#but hey spice and variety of life etc etc

[fellhellion]

getting into spiderman now is payback for me hearing all those years ago that the voltron writers got hired for atsv and just going lmao poor suckers

[drinkyourvillainjuice]

Mal NSFW Alphabet? O.O

Looks like the doors are opened up on these, huh?

Well, here we go...

Forewarning: this is another level lewder than Wil's one.

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Cuddly. Annoyingly self-satisfied.

They're definitely gonna check in on their partner while couching it in a tease.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Mal's a little indifferent to their own body. They can switch things around. Their partner? Depends which part makes them squirm the most.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

It's fun when things get sticky ;)

(the cleanup is not so fun. but at least it was a good time)

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Has definitely boned in some places that one probably should not, including at least once somebody else's bed. Like, not on purpose per se. but you know. heat of the moment.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Most experienced in the cast. They strike out a lot, but hey, if you don't shoot your shot, then you don't know.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Bending over their partner, pressing their front into their partner's back, a hand between their partner's legs.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

0% serious. They're gonna fool around, and their partner's gotta come prepared for that.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Depends on their mood ;)

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Not especially lovey-dovey but they're used to hook-ups so they only warm into being intimate over time and once they know their partner wants that.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

ehhh they will but it's usually more fun for them with a partner.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

"I wonder if I can make them cum in their pants..."

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Bedroom is usually best. Look, the floor might be fun in theory, but your knees are gonna start feeling real rough on the hardwood after a minute or two.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Being with somebody they like. A partner who talks/emotes during the act. Not taking things too seriously. Turning the table/getting it turned on them.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Very picky about what they'll do with their power before the deed and a fairly hard no about during.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Would rather give than receive, and knows what they're doing.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Very fast when excited, obnoxiously slow if they think they can wind up their partner.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Yes.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

They don't mind experimenting at all, variety is the spice of life.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Their biology is a bit of a cheat code here. They've been known to go off real fast if they're particularly horny, but they're usually good to go again before too long.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

They have a couple, but they like body on body better.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

OFF THE CHARTS.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

They talk a lot during sex. Like a lot a lot.

Mal: Oh? Why don't you try shutting me up?

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Dion's accidentally walked in on them more than once and they find it excruciatingly embarrassing and feel deeply apologetic for it

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Psssh. Wouldn't you like to know.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Literally has the highest libido of the entire cast.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

If permitted to cuddle, they'll start get snoozy before too too long.

[seasaltandcopper]

♠ Leaving them at the mercy of strangers in a public display (stocks, pillory, cage, chained to something, etc) for your vamp series!

-Lonesome

Set years before the start of the series, during Mal’s first week with the hunters. This swerved a bit off prompt, but I had fun lol

hopefully this is the series you meant. it's the one i mentioned in the tags when i reblogged the prompts, but I know I inconveniently have like three vamp-centric ones, so apologies if it's not

Vampire Hunter AU

Edit: this prompt now has a continuation here

Rating: mature

Warnings: torture, captivity, dehumanization, non-sexual nudity, stress positions, profanity, burns, implied (future) whipping, vampire whumpee, multiple whumpers

They strung Mal up by his wrists in the middle of the room, which was, if nothing else, a change of scenery. After spending who knew how long cramped in a pitch-black cell with nothing but his own thoughts keeping him company, this almost felt like an improvement.

Almost.

Mal tried to think positive. Instead of kneeling, bent double on a brick floor until his legs screamed in agony and the muscles in his neck and back cramped and seized, he got to hang, balancing on his toes so he didn’t dislocate his fucking shoulders, and enjoy a whole different set of muscles cramping up instead.

Variety—the spice of life.

Mal shifted restlessly, fighting a losing battle to ease some of the strain on his shoulders. An ache built in the joints, fiery knots that ratcheted tighter and tighter each time he let his arms take his full weight. A muscle in the back of his calf twinged.

Mal breathed. In and out, bare chest rising and falling, pale skin ashy under the stark fluorescents. Being so…exposed in front of a crowd also stirred up a nervous, squirming kind of shame Mal unsuccessfully tried to ignore.

Realistically, he knew a few flimsy scraps of cloth wouldn’t protect him from this; being tortured would suck whether he was naked or not. It was just one more attempt to humiliate him, to reinforce his “place” as something subhuman, that quickly chipped away at his remaining pride.

Across the room, one of the hunters grinned, tapped his buddy on the arm, and nodded Mal’s direction.

Great.

For the first ten minutes or so after hanging Mal up like a piñata, they’d just watched, joking crudely and laughing amongst themselves. Too many sets of eyes sizing Mal up, like a piece of meat.

Or sharks smelling blood in the water.

Now, it looked like they were finally ready to play.

Slowly, the hunter prowled closer. He pulled a small, folding knife from his pocket. As far as blades went, it was pretty tame. Something meant for trimming twine or nails—only a couple inches long.

Smirking, he held it up for Mal to see. Waved it slowly back forth so dramatically that Mal finally rolled his eyes at the display.

The hunter stopped and arched his brow, taunting, “Think that’s funny, leech?”

“Of course not,” Mal said, dryly. “You and that nail file are terrifying. Really.”

Egging them on was stupid; Mal knew it was stupid. And for the most part he’d bitten back the snark and profanity and played it smart. He watched. Listened. Looked for opportunities, openings, any weakness he could exploit.

But every now and then Mal’s mouth still got the better of him.

The hunter snorted. Glanced at the pocket knife and made a show of looking it over before shrugging and folding it closed.

“Yeah,” he conceded, mildly. “Never was a big fan of knives, anyhow. Not for this shit.” The man waved a dismissive hand, and turned back to the gaggle of hunters. “Hey, Niall, pass me the No. 3 Braided?”

A couple of the hunters laughed. One of the women whistled. Another scoffed, the sound almost lost to a louder protest of, “What happened to starting small?”, that kicked off another round of jeers and abrasive laughter.

Unease prickled like sweat on the nape of Mal’s neck. He swallowed, fidgeting and letting his gaze drift from the hunter to the crowd behind him. The other man, Niall, strolled forward a moment later, a length of something heavy and black coiled in his hand.

A whip. That was a fucking whip.

Niall passed it over and retreated back to the sidelines to watch. Tension settled over the room. Anticipation.

Given the floor again, the hunter hefted the tool, then tilted it to give Mal a better look. Against his better judgment, Mal did. Something in the pit of his stomach tied itself in queasy knots.

“This here is one of my favorite correctional tools in our kit. Sleek, got a bit of weight to it, feels real good in your hand.” He unlooped a single coil, letting the tip dangle. “Comparable to your standard bullwhip—little shorter, because we’re not driving cattle with it. But the craftsmanship is what really sets this thing apart. You got your standard woven leather cording, but then see that there…?”

He dragged a finger down the length, angling the whip again so it caught the overhead light. Dull shine Mal first mistook for well-oiled leather came into terrifying clarity, all at once.

Oh, god…

“Silver thread,” the hunter confirmed, enjoying the dawning horror settling over his captive audience. “All braided in with the leather, can barely even see them. But when it hits one of your kind—” Casually, the hunter pressed the whip to Mal’s stomach, just above his navel. “It adds a little extra zing to your swing.”

The reaction was immediate.

Pain sizzled across Mal’s skin as the interwoven silver burned on contact. He hissed through his teeth, and tried unsuccessfully to flinch away. Bare feet skimmed the concrete, yanking hard against the shackles anchoring his legs to the floor, a precaution to keep him from kicking.

Smart. Because without it, the asshole in front of him would’ve already been dead.

Grinning, the hunter held the silver-braided loop there for a few more seconds, watching his captive squirm. When he finally relented, a bright red line of blistered flesh marred Mal’s belly, like he’d carelessly leaned against a hot stove.

Shit.

Mal was breathing hard, now. Shaking, from more than just the strain of the position. Fear—real fear—danced around the edges of his consciousness.

Anger, too. Bone-deep, stubborn defiance Mal sometimes swore he’d been born with. It’d kept him going this long. Helped him weather things that were, theoretically, scarier than a ragtag group of human bullies.

In reality, he’d never faced anything like this before.

Ears ringing, Mal stared the hunter down, fangs bared in a snarl.

Face darkened with cruel glee, the hunter leaned in close. Just shy of Mal’s biting range, but enough the heat of his breath puffed against Mal’s skin, like he was sharing a secret between the two of them.

“Most of them scream by three.” The muffled thwick of leather hitting the floor echoed in Mal’s ears. “But I bet you’ll make it to five.”

Tag list: @whumpsday @writereleaserepeat @thecyrulik @lookbluesoup

[bluesstorycorner]

Writeblr intro 💙⭐️💜

Flies into open window through helicopter wire and front rolls across room.

Wait, wrong window.

Repeats everything but into the correct window where you’re standing and magnificently introduces myself for the first time.

Hey~🕺🪩

A bit of backstory for this account. (Feel free to skip this and go straight into the intro below):

I made this blog ages ago to try and connect more with self shippers, but I ended up not doing anything with it because I became inactive in the self ship community (at least until now. I might make a separate blog for that later, but right now I’m focusing on some more important things in my life).

So I tried reforming this place into a “I’ll put whatever I want here” sorta thing, but once again became inactive. And now that Instagram (my main platform) has basically been rendered useless because of the tags not working anymore, I need to find a new “main” to talk about my writing and shit. So I’m trying for a third and hopefully final time to reform this blog, and turning it into a writing/oc blog. :b

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About me:

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🛸 My name is Rosalind B. Sterling, but you can call me Ross or Ros.

🛸 My age is—slowly looks up at the number twenty looming over me. Dear god. It’s coming.

🛸 I’m a college student. Or at least I’m supposed to be. If my school would just make the transfer process a bit easier, I’ll hopefully be able to make it this semester.

🛸 I’m a demibiromantic asexual, and genderfluid. My pronouns are she/he/they 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

🛸 I’m Puerto Rican, German, and Scottish.

🛸 I’m also neurodivergent.

I mention all this because I want everyone to know that this is this is a safe space for LGBTQ+, POC, disabled people etc, and I love using my experiences as a person from these groups to write diverse casts of characters into my books.

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About my writing/what to expect from this blog:

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💜 I'm an author/writer, editor (mostly developmental), artist (mostly cartoonist), and reader who posts illustrations, writing content, book reviews, discussions, thirst traps of sexy characters 💅, and more. See? You get an enjoyable variety of content here ✨

💜 I primarily write adult oriented stories in the genres: crime, comedy, and sci-fi, while mixing in vintage/nostalgic elements from different time eras ranging from the 1920’s to the 2000’s. I also love playing Cupid and slipping in different romantic subplots with varying levels of spice.

💜 You’ll probably see a lot of morally gray characters, cartoon-style humor, a chaotic/meta writing style with 4th wall breaks, and lots of parody/spoofing in my stories.

💜 I’m a planster, and often don’t know what the hell I’m doing when I write. I just shit something out and shape it into something readable with the help of my many betas and editors who still somehow put up with me to this day (I love you guys).

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What do I read?

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I like to read what I like write, except not everything I like to write is available in the book world. So at this point, I’ll read anything as long as it holds my attention for more than a few chapters.

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Can I read anything of yours right now?

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⭐️ Yep!

My debut novel: "Villain vs. Villain and the Revitalization of the Transtemporal Case" is the first book in my illustrated, crime/comedy/sci-fi trilogy. It's currently on Amazon in ebook format, and on Goodreads. But I’m also in the works of getting the paperback out this month as well as the animated-ish book trailer.

It’s a story about a time travel scandal taking place in 2005. Jonathan, a black market salesman, is on a journey to clear his name and stop his brother from messing with the timeline. Along the way, he teams up with an undercover agent and go on wacky adventures together as they attempt to reach their goals and hopefully put a stop to their dimension’s demise.

⭐️ I also have a few random short stories on my website blog which can be found here, however, I’m highly considering re-working them as they are all unedited, probably full of errors, and I also wrote these anywhere from months to years ago, so I don’t think they properly represent my current writing all that well.

⭐️ Honorable mention to my Webtoon which you can find here. I haven’t posted anything yet, but have plans to do mini comics with the characters of my Villain vs. Villain trilogy as a way to explore ideas and backstories I couldn’t explore in the books themselves.

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Do you have any WIP's?

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Distant screaming.

Too many my friend...too many. But my main WIP right now is book 2 of my Villain vs. Villain trilogy. I also have a 1920's crime/comedy/sapphic romance short story thingamajig I've got in development that I hope to publish next year. I simply don't have the time, money, or energy to publish book 2 next year as I originally planned, so hopefully this short story will fill in that publishing gap until I get my trilogy figured out.

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Some random facts about me:

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💙 I love anything Y2K, scene, noir, neon, synthwave, cyberpunk, etc. You name the aesthetic, I probably like it. (I have waaaay too many eclectic interests and styles so I’ll probably look different in every photo, and I’m putting my bets on it that this account won’t have a concise theme either).

💙 I have a shih tzu/writing partner named Dakota who will sometimes appear on my account. (He loves contributing to my drafts by jumping onto my lap and slamming his paws and ass on my keyboard). Also ignore the half destroyed chair he’s sitting on. He’s responsible for said destruction and is proud of it.

💙 I currently live in Ohio, and yes, I can confirm first hand that it’s an entrance to the backrooms. The screams from outside keep getting louder too…

💙 Horror is my comfort/self indulgent genre. I would say the same about erotica but I really can’t seem to get into most books I find in that genre for some reason. So I mostly read shitty X reader fics online involving the characters I crush on (who totally aren’t cartoon men in their middle ages).

💙 Music is one of my biggest inspirations for writing. My favorite genres are 2000’s-2010’s pop music, and electro swing. My favorite artists are: Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Pitbull, Wolfgang Lohr, Swing’it, and more.

💙 I talk…a lot…as you can tell by the length of this blog 🌝

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Welp, that’s all I got for now. I’m still working on reforming this blog, as I said earlier, so there might be a mess of random posts here here as well as an unfinished theme until I figure how the actual hell to use this platform. I sorta wanna post both orginal and fan content like I was doing before, but whenever I dedicate an account to my writing, I feel odd posting anything that’s not OC related. We’ll see what happens.

In the mean time, check my link tree for my other socials, website, and my editing services. If you follow this blog, I’ll most likely follow back because I need friends lmao. No matter your age, the genre you write, where you love etc, come say hi. I really don’t have restrictions on what kind of audience I want since I love everyone and wanna connect with as many writers/artists as I can. Hit up my DM’s too if you wanna chat. I’m always open to have a nice convo.

And with all that being said, welcome to my blog raaahhhh 🦅

Jumps out of window and dies.

[thatdommegal2]

Hey Alexa, it’s me again. I wanted to give you an update! So, I took your advice and started with a cheaper plastic cage to test the waters. We measured him properly, like you suggested, and the cage we chose fits pretty well. I’ve had him locked up for two days now, and he seems to be adjusting. There was a little discomfort at first, but he says it’s manageable. He actually seems to be enjoying it even more than he expected.

But here’s the thing I didn’t expect to enjoy it this much either. There’s something incredibly thrilling about knowing I hold the key, quite literally, to his pleasure. Watching him squirm and seeing how much he wants me, but can’t have me, has been... well, it’s a rush. I’ve even started teasing him a little, just to see how he reacts. The way he looks at me when I do it’s intoxicating.

I’ve got a few more questions if you don’t mind. 😌

We’re thinking about moving to a metal cage in few weeks, like you recommended. How do you handle cleaning and hygiene with a metal cage, especially if he’s going to be locked up for longer periods? Any tips or tricks?

I’ve noticed he’s been really attentive and eager to please me since he’s been locked up, which is awesome! But I’m curious how do you balance teasing him without pushing too far? I want to keep the tension high but still make sure it’s fun for both of us.

You mentioned earlier about long-term chastity potentially causing things like shrinking. How long does it typically take for that to happen, and is it something I should be concerned about?

Lastly, do you have any recommendations for adding more variety to our play while he’s locked up? I’m really enjoying this dynamic, but I’d love to hear some of your favorite ways to keep things interesting.

Thank you again for all your help. This has been such an eye-opening experience, and I’m loving every moment of it. I’ll definitely keep you posted on how things progress. Take care! ☺️

🚶‍♀️

Hello again, I’m so happy to hear things are going well. When it comes to cleaning in a metal cage, I’d say about once a week in depth cleaning is good, but you can do it as often as you please. Take the cage off and clean with soap and water, make sure it’s dry before putting the cage back on. He can clean it, or you could clean it and have his hands unavailable to him using things like handcuffs behind his back or something similar. On the off days you don’t take the cage off to shower, letting water and soap run down does a decent enough job, but if you need a bit more you could always use q-tips to clean in between the metal and the skin.

As for balancing teasing with not pushing too far, he should have a safeword and you hopefully feel certain he will use it if he needs to. You can also have a world such as yellow for slow down or pause, and generally open communication. He should always feel like he can tell you if something is painful to the point he is concerned or if it’s no longer working for him. Other than that, I say there is no such thing as too much teasing.

Shrinking and how long that takes depends widely on the person and how you are using chastity. That really is something you two should look up together. It depends on things like length of time locked, teasing and erections while locked and unlocked, age of locked sub, cage size, testosterone levels, etc.

As for adding variety, I’m not sure what you’re currently doing, but you can always add more spice to life. lol to get ideas, Tumblr is obviously a good place to look, also smutty books are great for ideas or literotica. Also any personal fantasies, write them down if you have trouble remembering.

[thedisneychef]

Ways to Cook Black Eyed Peas: Delicious and Creative Ideas

Hey there! If you're looking for a delicious and nutritious way to cook black eyed peas, then look no further. I'm going to give you some tasty recipes as well as tips on how to make the most out of these amazing legumes. Black eyed peas are not only packed with protein, fiber and essential vitamins, but they can also be cooked in so many different ways that will have your taste buds singing. So let's get cooking! Boiling I love cooking black-eyed peas in a pot. Boiling them is easy and quick, plus the flavor and texture of the beans are perfect every time! I start by rinsing the black-eyed peas with cold water to remove any dirt or debris. Then, I place them in a pot filled with enough water to cover all of the beans. I bring it up to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover the pot and let it simmer for about an hour or until they’re tender when pierced with a fork. Grilling and steaming are also great ways to cook these delicious beans. To grill them, you can either wrap already cooked black eyed peas in foil, season as desired and then place on the preheated grill for 5 minutes per side or skewer them like kebabs and do the same thing. For steaming, simply fill a large pan with 1 inch of hot water and insert your steamer basket; add seasoned blacked eyed peas into basket, cover and steam for 20 minutes or until desired doneness is reached. No matter which method you choose, you're sure to enjoy this tasty legume! The possibilities are endless when it comes to how you can use these flavorful beans - from adding them to stews, soups & salads to using as part of main dishes or sides - so get creative and have fun experimenting! Baking I'm sure you've heard that variety is the spice of life and this saying certainly applies when it comes to cooking black eyed peas. There are so many delicious ways to cook them, from baking to grilling and roasting - each method yielding a unique flavor! Let's explore two methods for cooking black eyed peas: grill roasting and slow cooking. Grill roasting requires an open flame or charcoal fire to char the exterior of the beans while keeping their interior juicy. To get started, soak your black eyed peas overnight in cold water then drain them completely before adding some olive oil and spices of your choice. Place the mix onto a preheated grill over hot coals or gas flames for about 20 minutes and turn occasionally until cooked through evenly. The smoky flavor will make these grilled black eyed peas hard to resist! Slow cooking is another option for preparing tasty black eyed peas. Cook up a batch by soaking them overnight and draining off any excess moisture before adding vegetables such as onions, celery, garlic, carrots, tomatoes etc., plus your favorite herbs like cilantro and parsley into a crockpot along with seasonings and broth/water (about 3 cups). Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours until tender but not mushy – enjoy! No matter which way you choose to prepare your black eyed peas, they're sure to be flavorful enough to become part of your regular meal rotation! Pressure Cooking Pressure cooking black eyed peas is a great way to get them cooked quickly and easily. This method of cooking involves using an airtight container, such as the popular Instant Pot, to cook food with steam at high pressure. Pressure cooking allows you to cut your cooking time significantly without sacrificing flavor or texture. The beans will become tender in just minutes rather than hours when slow cooked or simmered. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can still enjoy delicious black eyed peas by slow simmering them on the stovetop. Start by soaking your dried peas overnight in cold water; they'll expand which makes for more even cooking. Next, add the soaked beans and enough fresh water to cover them into a large pot over medium-high heat until boiling then reduce heat to low and let it slowly simmer until soft - this takes approximately 1 hour but may take longer depending upon how old your beans are. Adding seasonings during the last few minutes of cooking will enhance their flavor! Cooking black eyed peas doesn't have to be time consuming if done correctly - whether it's through quick pressure cooking or slow simmering on the stove top, both methods ensure that your beans come out perfectly cooked every single time! Sauteing I love sautéing black eyed peas. It's a great way to cook them and get that delicious, smoky flavor without all the work of slow simmering or deep frying. The best part is you don't need any special equipment - just a good skillet and some oil! Plus, it takes very little time, so if you're in a hurry it's perfect for whipping up a tasty side dish or main course. To begin sautéing your black eyed peas, start by heating 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot (you can test this by adding one bean; if it sizzles and pops, then it's ready!), add 1 cup of drained and rinsed black eyed peas to the pan. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes until the beans become lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving. Sautéed black eyed peas are an incredibly versatile ingredient - they make a delicious addition to salads, soups, stews, tacos and more! Whether you want something quick and easy or gourmet-style fare, these flavorful legumes will surely hit the spot every time. Stir-Frying Moving on from sautéing, stir-frying is another great way to cook black eyed peas. This method involves marinating the beans in a mixture of spices and oil beforehand; this helps them absorb flavor and become more tender before they are cooked. Once ready, heat some oil in a wok or skillet over high heat, then add the marinated peas. Stir fry for 3-5 minutes until they’re heated through and slightly browned. Make sure you don't overcook so that all their nutrients remain intact! If you want an even slower cooking process, consider boiling your black eyed peas with some seasoning like onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaves. This will give the beans an incredibly rich flavor and texture without taking up too much of your time. Boil for about 25 minutes or until the beans are fully cooked but still hold their shape when bitten into. If desired, you can also slow cook these beans in a crock pot overnight for an extra savory taste. No matter which method you choose, adding herbs and spices such as cumin powder, oregano flakes or smoked paprika will take your black eyed peas to the next level! All it takes is just a few simple ingredients to make delicious dishes everyone at home will love! Frequently Asked Questions What Is The Nutritional Value Of Black Eyed Peas? When it comes to nutrition, black-eyed peas are packed with important nutrients. One cup of cooked black-eyed peas contains around 230 calories, 5 grams of fat and 15 grams of protein. They're also a great source of dietary fiber, providing 11 percent of the daily recommended value in that one cup. Plus, they provide significant amounts of potassium, magnesium, iron and folate. So when you cook up some black-eyed peas for dinner or combine them with other ingredients for a delicious meal, you can rest assured knowing you’re getting lots of good nutrition too. Is There A Difference Between Black Eyed Peas And Black Beans? Yes, there is a difference between black eyed peas and black beans! Black-eyed peas are small, cream-colored legumes with a distinctive black spot. They have an earthy but sweet flavor that makes them popular in Southern cuisine. Cooking times for black-eyed peas vary depending on the method used; they can be cooked quickly using high heat or slowly over low heat. Slow cooking is often preferred to preserve the texture of the pea and bring out their full flavor. Are Black Eyed Peas Vegan-Friendly? Yes, black eyed peas are vegan-friendly! They contain no animal products and provide a good source of protein along with dietary fiber. Black eyed peas also contain goitrogens, which are compounds that can block the synthesis of thyroid hormones, so it’s important to enjoy them in moderation if you have an existing condition. But overall, their high fiber content makes for a healthy addition to any vegan diet. Are There Any Health Benefits To Consuming Black Eyed Peas? Yes, there are health benefits to consuming black eyed peas! They're rich in vitamins and minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. They also provide a good source of dietary fiber which helps with digestion and can reduce cholesterol levels. Additionally, they are an excellent substitute for other ingredients due to their versatility when it comes to different cooking methods. Black eyed peas can be boiled, steamed or stir-fried; making them great for delicious dishes like soups, salads or casseroles. Is It Possible To Freeze Cooked Black Eyed Peas? Yes, it is possible to freeze cooked black eyed peas! Canning tips suggest that the best way to do this is by blanching them first. This involves boiling the beans for a few minutes before cooling and freezing them in an airtight container. Alternatively, you could also omit the blanching step and just freeze the cooked beans as-is. Either method will work fine - just make sure you don't leave them out of the freezer for too long or they may start to spoil. Conclusion In conclusion, black eyed peas are a nutritious and delicious food that can be cooked in a variety of ways. They are similar to black beans but contain some unique nutritional benefits such as being high in fiber and protein. Black eyed peas are also vegan-friendly, making them an excellent choice for those following plant-based diets. Additionally, they can even be frozen after they have been cooked so you can enjoy them later on! So if you're looking for a healthy meal or snack idea, try cooking up some black eyed peas today! Read the full article

[candiliam328]

There’s a song called the killing kind by marianas trench it’s not something I’ve heard musically before but it’s really cool u might like it

me vibing and then suddenly THAT middle happens:

ANON YOU KNOW MY TASTES. I DID ENJOY VERY MUCH THANK YOU.

oh you clicked "read more"? here's some musical overanalysis lol

standard disclaimer applies: hi im not a music major, pls disregard everything below, idk what im saying lol

...

before we start, let's talk about some typical downfalls of long songs:

issue #1: the human attention span is admittedly not great. and this is the biggest issue with long songs or pieces - if you are not exciting enough, you will inevitably lose your audience. but if you are too exciting too soon for too long, you will overwhelm your audience and again inevitably lose them.

issue #2: you start amazing but... nowhere to go. think of it like a film or a story with a great concept or interesting set-up, but very little beyond that. the ending leaves you desiring more and you leave feeling unfulfilled. some songs are like that - they climax a little too early and then you have about 4 minutes of boring filler until it unceremoniously... ends. yike. (there's actually one song in particular that im thinking of that had a really exciting buildup and concept, but i just... i wanted more lol. big sad moment)

ok so those are the typical pitfalls. how do we avoid that? much like in writing or in film, music tends to follow some form structure and can be "outlined" if you will.... so....

let's talk musical forms! there are several different forms or structures any piece of music can take and several classical pieces must follow these structures strictly to be considered a Rondo or a Sonata, etc. there are 2 main categories of forms for songs: "strophic" and "through-composed."

"strophic" is probably what you initially think of for pop music: repetitive verse and refrain structure. however, this song is closer to being "through-composed," which is properly defined as being continuous, non-sectional, and non-repetitive. since pop music is known for being repetitive, we tend to stretch the definition to include songs that (as in this case) have distinct and repeated sections, but once a section is left, it is never revisited.

(other examples of "through-composed" form in pop songs include "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen or "Happiness is a Warm Gun" by The Beatles !)

when talking about musical forms, we tend to write it in letter structure. a strict strophic song would be written as AAAA (one piece of music that is repeated 4 times), while a strict through-composed song would be written as ABCD (4 separate music ideas that are played straight through and are never revisited). for this song, though, i would probably write it to be something out like AABCC' + coda and transition music in between... (rip i havent had to write letter structure in so long pls dont judge)

so with a musical form, you can make a gameplan and hopefully avoid structural issues where you just get lost in the sauce as you are composing. and tldr: this song utilizes a relatively unique musical structure for a pop song.

ok thats cool and all but you may be wondering: how do we deal with attention span aspect? easy.

variety is the spice of life, my friend. even in a standard strophic song, you can change the backing instrumentation with each repetition and even allow it to gradually build so that you feel a sense of fulfillment by the end as all the backing instruments come together. very standard stuff and the more you listen for it, the more you can hear it in nearly every pop song - yes, even in this one! so hey, while we're here, let's walk through it together:

funny side note: unlike with classical music pieces, there's technically a lot of flexibility with what you can do and where you can go with pop music and yet, most pop music we hear is extremely repetitive and based on simple 4 chord progressions. (music now is so weird i swear like wtf are we doing @ contemporary composers) we could talk about why that is the case and all that messy stuff but there is already at least 2k words below so i think we should just get right to it asjakjajajjaaj

...

{ A: the basic pop music section } (sorry)

we open with some nice pizzicato and a 4 chord progression. (thankfully not those 4 chords lol but still a decently common progression? bonus challenge: sing "Shape of You" over that opening, its pretty fun!)

just like we mentioned before, our gameplan is starting bare and simple so that we have room to grow as the section plays on - so we gradually add in some idiophone and backup vocals and strings.

(and yo the swell of the backup vocals at the end of the refrain after the repeated "my love is the killing kind" ? chills. that is beyond the 4 chords stuff and a good taste of what is to come. A+ dissonant work.)

with the repeat of the section, we get some drums and other midi backing layers, but it is still very stripped down compared to most music. if you listen closely, you can hear a countermelody playing that gets more prominent as the section continues to develop.

and then the brass kicks in and ~oh baby~ that is the deep music layer that we have been missing this entire time. the layers have built up at this point and again if you listen super closely, you can even hear some creepy vocals floating in that are separate from the countermelody and accompaniment and hnnnnnnng yes yes yes.

(it is music appreciation hour, folks and it is mostly just me losing it and rambling incoherently - woo)

ok but let's stop really quickly before we get back to this section's refrain and talk about why this works. we know that it's a good way to keep your audience engaged and interested in the music, but there must be another reason why we built up from a very basic pizzicato to a fully layered backing in this song.......

...

{ quick side bar: lets talk about lyrics! }

hi. my name is bean. and i tend to forget about lyrics. and yes, there are lyrics to this song. yes, we should talk about them lol. (i wrote this whole thing and then realized i completely ignored this very important aspect of the song so yes please @ me, this is the last section i added)

most music, regardless of whether or not they have lyrics, is trying to convey some kind of story. and there is a very interesting narrative that this song follows, at least the way i hear it (more in part two 👀).

in short, the lyrics appear to depict an individual that is lonely and is convinced that his affection pushes people away. and the song is directed to us, the listeners, who in this narrative play his old love(s) and continue to haunt him. which is such an interesting concept and it feels as though we are helpless listeners to a man slowly descending into madness and whoooooooo ~ its good stuff anon. its good stuff.

however, for this narrative to most effectively be delivered, all aspects of the music must work together and be in agreement with the narrative. the lyrics may be the main vessel but the accompaniment and backing must reflect and support that as well (just like the score in a film!)

and with all that being said, let's return to part A....

...

{ A : continued }

let's talk about how the backing elements and the lyrics work together to help set the scene in the opening.

we've opened with pizzicato and vocals. "pizzicato" by definition requires you to play detached (plucking the strings rather than bowing) and it often invokes a bright and light feeling in this pitch range. texturally, it provides a nice juxtaposition with the dark/heavy lyrics. add in the whimsical, high pitched idiophone chimes and the effect is ten-fold. but let's consider how this works with the lyrics to convince you the singer is alone:

"I roam these halls / search the night / in hopes that I might see / a remnant trace, a glimpse of you / I stare into the deep"

with the pizzicato and the hits of the idiophone, each note is disconnected from the other, just as the singer appears disconnected from everyone else.

when do we first hear the backup vocals? the first time he sings "the killing kind." could it be those vocals are representing ghosts that are haunting him? perhaps the singer is not as alone as we initially thought...

we've started very high in the musical registers. as we hit the repeat, layers build and lower registers start to appear.

"try and try to let you go / and i'll just disappear / go down below where children go / and we all float down here"

the joint work of the lower registers appearing and the inclusion of lyrics, such as "let you go" and "go down below" invokes the imagery of falling. hence begins the singer's descent into madness. an ominous countermelody gets louder as the singer seems to fall deeper and deeper and ooooooooh~ isnt that great.

with the repeat of the refrain, we get the hard-hitting brass and piano and it feels as though we've arrived. we've reached our final destination and the music has achieved its final form. if this were a typical pop song, this would be the end of our evolution.

however......

....

{ the first transition }

ok ill be honest with you anon. this transition is what got me sold. on my first listen, i had been wondering up until this point why this song was sent in and then oooooooh boiiii - that modulation? that is some solid modulation. the rhythm patterns? the piano? THE BRASS FLOURISHES. hot dang. god im not qualified to talk about how good this transition is, but asjkajajajaja i love it so much.

...

{ B: the development }

( let me be honest, anon, a big cause for delay in this answer is actually this section in particular. i swear ive heard the melody for "one for the memory, two for the pain" before but i can't. find. it. (so i give up) it's a nice melody at the very least. and by my ear, a musical line that we haven't heard yet in the song so yay! )

real quick let me explain the name. first time i heard this song and realized there were three distinct sections, i was thinking about sonata form. sonatas have 3 distinct parts: exposition, development, and recapitulation. the exposition is your main musical idea and you do some standard things to it before heading to your development. and the development is pretty much when you can go ham. be a little weird! do cool things! explore musical ideas before you have to return to your main musical idea with the recapitulation. (we don't return to our original musical idea in this song, but hey, just work with me a bit here lol)

in short: i love this development. remember those two issues we mentioned that long songs encounter? this development is what allows us to avoid them.

issue #1: the human attention span kinda sucks.

one of your biggest enemies here? repetition. but a good development gets rid of that problem for you since you have now stopped repeating and are now going on a separate adventure (a side quest if you will) which is hopefully enough to keep your audience captivated and engaged on your path to the ending.

issue #2: the song climaxed too hard, too quickly.

that first transition was, for lack of a better descriptor, EPIC™️ - there were power chords and melodic screaming and imaginary pyrotechnics in my mental concert stage. how can you even top that??

the answer is: you don't. don't even try. just drop off, take a hard turn left, and take a moment to catch your breath. like i always say: the rests in the music are just as important as the actual music itself. its the contrast and presence of both that makes it interesting.

(side note: other pop music do utilize this phenomenon to an extent! beyond a typical bridge, i think of the sudden acapella moments in the middle of songs to create the eventual "drop" as all the instruments come back in and gets audiences pumped.)

remember all that build up we did in part A? yeah, we're scrapping it - we're starting fresh with completely cut audio and building up again new, slightly changed but still similar enough to parallel.

the main accompaniment in part A was pizzicato ? ok, let's change the accompaniment for part B to legato, bowed strings. it's a fresh start and let's be clear about that. however, let's bring in that idiophone again as accents for the accompaniment. we're entering more familiar territory and letting it slowly all build back up again, taking our time with it in a way to contrast with the craziness of the transition.

and now, remember what i said about the melody line for this section maybe being somewhat familiar? whether or not that is true, the rhyme should be familiar to most, if not all listeners:

"one for the memory, two for the pain"

clearly meant to invoke the classic: "one for the money, two for the show"

the lyrics and the rhythm applied to the lyrics are very familiar and comforting and combined with the relatively toned down accompaniment? amazing contrast with the transition. A+ work.

now, how does this all fit with the narrative of the song?

this section is to me like a skewed nursery rhyme. its comforting but the lyrics are telling me it shouldn't be. its the return of that fun juxtaposition from section A.

our singer is haunted by ghosts (of us), but he seems ok with it? even comforted by it? with each repetition of the "one for the --, two for the --" section, it feels as though the singer is singing to himself and swigging another drink. drinking makes the ghosts feel more prominent and we see that reflected in the music as it swells and becomes more dramatic.

also worthy of note is the incremental modulation up throughout this section to create this suspenseful feeling that we are still "going somewhere." but its the opposite feeling as before - we are no longer descending into madness but ascending into some unknown fantasy.

...

{ the second transition }

........ theremin my beloved ??? 👀👀👀

god im so partial to the transitions - is it obvious they're my favorite parts? like i can't even talk about how good they are, im just *MWAH*

however, i'd like to draw our attention to these particular lyrics:

(in part B) "sing it for me baby / singing me to sleep"

(transition) "i dream of you / evermore"

GOD. this imagery. we are still climbing but it feels much more unnatural and hazy this time (god i hope that's theremin, thats my best guess)

AND HELLO RETURN OF THE BRASS CALL.

so brass is really funny. its an incredibly cinematic choice and you usually hear it when there's a victory. gosh, i know how twisted is that? the singer has appeared to have died or completely left this realm of reality and we're celebrating it with a victorious flourish? i love it. i love it so much holy crap.

...

{ C : the last bit + the coda }

FINAL HOME STRETCH! (if you've actually made it this far, idk how or why, im genuinely impressed)

as im sure you realize by now, each main section follows a similar structure: we cut out any previous progress and start fresh, building from silence but utilizing different textures each time.

but real talk - the second transition absolutely sells this feeling of ascension and a sense of imminent arrival. and you finally get there and you arrive with this section and its surprisingly intimate. its just you and the singer's voice as he whispers "hey, do you hear me?" (like a gd verizon commercial).

i almost shudder thinking about it bc the narrative up to this point made me feel as if i was watching someone else's madness journey helplessly, but with the opening of this section, it is almost as though - i too have lost my mind. i have been a part of this journey as much as he has and it's... whoof. that's the combined power of the lyrics and the cutting through the music with silence and it is extremely. effective.

(also remember what i said thousands of words ago about Bohemian Rhapsody? doesn't that "now, now, now" segment before the guitar shredding give you Bohemian Rhapsody vibes?)

in fact, this entire section is him begging us to stay him. the ghosts have become real to him but it also begs us to wonder... are we real? or are we ghosts? have we also gone mad?

"don't you hear me now? / if madness overtakes us both / then nobody would be alone / the ghost of us can linger here / forever not to disappear /stay / stay near / oh, stay / we could be together here / forever we're together bound in madness"

a majority of this piece is in a minor or dissonant key, but this section feels mostly major? positive? and those familiar brass flourishes in the background definitely help.

i lack the words to describe beyond that but this is just a wild and conflicting finale combined with the full climax of the song and that vocal work and the ending with the final brass flourish and im just -

wow. everytime. its just. wow.

...

~ thanks for sharing and thanks for reading ~

[muwur]

um!! i want to request a comfort hc/drabble(?) anything !! just 👉👈 can i get hinata n/or tsuki comforting and standing up for their s/o (or friend!) who is non-binary ??

standing up for a non-binary s/o

♡ scenarios ♡ for hinata and tsukishima

gn reader

turned out longer than i intended tHIS IS MY PROBLEM N Y I UPDATE SO SLOW FORGIVE ME FOEFHEFOEFRG but anyway,,,, 2.3k words

a/n: i use primarily they/them as reader’s preferred pronouns in these scenarios, but i wanted to acknowledge that ik some non-binary ppl use other pronouns,  they/he, they/she, or even all pronouns, etc :) reminder to pls be respectful to what people want and use their preferred pronouns!  and pls lmk if i ever offend you bc i don’t want to upset anyone <3

hinata

Just a week ago, you had finally mustered the courage to come out as non-binary to your boyfriend, Hinata. You recalled the rising panic you felt when you were met with silence and the slight widening of his chocolate eyes. However, his initial surprise was quickly replaced with a softness gracing his features. When he gently stroked your cheek and reassured you that nothing would change how he feels about you, you felt your heart melt with relief. You had nothing worry about, after all.

Unfortunately, not everyone could be as accepting as Hinata.

Picking at an array of noodles with a fork, you fixed your sights on the dinner plate before you, trying to ignore a certain gaze threatening to sear your skin. Next to you, Hinata grimaced. Munching on his stir fry and trying to be respectful in front of your family were the only things keeping him from wiping that leer off your aunt’s face. She was blatant in expressing her disapproval, the wrinkles in her face contorting with disgust whenever she so much as looked your way.

After your heart-to-heart with Hinata the other week, you were inspired to come out to your family as well. The news circulated, and though you weren’t expecting everyone to exactly be on board, the reality of disapproval hurt more than you imagined. It was great timing that today happened to be your cousin’s birthday, and you were forced to have dinner with one of your least favorite family members. Luckily, you were allowed to invite Hinata. You couldn’t fathom how your soon-to-be 5-year-old cousin was so kind and polite despite being reared by such a tyrannous mother.  Your earliest memory of your aunt was when she snatched your favorite toy from your toddler hands. You cried as she yelled at both you and your parents for letting you play with such a “gender-inappropriate” toy.

You knew she wouldn’t let you escape tonight without any offhand comments or dirty looks.

A throat cleared. You tensed in your seat. “Y/n? Dear, could you pass me the salt?”

You dared a glance up at the familiar voice. Your eyes locked with your aunt’s menacing ones briefly before you quietly obliged to her request.

“Thank you,” she said dully, taking the shaker. Sprinkling her meal, she continued to speak with nonchalance. “So, I heard you go by ‘they’ now? What’s wrong with he/she, hm? I mean, that is what you are, and that’s the only thing you should go by.”

Silence. Your parents looked at one another in discomfort, unsure how to respond. Your cousin looked back and forth between you and and your aunt curiously, unaware what was happening. A few more seconds passed by. With a shaky breath, you could only stutter out a timid “I-I--” before your mother cautiously piped up. “Aunt *name*, please, it’s your child’s birthday, let’s save this conversation for another ti--”

A scoff interrupted her. “Easy for you to say. You’ve always been so soft on y/n. Neither of you,” she glared accusingly at your parents, “raised her/him right. Now, look what’s happened. She/he’s gone delusional. How could any of you be okay with this and carry on like normal?”

You could feel yourself holding back tears. You wanted to say something against her, to show her you weren’t afraid of her and didn’t care what she thought. To prove that she didn’t know anything about you. That she had no right to be talking to you like this.

Yet you remained frozen in your seat, unable to speak. Inside, your mind went blank, leaving you defenseless against her hateful tirade.

“If she/he were my daughter/son, I’d set things straight immediately. No more outside communication. Who knows what nonsense they’ve been feeding your child? She/he needs to see a specialist to undo whatever brainwashing has occurred and--”

SCREECH.

Hinata stood in front of his seat, which had slid noisily across the floor when he pushed it back. He was silent, his eyes pointed downward and his two palms pressed on the table. All eyes looked at him with shock, if not a tinge of curiosity.

“Stop saying those things as if you knew one thing about y/n and what they’ve had to go through,” he said in a low voice, teeth clenched.

A challenging arch of the brow replaced your aunt’s initial surprise. “Oh, please. What do you know? You’re just a naive kid like y/n. You don’t understand. You know nothing about the real world and you kids go about life as if you can just do anything. You’re selfish.”

“You’re being selfish for refusing to understand a point of view that you’re not used to. How could you live with yourself knowing that you’re making someone you should care about miserable for the rest of their lives? You have no right to speak as though you know y/n. All you care about is your opinion, regardless of whether or not it’s right, and how you look to other people. What’s wrong with letting y/n make their own decisions? Why invalidate them before even giving them the chance to explain and help you understand? You should think about how you’re acting before trying to teach someone else how they should live.”

The air cracked with silent tension. It was too much. Quickly, you got up and dashed to the front door, unlocking it and stepping outside to breathe in the cool evening air. Wrapping your arms around yourself, you stumbled off the front porch, increasing the distance between yourself and that dinner table.

Your body jolted with shock when you heard a familiar voice out and felt a pair of arms wrap from behind your frame. Hinata was breathing heavily, his rushed voice laced with worry. “I’m sorry for making a scene in front of your family, y/n, but I couldn’t just sit around and let her say whatever she wanted. You don’t deserve that treatment. I don’t regret anything I told her. And if she’s still bothering you, or anyone else for that matter, you bet I’m gonna be there to stick up for you, no matter what.”

Despite the tears that pricked at your eyes, a small smile formed on your lips. Ditching your family dinner, you spent the rest of the evening together seated in a booth at a nearby fast food restaurant, munching on goodies and sharing lighthearted jokes. That night, you were reminded that it didn’t matter what someone like your aunt thought. Those who did matter were the ones who accepted and cared for you--the real you. In the midst of darkness, you found yourself a radiant being who never failed to brighten your day. You didn’t know what you did to deserve Hinata, but you knew he would be by your side through it all. For that, you were grateful.

tsukishima

After a rough week of nonstop work, food delivery, and 1AM espressos, you were relieved Saturday had finally come. Tsukishima, who had come by your home a few times that week to check up on you(r sanity) and drop off some surprise dinners, nagged you to take better care of yourself and offered to treat you to lunch that weekend (after you promised to get a lot of rest when you were finished). When you beat your deadlines early Friday evening, you nearly cried tears of joy and immediately passed out on your bed to catch up on lost sleep.

Saturday reminded you of the beauty of the outside world, much needed after your long week of confinement. Both sun and clouds gathered in the pale blue sky overhead. Warm sunshine freckled your skin while a gentle breeze cooled your temple. Hand in hand, you walked down the block with Tsukishima towards the farmer’s market. Already you could hear the nearby murmurs of a crowd and smell the savory aroma of freshly cooked food. Your stomach grumbled with enthusiasm as you thought about all the delicious choices waiting to be ordered.

Numerous vendors lined up down the street. Smoke arose from hot grills, carrying the scent of various spices through the air. Workers called out to passing customers, offering them samples of their homemade nut butters or showing off their natural, handmade soaps. With a fascinated glint in your eye, you observed each stand you passed by. From Hawaiian poke, grilled paninis, and tacos, to Thai stir fry, barbecue, and shawarma, the options seemed endless. As much as you loved the variety, it made making a decision even more difficult.

“Tsukkiiii,” you said pleadingly, “I don’t know what I want.”

He sighed. “Well, what’s your appetite in the mood for?”

“No clue, that’s why I’m asking.”

When he shot you an annoyed look, you held your hands up. “Hey, I’ve been using my brain way too much this week. I’m tired of thinking. I’m pretty down for anything, to be honest.”

With a shrug, he suggested trying the ramen from a stand several feet away from you both. You happily agreed and dragged the both of you to stand in line. Looking down at your shirt, you pulled on it slightly and adjusted the pin attached close to your collar. It depicted a cartoon cat with a text bubble that said “they/them” to indicate your preferred pronouns (though, in the note above, ik you may have a different combination of preferred pronouns. feel free to just sub in whatever those are into the pin ^-^ ). You recalled how you heart rushed with excitement when you found it in your mailbox that morning.

“You know, you didn’t have to get this for me,” you told your blonde companion as you admired your gift. Hands in his pockets, he gave you another shrug. “I just thought it suited you. Plus, strangers won’t misgender you, anymore.”

“That’s really thoughtful of you, Kei... Thank you, again, really.”

His lips formed into a thin line and he looked off to the side. He muttered a low, “Don’t mention it.” before stepping forward to follow the shortening line. A huff of amusement escaped you in response. You were also taking a step forward when you felt a shove on your left side. Tsukishima caught you mid-stumble, helping you regain your balance and stand upright again. Narrowing his eyes, he looked over at the man who bumped into you. The stranger caught himself from stumbling as well, then scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Ah, I’m sorry about that young man/woman! I wasn’t looking clearly,” he apologized.

You shook your head in response, offering him a smile. “No worries. I’m glad we’re both okay.”

He was about to laugh in agreement when he noticed the pin attached to your top. His smile vanished and he looked at you quizzically. “Say, what’s that pin you got there?”

“Oh,” you pointed at it. “This? These are my gender pronouns. I go by ‘them/them,’” you announced proudly.

Raising an eyebrow, he asked, “What does that even mean? ‘They/them’ is plural, so doesn’t it make more sense to just go by he/she?” He paused for a few seconds of thought. Then, it clicked. “Is this that ‘gender identity’ bullshit I’ve been hearing about lately?”

Your enthusiasm quickly dissipated. ‘Oh gosh, please don’t tell me that this person’s--’

“Now missy/boy, I don’t know what’s gotten into all your heads, thinking you can just pick and choose whatever or whoever you want to be. What you were born with is who you are. Why can’t people accept that and have to complicate things? It’s biology. I swear, people are just doing this for attention or a trend or whatever--”

“Ahem,” Tsukishima cleared his throat, interrupting the man’s rant. He placed a gentle hand on your shoulder and drew you close against himself. “Perhaps the topic is too complex for your tiny mind to comprehend,” he challenged, his voice dripping with collected hostility. “You should stop going on about things you don’t understand; it makes you look even more ignorant. Now, please, stop bothering my partner before you piss me off more.”

The stranger glared up at Tsukishima, then back at you. Deciding it wasn’t worth a fight, the man scoffed and shoved past your boyfriend;s shoulder, then disappeared into the crowd. Behind you, a kid’s wide eyes looked at Tsukishima with awe. “Wow, that was really cool! You really showed him!”

“Tch, it was nothing,” he responded bashfully. “Can’t let assholes get away with whatever they want.”

15 minutes later and you were both settled in a shady area on a grassy field with ramen bowls in your lap. Your eyes were glued to the ground. Tsukishima waved a hand in front of your face with concern.

“Earth to y/n? You good? You’ve been quiet since we encountered that guy earlier.”

You risked looking up into his eyes, unable to control the stream of tears running down your eyes. Surprised, the blonde placed his hands on the sides of your face and started to wipe your tears off with his thumbs. “I-I’m just, r-really grateful that you,” you choked between sobs, “were here with m-me, today. I d-don’t know what I would’ve done if I was alone.”

You let him wrap his arms around you as you buried your face in his shoulder. He nestled his cheek onto the top of your head and ran a gentle hand up and down your spine. “It’s okay,” he murmured softly. “I won’t let anyone hurt you, anymore. I promise.”

Several minutes later, you pulled away, sniffling and rubbing the remaining tears from your eyes with your forearm. He gave your head a small pat.

gRhhrrhGRH.

“Someone sounds hungry.” You rolled your eyes and swatted his hand off your head.

2 minutes into eating, and you asked (suggestively), “Can we eat from the same bowl and see if we end up connecting noodles?”

“N-No, that’s dumb.” 

“Oh, c’monnnnn~ You know you want to, you’re blushing.”

“I’m not!”

a/n: sry about the weird stomach growl effect LMAO

if you coudlnt tell i was hungry writing this n i miss going out to eat foueherhggu

i hope u enjoyed <3 pls lmk if u would like any changes anon or smth different (liks regular hc’s, etc). have a lovely day n i hope you feel better <3 ill fite anyone who makes u feel bad >:(

[marvelandponder]

OOPS, sorry, should've clarified! Yeah, I need some advice on how to write the fight scene! I, myself, am not too good at writing them, especially if it's just two characters bantering/arguing back and forth most of the time.- Human Sunset Anon

Hey again, friendo! Sorry for the delay on this one, had some other asks plus real life! You know how it is!

But step one is to not feel bad about not feeling confident in writing fight scenes. It can be really hard, especially if it's nor something you're used to writing!

Here's some tips!

1. Action is an Extension of Emotion (and Theme!). In a fight scene, the character currently winning tells you something not just about how physically strong they are, but where the characters are emotionally. If, for instance, one character starts out stronger than the other, but then the other says something/powers up/finds their opponent's weakness, the dynamic of the fight has changed. The emotional dynamic has changed. Since you already know your characters will be arguing throughout the fight, follow the argument. Who's winning the argument can determine who's winning the fight.

2. Variety is More Exciting. You could just write one character hitting the other after every bit of dialogue. A hits B, B hits A, A hits B, etc. But what I'd suggest is that there's no sense of progress to that, it doesn't tell me anything about the characters, and it's a bit boring. Spice it up just by having your characters perform different attacks; and also, changing up who's losing and who's winning at a few key points (as defined by how close they are to reaching their goal!) can ratchet up the tension.

3. What are They Fighting For? You seem like you've got a good grasp on why the characters are fighting, and that's good. Emotional stakes are important, because it's nor just about winning or losing the fight. It's about what it means for their relationships and for their view of themselves. If they're losing, what does that mean for their worldview? Are they being convinced there's another way? Are they doubling down on their beliefs?

4. Describe Attacks/Defence/Pain only in the Detail You Need. You actually don't need to describe every single hit. Focus more on describing the emotional states of the POV character and the major action beats as they would experience them, in your own creative way. Like everything in prose, it's not about describing everything you'd see if this were a TV show or movie, it's about how your POV character is experiencing it. How would it feel to really be there? To really be fighting your best friend because they're doing something you find morally objectionable, and you know they're better than this? The reader can fill in blanks if you just give them a few important details that stand out to you.

5. Take the Pressure Off Yourself. If you're writing a big climactic battle, chances are you find it really important to the story you're telling and want to "get it right." Don't, if you can. Putting pressure on yourself to write the most amazing fight scene worthy of the story in your head is a lot, and can make it hard to sit down and write (or can make you very critical of what you have written). It's okay. You're giving yourself a writing challenge, and that itself is a victory. There's no losing here, practice just means over time you can learn and get better. Take pressure off, have fun, and enjoy letting your characters kick each other's asses!

Hope those help! Good luck and happy writing!

[tripstaysnoided]

Flow Just Like Water

Story and writing-related transparency update and my many shames...

The Question on Everyone’s Mind

“Hey you haven’t updated No Stars over Uptown in almost a year...”

Hmm, I hate it when you’re right. (This section has been rewritten ad-nauseam to curb back the bitchiness by the way)

So back in early/mid 2018, the idea was to divorce Uptown from a person who influenced it (and myself) heavily. She was my most important audience member, the closest friend I ever had, and unfortunately someone who used her power to bully, ostracize, and hurt others with my help. I cut contact when the hurt + some self-awareness finally reached me. Apologies were made and I feel like my work will never be done with it, but there was still Uptown.

Between censored comments, entirely recasting Axel’s save, different plot threads, and a load of disclaimers, there was nothing that would scrub her influence from the story. There was no way to cleanly drop everything because of how deep her influence went. It disgusted me to look back at it, and I had to private the blog because I feared what it endorsed, even if just in the past.

I pulled back from that sims writing community. I had its main thread on the Official Forums removed too (I guess if that was a mystery to anyone). It was a surrender that I never wanted to do, but I had it in my mind that if I was gone, then she wouldn’t be there either. Uptown became this cursed item, and as I quietly retired it, I noticed that she went quieter too. Not gone, but enough to make me sleep easier at night and even occasionally say hello to old friends.

And I hope deep in my heart that no one else is getting hurt in my place, but now this is gonna haunt me all day huh!

The two paths forward...

1) Complete Uptown rewrite that I’ve been threatening everyone with all year. While it won’t ever be clean because I can’t undo time, I do have a sound outline for a story that is much more true to my actual vision and how I’ve evolved, with a few necessary boundaries in place that are going to be there for all stories moving forward: no more casting calls and no more collaborative efforts. I am not going to open myself up to this happening again, even if the people have changed.

2) Same as above, but I continue the original Uptown as a favor to loyal readers alongside the rewrite. I would try to put the effort into it that I initially did, but with no promises on an update schedule and no advertising. I did ask myself “is there Patreon but without pledging money, just the private posts function” but it could operate as part of a private forum, a members-only part of a website, etc.

Also readers of the original would be beholden to a rule of “don’t spoil the rewrite for new readers, c’mon guys”. I mean, not really, but it is a good courtesy to extend to people.

Priority on this isn’t high but you at least will see what is!

I will probably make the blog public again either way due to the many broken links on my Tumblr but we’ll see. There are other things to deal with as I shall list!

Where Life’s Been Regardless

Been spending more time with my grandpa every weekend. Life’s pretty good and he’s warming up to my dogs.

Shiny New Webbed Site

Cucumber Fields Forever is a site I own now. We have a full domain, cucumberfieldsforever.com, a blog with one post, and the framework needed to host stories the way I want to and still through WordPress. The functionality of likes, comments, and following should still be the same but you know...I’ll take feedback too...

The main blog still has an undefined purpose though I do have drafts sitting around about:

The maybe/maybe not hoax band that was on the Metal Archives and the history of Funeral Doom Metal.

The curious case of when Sims 4 babies get their genetics and my only collaboration (read: was talking about it with a friend and might quote her if needed, it’s actually a bit of a doozy)

Amazon.com’s fake dried udon noodles, an actual issue by the way.

Things I’m reading! (This’d be a monthly feature if so)

For the sake of unity, I am thinking of solutions for hosting old and shameful content there including Uptown and for the real fans in my followers feed, Eight Cicadas...a world I totally have plans for too (not really). I don’t want them to be front-and-center, and that’s why I mentioned forums/members-only content. I finally have that power! Maybe.

Ooooh but what are the costs? Not too much to handle, that’s what. 😉 (Like really, I don’t need any hand-wringing about this, I can manage my finances)

Project Queue (In Order of Confirmedness)

Outrun the Scythe: have you seen me post out-of-context Sims 3 pictures? Did you want more? Did you hope it was Linda in Custody? If the answers are yes, yes, and “meh, whatever you want”, then you’re in luck.

Outrun the Scythe is a Sims 3-based tale of a young gay man and his zombie grandma, as they are both offered separate roles of being the undying intermediaries between the world of humans and the influence of a race of space daemons. It’s pretty familiar if you’ve been following me pre-Uptown, taking some cues from stories I’ve kept under lock and key like Eight Cicadas, The Chains of Lyra, and the not-so-locked-up Ironstar Immortals (of which Outrun is just the direct sequel to sans any retconning...ah the smell of early 2013 and performative heterosexuality)

Ah, back to my roots.

It’s a hybrid of gameplay, story, and lore about my little race of daemons with a lot of my own idiosyncrasies that I’m not really ashamed of: basing it off a super-polarizing Sims 3 challenge from a site I moderate, using a lot of EA’s pre-made townies and their genes, lots of unnecessary posemaking, stupid references. It’s a comfort to have in my roster.

While the first few chapters are in the middle of revision, I have around six in the queue and will be making this public when I have ten. I’m guessing December then?

Undocumented Black Widow Challenge: I just did this for fun/forum kudos (yes, in fact I have joined many forums), there was going to be a short story but it was quickly becoming something against my code of ethics. I mean, sims die and all. (read: I had to choose between “heterosexual widow” and “widow with some same-sex marriages that still end in tragedy, reinforcing negative stereotypes to the public for the sake of me not getting bored and detached during gameplay” so there were no good choices. Except for her affair with the mailwoman, 10/10) I hope to finish this before October ends and get my medal on Boolprop, I’m pretty far through it all. I might upload the sims involved anyways. This is for TS4.

I mentioned it because it’s keeping me busy. But not for long!

NaNoWriMo 2020: Dipping my toes into that again! It’s not sims-related, just a tale of lesbians, nosy neighbors, a haunted beach house, and some light murder and kidnapping. And I actually got my brother to scout out locations for me this weekend. If there’s any demand, I can share chapters as the rough drafts are finished, especially for the sake of proofreading.

Not saying I’m publishable, but wouldn’t it be nice? Will keep me occupied for much of November.

Untitled “Dear Diary” Challenge: Tired of feeling left out of the fun on the Boolprop forums, their “Dear Diary” challenge was the one that appealed to me the most on first glance. Why? Probably once I found an idea that let it be set in the early/mid-2000′s to begin with and explore some interesting characters through diary entries (which I have mixed feelings on as a literary device but I think that’s just me saying “well I didn’t like Dracula”, yes you get bonus points for writing it like a diary)

Also writing is the one skill I’m good at across multiple games. Wanna hear me bitch about the cooking skill tree in TS4 or riding in TS3? I’ll spare you.

I guess I could have included “spending time on Boolprop with old and new friends” in where my life has been. It’s a nice lil community if also a place with its own idiosyncrasies as well. So it doesn’t feel like I’m promoting another community if/when I make a thread there for Outrun the Scythe, I want to have a couple chapters of this ready to go by Outrun’s release, though it’s not gonna be the highest priority compared to it nor as long because I think I can blast through the gameplay quickly.

This one will be played in TS4 due to it having the easiest writing skill/I dunno variety is the spice of life. And hopefully another December release.

Defunded or Forgotten?: Oh shit I actually released stuff in 2020 and told no one? I do have a “mortifying ordeal of being known” sinking feeling whenever I get a site hit because it’s not my best work (but good enough) and veered sharply into issues I may be over my head in, though I try to be a good noodle with research and listening. Maybe hiding is bad after all.

Being based off a very flawed and incomplete Sims 3 challenge I found in the annals of the Official Forums, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work just making sense of things. And I’m scared of working on reconstructing the house but I haven’t abandoned the project yet. The story has eight chapters so far and is pretty game-based with some additions here and there. Scared of how long it could be though!

Date for this unknown.

Untitled Sunlit Tides Decadynasty: another year-long abandoned TS3 project with a much stupider reason why. Last update was about Hua getting ready for her wedding, and I wanted to do some poses for a bait-and-switch wedding chapter because to put it mildly, her real one was an absolute disaster.

Blender decided to fuck up its interface again, I got discouraged (this probably does account for some of the Uptown delays too), and when I decided to plow forward, it was for other projects instead.

Meanwhile I played all the way to Gen 5′s teenhood and the only thing stopping me is time (it takes almost 30 minutes to load the file right now, though they’ll be looking at moving towns in a couple gens) and maybe fear of the Logic skill.

Date for this also unknown but it’s easy to pump out updates once I’m in the groove for it. My third heir had a difficult life so maybe I’m just trying to bury it.

Also I just noticed the view count there was really good and probably because I linked it here on Tumblr last year. Thank you so much guys. I can’t really fret over views on Carl’s forum these days thanks to the years-long death spiral pretty much every forum anywhere has been riding on. But it’s a nice surprise. And it’s an alright little challenge recap to read during your lunch break or whatever.

The Wawas

I figured I’d end on the real news everyone wants! Both the chihuahuas are a year and a half now and reached their adult size around a year ago. For the most part, they are happy and healthy dogs.

[cruzrogue]

I know...Kinda don’t...U know...

Another story hit me! I’m putting the idea on tumblr because that is where I place my story ideas. Don’t know if this will continue or die. I have plenty of stories to juggle. But in-between writing them these ideas won’t let me go...

It starts off with Cisco Ramon from the flash and Felicity Smoak from Arrow getting to know each other in non-platonic circumstances. They like each other. It becomes an olicity story because I’m a Oliver and Felicity fan. Haha. Those two are just it for me. I can read or write them in similar situations and not get tired of it. I actually love that! 

Thanks beforehand for reading especially if you got this far.

Cisco Ramon & Felicity Smoak, OliverQueen/FelicitySmoak

My idea is to make 2 versions of any chapter that I might have smut. (Clean/Smutty) AKA (1A/1B...2A...etc) That is if I continue... Well here goes!

(Untitled story)

Cisco Ramon not one that is usually popular with the girls. Especially when alone and not with his college friends. Friends that brought him along to this year’s spring break trek across a few cities before getting back to his own university.

Wanting to go to a nerd hangout. Scope the world of mechanical wonderment with a side of technological flair at this exhibit. No way that the possibility of missing such mind-blowing thought-provoking display would not fall on his roaster of things to do in Las Vegas. His boys bailed at the idea of spending an ounce of time in the land of boredom. Their words not his. He’d meet up with them at that party venue some guy told them about last night.

Like always he’s enjoyed his alone time and now is ready to adventure to the wild side. Hanging with rich kids has brought a level of craziness. Things these guys do are beyond some of the frat boy lifestyles he’s seen in movies. Just a factor of wow and unbelievable.

The bouncer takes one good look at him and double checks his ID. Cisco just makes a cheesy grin as he tells the guy its 100% him.

The music is low. Not much going on. He is the early bird. Checking his watch early by two hours. Probably should have gone to the hotel. Leaving with the gang. They bring the party. Oh well. He is here now. Maybe he can see if they serve some grub.

Movement catches his attention. Long black hair being pushed to the side. He notices she’s trying to read while hitting her pencil against the table to the beat of a song playing. The closer he gets to the counter the view of the hottie only gets better. Better meaning the anticipation of getting a mildly improved glance. Taking in those sexy low-cut boots. Following her limbs upward. Stopping mid length on her upper thighs as she must be wearing a short skirt. Her long hair covering the view to her face. He wonders how pretty she must be.

“If you keep staring, you’ll burn a hole in my head.”

That gets him to suddenly apologize. He didn’t think she’d notice him. Finally, she sits up straighter moving the hair that is obstructing a clear picture of her face. He suddenly sucks in air. She’s breathtaking.

Her index finger shoots up to the mirror off to the side. A mirror he didn’t catch until now.

“The mirror has failed your gawking ways.” Her lips are pressed to a thin line but there is mirth in her eyes. She knows he won’t be able to tell she’s amused.

“Sorry.” He mutters now totally embarrassed. Serves him right for ogling.

“The club isn’t really open for dancing yet. What brings you in? Not the stale pretzels I hope.”

“I’m super early. I just came from the conservatory of Mechanical Engineering exhibit that was hosted this week and well I couldn’t say no to…”

“Being that guy that drools over numbers.”

A part of him deflates. This hot chick thinks he’s a loser, “Yea. I’m that geek.”

“Well then. It’s a safe bet to get the tenders, onion rings, and maybe apple crisp if you have a sweet tooth.”

“So no on the pretzels?” He smiles because just maybe he has a shot with this beauty. “What about the nut selection?”

“Both are probably salty. You know. It gets you to drink more. Though if you want to handle any certain number of nuts that they serve. I won’t be able to enjoy talking to you further.”

“Oh! You don’t like them? Or do you have some food intolerance to pine nuts?”

She gives him a sly smile, “Seems like the only nuts I can’t handle.”

His mind is quick and it makes him have a goldfish moment. They aren’t even arguing except his mind is screaming. Opening and closing his mouth to only leave it open in surprise. She’s flirting. She is flirting with the nerd him. “I’ll be right back.” He thumbs the food counter.

Felicity goes back to reading. Keeping from sparing a look back at the interesting nerd who seems to like her goth appearance. She knows what she wants tonight. She went out. Instead of studying in her room at her mom’s place. Where she’d be bored out of her mind. It’ll be nice to enjoy a night with a guy that seems to be intellectually sound.

He gets back placing the double portions of the food choices she mentioned while joining her. Just that alone gives him some secret points he has no idea about. They have a blast talking. Actually, chit chatting about science and math related situations that would bore the likes of most other people. Those that can’t fathom how awesome existence is with the mix of these two subjects. Pushing creations to make human lives better.

It leads to them to pulling out their identification’s cards. Both checking the emblem on each other’s license.

“Francisco Baracus Ramon.”

“Yep, a mouthful.” He pops a broken piece of an onion ring into his mouth before looking at her name, “Felicity Meghanne Kloak.” He has no idea that the ID is fake. That isn’t her real name or age. Her mother gave her a fake id as a parting gift as she left to M.I.T. “Oh shit, you’re just eighteen. I’ve been serving a minor alcohol.” She doesn’t correct him further to say that she’s actually sixteen. “I turned twenty-one just like a friend of mine a few weeks back.”

“Happy belated birthday.”

“Thanks. I don’t feel any different.”

“You don’t? You’ve had a few strong drinks.” She says with laughter.

“I’m not sloshed. Hey why aren’t you a little tipsy? You’ve been drinking by myside this whole time.”

She outright laughs, “Your twenty-one. Jimmy would lose a gasket if a minor had alcohol in the open like we are.”

“Whose Jimmy?”

“The owner.”

“Oh!” Cisco says with a frown.

“Cheer up. Isn’t the point to have fun? Enjoy life? Us nerds are already so stuffy.”

“Says a literal goddess. You are so beautiful.” He sees that she about to burst out laughing at how he is becoming so corny. “Come on its not just the alcohol talking. You are just so amazing.”

That has Felicity be a lot more assertive as her hand moves up his arm showing an attraction. Somewhere during the hour and a half of being together they’ve moved to be sitting by each other. Able to talk easier as the sound check started to interfere with hearing the other.

That is until Cisco feels that he may have overdo it with the drinking and heads to the bathroom. Leaving Felicity to not see him again tonight.

----------sp@ce--------------

Cisco meets the gorgeous goth girl named Felicity. Instead of dancing he’s having a session with the round porcelain latrine. He’s a little out of it but his friends meet up with him. Thank goodness his friends arrive. At least the two who needed to pee. Escorting him to a VIP lounge. He’ll rest there. So much for the sweet perfect dream of a girl he met earlier.

Oliver and Clive go check out the club as the rest of the party is escorted to the VIP lounges.

It doesn’t take long until Felicity catches Oliver’s eye. She’s isn’t alone per se as she listening to some guy and her lips are strung in a line of just being polite. He makes his move as Clive tells him he doesn’t get the appeal. Oliver just shakes his head telling his friend ‘variety is the spice of life’.

The guy by the goth’s side trying to sound smooth as he drawls out, “You sure you don’t want something better? I can just call…”

Oliver hears the guy’s line and rolls his eyes. He’d let it play out if the girl was willing to take the drink but with this Goth chick saying adamantly, she is good with what she has. The guy doesn’t get the hint she doesn’t want another drink. As the man calls for the bartender. Oliver steps into the game.

“She has impeccable taste.” Oliver says contemplating the guy who is being let down nicely but is willing to make her uncomfortable. He holds the cocky signature look he is known to have as the other guy is sizing him up. Adding, “It doesn’t stop with just drinking choices.” Catching her stare. He winks.

Taking the moment to dip on his chances as the other guy becomes a third wheel. The odds rising in his favor as her body converges towards his own.

The bartender taking the other man’s order first. A certain venom seeping from his voice as he gets a drink for himself only. Concluding a dark stare towards the couple as the pensive man conflicts with himself if he should just walk away.

“And for the lady?”

Felicity noticed a recognition between the man behind the counter and what she supposes is her knight in shining armor or in her case fitted suit jacket. She’s kept from gawking at the newest intruder. Her eyes falling back onto her drink. Being put on the spot she just tells the bartender to give him his usual. She doesn’t know if they know each other. It doesn’t really matter because the other guy leaves. It’s a huge weight off her back. He was just to persistent for her tastes.

As the bartender hands off the new stranger’s drink. Felicity gets a nickname she presumes as the man dubbed Ollie says ‘thank you’ shelling out a handsome bill for a simple drink.

Oliver doesn’t move to take a seat. Keeping his focus now on his own drink as he sips slowly and placing the drink not far from hers. “It’s actually Oliver.”

“Thanks for the save. Oliver” She finally lets herself look at him again. He is gorgeous. Long locks that probably are way overdue to get cut. Taking him in. She rather digs that his hair accentuates his baby face. Though those blue eyes are mesmerizing. She could get lost in them. That is dangerous. It doesn’t seem to help that he notices her staring. “It’s Felicity.”

Her name falls from his lips and it brings a smile to his face. She gets to notice he has dimples. Oh boy she is in trouble.

“It’s a pretty name.”

Her hand goes for her drink. Controlling her temptation to reach out and touch his cheekbone. That’d be weird.

“Thanks. Do you know the bartender?”

“Met him yesterday. Told us about this club.”

“Us?”

“Spring break. Me and a few friends.”

“I’m on break too.”

“Really? What school?”

“M.I.T.”

“Cool, small world.” He can’t but smile. “My new school is in Boston too.”

“You’re a transfer?”

“You can say that. So, why Vegas?”

“Guilt trip.” Seeing the question form she continues, “I’m a freshman. I took a work study program plus a load of classes this summer. Money’s tight but she’s… she’s my mother.”

“She misses her baby girl. I think that is so sweet.” As she gives him a raised eyebrow. He doesn’t take it back. To him parents that care. They are the best.

“Same question? I doubt being in Vegas while under twenty-one is a big drawl.”

“It’s a pit stop. We are heading to New Orleans next.” He doesn’t mention Miami before heading back to Boston. “What gives my age away?” He waits for her to say his baby face.

“You weren’t asked for an ID. Out in the open. Even with him knowing you. You’d have been asked if you were going to consume alcohol. Just in case of narcs. I’m guessing that drink doesn’t contain alcohol.”

“Did you watch him make the drink?”

“No. But that camera over there.” She doesn’t point. “Jimmy would never allow that in his establishment. Now private rooms where there might be a few minors he’d let that slide.”

“You know the owner.”

“If you mean know as in… He dated my mom than yes I know him.”

“Past tense. Guess it ended amicable or you wouldn’t be here.”

She nods taking another sip of her drink, “He’s got a smiling sun tattoo on his butt cheek.”

“What?”

“Things you wish to never see but my momma doesn’t know how to have signals that she’s busy entertaining.”

“Ew. I couldn’t imagine catching my parents.”

“At least you know they did the deed once to get you.”

“I have a sister.”

“Okay.” She laughs, “Pardon me, twice at least.”

He likes her laughter. Among the list of other things. He’s about to say something else when a buddy of his is trying to get his attention. Felicity shifts to follow Oliver’s line of sight and she sees another good-looking guy using hand signals to converse with the tall college student she’s been getting to know. Trying not to eavesdrop she repositions back to the original posse before him.

“Need to leave?”

Oliver responds with a firm no. As his eyes trail back to hers. She can see whatever the other guy said has made him go red in the face.

“Are you alright? You’re red-faced.”

He shakes his head. Letting out a self-deprecating moan.

“What’s the deal?”

Oliver’s bites his lip as she can tell he’s radically thinking. She can pinpoint it in his eyes when a decision is made and wow those blue eyes are so distracting.

“Let’s get out of here.”

“What about your friends?”

“They can live without me for some time. I’d like to get to know you. We’re in Vegas. Let’s paint this town red.”

“Or you can let a native show you to some hidden gems.”

“Hmm. I’d like that even better.”

She slides off her chair and Oliver gulps as his eyes travel down her backside. She’s already leading them towards the exit.

“Do you need to say goodbye.”

“Nah, they’ll get the message if they don’t see me.” He walks a little quicker to get the exit door opened  for her to leave first.

“Then you’re with the death witch. Getting the ride of your life.” Felicity could make some of his friend’s words. Her goth chicness being too much for the boy. “Something in those lines if I’m correct.”

“Yet, no one tried to save me.”

“You need new friends then.”

“Definitely. That is if they didn’t also think your hot.”

“Thanks, I guess. I turned away from your conversation around once he did the age-old sign for… um… coupling.”

“He sure did.” They find themselves in the dessert heat. Oliver waiting for her instruction but adds, “Felicity?” As he gets her undivided attention, “I don’t expect anything down those lines. It would be insulting and…”

“Oliver, I wouldn’t come outside if I didn’t want to get to know you better.” She winks well sort of winks and it makes him chuckle slightly.

[electricshoebox]

Hey friend! Happy Friday! :) For Fanfic Writer Friday, would you mind sharing a little about your favorite types of scenes to write (and why/what you enjoy about them) compared to the scenes you find most difficult to write (and how you work through them)?

Ooh, love this question. Thank you!! 

I think my favorite types of scenes to write are dialogue-heavy scenes, or scenes with a lot of room for the character’s stream-of-consciousness thoughts. For the dialogue-heavy ones, I just really love writing dialogue! I love play with the back-and-forth between different characters, what their interactions might look like, the different patterns of speech. And getting to sprinkle in physicality and description to add flavor and a little life! Those scenes rely a lot less on description, and a lot more on just the personality of the characters, and that’s a fun challenge. For stream-of-consciousness stuff, I like that I can get a little more poetic and rhythmic. A character’s emotions are going to be more nebulous, more undefined, and tied more to images and sensations than concrete statements, and that gives me more room to play with words. I have a lot of background in poetry, and I like getting to fall back on that a little.

The hardest scenes to write for me are action scenes. Battles, shootouts, heists, etc. I struggle to find the way to keep them fast-paced and interesting without making them feel stripped down and mechanical (choppy one sentence this-happened, this-happened, this-happened description). To work through it, I try make it more complex than just the point-and-shoot. Throw in some banter, or make the characters change positions and move cover, or put variety in how they’re taking down enemies. I try to spice it up with near-misses, maybe have some environment-interaction (a bullet going wide and knocking something off a shelf, for example). Just so I’m not just solely describing shooting and death. I’ll admit, I sometimes cheat, though. Since I’m often writing for video game stories, that if it’s a canon battle most people will be familiar with, or a type of fight that’s frequent in the game, I may just skip over it altogether or only dip into the beginning and end of it. Unless it’s something that feels needed for the plot, or serves a particular purpose for that part of the story.

Thanks again for the question!! This was fun to think about. <3

[heartlandians]

Throwback Thursday: Jessica Steen answers fan questions! (February 2010)

Q: Hey Jessica, you are a great actor and you play Lisa very well!   :) Lisa and Jack are soo cute together! haha! My question for you is: What do you do on your days off? Posted by: Sonya on February 16, 2010 at 10:48 AM

A: Sonya, Thank you for your support and your question. I have a very irregular life, and by that i mean i do many different things with my time. No day is the same, which is great for me because as they say, "variety is the spice of life" and i utterly agree and live by that statement. I live in Los Angeles and so lately, what with our great weather, I have had sooo many Snowbirds come to town. I have been delightfully busy with many of my Canadian friends and family. So, I have been tour guide and cruise director, and host for the past couple of months. And loving it!! It is also "pilot" season here too. So, i am also going out on auditions. Aaaaand whenever i can, i run away to the circus. Many of my friends here are circus performers and so i spend a lot of time creatively involved in production for gigs, rehearsing and costuming etc.  :O}

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Q: Hi Jessica!!! Wow I just LOVE every episode you are in! You bring so much light and enthusiasm to the show! My question is ... Have you had any horse experience previous to the show, or is it all new for you? and if you have, what have you done with horses? Thanks so much! can't wait for the new episode with you in it!! :D Posted by: Julie Kennett on February 16, 2010 at 11:13 AM

A: Hi Julie, it is a great question...to which i wish i could answer "yes, i have a lifetime of horse experience!!"....but alas, i cannot. :O{ The only other time I have spent with horses is either on other western type shows (like High Country) or the odd time when I have been somewhere and gone for a ride. I love them (actually, all animals i am quite obsessed with) and am certainly not afraid of them at all....but I am no Amber that is for sure!! She is Queen o' the Equines !!  :O}

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Q: Hey Jessica!!!!! I love the character Lisa, she is the perfect   imperfect person!!! I think you do an excellent job playing Lisa, because sometimes even I as a viewer get frustrated, and yell at the TV!! My question is do you ever read the Heartland blogs and what do you think about them??? Thanks!!:) Posted by: countrygurl twin on February 16, 2010 at 01:17 PM

A: I love that you called her a "perfect imperfect person" that's terrific! I would love to know what makes you yell at the TV. She drives you crazy a bit huh? Remind you of people you know maybe....? :O} I love that Lisa is always trying to help, but that in her over zealousness she steps on toes, sometimes causing eye rolling. I have not read the blogs, but I am always interested in feedback. What do YOU think about what they say? I will go to them in the next while and look for your name "countrygurl twin". Thanks. :O}

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Q: First if all I have to say, and I think everyone agrees that you are a great Lisa! My question for you is out of all the Heartland cast, who is the most fun to be around when you're filming? I love you and keep up the fabulous job! Posted by: Jann on February 16, 2010 at 01:35 PM

A: Hi Jann, and thanks so much for your encouragement. I must start by saying that Heartland is a rare show. It is not very often that you come across a show where everyone is so wonderful. I love all the cast and the crew. They are across the board a really great bunch. The folks I spend the most time with are; Shaun of course on set, who I adore because he is such a thoughtful person and so supportive. I spend a lot of time off set with Michelle, she comes and stays with me in LA, and we have a great time playing. I love when Wanda and I are on the same show, because then she and I get to hang out together and have a giggle. We have known each other for ever! It is also great because we all get to spend time together at the hotel where we stay. We meet for dinner etc.

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Q: Hey Jessica! I love your character on Heartland. I think she adds the twinkle in Jack's eyes! My question is... What is your most memorable moment that you've had on the set of Heartland? What has really touched you, or was funny etc. Posted by: Teri on February 16, 2010 at 06:33 PM

A: Hi Teri, I have to say the first thing that comes to mind when you ask that, is the episode from season two, about the cattle drive. I remember shooting in the most spectacular location in the rain and sun and hail and rainbows and riding through the mud and lightning!! It was an epic outdoor show and fun for me because Lisa got to get out of her Porsche and on a horse out riding with Jack (and his new saddle...hee hee). We had lots of fun on that one. Lots of twinkling!! Oh, and the one that comes to mind when you say funny...is the last episode we just shot before the break...i can't tell you what happens but, Wanda plays tipsy hilariously!!! :O}

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Q: Hi Jessica. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer these questions! Lisa's an amazing character on Heartland; I'm so pleased with how you play her. What were your personal thoughts about the subplot with Ben and Lisa in the first season? Posted by: Milly on February 16, 2010 at 06:51 PM

A: Hi Milly. Thank you so much for your encouragement...i love playing Lisa. I worked very little with the actor playing Lisa's nephew Ben unfortunately, and i was sad that we didn't get to continue that subplot. I loved having that connection, being able to play a nurturing and slightly overwhelmed aunt.

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Q: Hi Jessica!!!!!!!!!!!! I love the way you play Lisa you are so enthusiastic about your role. My question is: who is the most into their role on the show? =) P.S. you're a wonderful actress. Posted by: Amy on February 16, 2010 at 07:15 PM

A: Hi Amy. Thanks! I like your question....i immediately think of Amber, and that is mostly because, she really lives a lot like her character Amy. She is an animal whisperer!! And I am always amazed at how much ease and interaction she has with all animals. It is inspiring to me. I also want to say Shaun too. He is a very hard working actor and really cares so much about all aspects of Jack, and the show, and all the people on it. He really takes his time and puts his heart into play Jack right! I admire that.

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Q: Hey Jessica. You rock!!! I love the character you play. She can get Jack to change his mind about anything. Even his truck. Anyhow here's my question for you...in Heartland Lisa travels all over, particularly to France. Have you actually been anywhere else in the world? (not including Canada of course) Thanks for answering questions. Posted by: crazycowgirl on February 16, 2010 at 07:22 PM

A: Hey there Crazycowgirl!! Thanks! Lisa sure does try to push Jack into lots of new things; saddles, suits, trucks...i love it!! I get to play a characteristic that i too possess...pushiness!! :O} I guess i have travelled a fair bit. I am working on a trip to France again this spring myself (my Godson lives there with my dear friends and I haven't seen him in a year!!). I have been to: South Africa, Belize, Turkey (for the solar eclipse :O}), New Zealand, all over Europe, Thailand, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Jamaica, Barbados, Turks and Caicos....but there are so many more places to goooooooo!!

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Q: Hi Jessica! you do a fab job playing Lisa in Heartland. i couldn't imagine anyone doing a better job than you are. My question for you is..... what is the hardest thing you've ever had to do on set? keep up the good work Jessica! Posted by: Zoey on February 17, 2010 at 04:56 AM

A: Hmmmm....gee...I don't know Zoey...well, I am not sure if you mean on Heartland alone, because there ain't nuthin' but pure joy on Heartland, or if you mean on set during my whole career. I will use something from another job because one of the great things about Heartland is that it is not hard, it is fun! I guess i will say that a couple of times on the feature film "Armageddon" were a tich hard due to the pressure. On a big production like that tensions run a little high and I found myself a little under the gun running with the big guns on that one...but what a thrill too!!

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Q: Heya Jessica! I really love Heartland. My question - What is your favourite song???? Posted by: Annie on February 17, 2010 at 01:09 PM

A: Oh Annie...what a tough question!! I love so many songs! I love to belt out a good song (in my car at top volume!!). I love words, I love poetry. So, I love songs that really speak to me. I was raised on songs of poetry like Simon and Garfunkel and Cat Stevens and Neil Young etc. I love those old songs probably the most because they hit me so deep down in my core. I used to drive my brothers nuts in the car because i would sing in their ear every song on the radio. :O}

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Q: I love you soooooo much! You play Lisa so well, I can't believe it! My question is, how old where you when you started your acting and how did you find your love for it? I love you and I just want to say that whenever you are in an episode, you make me happy! (Not that others don't make me happy though!) Love you! Posted by: Kat on February 17, 2010 at 02:20 PM

A: Hi Kat!! It is so great that you say you feel happy watching Heartland. That is exactly why it is important to me. I love that it is a good feeling show. So, thank you for saying that. Love right back atcha!!  I started in the business quite young because my parents were both in it. So, i was around it from the get-go...it was the family business i guess you could say. I did a little series for TV Ontario with my mum when i was 8. Then i did a bunch of TV commercials and small parts on things starting again in high school. It was just part of my home life, so, I never strived to do anything else! :O}

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Q: Hi Jessica! You do a wonderful job with portraying Lisa, her and Jack are such an adorable couple! So I'm wondering, what do you think is the best part about working on Heartland; the other cast members, the plot lines or the fantastic outdoor scenery?? Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions! Your fan from Maine, Michaela. Posted by: Michaela on February 17, 2010 at 03:02 PM

A: Hi Michaela! You nailed it all, in the wording of your question. I love the very things you said. In fact when I talk about the show to others it is the cast and crew, the nature of the show itself and the audience it speaks to, and the perks of where it shoots that I mention. All of these things are top drawer for me. I have been doing this a long time and it is truly rare when all these elements come together. It is increasingly important to me where I spend my time and energy and what I contribute to the entertainment industry. This show means a lot to me for all the reasons you mentioned. Thanks.

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Q: Greetings, Jessica! Looks like I'm not the only HL fan out there who remembers you from Earth 2! I've been a fan of your work since that (unfortunately) short-lived series, so it's great to see you on a home-grown series that's also a ratings success. Here's my question: you've done a lot of work south of the border, but are you home for good, or is it pretty much a case of "go wherever the work is" ? Thanks for taking the time to answer all these questions. Posted by: TC on February 17, 2010 at 08:44 PM

A: Hi TC. THanks for remembering Earth 2. That was quite an epic show! I remember it well...and yes it was a too short run. :O{ I love to work in Canada!! It is very different and feels so much more comfortable to me, because we are a team. No matter where i go or who i work with, nothing is like being/working in Canada for me. I am still living in the US, and will of course, work in both places when i am afforded the opportunity, but I am almost home again. Almost...

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Q: Hey Jessica! I just wanted to know what your favourite role has been throughout your entire acting career so far. Posted by: Siyetka on February 18, 2010 at 02:32 PM

A: Hi Siyetka (great name!!) My favourite roles have been "Small Gifts" because it was a part of me that i hardly ever get to draw on, "Armageddon" because it took me to such incredible places and situations, "Homefront" because it was a period piece and was my carpet ride to LA and i met such a family of friends and we laughed so much, "Strikers Mountain" because it was such an absolutely stellar experience... i don't know...i have had great roles and still feel like THE role of a lifetime is on its way. :O}

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Q: Hi Jessica, I love seeing Lisa in the show! You make her such a funny and loving character   :)   My question: What is it like working with Shaun? And what are the things you like most about him? Thanks!! Posted by: Phoebs on February 18, 2010 at 04:45 PM

A: Hi Phoebe! Thanks for your support. I love working with Shaun because he cares so much and is so dedicated to doing his best and because he also has a great sense of humour about it along the way. He is very concerned and thoughtful and funny and cute the way he does things. A great man and friend! I am lucky to work with him and Lisa is lucky to play with him. :O}

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Q: Hey Jessica! Greetings for Saskatoon! What do you like about playing Lisa the most? Posted by: Jenna on February 17, 2010 at 08:51 AM

A: Hi there Jenna from Saskatoon!! :O} I like that Lisa is fun and light and keen and concerned and loving to a cloying degree and in her trying to help so hard she sometimes runs over her recipient. She is also a business woman but cares a great deal about her horses...and I like her big ol' soft spot for curmudgeonly Jack!! I look forward to more shenanigans with her character. :O}

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Q: Hey Jessica! I love these segments every week so thanks so much for taking the time to answer the questions even if you don't get to mine! I love you on the show, you're amazing as Lisa! I was just wondering, as I've noticed the cast are from all around the place, are you Canadian born or is it just your home now? You guys are doing an amazing job out there! One of your biggest Irish fans (you really do have fans all over the world!) Posted by: Emma on February 17, 2010 at 10:30 AM

A: Hi Emma!! Wow- Ireland!! How lovely!! Yahooo! I am Canadian born and raised and proud of it!! I have lived in USA for a long while now so as to be able to keep my foot in the door of working in both countries (especially in these tough economic times!!) but i am looking at moving back home in the near future. Thanks so much!

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Q: Do you think you can get the script writers or prop people to work in some reference to Captain Power into "Heartland"? Maybe a line about how you used to be a pilot or one of the toys or comics in the background! You've been a role model for a long time. Posted by: Karla Sofen on February 18, 2010 at 07:04 AM

A: Ha Ha....oh Karla...that would be soooo funny wouldn't it? Lisa, hand on heart shouting "Power On!!" in the background....hee hee. I am quite sure the writers have no idea what Captain Power is!! But i am so glad that you do!! Thanks you for remembering it!! I so appreciate you saying role model that means the very most to me. Thank you.

Source

[lovemesomesurveys]

A How artistic are you? I’m not at all. Do you want to go to Africa? I’d love to stay at Giraffe Manor! AC/DC or Aerosmith? Aerosmith. 
Do you know what Armenia is?
  Yes.

B
 What’s your beer of choice (if any)?  Blech, none. Do you know the title of Buffalo Springfield’s one-hit wonder?  Okay, I didn’t recognize the name so I Googled it and yes, I am familiar with their one hit wonder. I actually wasn’t familiar with the song title either, but after reading the lyrics I quickly realized what song it was. Do you have a brother? (Do you like it that way?) I have two brothers, and yes I love them. Which bank do you use?  Not sharing that. C
 Which comedian do you most enjoy?  I think Kevin Hart is funny. Would you ever live in California?  I have all my life. Is it possible/likely that you’ll become a cat lady?  *Dog lady, but yes. How many different countries have visited? Just one. D
 Do you believe there’s a devil? Yes. But demons maybe?  Yes. Does eating dessert often make you feel guilty?  Nope. Can you legally drive?  I’m definitely old enough to have my license, but I don’t.  What have you been diagnosed with (if you don’t mind sharing)? Depression, anxiety, and other physical health stuff. E
 How often do you drink energy drinks?  I like to drink Starbucks Doubleshot energy drinks often. 
Where did you live when you were 11 years old? The house next door to where I live now, ha. We had our big move to the house next door to us haha about 10 years ago because our landlords wanted to install new flooring and stuff to our house, but since they had just finished this one they offered for us to just move in here lol. Do you like the actor who played Edward Scissorhands in that movie?
 Why not just say Johnny Depp? Anyway, yes, I think he’s a very talented actor. Have you ever felt an earthquake?  No, just aftershocks from one. F
 When was the last time you saw your father one-on-one? Yesterday. Do you think French is the most beautiful language?  I don’t know what I’d say is the most beautiful language. Is Friday your favorite day of the week?  No. All the days are the same for me, so meh. Have you listened to Jimi’s song ‘Fire?’  Doesn’t sound familiar. G
 Do you have real gold jewelry?  No. How often do you watch ‘Gossip Girl’?  I never have. Is Google your homepage?  Yeah. 
Do you like Geico’s commercials? Most of them are annoying. The gecko character is cute, though. H
 When did you last feel happy? Uhhh. Do you prefer Hollister, Hot Topic, or H&M?  Hot Topic is the only one I shop at now, but I used to shop at the other 2 as well. Did you dress up last Halloween?  Nope. I stopped doing that a few years ago. Would you voluntarily watch the History Channel?  Yeah and I do if there’s something of interest on. I
 Have you ever been on an island?  No. I live on one in Animal Crossing, though. ha. Would you be able to locate Indonesia on a globe?  I think so. Do you know if Iceland or Greenland has more ice?  Greenland. I remember it’s the opposite of their name for some reason. 
Did you watch the last presidential inauguration?  No. J
 Do you enjoy jogging?  No. On which instrument could you most easily play ‘Jingle Bells’?  I’ve played it on the piano. How much do you know about John Lennon? *shrug* I know some stuff. Do you know how Jell-O is made?  I know how to make Jell-O with the mix, but no I don’t know how the mix itself is made. K
 Have you tried Krispy Kreme doughnuts? (Was it love at first bite?) Yeah, but no they’re definitely not my favorite. They’re not real donuts to me, they’re just pure sugar.  
How many pairs of khaki pants do you own? “Uh, khakis?” ha, if you know, you know. Anyway, I don’t own any. 
Have you ever been a fan of the Killers?  Yeah. L
 Does it bother you when couples are lovey-dovey in public? No, unless they’re having like full on makeout sessions, straddling each other and feeling each other up and whatnot lol. Hand holding/locked arms/arm around each other, hugging, little pecks, and just being playful with each other is cute.  
Do you have your own lighter (why or why not)?  No. I don’t have a need for one. In how many languages (besides English) can you count to 100?  I can in Spanish. What’s your favorite lollipop flavor? Not a lollipop fan. M
 Do you believe in miracles (why or why not)? I do because I'm a woman of faith. What do you think of shows like Maury and Jerry Springer? I used to like watching Maury, Jerry Springer was just for laughs.  
Do you care that Mars (the candy co.) uses deadly animal testing? I haven’t heard that... I’d have to fact check. How did you form your opinion of marijuana? Based off the research supporting that it has a lot of benefits. I was especially swayed when I saw how it helped cancer patients.

N
 How often do you sleep naked?  Never. I wouldn’t find that comfortable at all, I very much like being clothed.  Do you actually check the Nutrition Facts before eating something?  Not usually, but I sometimes will just out of curiosity. 
Who is your favorite musical artist/band beginning with ‘N’? Nirvana. 
How nerdy are you (in what ways)? I’m socially awkward, for one. I also cared about school and did well, which is often considered nerdy. Also, a book nerd, Star Wars nerd, Marvel and DC movies nerd...  I enjoy those things so I don’t care, but they’re deemed “nerdy.” What do you think about olives?  Black olives are good, green olives are gross. Are you much of an outdoorsy person? Not at all. The only time I enjoy being outside is when I’m sitting out at the beach. How big of an Oprah fan are you?  I don’t really consider myself a fan. How often do you shop online?
  Quite often. P
 Are you looking forward to your prom? If you already went, how was it? My prom was over a decade ago D: Anyway,  I danced with the guy I had a huge crush on at the time, so hey it wasn’t too bad. How are your local policemen? I think they do a pretty good job overall.  What is your ideal PB&J sandwich like? Just peanut butter and grape jelly, pretty simple. What do you think of the movie ‘Pineapple Express’? I could not get into that movie at all.  Q
 How true is the saying, ‘quitters never win and winners never quit’?  I mean, can’t say “never”, but the main point from the saying makes sense. Do you prefer Quiznos or Subway and why?  I’ve gone to Subway many times, but I think I’ve only been to a Quiznos once or twice. Have you learned the quadratic formula yet? (Do you remember it?) I think I actually remember it. What is the one question you most want to ask someone and who?
  I don’t know. R
 How many rooms are in your home?  2 bedrooms. 
Do you like raspberries?
  Nah. What’s one of your best memories from during a rain storm? Hmm. I don’t know, but I just really love that kind of weather. 
Have you actually read Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo & Juliet’?  Yeah, my freshman year in high school. S
 Do you know any Sign Language?  I know the alphabet and a few sayings. What is your sleeping schedule generally like?  Oh, my sleeping schedule is an absolute joke. How well do you sing? I can’t sing well at all. How often do you listen to 60-70’s music? Now and then. I actually have several songs on my main Spotify playlist from those decades. T What do you think of Twitter?  I like being able to post my random thoughts and following certain celebrities and just interesting people for funny and interesting stuff. How much do you value the Ten Commandments?  I value them a lot. Are there many trees where you live?  Not really. 
How much taller/shorter do you wish to be? “I wish I was a little bit taller.” 🎶

U
 Where do you usually buy your underwear?  Various places. How do you define ‘ugly’?  It goes a lot deeper than just the outer appearance. Do you like to shop at Urban Outfitters?  I’ve only been to an actual store a couple times and I’ve checked out their website a few times, but I just think they’re ridiculously overpriced. V
 Would you like being described as ‘voluptuous’? No one would use that word to describe me. 
For listening to music, do you like to crank up the volume or keep it calm? I like it at a reasonable level, I don’t need it blaring.  Do you ever watch the annual Victoria’s Secret fashion show? They cancelled that a few years ago, but I never had any interest in watching that. 
Would you agree that ‘variety is the spice of life’?  Yeah. W
 Are you currently on wireless Internet?  Yeah, that’s all I have. I haven’t had to connect to a wifi router or whatever with a cord in a very long time. Can you recall memories of learning how to whistle? I still can’t do it. Do you go to White Castle or just vicariously through ‘Harold & Kumar'? I’ve never actually been to one cause they don’t have one anywhere near me (they’re on the east coast, I’m a west coast gal). I’ve only had the the White Castle burgers from the store that you cook in the microwave. I actually like them, but I’m sure the real deal is even better. X
 Why did you need your most recent x-ray and what were the results? I had to get a CT Scan a couple years ago. When it comes to ‘xoxo’, do you interpret ‘x’ as the hug or the kiss?  It’s hugs and kisses, so the X’s are hugs. What does X stand for in Roman numerals? Can you write the previous number?  X is 10, IX is 9. Why do you think xylophones are only popular with young children? That’s true, that is a pretty common baby toy. At least it was when I was little. Also, I played the xylophone in music class in elementary school. I don’t know why that’s a thing with kids. Y
 Can you explain the meaning of the yin-yang symbol? Opposite, but complimentary principles. Like, you can’t have good without bad, lightness without darkness, etc. It’s about balance. Do people more often mistake you as being younger or older than you are? Younger. Did you know that yawning is contagious?  Yeah.  Would you like a bottle of Yoo-Hoo or it’s not really your thing?  I actually like Yoo-Hoo, but I prefer it in the little carton or whatever with the straw (kinda like a Capri Sun, but it’s a box carton). It’s the perfect size, not too much. The strawberry one is my favorite. I haven’t had one in a long time, though. Z
 How many places’ zip codes do you know by heart?  Uhh, not many. What comes to mind when I say ‘Zero to Hero’? Disney’s Hercules movie.

[punkscowardschampions]

Xander & Kara

theXeppo: Your screen name is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ lesserknowncousin: that many? oh wow 😊 lesserknowncousin: could give you 🌌 if that doesn't reek of overkill theXeppo: who'd put enthusiasm down as a negative? lesserknowncousin: the potential alliteration with my name and the word keen has me 😰 lesserknowncousin: not that I'm getting to 'saving each other's #s' stage here often lesserknowncousin: (ever) theXeppo: Mine alliterates with 🃏 theXeppo: a sign you don't need to 😰 over me getting too serious lesserknowncousin: 🤔 hmm lesserknowncousin: we are next to each other in the alphabet, no need for the cheesy pickup line theXeppo: won't go there with 😘 cousins either theXeppo: very low blow lesserknowncousin: luckily I haven't got any not from Krypton so that doesn't sting too bad theXeppo: I figured lesserknowncousin: how'd you manage that? 🧐 theXeppo: 💪 and 🧠 lesserknowncousin: is that you or me? 🤭 theXeppo: why not us both? lesserknowncousin: got yourself a deal 🃏 lesserknowncousin: like that thinking theXeppo: 🤔🤔🤔 theXeppo: (me from now on) lesserknowncousin: you're very cute lesserknowncousin: very spherical, yellow theXeppo: 🌞 theXeppo: hey lesserknowncousin: the 🌍 says hello theXeppo: 👋🌍 lesserknowncousin: what brings you here, sector J? theXeppo: golden hour theXeppo: everyone wants that for their 📷 yeah? lesserknowncousin: oh, don't ask me lesserknowncousin: I'm AWFUL at selfies lesserknowncousin: considered getting a disguise that's more than a pair of specs theXeppo: maybe you've got skills behind it lesserknowncousin: I'd like to think I have skills in disguise as much as cosplay, but in looking like Liz Katz or Jessica Nigri whilst doing it, not so much theXeppo: whenever I've dressed up for conventions it seems like everyone got the memo a long time before I did and bought up the best stuff theXeppo: no 👑 with my name on it, in any sense lesserknowncousin: right! lesserknowncousin: have to convince myself and 🤞 anyone else that hopelessly homemade is more in the spirt of things anyway theXeppo: and keep the fail pics under 🔐 theXeppo: or that's just me HA lesserknowncousin: definitely not! lesserknowncousin: I have a picture of me and [some sci-fi actor] that has never seen the light of day because I can imagine the 🔥 wars from rabid fans on the state of me 😰 theXeppo: I have sisters who would love to release a cringe compilation irl theXeppo: your 🤕 is felt lesserknowncousin: never been gladder to be an only-child lesserknowncousin: that is horrifying! lesserknowncousin: my mammy's only threat is to bring it all out at my wedding but fat chance of that theXeppo: I'll 🤫 about 🎓 being a workable alternative theXeppo: never know who's 👀 over your shoulder lesserknowncousin: I'd 👂 if she was, don't worry lesserknowncousin: the lecture about spending too much time online, it not being real life and the people not being real friends yadda yadda etc for the zillionth time theXeppo: don't spare her the lecture that it's how people do everything now theXeppo: work & play lesserknowncousin: honestly! lesserknowncousin: she'd have me going to balls and tea party for my socialization,  I'm sure 🙄 theXeppo: which is chill if you're a secret 👸 & she wants you ready before she breaks it to you theXeppo: but if not lesserknowncousin: do you know something I don't know 🤔🤔🤔 lesserknowncousin: are you MY court 🃏 lesserknowncousin: it was a clue! theXeppo: 🥁 (that's a drum roll) theXeppo: I am, yeah lesserknowncousin: oh, mammy! lesserknowncousin: my catchphrase in this sitcom, side-eye to the camera, of course theXeppo: & I drop a 🃏 when I exit lesserknowncousin: when you 💀 someone theXeppo: I swear I'm no 🤡🔪 lesserknowncousin: that is what a killer clown WOULD say but lesserknowncousin: my schedule is pretty free so theXeppo: murder spree at 5pm theXeppo: gotcha lesserknowncousin: thanks for the invite theXeppo: we need someone to cut the 🎀 at the opening theXeppo: you're royalty, it works lesserknowncousin: be my honour lesserknowncousin: bring my best ⚔ theXeppo: what's his or her name? lesserknowncousin: mirabel lesserknowncousin: because I like it and it came to me just now lesserknowncousin: named itself or divine intervention 🤷 theXeppo: stemming from the Latin word mirabilis, meaning "wondrous" or "of wondrous beauty". It was used as both a male and female name in the Middle Ages, but is now almost exclusively female theXeppo: wikipedia approves of your spontaneity lesserknowncousin: that's perfect lesserknowncousin: I've impressed myself honestly lesserknowncousin: arguably not the point of this 💬 but it's a start, I think? 😊 theXeppo: if you aren't impressing yourself, other people will pick up on that theXeppo: even if they're not constantly 🤔🤔🤔 lesserknowncousin: I know 😕 theXeppo: the 👏 isn't purely because you have a 🗡 lesserknowncousin: my 🏹 and my 🪓 too lesserknowncousin: 👍 theXeppo: & your skill at naming things theXeppo: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ every time lesserknowncousin: why thank you lesserknowncousin: your ability to compliment is definitely 🌌 theXeppo: cheers, I wouldn't want to say anything that'd end up in the cringe compilation lesserknowncousin: 🤞 you that even if my editing skills were up to it lesserknowncousin: no need theXeppo: Phew! theXeppo: a safety net lesserknowncousin: I'm intrigued by that proposition theXeppo: you are that proposition, protecting me from pitfalls with your 🗡🏹🪓 & ❤️ lesserknowncousin: could be a 📚 lesserknowncousin: or a REALLY good webcomic theXeppo: an overhyped and poorly cast 📽 that doesn't stick to the source 📚 lesserknowncousin: Scarlett Johansson WILL play me theXeppo: are you trans and a poc? theXeppo: it's personal but under the circumstances lesserknowncousin: not, so she won't be THRILLED to do it but safe to say our similarities lie at being assigned female at birth and 🤍 lesserknowncousin: end* theXeppo: it would make an interesting board game, like 🐍 & ladders theXeppo: I keep falling/doing things worthy of a cringe compilation & you have to catch me/prevent it theXeppo: the player loses when I go from 🤔🤔🤔 to 😳😳😳 theXeppo: & you have until the ☀ goes down lesserknowncousin: I'm in lesserknowncousin: 40/60 lesserknowncousin: how many sides on the dice, real question theXeppo: what's your lucky number? lesserknowncousin: 19 theXeppo: 👌 theXeppo: that'll happen lesserknowncousin: 💕 theXeppo: what colour piece do you want? lesserknowncousin: 💛 theXeppo: it's coming together lesserknowncousin: what does your character look like? theXeppo: like me, I guess, tall, dark hair & eyes that look a different shade in every 📷 theXeppo: but they're kinda 💚 lesserknowncousin: it'll 💸 theXeppo: Scarlett Johansson will want to play me but you offered her the role of you first lesserknowncousin: 🤭 lesserknowncousin: if you can 💬 it sounds like you could play yourself theXeppo: my mum's done some modelling and my dad's a photographer (not how they met) but none of us have done any acting theXeppo: I don't know how well I'd do there lesserknowncousin: wow lesserknowncousin: now I'm 😳😳😳 theXeppo: I look more like my dad theXeppo: & am without a modelling contract lesserknowncousin: still, better genes than a local councilor and a woman who works on the makeup counter theXeppo: not necessarily lesserknowncousin: I'll roll on it theXeppo: 🎲🎲 lesserknowncousin: ugh, talk of the 👿👿s lesserknowncousin: required to go talk about my day and 🍽 theXeppo: I'll get my own call to arms soon too lesserknowncousin: I've enjoyed talking to you though theXeppo: Yeah? It's been nice to talk to you theXeppo: plan our 💸 making franchise lesserknowncousin: of course! 😊 lesserknowncousin: you should definitely, you know, save my info lesserknowncousin: if you want to theXeppo: if you save mine, I'll do it too lesserknowncousin: done lesserknowncousin: [screenshot of proof] theXeppo: [one back] theXeppo: speak soon? lesserknowncousin: I'd like that theXeppo: I'll be around theXeppo: come find me before too long, okay? lesserknowncousin: If my parents weren't strictly caveman in their views, I could keep talking to you now but lesserknowncousin: they are and they need to critique all my life choices whilst I eat one of the five meals I eat every week, variety and all other spices of life not included lesserknowncousin: the alliteration can hang, I'll make it soon theXeppo: if I could win them over through the screen, I'd try but they don't think I'm real enough for that theXeppo: maybe don't mention the model mum, it doesn't help with the belief that I'm not fake lesserknowncousin: 🙄 they're so 2000s lesserknowncousin: if you aren't a 🤖 you're 👹 lesserknowncousin: they don't need to know everything, right lesserknowncousin: especially things they don't understand theXeppo: secret like your princess status lesserknowncousin: exactly lesserknowncousin: they're the kidnappers, if anyone is lesserknowncousin: I'll spare them 🗡🏹🪓 but still theXeppo: eat your food with them, so they know the 🗡🏹🪓 threat exists but it's not direct theXeppo: you could easily have just misplaced your knife & fork lesserknowncousin: 🤭 you're funny, sector J theXeppo: thanks Katy Keene

[thedisneychef]

Ways to Cook Black Eyed Peas: Delicious and Creative Ideas

Hey there! If you're looking for a delicious and nutritious way to cook black eyed peas, then look no further. I'm going to give you some tasty recipes as well as tips on how to make the most out of these amazing legumes. Black eyed peas are not only packed with protein, fiber and essential vitamins, but they can also be cooked in so many different ways that will have your taste buds singing. So let's get cooking! Boiling I love cooking black-eyed peas in a pot. Boiling them is easy and quick, plus the flavor and texture of the beans are perfect every time! I start by rinsing the black-eyed peas with cold water to remove any dirt or debris. Then, I place them in a pot filled with enough water to cover all of the beans. I bring it up to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover the pot and let it simmer for about an hour or until they’re tender when pierced with a fork. Grilling and steaming are also great ways to cook these delicious beans. To grill them, you can either wrap already cooked black eyed peas in foil, season as desired and then place on the preheated grill for 5 minutes per side or skewer them like kebabs and do the same thing. For steaming, simply fill a large pan with 1 inch of hot water and insert your steamer basket; add seasoned blacked eyed peas into basket, cover and steam for 20 minutes or until desired doneness is reached. No matter which method you choose, you're sure to enjoy this tasty legume! The possibilities are endless when it comes to how you can use these flavorful beans - from adding them to stews, soups & salads to using as part of main dishes or sides - so get creative and have fun experimenting! Baking I'm sure you've heard that variety is the spice of life and this saying certainly applies when it comes to cooking black eyed peas. There are so many delicious ways to cook them, from baking to grilling and roasting - each method yielding a unique flavor! Let's explore two methods for cooking black eyed peas: grill roasting and slow cooking. Grill roasting requires an open flame or charcoal fire to char the exterior of the beans while keeping their interior juicy. To get started, soak your black eyed peas overnight in cold water then drain them completely before adding some olive oil and spices of your choice. Place the mix onto a preheated grill over hot coals or gas flames for about 20 minutes and turn occasionally until cooked through evenly. The smoky flavor will make these grilled black eyed peas hard to resist! Slow cooking is another option for preparing tasty black eyed peas. Cook up a batch by soaking them overnight and draining off any excess moisture before adding vegetables such as onions, celery, garlic, carrots, tomatoes etc., plus your favorite herbs like cilantro and parsley into a crockpot along with seasonings and broth/water (about 3 cups). Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours until tender but not mushy – enjoy! No matter which way you choose to prepare your black eyed peas, they're sure to be flavorful enough to become part of your regular meal rotation! Pressure Cooking Pressure cooking black eyed peas is a great way to get them cooked quickly and easily. This method of cooking involves using an airtight container, such as the popular Instant Pot, to cook food with steam at high pressure. Pressure cooking allows you to cut your cooking time significantly without sacrificing flavor or texture. The beans will become tender in just minutes rather than hours when slow cooked or simmered. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can still enjoy delicious black eyed peas by slow simmering them on the stovetop. Start by soaking your dried peas overnight in cold water; they'll expand which makes for more even cooking. Next, add the soaked beans and enough fresh water to cover them into a large pot over medium-high heat until boiling then reduce heat to low and let it slowly simmer until soft - this takes approximately 1 hour but may take longer depending upon how old your beans are. Adding seasonings during the last few minutes of cooking will enhance their flavor! Cooking black eyed peas doesn't have to be time consuming if done correctly - whether it's through quick pressure cooking or slow simmering on the stove top, both methods ensure that your beans come out perfectly cooked every single time! Sauteing I love sautéing black eyed peas. It's a great way to cook them and get that delicious, smoky flavor without all the work of slow simmering or deep frying. The best part is you don't need any special equipment - just a good skillet and some oil! Plus, it takes very little time, so if you're in a hurry it's perfect for whipping up a tasty side dish or main course. To begin sautéing your black eyed peas, start by heating 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot (you can test this by adding one bean; if it sizzles and pops, then it's ready!), add 1 cup of drained and rinsed black eyed peas to the pan. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes until the beans become lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving. Sautéed black eyed peas are an incredibly versatile ingredient - they make a delicious addition to salads, soups, stews, tacos and more! Whether you want something quick and easy or gourmet-style fare, these flavorful legumes will surely hit the spot every time. Stir-Frying Moving on from sautéing, stir-frying is another great way to cook black eyed peas. This method involves marinating the beans in a mixture of spices and oil beforehand; this helps them absorb flavor and become more tender before they are cooked. Once ready, heat some oil in a wok or skillet over high heat, then add the marinated peas. Stir fry for 3-5 minutes until they’re heated through and slightly browned. Make sure you don't overcook so that all their nutrients remain intact! If you want an even slower cooking process, consider boiling your black eyed peas with some seasoning like onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaves. This will give the beans an incredibly rich flavor and texture without taking up too much of your time. Boil for about 25 minutes or until the beans are fully cooked but still hold their shape when bitten into. If desired, you can also slow cook these beans in a crock pot overnight for an extra savory taste. No matter which method you choose, adding herbs and spices such as cumin powder, oregano flakes or smoked paprika will take your black eyed peas to the next level! All it takes is just a few simple ingredients to make delicious dishes everyone at home will love! Frequently Asked Questions What Is The Nutritional Value Of Black Eyed Peas? When it comes to nutrition, black-eyed peas are packed with important nutrients. One cup of cooked black-eyed peas contains around 230 calories, 5 grams of fat and 15 grams of protein. They're also a great source of dietary fiber, providing 11 percent of the daily recommended value in that one cup. Plus, they provide significant amounts of potassium, magnesium, iron and folate. So when you cook up some black-eyed peas for dinner or combine them with other ingredients for a delicious meal, you can rest assured knowing you’re getting lots of good nutrition too. Is There A Difference Between Black Eyed Peas And Black Beans? Yes, there is a difference between black eyed peas and black beans! Black-eyed peas are small, cream-colored legumes with a distinctive black spot. They have an earthy but sweet flavor that makes them popular in Southern cuisine. Cooking times for black-eyed peas vary depending on the method used; they can be cooked quickly using high heat or slowly over low heat. Slow cooking is often preferred to preserve the texture of the pea and bring out their full flavor. Are Black Eyed Peas Vegan-Friendly? Yes, black eyed peas are vegan-friendly! They contain no animal products and provide a good source of protein along with dietary fiber. Black eyed peas also contain goitrogens, which are compounds that can block the synthesis of thyroid hormones, so it’s important to enjoy them in moderation if you have an existing condition. But overall, their high fiber content makes for a healthy addition to any vegan diet. Are There Any Health Benefits To Consuming Black Eyed Peas? Yes, there are health benefits to consuming black eyed peas! They're rich in vitamins and minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. They also provide a good source of dietary fiber which helps with digestion and can reduce cholesterol levels. Additionally, they are an excellent substitute for other ingredients due to their versatility when it comes to different cooking methods. Black eyed peas can be boiled, steamed or stir-fried; making them great for delicious dishes like soups, salads or casseroles. Is It Possible To Freeze Cooked Black Eyed Peas? Yes, it is possible to freeze cooked black eyed peas! Canning tips suggest that the best way to do this is by blanching them first. This involves boiling the beans for a few minutes before cooling and freezing them in an airtight container. Alternatively, you could also omit the blanching step and just freeze the cooked beans as-is. Either method will work fine - just make sure you don't leave them out of the freezer for too long or they may start to spoil. Conclusion In conclusion, black eyed peas are a nutritious and delicious food that can be cooked in a variety of ways. They are similar to black beans but contain some unique nutritional benefits such as being high in fiber and protein. Black eyed peas are also vegan-friendly, making them an excellent choice for those following plant-based diets. Additionally, they can even be frozen after they have been cooked so you can enjoy them later on! So if you're looking for a healthy meal or snack idea, try cooking up some black eyed peas today! Read the full article