#Condiment and Pickle Stand

[tragedy-of-commons]

no pickles

stellaron hunters & gn!reader | wc: ~750

In which they get your order wrong. Kafka, dear friend that she is, decides to make it known.

tags/warnings: crack, reader is not described, vague canon-typical violence, comedy, found family, everything is platonic

notes: oops updated formatting

When you first joined the Stellaron Hunters upon Elio’s suggestion (death threat), you never would have imagined the scene unfolding in front of you now.

Silver Wolf is double-dipping a greasy french fry into a dollop of ketchup. Kafka is dabbing her mouth with a napkin after her only sip of whatever soda she decided to humor, and Blade is standing guard by your table like some kind of intimidating fast-food sentry.

You, squished between all of them, lament your existence. Sam got to stay behind to “keep watch”, but you know the truth. His robot suit would terrify any children within a fifty mile radius, and this CosmiBurger is teeming with them. 

“Silver Wolf,” you mutter.

“I’m not sharing,” she answers immediately.

“That’s not what I–! Ugh, whatever. I was gonna ask why you chose this place for lunch. Don’t you think it’s a little below our pay grade?” “We don’t get paid, newbie. Elio doesn’t cover us eating out, so we have to be cheap.”

“You’re just saying that because you blew our budget on Roblox Premium,” you deadpan.

Kafka interjects. “Look on the bright side, hm? The novelty here is something we rarely get to experience - and I don’t think I’ve ever seen Bladie this happy.”

You spare a glance at your colleague. His scowl speaks for him.

Ignoring the fact that apparently Kafka’s got jokes now, you heave a sigh and poke at the lump of foil in front of you - a tangible warning of an impending stomach ache. The burger inside will have to serve as sustenance if you don’t want to wait twelve more system hours to eat.

Since Silver Wolf is now preoccupied with one of her handheld consoles, you don’t delay with your squabbling any longer. When you unwrap it and take your first bite, you’re blindsided by the overwhelming sour note of what can only be The Condiment That Shall Not Be Named. You can’t obscure the subsequent (ugly) scrunch of your brow and lips.

“Cyanide?” asks The Gamer That You Will Strangle One Day.

You glare at her and deposit your now even-more-unappetizing sandwich on the table. “You wish. They, uh, just got my order a bit wrong.” There’s a contemplative hum from your side that makes your heart skip a beat. Kafka stops playing with a strand of Blade’s hair to give you a coy smile. “Is that so?”

“Don’t look at me like that,” you complain. “It’s not a big deal, I’m just not a fan of pickles.”

“You should ask for a replacement. After all, you did mention that in your order,” she drawls.

You bristle. “I doubt the employees get paid enough to put up with that.”

Blade speaks for the first time today in that gruff tone of his. “You draw the line there? You’ll slaughter on command but stop at inconveniencing the working class?”

“Everyone’s picking on me! Smear campaign!” you accuse, pointing at the brooding man.

You don’t expect a reply from him, which he honors by staring at your outstretched finger with what could be described as murderous intent. Kafka chuckles.

“It’s the principle of the thing, darling. I’ll handle it.”

“Wai–”

You don’t get another word out before she confidently rises from her seat and saunters over to the register, leaving you with your jaw on the floor. 

Silver Wolf is back to blowing bubblegum and spawn-killing some poor sap, but she makes the time to snicker at your plight. “That’s weak, newbie.”

All you can do is become an idle passenger in your own body as the scene unfolds in front of you. Maybe you try to stop her, but Blade’s lanky arm blocks your path. 

Sometimes you wish she’d just have a little more fear. Kafka converses with the cashier with her innate allure as you resign yourself to your fate of public humiliation.

The words audible over the ringing in your ears sound through the air in Kafka’s dulcet voice.  “They asked for no pickles.”

When she returns from the counter two minutes later with your presumably correct order, you’ve already decided that today has been the most harrowing twenty-four system hours of your long-life. Your stupor is cut short as the new pickleless burger is dropped into your hands like a gift from the Aeons.

“See?” Kafka teases. “It was no trouble at all.”

“..Thanks,” you cough into your hand awkwardly.

Lunch resumes its usual flow, but you’re still stewing in regret that boils down to a simple, bitter thought: You should’ve just ordered the chicken nuggets instead.

[hunn1e-bunn1e]

Denji Hayakawa - "Half Your Melon Bread"

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

In which a certain chainsaw devil man shares a sweet treat with a stranger at the park after shirking his devil hunting duties for the day. Or; In which you give Denji half of your melon bread out of sympathy poor hungry devil hunter boy. Part 2

                                                                                                   

🍞•♡•🥐•♡•🥖•♡•🫓•♡•🥨•♡•🥯•♡•🥞•♡•🧇

"Maaan, today was a long one"

Denji groaned out; stretching as he walked along the vacant street.

He had snuck off from Aki and Power not too long ago; ditching his assignment in favor of following a stray dog he'd spotted on the way. Unfortunately, he had lost sight of the dog soon after and now he was lost, wandering about the empty streets.

Just up ahead he spotted a park. It was one of those parks with a half playground; just a singular slide and a standard two-person swing set. There were also quite a few benches that littered the outer border and faced inward toward the playground.

But something caught Denji's eye or rather someone did. On a bench sat a lone person, a human, at least from what he could see at the distance he was standing from them.

Their back was turned to him, but he could see right off the bat that they had some kind of food given the way their arms and mouth were moving. From the ever-shrinking distance he found himself at, Denji believed it was a burger or something; he'd heard those were pretty damn good.

A nice, pillowy, sesame seed bun, melty cheese, crunchy pickles and onions, a thick juicy patty, and every condiment he could get his hands on... man, that sounds amazing right about now.

G U R G L E

Shit, now he was hungry.

Unfortunately due to ditching the blood-loving psycho and cock blocking top knot that were his partners, he had no money to buy food.

But the person on the bench had come to a stop next to his food... would they share with him? Or at least give him some money to buy his own? Probably not, but it's worth a try. So, the chainsaw devilman took a seat next to the stranger and simply glanced at their food from time to time, looking away every time they looked at him.

"Here."

The stranger softly spoke, catching the dirty blonde's attention.

In their hand was half of the packaged snack that they were previously holding; it looked like a bun but it was shiny with a criss-cross pattern on the top. Denji froze, not knowing how to respond; he didn't think he would get this far. Hell, he didn't even know what they were giving him.

"It's melon bread. I didn't poison it or anything; you saw it in the package already."

The stranger speaks again, this time standing up and holding the snack out the the devilman.

Hesitantly, Denji took it from their outstretched hand. He looked it over and lifted it to his nose, taking in it's fruity scent. Then he took a bite; and his mind was blown.

"I hope you enjoy it, you looked hungry. Well, see ya."

The stranger smiled at him gently, letting out a soft chuckle, before turning and walking away.

The dirty blonde-haired boy jumped a bit as he watched them walk away. Was it weird that he wanted them to stay here a bit longer? Should he tell them his name?

But, unfortunately for Denji, when he had finally made up his mind, the stranger was gone.

🍞•♡•🥐•♡•🥖•♡•🫓•♡•🥨•♡•🥯•♡•🥞•♡•🧇

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

Wanna see similar content? Check out my Masterlist!

[charlottesuzee]

Flashing Him Your Chest During An Argument (Monster Trio x Black!GN!Reader)

(Reader is gender neutral cuz Bara exists too)

Monkey D Luffy

- You were arguing about something childish, like how he shouldn't be wearing sandles and shorts when it's -10 degrees outside.

- He tells you that he's fine and doesn't even feel the cold that much and that you should stop worrying.

- It then turned into an argument about how you worry too much about him and how he worries too little about himself.

- Getting increasingly fustrated, you decided to just lift up your shirt and bare your chest at him, to get him to stop talking.

- It didn't work. Instead, it backfired on your end.

- "What the hell ?!? You just told me that I had to cover up more and now you're taking off your clothes ?!? That's so not fair !"

Conclusion: Does not work. He's too dumb.

Roronoa Zoro

- You were arguing about how he's been training too much lately and how he he's been ignoring you.

- He tells you to lay off of him, he can't become the strongest swordsman if he doesn't train.

- You snap that you're not asking him to drop training, you are just asking him to spend a little time with you.

- It's hard to get it through his thick skull and he'll mostly just start responding with "whatever" or "will you cut it out already ?" while not looking at you

- So, to get him to see your side, you bare your chest at him and it succeeds in getting him to shut up and look at you. He stares for a moment as you start to pull your shirt down.

- "Hey wait a sec, I was enjoying the show-"

- "Only boyfriends who spend time with me get to see my chest for long periods of time."

- This results in him actually making an effort to fix his training schedule so that he can make time for you.

- Conclusion: It works because he likes your chest more than he likes training

Black-Leg Sanji

- Sanji doesn't like to argue with you and tries to avoid it. Except when you commit food crimes.

- The chef in him can't stand it when he sees you doing something horrific, like putting ketchup on a hot dog. He'll make you the most gourmet version of a hotdog, sprinkled with salt, pickle slices, peppers and tomatoes decorating the sides, on a poppyseed bun, with mustard and relish, the only valid hotdog condiments.

- And you have the nerve to ruin it with ketchup.

- He'll go on about how you're disgracing the dish by drowning it in ketchup and how you don't appreciate him or his culinary skills, because you dare like ketchup on your hotdog.

- You're just rolling his eyes as he goes off on you about your personal choice in condiments and asks what did he do to deserve such blatant disrespect to his dish, when you decide to flash your chest at him because you know it will easily distract him.

- He immediately stops his tirade, his cigarette dropping out of his mouth. Suddenly he's all heart eyes and fawning.

- "You put whatever condiments you want on your food darling 😍😍😍~"

- Conclusion: It works way too well.

[jflemings]

Pregnant r with Jessie in the night " I want to pickle with vanilla ice-cream" please

— pickles

jessie fleming x pregnant!reader

blurb

you stand looking into the open fridge with a curious look on your face. your eyes scan over everything you have, looking at every little thing as you try to pin point exactly what you’re craving.

jessie comes to stand behind you “what are ya doing, babe?”

“trying to figure out what i’m craving” you say as you go through the condiments in the door, huffing when you don’t see anything.

“how about a honey and salami sandwich?” she asks whilst peering over your shoulder.

you cock your head “no, not that”

“pancakes with peanut butter?”

“no”

“chips and extra hot salsa?”

“hmm, no”

jessie shakes her head “mango with salt?”

“not today”

your wife shrugs her shoulders and raises her eyebrows “i’m out of options here, baby”

you sigh in defeat and close the fridge, turning around to face your freckled canadian. she rubs her hands up and down your biceps as you think.

there’s a moment of complete silence “…pickles and vanilla ice cream” you say finally.

jessie’s face screws up “really?”

“really” you nod “it’ll be like dipping fries in a milkshake”

“sopping wet fries, maybe” she grimaces “we don’t have any pickles though so i’ll have to run to the store and grab some” she tells you as she turns to grab her hoodie off the couch.

you follow closely behind her, abruptly hugging her from behind. “thank you baby” you singsong as you kiss the side of her face over and over.

jessie pats your arms that are around her waist “anything for my girl” she says as she turns, kissing you on the lips “i’ll be back soon”

“with my pickles!”

“with your pickles”

[elfdyke]

🍔 [BURGER] What would your OC put on their burger?

youre getting everyones burger order cuz you didnt specify so i hope youre ready to cook for all of them ^_^

roe kind of doesnt like vegetables whatsoever so i fear her silly ass would be ordering a cheeseburger . with ketchup and mustard. i cant stand her <3 NVM SHES ORDERING THE PEWTER BURGER (art by @wii-snorkeling2006 💖)

kaisa i’d say would probably get anything and everything on her burger <3 she has no concept of restraint and especially with something she definitely never ate living in the sun elf community, she’d want to go all out ^_^ her ass is ordering those like 4 patty burgers with the craziest toppings ever. and yes she will be throwing up after

i think lilith would get a pretty generic burger also… probably no pickles… i dont think she’d rock with them very much. but i DO think she would like onions ^_^

in a beautiful world where roe and taran went to get burgers together and roe’s order came out wrong (she got onions/pickles/tomatoes), she’s putting all of it on tarans burger and his burger just looks so wretched and is overflowing with burger veggies </3 he ordered a plain cheeseburger too but he’s now going to be eating all the shit roe didnt want

i .. i feel like june and maria’s orders would actually be pretty similar AKJNDFKG smth like a medium rare burger thats very meat/dairy heavy and is kind of dripping with blood + condiments

[skyloftian-nutcase]

pickle juice is apparently really good for your muscles and stuff, they sell it at sports/running stores. the food stand at the softball fields i used to play at had picklecicles (frozen pickle juice in those little plastic condiment cups), theyre really good! just a nice sour treat after you've been exercising :)

Hmmm, interesting. I guess I will have to try it out at some point.

[ronearoundblindly]

Steve x artist reader

During their break day these two will be in art challenge after art challenge nat and wanda watch whist the two sketching . Sure it creates an ambiance then bucky and sam watch while bucky bets steve would run out of paper before reader dose (can steve and reader be as a couple here)(freindly competiton?)

Mastery (warning for light language)

This is the most insane thing you've ever done, and that's coming from a group that fights aliens (sometimes).

Usually, it's paper and pencils. Usually, branching out means canvas and charcoal or--gasp-- colored pencils, which for reasons unknown Steve absolutely hates. It's so bad, he's like the cat and cucumber challenge: if a colored pencil ends up near him, he scatters like the devil's on him.

You have also absolutely scared him that way dozens of times on purpose, including that one time you littered his bedroom floor with them. He was screaming at you, standing on his bed as if you'd locked him in a minefield.

You got it on video, too. Bonus that he was in only boxers.

But this isn't quite usual.

The mission was long, drawn-out, and the worst mix of profound boredom waiting for something to happen and intense fighting suddenly.

The whole team is loopy, so the regular competition is cranked up to MAX.

You were all gone so long that no one had refreshed the art supplies, and after a few minutes of bemoaning what to do, Wanda tosses out the perfect instigator.

"You know, real masters can use anything to make art."

Steve made it to the fridge first, vaulting casually over the couch you two were laying on, and he tried to bogart all the condiments until you slapped a few bottles out of his grasp. Then he simply ran to one wall and you to the other.

A ketchup and mustard sunset later, using the juice from some pickles as thinner to a strawberry jam portrait of Natasha, you beam with pride until you step back and look at your boyfriend's wall.

Son of a bitch.

Mayonaise and black olive-haired Bucky is just as good. He must have snuck back into the kitchen because slices of uncooked bacon stripe the texture of Buck's vibranium arm.

You stick out your tongue, but the cheers and jears from your watching friends continue. It's inadvertently become a boys vs girls contest.

Fine. He wants to dance. Let's dance.

Jackpot, you find a beet in the veggie drawer, slicing it quickly into various chunky sticks, and return to your wall. The bleeding red acts sorta kinda like charcoal and maybe slightly like watercolor, but damn, Wanda looks amazing in all her magical glory.

Pesto sauce Hulk isn't your best effort, but whatever.

Glancing over, Steve's stepping away with an elated grin. Dammit, he cannot win.

You march over when you see Wanda, Nat, Bucky, and Sam all staring in awe.

But...But what the hell? There's nothing there!

The tubes of white creams from the medicine cabinet scatter the floor at his feet as you approach.

"Damn, cap," Sam whistles. "That's...that's som'hin."

When you align with the onlookers behind Steve, it becomes clear. The eggshell white wall has shiny itch cream and matte toothpaste atop it in the pattern of Falcon himself, Exo-7 suit's wings outstretched in all their glory, googles on, head high and heroic.

"Awwww, what," you whine. "That's hardly fair."

"He's had a bit more practice than you, doll." Bucky is smug in his team's victory.'

Steve turns and closes the distance between you, hands covered in all sorts just like yours, and he cups your face.

"How 'bout we call this one a draw, eh?"

Nat snorts behind you. "Worst dad jokes ever."

The group groans when Steve kisses you gently, forcing you to breathe in the scent of things-that-should-not-mix through your nose. It's all the prize you hoped for, the only one you ever seem to want now.

The ding of the elevator rouses you from your hindbrain.

"What the ever-loving fuck have you done?!" Tony stands agape at the mess, tilting his head nearly over 90 degrees just to make out all the different pictures.

Wanda clears her throat. "We've been watching masters at work," she says with a smile.

[Light Masterlist; Main Masterlist]

[alarici]

you work at the the novelty sandwich shop that the LA mob uses as a cash front. laundry. Half broken fan running in the corner. neon sign. Teller behind plexiglass. Mello comes in sometimes and orders ham and pickle sandwiches. No condiments. roll bread. He smiles at you and there’s blood in his mouth for some reason. He pays with a $50 bill and waves it off when you don’t have any change. the ham is two days out of expiry but you’re told to use it until it smells off. Nobody comes to the shop anyway. Mello stands in the corner by the bathroom and eats his sandwich and all you can hear is pickles crunching. you know he’s not a normal civilian because if the blood and the bills and on inspection the glock at his hip. He eats the sandwich like a starved man. You don’t know why he doesn’t sit at the singular chair next to the drinks Fridge. Maybe the grease streaks. The table is in the line of sight of the storefront window.

you think this kid is crazy as hell and kind of hot—tanned from the sun, a little sweaty. He gets bread flour on his shirt. you start reading a magazine twenty minutes into the whole thing and don’t realize he’s left until the door jingle sounds. The singular $50 in the register has a phone number on it.

[najia-cooks]

Vegan pork and apple gua bao with pickled carrots

"Gua bao" (literally, "cut bread") consist of a savory filling--usually pork belly with condiments and toppings--in a fluffy, steamed "lotus leaf bun." Other types of bao include baozi, which are sealed shut around their filling (this type of bao is usually meant when the term "bao" is used without any qualifiers). The term "bao bun" is actually an example of the kind of tautology common in bilingual borrowing, since "bao" already means "bun"!

In my take on this dish, a classic pork-and-apple filling is transformed by the addition of miso paste and a hit of fruity, floral Sichuan peppercorn. The sweetness and acidity of pickled carrots stand out wonderfully against the background of the savory, umami filling. For the filling base you may use any type of vegan pork substitute, or TVP.

Recipe under the cut!

Patreon | Tip jar

Makes 12 bao.

EQUIPMENT:

A large skillet

A grater or food processor

A bamboo or metal steamer, or a wok / large, deep pan / large pot, with a closely fitting lid

Parchment paper

INGREDIENTS:

For the bao:

1 1/2 cup (300g) all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp (9g) cornstarch

1 tsp (4g) active dry yeast

1 tsp (6g) sugar

1 Tbsp neutral oil

About 2/3 cup (140 ml) lukewarm water

For the filling:

380g (13oz) vegan sausage, or 200g TVP hydrated with 140mL vegetarian pork or beef broth from concentrate

1/2 medium tart apple, washed and cored

1 small yellow onion

1 stalk celery (optional)

2 tsp white miso paste

1 tsp soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp vegetarian oyster sauce

1 tsp honey or agave (optional)

1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground

1/4 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tbsp neutral oil

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1-inch chunk (10g) ginger, washed (no need to peel)

1 tsp rice vinegar

For the pickled carrots:

3 medium carrots (180g)

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

To steam and assemble:

1 Tbsp neutral oil

Romaine lettuce, chopped peanuts, or other desired toppings

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the pickled carrots:

1. Julienne three carrots and stuff them down into a medium-sized jar.

2. Combine white and rice vinegar with salt and sugar in a small pot and heat, whisking occasionally, until vinegar is simmering and sugar is dissolved.

3. Pour vinegar into the jar over the carrots. Allow to cool completely to room temperature (glass risks breaking if subjected to rapid changes in temperature) and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.

For the bao:

Bao should be light, fluffy, and chewy. The dough for the bao is kneaded, proofed, kneaded again, shaped, and proofed a second time before the bao are steamed.

1. Whisk flour, cornstarch, yeast, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add oil and mix to combine.

2. Add water a little at a time until the dough holds together in a smooth, non-sticky ball. You may need more or less than 2/3 cup.

3. Vigorously knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about ten minutes until very smooth, or use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment on medium speed for five to seven minutes. An insufficiently kneaded dough may lead to a pockmarked texture later on!

4. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a kitchen towel that's been dampened with warm water. Allow to rise for 40-90 minutes, until just doubled in size. Avoid overproofing the dough.

For the filling:

1. While the dough proofs, prepare your filling. Mix miso paste, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and agave in a large bowl. Grate the onion, garlic, ginger, sausage, apple, and celery, or pulse in a food processor, occasionally scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula, until a coarse crumb texture forms.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp of a neutral oil in a large pan on medium high. Add ground Sichaun peppercorns and fennel and allow to bloom for 30 seconds until fragrant.

3. Add sausage mixture and cook until browned, flipping once. Once cooked, remove the filling to the bowl with your sauce mixture.

4. Deglaze the pan with 1 tsp or so rice or white vinegar, and add any bits that had burnt and stuck to the bottom into the bowl with the rest of your filling. Mix to combine.

To steam the bao:

1. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for another five minutes, until dough returns to its original size and appears very smooth in texture.

2. Roll dough out into a large cylinder and, using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, separate it into twelve even pieces. If you have a kitchen scale, you can use it to ensure that your pieces are all the same size--mine ended up weighing about 40g each.

3. Roll each piece of dough out into an oval of about 4" x 7" (10 x 18cm), covering the pieces you're not working with to prevent them from drying out. The dough should be moderately thin (4-5mm) without being translucent.

4. Lightly brush the top of the dough oval with a neutral oil and fold the dough over lengthwise to form a semi-circular shape. Place each shaped bun in a parchment-paper-lined bamboo steamer, or on a similarly prepared plate. (If you don't have a steamer, choose a plate or plates that will fit inside a wok or large pot--see steaming instructions.)

5. Allow the shaped buns to rise for another 20 minutes until slightly puffy. They will rise further while steaming.

6. Steam the bao. Place your bamboo steamer in the bottom of a wok or large pot, and fill the wok with enough cool water to cover the bottom rim of the steamer by 1/2". If you're using a metal steamer, tie a kitchen towel around its lid to prevent condensation from dipping back down onto the bao, which would jeopardize their rise and texture. If you don't have a steamer, place a small bowl in the bottom of a wok or large, deep pan or pot. Place the plate containing your bao on top of the bowl--the plate should fit inside your pot. Make sure that you can cover the plate and bao with a lid and leave some room to rise without the bao making contact with the lid. If your lid is domed, there is no need for a kitchen towel, since the condensation will run down towards the outer rim. If your lid is flat, tie a tea towel around it just as you would with a metal steamer. Fill your cooking vessel with 2 or so centimeters of cool water.

7. Raise the heat to high and allow the water to come to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low and cover your steamer or pot. Allow bao to steam for eight minutes and remove from the steamer (there is no need to wait five minutes to avoid collapsing, as some recipes suggest!).

To assemble:

1. Reheat filling in a large skillet. Serve lotus leaf buns alongside filling, lettuce, carrots, chopped peanuts, and other toppings and fill as desired.

[dawnettsemporium]

VINTAGE PRESSED CRYSTAL RELISH CONDIMENT DISH SCALLOP PETAL EDGES GOLD TRIM.  SUNRAY EXPLODING IN THE CENTER.

A PIECE UNIQUE & SPECIAL IN EVERY WAY.  BEAUTIFUL!

MEASURES 5.5 INCHES LONG.  4.25 INCHES WIDE.  STANDS 1.25 - 1.50, DEPENDING IF YOUR MEASURING FROM TOP OF HILL TO VALE.

NOT MARKED OR SIGNED.

MADE IN A MOLD AND PRESSED WITH INTRICATE DESIGN.  IT IS A CROSS-HATCHED OR LATTICE-WORKED TYPE PATTERN.  VERY VIVID.

MOLD EDGE ON THE GOLD PAINTED RIM EDGE HAS A LITTLE BIT (1 CM) OF AN EXTENDED SEAM IN ABOUT A 1 INCH SECTION.  

PAINTED GOLD.

GOLD IS WEARING THIN AT THE PETAL TOPS.  BUT THE WEAR IS PRETTY EVEN ALL AROUND--THERE IS NOT A REALLY BAD SPOT.  I DON'T THINK IT WAS AN EXTREMELY THICK LAYER TO BEGIN WITH.  SHINES BEAUTIFULLY IN THE LIGHT. 

THE CENTER OF THE BASE IS SLIGHTLY CONCAVE, SO THE BASE IS NOT SCRATCHED AND MARKED UP LIKE YOU MIGHT EXPECT.  JUST A LITTLE WEAR WHERE THE BOWL DOES TOUCH THE GROUND.

THE SUNRAY PATTERN IS PERFECT AND EXOTIC.  ACCENTED BY PETALS IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS BLOOMING.

THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY OLD PIECE, MAYBE EARLY AMERICAN ANTIQUE.  THAT IS MY BEST GUESS.

PERFECT FOR SERVING CONDIMENTS LIKE PICKLES, OLIVES, RELISH, COMPOTE, CHEESE SPREADS, LITTLE CRACKERS, SPRINKLES, HERBS, CHILI FLAKES.

#DAWNETTSEMPORIUM, #BEAUTIFULMERMAIDQUEEN, #SHAUNALYNNSFOOD. 

FREE SHIPPING.  ASK ANY QUESTIONS.  THANK YOU! 

[rabbitcruiser]

International Day of the Nacho

While tortillas have been around for thousands of years, nachos are a much more recent invention. Learn more about and celebrate the fun of this Mexican food by participating in International Day of the Nacho!

History of International Day of the Nacho

The inspired idea of slicing up corn tortillas and frying them in oil, then piling salsa, meat, cheese and other goodies on top seems to have occurred in the early 1940s.  

The story goes that Ignacia “Nacho” Anaya was the chef in a restaurant along the northern border of Mexico. When some American soldiers came in late at night, the chef was low on ingredients. So he tossed some tortilla chips in with shredded cheese and pickled jalapenos, and the dish was a hit. Of course, it was named after his nickname and it wasn’t long before “nachos” became a household term.

Nachos gained popularity in the 1970s, along with a variety of other foods of the Mexican and Tex-Mex influences. Moving beyond just Mexican-style restaurants, a quick version of nachos began appearing at concession stands in places like state fairs, sports stadiums and more, topped with hot, melted cheese.

When famous sports announcer Howard Cosell talked about nachos on the air during a Dallas Cowboys game in 1978, the media bump caused nachos to go wild. Nachos expanded to movie theaters, convenience stores and even school cafeterias.

International Day of the Nacho embraces and promotes everything to do with this simple and tasty food that now brings joy and delight to people all over the world!

International Day of the Nacho Timeline

7000 BC Corn tortillas are invented

During prehistoric times, corn tortillas are a staple food in what is now Mexico. 

16th Century AD Salsa is invented

Prior to this time, Aztecs may have invented salsa by mixing tomatoes with chilies, but it doesn’t make history until the Spaniards conquer Mexico during this time.

1941 Nachos are invented

Nachos are credited as the brainchild of Ignacia “Nacho” Anaya, who was a restaurant owner in Mexico. 

1947 Salsa makes its way to American homes

Creating a now common condiment for nachos, David and Margaret Pace begin making salsa in Texas, calling it “picante sauce” at the time.

1993 First Chipotle restaurant opens

In Denver, Colorado, Chipotle opens and begins serving their famous burritos as well as nachos, which are on their “secret menu”.

How to Celebrate International Day of the Nacho

Get on board with the fun of International Day of the Nacho with tons of different clever ideas about how to celebrate! Start with some of these ways to get inspired, and then create some that are uniquely yours:

Go Out for Nachos

Depending on the location, nachos are often an easy-to-access, readily available menu item served at loads of different restaurants. Try out a fast and fresh restaurant like Baja Fresh or Del Taco. Or choose a sit down place like Chili’s or Applebee’s for a full-on pile of nachos to share as an appetizer or enjoy as a main dish for one person.

Host a Nacho Party

Grab a few friends, family members or neighbors and get ready to host a party in honor of the International Day of the Nacho! Not only are nachos an easy to make dish that can serve a crowd, they are also a great party dish because it’s easy to ask each person to bring a different part to contribute!

Have one guest bring the tortilla chips, another one bring the jalapeno peppers and a different person can bring the beans. The bigger the guest list, the greater the options for the different recipe items to be brought to the dinner party!

Don’t forget to decorate with various Mexican and Tex-Mex themes, and guests can even be invited to wear a sombrero or serape in honor of the day. For dessert, feel free to serve a Mexican dessert such as churros, sopapillas or individual dishes of flan.

Learn Some Fun Facts About Nachos

In an effort to raise awareness for International Day of the Nacho, remember some bits of trivia about nachos that can be shared with friends or coworkers. Start out with some of these fun facts:

In Mexico, “Nacho” is actually a nickname for the male name Ignacio. The dish that Americans call nachos is actually referred to as “totopos”.

The first recorded appearance of the word “nachos” in English is dated from 1949 when it appeared in a book called The Taste of Texas by Jane Trahey.

Nachos are truly “Tex-Mex” because they were invented just right over the border from Texas in Piedras Negras, Mexico.

Create a Music Playlist for International Day of the Nacho

Take International Day of the Nacho to the next level by making a list of music that goes along with the theme of the day. It can even be played at the previously mentioned party!

Of course, considering the dish’s origins in Mexico, perhaps choose some culturally themed music – perhaps by a Mariachi band or another Latin American group. Get started with some of these popular, classic songs:

La Bamba by Ritchie Valens (1959). One of the most well-known Mexican songs in the US, this one only went to number 22 on the charts when it was originally released, but the film related cover by Los Lobos in 1989 was super popular and went number 1 for three weeks.

Historia de un Amor by Carlos Eleta Almaran (1956). Part of the soundtrack of a film of the same name, this song, “The History of Love”, was written to encourage the musician’s brother after his wife died.

La Cucaracha by many different artists. Originally recorded in 1934, this song, written as an ode to the cockroach, is a classic folk song whose true origins are actually unknown.

Oye Como Va by Tito Puente (1963). Another one of the most recognizable Latin American songs the world over, the most well-known version was recorded by Carlos Santana in 1970, which stayed at the top of the charts for six weeks.

Compete for the Largest Plate of Nachos

The record for the world’s largest plate of nachos was set by the University of Kansas in Kansas City in 2012. The dish consisted of a pile of chips that were 80 feet long, two feet wide and ten inches deep, weighing more than 4600 pounds! Toppings included 860 pounds of ground beef, 860 pounds of nacho cheese, 1200 pounds of beans, 315 pounds of jalapenos and more.

Don’t worry that this much food went to waste, though! Portions of nachos were dished out and sold to people attending a track and field event, in an attempt to raise money for charity.

Those who are interested in competing to top this massive amount of nachos might want to consider creating an event and accomplishing this goal in honor of International Day of the Nacho!

International Day of the Nacho FAQs

Are nachos Mexican?

Yes. Nachos seem to have originated in Northern Mexico, just over the border from Texas. 

Do nachos have gluten?

Nachos are almost always gluten free, as long as they are made with corn tortilla chips and the spices used in the meat do not contain gluten.

Does Chipotle have nachos?

Although they are not necessarily listed on the menu, it’s easy to ask Chipotle to make nachos instead of a burrito or bowl. They’ll happily comply! 

Are nachos healthy?

Most of the ingredients in nachos are highly processed, making them less healthy than some foods. But if fresh vegetables are added, as well as beans as a source of protein, they can be made healthier.

How to make nachos?

A super easy snack or meal, nachos are made by piling toppings, such as cooked meat, cheese, salsa or beans, on top of tortilla chips and then baking them.

Source

[wishing-stones]

Does Nightmare need to eat like everyone else? I though negavite emotions sustain him?

He does. He's still a living being who needs caloric intake to fuel his physical body. The negativity is what sustains his magic. Dream is much the same.

Theoretically, he could live off negativity alone, but he's tried that and it made his actual body very weak, the same way anyone else would be weak without eating (which is also part of the reason he has a weak spot for disgusting slop thrown together-- takes no thought, easy to eat, usually heavy in calories.)

He has a bad habit of forgetting to eat that Axe tries to head off as often as he can. Even so, he's caught the boss more than once in the middle of the night, standing in front of the fridge with an open jar of pickles and some condiment or another, just going to town.

[m-feline]

To adapt, to survive, to live - ch 15

Silco x Freader

Tags: showing some skin, sitting on the lap, smells, slight pinning, fluff;

Masterlist

Previous ->

A couple of days passed and I managed to get my tasting-the-air-thing in control. Apparently, the lack of food had made me lose control over myself. Being hungry made my body react strongly to scents as if I was looking for a meal. Well, it wasn't a meal but it made me overwhelmed. Now that I had eaten I realized that despite "tasting” the air, I had better control of myself and I managed to recognize the scents better too. I could tell exactly what condiments were used for the food and how much. I even asked Sevika to test me. She was skeptical about it but Jinx was more than eager to help and figure out how well I knew what was in the food.

“Cool! Does this mean you can cook anything now?” She asked. I probably could do that. More and more I confirmed that I could sense things like snakes do. I would have to go to meet Signed again to confirm it but so far this was clear.

One evening, I snuck out of my room to get a bite of something. Silco said that I shouldn't come out of my room till I was fine. But I was fine. Well, better than before. Plus, I had this urge of snacking on something. Just some crackers or a glass of juice… or maybe even liquor. I could try it now. But maybe better ask Sevika to be with me when I try it. Just in case I can't drink too much. And she knows a good liquor. I snuck quietly into the hallway and soon I found the living room. Unfortunately, people were there. I now tiptoed very carefully, wishing I could later learn to be as quiet as a snake, as I came to the corner and peeked into the living room. I saw Silco sitting on the wide comfy armchair. Sevika standing at his right, Ran and Dustin at his left a bit further away. And facing them was… Marcus? The Enforcer who came to the Last Drop looking for my kids. Why was he here?

“I refuse,” Marcus said with sure conviction. "I'm not going to aid you with this.”

“What I'm asking is for one simple thing, that no one even misses,” Silco said with a calm voice that was running with patience that was soon wearing out. Okay, now was not the time to get caught. I looked at Ran and Dustin since they were in the perfect position to spot me. And they soon did see me. Dustin saw me first, and then he subtly elbow-butted Ran to the side and nodded in my direction. I lifted my index finger in front of my mouth as a sign of silence and put my hands together in a begging manner. They both caught on to what I meant. Ran walked away from her spot as if she had nothing else to do as she walked in my direction. When she was behind the corner with me she stopped at my side.

“What is it?” She asked whispering.

“Sorry, I just wanted to get something to bite. I didn't know there was meeting,” I whispered.

“Can't it wait?” Ran asked.

“Silco forbid me from leaving the room. I haven't eaten anything for hours, and don't tell me there isn't anything left because I can smell it,” I said.

"From the kitchen,” Ran said mockingly.

“From your breath,” I said and her eyes went wide. "Cooked meat, potatoes, carrots, pickles, and liquor. Dustin even had pudding for dessert.”

"Okay, that's creepy. How did you..?” Ran wanted to ask but we were both caught.

“How about you both come out of there,” Silco called us with a mixture of sigh and irritation. Ran simply glanced at me and went to stand next to Dustin where she had been before. I gave up on sneaking and walked next to the armchair opposite side where Sevika stood. Silco didn't even spare me a glance until I was just a bit in front of the chair where he saw me even if he faced ahead. He had a cigar between his fingers and I could smell the smoke overpowering almost everything else. At least, I won't be overwhelmed by other smells.

“What part of you staying in your room, you didn't understand?” Silco asked with a tone I had heard him use when he was displeased with his people.

“T-technically, I was supposed to stay there till I was better,” I said defending myself.

“Are you now?” Silco asked not believing me.

“Y-yes. Yes, I am,” I said with more confidence. Silco glanced at me and his mood seemed to go dark. Was it because of what I was wearing? I had a simple white robe over me folded and tied. It was the most decent one I have been wearing for days. And I didn't have anything better to wear. Then again I only had a bra and panties underneath the robe, but no one would know it. Except for him apparently.

“Look, I just wanted to get something to eat, that's all. I didn't know you had… company,” I said motioning to Marcus. He looked partly surprised but also uncomfortable. Why that is, I could only guess. "I’ll leave you to continue your little meeting and…”

"You will go nowhere,” Silco chided me. And placed the cigar between his lips.

“I can just… Woah,” I tried to protest but then he simply pulled my hand and made me fall on his lap. "Si-Silco?”

”If you aren't going to stay where I tell you to, then you will stay where I can monitor you,” Silco said with a tone that left no room for arguments. Anywhere but his lap would have been better. Thanks to the wide armchair I was practically squeezed between the armrest and Silco while my legs lay across his lap. The robe slipped away and showed my bare legs to everyone. Silco simply placed his hand that he used to pull me down, on my leg, just a bit above the knee while his other arm rested on the armrest behind my back. As if I was a cat that he now had on his lap he rubbed gentle curves to my knee and turned his attention to Marcus who looked partly nervous and partly annoyed. Silco took the cigar from his lips and puffed a cloud of smoke before speaking.

“As I said earlier before the rude interruption,” Silco said and his hand that held the cigar squeezed a bit harder my knee but not painfully. "I only need you to get me a copy of the file. Since the date is old it shouldn't be even missed.”

"I said no,” Marcus insisted with angry tone.

“Even in exchange for a payment?” Silco asked. It was then that I saw Lock and another big guy in the room too. They stood behind Marcus. I hadn't seen them from behind the corner but now, on Silco’s lap, I saw both of them. The other guy, whose name I completely forgot came forward and dropped a heavy pouch full of money on the coffee table between Marcus and Silco. "It wouldn't be the first time, you take money in exchange for favors.” I was about to say something but one squeeze from Silco’s hand on my knee and I dropped it. Better just sit tight and look pretty, I guess.

“I'm not falling for that, not again,” Marcus said.

“Lost your guts when you saw some blood? Surely, you knew how things would end that day,” Silco said.

“Oh, I had an idea, alright,” Marcus said and glanced at me. "I had no problems with how you dealt with Vander. But others getting hurt was not meant to happen.” Did he think I would go mad knowing that Silco had something to do with Vander’s death? Too late for that. Maybe at the beginning, I might have been angry but now, after learning more about Silco and Vander’s past, I partly don't even care anymore. They had their fight and it got ugly. Yes, I miss Vander sometimes but in the Lanes, anyone can die if not careful. Putting a little wedge between Silco and me? Not going to work. Just to prove my point I rested my head on Silco’s shoulder and looked at Marcus with disinterest.

“If you were going to sow some discord between us, then you failed,” Silco said noticing the same thing I did. When he felt my head on his shoulder he rested his head on mine. "What you don't know is that (Y/n) hates Enforcers more than me. What really scared you then was that you had never seen your kind bleed or die before. That's something you should remember very well for the future. Don't you agree, dear?”

"Yes,” I said with an uninterested tone. "A good fear of death does set one's priority in the whole new order.” Marcus seemed a bit nervous. He should. I don't really care about the politics but I did care how it affected lives down here. Ekko and Jinx. Both have suffered because of this environment created by Piltover. Marcus was just one cog in the machinery of that. Silco seemed to find a way to use him. Yet Marcus tried to break free. I don't know what Silco needs him to do but I know that whatever he does it will be for something.

“I really wonder what makes you refuse the money you have accepted before?” Silco said and took a drag of the cigar. "As far as I know you haven't gotten promoted, yet.”

“I don't want your money,” Marcus hissed.

“But you did want it at the time. Either way, whether you want it or not living at the Topside isn't cheap. Everyone down here knows it,” Silco said.

“I don't need your money.”

His smell changed. His body temperature too. Did he… lie? The change is very small but it is there. He was nervous before and very emotional but now it spiked just a bit. I can't tell other reasons. I breathed through my mouth and I recognized the scents I detected before. Yes, there is some sweating, his breathing changed a phase, and his heart rate changed causing the temperature of his body to change too. He may be good at keeping his face straight but those scents are not easy to hide. Silco noticed that I had switched to breathing through my mouth. Not sure what he was thinking but surely he remembered how I acted the last time I was having a whiff of the scents through my mouth. His grip on my knee brought my attention to him. He seemed slightly mad at me for some reason. But I still thought he had to know what I figured out, so I leaned closer and whispered into his ear.

“He is lying.”

Silco quickly turned to look at me. I could see him ponder if I was serious or even right about what I had said. Okay, I may have acted weird before. But Jinx is more fickle than I was in the past few days. And it doesn't even have to be her day of the month for that to happen.

“I can smell it,” I whispered again.

“My pet tells me you are lying,” Silco said after one long pause as he turned to Marcus.

"Well, she's wrong,” Marcus said not breaking his façade.

“No, I'm not,” I said. "You didn't lie when you said 'you don't want the money’ but you did lie when you said ' you don't need the money.’ There is a difference.”

"You know nothing,” Marcus hissed.

“Mmph,” I pouted and turned away from him. Why did I waste time with Enforcer?

“And now you made her mad. Really, Marcus? She simply pointed out the truth,” Silco said lifting his hand that was on the armrest to pet my head. I didn't care what Marcus did or said but I didn't want to be in an awkward position with Silco. I should at least give him the truth. But what is the truth? Marcus lied but how to call the bluff? I need more information and more scents. I opened my mouth to inhale discreetly the scents again but the grip of Silco’s hand made me stop. I leaned closer so I could whisper into his ear.

“I need a better whiff of him,” I said.

“No, you don't,” He practically growled.

“I can tell he is lying but I need a better whiff of him to say what he is lying about,” I tried again.

“I said no,” Silco said quietly so only I heard him and his warning tone. But what really made me freeze was that his hand had moved on my legs closer to my thighs. I shouldn't push too far but I still had to find a way to figure out what Marcus was hiding. If I can't get closer to him to smell it, then maybe the scent could come to me.

“Can you open a window?” I asked as nicely as possible. Silco looked at me with a doubtful look. "It's too warm for me.”

“Bare with it,” Silco said indifferently. I pouted and realized that I had to result to something else.

“It's either open window or I get up and leave,” I whispered. Silco glared at me and was about to say something but I beat him to it. "I either leave or I need to take off the robe. I rather not do the latter with all the people present.” I didn't know I had the guts to say that. A ghost of a smirk played at Silco’s lips before he leaned to whisper to my ear.

“And if we were alone, would you do it?”

I had no comeback to that except that my face flushed like crazy. Silco leaned back against the headrest and gave a nod to Lock as a sign to open the window. I tried to regain my composure while Lock went to the window and opened it letting the cool evening breeze into the room. The only window in the room was behind Marcus, so when the breeze came in it also brought the smell closer to me. But now I had to pick it up. I inhaled the air, and at the same time, the snake on my back slithered to my face. Luckily, it was on my right cheek that only Silco could see. And he didn't miss the snake’s head coming behind my ear and coming just to touch my lips with its tongue. I didn't see his face but I felt his hand squeeze my thigh indicating he had seen it. But as long as Marcus didn't see it, it was all good. I inhaled another time and I could detect a very faint scent that wasn't similar to anyone in the room yet it came from Marcus. With the third whiff, I got it more clear, and I knew what he was hiding.

“I think we are done here,” Marcus said and got up from his seat.

“She is sick, isn't she?” I asked and made Marcus freeze. His eyes darted at me in mixture of surprise, fear and anger. Good, now I need to break him a bit. "I take a guess,.. she is... your wife? And the condition is serious?”

"Care to elaborate?” Silco asked me ignoring Marcus and his attempt to leave.

“There's a scent of a woman on him. Someone who he is very close to. She can't be a friend or sister, since there is also a scent very close to his lips,” I said. "And I can smell a hint of death. She doesn't have much time.”

“Really?” Silco said and turned to Marcus. "My condolences.” There was an evident conflict in Marcus, it was obvious on his face. He didn't return to his seat but he didn't continue his leave. Silco seemed to have already a plan set to this.

“Give him half of it,” He said to the big guy and he turned back to Marcus. "For your wife. But if you want more you know what needs to be done.” The big guy emptied the pouch of money in half and practically tossed it to Marcus who kept his eyes on Silco. The conflict was still there and there seemed to be anger there too. Just so he won't get any ideas...

“He will do it. The other scent on him tells me so,” I said. Marcus’s eyes landed on me and there was a clear threat in them. I simply ignored him and rested my head again on Silco’s shoulder. One might call me heartless for that but if the Enforcers didn't wish for the trouble they should think more before oppressing people down here.

“I believe we are done then?” Silco said and turned away from Marcus as if he was no longer interested. Marcus left with a dark expression on his face but didn't say anything. Silco waited till the door closed before speaking again.

“Put a tail on him. I want to know his moves. It seems besides money we need another leverage,” Silco said. Sevika nodded and glanced at Ran and Dustin. The two of them nodded and then left the room. I took that as a sign that the meeting was over.

“Are we done then?” I asked.

“We?” Silco asked.

“I meant, if I could go now?” I corrected.

“Are you in a hurry to somewhere?” Silco asked.

“I was heading to the kitchen before you made me sit on this chair,” I reminded him. "I haven't eaten for a while.” Silco hummed and took one drag of the cigar before he stomped it on the ashtray on the coffee table, leaning over me.

“Lock, tell Matt to get some food and bring it to the room. You are heading that way anyway,” Silco said. Lock nodded and soon he and the other big guy were leaving. Silco tapped on my leg and I took it as a sign to move. We both got up from the armchair but before I could say or ask anything, Silco took my hand and pulled me to follow him. He took me back to my room and practically pulled me inside before he closed the door.

“What in Runterra is wrong with you?” He partly hissed and growled.

“Me? What is wrong with you?” I asked. "What ruffled your feathers?”

"You."

Okay, now I was worried. Silco was obviously in a bad mood, so I had to tread cautiously. Perhaps he was not satisfied with how things ended with Marcus. Whatever Marcus had to do for him wasn't going to happen. At least, for a while. But in his eyes, it might as well be never.

“When will you stop acting like an idiot and be more conscious of yourself?” Silco asked hissing.

“Conscious of myself? I was in need of food, I have a very good guess what will happen if I’ll stay hungry,” I said forgetting my own advice to be cautious.

“And what would that be, hm?” Silco asked.

“I might end up sniffing someone without any restrictions and consideration of personal distance. Kind of what I did last time,” I said the last part a bit quietly but I knew Silco heard me. His face changed and he took a step toward me, making me take a step back.

“So you remember what you did then?” Silco asked as he took another step and so did I.

“Y-yes, I'm sorry. I was overwhelmed by the scents and…” I tried to apologize.

“So you were hungry, hmm?” Silco asked.

“No, I was… I was…weak. And easily overwhelmed. Look, I'm sorry, I…” I had to stop and collect my thoughts otherwise I just get myself more in trouble. "Look, it turns out my signia enforces my senses, my sense of smell most strongly. Because snakes are prone to smell or taste the air when they hunt. I can pick up scents on people or around them, especially when I inhale the air through my mouth.”

“It's that how you knew Marcus was lying?” Silco asked his mood apparently coming down a bit.

“Yes. At first, I didn't know if he was lying, I just smelled a change in his scent,” I explained. For some reason, Silco seemed to get back to his dark mood again, why? I have no idea but I rather not have it be because of me. "I went quickly through my head, any reason why his scent would change. His heart rate changed, which made the temperature change, he was sweating. Many of those symptoms are related to lying, then as I explained in the living room, I just pinned down what he said when he lied.”

“And you wanted to smell him more," Silco said with dark expression.

“Well, he wasn't going to budge. Evidently, I had to catch his reason to lie. Which is why I asked to open a window,” I said.

"And then you caught more of his scent," Silco said.

“Without leaving my place and I found the scent of a woman on his face, his right side to be exact. Probably, a kiss from her on the cheek. And with it was also a hint of… something sickening. I don't know how to describe it,” I said.

“Humor me,” Silco invited.

“Death. It smelled like a hint of death. She is dying,” I said.

“And the other reason, why you believe he will come back?” Silco invited.

“A smell of a baby,” I said sighing. I rather not tell him but he already asked so there was no point in hiding it.

“Boy or girl?” Silco asked.

“I don't know. I'm not that good to distinguish baby smells,” I said.

“Oh, well. I guess a simple congratulations card will be enough,” Silco sighed.

“You are going to use the baby against him,” I guessed.

“No, not for now. He has enough on his plate with his wife dying,” Silco said and walked to stand in front of the mirror that I used to look at my snake.

“How do you know it's his wife? I told you I guessed it would be his wife but I have no proof it's her,” I asked.

“It is her,” Silco said watching me through the mirror. "I had my own ways of digging into his background before ever making contact with him. He has a wife, who is very ill. I didn't know about the addition to the family. I guess, the birth has taken a toll on the woman.”

“He will come back because he needs the money to get her treatment and to keep her alive for the sake of the baby,” I said.

“Of course, and if he wants to earn that money, he has to get promoted. And that is where I shall step in but that is not what I wanted to talk about,” Silco said to face me.

"Then what?" I asked.

“I already said it; you.”

I didn't have time to ask or say anything before he came to me and pushed me to the bed and climbed over me. Scared of what he might do, I tried to push him back but he grabbed both of my wrists and pinned them over my head with one firm grip of his hand.

“This is a conversation that's way overdue,” Silco said with a mixture of growl and whisper in his tone. "Do you have any idea how you act sometimes?”

“W-what are talking about?” I asked with fear.

“You don't know. I wonder, are you really that naïve, or are you just teasing?” Silco growled. I had completely forgotten how scary Silco could be but now I had a very good reminder. I wasn't sure of what he was exactly angry of, but if the few times he had been angry at me before were of any indication, then I might have a guess.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…”

“Didn’t mean what, dear?” Silco asked. "Something tells me, you don't even know what truly irritates me.”

"I... I… have been acting a bit foolishly … okay, not a bit, a lot. I'm sorry. It’s just that… I finally did the only thing my mother wished me to do and it was even better than I ever hoped. No, I didn't even dare to dream to have a serpent as my signia. But when I got it, I… I… kind of lost my mind. I didn't mean to cause trouble. Not for you, or Jinx, or anyone.”

“Hmph, at least you are aware of some things you have done,” Silco said and loosened just bit his grip on my wrists but not enough to let me go. "But that still wasn't what I meant.” What? What else could it be? I was getting scared. What could I have done to irritate him that I wasn't even aware of?

“But yes, you were right that after your last ritual, you seem to have lost some of your reason,” Silco said leaning close enough so his lips were right next to my ear, and when he whispered I thought my mind exploded. "I didn't know you were alright sleeping in the tank all naked.” Wait… Was he… mad about that? But then again, why did I agree to that again? I wanted to get over it fast and Signed said that the best and fastest way was to let the liquid get through my skin. Was he mad because I was… indecent? But he has seen me in a worse state before, and he wasn't that angry. Wait, he isn't…

"And not to mention how you have been during the last couple of days. Barely, wearing a thing. It is fortunate that I come to this room before Jinx or anyone else comes in,” Silco said murmuring to my ear. "I practically had to ban everyone from entering here. I can't let anyone see you that way. Only I can see you.”

Oooh, he is jealous. The difference between before and now is that other men may have seen me. Though, he should know better with Signed. But with Marcus, I should have seen the clues. The dominant attitude. When I came to the room he made sure that I would only stick to him. And only him. He got angry and moody because I was wearing so little. And when I needed a better whiff of Marcus, he thought that I would repeat what I did last time, didn't he?

“I can tell you figured it out,” Silco said pulling back to look at me.

“I-I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause a scene. But… once I get my stuff from Signed, I start wearing my regular …” I tried to convince him but his grip got tighter, and he leaned closer to me again.

“You will not wear those rags again,” He hissed. "It seems you didn't get my point, so let me spell it out for you. You are mine.” I wasn't ready for this. I wasn't even sure what this was. No one was supposed to be interested in me. Why of all people it had to be him? And why did he have to be so… possessive.? "And my people do look the part. I can't let you undermine my reputation as I change the Lanes, as I lay the foundation of Zaun. You, you will stand by my side, and only by my side.”

"S-silco, you're scaring me.”

"Is that so?" Silco asked as he loosened the knot that kept my robe fastened. "Where was that fear when I told you to remain in this room? Or when I told you to that you won't smell Marcus?”

"It was just a whiff, I… I wanted to help you.” I was getting more nervous and fear was taking me over. "Please, stop.”

"I told you to stop too, remember?” Silco said right next to my ear. "But you kept going.”

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again.”

"Oh, you won't. I'll make sure of it.”

Before he could do anything else there was a knock on the door. We both freezer and waited for something to happen. Either the one who knocked to identify themselves or leave.

“Umm, Lock asked me to bring this here.”

Matt. He had either the best timing ever or the worst luck. I wasn't sure which one, when Silco gave quiet groan and pushed himself off of me and marched to the door. I took the opportunity to get up and fasten my robe again.

“Seriously, (Y/n) can't you just come down and cook some food yourself as you used… Oh, hey boss,” I heard Matt say when Silco opened the door and Matt realized I wasn't alone. I could hear from where I was how Matt’s voice changed when he met Silco at the door. He wasn't prepared for that. Silco took the plate and roughly told Matt to beat it which he did as I heard the sound of him dashing away. Silco closed the door and I heard the lock click as he locked the door. Another wave of nervousness came over me as Silco walked back to me one hand holding the plate with food on it. He didn't come right next to me. Instead, he went to the small table near the bed which had two chairs.

"Come, sit, and eat,” Silco ordered without looking at me as he set the plate on the table, and he sat on one of the chairs. A part of me warned me not to go anyway near him but other part told me that he was still upset, so disobeying him would be unwise. So, I got up from the bed and went to the unoccupied chair to sit down. The plate had cooked potatoes and carrots, cooked meat, brown gravy, and two pieces of bread. Silco got up when I took the first bite, and he went to a cupboard and brought two glasses and a bottle of bourbon.

“Since your ritual is over, I believe you are allowed a drink,” Silco said as he poured the amber liquid into the glasses and placed one of them close to my plate.

“Y-yes. Though I don't know if I can hold my liquor,” I said.

“More reason for me to stay and confirm it,” Silco said. He took his glass and held it up for a moment. It took me a couple of seconds to get his gesture. I picked up my glass and held it to the same level as he held his glass. He brought his glass close to mine till our glasses made a clear cling sound. Silco then brought his glass to his lips and took a sip of his drink. I took a sip from my glass and right after I swallowed the liquid it burned inside my throat, making me cough.

“*cough* *cough* This… this is strong,” I said setting the glass down.

“Still, I rather have you taste the good quality rather than the bad ones,” Silco said. "It may not go well with your meal now but I will make sure you get better food with better drinks.”

"No thanks, if it means my throat will burn again," I said and focuses on the food.

“A shame. I thought you had now refined palette since you can 'taste the air’, as you put it,” Silco said smirking. A part of me wanted to say something to wipe the smirk off his face but I remained quiet. He was partly right. Besides smells, I should begin to train my palette. Though I have a good palette since I cook most of the time. But if my guess is correct, my signia could make my palette more sensitive. Maybe I could smell and taste poisons too. Many snakes are poisonous. But that might require some training. Maybe I should start with something simple, like… this bourbon. It's not poison but… it does have its own taste. I took another sip, a bigger one this time, and I ended up coughing again.

“Don’t force it,” Silco said moving my glass just slightly away from me. "If you drink too fast, you will get drunk. Take it slowly, savor the drink.” I just nodded and took a smaller sip of the drink.

“By the way, where is Jinx?” I asked hoping to make things less awkward.

“She went to test her new toys. She finished a couple of projects of hers. I thought it was a good opportunity to test them,” Silco said.

“And not let her see Marcus,” I added.

“Yes, I believed it was better this way. She was already worried for you, I rather not submit her to more stress.” Silco said sipping his drink.

“Thank you, and… I'm sorry. For all the trouble I have caused,” I said lowering my eyes.

“Just get better. We shall visit Signed next week so we can finish this ritual of yours and you can focus on Jinx,” Silco said. "And then we will see how things proceed from there.”

I simply nodded and continued eating. The rest of the evening I was quiet, till Jinx came back all covered with soot and dirt. But she was happy that I was better. And her projects seemed to be getting better. She said she would show me once I was better enough to go out

Next ->

[qwanderer]

Whoo! I am tired. It’s August to start with, and on Friday my refrigerator completely stopped working.

I haven’t trusted the freezer for months and months; the last time it had a full meltdown it started working again within a couple of days, so the management company didn’t feel the need to bring someone out to look at it, but that was when I bought my chest freezer. Just a small one, but it’s good to have all my food that needs to be kept frozen in a freezer I trust. And since then the freezer hasn’t been perfectly consistent, and I did in fact at one point get the company to send someone to take a look at it, which didn’t seem to fix the problem entirely, but it has at least usually presented me with frozen ice in my ice cube trays when I needed it, until Friday after work.

On Friday night I was still hoping it would kick back in the way it did last time, so I just tried to keep it closed to preserve the coolness that was still there, but on Saturday morning it was worse, so I started damage control. I put some liter bottles of ice from the chest freezer into the fridge to create a classic icebox, not enough ice to keep things truly refrigerated but at least it all stayed below room temperature. I ate or froze all my most perishable food.

The management company ordered me a new fridge this time, so that should be arriving on Wednesday, but I also ordered a mini fridge which arrived today! It’s lime green and very cheerful. I set it up after work and moved my remaining perishables in there (most notably some celery and a carton of eggs; I’ve just been cooking my eggs to over hard instead of leaving some softness in them, I figure they’re fine otherwise) and pickles of various kinds (anything in brine is probably pretty well preserved).

I threw out a lot of my condiments, the mayonnaise of course, but the others too, less out of concern for their safety and more because a lot of them were really old anyway and there isn’t a ton of room in the minifridge, so I took the opportunity to purge stuff I hadn’t been using.

Anyway I’m hoping the fridge was just old and it wasn’t actually anything I was doing that caused it to fail. It seemed pretty old and was missing one of its door shelf guards when I moved in.

In the past I went through a lot of trial and error trying to determine if there was some kind of external condition that was causing the refrigerator to fail, like its settings or the temperature in my kitchen or overloading it with warm leftovers, but none of those seemed to correlate with the thawing I was seeing. Lately I’ve been worrying that it might be vibration from the mini washer & dryer that I use; the washer is pretty light but its spin still packs a punch, and I’ve been keeping the dryer on top of the fridge.

But like, fridges being next to laundry machines is not terribly uncommon, and mine are the little versions that plug into standard wall sockets and that I can haul around the apartment by myself pretty easily. And after I started to wonder about the possible effects, I added anti-vibration feet to both machines. The dryer has still been standing on top of the fridge, but the compressor and probably most of the circuitry are down at the bottom of the fridge anyway!

I’ve been trying to think of a way to arrange the kitchen that has the dryer somewhere other than on top of the fridge, and I haven’t come up with anything that seems practical. So I thought I would ask google how much of a risk vibration is for refrigerators.

I found a forum where some RV hobbyists were talking about putting domestic refrigerators in their RVs and just driving around with a normal fridge in there! Driving hundreds of miles across the country and over bumps and stuff. None of them reported any problems. That’s very reassuring. I will probably just put my dryer back on top of the new fridge, but I also plan to shuffle things around and see if something else might work, especially if the new fridge is smaller in any dimension than the old one.

I’ve once more moved my kitchen table and most of my appliances into the living room to make the refrigerator accessible, and my collection of compact appliances is getting to be a silly long list, but I get so much use out of them!

Before I moved here I owned two window ACs, a slow cooker, a microwave and an electric kettle, which is pretty reasonable, I think. I still have those (or replacements) but now I also own compact washer, dryer, dishwasher, two freezers and a minifridge. (One of the freezers lives at work.)

I’m hoping to keep the minifridge as just a backup, I don’t think I’ll want it plugged in all the time once I have a real proper fridge in my apartment again, but I think it will be reassuring enough to have that I’ll want to hang onto it. Also it’s pretty! It will just be a pretty little cabinet that happens to contain a compressor, I guess.

Anyway that is why I am tired.

[burgerdudes]

🍔 Review № 610 ━ 📍 Mobster Diner ★★★☆☆ • Mobster Diner opened in Paris’ 5:th Arrondissement back in 2012. Both the restaurant itself and their imagery is inspired by the 1920’s, jazz and the prohibition era, and we weren’t really certain about what this had to do with burgers. But never the less, during our visit they offered a handful of different 180-gram beef burger costing between 13 and 15 EUR (13.5-15.5 USD), and we ordered their Smash burger with two beef patties, double cheddar, lettuce, tomato, red onions, pickles and their house sauce for 14 EUR (14.5 USD). French fries and a soft drink were included in the price. • Our meal arrived quickly on a small tray, and the burger looked pretty good. The brioche bun had been toasted, and had a soft, fluffy and buttery taste, with a pleasing mouth-feel. However, in stark contrast to this stood the beef patty, which was compact and a bit too under seasoned to really stand on its own. The cheese was both creamy and tasty, and the classic burger sauce worked well with the crisp vegetables and the tart pickle. Towards the end of our meal we felt that there was a bit too much bun compared to the other ingredients, and that a third beef patty would have worked great. The french fries were quite boring, but at least there were condiments on the table which we used to mix a dipping sauce that made them a bit more interesting. • Mobster Diner serve a decent burger at a decent price. If you’re hungry for a hamburger in the Latin Quarters then they’re worth a visit, but there are many other places that are better in the French capital. ━ @mobsterdiner #burger #burgerdudes #paris (at Mobster Diner) https://www.instagram.com/p/Clns4OOjqta/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[five-rivers]

I tried Mayo and Peanut Butter in college as a prank and let me tell you. Really good. Something about the mayo makes it sweeter? No clue on the science.

Also, Pickles and Peanut Butter? Self explanatory. Amazing.

Saly Chips and Peanut Butter? Wonderful.

All together. A master sandwich.

Mayonnaise by itself is one of my least favorite condiments. This whole ask made my hair stand on end.