#1/4 loafs tall

[lyrathetraveller]

i have recieved the child .

[targcrazies]

Moonless, Dark Night. Pt. 2

Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x OC!Strong (half Targaryen) Words: 4.5k+ Warnings: Violence and Graphic Descriptions, Emotional Distress, Mature (ish) themes, Mentions of Self-Harm and Su*cide, Adult Language, Incest.

Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

Sansa had been awoken at her usual hours that morning. She was only fifteen. She had broken her fast with fruit loaf and honey, a slab of salmon on the side. Septa Lysa had sat her down for a lesson on the Lyseni poetry, asking her to have readied a critical comparison of the Lyseni tongue and its High Valyrian roots for the next day. Sansa feigned illness, saying that she could smell the stale salmon with every burp. The Septa looked horrified, piteously halting the morning early. Sansa picked up her parchments, her quills and inkpots taken care of by one of her ladies, Neyla. She went up to her bedchamber, having her ladies help her put her hair in two beautiful, neat, slightly flowy plaits. Cranberry extracts were used on the apples of her cheeks and her lips, her eyes adorned lightly with kohl. Fragrances brought as presents from Lys were dabbed onto the napes of her neck, her wrists, her bosom, and the top of her head. Her black hair was sleek and shiny, her lilac eyes sparkling. 

She walked downstairs, to the training yard. It had been over a week since she had shown up there and felt like it had been reasonably long. She admired the sight of his training immensely. His face contorted in close focus, his doe-like eye large in alarm, his hair flailing about him; she could drink in the sight whole.

She found herself joining a significantly large audience at the yard. Everyone was whispering among themselves, speaking of the marvel that the young Prince had grown to become. Unlike his older brother, the young Prince trained tirelessly. He had grown almost a foot tall in the past year and looked like he had turned from fifteen to twenty before even turning sixteen. He was handsome, almost mythical. One might argue that the lack of an eye, his being an amputee of sorts, made him seem like a fierce, deranged monster. However, there were many women who found the eye-patch rather flattering on him. They spoke of the sapphire that hid beneath, the glinting stone reminiscent of the eye and indicative of his status. They even spoke of the sight he must have made when the only shred of garb on him was just the patch, silk and smooth. Talks like that, she chortled off. It would be a lie, however, to deny the thoughts crossed her mind, too. 

As children, much of their respective fathers’ conversations revolved around how the two would marry once of age. Lord Strong would never fail to remind the King that his support and loyalty were to the house Targaryen and alliances should be cemented elsewhere, with other houses. However, King Viserys never paid heed to such propositions. 

However, after her father’s passing and the king’s ailing health worsening with quick bouts of horrid illnesses, especially after the death of his half-sister; such discussions had ceased to happen at all. Earlier that year, the Queen had invited Cassandra Baratheon to the Red Keep. Everyone suspected that the invitation had been extended as a means of securing the support of House Baratheon by marrying Prince Aemond to the Lady. However, nothing of the note was ever uttered amongst the people at the Keep. Cassandra Baratheon was, undeniably, a beauty. She had icy cold blue eyes and hair as dark and sleek as Sansa’s. Her neck was swanlike, her waist perfectly cinched. She danced like a fairy, her healthy skin glistened after any physical exertion, leaving her rather seductively ruddied. Sansa said nothing of Cassandra’s presence at the court despite the slightest jealousy she would experience every time the Prince spared her a glance. She knew, deep down, that her father would approve of a union so advantageous. She said nothing. 

Cassandra was polite with Sansa and Sansa was the most cordial, they had nothing to despise each other for. Cassandra did not consider Sansa, a mere orphan, a threat. Sansa could not find it in herself to despise a woman whose own machinations had little power amongst the Hightowers. 

A fortnight before her sixteenth nameday, the Queen entered her bedchamber with a beautiful gown. Sansa knew little of fabrics, but the quality of the cloth seemed divine; it was soft to the touch and exceedingly fine. “You can fold it and fit it within a small matchbox,” the Queen mused, “You are to become a woman grown, suitable for marriage. I believe you deserve to have the finer things in life.”

“Your Grace, I am very thankful. This is a lovely present.” Sansa smiled at the Queen earnestly, admiring the green fabric. The Queen endearingly returned the smile as Sansa held the gown upon her and admired how it flattered her in the mirror. “This is such a fine gown, I wonder where I’d even wear it!”

“Well, on the occasion of your and Aemond’s namedays, we are hosting a two-day long grand joust. You could certainly wear this on your nameday, sweet child.” The Queen put a hand on Sansa’s shoulder, gently turning her to face her, “Dearest, I want to speak to you about something of utmost importance.”

Sansa held her breath, her fingers becoming too feeble to hold onto the present. One of her ladies took it off her, as Sansa asked the Queen if she’d like to have a seat, perhaps a cup of tea. The Queen smiled in agreement.

“You are of marriageable age now. I owe to Lord and Lady Strong that I wed you well.” The Queen took a hearty sip of her tea, “You have been such a good girl, Sansa. I must ensure you are wed well.”

“Your Grace, that is very kind of you.” Sansa spoke softly, fearing the worst. “The Queen is going to send me away,” Sansa thought to herself, “There’s no going back.”

“Lord Ormund Hightower, my cousin, lost his lady wife last winter.” She began and Sansa’s heart dropped, “He has four young children he very much loves. You might think him old, but he is only four-and-twenty. Quite handsome, too, burly and dashing, the ladies say.”

“I am certain he is a good man, your Grace.” Sansa bit into one of the lemon cakes, her mouth dry.

The Queen bit her lower lip in contemplation, sizing the girl before her, “You would make a great Lady Hightower, dearest.” 

Sansa’s eyes fell on the tea before her and offered no response. The Queen waited before continuing. “Father wanted to pay you a visit himself and speak to you on that matter. My cousin has expressed interest in the proposition, saying that he would be delighted if you grace him with an audience on your nameday.”

“I understand, your Grace.”

“You do not have to make a decision now. Lord Ormund will be here for three or so weeks. That shall allow plenty of time for you to know him well.” The Queen took Sansa’s hand in hers, “I know how intimidating it must be to think of marriage, my dear. However, it is… not as bad as we fear it might be. With Aemond’s betrothal to be announced on his nameday, we would love to have yours in motion as well” Sansa nodded, looking up at the Queen and smiling. “I have known your son for sixteen years to only lose him for a man I will only know for three weeks.”

She spent the whole day and the whole night in wonderment. She always thought she’d marry him. And even if that would not be possible, she had expected Aemond to put up a fight. They grew up together, shared a bond over not having any dragons, took many lessons together until he retired from scholarly ventures for physical excursion. Aemond losing his eye and gaining a dragon was Aemond changed, to a good extent. Despite Sansa’s valid feeling that Aemond had become a wholly different person altogether, she tried to hold onto him, for he was a friend, if nothing else.

For the past three years or so, Aemond had isolated himself largely from everyone else at court. He trained endlessly to overcome the lack of an eye, in an attempt to compensate for the lacking that shaped him significantly. He kept mostly to himself when he was not training, focusing on learning the stately affairs. He inserted himself in many Small Council meetings, and was more often than not found speaking at lengths with his grandsire, hoping to absorb his wisdom and intelligence. Sansa, initially, tried to interest him in similar readings or even trifle conversations, to which he always apologised, “I have a prior commitment I need to attend. Please, continue without me.” After multiple attempts as such, Sansa stopped trying, surmising that she’d have to make do with catching his glimpses. She hoped that he’d choose to marry her after all, if for nothing else than to just forego the courting process altogether because it did seem like he took little interest in women. However, he was often found gazing at women’s forms, appreciatively. It was not news that he liked women, just not enough to indulge in them freely.

Aemond was most kind to Sansa when the situation arose, sharing his ale with her and pulling her chair out for her. He spoke to her more than anyone else other than his grandfather and mother, and whilst it was not much, it meant something. Or so she thought it did. She conspicuously made sure he’d catch sight of her every once in a while, before disappearing altogether for a number of days. Three, five, even ten; depending on how receptive he was to her appearance. She wondered if Aemond and Cassandra had any clandestine meetings than the ones that happened during meals. Despite the Queen’s insistence, Aemond refused to entertain her at any other hour. His refusal to engage with her any further had reassured Sansa that nothing beyond such meetings could happen between the two of them. She felt so foolish for having set her hopes so high, she thought.

Sansa found her misery pitiful. If he had moved on and chosen to engage himself with another woman he knew so little, then she should take the chance to look elsewhere. Despite her half-brother, Larys’s position in the Small Council, she often felt unwanted, burdensome even, at the Red Keep. Her mother was beloved and adored and if she were alive, Sansa perhaps would have felt more at ease. She might have been able to tell her mother that she wanted to marry Aemond, and that she could speak to the Queen on that matter. However, if the Prince had made up his mind about Lady Baratheon, then no appeals would be heard or paid heed to. “This was meant to go this way,” she gave out a small laugh sardonically.

-

“HEARD YOU’RE TO be wed to my mother’s cousin.” Aemond had sneaked up on her as she rested in Godswood with a hefty book on her lap. A week was left of the grand joust, and the preparations were going on in full rage. Aemond rarely met up with anyone at court unless it meant pure business. Sansa had never expected the Prince to show up unannounced, but there he was. She closed the book, looking up at him as he towered her. “He’s not even trying,” she thought, “He just happens to be huge.” If she hadn’t grown up with him, she’d be intimidated.

“I thought we were friends,” He spoke again, “I would had hoped to hear of your betrothal from you.”

Sansa wet her lips as she set her book aside, getting on her feet. She was as small and dainty as her great-grandmother, the Good Queen Alysanne. On the other hand, the Prince was as big as the Conqueror. She hadn’t stood before the Prince, so close, in some time then. The Prince smiled when she reached her full height, finding it amusing, “It’s almost as if only one of us grew, despite our being the same age.” Aemond teased.

Sansa had little scruples regarding petty jokes. “How come I had to hear of your betrothal from the Queen, and not from you?” She looked up at him, demanding a steady answer with her gaze.

“Mother already informed you?” He spoke more to himself than to her. His eye wandered slightly, and Sansa took it as his refusal to look her in the eyes. “Word travels fast, eh?”

“I suppose we have become more distant in the past few years. I am not surprised.”

“I never thought our bond to be so superficial that my devotion toward perfecting myself would build a wall. However, if you believe so, half of it is of your own design.”

Her smile poured irony as she relaxed her neck, looking straight ahead, “I must congratulate you on securing such a great alliance. Father would have been most pleased.”

“You are to become the Lady of High Tower, I believe that itself is more illustrious.” She could not make much of Aemond’s voice, and refused to derive anything with scrutiny. It was too late for any of that. 

“You will always be welcome to visit, cousin.” Her dejection had turned into spite. She sat down, the book back on her lap and opened on a random page. She pretended to read, for the shadow over her to dissipate. However, nothing of the sort happened.

“Sansa?” he called her name, her head jerking upward promptly. She had not expected to find him bent down, his face so awfully close to hers that his breath tickled her mouth. His eye traversed over the finest details of her face, making out the little creases, the smallest scars. Her eyes were his own, and when he looked into them, he found a bit of himself, too. 

“Aemond.” She breathed out, her voice just a squeak. She wondered if he’d kiss her, she hoped he would. No one usually made their way so deep inside the Godswood unless summoned. No one would have to see or know. She almost closed her eyes, threw her head back, and puckered her lips slightly.

“You were on page 264,” he muttered, “This is page 512.” He raised himself straight, smirking at her shrunk form, before walking away. “Just a small punishment.” He thought to himself as she watched him leave.

--

LORD HIGHTOWER MADE all the attempts a man could to impress Sansa. Sansa was quite intrigued, even taken by his antics. The day he arrived, he arrived with sixteen large bouquets of lilac. He brought her a beautiful hair clip, encrusted with purple zoisites, harvested from the rarest forms of tanzanites. “May I?” He said, walking behind her and securing the clip on top of her plait, “It looks lovely, my lady, the most lovely.”

He was surprisingly youthful for a man who had fathered four children. Jubilant, generous, and zestful; Lord Hightower was the most delightful company Sansa had ever known. She had never been made to laugh as hard and nor was she ever so astounded by someone’s charm. “Lord Hightower’s charm goes through the roof.” she wrote in her diary, “He is such fun, such pleasure. Any meal with him is a feast, any audience with him is an epic. His joy is infectious. Any woman would be lucky to be wed to him. I would, too, for Aemond won’t be making me his wife.”

“Lord Hightower, may I ask you some questions that may transgress the level of proprietary here?” Sansa and Lord Ormund were sat at the gardens, having freshly plucked peaches. The sun was bright red, closer to the ground than the sky. The wind was cool against her bare shoulders, the sweat that had gathered at the base of her neck due to the walk almost dry.

“You may ask me anything that concerns you or delights you, my lady.” He bit deeply into a peach and munched enthusiastically, looking at her with warm, gentle eyes.

“You are surprisingly happy for a man who lost his wife not even a year ago. Your happiness is, in all honesty, rejuvenating. Especially at King’s Landing, where everyone’s rather stern and all business. I just can’t help but wonder…”

“My lady, I am glad you communicated your feelings with me. I always appreciate such transparency. It’s most necessary.” He says, “When I lost my wife, I was the most despaired. I had stopped eating, bathing, and even attending to the needs of my family. After a month or so, I realised how much had collapsed in my absence. Bureaucratically, all was good, thanks to my Regent. However, my children looked chalky, lifeless, unfed even. I have worked toward building myself, block by block, ever since. I had no plans to court any woman, until my Uncle sent me a likeness of you, commissioned for your fifteenth nameday.” He smiled, “There is something so distinct about your gaze that it pierced through the portrait. I felt like getting to know you could cause no harm.”

“You flatter me, Lord Hightower.” And, Sansa did feel flattered. No man had ever offered her such praises before, not even Aemond. He had been mostly absent, busy with his own affairs, to pay anyone any heed at all. He had not noticed her bosom, then blooming over her neckline, neither had he ever taken note of her arms that were toned from lifting weights, her clavicles touched upon with petroleum. Lord Hightower took her hand, kissing the back of it. He excused himself, saying he must meet his uncle before supper, and he would see her soon. Sansa was about to start for her own bedchamber herself, however, she was halted by Cassandra.

Cassandra wore a beautiful yellow gown with green embroidery on the high neck of it. Her hair was coiled in a neat bun, she had the bone structure for it. “I must congratulate you and thank you at once, Lady Strong.”

Cassandra was a head taller than Sansa, fuelling Sansa’s insecurity. “Aemond must prefer taller women.” She turned to Cassandra and smiled, propositioning that they had a seat in the lovely, breezy garden before the sun set fully. Cassandra acquiesced, confused.

“Lady Baratheon, what were you saying?” Sansa tried to smile brightly, hoping that her face did not reflect her turmoil regarding herself.

“I wanted to congratulate you and thank you, Lady Strong.” She took hold of one of Sansa’s hands on her lap, “Perhaps, even ask a question, woman to woman, if it’s alright.”

“Congratulate and thank me? For what, Lady Baratheon?” Sansa’s eyebrows furrowed on their own, in utter befuddlement. 

“Well, this is quite embarrassing to admit, but I suppose we can talk to each other, like friends.” Cassandra scooted closer to Sansa enthusiastically. “Aemond told me that he would have never agreed to our… betrothal, if you hadn’t agreed to yours.”

“I - I don’t unders-”

“Please, Sansa, if I may call you so,” Cassandra was then holding both of Sansa’s hands with her own, “I am aware, I know everything. It is alright, I shan’t tell a soul.”

“Alright…” Sansa decided to give the girl a listen and not say anything else then.

“I am aware that you and Aemond were… lovers. Now, I do not know what must have gone wrong between the two of you for you to give up on a Prince, however, I would not even mind his being… with you, you know how, even after our marriage. As long as I get to be the wife of a Prince, of course.”

“Right, I must say,” Sansa struggled to come up with words that could falsely inform Cassandra of her failed cognizance, “I understand what you mean, I would, too.”

“You would…? Then why did you agree to be wed to Lord Hightower? I mean, the fellow is not bad to look at and he’s wealthy. But, he’s no prince.”

Sansa stared at her, agape, “I was... tired, I suppose.” There was some truth to what she had then replied.

Cassandra lifted her shoulder high to drop with the biggest sigh, “I understand, I do. Now, there is something I must ask you. It is rather personal. You won’t make quick judgments here about me, I hope.”

“I shall never,” Sansa had begun to emulate Cassandra’s tone without realising, “Ever judge you, Cassandra.” Regarding the Baratheon girl informally took a toll on her, but she did it anyway.

“Alright, so, upon the confirmation of our betrothal, I went to Aemond furtively. I wore a beautiful, satin green cloak and nothing underneath.” It took Sansa all her might to conceal her surprise. “He was THE most surprised to find me there-”

“How did you enter his bedchamber?” 

“I lied to Cole, told him he had asked me himself to wait inside. Cole let me in and I waited.” Cassandra spoke like it was the most normal thing she had ever done, so natural, so routine. “When he came in, I greeted him, and took off my cloak.”

Sansa swallowed hard, “And then?” She managed.

“He walked up to me, picked the cloak up, and wrapped me in it! His face was stone-cold, his eyes- I mean, his eye, UNFLINCHING. He goes,” And then Cassandra proceeds to do the most hilarious, yet accurate, impression of Aemond to have ever existed, “”The only reason I agreed to this is because she agreed to marry my silly uncle.” Then he poured himself some Dornish ale, did not even offer me any, saying something along the lines of rather joining the Kingsguard than marrying me, but deciding that the “latter” would spite you more.”

Sansa heart raced against her chest, she could feel her pulse going wild in her throat, “You’re so beautiful, he did not take you to bed?”

She snorted, “I asked him the same question, I dare say. I told him how men from all of the seven kingdoms would die to bed me. I am aware of my beauty and I am NOT scared to flaunt it. I told him I could sleep with his own brother even, if I wanted.”

“And?” Sansa could have sworn that Cassandra was narrating some lusty tale she heard in Flea Bottom, were it not for the solemnity with which Cassandra went on.

“And, he says, “You may be the most beautiful woman in seven kingdoms, but you’re not Sansa.”"

“That is awfully bad of him,” Sansa spoke, doing her earnest to seem embarrassed on his behalf, “I must apologise on his behalf.” 

“You mustn’t really, people have a hard time imagining themselves abed with anyone but their first love. It's just that, I had only thought it to be us women though.” Cassandra had the most dynamic face, Sansa thought. “However, my question to you is, how to get him to lie with me?”

Sansa stared quietly at Cassandra. She had no clue what to say, she had never even kissed the man, or anyone, for that matter. “What?”

“The way he spoke of you, you must have done something right!” Cassandra was holding tightly onto Sansa’s arms then, hoping to squeeze out an answer.

“Well…” Sansa contemplated lying, suggesting something outlandish to see if she would commit to that. But then, she held herself back, “I honestly don’t know… he’s never been… particularly… picky with me.”

“Well, he must truly love you then.” She huffs out, “I will probably have to wait until our bedding ceremony. I am certain I can get him to lie with me more often then.” She wistfully prays, and Sansa reassures her of the same. “Might I ask you another question, very personal?” Sansa wanted to retort in the question of what else had she left to ask that could be any more personal, yet she held herself back and nodded. “How big is he?”

“Well, they say he is as big as the Conqueror himself!” Sansa wonders what is so personal about the question, given he is out there, large and burly.

“Targaryens are truly weird…” She muses, “Have you the Conqueror’s size in record?”

“Oh, I mean, of course, we do…” The moment Sansa realised her transgression, “We have various measurements, as Targaryens, believing in the purity of incestuous unions.” She reinforced, despite being somewhat languid.

“At least you own up to it.” Cassandra slowly nodded in understanding.

---

THE SUPPER THAT followed was something Sansa looked forward to, more than anything she ever had. She let Lord Ormund sit beside her, she audibly amused herself in conversation with him and chuckled with such zeal that the whole table marveled at their happiness. Aemond, on the other hand, looked everywhere but at them, nibbling the food before him and only responding in nods.

“Lady Strong is well-educated in Political History,” the Queen began, “Maester Cliff is always full of praises for her acumen. I believe that she will serve as an excellent regent at Oldtown, even!” Otto Hightower nodded in agreement.

“Well, as smart as Lady Strong is, I do not think she’d make a fitting regent.” He opined, “In fact, I believe women are best caregivers and, in return, would make shoddy leaders, politically.”

“How come?” Sansa asked, without missing a beat, her whole body turned toward Lord Ormund, in hopes of an answer that could dissuade her irritation at his depraved myopia.

“Well, women have nerves that are different from men. They are more prone to failure in maintaining composure, especially in matters of negotiation and reconciliation.” 

“Would you say the same regarding Nymeria Martell? She led the Rhoynar to the Dornish lands, established the Supremacy of Nymeros Martell, and ruled as the Princess of Dorne for well over two decades.” Sansa looked the man in the eyes, hoping he’d, at least partially, retrieve what he had said.

“There will always be exceptions, Lady Strong, they don’t make for robust examples.”

“We have only regarded Aegon as the Conqueror of Seven Kingdoms. In the process, we have gravely failed Visenya Targaryen and Rhaenys Targaryen, who had played just as big roles in unifying Westeros as Aegon had. Visenya and Rhaenys both ruled alongside their brother-husband. Visenya’s authoritative influence on governance was absolute, many even say that she was more instrumental when it came to ruling Westeros than her brother-husband. Not only that, she is one of the fiercest warriors in history. Rhaenys, on the other hand, was paramount in diplomacy, having resolved more issues via words and smiles than known in history. Had she not been there, so many revolts would've egregiously led to war.” Aemond pauses for a moment, looks up at his uncle, and continues, “It is very shortsighted to suggest that women cannot contribute to stately matters when you happen to be a minor feudal lord in a Kingdom that was made by two women.”

Otto Hightower agreed with his grandson but veered the conversation in a direction completely disparate to what had just transpired. Sansa smiled to herself quietly, glancing at Aemond and hoping to catch a glimpse of him, just to let him know she was exceedingly happy with how he carried the conversation. However, he never looked at her. Not for once.

[a-very-fond-farewell]

15 questions, 15 people:

I was tagged by the lovely @lienwyn 💕 hi dear. thank you for the opportunity to overshare 😈🔥 (also, you own a loom?? amazing flex. I’m honestly jealous ahah. and the dog-longing word?? 🥺 heartwarming 😔💕 I feel you on the pain in the back tho, that must have been quite intense for you to have such a reaction. big hugs 💜)

here we go!

-

1. are you named after anyone?

unfortunately yes, but it was a mistake. my parents thought the name was elegant.. little did they know a historical figure had it too ahah

2. when was the last time you cried?

so. weird thing. I cry when I see animals. or when I look at people and go “........ earthlings just like me <3”. or when I think too much about how much I love my people. but spontaneous, SAD crying......? not sure. Ik I’ve been down recently, yeah. but if I start crying it’s the end for me. I end up with a stuffy nose all night, if I do. (my hand recently had me seeing stars tho, ngl)

3. do you have kids?

I’m glad I don’t.

4. do you use sarcasm a lot?

I try not to IRL bc you never know how smart people can be. in the sense that I used to use it when I was younger and people smarter than me called me out for it enough times to make me lose any interest in it. I’m also not really good at knowing when someone is being sarcastic with me, period. so.. yeah. not really. no.

5. what’s the first thing you notice about people?

I’m oblivious. I’m so oblivious I don’t even notice large scars on their faces or the color of their eyes sometimes?? from afar I’m quite proficient at reading people’s mood tho?? like, if they are belligerent or not?? is that a thing?? also I can hear them before I can see them almost all the time. I’m a bat, I can hear everything.

6. what’s your eye color?

green? possibly? I have a colorblind mother who tells me they’re blue tho. but she might be convinced of that only because she sees her own eyes as gray when they are green. so I’m not sure about that. my dad tells me we have the same eye color..........but that’s not true. like. his are blue-blue. mine are not like that at all.

fun fact, I love dark eyes. keep talking, gorgeous, I’m not gonna argue with someone with beautiful big brown eyes.

7. scary movies or happy endings?

I’m a scaredy-cat :( I wish I could watch scary movies tho. that seems so much fun! so imma stick to happy endings for now, yes.

8. any special talents?

I craft? a lot? oh but I want to learn woodcarving *-* that would be so much fun. and I guess I’m semi-proficient in the Dad-Art of “collecting weirdly-shaped objects that will eventually come in handy to slot somewhere when they are needed”. yeah :D

9. where are you born?

in the bog. the foggy countryside. the cul-de-sac. but also. northern italy.

10. what are your hobbies?

felt punching, drawing, writing, nagging people, watching old detective shows, reading, petting cats, telling dogs they are good bois (or good girls!), cleaning cupboards, researching, taking notes, horror vacui, listening to people tell me all about their special interests, naps.

11. do you have any pets?

parents have 2 dorky kitties. I long for a silky anteater or a lobster tho. a fat loaf of a cat to call mine would be nice too one day tho, yes.

12. what sports do you/have you played?

I was pretty good at crab soccer when I was younger. and I liked skiing. ;-; too expensive for me where I lived tho.

13. how tall are you?

166cm (5’5??)

14. favourite subject in school?

Dante :) no but fr, italian literature and english. German was cool too, but now I can’t remember any of it :(

15. dream job?

I’m considering either sheparding or...... are there non-religious monasteries out there? that aren’t sects or cults? tax-free, honest labor? no? just me? ok. no but fr, restoring old furniture or working in a library. but I don’t have the qualifications for either of those unfortunately.

it’s time to open that lobster sanctuary of my dreams then 😤 that will cure me.

-

here we go! thank you for the lovely game! Imma tag......... idt I have 15 peeps to tag. but I’ll tag some, in case they want to join (or simply to snoop around my business, always nice to be seen :) no pressure to play): @goaheadandflysomeplane , @fismoll7secinv , @shhhsoftnwet , @kinslayersadvocate , @sssrha , @thepointlessmasterpiece !

[kentuckyanarchist]

Songs of 2022

Year-end lists always seem doomed to become outdated. Am I really expected to have heard all the best songs of 2022 in 2022? It’s never going to work, they’ll seep through over the course of the following year or years. But giving it six weeks is better than nothing, so here we are in mid-late February.

1. Tomberlin, “Stoned”.

Stoned indeed: woozy, baffled, bodily undone.

2. Camp Cope, “Running with the Hurricane”.

Camp Cope perfected a bassy, blunt melancholy with How to Socialise & Make Friends; here they don’t so much break from that template as turn it to other—affirmative? aggressive?—purposes.

3. Caroline, “Good Morning (Red)”.

The year’s most something-new-on-every-listen song, its most capacious.

4. Christian Lee Hutson, “Age Difference”.

Lyric of the year: “Do my impression of John Malkovich critiquing food in prison / At first it isn’t funny, then it is, and then it isn’t.”

5. Big Thief, “Change”.

A panoply of possibilities on such a sprawling, immersive album by the absolute best in the game, but this most plaintive and stubborn lament just edges the rest.

6. Rachika Nayar ft. Maria BC, “Heaven Come Crashing”.

Sounds for the silentest disco.

7. The A’s, “Why I’m Grieving”.

A path not taken from an archive not delved-into; a peppy sad spurt of jolly heartbreak.

8. Black Country, New Road, “Snow Globes”.

I’m still not sure if this song’s about going mad, getting old, living through winter, all three, or none.

9. Arctic Monkeys, “Body Paint”.

Searching, insistent: like Alex Turner’s got you caught in a lie.

10. Stella Donnelly, “Cold”.

This could’ve been any of Stella Donnelly’s songs where the lilt of her voice is always dropping into conversationality, but this one, where she ends the conversation, full-stop, shuts me up the most.

11. Martha, “Irreversible Motion”.

So many of these songs are about little things, like the bones of the inner ear; this one maybe more than all the others.

12. Florist, “Red Bird Pt. 2 (Morning)”.

A delicate retrospective collage, a slow bashful loving appreciation, a puzzled amazed asking-why, a cautious comfort.

13. Aldous Harding, “Fever”.

Aldous Harding’s songs have this wonderful, dignified refusal to cohere; this one just lopes, or loafs, in and out of view.

14. Meg Baird, “Will You Follow Me Home?”.

The way Meg Baird’s vocals stay half-submerged here is what gets me: “Will You Follow Me Home?” goes from lazy river to maelstrom without you quite noticing.

15. Brian Eno, “Making Gardens Out of Silence”.

If you ask me, “Making Gardens Out of Silence” is a panorama from the time after humans, built from salvage by whatever-comes-next.

16. Hurray for the Riff Raff, “SAGA”.

A lot of these songs express a specifically 2022 kind of bafflement. “SAGA” doesn’t know how to get past this condition either, but it’s pushing against the boundaries.

17. Lana Del Rey, “Watercolor Eyes”.

You think you know someone’s schtick, but they surprise you.

18. Black Belt Eagle Scout, “My Blood Runs Through This Land".

Alternating between wordlessness and breathlessness, either way keeping on building to something.

19. Jake Xerxes Fussell, “Love Farewell”.

Stoic and stolid, Jake Xerxes Fussell bets on metaphor but could’ve made do with just rumble, growl and twinkle.

20. Ezra Furman, “Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club”.

Secret-telling in movie-theatre darkness.

21. Let’s Eat Grandma, “Happy New Year”.

Let’s Eat Grandma have the saddest synths but this one’s rose-coloured.

22. Joshua Burnside, “Louis Mercier”.

Time-travel klezmer-pop that jostles you like a cobbled towpath.

23. Beth Orton, “Weather Alive”.

When talking songs become singing songs so sylphlike and effortless.

24. Sault, “Life We Rent but Love Is Free”.

Sounds like certain small parts of London, for certain small moments, on busy summer days in the past.

25. Bill Callahan, “Coyotes”.

One for slickrock and sagebrush, which are not without their romance.

26. Yard Act, “Tall Poppies”.

A self-consciously small story, a kitchen-sink drama, a talking head, no denouément.

27. Angel Olsen, “All the Good Times”.

A rhinestone widescreen production, a road movie on a soundstage.

28. Beach House, “Hurts to Love”.

Generationally speaking, the ending of Skins series 1 still packs a fair bit of a punch, so rewriting “Wild World” by Cat Stevens makes more sense than you’d think.

29. The 1975, “The 1975”.

Imagine taking “All My Friends” and making it about your cock and it’s still good; that takes rare talent.

30. Craig Finn, “Birthdays”.

Comforting because it really is nice to know there’s someone in this world who’s always known you, and comforting because it’s Craig Finn doing Craig Finn stuff with his big dumb Craig Finn voice.

31. Julia Jacklin, “Lydia Wears a Cross”.

A bodily song: knees, eyes, clothes, adornments.

32. Anaïs Mitchell, “On Your Way (Felix Song)”.

You get the sense Anaïs Mitchell finds nothing all that difficult—eulogising, philosophising, doing justice to a life, picking out the pithiest reminiscences, in just under three minutes she bowls it all over.

33. Billy Woods, “Pollo Rico”.

Intrusive thoughts, compulsion to repeat. A personal history of madness.

34. Bright Eyes, “Arc of Time (Time Code) (Companion Version)”.

This year Bright Eyes re-recorded some of the songs from the 2000s I love/hate the most. “Arc of Time” gets remade without the beats or the keys, but stays smart and wry and death stays on its mind. 

35. Fred again.., “Berwyn (all that i got is you)”.

Fred again..’s songs are urban explorations, entries to London’s subterrene.

36. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Spitting Off the Edge of the World”.

Cosmic.

37. The Big Moon, “Ladye Bay”.

Supersized, tectonic.

38. Drive-By Truckers, “The Driver”.

Grimy, grunting noir.

39. Ethel Cain, “American Teenager”.

D. H. Lawrence would’ve liked Ethel Cain and her Great American Hauntedness.

40. Girlpool, “Butterfly Bulletholes”.

Such a shame to lose Girlpool in 2022 but they were four or five bands in just two people, they gave us a lot.

41. The Beths, “Expert in a Dying Field”.

This one speaks for itself.

42. Nilüfer Yanya, “Shameless”.

Breathless, almost somehow fleshless, rattling ribcage xylophone.

43. Mesadorm, “Soap Opera”.

Skew-whiff boiler-hiss robot pop.

44. Porridge Radio, “Back to the Radio”.

Porridge Radio’s skills are in cacophony, cataclysm, crisis, ruination, disaster mismanagement.

45. Wet Leg, “Too Late Now”.

Every introspection needs a wise-crack or two.

46. Wilco, “Tired of Taking It Out on You”.

Aged 29, I had chickenpox recently; I recovered but it’s made looking in the mirror interesting, all these new small markings on the same face.

47. Plains, “Hurricane”.

The lyrics to “Hurricane” read like an apology, but Katie Crutchfield’s voice always sounds a little barbed to me; that’s what makes this work, I think.

48. Daniel Avery, “Higher”.

Frenetic travel in place.

49. Kevin Morby, “Bittersweet, TN”.

Kevin Morby hits all the requirements, he straight-A’s being a country singer.

50. Beabadoobee, “You’re Here That’s the Thing”.

In 2023 I resolve to continue to love silly rhymes, campfire rhythms, dewdrops and holding hands.

[castletown-cafe]

Castletown Café Episode 10: Clubs Sandwich

The Clubs Sandwich, a sandwich that can be split three ways! It heals 30 HP to the whole team in Chapter 1, and 70 HP in Chapter 2. A play on the club sandwich, this sandwich is more than likely shaped like the Clubs suit given the setting and theme of Chapter 1′s Dark World, and the fact that Clover, a hydra-like beast based on the Clubs symbol, can it to you in Chapter 2.

In real life, a club sandwich is a tall sandwich consisting of white bread, ham or turkey, chicken, and bacon, held together with layers of white bread. Of course, it’s not shaped like a club at all, but it’s often big enough to share with others - as long as they eat meat or pork products, which I don’t. I knew I would not be making a true club sandwich, but instead, a delicious vegetarian sandwich that consists of three sandwiches arranged in the shape of a club, allowing it to be shared between three people. With an assortment of roasted vegetables, Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, mixed greens, and a zesty dill sauce, this veggie sandwich for a party of three is best served warm with toasted sourdough bread.

There are many steps to this sandwich, from making the sauce, cooking the filling, and shaping the bread, to the full assembly of the sandwiches at the end. First things first, we make the dill sauce. I used this recipe from loveandlemons.com, with a couple modifications: instead of fresh, grated garlic, I used garlic powder, I omitted the onion powder because I didn’t have any that was fresh, and since the grocery store I go to often lacks fresh herbs, I used dried dill weed that’s just as fragrant and delicious. One thing to note: always use less of a dried herb or spice than a fresh one. Dried herbs are smaller but more potent than fresh!

Next, take three slices of sourdough bread (preferably from a large round loaf to get the slices as illustrated in the shaping instructions below as well as the above photo) and cut them into tear-drop shapes, using toothpicks as a guide:

Ta-da! I hope these illustrations help!

Lastly comes the roasting of the three vegetables: zucchini, red pepper, and Roma tomato, and the cooking and caramelizing of the onion. (You can add or change whatever veggies you want, of course, or even add meat or mushrooms - it’s your sandwich.) While those vegetables are in the oven, fry up a thinly sliced yellow onion on the stove over medium heat until browned and soft - then add balsamic vinegar to give it that flavor.

Whether you follow this recipe or customize it to your tastes, I hope your result is a lovely sandwich for you and your friends or family to enjoy! I know mine was absolutely delicious.

CLUBS SANDWICH:

Dill Sauce:

1 tablespoon dried dill weed

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup plain, unflavored Greek yogurt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp garlic powder

Sandwich:

2 Roma tomatoes

1/2 zucchini

1 red bell pepper

1 medium yellow onion

Swiss cheese

Mixed greens

2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

Sourdough bread, 3 slices

Cut a fresh lemon in half and squeeze out its juice, preferably by using a hand juicer/citrus juicer (it’s easier that way). Pour that into a bowl, grab your tablespoon, and get yourself 1 tablespoon of that juice.

Combine yogurt, mayo, dill, lemon juice, and garlic powder in a bowl, stir until all ingredients are incorporated, and set aside.

Cut your large sourdough slices in half, and then stack the halves on top of each other. Using toothpicks as a guide, form a tear-drop shape and cut out your shapes using a sharp knife, repeat 2 more times.

Wash and dry all vegetables and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Very thinly slice tomato and zucchini into rounds, and red bell pepper into strips. If you prefer thicker zucchini slices, use the whole zucchini, but slice into semi-circles. Next, thinly slice your onion into rounds, but beware its fumes!

Place tomato, zucchini, and red pepper on a cookie sheet and coat with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in oven for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are soft, tender, and juicy.

While these veggies roast in the oven, heat a drizzle of cooking oil in a pan on medium heat and add onion, cooking and stirring until browned and extremely soft and noodly. When your onion is nice and brown and mushy, add the balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. (Note: caramelizing onions takes a long time, but doing just one should hopefully just take 30 minutes, approximately the same time as roasting the other veggies in the oven, so this gives you something to do while you wait for your oven-roasted vegetables. One onion is all you’ll need for this sandwich, anyway).

Slice some Swiss cheese, unless you brought some pre-sliced. When the veggies are done roasting in the oven, top it with the Swiss cheese in an effort to melt it - or stick it back in the oven for a minute or two to melt the cheese on top of the roasted veggies. Or use the microwave, that works too.

Change the oven setting to Broil and place your tear-drop shaped bread slices on another cookie sheet. Toast bread in oven for a minute and a half on one side, then flip to toast the other sides for the same amount of time.

Spread dill sauce on top of each piece of toasted bread, then top three of those pieces with the roasted veggies and melted Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, and mixed greens. Top with the remaining slices of bread.

Arrange sandwiches into the shape of a club and serve!

As for leftovers? Easily reheatable in the oven, just swap out the old mixed greens for fresh before serving!

Source:

Donofrio, Jeanine: “Creamy Dill Sauce”, loveandlemons.com. Link: https://www.loveandlemons.com/dill-sauce/

[soulmkb]

1. What classes did you take in school as a fifteen-year-old, if any? English, German, Research, Current Events, Orchestra, PE, Algebra 2, Biology, and Technology

2. Have you ever visited New York City? What did you find there? Twice and I mostly found very tall buildings that loomed in a way that never fails to make me uncomfortable

3. Do you believe in vampires? No but I want to

4. Can you name five sainted families? There are no saints in South Carolina

5. How much does a fairly average loaf of bread cost? What about a can of beer? Breads like three bucks and I hate beer

6. Can you tell me the name of the mountain range that divides the northern of the two isthmus-joined continents in two, running north-south? Absolutely not but have you ever seen the sun rise over the blue ridge parkway before the mist has melted into the day

7. What are your months and seasons? My favorite month is July when it’s so hot your clothes just melt off of you in that blistering southern humidity. Not quite hurricane season where you when you’re watching the creek rise for floods but deep enough into the summer when the rain falls and thick heavy dumps in the afternoon

8. Who keeps the flames of your cities lit? The nuclear engineers tucked at the edge of town

9. Have you ever flown in a machine? Several times and it’s never gotten easier

10. Do your gods talk back? In the voices of those I love most and in the sound of a crowd beginning to sing

interesting.

[bostonfly]

Slathering the bread with toum instead of butter instantly gives it garlic bread vibes. Though you can purchase toum at many supermarkets and Middle Eastern specialty stores, making it at home gives it a more vibrant punch. It lasts for months and can be used anywhere a tangy, garlicky wallop is needed. Use in salad dressings, as a rub on roasted meats, as a sandwich condiment, or even as a dip for crudités.

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 1 sandwich, plus 1¾ cups toum

1 medium head of garlic, peeled (about 12 cloves)

2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon), plus more to taste

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1½ cups neutral oil, like grapeseed oil

2 slices bread, preferably from a rustic loaf, no more than ½ inch thick

3 slices Muenster cheese

4 cornichons, thinly sliced lengthwise

2 tablespoons toum (prepared or homemade), plus more for dipping

Kosher salt

PREPARATION

Prepare the toum (or proceed to Step 4, if using store-bought toum): Place garlic, lemon juice, kosher salt and 1 tablespoon water in a tall, narrow container; blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Let sit for at least 10 minutes to mellow out some of the raw garlic’s bite.

Dump the neutral oil on top, then lower the immersion blender to the bottom of the container. Turn the blender on, but don’t yet move it. Once the mixture starts emulsifying and thickening, slowly tilt the blender to introduce more oil to the mixture and very slowly pull the blender to the top of the mix. Plunge the blender up and down until the toum is fully emulsified and thick. (This streamlined toum recipe sacrifices fluffiness for ease by using a stick blender. If you want to make perfectly fluffy toum, prepare this recipe using a food processor.)

Stir well and adjust the toum with more salt and lemon juice as needed. (The toum recipe makes about 1¾ cups.) Transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate, if not using immediately.

Prepare the sandwich: Divide the cheese evenly between the two slices of bread, tearing one piece in half to split it. Shingle the cornichons in one even layer on one side. Carefully close the sandwich. Evenly spread 1 tablespoon of toum on one side of the sandwich.

In a medium nonstick skillet, place the sandwich, toum-side down. Press the sandwich firmly with a spatula to compress. Cook over medium-low until lightly golden underneath, 5 to 6 minutes.

Spread 1 tablespoon of toum on the top side of the bread, then flip the sandwich over and press firmly. Cook until bread is lightly golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes, then flip back over. Since toum is made of mostly garlic, it burns easily. Take your time, reducing the heat to low, flipping and pressing the sandwich often to ensure that the cheese melts evenly and the bread doesn’t burn, about 3 more minutes. Lightly season both sides with salt and serve immediately, with a side of toum for dipping.

[thefenrathaesaga]

I present to you a pair of autistic young adults who are Certified Disaster Bisexuals!

Ellira Tjelzirus (chell-ZEE-russ)! A bisexual Dragon Elf lady (as in, a fluffy, mortal dragon who can turn into a mortal elf at will. That's... literally what all Dragon Elves are. Every Dragon Elf uses their elf form much more often than their true form, simply because their dragon forms are big and Not Suited To Fit Inside The Temples Of The Two Holy Windstorms!)! Ellira's also The Sacred Vessel of The Brightened Wind, meaning that she is The Goddess of her homeworld's Light, reborn!

No, that is not a Minecraft Diamond Dagger she has in her hand! It is a Solid Brightened WInd Dagger! Only Razakia (Sacred Keeper of Leytovar's Light, Goddess of The Brightened Wind) can summon Solid Brightened Wind weapons, and because Ellira is Razakia reborn, so can she!

Ellira's more attracted to women than to men, but she's still definitely attracted to men! She's especially attracted to men who are twinks, like Kae, her boyfriend! When it comes to men, she prefers men who are tall enough that she can easily lean her head into their chests when she hugs them or cuddles with them.

Also, any Dragon Elf can become a loaf in their secondary form! You know what I mean, right? That thing where cats will lie down and tuck their front paws up against their chests until their paws disappear! Dragon Elves can do that in their true forms! And they LOVE doing it in parks on a sunny day! When they become Dragon Elf loafs on sunny days, they'll stretch their wings out on either side of them to absorb the warmth of their sun!

Next up, we have Kaelech "Kae" Edlurios (KAI-leck, kai), who is Ellira's human boyfriend! Kae is holding a Dark Leytovari Steel dagger, and he is REALLY fucking good at using a dagger/shiv/knife/switchblade to defend himself! Kae is Delros's Fourth Mortal Vessel, meaning that he is the Balance Keeper of Faldoria (Kae's homeworld) reborn!

Kae is also bisexual (obviously)! He's more attracted to men than to women, but he definitely feels attraction to women! He finds tall, buff women and men very attractive, but he also likes dating people who are shorter than him, because he enjoys having a significant other who can easily lean their head into his chest when they hug him or cuddle with him. Which, Ellira is about 4-5 inches shorter than he is.

Kae loves Ellira in each of her forms! Whenever she enters her dragon form to stretch her wings and sun herself in a park, she also lets Kae rub her belly, give her chin scritches and ear scritches, and lets him scratch her back between her wings, as these are all the forms of physical affection that most Dragon Elves will ask you for in their dragon forms.

Also, Kae is incredibly impulsive, impulsive to the point where (in Volume 1 so far) he's made decisions that very easily could've killed him!... Much to Delros's chagrin. Delros is constantly scolding him for making dangerous decisions without thinking about the consequences of those actions beforehand.

[chefilona]

CHEF ILONA: HONEY BEER BREAD

Chef Ilona’s Honey Beer Bread

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 Tbsp. sugar

• 1 Tbsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. salt

• 2 Tbsp. Honey

• 1 tall can craft beer like ale or Pilsner

• 4 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed. (I put my honey in the microwave for a few seconds. Mix very lightly, just until make sure all the ingredients had come together and all the dry ingredients were incorporated into beer.)

3. Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter.

#atlanticcanada #pei #prineedwardisland #chefilona #welovepei #lovelocalpei #tourismpei #tourismcanada #explorecanada #explorepei #meetinpei #welcomepei #noisepei #truepei #islandlife #recipe #craftbeer #discovercharlottetown #discoveratlantic

[cajunfj40]

Trying a variation on my “go-to” bread recipe.

Standard recipe for “World’s Easiest Yeast Bread recipe - Artisan, NO KNEAD” (from recipetineats dot com), abbreviated and with my comments:

450gm bread flour

2tsp instant yeast (if you use “active dry” you’ll need to “prove” it - dissolve it in the very warm water first rather than mix it into the drys)

2tsp coarse salt (1-1/4tsp if fine)

375ml very warm water

A 10” or larger covered Dutch oven or deep covered cast iron skillet makes it easier to bake, but if you don’t have one, you just need a baking sheet and an oven-safe container that’ll hold a quart or so of water.

Mix the drys, dump in the water and stir until all the drys are incorporated. I usually then scrape the sides down into the mix. It’s kind of a wettish dough, due to it being a “no knead” type. Cover with plastic wrap and stick in a warm place for 1.5-2.5hr. I use the microwave above the stove. If it’s not warm inside yet I nuke 2 cups of water for 2-4 minutes or until boiling or nearly. I then stick the hot water in the corner of the microwave to keep the interior warm and moist. When I do it that way it rises to about double volume in 1.5hr. It takes longer if it’s cooler. If you need to leave suddenly or otherwise have to stop, you can shove the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just let it warm back up on the counter for 45-60 minutes or so if already risen, or stick if someplace warm if it needs to finish rising. Once it’s done rising, scrape the dough out onto a floured surface, sprinkle some more flour on it, and sort of fold the corners into the middle until you get a roughly round shape. This is a “no knead” recipe so you don’t need to do much, and it’s an “artisan” loaf so it can be really rough. Once shaped, flip it onto a sheet of baking parchment. (I’ve also just shaped it right on the parchment and it worked fine!) Cover it loosely with something that won’t stick to it. I tend to put the parchment with dough into a bowl that it doesn’t quite fill, and then invert the medium or large mixing bowl I used over it. I’ve also cleaned out the mixing bowl and stuck it in there, and then re-covered the bowl. Now turn on your oven and set it to 450F, and let it preheat for 30 minutes while the shaped loaf does it’s second rise. If you’re using a cast iron Dutch oven or similar, stick it in the oven to preheat too. If you’re not, boil about a quart or so of water. After the 30 minutes are up, carefully drop the parchment and dough into the Dutch oven and cover it, then stick the lot in the oven, ~middle rack. If not using cast iron, put the parchment and dough on the baking sheet, put the sheet in the oven on the middle rack, put the oven safe metal container next to it or on a lower rack, pour the boiling water into the container, and close the oven. Bake for 30 minutes if in the Dutch oven, take the lid off, and bake 12 more minutes to brown the crust. If not using Dutch oven, just bake for 40min. When done, pull it out and stick the bare loaf on a cooling rack. It ought to be between 3 and 4” tall when you use cast iron. I only used a flat pan a few times and it was a bit flatter, but those were my first few loaves ever, so I dunno if that’s “usual” for the recipe done that way. Let it cool for 20-30 min so it finishes cooking from the residual heat, if you cut it too soon it’ll be a tad gooey inside. The variation I’m trying is subbing 75gm honey for some of the water. I had to add a bit more water as the dough wasn’t wet enough. It’s rising now, will post pics later.

Edit: dough has risen, been shaped, is covered, and the Dutch Oven is in the oven preheating:

Edit: second rise and preheat done, in the oven to bake 30 min with lid on.

Edit: lid off, and 12 min later, done!

It’s a bit flatter and a lot darker than usual, I think the honey made it brown faster?

[bitter-sweet-coffee]

Answer whichever ones you think would have the most interesting answers for Adam. 😈

*inhales* IT IS TIME FOR ME TO ANSWER THIS! i’m going to skip the irrelevant ones, and some of the boring stuff too (i kept the rest because it’s useful even if my response isn’t insightful lol)

1. Are they happy with their body?

yeah! he’s not like, super show-offy about it, but adam likes himself. he works hard (swims to work aka prison island every day, plus he works out like 3-5 times just for fun or to wake up/sleep) so even though he eats like shit, he likes exercising! buff bird likes working out but doesn’t care for health or looks or about how people see him (but he is quite flattered and awkward when receiving compliments)

2. Do they have any secret piercings or tattoos?

nope, he’s not allowed tattoos because he’s not an official rogue aka firstborn. he’s not afraid of piercings, he just doesn’t want to have to be responsible for or committed to them 🥴

3. Do they collect anything?

if he finds random shit on his swim to work, sure! the occasional deep diving and beach walking will result in some trinkets, which he has a habit of collecting for a certain jackdaw with a hoarder habit

4. What is their favorite music genre?

adam is the type of guy who exclusively listens to video game soundtracks. this REALLY bothers storm but at least he can appreciate a good OST!

5. What music genre, if any, do they hate the most?

it’s not hatred, but adam is absolutely CLUELESS about music. doesn’t know shit about it. thinks it all sounds the same (but not in a dismissive way, he’s just genuinely convinced all music regardless of genre is the same song)

6. What is their phone background/lock screen?

literally just the default because he can’t pick one 💀

7. What is their shoe size?

not sure what the mobian scale is, but he’s a large guy in height and build so like. dude needs human shoes that are on the larger end of things

9. Do they have a favorite professional sport?

hockey (i am projecting) he just likes sports with big people in cold temperatures! but he’d never play dude can’t skate for shit (his entire family and bloodline is cursed with being super clumsy)

10. How do they decorate their living space?

basically not at all lol. basic ikea furniture and thrifted items for some flavour/if they were a good deal

11. Are they messy, or do they clean up?

he’s not messy like the stereotypical bachelor in his 20’s vibes, but he’s not super clean either. like, there will be occasional clutter or a lack of decoration and supplies that feels incomplete

12. What’s their preferred sleeping position?

he loafs,,, somehow. despite being a large fucking albatross

15. Can they cook? What’s their favorite thing to make?

a strong no! his favourite meal is lunchables with dino nuggies and smiley fries. a side of caprisun and cosmic brownies for dessert. you know someone like him.

16. What food do they hate eating?

swiss chard

17. Do they have any allergies?

probably caffeine but that doesn’t stop him

18. What was their worst injury?

he got stabbed a couple times! also fell off a tall building. also a boat smashed into him. oh and he almost got blown to bits when his work exploded, but he slept through his alarm that day and thankfully missed out. (no one knows how adam is alive)

19. What movie is most likely to make them cry?

(projecting) the live action adaptation of speed racer (2008)

21. Can they dance? Do they like to?

no and no

26. Do they wear perfume/cologne? What is their favorite scent?

he doesn’t wear cologne, but he LOVES the smell of blueberries

28. What sound do they hate the most?

SOMEONE practicing cello at 4 AM (cough cough storm)

29. What video game would appeal to them the best?

he plays literally anything and everything, but i recently got reattached to what remains of edith finch (GO PLAY IT IF YOU HAVENT IT’S AN ARTFORM IN ITSELF) which is probably a game he’d adore and treasure immensely

30. How would they relax on a day off/rainy day?

video games :)

31. Are they combative? What is their fighting style?

not really, but his fighting style if you push him to that extent? let’s call it lethal. dude can probably lift the chaotix’s detectivr agency so long as someone can balance the weight on the other side (it’s awkward to carry a house by yourself)

32. Would they be the one to start an argument?

NEVER. he is very gentle and non-combative (aka angel)

35. What do they do if they can’t fall asleep?

video games :)

36. Do they wear makeup regularly? If they don’t, would they consider wearing any?

adam has permanent eyeliner and looks absolutely stunning. however, this is because he is an albatross and not because he knows how makeup works. it would be a bit redundant since his face already looks like makeup, but he wouldn’t mind if someone tried out a look on him

37. Do they prefer to be really cold or really warm?

neither hehe he likes neutral cold or neutral warm. but he does have. a high tolerance so it’s honestly the same thing!

39. Can they drive? What vehicles are they licensed to operate?

DO NOT. TRUST ADAM. WITH MACHINES. UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

40. Do they believe in true love? Have they experienced it?

he didn’t believe in it mainly out of disinterest, but one might argue he found it with a certain bug lady ;)

41. Are they married? Do they want to be?

well, idk. that’s up to you, @authorleaandres

42. If they have siblings, do they like any of them? Would they rather be an only child?

adam has an older sibling! i can’t say much about them because ✨bsc lore spoilers✨ but he likes them a lot! they’re him but better in every single way which he is very happy with because adam doesn’t like attention.

43. What do they think is their worst quality? What is their actual worst quality?

he thinks he’s boring (he isn’t). i think he is TOO. PASSIVE. like he’s not a pushover, but i wish he would get angry more!!!

44. Do they lie often? Are they good at it?

no because he sucks at it lol

45. Are they good at keeping secrets?

again, absolutely not

46. How do others see them? How accurate is it to how they really are?

good question! he’s a lovable brother-father figure to everyone he ended up housing (every bird ever and fiona at one point) but at the same time, he’s quite intimidating when you don’t know him. so most people are scared at first and quickly realize they’re wrong and are dealing with a himbo

47. What kind of first impression do they usually make?

scary and sketchy. but no he’s actually a total loser and we love him :)

48. What are they most afraid of?

anything happening to his son and extended child-role circle. also older women usually but that is a looooooooong story!

49. Would they ever kill anybody?

yeah. in the right circumstances

50. Do they have original characters of their own?

i mean, he would probably partake in DND and other similar games (rpgs with fantasy elements) but i haven’t done that for him yet 🥲 i am open to suggestions though!

[diabetesinsider]

Honeynut Squash and friends

An unassuming, tender looking morsel nestled in with a couple of colorful, rough and ready gourds...the honeynut squash.  Never tried this one before so gave it a tumble - it's great coming in at just 4" tall from base to stem.  It's great as part of a dinner for one...cooks quick because of it's size...tastes great just roasted as she comes or slathered in margarine then sprinkled with cinnamon...also a star as part of my healthy eating plan.  Found this at my local corner produce market on 185th and TV Hwy. in Aloha, OR.  I might try seed saving with the scooped out center to try growing my own next year.  Give it a try, see what you think...

Basic baking instructions - preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Split the squash in half lengthwise scoping out the seeds.  In a glass baking  dish/loaf pan, add 1" of water, place the squash cut side up, cover with foil.  Bake for 30 min.+ until the squash is tender.  Serve this with fried pork chops seasoned with salt/pepper/garlic powder and a green salad on the side.

When I'm not haunting local produce stands, I'm sewing cotton pocket aprons for my online shop - www.etsy.com/shop/topdrawerthreads .

Or I'm knitting warm winter head gear from upcycled recycled yarns for my other shop - www.etsy.com/shop/topdraweryarns .

My daughter's have an online shop - www.etsy.com/yesdesigns - where they sew and sell cotton pocket knickers for just such occasions. 

My older daughter has an online shop - www.etsy.com/shop/wildwovenwomen - where she knits upycled recycled yarns into cozy eyecatching striped throws and afghans.  

[sterekdrabbles]

Word Challenges

links: about (post) | rules (post) | faq (post) challenges (post) | authors (post) | tags (post) calendars: 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 outside links: ao3 collection | discord server | pillowfort community

Word challenges (and theme weeks) under the cut:

For challenge lists with links to the tags, visit our Challenges page.

May 2024

May 3: clumsy, hair, honey

May 1: shape, pear, change

April 2024

Apr 29: wide, tire, air

Apr 26: proud, icicle, fast (theme: emotion)

Apr 24: feel, right, month (theme: emotion)

Apr 22: not, neat, next (theme: emotion)

Apr 19: trail, competent, pet

Apr 17: brick, mourn, slope

Apr 15: rest, low, interest

Apr 12: lush, wakeful, lethal

Apr 10: desk, earthquake, science

Apr 8: fabulous, pale, meddle

Apr 5: frail, crown, uncle

Apr 3: bridge, warn, airplane

Apr 1: tricky, side, point

March 2024

Mar 29: delight, quick, over (theme: consent)

Mar 27: idea, giddy, try (theme: consent)

Mar 25: thrill, hum, zipper (theme: consent)

Mar 22: sign, lavish, home

Mar 20: skin, delay, pan

Mar 18: vague, ski, notice

Mar 15: sponge, organ, bush

Mar 13: new, powder, broad

Mar 11: knife, difficult, begin

Mar 8: disturb, snake, reply

Mar 6: hesitant, suit, permit

Mar 4: crook, market, bright

Mar 1: stir, stone, ill

February 2024

Feb 28: fair, mug, hop

Feb 26: commit, morning, protect

Feb 23: eye, deserve, letter (theme: despair)

Feb 21: man, hideous, coo (theme: despair)

Feb 19: kind, heart, tender (theme: despair)

Feb 16: adaptable, hell, cat

Feb 14: bake, bloody, base

Feb 12: crush, confess, pipe

Feb 9: surprise, open, mix

Feb 7: receive, rifle, accept

Feb 5: joke, depressed, skate

Feb 2: royal, scarf, shrug

January 2024

Jan 31: scent, obscene, contain

Jan 29: sad, milk, kiss

Jan 26: bite, size, know (theme: gentleness)

Jan 24: aloof, cake, loaf (theme: gentleness)

Jan 22: white, listen, upset (theme: gentleness)

Jan 19: year, calculate, hush

Jan 17: free, rhythm, frog

Jan 15: duck, attack, mammoth

Jan 12: substance, cheat, inquire

Jan 10: channel, mad, diligent

Jan 8: toy, deafening, normal

Jan 5: wash, paste, complete

Jan 3: spirit, lake, nice

Jan 1: pancake, detail, badge

December 2023

Dec 29: vacation, miss, round (theme: winter)

Dec 27: wary, curious, squeal (theme: winter)

Dec 25: child, holiday, event (theme: winter)

Dec 22: prickly, annoy, live

Dec 20: disgust, rice, example

Dec 18: like, loud, tickle

Dec 15: scorch, value, embarrass

Dec 13: mine, invite, mighty

Dec 11: title, lovely, stupid

Dec 8: salty, popcorn, become

Dec 6: spiky, hook, friend

Dec 4: depend, vibrant, flame

Dec 1: active, slow, phone

November 2023

Nov 29: sea, false, history

Nov 27: cut, green, paint

Nov 24: vengeful, brave, cap (theme: unity)

Nov 22: amuse, tall, queen (theme: unity)

Nov 20: heavy, half, worry (theme: unity)

Nov 17: brother, church, birth

Nov 15: cheese, dock, dog

Nov 13: sneaky, peck, pink

Nov 10: poke, puncture, hat

Nov 8: scarce, soft, berserk

Nov 6: punish, concern, grin

Nov 3: sincere, fragile, belong

Nov 1: bang, saw, wrist

October 2023

Oct 30: decay, bird, zoo

Oct 27: grumpy, huge, lush (theme: halloween)

Oct 25: jump, brain, gaudy (theme: halloween)

Oct 23: magic, elate, wish (theme: halloween)

Oct 20: unnatural, seem, different

Oct 18: wall, blade, bruise

Oct 16: alarm, behave, benefit

Oct 13: danger, drip, dagger

Oct 11: same, appear, cave

Oct 9: down, inject, glisten

Oct 6: town, month, quaint

Oct 4: steep, charge, tower

Oct 2: middle, abandon, heap

September 2023

Sep 29: stove, hypnotic, imagine (theme: order)

Sep 27: slippery, thunder, rich (theme: order)

Sep 25: attempt, beautiful, jealous (theme: order)

Sep 22: nonchalant, crown, glossy

Sep 20: one, snore, six

Sep 18: attach, fit, trail

Sep 15: motion, red, identify

Sep 13: damage, nose, boundary

Sep 11: flash, iron, self

Sep 8: mark, uptight, peaceful

Sep 6: polish, square, overjoyed

Sep 4: sweater, canvas, linen

Sep 1: dashing, bizarre, ultra

August 2023

Aug 30: report, use, shade

Aug 28: delight, mere, arrogant

Aug 25: flood, way, school (theme: youth)

Aug 23: cat, elfin, obtain (theme: youth)

Aug 21: agonizing, funny, sticks (theme: youth)

Aug 18: more, tidy, thoughtful

Aug 16: lame, creepy, hole

Aug 14: impossible, young, aspiring

Aug 11: black, demonic, strong

Aug 9: calm, part, stale

Aug 7: pale, new, intend

Aug 4: achieve, better, burn

Aug 2: romantic, thread, flow

July 2023

Jul 31: mean, rainstorm, white

Jul 28: respect, quiver, normal (theme: journey)

Jul 26: weak, pleasant, cycle (theme: journey)

Jul 24: bone, callous, think (theme: journey)

Jul 21: discover, travel, bed

Jul 19: approve, direction, veil

Jul 17: sleet, stir, lick

Jul 14: describe, coat, nod

Jul 12: late, festive, wide

Jul 10: incredible, club, loss

Jul 7: liquid, vessel, brief

Jul 5: electric, fire, plastic

Jul 3: mature, idiotic, verse

June 2023

Jun 30: tick, secret, channel (theme: pride)

Jun 28: wander, release, stamp (theme: pride)

Jun 26: trick, lean, separate (theme: pride)

Jun 23: circle, happen, irate

Jun 21: basketball, texture, taste

Jun 19: snail, acceptable, fragrant

Jun 16: relieve, borrow, notebook

Jun 14: spell, awake, nauseating

Jun 12: ancient, degree, three

Jun 9: found, far, level

Jun 7: vicious, end, crime

Jun 5: avoid, excite, mushy

Jun 2: land, learn, vast

May 2023

May 31: pin, continue, rose

May 29: kind, carry, rescue

May 26: letter, furtive, follow (theme: vengeance)

May 24: jaded, voice, car (theme: vengeance)

May 22: wheel, cherry, correct (theme: vengeance)

May 19: page, thumb, knee

May 17: pie, chase, dysfunctional

May 15: wet, handsome, stop

May 12: want, empty, fear

May 10: watch, snob, bump

May 8: zip, free, action

May 5: branch, friend, stake

May 3: drunk, adorable, stay

May 1: lighten, bashful, birthday

April 2023

Apr 28: love, arrange, ten (theme: quest)

Apr 26: push, step, shaky (theme: quest)

Apr 24: high, river, witty (theme: quest)

Apr 21: admit, alive, past

Apr 19: bird, attack, stage

Apr 17: cheap, burly, soup

Apr 14: argument, boil, hell

Apr 12: clutter, mellow, ocean

Apr 10: throat, pause, second

Apr 7: idea, baseball, scare

Apr 5: breathe, stretch, guitar

Apr 3: ill, walk, warm

March 2023

Mar 31: bitter, adamant, drain (theme: consent)

Mar 29: inform, stone, demon (theme: consent)

Mar 27: simple, fragile, whisper (theme: consent)

Mar 24: proud, horse, sneaky

Mar 22: neck, connect, unable

Mar 20: size, meek, wooden

Mar 17: interesting, clever, plate

Mar 15: contain, zebra, authority

Mar 13: decorate, nonstop, shave

Mar 10: thought, grab, wonder

Mar 8: noise, fantastic, scream

Mar 6: dust, crow, recognize

Mar 3: gain, tendency, drink

Mar 1: group, abrasive, bit

February 2023

Feb 27: irritating, scent, inconclusive

Feb 24: hate, fine, run (theme: escape)

Feb 22: try, anger, fast (theme: escape)

Feb 20: room, nerve, tap (theme: escape)

Feb 17: nose, conscious, alluring

Feb 15: detail, finicky, unpack

Feb 13: nasty, toothbrush, hypnotic

Feb 10: dark, book, border

Feb 8: over, observe, confident

Feb 6: bow, time, button

Feb 3: leather, prepare, cloth

Feb 1: hurry, receive, wild

January 2023

Jan 30: poison, camp, fanatical

Jan 27: burn, bored, suggest (theme: nature)

Jan 25: soft, mark, march (theme: nature)

Jan 23: icky, sniff, helpful (theme: nature)

Jan 20: lamp, need, hammer

Jan 18: scrape, paint, square

Jan 16: juggle, general, lucky

Jan 13: spiffy, hair, influence

Jan 11: intend, wary, discover

Jan 9: disgust, label, even

Jan 6: ear, train, pocket

Jan 4: shelter, six, ugly

Jan 2: cross, box, prefer

December 2022

Dec 30: useful, yarn, hole (theme: winter)

Dec 28: wise, oil, peace (theme: winter)

Dec 26: exuberant, warn, nice (theme: winter)

Dec 23: plant change delicate

Dec 21: serious, talk, pleasant

Dec 19: annoy, snore, remove

Dec 16: drop, brake, tin

Dec 14: child, command, bustle

Dec 12: nation, overflow, rabbit

Dec 9: sky, range, abstract

Dec 7: floor, damage, pants

Dec 5: kettle, bolt, glue

Dec 2: absorb, cruel, hang

November 2022

Nov 30: explode, earth, fool

Nov 28: steadfast, mind, flag

Nov 25: wobble, stick, glamour (theme: honesty)

Nov 23: part, matter, spot (theme: honesty)

Nov 21: possess, devil, arrogant (theme: honesty)

Nov 18: spark, different, limit

Nov 16: swift, army, copy

Nov 14: parcel, black, oranges

Nov 11: wish, solid, subdue

Nov 9: trot, sound, dare

Nov 7: mindless, airport, crime

Nov 4: open, war, afternoon

Nov 2: object, excite, chop

October 2022

Oct 31: cobweb, bat, evil

Oct 28: space, dress, moon (theme: halloween)

Oct 26: unfasten, bait, bump (theme: halloween)

Oct 24: whole, home, pie (theme: halloween)

Oct 21: comfortable, achieve, heartbreak

Oct 19: detect, painstaking, tiny

Oct 17: scold, careless, fly

Oct 14: behavior, typical, decision

Oct 12: fill, hiss, copper

Oct 10: treatment, delirious, apologize

Oct 7: concern, plain, jumble

Oct 5: hydrant, weight, zipper

Oct 3: hesitant, fall, curve

September 2022

Sep 30: winter, thrill, sparkle (theme: power)

Sep 28: stripe, borrow, tasty (theme: power)

Sep 26: current, condition, injure (theme: power)

Sep 23: sip, trust, proud

Sep 21: fade, impolite, nod

Sep 19: shape, misery, pen

Sep 16: greet, numerous, guard

Sep 14: defective, drag, scarf

Sep 12: false, innocent, escape

Sep 9: wipe, puzzle, competent

Sep 7: roll, important, harbor

Sep 5: laugh, shock, tire

Sep 2: collect, learn, pull

August 2022

Aug 31: harm, rampant, thankful

Aug 29: five, shade, peep

Aug 26: coat, magic, sophisticated (theme: bravery)

Aug 24: fang, nonstop, scary (theme: bravery)

Aug 22: dead, desert, endure (theme: bravery)

Aug 19: lovely, rude, naive

Aug 17: crate, statue, flame

Aug 15: root, ant, quiver

Aug 12: silly, itch, adorable

Aug 10: swanky, color, boat

Aug 8: shrug, wood, bottle

Aug 5: bright, heavy, truck

Aug 3: relax, middle, sleep

Aug 1: song, mom, stove

July 2022

Jul 29: curl, tremble, safe (theme: parents)

Jul 27: magenta, silk, baby (theme: parents)

Jul 25: zoom, plastic, car (theme: parents)

Jul 22: enormous, quirk, riddle

Jul 20: cook, tooth, need

Jul 18: carve, juvenile, stranger

Jul 15: bee, dull, quick

Jul 13: house, sand, grubby

Jul 11: ring, mellow, heavy

Jul 8: depend, amuse, giddy

Jul 6: judge, program, husky

Jul 4: twig, radiate, support

Jul 1: relation, read, visit

June 2022

Jun 29: willing, crook, three

Jun 27: snake, squeal, hop

Jun 24: shame, thing, present (theme: pride)

Jun 22: confess, soft, fit (theme: pride)

Jun 20: lyric, practice, harmony (theme: pride)

Jun 17: room, cheap, brother

Jun 15: skinny, meal, cat

Jun 13: admit, trouble, harass

Jun 10: air, wealth, replace

Jun 8: year, sign, super

Jun 6: tart, honey, full

Jun 3: expensive, bathe, curtain

Jun 1: spray, jaded, wacky

May 2022

May 30: vacation, story, grin

May 27: watch, hose, accept (theme: growth)

May 25: dysfunctional, letter, continue (theme: growth)

May 23: delight, expand, health (theme: growth)

May 20: dark, bashful, ethereal

May 18: rhyme, majestic, ahead

May 16: spy, disarm, simple

May 13: ragged, special, meat

May 11: scrape, consist, price

May 9: tearful, touch, print

May 6: door, avoid, phobia

May 4: airplane, wound, yell

May 2: sneeze, breeze, freeze

April 2022

Apr 29: group, smart, unite (theme: belief)

Apr 27: type, library, brain (theme: belief)

Apr 25: buzz, conscious, hospital (theme: belief)

Apr 22: duck, puny, hall

Apr 20: beam, rot, clear

Apr 18: wait, gaze, end

Apr 15: annoy, fret, note

Apr 13: remember, dinosaur, hollow

Apr 11: lock, ajar, light

Apr 8: sofa, two, draw

Apr 6: engine, access, encourage

Apr 4: mountain, veil, bizarre

Apr 1: frighten, haircut, helpful

March 2022

Mar 30: check, pizza, decay

Mar 28: sweet, uneven, black

Mar 25: fragile, verse, roast (theme: consent)

Mar 23: caption, eye, lace (theme: consent)

Mar 21: mate, chill, makeshift (theme: consent)

Mar 18: electric, cable, firefighter

Mar 16: preserve, guard, off

Mar 14: unusual, bird, necessary

Mar 11: snatch, jump, ocean

Mar 9: advise, stone, surprise

Mar 7: zipper, responsible, spectacular

Mar 4: eminent, addicted, hate

Mar 2: precede, happen, expect

February 2022

Feb 28: flashy, vanish, marvelous

Feb 25: dazzle, admire, flippant (theme: change)

Feb 23: approve, secret, pale (theme: change)

Feb 21: stale, smoke, fang (theme: change)

Feb 18: clap, five, scare

Feb 16: argue, crack, leg

Feb 14: station, badge, chew

Feb 11: aspire, blush, pickle

Feb 9: hook, crow, treat

Feb 7: taste, distance, push

Feb 4: destruct, chicken, alarm

Feb 2: innocent, capable, wag

January 2022

Jan 31: window, live, attractive

Jan 28: aggressive, beat, bear (theme: stranded)

Jan 26: barbarian, mom, thrill (theme: stranded)

Jan 24: direction, windy, command (theme: stranded)

Jan 21: fish, godly, subdue

Jan 19: ban, crown, grain

Jan 17: arch, utopian, birth

Jan 14: clip, enter, sedate

Jan 12: thread, wine, car

Jan 10: immense, telephone, endure

Jan 7: next, dislike, need

Jan 5: keen, rabbit, cake

Jan 3: vein, cruel, squeak

December 2021

Dec 31: amused, stage, wood (theme: winter)

Dec 29: mellow, cute, gruesome (theme: winter)

Dec 27: parallel, solid, cross (theme: winter)

Dec 24: son, death, yummy

Dec 22: use, sand, drain

Dec 20: parched, poised, screech

Dec 17: wiggle, memory, apathetic

Dec 15: quiver, wary, peaceful

Dec 13: busy, stocking, disagree

Dec 10: train, notebook, flat

Dec 8: juvenile, return, learn

Dec 6: dapper, moon, sea

Dec 3: scribble, fortune, punish

Dec 1: action, brash, discreet

November 2021

Nov 29: abide, smooth, fear

Nov 26: symptom, cold, believe (theme: cozy)

Nov 24: shift, slip, beautiful (theme: cozy)

Nov 22: overjoyed, grotesque, colossal (theme: cozy)

Nov 19: clutter, space, begin

Nov 17: impolite, cook, compete

Nov 15: sparkle, limit, make

Nov 12: close, plant, border

Nov 10: energetic, coach, dash

Nov 8: store, lyric, jail

Nov 5: appear, frantic, pet

Nov 3: weight, careful, fancy

Nov 1: chief, time, grumpy

October 2021

Oct 29: river, party, dangerous (theme: halloween)

Oct 27: little, angry, furniture (theme: halloween)

Oct 25: baby, shake, snail (theme: halloween)

Oct 22: bruise, pointless, envy

Oct 20: bake, pencil, zealous

Oct 18: absent, regret, select

Oct 15: useful, earth, room

Oct 13: deliver, umbrella, comb

Oct 11: game, untidy, clammy

Oct 8: thank, structure, dinosaur

Oct 6: wound, wait, stick

Oct 4: provide, basin, bath

Oct 1: breathe, devilish, trip

September 2021

Sep 29: arm, load, behave

Sep 27: invite, mundane, brief

Sep 24: sweater, horrendous, crush (theme: softness)

Sep 22: delight, shiver, grateful (theme: softness)

Sep 20: pack, excite, large (theme: softness)

Sep 17: future, straight, rapid

Sep 15: healthy, thaw, harsh

Sep 13: distinct, worry, appliance

Sep 10: color, middle, act

Sep 8: seem, joyous, obsolete

Sep 6: anxious, extra, cellar

Sep 3: free, small, fold

Sep 1: deep, drunk, nod

August 2021

Aug 30: hollow, ten, dire

Aug 27: tree, light, therapeutic (theme: summer)

Aug 25: great, elastic, friend (theme: summer)

Aug 23: circle, grade, lunch (theme: summer)

Aug 20: sound, curve, sky

Aug 18: stove, fire, bedroom

Aug 16: voyage, previous, complex

Aug 13: nervous, cloth, gaze

Aug 11: dog, town, enchant

Aug 9: soup, over, neighbor

Aug 6: men, object, hose

Aug 4: carriage, bewildered, uttermost

Aug 2: teeny, horn, outrage

July 2021

Jul 30: read, creature, scare (theme: sleep)

Jul 28: bed, common, pretty (theme: sleep)

Jul 26: many, reach, whisper (theme: sleep)

Jul 23: bang, miniature, pie

Jul 21: book, carpenter, dinner

Jul 19: rude, legal, badge

Jul 16: report, scent, hurry

Jul 14: reject, rest, sleep

Jul 12: last, cuddly, green

Jul 9: slim, collar, embarrass

Jul 7: detect, foolish, second

Jul 5: breakable, obtain, useless

Jul 2: kneel, smile, sign

June 2021

Jun 30: bloody, blow, defeat

Jun 28: tall, mourn, gift

Jun 25: same, challenge, year (theme: pride)

Jun 23: belief, bat, faithful (theme: pride)

Jun 21: material, flap, tricky (theme: pride)

Jun 18: stage, gigantic, egg

Jun 16: haircut, crown, play

Jun 14: tow, brake, ground

Jun 11: demonic, delicious, thrill

Jun 9: save, purr, stranger

Jun 7: stomach, wreck, belong

Jun 4: motionless, night, listen

Jun 2: word, willing, curious

May 2021

May 31: dizzy, nosy, curly

May 28: high, plane, balance (theme: ambition)

May 26: rinse, boil, deserted (theme: ambition)

May 26: nap, interfere, amok (theme: ambition)

May 21: holiday, educate, daughter

May 19: wobble, mitten, stiff

May 17: pathetic, unused, irritate

May 14: view, huge, mean

May 12: child, woman, memory

May 10: unlock, pan, swim

May 7: wave, store, wool

May 5: doubt, long, term

May 3: shut, five, thin

April 2021

Apr 30: glue, squeak, jittery (theme: fear)

Apr 28: price, admit, telling (theme: fear)

Apr 26: normal, knife, giant (theme: fear)

Apr 23: groovy, rock, youthful

Apr 21: tug, canvas, care

Apr 19: hug, cake, blush

Apr 16: unknown, somber, mark

Apr 14: plastic, dusty, adamant

Apr 12: flesh, bridge, red

Apr 9: aboard, boring, wheel

Apr 7: mend, improve, skate

Apr 5: flower, bitter, show

Apr 2: sneeze, fierce, pass

March 2021

Mar 31: raspy, angry, enormous

Mar 29: room, desk, copy

Mar 26: manage, mine, hand (theme: consent)

Mar 24: quilt, abuse, subdue (theme: consent)

Mar 22: drive, type, wary (theme: consent)

Mar 19: expert, peel, complete

Mar 17: clumsy, team, entertain

Mar 15: near, regular, careful

Mar 12: science, tired, annoyed

Mar 10: coward, storm, march

Mar 8: cup, beautiful, stone

Mar 5: third, cloudy, bucket

Mar 3: cat, hilarious, irate

Mar 1: stew, thing, slow

February 2021

Feb 26: hope, page, dirty (theme: creativity)

Feb 24: vase, rob, wretched (theme: creativity)

Feb 22: art, flow, tree (theme: creativity)

Feb 19: festive, arrive, ambitious

Feb 17: include, control, magic

Feb 15: rifle, wing, bashful

Feb 12: suggest, label, jeans

Feb 10: compete, panic, over

Feb 8: minor, super, confident

Feb 5: peaceful, fairy, dark

Feb 3: magnificent, exciting, fact

Feb 1: painful, boundary, wash

January 2021

Jan 29: yarn, icicle, knee (theme: travel)

Jan 27: agree, well, off (theme: travel)

Jan 25: quick, rainstorm, talk (theme: travel)

Jan 22: scream, grandfather, wrong

Jan 20: cover, mixed, root

Jan 18: yellow, suppose, ring

Jan 15: sad, helpless, scarce

Jan 13: weak, clammy, scissors

Jan 11: week, reward, crate

Jan 8: tiny, mountain, shade

Jan 6: murder, rabbit, card

Jan 4: shiny, worry, avoid

Jan 1: callous, communicate, board

December 2020

Dec 30: mailbox, chase, letters

Dec 28: drawer, gather, death

Dec 25: wire, star, solid (theme: winter)

Dec 23: border, blink, awful (theme: winter)

Dec 21: pinch, town, jolly (theme: winter)

Dec 18: spicy, realize, repeat

Dec 16: healthy, taste, crime

Dec 14: water, fragile, obedient

Dec 11: trap, powder, tedious

Dec 9: spiteful, little, bee

Dec 7: gun, offend, adorable

Dec 4: birthday, hard, fluffy

Dec 2: jail, church, attraction

November 2020

Nov 30: cold, boil, damage

Nov 27: donkey, disaster, tomato (theme: thankfulness)

Nov 25: precious, play, smile (theme: thankfulness)

Nov 23: tense, child, tender (theme: thankfulness)

Nov 20: shape, frighten, large

Nov 18: quizzical, secretary, bump

Nov 16: wander, painstaking, growth

Nov 13: reign, party, beneficial

Nov 11: punish, snot, bare

Nov 9: compare, expensive, vegetable

Nov 6: bush, front, fetch

Nov 4: surprise, possessive, call

Nov 2: wood, slap, wet

October 2020

Oct 30: spider, wax, steam (theme: halloween)

Oct 28: tub, like, blood (theme: halloween)

Oct 26: dare, trust, spooky (theme: halloween)

Oct 23: animal, hospital, special

Oct 21: rapid, twist, drown

Oct 19: stage, cheer, fill

Oct 16: fold, melt, victorious

Oct 14: arrest, scarf, confused

Oct 12: post, hang, curve

Oct 9: polite, needy, mind

Oct 7: wobble, wail, shake

Oct 5: forget, condemned, receive

Oct 2: blush, odd, visitor

September 2020

Sep 30: flame, embarrass, tent

Sep 28: leather, sidewalk, hesitant

Sep 25: person, hideous, miss (theme: revenge)

Sep 23: sand, wiggle, alive (theme: revenge)

Sep 21: nifty, best, scent (theme: revenge)

Sep 18: trot, light, wonder

Sep 16: fearful, careful, stocking

Sep 14: scandalous, attack, phone

Sep 11: eager, wonderful, roll

Sep 9: level, store, defective

Sep 7: collect, colorful, pink

Sep 4: argument, exchange, concern

Sep 2: imperfect, succeed, repair

August 2020

Aug 31: measly, empty, flimsy

Aug 28: buzz, impulse, bow (theme: peace)

Aug 26: shy, admire, laugh (theme: peace)

Aug 24: grateful, friendly, warm (theme: peace)

Aug 21: tearful, honorable, kneel

Aug 19: quaint, gate, chicken

Aug 17: admit, slave, parched

Aug 14: ethereal, key, song

Aug 12: guess, parcel, fresh

Aug 10: charming, happen, flaky

Aug 7: lump, stick, remember

Aug 5: swift, crash, courageous

Aug 3: scale, steep, mighty

July 2020

Jul 31: women, crooked, fire (theme: tradition)

Jul 29: married, replace, decision (theme: tradition)

Jul 27: sulk, pie, pan (theme: tradition)

Jul 24: drum, connection, north

Jul 22: road, foamy, agreeable

Jul 20: festive, quirky, return

Jul 17: somber, coat, dock

Jul 15: deadpan, contain, unsuitable

Jul 13: horrible, high, cry

Jul 10: seashore, harmony, faded

Jul 8: finger, abusive, robot

Jul 6: save, touch, snake

Jul 3: scarce, found, whisper

Jul 1: deafening, grin, quiet

June 2020

Jun 29: tug, tin, quill

Jun 26: parade, park, arch (theme: pride)

Jun 24: accountant, artist, kidnap (theme: pride)

Jun 22: cheat, plot, establish (theme: pride)

Jun 19: vacuum, earth, extraterrestrial

Jun 17: quarter, owner, stock

Jun 15: slice, greet, dine

Jun 12: glass, floor, betray

Jun 10: strike, club, communication

Jun 8: host, date, cancel

Jun 5: chain, problem, strap

Jun 3: ordinary, classroom, haunt

Jun 1: witch, sunshine, trial

May 2020

May 29: budge, summer, eyebrow (theme: strangers)

May 27: attic, cruel, listen (theme: strangers)

May 25: flower, fairy, gown (theme: strangers)

May 22: captivate, vision, home

May 20: pattern, fox, splurge

May 18: elaborate, retreat, rain

May 15: wrestle, possible, hard

May 13: area, useful, decay

May 11: blank, bedroom, silver

May 8: yelp, yip, yeti

May 6: pen, pot, pet

May 4: storm, star, ship

May 1: hero, harmful, heart

April 2020

Apr 29: angel, sailor, dinner

Apr 27: grandmother, wisecrack, button

Apr 24: detective, chaos, unaware (theme: isolation)

Apr 22: flu, treat, release (theme: isolation)

Apr 20: prisoner, ask, late (theme: isolation)

Apr 17: soul, fee, past

Apr 15: clinic, needle, sheet

Apr 13: name, tear, swallow

Apr 10: recover, tournament, lover

Apr 8: quit, routine, sensation

Apr 6: fog, brilliance, exotic

Apr 3: desire, publish, coma

Apr 1: dress, grand, object

March 2020

Mar 30: calendar, troop, feel

Mar 27: comfort, embrace, pace (theme: consent)

Mar 25: stroll, corner, palace (theme: consent)

Mar 23: reflection, permission, incredible (theme: consent)

Mar 20: fever, alarm, harvest

Mar 18: body, helmet, material

Mar 16: plant, part, grimace

Mar 13: cabin, axe, drown

Mar 11: feed, race, mistreat

Mar 9: humor, freeze, combine

Mar 6: account, good, vague

Mar 4: confession, burst, fantasy

Mar 2: appearance, thanks, rob

February 2020

Feb 28: urgency, unfortunate, half (theme: survival)

Feb 26: battlefield, enjoy, sword (theme: survival)

Feb 24: color, leader, mature (theme: survival)

Feb 21: row, need, place

Feb 19: flat, deadly, stream

Feb 17: bathtub, heaven, disaster

Feb 14: stumble, aspect, love

Feb 12: house, mirror, stir

Feb 10: distance, firefighter, shadow

Feb 7: case, sign, book

Feb 5: fur, slump, lost

Feb 3: familiar, hope, pony

January 2020

Jan 31: approach, pat, dangerous (theme: supernatural)

Jan 29: damn, observation, dragon (theme: supernatural)

Jan 27: path, blood, speed (theme: supernatural)

Jan 24: thick, hunt, problem

Jan 22: veil, horn, real

Jan 20: swarm, curve, warn

Jan 17: arrow, raw, rest

Jan 15: disappointment, effort, scramble

Jan 13: syndrome, yearn, language

Jan 10: conflict, charity, turn

Jan 8: level, regret, quest

Jan 6: fall, see, moon

Jan 3: scene, mother, season

Jan 1: spit, lemon, winner

December 2019

Dec 30: begin, choice, sun

Dec 27: help, chocolate, hand (theme: winter)

Dec 25: wing, light, horror (theme: winter)

Dec 23: branch, berry, string (theme: winter)

Dec 20: youth, block, reproduce

Dec 18: bow, air, visible

Dec 16: ex, mar, shower

Dec 13: camp, crystal, lake

Dec 11: cane, jury, wrong

Dec 9: abnormal, rock, gap

Dec 6: history, shot, maid

Dec 4: disclose, shame, portrait

Dec 2: shop, presentation, notebook

November 2019

Nov 29: walk, demand, core (theme: heroism)

Nov 27: fist, tooth, lesson (theme: herosim)

Nov 25: brown, perfect, roof (theme: heroism)

Nov 22: pigeon, staircase, difference

Nov 20: column, explode, wound

Nov 18: respectable, remark, jealous

Nov 15: enhance, crew, embark

Nov 13: penny, bucket, infinite

Nov 11: set, adoption, spare

Nov 8: load, quality, fruit

Nov 6: romantic, tease, say

Nov 4: poem, baseball, report

Nov 1: bolt, venture, elaborate

October 2019

Oct 30: eternal, push, seek

Oct 28: chain, cage, gold

Oct 25: beast, enchant, moonlight (theme: halloween)

Oct 23: boot, troll, thread (theme: halloween)

Oct 21: wedding, carriage, behead (theme: halloween)

Oct 18: detect, dignity, shortage

Oct 16: tumble, top, throne

Oct 14: sweater, locate, soft

Oct 11: origin, speculate, soup

Oct 9: deep, pudding, nonsense

Oct 7: blue, carpet, declaration

Oct 4: hypnotize, owner, kitchen

Oct 2: ally, surround, glance

September 2019

Sep 30: can, steak, mine

Sep 27: bless, main, chance (theme: children)

Sep 25: flag, emotion, novel (theme: children)

Sep 23: flour, wash, beard (theme: children)

Sep 20: kid, broken, design

Sep 18: wriggle, favor, passive

Sep 16: society, truck, attack

Sep 13: herd, alcohol, medicine

Sep 11: grind, decline, tight

Sep 9: meat, supply, inn

Sep 6: chew, pepper, nut

Sep 4: law, forbid, denial

Sep 2: motivation, transaction, exception

August 2019

Aug 30: paint, poison, purpose (theme: war)

Aug 28: escape, neighborhood, range (theme: war)

Aug 26: grief, sustain, soldier (theme: war)

Aug 23: issue, image, last

Aug 21: city, survival, restaurant

Aug 19: peace, nature, temporary

Aug 16: peak, predator, plain

Aug 14: dawn, stay, mud

Aug 12: mosaic, hike, show

Aug 9: asylum, aunt, inhabitant

Aug 7: vein, spell, chorus

Aug 5: talented, burst, part

Aug 2: metal, fill, ash

July 2019

Jul 31: answer, cake, agenda

Jul 29: arrange, line, include

Jul 26: suffering, fault, rank (theme: dreams)

Jul 24: smart, wear, white (theme: dreams)

Jul 22: hold, snuggle, warm (theme: dreams)

Jul 19: engagement, expectation, establish

Jul 17: ensure, land, view

Jul 15: crowd, beg, frighten

Jul 12: baby, desert, garbage

Jul 10: protect, half, reason

Jul 8: fitness, hell, fan

Jul 5: captivate, absorb, ton

Jul 3: cope, battle, rub

Jul 1: circulation, brain, hour

June 2019

Jun 28: guest, collect, enemy (theme: pride)

Jun 26: wild, upset, talk (theme: pride)

Jun 24: launch, still, open (theme: pride)

Jun 21: tissue, sit, clothes

Jun 19: onion, video, cater

Jun 17: noise, slow, need

Jun 14: day, exercise, small

Jun 12: prey, pool, mind

Jun 10: complain, charity, translate

Jun 7: pastel, state, version

Jun 5: drink, power, delay

Jun 3: bond, catch, animal

May 2019

May 31: swing, change, self (theme: death)

May 29: jacket, bench, celebration (theme: death)

May 27: stem, anniversary, darling (theme: death)

May 24: lover, double, out

May 22: name, past, cash

May 20: domestic, tidy, trouble

May 17: deal, tick, feather

May 15: quest, hall, nest

May 13: act, freckle, swallow

May 10: slice, rage, rainbow

May 8: cut, sail, record

May 6: leave, quit, lay

May 3: rebel, force, space

May 1: jaw, leaf, sunshine

April 2019

Apr 29: tired, recover, restrain

Apr 26: positive, sense, show (theme: kindness)

Apr 24: pride, neck, help (theme: kindness)

Apr 22: praise, fate, roll (theme: kindness)

Apr 19: barrier, glimpse, reserve

Apr 17: room, security, elbow

Apr 15: drift, wonder, horizon

Apr 12: tense, gear, coffee

Apr 10: sheep, summer, difficult

Apr 8: partner, work, brink

Apr 5: sign, basket, water

Apr 3: rest, weak, movie

Apr 1: sort, kind, class

March 2019

Mar 29: ball, helpless, moment (theme: consent)

Mar 27: other, whimper, forest (theme: consent)

Mar 25: relax, twist, kill (theme: consent)

Mar 22: slippery, flash, dribble

Mar 20: scream, cell, infect

Mar 18: move, introduce, black

Mar 15: study, squash, try

Mar 13: bathtub, place, matter

Mar 11: candle, horror, faithful

Mar 8: driver, journal, bear

Mar 6: romantic, alive, first

Mar 4: stick, spin, frozen

Mar 1: share, truth, house

February 2019

Feb 27: break, down, pause

Feb 25: cart, reach, rib

Feb 22: wrist, slump, polish (theme: fire)

Feb 20: post, palm, clash (theme: fire)

Feb 18: safe, get, slap (theme: fire)

Feb 15: angst, roommate, slash

Feb 13: harm, feign, thigh

Feb 11: dirty, sword, heal

Feb 8: right, beam, feel

Feb 6: fog, gun, deserve

Feb 4: threaten, brave, swap

Feb 1: doubt, choose, gain

January 2019

Jan 30: cupboard, fall, slam

Jan 28: lead, silver, tap

Jan 25: minute, proposal, flush (theme: food)

Jan 23: confusion, plead, shout (theme: food)

Jan 21: save, green, panic (theme: food)

Jan 18: loose, shelter, trace

Jan 16: draw, pluck, red

Jan 14: bend, scratch, pure

Jan 11: claim, drag, disaster

Jan 9: edge, normal, shame

Jan 7: tempt, bloody, credit

Jan 4: coal, large, thin

Jan 2: voice, camera, pretty

December 2018

Dec 31: medium, comfortable, fantasy

Dec 28: hurl, weapon, pull (theme: winter)

Dec 26: dish, knock, back (theme: winter)

Dec 24: cup, deliver, hope (theme: winter)

Dec 21: ankle, leg, appear

Dec 19: needle, tree, topple

Dec 16: deck, grave, flow

Dec 14: choke, miserable, cafe

Dec 12: staff, follow, anxiety

Dec 10: dance, crime, firefighter

Dec 7: iron, shadow, urgency

Dec 5: golden, oak, stumble

Dec 3: earthquake, budge, root

November 2018

Nov 30: aware, satisfied, offend (theme: competence)

Nov 28: vampire, west, sausage (theme: competence)

Nov 26: loss, pillow, wrap (theme: competence)

Nov 23: wing, hand, definite

Nov 21: lazy, spread, wave

Nov 19: agree, snow, way

Nov 16: jam, suitcase, rough

Nov 14: gesture, tie, step

Nov 12: sharp, throat, bruise

Nov 9: cage, comfort, glare

Nov 7: stuff, hostile, fuss

Nov 5: soul, dressing, see

Nov 2: fang, species, bat

October 2018

Oct 31: carve, candy, cemetery

Oct 29: love, heart, husband

Oct 26: loud, guess, bread (theme: halloween)

Oct 24: standard, color, private (theme: halloween)

Oct 22: hero, say, freeze (theme: halloween)

Oct 19: nap, flower, swim

Oct 17: eye, moon, beat

Oct 15: trust, sweet, wake

Oct 12: map, ditch, thunder

Oct 10: due, fade, password

Oct 8: pole, jungle, warrant

Oct 5: knit, tender, kiss

Oct 3: print, anger, middle

Oct 1: snail, deer, dash

September 2018

Sep 28: snarl, fast, overwhelm (theme: choices)

Sep 26: term, crash, hurt (theme: choices)

Sep 24: owl, tell, bury (theme: choices)

Sep 21: bow, good, honest

Sep 19: tactic, revenge, witch

Sep 17: inappropriate, countryside, cattle

Sep 14: cotton, bee, hay

Sep 12: fur, arm, tape

Sep 10: Monday, murder, redo

Sep 07: mark, sniff, forget

Sep 05: mole, quiet, whisper

Sep 03: kit, free, prince

August 2018

Aug 31: sugar, alley, heat (theme: loyalty)

Aug 29: defend, wound, fit (theme: loyalty)

Aug 27: patient, crouch, dark (theme: loyalty)

Aug 24: clinic, guitar, pyramid

Aug 22: brag, handy, dinner

Aug 20: spite, spend, Sunday

Aug 17: proud, leader, retain

Aug 15: pack, polite, keep

Aug 13: door, well, strong

Aug 10: unicorn, belly, moment

Aug 8: guilt, mislead, horrible

Aug 6: halt, disaster, height

Aug 3: hook, credibility, pumpkin

Aug 1: bottle, massage, snuggle

July 2018

Jul 30: pain, cucumber, snatch

Jul 27: fox, river, bird (theme: pride)

Jul 25: method, fold, answer (theme: pride)

Jul 23: jewel, stroll, necklace (theme: pride)

Jul 20: waist, treat, admire

Jul 18: finger, glasses, apple

Jul 16: monster, take, date

Jul 13: lake, ground, walk

Jul 11: straight, letter, breakfast

Jul 9: snack, smile, marriage

Jul 6: discuss, wait, fade

Jul 4: admire, landscape, pleasant

Jul 2: ward, thank, log

June 2018

Jun 29: oppose, dragon, transition (theme: magic)

Jun 27: withdraw, touch, hover (theme: magic)

Jun 25: beard, linger, rain (theme: magic)

Jun 22: sunrise, convulsion, coma

Jun 20: clean, winter, bark

Jun 18: agony, harmful, presence

Jun 15: pressure, giant, depend

Jun 13: package, brand, hunter

Jun 11: bacon, breeze, salt

Jun 8: shake, new, tent

Jun 6: sip, fresh, eat

Jun 4: haircut, concentration, awful

Jun 1: rabbit, chase, yearn

May 2018

May 30: explain, trouble, dog

May 28: transparent, area, smell

May 25: rifle, punch, acid (theme: anger)

May 23: scrap, whole, hard (theme: anger)

May 21: perform, wing, arrow (theme: anger)

May 18: understand, neighbor, park

May 16: terrify, mistreat, lost

May 14: sun, writer, practical

May 11: approval, snuggle, continuous

May 9: emotion, roar, damage

May 7: hostage, killer, failure

May 4: stomach, frown, midnight

May 2: treaty, imagine, angel

April 2018

Apr 30: twitch, spill, chop

Apr 27: skate, greeting, voucher (theme: family)

Apr 25: reveal, replace, feeling (theme: family)

Apr 23: wolf, conversation, grateful (theme: family)

Apr 20: royalty, warm, voice

Apr 18: update, goat, office

Apr 16: fool, hilarious, master

Apr 13: snap, beach, waste

Apr 11: cry, overlook, care

Apr 9: cheap, block, allow

Apr 6: genuine, floor, grip

Apr 4: wrong, pleasure, dictionary

Apr 2: extreme, kitchen, night

March 2018

Mar 30: lazy, possible, pillow (theme: consent)

Mar 28: struggle, accompany, relieve (theme: consent)

Mar 26: body, pleasant, fun (theme: consent)

Mar 23: shy, tease, funny

Mar 21: head, fragrant, cabin

Mar 19: sale, gesture, tempt

Mar 16: evening, amuse, realize

Mar 14: soak, poor, ring

Mar 12: flood, defend, stunning

Mar 9: want, surgeon, sister

Mar 7: differ, deteriorate, duck

Mar 5: groan, weigh, cable

Mar 2: fine, aquarium, chin

February 2018

Feb 28: rear, dump, pleasant

Feb 26: die, adventure, scrape

Feb 23: collar, indication, acceptance

Feb 21: embrace, mouse, branch

Feb 19: fence, scramble, velvet

Feb 16: climb, praise, sigh

Feb 14: whisper, sap, heart

Feb 12: lick, visible, bleed

Feb 9: shoulder, hang, bake

Feb 7: brave, gift, friendly

Feb 5: birthday, cheese, bless

Feb 2: bitter, throw, literature

January 2018

Jan 31: galaxy, wolf, struggle

Jan 29: horse, frame, book

[tb2shopright]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: New with tags JADE & DEER LOAF Velvety Blue “ DREAM” Cosmetics BAG with zipper.

[limitlessspice]

The Best Ever Banana Bread Recipe

Make the finest banana bread recipe ever with those luscious bananas. It’s moist and tasty, and it’s simple to make in one bowl, no mixer required! Banana bread is a classic Southern recipe that is enjoyed by many. It is believed that the recipe for banana bread was created in the early 1800s in the Appalachian Mountains. The banana bread recipe was likely passed down from generation to generation and eventually made it to the Southern United States.

The Banana Bread recipe is usually straightforward that requires only a few ingredients.

1½ cup very ripe bananas 2 to 3 medium size

⅓ cup Melted butter

½ tbsp Baking soda

¾ cup Sugar

1 large egg beaten

1 tbsp Vanilla

1½ cup flour

Salt pinch

The beauty of this banana bread recipe is that no fancy mixer is required! All you need is a mixing bowl, a fork to whisk the eggs, and a strong spoon to stir the batter. The amount of sugar is adjustable. Although the original recipe called for a cup of white sugar, most people, like myself, prefer 3/4 cup, and many others prefer 1/2 cup.

If desired, stir in a cup of chopped nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips, or bake the dough in muffin pans for banana nut muffins. You can even bake chocolate banana bread if you want to go all out.

This Recipe’s Favorite Loaf Pan

This recipe calls for a tall loaf pan that measures 8 x 4 inches. The recipe can also be made in an 8 1/2 × 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, although the bread will be slightly shorter. The bake time is reduced because of the larger pan: 47 to 57 minutes. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes in a 9 x 5-inch pan for particularly short but still tasty bread.

How to make banana bread recipe Step By Step

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and butter an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan.

Add the crushed bananas to the mixing bowl and add the melted butter.

Add baking soda, salt, sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla to the mixing bowl and mix well.

Finally, mix the flour.

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan.

At 350°F (175°C), bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes in the pan. Cut and serve.

The Banana bread recipe is not only delicious, but it also has a number of health benefits. Here are some of the ways that banana bread can improve your health:

Banana bread is a good source of fiber.

Fiber is important for keeping the digestive system healthy. It can also help to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Banana bread is a good source of vitamins and minerals.

Bananas are a good source of vitamins B6 and C, as well as potassium and magnesium. These nutrients are important for maintaining good health.

Banana bread can help you lose weight.

The Banana bread recipe is a low-calorie food that can help you reach your weight loss goals. It is also high in fiber, which can help you feel full and satisfied after eating.

Banana bread can improve your mood.

Bananas contain tryptophan, which is a chemical that the body converts into serotonin.

[millenniumfae]

Video Game Cooking: Uncle Kiryu's Morning Glory Curry (Yakuza 3)

Curry (serves 2-3 people):

2 bone-in chicken thighs

1 large carrot

1 medium onion

1 large yellow potato

1/8 cup frozen peas

2 cubes S&B Golden Curry Roux (mild)

1-2 cups water

Pickled daikon (three servings):

3 tbsp white sugar

2 tbsp rice vinegar/Ume plum vinegar

1/4 cup mirin

Half cup matchstick-cut raw daikon

Picture this; you're ten years old, orphaned and struggling in the miasmic system that is the Japanese federal child services. Eventually, you find yourself re-homed in a newly established orphanage down south in Okinawa, called "Morning Glory Orphanage", and your new guardian is this ... six foot tall, 250-pound brickhouse of a man approaching his forties, whose appearance just screams "I am involved in organized crime."

But it's not long before you get to know Uncle Kiryu, who's kind, caring, protective, and supportive of all the children in his care. He may be stoic, quiet, slightly intimidating, and the permanent furrow in-between his eyebrows is deeper than the Mariana Trench, but he truly makes for a great guardian. Nothing makes him smile more readily than his kids.

Yakuza 3 introduces good ol' Kiryu Kazama some years after the previous two games, happily running an orphanage after cutting all ties with the Tojo clan. Of course, the series being what it is, it doesn't take long for Kiryu to be dragged right back into the drama that is the Japanese yakuza underworld.

But before that point, we see glimpses of how Kiryu takes care of his kids; he cooks meals, keeps an eye on their schoolwork, and gets heavily involved with whatever worries might plague a gradeschooler's mind - like being bullied, struggling with a crush, and also kid troubles that are sometimes swept under the carpet like racism and poverty.

Today, we're gonna be recreating one of the meals we see Kiryu preparing for the orphanage, while also getting deep into the minds of these gangsters through Yakuza's food symbolism.

----

Disclaimer; my Video Game Cooking series specializes in fantastical foods, like Fallout's Deathclaw Omelette and Dark Souls's Estus Flask. That's what makes recipe recreation fun, 'cause you have to rack your brain deciding how to translate fictional ingredients into something you can make at home.

Making video game foods that are, like ... just real-life foods are boring to me. What's the point of making a whole Lord Of The Rings-themed cookbook if all your recipes are just typical breads that are just given a fancy name like "Pippin's Rye Loaf"?

Making your recipe LOOK like it jumped straight out of Breath Of The Wild, that I do get, but actually making the food isn't especially fun 'cause you're just cooking up a cream stew. It's when you have to interpret what the heck 'razorgrain' is, or 'moon sugar', that's what lends you room for creativity.

For this particular recipe, we're not dealing with a fantasy setting, or a science-fiction universe. Yakuza takes place in the real world of Japan, during specific periods of time (December 1988, January 2018, etc), and it all runs solely on (pseudo) realism. Barring the occasional crazy side-story, of course.

This recipe is especially banal 'cause it's a curry dish. Modern Japanese home cooking has a special relationship with curry the same as Americans with mac and cheese. Much of the time, you're not making it entirely from scratch, you're buying jarred or boxed ingredients. It's a meal popular not just for its convenience, but also because it's well liked amongst kids.

(Yakuza 3 boasted tons of brand deals with real-life franchises (like every other Yakuza game), and in the Okinawa levels alone, you can count 13 separate brands like Quickly boba, Blue Seal ice cream, and Orion draft beer.)

Japanese curry is not Indian curry, or Thai curry, or Jamaican curry, and so on. Lots of countries have their own regional traditions when it comes to whatever they call curry. Japan's curry history traces to the Meiji era, AKA the Victorian period, when British forces brought lots of new foods to feudal Japan - famous Japanese yoshoku (western food) favorites such as breaded pork chops, potato croquettes, and omelette rice all sprung from this influence.

Curry, of course, came to Japan from the British, 'cause Britain gained a love for curry through colonizing India. So Japan's curry culture is built not off of Indian curry, but through British curry - which in turn is based off of Indian curry. You get it? It's kinda roundabout, I know.

As far as Japanese curry cuisine goes, it definitely makes for the perfect family meal. You can make a big pot of it, using convenient ingredients, and the taste appeals to many. Japanese curry tends to run the mild, less spiced-up route, thickened with flour and fats, and stewed with water. With one single block of S&B-brand instant curry roux, you can make an entree for four, leaving the curry to casually stew while you start up the rice cooker.

Our goal today is to guess what kind of curry Kiryu would make. Technically, you can throw anything into a Japanese curry base, but there are some typical, preferred ingredients; onions, carrots, potatoes, sometimes peas, and cubes of meat. The only ingredient we see Kiryu preparing is white onions - he cuts them like he's defusing a bomb, and when one of the kids runs into the kitchen asking when dinner is, he tells him to leave. Nothing says 'I'm a home cook' like 'get the fuck out of my kitchen when I'm cooking'.

Yeah, the ingredients in this recipe all kinda falls down to how good a cook Kiryu is. Let's think about this - he grew up in an orphanage back in the 70's and 80's, and probably relied on convenience stores and restaurants from then onwards (in Yakuza 0 you can see 20-year-old Kiryu's shitty apartment littered with instant ramen tubs). There wasn't really a point in his life prior to Morning Glory Orphanage that would prompt him to refine his home cooking skills. Plus, something about his 'seinen protagonist attitude' makes me think he's the type of manly man dude guy who'd eat anything. So we might be dealing with uncle Kiyru making mediocre dad meals.

On the flip side, Kiryu is a very dedicated man. When given just a slight push, he's willing to learn new things that are completely unfamiliar to him, such as how to use modern laptops and internet, or be a shirtless model for performance photography. It's not hard to see Kiryu reading up on cooking magazines in preparation for being a good uncle to his kids. Maybe in the beginning, one or two meals of his bland cooking spurred him to give the children better food, and a popup appeared on screen called "Substory 05: Learn To Cook".

The very first meal we see him make in-game is what looks like steamed fish. It's probably a bluefin tuna, which are plentiful around Okinawa (and he apparently caught it himself using a goddamn trident?? With no scuba gear or anything). When he serves it to the kids, it's whole on the plate with some juices underneath, and garnished with green onions and cilantro, possibly cooked onion slices. Steaming an entire fish is typical in Asian cooking, you put the entire thing into a bamboo steamer atop boiling water in what's likely to be a wok, especially if its a bigger fish. Easy to cook, and easy to spice and sauce.

It looks good. Not only are there multiple garnishes, but it's plated with two extra leaves on the side to make it especially pretty. This was prepared not just with efficiency, but also with an eye for beauty and delicious cuisine. If Kiryu did indeed catch it right out of the ocean, he'd also have to dress the fish by descaling, gutting, and cleaning it, which is harder than it sounds. If we're looking at a properly-prepared 2-foot bluefin tuna, steamed and seasoned, then we can conclude that Kiryu is at least capable of Cooking with a capital C.

(in every cooking scene, Kiryu is always accompanied by Haruka. She's either helping set the table, or gathering the rest of the kids. It's possible that she's having a hand in the actual cooking, too. In the beginning of Yakuza 2, Haruka outright states that she's been cooking for the both of them, and that her cooking has gotten better. Haruka's 12 in Yakuza 3, and raise your hand if you were cooking for your family at that age, 'cause I certainly wasn't. She's taken up a 'big sister' role in the orphanage, being the eldest kid there, and shoulders a lot of responsibility for the other kids without prompting.)

On the flip side, what little we see in the actual curry cooking scene doesn't quite scream 'skilled cook' to me. He's cutting the white onions correctly; using the 'kitten paw' technique to slice the blades lengthwise along the ridges. But then he throws them raw into the stockpot without sweating or caramelizing them. It's possible that he's using the same pot to cook everything in succession, AKA browning the onions first and then later throwing in ingredients that take less time to cook, that's definitely something a lot of home cooks do to minimize dishwashing. But if he's not, then he's just tossing raw onions into a stewing curry and calling it a day.

The actual in-game model of the finished curry is kinda nondescript, no thanks to Yakuza 3's outdated engine. But we can make out red bits, brown lumps, and small green dots. It's also plated with a serving of bright red sticks on the side. To me, it's clearly meant to represent peas, meat, and what's possibly tomatoes or yams. The red garnish I'm not sure, it could be a traditional Japanese side dish like burdock, daikon, or ginger that's been dyed red using umezu vinegar - the leftover brine from making umeboshi.

The actual curry meal we're recreating is from a particularly heartwarming scene. Haruka helps plate the dinner table with a generous serving of curry for everyone. But one child is missing, so Kiryu hunts down a depressed Izumi with comforting words about her parentless status. They walk back hand-in-hand, and find that none of the kids have started eating yet. They were patiently waiting for the both of them all this time, despite their hungry bellies.

English-speaking audiences might not be familiar with Japan's unique stigma surrounding orphans. In Japanese culture, adopted people (kids in particular) struggle with the idea of being 'not actually part of the family'. Even on a government level, orphans are given less options when it comes to lineage, which affects their ownage rights. The stigma is so tied with the system, no matter how supportive the public might be of orphans, their lives are oppressed nonetheless.

So there's a reason why Yakuza 3 is so themed around orphans. Kiryu himself is an orphan. The main villain is also an orphan. A huge chunk of the game surrounds Morning Glory orphanage. Most of the plot gravitates around money that orphan Yoshitaka Mine can afford, but the young Morning Glory orphans can't. The only other Yakuza game with such a prominent theme would probably be Yakuza 6, which is blatantly about parents and their kids - adopted or otherwise.

(Kiryu is 38-40 years old in Yakuza 3, 44 in Yakuza 5, and 50 in Like A Dragon. If you want a quick laugh, take a look at his face at his oldest, and compare it to his 20-year-old self of Yakuza 0. How many of you looked like a middle-aged man when you were 20?)

And the whole orphan theme stretches across the entire franchise, for reasons everyone, not just the Japanese audience, can understand. Who's more likely to get sucked into a crime culture with a heavy emphasis on found family? What's a charity cause a moral yakuza boss might be interested in, and what's a completely unprofitable venture a business-minded yakuza would discredit? Who gets left behind when crime ends up killing? How many of the major characters are orphans, and how many of the villains have blood families that they don't appreciate?

Yoshitaka Mine, the main villain of Yakuza 3, is a fitting endboss for such an orphan-heavy game. He was a poor orphan child the same as Kiryu and the Morning Glory kids. He rose to the top of the corporate chain even before getting involved with the Tojo Clan. It's a very similar story that all orphan yakuza share, whether their rise to success is through crime, or business, or both.

Throughout the game, the player is led to believe that Mine wants to off Daigo to take his place as chairman, but when Kiryu faces him, Mine drops the bomb that he, in fact, is completely infatuated by Daigo because he treated him like an equal. Something Mine, the orphan, is completely starved of. Why does he want to kill a comatose Daigo? 'Cause he can't bear to see his love so weak and on the brink of death. That's not his Daigo.

There's even that mid-game scene where Mine goes to bulldoze Morning Glory Orphanage for (insert plot reason here), but it's obvious that Mine's also doing it  because he resents these kids for having something he didn't. Kiryu takes good care of his children, whereas Mine suffered through a childhood that hardened him.

So when we see Kiryu cook for his kids, we're also seeing a life that would have saved the villain, we're seeing the victims of a country's government, we're seeing mirrors of previous beloved characters like Nishikiyama and Yumi, as well as current protagonists like Kiryu and even Ichiban. That curry scene of a huge dinner table with all those kids, they not only break bread as a family, but they also make it a point to wait until everyone's here before eating.

Think about curry - like soups, it's cooked in a big pot before being served in individual servings. It's a communal food. And in Japan, it's something of a 'peasant dish' because you're using cheap ingredients, stretching out the meat using flour and water. There's a lot behind the food of Yakuza 3 beyond 'hehe Kiryu cook curry'.

First up, let's nail down the exact ingredients Kiyru would have used, down to the brand. So head to the supermarket to pick up a box of S&B Golden Curry sauce mix. There's powder forms and mix-in block forms, and either will do. They come in three levels of spiciness - mild, medium, and hot - and since Kiryu's making it for children he'd likely choose the mild version just to be safe - they do all have glasses of water, but that's a very common given whenever you're served Japanese curry and it's more likely that kids are given mild curries. We're using this brand in particular because they're by and large the top distributor of cheap curry roux in Japan. When Kiryu goes grocery shopping in downtown Ryukyu, which is a small town, that is most definitely what he'd find stocked.

Now onto the other ingredients - let's aim for a very typical Japanese home curry dish, and we're gonna buy bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, yellow potatoes, orange carrots, white onions, and frozen peas. You can vaguely make out some beige/light brown lumps in the cutscene, which to me looks very much like curry-fied diced chicken, and not the dark brown of beef. Pork is another option, but it's a much less commonly used ingredient in Japanese curry.

(Some balk at the inclusions of LGBT content spread amongst the Yakuza series, but the majority of the gay/queer/trans characters prompt the overarching moral of 'be true to yourself, don't judge based off of appearances.' Kiryu - and his orphans - struggle with fitting into larger society, and they in turn relate to fellow marginalized people.) 

And it might have been a vegetarian curry, but it'd beg to ask what those beige lumps were, then, if not meat. And Kiryu seems like the type of orphanage handler to insist on kids eating meat rather than going without. Morning Glory would have received a regular government pension that'd be their sole income, and it's true that 2008 Ryukyu would certainly up the market price of meat by virtue of it being located on a Japanese island, but chicken (and other bird meats you can find in Asia's traditional markets like duck, turkey, pigeon sometimes) wouldn't be as pricey as beef and pork, which are livestock animals that require a lot of land - something Japan lacks.

If Kiryu's orphanage funds were really low, he'd stick to the local seafood to feed the kids. And not shrimp or albacore, but cheap meats like loaches, small crabs, sardines, and saury. He'd go late in the day when the fishmongers are wanting to get rid of the day's catch, and maybe even dig in the 'free' buckets for barnacle fish and random tiny squids. None of those are typical Japanese curry ingredients, and I very much doubt the in-game curry scene features any of them.

Feeding 9 kids (plus yourself and a dog) is expensive. That's not even getting into their clothes, medical needs, school supplies, toys, tickets to the movies, and the utility bills. But they never seem to want for anything, which tells me that either Kiryu/Haruko is a beast at budgeting, and/or the Japanese government isn't stingy when it comes to monetary aid. You can think of it as a parallel to main villain Mine's super affluent but sad life as someone unloved, but not wanting for money - and by extent, food.

So without further ado, let's make Uncle Kiyru's Morning Glory Curry!

We're following (what little we can see of) Kiryu's cooking expertise, and making a batch that'd serve two-three people - not 10, I doubt any of you are cooking for that many and we don't want to waste food. But before the curry, we need to figure out the red garnish on the side. You're either buying a pickled red side dish from a Japanese ethnic store, or you're making some yourself using ume plum vinegar.

The in-game model features them as thick, almost cube-like slices, which to me rules them out as ginger, which is almost always served as thin peels. And if they're pickled, then they're most likely daikon, which is a very popular Japanese side dish that's often made at home, but also commonly bought jarred. Maybe you can find some store-bought daikon that's been pickled with specifically ume plum vinegar, but if you can't, then you can make some ahead of time.

Find ume plum vinegar in ethnic grocery stores - if you can't, then you can fake it for the purposes of this recipe with some extra ingredients - and slice up peeled, raw daikon into sticks that are 2-inches long, and around the width of a pencil, totalling perhaps half a cup of radish.

Into a medium, sealable container, toss in the vinegar, kosher salt, sugar, and mirin/cooking sake to make into a liquid mixture. Put the sliced daikon in, cover, and refrigerate for at least half a day. If you couldn't find ume plum vinegar, use rice vinegar and toss in deep red fruits like cherries, raspberries, or maybe even just red food coloring if you're really lacking in options. After half a day, the daikon should be crisp, and ruby-red all the way through.

Now for the curry! Get out a big ol' stockpot, the typical 'anime curry cooking scene' sort of pot, and coat it with vegetable oil on low-medium heat. We're using this pot to cook everything sequentially, starting with what takes the longest to cook and ending with the shortest.

White onions are first. Slice them the way Kiryu does; peel the skin off of one entire onion, then you're slicing it in half parallel to the natural ridges. Continue to slice along those ridges to make 'U'-shaped pieces, and then you're throwing it all into the hot oil to sizzle.

Next is carrot. Find a large one, peel off the thick outer skin, then chop it diagonally into half-an-inch-thick slices. It gets tossed into the pot right after the onions.

Stir, saute, and then cover the pot so the two ingredients can cook and soften for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, you can peel and dice two large yellow potatoes into hefty cubes, and de-bone/de-skin a chicken thigh.

At the 10 minute mark, the onions should be pretty translucent (but not totally), and the carrots should be much softer (but not all the way through). Throw in the meat, and you're browning the chicken on all sides for a couple minutes. The aim isn't to cook them all the way through.

Now comes the actual curry roux! Raise the heat to medium-high, then follow the instructions on the box - power packets and curry blocks require different amounts of water. Either way, you add the required water first, wait until it boils, and then stir in the roux. For two-three people, add at least two cubes and start with 1.5 cups of water first.

After you add the roux, throw in the peeled and diced potatoes. Cover, lower the heat once more to low-medium, then you're allowing the entire thing to simmer for 10 minutes.

Finally, throw in 1/8 cup of frozen peas, and then allow it to further simmer for 5 more minutes.

And in-between cooking the curry, you can make the rice. They're almost certainly eating typical Japanese white rice - short-grain, on the moist side. If you're not sure what to buy, go to an Asian ethnic grocery and look for Nishiki or Kohuko short-grain brands. Measure out two cups, rinse thoroughly with water to wash off the cloudy starch, drain, and put it into your rice cooker/saucepan with a bit more water than other rice varieties might require. Essentially, a 1:1.25 ratio of rice to water, so in this case you're adding 2.5 cups of water.

If you're making rice on the stovetop, put the raw rice and water into the pot and cover. Bring it to a boil on medium heat, and turn it to low when it does. Let it continue to cook, covered, for 10-12 minutes. After that, remove from heat entirely and let it stand, covered, for 10 minutes more, to steam itself. When it's done, there should be no water left, and all the rice should be completely soft and sticking together in globs.

Now we can plate our curry - one half will be the rice, the other a hefty serving of curry. Don't skimp, cover the entire plate sans rim with food. On the side, pick out some of the pickled daikon and place it next to the rice. Not too much, perhaps a tablespoon's worth. Serve with a glass of water and a spoon - both items rarely used by the Japanese unless it's curry time.

Enjoy! To me, it tastes exactly just like the S&B-brand curry I ate once or twice as a child, mellow and sweet. To people not used to Japanese curry, it's probably gonna taste pretty different from other varieties you've had. You might find it delicious, or weird, or bland. To my mom, who grew up on this stuff, she loved it and considered it a big throwback to the comfort meals of her day, which was a ringing endorsement on the authenticity of this recipe. Mmm, 2008 Japan!