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aneenasevla · 2 years

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Devil's' Food - Chapter 21

MasterList /Ayami’s Profile / Previous

Chapter 21 - Life

“Welcome!” Kanami, the owner of the bakery, announces as the next customer enters.

The girl who came in sees that the counter was empty and goes there “hello… I heard they sell post-workout iced tea here…”

“Yes, you've come to the right place” Kanami nods “we have green tea, which is always requested and we also have hibiscus with anise on the menu today.”

“Hibiscus,” she nods, “and one of those sandwiches, ma'am.”

“Right away! And you can call me Kanami, lady, no problem” the muscular girl winks an eye. The girl laughs.

“I'll take a sandwich then, Miss Kanami. I'm Yamagami Ayami, nice to meet you” she bows slightly and then smooths her hair back into a bun. She looked tired. The baker noticed this.

“Tough day, Miss Yamagami?”

“Oh more or less, I'm still a beginner, I started last week, but sometimes I can't stop when I start something, especially when it's gym sets.”

Kana laughs “Me too, somehow.”

“I noticed, you seem to be the type that goes to workout all the time.”

“You got it right. Here it is” she serves the tea “and yer sandwich. Need anything else, just call us, okay?”

“I don't have anyone accompanying me, but can I go to one of the tables?”

“Of course, miss, make yourself comfortable” the baker indicates, nodding.

Ayami smiles a little, takes the food and the backpack to the table, and starts pulling out some books. Hiro watches as Kanami goes back to work.

“What a cutie” Hiro comments, quietly “This girl looks like one of those Western pin up images... even the dimpled smile…”

“Hiro, do you really have to make a snarky comment every time someone new comes in?”

“I'm the cashier, sweetie, no one leaves this joint without passing me, but am I lying, Kanny? It makes me want to take a picture of her to put on a calendar.”

Kanami nods her head “yeah, you're not lying… but still, keep your mouth shut.”

“Hnm… ok, I'll think about your case” Hiro laughs.

…

The next week, she came back. She asked for the same thing the following week too.

“Hi Miss Kanami” she smiled this time, while eating “how are you doing?”

“Oh, no problem, what about you, dear?” she smiles pleasantly.

“Oh okay, I guess I can say I'm even a little better. I want a cake for my brother, it's his birthday.”

“Oh, good, congratulations to him. Do you have a specific flavor?”

“He really likes chocolate, whichever has more filling, please.”

“Ah, we have this one” Kana points to a shelf by the counter “this one, look, I made it just today, where I come from is called Devil's Food, for it is so decadent.”

Ayami looks at the cake, but the smile she had died when she heard the name. She pulled back her face a little and smiled a little embarrassed “It looks great to me, but don't you have another one?”

“Oh, is it a little too much?”

“No, it's just… I don't like Devils.”

Kanami raised an eyebrow “uh… okay… there's a more normal chocolate cake if you want.”

“Oh, sorry, it has nothing to do with your cake, it’s just…”

“Relax, girl” Kanami smiles “there are people who have problems with these names, it's okay.”

“Y-yes…” She blushes. “Wow, what a shame, Ayami”, she thought to herself. "You can't even hear about it... that creature really traumatized you..."

“There you go” Kanami delivers the cake “a regular chocolate one, ready. Want something more?”

“No, that's great” she smiles “Akito will be happy.”

‘Come here, can I ask you a direct question, Ayami?”

“Sure, ask.”...“She's going to ask about the devil, I'm already predicting…” Ayami thinks as she blushes, embarrassed.

“Are you trying to lose weight at the gym? Your silhouette has kind of thinned out over the last few days…”

“Oh, no, that's not my intention, actually” Ayami laughs, relieved “I think it's because I started practicing Kenjutsu again and a friend of mine recommended me to train at a gym nearby. So I think that's a consequence, right? I like my silhouette as is.”

“Kenjutsu? Wow, I would never have guessed” Kanami smiles. Ayami reciprocates.

“It runs in the family, I want to continue with the tradition. And it's also good for the mind and health…” "And I also want to make sure that no one will bother me, and Akito will also be calmer if I know how to defend myself..."

“I totally agree, I prefer martial arts without weapons, but good luck in your sport.”

“Who would have thought that you are also part of the gym rats” Hiro jokes “I would be, but I practice another kind of sport…”

“Hirooooo…” Kanami looks at him menacingly, and he laughs softly.

“Hey, cup lifting is a sport…”

Ayami laughs “I imagine you also like sweets as I do.”

“Oh not much, not when you work in a place that is full of sweets whenever you decide to eat…” Kana looks at him “eh, paying of course. Unless it's my food stamp, then I can.”

“Yeah, you can.” Kanami agrees, still looking at him.

“I'm not a gym rat…” Ayami blushes, muttering.

“Hahaha, it's just an affectionate nickname, don't worry” Kana smiles.

“Alright, I'm just kind of reactive with names these days, I'm working on it” the lawyer organizes the box in the bag “My friends used to help me, but they are now in another city, so I'm kind of shy in training... more with the eyes of others…”

Kanami raises an eyebrow. Hiro smiles, he knew her friend's way very well. Here came the defender in action...

“What days do you train?” she asks “I usually do it on Mondays and Fridays, in the afternoon because I have my work…”

“Oh, I do it on Fridays too… we can do it together if you want” Ayami suggests, already brightening up "I was in need of help, anyway.’

“Haha, great. As you always come here, it's good that we help each other.”

“Perfect. Now, If you excuse me, I have to go deliver this cake, bye” she nods and goes “See you Friday afternoon, Kanami.”

“See ya” the baker smiles. When she leaves, Hiro chuckles. She squints her eyes “What is it, Satan’s Spawn…?”

“What's it? I'm just seeing your heroin side in action. The helpless gazelle-eyed girl needs help, you practically jumped in to save her…”

“Shut up! Speaking like that, it sounds like I have some intentions…”

“I'm just kidding, girl… I know you wouldn't trade your seaweedhead for anything in the world.”

“Not even a single thing. I fight for this every day” she smiles proudly “and I will never stop fighting.”

…

The village was silent at this time of night.

From the rooftop, at the top of the mansion, with only a bottle of whiskey for company, he could watch everyone and everything. He'd just gotten back from an assignment, and it hadn't even been that far, so he was still adjusting to the calm surroundings once more. A few chimneys here and there still showed signs of life, and the wind passed, swaying the trees in the forest beyond… he avoided looking at the river, and the direction of the lake above. He couldn't.

At least the work was still the same, and he was able to focus well. The pigs were still the same, heads were still rolling and necks still twisting. Blood was still red, still falling, still staining clothes. It was still fun, it was still what he did. It was still himself.

The problem was everytime when he came home.

Empty. Silent. Cold.

Since when, in the middle of summer, was it like this? And since when did he care about that?

He just knew he didn't like it at all. The whiskey warmed his enthralls, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to shout at the village down the hill, but he was sure if he did, someone would come out with an Ak-47 and point it at him. It had been almost a month, they were still angry with him, and even Raian knew his angry relatives were dangerous. And he was kind of tipsy too, so he'd be at a disadvantage anyway.

He sit and shouted anyway “FUCK YOU!” to the hill below.

“Fuck you, Idiot!” someone responded, he laughed, clapping hands. That was fun.

Besides, why would they still be angry? Did they really want him to take that Mouse? Were expectations of him that low to accept anything from the sewer? What the fuck huh, look how far they'd gotten so he could pass genes on…

Screw this. He always knew, he was so out of league for so many of them anyway. It was like he was a wild ol’ truck without cargo, made for driving on the road and running over old ladies at a traffic light, he was not made for carrying sugar. Just like that game where the guy stole cars and hit everybody, and there was something about thieves, prostitutes and drugs. Best game ever.

He laughed a little to himself. He couldn't do that in real life, ‘cause it would be too much work. Maybe if he had an opportunity on a mission somewhere with cars, it would be so fucking cool.

His laughter gradually subsided, when all he found was silence. He sighed. Fuck, when Tokita was there, at least he had someone to talk to. Fuckin feral bitch. She just had to fuck up everything and fend off his friend, and then say it was his fault to be alone…

That's why he didn't like to make friends. Soon or later they leave and all that's left is an empty space on the side, and silence. And the cold.

But the cold and stillness was nowhere near as intense as it is now. And he didn't even consider her an actual friend yet. Damn it.

Even he had low expectations, apparently. He must have been pretty crazy to think that hunting mice was fun...

His already altered mind began to bombard him with images, surprisingly still fresh. The laughing, the screams, the wind carrying her scent as he chased her through the woods, the quick movements for someone of that size, the serious face, the gleam in the giant eyes, the feeling of having her trapped under him… oh god, her scent…

Suddenly he wasn't cold anymore, and that irritated him more than the cold itself.

“Aaaaaaarrgh” he held his own head, which now decided to torture himself with lewd images “Damn Mousieeeeee… Fuckin’ Mousie…”

He took another sip from the bottle. The alcohol was already running softly down his throat. Ugh… looks like getting off the roof is going to suck…

…

He didn't know how he got off the roof, but he knew this wasn't his room when he woke up.

– Where am I…? he mutters, his voice hoarser than usual, his throat super dry. The place was smaller than his own, less spacious, but he still didn't think it was bad… he recognized the corner of the door, and grunted.

He was in Mousie's old room. And the room was turned upside down, including the bathroom door practically hanging off the hinge. He must have been really mad to do that. He didn't quite remember if he'd done it himself, but part of him said, “Who the fuck else could do this? Karla is no longer after Tokita...”

His head hurt for half a second. Damn, now he was playing Karla’s role in this novel, goddammit.

Since he was already there in the bed, he lay down to rest. He didn't know where the bottle in his hand had ended up, but he knew the other two had been left in his room at the mansion. A bottle in the middle of nowhere in a village, no one was going to say a word about it… that is, if some miracle had happened and he hadn't made a path of destruction from the mansion's roof all the way there. He was already expecting the headache to come.

He took a deep breath, enjoying the silence as long as he could…

And his body reacted to the smell. Oh no… he'd forgotten for a moment where he was, and his nose caught the scent of the sheets. It annoyed him how easy it was to remember it all again, and all the sensations from then and now came at once.

“Bloody hell, get off me… pest!” he grunted, sitting up and tossing away the covers and fabrics of the bed. He massaged his face, grunting in frustration. He got up to go to the bathroom with a heavy headache, a dull ache in his chest, an empty stomach, a will to break anyone’s face and a pretty characteristic discomfort in his legs.

He would take care of one at a time. Starting with the last one.

…

“Thank you for accompanying me, Kanami…”

“You're welcome, Ayami” they smiled as they left the gym on Friday “I was even looking for someone for accompanying me on my normal workouts. My usual partners are now busy with tournaments and I don't see them as often as I used to. Even my boyfriend has been busy with some things… I've been kind of lonely.”

“Oh, so you have a boyfriend?” Ayami smiles “I'm happy for you.”

“Thanks. Although he's more like a husband, we live together and everything…”

“Wow” the lawyer blushes “I shouldn't be surprised, You own a bakery, with an established life, and are independent...”

“Oh, noo, no, I'm more of a manual worker like so many others of the world, the difference is that I make people happy with what I produce. And now with fitness menu option” she gives a thumbs up, Ayami smiles a little “What about you? You hardly say anything about you. I've known you for a month and I can count the facts on my fingers…”

“I ah…” she stops a little, and then shrugs her shoulders “ok, what do you want to know?”

“Starting with the questions you asked me. Where do you work?”

“Yes, I am a lawyer.”

Kanami was surprised “Wooow, can I have your card? You never know when I'll need one…”

“Hahaha, I hope not!” Ayami laughed, shrugging her shoulders, but she hands over the card “I specialize in civil and business. If you need, just call me.”

“What the hell, you're so cool” Kanami's eyes sparkled looking at the card.

“Hah, I appreciate it” she bows a little “but I also think you're fine”

Kanami stared at her and laughed “Well, thank you, hahaha. Okay, the second question…”

"No, I don't have a boyfriend," she said immediately, blushing.

“It's okay” she smiles “I don't know, but I already like you, your way is so calm and delicate, unlike me. That would be a lot of people's ideal type…”

“Yeah…” Ayami looked away, blushing more “It's ironic, isn't it?” She felt an urge to test “I think it's because I'm chubby and look like a helpless maiden.”

“Haahahaha, that's certainly not why!” Kanami smiles, giving the other a light punch on the shoulder, without hurting “and if someone said that to you, that person sure doesn't know what they're missing, girl! You're a beauty that no one can fault, do you hear me?” she laughs and then continues to look ahead “I used to be even bigger than you, in high school, you know?”

“Oh really?” Ayami is surprised.

“Yeah… it's just that I had low self-esteem and I started to want to change. You sure don't have this problem, I recognize it from afar…” Kana smiles, a little tenderly “who hurt you? Is it someone I can punch?”

Ayami laughs a little louder this time “I don't think so… but it's not because of your lack of strength, I assure you” she smiles a little shyly “I eh… I was about to marry this guy…”

“Oooohh…” her smile dies “and he said those things to you?! How heartless…”

“I already knew he was like that, but it was so sudden…” Ayami sighs “one day we were together and even having fun, the next he just…” “humiliated me in front of his whole family”, she wanted to say, but didn't need anyone's pity “… eh, dumped me mercilessly. It looked like he was someone else.”

“Hnmm…” Kanami shook his head “Honestly girl, it's better without him. Better a guy who values you than a devil like that.”

Ayami widened her eyes “D-devil? What are you talking about?” She averted her eyes, very embarrassed.

“Oh, yeah, sorry, I forgot you have a problem with that name… it's ok, whoever said it isn't here anymore. But yes, I agree, it's better without him.”

Ayami nods “but I think you understand right… I'm not really looking forward to meeting someone else either… that leaves a bit of a mark.”

“You're right, Ayami. You have to give yourself some time, take care of you, just like you're doing right now” Kana nods, “you have to pick up the pieces and reforge.”

“Yeah” Ayami smiles again “and now I’m starting to be okay, there's nothing else stopping me.”

“Atta girl!” Kanami doesn't resist and hugs her shoulder, she squeaked with the strength of the hug “That's the spirit!! My Gooooood you are so cuuuute to huug!”

“Yea, yeah, a lot of people tell me that” she smiles “put me back on the floor, please?”

Kanami notices, she had practically lifted the other one.

“Oh, sorry” the baker puts the lawyer on the floor “I forgot that you're not like my friends... we usually greet each other like that…”

“All right, I consider you a friend. I'm in need of friends, honestly… I had forgotten that it was nice to have someone to talk to.”

“I'm glad for that” Kanami looks at the building of the Heavy Bakery, now closer “well, I'll stop by the bakery, before I go home, do you want to accompany me?”

“Yes, I want to have tea before I get on the way home.” She nods.

The two enter the establishment, which was half full. Ayami and she approached the counter, a man was sitting there, eating. Kanami smiles and steps forward.

“Ohma? Why are you here at this time?” she smiles. Ayami stopped when she heard the name. And she stopped to watch him. She remembered the conversation she had with Fusui. And that tall, muscular man with black seaweed hair matched the description the girl had given, is it him…? And yes, he was handsome, even more so when he looked in their direction and his face seemed to light up as he saw the baker.

“Hey” he says, when she approaches and leans his forehead on hers, receiving a pat on the head of his girlfriend “I came to pick you up, to go home.”

“Oh, sorry hon, I should have warned you that I could go straight home when I got back from the gym…”

“You never come straight home. You have to always close the bakery yourself”

“You know me so well, don't you?” she laughs, and then turns around, noticing the lawyer “ahh, Ohma, I almost forgot, this is Yamagami Ayami, she's accompanying me at the gym. Ayami, this is Tokita Ohma, my boyfriend and practically my bouncer since he frequents here so much” she laughs softly. Ayami bows a little as he nods in return.

“Nice to meet you… you look familiar…”

“What?” he raises an eyebrow “I've never seen you. I would have remembered.”

“No, no, we've never met, I just… I think I've heard of you.” She then corrects herself “I mean, Kanami spoke very well of you.”

“I hope so, because I don't remember doing anything wrong” he looks at Kanami and she laughs, leaving his hug and going behind the counter, leaving her gym bag with him.

“I hope it stays that way” Kana jokes back, looks at Ayami “tea, as always?”

“Yes, the green one this time” Ayami sits next to Ohma, two chairs away.

“Roger that” and the baker prepares the ingredients for serving, talking to the other bakery employees.

Ayami is half huddled in her corner. She wanted to start a conversation, wanted to confirm, but didn't know how… she looks at the guy sideways. He clearly had a build and body similar to… his. Forged for combat, yet clearly he looked far less menacing, yet no less confident. He was quietly eating a sandwich… and there were five more in line. She wondered if this was all a normal amount for a person.

“You're looking at me a lot” Ohma says, without looking at her “do you want something with me?”

Ayami turned very red “Oh sorry, I didn't mean to offend.”

‘Where do you know me from?” He still doesn't look at her, stopping every now and then to chew, calmly.

“Oh, it's just that a friend of mine told me about you. It's not Kanami, but… eh… okay, straight to the point…” she takes a deep breath “Do you know someone named Kure Raian?”

Ohma stops eating and looks at her, she felt a shiver down her spine as she noticed gray-brown eyes beneath her bangs, looking at her unerringly.

“What if I do?” the voice doesn't change, but she felt the seriousness.

“Oh, my God…” she widens her eyes “so you're the…”

“Tea!” Kanami smiles as she hands the iced green tea to the other. Then she notices Ayami's astonishment and Ohma’s hard look “Ehhh… did I miss something?”

“No, no… I just… I'm stunned by the coincidence…” Ayami looks at Kanami, relieved to see someone who isn't intimidating in the scene.

“Yea? Why?”

“She knows Raian” Ohma says, at once. Kanami looks at Ayami.

“Oh really? What a coincidence, did you ever defend him in any case or something?”

“What? No” Ayami shakes her head “I, uh… I heard his sister talking about you.”

“Ah, ok” Ohma disarms the serious look, going back to eating. It was as if the air had become lighter “I know Fusui too. She is cool.”

“Yeah, she was one of my gym partners” Ayami was relieved that he had naturally lightened the matter “until I had to leave the Village. She still keeps in touch with me, but since I split from my fiancé, we haven't seen each other much.”

“Ah, I'm sorry about that” Kanami smiles a little sympathetically

“Wait, were you among the Kure too?” Ohma raises an eyebrow “And ex-fiancé? That sounds like a lot of coincidence…”

“That girl wasn't your fiancée to begin with, love.”

“She wasn't, but I've seen something like that before. And the Kures don't usually separate like that from a betrothed, they tend to like... mate for life you know? He has to be someone really, really stupid or someone who really didn't want to…” He looks at his girlfriend, Kanami looks at him “and she said he dumped her mercilessly… who would do that?” they both look at Ayami and she swallows hard.

“Your fiancé was Raian!?” Both ask at the same time. Ayami cringes, wanting to bury her face in the ground, letting out a thin squeak.

“Ah, I… eh…” she looks away from them, dying of embarrassment “… yeah.”

“WHAT?!” The two open their eyes widely.

“Is this serious, Ohma?”

“I just knew that now, he never told me that… like, how long ago was this?” – Ohma imagines Raian doing the same as Karla and shivering.

“Oh, just a few months… it didn't work out. Eh… I think you should know how he is…”

“We know” Kanami and Ohma spoke at the same time. Kana stares at her boyfriend.

“You are so in sync with me today.”

“I'm as surprised as you by this, don't judge me” Look at Ayami “he didn't do anything to you, did he?”

“What? No!” she widens her eyes “Well not phisically. He didn't want me either, it was arranged... so... eh…”

“Arranged? Does this still exist?” Kanami looks at Ohma.

“Yes it does, but as far as I know they had stopped it a long time ago…”

“Anyway. It's over, I…” Ayami tries not to look at them “I just know it's a coincidence that I meet you, that's all.”

“I imagine…” Ohma still looks at her face “But… you don't look happy.”

“No? How not to be happyl? He's despicable… isn't he?” she couldn't speak in a normal tone “well, I think I'll go home… thanks for the tea, Kanami… I'll pay…”

“No, it's on the house, this time” Kanami feared that the girl would cry, so mentally exhausted that she looked.

“Oh, thanks, but I’ll pay later, then” she gets up “it was a pleasure to meet you,Mr. Tokita, and… Kanami, I…” she takes a deep breath “Please, don't be bothered with me, I just didn’t expect to find his friend here. But I will behave better in the next few days, you have nothing to do with it, okay? I’m fine… just… a little heartache, but that’s all”

“Uh… okay…” Ohma nods, watching her leave. He waits for her to walk out the door before saying “Wow…”

“My God, she's devastated, what did he do huh?”

“I don't think it was a good thing, but not to the point that make me hate him” he sighs, thoughtfully “Actually, that explains a lot of things.”

“What for example?”

“He was all weird in the training you went with me… And the next training days, when I tried to talk to him, he seemed more skittish than usual, almost feral.”

“Makes sense…’ Kanami puts her hand on her chin, thoughtfully “But… is there nothing we can do? I don't want to get involved, but…”

“I'll first see how the guy is” Ohma pulls out his cellphone “if he's cool, then we just need to comfort her and go on with life, at least she's a friend of hers, so it’s okay. But I'm really curious to know what happened, because if he hid that from me, it was really out of his control and he really got pissed.”

“Okay… but seriously… try not to piss him off more.”

Ohma looks at his girlfriend, his face blank. She blinks once and then realizes what she said.

“Oh, sorry, I sometimes forget that you can handle him just fine. But come on, hon, it's my job to worry about you.”

“You definitely work too hard, Kanami” he goes back to eating “relax for once, jeez.”

“Hnmf… how am I going to relax if you never worry?”

“Touché.” He smiles a little more.

Next Chapter Here

#kengan ashura #kengan omega #kenganverse #heavybakery #devilsfood #kengan oc #fanfiction #ohma tokita #tokita ohma #raian kure #kure raian

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justices-blade · 2 years

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After some asking of the faculty members, having found out the news only very recently, Pelleas gets to work quickly. He arranges a picnic basket and fills it with different sandwiches with all kinds of fillings ranging from sweet to savoury (though none involving meat), perfect for an afternoon tea, and he leaves it by what he's been told is the new student Edward's dorm room. A letter is left with it, reading the following:

Hello, and welcome to Garreg Mach Monastery, Edward. It's been some time since I've last seen you, so it's good to hear that you must be well if you've made the journey all across the sea to Fódlan. Though you did always seem hearty to me, able to weather any storm, but I'm getting carried away…

You came right around the time of the Winter Festival, so allow me to give this to you as both a holiday gift and a welcoming present, please. If you take issue with them being combined, I can find some way to give you another gift later. The basket is yours to keep, as well, as is the blanket with it. I was hoping to give you something you could reuse, so those two should hopefully suffice.

I'm not sure if you know already, given your closeness to them I assumed you would, but in case that's not so, Micaiah and Leonardo are here as well. Micaiah is in the Black Eagles house and Leonardo is in the Blue Lions. Though I'm sure you'll be able to find them soon.

I'm sure the three of you have a lot to catch up on, so I gave each of you a different part of an afternoon tea set to help create a nice setting for you all to meet up together and chat. I hope this isn't me being meddlesome… but it does really make me happy to see you all together.

I'll keep out of the way to give you all the space and time to spend together. Have a happy holiday, and welcome again, Edward.

- Pelleas

It's a pretty frosty day out, and yet he still nearly trips over the basket as he scuttles towards his dorm to drop his bag off so he can wander around the monastery with significantly less weight on his shoulders. Thankfully, he doesn't actually trip over it (though it's a near thing) and all of its contents are entirely intact, which subsequently leads to him reconsidering his decision of a stroll — A gift? From who? If the sandwiches don't give him pause, then the presence of the letter certainly does.

It's not a novel or essay or anything, but it's handwritten and it's no little square of paper or a tag with a name and holiday greeting. Edward skims the letter for anything short enough to be a name, and sure enough, right at the end;

P-e-l-l-e-a-s. Pel-ee-ess? Pelleas.

Pelleas! Edward perks up, grabs a sandwich (aw, no ham! oh well), flops onto his bed and steels himself for a struggle of a read — One that's worth every word, he finds, and he smiles at the fact that Pelleas seems as gentle and nice and thoughtful as ever. He's barely even been here, and Pelleas' already prepared all of this to share?!

Man. He's all of that, and apparently, still just as skittish. Edward chews on one bite of sandwich for slightly too long as he rereads the letter a few times for good measure, mildly regretting that he's eating at the same time so he can't sound the words out, but it's good enough to bring the text into a realm of familiarity.

It doesn't take a genius to decide that not only is he going to get seomthing for Pelleas in return, but also invite him along for whenever the inevitable joint Dawn Brigade teatime's going to be — No such thing as being meddlesome when he's making such a fun excuse to be together, and he deserves to have a bit of that company he made so easy to meet, doesn't he?

If he doesn't mind of course.

(He just hopes the sandwiches will last — Partly to time, and partly to himself. He should see if there's a communal ice box...)

#;season's greasons!#;answered #pirrhyc #hey no get over here you are my Friend #;s. severed strings; a puppet freed | pelleas

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chaiwalachai · 2 months

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MBA Chai Wala: MBA Chai Wala Ludhiana is your go-to destination for the most delightful Vada Pav, Ambala Sandwich, and Veg Thali. Our menu is packed with a variety of wraps, Maggie, pizza, and pasta that cater to all taste preferences.

Green Delight Pizzeria: This pizzeria prides itself on using organic ingredients. Their garden fresh

Ludhiana is a city that offers something for everyone. is a city that offers something for everyone. Whether you're a tea lover, a fan of refreshing drinks, or a pizza enthusiast, the city has got you covered. The MBA Chai Wala, lemon ice tea spots, and garden fresh pizza joints are just a few examples of the culinary delights awaiting you. So next time you’re in Ludhiana, make sure to indulge in these delicious treats and experience the best of what the city has to offer.

For original post view: https://www.thenewsbrick.com/explore-the-best-mba-chai-wala-in-ludhiana

#Chai Wala #Chaiwala Chai #Mba Chai Price Ludhiana

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ferinawrites · 1 year

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Places To Eat In London : Part 1

I have only been to London two times but I feel like I am qualified enough to blog my two cents about the 10 in 22,316 pubs and restaurants in London. Haha! So these are some of the places I have been to and thought were worth visiting if you're a hungry mthrfkr like me. It is a huge help to go into Pinterest for reference, but sometimes it is not always the case. The best way perhaps is to just let your hunger lead you anywhere convenient. I mean anywhere you turn your head, there's always a restaurant, a cafe, a pub, or a kiosk in sight when you are in London. This is a fact about the city that goes understated. You can never go hungry in London. It's just a matter of what you fancy. And whatever your impression of the food experience is, it mostly depends on the company you're with. You can be in a Michelin-star restaurant in London but your date is the dullest man in town, so everything else just becomes bleh... you know what I'm saying!? My list of places to eat is based on where I actually had the chance to eat during my two trips in London.

Anyways... moving on.

MAMASONS DIRTY ICE CREAM

Chinatown, London

A legit filipino dessert joint where they serve ice cream scoops in warm buns or should I call it, pan de sal. You got that right. These ice cream sandwiches in the menu are called Bilog and you'd be nuts not to stop by for one or two bilogs. If you are a kid who grew up in the Philippines, you'd be so thrilled to find out that they have a Milo flavoured ice cream. I was so psyched! The ice creams are handmade the traditional way in steel drums covered in crushed ice and rock salt, hence the term "dirty ice cream". They also have other familiar flavors like ube, halo-halo, and one that was called milk bun which I assume would be similar to condensed milk which we traditionally use as a pan de sal filling for meryendas back home. The place is cute but there's always a long line. The good thing is, you can place your order on digital screens. It is so asian-tech, amiright?

They have four branches in London as of now but the one we went to was in 32 Newport Ct, West End, London, WC2H 7PQ.

BOROUGH MARKET

Southwark Street, London

The Borough Market must be a part of the itinerary because a trip to London would be senseless without a gastronomic experience at the traders' market. I am drawn in particular to this seafood stall with handsome, bearded, tattoo-clad men who are the image of "sailors" and were standing behind towers of oysters and a gigantic pan where they make hundreds of kilos worth of paella.

The oysters were so damn fresh, they still taste so sweet with a hint of sea water! Topped it with chopped red onions of course and vinegar, I had to savour the moment and chewed each oyster. I can never understand why some people would just slurp it down when it is so vital to chew and taste the oyster's insides and even catch some tiny bit of rocks or pebbles as you chew. It is just a part of it, I guess! The sea urchins just tasted of the sea. Nothing more. Haha. The paella was a bit too salty that time we were there but I am pretty sure the long line of people says a lot.

The Borough Market is in itself a place of 100 traders with their own respective stalls so it is not just a place to eat oysters. They have everything you could ever imagine from real truffles, mushroom paté, the spiciest bottled chilis, teas, wines... the list goes on.

The address: Borough Market , 8 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TL

BREWDOG, SEVEN DIALS

Shaftesbury Ave, London

This one was something a friend just mentioned in passing. She told me that if we ever were at the Tower Bridge, we should try BrewDog. But it was unfortunately closed by the time we were done taking pictures at the Tower Bridge. The day after, I planned on shopping at TK Maxx but BrewDog at Seven Dials got me distracted instead. I was alone and I was so hungry so I went in and ordered myself a burger for brunch.

The burger size wasn't at all what I expected. It was smaller than the average but boy did I underestimate it! I ordered the Cluck Norris just because I love the internet's Chuck Norris memes. Plus deep-fried buttermilk chicken with avocado, cajun mayo, red onion, and coriander sounded like the best combo the world has ever invented. Had to get a korean barbecue sauce and a side called Spicy Cleaver Smashed Cucumbers. I was expecting nothing less from BrewDog since my walking TripAdvisor friend Monica recommended it. I had a food coma on the bus on my way to the parliament. I swear I was sleeping on the bus like nothing else mattered.

The address: BrewDog Seven Dials, 142 Shaftesbury Ave, London WC2H 8HJ

BUNBUNBUN : VIETNAMESE FOOD

Kingsland Road, London

Oh what a fucking wonderful way to feed our famished selves after a long flight to London. This was one of the Airbnb owner's recos. Bun Bun Bun is a Vietnamese restaurant located just around the corner in this hipster neighborhood of Hoxton. It is one of the restaurants the owner usually frequents and I can see damn why. We ordered the catfish in a claypot and it was just absolutely amazing. Every bite hits home. I never knew catfish could be romanticized so well. It was fried and caramelized to perfection. I assumed that they made the sauce by sautéing the garlic and vegetables in the catfish’s own oil. I wondered if it was black bean sauce because it definitely tasted like it? But it did have that sweetness from brown sugar, spiciness from the fresh red chilis, and a tangy hint of rice vinegar. The meal came with some sort of clear broth, rice (that I replaced with salad), and pickled carrots. I mean, it couldn't get any better than this especially for a set of pseudo jet-lagged travellers like us. Definitely a 5-star for me!

SPEEDBOAT BAR

Soho, London

I don't know why but TikTok led me to Speedboat Bar. I guess the algorithms told me to come here before our night of gay-bar hopping. First impression was, wow. They really nailed the job in making the bar/restaurant look like you were zapped at a bar somewhere in Phuket, Thailand. It's not as if I have been in Thailand but the 80's New Wave playing in the background, mismatched colors on the walls, neon lights, and a framed picture of the majesty king and queen of Thailand were displayed on the walls. Every single food in the menu sounded so enticing. Some of their best selling dishes are so straightforward:

Chicken Skin

Sweetcorn fritter

Minced Beef with Basil

Clams with Chilli Jam

Fried Rice

Beef Tongue & Tendon Curry

The most instagrammable of them all is the Tom Yum MAMA. But I settled for the Drunkard's Seafood and Beef Noodles which best described me at that time-- drunk! No regrets though! One thing though, be prepared for the spicy hot levels of their dishes. They won't water ir down for vanilla people. In other words, be prepared to burn your tongue and a purge the day after.

They have a very quirky website too. Click here if you are curious. And maybe you can book a table or two in advance especially in the evenings because Speedboat is almost always jam-packed and I have experienced first-hand how hard it was to get a table unless sitting outside is your thing. But that should be the last option because there were two annoying drunk men at the neighbouring pub who questioned why people would pay 20 quid for a bowl of noodles. So judgy! :(

Instagram: @speedboatbar

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geweke-kia · 1 year

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DRIVE ON OVER TO THESE 3 COFFEE SHOPS IN YUBA CITY, CA

BRIDGE COFFEE CO.

This artisan craft coffee house and roaster is one for real coffee lovers. They serve a variety of specialty coffees, all freshly roasted in-house and in small batches. The cafe has a woody, modern decor and atmosphere with friendly baristas who really know their coffee. They value transparency highly, so you know exactly where all the ingredients in your beverage came from. They also sell their own branded bags of beans from farms in Brazil, Colombia, and Ethiopia.

The food offered here is as high quality as the coffee, with delicious burritos, muffins, and sandwiches. They have both a drive-thru and curbside pickup, so you can drop by in your new 2023 Kia Soul GT-Line and pick up a few coffees as a treat for your workmates. If you put the coffee-cup box on the passenger seat, you needn’t worry about spillage with the Kia Soul’s wonderfully smooth handling. You’ll find Bridge Coffee Co at 101 Clark Avenue.

STEELE HOUSE COFFEE

This trendy, charming coffee joint has a comfy, clean, modern vibe with bare brick walls, plenty of pretty artwork, coasters shaped like vinyl records, a piano, and occasional live music. This a real gem for anyone who loves coffee houses with a bit of welcoming local character. They even have board games and card games to play. It’s the kind of place you could settle down in for hours with friends and forget time flowing by.

The courteous, knowledgeable servers can help you choose from their excellent coffee range. A few of the popular options include the iced caramel macchiato, the French toast latte, and the iced chai tea. If you’re hungry, they also have homemade banana bread, muffins, croissants, and other baked goodies. Visit Steele House Coffee at 437 Center Street.

FREETIME JAVA

If you’re in Yuba City Mall, be sure to visit Freetime Java to refresh your shopping energy with a strong, tasty cup of coffee served by cheerful, swift servers. Along with the comfy indoor seating and great coffees, they also have plenty of food options, including a range of pizzas and delicious garlic twists. The address is 1265 Colusa Highway.

Enjoy a lovely hot or iced coffee at one of these top-notch local establishments, and then visit Geweke Kia. We’re a local community-oriented dealership that’s been serving drivers throughout Yuba City with high-quality vehicles and service for over 25 years.

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-holding-mug-of-cappuccino-373639/

#Cafe Culture #Coffee Lovers #Geweke Kia of Yuba City #Local Coffee Shops

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geweke-ford · 1 year

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Drive on Over to These Coffee Shops in Yuba City, CA

Bridge Coffee Co.

Steele House Coffee

Freetime Java

#Cafe Culture #Coffee Lovers #Geweke Ford of Yuba City #Local Coffee Shops #Local Cuisine #Yuba City

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dohabarloun · 2 years

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Your restaurant needs a good drink dispenser

A beverage container is a generally excellent speculation for an individual in an eatery business. Assuming you end up being in the food business, you will concur with me on this. Individuals, who purchase cheap food like burgers, wieners, pizzas, and popcorn, consistently could use a beverage a while later. Inquire as to whether I'm right in saying as much. In any event, when you step out to enjoy cheap food once some time, you should be most certainly taking a pop, an ice-tea or a chilly espresso to go with your sandwich. As a matter of fact, having a drink container can expand the deal and benefits of an inexpensive food joint.

You can keep a container that will give soft drinks as well as beverages can imagine ice-tea and cold espresso. This gives a decision to the clients to choose what they need to drink alongside their food. What's more, on the off chance that you have the ability to put resources into drink gadgets for smoothies and milkshakes it would be awesome. Nowadays there are many individuals searching for such beverages with their feast. In a perfect world, you should sort out what sort of beverages would work out positively for the food you are serving.

the event that you are selling sandwiches, espresso containers will truly praise. On the off chance that your café is into burgers and franks, individuals favor purchasing a soft drink alongside it. On the off chance that you are selling heated things like croissants, cakes, biscuits and treats then milkshakes and smoothies will be a lot of popular. The interest for refreshments likewise relies upon the sort of group that will visit your place. Adolescents are insane for soft drinks. Specifically, they like food joints in and around school grounds should introduce a soft drink distributor.

It will just add to the income. Office participants favor espresso and ice-tea to convey alongside their grub. The other reality about a beverage gadget is that it truly adds to the magnificence of the spot. These days, such distributors are accessible in such gorgeous and alluring styles. They work on the stylistic layout of the joint where they are. Also, gadgets with various shaded juices look so alluring on the counter. Individuals simply feel as though they getting a challenge to get a beverage from them. It definitely stands out of passers-by and acquires more buyers. Assuming you have your own food joint or you are wanting to put resources into one, then you should make arrangements for drink gadgets.

It very well may be a little venture at first, yet it will take care of eventually. You won't ever lament getting one for your food joint. Trust me; you would rather not squander labor in that frame of mind in your kitchen. Aside from that, there could be breakages of containers, pitchers or glasses. On the off chance that you have a container, you should simply take an expendable glass or cup, fill it with the beverage and serve. There are different sizes of the beverage allocator. You can choose the model that will fit in the space you have in your food joint. A portion of the machines are so smooth and thin; it is difficult to accept. Distributors have truly added to the benefits of food joints. That is the explanation you won't miss it in any great food joint.

FOR MORE INFO:-

restaurants with good drinks

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mountswhore · 3 years

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I've read pretty much all of your Mason Mount blurbs/one-shots and I absolutely love your writing. Could you write one where Mason looks after you when you're sick. Sorry if I've missed it and it's already been done. Thanks xx

of course, sweet!

𝐝𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 — mason mount

summary: you’d gotten sick, and who better to play doctor than mr. mount.

notes: requests are open, ask away!

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” you cursed, pushing your fingertips into your temples gently, wondering where this splitting headache has come from, the light in the room was too bright, and the sound of Mason kicking a ball around outside was due to drive you insane. Today wasn’t looking like a good day. You had pushed your head back underneath your pillow, enjoying the warmth of the bed and not wanting to think about anything else.

Mason had been up since 7, his body was used to waking up early now, so he didn’t mind spending the first couple of hours alone. But when it hit 1pm, and he was struggling to find ways to keep himself entertained alone, he’d grown concerned for your absence. Heading upstairs, he could hear your whimpers from the room. You were buried underneath piles of blankets, your head below a pillow, and yet your cries of pain could still be heard.

“Bubs,” Mason spoke softly, lifting the pillow from your head and gazing at your tear-stained cheeks, “what’s up?” He crouched down beside you, dragging his hands over your face to swipe the stray hairs away.

“I’m ill.” You admitted, feeling the worst you’d felt in a long time. If there was anything you hated the most in this world, it was being ill. And Mason knew that. You couldn’t do anything, you just lay there in pain for hours. Mason could usually tell when you were beginning to get ill, as you’d sleep all day, but this came out of nowhere. He thought you were just tired from work last night.

“Oh, bubs.” He whimpered, pouting at you and moving the blankets from your body. He placed a hand on your back, feeling your hot skin under it. Next was your head, skin still hot to the touch. “Are you cold?” All you could do was nod, before your head began pounding again.

Mason had disappeared to the bathroom, and seconds later, the bath was running. He’d helped you from bed, undressing you slowly, and helping you into the tub. You were weak, your limbs shaking from the pressure you put on them from simply walking. He felt awful for you, watching as your body got used to the tepid water. He’d even washed your body and hair, as you just laid there, unable to move without your head thumping or your joints hurting. Mason had helped you out of the bath, drying you and getting you into some thin pyjamas. He knew just what to do, it was very helpful to you.

“Is there a cool setting on this thing?” He asked, pulling your hair dryer from the box beside your vanity. You nodded and pointed to the snowflake button on the side, Mason nodding and pressing a small kiss to your temple. You were sitting, looking at your pale frame in the mirror, as Mason dried your hair behind you. Every few minutes, you’d look up at him and admire the concentration on his face. Thanking God for gifting you with such an amazing boyfriend.

Now that your hair was dry, Mason had led you to the couch, laying you down with a light blanket over your legs. “Stay here, I’ll be back shortly.” You just nodded, not having the energy to ask what he was getting up to. You just laid your head back as he closed the curtains, falling asleep once again. Mason spotted you were out, and smiled to himself, relieved you weren’t going to be in pain for a while.

He had no idea if what he had done was helping, and was unsure of what to do next. So he quietly called his mum, standing outside the living room whilst he waited for the kettle to boil. You had woken up after half an hour, to the feeling of someone axing your head like a coconut. But you could hear Mason’s voice in the other room.

“She’s had a cool bath, I just don’t know what to do next. Do I need to buy anything?” Mason asked frantically, his mum on the other end beaming with pride at her son. You had a faint smile on your face as you listened to him talking to her, figuring out what to do next. Finally, he’d ended the call and entered the living room.

“Bubs,” he murmured close to your face, his hand once again smoothing over your hair, “I’ve got you some things.” You slowly sat up, resting your back against the sofa and pulling the blanket closer to your skin. Mason had given you painkillers and a drink, along with a tea, placed on the coffee table beside you. “I’m gonna run to the store to get some stuff, the TV remote is right there.”

You nodded at his instructions, happily accepting the kiss on your head before he left again. You couldn’t bare the sound of the tv, so you stayed in the dark, hoping for the painkillers to kick in quickly. The shop wasn’t far, it was within walking distance, but you knew Mason would drive, so he’d be even quicker.

“I’m back, bubs,” he called out, voice still gentle as he cared for your headache, “how are you feeling?” He sat beside you, pulling various things from the bag. “I got you some apple juice, some ice cream, some more painkillers, this weird heat pad thing, and I thought you’d like something to eat, so I got you a sandwich.”

“Thank you,” you croaked, reaching your shaky hand out to grab his, squeezing it as tight as you could, “for all of this, and everything you’ve done for me today. I mean it.” Mason blushed and kissed your hand gently, holding it close to his chest.

“Come here,” he whispered, laying beside you and pulling you into his lap, the blanket covering the both of you now, “what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t look after you? A very bad one, and I’d do this for you everyday if I had to. Get some rest.” He rubbed his hand up and down your thigh, making sure you weren’t sweating too much or shivering, even helping to feed you.

You’d started to feel better two days later, springing out of bed and leaping onto the couch beside him as he watched Netflix. “I’m feeling much better now, Mase.”

“Call me, Dr. Mount. I know exactly what I'm doing if football doesn't work out." He exclaimed, squeezing your waist as you sat on his legs. It made you giggle, seeing how happy he was that you were feeling better.

#mason mount x reader #mason mount smut #mason mount imagine #mason mount blurb #mason mount #mase #money mase #mason mount request #mason mount one shot

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werewolfroman · 2 years

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LOCATION: BJ’s Burgers around 3:30...4:20ish for Matty WHO: @matthewbaudelaire The moment Matthew agreed to meet him later that day at a burger joint, Roman set the bottle down. Although Matthew had no heightened senses, his oldest son knew Roman enough to know the signs of when he had been drinking and right now was not the time to upset him further…well further than he is going to be after their conversation. With just several hours to sober up from the small amount he had since waking up he fixed him a sandwich in hopes the bread would soak most of the alcohol up. And before leaving, he brushed his teeth hoping to get any residual scent of alcohol off his breath and replace it with a minty smokier scent.

Anxiety struck Roman the moment he stepped inside the restaurant and he had no liquid courage left in his system as his eyes looked around for his son to see if Matthew arrived early. There was a tightness in his chest and this nagging feeling that this would be the last time he saw his eldest and he at least wanted one moment of their meeting to be pleasant. So when he settled down and the waitress came by to take an order, he looked up and flashed his golden smile towards the woman and laid down his particular charm with the lady and ordered Matthew a banana milkshake, something he used to do when his son was just a child. On their special days out (something he did with all the children, let each one have their own day with him), he took Matthew out for a day celebrating his child and all the things he wanted to do within reason and always ended it with a milkshake of Matthew’s choosing and more often than not ended up being a banana one that his son would order, which was always beyond him.

After several minutes, the server came out with the sweet tea and milkshake in hand. Roman quickly thanked her as sat there waiting for Matthew. As ten minutes passed since the agreed upon time, Roman looked down at his cell phone to check to see if his son texted him, something to indicate his tardiness but nothing. A sigh left as he drained the sweet tea and got a refill. If he was nervous before, he was far more now as he tapped his fingers on the table just trying to stay calm as his knee kept bouncing up and down. Did something happen? Matthew had always been the reliable one.

On his third glass of sweet tea, he looked down at the milkshake in the tall glass and saw how the ice cream sunk from melting. There was a tinge of pain as he debated whether to call him, to make sure he was safe. Something had to happen. But there it was, his son safe and intact stepping through the doors nearly forty minutes late. There were no other words, but wounded to describe what he felt. But, it was hard to even say anything after all the damage he has done over the years.

“Son,” he greeted his eldest, trying to hide the hurt in his voice.

#(chat | matthew)#(matthew | 004)#alcohol tw #alcoholism tw #dysfunctional family tw

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neerons · 3 years

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Masquerade Kiss 💋 Facts

Main characters

Kazuomi Shido

33 yo

Born on August 10 (Leo)

Is a theater geek, and loves burlesque shows

Loves unfussy food

Is a “meat” guy and used to eat steaks in his college days

Just like MC, he is obsessed with Lady Borden (an ice cream brand in the game)

Was once homeless in the past, when he was a child/young teenager

Is extra and charming af (this is a very valid fact)

Slept with multiple girls on Yuzuru’s favorite couch, in the three S’ hideout in his college days

Drinks vodka like it’s water because of Zack

Building resorts was his childhood dream, he used to imagine and draw pictures of happy clients enjoying themselves at his future resort(s)

Can’t speak Spanish even though he was raised by Zack in Mexico, until he had to go to England for college

Knows how it feels like to be left with nothing. It was shown that he helped a homeless man by giving him some coins, and helped Leila, who grew up on the streets, become a burlesque dancer and future actress

Always wins in a game, and doesn’t cheat (except once with MC)

Has a long-standing relationship with a jeweler in Sicily. Kazuomi can request him anything, even if it’s ridiculous, and he’ll provide what Kazuomi wants

When he was in college, he painted a forgery and he, Kei, (and probably Yuzu too) switched it in a museum with the real one. No one noticed anything and people who saw the forgery were impressed, and thought it was the real thing

The restaurant ‘Masquerade’ located on the grounds of Kazuomi’s hotel started as a joint investment between the 3S’. They take turns booking the live acts

Is a genius when it comes to reading people

Kazuomi’s hotels always have rooms made specially for Yuzuru and Kei, and one room where the three of them can gather

In his route, he loves it when MC calls his name lovingly in bed. It turns him on immediately

He never worked under anyone before

According to the MC, Kazuomi has soft palms (compared to Yuzuru)

Although Kazuomi is fond of the Lady Borden ice cream brand, he has times where he is obsessed with Pino. This specific ice cream reminds him of his happy past before he lost everything, and this obsession stops once he finds a star-shaped Pino. There’s a belief that star-shaped Pinos bring good luck to the few who gets them. Kazuomi happened to get one when he was little, and got lucky after it.

In his route, Kazuomi gives the MC a yacht named “Lady (MC’s name)”

Kei Soejima

35 yo

Born on June 18 (Gemini)

Owns a winery, and goes there to make his own wine every year. According to Yuzu, Kei has a sophisticated palate, and makes his own wine to match his personal taste

Also makes his tea himself, just like how his grandma has taught him

His full legal name is Kei Raphael Romley Soejima

Was a nude model for a life drawing class in university

There was a rumor about Kei having a chronically ill fiancee during his college days, and as it was convenient for him, he never denied it

Can speak Russian (maybe even fluently)

Has a twin brother called Kai, who was a still born, yet unexpectedly survived

According to MC, Kei gets theatrical when he is emotional

Drives like a madman and has gotten more than 50 traffic tickets

Keeps at least one day of a busy week free to relax/unwind

Loves ramune candy

Used to be in a polo club when he was young

As a student, he would always eat peanut butter sandwiches

He once tied a woman to a ceiling in an old building. The ceiling ended up collapsing…

MC often says that his body is cold, especially his hands

When he had no parents and lived with other orphans at the Church, he was raped multiple times, along with the other children, by noblemen who provided money to the Church. These moments from his past are what caused Kei to have a trauma, and it explains why he doesn’t like being touched. His BDSM tendencies also developed due to these horrible events. To him, love is domination

According to Yuzu, he is the one who owns the property they share in England, and he’s the one who manages it too

Kei loves England and knows London like it’s his backyard. He is very loyal to his duty as a diplomat and his country and wouldn’t let anyone harm England

He can order around Scotland Yard due to his influence as a diplomat. He has a lot of authority, especially in England

It was shown that the Queen of England calls Kei on his phone herself

MC often mentions that Kei’s scent reminds her of church

Kei reads a lot and owns The Complete Works of Shakespeare. He said that he had to read it all for school, and didn’t like it

When he smiles too perfectly, it means he’s in a bad mood

He has a favorite childhood toy, which was an antique puppet of a soldier given to him by Chad, his grandfather

His left arm is marred by burn marks because of the events happening at the church before

He graduated from two different universities before Oxford because he has a lot of interests

Aside from being a diplomat, Kei became an MI6 agent

He doesn’t like to run

He fled the church when he was 8 yo

Kei studied drama at university

In one of his stories, he accepts to be buried alive with a noblewoman who had died

When he was at church, he once played hide-and-seek and hid in a casket. He then got scolded by a sister

He can play the violin. In his Best vs First story, he was shown to be playing the music “Paganini’s 24 Caprices”.

Yuzuru Shiba

32 yo

Born on February 24 (Pisces)

Has a little brother, Takumi, who is 5 years younger than him. They were separated after Yuzuru was adopted by Jun Kurose Cassano when he was 9 and his brother was 4

Lived in a poor family as a child, but was very happy

Eats healthily

Can speak Italian (probably even fluently)

Cooks very well, and healthily of course, as he was the one to do the cooking when he lived with Jun in Italy

Keeps his busy schedule open for one afternoon per week to work out, every Wednesday, in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle

Loves cars, especially Bugattis

Is into craftsmanship due to his father’s job, he loves fixing MC’s watch when something doesn’t work anymore

Avoids people who smoke because he’s scared of being unhealthy

His wardrobe is full of turtlenecks

Appears to be very cold and stoic, but once he talks about something he loves he becomes very passionate and talkative. MC and his friends also mention that he actually is a deeply emotional person

Yuzuru had a favorite couch in their hideout in England. He had to replace it along with another couch because of Kazuomi’s and Kei’s sexual activities. Kazuomi did it with multiple girls on Yuzu’s favorite couch while Kei tied a girl up all night long to another couch

Has a high IQ

Has been knighted by an Italian royal family

Owns a carbonated water maker at home

Tom Cruise appeared in a few of SHIBA’s ad campaigns

Has graduated from high school a year early

His parents passed away when he was 9. The photo album he has with his family doesn’t have any photos after his ninth birthday

Is interested in antique watches

Is very focused and can’t be disturbed when he’s fixing/creating something. He has a room dedicated to his hobby

He started off his career as an engineer

Has hacked into the UK government’s databases, and since they didn’t notice anything, he kept doing it

According to Kei, Yuzuru says that he doesn’t want to waste mental energy on banal tasks

Yuzu’s got the strongest sex drive, out of the 3S’. When he lacks sleep, he apparently also gets excited more quickly than usual

His body temperature is higher when he lacks sleep

His father, whose name is Masaru Shiba, was the owner of a small factory on the backstreets of Arakawa. Even though it was a small factory, it was very well-regarded locally for its sophisticated craftsmanship and precision. However, after an economic crisis, the big clients stopped working with the small factory because they put profit before quality. The factory went bankrupt, and this is what would have led to Yuzuru’s parents’ suicide. They were overwhelmed by an insurmountable dept, and hung themselves under the Arakawa bridge, and then, Yuzuru’s little brother went missing after they were separated

A photo of a young Yuzuru running up to his dad in front of his factory was taken more than 20 years ago. There were other photos, and they were all kept by an elderly man living in the Arakawa area

Yuzuru doesn’t seem to be very fond of alcohol/drinks that are too sweet

His father created a handmade picture book for Yuzuru, with his notebook. He drew pictures of robots and told a story for his son, to teach him about what is important to him. The message in the story, delivered by a robot, is: “It’s not good enough to just be smart. Our systems are very delicate. You need to have refined skills. You’ve got to value both smarts and craftsmanship. That’s the formula for success.”. A post-it, written by Yuzuru this time, can be found beside that robot’s line, it reads: “Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory.” Yuzuru created the AI Victoria thanks to his memories of his father. His father’s name, Masaru, also means “victory”, which is why his AI is named Victoria too

Victoria was Yuzuru’s way of bringing his deceased parents back to life. Yuzuru worked on giving Victoria a consciousness to make her act like his parents because he misses them and wanted to see if it was possible for an AI to evolve and develop a personality, one that belonged to a dead person

He and Akira Maeda used to do AI research together in college. Akira even worked with him in the beginning when Yuzu was starting his company

According to Kei, Yuzuru likes Chinese food

According to the MC, Yuzuru has rough hands (probably due to his manual work)

At SHIBA, there are glass walls that are able to fog when you touch them so that no one from the outside can see what is happening from in the inside

Victoria has been shown to write drafts of replies to Yuzuru's emails so that his job can be quicker. He looks the drafts over and then sends them if he's satisfied

Mutual memories : The three S’ in their college days

All of them were adopted by someone, and then met at Oxford when they went to college

They all shared a property, which is their hideaway. They spent a lot of time there. They still share it now but don’t use it as much as before

They have a “no-women” rule that applies when they’re in their hideaway since the time Kei and Kazuomi had sex with girls on the couches. Yuzu saw them both, ended up scarred for life, and they decided to make up that rule

Kei once asked a female student to seduce a professor he didn’t like to get him fired. His vicious plan worked

They skipped classes when they thought they were too boring for their taste. They threw parties instead

Kazuomi used to eat steaks, Kei ate noodles, and Yuzuru ate healthy stuff at the cafeteria

They all once ate flavorless pasta at the cafeteria to try it out, and it really had no taste

Kazuomi and Kei would ask Yuzuru to cook for them often because he’s a great cook

It was implied that they would sit in the front row for class, since they sat there in Yuzuru’s route like it was natural and the other students left the space empty for them

Kei was a favorite of the head of his college, so he participated in all of the student life. Kazuomi was the type to dodge it, he thought it was a nuisance

When Yuzuru was working as a barista, Kei and Kazuomi would come often to see him and ask him for drink recommendations. They had asked Yuzu to make them coffee like he would make it for himself. The other customers (who were attracted to the coffee because of Kei and Kazuomi) decided to request the same drink. This led to a new drink being added to the menu of the coffee shop: the "Yuzu Blend"

Kei was always attractive to others, but he once was stalked by a male student, who went as far as going into Kei’s dormitory room to steal some personal belongings, and slept in his bed. He also wrote him love letters that were hinted to keep getting creepier, as described by Kei

Kazuomi was once tricked during a business deal, and had lost a lot of money. To fix his mistake, he asked Kei and Yuzuru’s help to find the ones who tricked him, and win back the money he had lost by challenging his opponents to a poker game. Yuzuru found the men, and Kei had lent Kazuomi some money so he could play poker against them

Seiichi Setoyanagi - The Boss

37 yo

Can speak Russian (maybe even fluently)

Has a croton garden plant. He thinks of it as a friend/comrade. The croton once saved his life when he was about to be shot by someone. He takes great care of his plant and it’s one of the few things he takes with him whenever he moves to another apartment

The apartments he stays at always feel “empty”, they don’t have any character and look like no one lives in them because he has nothing too personal except his plant

Loves typical Japanese food, and even has a soy sauce obsession. He loves tamagoyaki, especially when MC makes the rolled omelettes for him

Loves drinking beer to relax, and also coffee. He changes the types of beans sometimes

Knows MC has/had a crush on him since the beginning of every route. He used her crush to his advantage sometimes

Prefers to stay at home rather than going out

Has lost a friend during a mission (a female agent) because of their mutual partner called Z. How deep his friendship with the woman was wasn’t mentioned (yet?), but he wanted to find the person who betrayed her

In his own route, after he starts dating MC, he always makes sure his fridge is fully stocked with Lady Borden for her. Even though he doesn’t like sweet things all that much, he buys her favorite ice cream to please her and make sure she has fun and is comfortable when she comes to see him

Always is poking his nose into MC’s personal life in every route (i.e. when he asks her if she finishes her missions early because of someone, aka her boyfriend)

Gifts MC earrings and perfume, to congratulate her for a good work after a mission even when they’re not involved in a romantic relationship

When he was a young boy and was living with his family, he used to feel more at home on the deck of the house than he did in his own room

Nothing about his past was revealed yet, but it’s hinted that he didn’t have a peaceful life, especially since Kazuomi mentioned it himself, and Kazuomi reads people very well

Said himself that he knows MC as well as he knows himself, her personality, her real self, the way she thinks when she has to act during a mission, etc... He is the one who trained her when she was a newbie, so she followed his example and advice, always. He knows what she’d do because he’s the one who taught her all of this, so he can anticipate her movements most of the time. However, MC is also unpredictable at times, and in his own route he admits that he still has a lot of things to learn about her

He thinks Hugo is extremely good at his job but that it takes a lot of energy to talk to him since Hugo is very energetic

Has grown up with his grandparents on an island. He lived among animals and nature, which is why he doesn’t like crowded places. He appreciates staying indoors and taking care of his plant

His love for tamagoyaki, soy sauce, and Japanese traditional food in general comes from his grandmother’s cooking. She used to make tamagoyaki a lot for him as he grew up. He said that at that time, he used to eat eggs so much he was tired of eating them. He craves them more now that his lifestyle changed, and MC’s cooking skills remind him of his grandmother’s

Has a sister who is 10 years older than him. Her name is Reika Setoyanagi. According to her, when Seiichi was younger, he kept following her around. Seiichi mentioned that due to their age gap, their relationship was more like a parent and her child than siblings. They don’t seem to have been getting along even as children as she just wanted to leave the island. After his sister left the house they grew up in with their grandparents, she never came back nor stayed in contact with her family

The MC

27 yo

Has two younger siblings, a brother and a sister

Is very close to her dad

Her parents, but especially her mother, want her to marry and have children since she’s “at the right age for it”, and because her mother wants to be a grandmother. However, MC doesn’t have time for this because of her work, and she isn’t certain she can be anyone’s wife with her hectic lifestyle

Has natural good instincts/intuitions that make her an excellent agent

Has a crush on the boss at the beginning of every route, but she always keeps it to herself. She developed that crush since she joined the agency and was trained by the boss

Obsessed with Tom Cruise and the Mission Impossible movies because of her mother, and also with Lady Borden, a brand of ice cream (like Kazuomi)

Her real self is pretty “normal”, as in she likes simple things, and can be seen as an ordinary person. She likes sightseeing in the most touristic areas of a country and she gets excited over a celebrity she loves

She often feels sad about the fact that she has to lie to her friends and family about her actual occupation. It also put a distance between her and one of her friends when she couldn’t go to her wedding because of her work, but they made up

It is said in her character description that she is admired by other women and is the "older sister" type. However she also makes some women jealous because she takes the attention of the guys (i.e. first time she meets Kazuomi) and/or because of her beauty (i.e. when she was temporarily in prison in Kei’s S3 and the females were annoyed by her looks)

She had some trouble keeping her natural self out of her work when she was still a newbie at the agency, she told her boss she didn’t know how to split her private and professional life and act as a whole different person, which is why she puts perfume on now before her missions. It’s a method to become her agent self. Later on, she was shown to be using different methods to become her new alias, but it depends on the route

The perfume she normally uses to get into her agent self is a gift from her boss, which is called “Femme Fatale” in French. It means “fatal/lethal/deadly woman”, however “femme fatale” is normally used to describe a beautiful woman. The meaning behind it is that a femme fatale is strong, beautiful and it gives you the feeling that she somehow can’t be reached and will bring disaster to the man who gets involved with her, which is perfect for MC

Has issues trusting others. Her ex-boyfriends never felt needed by her, which is often what led to their break up

Her policy at work is that she doesn’t use sex for her missions. She doesn’t give access to her body. It’s also thanks to that policy that she can separate her private and professional lives, and act as a different person more easily

Back in college, she was an exchange student in America, and was saved by the boss from a drug deal that happened in a nightclub she was at with her friends. He made her avoid a strange man, offered her a drink and put her to sleep. Then, he booked a hotel room for her and put her on the bed, and left her a note that reads “Learn the rules if you’re going to play, kid” (there is a different version of that phrase mentioned later in which the boss is more polite towards MC and doesn't call her a kid)

Her family thinks she works at a big company in Tokyo, and they were very happy for her when she told them about this after graduating college. However, it is a lie since she cannot reveal that she is a spy to them

Admires the Boss, and her goal is to be half the agent he is

She has a favorite watch, which she inherited from her mom when she got her first job out of college. It’s an antique watch, and her mother initially fell in love with it at a little watch store in Milan years ago, while she was on her honeymoon. MC has worn it every day since it was given to her, so since she had her first assignment at the EAC. In Yuzuru’s route, after fixing MC’s watch, he adds that the watch was made by a talented watchmaker

Whenever she can relax, she watches Netflix/movies and eats ice cream (Lady Borden)

She wears her watch on her opposite wrist and signs papers with her non-dominant hand during her missions

When she heard a pianist playing a romantic song in Yuzuru’s route, she said to herself that she loved songs like this one

She hates to lose

She’s usually intimidated to talk to the boss, but stays composed. She even says that he’s scary

She works out a lot, and even has a workout routine. She said that she needs to be strong enough to take down a full-grown man. She even has some scars on her body due to her missions. In Kazuomi’s route, Kei mentions that MC is “pretty buff”. In Yuzuru’s route, it’s also mentioned that she does work out routines that are meant for men, and she does them easily

During her missions, she gives her earpiece two taps to ask her boss if there’s something he wants to tell her. It’s their way of communicating quietly

In Kei’s route, Kei describes MC’s scent as citrusy

She has a good sense of smell

Someone named “Dr. Cutter” was her GP in her early days as an EAC agent. She said she owes him a great deal because he saved her after she got seriously injured during a mission

She mentioned that she used to like the melon flavor a lot as a child when it came to ice cream

She sometimes can crave jakoten, a local food from where she came from (Uwajima). It is her favorite food aside from Lady Borden

She likes her tea to be strong and with lots of milk in Kei’s route

According to her, her type of man has usually been a straightforward man with sex appeal

Her first boyfriend is called Naoki Takashina. She went out with him from high school through college, and he was her first time

She was the captain of the basketball team in high school

In Kei's route, Theo, MC's ex-EAC partner, mentions that MC's favorite activity at work is when she gets to demolish an enemy from inside their hideout

Side Characters

Hugo

EAC stylist

MC’s friend

Beautiful French man

Is very sassy

Cares a lot about the MC. They often meet even when they don’t work, and shop together

He and the MC gift chocolate to each other on Valentine’s Day. It’s an annual custom for them

Is extremely talented at his job, and can transform any woman into a beauty

Whenever MC moves while he’s doing her hair or makeup, he scolds her to make her stay still

Also scolds her whenever she shows up with bad skin because she ate too much ice cream, or didn’t do skin care properly. If one thing about her appearance looks “off”, he’ll act theatrical because he is a perfectionist

He is homosexual, and was shown to be blushing when he saw Yuzuru in person for the first time

In Boss’ route, Hugo (who doesn’t know MC’s boyfriend is Boss) tells MC that if her boyfriend doesn’t want to sleep with her, it probably means he’s impotent since he’s close to being 40 yo. He then gave her a “magic pill”, which made both MC and Boss exasperated

He wears nail polish

According to MC, Hugo doesn’t go in for empty flattery. He means what he says when he compliments someone

When he isn’t being clear about something, it’s because something is on his mind

MC says Hugo understands everyone, man or woman

He and MC usually kiss each other on the cheek as a greeting, or to say good bye, which fits very well with his French culture

Has a cousin named Luca, who looks a lot like him

Old Man Shige

EAC’s head mechanic

His actual name is Daijiro Shigematsu

Owns a little old watch shop on the backstreets of Ginza. The shop is just a front for his real job. There’s a hidden door in that shop, to escape if needed

Calls the MC his “favorite fledgling agent”

MC describes him as stubborn, hardheaded, with an uncooperative nature, but she adds that his skills are unparalleled

He specializes in intelligence gathering tools

Thinks of watches as living things, especially old ones. He refused to sell the watch Yuzuru was interested in because it was dear to him, but after Yuzuru gave him a satisfactory answer about what the passage of time means to him, he gave it to him

Isn’t someone who’s influenced by money

Due to his reaction after MC’s comment about how similar he and Hugo are, and MC’s own comment about the two men’s relationship, it appears that Shige and Hugo fought in the past and are related

Theo Maria Bertolucci

One of the top EAC agents

He and MC were known as the EAC’s dynamic duo, they worked together on previous missions and were considered the best

He’s the youngest child of an Italian-American mafia family and joined the EAC to run away from that

He and MC were constant companions in both their professional and personal lives. They went undercover as a couple for 1 month for a mission and almost became an actual couple, but it didn’t happen

Is a handsy guy. Touching people in a friendly or flirty manner is natural for him

He’s a wild driver, and he added that it means he’s good in a car chase

It’s heavily hinted that he still has feelings for MC now

#will be updated #masquerade kiss #mk facts #personal #personal post #kazuomi shido #kei soejima #yuzuru shiba #seiichi setoyanagi #mk boss #mk mc #mk hugo #mk old man shige #voltage inc

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aces-to-apples · 4 years

Note

Codywan? "I'm going to take care of you, okay?"

"You know," Cody observed from his place on the sofa, "leave is usually for relaxing and enjoying yourself."

The sound of general puttering from the little kitchen space halted and a moment later, Obi-Wan's head popped out, looking bewildered. "I am," he said, nonplussed. "You're here."

In his rooms. In the Jedi Temple. In his home.

Cody leaned back slightly, letting his head rest on the back of the sofa while keeping the general in his sights. "I didn't think natborns found sick people very relaxing or enjoyable."

"Found it!" Obi-Wan called, after a loud bang. "And I always find your company enjoyable!"

"I'm not even that sick," Cody told the ceiling. Sure, he felt a weakness in his joints and an achiness in his bones that turned his heart to ice, but the Temple healers had assured him that that was completely normal. Sickness was completely normal, even in super-soldiers. "And I don't even like tea..."

"That's why I haven't brought you tea," Obi-Wan's voice said from beside him. "Oh dear, did I startle you?"

He had. Cody hadn't even noticed his eyes falling closed. Being sick was worse than actual injuries.

Smiling gently, Obi-Wan handed over a large, steaming mug full of sweet smelling brown liquid and a plate of little sandwiches, also warm and smelling like fried butter. "Here, something to keep you warm." He fiddled with a mug of his own, definitely tea, when Cody took them, staring at his lap. "Technically, you're supposed avoid sugar and fatty foods when your body is fighting off an infection, but. They were my comfort foods when I was small. They... always made me feel better."

Cody's general was such a damn sap, sometimes, it was really ruining both of their reputations.

He took a bite of one of the little sandwiches, with thinly sliced meat and melted cheese and something green and inoffensively tasteless and bread packed with seeds that crunched pleasantly. It was nice. Simple and easy to make, he could almost imagine a trouble-making little cadet with his general's eyes chowing down on them, sniffling into his little uniform.

"They're good," he said, watching Obi-Wan out of the corner of his eye. His expression was dangerously soft. There will be cuddles in his future. Then, just to confirm, "Not tea?"

Obi-Wan shook his head, smiling. "No, dear one, not tea. Chocolate and cream and sugar and vanilla extract. Just something... nice."

He sounded wistful, so Cody carefully sipped at it and felt a little more blood settle in his face. It might not have been a healer-approved treatment, but Cody certainly appreciated it.

"Thanks, general. That's... sweet." Cody waited a moment, taking another sip. "You can make the joke."

"Well there is quite a lot of sugar in it, I'm afraid," Obi-Wan immediately said, not an ounce of shame in his voice. "Now," he said as he tucked the blanket draped over Cody's legs more firmly around his feet, "I'm going to take care of you, okay?"

With a determined air, he turned on one of the holo-programs that he hated but Cody loved, and settled firmly into his side.

"Okay, Obi‐Wan," Cody accepted with a smile, staring at the steadily-pinking side of his face. "You're going to take care of me."

#ask meme #answered asks #by apples #mneiai #codywan #accepted even if it's not jessemaul because i thought of something anyway #star wars #the clone wars #is this what fluff is???#fic bits #commander cody #obi-wan kenobi

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if-tomorrow-never-comes · 3 years

Photo

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/138d0f62-1ad1-11ec-b8f6-2f9fbbeddc5b?shareToken=4aa5c63b7232d6a281cd0bb09093dfee

INSIDE CARL BARÂT AND GIZZI ERSKINE’S MARGATE CAFE, HOME OF THE FASHIONABLE FRY-UP

The Libertines frontman and the trend‑setting chef are reinventing the great British greasy spoon. Expect crisp sandwiches, Bovril mayo — and not a smashed avocado in sight

Kate Spicer Sunday September 26 2021, 12.01am BST, The Sunday Times

The idea of a Libertine, a member of one of the most decadent bands to come out of Britain for some time, opening a café seems absurd. But here I am at the Love Cafe in sunny Margate, which opens on Thursday, being shown where the coffee machine will go, where the DJ will be for the sunset sessions, hearing that the wallpaper in the loos is by the artist and screen printer Ben Rider, and witnessing the cheers as the Love sign, picked out in lightbulbs like an old Soho strip joint, goes up on the hot pink and black exterior. It’s less Can’t Stand Me Now, more Love Is All You Need — which just happens to be picked out in hexagonal tiles on the lavatory floor.

Since acquiring a hotel, the Albion Rooms, in the seaside town five years ago, the Libertines’ presence has been powerful. The band’s singer and lead guitarist, Carl Barât, owns a house here, and the band sponsors Margate FC — so why, now, a café?

“Carl and I have been trying to work together for ages,” says the chef Gizzi Erskine — the two met through the fashion designer Pearl Lowe and have been good friends for years. ‘‘I love music, he loves food. Then, in February, Ronnie [Traynor, a music manager, Margate resident and an old friend of Barât] found this site, so I came up and we had a fun few days imagining our dream café.”

The result is Love Cafe, a joint project between Erskine, Barât, Traynor and Barât’s longtime partner, Edie Langley — ‘‘And it’s as close to a 2021 vision of a real greasy spoon as possible,” Erskine says. Inside the vibes are all there, with bespoke punk wallpaper and vintage furniture overseen by the interior designer Rhiannon Sussex (the mother of Rhys Webb of the Noughties band the Horrors), who also did the Albion Rooms. It’s a mood that perfectly suits the Libertines, whose formative years often saw them hanging out at their local greasy spoon. At the time the two Libertine frontmen were peak-skinny, Camden-boy rock stars in waiting, and their love of a traditional caff epitomised their mythologising of a romantically seedy old England.

‘‘It’s about that primeval need we have for community, for a place where you’re known,’’ Barât says today of why he has always wanted to open an old-school caff, ‘‘where you walk in and instantly feel better. No snooty vibes.”

As for the food — no smashed avo? Very brave, I say. Erskine shrugs: “I’m not going to have sourdough either.” What! Wholemeal, though? “I’m about proper chewy crusted good white bread with fantastic unpasteurised cultured butter. If you’re low-carb, Love Cafe is the wrong place for you.

“We are reimagining that great seaside institution, the British caff,” she continues. “Proper breakfasts, juicy chicken and chips, toasties, ice-cream sundaes, and there will be a big urn for proper builder’s tea.” She describes one menu item, a roast beef sandwich, in explicit food-porn detail: “crunchy watercress, perfectly pink beef, chrain, which is horseradish … then a layer of ready salted Kent Crisps,” plus “Bovril” mayo, which is a mayonnaise made with beef dripping and the ultra-tasty goo called fond that’s found at the bottom of the roasting tin”. Prices will start at about £9 for a toastie.

Back in 2018, to gales of disapproval, Erskine admitted on Instagram that she had skipped a red-carpet event because she had felt unhappy about her body. “Thousands of people told me off for not having a trigger warning with that post,” she says. “It’s like, ‘You’ve committed the thought crime of not liking your thighs.’ But the truth is I was happier as a size ten. I don’t feel as healthy this size and I don’t fit in my clothes. I put on weight because I work hard. I constantly pick because I am tired. Loads of women will relate to that. But I can’t admit I don’t like being bigger, no one dares do it any more, we all just shut up and try not to get cancelled.”

Maybe that is why, even though she still lives in Hackney, she has become a fan of Margate. “It’s more collaborative here. People want you to succeed — in London it can feel like they are willing you to fail.”

Meanwhile it was creativity, freedom and, he admits, the bourgeois reason of house prices that drew Barât DFL (down from London). “As much as my love for London remains, there is distinctly less freedom now and too much corporate hegemony,” he says. The other crucial draw was friends such as Mairead Hayden, the former manager of Florence + the Machine, who moved to Margate several years ago and now owns a mezcal bar there called Mariachi.

The Margate migration is nothing new — in 2017 The Times declared it one of the trendiest places in Britain — but the pandemic has brought a new influx. Even Tracey Emin, who grew up in the town, moved back at the end of last year. It also appears to be something of a sanctuary for reformed ravers. Ronnie Traynor, for instance, has not had a drink in three years. The Love Cafe, she says, will have an extensive low and no-alcohol list. “Margate has a pretty evolved sober scene,” she says. It appears the former bad boy Barât has changed as well, as he puffs away on a fruity-smelling vape (though he later shows me the pack of Marlboro Gold he also carries in his pocket).

Does he expect his bandmate Pete Doherty, now living in rural France, to pop in for a meal? Snide tabloid comments about Doherty’s weight are met with big, genuine smiles from those here that know him — “It’s great, it means he’s off the heroin,” pipes up Tony, the band’s long-term PR. “I’m sure he’ll be in for a big breakfast soon,” Barât adds, perhaps referring to the mega-breakfast challenge Doherty completed in a Margate café three years ago (he had to eat a huge fry-up in 20 minutes that included four eggs, four rashers of bacon and four sausages), which ended up making the news — and spawning endless memes. Barât describes his relationship with his bandmate as solid: “We’ve had tough times, but we all have the same strong chemistry today we had in 1998.”

After the Love Cafe, Barât will be opening a club in the basement called Justine’s. There’s talk of more Love Cafes in more seaside towns, too, but there is also talk of writing music.

Barât’s first home is still east London, but in a few weeks, along with Langley and their two sons, Eli, ten, and Ramone, seven, he will move here full-time for a “better life” for the kids. Barât says he likes the way that in their neighbourhood, Cliftonville, “the kids are out playing on the streets till dark, it feels natural and friendly, it’s almost Victorian. It is simpler, less scary, less daunting. These days I’d rather be on the edge of the labyrinth than in the middle of it.”

Love Cafe, 3-4 Marine Gardens, Margate, opens on Thursday

Hair and make-up: Alice Theobald at Arlington Artists using Dior Forever Foundation and Capture Totale Super Potent Serum, Lash Star Beauty and Windle London. Barât’s suit and waistcoat: Herr von Eden

#Brilliant!#Love Cafe #carl barat #carl barât #Gizzi Erskine #articles #Edie Langley #Ronnie Traynor #Margate #Love Cafes #Justine’s #carlos barat #The Times

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builder051 · 3 years

Note

Hi, happy Sunday! Would you be interested in writing something where Bucky struggles with chronic pain from his amputation and is having a hard time dealing with it? Maybe steve tries to help or at least understand?

The first time I read this, I didn’t absorb the ‘from his amputation’ part, and I thought you were just talking about chronic pain in general. Sorry if this wanders a bit too much from what you originally wanted…

It also has food refs and emeto.

________

Whoa bessie

________

It’s late in the year. Days are short, and temperatures are low. Ice appears on the bare branches outside the apartment windows, scraping and tapping and keeping James awake at night.

It’s not just the attacking trees that plague James. Everything seems to be attacking him. The sound of the whistling tea kettle disagreeing with the setting on his hearing aids. Unexpected whiffs of peppermint from other people’s Starbucks cups stunning his nose and unsettling his stomach. Asphalt grey drifts blocking doorways and parking spaces, which always make James’s socks wet despite never exactly seeping through his boots.

And then there’s the pain. Mostly it’s the arm. What’s left of the humerus, and the shoulder joint. But also his back. His knees. James isn’t sure if what he’s feeling is something residual from his original injury or if it’s something new. Is there damage done to the peripheral bones and joints when one area of the body receives trauma? Or is this something more like arthritis? A gift for having rounded the sun more than thirty times? He doesn’t know. And the VA keeps switching his GP, so nobody’s seen him with regularity since he was discharged into independent living. So really, Steve, with his license to practice, is the closest follower of James’s case.

And follow James’s case Steve does. All around the house. James insists on doing his things himself, but sometimes it all becomes too much. The stacked washer and dryer makes ‘squat and throw’ a fun exercise when he isn’t painfully sore and stiff. But when he is, he can’t so much as clean the filter, and Steve winds up picking up pieces of lint that are offensive because they look like snow. Steve ferries him back and forth to therapy. To the gym when he feels up to it. To the coffee shop or the library when he doesn’t.

Nutrition and personal care become twisted challenges as well. The pain wears him down. James is sensitive to taste and texture at the best of times, but these days, when anything from traffic noise to a store clerk’s perfume can set him off, sticking with a routine is next to impossible. Steve is patient and wonderful, and James tries to remember to thank him for it, but he knows he does a terrible job.

The army scarred him. James remembers Gluey, tasteless, sometimes over salted MREs, made hot by the trucks that brought in the rations. Un-fizzy warm Coke. Jelly beans and gummies so squishy they had to be picked up between forefinger and thumb and dropped one by one into the mouth. Off-brands, usually. Stuff overstocked by the PX, bought, then donated by the generous little wives of veterans’ widows.

That’s not what’s bothering James now, though. It’s what came after. The field hospital in Kandahar where he’d been taken immediately post-injury had the setup to stabilize him. Temporarily, at least. Tamp the bleeding, pump him full of fluids and antibiotics, brace his neck and head to prevent further trauma. They’d tried feeding him orally, though. Saltines made into mush with the addition of a splash of bottled water. Apple juice. A popsicle. One nurse’s aid had asked him if he wanted a turkey sandwich. Through her accent and his blundering state of consciousness they’d managed to pass it off as a mutual misunderstanding. But still. James can’t even think about biting into bread and lunch meat and lettuce…

They’d stuck a tube up his nose during the pit stop in the UK, then sat him down with a nutritionist at Walter Reid. He’d gotten better. Statistically. But not at self-regulating.

James remembers the night he moved into his blank, white-walled apartment, funded by his pension and directed by veterans’ charities. They’d sent him in with a piece of housewarming cake, which he’d eaten, hated, and then sicked up. He doesn’t do chocolate anymore. Coffee, though. That’s breakfast. Which is sometimes the only meal of the day. And sometimes Steve comes home to find James jittering through his fifth or sixth breakfast, frustrated that he keeps dropping the pencil right in the middle of his crossword.

Every once in a while, Steve offers calzones or curry or something else warm and exotic. They enjoy a spur-of-the-moment hibachi dinner with all the fixings nestled around mounds of rice. Sushi is on the house, since they’re so enthusiastic and cute, the server says. James is nearly in tears with gratitude, even though he’ll only eat the cucumber and avocado roll.

Then there are the days when he hurts too much to do anything. The down-to-the-crumbs box of cornflakes is too heavy. James’s jaw aches like he’s had dental surgery. On both sides. And in the middle. Bottom and top. He wishes he had dental surgery anesthesia. But not the numbness. He’s not a fan of lidocaine in any form.

James takes half a handful of ibuprofen, then considers the bottle of Tylenol. He can’t quite remember the difference, or if he’s supposed to take them together or not. He should ask Steve. Steve’s at work, though. Or he could google it. But James hates tapping out words on his phone. Every time he tries to backspace, the thing thinks he hits enter, and he has to wait for the window to refresh. It’s frustrating just thinking about it. He decides his time is better spent sitting on the floor and planting the bottle between his legs so he can twist off the safety cap with one hand. James’s wrist tweaks, though, and he curses as he dumps a few tablets onto the linoleum before putting the bottle away, grabbing his coffee, and coming back to pick up the pills and swallow them down.

James turns on the television and the electric blanket, then takes out his hearing aids. He nudges the throw pillow into the spot between his head and the corner where the seat meets the back of the sofa, then closes his eyes.

The next thing he knows, Steve’s hand is brushing through his hair, and a kiss plants on James’s cheek.

The TV is showing a weather map, and Steve pointedly turns it off. He has a shopping bag, though. Epsom salts. And a wooden brush for dry brushing.

James eschews the brush, but agrees to the bath. He takes his time removing his clothes, standing under he heat vent in the bedroom while Steve runs the water in the tub. Then he moves slowly, lifting his feet, his knees. Every joint pops and cracks, even places that doesn’t think ought to be doing that. Like his sternum. His inner thigh.

Unsettled, James heads to the ensuite and holds onto Steve’s arm as he dips his toes into the hot water. It’s a good temperature; maybe a little warmer than James would’ve made it, but in a good way. Like extra hot coffee that won’t lose its heat so quickly. He bends his knees, rests his stump shoulder against the tile wall, then sinks down into the softly cloudy bath water.

The Epsom salt doesn’t make a scent. James supposes it would taste, well, salty it he were to get it in his mouth, which he doesn’t plan to. He rests his head back against the wall, allowing his spine to merge with the curvature of the back of the tub. It’s not exactly ergonomic, but it isn’t uncomfortable either.

Steve sits on the toilet lid, legs spread and hands on the thinning knees of his khakis. He offers James a washcloth, but James declines.

Breathing slowly, James tries to work through the simplest of the relaxation and PT exercises he’s been taught. Tense, relax. Toes. Tense, relax. Foot. Tense, relax. Calf…

His thoughts wander, though. The water and its cloudy cleanliness reminds James of an indoor pool, and, strangely, of the semester he’d spent trying out water polo. It was all before he met Steve. Early in his college career. When he was a freshman. When he had… goals? Dreams? Blissful ignorance, that’s for sure.

It was all rippling muscle, long arms, sweaty fog rising from the climate-controlled practice pool. Coach blowing a whistle. Lungs devoid of breath as tired legs found the stairs to pull him up to the changing room and back to the population of general studentia.

It was such a different reality back then, and even though there’s a clear division between past and present, James has a hard time reconciling the fact that that reality ever existed. It sends his thoughts tumbling, and his body isn’t far behind. With herculean effort, James stands up, his arm flapping for balance. He waves Steve off the toilet and throws himself at the bath mat, a violent gag rising in his throat.

Steve flips up the seat and stands aside. James grips the seat with both hands, elbows pointed out to the sides, then squeezes his eyes shut so he doesn’t have to look at the dark drain or the ring of calcium buildup at the waterline. He retches, and thin, hot fluid bubbles in his throat and splashes into the toilet bowl. He vomits again, then breaks into a fit of coughing.

James sits back on his heels. Steve wraps a towel around his back and rubs between his shoulder blades. James can’t breathe through his mouth because the back of his throat is stringy. He can’t breathe through his nose, either, because the fetid sour-sweet scent of bile seems to have leaked up into his sinuses. He knows he isn’t done, though. New moisture beads among James’s mustache stubble. His jowls feel like they’re hanging around his navel. His stomach fees like it’s stuck high in his esophagus.

Each contraction becomes less fruitful, leaving James pitiful and wheezing. Droplets break the surface tension of the toilet water, and James isn’t sure if they’ve come from his nose or mouth. He isn’t crying. He knows that at least.

Once it’s clear that all the mess has been made, Steve closes the seat and flushes the toilet. He makes to lift James up under the arms, but James stays his hands. He rises to a stoop, then a hunched standing position. Once Steve stops vibrating, he rubs his naked torso against Steve’s soft body and walks in step with him into the bedroom like they’re in a potato sack race. Or two privates on parade.

Steve opens the drawer for pajamas, but James doesn’t bother. He has just enough energy left to throw back the covers and slide into bed. It’s cold, and he doesn’t like it, so he makes a throaty noise at Steve. The drawer shuts, and Steve comes. Clothes fly for a moment. Then there’s a gust of air, a tangle of legs, and body heat starts to bring urgent relief. Steve’s bigger. He’s wearing a cotton undershirt that smells of Tide and musk and now just slightly of salt. James wraps his arm around Steve’s waist. Rests his stump against Steve’s downturned shoulder. They breathe at different rates. A call and response, like a long lost folk song. A harmony chasing the melody.

James keeps his eyes closed. He tries to gauge whether Steve’s asleep. He tries his exercises again. Tense, relax. Tense, relax…. But he doesn’t have to focus on it. James’s body is soft. Exhausted, but not hurting. The atmosphere is quiet. Calm. Steve might be asleep. And he might be as well.

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love-takes-work · 4 years

Text

I’ve recreated every food in Steven Universe

OKAY I THINK I FINALLY DID IT

I FINALLY RECREATED EVERY RECIPE FROM THE SHOW

Sooooo . . . what did I miss?

Now it’s your turn to help me be sure I got them all. Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

Reblog this post suggesting a food from the show (with or without screencap; just enough so I can recognize it). The weirder the better.

I will respond to you with my photo of when I made that food.

If I can’t deliver, I will like send you $10 or draw you a SU fanart or something. (We’ll negotiate.)

I will accept asks instead of reblogs if you prefer.

It’s fine if you have a fairly common or easy suggestion and you just wanna see it. ;)

I’m offering this incentive because I really want some help combing the show for foods I might have forgotten! Your help is appreciated!

Edit: Adding responses. :D

Dog-Nut (Pilot!)

Classic Hot Dog (Intro)

Fry Bits (2 - “Laser Light Cannon” & others)

Together Breakfast (4 - “Together Breakfast”)

Popcorn for Onion (7 - “Bubble Buddies”)

Giant Strawberry (8 - “Serious Steven” & others)

Large Pizza, Extra Fishy (10 - “Steven’s Lion”)

Cereal to stop the Foot (11 - “Arcade Mania”)

Aqua Mexican Burrito (13 - “So Many Birthdays”)

Movie Snacks (17 - “Lion 2: The Movie”)

Crystal Lizards (17 - “Lion 2: The Movie”)

Hot Dogs & Hamburgers (18 - “Beach Party”)

Lars’s Lunch (20 - “Coach Steven”)

Fire Salt & Fire Salt Donuts (21 - “Joking Victim”)

Big Fat Zucchini with Linguine (22 - “Steven and the Stevens”)

Chaaaaps (23 - “Monster Buddies”)

Mi Torta (23 - “Monster Buddies”)

Durian Juice (24 - “An Indirect Kiss”)

Fish Kebabs & Giant Fish (30 - “Island Adventure”)

Cheeseball Cake (32 - “Fusion Cuisine”)

Breadsticks (32 - “Fusion Cuisine”)

Shrimp Appetizer (32 - “Fusion Cuisine”)

Onion Rings (33 - “Garnet’s Universe”)

Baby Melon (34 - “Watermelon Steven”)

Nice Spicey Pretzels (35 - “Lion 3: Straight to Video”)

Mama Sadie Lunch (35 - “Lion 3: Straight to Video”)

Garnet��s Chocolate Chip Cookies (37 - “Warp Tour”)

Mayo Sandwich (39 - “Future Vision”)

Bindle Lunches (40 - “On the Run”)

Marshmallows (42 - “Winter Forecast”)

Waffle Egg Sandwich (42 - “Winter Forecast”)

Caprese Salad (47 - “Shirt Club”)

Three-Way Sub (55 - “Say Uncle”)

Pizza Steve (55 - “Say Uncle”)

Tea and Cookies (55 - “Say Uncle”)

Pile of Food (57 - “Reformed”)

Snack Sushi (Season 2 Short - “Cooking With Lion”)

Biscuits & Jam (58 - “Sworn to the Sword”)

Smoothie & Orange Slices (58 - “Sworn to the Sword”)

Best Breakfast in the World (64 - “Keystone Motel”)

Noodles and Butter (65 - “Onion Friend”)

Potato Steven (65 - “Onion Friend”)

Lion Lickers (68 - “Nightmare Hospital”)

Amethyst’s Hoagie (79 - “Super Watermelon Island”)

Fresh Big Donut Donuts (84 - “Steven Floats”)

Guacola (85 - “Drop Beat Dad”)

Pepe’s Burgers (86 - “Mr. Greg”)

The Finest Steak and Brie (86 - “Mr. Greg”)

Corndogs (87 - “Too Short to Ride”)

Pizza Bagel & Fantastic Fries (90 - “Restaurant Wars”)

Fancy Orange Juice (93 - “Alone at Sea”)

PROTES Protein Bars (95 - “Gem Hunt”)

Pine Needle Tea (95 - ”Gem Hunt”)

Sugar Shock Shut Down (109 - “Last One Out of Beach City”)

Apple Sidra (109 - “Last One Out of Beach City”)

Gem Harvest & Wedding Cake (111-112 “Gem Harvest”)

Korean Lunch (114 - “Steven’s Dream”)

Zoo Fruit (117 - “The Zoo”)

Pumpkin-Shaped Pumpkin Bread (126 - “The Good Lars”)

Ube Roll (126 - “The Good Lars”)

Cool Kids Potluck (126 - “The Good Lars”)

Jungle Moon Alien Carcass (140 - “Jungle Moon”)

Meal for Stranded Humans (144 - “Lars’ Head”)

Everything Pizza (148 - “What’s Your Problem”)

Together Breakfast Wedding Cake (151-152- “Reunited”)

Bixbite’s Pizzas (SUF 2 - “Guidance”)

Snow Cones (SUF 2 - “Guidance”)

Crystal Drinks (SUF 3 - “Rose Buds”)

Carrot Bean Meal (SUF 3 - “Rose Buds”)

Tomato Soup on the Go (SUF 5 - “Bluebird”)

Clams, Peanut Butter, & a side of fresh-cut grass (SUF 5 - “Bluebird”)

Bluebird’s Cake (SUF 5 - “Bluebird”)

Fried Eggs (on Amethyst’s face) (SUF 7 - “Snow Day”)

Protein Shake (SUF 7 - “Snow Day”)

Spicy Chili (SUF 11 - “In Dreams”)

Together Forever Cake (SUF 13 - “Together Forever”)

Cookie Cat Ice Cream (SUF 14 - “Growing Pains”)

Cocoa (SUF 14 - “Growing Pains”)

Ice Cream a La Pie (SUF 15 - “Mr. Universe”)

Caveats and Rules (read if participating):

It counts as a recipe for the show only if it is eaten or to be eaten by a character (onscreen or implied to have been) or otherwise prominently featured. (e.g., Together Breakfast would count even though it was not eaten, but random food sitting around incidentally in a fridge or bake case does not count as a recipe.)

Food items that are only mentioned but not pictured don’t count.

Food items that are part of the background art don’t count unless they are significant or interacted with at some point. This includes mentioned or pictured items on restaurant menus.

Note: I HAVE actually made some things that have only been mentioned or pictured on menus! So feel free to suggest them if you really want to see if I made them! But for purposes of qualifying for a reward, I can’t commit to making the entire bake case, pizza joint menu, Spacetries display, or commercial cooler full of food if they’re more scenery than snacks.

If I have made an item once and it recurs, it doesn’t count as a different recipe if it appears in a different configuration in a later episode. (e.g., if I made an ube roll for “The Good Lars,” I don’t have to make a new one for Steven Universe: The Movie.)

Non-food items eaten by animals, monsters, and Amethyst do not count as recipes. (e.g., I do not consider it a recipe when the Big Bird from “Giant Woman” ate a goat and Steven. I do not consider it a recipe when Amethyst eats wrappers or garbage. Weird food she eats is OK. As long as it is food.)

YES, I count all qualifying food in Steven Universe, Steven Universe: The Movie, Steven Universe Future, and any official shorts as fair game.

NO, I do not count food in the comics, the video games, the official or tie-in books, Ronaldo’s blog, or the Crewniverse’s celebratory food as recipes I have to make.

There is a lot of generic popcorn, chips, and soda in this show. I don’t count it as a new recipe every time someone munches one of these as an incidental snack.

Very minor variations on common snacks don’t count as new recipes. (e.g., I don’t have to make every donut or flavor of Chaaaaps anyone was ever seen eating. Including variation options in my recipe is enough.)

Random messes made with food do not have to be recreated as recipes. (e.g., Onion smearing condiments all over the kitchen is not a recipe; pizzas that get destroyed or thrown around are not new recipes; Greg and Steven scattering food leavings around their Empire City hotel is not a recipe; a seagull with a banana peel on its head carrying pizza does not count; Steven scattering the contents of his kitchen on the floor while making Together Breakfast is not a recipe, etc.)

Yes, the foods will be prepared/arranged by me. In most cases they are homemade creations but in some cases store-bought elements will be used and that is also OK.

Food-shaped items that aren’t actually food are not recipes. (e.g., game controllers shaped like ham do not count. Crying Breakfast Friends are characters, not food.)

Things made out of food do not count unless they are eaten. (e.g., Fish Stew Pizza is required; Jenny made out out of pizza in Kiki’s dream is not.)

Vegetarian alternatives, facsimiles designed to look but not taste like certain foods, and ingredient substitutes are permissible. (e.g., vegetarian pepperoni on a pizza that was REAL pepperoni in the show is allowed; a non-fish substitute for a real dead fish is OK; dishes representing disgusting food that are secretly delicious are all right, etc.)

Thanks for your help. :)

#steven universe #steven universe food #su food #food #long post #myblog

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