#Cheese's plague adventures

[gottagobuycheese]

why.

[antisocial-transfag]

I have the weirdest stress dreams

[starberrrry]

Probably finalized designs for my Chaos Quest au! I love how these look! I'm going to talk about it now because it plagues my mind every second. So if you want more info read below! vvv

--

Chaos Quest is my au of Sonic which is basically set in a fantasy rpg! These five are the main "heroes" of the story with other side stories that tie into the overall story. The gist is the Master Crystal has been shattered and a prophesied hero must gather them along with the 7 Chaos Crystals to unite the 7 kingdoms and defeat an evil darkness plaguing the land. Very tropey but I love rpg tropes. :)

Below is some basic info about each character. vvv

there are probably typos and weird wording because my proofreader isn't with me atm so bear with me

--

~Sonic~

Class: fighter

Weapon: Ringblade - Multi-blade (can be a single blade, propeller sword, or dual sword)

Icon element: wind

Backstory: found alone and unconscious on the beach of South Island, Sonic was adopted into the Prower family with Tails becoming his little brother. He remembers little, but doesn’t let that bother him much. Sonic and Tails enjoy helping other islanders with menial tasks and taking care of occasional monster appearances. One day a storm wreaks havoc on South Island and Sonic hears a mysterious voice.

~Tails~

Class: artificer

Weapon: Cyclone Cannon (powered by chaos drives)

Icon element: lightning

Backstory: Tails was bullied for his abnormality of two tails but his new brother put an end to that quickly. He and Sonic quickly bonded after Sonic was adopted into their family. Despite being a little bit anti-social, he loves helping his neighbors with inventions and testing them out by fighting monsters. He usually follows along with Sonic’s adventures, but some seem crazier than others.

He can be timid and anti-social but he is ready to help where he can. Despite his gentle heart he had a habit of giving sarcastic remarks. He is very intelligent, but lacks street smarts and is very naive about the world.

~Knuckles~

Class: Brawler

Weapon: Iron Arms 

Icon element: earth

Backstory: After his parents died, Knuckles was left alone on the floating Angel Island. He takes care of the creatures and old ruins of his ancestors. His sole duty is to keep guard of the Master Crystal. He often prays and calls out to the spirits of the island but no one answers back. One day strange shadowy monsters attack the island and shatter the Master Crystal, causing the shards to scatter into the world. Without the Master Crystal, the island falls and Knuckles is left calling to his ancestors to find out what to do.

~Amy~

Class: Paladin

Weapon: Heart Smasher

Icon element: fire

Backstory: Amy grew up with a great sense of care for others, that’s why she joined the Heroes Guild. Despite her drive to help others, she is often underestimated and taken advantage of, which is why she hasn’t advanced in the ranks. She often takes circumstances at face value and sometimes it can get her in trouble. She still takes every small task she can if she believes it will make a difference. When Sonic and his party arrive in Stella City, Amy convinces them to join her so she can ascend the ranks help them with their quest.

~Cream~

Class: healer

Weapon: Angel Staff, Cheese the Chao

Icon Element: water

Backstory: Cream and her mother Vanilla manage a chao dragon reserve outside of Stella City. Her soft and kind heart for everyone pushed her to join the Heroes Guild with her best friend Amy. She’s usually the voice of reason for Amy when her ambitions outgrow her capabilities. 

--

Thank you for reading!

[lenkusov]

non-tragic (just somewhat inconvenient) DnD character backstories

DnD character idea: Someone who's literally just a regular guy who got bored of the daily grind at like, age 35 or something, and decides to go adventuring

Artificer who gets tired of building houses that she'll never afford to live in and drives a 1475 Chevy Conestoga. Starts doing quests because her work wagon got broke into while she walked to the corner store on smoke break and some thief took her M18 Cordless Brace-and-Bit, so she's gotta go to every seedy vendor in town tryna get it back cause the guards are too busy eating donuts and beating up orcs for being green.

Decides to spend her rent money on a hand crossbow instead cause she got mugged while walking to the 3rd pawn shop she tried, and sells all but the basics of her tools to convert her shitbox wagon into a camper to go traveling so she won't have to worry about rent for a while.

Adventuring campaign starts when she pulls into a country hay station a week later and decides to pick up a couple hitchhiking adventurers she finds standing around the bulletin board and eating their bologna and cheese biscuits, says "fuck it" and decides to go bandit killing cause her cash is running out and the wheel bearings in her wagon are almost worn out.

Other adventurers include a Fighter who just did a stint in the infantry to pay for his Mage's College tuition (but flunked out the first semester), a Bard who works the grill at a tavern cause he still can't find a drummer for his cover band, a Cleric who got tired of being stuck in an understaffed temple ER dealing with plague-ridden idiots and drunk frequent-flyers, Druid who lives in an apartment downtown to get away from his Crunchy Mom and only learned elemental magic cause she made him, Monk who teaches karate classes out of his second-floor apartment above an Elven restaurant and moonlights as a janitor cause he's great with a mop

Barbarian who's just a middle-aged dad with anger management issues, who just wants to have a cold beer and watch the NASChar chariot races but Karen cheated with the mailman and took the fucking kids in the divorce, so he buys a Mustang (horse) and hits the open road for a midlife-crisis adventure

[the23rdnerd]

Oh hi @kitaurita, thanks for the tag! I don’t normally respond to these since i'm a private person but I can't resist this prompt, so:

Last song I listened to: Borderline by Tame Impala. Before that, Plague by Crystal Castles.

Currently watching: A whole mess of things, since I don't have a streaming subscription and tend to just watch clips and read plots off wikis. Right now mainly Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.

Currently reading: Just finished Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger, really good book. Going to read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy someday.

Current obsession: Elden Ring. I've just gotten to Noxtella and was killed immediately.

Sweet/salty/savoury: Savoury, but also sweet.

Relationship status: Single

Favourite colour: Dark Blue. Have you ever stayed up all night and seen the sky turn dark blue during sunrise? That.

Last thing I googled: How to cheese past a Godskin Noble in Elden Ring. I just ran past him.

okay, let's see...

@lostdruidrose @transhuman-priestess @strawbebbynya @cannibalisticdespair @oliolioxenfreewrites @catamaurrr-star

[bakersstreetirregulars]

The Lost Golden City: Part 1 - Patch Notes

Text is copy/pasted from the posts in the official CRK Discord Server’s patch notes channel. Pictures posted here are from that same channel and server. GIFs are replaced with still screenshots. My personal annotations will use Tumblr’s indented format.

-

September 26 Update Notice

-

Greetings from the Kingdom team!

-

Let’s take a look at the list of new features that have arrived with the September 26 update.

​Some portions of this update’s content may change before its release. The finalized changes will be available in the patch notes once the update is complete.

The update schedule may change depending on various factors. We’ll let you know the exact schedule in a separate notice.

-

WHAT’S NEW

■ NEW EPISODE: EP. 17 THE LOST GOLDEN CITY

- Amidst the dunes of the Parmesan Desert, where golden cheese flows freely! The ever-gleaming “Golden Cheese Kingdom” is finally here!

- Embark on a new adventure to the final Ancient Kingdom in CookieRun: Kingdom! Play Ep. 17 “The Lost Golden City,” and clear both Story/Dark Mode stages.

- Explore the new episode on the Bear Jelly Balloon after you clear all its Story Mode stages.

- Certain stages in Ep. 17 include exciting new features like puzzles and mini-games.

The phrase “Final Ancient Kingdom” after only 4 Ancient Cookies were released/announced essentially hard-confirms that White Lily Cookie didn’t have her own Kingdom at any point during her story.

-

■ GOLDEN CHEESE KINGDOM’S ERROR BUSTERS

- Everyday, Cheesebirds gather at the heart of the Golden Cheese Mines to remove unidentified errors.

- Deal damage to monsters during battle and gain points in the Golden Cheese Kingdom’s Error Busters! Defeat monsters and fix bugs plaguing the mines!

- Golden Cheese Kingdom’s Error Busters are split into two Seasons, and each Season offers different Season Cookies and Bug Fix Effects.

While this is a temporary 2-part event, it gives us insight on the kinds of desired perfections and futuristic designs of the Golden Cheese Kingdom. This speculation is for lore purposes mainly, but one should wonder how a mainly ancient Egyptian-themed kingdom would be if it had modern/futuristic technologies.

1) SELECTING AND SWAPPING COOKIES IN ERROR BUSTERS

- Five Cookies are chosen randomly when entering battle in Error Busters.

- Reach the Cookie swapping point to swap one of the remaining Cookies. Here, you can choose to swap a Cookie or keep your current selection within the time limit. Fight monsters and select the Cookies you want in your team to bust those errors!

-

2) BUG FIX EFFECTS

- You receive Bug Fix Points when you defeat monsters in Error Busters.

- Your Bug Fix Points are displayed on a gauge at the upper left part of the screen. Once the gauge fills up, you can select one out of three Bug Fix Effects that will help you in battle.

- Bug Fix Points are applied only for the duration of a single round. Choose wisely and select Effects that will make your team stronger!

3) ERROR BUSTERS SEASONAL COOKIES

- In Error Busters, you will be provided with special Seasonal Cookies only available for use in Error Busters. Every player will have the same stats, as Season Cookies have fixed levels and promotions ranks.

- This game mode is not affected by external buffs and stats provided by your Guild, Sugar Gnome Laboratory, Bonds, Landmarks, etc.

The Cookies shown below are not consistent of the entire list, as we see Herb Cookie, Angel Cookie, Gumball Cookie, Milk Cookie, and Tea Knight Cookie in the above picture, but select high-rarity Cookies such as Oyster Cookie and Hollyberry Cookie (both absent from their respective rarities in the below image) may not be on the list for one or both of the event’s seasons.

My assumptions regarding levels are that all Cookies will be defaulted to level 75 with a level 75 skill. Epic+ Cookies will have a 5 star rank, while Common and Rare Cookies will have a 5A rank to put them on point with- if not stronger than- the higher-rarity Cookies. Magic Candies and Crystal Jams will probably not exist here.

■ [ANCIENT] GOLDEN CHEESE COOKIE

Worship the Ever-Radiant Sovereign of the Golden City!

- The one who dwells in a gilded palace amidst the dunes of the Parmesan Desert, the one who rules the eternal city of gold: the long-awaited Golden Cheese Cookie is here!

- Golden Cheese Cookie is a Ranged Cookie who uses the skill, “Brilliance of the Absolute.”

- Skill description: Heed the Sun Deity’s call! Upon using her skill, Golden Cheese Cookie throws her Spears of Radiance, dealing damage up to 8 times when there are five or more enemies. For each enemy defeated, she gains an extra Spear of Radiance. The number of Spears of Radiance can increase to up to 12 in total. When hit by Golden Cheese Cookie’s spear, enemies receive a debuff amplifying the Earth-type damage received. While Golden Cheese Cookie is using her skill, she harnesses her Light of Abundance and hurls the Spear of the Absolute to the enemy Cookie with the highest ATK. The Spear of Absolute removes the target’s buffs, deals DMG that partially ignores the target’s DMG Resist, and Explosion DMG based on the current number of Spears of Radiance to all enemies in range. Once per battle, if Golden Cheese Cookie is about to be defeated, she encloses herself in a Sarcophagus for a certain period of time. While enclosed in her Sarcophagus, she casts a Shield around herself. This Shield takes the DMG dealt to nearby allies covered by it and provides Knockback Immunity. When using her skill, Golden Cheese Cookie is not affected by ATK Speed changes and is protected from the Glitch: Data Corruption effect by her Light of Abundance.

Earth is most likely going to be a new element/damage type. As for the skill’s description… this is a mouthful and a half to try to analyze until we have definite video footage to examine. So she throws spears doing damage 8 times with 5+ enemies? What if there’s 4 or less? Does she just throw another spear and repeat the process if she defeats something? Here’s the perceived attack order and other things I’m getting. This may be completely wrong though, since these are my assumptions.

Attacks Everyone: Spear of Radiance damage with up to 8 ticks with 5+ enemies in play (unknown to me how many spears she throws in her first attack), Earth damage weakness, attacks again with another Spear of Radiance for each enemy destroyed up to a max of 12

Attacks the Strongest Cookie: Takes effect after Spears of Radiance are resolved, Spear of the Absolute damage to Cookie with highest ATK with partial DMG Resistance bypass, remove buffs -> explodes for extra Explosion Damage to cause wide splash damage, increases with the number of Spears of Radiance thrown earlier in the attack

Self-Buffs: Immune to attack speed-changing effects during skill use, unknown if immune to interrupts/stuns. Passive immunity to “Glitch: Data Corruption” which is probably a gimmick for Episode 17.

Last Stand Effect: Hides in a Sarcophagus when she’s about to get KO’d, creating a Shield that protects nearby teammates and grants Knockback Immunity. Takes effect on her first would-be KO, has priority over revive effects, unknown if she heals/revives afterwards or can be healed while in her sarcophagus, also unknown what happens if her shield is destroyed.

- You can now pull Golden Cheese Cookie and her Soulstones in the Nether-Gacha.

· Collect or purchase Light of Abundance and use it in the Nether-Gacha.

· Golden Cheese Cookie and her Soulstones will be available in the Nether-Gacha with an increased probability.

· Once you have performed 250 Nether-Gacha pulls, you will be able to meet a guaranteed Golden Cheese Cookie.

· Any Light of Abundance remaining after the Nether-Gacha ends will be converted into Coins.

■ [EPIC] BURNT CHEESE COOKIE

- The Gatekeeper who guards the gates of the eternal Golden Paradise, Burnt Cheese Cookie is here!

- Burnt Cheese Cookie is a Charge Cookie who uses the skill “Keeper of the Gates.”

- Skill description: Summons giant boulders from beneath the earth, dealing DMG to nearby enemies and granting Earth-type CRIT buff for all allies. Afterwards, the boulders explode, dealing DMG and Stunning enemies. Burnt Cheese Cookie grants the Keeper of the Gates and the Curse Protection buffs to himself and the ally Cookie with the highest ATK. The Cookie with the Keeper of the Gates buff receives DMG Focus and becomes Immune to Debuffs. Burnt Cheese Cookie and Golden Cheese Cookie's DMG Resist increases when entering a battle together. If Golden Cheese Cookie becomes enclosed in her Sarcophagus during battle, Burnt Cheese Cookie's ATK and ATK SPD will temporarily increase, and his Cooldown will reset. The Keeper of the Gates and Curse Protection buffs will be applied to Golden Cheese Cookie enclosed in her Sarcophagus first. While using his skill, Burnt Cheese Cookie will briefly become resistant to interrupting effects.

After a quick search, Burnt Cheese Cookie appears to be based on the Egyptian god Anubis, jackal-headed god of the afterlife and funeral rites and the one who would guide souls to the underworld to be judged. Anyone deemed worthy who had not sinned greatly during their life would then be taken to Osiris to enter the afterlife. Would the Golden Cheese Kingdom be the equivalent of an afterlife or some sort of aforementioned paradise? Who knows?

Unrelated, but Fun Fact: Anubis shares a similar role to the Greek god Hermes, who also led souls to the underworld. [sourced YouTube video for this statement and the one listed above]

In relation to the above statement, Sherbet Cookie’s Legendary Costume essentially makes him look like Hermes, and even has a story bit where he visited Black Pearl Cookie deep in the abyss. Think about it. Even if he and Burnt Cheese Cookie have no associations lore-wise, it would make for an interesting AU. Anyways, back to business. Shortened skill analysis.

Summon Boulders: Damage nearby enemies, gives earth-type CRIT buff to all teammates, gives Curse Protection and Keeper of the Gates buff to himself and the ally with the highest ATK UNLESS Golden Cheese Cookie as an ally is in her Sarcophagus (see above for how she gets into this state), where she takes priority in this state.

Boulders Explode: Additional damage, inflicts stun.

Keeper of the Gates Buff: Grants DMG Focus and Debuff Immunity

When Paired with Golden Cheese Cookie: Both Cookies’ DMG Resist increases, gains temporary ATK Up and ATK SPD Up buffs and resets own skill cooldown if Golden Cheese Cookie enters her Sarcophagus. Golden Cheese Cookie’s Sarcophagus takes priority for his skill’s Curse Protection and Keeper of the Gates buffs over highest-ATK Cookie.

Resistant to interruptions (same as everyone else with this perk)

-

■ NEW TREASURES

- [EPIC] VIAL OF RAGING DUNES

· Description: At the beginning of battle, ally Cookies receive the Vial of Raging Dunes buff, increasing their ATK and CRIT Resist. When an ally Cookie is revived, the buff is stacked once more and can be stacked up to a certain amount of times. Additionally, whenever an ally Cookie is revived, a fierce sandstorm will deal DMG to enemies based on the total ATK of allies and reduce enemies’ ATK.

This MIGHT replace the Scroll if the ATK buff is better or if CRITs are prevalent, especially in Arena. Or maybe since this isn’t a Scroll variant, you could use both…! The stacking/sandstorm effect requires additional revival factors like Sugar Swan’s Shining Feather or Vampire Cookie’s Magic Candy’s revive effect to actually work though, which may cause more problems than it’s actually worth. Unknown how many times this buff can stack.

- [EPIC] EXPLORER’S MONOCLE

· Description: Overcomes crises with the Explorer’s Monocle by purifying and healing Max HP of allies, while increasing DEF and weakening debuff effects for a certain period of time.

This is essentially a non-Guild version of the Bookseller’s Monocle, which heals and purifies debuffs. This one adds extra DEF and reduces the effect of further debuffs, which puts into question the healing difference between both Monocles and what you consider a survival priority: a big heal with debuff removal, or a potentially smaller heal with debuff removal/resistance and extra Defense?

■ NEW BACKGROUND & DECORS

- New Kingdom Decor and Castle Designs are here with the Golden Cheese Kingdom update!

· New Background “Eternal Golden City.”

· New Castle Design “Dazzling Golden Cheese Castle.”

· New Fountain Design “Fountain of Paradise.”

Possibly accessible for completing Episode 17, but also just as likely to only appear in packages or events. Any of these three situations can happen.

- Check out the new luxurious golden decor theme, “Land of Gold & Abundance.”

■ SPECIAL TOPPINGS

- The new Resonant Radiant Cheese Toppings that can only be equipped by specific Cookies have been added.

· Radiant Cheese Raspberry

· Radiant Cheese Chocolate Chip

· Radiant Cheese Almond

· Radiant Cheese Caramel

· Radiant Cheese Apple Jelly

- Find more information on which Cookies that can equip the Toppings in Topping Details.

We don’t know who can equip these Toppings yet, but my guess is that at the very least, Golden Cheese Cookie and Burnt Cheese Cookie can equip them. Maybe Black Raisin Cookie too since she’s the only known returning Epic Cookie that appears in the preview.

- The set effect of Toppings will activate regardless of whether they’re regular or Resonant Toppings, as long as all of the Toppings equipped are of the same set.

- When the Bonus effect of Resonant Toppings is enhanced, Resonant Toppings have a higher minimum Bonus Stat value than regular Toppings.

- Additional bonus effects of Resonant Toppings may differ from that of regular Toppings.

■ HALL OF ENCOUNTER: GRAND CHARCUTERIE BOARD OF RELAXATION

- The Hall of Encounter has been updated.

- Obtain Monument Fragments, Unity Essence, Legendary Soul Essence, Radiant Cheese Toppings and more in the Hall of Encounter Random Reward Chests.

Black Raisin Cookie appears here and in the preview. I doubt it’s filler, especially with Chili Pepper Cookie out of the picture since Episode 15/16. Why else would they put her here? She’s bound to get a buff by Part 2. I can sense it a mile away, but don’t call me a psychic just yet. It’s all speculation… for now.

ADDITIONS, CHANGES & IMPROVEMENTS

■ NEW SHOP LAYOUT

- Made improvements to the Shop layout for your convenience.

- Packages are listed and categorized according to the new Shop layout.

■ STORAGE IMPROVEMENTS

- Star Jellies will now stack up to x99,999 instead of x9,999 in the Storage.

■ CHOICE CHEST IMPROVEMENTS

- You can now use the “Claim Rewards 5 times” feature and select rewards you want and receive it in one-go for multiple Skill Powders, Toppings, Sugar Crystals of Choice Chests.

[baphomet-media]

A mysterious disease is sweeping across the continent, perpetrated by the nefarious Church of Azagog, nihilistic cultists of the selfsame eldritch deity of death. Who can stand in their way?

Five unlikely heroes form a ragtag band to put a stop to the dark church and their doomsday plot!

From right to left, we have:

Moriyama Megumi, the half-kitsune witch. Known as the Storm Witch, her lightning bolts electrocute her enemies.

Mao Mei, the panda beastkin cleric. A righteous priestess of Sessana, the goddess of life, she uses her divine power to invigorate her allies and her womanly charm to tease Megumi.

Andrinor Toloni, the human celestial bloodline bloodrager. Known as the Golden Reaper, his holy scythe cuts down evildoers and those who would hurt the ones he loves in a righteous fury.

Muta, the ratfolk alchemist. Known as the Plague of Knives, her nimble swordplay turns the enemy to swiss cheese and her mutated form strikes fear into her foes.

Stringo Twang, the half-trasgo arcane archer. With his gravelly rock star voice, he inspires his allies to great courage, before his bow rains down punishment on profane beasts.

While some friends have come and gone, these adventurers managed to stick together and save the world, completing their years-long (in real life) campaign, and earning a much-earned heroic rest.

Thanks to Abby, Z, and Doug for creating these lovable dorks and sticking with the campaign for so long. On to the next one!

Get early access, high-res, and more on Patreon!

[restorativemeal]

Menu Three

Menu three from Rowan Bishop and Sue Carruthers' "The Vegetarian Adventure Cookbook"

Stats:

Dinner Party Guests: 2

Injuries: 1 minor

Thoughts: Various

Instagram Features: ½ (own)

Menu Three:

Carrot and Orange Soup: Carrot, onion, garlic, orange juice, orange rind, vegetable stock, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper. 

Satay Rissoles: Brown rice, peanut butter, edamame, eggs, butter, lemon juice,chilli sauce, onion, garlic, soy sauce, celery,  tasty cheddar cheese, wholemeal flour, sesame seeds, salt and pepper. 

Ratatouille: Onion, garlic, tomato, zucchini, capsicum, eggplant, italian herbs, salt and pepper. 

Creole Salad: Apple, pear, pineapple, lemon juice, natural yoghurt, honey, lettuce, shredded coconut. 

Plagued by chronic fatigue but determined to get my life back in order following menu two, I decided to be nonchalant about menu three. It was the first four page spread of Bishop and Carruthers’ cookbook, but I refused to engage at full capacity. This week made me think about labour, the household and emotional labour that I put in on top of my full time job. Clocking into emotional labour, I spent two days in bed on Monday and Tuesday. I wondered about the way I allocated time, did cooking these menus fall into leisure time or was it household labour? I wondered what Bishop and Carruthers did during the day, did they also do things to trigger turmoil in an ordinary life?

On Tuesday evening I rose from convalescence only to drive to a fruit store in my area and spent the evening chopping vegetables. I cooked the brown rice too that night, thinking it could be better for the mixture if it aged a little in the fridge overnight. That was the extent to which I prepared for the menu. Four hours later and lying in bed I remembered I had left the brown rice on the bench, rendering it unsafe. On Wednesday, after a positive first day back in the office, I stopped at the supermarket for the last few ingredients I had forgotten and a bottle of sauvignon blanc to keep myself nonchalant for the next two hours. I had announced to my two guests that dinner would be on the table at 8:30pm and had written myself a comprehensive list of the order the cooking would take that day in my work diary.

Chopped celery/salary

Leisure time mixed with household labour turned into hard labour in my kitchen that Wednesday night as I attempted to make four dishes in two hours. I spent time dressing the table at the very beginning. I’d bought napkins with the Eiffel tower on them, and placed dried flowers a past flatmate had picked about seven months ago in the middle of the table. The Carrot and Orange Soup, I didn’t boil long enough, the carrots weren’t soft when I put the soup into the blender, or else the orange juice was too pulpy, the blender blended until I smelt burning. The Rissoles came together nicely, I was skeptical considering what had happened to the rice cakes the week before. I had used an extra egg this time, in case it was true that eggs in the 1980s were different.

Je ne sais Rissoles

The dinner party ate about 45 minutes after I had said that we would. The Carrot and Orange Soup, presented and served, was inedible due to a gritty texture. The Rissoles were flavourless though edible. The Ratatouille was edible though I received complaints that the eggplant hadn’t cooked, no fault of my own as I had followed Bishop and Carruthers’ instructions line for line, minute for minute. The final element of the menu was the Creole Salad. Highly discussed but had little takers and no place in the menu perhaps. 

Burnt hand serving hot bowls of soup, Creole Salad pictured in the largest bowl

Menu three felt like a return to order, as I had predicted. Following Menu two there was a stark need to detach from the internalisation of this journey toward self-discovery and reconnect with the material element for Menu three. I posted a photo of myself cooking to my Instagram story.

[playeatsleep]

Title: A Day in the Life of a Rabid Rat...or Am I?

So, picture this - it's another ordinary day in my life, or so I thought. But suddenly, out of nowhere, I start feeling like a rabid rat. Yeah, you heard that right. Me, a harmless human being, going about my daily routine, plagued by the bizarre sensation of transforming into a twitchy, foaming-at-the-mouth rodent. Buckle up, folks, because this is going to be one heck of a wild ride!

It all began innocuously enough, as I was sipping my morning coffee and pretending to be all professional on the outside. Deep down, however, there was a strange restlessness stirring within me. Was that a whisker? Did my ears just twitch? This couldn't be happening. Surely, it was just my imagination running wild, fueled by a wild and sleep-deprived night of questionable dreams.

Nevertheless, as the day progressed, so did my strange transformation. Suddenly, my uncontrollable urge to chew on things became all too apparent. I went from delicately grasping a pen between my fingers to chomping on it like a starving rat in seconds. My coworkers stared in disbelief, exchanging confused glances, probably debating whether to call pest control or the loony bin.

As if my sudden appetite for Stationery Anonymous wasn't enough, I found myself scampering around the office like a deranged mouse on a quest for cheese. The allure of my colleague's unwashed coffee mug was too overpowering to ignore. As I caught myself eagerly sniffing the remnants of overripe coffee, it became clear that my life had taken a peculiar turn. If only my coworkers had known the truth behind my newfound zest for caffeine-induced exploration! Throughout the day, I attracted an array of interesting reactions. From shrieks of terror to chuckles of amusement, my presence garnered more attention than a celebrity sighting. Office gossip reached new heights, with wild theories about my secret identity. I overheard whispers that I was undergoing an elaborate Halloween transformation or had taken part in some questionable scientific experiment.

Currency became a thing of the past as I dove headfirst into a frenzy of bartering. In exchange for scraps of food, I offered friendly rat-related services, such as finding misplaced pens or chasing away unwelcome pigeons from the office roof. Surprisingly, some colleagues even took me up on my offers, proving that desperate times called for desperate measures.

As the day drew to a close, my rodent-like tendencies slowly started to fade away. The whiskers retracted, and my appetite for random objects lost its appeal. It seemed as if my stint as a rabid rat was merely a temporary affliction, making me wonder if it was all a bizarre case of mistaken identity or a prank orchestrated by the universe.

Looking back, it's hard not to chuckle at the absurdity of it all. Who knew that a seemingly ordinary day could turn into such a "cheesy" adventure? While I'm grateful that the rat inside me retreated, I will always cherish the memories and the bewildered faces of my coworkers.

So, if you ever find yourself feeling like a rabid rat, rest assured that it's probably just your imagination playing tricks on you. But hey, embrace the chaos, be kind to your fellow humans-turned-rodents, and don't forget to chuckle at the absurdity of life itself. After all, who needs normalcy when you can have wacky tales to share at the next office party?

[kalis-scribbles]

Captain Thunderclaw’s Cookbook for the Adventurous Sailor

[These recipes were written for a pirates themed D&D campaign, these are the personal recipes of Captain Thunderclaw, the greatest feline captain of the seven seas!]

The question of feeding sailors has been one which the victual officers of every navy has wrestled with since the first sailors went out to sea. One must find provisions which are possible to keep for long voyages while provising sufficient nutrition to keep sailors strong enough to work and to ward away the dreaded scurvy that has plagued vessels for so long. 

These here are recipes I have collected throrough my voyages, some of which are meant to make use of provisions while others are special treats that make use of fresh produces in the days after departing port or while moored.

[Recipes under the cut]

Appetizers

Plantain and beans soup

To make this dish soak beans overnight so they are grown by morning. At dawn put them in fresh water and boil them with a little stock of fish or poultry until they can be crushed with a spoon. Then cut onions and peeled plantains into small cubes, add them to the beans with fresh herbs.

Turtle Salad

Turtles are plentiful and easy to catch while at sea. Chop into a small chunk the meat of a turtle and roast it until cooked. Add the meat chilled to chopped greens, salted herring, hard boiled eggs, onions, hearts of palm, olives, and diced mango. Season with mustard, salt and pepper. Mix well and serve as a mount onto a large dish.

Kievan Sour Soup

Known to ward away scurvy, to prepare this soup you must use pickled cabbage which you must drain of its liquid and chop finely. In a pot render bacon until the fat is melted. To this add the crout and cook for a few minutes before filling with water. Chop potatoes and carrots into small pieces and add them to the pot. The soup is ready when the potatoes are soft. If available you may add soured cream.

Side Dishes

Burgoo

This recipe is common among sail ships. Boil one part of oatmeal to four parts of water until they are soft. To this add molasses and sweet lard of hogs.

Pease Porridge

First you must soak yellow split peas overnight so that they may cook easier. Then set them to boil with not too much water lest it be too watery. When the peas are a soft puree add in cooked ham and season generously with butter and mint until the ham is warm.

Keshiite Mush

To make this stable of the Keshiite one must first boil the flour of corn, cassava or plantain in water until it thickens into a thick and heavy paste. It must then be divided into portions before it cool and firms up. This food has little taste on its own but is served doused in soup or stew for flavor. It may be mixed with a little milk or cream to make smoother.

Savory Rice

First one must wash and boil the salt meat of their allotted ration, then remove it from the pot. In the pot put rice with herbs and cook until it is plump, then return the meat to the dish and mix it well.

Naval Cheese Sauce

To rescue the horror known as Naval Cheese one must in great effort, first grate it as fine as can be done and then add it to a pot covering with water and a large amount of butter to provide fat to the unfortunate mixture. Cook on a very low heat until the cheese finally deigns to melt and mix it well. Serve this sauce warm and let sailors dip in ship bisket to soften them.

Sweet Beans

Take small beans soaked overnight and rinse them, put them in a ceramic cooking pot with pieces of fat cut into chunks, and molasses or the sugar of maple trees and cover with water mixed well. Put the dish upon a low flame so it does not burn for several hours until the beans are tender.

Osloth Beer Porridge

Take a loaf of stale dark bread and pound it into crumbs. In a pot bring beer to a boil and to it add the crumbs, stir well so it does not stick. It is ready when the porridge is soft and swollen. It may be served savory with butter and pickled herrings, or sweet with butter, sugar and dried fruits.

A Sauce of Oysters

Open a jar of oysters pickled and wash them well but keep some of the liquid, then bring them into a pot of white wine and some of the liquid and boil them well with a small onion within which are cloves speared through. Remove it from the fire when the wine has reduced, remove the onion and serve the sauce as you please.

Main Dishes

Buccanneer's Sweet Hog

Take a large hog full with guts and organs removed. Smear the carcass with salt. In a bowl mix water, a splash of vinegar, a large heap of molasses and crushed hot peppers, it must be thick and drip slowly from a spoon. Smother the hog in this glaze and put it upon the boucan for several hours until the meat falls off the bone.

Coconut Crabs

Take a number of crabs living and wash them, then cut their head so they die with a sharp cleaver, then chop them into small pieces. In a pot filled with coconut water put the crabs with curry powder, garlic crushed roughly. Boil the mixture until the crabs are done.

Lobscouse

This dish is the common way sailors prepare their rations of meat and ship biscuits. First dice an onion and fry it at the bottom of a large pot with lard until fragrant, while it does take the bisket and pound them into small pieces with a mallet. Fill the pot with water and let it boil before adding the salt pork or beef. Season with a little pepper, leaf of bay. If you have any potatoes, carrots or parsnip you may add them. Add the bisket to the stew and let it all simmer for a time until they and the meat are soft.

Sea Pie

This recipe is made by ship that lack a proper oven for baking. First you must make paste for a pie and line a tall dish. Then plate a layer of the meat of your choice. Cover this layer with another layer of your paste and add a new layer of meat, continuing so forth until you reach the top of your dish, cover it with a crust then set a plate to seal it tight, wrap the pot in a cloth and string it tightly shut. Boil the pie and its pot for an hour and it should be done.

Islander Pepperpot

To make this stew one must first cut the meat of any beast they have; beef, pork, goat shall do, and cut it fine. In a pot one must render lard and diced onion with the meat until browned, then cover with with water. To it add a good among of hot peppers, a few leaves of bay, a stick of the bark of cinnamon, and cassareep which is the bittersweet juices of Cassava reduced to the consistency of molasses. Let it simmer until it is tender and the sauce is thick. You may serve this dish upon rice or mush.

Stockfish Stew

You must begin by soaking the fish in water so that it may soften, you may then remove the bones and skin. Cut it into pieces and bring it into a boiling pot along with potatoes. To this stew add dried tomatoes cut finely, and dill. When it is about ready add the crumbs of stale bread or ships biscuit to thicken it.

To Boil Fowl

Take a fowl of your choosing, chicken does this dish well. In the cavity of your bird fit in whole grapes or re-hydrated raisins, as well as a whole nutmeg smashed into two, as well as sweet herbs. Sew it shut and put the bird in white wine to boil until it is cooked. Remove it from the fire and then stir in the yolks of fresh eggs upon a light fire to thicken your broth into a sauce.

Mince Pie

This dish is most excellent to use the pieces of meat such as the tongue many would refuse as their ration. First peel your tongue and cut is quite small, to it add dried raisins, currants, and dried apple cut equally small. Mix it grated mace and the shredded peel of a lemon, soak it all with a splash of brandy or sweet sherry. Fill a dish lined with a pie dough with this mixture and bake it well until flaky and golden.

Sweets

Banana leaf sweet

Take a measure of flour sifted fine. Mix to it water to make it into a dough and add sugar, kneed it into a ball and wrap them individually sealed tightly in the leaves of banana. Boil them for a third of an hour and they should be ready to be enjoyed.

Boiled Pudding

Take flour, sugar, dried fruit and grated suet and mix it with cold water until it forms a dough, careful not to overmix or to melt the suet. Shape it into a ball and then wrap it inside of a floured cloth. Tie it tightly (leaving a fold so it may expand) to avoid water coming in and put it to boil in a pot for two hours. Then take it out and slice into portions, serve it with molasses or a sauce of sugar and butter.

Pepper Cakes

Take flour and suet and mix it well, to this add a generous amount of pepper and ginger, then add molasses and a little bit of water to make a stiff paste. Mix it well and form it onto small cakes upon a greased dish, then bake it until it has firmed.

Jam Roll

Make a pastry as if to bake a pie but cut it into a rectangle. Layer it with a jam of your choosing leaving a thumb's width clear upon the edges. Then roll it tight into a spiral and seal the edges well by pressing them firm. Wrap this roll in a clean cloth and with strings tie it well at each end and center. You may now boil this for an hour or until it is firm. To serve cut a small disk through the roll and lay it flat on a dish.

Apple in dough

Take small sweet apples and remove from it the core and skin. Soak it in water so it does not brown. Then prepare a dough of flour, water, suet and a little sugar. Take your apples and dry them, then each cover with dough sealed properly. You may bake these treat but if you do not have an oven they are fine boiled as well. Serve them with a light sauce of caramel

Sweet Stewed Pears

Take winter pears and cut them into quarters, lay them into a ceramic dish with a few pieces of cloves, a half a lemon peel and a generous amount of sugar. Cover them with red wine and bake them enough slowly. Serve them hot or cold as you please.

Sweet Rice Dessert

Take a measure of rice and milk and boil it in a pot, to it add raisins and sugar. If you do not have milk you may use water, add a little butter to it. Cook it slowly until the rice has broken, long past softness. Serve it in a bowl with a spoonful of jam.

Drinks & Beverage

Captain Thunderclaw's Spiced Grog

Take a cauldron of fresh water and boil within a stick or two of cinnamon, a smashed nutmeg, and the peels of several limes and oranges until the water has become fragrant strain out of the material then return it to the fire. Add brown sugar generous and stir until it is dissolved. To it mix one part rum to four part liquid and the juice from the citrus reserved earlier. Serve still warm if prefered or let it cool. Garnish with a leaf of mint (or catnip) if available. This Recipe seem to please the crew and helps ward away the dreaded scurvy while making sure they do not get inebriated too fast.

Island’s Punch

In a bowl combine rum, the juices of orange and pineapple, coconut milk, a little lemon juice. Stir them together well, garnish with slices of oranges or twirl of citrus peel.

The Catfolk’s Delight

This drink is particularly beloved by feline members of the crew. Get fresh milk (For which my crew keeps a few goats aboard) and bright it to a gentle heat upon the fire, add a stick of cinnamon, a few cloves, and pieces of ginger. DO NOT LET IT BOIL, keep on the fire until it is aromatic then strain. Mix in a little clear liquor and several leaves of catnip, serve lukewarm.

[gottagobuycheese]

okay admittedly this whole situation does suck somewhat and I definitely thought I’d be able to use this time to catch up on Real Work instead of just laying around in bed all day but there is something a little bit hilarious at watching everyone in the household struggle with all their might to open the same bottle of children’s cough syrup

[once-was-muses]

@envychosen | Send me "muses most to least..." and something to rank them in

muses most to least...adventurous eater

Jackdaw- she'll eat almost anything with no regard for safety. It's a miracle she hasn't tore a hole in her throat eating broken glass on a dare.

Saint Walker- he has a ridiculously strong digestive system and can eat practically anything so long as it's bite-sized. He has more of a sense of self preservation than Jackdaw, but also has eaten a rock with the urging encouragement from the other Lanterns.

Antonio- he's been around for so long, and in so many poor situations taht he can’t afford to be picky. He'll try almost anything at least once, so long as it's recognizably food.

Copperhead- similar to Antonio, Sameer has never been afforded the luxury of being picky. However, he has a more restrictive diet (he should really only eat meat, eggs, and insects) and has developed a little bit of a sweet tooth after being out and about in the world.

Dedan- there's nothing like army rations to whip any pickiness out of you. Sure, Dedan has some strong preferences- tease him all you like, schnitzel is damn good- but he's another that's had to make do many times before.

Scarecrow- not only has Jon been poor his entire life and had to settle for what he could get, he doesn't really care that much about his food. If it's not utterly foul in taste or feel, he can probably choke it down.

Two-Face- while they've been spoiled later in life by a fatter wallet, the Dents certainly remember living from their father's paycheck to paycheck. They have some strong preferences, on the higher end nowadays- but not entirely set in their ways.

Abe- it isn't that he's picky necessarily, so much as he isn't overly interested in trying new things. He might indulge in a new dish if the option arises- but it rarely does, usually too busy with Bureau work to explore local cuisine. His current diet is plenty satisfactory.

Bookworm- Edwin has a wide range of likes, but isn't inclined to add to that list. He's always been rather flighty about new foods, and while he's expanded his diet significantly since childhood he still avoids unfamiliar dishes like the plague.

Fright- she has to have a careful diet due to her porphyria, but gets points for the Kazakhstani style she employs in her dining. While Linda didn't like her parents much, they at least made good food- when they weren't over concerned about her condition.

March Harriet- her diet is awful. Almost entirely sweets and snacks- of very specific brands, at that. The constant caffeine and cocaine don't help.

Salaak- his pickiness isn't entirely his fault- there's only so much you can consume as a purely liquid based insectivorous species- but he certainly makes no efforts to try new things.

Thoth- he barely eats to begin with. Shrimp, frogs, fish, cheese, bread- that's it. Sometimes, he might be able to be persuaded into trying a new drink, but he's extremely specific about his food.

[fullyfunctionalapprentice]

Apprenticember Day 3

Basic appraisal of their relationship to the game's main characters.

Aleis is an upright endings-only character, with an arc that combines most of the canonical ones, as they are very polyamorous.

Asra is a dear friend whose closeness to Aleis might be described as queerplatonic if they weren't fucking with regularity, enthusiasm, and varying degrees of discretion. He has romantic feelings for Aleis; these aren't reciprocated, and never have been, so Asra's angst over them is minimal. Were it not for his flight during the plague, and subsequent resurrection and nursing of themself and Lua, Aleis might have come to reciprocate, but that baggage is too complicated. That does nothing to undermine their camaraderie as partners in business, pleasure, and mischief.

Nadia is a best friend, a lover, and a colleague. They are alike in many ways: highly competent people whose general confidence coexists with insecurities, begetting fierce and sometimes destructive independence; meticulous yet restless creatives; martial artists; and, in the right circumstances, highly competitive. This mirror they hold to one another has helped both of them become better versions of themselves. Nadia's wealth and rank have been a source of friction, but Aleis is fiercely proud of how she has grown into her responsibilities, becoming a leader they respect and admire despite her riches and inherited authority. She values their forthrightness and sideways thinking as one of her advisors.

Julian is sweet, witty, brilliant, compassionate, and a tremendous pain in the ass, and Aleis both kicks his ass into actually taking care of himself and remembering that he's no less deserving of decency than anyone else, and winds him up and points him in the right direction for Maximum Chaos. They're always mutually attracted to each other, but whether anything comes of it depends on whether or not they're with Portia - consider it two separate but otherwise nearly identical dimensions, one where he's part of their polycule, and part where Portia is. In the dimension where he is with Aleis, they absolutely delight in wrecking that boy - they enjoy vanilla as much as kink, but they love domming a tall guy, especially one as expressive as Julian!

Muriel started as a person they hoped to befriend (because they both like solitude and making things, and he could use a reminder that Asra Al-Nazar isn't the only non-awful person in the world) and someone they want to climb like a tree (because he hits the trifecta of competent, kind, and drop-dead fucking gorgeous.) To Aleis's ongoing delight, both of these goals have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. As with Nadia, they help each other see where the jadedness born of past experience leads them astray, and their relationship encourages them to work on their issues - because now it isn't just for them, who can take care of themself thank you kindly, but for the other person. They can spend days together, in perfect contentment, with maybe five words between them.

Portia is their silly rabbit, their rotten soldier, their sweet cheese, their right hand arm. Hand. Or maybe they're hers? I more often think of them in a sexual/romantic relationship with her than with Julian; Portia and Aleis have a hard time keeping their hands off each other, and enjoy a good wrestle (or spar, who am I kidding,) for foreplay. They're both full of shit, up for adventure or friendly competition, and strong enough they don't have to worry about hurting each other - a dynamic which the two of them gradually coax an initially leery Muriel into enjoying as well. Portia and Aleis hold each other accountable, or more accurately pressure one another to hold themselves accountable, for their shared, defensive inclination to secretiveness.

Lucio is an idiot and a bully, the kind of person for whom the word "jackass" was invented. Aleis, Lua, Muriel, and Nadia together reached the decision that 1) the death penalty is unethical, but 2) having him exiled and pissed off to cause trouble in the future is a bad idea. So, Aleis turned him into a goat. For like. Five years; the actual condition of the spell boiling down to "you're a goat til you learn how to Fucking Behave." He's a well cared for goat, with plenty of forage and ear scritches, because anything else would be both unethical and a shitty example, but. Goat. Eventually, he ends up being a chaotic theatre friend, but never anyone they rely on or are emotionally close to.

[finalfartasy]

Hi. Ivey all even numbers have fun

2. Do they have any scars?

Ivey has quite a few! His most prominent scar is a slash across his nose bridge from Zenos’s blade. He has many other scars from his adventures, burns and cut and scratch marks, it’s hard not to when you have fought so much, and there are of course the little scars you get as a kid from playing that seem to never go away as well.

4. How tall are they?

6’2! He’s much taller than most Miqo’te are.

6. How do they respond to criticism?

He takes it quite personally and seriously and is too hard on himself for it, but overall he tends to learn and grow from criticism.

8. What’s something that will always make them smile?

Spending time with his friends and family.

10. What’s their favourite food or drink?

Fried green tomatoes, Cottage cheese, and orange juice!

12. Have they ever had their heart broken?

Many, many times before meeting G’raha. He always hoped to find someone in his younger years, but failed to find any relationship that lasted a significant amount of time. Haurchefant’s death was the last time he had his heart broken.

14. Do they get sick on amusement park rides?

Yes he would throw up everywhere.

16. Are they the ‘mom’ friend or the ‘suck it up’ friend?

Mom friend, without a doubt. Whether you like it or not, Ivey is gonna parent you if you spend any amount of time with him.

18. What did they want to be when they grew up?

He just wanted to continue on his family business of Chocobo breeding, which he did do until Certain Events.

20. Glass half full, or glass half empty?

Half full for sure!

22. Do they have any regrets?

A lot of them, Ivey is plagued by things he could have done different or better, people he could have saved, times he could have been quicker or realized something sooner.

24. Are they the type to gamble?

I’m not sure if this means like actual gambling or not but he is for sure an old man in the casino.

26. How do they respond to spicy foods?

He likes it! He could eat anything really.

28. How do they break bad news to someone?

Ivey starts crying before he can even tell you. After telling you, you can be sure to receive a big hug.

30. Are they an only child?

Yes! Although his birth mother may have had other children he is unaware of.

32. Whats the most valuable thing in their possession?

Gifts given to him by friends, art drawn for him by Pina when she was a child, Azem’s crystal, and items he has collected throughout his adventures.

34. Do they use one blanket and one pillow, or do they sleep on nest of fabric?

He sleeps in a nest of fabric for sure, he’s a pretty cold sleeper so he needs lots of blankies to stay comfortable.

36. Are they a competitive person, even for fun?

Ivey never was competitive before he met the scions, he would often let his daughter win any games they played when she was a child, however when meeting the scions, and especially Alisaie, he found a love for friendly competition.

38. Do they like to be indoors or outdoors?

Both!

40. Do they know that they are loved?

For sure! He has made many friends and found family along the way.

[familyofpebbles]

France/Birthniversarymasyear 2021

Turns out, I had already written about Rothenburg and our whole December and forgotten that I had done that. So, here it is:

-

We made it!  A new year. We’ve managed to dodge the plague while also having an adventurous year together. It flew by, really. And of course, most importantly, BirthNiversaryMasYear was a resounding success.

We begin on your birthday, as always. You had to work, unfortunately. But I took the day off so I could work on one of your presents- an attempt to replicate your favorite meal at Chopstix, one of our regular take-out spots in North Carolina. This process turned out to take the entire afternoon and evening, but it was WORTH it. I made you angel food cake and strawberry sauce first, both of which were successes. Then I started on the largest challenge- homemade tapioca boba. I knew it would be hard, but I was not prepared for just HOW hard. The temperature and timing turned out to be VERY specific and 2 out of 3 tries I SOMEHOW made a non-Newtonian fluid out of the dough. Thankfully, despite my initial confidence, I had thought to buy some premade boba as backup. I ended up using that and now that I know how easy THAT is to get… I think it may just become a staple in our house.

Next came the Thai tea- beautiful loose leaf rich smelling goodness. And then finally, the spicy lo mien! (I forgot I was going to try to make crispy tofu too until we were done eating. Oh well.) After the boba defeat this was a much needed morale booster. And it all turned out amazing!! So satisfying to have those familiar flavors again. After dinner I gave you your slippers (multiple pairs to prevent you from stealing mine), and we played the rest of Detroit: Become Human. Not a bad birthday for having to work, I think!

Then my birthday- unfortunately you had to work this day too. But I had a nice one! Enjoyed my slowed down morning routine, did my yearly tarot reading (this year will be largely introspective and refining, and I should focus on relaxing a bit basically), and then took my yearly little portrait session. Then you got home, we did a quick outfit change, and off to Carlos and Jordan’s for a Christmas party AND little surprise birthday party for me!! Jordan got a cake and I was sung to and Carlos gave me a Yankee candle to blow out and it was all very sweet. I have such good friends.

The next morning we were off on a birthniversary surprise trip you planned for me! We went to Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber, a beautiful, romantic, walled German town all ready for Christmas. It was so cozy- we walked around and drank Gluhwein and checked out this massive Christmas village store where we got two new little ornaments for our tree (Obder the gnome and Tauber the owl, naturally). You got yourself the hat you’ve been wanting and therefore completed your transformation to a dapper older man. We walked the walls of the city- one of only a few still completely standing in Germany. We had tea and rum with cake at the coziest café, resolved to come back to get the cutest teddy bears at a certain shop, tried some schneeballs, and you even scored an actual Gutman glass! Dinner was at a fancy restaurant where we had INCREDIBLE meals (pumpkin soup, ravioli, fresh bread and cheese) and wine. We left without room for dessert (we‘ll go back just for the chocolate cake sometime). Seeing places we’ve always admired in pictures will never stop being the most thrilling experience. I still can’t believe we get to do it so often. It was a beautiful weekend my love. Thank you, thank you for putting it together.

I had to work on our actual anniversary, but it was a short shift! We went to dinner at one of our favorite Indian restaurants and went through our 36 questions. I love that tradition. I love the ease in which we answer each other and how there are changes in answers over time. I love growing together.

My gift to you was a scrapbook documenting all of our treasures- where and when we got them and their stories. We had been wanting to do that for a while so we don’t forget, and I finally did!

You got me a beautiful ivy ear cuff, a necklace with a bust of a living Medusa on the pendant which I LOVE, and on top of that you made a video for me, of our relationship through the years. I don’t want to describe it too much because I feel like that takes away from it. Maybe you can post it here. It made me cry, and still makes me cry every time I watch it. I love you so MUCH. We really made it.

My Christmas gift to you was tickets to a 20th anniversary concert of the Lord of the Rings, with Billy Boyd there and everything. It was canceled. That was a swift kick to the gut. Such a disappointment.

Since we weren’t revolving around that anymore, you planned a whole new trip for us while I was at work. You took us to France!!

And what an experience it was. We arrived in Strasbourg on Christmas Eve and headed straight to the Christmas market at the base of the giant cathedral. It’s the oldest Christmas market in France apparently, and it was beautiful. We got some Vin Chaud and the best waffles of our lives (truly), and gazed up  at the spires and marveled at where we were at. We kept on asking each other “Where are we???” as constant little ‘Pinch me’ moments.

We explored more of the town and were amazed at how every single street was fully decorated, lights shining everywhere. At one courtyard there was a massive Christmas tree, and on the hour there was a light show set to The Grand Finale (from Edward Scissorhands) that was so magical I cried a little bit. The whole night was so overwhelmingly beautiful. It was the most magical Christmas to date.

Christmas morning I opened my presents in the hotel- you got me a beautiful wildflower scarf and an adorable pin of a mouse drifting on a leaf umbrella- and we had a delicious breakfast of croissants and cheese and fruit and coffee. We also got a little history lesson from the girl at the front desk. Over the whole trip we found the stereotype of rude French people to be very untrue. Everyone was kind and some even went out of their way to be friendly! Maybe the Christmas spirit helped a bit, but we had no bad experiences with anyone.

Some stereotypes that we DID find to be delightfully true were, 1) Many people of all ages do indeed wear berets, 2) We saw quite a few people carrying around baguettes, including a small child eating one whole, 3) I heard “Ooh la la” TWICE, 4) The bread and sweets are AMAZING. I will forever crave the lemon tarts.

We went to go check out the cathedral and ended up being there as the line for Christmas mass was forming. And well, why not? If I'm gonna experience catholic anything this is probably going to be the thing to see. It was very visually impressive, and the choir was beautiful to hear. What the most interesting thing to me was how ritualistic everything was. All the chanting and specific robes and hats and the staff plus the whole body & blood of Christ thing. Made me think about how humans take comfort in patterns. What struck me most was when the whole congregation chanted together. I didn't know it was coming so it surprised me, and that many people created such a deep rumble that went right to the chest. I used to feel the same way at JW conventions when thousands of people sang together- it's the most moved I ever was. I don't know about a god but people! People unified in a belief have such power. People make things happen. -

We continued on to Mulhouse, which was to be our home base for the next few days. The windows of our Airbnb looked directly to it’s towering church, lit up purple for Christmas. We had brought with us some bread, wine, and regional specialty cheese with us from Strasbourg. The cheese turned out to smell (and kind of taste) like a fart. We are decidedly not fans of Munster.

Another day, we ventured to Colmar, which was my favorite city of the trip. If we thought Strasbourg had every street decorated, Colmar took it up a notch. Mini Christmas markets and stalls on almost every storybook street. Every narrow road was beautiful, the old houses leaning over the street and shining with decorations. We had such a good time exploring, everything picturesque and so many fun stalls and shops to look around. Eventually we stumbled upon a small café and stepped inside. It was exactly what you would picture a French café to be… small tables packed in, very busy, an old woman behind the counter bustling around making tea and coffee, art all over the walls. I had a delicious coffee, you had a limited edition French Christmas beer that was so good you made distressed noises every time you took as sip because you likely wouldn’t be able to find it again. We also had our best meal of the whole trip. Two chocolate éclairs and two incredible three cheese tarts later we blissfully floated back out the door. It’s called Au Croissant Dore. Go find it if you can!

Another score from Colmar was a gorgeous leather satchel bought from a Christmas market stall. It was heavily discounted because of a tiny spot in the leather, so now I have a new bag that will last me ages! I love it. It has lots of pockets and I feel like I’m ready for adventure with it on.

The next day was our castle day, cut short to one castle due to the rain. But it was a great one castle! After listening to so much Harry Potter in the car, it fit the Hogwarts picture in our head perfectly.

Instead of more castles, we drove through a few more lovely small French towns, just wandering (and searching for a good place to eat). We ultimately landed in Riquewihr, the most charming little one yet. We had dinner with some local wine in a small hotel next to a rather stern family, and then walked along the lantern lit streets. It felt like being transported back in time, or like walking through one of our D&D settings. You got a small square tapestry to hang on our wall. As we were leaving we ducked into a small bakery to take some macarons back to our Airbnb with us (they were delicious, except for the hazelnut, which tasted strangely like sandalwood cologne).

The next day was our last, and with a long drive ahead of us we stopped in Colmar one more time to eat at the café again, and pick up some fancy gold flake éclairs and lemon tarts for the way home. Both were, of course, the best of each we’ve ever had.

New years eve we spent with our good friends, playing a small and chaotic game of D&D, and then having a fire and counting down the seconds to the new year. We kissed as the fireworks went off and the church bells rang.

This was the most magical Christmas we’ve ever had. I cannot believe we got to spend it in France, I cannot believe how we get to do these things together. I love that we’re best friends. It’s so EASY to do these things with you. We have such good memories together, big and small. We can go on big trips together completely harmoniously, always on the same page, each others company only elevating the experience. Neither of us like to experience anything new without the other because it’s just not right! You are my partner in everything. Down to the small everyday bits.

I love when we get home after work and I’m sitting on the counter stirring whatever is on the stove, and you pour a beer and do some dishes while we catch up. I love that sometimes at bedtime we are talking and goofing around so much that we have to intentionally go back to back for us to get any sleep. I love that every night is a slumber party. I love that when I finished the video game I’d been playing for over a year we threw a Morrowind themed dinner party for ourselves to retire my character. I love that we have a record player that we can play our song on and dance in our living room together to it. I love cuddling with you and Livvy and even Margo, when she allows it. I love this life. I love you.

These years are flying. I’m trying really hard to savor every single day. It freaks me out how quickly things are going now that there’s so much joy in my life. I want to sink into every moment with you, feel it fully. As long as we’re speeding through the years together, it’s going to be alright. Look at all the stories we already have to tell!

Merry BirthNiversaryMasYear my love. As always, it was a good one.

[sarah-dipitous]

Hellsite Nostalgia Tour 2023 Day 250

Red Meat/The Woman Who Lived

“Red Meat”

Plot Description: after a werewolf hunt goes wrong, Dean ends up in a hospital and takes a drastic step in hopes of negotiating with a Reaper

Would I Survive the First Five Minutes??: No. if it’s sending Dean to the hospital, it’s sending me to the morgue

I’m confused. The summary said Dean but I just watched Sam get shot…

Oh good, we’re hopping back 48 hours. I’m kind of with Dean here. We’ve done a lot of normal monster hunting lately, we’re losing the plot a little

Why do we almost never see them get injured like this? And administer first aid?

This man is so good to his near dead girlfriend, there wasn’t an ounce of sarcasm when he told her “good job, baby, you called it” when she told him “I told you they were monsters”

I don’t trust these people who were “attacked” by the werewolves. They just FOUND this other abandoned cabin??

Wait, so the lady who sent the Winchesters up to the first cabin was in on the werewolf attacks? At least I knew to be suspicious of SOMEONE

Dude, this episode is messed up. The guy who got attacked seems to have been bitten, and it would appear like he just killed Sam (but I know better)

Nononononooooo not Dean’s reaction to Sam dying. It somehow never gets easier

Oh, so, it’s basically nothing what Dean’s got (a few broken ribs and a concussion…and I mean nothing for what the boys normally go through)

Omg…Dean, this feels really irresponsible. This risk is SO BIG to take

And Sam wasn’t even dead, just hella passed out. Sam struggling to come back to life as Dean tries to kill himself to get in touch with a Reaper is heartbreaking

The squelching of Sam’s gunshot wound is half unbearable and half reminding me of the vine where a lady’s stirring a pot of mac n cheese and her son goes “that’s what good pussy sounds like”

This dude LOOKS like the kind of guy who would be stoked to be a werewolf

The knife twist of the Reaper telling Dean Sam didn’t die as she’s trying to take his soul 😭

They’re really putting the horror back in spn. New werewolf is killing everyone in sight but wants to turn his wife. It was short lived but it felt right.

This poor woman. She lost her husband a few times over the course of this episode. Lost him to lycanthropy, lost who she thought he was after trying to kill Sam, and then after Sam shot him

“The Woman Who Lived”

Plot Description: deadly highwayman “the Knightmare” and his sidekick come face to face with the Doctor

I’m tired of all these two parters, Steven!! (But I’ve got another set right after this, so that’s too damn bad)

The Doctor and this robber fighting over who’s ruining whose robbery is admittedly fun to watch

Honestly, Maisie and Jenna could play sisters in something

She’s become nobody…why’s she still playing Arya here?

Her exploits over the last 800 years are impressive

This is even sadder than watching the episode of The Sandman with Hob. Watching her lose her children to the Plague and vow no more, to slowly come to the realization that though the Doctor accidentally cursed her with immortality/eternal youth, she’s yet to do that to someone else. Because it’s hell and it’s lonely

Who or what is she working with??

Whoever she’s working with is definitely feeding her information on the Doctor. That’s how she KNOWS so much, you can only work out so much on your own about a person you met once 800 years ago and you still don’t have computers

Dammit he’s got the sunglasses back

That’s big talk for you “it isn’t right for you to be on your own” sir, you try to be on your own all the time and you’re over 1200 years old

Sometimes a mirror gets held up to the Doctor and it’s so heartwarming, like the star whale, but times like this…with Not-Arya begging him to take her with him in the TARDIS because she’s lost more than she can even remember and the planet she’s on is so boring to her now, she needs adventure to be able to keep going…you do deserve more than this, baby girl.

Heeeeeeere we go. Her ally shows his face, and he’s a cat man

Your intention was noble, but then you left her all alone and she watched everyone she ever knew and loved die for eight hundred years

I really thought the doctor was gonna pull a caesar and demand his bounty be higher

Oh cool, her ally betrayed her and instead of taking her with him to another reality, he brought his people to earth where they immediately started attacking

Doctor, now is not the time to marvel in how awful it is to care and how Not-Arya still does

Ohhhh she had to use the other immortality chip ☹️ she’s gonna be stick with that dude forever

It’s weird to hear Twelve reference Jack Harkness

Ah, yeah…so it wasn’t her treacherous ally who was telling her about the Doctor, it was so many people she’s met on her adventures

Oooooo, I don’t actually need to see her come back often, but Maisie’s character just showing up in the background now that she and the Doctor are sort of enemies could be interesting