxed minutely as he smiled. Alfred gestured for him to follow. Alfred led him down the hall into the main part.

'Are we sure this is a home?' Peter's head swiveled about. 'Feels like a mausoleum.'

Even with the relatively quiet steps of both men, the halls and vaults of the rooms echoed. Alfred's voice, a murmur, detailed at least the room's function and whether the rooms were in use. Most were not.

"You'll be responsible from time to time to monitor the cleaning staff and gardeners when they are here." Alfred stopped at the kitchen door. "However we are the only ones allowed to clean Master Bruce's office and the kitchen. In time, once Master Bruce is more amenable, the other room that will be your responsibility to clean is the master suite. Occasionally the children's rooms might need your touch, however they are generally responsible to clean their spaces."

Peter counted eight heartbeats in the kitchen. Peter thought he recognized a few voices. Alfred gave a knowing look at Peter's eye flicking from the door to his face.

"I hope you don't mind spending lunch with the children." Alfred intoned, laughter in his voice.

Peter took an instinctive step back. He didn't like that tone. However, he wasn't quite prepared for Alfred. The old man tugged him forward.

Peter stumbled when Alfred pushed him through. He was quick to upright himself. The room went silent for half a second before the sound resumed at a much lower level.

"Meow." Peter jerked to the sound of the tuxedo cat staring up at him.

"Glad to see the Old Man finally let you out." Jason tilted his chair back to look upside at him.

"Peter!" Damian was immediately at his side. "You can sit with me."

Damian picked up the shaggy cat. “This is Alfred the cat. Alfred, Peter.”

“Meo.”

“Please do not bring the cat to the table, Master Damian.” Alfred sighed. “And remember to wash your hands. Jason, please sit correctly.”

Damian placed the cat back down. Then Damian latched onto his right arm and tugged him over to the sink. An incredulous silence filled the room behind them as Damian rattled off about Alfred’s kitchen rules.

He found himself tucked between the only dark haired girl and Damian. Peter glanced about.

Dick gave a friendly enough wave when their eyes met. The only blonde whispered to the dark-skinned young man. Timothy stared at him like a very fascinating experiment.

"Now, children." Alfred's voice cut right through the noise. "I expect you to treat Mr. Parker with as much respect as you do me."

Alfred's deadpan tone indicated he didn't think they would actually listen. “I also expect you to abide by Master Bruce’s instruction. Do introduce yourselves.”

‘What instructions?’ Peter glanced around.

A hand gesture caught his attention. The Asiatic girl smiled and signed hello. Peter signed back that same.

“Cass.” She pointed to herself, her speech slightly slow. “Cassandra Wayne.”

[Nice meet.] She signed the rest after a moment.

Peter, unpracticed, parroted it back, gaining a small giggle.

“Come on, you two. It isn’t like he’s going to bite.” Jason spoke around a mouthful of food.

“Master Todd.” Alfred's despair came out.

Peter snorted to himself as he tried the Shepard pie. Jason rolled his eyes but swallowed. He pointed his fork in the whispering pair’s direction.

“These two are Duke, the Old Man’s newest brat, and Stephanie. They’re Timothy’s henchmen.”

The noise had Peter flinching as the aforementioned trio complained. Peter hadn’t realized he had covered his ears as the lingering embers of a headache flared into a full one. The room swam and shivered. Peter had been aware of movement around as he tried to ride off the nauseous feeling.

A cool glass of water was placed in front of him. A bead of condensation ran off. Peter lowered his hands, looking up. Majority of Wayne’s adoptees were watching from the doorway. Alfred had the same look that he had when Damain had been in trouble. The aforementioned kid was hoovering at Peter’s side, eyes wide in worry.

Peter sipped at the water. The feeling muted at hydration.

[Fine] Peter indicated himself.

“I sincerely doubt that.” Alfred muttered but turned to address Damian. “I can handle it from here, Master Damian. Doctor Thompson will be here shortly.”

Damian looked ready to protest but whatever look Alfred had got a sullen mutter. Peter patted his shoulder, fixing his best reassuring smile. Damian’s sullenness lightened.

______________________________________________

Peter scrubbed his face with a towel with a sigh. Whatever gas Wayne had used interacted with the drug that the good Doctor had given him to manage the sensitivity of his skin. The good news was Peter’s body was successfully fighting it off. Bad news - he was left with the love child of a migraine hangover and rebound tension headaches for the last three days. The symptoms finally were subsiding.

Neither Thompson nor Alfred looked particularly pleased. Peter would love to be a spider on the wall when they finally confront the man - if they could. Apparently he was off on another business trip.

Today, he and Alfred were finally alone in the mansion. Dick, Stephanie, and Jason returned to wherever they lived. Stephanie was currently in college and aside from Dick being a museum curator in the next city over, he wasn’t sure what Jason did exactly. Knowing what he knew of Wayne and Jason’s Wade-like vibe, Jason was probably his father’s enforcer.

Cass, as she preferred to be called, had gone with Timothy who ran one of his father’s research divisions. The rest had to head to school. Speaking of which…

‘And it’s time for Professor Alfred Pennyworth to teach Butlering 201 - Wayne Edition.’ Peter entered the kitchen.

Alfred was watching the hired help in the garden. Peter waited for Alfred to acknowledge him.

‘There’s no way I snuck up on him.’ Peter wanted to tap his chin. ‘Is there even a way to?’

“As much as I love Master Bruce as a son, he has been making this quite difficult.” Alfred’s expression remained enviously serene. “Lesson one, Mr. Peter Parker. Any proper butler worth his salt should know where his employer’s skeletons are.”

‘Am I getting a lesson in blackmail?’

Alfred turned on his heel as a kettle began to whistle. “And he learns the important ones quickly.”

‘I guess so.’ Peter tracked Alfred as he moved about the kitchen.

“Our position specializes in being aware of what our employer needs before they know themselves.” Alfred began assembling the tea service. “And reining them in when they begin to overstep.”

Alfred’s hand stopped on the teapot lid. “I will be frank with you, Peter. I am not as spry as I once was nor as energetic and Master Bruce has become harder to reach, to see some sort of reason.”

Alfred continued his movements. “At one point, he was getting better. Then…”

Alfred’s sigh filled the room with the sorrow only those who raised children could have. Peter fidgeted.

“We cannot change the past, only improve the future.” Alfred gestured for Peter to sit. Steam curled between them at the island.

“He was not pleased to discover that I had been looking for a successor.” Alfred delicately spoke. “Even though he knows that it was a necessity.”

Peter wrapped his hands around his teacup.

“You were my last hope.” Alfred admitted. “The details around your disappearance and subsequent hospitalization didn’t make sense at the time. And your lack of an internet presence. Though now, I can understand why.”

Peter winced. ‘Yeah, it was fun times, fun times.’

“I was pleasantly surprised to find an intelligent, patient, no-nonsense young man who was able to stand up to the boys and to Bruce.”

‘No-nonsense?’ Peter stared in disbelief. ‘When?’

“I knew I had found my successor when you nearly died, saving Master Bruce. Master Bruce even agreed.” Alfred looked to the ceiling. “However, I’m not sure why he’s being difficult now.”

‘Well, it can’t be that Wayne’s pulling pig-tales.’ Peter said dryly to himself. ‘It might have to do with the fact he has a mysterious metahuman on his hands. So, another prove-to-me-you’re-whatever test.’

“Master Bruce has forbidden the children and I from revealing secrets.” Alfred continued. “But any butler worth his salt shouldn't have too much issue in discovering said secrets after all.”

______________________________________________

‘Any proper butler worth his salt should know where his employer’s skeletons are.’ Alfred’s phrase had been bothering him off and on as he went about his assignments the last few days.

Peter sat on one of the roof rafters in the barn. After a discreet search, only places not under surveillance were bathrooms and the barn. Peter lamented the first night that anything attachable to the internet was probably not good for much but the most general of research. Didn’t want to tip his hand at all.

At least Alfred gave him some stationary. After snagging a plastic ziplock, Peter took to stashing his encoded notebook under the eaves of the barn roof, up in the loft.

Peter jolted when he heard voices below the loft.

“ - doesn’t feel like a normal one, ya know.” Duke’s voice floated up.

Peter could hear the snuffling of Titus and Damian’s cow mooing in greeting.

“What do you mean?” Damian impetuously demanded. “Father said he's a regular metahuman.”

Peter was grateful for the dark clothes he chose as he shifted further into the shadows of the rafter. The only issue was he couldn’t see the trio but then they couldn’t see him.

“Regular?” Timothy with that half-tired voice. “Hardly. Doctor Thompson was using the drugs used to treat Superman. And it took Bruce, Jason, and Dick to keep him down. I say he’s an alien.”

Duke replied slowly after a moment. “No, man, Parker’s a metahuman. It’s more like, aw, I don’t know. Like an ocean. Calm, placid, in control…”

‘So Duke’s a metahuman. Okay, that lends more to Wayne isn’t sure how to utilize me.’

‘Aw, shucks.In control? I’m blushing.’

“Like really. Until he had that sudden migraine, I couldn’t tell he was a metahuman until that moment. It felt like I was looking at the sun directly for a brief moment.”

A long silence.

“So?” Peter could easily see Damian with hands on his hip. “He’s strong.”

“Then explain why he’s a butler instead of one of the superheroes or supervillains?” Tim asked harshly.

‘... I was no superhero.’

“Didn’t you mention in the briefing, Tim, that he lost the majority of his family?” Duke spoke up.

“Yeah.” Tim seemed to be thinking hard. ���His Aunt had a sister, Margaret or something.”

“But no blood relations?” Duke sighed. “Tim…”

“He’s an idiot, Duke.” Damian dismissed. “Even I can see the tree for the tree.”

“Why you!” Damian’s laughter was followed by thudding feet.

“W-wait!”

Peter landed on the straw below. “Hm...”

[henryashtran]

Chicken curry pasta recipe

I'm taking an intermediate English course trying to improve my English, as my level right now is classified as "basic" and I'm pretty sure I speak English fairly better than the average spaniard... So I've decided to practise a bit by describing how I made my dinner today.

Bear in my mind that my current... Apartment, which isn't an apartment, it's just a shared room, doesn't have a kitchen, so I resorted to buying an electric pot since there's fire alarms and I cook by the window.

Please do not take this recipe as a strict guideline, feel free to deviate or improvise, as that's exactly what I do because, in my situation, I do not have a traditional kitchen, it's just a pot and it's possible to cook almost the same dishes in it as in an usual kitchen. In fact, if you want to have pasta with chicken curry it's probably way better to first prepare the meat and the sauce then mix it with the already cooked pasta afterwards. This is an alternative because, like I said before, I only have a single pot to work with.

Back on topic, the first step I take is dicing the chicken breast then searing it, there's a program specifically for searing on the pot but it's fine if you just use high heat on a non-stick pot with a teaspoon of your preferred cooking grease, I use olive oil but butter will work too. Salt, pepper and parsley, then stir every minute or so and when it's finally getting brown set it aside for now... In order to do this myself I have to use my cereal bowl ayyy...

Now for the sauce, which impressed me because it's actually so easy to make and I looove it, I chopped half a red onion this time because I didn't notice I ran out of onions, but it's fine if you drop an entire chopped onion into the pot as it won't make much difference. I also peeled 3 garlic cloves and stir fried them alongside the onion on once again high heat. Don't forget to salt the vegetables to taste.

The onion will start to become transparent as it cooks, approximately a minute after that I added 5 spoonfuls of crushed tomatoes, this measure is kind of a pain in the butt to deal with but it's a bit less of the half of the average 400g can approximately so you can just pour half of it, adding more or less quantity will just make it longer to cook.

Keep the heat high and let the vegetables mix together for a while. The next step is adding a teaspoon of curry, careful with it as it's a strong spice, but despite that I like adding an extra teaspoon of it. With it you must also pour the cooking cream, I poured an entire 200ml tetra brik of cooking cream, the ones that come in packs of three, lower the heat to medium and that's the way to make curry sauce.

But here's the special part of my recipe, I still need to cook the pasta and I don't have another pot to spare. In order to do this, the next step is as simple as pouring; a glass of water (around 200ml), the previously cooked chicken and a handful of your preferred pasta into the pot. It's going to look watery and horrible, but that water is just a means to an end, it will go away.

If your chosen pasta is not short, it's going to take a bit while the pasta softens and sinks down but once it does, you can shut the pot and let it simmer for around 10 minutes. You can use the boiling time of your pasta as a reference instead, which is usually stated in the package. Once the time is up open the pot and star stirring and tasting the meal yourself. When I opened it the pasta wasn't done yet so I kept stirring it until it was cooked. Your visual cue for the moment the dish is done is seeing the sauce condensed, not being watery anymore.

And that's it. Please feel free to tell me if anything I wrote sounded awkward or weird to you, specially british or american feedback would be really useful to me. Thank you!

[petermorwood]

A great showman with a great moustache!

Originally intended for Caturday, but after a bit of looking-up to Learn Stuff there was more Food-and-Drink than Cat.

Turns out that what he's making is a popular Turkish street food called Tavuklu Nohutlu Pilav (chicken and chickpea rice).

More here, and lots more elsewhere with either the Turkish or English terms.

I've also seen a version - Şehriyeli Pilav - which uses pasta, usually orzo or vermicelli, instead of chickpeas; the dry pasta is first fried golden in butter, then cooked with the rice.

Its traditional approach seems very simple; other versions brown chopped onion and sliced garlic along with the pasta for more complex flavours, and add extra zing with a sprinkle of chilli flakes - Aleppo Pepper for preference, which is spicy without being excessive.

*****

The "pasta-rice-pilaf" was something which prompted @dduane to comment that "it sounds like Rice-a-roni."

A quick search suggests she's right; this LA Times article about R-n-R mentions a couple of pilafs as its inspiration, including the Turkish one. However I also noticed a lot of "homemade ricearoni" (i.e. pilaf) recipes out there; many mentioned unease about how much chemistry-set stuff besides rice and pasta is in the packaged version.

I've read one comment about US / EU foods which said, more or less:

"American food producers can put additives in until they're proved to be dangerous; European food producers can't put additives in until they're proved to be safe."

I don't know how true that might be, but a lot of common US packaged foods can't be sold here in their original US formulation - Kraft Mac n Cheese, for example - and in 2020 the Irish Supreme Court ruled that "bread" from the Subway chain contained so much sugar it was legally cake, and would be taxed as such... :->

*****

Kushari (also koshari / koshary) from Egypt...

...also combines lentils, chickpeas, pasta and rice but no chicken. That red stuff is a tangy, garlicky tomato sauce. Yes please... :->

I'm also pretty sure - thinking of a friend for whom no meal is complete without some sort of meat - that meat could indeed be added without Making The Whole Thing Wrong.

Given the way traditional dishes change depending on whose Granny is making the best one, I bet there are some variants where there's never not been meat.

*****

Getting back to pilaf by a roundabout route, it got a sidelong reference in "The Horse and his Boy" by C.S. Lewis. (The only other Turkish thing mentioned was Turkish Delight, An Ulterior Motive which in the long run wasn't all that delightful.)

"There were lobsters, and salad, and snipe stuffed with almonds and truffles, and a complicated dish made of chicken livers and rice and raisins and nuts, and there were cool melons and gooseberry fools and mulberry fools, and every kind of nice thing that can be made with ice."

I've seen any number of on-line recipes for Narnia-fiction food, but never an attempt to recreate that dish; so if anyone feels like it, here's a recipe.

It's got to be an improvement on the unsettling number (i.e more than zero) of recipes for The White Witch's (sorcerously spiked) Hot Drink, which...

“...was something (Edmund) had never tasted before, very sweet and foamy and creamy, and it warmed him right down to his toes.”

Oh, I just bet it did...

But then in a world where people get married using reproductions of The One Ring, mocking up magical roofies isn't too surprising...

[vampiricgf]

my secret soup recipe

so I promised the recipe and tada here it is! all ingredients are listed below and the preparation method is outlined below that list!

ingredients

4 large carrots (cubed)

4 celery stocks (chopped)

1 white onion (chopped finely)

2 parsnips (chopped)

1/4 cup white wine (for deglazing)

2 tbsp of butter

8 minced garlic cloves

7 tbsp tomato paste

6 tbsp chicken bullion

7 cups water

1/2 pound of your pasta of choice (I prefer a thicker, smaller noodle for this like rigati)

2 chicken breasts

1 tbsp avocado oil (for the smoke point but you can use whatever oil you have on hand/are most comfortable using)

for the seasonings I don't measure exactly it's a do what feels right sort of situation

parsley

basil

oregano

msg (lower sodium then salt + improves overall taste I promise msg isn't scary that's rooted in sinophobia, it's just a seasoning)

pepper

red pepper flakes

sweet paprika

3/4 cup of heavy cream

parmesan cheese

Preparation

slice your chicken breasts in half and season them (remember to dab both sides off with a paper towel, this helps your seasonings stick to the surface of the meat). i use msg, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and a lil dash of slap ya mama on the chicken, season both sides. If you're worried about bacteria, wear gloves and make sure you remove them once you're done handling the raw meat. Wash your utensils and cutting surfaces thoroughly. Always wash your hands after handling raw meats

in a large soup pot go ahead and cook the chicken in your oil over a medium high heat, if you're unsure what chicken looks like fully cooked use a meat thermometer and cook (flipping both sides, about 4 minutes each) until it reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees (bacteria is gone at that temp in chicken). once that's done set it aside to be cut into pieces after it cools

Get a separate pot large enough to hold your pasta, get that filled with salted water and on your stove to boil. follow the cooking instructions on the box/bag for your pasta

now in the same pot used to cook the chicken add your onions and allow them to cook until translucent, make sure to add your wine in as they cook. Deglaze your pan (scrape the bits off the bottom while the onions cook, it's not gross it's part of making a dish taste more vibrant all that stuff is flavor!). Add in your carrots, celery, and parsnip. you can add in a sprinkle of msg and cook them down until they're softer but not mushy.

Try making like a little hole in the middle of the pan and add your garlic and butter directly in that little hole. Stir to make sure nothing burns, garlic cooks quickly so work fast here you don't want your garlic burning or the whole thing tastes like shit. Add in your tomato paste. With tomato paste you want to let it cook before you add more things, this helps the paste incorporate in the dish correctly (you should do that any time you're using tomato paste in a recipe) so stir it around, mush it down, do whatever for a minute until it starts turning a slightly darker color. That's when you're gonna add your water. So pour that in, add your bullion, add your seasonings. Let that come to a boil and give it some good stirring to get everything mixed together. Once it's boiling reduce the heat a bit and let it simmer for about ten minutes. After the ten minutes add your heavy cream, cooked and strained pasta, and your cooked and cut up chicken.

Stir some more until everything is definitely mixed together and you can kill the heat and enjoy some soup! put your parmesan on top and you can eat it with some crusty bread for a little something extra too :3

[crytidsprinkles]

ID: Retro anthropomorphic butter, popcorn, candy and soda illustrations dancing down a red carpet advertising refreshments GIF

There has been a existing trend which has grown quite a bit in recent years. Screening films well after they're theatrical runs. Some are older, others more recent. The experience of being able to watch one again, or for the first time in a cinema, is cool as hell.

Streaming at home is the way many watch new releases. It is partly out of convenience yes, but what is being missed is the major chunk of the population avoiding indoor places and all the airborne and fomite transmission of viruses and bacteria. Oh and don't forget the bedbug concern.

I have been a film fan since I was a small child, they are a love of my life and a part of life that still brings me joy and helps me keep living. I miss going to the movies. But not enough to risk my health and well being. Just like other gatherings and events, these are petri dishes for airborne and fomite viral and bacterial spread.

Perhaps these theaters think they can get by just gine continuing to leave out people like myself. They're wrong. I will say it is very difficult reading all these announcements of so many films returning to theaters, and I can enjoy absolutely none of it. Being robbed of participation in society and a lot of enrichment is depressing, angering and heartbreaking.

I've considered more and more trying to bring my opening a drive-in dream to life. If these businesses want to keep ignoring and discriminating against me, those like me and anyone who wants to protect themselves and their communities, I have no problem filling the void. Art including entertainment isn't just a luxury, it is essential and greatly improves people's mental and physical health and well being.

We deserve that as much as any non disabled or careless person does.