#at the local chinese place and this lady is trying to order off menu

[the-worm-that-gnaws-in-the-night]

I'm so sick of white middle aged women assuming just because they say please and thank you they can just remix your menu to suit their tastes.

#at the local chinese place and this lady is trying to order off menu #and wants to add pineapple to a dish???? #like they've got 142 menu items just order something thats on it #personal #text

[grelleswife]

Hannamey Headcanons

@bapydemonprincess requested some Hannamey headcanons for an OTP ask meme; my answers are included below!

I'm assuming that we're in a more auspicious version of the Season 2 verse where O!Ciel wins and stays human, although Alois eventually dies and leaves Hannah free to pursue her love in peace.

Pre-relationship

2. What was their first impression of each other?

Mey experienced a full bi panic when she first laid eyes on Hannah in that seductive black dress. The maid didn't recognize her feelings at the time, but she had a crush. Although Hannah didn't show it, the comely young maid caught her eye straightaway. The demonness was quietly amused by how taken Mey Rin was with her; Hannah knows exactly what kind of effect she tends to have on the sapphics >:3. Due to her devilish instincts, she sensed that Mey had a tragic past, and that she'd sent many souls to an early grave (the act of killing tends to "mark" the spirit in ways some demons can perceive), which piqued her curiosity. 4. Who felt romantic feelings first?

Mey Rin! She tends to fall fast and hard in romantic relationships. As a demon, Hannah took longer to acknowledge her growing attraction for the maid as something other than carnal desire. 5. Did either of them try to resist their feelings?

Both of them did, to an extent. Mey Rin was distraught because she knew she shouldn't harbor romantic feelings for someone who served an enemy of young master, while Hannah, after becoming acquainted with the pain of grief through Luka's death, was none too keen on being entangled in an intimate relationship with a human. Love could not be suppressed for long, however... >:3

General

2. Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?

Sort of. Their first few trysts occurred under the cover of nightfall, in the woods near the Phantomhive manor. That way, Mey Rin wouldn't have to risk a visit to the Trancy estate, and Hannah was sufficiently far away from the grounds to avoid Sebastian detecting her. However, their first proper date took place when the Phantomhive servants went on a trip to London. Mey Rin split off from the rest of the group to have a rendezvous with Hannah at a little cafe. They both started off a bit awkwardly (Mey was a bundle of nerves and Hannah felt uncharacteristically shy), but once the conversation got going, the bubbly, smiling maid of Phantomhive soon drew Hannah out of her shell. The demonness bought Mey a plateful of the tastiest pastries on the menu; of course, Hannah didn't eat or drink anything herself, but dear flustered Mey was too caught up in the moment to notice. When it was time for Mey to rejoin the other servants, Hannah walked her part of the way back, and the two held hands. >w< 3. What was their first kiss like?

Mey Rin bid Hannah goodbye after one of the demon's nocturnal visits, but they both lingered, neither wanting to be the first one to leave the secluded forest spot. Hannah took an indecisive step towards Mey Rin. Then she tenderly cupped the maid's face in her hands, bent down, and kissed her. When they parted, she whispered a simple "Good night" before disappearing among the trees, leaving Mey Rin red-faced and trembling. The maid dreamily stumbled through the next day, grinning and tripping on air. The demonness wore no perfume, but she smelt of petrichor, and a whiff of the earth after it rains never fails to remind Mey Rin of that first kiss. 7. Who takes the lead in social situations?

It depends. Hannah is melancholy, withdrawn, and secretive, while Mey Rin tends to be cheerful and outgoing in environments where she feels secure. However, if Mey Rin is nervous or unsure of herself, Hannah will take the lead in order to spare her lover the anxieties that come with prolonged social interactions. She'll gently pat Mey Rin's back or hold her hand to help the maid stay calm. 8. Who gets jealous easier?

Hannah. Demons jealously guard the souls they hold dear, and are very protective of their mates. If Hannah catches someone trying to make a move on her woman, she'll either wrap an arm around Mey Rin's waist and hold her close, or step between Mey and the (real or imagined) rival...giving them a deadly glare that makes the bravest heart quail. She bares her fangs and lets her demonic essence show, her long hair writhing like Medusa's serpents, until the interloper beats a hasty retreat. However, after a few conversations with Mey Rin on the subject, Hannah learns to calm down a little. 9. Who whispers inappropriate things in the other's ear?

Under normal circumstances, I don't think either of them is given to making crass remarks. Hannah prefers subtle innuendos--double entendres or inside jokes that no one but Mey Rin will understand. She'll smirk knowingly when she catches Mey Rin's longing glances at her cleavage (causing the maid to turn into a blushing, incoherent mess). Mey Rin gets a little bolder when she's tipsy; she'll climb into Hannah's lap and whisper about all the things she hopes the demon will do to her when they're alone. Shortly thereafter, Hannah finds an excuse to leave the party early with her lover so that she can make good on Mey Rin's suggestions. ;)

Love

1. Who said "I love you" first?

Mey Rin! She gave Hannah a small gift (a little embroidery piece of an owl), and when she saw how stunned the Trancy maid was at the gesture, Mey Rin blurted out, "Why do you look so surprised? You know I love you, yes I do!" She was mortified by her outburst and slapped her hands over her mouth, but Hannah just laughed and gave her a warm hug. 2. What are their primary love languages?

physical touch and acts of service, with quality time being a close second. Like most demons, Hannah views language as a tool for manipulation--in her mind, actions speak far louder than words when it comes to revealing a lover's true intentions. And since Mey Rin spent most of her childhood and young adulthood deprived of meaningful connections with others, she craves small intimacies like having the demonness brush her hair or hold her when she needs comforting. 4. How often do they cuddle/engage in PDA?

Very often! They're extremely snuggly in private. Mey loves to sit in Hannah's lap or rest her head against the demon's bosom, and Hannah dotes on her human. They have to be cautious about overt PDA in the Victorian period, but no one will look twice if two very good lady friends stroll arm-in-arm together... 8. Who's better at comforting the other?

Mey Rin is a little better at this because she's naturally warm and empathetic. However, Hannah has a quiet, reassuring presence, and she learns to tell when Mey Rin is feeling sad or vulnerable and needs a little cuddling. 10. Do they prefer verbal or physical affection?

As explained above, physical affection! 12. What kind of nicknames do they call each other?

Hannah calls Mey Rin "beloved," her flower, or her little princess; Mey Rin is initially hesitant to speak so familiarly with an ancient, powerful demon, but she'll sometimes call Hannah "honey," "love," or Chinese terms of endearment.

Domestic Life

1. If they get married, who proposes?

Demons' concepts of mating bonds aren't the same as our ideas about marriage, so it never occurred to Hannah to make a formal proposal. But one day, Mey Rin wistfully confessed that she would love to be Hannah's wife, if society were more open-minded about that sort of thing. The demonness couldn't bear to see her human sad, so she used her powers to make a pretty engagement ring (amethyst set in gold) to give to Mey shortly after this conversation. If they couldn't have an official ceremony, then damn it, they'd make their own. 2. What's the wedding like? Who attends?

It's held in the Phamtomhive garden, among the roses (Sebastian and Hannah reached an uneasy truce after Alois's death), and all the Phantomhive servants attend. The triplets are also there to assist with the ceremony, strewing flower petals, carrying the ladies' wedding trains, and so on (my headcanon is that they're babey demons who serve as Hannah's subordinates). Lizzy, Sieglinde, and Ran Mao are Mey Rin's bridesmaids. Both Mey and Hannah wear beautiful dresses (pink and purple, respectively). Instead of having a religious official preside over the ceremony, the ladies exchange vows that they wrote for each other. 4. Do they have any pets?

Oh yes! Hannah sometimes takes in injured wild animals to nurse back to health, like a fox kit that got its paw stuck in a trap, or a robin that broke its wing, so they soon have a smol menagerie on their hands. 8. How do they celebrate holidays?

Mey Rin loves holidays like Halloween and the Chinese New Year, so Hannah learns about the associated customs and traditions to help her wife celebrate. For events like Halloween, they'll coordinate costumes (one year, they both dressed up as witches), and save up lots of candy to give to the local kids. Hannah uses her demon powers to add spooky touches to their home, like magical floating candles and ghostly shadows that appear in the windows when someone passes by. Mey Rin gets a huge kick out of it! 10. Who's the better cook?

Hannah. When you've existed for millenia, you pick up a few skills here and there, such as navigating your way around a kitchen. ;) She loves spoiling Mey with her favorite treats. 11. Who likes to dance?

They both do, though Hannah is usually the one to ask Mey to join her on the dance floor.

#hannamey #mey rin #hannah annafellows #hanna anafeloz #hope you like them fren! >w<

[ggukkiedae]

Beijing Adventures

hi just a little author’s note before you begin: if it’s normal text, it’s korean. if it’s in italics, it’s in english. if it’s in bold then it’s in some other language. 

Yoonmi threw herself back on the bed in frustration. She had been looking forward to performing with her oppas in the GDAs and possibly showing off her Chinese skills to make up for her bad Japanese skills, but she couldn’t. Jungkook and she were stuck in their hotel rooms due to the organizing team giving them the wrong type of visas. She groaned and covered her face with a pillow. Jungkook laughed at her from the other bed.

“Looks like you’re having fun,” he chuckled. She threw one of the other pillows within her reach at him.

“Wanna sneak out?”

Yoonmi sat up and raised her eyebrow at him, “You do know that Eunhae unnie is watching us, right?”

“Eunhae noona is nice,” Jungkook continued, “She’ll let us walk around as long as we stay near the hotel. It isn’t a problem. I saw a lot of stores and restaurants nearby.”

“Okay,” Yoonmi gave in, “but you’re the one getting in trouble if she gets mad at us for even trying.”

Turns out she didn’t need to threaten Jungkook. Eunhae had allowed them to walk around as long as they stayed nearby, stuck together, and kept their phones on. She knew how upset the maknaes were about not being able to perform, so she thought this would lift their spirits. That’s how she found herself clinging onto Jungkook’s hand for dear life while they walked around the streets of Beijing.

“Honestly,” Jungkook muttered, “there’s so many people here. I’m just grateful there are a lot of convenience stores.”

“We came to Beijing,” Yoonmi began, “took the effort to get dressed, left the hotel without a manager, and walked in these busy streets just for you to get convenience store food? No way. Let’s go get some local food.”

Yoonmi pulled Jungkook along as she read the signs around them on the street. She tried her best to look for one that wasn’t meant for tourists at all just to ensure authenticity. At the speed they were walking, they were both somehow clumsy enough to almost run into multiple people which made them continuously burst into giggles until Yoonmi finally pulled Jungkook into a small restaurant.

“For two?” the lady asked her. Yoonmi nodded. The lady sat them down on a relatively hidden table and left. Pretty soon, she came back with two menus and instructed them to call her when they were ready to order.

“It’s still so weird knowing how you’re fluent in so many languages,” Jungkook placed his chin in his hand while watching Yoonmi read through the menu which was purely in Chinese.

“English was natural,” Yoonmi began, “while Korean and Tagalog are in my blood. The Mandarin and Cantonese are just because my parents wanted me to learn it for their business. Excuse me, may we order?”

“How are things with,” Jungkook slightly hesitated, “well, with everything after your birthday?”

“Hold on for a second, oppa,” Yoonmi smiled at him before turning to the lady from before, “We’ll take a serving of the roast duck, a serving of dumplings, the shredded pork, and the noodles with soybean paste.”

“Any drinks?”

“Just water and hot tea for both of us,” Yoonmi smiled at the lady, “thank you.”

Yoonmi turned to look at Jungkook who was staring at her with a smile. She looked at him curiously before setting down the menus they were handed on the empty chair next to her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m just proud of you,” he said genuinely, which caught her off guard.

“Thanks,” she laughed, “I just wish my parents were the same. They’re still trying to get me to break the contract, but they can’t legally do anything about it without my consent.”

“That’s terrible,” Jungkook shook his head, “but they’ll get it someday. For now, let’s enjoy this. Look! They’re bringing noodles over.”

Yoonmi laughed and let her attention be drawn to the food. The noodles came first since it was quick to prepare. All the other food came at relatively the same time. She and Jungkook excitedly went through every dish with Yoonmi explaining to him what each of the dishes were (according to the menu). While eating, they recounted stories from their trainee days and early debut days as well as what was going on in their separate school lives. Eventually, after they finished all their food and paid, they found themselves walking until they saw a little park just off to the side of where all the vendors were. It was relatively empty considering it was late at night, so they decided to take a seat on one of the benches.

“So now Somi is lowkey panicking because Daehwi and Channie oppa heard about the possible girl group survival show for this year,” Yoonmi laughed. “And the fact that they heard she’s a possible contestant isn’t helping.”

“I’m sure she’ll do great,” Jungkook laughed with her, “How’s Chan? Haven’t heard from him since your birthday.”

“Still working hard,” she smiled, “He started making songs with another trainee that came last year. Daehwi and Somi say he’s nice and that we’d be friends.”

“Well aren’t you a star among trainees,” Jungkook pinched her cheek, which made her laugh and swat his hands away. “You’ve got so many trainee friends in JYP and you were the first to meet Yeonjun among the eight of us. Got any other friends you’re planning to make?”

“I honestly just want to be friends with everyone,” Yoonmi admitted, “Jonghyun oppa even introduced me to some trainees in SM, girls and guys. I do want to try and be friends with other girl idols, too.”

“Jackson hyung knows a bunch of people,” he suggested, “you could ask him. Or maybe the SHINee hyungs have a big three connections.”

“We’ll see,” Yoonmi looked up at the sky.

“Your nee trainee friends would probably like some advice before their debut,” Jungkook noted while looking up at the sky as well. There was a brief period of silence where they both just stared at the moon.

“We haven’t been able to just sit out under the sky like this in a while,” Yoonmi noted. Jungkook hummed in agreement.

“Everything’s been too hectic,” he shook his head, “Plus, we have school, and you have your gymnastics while I have my extra dance classes.”

“Not to mention the preparations for the next comeback,” Yoonmi sighed and shifted to lie down on the bench and put her head on Jungkook’s lap.

“How’s that coming by?”

“I’ve drafted three instrumentals,” Yoonmi began, “a possible intro, an upbeat and somewhat cute one, and one that is a little different from anything we’ve done. I’ve only done a rap for the possible intro since Bang PD asked me to take charge of it and some lyrics for the third one. I’m finishing it with the oppas when we get back to Korea.”

“The third one sounds interesting,” Jungkook looked down at her, “can I hear it? I’ll let you listen to what I’m working on.”

“You’re lucky I recorded it on my phone,” Yoonmi laughed before pulling out her phone and earphones and getting Jungkook to listen to it. She watched as Jungkook closed his eyes to take in the music better. He noted how he liked the emphasis on the synths and the hi-hats the moment that he heard the last note.

“The ending was cool, too,” he added, “I like how it seemed a little cut off in the middle of a high. It’s like there’s a hint of unresolved desperateness in there.”

“I was going for that,” Yoonmi smiled, “Now, let me hear yours.”

Jungkook checked his phone and slightly hesitated, “I think that will have to wait till we’re back at the hotel, Mimi. It’s almost one in the morning, and I think that the hyungs are worried.”

Yoonmi sat up and double checked her phone. Sure enough, she had multiple texts and missed calls from Eunhae, Sejin, and her oppas. The pair immediately rushed back to the hotel where they were scolded by Hobeom and Eunhae (though Eunhae was less strict with the scolding) the moment they got to their room. The other members watched from the side with looks of relief on their faces. The two of them exchanged glances amidst their scolding when Hobeom wasn’t looking and smiled at each other. It was worth it.

ayyyyyyeee okay another update!! just some antics that Jungkook and Yoonmi were getting up to while the older bangtan kids peformed. they had pretty solid conversations, too! hope you enjoyed reading this! send requests or suggestions of things you wanna see in yoonmi’s story if you want, have a nice day!

#bts #bangtan #bangtan sonyeondan #bts 8th member #bts 8th member au #8th member au #seokjin #jin #yoongi #suga #hoseok #hobi #jhope #namjoon #rm #bts jimin #jimin #taehyung #v #jungkook #yoonmi #miya

[rui31]

Alpha Stiles Part 3

An update because @superfamilylove reminded me I was writing this before my masters killed my writing inspo.

I’ll try to finish this as I actually really enjoy it. Just a note; I never watched Teen Wolf passed Allison dying because FUCK THAT NOISE. So I cannot reference any of what happened afterward cuz I have no idea and I don’t know any of the character, ie Ethan and Theo?, so don’t expect them in here.

ONWARDS INTO MY BOYLOVE MADNESS

Derek spends the rest of the day in relative peace, he wanders the town until he finds the local garage. He gets hired on the spot by some harried looking kid, rambling that the regular mechanic was on mat leave and the cars we’re starting to pile up and he didn’t know shit about engines and brake mechanics and....

“What the hell even is this thing?” he asks, flailing a piece of machinery between the two of them

“The transmission,” Derek answers hesitantly, not sure if this kid is seriously like this or pulling his leg.

“Not to mention Jackson had to bring in his car for an oil change and OFCOURSE it’s the newest Ferrari, because his father bought it for him as a graduation gift. Not saying I’m jealous, but dude...” the guy ends with some gurgling noises and flops back on the desk chair, banging his head on the table softly. “Ryma will serve me my ass if I lose him as a client.”

“I can work today if you need,” Derek offers, slightly off kilter by how the guy is acting.

“You serious?” he demands. “oh my god that’s great, super great.  Dan should be coming in any time now, but Dan is old and he forgets things. He’s reliable and knows a shit ton of stuff, but I would not have him near my car.”

“So.... should I get started?” Derek asks instead of trying to discern what this kid, who’s obviously on some sort of drug, is saying.

“Yeah, sure. Let me show you around. Names Louis by the way,” and the guy, Louis, is grabbing some keys off the wall and opening the back door.

           He works on that kids, Jackson?, car first. He’s half impressed with the car also but still feels like it could never match up to his Camaro. Dan comes in around the same time he’s done, giving him a nod and walking over to another car.  They don’t really speak as they work, Dan turns on the little radio and plays some old blues music, the melodies smoothing over the jarring sounds of the electric drills and sander.

Derek turns to work on a hunkered old jeep that’s painted an obnoxious lime green next. He’s changing out the old brakes when Louis drops off some Chinese for him and Dan. The guy chats him up a bit, gushing about his girlfriend and complaining about the office work still left for him to do.

           He cleans up after the three of them, picking up the white delivery boxes and chopsticks. Derek is grateful for the food and the companionship, though he probably didn’t show it what with his face in a half frown as he fought with the jeeps old screws.

           Derek is shooed out of the garage at 8, Louis fixing up his shaggy brown hair behind his ears and his cheeks a dusty pink from excitement is rambling with nerves about his hot date. Dan pats the both of them firmly on the shoulder after lighting up a cigarette. He sets off on a slow pace into the dark and Derek doesn’t comment on the fact he hadn’t heard the man speak all day. He goes back to his own car after seeing Louis slide into a car with a curly haired girl with glasses.

           He’s back at the motel room, exhausted and fully dressed, staring at his bed and, instead of falling into it and sleeping like a normal person, he’s fighting with the anxiety that’s kicking in. Panic seeps into him and he sits on the chair in the corner of the room, cradling his forehead in his hands as he takes deep and even breaths. Meeting the alpha and getting the job still hadn’t erased the feeling of dread and engulfing loneliness. His instincts are screaming at him to stay awake, stay on guard, knowing hunters are nearby and being without his pack.

           He falls into some sort of meditation, keeping his eyes closed, he lets everything fall back to hear and smell, letting the rest of his mind rest. He comes to when there’s a knock at his door, he’s half jolting in panic when he realizes its Stiles and, by the time he opens the door, he’s back in control.

“Yooo, so I came to see you. Heard you got a job at Ryma’s place,” he grins at Derek. “You look like shit man. Did you sleep?”

“No,” Derek answers, his voice hoarse and dry.  He swallows thickly and turns back into the room, keeping the door open so Stiles can follow him in.

“You staying here?” he asks incredulously, sitting up on the coffee table.    

           Derek grunts his response as he wanders over to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He walks back into the room, wiping his mouth with the small hand towel and Stiles is squinting around the room and back at Derek. He feels his heart race for a second but chalks it off to the lack of sleep before walking over to his luggage and pulling out a spare shirt.

           There’s a shift in the room and Derek looks over his bare shoulder at Stiles, who’s twitching on the table and coughing.

“Nice tattoo,” he says to fill the silence. “What is it?”

“A triskelion,” Derek answers.

“Cool, how did you keep it there? I mean, Scott wanted to get one a couple of years ago but it faded/healed in like a day,” Stiles rambles and Derek cocks his head at him.

“You need to use fire.”

“Fire great so?”

“A blowtorch in my case and very steady hands,” Derek smirks and Stiles sighs.

“Ofcourse,” there’s silence as Derek throws his dirty laundry in the growing pile.

“Sooo....” Stiles fills in, jumping off all fluid and he’s suddenly in Derek’s space. “I know I said you’d have to speak to Scott and all, but he’s not going to be back for another couple of months. And you can’t keep living here. I’m pretty sure we exorcised a ghost at this place in highschool.”

“I’m going to find a place,” Derek tells him, his eyebrows scrunching down in confusion.

“And also are you sure you’re related to Peter because that guy was crazy and you’re...”

“Not?” Derek offers.

“Broody and you have that whole tall, dark and mysterious thing going for you,” Stiles says instead.

“I can rip your throat out with my teeth,” Derek replies, looking at Stiles sideways and the alpha breaks out into chuckles.

“Come on, you’ve met the ladies. I have some of the guys meeting us for breakfast. You don’t have work yet right?” he asks and Derek shrugs, grabbing his jacket and his wallet as they leave the room.

“Cool because Isaac has been hounding me with questions and Boyd has just been staring at me all amused and I just can’t handle them anymore.”

“It’s been a day since I got here,” Derek says and Stiles groans.

“I know right? But Scott knows how to deal with Isaac and I’m just floundering around with him,” he sighs and Derek stops his hand as it wanders over to pat him on the shoulder.

           They walk into the same diner and the waitress, Tara he remembered, is walking towards him with a warm hello honey and a smile that Derek matches without even thinking about it. She guides them over to a booth when he says others will be joining them and looks over at Stiles when the guy doesn’t say anything.

“You smiled,” he says at last and Derek barely looks up from where he’s flipping through the menu.

“I do that sometimes yes,” and he’s trying not to think about how tired he feels right now, how warm and safe in the presence of this kid, that the words on the menu are blurring together.

           He sighs heavily and looks up at Stiles when the guy remains quiet.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks and Derek smiles weakly, or tries anyways, he doesn’t know if his lips quirk up or not.

“Just tired, I haven’t been sleeping well,’ he responds.

“Why?” Stiles inquires. “I mean, I know what happened with the fire. Peter told us everything and it was basically why most of us got turned but...he killed Kate right and...”

“I’m an omega,” Derek explains, sipping his coffee when Tara brings their drinks without even asking. “Which means I don’t have the comfort of a pack as you do. You feel their presence so you know you’re safe because they’re close enough to be there if you’re in trouble. The last time I was here, my house had just burned down killing my parents and a couple of my cousins. My uncle ordered my sisters and I to leave, basically kicking us out of the pack. The place was swarming with hunters and wannabe hunters itching to put a bullet in our skulls at any sign of aggression. We barely made it out here in one piece and being back here after all this time,” Derek sighs again, grasping the cup tighter so the heat of the coffee could burn into his palms, the pain helping him focus as his eyes glow in the already bright room. “Everything has changed and yet, some things are the same. This place, the vet, it’s like there are two realities fighting in my head right now. The one I’m in and the one I left behind. The lack of sleep isn’t really helping either.”

“I can tell, those were a lot of words for guy who barely spoke the day before and dashed out of my presence,” Stiles says and Derek grins up tiredly.

“Yo Stiles,” a guy says, standing at the table. “Did you order yet?”

“Nah, Isaac this is Derek. Derek Isaac.” Stiles introduces and then there’s another guy slipping into the booth next to Derek. “That’s Boyd.”

           He nods to both and he’s suddenly more awake than before, Isaac and Stiles are arguing about breakfast foods and Boyd is silently texting on his phone, sometimes eyeing Derek sideways.

“Erica says hi,” he says suddenly and Derek fumbles out a greeting when Tara is back, taking their orders in stride and waltzing away.

“So Kira was right, he’s not like Peter at all,” Isaac says when she’s out of earshot. “I mean he doesn’t even have the crazy eyes, he just looks sad.”

“Isaac,” Stiles groans.

“No but seriously, I mean Chris said not to judge but Peter was a psychopath,” he continues undeterred. “Just wondering if it was hereditary.”

“Chris?” Derek asks and Stiles reaches over to grab Isaac, but the guy either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care.

“Yeah, Argent?” he replies, shrugging off Stiles’ hand. “Allison’s father.”

“His girlfriend,” Boyd supplies helpfully, barely looking up from his phone.

“I’m going to kill you all,” Stiles growls, turning to look at Derek worryingly as his face shuts down.

“I knew they were still here,” Derek says and Stiles smiles tightly.

“They’re not Kate,” he supplies but Derek wants out, wants to leave because everything in him is screaming and he’s barely keeping it together.

           Boyd’s hand on his shoulder is a shock, Stiles, reaching over the table, holding unto his wrists right above where he’s clenching his hands, they’re both solid presences that give him something to center himself but he’s still shaken.

“We won’t let anything happen to you,” Stiles says and Boyd grunts in agreement.

“Why are we promising this?” Isaac asks, leaning back on the booth with his arms crossed. “Peter turned most of us, he tried to kill ALL of us, we don’t owe his nephew anything.”

“We owe him common decency,” Stiles snaps back and his eyes flash a quick red. “No one should be judged by what their families have done, you should know that best of all Isaac.”

           There’s silence and the curly haired boy frowns; the food comes at that point, breaking the silence temporarily. Tara frowns at Derek and asks if he’s alright, she doesn’t seem pleased with his quick shrug and walks away, glaring back over her shoulder at the other boys.

“Stiles mentioned you’re staying at that dingy motel,” Boyd says around a mouthful of waffles.

           Derek, focusing on his plate of eggs, grunts in response.

“I know a place, it’s not too expensive and it’s got some personality if you’re into that kind of thing,” Boyd continues and Derek stares at him sideways, still poking at the eggs.

“Eat Derek,” Stiles commands and he barely has it in him to snap back, so instead he shoves a forkful of runny eggs unto a piece of toast and then his mouth.

“Oh you mean the place Danny had that rave once?” Isaac comments, pouring a hefty amount of syrup on his pancakes.

           Stiles sighs again and turns a pleading look to Boyd.

“Yeah, it was nice,” he says instead.

“Well it held our whole grade plus most of our upper class men,” Isaac adds.

“Look can we not have the selling point of that place being that we went there for a rave like 8 years ago?” Stiles pleads.

“We can bring you there when we’re done,” Boyd supplies and Derek nods in agreement, mostly because if that place could hold a rave then it could definitely hold himself & his sisters comfortably.

           Turns out the place, when it’s not packing, is a pretty low-key apartment with an almost industrial style with its spirally metal staircase and brick walls. Derek likes it, likes the tall windows and the high ceilings, and when it turns out to cost less that his dingy apartment in New York, he doesn’t stop himself from signing the lease. His landlord is almost crying in gratitude when Derek hands him the cheque.

           The guys help him pack up his meager possessions and drop them off, but Derek has work and he’s almost grateful to leave the presence of the three guys. Not because any of them are being particularly strenuous in their interactions with him, but because he can’t handle being around people anymore.

           When he gets back home that night, he phones his sisters to tell them he got a place and tries his best to describe it as best as possible when he can’t send over some pictures. Laura sounds concerned and Cora wants him out when she finds out the Argents are still there. The three stay on the phone for a while and Derek tries his best to console the two through the distance.

           The place is barren and he’s left to curl up against a wall, facing the doorway, and his phone cradled in his hands. The place smells of the guys, of Stiles and Derek doesn’t know if it’s because of that, but he nods off.

#alpha stiles #my writing #Sterek #Fanfic

[svtmatokis]

Hello! I fell in love with your work and I was wondering if I could get a story where Vernon helps you study your med school notes or something? Thank you sm!!!

Hi!! Sorry it took so long but there were so many directions I could’ve taken this in. I hope you enjoy it and if it was what you wanted ^_^

Pairing: Reader x Vernon

Genre: Fluff

Words: 1912

“ I REALLY cant go out today.” you said into your phone while walking to your dorm room..

“Y/N come on!!! It’s the final party before finals! You HAVE to go!” the boy on the other line said in a whining tone and you sighed.

“Finals are  the reason why, I can’t go out tonight. I need to study, med school doesn’t pay for itself you know.” you said as the boy on the other line snickered.

“It does for me.”

His statement caused you to roll your eyes, “Well considering your father is the director of the university hospital…anyways I can’t go out tonight. My first exam is the day after tomorrow and I need to study and finalize my notes.””

The boy sighed on the other side but you noticed it sounded more exhausted than frustrated., “Fine…Where are you now?”

“Just about to get back to….my…” your hand which was holding the phone dropped to the side as you stared the person standing by your room door.

“Vernon?”

Vernon looked at you with a nod of his head and hung up the phone. “Let’s go.”

You and Vernon met on the first day of Medical School and were assigned to the same lab group. Many tried to befriend him to get on the directors good side and Vernon was well aware of that.  It was the main reason why Vernon kept his friend circle tight and you were one of the lucky ones.

You intrigued him with your professionalism and also the fact that you didn’t openly flirt with him like alot of the female med school population did. He liked that you were always striving to do you best and always ended up in the top 1 percentile only second to him.  It was a friendly competition the two of you had and to this day, he would only beat you by the slightest in marks

What he didn’t know was that you were working hard to keep up your grades. You had admitted to yourself long ago that you had crush on Vernon but never thought he’d feel the same way and never acted on your feelings.

“I told you, I can’t go out tonight-” you tried to explain while opening your door but he cut you off.

“I’m helping you study tonight Y/N.” he said stepping inside your room and made himself comfortable on your bed while looking at your exam calendar that you had on your wall. You were fortunate enough to not have a roommate and made good use of the space.

“You don’t have to Vernon….” you said as you put your things away and took out the books you needed to study.

“I know I don’t have to.” he chuckled, “But I want to. Come on, we have a long night ahead of us and I have several take out menu’s in my bag so you can choose what you want for dinner after.”

You smiled at him as he grinned at you, “Are you sure?”

“Sure that I want Chinese tonight? I was thinking more fried chicken…” he said pretending to not know what you were talking about making you roll your eyes.

“The party Vernon, I know it’s the biggest one before finals..”

“And you’re right, finals are important so let’s get the books cracking young lady.” he said taking your closest textbook and handed it to you finally making you give in.

For the next few hours you and Vernon sat on your bed as he helped you review your notes for each class. You were well aware of how close your bodies were getting as you readjusted yourselves to get more comfortable. In the end, you were sitting between his legs as he quizzed you over your shoulder. His breath tickling your ear as he spoke and you could almost feel the brush of his lips on your cheek. You tried not to blush at the almost contact and focussed on your notes.

“Okay, I need a break!” you said lying down as your shirt rode up exposing your mid drift.

Vernon watched as you stretched with a small smile. He knew you were ready for finals and despite lacking the confidence there was no doubt that you’d do well. He looked at his phone to check the time and agreed. It was about time for dinner anyways.

“Are you hungry?” he asked and at the same time your stomach growled causing the two of you to giggle.

“I guess we have our answer.” you said as you held your hands up towards him. “Can you pull me up? I worked out yesterday and I’m still sore.”

Vernon grabbed your hand and pulled you towards him so your faces were only inches apart.

“Thank you,” you said almost breathless from the force of the pull. Your small hand remained pinned under his much larger one behind him but you didn’t bother to try to pull away.

He smirked at you and brought his face closer to yours and tilted his head so your lips almost met. You could feel his breath brush against your lips and if either if you had moved a mere centimeter, your lips would have touched.

“No problem” he whispered before releasing your hand and you pulled away trying to calm your heart, that was threatening to jump out of your chest.

“So…what should we order?” you asked as you hid your face behind the menus so he couldnt see your face.

“Mmmm, I was thinking fried chicken…but if you want something else-” he started saying but you cut him off.

“No fried chicken’s fine” you said looking through the menu. After ordering the food, you went back to reviewing your notes as you continued to calm your beating heart as Vernon went through the various messages he got from his friends who were all at the party.

He looked down at you and smiled, even if his friends were having a blast without him, he was happy that you agreed to let him help you study.  He knew the day would come where he was going to tell you his feelings but also took into consideration that this was your hardest year and the labs and homework came first. As the years went on, Vernon was starting to realize that he was seeing less and less of you. He knew that you were volunteering part time at a local hospital to build up your repertoire and between that and school, you barely had time to meet up with your own friends and he was almost sure that if it weren’t for your best friend Eunwoo; who secretly updated Vernon of your whereabouts from time to time, you would forget to eat.

Once the food arrived, the books were put away and you turned on a movie while the two of you ate in silence till all the food was gone. The movie continued playing and the two of you made yourselves comfortable on your bed promising to get back to the books once it was over.

The weight on Vernon’s shoulder told him otherwise.He looked at you from the corner of his eye and chuckled softly.

“Typical Y/N”

He moved his arm so that it was now wrapped around your shoulder and he gently moved your head so that it was placed in a more comfortable position on his chest.  He decided that he would finish the movie first and then decide what to do after, plus you had studied so hard and deserved the rest and he couldn’t find it in his heart to wake you.

A few hours later, Vernon was getting ready to leave after he tucked you into bed. He found sleeping you so cute that he turned on another movie to savor the moment of having your head on his chest. He tidied around your room before finally picking up his backpack. Leaning down to kiss your forehead he whispered, “I’ll see you after finals are over.”

He knew that once you woke up tomorrow, you’d be on lock down and probably wouldn’t do anything until your last test was done. He was the same way and was preparing for the ones he had himself. He made a mental note to text Eunwoo tomorrow to make sure that you had something to eat or may he would drop by with lunch…yea maybe he’d do that..

Vernon was right though, outside of his and Eunwoo’s periodic drop bys to your room with food and in Vernon’s case, to study more. You did not leave your room willingly until a week later when your last exam was done.

A few weeks later, the results were posted and you fought your way through the crowd of people to see what your marks were.You had a feeling you didn’t do too well this time around, having lost a lot of sleep thinking of a certain Hospital Director’s son and what not but you had to at least done decently right?

As you got to the front, people turned to look at you with shocked faces while others started whispering. Looking up at the results, your jaw dropped.

“Congratulations. I knew you’d do well.” a voice said behind you causing you to whip around and there was Vernon holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand while wearing a smirk on his face.

He took a step towards you, “I was going to wait till after grad…but I really don’t think I can wait that long anymore…” he cleared his throat as he noticed that people had formed a circle around the two of you, “You are one of the hardest working people I know and I know how important becoming a doctor is for you and I had no doubt that you’d top the class this year. My dad even called it when he saw your lab reports but I didn’t believe him until now.”

Vernon looked down, it was now or never. Looking back up at you, his eyes were filled with hope and you couldn’t help but feel the same way. Did this mean…Was he saying what you thought he was going to say?

“I didn’t want to ask you then because I knew we weren’t ready. But I really really can’t wait anymore Y/N. Put me out of my misery, stitch up my heart and be mine….please?”

The next thing you knew, your arms were around his neck holding him tightly as he lifted you off the ground and spun you around as howls from whom you assumed were from Vernon’s friends were heard off in the distance.

Once he put you down you both let out a breath.

“So is that a yes?” he asked and you nodded making him grin.

“Good, cause then I can do this and not care that anyones looking.” he said leaning down and gently placed his lips on yours and suddenly the world melted away and you actually felt like the stress of exams were finally worth it.

You were in the arms of a man who would mend you up whenever you were down and burnt out but he was also the man who would be your rock throughout your career and sure, things wouldn’t be perfect but you wouldn’t want another doctor taking care of you either way.

-Anna

#seventeen imagine #kpop imagine #seventeen #vernon #vernon imagine #kpop scenarios #kpop #vern #chwe #vernon chwe #svt #svt imagine

[alex-vella-blog]

Musings of an Immigrant (4)

Imagine, much like broccoli arranged bouquet-style in a vase, this is the memory I carry from the last meal of my first around the world experience.

Once Around the Globe / October 26, 2018

The first time I circumnavigated the globe was on a 32-day trip in support of a theme I advanced for an American Express annual report…essentially to document through interviews and photography the global reach of the company.

The high was self-evident. Here I was 28-years old, visiting countries far and wide that I had never been to before, and in some cases since, while interviewing notable people in every facet of careers and professions. The low was a bit of a personal quirk, perhaps an emotional impetus that could have been put under better control: In short, I didn’t want to miss the first steps of my first born son, an event that was going to fall sometime during the month-long trip.

 The first stop was Paris, France, where the banking, travel, credit card, and travelers check divisions of the company were huge business. The photographer I retained to travel with me and document the events of the trip was Eva Rubinstein, daughter of Arthur Rubinstein, the celebrated pianist. It was fortuitous that on the night we arrived he was being honored with a reception complete with all the expected fanfare of the rich and famous. At the time I smoked cigars, a bad habit I got into as a result of being around the company boardroom with its complimentary supply. Rubenstein not only smoked them but had his own farm and fabrication facility in Cuba at the time. My meeting with him was not much more then ano introduction and his request that I take good care of his daughter during the long trip. He was also gracious enough to give me a box of his Cuban cigars, emblazoned with his personal cigar band. As much as I welcomed the gesture, I was aware that I had to finish smoking the full box prior to returning to the U.S. because the land-of-Castro product was considered contraband by the U.S. government. 

 To represent American Express International Banking relationships I focused on Claude Lelouch, the then very famous French film director, writer, cinematographer, actor and producer, with whose company the bank did business. At the time, Lelouch was known in America for his 1966 film drama “A Man and a Woman,” and “Live for Life” in 1967. Now that a lifetime has gone by, I am not in the least embarrassed to say that I was very impressed to be interviewing one of the most celebrated ‘fellow’ creatives (hope is eternal) in his palatial digs, sitting facing each other on wingback chairs, and taking in the mesmerizing Parisian landscape. 

 Next came Spain where I was scheduled to focus on the activity of American Express’ travel division. So, what better than Costa Del Sol. But first I stopped in Barcelona, so after the magic of this city, the beach scene was a bit of a letdown. Rather than a slice of the Spanish population this region was more a mixture of other European nationalities than Spanish. For a local fix I went into the hills to a town called Benalmádena where I very unexpectedly ended having a meal at a private house. Memory fails, but when asking where I should eat, a local denizen suggested knocking on a particular door and the lady of the house would take care of me. It was very much the case. The then seemingly older lady who answered the door was very accommodating. She asked what I liked to eat and within the half hour she was back from wherever she needed to go to procure local fish and accompaniments. Perhaps it was the unplanned event and local fair, but the memory of the meal makes me salivate to this day. 

 Yugoslavia, specifically Belgrade in Serbia, and Dubrovnik in Croatia, as guests of the General Director of Star Travel, the then-communist state’s travel monopoly, was my host. Two impressions: Belgrade — grey. Dubrovnik — haunting, a perfect little Venice, except in miniature and less tourists. But most impressing was the state’s largess showered on me and my photographer in the way of entertainment and first class travel…all at the people’s expense of course.

 When I arrived in Greece, the country was under the control of a Military Junta (1967–1974), headed by a group of 4 colonels of the Greek army and led by a man named George Papadopoulos. At one point I arranged to visit the Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis. For a major tourist site, the place was fairly deserted on that day and provided the perfect setting for taking photos. As one would expect of a professional photographer, Rubinstein was shooting everything in sight. Suddenly, a convoy of sedans comes rushing in and a squad of military uniform-clad individuals step out. The photographer must have found the scene to be not only interesting but especially intriguing because she continued to shoot in their direction. This caused us some grief. We were quickly surrounded by security personnel fully equipped with nasty looking weaponry. In a nutshell, they took issue with the concept of us photographing military brass without permission…an act bordering on espionage. After some interrogation, and a period of heightened anxiety, they confiscated the film and we were let go.

 India of the early seventies was a different kettle of fish from the driving, capitalistic society it is today. The following two episodes encapsulates the country of that time.

 Once we deboarded and attempted to go through customs, literally in the middle of the night in ambient temperature that was well over a hundred degrees farenheit and no air-conditioning, we encountered Indian logic in its purest form. This event took place before the advent of digital photography, so the photographer was carrying hundreds of rolls of camera film, both exposed and unexposed. Now imagine a local customs officer speaking sternly in Indian English. Officer: “What is your visit’s purpose?” Me, and keep in mind that we did not have a work visa: “To see the sights.” Officer: “So why do you need so many rolls of photography film?” Me: “Because I work for American Express and might use some photos acquired on the trip in company publications.” Officer: “So, to be clear, you are not tourists but rather working on a photography assignment and you have no work visa to do so.”

 It had become clear over the ensuing six hours, during which the full inventory of film, both exposed and otherwise, having been placed in a walk-in vault that was hot enough to fry an egg on any metal surface within it, that most imported products were controlled under some sort of business monopoly system. Photography film was no different and whoever held the import license needed to collect their pound of flesh. As tourists, people could bring in a few rolls of film without any issue, but in the quantities that we were carrying to satisfy the needs of the whole trip, it qualified as illegal import. In the end, with the help of local American Express support team, and a monetary contribution that could feed a small village in that part of the world for many months, we were allowed to keep our contraband.

 The ordeal we had just experienced was quickly forgotten once we were being driven away from the airport towards our destination, Bombay, now Mumbai, because of yet another Indian oddity. The spectacle was seeing sections of large-diameter drainage conduit over many miles along the road, for sure intended for ground burial, but unintendedly, become domiciles for thousands of families. Life looked very normal at the front and back openings of each section of the pipes that was intended for a different purpose. People were going about doing their thing… cooking, bathing, living. If we hadn’t gone through the earlier experience at the airport it would have appeared as an alternate universe and more of a curiosity.

 At the time of this trip, Hong Kong was still a British Crown Colony, and since I was born in a country with similar British experience, my assumption was that Hong Kong spoke English to one degree or another. In fact, the island of Kowloon which is where the business hub was located at the time is very much the case, but on the mainland and the New Territories it was another story.

Tired of the business opulence that was being showered on me and Rubinstein by the hosts, which included being feted at The Sky Terrace and The Peak Tower, it necessitated that I take in some of the local color and taste the more local foods. So, I took off by foot to parts unknown to see the sights. When the time came, I stopped at a local restaurant to have something to eat. So, this is when I came face to face with the cultural roadblock. The menu was in Chinese and no English was spoken at all. Never fear, there’s always pantomime. Trying to help, the waiter clucked away and flapped his arms. “Chic, chic” was the recommendation to which, since I was in full comprehension mode, I promptly agreed to and ordered. In short order, with mouth-gapping, I was looking at an aluminum cooking pot heaping full of chicken feet arranged with the claws sticking up and leaning over and around the edge of the pot.

Imagine, much like broccoli arranged bouquet-style in a vase, this is the memory I carry from the last meal of my first around the world experience.

[blaineandsamevanderson]

Title:  Winnamon Buns Chapter 2

By: @blaineandsamevanderson  (SageK on ff.net, kaitlia777 on LJ and AO3)

Fandom: Supergirl

Rating: PG

Summary:  Winn Schott Jr. owns a bakery called Winnamon Buns (named for a comment made by his buddy Mon-El the first time he tried Winn’s Cinnamon Buns). Kara Danvers is a customer he has a crush on…and, unbeknownst to him, she returns the feelings.  Only Kara thinks WInn and Mon-El are a couple and Winn thinks Kara and Jimmy are….

**

**

“Wow, I guess this place must be good,” Alex mused, noting the lines of customers crowding the small bakery.  It was a cute little shop and the small rainbow sticker in the corner of the front window had been welcoming.

Beside her, Maggie chuckled.  “Well, school just let out.  I think there are a lot of kids just looking for their sugar/caffeine fix.”

True enough.  There was definitely a pack of high school aged girls clustered around the counter, vying for the attention of the tall model standard barista.  At the other end of the counter, a nice looking shorter man (Winn, according to Kara) was handling the rest of the customers.

Unsure of the protocol for this, they waited in line until they reached the front.  Fortunately, some of the crowd had left by then.  “Hi, I’m Alex and this is my fiancee, Maggie.  We’re here for a cake consultation.”

Winn’s blue eyes brightened and he gave them a broad grin.  “Hi...and congratulations!  Of course, we can have a seat at one of the tables, chat a bit about what sort of cake you see for your big day.”

As he spoke, a young teen emerged from the back, tying an apron around his waist.  “Carter, just in time, Man.  You hold things down here and keep an eye on Mon-El while I help these nice folks, okay?”  The boy nodded in response and Winn snagged a towel to wipe his hands as he addressed Alex again, “Can I get either of you anything to drink?”

Minutes later, they were settled at a small table by the windows, coffees and a small plate of thumbprint cookies between them.

“My sister can’t say enough good things about this place,” Alex mentioned as Winn pulled out a small tablet.  “Kara comes in every day.”

Interestingly enough, a faint blush crept up the young man’s face. “Oh, you’re Kara’s sister?  She’s great.  Just...super.”

Aw, he was an awkward puppy.

“This cookie is incredible,” Maggie retorted and Alex noted that two had already disappeared from the plate.  

Another good sign.

“Thanks,” Winn said brightly, tapping at his tablet.  “So, did you have any ideas about flavors you’re interested in or would you like to go over all the options?”

“That’s a good plan,” Winn said with a genial smile.  “Honestly, a lot of people come in with their hearts set on a particular cake and still want to go through the list, see the portfolio.  When’s the big day?”

“June 23rd,” Maggie informed him promptly.  “Is that enough time for a cake?  Those wedding shows on TV all make it seem like plans are made a year in advance or last minute.”

“You’re fine,” he chuckled.  “That’s more than enough lead time and I’ve got no other bookings that day.  Is the venue local?”

Alex nodded.  “We’re having the wedding and reception at the public gardens.”  It was a popular spot for weddings from May to October and had designated areas for such things.

“Beautiful place,” the baker enthused.  “I’ve faltered there before, nice set up.  So...let’s talk cake.  Anyone have a favorite?”

“Tiramisu?” Maggie asked hopefully and Alex rolled her eyes fondly.

“For a wedding cake?” She said in amusement.  “I always think vanilla when I think of a big wedding cake.”

“There are lots of ways to go, none of them wrong,” Winn offered.  “You could have a tiramisu tier.”

That perked Maggie up.  “Go on.”

“Not all the tiers need to be the same flavor,” he said and Alex was pretty sure she’d hknown that.  Why did planning a wedding make things like that just fly out of her brain? “So, if you wanted a vanilla base, a Tiramisu s middle and an espresso top, that would work...or any combination really.  It’s your day.”

Alex let her eyes wander down the menu options.  “A lot of this looks good.”

He grinned.  “You know, we’re doing a tasting event here on  Friday evening.  If you want to stop by, you can sample a lot of options,” Winn offered.  “It’s more of a social event, I think Kara and James are coming.  Of course, if you’d rather a more private sitting we can arrange…”

“We’ll be here Friday!”

Who would put off trying cake?

**

Only a ½ hour into the cake tasting and Winn was ready to declare the event a success.  He’d been hoping to bring in some new customers (and let his regulars taste some less common flavors) and he’d seen a flood of new faces.  They’d booked several birthday cakes and had 4 new bridal consults.

He was glad he’d baked more than he’d anticipated serving.

“I like this one.”

He’d just set down a tray of assorted lime cakes with coconut buttercream frosting and pear ca=new with honey buttercream when Alex Danvers popped up at his elbow, thrusting a small plate (and a half eaten sample) at him.

“Alex!” Kara chided.  “Don’t just jump at him like that.

The elder Danvers was unapologetic.  “I wanted to tell him before he disappeared or got grabbed by someone else.

Tablet in hand, Winn noted, “So...Vanilla bean cake with a layer of berries and cream, topped with vanilla buttercream?”

“I still want the tiramisu tier but if the bottom and top are that, I’m happy,” Maggie agreed before snagging a Banana/Pineapple sample.

“Three tiers, the design we talked about and now we’ve got flavors...Ladies, you have a cake!” He said, then his eyes ticked to the side and he sighed.  “Excuse me...Carter’s along over there, gotta go find Mon-El.”

He’d rather stay and chat with Kara, but this was his business.  “Where’s Mon-El?” Winn asked as he slipped behind the table, grateful to see the sample trays weren’t completely empty.

“He went out back to get more cakes, but Imra went to help, so….,” Carter trailed off, shrugging and wrinkling his nose.

Winn groaned.  “I’ll be back.”

Thankfully the wayward doh were only making out and not doing anything that violated health codes in his kitchen and they all quickly emerged baring fresh trays of treats.

“Do you cater for companies,” a stunning brunette asked, nibbling on a chocolate cake with cappuccino buttercream.  “I would so put in a standing order for a dozen of these for the CatCo Megan department every morning.”

“I told you this place is great,” James said, appearing and sliding an arm around the woman’s waist.  “Lucy, meet Winn.  Winn, my girlfriend, Lucy Lane.”

While Winn was startled silent, Lucy laughed.  “I should be mad at you for enabling this one’s sweet tooth...but wow, these are incredible.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying everything,” Winn said, still recovering from the fact that Mon-El had been right about James having a non-Kara girlfriend.  “And sure, we could have an order ready for pick up each morning.  I assume you’re wanting cupcakes and not a dozen whole cakes?”

Lucy laughed prettily.  “Sorry.  I was actually wondering about the potato doughnuts.”  She pointed to a slightly less ravaged tray.  “I love the density.  Most doughnuts feel like empty calories.  Those seem like they’re actually filling.”

They chatted about the doughnuts for a while before he was drawn off by another new customer.

***

By the end of the night, most of the crowd had dissipated.  Winn, Mon-El and even Carter were still taking down a few final orders and she was Winn sigh with relief when he finally tucked his tablet away.

“Tonight was a hit!” She said and Winn gave her a bright smile.

“Oh yeah, we’re gonna be busy,” he said, but Kara could hear the pleasure in his voice.  “Hey, thanks for referring your sister.”

Kara glanced over to where Alex and Maggie were chatting with James and Lucy over a mostly empty tray of pecan cakes.  “I wouldn’t be surprised if they send their co-workers by.  They’re both in law enforcement.”

Winn chuckled.  “I do make a killer doughnut.”

A kitchen towel landed on his head as Mon-El teased, “Your jokes are terrible!”

The pretty brunette with his slapped Mon-El’s arm as Winn shrugged off the towel.  “Keep him in line, Imra!” He said easily and earned a salute from the woman as the pair disappeared into the kitchen.  “You know, I think he’s finally met his match.”

His statement made Kara frown in confusion.  “What do you mean?”

Chucking a thumb toward the back, Winn said, “I kinda though he’d never settle down, but Imra seems up to take him on.”

After a moment Kara blinked.  “Oh!  Oh my gosh, I thought you two were together!”

Immediately, she clapped a hand over her mouth, embarrassed that she’d said anything, but Winn merely chuckled.  “Nah...a lot of people assume that for some reason.  He’s a ladies man and me...well, I’m better with cakes than flirting.”

“I know,” Kara agreed, then shook her head.  “I mean, flirting is hard.  I always say the wrong thing or get called away for work.”

He nodded.  “Plus a lot of dating happens at night and I get up very early so...my idea of a wild night is Chinese, Netflix and early bed.”

“Lunch dates get a bad rap,” she mused. “Lunch is great.  Or brunch, cuz then you have the option of breakfast or lunch.”

“Kara...and you can say no, of course, but...would you like to have lunch some time?” Winn asked, tongue poking out to wet his lower lip nervously.

A broad smile spread across Kara’s face as she nodded.  “Yeah.  I’d like that, Winn.   I’d like that a lot.”

****

Across the room, James smiled and pulled out his phone, sending a text to Mon-El.

He asked her.

James was the only one who understood when a loud cry of ,” Whooo, finally!” Echoed from the kitchen.

#winnara #fanfiction #karwinn #fic

[wellhellsbelles]

There Goes Our Love Again

ooooohhhh!!! second chapter yayyyyy!!!! ((also i’m done with exams so i can start keeping up with this more so that’s pretty cool))

as per usual, here’s the ao3 link. thanks and enjoy!!

//

ii. A Combination Of Love And Aggression

“Dude, for the last time. Hand me the damn screwdriver,” Farkle grunted, trying desperately to keep the DIY bookshelf he bought from IKEA together.

“No, no, I swear it on my life. Yeah, he really just—”

“ISAIAH BABINEAUX, GET OFF YOUR PHONE AND HAND ME THE DAMN SCREWDRIVER ALREADY!!!” Farkle screeched across the loft, causing Zay to drop the phone.

“Jesus Christ, alright, Farkle,” Zay mumbled, picking his phone back up off the ground, apologizing to the person on the other line before disconnecting. He shoved the phone back into his pocket, retrieving the screwdriver from the table and thrusting it into Farkle’s hand.

“Thank you,” Farkle breathed, tightening the screw he had put in, wiping the sweat off his forehead after. “Who were you talking to, anyway?”

“Isadora. I was shit-talking Lucas now that he’s gone. I love the dude, but man did he make living with him extra difficult. You’re not gonna do that to me, are you? I don’t think I could handle a Lucas 2.0 in the loft,” Zay said. Farkle chuckled.

“I’m flattered that I’d even be considered for the position, but no. You’re just getting plain old Farkle Minkus, unfortunately,” Farkle told him, inserting another screw into place.

“Sounds like I’m getting a good deal then,” Zay smiled, returning back to the kitchen where he was before. “You want some toast? I’m making some toast,” he offered. Farkle shook his head.

“No thanks. Make ‘grocery shopping’ next on my to-do list. How could you and Lucas ever live like this, off of toast and cereal?” Zay shrugged, popping a couple pieces of bread into the toaster, turning the dial and pushing down the button to start it.

“We were bachelors in New York for the longest time, man. Also, I worked for the local coffee shop and Lucas was just a counselor for the Y, so we didn’t have much money.”

“You did get this bomb-ass loft, though. Kudos to that,” Farkle noted.

“Thank you! Lucas almost made us go for the cheaper option, but after seeing that they had to deal with bedbugs, I said “No way, José!” Man thinks he can just live that kind of lifestyle, but not me. I got a reputation to uphold.”

“And ladies to please?” Farkle offered, sighing in frustration when the second screw slipped out of his hand. Zay nodded.

“Exactly.” Farkle tossed the screwdriver to the side after, giving up on the stupid Swedish or whatever the heck kind of bookshelf it was, leaving it for another day. As soon as he got up, his phone buzzed, and he reached into his back pocket to retrieve it.

 Riley: You wanna grab some lunch? Maya’s out sampling cake with Lucas and I want to catch up with you 😊

Farkle: Sounds good to me! You’ll save me from eating toast with Zay.

Riley: He eats just toast?

Farkle: Trust me, I’m visiting the nearest grocery store after we’re done. I’m not going to eat another bowl of cereal for weeks or get Chinese food for the longest time.

Riley: Oh, you poor thing. Portafino’s?

Farkle: For the love of god, yes! Real food!!

Riley: 😉

Riley: Meet you in twenty!

 Farkle couldn’t have been glader to have the saving grace that was Riley Matthews in his life, that was for sure.

“Whatcha smilin’ at over there, Minkus? You got a hot date or somethin’?” Zay mumbled through a mouthful of toast.

“Sort of. I’m meeting up with Riley to get some lunch and catch up.”

“Ooooh, so you do have a hot date! I didn’t know you and Matthews still had the hots for each other!” Farkle shot Zay a look of disdain, stuffing his phone back into his pocket.

“We don’t. And hey, what do you mean ‘still’? We never had the hots for each other!” Farkle huffed. Zay noogied his head, dodging Farkle’s punch after.

“Alright, I get it. But denial isn’t just a river in Egypt, you follow? Go have fun with Riley, though. And tell her I said hi!”

Farkle could already tell that living with Zay was going to be some kind of something. At least he had that to look forward to.

 //

 Despite bickering with Zay for about ten more minutes after setting up the not-a-date with Riley, Farkle arrived ten minutes before her at Portafino’s. He took the opportunity to order himself a glass of merlot, sipping at it while picking at his navy-blue cardigan in anticipation of Riley’s arrival.

He was nervous. Part of it was because of what Zay said, but Farkle didn’t let that get to him. It was just Riley after all, one of his best friends, and he’d been dying to catch up with her for forever. Hopefully he’d get to do that with the rest of the group, too, but as one on one’s instead of the group chat he had experienced a week ago.

A blur of a black and yellow sunflower dress and lavender perfume flashed by him all of a sudden, the scent so achingly familiar that his heart leapt at the memory. Riley sat down in front of Farkle, her face flushed, her mind clearly abuzz.

“OmigoshI’msosorryFarkle,” her words mushed together in her panic. Farkle only grinned, just glad to be out with his friend again.

“Riley, it’s fine. I can count on you.” Riley grinned back at him, grabbing the menu in front of her off the table, her eyes scanning it frantically. “Hey, I’ll pay by the way,” he added. Her gaze met his once again, her brow furrowed.

“Oh come on. Just because you’ve got a fancy-schmancy job now Farkle doesn’t mean you get to flaunt it in front of me,” she teased. Farkle shrugged.

“I mean, that’s fine if you don’t want whatever you want off the menu . . .” he trailed, Riley taking the bait just as quickly as she used to when they were in high school.

“I’LL TAKE YOUR OFFER,” she interjected, her brown eyes shimmering at the prospect of getting her pick of the menu without limitations. Farkle chuckled to himself.

Old habits die hard, that’s for sure.

They spend several minutes searching the menu for what they want, only making small side-talk until the waitress arrives, pad of paper in hand.

“Alright, what can I get the lovely couple?” she asked. Farkle almost spat out his wine, swallowing hard before correcting her.

“Oh, we’re not—”

“A couple,” Riley finished for him. “We’re just friends.”

“Of course,” the woman corrected herself. “What can I get for you two?”

“Eggplant parmesan,” Riley said. “Also, could I get a glass of your house white?” The waitress nodded her head.

“Can do. And for you?” she turned towards Farkle.

“I’ll take the carbonara, please.” They handed her back their menus, only resuming conversation after she had left.

“So how’s living with Zay? Are the two of you getting along okay?” Riley asked.

“Yeah, we’re getting along just fine. Well, my only criticism is that he’s on the phone with Isadora all day, but other than that, we’re good,” Farkle answered, taking a sip from his wine glass.

“You jealous?” Riley questioned, raising a brow. Farkle shook his head, amusement clear upon his face.

“That ship has long since sailed and you know it, Riley. Isadora and I are nothing more than friends. What about you? How do you feel about Lucas and Maya getting married?”

“Ha,” Riley barked, throwing her head back in laughter. “Touché, Minkus. That ship has long since sailed for me, too. Those two are made for each other.” The two of them paused for a moment when the waitress dropped by Riley’s glass of wine, Farkle’s demeanor turning serious after.

“So, you didn’t tell me about Bill,” Farkle pointed out. Riley sighed, slumping in her chair, her index finger tracing the rim of her wine glass.

“Yeah . . .”

“Riley.” He could tell this was hard for her. Farkle didn’t want to push her too hard, but he was her friend, he was there for her. He needed to know.

“It’s . . . okay, so Bill and I got into a fight about a month ago,” Riley exhaled before continuing. “But it all started just before our three-year anniversary hit. I mentioned that we should be doing something big, like moving in together or starting planning for getting married . . . something big like that, you know? Because it was three years, and that’s not too far off base for that, right?”

“Right,” Farkle agreed.

“Well, he agreed that I was right, but he said we should start off small. “Start off small, work up to the big stuff,” he said. And I believed him. He said I should move in the next month. He said he’d circle a date on the calendar and I’d move in on that day, but until then he would help bring my stuff over to his apartment a little at a time. And I agreed that that’d be a good plan. So not long after that, I bought some boxes and started packing.

“But then I tried to get Bill to help me bring some boxes over, and he’d make an excuse each time. “I have to work late tonight,” he’d say, or “Why don’t we just take it easy?” he’d say. He said that each and every time. And then the day came when he said he wanted me to move in, and he gave me some lame excuse as to why we just couldn’t. So then we got into the big fight and were arguing constantly, and then finally I asked if he really wanted me to move in and he gave in saying no, he didn’t want me to. And then I asked if he could see us getting married, and he said no to that, too. So we broke up,” Riley finished, taking a long drink of wine afterward. Farkle reached across the table and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently.

“I’m sorry, Riles. I know you really liked him.” Riley shrugged.

“Yeah, well, I’ve liked a lot of things in the past that didn’t turn out well. You remember my cheerleading stint?” Farkle snorted.

“I do remember that. You weren’t that bad.” Riley rolled her eyes at that.

“Rose-colored glasses, Farkle. You only say that because I’m your friend and you have no earthly clue how sports work.” Farkle couldn’t argue with that.

“While that may be true, I still say you weren’t bad. And even if you were, you would’ve gotten better at it. I’ve seen what great things you accomplish with a healthy dose of determination.” Riley gave Farkle a slight smile, her cheeks dusting a light pink from his kind words.

“Thanks, Farkle. I really missed you, you know? Things up here haven’t been quite as Farkle-y without you,” she admitted.

“That is true. Well, I missed you, as well, Riley. And everybody else. California was fun, but definitely not for me. I can’t tell you how many sunburns I got while I was down there. Also, I actually had to wear shorts. Can you picture me wearing shorts?” Riley leaned her head into her hand, laughing.

“No, I can’t. New York is definitely a better fit for you, Farkley.” Farkle grinned, his heart happy to be around his best friend once again.

He really missed New York, what can he say?

#riarkle #riarkle fanfiction #gmw fanfiction #zayadora #bella writes

[isotuan]

Nutrition (Yoongi x Reader Fluff/Crack)

Genre: Fluff/Crack

Word: 1,634

Summary: Are you a fruit? ‘Cause honeydew you know how fine you look right now?

Note: This is set in Stupid!universe where Y/N and Yoongi are best friends that annoy the fuck out of each other. It was mentioned in the fic how Yoongi had to drag her to the grocery store at some point, and I got INSPIRED. Also, I’m not that witty, these pick up lines and jokes are from the internet, with a bit of iteration to fit the story line. Other than that, I really like this one. Maybe it’s bc I’m equally of a lazyass as Y/N? The banter is really my style... SO GET READY FOR SOME HELLA CRINGE LMAO.

CHECK OUT STUPID (YOONGI X READER FLUFF) HERE

“Can I ride the cart at least?”

“Jesus fuck. For the third time, Y/N.—

—No.”

Y/N grumbled loudly, kicking at the tiny rocks under her her shoes. Yoongi pulled a large cart out of the store’s several rows, figuring that this grocery run would turn out to be quite a big one. 

After countless attempts of convincing Y/N that PostMates and UberEats of grease-drenched Chinese food were not exactly the healthiest option, he had finally dragged her to the local supermarket. That was, after telling her that they were going for frozen yogurt and had ‘accidentally’ made a wrong turn to the store, “so we might as well, right?”

“This is no fun,” Y/N bemoaned as they made their way through the second set of sliding doors.

“When was the last time you’ve step foot in a grocery store?” 

Y/N shrugged, “Last year maybe?”

“Jesus,” he huffed. “I should’ve guessed by that leftover salad rotting in your fridge.”

“It was a good salad, I was saving it for later.”

Yoongi tilted his head, “For six months?”

Y/N puffed out her cheeks and shifted from one foot to the other, avoiding the question. Yoongi knew that Y/N knew herself how bad her eating habit was. She was just too stubborn to admit it, Yoongi would know after all these years. And of course, he was very much expert now at dealing with her stubborn ass. He snorted, “Just stay by the cart, I’ll do the shopping.”

They made their way over to the produce section, but not after Y/N insisting that they should make a pit stop at the snack aisle first. To which Yoongi quickly denied and pulled her away with a tug of her wrist.

Yoongi began strolling around the section. The vibrant colors made each fruit look as if they were little gems and each vegetable look as delectable as ever, Yoongi grabbed a strip of plastic bags and began shopping.

“No, no, no. Not tomatoes!” Y/N ran up behind Yoongi as picked up the bright red fruit. “I hate tomatoes.”

“Well that’s too bad,” Yoongi placed it into a bag along with another. 

“Dickhead,” she hissed.

In defeat, Y/N groaned and dragged her feet off to somewhere else. Yoongi watched her and made sure he could still see her out of his peripheral vision before returning to picking out more fresh produce.  

She likes avocados, he thought to himself. But not too ripe. He took his time picking out the perfect avocado out of the large pile.  

She can’t have mushrooms. Once he ordered had ordered her a stuffed Portabello at dinner which resulted in a night beside the toilet bowl. So he passed them without hesitation.

He gathered stuff he knew well Y/N could eat and stuff he thought she’d be able to tolerate. The produce in the cart quickly piled up with much consideration for each item and researches of recipes Yoongi could (with his utmost culinary skills of boiling an egg) attempt in order to have Y/N at least try something new. He made himself two mental notes: one, when he makes these, have 911 on speed dial (just in case), and two, to search up how the fuck to pronounce “açaí?”

Yoongi was choosing a bunch of spinach with ease when suddenly something popped up in front of him. And just a couple of inches away from hIs nose was a—

A pineapple?

“Hey, baby. Are you a pineapple? ‘Cause you’re one fine-apple.”

“What the hell are you doing?”

Y/N stood next to Yoongi and, still, with a pineapple held to his face, she answered, “I’m picking you up, gorgeous.” 

Yoongi rolled his eyes and swatted the yellow fruit away, “Fuck off.”

“Come on,” Y/N followed Yoongi as he stuffed the bag with spinach and made way back to the cart. “They might be corny, but I think they’re a-maize-ing!”

“I said fuck off,” Yoongi spoke. He pushed the cart over to the dairy section, where he grabbed a carton of milk and scanned the variety of cheese for a possibly healthy option—

“Hey, I know I may be cheesy. But I know you’d want a pizza this,” she gestured to herself. “Or do you prefer the whole pie?”

“Oh, fuck you for that,” Yoongi’s face twisted with distaste before pushing the cart away fast, letting Y/N shuffling behind him to catch up.

“Hey, at least take me on a date first,” Y/N pointed at the shelve of raisins and— Dammit. “But don’t worry I’ll go out with a cute-cumber like you.”

“I hate you,” he grumbled a tried focusing on the recipe he had pulled up on his phone, even he wasn’t processing a single word in front of him. 

“Oh, donut be like that,” she nudged his side. “Anyone would be glazed to hear these.”

“Look, if you want to eat decent food for once,” He turned to face Y/N who trailed behind him. “I have to follow this recipe, so shut—”

“Oh, what’s on the menu, sweetheart?” Y/N tilted her head and pointed back and forth between her and Yoongi. “Is it me-n-u?”

“For fuck’s sake,” he groaned.  

“Because I’ll have whatever you’re having if it means getting those sweet buns of yours.”

Giving up entirely, Yoongi rushed out of the aisle with a hurry, plus, the old couple beside them weren’t giving the two the kindest of looks. He sped towards an open checkout and began loading the conveyor belt Even if he hadn’t gotten all of the things he intended to buy, this was good enough if it meant leaving this shitshow of a stand-up. 

“Can we go to McDonald's after this?” Y/N came up beside Yoongi.

“No—”

“Oh, nevermind. I forgot I already have a McGorgeous right here,” and she poked his side, making him bend the slightest bit. Fuck being ticklish.  

“Yah—”

From the other side of the register, the cashier chuckled and Yoongi snapped his head over to the young lady saying, “You guys are a really cute couple.”

Yoongi’s jaw dropped and he could feel the warmth creeping up at his cheeks, but before he could deny her—

Yoongi felt arms wrap around his torso while he stood frozen with kale in one hand and a bag of oranges in another. Y/N spoke as she hugged Yoongi with a wide grin, “Thank you, at least someone appreciates my jokes.”

She looked up at Yoongi with a snarl. 

Yoongi wondered if she saw his face turn a blush color in the split of a second he took to pry off her embrace with much embarrassment. He also wondered if she heard how fast his heart pounded when she had her face that close to her head. 

He hoped her stupid ass didn’t. 

God, he hoped.

“Why the hell did you do that?” 

“Do what?”

“Run off your smart ass mouth,” Yoongi continued his path towards his car still keeping the space between himself and—

“Oh, I know you were McLovin’ it.”

“Shut up, you fucker.”

After they loaded his trunk, the two got into the car without a second loss of Yoongi's continuous nagging of how publically humiliating the grocery trip that was. 

“I’m never taking you anywhere ever again, you know that right?”

“Yeah, whatever,” Y/N drummed her finger against the dashboard with a lack of interest in what Yoongi had to say. “It’s not like I go out much often anyway.”

It was silent for a while, Yoongi thought about what Y/N had just said and, hell, it was true. You could practically mistake her for a hermit crab. She wouldn’t get out of the house, that was if it wasn’t for Yoongi and school. And he would try his best to visit her often, being the wonderful best friend he was.

“You have to get out more,” Yoongi spoke. 

“I don't see why when I can just sit in the comfort of my bed and watch ‘How I Met Your Mother’ for the fourth time.”  

“That’s not even that great of a TV show.”

“You’re point?” 

“My point is...” Yoongi turned on to the main street. The car came to a stop at a red light, the engine hummed lowly and the radio tunes sounded gently in the background. The sun was about to set and he watched its final golden rays bounce off the hood of his car. The weather was cooling and he could feel the soft breeze entering the car with the windows rolled down. Yoongi glanced over at Y/N in the passenger seat with her legs tucked against her chest, how she always sat. She was busy giggling at whatever was on her phone screen that she hadn't noticed the way the corners of Yoongi lips curved up just the slightest bit. But, that was how it had always been. 

And Yoongi hoped it would stay that way. 

"My point is," Yoongi finally continued, eyes returning back to the road. "Instead of making shitty puns. Don't you want to, I don't know, explore the world or something?"

That same way.

“Do you want to see a picture of the world?”

“What—” Yoongi turned once more although what greeted him was not Y/N but Y/N's phone. The screen illuminated brightly, it was on selfie mode and it was a display of—

“Get it?—"

—’Cause you’re my world?”

That same old stupid, stupid way.

#bts #bts fic #bts fluff #bts smut #bts angst #bts imagine #bts scenario #bts yoongi #bts suga #min yoongi #yoongi #yoongi fluff #yoongi fic #yoongi smut #yoongi scenario #yoongi angst #suga #suga fic #suga fluff #suga angst #suga smut #suga scenario #suga imagine #kpop #jimin #v #taehyung #jungkook #jhope #hoseok

[tripstations]

Bath holidays: Where are the best hotels in Bath? Top accommodation revealed | Short & City breaks | Travel

Bath is the World Heritage Site mainly built from gorgeous local, golden-coloured Bath Stone (Image: Getty Images/The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa/ The Queensbury)

Bath is a city where I have decided I could quite easily live. For starters, it’s beautiful. Not only is the World Heritage Site mainly built from gorgeous local, golden-coloured Bath Stone, it’s also surrounded by rolling green hills which are visible from the town as you look up. It’s also easily walkable yet crammed with culture and, importantly for me, easy to get to from neighbouring Bristol, London, and Birmingham. This makes it an ideal choice for a weekend break. If you’re after an indulgent UK holiday and looking to treat yourself, these are three of the top hotels to stay in – The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, The Queensbury and No.15 Great Pulteney.

Bath holidays: Where are the best hotels in Bath? Top accommodation revealed

Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa

The problem with staying at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa is that you may never want to actually leave it. A wall of elegance practically smashes into you as you walk in and there’s an instant feeling you’ll get looked after.

Located in the middle of the famous and iconic Royal Crescent, the hotel actually stretches far beyond the buildings you see on entrance. An acre of stunning gardens lies behind, offering an oasis of tranquillity after a day of sightseeing. Further accommodation and the restaurant as well as the spa are found at the other end of the garden making for a very quiet night’s sleep indeed.

Our room is the Lord Nelson Suite – the famous military figure once stayed in Bath – and busts and paintings of the great man adorn the room as a nod to the theme amid the grey neutral tones. Ornate lamps and colourful cushions add a pop of colour.

In the spacious living room area – separated off from the bedroom with a curtain – is a fireplace and a bookcase filled with a variety of interesting tomes, creating a homely touch amid the luxury. French windows open out onto a spacious balcony which looks over the garden and the odd guest below. One can feel very regal from such a position – although no Romeo (or Knightley, Darcy or Tilney for that matter) came a-calling, alas (remember, there’s always the Jane Austen Centre…)

When we are first shown to our room there’s a brief moment when we think we’re told there’s complimentary cheese which would make it officially the world’s best establishment, but it transpires the lady actually said complimentary teas which, for a Briton, is still pretty exciting. We order one immediately. It’s only a few moments we realise one explanation for our sense of peace – Classic FM is playing from bedside speakers and it’s the addition I never realised I needed – my life finally has a soundtrack.

The little touches don’t stop there, pillow spray is provided with the turndown service, newspapers are offered and there’s an umbrella in the wardrobe complete with a tag letting you know what you can do in Bath in the rain. Furthermore, there’s also a car parking spot for every room should you need it.

Bath holidays: The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa is in in the middle of the iconic Royal Crescent (Image: Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the stylish bathroom provides his n’ her sinks, sumptuous products by British perfumer Floris plus a bath and shower – the controls for which are conveniently placed the opposite side from the water flow which means never getting wet until you’ve got in, which is a surprising bonus.

We dine in the hotel’s Dower House Restaurant and our table benefits from a view of the secluded garden as the spring evening draws in. The friendly and knowledgeable waiters prove invaluable in helping me decide on my order (it all looks so good) and the sommelier suggests a delightful Sauvignon Blanc.

Turmeric and black pepper bread sets a promising tone for the meal before I tuck into my starter of slow cooked duck egg. It’s huge, rich and creamy and pairs well with the salty Morteau sausage, and crunchy leeks and chicken crisp – all in all, superb.

This is followed by roasted seabass, served with two perky scallops prettily presented with beetroot, tasty morsels of smoked eel, hay baked potato, smoked roe cream and horseradish. The portions may seem small at first but I soon have “elegant sufficiency” as my grandmother used to say and decide on a brief hiatus ahead of dessert.

This is wise and dessert is, unsurprisingly, also delicious. I opt for rhubarb and orange tart with ginger ice cream, the tangy favours of which all perfectly complement each other. My friend goes for the cheese board – well there had to be cheese somewhere didn’t there? This is presented by a rather handsome waiter who informs us he is responsible for buying the cheeses in, and his enthusiasm is palpable as he explains each one to us. One nugget we learn is that the ash in the rind of goat’s cheese is supposed to aid digestion – but after the feast we’ve had I’m not sure there’s much hope for us.

We heave ourselves up and take a turn around the garden before retiring for the night, thoroughly pampered and satisfied.

The next morning we make the most of The Spa & Bath House. I do a few lengths in the 12m heated pool (where the glistening blue tiles shimmer like a mermaid’s tail), try out the Vitality Pool and sauna before heading for a massage.

The spa’s primary partner brand is Elemental Herbology whose products are based around the Five Element theory from traditional Chinese medicine. My therapist considers my skin type, lifestyle, environment and season and opts for Earth for balance. I have chosen a Deep Muscle Melt full-body massage which uses the oils as well as hot stones – although the spa menu offers so many other wonderful-looking options it is hard to decide. My therapist’s small hands dig deep into my muscles and work through knots on my back in what makes for a very stress-relieving and relaxing hour before I return to my room, take tea on the balcony and prepare to leave this haven of luxury.

Double Deluxe rooms at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa start from £330 on a B&B basis. To book, please email [email protected] or call Spa Reception on 01225 823333

Bath holidays: An acre of stunning gardens lies behind the facade of The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa (Image: The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa)

The Queensbury

The Queensberry Hotel may not have the grand scale decadence of The Royal Crescent but this boutique hotel is every bit as lovely and is right the heart of the city, making it perfect for exploring Bath on your doorstep.

The hotel is both chic and trendy but not in a threatening way; the interior design is particularly exciting. The bathroom in our room boasts a wall decorated entirely with goldfish-covered wallpaper, the orange and blue tones of which inject a quirky edge into the accommodation as does the gold grouting between the white tiles. There’s also a free standing bath in there and fabulous White Company products. It’s all rather like staying at the house of a particularly fashionable friend.

One little touch I particularly like is the little, dim bathroom lights that automatically come on into dark should you need to make your way to the toilet in the night. All hotels please take heed of this! A marvellous concept and a rousing thumbs up to whoever’s idea it was. What’s more, Classic FM is also playing when we enter here, too which is proving a charming theme of my stay so far.

It’s the Michelin-starred restaurant in this delightful townhouse which is the true gem of the establishment, however. If you’re after an excellent meal, the 3 AA Rosette Olive Tree restaurant is the ideal spot – it’s certainly the best one I’ve had in a long time.

I go all out and order the larger of the two tasting menus, otherwise known as the ‘Chris Cleghorn Seven’, with paired wines. Things start exceedingly well with a cheese-filled profiterole appetiser – an ingenious morsel of pleasure – before a raw Orkney scallop is presented in its pretty shell for a starter. It’s succulent and juicy thanks to the tangy pink grapefruit granita along with a kick from the horseradish. This is paired with a Galician Rías Baixas white wine before I’m served a Lebanese rosé with my second course of burrata – not that this is the Italian cheese as I’ve ever known it. This is burrata ice cream, churned and frozen but still creamy with the saltiness of green olives with tomatoes and a basil sauce.

Bath holidays: The Queensberry Hotel is both chic and trendy but not in a threatening way (Image: The Queensberry )

Onto the first of the mains – Turbot on the bone which is like consuming a cloud it’s so soft and tender, pairing perfectly with the crunch of asparagus and buttery sauce, along with shrimp, salted lemon and sherry. To go with this is is the best Chardonnay I’ve ever tasted – an Astrolabe Province Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 which knocked my socks off; both nutty and creamy it went hand in hand with the turbot perfectly.

We move onto the second main of oh-so-succulent Woolley Park Farm duck served with duck liver on a tiny sliver of toast along with barbecued beetroot, sea beet, hazelnut and blackcurrant – all paired with a rich South African merlot.

The first dessert is a soft Tor cheese with soaked golden raisins and chicory with a Jurançon 2016 rosé before moving onto a (highly unusual but incredibly delicious) tobacco-flavoured ice cream which comes with chunks of aero-style chocolate and a chocolate parfait – rounded off with a divine Graham’s 2013 port.

By this point, I’m frankly sozzled and stuffed. I squeeze in a yummy raspberry and ice cream concoction before I throw in the towel. No way can I face the proffered coffee and petit fours although I have no doubt they’re just as delectable as everything else in the feast. We began our meal at 8.15pm and it is now 12.30pm. It’s definitely time to leave. Any plans we have of going out are shattered – as are we.

Our waiter throughout the evening has been the charming Jake who we find out is a mere 22. This appears to be a theme of the restaurant – most of the servers look as though they could be about to sit their A-Levels – but this doesn’t seem to affect the running of the place. Jake himself is incredibly knowledgeable and seems to know all there is to know about the wines he studiously explains to us. I also overhear him taking care to find out the needs and desires of the couple next to us so he can advise them suitably.

The restaurant appears to be doing a roaring trade and is filled with customers, creating a buzzy atmosphere for the Saturday night. This is particularly impressive given how unassuming The Olive Tree is from the outside – but it really is a true gem worth checking out. Not to be missed!

Hotel prices start from £145 for a classic double room. To book go to https://ift.tt/1pEhACZ

Bath holidays: The Michelin-starred Olive Tree is a true gem worth checking out. Not to be missed! (Image: The Queensbury)

No 15 Great Pulteney

Great Pulteney Street is the widest and grandest in the city of Bath so it stands to reason that No 15 Great Pulteney is also rather grand. It is also, however, completely bonkers.

This eccentric hotel –  self-proclaimedly “luxury for the curious” – is packed full of character which one might never guess judging from its chic Georgian townhouse exterior in complete uniformity with the entire street. Inside, the decor is so quirky it leaves your scratching your head. There’s a collection of kaleidoscopes in the hallway, a bizarre selection of dog figurines on one stairway and military memorabilia crowding the bottom of a staircase. The latter even features a soldier mannequin which, when first I spot it out of the corner of my eye, nearly makes me jump out of my skin. You have been warned!

In fact, no staircase in the same here: one has models of anthropomorphised pigs, another old cameras and a third huge perfume bottles. The thought that must have gone into the design is mind-boggling.

Our room on the top floor is lovely and while not so ostensibly idiosyncratic as the communal areas, there’s still something undeniably Bohemian. Our lamp shade drips in beads, mirrors with weaved frames sit above the bed’s headboard and a large, black sheep serves as a chair. These quirks don’t stop the hotel form providing all the mod cons, however, judging by the Dyson hairdryer and fan plus enormous TV with Sky.

From our window, we can see the roofs of all the stunning Georgian houses on the streets, the famous rugby grounds and even the abbey if I crane my head – all backed by the glorious Somerset countryside.

Bath holidays: No 15 Great Pulteney is an eccentric hotel – “luxury for the curious” (Image: No 15 Great Pulteney)

Bath holidays: The Dispensary comes complete with extensive wooden drawers labelled for herbs (Image: No 15 Great Pulteney)

An inventive addition to the hotel’s set-up is The Larder which peckish guests can raid whenever they want. While I am there it stocks help-yourself supplies of milk, ice cream, yoghurts, water, cans of fizzy drinks, old fashioned sweets plus flapjacks and brownies. It’s gloriously like a tuck shop and my inner schoolgirl lights up with the glee at the idea of plundering it for free (before my adult self remembers my straining jeans).

Before dinner, we head for a drink at the hotel’s Bar 15 which promises ‘creative liquid libations.’ I opt for a classic No 15 Champagne cocktail and settle back to see what eccentric delights reside in the bar. I am not disappointed. Our table is utterly bedecked with blue beads and jewellery and topped with glass, the huge paintings on the wall come to life with bizarre protrusions and little 3D editions of classic novels such as The Water Babies feature enchanting cut-outs of characters on the front covers.

I’m more taken with the restaurant, however. Aptly named The Dispensary, the room goes the whole hog with the theme, complete with extensive wooden drawers labelled for herbs, antiquated glass bottles of all colours lined again the wall and even old talcum powder containers.

There’s a nod to the actual function of the restaurant as well thanks to such features as a stove, complete with cast iron pots and a wall boasting every type of whisk you could possibly imagine.

The food is tasty too. I enjoy a starter of hake goujons – which are fresh and delicious – before a crispy duck salad washed down with a South African Cabernet Sauvignon. I finish with an utterly indulgent sticky toffee pudding (with top-notch fudge sauce) and a paired dessert wine.

Prices from £115 for a Cosy Double room. 01225 807015; https://ift.tt/32Cc7ce

The post Bath holidays: Where are the best hotels in Bath? Top accommodation revealed | Short & City breaks | Travel appeared first on Tripstations.

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[torontotravelblog]

THINGS TO DO IN TORONTO, CANADA – CITY GUIDE

Looking for tips on things to do in Toronto?

As part of our city guides series, we interviewed Melissa Shearer from the Mellyboo Project who is a Toronto native and passionate about her city.

Melissa shares with us her insider tips on the best things to do in Toronto, plus advice on where to eat, sleep, drink, shop and explore.

Why Visit Toronto?

Toronto is a special city in the world – it not only embraces the fact that 49% of its residents were born outside of Canada, but also turns multiculturalism into the face of Toronto.

It is a mecca of delicious food from all over the world, amazing shopping, and has a theatre district which rivals that of Broadway; it even hosts one of the best film festivals in the whole world.

When you visit Toronto, you are sure to get a cultural experience!

THINGS TO DO IN TORONTO

The Bata Shoe Museum

Are you, or a special lady in your life a shoe-a-holic?

The Bata Shoe Museum is every woman’s dream museum – showing off the history of shoes from the days of the Chinese binding their feet, to displaying famous shoes from history and pop culture. Just a short walk west on Bloor Street from Yorkville, the Bata shoe museum has one semi-permanent exhibit and three changing exhibits that showcase more than 1000 shoes from over 4500 years of history!

Toronto’s Only Clothing Optional-Beach

Wanna take it all off? Literally. Want to strip down to your birthday suit? There’s one place in the city that you can do this and not get arrested for indecent exposure.

Toronto’s only clothing optional-beach sits a short ferry ride from Harbourfront to Hanlan’s Point. Being one of two clothing-optional beaches in the entire COUNTRY (the other being in British Columbia), the beach is a very popular hotspot in the summer months!

Riverdale Farm

Visiting Toronto with the family? Do not miss Riverdale Farm – an example of a rural Ontario farm from 1880-1920. You can visit with the farm animals or even chat with the farmers while they do their everyday chores. Admission is free and it’s open every single day of the year!

CN Tower

No trip to Toronto would be complete without a visit to the CN Tower. Being a native of the area, I have been to this attraction many-a-time with out of town guests.

You get an unparalleled view of the city, if you’re hungry (and have a bit of money to spend) you can dine at the revolving restaurant 360, and now you can add a bit of thrill-seeking to your visit by partaking in the EdgeWalk – which has you walking around the circumference of the roof of the main pod 356m/1168ft above the ground!

Catch a Sports Game

Additionally, depending what season you visit in, catching a sports game should be in order! Toronto has some of the most avid sports fans in the entire world.

You can attend ice hockey games at the Air Canada Centre and watch the Toronto Maple Leafsbetween October and April. When hockey’s finished for the season, there’s always baseball and you can watch the Toronto Blue Jays play at the iconic Rogers Centre from April to October.

Best Neighborhoods to Explore in Toronto

The Distillery District

The Distillery District is a kick back to the early days of Toronto, complete with original buildings.

Now a hotspot amongst artists and young professionals, this neighbourhood has amazing restaurants and bars and beautiful art galleries and even a few small theatre spaces.

The Beaches in Toronto

Toronto has such diverse neighbourhoods that have such unique personalities; it’s hard to limit it to just a couple.

Most non-Torontonians don’t realize that you can bask on the beach in Toronto – and while it’s not quite the pristine white tropical beaches of Fiji, Toronto’s Beaches community is a summer hotspot amongst those who like to stick around the city rather than venture to cottage country.

Both family friendly and complete with great cafes and restaurants, The Beaches is a favorite amongst tourists and locals alike.

Where to Eat in Toronto

Toronto is home to more than 9000 restaurants – accommodating every type of palate and budget.

Fresh Restaurants

One of my favorite places to eat in the city is Fresh – a modern vegetarian restaurant and made-to-order juice bar with 3 locations around the city. I highly recommend the quinoa crusted onion rings!

Frans

Another favorite is Fran’s – a traditional diner where you can get all-day breakfast for an amazing price.

Poutine

Don’t forget to try some poutine (hot chips, cheese curds and gravy) while you’re in Canada – Poutini’s House of Poutine and Smoke’s Poutinerie are two restaurants that know their niche market and ONLY sell the good stuff – and they even cater to vegetarians and vegans!

Best to save these stops for post-drinks.

Chinatown

Toronto is known for it’s amazing Chinatown and Asian food. There are hundreds of restaurants that serve up delectable Asian fares some of the best being Dumpling House and Rol San (for amazing dim sum) on Spadina Rd. in the heart of Chinatown.

If you’re looking for some late-night traditional Chinese cuisine, be sure to check out New Ho King – a favourite amongst the University of Toronto students.

And if it’s a quick, cheap meal – you can’t go wrong with Bahn Mi Boys – who serve up Toronto’s best Vietnamese subs. The bonus? Their entire menu is under $8!

Where to Drink in Toronto

Canada is known for having a drinking culture akin to that of Australia, New Zealand and the United States and with this comes no shortage of places to go out in the city and enjoy a beverage.

One of my favorite places to drink is Horseshoe Tavern, one of Toronto’s oldest pubs. They’ve been serving up cold drinks and live music since 1947, and music legends such as The Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson, and Canada’s own The Tragically Hip have graced the stage.

If breweries are more your style, then be sure to check out Steam Whistle Brewing Company – you can take a free tour around one of Toronto’s designated ‘green buildings’ and learn all about their award-winning craft beer that puts a green-friendly spin on their product.

Where to Stay in Toronto

Budget accommodation in Toronto

Planet Traveler is being touted as Canada’s greenest hostel, and it sits right in the middle of eclectic Kensington Market.

Mid-Range accommodation in Toronto

One King West + Residence is fairly central and close to Toronto’s Union Station transit hub, you will get to experience luxury at a fraction of the price.

High-end accommodation in Toronto

Hotel Le Germaine may set you back a pretty penny, but rest assured, you will have one of the best sleeps of your life. I still have dreams of sleeping in that bed!

The post “ THINGS TO DO IN TORONTO, CANADA – CITY GUIDE “ was appeared first on YTravel.com

Toronto Naturopathic Doctor - Dr. Amauri Caversan

[cnfhumss12a-blog]

Recollections of a Warm Day in Binondo

By Abraham Diaz

Under the sweltering heat of the midday sun; wearing a thick bright yellow pull-over sweater in Binondo might not have been the best decision to make. After all, with the hustle and bustle of street merchants along with old Chinese men wearing nothing but white Sandos, prove that even the local residents of Binondo notice the warmth of the urban jungle they dwell in.

More than the humid air that permeated all throughout the vicinity, there was a sense of warmth that entered my heart as I walked the hallowed streets of Ongpin. Growing up, my parents would frequently go to Binondo. I’d either accompany my mother for business related activities, or we’d visit my father’s Chinese relatives. Regardless, the outcome was the same; I would get to explore the labyrinth of China town, and feast on scrumptious Chinese food.

For me, walking around these streets is like walking back in time; I see old buildings, and familiar stores we’d frequent long ago, juxtaposed by a skyline filed with the progression of unfamiliar new developments such as high-rise condominiums and strip malls. As cliché as it might sound, Binondo truly is a melting pot of culture — a hodgepodge of relics from a nostalgic past, and new surprises presented by a  progressive future. Like my trips here during my younger years, I’m eager to get into the heat of the action.  

My friends and I started our journey by looking for the best way to reach Binondo. We asked a security guard working in a condo around Taft for directions, and he told us that the best way to reach China town was via Jeepney. While we considered taking the LRT or UV vans, given the tropic afternoon heat, we went with riding the Jeepney, One, because it was one straight ride to Binondo. Two, it was the cheapest commute. Being broke-ass senior high school students, we already knew we were going to burn a hole through our wallets with our China town adventure, so we chose the most efficient form of transportation.    

Cruising down Jones’ bridge after a short Jeepney commute through Manila, we were greeted by the iconic Filipino-Chinese friendship arc that welcomes you to Binondo. Immediately we noticed the Chinese letterings that garnished the façade of establishments and institutions. Food stalls, medicine shops, and fruit vendors were sporadically seen all throughout the area. Despite the seemingly topsy-turvy state of disarray that was evident in China town, there was a chaotic order to things. Where seemingly foreign concepts coexist with one another; A Catholic church meters away from a Buddhist temple, a traditional Chinese medicine shop that sold herbs, and crystals as cures to debilitating disease right beside Mercury drug store, and a vegetarian restaurant adjacent to a Peking duck stall that slaughtered fowls daily. For the average reasonable person, Binondo might be jarring and overwhelming, but these quirks lead to warm encounters that are truly memorable.

We definitely didn’t expect to find mouthwatering food right beside a river of sewage and garbage. Running on a limited budget, we asked around where we could find authentic Chinese food at good prices. People pointed us towards a place called Estero, an alley filled with Chinese food stalls and restaurants right beside a creek. The stench from the murky waters of the Pasig River didn’t aid in selling the idea that this was a place that sold appetizing meals. Regardless, we were persistent to try what these hole-in-the-wall food stalls had to offer despite the unorthodox ambiance.

           The waitress of Estero fast food ushered us to their air-conditioned dining room that shielded us from the elements of the creek. The room was small and covered in bright pink linoleum; they had sparse décor, and we ordered from a laminated menu. We decided to get Spicy chili prawns, Yang chow rice, beef broccoli, and fried spareribs. While we were waiting for our food, they gave us complimentary tea; it was hot and soothing, but it lacked flavor. One of my friends commented how it tasted like warm tap water.

           When the food arrived, we were surprised by the large portions, considering how we ordered medium platters for all the dishes. We expected that it would suffice for four people; evidently the food could have fed six people easily. The food tasted alright, it wasn’t anything mind blowing, but it was enough for our group to lick the plates clean. My favorite dish was the Chili prawn, given how it was sweet and savory with the right amount of spice. The shells were soft and easy to take off, and the meat was well cooked. The spareribs were a close contender, with how soft and crunchy they were, it had massive portions, so much so that we had a bunch left over, even after gorging ourselves full.  My least favorite was the beef broccoli. It was bland and chewy, and I didn’t go for a second portion after tasting it. Overall, the food in Estero was acceptable, what they lacked in overall taste was offset by their huge portions, considering that the four of us each spent less than 180 Pesos , the amount of food we got was ridiculous.

           We continued our adventure through Binondo by exploring the various streets that encompass the district. We passed by a shop called Dragon Phoenix enterprise, a store that sold Chinese trinkets and knick-knacks that helped promote good fortune. Large Jade crystals and Statues of Buddha stood throughout the store, some costing hundreds to thousands of Pesos. A store clerk told us about the Bagua, a Feng Shui symbol in the shape of an octagon with a mirror in the middle; it represented the eight fundamental principles of Taoist – Cosmology, and was a source of good fortune. Looking into the beautiful Baguas we asked the clerk if staring into the mirror caused death like in Kris Aquino’s block buster film Feng Shui. Much to our relief, he reassured us that only good fortune comes from their products.

As we got deeper and deeper into the belly of China town, we noticed the various shops spread all throughout: stores that sold stationaries, shops that stocked Hello kitty toys, and hardware stores ran by old Chinese men. The heat of the mid-day sun forced us to loiter in shops with air-conditioning. With that, we decided to look for refreshments, we settled on some Mango Sago from the famous Salido restaurant. Salido was back in Ongpin while we were already on the opposite side of the district near Reina Regente Street; exhausted, we decided to hail a Pedicab to take us there. The drivers offered to take us for 200 pesos, I haggled with him, and eventually he agreed to take us for half the amount. The Pedicab ride was long and traffic laden, the tight streets of Binondo favored legs over wheels, eventually we arrived at Salido’s and realized that we had already passed the restaurant when we arrived at Binondo earlier that day.

Salido’s had an unassuming façade that you wouldn’t find unless you were actively searching for it. Its small entrance led to a diner-esque café on the second floor that felt like taking back a step in time. Right from the get go, you could see that not only was the building itself vintage, but the majority of its patrons could pass off as terracotta warriors if you didn’t know better.  

We were served warm tea as we were waiting for our mango sago, and we asked the waitress if we could get an interview with a local resident. The waitress pointed towards the very corner of the restaurant, where her boss sat and read his newspaper. At first we were intimidated by his appearance, because he looked like a brooding Dragon who didn’t want to get bothered, but she assured us that he was a big softie more akin to a Panda bear. The owner’s name was King Arthur, a name fitting for a man who owned a restaurant filled with round tables. King Arthur grew up in Binondo, managing Salido’s as it was passed down from his grandfather, the original owner of the restaurant. He recounted how their restaurant started as a karinderya or a turo-turo, before it was destroyed during the bombing of Manila in the course of World War II. Despite the adversities faced by Arthur’s family, they continued to persevere and as Binondo prospered so did their eatery; transitioning from a wooden structure to a one made of cement. King Arthur told us about his various patrons— Manila Mayor’s such as Erap and Atienza would frequent the shop every Sunday; the old Terracotta warrior-esque men on the other side of the room were his childhood friends, He told us that the bald 92 year old Chinese man adjacent to us was a drunkard and a ladies' man, but was also the owner of Ace Hardware in the Philippines.

As the warm rays of the dusk strike my neck as I ride a Jeepney back to Taft the lingering heat of Chinatown, leaves a mark not only on my skin, bit on my soul. Much like the hot tea and weather in Binondo, there is layer of warmth for the history and culture that is present in the area. The tinge of red lanterns, the smell of oriental spices, and the various hidden gems spread all throughout the area, add character to a place that has been the focal point for various lifestyles. Only in Manila’s Chinatown can you see Spanish architecture, Chinese traditions, and Filipino people seamlessly intermingling with one another. When worlds collide, you expect there to be friction. However, the friction and heat present in Binondo creates a cultural energy unlike any other. Although I regret wearing my thick bright yellow pull-over sweater during our China town adventures, I will never forget the warmth of Binondo, and the heat it has kindled in my heart.

Gallery: https://cnfhumss12a.tumblr.com/tagged/Abraham

#english #Abraham

[pinelife3]

Businesses I Worry About

When thinking of get rich quick schemes, good ideas might include:

Dropshipping 

Chill hop radio streams on YouTube (there has to be some money to be made, right?)

Automating the set-up of Wordpress sites (actually cool themes, basic pages, get rid of shitty blog post format so a business can use it, etc.) and charge ~$20/site

ATM skimmers 

Buy the domain www.jetstor.com and make it look exactly like JetStar’s site. Sell fake plane tickets. Use elaborate VPNs and darkweb security stuff to avoid detection. Once the scam ceases to be profitable repeat with virgon.com and any other business where a user might mistype the website’s URL. I’d suggest this scam works best for businesses with a ‘u’, ‘i’ and/or ‘o’ in the name as these three letters sit beside each other on the keyboard (facilitating fat-fingered typos) and also people tend to pay less attention to vowels 

Not high at the top of anyone’s list: opening a restaurant.

You may not think this wandering through Chinatown, perhaps on account of the the hand-written BYO WINE ONLY signs or perhaps because of the waiters killing fish in the alleys*, but the choice to open a restaurant is indicative of the kind of pure human energy which has nothing to do with wanting to get rich. 

(*I swear they do this at New Kum Den - when someone chooses one of the depressed barramundi from the tank, they fish it out, put it in a bucket and then sneak off to kill it in the alley so the kitchen doesn’t get all fish’d up.)

Just think of everything that could go wrong:

Ruinous upfront and ongoing costs

Unfair reviews

Unreliable twenty-something staff

Think about how much chairs and plates and mops and cutesy pot plants and signs cost. How many tea towels do you need? How many forks? Think about how hard it must be to find a full staff of people you trust. Think about opening for the first day and no one buying anything. Same deal on the second day. Your vegetables start to go bad in the fridge. Did you make a mistake?

This is basically my opinion on restaurants: they are risky investments, shouldered by the courageous so that the whole community has places to go where they can eat delicious ramen or dumplings or fried chicken with blue cheese sauce. With that in mind, why would anyone risk it all to open the establishment pictured below?

Falafel Place opened on Smith Street around 6 months ago. As you can see, it is not stylish - that’s why they called it Falafel Place rather than Palace. It already looks tired and it just opened. It doesn’t beckon. It doesn’t repel. It just exists (for now).

The Smith Street area is already home to many kebab/Lebanese cheap eats joints:

The only angle I can see that Falafel Place may have is that they specialise in vegetarian food (i.e. no kebabs here - only falafel, tabbouleh, etc.) but there’s nothing to recommend this place beyond being vego-friendly.

Something about this place has really gotten under my skin. None of the kebab joints (with a possible exception of Lamb on Brunswick) I’ve highlighted above is especially creative or adventurous in what they’ve opened. I don’t feel a glow of human courage and pride emanating from those businesses - but they do have one thing going for them (beyond the meat): the baked-in grease in the walls, the ravaged staff who have become canny to the ways of the local drunks (getting your kebab is like a hostage negotiation - you’ll have to hand over the cash before you get your food). There’s just something grotty but dependable about the local kebab joints. Like the raw onions in a kebab, it brings a tear to your eye. Not so with Falafel Place. I feel so much pity for the owners. Why would you risk so much money (Smith St rent can’t be cheap - how much fucking falafel will you need to sell to make ends meet?) on a place which looks so disinterested - disinterested in falafel and disinterested in selling us falafel. Do you people even like falafel? Nothing about this place suggests even a passing interest in falafel. Falafel PLACE?! 

INTERVIEWER: Excuse me Mr. Proprietor, could you tell us something about what inspired you to open this establishment?

PROPRIETOR: Huh?

INTERVIEWER: Could you spare some time to -

PROPRIETOR: Are you talking to me?

INTERVIEWER: Yes, aren’t you the genius behind this fine falafel restaurant?

PROPRIETOR: Ah yeah.

INTERVIEWER: So, could you tell us a bit about what inspired you to open such a -

PROPRIETOR: Look lady, falafel just spawns here. Every morning we come into the office and find all our desk drawers full of falafel.

INTERVIEWER: You mean you don’t lovingly cook this using a recipe your great-grandmother left you in her will?

PROPRIETOR: No we don’t cook it. We’re accountants. We just sell falafel out of the office reception so it doesn’t attract ants where we’re trying to work.

INTERVIEWER: But why not just eat it yourselves - I don’t understand.

PROPRIETOR: Eat the falafel? I can’t stand the stuff. So dry. It’s awful.

INTERVIEWER: I have to say this is one of the more candid interviews I’ve conducted for Made Up Falafel Magazine. Could you explain the thinking process behind the name?

PROPRIETOR: Falafel Place? Well, yeah we didn’t want to lay it on too thick with superlatives or -

INTERVIEWER: Or even a name which wasn’t a statement of fact.

PROPRIETOR: Look, this is a place where there is falafel. Buy it or not - I really don’t care.

Meanwhile... not too much further along Smith Street, is another newish business: Sen Storm, a Veitnamese fusion restaurant. This premises used to be occupied by a New Orleans po boy joint which seemed to be perpetually closed. A few months ago, I saw that they were re-tiling the shopfront - like so, I think it actually looks really nice:

(It’s closed in this pic - it normally looks a bit more welcoming)

Maybe it’s because I was dimly aware of the failure of the po boy place, but I am very stressed for Sen Storm. Every time I walk past, I look in to see if they have enough customers. Are the staff busy? Are people eating there? Is it being enjoyed? I desperately want the people of Sen Storm to have made a good investment. I can feel the care radiating out of this place - they want it to be nice, they want people to enjoy it. They’re trying something new. Vietnamese food is typically pretty cheap in Melbourne: $12 bowls of pho, $4 banh mi on Victoria Street. Sen Storm is edging their way into fancier restaurant prices ($25 mains, nice cocktails) - there are not many other places in Melbourne doing nice napkin Vietnamese.

I read this interesting article on why noodles are cheap compared to pasta - it has a lot to do with our biases relating to the hierarchy of cuisines:

The other issue in all of this, is us, the dining public. What prices are we willing to pay for pad Thai, ramen or a plate of dumplings? All the chefs interviewed acknowledged a cultural hierarchy that makes noodles cheap and pasta expensive.

"Why would people pay $30 for cacio e pepe, which is really just pasta, black pepper and cheese, but they won't pay more than $10 for three amazingly made har gau or xiao long bao, which probably require a whole lot more skill than making pasta?" asks Dan Hong.

Narada Kudinar, co-owner of Sydney's Yan, sees this play out in his Chinese-style smokehouse.

"We get people who walk into the restaurant, after Googling we are the top-rated Asian restaurant in the area and walking out after seeing the menu prices."

Mr Bayad feels the same frustration running his inner-Sydney Filipino restaurant.

"Customers frequently come in claiming they ate the same food for 43 cents at a street market in the Philippines.

"I deal with that fairly often here and it's an old conversation — I'm just sick of it. The production [of food] here is completely different."

It's an expectation rooted in mainstream experiences of Asian food — from chicken chow mein in suburban Chinese takeaway restaurants with the lucky cat figurines to $1 pad Thai on Bangkok streets.

Even those with Asian heritage can hold the same prejudices. "The easy stereotypes are very ingrained — the idea of yum cha being a 'hangover food' and Chinese being a 'quick, cheap option' — that is ingrained in me as well," says Dr Lee.

^^ This graph is from an Atlantic article from a few years ago which also looks at our biases around food, like why we will pay more for Japanese and French food than Chinese or Thai. Anyway, I do believe tastes and expectations are changing, but the point I’m trying to make is that Sen Storm is part of a new wave - they’re taking a risk and they care.

After months of anxiously peering into Sen Storm, wondering what it was like, I finally went with Matt. We ordered:

Duck curry: orange duck leg curry with egg noodles

Pepper venison: venison seasoned with Vietnamese mountain pepper served with parsnip puree and chilli chutney

Nice, right? I did photograph the food but my pictures were awful (my proud tradition of producing vomitous food photographs continues) but you can see a bit of the venison in the pic below and a corner of the curry as well. Both were very tasty and it felt like a surprising meal. Again, they’re trying something new.

I can understand why the people at Sen Storm took the risk - they had an idea, something to share, and they opened a restaurant which is still not bustling but is slowly accumulating positive reviews and will hopefully grow into a successful business. But if restaurants are risky investments - does it make sense to gamble on something you care about? Is Sen Storm more likely to do better than Falafel Place because the Sen Stormians are passionate? Maybe - but the margin by which Sen Storm has to do better is huge because building something special has cost them a lot more. Falafel Place is built on a foundation of plastic takeout containers. 

In short, I am still worried about Sen Storm.

#Smith St #Melbourne #Sen Storm

[sarahinzhuhai-blog]

Week 1

Yo, it's ya girl Srah, back at it with another blog post...I'm going to try to do these every Sunday (no promises). So much happened this week that I could write a novel, but I'll try to give a good summary of what has happened so far during my time here. // 周一 (Monday)：The week started off auspiciously when I missed the bus with my mom because the driver decided not to stop at my stop that morning. In a frenzy, we took the next bus that came, got off at a seemingly random station (aka at that point o was completely unaware of how the city worked), then waited as a corner as she summon the mysterious car that took us to school. I only arrived about 10 minutes late, but everything was OK since it was the first day. I went into the room that I was told to go into, and found out that I got placed into the highest class. Yay! Our teacher, 车老师 (Che Laoshi), is the b e s t and I was very excited. At that point, we had six people in our class: me, XY, Maya, Shayley, Isabel and Alec. Our class also has four TAs, two of them come every day. The first day, like every other day, classes went like this: three hours of language instruction with 10 minute breaks, A half hour of time with language partner to review and practice, a two hour lunch break, another hour of instruction, and another half hour with the language partners. To my delight, class was taught ~90% in Chinese, which is very different from my class at home but is very good for learning. The first day was a review of Pinyin and tones, which we all already knew. That being said, I have a very hard time differentiating between second and third tone when I listen, and my pronunciation is a disaster, so the chance to practice was welcome. My language partner (语伴), Zhang Yini, is very nice and very patient with me. Over the week, I found out that we have a lot in common (in addition to having the same last name). The first main bonding point was that we both watch the same Chinese variety show (Go Fighting)--we found this out when I forgot the name of the show and did the main gesture/punch line from it and she instantly knew what I was talking about. In addition to being all around awesome, she is also very patient with me--she knows I want to practice pronunciation and tones, so she is always willing to help me and repeat things/tell me the tone numbers to help me out!!! After class got out, ZYN had to take another final (her second of the day), so somehow I ended up hanging with Matthew and several 语伴s including: Caroline, Outing, Haoxi (aka BBC, a nickname earned because he speaks very very good English but with a British accent), Lili, Chris, Caroline's friend Erin, and possibly others. We took the ecart to a place called mango paradise, where I couldn't read the menu but it didn't matter because everything had names like "Snow White" but with no further explanation of what eating Snow White would entail. So we got Snow White and Mixed Fruit, and ended up with a fruity shaved ice and a fruit in cream deal. Both were pretty good, but I'm still not sure what they were. I had a great time and found out BBC likes Lana Del Rey as much as, if not more than, I do. After, Outing, Caroline and Erin took us home on the bus (which was incredibly kind of them, especially since Outing had an Ancient Chinese final the next day that he needed to study for), and then I went home. I was absolutely exhausted. After dinner, I fell asleep on the bed and could barely wake myself up to shower and brush my teeth. // 周二 (Tuesday): After Mondays bus debacle, my mom drove me to school on Tuesday. In class, we started learning new characters and really getting into the swing of things. We have a dictation every day--the teacher says something and we write it. Tuesday mornings was writing the pinyin for what the teacher said, and since I'm terrible at tones, it didn't go so well. Every other dictation of the week was much better because it was writing characters. Anyways, many of the new words on Tuesday were words I had learned already, and the others we wrote so many times while talking in class that I had memorized them by the time the day was over. After lunch with ZYN and maybe some others (I can't remember, oops), we had an hour of class before it was time to talk with our 语伴. We played a legendary game called 谁是卧底(who's the spy). I would describe it as a mix of Taboo, Mafia and Spyfall, and it's a riot when you're not using your native language. We played this game every day from Tuesday on. My favorite game was the one that lasted the entire hour in which I played the whole game thinking I was the spy only to find out that I was not and had lost. Oops. After school, me, ZYN, Maggie, Reyna, Matthew and another 语伴 went to a "fried yogurt shop" (I'm not sure that's the name). Anyways, they were out of what we meant to get so instead I ordered rose froyo that came in chunks. The most notable part of that experience was that the store, named Ecup, was boob themed. Not subtly so, we're talking nipple pillows and two boos in the logo. One of the signs says you're not supposed to say you've been to ecup, so this blog can be our secret I guess. Then we rode the bus home, I studied a bit for the next days dictation. // A few general things about the week: I still can't really understand my dad but writing this on Sunday night, I have been able to understand a little bit which I consider to be a major accomplishment. Another thing: tensions have been running very high in my family this week because my little sister has to take finals tomorrow and Tuesday. I won't publish conversations or specific events because they have a right to privacy, but this has been different from my American home. For starters, in America, 9/10 year olds don't have to take finals, but this has also been my first time to first hand experience the "tiger mom" (I'm not sure if that's a proper term to use, please let me know if it isn't) approach to parenting, and it's been a bit of a shock. But since my sister has been so busy, I've been staying out of the house a lot after school. Another thing: except for before lunch sometimes because I have a hard time eating breakfast, I'm almost never hungry here...my mom always ensures I am v e r y well fed. Okay, back to the blog. // 周三 (Wednesday): As predicted, this dictation (and every other one this week) went much better than Tuesday: 100%! Yay! More practice with my 语伴 and another harrowing round of Who's the Spy made for a fun day of class. Wednesday's class centered more around grammar from the dialogue and some cultural/historical words, and the language learning accompanied learning about cultural customs, which I liked. For lunch, me, XY, Shayley and our 语伴s took a pass on Canteen 1 and decided to go to a 饺子 (dumplings) store on campus, per alumni recommendation. The store didn't look like much, but the food was delicious. A lot of places are like that here. I watched them make some of the dumplings and then I ate a ridiculous amount. After lunch, we hit up the supermarket and ZYN taught me about different snacks. After normal classes let out, we had a culture class (we will have one every Wednesday). Todays was 书法 (calligraphy) and 国画 (traditional Chinese painting). Because of time constraints, everything felt a bit rushed and I can't say my skills improved, but I still enjoyed both classes. They both had a competition element that I didn't really like (and I voiced that concern later when asked about it), but all in all, still had a good time. Both clases were taught by TAs, 语伴s and maybe others. I don't remember who was the primary teacher for calligraphy, but Haoxi/BBC/Ou Laoshi taught the painting class. Since class let out late and I helped clean afterwards, I decided not to go out after school and instead went home. When I got home, I thought I forgot my keys so I waited outside for my mom to come home for the better part of an hour and got destroyed by mosquitos. I also saw two little dogs without owners, and then had a successful conversation with a local with little to no difficulty when I was expressing concern about the dogs (at the time, I had only seen one, but he told me that the owner lived in a nearby building and the dog always went around by itself... :/ ). After I got inside, I realized I had in fact NOT forgotten my keys. I decided not to tell my host parents that. // 周四 (Thursday): More classes and another successful dictation. Lunch on the second floor (oh boy) of Canteen 1 with BBC and David, which was very entertaining. After food, ZYN took me to the library, which was very nice on the inside. I found some pretty interesting things, including a Hilary Duff All Access book, several books about Extraterrestrial Life, and then on a more serious note, several books on queer theory and sexuality, which I wasn't expecting to find, even if it is a university library. After classes were over, Richa, XY and I went to YoungMix (扬名), a gigantic multistory mall. Highlights from the trip included: 1) riding a completely empty bus from school to the transfer station. I mean empty; we were the only three. Everything you've heard about Chinese buses is true during rush hour on some lines(and I've had the pleasure of experiencing that on Monday morning), so this was very exciting. 2) At the mall, they were having the fashion show of traditional clothing. It was really cool. I took some pictures and then some of the ladies who ran it started talking to me. I mostly used my smile-and-nod-and-pretend-you-understand-strategy, but I eventually realized they they were trying to convince us to spend 1000-2000RMB to get pictures done with the clothes at their company and we were out of there. 3) I had a very very good waffle. 4) there was a bunny mall (recommended to me by ZYN) inside the mall and the cages were not very clean but the bunnies were very cute.5) A family was holding a vigil in the middle of the sidewalk and a crowd had sort of gathered around. They were clearly very distraught and I didn't know what to do as I passed by. 6) I successfully navigated home from an unknown place on an unfamiliar bus line. // 周五(Friday): My mom got rear ended (driving here is insane--people merge with like 2 inches to spare, so I'm not surprised that this happened) so I was ready to take the bus, but then some guy came and drove me to school. It was a very quiet ride because I didn't know what to say and when we did talk I mostly couldn't understand him. Also, my dad told me to sit in the backseat but the back seats here often don't have seatbelts, so that was stressful. I arrived at school in one piece. More classes and another successful dictation. During third period, 车老师 had to go to a meeting so the TAs ran class. They gave us a talk (mostly in English) about Huitong Village (the place we would be visiting Saturday) and interesting places in Zhuhai. Some of my friends were talking a lot and the room is very echoey, plus I was annoyed because we were speaking a lot of English (I feel like I've been speaking far too much English this week), because I couldn't hear because it was loud and because I was exhausted, so I was sort of in an awful mood. Then we practiced calligraphy on the water sheets, and after talking with ZYN I was in a much better mood. Lunch was at canteen 1 (second floor again), with a bunch of people but again at the same table as BBC and David. It was a shortened lunch (the second of the week, the first was on Tuesday to have a debriefing session) in order to have a meeting about the next day's cultural excursion and to receive our stipend. Most of my friends had long ago spent the stipend from the week before. I still had more than half of it left... The second half of classes was fun (oh yeah, Josh and Richa are in class 3 now-yay!), and then we were free for the evening. Me, Garrett, Sydney, XY, Maya, Anthony, Isabel, Katie, Alec, and Reyna went to find a place called Beeplus, which we had learned about during third period. It's a place made entirely of boxcars/storage containers. We had heard it had a lot of fun places inside, ranging from office spaces to restaurants, so we went to check it out. It was hard to find and not what we were expecting, but it was pretty cool. After awkwardly walking in and out of the restaurant, we meandered into an office space to ask about the building and ended up getting a tour guided by a guy named David (who spoke English). He showed us the office spaces, let us onto the roof garden/bar to check it out (even though it was closed to the public at the moment), and told us about the building. Apparently it was constructed in only 2 days and is a collaborative office space for entrepreneurs and startups to operate. For about 100-150 American dollars a month, they get 24 hour office access, including printing, electricity, AC, water, etc. David was very helpful to our group and complimented my Chinese. While the building wasn't what we were expecting, I thought it was cool to get a look into some of the new things that are happening in China's business world. Also there was a slide. After, we explored Tangjiawan (a mini city in the north of Zhuhai). Finds include: a supermarket that looked very small on the outside but ended up being three stories tall, and an alley with lots of little stores that looked to be in bad shape but were okay in the inside. We found a store that taught little kids piano and a pizza shop that some of us ended up eating dinner at. I went home for dinner instead. I wasn't expecting to do anything after, since my sister was still studying, but after dinner my mom took me to a tea house that her friend owned. We had tea with the friends whole family (husband, toddler daughter and elementary school son, and father), and it was very, very good. On the walk back, the streets were very busy with people out to eat. This city feels a lot more alive than my city back in America--there are way more people out and about, which is cool. // 周六 (Saturday): Saturday was wild. First, I arrived at the bus stop with 30 seconds before my bus arrived. Before I realized Alec was on the bus too and went to sit with him, I had an interesting "exchange." I was sitting in the front of the bus facing back, and noticed a guy my age in the back kept looking at me. So I decided to look at him too. Then I smiled and he got very flustered. Alec does not think this actually happened. Anyways, after we got to the university, we met up at the hotel (which I still associate with all the negative feelings I've ever had on this trip...oops) and then got on the bus to Huitong village. I'm very confused about the history of the place (since it was given to us during that third period class on Friday), but I think a rich guy (Mo [Mu?] Huitong, except I don't think Huitong was his real name) helped his friends (?) build this village...? Anyways, it's still standing and there are a lot of very old buildings, including two watchtowers, ancestral halls (one of which we got to see), and this place that was called the Fairy Hall (or maybe Fairy Building, which we didn't get to see) that had a love story associated with it. The ancestral hall was beautiful (and had a lot of interesting architecture that carries more meaning than met the eye), and we visited a cute coffee shop that had cats in it, but the most meaningful experience of the day was when an 80+ year old woman invited a small group of us who were walking around the village to come into her house (or into the courtyard of her house) to sit with her. She was very concerned about us being comfortable and talked to us for a while (luckily, one of the language partners was there and could understand her better than I could). She talked about how her family had lived in the village (and on that very house) for four generations and how she had had multiple strokes and been robbed multiple times. At one point, a group of people came by and stared at us because we were a group of foreigners and asked us (in Chinese?) if we needed a translator...odd. Anyways, Outing found us and then we left and he stayed back to briefly speak with her since they both speak Cantonese. As we walked out, someone assumed i wouldn't be able to speak Chinese and commented about how my hair was ugly, if I heard correctly (I was wearing braided pigtails, which is not common here). Like with all incidents where someone stares/comments, I ignored them and moved on. Then we walked around, saw a snake, XY and Anthony dared each other to eat loganberries off a tree, and then rested for a bit. We found these pretty white and yellow flowers (they 语伴s were calling them eggflowers in Chinese but I have no idea what the English name is), and first Outing and Anthony were ~~stylin~~ with them but then Outing let me have his. On the walk back to the meeting spot, we stopped at a small shop. I had some sort of snack with red bean in the inside, and then we headed back to the university. I went to lunch with several 语伴s/TAs (including BBC, Emily, Lili, and someone whose name I am forgetting right now), Tully, Sydney, Lexi and I. The lunch was at a fancy restaurant and very good, and my hair was again the subject of many patrons' attention. At lunch, BBC commented that I look like Emma Watson (and others agreed), which was very flattering. After, Lexi and I stayed back with the 语伴s/TAs and hung out on campus. We goofed around on a playground and generally had a good time. We also talked to this American guy who has been living in Zhuhai for 10 years and teaching at the University. He gave us some language learning tips. After I got home, my mom taught me how to roll out the wrappers and make dumplings . I had dinner (part of which was spent watching the big show on TV for the 20th anniversary of HK rejoining China) and then I was off to calligraphy class again. My sister didn't come this time, so in the little kid section it was just me and the girl from last week who couldn't understand me and stared the whole time. I spent the whole class trying to perfect the horizontal stroke, and the teacher and little girl were both very patient with me and my lack of calligraphy and Chinese skills. // 周日 (Sunday): Today I got to sleep in until 9, when my sister came in to practice piano before her lesson. During her lesson, I got to practice for the first time in several days (she's been studying so I can't disturb her with piano). Not knowing how to start a conversation with my host dad, I wrote some characters to review from this week, listened to recordings of the song I was practicing and fell asleep again. After I woke up, still not knowing what to talk about, I tried to read Harry Potter in Chinese until my sister came home and we ate lunch. After lunch, I took the bus to the university to meet up with some of the kids from Class 3 and some of our 语伴s and TAs for KTV (although first, ZYN and I played a game of pool). KTV is like karaoke except better: you get a private room and pick whatever songs you want with your friends. We did KTV for about 4 hours (yes, 4), and it cost less than 2 American dollars per person. We sang e v e r y t h i n g. A bunch of American songs, some Chinese songs I knew and some I didn't, some kpop (on Friday during lunch, I showed ZYN BTS and so today she showed me that I could sing their songs at KTV. I picked a few of my favorites but then some of the 语伴s queued up their own kpop favorites...BIGBANG was their popular choice and they were very impressed when I could sing most of Eyes Nose Lips), some Spanish songs and even some Japanese and French ones. The last song we JAMMED to was BIGBANGs Fantastic Baby, which was iconic to say the least. After KTV, I had a late dinner, found out what my dads job is from my sister and had a very brief conversation with him about it (admittedly, the questions I asked were kind of dumb and he thought they were funny), and then just rested. I'm not sure I'll have a voice tomorrow after today's KTV adventure. Tomorrow and the next day, my little sister will take her final exams! Hopefully she will do well and I can do more fun things with my host family in the weeks to come. // Some parting notes: 1) I am squatty potties' number one supporter now. They are great and anyone who disagrees can square up. 2) Alec was commenting about how, even though we are surrounded by people here, it feels lonely. I have to agree--I don't know what it is but there's definitely a sense of isolation that I get here and I'm not sure it's all just because I'm a foreigner. 3) It rained a lot today for the first time. Spicy stuff 4) Funny story: here when something is good/awesome you can just say "Liu" (six) a bunch of times so imagine my confusion when someone commented 666 on my post . 5) Another cultural difference that made things weird is when I didn't know that they wait to open gifts until after the giver has left. Oh well. 6) one of the days this week, I had a really fun time where my whole family watched TV together and my sister and I goofed around. It was a very good time and one of the few times we have a interacted together. My sister and I both did this balance exercise and she also gave me a circus hat and stuffed animal snake to try on, which I donned dramatically while saying "model" 7) Yesterday night I taught my little sister some ballet. 8) I'm sure I forgot a lot of stuff but it's very late and I have to wake up early to catch the bus tomorrow, so this is all for now. ✌️️

[axis3100]

Parents

And now it is time for my second prompt for @wholesome-week! First off, yes, I know this is late, that’s because A, I was busy at work and this one wasn’t prepared ahead of time and B, my computer took an hour to update just as I was about to edit it. Now back to the important details, like I said yesterday, I’m trying to devote more wholesomeness to my OC’s this week and with this one being about parents ... yeah, there isn’t much of Star and Marco in here. On a side not, this isn’t how I wanted to introduce the OC I’m about to introduce ... but I’ve been putting it off for quite literally a few years so I guess beggars can’t be choosers in this case. Now let us get this started.

The small car pulled into the parking lot as the family inside got ready for the night ahead. “Ready Marcus?” The father asked.

“A little nervous.” Marcus replied. He ran his hands through his brown hair as he tried to calm himself. Marcus had recently gotten together with the girl he had liked since childhood and now was the obligatory family dinner where their parents would meet each other and the stress was driving Marcus crazy. “You sure no one can see my burns?” He asked as he examined his blue dress shirt.

“You'll be fine.” His mother added as she stepped out of the car. “And don’t Faiths parents already know about them?”

“That's not the point.” Marcus said as he rubbed his arm. “Man its cold, you sure I couldn't bring my hoodie?”

“You would make a worse impression if you showed up in it.” His father told him. “Plus, you look fine, you have nothing to worry about.”

“I sure hope so.” The family walked up to the door of the restaurant and Marcus took one final moment to prepare himself. “Well, here goes nothing.”

He opened the door to the restaurant and took a look around, they had decided to meet at a Chinese place but he was having trouble finding his girlfriend and her parents. After a moment, he caught sight of her slowly walking up to them. She was a little shorter than Marcus and instead of her usually know hoodie, she was long pink dress with loose sleeves a v-neck. Her dark blond hair, which was normally unkept and barely reached her shoulders, was well combed with her bangs stopping just shy of her green and blue eyes. The only thing that was even remotely off was the scar on her neck from when they were young and even that would have gone unnoticed by most. In fact, this was also the first time Marcus had seen her without at least one of her forearm crutches. ‘I am so underdressed.’ Marcus thought to himself.

“Hello there.” Faith greeted with a smile. “Sorry, my parents are in the restroom and we’re just waiting for the family who has our table to finish.” She scratched the back of her head with a sheepish smile as Marco and his parents smiled. “We’re just waiting right over here.” She slowly began to take a step back which soon proved to be a bad idea, her left leg began to give out and she began to tumble just as Marcus rushed to catch her.

She hadn't even fallen two inches by the time Marcus got to her causing her to give him a slight leer. “Thank you but you know you didn't have to do that.” She said as Marcus helped her to her feet.

“True, but I figured a broken arm and a trip to the emergency room might put a damper on tonight's festivities.”

She opened her mouth to retort but quickly closed it again and nodded. “Well then thank you.”

A moment later, one of the waitresses walked up to them and greeted them. “Uh Callow, party of six?” She asked.

“That’s us.” Faith answered.

“You’re table is ready, if you’ll just follow me.” The waitress walked to the table they were going to be sitting at as Faith slowly turned around, almost falling over again in the process.

“Okay.” She began as she took a breath and spread out her arms a little. “I've got this.” She took a deep breath and then slowly began walking towards the table with Marcus and his parents close behind.

Just as they reached the table, Faith’s father came out of the bathroom and noticed their table was free and Marcus and his family had arrived. “Oh, hello there, you must be the Dixons.” He said as he walked over to them. “And Marcus, I see you're doing well.”

“Nice to see you again Dr. Callow.” Marcus replied as he shook his hand. Faiths father was a tall man with short blond hair and broad shoulders. He was wearing a light blue dress shirt with a darker blue vest and dress pants.

“Doctor?” Marcus's father asked as everyone took their seat.

“Please, call me Alex.”

“Oh right.” Marcus's father said as he remembered. “You were the doctor we went to when Marcus needed stitches after the garage explosion.”

“And I have since learned not to let Star Butterfly into my workspace when I'm working on experimental fireworks … or ever for that matter.”

Faith laughed while her father let out a small chuckle. “Anyway, like I said, my name is Alex and it’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Marcus’s father replied. “My name is Mathew, and this is my wife Alexis.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Marcus’s mother greeted as she shook Alex’s hand.

“I think my wife is still in the rest room so-“ Just as he was talking a tall women with long brown hair and wearing a red dress walked out of the ladies bathroom and over to them. “And here she is now.” He he greeted her with a smile as she took a seat next to him. “This is my wife, Maria.” He looked to Maria. “Maria, these are the Dixons.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Maria replied. “I’m Maria, Faith’s mom.”

“It’s nice to meet you too.” Marcus’s mother replied. “So Faith.” Marcus’s father began. “I’ve noticed that your physical therapy has really payed off.”

“Oh yes.” Faith replied with a smile. “My physician says that I’ve advanced exceptionally fast.”

“And it shows.” Mathew replied.

She smiled then glanced away for a moment. “Well, I need a lot of it, and I’ve also needed a few surgeries what with CP and OP.”

“OP?” Marcus’s mom asked.

“She means Osteogenesis imperfecta” Marcus clarified.

“Yeah, I don’t know what-“

“He means Brittle bone disease.” Faith’s father clarified. “And she has overcome every obstacle she’s ever faced.”

“Dad.” Faith replied feeling embarrassed.

“I’m allowed to brag about my daughter.” He replied.

“She has come a long way.” Maria added.

Both parents laughed and smiled at their daughter before turning to Marcus. “So, Marcus, tell us a little about yourself.” Maria requested.

“Me?” Marcus asked. “Well … I … I still work on making fireworks in my free time … I do have a part time job at a shop that sells fireworks.”

“And you’re helping to set up the show for the upcoming Fourth of July.” Marcus’s mom added.

“Oh really?” Faith’s father asked.

“It’s not that impressive.” Marcus replied. “I mean I’m helping to set up but I’m not making any of the fireworks or doing any of the organizing.”

“Well you’re getting there.” Faith’s father added. The waitress handed them their menus and as they opened them, Faith’s father gave Marcus a concerning look. “Marcus … may I ask you something?”

“Sure.” Marcus replied.

“You said you make fireworks, right? Isn't that dangerous?”

Marcus paused as he felt his palms start to sweat. “That's why I take precautions.”

“Really?” He asked. “Could you enlighten me?”

Faith slowly turned to her father and gave him a suspicious look.

“I would be delighted to.” Marcus replied trying to remain calm. “I work on them in the garage or at the local testing site for starters.”

“You mean the bomb range?”

“Yes, anyway, while I’m working, no one else is allowed in, except in an emergency, there’s a sprinkler system that goes off at the slightest hint of fire which doesn’t actually happen because I only set them off at the testing range. Also, I’m always wearing extra fireproof clothing, gloves, face protection, the works.”

“You take safety very seriously then?”

“Of course I do, it would be horrible if someone else got hurt.”

Marcus began to sweat as he waited for a response. By now Faith’s parents had to know that he was the one responsible for the burn on her neck and he figured that he was only a moment away from calling him out on it. Much to Marcus’s surprise, and relief, he didn't. “That's good to know Marcus.” He began. “If you would forgive me, I am worried about my daughter’s safety.”

“Dad!” Faith interjected.

“It's fine.” Marcus stated trying to calm her down. “I get asked things like that a lot.”

As the waitress took their orders and the dinner rolled on, they found themselves talking about a number of things, from work, to current event’s to just about anything else, it was only after Faith had excused herself to go to the bathroom and Marcus a short time after that the two pairs of foster parents found themselves talking about their children again. “I'll admit, I am surprised to see how much Marcus has grown, the way Faith had originally described him, I had figured he was just a troublemaker with the amount of burns he used to accumulate.” Alex began. “I am very pleased to see that I was wrong. You two have raised him well.”

“Thank you.” Marcus's Mom replied. “Honestly, it’s a relief for us, there are worse things he could have ended up doing with a love of fire.”

“For as long as we've known him though, he's been very … quiet.” Marcus's father added. “At least he was at first, he's really come out of his shell since then.”

“Faith.” Marcus's Mom added. “Some time after she came around, that's when Marcus really started to be more outgoing.”

“Really?” Maria asked. “I was under the impression that happened when he meat Star.”

“That helped.” Marcus's father began. “Speaking of Faith though, I was surprised the first time I saw her, sure Marcus had mentioned that she had a few … challenges, but I never expected … well … I didn't expect that she would be walking without aid this soon.”

“She actually shouldn't be without her forearm crutches just yet.” Maria began. “But she just was so determined to impress, and trying to talk her out of something she wants to to is … difficult.”

“Difficult?” Her husband asked. “If by difficult you mean impossible.”

“She is very reasonable.” She added. “It's not like she's reckless, she's very careful, but very determined.”

Both sets of parents laughed.

A moment later, the waitress came back holding the check. “I am sorry to interrupt but you wanted your check?” She asked as she placed it on the table.

Both Mathew and Alex reached for the check, unaware of the other until both of them grabbed it at the same time and slowly looked up at the other. “Please, let me.” Alex stated.

“No, I insist.” Mathew replied.

#wholesome-week-2017 #SVTFOE #My oc's #Faith Callow #Marcus Dixon

[quieteating]

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Shikumen

I was, as I am often, caught off guard.

Although mitigation efforts in other areas of my life seem to fail (maybe time for another type of job), I seek not to let this happen regarding food.  In my attempts to alleviate exciting food experiences, I try to undertake laborious research before showing up at the front door.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t always seem to work.  Exciting events seem to be looking for me.

So please forgiven the rather anemic photos.  I had to make do with my camera phone, suboptimal lighting and rather hungry dining companions.  Although it was a less than ideal situation, I guess that suited the less than optimal meal.

I was sold Shikumen as a decent Chinese restaurant in an upmarket hotel.  A place where the ladies who lunch would like to hang out.  A place with dark wooden furniture, plenty of space between tables and subdued lighting reined.  A place with a rather lengthy menu, perhaps the first clue that things might not go that well.  A mixture of dim sum and other dishes can also sometimes herald a restaurant being a jack of all trades.  In recent memory, the sad demise of quality in Goldmine springs to mind.  When all day dim sum appeared on the menu, everything rapidly went south.  In hindsight, a place to be wary of.

Char siu sou, baked pork puffs.  These were alright, although a bit soggy.  Wouldn’t be the worst I’ve ever had.

Braised Homemade Tofu with Morel and Wild Mushroom.  Hand made might be seen as a synonym for can’t be bothered.  As this is what the tofu was like as rather tasteless with a rather watery saline solution with limp vegetables on top.  Avoid.

Xiao loong bao, pork dumplings with soup.  I haven’t seen sad dumplings before.  Now I have.  As you can see from the photo, the dumplings are kind of deflated and the soup that is supposed to be contain juicy insides (what you order these for), seems rather absent.  If my life did not amount to much, I would be depressed too.

Har gao, steamed prawn dumplings.  Ok but strange that there were only three as these typically arrive in sets of four.  Perhaps the waiting staff got a bit hungry serving us.  No loss though as these were rather tasteless, anemic and costly.

Siu mai, steamed pork dumplings.  I’ve had better coming out of a packet.  The give away of its origin was those two dumplings at the top.  When made fresh, they don’t generally tend to do that.  When it is out of the freezer packet though that is another story.

Sticky rice.  The best of the rest.  Which isn’t saying much.  Looked like they had been bought from the local Chinese supermarket.  Tasted like that too.

Braised Pig’s Trotter with Star Anise and Soy. Here was something a bit different though.  Pig trotters.  Except.  It suffered the same problem as the tofu.  Subject to rather weak sauce.

Seafood ho fun, rice noodles with prawns, squid, bak choi and egg.  This gloopy mass tasted just as it looked.  Rather limp.

When all the food had came out, a waiter dropped by to see if we were still hungry.  Although my stomach was still growling, I was tempted to say sure, but not from you.  Then again, the waiters had been nothing but courteous and it was not their fault that the food was rather listless.  Of all the dishes, I think the xiao loong baos best summed up the food.  It was so insipid that I met my first remorseful dumpling.  So perhaps the trip wasn’t really a complete waste of time, money and stomach space as I am able to add a new experience to my list.  A meeting with a dejected dumpling.  Best captures the mood.

  A quiet eating 5/10.

Lunch (3 course equivalent) would have been GBP40 excluding drinks and service.

  Shikumen

Dorsett Hotel 58 Shepherd’s Bush Green London W12 8QE

#char siu sou #chinese food #dim sum #har gao #ho fun #pigs trotters #rice noodles #shikumen #sticky rice #Tofu #xiao loong bao #xiu mai