pabloalaalatoa

[pabloalaalatoa]

Pablo shook his head at the praise feeling his cheeks warm ever so slightly. He did very well for himself as a candy maker. His shop back in San Diego had been very successful and he had a couple of awards under his belt for people’s choice awards when it came to candy. Still it was different when the compliment was being dealt so personally. “I appreciate you saying that,” Pablo said.

“They’re up on that shelf near the front just bagged up a fresh batch this morning,” he directed with a point of his finger. “They should definitely keep you awake. They’re tart,” he cautioned but if Jasper had been a fan of the apple ones he should be fine.

“Yeah, we’ve definitely seen an increase in customers lately,” he confirmed. Most businesses did best during the summer months when tourism was high and the small town was bursting with people. “No complaints here,” he confirmed. Pablo loved his staff he had currently and it definitely took the pressure off of him. The older he got the more he liked to oversee things and step in when he felt like where he felt like. He couldn’t say that’d always been his style.

@jaspermorgan

@pabloalaalatoa

Jasper laughed. “Quite good? You’re too modest. I don’t ever recollect having anything like it in both London and New York. I’d say it’s a shame, but this place of yours might be the best kept secret in all of California.”

And Jasper wasn’t even exaggerating. He would selfishly and happily keep the shop the best kept secret in California. He loved its smell, its charm, the range of products, and would camp out on the shop floor every night if he could.

“Sour cherry?” He then echoed. “Well, I like the sound of that. I’ll take a large bag. They might help keep me awake when I have paperwork to do.” He laughed, then adding, “I imagine work has been busy for you? With the summer tourists and all. I know I’m swamped, but I wouldn’t wish for anything else.”

[pabloalaalatoa]

🍎  — an apple a day! 

“There’s a lot of things I do daily that I guess could be considered a ritual. My days are pretty routine in general, I’d say. I always wake up and greet my husband the same way each morning and I almost always wind down with a glass of red and a cigarette out on the porch as I watch the sunset. It’s very meditative, that’s probably why it became a part of my routine.”

[pabloalaalatoa]

“Oh, no. I don’t do any of that online stuff,” he explained. Even though they were in the modern age and virtually everything could be done with a few clicks of a button Pablo found himself to be old fashioned. He still called in his pizza orders and bought almost everything in person. He already had to deal with enough tech running a business he didn’t want that bleeding into his personal life.

“I’m always open to recommendations,” Pablo said though he did already have a couple of bottles in mind. “I’ll take two bottles of the 2019 Syrah you’ve got and a bottle of 2022 Pinot Noir. Are you still doing the deal when you buy six bottles?” Pablo asked. Not that it really mattered. He planned to buy six bottles whether or not there was a discount. That was how many holes he had in his wine rack that needed filling.

@frxncisbelle

once, every so often, spears of light pierce through fields of clouds and grace those below with a blessed feeling of peace, harmony, and love. often, the shadows that whisper in francis' ears — little chirps of suffering — deny him the privilege of experiencing such moments. today, however, was a day when his benefactors up above had aimed correctly and vanquished the shadows and left nothing behind but little yelps of anguish.

similarly, francis almost yelped out loud and fell to his knees as he realized that he did not have to go through another tasting. yes, sometimes god was good. he was tempted to just take the backside of his hand and, in a flourish, swipe the glassware to the floor and revel in their screams as they died a miserable death. but, of course, he knew that he was being a little melodramatic. just a tad. when he got home, he anticipated a therapy session with mister mittens would be a necessity.

"ah," he sighed, "perfect."

he put away his worker's tools at once and, straightening his spine, peered at the nearby rack of "to-go orders" for the patrons that frequented regularly. he wasn't sure if this man was one of them — never admit that again, he thought, for dad will invade your thoughts and drag them from your ears like a folktale creature — but he thought he might be.

"do you have an order already waiting, sir? or, would you like a few recommendations?" he stopped and felt a brief pain in his chest at the misstep, the assumption that this man did not know what he was doing. "i mean, of course, if you do not already know exactly what you need?"

@pabloalaalatoa

[pabloalaalatoa]

what kind of food does your muse get at the carnival or fair?

“It’s probably been over ten years since I’ve been to any sort of fair. There’s all sorts of crazy foods served now I don’t even know what I would pick if I went now though you can never go wrong with a funnel cake and fresh squeezed lemonade.”

[pabloalaalatoa]

“Don’t worry about it. My friend should be getting here soon,” he explained. Besides he was trying to pace himself. While he drank frequently he hadn’t drank heavily in years so he wasn’t trying to get drunk by any means this evening. His husband had already agreed to pick him up tonight he didn’t want to be a nuisance to the man later.

“I don’t know, I think this is a fine place for a first date,” he said. Though the last time he’d been on a first date had been in his twenties and he frequently met men in bars like this. Though his dates didn’t look like that now. Him and Lu might share a bottle of wine over dinner somewhere over a bar like Sea Foam that felt too intimate to him to attempt on a first date. Unfortunately Pablo didn’t feel like he had any real pointers for the man.

“I don’t envy the position you’re in,” he sympathized. “Dating is tough.” While he planned to be with Luano for the rest of his life, heaven forbid that doesn’t happen he doesn’t see himself ever putting himself out there again. Dating in this day and age felt way too complicated. “What kind of shot do you want?” Pablo asked before taking another sip of his margarita.

@auggievillanueva

Auggie would swear that he wasn't fishing for a sympathy shot from anyone other than the bartender if pressed, but he also wasn't going to say no if someone was offering to keep him from trying to make puppy dog eyes at whoever was behind the bar that night. "I'd appreciate that, thanks," he said, sliding into the seat next to the other man. "I'll get the next one."

He toyed with the straw on his cocktail as a cheer went up in the bar — Charli XCX had just come on, and people, almost all much younger than Auggie, were heading toward the dance floor.

"Maybe I should've chosen a different place," he wondered aloud to the guy next to him. "I love that this place is here, don't get me wrong. I could've used it when I was a kid. But the guy who ditched me seemed pretty buttoned up. Maybe he got scared off." He groaned a little, slumping down onto the bar a bit. "I just haven't done this in a long time."

@pabloalaalatoa

[pabloalaalatoa]

🥀  —  the last petal falls!      a headcanon about a time my muse has pined or felt unrequited love for another.

“I don’t have many experiences of times where I’ve felt I pined over someone. I suppose the closest I’ve got to that is when I was infatuated with a bartender at a club I frequented when I was maybe 22? 23? I ended up going home with him one night and he didn’t end up being all I thought he was cracked up to be so those feelings ended pretty abruptly.”

[pabloalaalatoa]

"I'd have to agree with you there. I'm partial to chocolate myself," he confirmed. It was also his favorite sugar medium to work with. He found it so versatile and paired well with so many different flavors he hardly got bored when he was experimenting with chocolate. Hearing the girl was five sounded about right. That's what he would've guessed if asked. He definitely knew how sassy they could be around that age. He didn't have kids of his own but had watched many nephews and nieces grow up. "Hopefully there's no sass in here," he said knowing kids could be unpredictable especially around their vices.

Hearing she had a potential order to place sparked Pablo's interest and kept him from disappearing off to box up more caramels. "We can certainly do something like that. I would suggest going with some chocolates. We've got a model for just about any shape you can think of and we can package them individually," he explained. That was probably the most giftable and universally child friendly option he could think of. "I can send you off with an order form if you'd like to look it over," he added.

@themeixhuang

"I agree, but whereas her sweets vice is gummy candy, mine is most certainly chocolate or anything with caramel really." Case in point her eagerly trying the free sample and already wanting to buy a box. "She'll be five, but sometimes her sassy little quips makes me wonder if she's actually turning into a teenager already." Mei said it with a laugh too, shaking her head as she looked over at her little girl who already had three different bags of candies in her arms as she scoured the store. "I appreciate that, thank you!"

While he went to get the box ready for her, Mei Lian managed to wrangle her daughter back to the front, rolling her eyes amusedly at how she was practically bouncing with excitement. "You know, I work at the daycare in town, and our new year will be starting in a few weeks. Maybe we should work something out? Get a bulk order ready of sweets to gift to my newest class. If you'd be up for it of course."

[pabloalaalatoa]

Pablo let her take the lid off. He hadn’t even thought about it being on when he did his take. He’d still been caught off guard being asked to partake in a video in the first place.

He really didn’t want to do another take. Pablo felt like he was terrible on camera but he’d been asked to redo it and he felt like he couldn’t say no. “Oh, alright,” Pablo agreed with a nod of his head before he straightened up his posture again to be on camera. “Ready?” He asked again waiting for his cue. Once he got it he started all over again. “I’m Pablo Alaalatoa and I brought the, uhh, roasted sweet potato and farro salad,” he repeated in slightly different words as he once again presented the bowl towards the camera. “That any better?” He asked as he lowered the bowl. He didn’t think he had another take in him. Pablo had come here to try some food not be a Tiktoker. “Can I just set it anywhere on the table?” He asked ready to find a home for the dish he’d brought.

@cricketcampbell

"Ready!" Cricket confirmed, hitting record. She'd fully expected the Millennial pause at the beginning, but it never failed to bring a grin to her face. Maybe she'd make her own compilation video from tonight if she had enough content for it.

If she'd been thinking, she would've told Pablo to take off the Tupperware lid for the video, but it's a revelation she has only once she's already filming. Cricket's weighing the merits of either taking what she's been given or asking him to rerecord when he asks and she makes her executive decision.

"You were perfect." She assured with an eager nod of her head, phone still in hand as she approaches and gestures to the bowl. "But can I just see that? It sounded so good, I literally need to see what it looks like." Peeling off the lid, she gasps as she peers inside. "Um, okay, absolutely gorgeous? It'd be actually criminal if you didn't show this off! Do you mind if we go again, just one more time?"

@pabloalaalatoa

[pabloalaalatoa]

It was always a nice surprise when he ran into Daphne. She was always so pleasant when he spoke to her and he greatly enjoyed her as an addition to the neighborhood. Today especially as it seems she came bearing gifts. He chuckled at her explanation. He’d definitely been there before in his own kitchen. “I don’t think we have any bread in the house right now, actually,” he stated as he took the loaf from her. He would never turn down homemade bread. “Thank you so much. I wish I had something to give you,” he said as he instantly started scratching his brain for something he could give in exchange that he just had lying around. “Do you drink wine?” Pablo asked as he remembered a customer had gifted him a bottle of white wine he was looking to pass on to someone else anyways. Daphne might as well be the recipient.

@daphne-jimenez

closed starter for @pabloalaalatoa

"So, I was planning on making just a simple loaf of bread this morning, just one" Daphne began her spiel right as Pablo opened his front door. "I unfortunately made a terrible mistake with the recipe, however. You see, I thought the measure was 1 cup, but I actually misread it and it was 1/4 cup, and I had already gone through enough steps that I couldn't just take out the excess, so I had to quadruple the whole recipe and, well-" She extended her arms out, and inside her hands she held a crusty loaf of handmade bread, wrapped protectively in baking paper. "I made four whole loaves, and there's no way that we'll get through so much so quickly, so please, tell me that you don't also have an obscene amount of bread inside, so that you can take it off my hands."

[pabloalaalatoa]

“Well, chocolate we have plenty of,” Pablo confirmed. It was his favorite to work with personally so of course he sold many different treats containing the stuff. “We’ve got fudge in a variety of flavors, some just solid chocolate in white, dark, and milk, a few varieties of nut clusters dipped in chocolate and my personal favorite and our top sellers are the truffles we’ve got ten different flavors to choose from right now… sorry, nine we just sold out of the dulce de leche ones for the day but you can still get them if you’re buying a multipack,” he rattled off the various chocolate goodies he had to offer the young man. It was probably chocolate overload but it was easy for Pablo to talk about his treats.

@wesxevans

"No worries." Wes huffed out a small laugh. He knew he and Kate snuck out to smoke behind Neptune plenty of times during their shifts, even if it wasn't slow at all. Sometimes they smoked more than cigarettes, too. Truly, it was a wonder Wes didn't get fired with how many times he'd shown up high when he first started. It was also strange to think back on how far he'd come since then, as Wes felt and acted like a totally different person. He supposed having a kid would make you grow up like that.

"I have been sent on a mission by my wife, niece, and pregnant sister-in-law for chocolates." Wes laughed softly. "So give me whatever you think is great for that."

@pabloalaalatoa

[pabloalaalatoa]

Sufjan Stevens | Casimir Pulaski Day

In the morning when you finally go And the nurse runs in with her head hung low And the cardinal hits the window In the morning in the winter shade On the first of March, on the holiday I thought I saw you breathing All the glory that the Lord has made And the complications when I see His face In the morning in the window All the glory when he took our place But he took my shoulders and he shook my face And he takes and he takes and he takes

[pabloalaalatoa]

Pablo laughed. "It sneaks up on ya," he confirmed. It really had been a surprise for Pablo when he started to feel old. It wasn't like he had any kids of his own he'd watched grow up that aged him. No, it was really more internal things that made him feel his age. Like the fact he can no longer work without wearing nice supportive shoes or else his back would start killing him from standing all day or that none of his clothes from college fit anymore and he isn't sure how they ever did. He didn't fear getting old like he once had and that sort of maturity had certainly been learned the hard way.

"Nothing for the summer, no. The menu's pretty much set," he admitted. While he would continue to change up little things here and there every week like flavors of truffles or chocolate designs he only really made drastic changes when the seasons did. He found certain treats just sold better during certain times of the year even though the climate in Aurora Bay was pretty nice year round. "I have been in contact with someone up in Vermont for some treats this fall. I'm trying to get a good source of maple syrup," he explained but that was the only hint he was willing to offer.

@noellexdriscoll

"Oh, hush!" Noelle tried to dismiss his compliment with a wave of her hand. "My niece may or may not have gotten pregnant right at eighteen. Sterling, not Liza. Although, Liza's married now and has her own little one. Now I feel so old explaining all that." But even though Noelle had great nieces and her own daughter was in college, she was only forty-one. Noelle got pregnant with Lucy at seventeen and got married by nineteen. While Noelle had always wanted to be a mother and wife, she really hadn't planned on doing it so early, and of course, things didn't exactly turn out as planned because she and her ex-husband got divorced soon after Lucy turned eighteen. Noelle wouldn't trade her life for anything, though, and the only thing she wished was different was that she wished her sister hadn't passed on so soon.

"That's wonderful! Tourist season is good for something." Noelle laughed softly. As much as she loved meeting new people and was extremely extroverted, it didn't mean she didn't understand how unbearable tourists could be at times. "Have you been working on anything new? C'mon, you can tell me, I can take a secret to my grave." She grinned, hoping he'd let her be nosy and learn about some of the potential new menu items before anyone else.

@pabloalaalatoa

[pabloalaalatoa]

Pablo hadn’t always been an avid wine drinker. It really wasn’t until he reached his thirties that he grew a true appreciation for the beverage. Now at forty-four it was really the only alcohol he drank on a frequent basis and frequent he did. Most nights Pablo found himself winding down with a nice glass of red as he would watch the sunset on his back porch. It was somewhat of a ritual at this point for him.

That’s how he found himself at the winery today. His wine rack was looking particularly empty and he wasn’t about to crack into one of his special bottles just for his evening glass. It was time for a restock.

Pablo watched as the man seemed to be acting on auto pilot in front of him. Having a profession where he too served the public on a daily basis meant he could relate to how tiring it could be. Pablo let out a little chuckle at the man’s apology. “It’s quite alright. Oh, and you don’t have to do all that. I’m just here to pick up a few bottles to take home,” he explained. As much as he would love to stick around and taste what they had to offer today he simply didn’t have the time. He had quite an elaborate dinner he had to go home and get started on soon if he wanted to eat before 9 PM.

@frxncisbelle

open starter: @aurorabaystarter

location: sunrise winery

if he could help it, francis avoided the myriad of people that meandered throughout the tasting bar as much as he possibly could. on days like today, where he had no choice but to stand behind a bar and sell product to rich folks of all ages who treated him like an object, he had to remind himself of a few different mantras:

one day, all these people will be dead, and they will no longer plague him.

if he refused to put on his mask-of-many-faces, then his father would refuse to look at him come their semi-annual-awkward-belle-family gathering.

rent is due, rent is due, rent is due.

he had just finished placing a warmed glass of mulled wine — "who asks to sample a glass of mulled wine in 80-degree weather?" said one of his employees, to which he could only sigh and shrug — when another guest walked up. the mask went back on in an instant and francis casually slid a laminated copy of their tasting menu across the bar with one hand while his other hand snatched a few empty glasses from underneath the counter. he placed them side-by-side in one smooth move that, when he had first attempted it years ago, had resulted in a guest threatening to sue as they pulled out a shard of glass from their index finger.

"good morning, good afternoon, and good night — here's hoping that you leave here feeling... all-right..." as he spoke through the exhaustion, he realized he was speaking like a drive-through attendant at a raisin' canes. for a moment, he just sort of stared at the person before him with an expression that can only be described as "retail horror," before he attempted to rectify himself.

"i'm so deeply sorry. i have absoluely no idea why i just said that."

[pabloalaalatoa]

“Don’t mention it, I just didn’t want them to go to waste,” he insisted. Pablo supposed he could’ve stuck the steaks in the freezer but he really hated cooking out of his freezer. He liked to work with fresh ingredients in his kitchen and kept his freezer full of more important things like popsicles and pints of ice cream. Pablo really wasn’t expecting anything in return especially when it was such a short notice ask but when he pulled out a bottle of wine he instantly smiled. He looked over the label, it wasn’t one he was familiar with but he was sure it was good. “I do like a nice red in the evening,” he confirmed as he tucked the bottle to his chest. “Thank you, you really didn’t have to do that.” Pablo nodded his head when asked about the game. “I am, it’s the first game Lu and I are catching of the season,” he explained. Usually they would’ve been to a couple of games by now but it just hadn’t shaped up that way this year.

@tylerxhale

When Tyler got a call from his neighbor, Pablo about taking his already marinated steaks off his hands, he was grateful and happy to not overthink about what to have for dinner tonight. Pablo made it easy for him and he had a bottle of red wine to give to him as a thank you. Not long after getting back home from the gym, he was still cooling off with a damp towel hanging around his neck as Pablo knocked on his door. Opening it up, he smiled seeing his neighbor holding the steaks out to him and he took the bag. "Thank you for the steaks, man. I really appreciate it," he said before nodding. "Yeah, I got a grill. I also have somethin' for ya as a thank you." Turning to the table beside his front door, he took the bottle of red wine and handed it to him. "I've seen you drinkin' red wine on your porch before so I figured you'd like a bottle of red," he chuckled. "Lookin' forward to the Padres game tonight? Should be a good one."

[pabloalaalatoa]

“Yeah, summer is certainly our busiest season,” he confirmed. The next busiest was winter when people were out looking for gifts and treats to celebrate with. He was glad they were on opposite sides of the calendar so he had time to rest in between.

“Kids these days seem to be very into sour things,” he confirmed. He saw it in his customer base all the time. “We do sell sour gummies though those aren’t made in house I’m afraid,” he explained. While he prided himself on what he did make there were still some candy shop staples he provided that he had to outsource. “We do make cucharitas here though,” he explained as he proceeded to leave his spot from behind the counter to direct the man to the candy that was a thick red paste on a plastic spoon. “They’re a tamarind candy so it might be a sour he’s never tried before,” he informed him. They were easily a favorite candy of his and one rooted in nostalgia for his own childhood though he hadn’t had one in years. Being surrounded by sweets for as long as Pablo had he really didn’t have a taste for them like he once did.

@gavin-carrigan

“ I don’t doubt that. I’ve seen how busy it gets here when school lets out. My son is always trying to get me to take him over “ he noted with a small smile. He usually said yes to Bennie but he always wanted to wait till the crowds died down. Gavin just wasn’t fond of that many people in small buildings.

“ if there wasn’t I really messed up and went to the wrong place “ he teased back before giving Pablo a quick smile. “ he’s eight. He does still like stuff like lollipops but he’s gotten into his sour and sweet phase. I don’t know. I don’t know if I had that when I was his age “ @pabloalaalatoa

[pabloalaalatoa]

Pablo laughed at her story. It was a common tale around these parts. There were plenty of young sugar fiends that frequented his candy shop. “Those are very good, I don’t blame her,” he said. Gummies had never been his personal favorite but he understood the appeal. “That’s exciting, how old is she turning?” Pablo asked. He wasn’t terribly good at guessing ages. Hearing she wanted a dozen caramels made Pablo smile and he shook his head at her. A customer was never a bother and it was hard to rush Pablo. “Don’t be silly. It was what I was in the middle of doing before you came in. It’ll only be a minute,” he insisted as he disappeared into the back to quickly put together a box of caramels. He wedged an extra one into the box just because before he sealed it up and returned with it. “I’ll just leave the box up at the register for you whenever you’re ready,” he informed her as he set the caramels down.

@themeixhuang

"They've definitely become her current fixation. She went through a bag of cherry gummies in a week." Mei told him with a laugh, shaking her head as she watched her daughter. "But I gave her a pass since it's her birthday week. And I also know she'll love some caramel too once the gummy love wears off so, can I snag a dozen, please? Once you have them all packaged up and ready to go that is. I don't want to be annoyingly rushy."

[pabloalaalatoa]

“Thank you,” Pablo said accepting the praise for his candy. He knew what he sold was good but it was always nice to hear the validation.

“Well, first I was a culinary school drop out and joined the pastry program and it all started there,” he explained. From a very young age Pablo’s passion had been present in food. He spent many nights cooking along side his mother for the family growing up and he thought back on those times fondly. His love for confectionary arts had been formed in school. He loved the artistry that came with it that the culinary world or even pastry world hadn’t been able to provide him. Not to mention he loved the joy that candy brought to people and he had always been someone who feed off the energy of others. Rarely were people sad in a candy shop and thus Pablo usually found himself in a pretty pleasant mood when working. "I didn't learn everything I know from school but it was a good launching off point."

@keolalagaaia

There was an almost instant smile on his face when Pablo upped the offer from one to two, no risk of him ever passing that up even if he had promised his dentist he would cool his jets on the sweets.

He takes the piece he had originally pointed at and the one next to it, cradling both in his palm before he brings one to his mouth and takes a large enough bite to take down half of it. He chews slow like he's formulating thoughts, his ever-hazy and usually blank mind only settling on one that he verbalises.

"Dayum, that's real good."

He apologies after for speaking with his mouthful, swallowing then like his mother might appear from thin air and scold him about manners.

"How'd you get into all this?"

@pabloalaalatoa