#brewage

[fieriframes]

[Brewage.]

[artsbakery22]

Art bakery glendale, provides a delicious old country-style yogurt drink. Its an appetizing and healthy quick snack, a perfect compliment to a meal, and a refreshing thirst quencher. Our best beverages are very famous in Glendale. If you want more information, then come to our official website.

[charlie-lec-stories]

The Socca Fiasco // CL16 & MV1

Pairing: Charles Leclerc / Original Female Character / Max Verstappen

Summary: Charles feels like he doesn't do enough compared to his partners so he decides to make a traditional Monaco dish for them. What could go wrong?

Warnings: None, just Charles being adorable and two curse words.

Author’s Note: This is a story that it's actually part of a sort of series. Little story time: A few years ago a friend of mine got into a polyamorous relationship with a girl and a boy. He motivated me to add this relationship concept to a longer story I wrote. Since I've never been in one, I decided to write short stories with a domestic vibe to practice and get more comfortable with how to write the dynamics of such relationships as accurately as I can. This is where this comes from. All of the Charles x Max x Y/N stories are part of the same universe, you could say, like they are all stories about different situations the three of them go through. I hope you all like some domestic Lestappen x Y/N. Rate: PG

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It was a tradition for them to have Max make Stroopwafel for breakfast, it was the dutch's way of showing affection, since he wasn't exactly expressive with words or romantic gestures on a daily basis. He would usually wake up earlier than Charles and Y/N, having been always a morning person, and take command of the kitchen to make sure his parters had a good breakfast. "It's the most important meal of the day", he always said whenever the other two refused to eat in the morning. Charles was the worst when it came to food, he would always complain that eating so early made his stomach feel funny and that he needed some time before he could actually eat something. Max came up with a plan, to make sure Charles would eat, he would make something Charles liked for breakfast, that way the monegasque would never refuse to eat in the morning ever again. His plan worked, and with the addition of the Stroopwafel to their breakfast menu, Charles started to eat every morning without making a single complain. That's how the tradition started and Max loved it, he felt like he could tell his partners he loved them, without having to actually say it, something that made him feel kind of awkward.

To the breakfast tradition a new ritual was added when Y/N started to cook a traditional dish from her country every Sunday. She had traveled back to her parents house for a few days and noticed that she actually missed those Sunday family gatherings that used to occur every week when she was younger. Her family would spent the whole day together, playing board games, watching movies and listening to music. The point of Family Sunday was to create wonderful moments together to remember forever. And she remembered them all with love. With that nostalgia settled in her heart, she decided that she wanted to keep that tradition alive with her new family. Every weekend she would buy everything she needed to make the meal and dedicate the Sunday morning to cooking. Charles and Max had their own roles, Charles taking care of the getting all the board games they had in the house and setting up the table, while Max was the one that prepared the brewages and picked the movie or vinyl that would play in the background. Family Sundays were their favorites because they could manage to celebrate them anywhere in the world, all they needed was a grill for the food, some board game and music. If it was race weekend, they had dinner and if it was a free weekend, they had lunch. They spent some Family Sundays in hotel rooms, simply cooking their meal in the hospitality of Red Bull or Ferrari and then taking it to the room to eat it together. Y/N really liked those moments, it made her feel like they were officially family.

Charles, at some point, started to feel like he wasn't doing enough. Max made breakfast, Y/N made Family Sunday meal and he was always enjoying what they made instead of doing something for them. He wanted to do something, he wanted to give them as much as they gave him. He wanted them to know that he loves them. With this idea in mind, he tried to cook pasta a few times, but it didn't end up well. Max had ended up banning him from the kitchen because he was sure that Charles would burn the apartment down. Pasta was off the table and it was the only thing that Charles knew how to cook, even if he didn't do it well. He expressed this concern to his brothers, who instead of giving him some cooking ideas, suggested him to just simply express his affection with other actions. Charles refused, he wanted to make something and he was going to do it.

"I'm just so bad at this, Maman". He complained to his mother on the phone. "I mean, Y/N isn't that good, but at least she can pull something off! I'm not asking to cook as good as Max, I just want to do something right". His mother could hear the stress in his voice. She actually believed that Charles didn't need to cook anything for his partners, they already knew that he loves them and that he shows that love through different methods. Still, she decided to please her son's wishes.

"Okay Charles, I'll send you a recipe for Socca. It's an easy dish and you'll have no problem making it". Charles' spirits lifted quickly. "It's beginners level of complexity. You'll be fine"

"Thank you, Maman! You're the best. I love you!".

It was summer break and Charles had been practicing the recipe for three months. He did it at the Ferrari hospitality every week and it was his most sacred secret. He wanted it to be a surprise so Y/N and Max couldn't know about it. It took Charles a lot of effort to hide his cooking practices, but he was finally ready to cook Socca at home. His skill with the dish had improved a lot, he had to admit that the first ones he made were so bad he couldn't even eat them. His younger brother, Arthur, even gagged when he tried a piece once.

"Charles, if you feed them this, you'll end up single". The younger Leclerc said as he spit the food in the bin.

"Oh Lord. 'How to loose not one but two lovers in one go'. I can see that Buzzfeed article". Charles glared at Lorenzo, his older brother, who was laughing at Charles poor attempt of Socca while he threw that comment.

But, his Socca upgraded since then and while Max and Y/N were out for a jog, Charles told them that he wasn't feeling like running and stayed home. He had an hour until they were back, more than enough time to cook and surprise them. Only four ingredients were needed: Chickpea flour, water, extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt. Once he had everything on top of the kitchen island, he started to mix everything in a bowl. He whisked until there were no lumps in the mix and then set a timer to let the batter soak for thirty minutes. The oven at home was nothing like the one he used to practice with so he had a few set backs when trying to turn it on, but he finally did it and then placed the pan inside to make sure it'll preheated before pouring the batter on it. In the meantime, his mother called to know what plans they had for that weekend. Charles loved talking to his mother so he sat comfortably on the couch and proceeded to tell her all of his summer break plans while he waited for the batter to soak. After a few minutes, he went to the kitchen for a glass of water and when he looked at the kitchen counter he noticed that the timer wasn't working. Slightly panicked, he took the phone away from his ear and check the time of the call. He had been talking to his mother for twenty minutes and before that he had trouble with the oven, but how long did that took him? He didn't know. It was quite a struggle, maybe it actually took him another ten minutes. With a rushed apology and a promise to call later, he hung up and decided to concentrate on his task.

"Well, I'm sure that has to be ready". He said to himself. Sighing, he opened the oven to take the pan out, he forgot to grab a kitchen towel and ended up burning his right hand. An instant hiss left his lips and he dropped the pan. "Putain!". Charles cursed under his breath, he grabbed the kitchen towel and picked up the pan again. A lot more stressed than he expected to be when he started cooking, he poured the batter on the pan, put it inside the oven and closed it. Twenty minutes later, Max frowned the moment he set a foot inside the apartment, turning towards Y/N who was looking at him with the same expression. There was a funny smell coming from the kitchen and he knew that it wasn't good sign. Keeping Y/N behind him he walked into the living room area, Charles was nowhere to be seen, but his singing was in the air, clearly coming from the bedroom. Max went straight to the kitchen while Y/N went to the bedroom to look for Charles. She was about to turn on the light of the hallway when Max yelled from the kitchen.

"Schat, don't touch anything!". Charles peaked his head through the bedroom door and his eyes met with Y/N's, they smiled lovingly at each other, but Max's dutch curse words quickly caught their attention. Charles jogged to her side and pecked her lips as a silent greeting while the two walked to the kitchen.

"Max, what's wrong?". Y/N asked while the dutchman opened the kitchen window as wide as he could. "Did you find the source of that smell?"

"It's the oven, it was leaking gas". He looked at Charles. "Charlie, you turned on the gas but never lit it up".

"No! I did, I swear!". Max shook his head.

"Don't turn on any light, let's just open all the windows and let the wind from outside renovate the air". Charles went to the living room and sat on the couch, huffing and with a frown on his face.

"I don't get it!". Y/N sat next to him and grabbed his hand. "I lit it up".

"Sometimes closing the door to harsh or an object hitting the oven can kill the pilot light". She explained. Charles remembered the pan he dropped.

"I am stupid!". He said, his accent thick. "I dropped the pan when I burned my hand. That must have done it".

"You burned your hand!?". Max and Y/N asked worried, Max running to stand in front of him and checking on his hands.

"It's nothing". Charles assured them, embarrassment filling his chest. Max kept looking at his hands anyways. There was a small red mark on his right palm. Y/N went to the bathroom and grabbed a lotion for burns from the first aid kit. She gently ran in over Charles' palm, him letting out a sigh of content at the cool sensation against his burned skin. "I am stupid".

"You're not stupid, don't say that". Max looked at him sternly, he hated when Charles called himself that.

"But I am! It took me three months to learn how to do the easiest dish in Monaco, which already proves how useless I am, just for me to fuck it up when I finally try to do it for you!". He was pissed so the other two left him get it all out. "You always cook for me and I can't even make a fucking Socca for you, I just wanted you guys to feel like I love you... I suck".

"We do feel like you love us, Charlie". Y/N said as she caressed his arm. "We know that you love us".

"But I never do anything for you". Charles said looking at his lap.

"That's not true". Max sat criss-crossed on the floor in front of Charles. "You always try to cheer us up when we have a bad day, and you always know what we need without having to say it. I think that's something important to add to a relationship".

"That's right". Y/N agreed. "Who cares if you can't cook? You still took the time to learn how to do it just for us. You spent three months learning something that it's hard for you all to make us happy". She ran her hands through Charles' hair and he looked at her. "That makes me feel really loved".

"You mean it?". Charles asked looking between the other two. They nodded eagerly.

"We do". Max's voice assured him quietly. Charles smiled.

Maybe Charles was doing more than he thought.

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Well, I hope you like this one!

[depressedbagpipe]

"Blackbird to Robin, do you copy?" (Billy Russo x ofc)

Chapter three

Words: 5286 Warnings: coffee i guess (me knowing just too much of it, btw go drink some water instead), billy being a little mafia-ish, owen being a lil shit, harper knowing too much, dana being a bit of a pain in the ass, A/N: this took way too longer than originally expected, so thank you for waiting <3 life's been getting a bit busier yet I'm learning how to manage my time better, fingers crossed that i know how to do that haha. btw i completely made up the name of the coffee shop so if it turns out it's a real place, let me know cause i don't want to be sued xd Taglist: @badasseddy, @noortsshift, @britishbassett

Series Masterlist Previous chapter &lt;;> Next chapter

Chapter three

‘Two cappuccinos for table three, please.’

‘What’s the deal with cappuccinos, anyways?’ I said while grabbing two clean mugs, and quickly putting them on the coffee machine behind me.

‘Guess you’re good at them,’ Harper winked at me as she grabbed a clean rug and dried her hands with it.

‘No, but seriously, I like cappuccinos too but like, last time I prepared thirty in a little over an hour. I mean, is that healthy? And this is coming from someone who loves coffee!’

Harper laughed at my antics. ‘It’s a nice brewage! People just like cappuccinos,’ she shrugged, disappearing through the door and into the kitchen shortly after.

‘If they only liked tipping better…’ I mumbled.

‘I heard that!’ Harper shouted from the other room.

‘Damn it.’

My hands moved automatically as I prepared the drinks, carefully decorating the foamed milk on the mug and making sure not to spill anything as I took them to the couple sitting by the door of the café.

They barely acknowledged me when I set their cappuccinos on the table, giving a short nod in my general direction without taking their eyes off each other.

Rolling my eyes, I walked back to the counter, noticing that no new customers were waiting to be attended to. I sighed deeply, looking around the bar, busying myself with cleaning anything in sight, if only to have an excuse to avoid Billy’s dark frame on the corner, directly facing me as he pretended to read a book.

His Americano had definitely gone cold long ago, but he still took careful sips, his tongue occasionally making an appearance to lick the remains on his lips. It was a true sight to behold, but every time my eyes darted to him, his were already fixed on me. He had a sixth sense of knowing when someone was looking at him.

Harper had even complimented his eyes, which would only inflate his ego more.

‘What?’ she had asked after noticing the glare I sent her. ‘Your boyfriend’s cute.’

‘He’s not my boyfriend,’

‘Well, he certainly keeps looking your way,’ the older woman winked at me.

‘Yeah, that’s not it at all,’

‘Whatever rows your boat,’ she only laughed at me as she kept counting the money at the register, making me sigh deeply.

I absolutely adored Harper. She had taken me in the second I came stumbling into her café, wet from the sudden downpour and in heavy need of a job. Despite having no experience brewing coffee, she had thrown all reason out the window and given me a safe place beside her, becoming pretty much my sole source of income. Many hours had been spent between those four cozy wooden walls, hundreds of steaming mugs passed along, and thousands of faces asking for a drink before going on with their lives. And despite the stress and the neverending shifts, and the too-sassy personality of its owner, HarpBrews Coffee had become my second home.

My phone pinged in my pocket. Discreetly grabbing it, I peered at Owen’s message, stating he would soon be walking through the door. I took a deep breath checking the hour on the big grandfather clock on the side of the café. The afternoon rush hour had already ended, yet a few customers still came for their boost drinks before heading out to the Friday nightlife they loved so much. Unfortunately for me, I still had a few papers to write, and a late shift to cover, all while the exhaustion of having slept four hours was starting to take a toll on my body. 

Putting my phone away, I caught Billy’s eyes on me again. He was slowly turning the book's page, not even bothering to pretend he hadn’t been caught. I raised my eyebrow at him but didn’t say anything. Only when he leaned his head to the side I finally walked up to him.

‘Doesn’t your butt hurt?’ I asked, grabbing his empty mug. ‘You’ve been sitting there for three hours without moving.’

‘It’s been three hours already? Wow, time does fly when you’re having fun,’ he smirked, checking his expensive wristwatch and widening his eyes.

‘You’re hilarious. You should audition for the circus, I heard they’re running out of clowns,’ I said with a shake of my head.

Billy put down his book. ‘Amazing wordplay, ten out of ten,’ he clapped slowly, but the mischief in his eyes didn’t leave.

‘Can I get you anything else?’ I asked him, hoping not to hear his comeback.

‘What’s your specialty?’

‘Cappuccinos, apparently.’

‘Sure, let’s see what the fuzz is all about,’ he said, leaning back again on his chair and picking up the book.

I sighed, walking back to the bar and preparing, yet again, his own cappuccino.

‘Please, don’t spit in it.’

‘I wouldn’t dream of it, Mr. Russo,’ I called back, making sure to keep a smile on my face after noticing the many heads that turned my way. 

I internally groaned, already knowing some of them would be leaving immediately, their tips long forgotten.

Only when I grabbed the cocoa powder I stopped my hands. I held the plastic template in between shaky fingers, debating whether or not Billy deserved some cocoa design on his foam. A small part of my brain was slapping itself at my childish resentment, but an even bigger part was slapping the other for even doubting. It was Harper coming back from the kitchen and seeing me with the cocoa in my hands that made me move, carefully sprinkling the powder on the mug until it took the shape of the open book of the template. 

‘He reads too?’ she whispered when I passed her by, setting the mug on a tray, together with a clean spoon and a napkin.

My stomach grumbled right as I picked it up, the realization of not having eaten anything in a while finally catching up to me. I looked over at Billy, who hadn’t eaten anything either, but this time it did seem he was too preoccupied with his book. I glanced at the small counter displaying Harper’s baking, and with another sigh, I picked up a vanilla cookie and placed it on a small plate, bringing everything to Billy.

He raised his eyebrows once I approached his table, setting everything before him.

For the first time since I met him, he seemed genuinely surprised. 

‘Oh, thank you, Dana, you didn’t have to,’ he set the book on the other edge of the table, eyeing the latte art on his cappuccino.

I shrugged. ‘Yeah, well, you must be hungry. It’s on the house, by the way.’

Nobody said anything else, for the small bell by the door rang, and Owen’s smile greeted me as soon as I turned my head to face the sound.

‘Waddup?’ he took me in his embrace, hugging my waist tightly for a few seconds before removing his arms. He barely moved away, regardless.

‘Hey, what took you so long?’ I asked him, motioning with my head to sit on one of the empty tables nearby the counter.

Owen unloaded his bag on the table, pulled out his laptop and phone, and took a seat as he adjusted his dirty blond fringe that fell unceremoniously over his eyes after taking his beanie off.

‘Sorry about that, Mrs. Russell was on a rant about the newest councilmen appointment and we pretended to be interested in it so she would forget about last week’s assignment.’

‘You didn’t turn it in?’

‘I didn’t do it,’ he said with a shrug, laughing it off.

I shook my head at the boy, remaining silent as the coffee machine whistled behind me, brewing yet more coffee despite the late hour.

‘Latte macchiato for me, please, if I take more caffeine I’ll dig a hole in the floor from buzzing,’ Owen called, his fingers already typing on his laptop.

I laughed at his comment, knowing how many energy drinks he was capable of ingesting over a day. 

‘You sure your heart can bear more of it?’ I asked him, placing our coffees down on the table.

‘It can now that you’re here,’ he winked at me, his eyes focusing once again on the screen before him.

Rolling my eyes, I went into the back of the café to retrieve my bag, ignoring the chime of the bell at the front door.

‘Harper, I’m on my break!’ 

‘Okey dokey!’

Harper’s chirping voice was heard at the bar, welcoming whoever had nothing better to do than having a coffee so late in the evening.

I quickly unknotted my apron and hung it on its respective hanger, pulling my hair out of its bun and pulling my sweater over my shoulders, knowing the lack of movement would become a problem later.

Walking out of the kitchen, I was shocked when I saw Frank Castle sitting down next to Billy, talking in hushed voices. I didn’t fail to notice the third person sitting with them, worried concentration drawn on her beautiful face. 

I walked in hurried steps back to Owen, who was sipping on his coffee completely unaware of the rising tension on the table behind him. His back was to them, allowing me to slide on the opposite seat, getting a clear view of the three adults. 

The sound the chair made when I dragged it back caught the attention of the two ex-marines, who quickly glanced up at me. I waved inadvertently at Frank, still awkward in his presence, but he returned the gesture by silently nodding his head at me.

The moment ended as soon as Harper returned to their table with steaming mugs for the two newcomers, the little party returning to their hushed conversation as if they had been going at it for hours and not just a few minutes.

I shrugged and sat down.

‘Everything okay?’ Owen asked, his eyebrows drawn in concern at me.

I shook my head, not wanting to talk.

‘Yeah, just tired.’

‘Well, I hope you’re not too tired for this because I have no idea where to start and you’re the only one I trust enough to partner up with.’

‘Always the charmer, Owen,’ I sighed, opening a new tab on my laptop, and quickly typing down the topic of our latest academic torture.

‘Don’t get me wrong, I love working with you. But I love pissing Malcolm off even more.’

‘You guys did one project together weeks ago, you surely can’t keep the feud up.’

‘He’s an asshole. It’s his fault we failed.’

‘And now he’ll hate you forever after selling him out.’

‘He deserved it.’

‘Really rough strategy.’

‘Well, I’ll have my lawyer call his lawyer.’

‘You’re your own lawyer, Owen, this is why we’re doing this in the first place.’

Owen took a few seconds to reply, his fingers stopping over the keys while he arched one eyebrow at me. ‘Someone’s moody.’

I sighed once again, already feeling a faint thump appear at the back of my head. ‘Look, I don’t wanna mess the project up, and I barely got any sleep last night, so please, can we just… concentrate on this? So we don’t have to pull another last-minute all-nighter the day before the due date?’ 

My pleading seemed effective, for Owen raised his hands in the air and apologized before returning to the task at hand.

‘Alright, alright. Look, on the way here I read a few articles that could be helpful.’

‘Cool, text me the link, and I’ll give them a quick look.’

‘Not so fast, loca,’ he laughed to himself. ‘You gotta do something for me first.’

‘Wow, not five minutes in and you’re already blackmailing me? New record.’

I was staring at him through heavy lids, knowing his plans usually ended in disaster.

‘This one’s good, I promise.’

‘Spit it out, then.’

‘I text you the articles, and you go on a date with me tomorrow.’

The sweet taste of my mocha latte turned suddenly bitter. Loud coughs left my mouth as the liquid burned my lungs. From the rim of my eyes, I saw Billy and Frank’s eyes on me, their posture tense, ready to pounce. I shook my head, only I didn’t know who it was meant for.

‘What the actual fuck, Owen?’ I managed to ask between coughs. 

He glanced up innocently as if we had been talking about clouds.

‘What? ‘

‘You can’t be serious.’

‘I am. I’ve been meaning to ask you out for a while now but it never seemed appropriate.’

Owen was now stirring his beverage a little too nonchalantly, but the little tick in his fingers made the spoon tremble ever so slightly.

‘And you think now is appropriate?’

My voice was a little hoarse, and my throat burned slightly, but I was determined to put the boy in his place.

‘It was a joke, Dana, you don’t have to be so defensive all the time!’ he brought the screen down and rested his elbows on the table, staring into my eyes. ‘Look, maybe this wasn’t the right way to ask you out, but I promise, I’m not kidding. We work well together, and you’re pretty hot, and I think we could make a nice couple if you’d give me chance.’

I stared at him for a while, scanning his face, looking for any indication that he wasn’t being genuine. I found none.

‘Look, Owen…’ I wanted to reply, but he cut me to it.

‘Just one date. If it goes well, we’ll see what we do from then. If it goes wrong, I won’t bother you again,’ he raised his hands again. His body moved as if he were trying to appease a looming beast. His eyes, though, held a confidence I had barely seen before.

‘Just one. After we’re done with the project,’ I added as soon as his lips broke in a giant smile. They quivered slightly at the afterthought but nodded his head fervently regardless.

‘Deal.’

‘Will you send me the links now?’

‘On it.’

···

We mostly worked in silence after that, only breaking it to share a few comments here and there. Harper had thankfully filled in, going as far as allowing me to double my break so we could get some work done.

‘Alright, so I’ll keep researching this and you write the rest?’ Owen confirmed.

I nodded. ‘Yeah, it honestly won’t take me long. On Monday we can meet up again and go over the next point,’ I said, rubbing my eyes.

The little mascara I had applied in the morning had certainly worn off during the day, but I didn’t care. I was too exhausted, and I still had another hour to fill.

‘Sounds great. You going out later? Jeremy said he was throwing a party,’

‘I don’t think I’ll be alive by then,’ I said in a low voice, closing down my books and putting everything away in my bag. 

‘Honestly, I don’t know how you do it.’

‘Me either.’

‘I’ll text you tomorrow. If the summaries aren’t on the shared file in the evening, feel free to call and scream at me despite my future hangover,’ Owen said with a short hug.

‘Will probably do,’ I answered back as he waved and left, the café almost too silent with his absence.

Only the small party of three refused to leave their seats.

‘Everything alright over here? Can I get you guys anything?’ I asked them, knotting my apron behind my back with practiced expertise, and pulling my hair up once again despite the strain in my arms.

‘I could use an espresso,’ Frank said, looking at me with somewhat of a smile.

‘Me too, I’m in for a long night,’ the woman replied with a kinder tone, giving me a wide smile.

‘Dana, this is Karen Page, one of the best lawyers in town and a close friend of ours,’ Billy spoke up.

Realization dawned on me as I stared at the woman, my eyes widening.

‘Oh, my gosh, I’m a huge fan of your work,’ I shook her outstretched hand a little too enthusiastically, but she didn’t seem to care.

‘Thank you, I’ve heard a lot about you too,’ she grinned.

She stood out, sitting in front of both men, with kind eyes and sweetness of manner, despite knowing how deadly she could be in her field. She truly was someone I admired dearly and had quickly become one of my main motivators to become a lawyer. 

Going back to the bar to prepare their orders, Harper tapped me on the shoulder.

‘You’re seriously gonna date the lanky kid over that greek god?’ she whispered while she untied her apron.

I rolled my eyes at her. ‘Yeah.’

‘Did you bump your head this morning?’ she rested her hands on her waist.

‘I’m perfectly fine, thank you,’ I wasn’t looking at her anymore. ‘That greek god over there is old enough to be my father.’ 

‘But he isn’t, is he?’ she wiggled her eyebrows. ‘How am I the oldest here? You should be out having fun on a Friday night with the fine specimen that has been eyeing you the entire evening, yet you’re closing down the café,’ she threw her hands in the air, her voice a little louder.

I shushed her, noticing Billy’s eyes on us for a few seconds. 

‘Yeah, well, I’m trying to be a responsible adult,’ I shrugged, pouring the hot espresso onto two smaller mugs.

‘Hell, I’m a responsible adult and still go out,’ Harper waited for me at the bar as I brought the mugs back to Billy’s table.

‘Thank you so much, Dana!’ Karen grinned appreciatively at me, quickly bringing the mug to her lips.

‘Careful, it’s still a bit hot.’

‘It’s perfect, thank you,’ she winked at me, making me chuckle softly at her before returning to Harper’s side.

‘Look, I just want you to have fun once in a while,’ Harper went back at it. 

I looked down at my feet, wishing to escape the lecture she was about to give.

‘I know, and trust me, I do have fun,’ I said.

We were no longer whispering, but the place was too deserted for us to care.

‘Reading at home is not the kind of fun I’m talking about,’ she sent me a pointed glance.

‘Well, I’m happy being by myself, Harper. I don’t need as much social interaction as everyone seems to think I do,’ I sighed, busying myself with cleaning the coffee machine, somehow knowing no one else would be ordering anything else for the rest of my shift.

‘Dana, I know your life hasn’t been easy these past years but you still deserve to be young and have fun. Hell, I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but maybe going out on a date with Owen isn’t a bad idea. At least you’ll talk with someone your age for once,’

‘Hey, I talk to people my age all the time,’ I defended myself.

‘Your classmates don’t count. I mean friends, Dana, actual friends. Not just colleagues, or neighbors, or even me.’

‘Harper…’

‘I know, I know. You’re happy. I just worry about you, that’s all.’

‘Well, don’t. I promise there is nothing to worry about. Now off you go, I know your secret man is waiting for you,’ I gently pushed her out of the way in the direction of the main door.

Harper smiled almost shyly at me, some color going to her cheeks.

‘Alright, I’m leaving. The kitchen’s clean, all that is left is the main part,’ she said, zipping up her coat. She let her hair down, making her look even younger, and matching her lively personality. ‘Don’t burn the place down while I’m gone.’

She opened the door, not without turning the Open sign backward to show the Closed written on the other side.

‘Won’t do,’ I was basically pushing her away. At least one of us would be having fun tonight.

‘Oh, and tomorrow don’t bother coming, I’m giving you the day off. You know where the check is!’

She turned and ran to the other side of the street, expertly avoiding the cars and walking with a happy strut.

I sighed, almost relieved at her absence, basking in the silence of the café despite the still low conversation taking place at the far end. Closing the door and drawing the curtains, I walked back to the kitchen, grabbed the cleaning supplies, and walked to the front yet again.

Billy caught my actions, walking to me as I started wiping the tables and bringing the chairs on top to wipe the floor.

‘You closing already?’ he asked me directly.

The sudden sound almost startled me. Hearing him address me after hours of nonexistent conversation had left my skin bare. The pounding in my head seemed to diminish slightly.

I shook my head. ‘I’m just cleaning out. I still got another thirty minutes, you can finish whatever you guys are doing.’

He nodded unconvinced, yet walked back to his table.

My body moved automatically, my mind blank and my eyes laced with exhaustion. I noticed Billy’s table full of papers and binders, with Karen scribbling down every so often. Some part of me wondered what they were working on, but then I remembered. The less I knew the better.

Shaking my head, I did a once-over, checking everything was clean and back to its respective place. With only ten minutes to go, I whisked my phone off my pocket, mindlessly scrolling through Twitter, and wishing time would pass by faster.

‘Hi,’ Karen suddenly spoke before me. I jumped a bit in my place, not expecting to find the woman with her and Frank’s empty mugs on the counter. ‘Sorry for scaring you, I just wanted to bring you these. The coffee was amazing, by the way, the best I’ve ever had,’ she smiled at me.

I grinned back at her. ‘Aw, thank you. You don’t have to lie, though, there’s better coffee out there,’ I said, quickly washing the mugs and leaving them to dry.

She shook her head. ‘No, really, it was amazing. From now on I know where to get my daily dose,’ she winked again, her good humor instantly lifting my mood. 

‘Well, we’ll be waiting with open arms,’ I laughed softly, immediately liking the idea of seeing her around.

For a split second I wondered how she could be friends with someone like Frank and Billy, but then again, how could I be friends with someone like Harper?

‘Well, I don’t know if Billy told you, but I’m also working on your case,’ she slid her hand over mine, her warm fingers wrapping around my hand and squeezing in sweet comfort. ‘Whatever you need, you can come to me, alright?’ she looked deeply into my eyes.

I froze, not expecting her forwardness, but nodded in appreciation nonetheless.

‘Thank you, Karen.’

I didn’t know what else to say, but thankfully Frank came to my aid. Or rather, Karen’s.

He slid a hand over her waist, the lightbulb suddenly going on over my head.

‘Really good coffee, Dana.’ 

He nodded at me, always the same short bow of his head. I’d like to think it was our way of greeting each other, even though I knew I wouldn’t be seeing him again once all this was over.

‘Thank you, Frank.’

‘We should get going,’ Billy finally spoke. 

I noticed their now empty table was shining, the strong bleach smell coming from the only corner I hadn’t been able to clean due to it being occupied by them. Billy was now placing the dirty rag on the sink.

‘You cleaned it?’ I asked incredulously.

He simply shrugged. ‘It’s the least I could do. I’ve been sitting there the whole time.’

I shook my head in disbelief, opting for grabbing my things. I picked the envelope under the kitchenware cabinet, Harper’s preferred spot to hide my paycheck in case we were ever robbed. I looked at the three green bills, deflating a little despite knowing it wouldn’t be much, but I still put on a smile and raised my head, noticing the three pairs of eyes on me. 

‘You can leave already, I’m just gonna head back one second,’ I said, putting the envelope on the counter and heading to the small room we used to keep our stuff while we worked. Putting on my coat, grabbing my bag, and making sure the lights at the back were off, I returned to the three adults waiting for me.

It felt weird. I wasn’t technically friends with either of them, but the way they all stood protectively in front of me as if I were some defenseless little girl –which I technically was, almost make me long for a stronger friendship. Both men were intimidating enough, clad in dark attire and harsh demeanors, and Karen, despite her softer features, was still a force to be reckoned with. I could only aspire to become half the lawyer she was, and with the three of them in their expensive clothing, with real jobs and real lives, I was brought once again to the reality of the situation.

With a small sigh, I followed them to the door, making sure to close the establishment behind me, suddenly the prospect of going home to the peace I desperately needed broke by the realization of having Billy with me.

‘Well, gentlemen, I better be going,’ Karen said out loud. ‘Dana, it was a pleasure to meet you. I know we’ll be seeing each other soon,’ she brought me into her arms, another unexpected comforting gesture from her. 

Her presence was calming, which I thoroughly appreciated.

‘You too, Karen,’ I grinned at her.

‘I’ll walk you,’ Frank offered. His voice was still deep, and despite his offering, it almost felt like he grumbled his words.

But Karen paid no attention, sending him a warm smile, and interlocked her arm with his.

‘Goodnight, guys. Billy, behave,’ Karen glared at Billy, eliciting another chuckle from me. 

I nodded at Frank before he could, and despite catching him off-guard, he reciprocated the movement, and the two turned the other way and left, Karen laughing loudly at whatever Frank had said.

I stared at the two, warmth filling my heart at the thought of them being together. They sure made some odd couple, but there was no denying the sparkle that filled both of their eyes when they looked at each other. It felt nice, knowing even Frank had someone who could bring the sun into his dangerous life.

Billy coughed beside me, effectively snapping me from my daydream.

‘Ready to go?’

‘Yeah.’

His hand on my back guided me toward his car, thankfully parked not far away from the entrance. He opened the door for me again, his eyes looking around the dark street, before walking around and getting into the driver’s seat. 

I hissed at a particularly big thump of my skull, massaging my temples hoping the growing headache would go away.

‘You okay?’ Billy asked, briefly looking at me before returning his eyes to the road.

‘Just some tension. Hopefully, I’ll get some sleep tonight.’

I noticed the way his leg pushed the pedal a bit more, the speed of the car increasing. 

‘Then let’s get you to bed,’ he answered.

‘I wanna have dinner first, though.’

He bit his lip. ‘I may have ordered something for us already. It should be ready once we get there.’

I widened my eyes. ‘Billy, you didn’t have to.’

‘You got me a cookie earlier, this is my way of saying thanks.’

‘You can’t compare a cookie to a full dinner.’

He shrugged his shoulders. ‘For someone with a headache, you sure wanna fight.’

I scoffed, despite the truth in his words. I simply leaned back on the seat and closed my eyes. I felt the passing lights on my eyelids, but the soft roaring of the engine and the silence surrounding us helped calm my racing thoughts.

It was shortly after that Billy was parking the car, the sudden halt making me open my eyes. 

‘We’re here,’ Billy announced but made no move. ‘Am I gonna have to carry you upstairs too?’

With that, I quickly unbuckled myself, almost jumping out of the car and closing the door loudly. I wanted to believe that the warmth in my cheeks was only due to the exhaustion, and not at the thought of Billy carrying me in his arms. 

He followed me into the building, crashing into my back when I stopped abruptly right before the stairs at the sight of the old man with the nastiest scowl.

I winced. 

‘Mr. Morrison, a pleasure to see you!’ I drew a wide smile on my lips, praying that he would leave soon.

‘Miss Jones, you’re late. It’s almost Saturday,’ he glanced at his wristwatch, an almost hungry smile on his face. ‘A few more minutes and I’d have to evict you.’

I knew that’s exactly what he wanted, but I kept in my remarks. ‘And, as promised, here’s the week’s payment,’ I grabbed the envelope, opening it to grab the right amount, and noticing the fourth bill right away. 

I furrowed my eyebrows, knowing Harper hadn’t given it to me.

‘And who’s the rich kid behind you? You know you’re not allowed to bring anybody in without my permission!’ he was fuming. The old man descended the steps, taking the money from my trembling fingers without looking away from Billy.

‘I’m Billy Russo,’ he introduced himself. He didn’t make an effort to extend his hand for Mr. Morrison to shake, though. 

The old man paled instantly. His eyes widened at Billy, who sent him a harsh glare while Mr. Morrison found the right words to say.

‘Oh, it certainly is a pleasure, Mr. Russo,’ he immediately hid the money in his pocket and proceeded to adjust his shirt. ‘What can we humbly offer you on this fine night, Mr. Russo?’

‘Well, I believe you’re exploiting some of the residents in this building complex. I know rent prices went up last month, but nearly not enough to completely leave them with no income,’ he continued.

I was left speechless. I hadn’t told Billy about my ongoing feud for my rent, but as always, Billy seemed to know everything about me and my life. It only reminded me how little I knew of him. 

‘Oh, well, you see, Mr. Russo, Miss Jones here…’ but Billy cut him off.

‘Here, take this,’ Billy grabbed a sealed envelope from a pocket inside his expensive jacket. ‘And if you happen to bother Miss Jones again, I’ll make sure the finest lawyers of New York City know about the many irregularities that take place here.’

He looked at him with that stoic yet fierce glare, the same look he had used with me in the interrogation room just twenty-four hours before. It felt like a lifetime, and it once again showed the many sides to Billy Russo that I wasn’t aware of.

Mr. Morrison only shook in his place, taking the envelope with shaky hands and lowering his head, moving aside to let Billy walk by and up the stairs.

I followed after him, too stunned to say anything at first, but with too many questions swirling around.

‘Did you extort him?’

‘I bought him.’

Silence.

‘Did you leave the hundred dollar bill on my envelope at the café?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Why?

‘Just a tip.’

Silence, once again. We reached the door to my apartment, heavy silence following us into the dark entrance.

‘What were you reading earlier?’

‘The Picture of Dorian Gray.’

‘How fitting.’

Next chapter

[marlasomething]

Fervid as a  Flame, does it have  a name? (Bugborg Week - June 12)

Summary: Nebula has been developing feelings towards Mantis. However, luckily (or not) for her, the chances to actually process them has never come...until, perhaps, their first Earth Pride Parade.

Relationships: Nebula/Mantis

A/N: Written for day 1 of @bugborgweek2023

Prompt: Pride

Word count: 2316

CW: mentions of LGTBphobia, mentions of death, hints of alcoholism, swearing, emotional trauma

Also on AO3!

For a little while, Nebula was almost completely alone; the rivalry with her sister Gamora being the only thing that kept her apart from total soul-self-annihilation. Then, this group of everything but heroes (including Gamora herself) reluctantly became her family, and she had a home for the first time since she could remember. Later on, the father that had pushed her to become the monster she was certain she could never stop being (not completely, at least) had made sure almost of said family was completely gone, disappearing into literal thin air. She had been left behind with only Rocket, and she didn’t know what she would have done if he had been gone too. What she would have become.

In that time frame, she had also become good friends with Tony Stark, named among other Earthlings as Iron Man (which, from her cyborg perspective, was kind of a bit offensive, but she had bigger fish to fry than to get offended by that particular point). When she had regained her family of strays, it had been at the cost of her new friend’s life, and a Gamora with whom she had to rebuild every single bond they had ever managed to accomplish.

She was starting to think the Universe simply hated her. This was further proved when she realised her stomach acted out all the time she was around Mantis. The younger of the two remaining Children of Ego was annoying in her quirkiness and constantly tried to see the best on people, while still always being on point when reading all the shitty things that went through Nebula’s mind on an almost daily basis.

She hated what a comforting presence she was, without even having to use her abilities. How she was one of the very few people that stood up against her when her nerves got the best of her. Mantis could make her laugh, but also get so serious she was ever so slightly intimidated by the insect-aligned extra-terrestrial.

So, of course, by the time she started to realise that, maybe (and only maybe), her stomach-ache wasn’t actually a bad thing…she had to go.

To find her fucking self, figures!

Deep inside, she understood why she needed to walk the universe alone, but she was on her right to be selfish and be mad that she had left her behind, so inner-actualy-outer-mad that if had surfaced enough for Drax to deduce she had love problems . She would not call it love , but there was a certain infatuation she had grown tired of denying, but only to her deeper self. One day, of course, she hoped she could resolve all these feelings she was trying to hard to silence even from herself.

One day, but not today.

Nor any other day soon without someone forcing it out of her.

 It was about mid of June on Earth when they got a stress call from Quill. Peter communicated with them regularly (especially with Rocket, but with all in general too), but this was different. There was…a sourness to his voice that intermediately worried all of them up to the point that they all agreed that, before going to him, they would told Mantis to get there first.

And to make sure all alcoholic brewages were nowhere to be found in Star-Lord’s household.

 When they all arrived (after having left Adam, Cosmo and Phyla in charge of Knowhere -well, in all honestly; they had left Cosmo in charge and the other two happened to be there-), was just to find Mantis speaking with an old man they assumed to be the Famous Grandad in the porch of a low house in the middle of a row of extremely similar houses.

“ Humans are weird designing cities ” Nebula thought, thinking about the dullness of the street and wondering how their Quill could stand it.

When she saw them, Mantis stopped what seemed to be an extremely animated conversation with the earthling to wave at them emphatically before running towards them.

She obviously hugged Drax first, letting him raised her a couple of feet into the air. Then kneeled to salute Rocket as if he was still just recently put out of a coma (and squeaked with joy when she realised one of the baby racoons had come as a stowaway in the back of his suit). She continued giving a quick hug to both Kraglin and Groot and then…

…then she stopped, slightly uncomfortable, in front of Nebula.

“Hi”.

“Hi” the blue woman answered, lowering her eyes to the floor. “Uh…is Peter alright?”

“I mean, he had decided to teach children at a human school (apparently, the basic physics you have to know to survive in space are more than enough to be an expert in this planet and he’s really good with the kids…). Also; he still has nightmares about…many things, actually. But, yes, his problem is… external ”.

Just as she finished speaking, while giving Nebula a quizzical look she just couldn’t read for dear life, the aforementioned appeared and simply stated: “Humankind lives in the Palaeolithic”.

 “When I left Earth, it was the eighties, which was… many years ago . Back then…I was just a kid, but, uh…I kind of already knew gals weren’t my only…interest”.

“I mean, isn’t that the norm? Like, in my world, my wife was an isolated case for being like that . I mean, she only liked guys, not gals; that was why she loved me. It wasn’t as if she had a wrong perception of me, or that I forced her into anything, you get that, right?” Nebula had to admit, her heart melted a bit every time in the latest times when Drax had been able to speak about his wife and daughter without the pain and sorrow he used to show. He was healing and, if he was healing, that meant she was too; she wasn’t just imagining a temporal improvement that would eventually go away.

“Yes, Drax, yes. But, on Earth, back then, that was a bad thing ”.

“It wasn’t a bad thing, Pete. It was a thing prosecuted by the same people that made it impossible for us to give your mother the kind of treatment she deserved” the grandfather sounded angry, bitter and ready to charge his riffle against whoever those culprits were. Nebula decided she really liked him; “ most Americans ”.

“Grandpa, could I…?”

“Ey! Why do you shut up Grandad Jason and not Drax?!” Mantis said, hitting him in the arm. Nebula raised an eyebrow. Apparently, Mantis had decided he was also her grandfather by proxy and, by the elder man’s face, he agreed.

“Sorry, grandpa. As I was saying, I thought, after a life living in a world with this wasn’t an issue and with the humans we had met so far…that that had changed. Well, it hasn’t. Actually, it had gone worse the last few months and…since Ego’s death…I am just a human. I just get frustrated I cannot help , except by…would you like to come to a special demonstration with me? By, what I mean, at the same time. And then, we can get dinner or something; I am already going with someone” at this, Mantis giggled and Peter almost murdered her with his eyes.

Ah, sibling relationships…She clearly knew who that someone was and, for a second, Nebula’s mind thought about giving Gamora a call; she missed her own sibling.

Then, she decided, she had a better thing to do: she would propose to Mantis to both together alone to the demonstration.

Just to find out whoever Quill was going to so secretly.

Just that.

 “Bug” Mantis wrinkled her nose, clearly annoyed (and not in a fun way), when she called her once they had been left alone. “I have a proposal to make to you. Let’s go together to this demonstration thing, so you can accidentally lead me to your idiotic brother so I can find out who the secret companion is without putting you in the spot. You can obviously say no…you know I have other ways of knowing ”.

“I would like to see you trying them” she replied, with a fierceness she wasn’t used to hear in her voice. Wow, apparently, those months on her own had actually helped her.

“ I hope this doesn’t awake anything on me ” she thought.

Mantis stared at her eyes, and she stared back; four completely black orbs facing each other in the middle of a suburban neighbourhood in Boring-AF-USA. Time elapsed and, without even noticing it, they found their feet being far closer to the other than originally intended.

Nebula stepped back, uncomfortably, suddenly finding how a scrawny child brutally fell from his bicycle extremely fascinating. Mantis huffed and approached her until touching her arm and, to her very own surprise, the instinct of pulling away didn’t kick in.

She remained still, feeling the fingers of oddly texture of Mantis against her unusually thick skin, all of the sudden feeling as if it had become extremely thin, the other woman already reaching her deepest flesh and bone.

Was Mantis manipulating her emotionally? Or reading her? As she thought that, she noticed a puzzled look in her eyes, just as her antennae were doing some jerky movements she had never seen before.

She was just as paralysed and lost in the moment as Nebula herself. She shrugged trying to break out of their half-vegetative state.

“Bug! Answer my question… please ” Mantis was suddenly out of the moment’s spell.

“Fine, I will go with you…but just because you have a funny way of saying the word please ”.

“Fine”.

“Fine”.

As Mantis went inside, called by Jason to help with the dinner (the man was making a terrible mistake, if anything of what Mantis had cooked back in Knowhere was anything to guide her opinion by), Nebula shook her head and jumped on her own feet, trying to get rid of a certain type of nervousness she wasn’t at all comfortable feeling.

She turned to a moment, to see how the scrawny child (now with both knees covered in a disgusting mix of mud and his very own blood) was clearly laughing at her attitude.

A simple look was enough for the kid to crawl back into his house, screaming for his mother.

Nebula smirked; she hadn’t lost her touch. At least, not for everything .

 Mantis and Nebula poorly excused themselves to get away from the rest (which, actually, even included Jason Quill, who was carrying his riffle in case the cops got stupid with some of the younger kids ; definitively, iconic behaviour) and starting very casually wondering among the crowd, with Mantis pretending not to be going towards where she knew her brother would be standing.

As they walked among a group of people so colourful Nebula couldn’t help but wonder if, since things were so fucked up back here on Earth, they wouldn’t be better coming back with them to Knowhere (they could always use some more helping hands, after all). After about twenty minutes of tense silence, Mantis cleared her throat.

“I…I wanted to visit you guys in a couple of months…how…how are things going?”

“Rocket and the rest of the Guardians come and go. But you are in the same group chat as your useless brother, so you already know that…I miss you in Knowhere. I mean…you are literally the only one that can handle Drax sometimes, it had been a bit of a headache”.

At this, her friend scoffed.

“Funny that you would say that, because Drax has told me you are getting along almost too well for the person he thought you were ” she looked back, and her smile grew again. “So, you actually missed me ?”

Nebula grunted.

“Yes, maybe! Maybe I got used to you being there, about you always caring, even if nobody asked you to do so. Maybe I realised that speaking with you was only more pleasant than it was annoying. Maybe I have realised insect-like features are cutter than I was raised up to believe they were…FUCK, IS THAT THOR ?!”

Mantis took a couple of steps back to reach her height in the street and nodded, playfully.

“Yep, that is him. And the kid he kind of adopted; Peter is her teacher…and the dark haired kid too” she pointed at a girl with raven hair and a crocodile (with a bloody helmet, who knows why) between her legs, holding a pink-white-purple-black-blue flag. She was next to three adults: a blonde woman, a man with very similar dark hair and one with the type of hair she had heard plenty of people in the Blip Years calling Silver Fox Hair .

Nebula was still processing that she had just seen her idiot Peter kiss the fucking God of Thunder when Mantis held her by the arm, with a smile filling her whole face.

“So…you missed me?”

“You are reading my mind, Mantis, you know I feel it ” how she knew Mantis was reading her mind, she wasn’t certain. It was just…it just…for once, it felt as a right intromission and her whole body was telling her to make something so it didn’t stop.

“Yes, but…I wasn’t looking for your missing-me feelings” Nebula frowned.

“Weren’t you? Then, what on Earth…?”

“…I was looking about your me-kissing-you feelings”.

“And what are they?” her question was genuine. She had locked that part of herself so deep within her soul she wasn’t truly able to reach it.

For all answer, Mantis kissed her and people around them cheered. Usually, this kind of intromission in her personal life would have maddened Nebula, but, right now, a kind of happiness she wasn’t used to feeling clouded everything else.

She would let them go.

At least, for now.

[myimaginedcorner]

A TUMBLR STORY: TORN PAGE (p.2)

“Ah, Fate’s favourite children.”

Lights flicker. Golden shades rest on the woman’s skin, her ginger locks carefully scattered over her slim shoulders.

“You’re a rare encounter around here,” she laughs softly, pulling out a jar with blue and silver battling inside. “Alas, I presume Destiny monitors you much more carefully.”

“Bullshit.”

A hoarse voice intervenes, a voice of a respectful age. Behind me, a creature hidden under a shapeless cloak rests their drink on the table, loud knock echoing through the chamber. Their eyes have no particular tone, years of exhaustion fading all prior colours away. A pair of wise, sharp pupils pierce through you like two spears, their attitude, however, leaving the barwoman unbothered.

“What do you mean, Ralph?” she asks, reading up a new glass for the brewage.

“I mean what I say,” scoffing, Ralph turns around so you can see their temples flash in silver. “Fate’s just bullshit. They’re trapped in that goddamn place, they all are.”

“Ah, Ralph, but aren’t you a bit too judgemental? Our guest here just arrived,” with nothing but a smile, the barwoman gives you a quick nod. “We cannot debate on matters so philosophical without an expert’s opinion.”

“As if,” Ralph’s eyes roll slightly up, snake gaze almost disappearing under heavy eyelids.

“Yes, Ralph, that would be just rude. We must take care of our customer first, and then we can express opinions. After all, we haven’t even heard them out yet.”

You’re served a cup of an uncommon shape: it represents a scale of crystal purity, rivets with pan-holders symmetrically attached to both sides of the beam. Through, you can see the twisted light of candles, bottles of wrong shapes, and the reflection of two emerald eyes, patiently waiting for your evaluation. On it, two different liquids lay within the vessels: right from you, blue smoke raises from an ocean deep to sight, silver floating beneath its surface in swirls of mysterious nature; left, white waits for you, a blizzard climbing up the strings, mist hiding shadows in its diffused realm.

“I’ve tried to replicate your signature beverage,” leaning upon the table, the server’s smile grows wider. “Heard it was made for the peace treaty of the millennia.”

“Peace…?”

It’s the first time they hear your voice. A bit shy, slightly unused to being put to work. Quiet, dry throat preventing you from being more confident. You weren’t expecting to use it so soon – however, you’ve encountered a dilemma. You’ve never heard of that treaty.

“And here you’ve scolded me for being too straightforward…” mutters Ralph behind my back.

“I’m not straightforward, Ralph. I’m realistic!” she shrugs shoulders. “Beings never survive without peace. Somewhere, someone has definitely declared a peace treaty, and we’re celebrating that.”

“You haven’t even asked them when they’re from.”

“Does it matter? It all comes to peace or war. And war eventually comes to peace,” her smile shines. “So, I’m correct no matter their answer.”

You sigh, shaking your head. Their talk confuses you, your mind still not recovered from the ever-present darkness. You still feel void’s touch on your skin – it sends you into shivers.

“Ah, darling, here I am again, losing the conversation!”

Giving it a dramatic sneer, you are once more centre to her attention.

“I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t leave my customer so lost when they’ve just arrived. You’re so beautiful, honey – what’s your style called? Or is it a specific creature that you’re portraying?”

DESCRIPTIONS FOR EACH SPECIES:

Human – You're one, aren't you? Well, if you're not, I'm surprised: humans are one of the most widely spread species in the entire Universe. With their origins traced as far as Earth itself, humans are highly adaptable to any kind of environment. They survive in any habitable planet, and are inclined to quickly acquire the most profitable resources to help them in their settling. They're smart, cunning, and versatile: despite their weaker anatomy, they compensate it by having the most advanced defensive and offensive technology in the entire Cosmos. In worlds as magically charged as Therania, humans quickly became skilled mages and healers, building their first cities in lands deemed impossible to prosper in.

Satyr – Nature's guardians. Satyrs aren't that widely spread across the Universe, requiring of specific habitats to live in: they're strongly dependent of an abundant source of magic present in the world's layers, as well as they require of big forests to protect and settle. In most cases, they also need a divine patron that would imbue them with power and immortality - that makes the satyrs some of the innately strongest species on Therania's grounds, but also, some of the most limited ones. They never leave their forests if they're bound to Nature. Otherwise, they are stripped of all their privileges, and become as weak as humans, with their agility being the sole perk that makes them more flexible in their movements. They also get subjected to the 'golden fever': those that experienced true power once, become thirsty for more, and search for new ways - sometimes, illegal ones - to bring that feeling back.

Elf – Scholars. While there are as many approaches to elves as there are Authors on Earth, Therania's elves claim to have one of the oldest ancestries within this species' history. Born as a native race to this magical planet, the elves are creatures of a long lifespan, obsessed with knowledge and research. Most of them spend their entire lives exploring one single topic, learning all what they can about a certain field, and writing papers for future generations. Some have more practical professions, however, they approach them with the same amount of dedication. The amount of time an elf has given to a certain topic can be seen reflected in their appearance: the bigger grows the percentage of their lifespan sacrificed to a certain matter, the more their skin, eyes, hair and even shapes mimic what they have been researching. And yet, despite their drive for progress, the slow, and often eccentric nature of elven research doesn't help Therania's stagnant scientific and magical progress, with little difference brought by the last generation of elven scholars, engineers, or even adventurers.

Berserk – also known as 'the humans from the Battle Lands', little is known of the berserk's actualy history. With no writing tradition present in their culture, various are the legends surrounding these warmongering species, whose mentality is set on constant struggle against each other. Strong, resistant, berserks are split into two factions bound by eternal war: children of Amtell, who believe in magical enhancement of their abilities, and children of Galtris, whose sole path in life is the constant breakthrough for their physical capacities. Both blame each other for the conflict, yet both believe that conflict is the only stage in which their species can exist. Followers of the Old Gods, they grow and live to be a weapon, fight bringing balance to their meaning.

Dryad - if satyrs are Nature's guardians, then dryads are Nature's spawns. They're products of a heavy magical presence within a forest: when energy exceeds a certain level, tree souls are able to acquire a shape, a so, a dryad's born. Bound to their trees at first, dryads live and die with their parent plant, their lives consisting of a carefree existence in the woods' most profound thicket. Often they're seen near lakes and rivers, for their own bathing keeps their trees refreshed in the driest times. Usually, no dryad leaves the forest where they have been born, unless their tree has moved locations. However, everywhere exceptions are to prove the rule. Some dryads, losing their tree, don't disappear immediately, but can live up to what is half of a human lifespan. What happens to them, is unknown: one cannot even imagine what is for a soul to lose its heart and body.

Honsa - In caves far from any sight, in labyrinths so old they were still carved beneath Therania's soil, a species known to barely anyone exists. They spend their time between two worlds, their eyes used to both light and darkness. With settlements built where sun isn't welcomed, they often walk between the other creatures, their presence, nonetheless, unnoticed to unknowing eyes. They're shifters - their true appearance hasn't been recorded by a scholar yet. Often, they choose to look like some exotic angel, and so, it is considered that their real body has its wings. They tend to also be quite big and high, their necks only slightly longer than the rest of species. Their image changes according to the situation, and their adaptability knows no bounds: their wings can be as soft as fluff or as hard as the strongest metal; their breathing can be air sucked into lungs, or water passed through gills. They can survive even the most extreme situations, and so, killing them is extremely hard. They do, however, never show their real face, and that points to a major weakness.

Skazka - Hello.

[nicholasdsutton]

@johnseymour

location: bois breakfast!!!! 

 He had time to bathe his eyes before breakfast -- dreams of Pippa as a basilisk, coiled around Edmund, had plagued his rest. Nicholas appeared as serene as any other person; not however, as jocund looking as his brother by marriage, who seated himself in the seat beside his own - who fixed on him, a pair of small eyes twinkling gleefully. Treason and sinful behaviours agreed with John mightily; he had become taller, a freshness of bloom about him. Nicholas did not care for the morning cup of tea; Hampton Court's brewage not being strong or sweet enough to suit his excellent appetites. This mourning he was glad for the draught of hunger - he chose to give his bread to John rather to any other vessel. Nicholas rather liked to let him take the lion's share; whether that of beer, or sweet wine - even when the women wrangled, they were never alienated from one another. 

"How did court fair in his majesty's absence? Was my bride pleased to occupy the space his bravado usually occupies? The Dover affair was full of malice, dramatics, and antipathy; in short, a Grey daughter would have better enjoyed it than I." Philippa and her kin boasted meritorious endowments of a higher nature; a thirst for melodrama, lurked as an interloper in their more charitable traits. "It has been some time since the two of us were engaged in our own endeavours - do you still enjoy tennis, or the hunt? The weather is soon to turn; let us make the best of the remainder of merry weather." 

[sanemyamen]

Brewers Yeast Market Growing Popularity and Emerging Trends in the Industry

Latest business intelligence report released on Global Brewers Yeast Market, covers different industry elements and growth inclinations that helps in predicting market forecast. The report allows complete assessment of current and future scenario scaling top to bottom investigation about the market size, % share of key and emerging segment, major development, and technological advancements. Also, the statistical survey elaborates detailed commentary on changing market dynamics that includes market growth drivers, roadblocks and challenges, future opportunities, and influencing trends to better understand Brewers Yeast market outlook. List of Key Players Profiled in the study includes market overview, business strategies, financials, Development activities, Market Share and SWOT analysis are Cargill Incorporated (United States),Archer Daniels Midland Company (United States),Nutreco N.V. (Netherlands),Lesaffre Group (France),Yeast Laboratories (United States),Associated British Foods plc (United Kingdom),Lallemand Inc. (Canada),Angel Yeast Co. Ltd (China),AB Mauri Ltd (Argentina),Laffort SA (United States)

Brewers yeast is an ingredient utilized in the assembly of brewage and bread. it's made of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, an acellular fungus. Brewer's yeast encompasses a bitter taste. Brewer's yeast is additionally used as an organic process supplement.  Brewers yeast is used as a flavoring agent in the food industry and as feedstuffs for pigs, ruminants, poultry, and fish. It accounts for an increase in the consumption of dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cream, butter, and cheese. Key Market Trends: Development of Animal Feed Products for the Increased Milk Production, Maintain Condition in High Producers and Enhance Digestibility Opportunities: Rising Demand for the Functional Food in Fitness Industry

Market Growth Drivers: Rising Awareness Among the Consumers with Respect to More Beneficial Eating Regimens and Calorie Decrease

Increase In the Demand from The Additives Application for Yeast Challenges: Increasing Presence of Animals Suffering from Various Disorders Due To The Consumption Of Yeast Extracts

Availability of Substitutes in Market

The Global Brewers Yeast Market segments and Market Data Break Down by Type (Feed Supplements, Food Supplements), Application (Food and Beverages, Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals, Others), Form (Powder, Liquid), Packaging (Glass Bottles, Cans, Others), Sales Channel (Online, Offline)

Presented By

AMA Research & Media LLP

[sueheaven]

Cold Brew Coffee Market to Witness Excellent Revenue Growth Owing to Rapid Increase in Demand

Cold Brew Coffee Market Comprehensive Study is an expert and top to bottom investigation on the momentum condition of the Global Cold Brew Coffee industry with an attention on the Global market. The report gives key insights available status of the Global Cold Brew Coffee producers and is an important wellspring of direction and course for organizations and people keen on the business. By and large, the report gives an inside and out understanding of 2021-2027 worldwide Cold Brew Coffee Market covering extremely significant parameters. Some key Players in This Report Include:

Nestle (Switzerland)

Ting Hsin International Group (Taiwan)

The Coca-Cola Company (United States)

UCC Ueshima Coffee (Japan)

Starbucks Corporation (United States)

Illycaffe (Italy)

Luigi Lavazza (Italy)

Coffee Roasting Company Schreyogg (Italy)

Dunkin' Donut (United States)

La Colombe (United States)

Cold Brew Coffee is a beverage, which is evolved from the iced coffee. These iced coffee is giving a better way to cold brewing coffee. It is made from freshly grounded beans in filtered water at room temperature by using cold water. These are smoother in texture, have a less acidic taste, naturally sweeter, and fruitier flavor. The rising shift of consumers towards cold brewing coffee is driving the market. Market Trends: Adoption of Nitrogen Infused Cold Brew Coffee

Rising Trend of Keeping Cold Coffee as a Brewage in College Canteens

Market Drivers: Increasing Popularity of Cold Brew Globally

Rise in Consumer Awareness towards the Benefits of Coffee Beans

Increasing In Number of Innovative and New Product Launches for Cold Brew Coffee

Market Challenges: Availability of Alternative Products Such as Tea, Hot Coffee, Other Beverages

Market Opportunities: Growing Consumption of Coffee in Developing Countries

Expanding Consumer Preference for Unique Coffee Beverages in Developed Nations

The Global Cold Brew Coffee Market segments and Market Data Break Down by Type (Arabica, Robusta, Others), Application (Hypermarkets/Supermarkets, Independent Coffee Shops, Specialty Coffee Shops, Retail Stores, Online Retail, Others), Caffeine Content (Regular, Decaffeinated)

Presented By

AMA Research & Media LLP

[polykatk]

Night. #lifeart #lifestyle #lifephotography #lifephoto #cityphotography #cityphotos #cityphoto #citylife #guangzhoucafe #guangzhoucoffee #cantonese #coffeeroom #signlesscafe #canton #cafetime #coffeetime #cafeshop #coffeeshop #beer #brewage #beerlovers #beers #beer🍻 #廣州 #広州 #無牌咖啡 #啤酒 #精釀 #nightlife #nightstyle （在 廣州北京路步行街） https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsx-rYalrNU/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=14gv962y53iqd

[charlie-lec-stories]

Clumsy // CL16

Pairing: Charles Leclerc / Sainz!sister

Summary: Charles' clumsiness is a curse and blessing.

Warnings: None

Author’s Note: I love clumsy Charles, this story was perfect for this blog. Rate: PG

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Charles Leclerc has always been clumsy. His hands were constantly struggling to keep things steady and his grip was as slippery as pavement on a rainy day. Every piece of food that intended to get into his mouth often did a technical stop at his shirts and most of the brewages ran down the ends of his lips, failing to make it to his tongue. It was a shock to everyone when he decided that he wanted to drive cars in weirdly shaped circles at 300 kph for a living. Charles, the kid who couldn't play basketball because he always loss the grip of the ball, wanted to keep the pace of a car through the sharp corners of the most iconic Grand Prixs. No one could believe it, but they were even more stunned when he ended up being actually great a it. He was really great at it and that, ladies and gentlemen, was the real shock. He still had his fair share of accidents around the paddock, like when he ran into a tyre, falling face-first on the floor while he was trying to go to the bathroom, or when he drove over his own phone with the car because he forgot he left it next to one of the wheels when he kneeled down to tie his shoe. Those were pretty embarrassing moments for Charles, but lucky him, they were private, hidden behind the friendship and confidentiality that characterized his team in Ferrari. But when he thought he couldn't hurt his pride any more, he found a new level of embarrassment.

It was his most guarded secret that he liked Carlos Sainz Jr.'s younger sister. Carlos was his teammate, and Y/N Sainz was a driver for Mercedes, along side Lewis Hamilton. More than "like her", Charles worshipped her. He thought the world of her, admiring everything she did like it was God-touched art. From her skilled driving to her pretty face, Charles could spend his entire life just watching her exist. But his little -massive- crush felt like treason to him, the sting of guilt stabbing him in the chest every time he was in the same room as the Sainz siblings. The younger Sainz constantly spent her free time at the Ferrari garage, glued to her older brother like they were joined by the hip. This meant that Charles had her around all the time, resulting in him letting things slip from his hands, knocking things off tables and tripping over his own feet on a daily basis. He just couldn't keep it together around her and even though she find it cute, he still felt awkward about it. Embarrassing himself in front of Y/N Sainz was his speciality so when him, her and Max Verstappen got a podium together, he did what he does best: fuck it up. She had her hair down, the soft wind of Australia moving it around slightly and he couldn't help but watch it flow while she moved her hands around as she spoke. They were all ready for the podium picture, Max and Y/N were talking about their cars when they were asked to stand close to each other, facing the large amount of cameras with live feeds straight to millions of viewers around the world. Max let Y/N stand in the middle, his arm going over her shoulder while Charles positioned at her other side, mimicking the winner of the race.

"Charles, your suit is open". One of the press correspondents said and he looked down to confirm that his race suit was, in fact, not zipped up. Everything happened in a fraction of a second, he turned around to zip it, the velcro of the sleeve of his suit attached to a strand of hair that was close and as he quickly zipped up his suit that strand of hair got stuck on the zipper. When he turned around back again, Y/N yelped in pain, her head moving sharply towards his chest.

"Auch!". Was all she initially left out, followed by a hiss when she tried to stand straight again. He didn't know what to do, so he did the first thing that came to mind, he zipped down his suit. Her head went even lower as her hair got even more tangled to the zipper. "Charles, you're making it worse!"

"I'm so sorry!". He was about to zip it up again, his face red in a mix of embarrassment and concert for the pain he was causing her.

"Don't!". She yelled and grabbed his hand to stop him. He felt like his hand was on fire, but his spine suddenly cold. He could feel her touch through his body, his brain stopping functioning. "Let me do it". She said calmly as she grabbed her hair and zipper. Her hand so close to his chest was giving him a hard time breathing, he just hoped that no one got to see his blushed cheeks on TV. She worked on her hair for a few seconds, but the public situation wasn't exactly a comfortable space for her to do her thing patiently.

They had to cut it and the missing part was so evident that she was close to crying. She did the best she could to smile anyways and they took the picture. The moment was live streamed and the memes from the fans quickly invaded Twitter. He lost count of how many times he apologized to her, but even if she told him that it was alright as many times, he still felt awful about it. His mother was coincidentally at the race that weekend and she was a hairdresser, so Charles came up with an idea and offered her to ask his mother to fix the mess he made. Y/N agreed and they both walked to the Ferrari lodgings, where his family was. She wanted it fixed for the podium party that night. In the room, she found Arthur, who she already knew from previous races, Charles' older brother Lorenzo and their mother, Pascale. After the proper greetings, Charles' mother took a look at her hair.

"You really did a number here, Char. What a shame, this is a beautiful hair". Both Charles and Y/N blushed, Charles from embarrassment and her at the praise to her hair.

"Thank you, Mrs. Leclerc". She smiled and the older woman mimicked the gesture. The Spaniard sat in front of a mirror and Pascale started working.

"Toc toc". Carlos voice rang behind Charles at the door. "Ah, veo que estáis solucionando el desastre de Charles" (Oh, I see that you're fixing Charles' mess). Carlos stood beside his sister and then looked at Charles. "Next time put some space between the two of you". He said it with a playful smile, but Charles could see that Carlos was being serious about it. The older man was extremely protective over his younger sister and Charles knew that it was hard to pass Carlos' test when it came to being good enough for his little sister. Y/N smacked her brother's arm softly.

"Be nice". She said in a warning tone. "He didn't do it on purpose". She locked eyes with Charles through the mirror and he smiled at her.

"Still, he should keep his distance. You don't need to be all squished together for the picture". There was no point in arguing with him, she knew the hair wasn't the problem, for Carlos, Charles was. Carlos was sure that his teammate liked his sister and he wasn't too happy about it. The siblings talked about it a few times, the older one even offering to go to the Mercedes garage instead of her going to Ferrari's just to keep her away from Charles.

"Max was pretty close too". Arthur added and Charles knew that even though his brother was trying to help him, he ended up doing the contrary.

"Yes, he was". Carlos said in a monotone voice. "But like Charles here...". He put his arm around Charles shoulders. "He won't anymore". Charles nodded slowly while looking at Carlos. "Okay, I'll see you guys later". He dropped his arm from Charles shoulders and bended down to kiss his sister on the cheek. "Pórtate bien, chiquita. Te veo para cenar" (Behave, kiddo. I'll see you at dinner). And with that, Carlos walked out, proud of leaving a terrified Charles behind.

Everyone kept talking while Charles' mother finished with her hair, Charles keeping his distance even though Carlos wasn't present. When the cut was done, Y/N looked even better than before. She smiled and turned around, moving her hair around and looking at it in the mirror. She exclaimed how much she loved it repeatedly and she hugged Pascale tightly. Charles smiled like a fool watching her move around, his eyes going through every millimeter of her face, the way her brown eyes closed a bit as her cheeks went up with her big smile and how her lips looked even more pinkish after biting on them through the whole cut. After many 'thank you's and another round of hugs, Y/N waltzed out the room, going to her own facility to change and get ready for the podium party. She posted a picture with her knew haircut and she tagged Charles, letting all the fans know that everything was alright between them.

"Thanks @ charles_leclerc for the free haircut but please stick to driving. Thanks to his mom tho, for fixing it". Arthur read out loud for all of the Leclerc's to hear. Charles was smiling again, his eyes scanning the selfie and reading the caption over and over again.

The party was alright, everyone was having fun and Y/N was rocking her new hair. Charles followed her around most of the night, wishing he had the guts to ask her to dance with him or invite her a drink. He was too scared, he feared he would make a fool of himself again, the last thing he needed was to step on her or make her fall while dancing. After two hours of not knowing what to do, he found himself sitting on a couch, kind of down and looking at the bottom of his glass. The couch dipped at his left and he looked up, finding a pair of brown eyes looking back at him.

"Why so blue, Charlie?". The girl of his dreams asked him, and he found himself at loss of words. Arthur watched his brother from afar, sensing that he was about to screw up, so he quickly walked to them and saved his big brother with the first thing that came to his drunken mind.

"So, are you coming?". He asked and both drivers looked at him puzzled.

"Where to?". She answered.

"Charles didn't tell you!". He faked surprise. "Next week is Monaco, and Maman will celebrate her birthday, she wanted to know if you want to come". Arthur quickly lied. Charles looked up at his brother unsure of what was happening. He felt Y/N gaze on him so he turned around to face her.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you". Charles said quickly. "I was so busy with the press and then we didn't even talked here... I just... sorry". He trailed off at the end. He didn't even know how to properly lie. She smiled.

"Don't worry, and of course I'll go. Your mom is super nice!". She exclaimed excitedly. Arthur walked away and gave his brother a thumbs up, getting an eye roll from Charles.

"Y/N! It's nice to see you again". Lorenzo greeted her when he opened the door. He then moved his gaze to Carlos, who was standing next to his sister. "Nice to see you too, Carlos".

"We come bearing gifts!". The younger Spaniard showed Lorenzo the red wine bottle they brought.

"Wow". He said grabbing the bottle. "With a gift like this you two just earned the VIP Leclerc Experience". The siblings laughed with Lorenzo as he moved aside to let them in. "Maman is in the back yard, with Charles and my girlfriend, Charlotte. Go on, make yourselves at home". Y/N looked around until she found the door to the back yard. Her brother followed her close behind.

"Oh, Y/N! Carlos! I'm so glad you're here!". Pascale got up from the table and walked to them, kissing both their cheeks.

"Happy birthday, Mrs. Leclerc!". Y/N handed her the gift Carlos and her made for the Leclerc matriarch. Pascale opened the little box and found a bracelet inside with three red beads. "Since all of you wear bracelets, we made this one for you, it has three beads, one for each of your kids. We hope you like it".

"I love it!". The older woman took the bracelet out of the box and started to put it on.

"Let me help". Carlos offered. He clipped the bracelet around Pascale's wrist and then she led them to the table. Y/N sat next to Charles, while she proudly watched Pascale admire her gift.

"I think she really likes it". Charles whispered to her. "You choose great".

"Thanks, but you should credit Carlos, I made the bracelet, but it was his idea". Charles looked at his teammate, who was now talking to Arthur and Carla, Arthur's girlfriend, the last two to arrive. The rest of the guests kept arriving, all of them family and close friends. Carlos was amicably talking to Charles' cousins, finally forgetting about his sister. They spent an amazing day. The bottle of wine that the two Spaniards brought was going around the table when the party was entering its last hour, Charles poured some in Y/N's glass. The only ones in the table were Charles' brothers, their girlfriends, Carlos, two cousins and them, the birthday girl having excused herself when the only ones remaining were the young.

"You know, I brought this really expensive wine you're drinking right now and Lorenzo told me that it granted me a VIP Leclerc Experience". Charles could hear the teasing in her whispered voice. "Tell me, Charles, what does this VIP pass include?". Y/N grabbed the glass and took it to her lips. He felt like the wine and her perfume were making him dumber by the second, he wanted to give her a cheeky answer, but he found himself speechless. He finished pouring himself the wine but when he tried to set the bottle on the table, he missed it, spilling the wine over Y/N's lap, staining her white sundress. Everyone stopped talking and looked at them. Charles could feel his face heating up from embarrassment and didn't dare to look at the woman next to him.

"I'm so, so sorry". He said quickly as he tried his best to clean up her dress. He avoided looking at her face and kept repeating his apology over and over again.

"It's okay, Charles". She sighed. "It was an accident".

"I think there's some clothes bleach in the ground floor bathroom". Arthur said quickly. Lorenzo was about to stand up when his little brother kept him down by his arm and shook his head. "Why don't you guys go there? You'll be more comfortable". Y/N looked at her brother who was looking back at her sternly. He didn't like the idea of Charles and his sister alone in a bathroom. Any other day, she would have followed her brother's rules, but she really liked Charles and even though she still wanted to kill him for ruining her dress, she got up and thanked Arthur for the information. Charles clumsily got up too and walked behind her into the house.

"I'm really sorry, Y/N". He repeated while they were squished together inside the small bathroom. They were furiously rubbing a wet cloth with bleach over the red stain but it was persisting. Charles was doing his best to ignore that the dress was up enough for him to see most of her legs and the physical closeness forced by the little space they had wasn't helping.

"Please, stop apologizing". She begged him. She huffed and stopped working on the dress. The temperature inside the little bathroom was going up and they were feeling the heat. She opened the tap and soaked her hands. Running her hand over her forehead to freshen up her face, she looked at him. "You're the clumsiest person I know, I swear". Charles looked down, embarrassed, while she dried her hands with a towel.

"I'm sor-".

"Don't". She cut him off. "Instead of apologizing you should start making it up to me". He felt her hands on his chest and he snapped his head up instantly. She was looking back at him with a smirk, confidence plastered on her face. She slowly ran her hands up to his neck, playing with the hair at the back of his head. She moved closer and Charles felt the air caught up in his throat.

"Carlos is going to be really mad. He's going to kill us both". The last part came up a little breathier than he expected it. She giggled a little, it was kind of cute that he was actually that scared of her brother.

"I'll deal with him, don't worry". She moved closer to him, her lips ghosting his ear. "But first we have to do something for him to get mad about, don't we?". And there went the last bit of self control that Charles had in him.

Carlos was getting impatient and Arthur and Lorenzo had ran out of ideas to keep him sat at the table. They kept offering wine but, as a worthy Spaniard, the man could drink it like it was water. His grandfather would be proud of his alcohol tolerance. Carlos checked the time a few times, looking back at the door to the house to see if his sister ever came out. Carla and Charlotte kept asking him questions and he was doing the best he could to answer them as politely as possible. At some point, it was all too much.

"C'mon! What's taking them so long?". He asked to no one in particular and everyone at the same time. The girls looked at each other worried.

"Tu ne veux pas savoir". (You don't wanna know). Arthur mumbled. Carlos frowned at him. With wide eyes, Arthur tried to make up a fake translation. "I said-"

"Don't bother". Carlos cut him off as he got up from the table. "I speak french". And with that last comment that left the others speechless, he walked into the house. He looked for the bathroom for a few minutes, kind of lost by the amount of doors around the ground floor. Next to the stairs, a door caught his attention. Inside, he heard a sound like a giggle. He opened the door as he asked. "¿Y/N, estás aquí?". (Are you in here?).

"¡Mierda!". (Shit!). Inside, his sister was sitting on the counter, her legs wrapped around his teammate, who was shamelessly sucking a hickey on her neck. Charles quickly moved back, hitting his back against the wall, that was a lot closer to them than he had calculated. Y/N jumped down and walked to the door, standing between her brother and a disheveled Charles, with his shirt half open and hair messy.

"¡Joder, Charles! ¿Con mi hermana?". (Fuck, Charles! With my sister?). Y/N could see her brother's face reddening with anger. "I'm fucking killing you".

"Ahora no, Carlitos, I'm getting the VIP Leclerc Experience". (Not now). She closed the door on his face and turned around. "Okay, where were we?"

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

As always, I hope you like it!

[risto-licious]

Would Risto get hurt if his own lightning attack was re-directed back at him? Or would it just not do anything to him except give a tickle?

Oohoho, well, a direct redirection of his lightning strikes would go right back for him to absorb. A refreshing spark returning to him. He'd also be rather hungry to reconsume his magic, if deflected, back into himself like a giant engine. That scenario would be different though if someone would have messed with the magic in between. Can one poison a magic strike and send it back? Quite frankly yes. Old Risto is overall very hungry for magic and is able to consume magic itself as well as living beings or even objects infused with it. But of course there are magic wielders who do not wish to be devoured. And they do, or might, know ways to at least fight against the mighty old sea beast. Wit, strength and knowledge should be their friend however as this surely is no easy task. Especially when it comes to magic users I think it's always fun to have him interact with other people's characters, whether through AUs or RPs. I just.....really kinda enjoy when he's being messed with, ha! And then again, all you technically need to.....fight him, in a way, is a silver tongue.......

[weinundvino-blog]

#brewage #beer #naturalbeer #craftbeer #ipa #newenglandipa https://www.instagram.com/p/B8hOJ-MnctB/?igshid=1ctwe83lif97d

[realaleguide]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Real Ale Craft Beer (@realaleguide)

Unboxing some #CraftBeer from @brewage Austria #Unboxing #CraftBeer #RealAle #Ale #Beer #Beerporn #BrewAge (at Cadoxton, Vale Of Glamorgan, United Kingdom)

[meinbier]

Achthundertneununddreißigstes Bier:

Brew Age Alpha Tier 5,6% vol. Wien, Österreich

Ein NEIPA aus Österreich. Schöne Neue Bierwelt quasi. Die wiener Version fließt jedenfalls in komplett trübem Goldgelb ins Glas. In der Nase viel Mandarine und Zitrusfrüchte. Am Gaumen dann weiterhin viel Zitrone und ein relativ schlanker Malzkörper, was das Bier in Kombination ziemlich spritzig und erfrischend macht. Der Nachtrunk ist weich und gut hopfenbitter. Passt. 7/10