I would normally never do this and I normally avoid all political posting, but the FDA has had to stop a lot of food testing due to staff cuts currently planned at least until September 30th.
This is very dangerous for certain foods and if you live in the United States, I highly recommend that you keep track of this list: https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/food-traceability-list
That is a (not fully comprehensive but useful) list of the high-risk foods for contamination and sickness that could result in serious harm or death. The broad strokes are cheeses, but especially soft cheeses, raw/fresh vegetables, pre-sliced fruit packages, ready to eat salads, chicken eggs, milk (bird flu), anything fermented like melons, and pet food, among others.
This is likely not a comprehensive list, so be sure to look things up yourself as well.
If you buy vegetables and plan to eat them, it is best to cook them to a safe temperature and wash their outsides well with water and light scrubbing instead of eating them raw. Treat it like chicken in that regard.
Make sure that the individual foods that you buy often are safe to eat or at risk, and adjust accordingly. This is a fundamental necessity that everyone here will need to follow. Testing is reduced or gone, and reporting on outbreaks will also likely be reduced or banned outright as well.
All you can do is stay safe, use your masks in public again, and make sure that you are clean as well as your food.
Attached below are more tips for vegetables, meat safety should be the same, just be more vigilant.
I love you all and don't want any of you hurt. Let's all support each other, thank you.
Update: this is the best post I've ever made because everyone is sharing their Warm Beverage recipes in the notes. Go check the notes for more Warm Beverages That Will Fix You.
If you guys are gonna cheat at hotpot by trading cards, I'm gonna report you for cheating. Don't fucking ruin the game for everyone else 🖕 We already have enough of a small player base
NECKS! We’re bringing the FINAL COPIES of the original print runs of our TUTORIALS BOOKS to THOUGHT BUBBLE COMIC FESTIVAL on 16th - 17th NOVEMBER! These are the last copies in existence!! Get to our table FAST, they will ALL GO!
Accompanying Kratos and Atreus was dangerous. You had figured that out early on after they had stumbled upon you trying to escape a Draugr attack. The two had saved your life; as such, you couldn’t help but want to try to help them in return. You didn’t have many skills valuable to them, but you did have a keen eye and were more emotionally in tune than your companions. It had prevented a fair few fights. That doesn’t mean they always listened to you, as Atreus and Kratos were an 11-year-old boy and an ancient man the size of a giant from some far-off land. They had their beliefs and thought processes, so no matter how much sense you made, they sometimes ignored your advice. You and Mímir did get along reasonably well, though.
During your travels, you met Baldur. The god had repeatedly attacked your new friends. Thankfully, he didn't see you as much of anything besides a nuisance, and you'd made sure not to be much else.
Despite not caring much about Baldur, you could tell what his mother did to him seriously fucked with his head. It was painfully obvious and hurt to see. Of course, you'd heard of him before; he was a god, after all. But to be faced with his actions and truly listen to his words was something else entirely. You held a sort of sadness in your heart for him, a kinship in some ways. It wasn't pity quite yet, but it was getting there.
So, when Atreus had begged his father to save Freya as Baldur began choking her, you decided to step in. Knowing Kratos, his answer would likely be killing the god. You didn’t know why, but you didn’t want that to happen.
"Wait!" You shouted at Baldur.
His bright blue eyes glared at you over his shoulder.
Nervously, you shifted, white-knuckling your bag’s strap.
"You want her to hurt, right?" You asked before licking your lips nervously. You eyed Kratos beside you, a silent way of telling him to stand down. Once you were sure he got the hint, you turned and locked eyes with Baldur again. "If you want her to hurt as much as possible, take it from someone who knows; let her live."
Baldur squinted at you in surprise and confusion. "What?" he asked, completely bewildered—bewildered enough to loosen his grip ever so slightly.
Sucking in a few more breaths before leveling out your breathing.
"Freya is your mother. She loves you with all of her heart. She wants to protect you no matter what. But, now," you said, trailing off. "I mean, come on," you laughed lightly, "Her curse is broken. She's failed to protect you. She has lost you, Baldur. In every way that matters, she has lost you."
Your eyes flickered down to his hands. His firm grip had loosened further as he’d listened to you.
"You kill her now, and she won't get to experience the paranoia and fear that comes with never knowing if you're dead or not. You kill her now, and her days will never be filled with worry and uncertainty. Shit!" You laugh again. "If you kill her now, she won't be able to go to your funeral. What's a worse fate than that!? I mean, seriously, you better than anyone should know that the worst fates aren't the physical but the mental, right? Why get it over with here and now when you can let her stew for years and years and let her feel just a tiny bit of what you felt? Let her live, Baldur, and die knowing that is the worst fate you can give to her." You looked over at Kratos. "You're a parent. How would you feel if that was the fate of you and Atreus?"
Kratos’ stone-set face crunched p ever so slightly as he thought about your words. The mere thought of Atreus dying before him and never knowing was more unnerving than anything he’d felt in a very long time. He was slow to answer, but that wasn’t surprising. "I would rather die than go through that," he replied quietly and honestly.
Atreus blinked in surprise at his father's answer, but a small smile slipped its way forward at his father’s words.
You met Baldur's gaze again, your shoulders pushed back and breathing steady. "See, even Kratos agrees. And getting him to agree with me is stupidly hard." Carefully, you approached him but still maintained a distance. After a beat of silence, you spoke again, "To let her live is to make her suffer.”
Your gaze did not waver from Baldur’s, and he searched for any sign of a lie or trick.
Finding nothing, he nodded, releasing her.
Freya fell with a thud, slightly gripping at her own throat. She took a few unsteady breaths, bracing her arm against the ground.
Baldur did not look at her; he simply walked away, his barren feet making obvious tracks as he left.
You? You just sighed in relief.
"And everybody gets to live another day,” you said before slightly chuckling.
Kratos and you locked eyes briefly. It was enough time for him to nod in approval of your actions, grateful he didn’t have to act, before turning his attention to his son and Freya.
You weren’t sure what your next actions would be, but you knew you were concerned about Baldur. Someone had to check on him. Getting the ability to feel back after years of nothingness must be rough on atrophied senses.
•
Following Baldur's tracks, you walked after him. After getting within visual distance, you jogged to catch up.
"Hey, are you okay?" You asked, practically hopping to keep up with his rather long strides.
Baldur stopped in his tracks at the sound of your voice. Still, he refused to look at you, instead studying the snow and mud on the ground. One of his fists remained solidly clenched while his other hand rubbed against his trousers. His entire face was contorted in some unidentified emotion. He seemed unnerved—maybe frazzled would be a better word? You weren’t sure.
Since he’d stopped, you managed to catch up with him, hopping around his body in an attempt to get him to face you as you spoke. "Look, I know you probably really wanted to kill her, and, ya know, that's probably still an option if you really want to, but letting her suffer is worth it. Trust me. Also, she kinda deserves it, from what I can tell. Overprotective parents kinda suck, ya know? Well, obviously, you'd know, but still…"
You were rambling now, and you knew it, but you couldn't help but continue talking. To you, it felt like if you stopped, Baldur would change his mind and go after Freya—or maybe he’d kill you or something.
You weren’t sure about anything right now, just that you needed to keep talking.
Unfortunately, you weren't paying attention while talking and slipped on some ice.
Just when you thought you were going to end up on your ass, Baldur caught you.
Unsurprisingly, his hands were rough and heavy, but his touch was much gentler than you expected. He was gentler than Kratos usually was, almost like he was afraid of breaking you like he didn’t know his own strength. Baldur studied you for a moment, his hands lingering.
"Are you alright?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper.
You gave a strained smile, not used to this type of softness from anyone, much less someone you thought didn't care about others. "Peachy. Thanks." You weren’t sure how else to respond.
He hummed before looking at where your bodies connected, at the arms. Baldur's head tilted slightly as his eyes ran up your arms and over your face. His fingers traced your skin as if figuring out what it was.
He knew, of course, but you could tell it was still a foreign feeling.
"Ya know," you said gently, "I-um, if you want, I could help with the whole being thrust back into the world of feeling shit. If you want? It's not like I got much else going on."
Baldur snorted and smiled as he met your gaze. "I- I would appreciate that, actually. I know my family isn't going to be much help."
You gave him another awkward smile and nodded. "Cool. Cool. Um, you can let go now, though."
He stepped away, snow crunching beneath his feet. "Sorry."
