#snow cones are better without syrup
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Latest for Eater, I photographed Osaka-Ya, one of West Coast’s Legacy Mochi Shops located in Sacramento, CA.
Linda Nakatani, the owner of Sacramento’s Osaka-ya, took over operations of the store her parents started in 1963. She sells traditional confections, but “the younger generation doesn’t care as much for the beans,” she says, “so we have mochi filled with peanut butter, chocolate ganache.” Osaka-ya also sells sushi, rice balls, spam musubi, and in the punishing Sacramento summers puts the shaved-ice machine to use, drizzling snow cones with homemade syrups and condensed milk.
The shops, like their wares, are generally small and timeless. A glass case or two displays lacquered trays holding neat rows of mochi and manju. Behind the counter or on the other side of the room might be shelves cluttered with Japanese candies and crackers and figurines. On the counter can be boxes of tea or prepackaged mochi, in the corner maybe a refrigerator of ice creams or chilled drinks or a hibernating shaved-ice machine, and most always a doorway in the back that leads to the mysteries of the kitchen.
While business is better these days, it’s still grueling work running a small food business that relies on physical craft. Making mochi can be a multiday affair; the rice soaks for eight hours before being cooked in a process where the water must be changed constantly. Nakatani says she can easily put in 18 hours on her busiest days. Her son once put in 36 hours straight, stealing hour-long naps in the back of the store.
Community seems to be the key to the wagashi store’s long life. Wagashi can be beautiful — colorful, jewel-like, shaped into flowers or fruit — or spectacularly unassuming, rolled in soybean powder or eaten plain, capable of being swallowed in two bites. But a tray of mochi and manju most always comes at the pauses of time where the good things in life happen: a small celebration, the gathering of family or friends. It has the markings true to all the greatest of foods — handmade, delicious, traditional without being exclusive, infinitely adaptable, and full of memories. It’s hard not to see why it gets passed down from old to new. (Amber Murakami-Fester )
https://www.eater.com/23323557/mochi-shop-wagashi-where-to-buy-united-states
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i wanna eat shaved ice so so so so so bad. i remember on field day at my middle school they’d have a snow cone stand and i used to just buy plain shaved ice without the syrup and 💖💖💖 it’s like water but better bc it’s crispity crunchity but it doesn’t hurt your teeth by eating it like regular ice bc it’s so thinly crushed and 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖 (i am so incredibly thirsty rn but i Cannot Drink)
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A Study of the letter 's' in Summer
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I hate this with a passion. I don't know what I was trying to do with this. Maybe I wanted to pretend to be more sophisticated?
Date Written: July 31, 2017
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July is a sticky month. A mix of sweat dripping down your face from the sweltering heat and the popsicle syrup dripping down your hands. Ice cream and cotton candy, M&Ms and candy bars, all melting just faster than you can eat them. The wax puddles in the cup holders of the car that used to hold the shape of a crayon. Later on, I suppose I should write an epitaph for them.
July is a squishy month. Squishing ants, the natural invaders of our house. Squishing flies. Squishing centipedes, scorpions, and spiders. Getting ready to smack a wasp, then thinking better of it and picking up the bug spray. Squishy mud puddles after a small rainstorm, along with all the squishy worms and snails.
July is a slow month. The sun sets and rises sluggishly, leaving the earth soaking up its rays much longer than normal. The clouds that occasionally dot the sky float along without rush or speed. If the winds decides to blow, it blows soft and low, barely making the leaves twitch on the trees. Even people move more slowly, plodding along from Sunday to Saturday.
July is a shiny month. From fireworks on the Fourth, we are dazzled until late at night. Fireflies after the sun has set dance and shimmer, then go out, egging you on to try and catch them. The summer stars twinkle down. Sirius and Scorpio rise to say hello. Yes, the dog days of summer have nothing on the dog nights.
July is a summer month. Swimming, snow cones, sunburns, and cicadas. The poster child for the season is here, these days. The essence of summer can be found in the four weeks we have this month. Huzzah for July! Huzzah for summer! However, I still like August better.
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[ ALEKSEY VOICELINES ]
HELLO – my name’s aleksey , but many call me alex or alek or lex … ahh , don’t mind the title people gave me , it’s so embarrassing !! hm ?? oh !! i look familiar ?? it’s probably because you’ve met my little brother !!
CHAT : COMPANIONSHIP – travels are more fun when done with friends , don’t you think ?? plus , it’s safer and warmer .
CHAT : HUNTING – oh ?? you’ve never been hunting before ?? next time , we should go together !! i know a lot of good places for boars .
CHAT : THE FATUI – they’re not people you should be associating with … i know not all of them are bad , but you shouldn’t get too tangled with them .
CHAT : FAMILY – my family is so big !! i’d love to introduce you to all of them one day .
AFTER THE RAIN – in snezhnaya , i’d prefer snow over rain … water freezing can make it dangerous for so many people . but here , it’s not so bad , it’s refreshing .
WHEN IT SNOWS – i hope we have enough firewood … it’ll be dangerous for the kids to go out and get it .
WHEN IT’S WINDY – i’ve always wondered what it’s like to fly a kite … maybe one day i’ll be able to experience that joy
WIND IS BUILDING UP – feels like a good day for the sailors , we should head to the harbor for some fresh fish .
GOOD MORNING – did you sleep well ?? what would you like for breakfast ??
GOOD AFTERNOON – ah , right on time !! i saved a seat for you , come … what would you like ??
GOOD EVENING – hm , let me walk you home … it’s getting quite dark out , it wouldn’t be right for my to let my friends go home like this .
GOOD NIGHT – sleep tight , don’t let the bed bugs bite !! haha , sorry , sorry … i’m so used to tucking in teucer and the kids .
ABOUT ALEKSEY – the moniker lord of wolves was given because a child got lost in the wild and came back the leader of a pack of wolves , loyal only to him . they do not know the darkness and terrors the child faced , they cared only for the fact that the child had tamed a pack of rabid canines .
ABOUT US : COOKING – i think i’m a fairly good cook , i do work in a tavern , after all . but , i don’t get to cook much because my work has me away from home during meal times .
ABOUT US : INFORMATION – what’s that ?? information ?? i don’t know where you heard that … meet me at the back entrance , but you better be ready to pay the price .
ABOUT US : WOLVES – come , don’t be afraid . . . contrary to rumors , they’re quite the friendly bunch . give them a pat , promise , they don’t bite .
ABOUT US : SIBLINGS – the kids are a bit rowdy at times , but they’re good kids and mean well . i bet they’ll love you the moment you meet !!
ABOUT THE VISION – can’t say that i have much to say about visions … neither love them nor hate them , i just have it . it does make my life a bit easier , but i wouldn’t die without it either .
SOMETHING TO SHARE – fire-water made from different water sources tastes vastly different , here , i can show you !! our tavern owns a large collection , but let me tell you … the snezhnyy volk is the best brand .
INTERESTING THINGS – the snow around my home is very clean … you can make snow cones out of them ; i had a merchant purchase me some syrups for the kids to use , would you like one ??
ABOUT TARTAGLIA – ajax ?? ah … i wish that kid would come home once in a while , we miss him here . i don’t approve of what he’s doing , but i respect his choices . i just want him to come home safe .
ABOUT TSARITSA – she’s a ruler with many things she can learn from other regents and archons . that’s all i’ll say , lest i be captured for treason .
ABOUT DILUC – i remember that kid , he got caught by the harbinger’s once . we got really lucky in being able to break him out . i hope he’s been doing well , last i heard , he’s some rich tycoon .
ABOUT TEUCER – kid’s got adventurer’s blood in him ; courage like ajax and father , he snuck on board a ship and made it all the way to liyue harbor without issue . he’s going to go far one day .
ABOUT BEIDOU – a fearless leader that i aspire to be ; she’s got an amazing crew and strength i have never seen before . those rumors about her defeating a leviathan at sea ?? 100% true .
MORE ABOUT ALEKSEY : I – you can call me a family man … i treasure my family above everything else . for them , i’d do anything ; they can call me and i’ll drop everything for them . they’re my entire life !!
MORE ABOUT ALEKSEY : II – ahh … you’re eyeing maxim ?? no worries , maxim is a gentle soul … the rest of his pack is gentle too , you may have seen them wandering the outskirts of the village . they’re the pack that saved me when i went missing in the woods , they’re precious to me , they’re family .
MORE ABOUT ALEKSEY : III – my cooking ?? it was a learning process , i couldn’t cook that well before , but those few weeks in the wild taught me that maybe i should know how . i enlisted the help from my mother and the cook at the tavern , and now , i can confidently say that i can make a pretty good meal .
ALEKSEY’S HOBBIES – hunting is a good past time of mine , whenever i have time , i pick up my bow and arrow and head into the woods . on a good day , i can bring home a boar or two and share it with the neighbors ; on bad days , i just think of it as target practice .
ALEKSEY’S TROUBLES – i wonder if ajax is getting enough to eat and taking care of himself … i’d send him things form home , but i wouldn’t know what . though i’ve been at his age , i have no idea what sort of things he wants or is going through . is it always this difficult to be separated from family ??
FAVORITE FOOD – hm ?? ajax’s cooking !! haha , joking , joking . i’m not a picky eater , i’d say perhaps one with cured ham or something warm and hearty to offset the cold climate here .
LEAST FAVORITE FOOD – i don’t really have one … mother used to say i hated carrots , but i eat plenty of that now !! i can’t believe how childish i was as a child …
BIRTHDAY – were you just going to pass your birthday without telling me ?? that makes me so sad !! come , we must celebrate !!
FEELINGS ABOUT ASCENSION : INTRO – how interesting !! i feel much stronger than i was before !!
FEELINGS ABOUT ASCENSION : BUILDING UP – oho … so this is what it feels like to have more power , i feel like i can do anything !! now i can truly be a superhero for teucer !!
FEELINGS ABOUT ASCENSION : CLIMAX – wonderful !! i never knew i had this potential in me and it’s all thanks to you , comrade !! come , we must celebrate !!
FEELINGS ABOUT ASCENSION : CONCLUSION – without you , i’d have never reached here !! so i hope you’ll allow me to join you on your journey to become stronger !!
BATTLE & EXPLORATION :
ADDED TO PARTY – thanks , comrade !! i’ll make sure this adventure won’t be a dull one !!
ELEMENTAL SKILL – are you feeling warmer ?? / you’re going to need some ice for this
ELEMENTAL BURST – not all wolves travel alone
IDLE – see chats
SPRINTING – no need to rush !! / let’s enjoy the scenery
GLIDING – wow , i never knew the world looked like this from up here .
DAMAGE – i should have paid more attention
KNOCKED OUT – i can’t fall here …
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Jeweler Richard Fanbook Short Story #17
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Play of Color
Shaved ice.
A summer that everyone, from kids to adults, knew about. But how to say this in English? I’d never been taught that. Could I even say it to begin with?
The beautiful man responded clearly to my offhand doubts, “‘Shaved ice’. Other options such as ‘ice frost’ and ‘snow cone’ also go into the category, but if you are to to regard the context of ‘ice that was shaved’ as important, then I believe ‘shaved ice’ is appropriate.”
“I see, so it’s a direct translation for ‘ice that’s been shaved’. Got it... A-Aaah! Didn’t you put too much syrup? Ah—”
“I will add more ice.”
A rattling sound echoed through the jewelry shop, where there was nobody but the shopkeeper and his employee. Sitting on the tabletop was an ice shaving machine. As one would expect, we couldn’t commit the barbarianism of placing it directly on a glass table, so three cloths were stacked under the machine’s legs. It wasn’t the manual and nostalgic type but an electric one.
A customer had come over with a paper bag from a famous home appliances mass retailer and bought a glittering yellow diamond that they had reserved, but on this occasion, they ended up forgetting the bag from the electronics retail store. The shopkeeper immediately noticed it and contacted them by phone, but they were in the Narita Express, going straight to Bali for vacation. Apparently, they would only be coming back in the beginning of autumn. What luxury.
The customer who was heading to the southern island had casually said, “You can use it if you’d like—actually, please use it and tell me how it went”, then bid goodbye to Richard with a lighthearted voice and hung up. Inside the paper bag was a brand-new ice shaving machine. It also came with small syrup bags. Seven types of them. The mango, ramune, cola, lime and peach ones were a shock to me, as lived in a world of strawberry, melon and lemon ones. So people could enjoy even things like the pleasure of actually visiting stalls at home nowadays?
That was how we decided to choose at our own discretion a time on the following day when there were no reservations, and began holding a shaved ice party for just the two of us. However, when I said in a joking tone that I honestly never thought we’d really get to be the first ones to use something that a customer had forgotten, Mr. Richard Ranashinghe de Vulpian sighed grievously.
“After what happened yesterday, he contacted me to inform that he had arrived in Bali. He posted on social media, ‘I forgot my ice shaving machine, so I asked an acquaintance to try it out. I’m looking forward to it’, so it seems we need to take a video of the shaved ice as fast as possible. Think of this as also a kind of service.”
“There’s all sorts of jobs out there these days.”
Marketing that introduced new products on social media wasn’t something uncommon these days. But I heard that this sort of business was strict about many things, such as obligations and deadlines, so it might be serious stuff in its own way. I thought up until this point, but then my head whispered, “No, hold on” to me. If this was really the case, then bringing along an ice shaving machine immediately before going to Bali didn’t make any sense. Could it be...?
“Did that person leave this here on purpose? It’s clearly something that you can’t bring into an airplane and would get in the way during the trip.”
“That is possible. But it is not something for a single jeweler to judge. There is a possibility that they thought they would be able to enjoy shaved ice at a beach resort but were mistaken, and are now feeling down. Oh... oh, mgh...”
“Ah, the ice turned into water. Didn’t you put a tad too much syrup?”
“Nonsense. From the market price, it is obvious that the more syrup, the merrier.”
“You told that wholesaler who came to buy a ring with lots of decorative diamonds the other day that ‘more doesn’t equal better’, though.”
“Those are two different things,” he said in an eloquent, beautiful Japanese that sounded like it had been cut and trimmed, at which I prostrated myself with a “hahaa”.
Despite the force in his eyes being certain, he seemed to be having trouble putting an appropriate amount of syrup. When he put an abundant amount of the mango, ramune, cola, lime and peach ones all together, the ski slope-like white canvas turned into a color that looked like that of Shinjuku’s gutters during a downpour. Richard would surely call this shade of gray “smoky quartz” or something like that. The fluffy pile of ice was gone, leaving a sleet – or just plain water – in the glass bowl. It would’ve been fine if he had added them little by little, but on second thought, I was thinking this way because I was Japanese, so I was used to the way we added shaved ice syrup to some extent.
As the jeweler, not discouraged, put his bowl under the ice shaving machine, pressed the button and added more ice with crunchy noises, I called out to him, “Hey. Can you lend me that for a bit?”
“I do not mind.”
I took the bowl of water in my hands, adding the syrups of each type little by little. I felt like the jeweler was staring fixedly at me, like, “You’ll only use that tiny little bit of them? Seriously?” but I ignored him. As they said, the last drop makes the cup run over.
The result was...
“Tadaaah.”
A snowy mountain had changed its form into a richly colored shaved ice. I thought it was pretty good, if I could say so myself.
His eyelashes fluttering as he blinked for a moment, the gorgeous jeweler whispered, “Hoo. Excellent. Beautiful.”
“Well, being told that by someone who’s like an incarnation of the concept of beauty is flattering.”
“Ahem. Anyway, this color is extremely tasteful. It bears a close remembrance to ammolite.”
“‘Ammo... nite’?”
“Not ‘ni’, ‘li’. ‘Ammolite’. Ammolite is a gemstone that derivates from living creatures, of which the components obtain an iridescent effect during the many years of fossilization.” Saying this, Richard opened a video on his phone and handed it over to me. I exchanged it for the bowl of shaved ice as if it were an assembly-line system.
What appeared on-screen was a cross-section view of the ammonite. It was split vertically like a CT image taken at a hospital. The contents were a rainbow-colored stone that sparkled brightly. A gradation of red, green and yellow. It changed depending on what angle you looked at it. A while ago, when I heard about the opal, it was revealed to me that this kind of effect was called “play of color”. Still, to think that the inside of a shell could go through such a transition. There was too much depth to the things that happened in nature, and they were immeasurable.
“So can this be called... a stone too...?”
“This would be something that happened about forty years ago, but it was classified as a ‘gemstone’ by the Gemological Society of America. Of course, I do not think it should be pushed through, even if the costumer themselves happen to say that ‘this is a fossil’.”
It apparently depended on how you thought of it. Thinking back, this applied even to the general idea of gemstones.
I flicked the phone’s screen, head-over-heels for the prism-like shells that showed up one after another. Some people used them as pendants or brooches by processing the glittering part with gold.
“How pretty. Hey, do we also have ammolites here in Etrang... eh?”
“There is a possibility that we will one day. Something the matter?”
The beautiful jeweler had been scooping the shaved ice with a tiny spoon and eating it. He wasn’t eating it in a rushed way at all, but half of the iceberg was already gone. With perfect moderation, so that the proportion of the colors of the syrups that I had added one by one wouldn’t crumble.
“D-Did you like it that much?”
“I have never eaten shaved ice at Japanese stalls. Having a frozen desert in a refreshing place like this has a nostalgic air to it.”
He had never waged shaved ice at a stall. Did that mean he had eaten shaved ice at some fashionable shop? Probably not, I thought. A normal Japanese person wouldn’t eat shaved ice at that pace. The reason went without saying. This pace was – how should I put it? – dangerous.
“Richard, hey, listen well. Shaved ice is—”
“Why are you coming close?”
“I’m telling you something important. You have to eat shaved ice at a high pace.”
“But why are you shortening the distance between us? You are too close.”
“Don’t get hung up on minor stuff. More importantly, you already ate a lot of this shaved ice, right? Aren’t you tired of it? I can eat the rest.”
“It is terribly disconcerting to hear this from the father of this work of art, but I do not see any reason for that whatsoever, thus I humbly decline.”
“Aah! Don’t gulp it down! I said don’t gulp it down!”
“I am not. I do not eat that way.”
“Like I said, that’s not what I’m talking about...”
“It is impolite for me to eat by myself. Hurry and make yours to eat as well.”
“Whatever happens got nothing to do with me...”
Glancing backwards at the jeweler as he gave me an aloof nod, I began making my own shaved ice.
Later on, after Richard pleased the customer by sending them pictures of the shaved ice, he reported back to me. He probably reported because the pictures he had sent to the customer was of the shaved ice that I had made for myself, on which the colors were scattered in the form of a whirlwind. I smiled back, replying that I was glad, and not saying anything else. I also didn’t tell him that, by the time he remembered we had to do a photo shoot of it, the beautiful jeweler was making a face that looked like a boy having a worrisome migraine due to some anguish towards the meaning of life and death.
Summer was not yet over. We also didn’t know yet whether or not the customer in Bali would come to retrieve the ice shaving machine. Etranger wasn’t that big, so Richard was probably troubled that it was left there. But if they didn’t come to get it, I might be able to enjoy eating shaved ice with Richard in the summer every year for a while, I thought. And each of these times, I’d be sure to make a shiny mountain of ice in the colors of a rainbow, just like an ammolite. Just like the sparkly smile that Richard showed, I thought that it’d be great if such a summer came around and was looking forward to it.
#housekishou richard shi no nazo kantei#housekishou richard#jeweler richard#the case files of jeweler richard#nakata seigi#richard ranashinghe de vulpian#richard ranashinha de vulpian#jr short story collection#tsujimura nanako#yukihiro utako#novel#my translation#richard
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[ aleksey voicelines ]
HELLO -- my name’s aleksey , but many call me alex or alek or lex . . . ahh , don’t mind the title people gave me , it’s so embarrassing !! hm ?? oh !! i look familiar ?? it’s probably because you’ve met my little brother !!
CHAT : COMPANIONSHIP -- travels are more fun when done with friends , don’t you think ?? plus , it’s safer and warmer .
CHAT : HUNTING -- oh ?? you’ve never been hunting before ?? next time , we should go together !! i know a lot of good places for boars .
CHAT : THE FATUI -- they’re not people you should be associating with . . . i know not all of them are bad , but you shouldn’t get too tangled with them .
CHAT : FAMILY -- my family is so big !! i’d love to introduce you to all of them one day .
AFTER THE RAIN -- in snezhnaya , i’d prefer snow over rain . . . water freezing can make it dangerous for so many people . but here , it’s not so bad , it’s refreshing .
WHEN IT SNOWS -- i hope we have enough firewood . . . it’ll be dangerous for the kids to go out and get it .
WHEN IT’S WINDY -- i’ve always wondered what it’s like to fly a kite . . . maybe one day i’ll be able to experience that joy
WIND IS BUILDING UP -- feels like a good day for the sailors , we should head to the harbor for some fresh fish .
GOOD MORNING -- did you sleep well ?? what would you like for breakfast ??
GOOD AFTERNOON -- ah , right on time !! i saved a seat for you , come . . . what would you like ??
GOOD EVENING -- hm , let me walk you home . . . it’s getting quite dark out , it wouldn’t be right for my to let my friends go home like this .
GOOD NIGHT -- sleep tight , don’t let the bed bugs bite !! haha , sorry , sorry . . . i’m so used to tucking in teucer and the kids .
ABOUT ALEKSEY -- the moniker lord of wolves was given because a child got lost in the wild and came back the leader of a pack of wolves , loyal only to him . they do not know the darkness and terrors the child faced , they cared only for the fact that the child had tamed a pack of rabid canines .
ABOUT US : COOKING -- i think i’m a fairly good cook , i do work in a tavern , after all . but , i don’t get to cook much because my work has me away from home during meal times .
ABOUT US : INFORMATION -- what’s that ?? information ?? i don’t know where you heard that . . . meet me at the back entrance , but you better be ready to pay the price .
ABOUT US : WOLVES -- come , don’t be afraid . . . contrary to rumors , they’re quite the friendly bunch . give them a pat , promise , they don’t bite .
ABOUT US : SIBLINGS -- the kids are a bit rowdy at times , but they’re good kids and mean well . i bet they’ll love you the moment you meet !!
ABOUT THE VISION -- can’t say that i have much to say about visions . . . neither love them nor hate them , i just have it . it does make my life a bit easier , but i wouldn’t die without it either .
SOMETHING TO SHARE -- fire-water made from different water sources tastes vastly different , here , i can show you !! our tavern owns a large collection , but let me tell you . . . the snezhnyy volk is the best brand .
INTERESTING THINGS -- the snow around my home is very clean . . . you can make snow cones out of them ; i had a merchant purchase me some syrups for the kids to use , would you like one ??
ABOUT TARTAGLIA -- ajax ?? ah . . . i wish that kid would come home once in a while , we miss him here . i don’t approve of what he’s doing , but i respect his choices . i just want him to come home safe .
ABOUT TSARITSA -- she’s a ruler with many things she can learn from other regents and archons . that’s all i’ll say , lest i be captured for treason .
ABOUT DILUC -- i remember that kid , he got caught by the harbinger’s once . we got really lucky in being able to break him out . i hope he’s been doing well , last i heard , he’s some rich tycoon .
ABOUT TEUCER -- kid’s got adventurer’s blood in him ; courage like ajax and father , he snuck on board a ship and made it all the way to liyue harbor without issue . he’s going to go far one day .
ABOUT BEIDOU -- a fearless leader that i aspire to be ; she’s got an amazing crew and strength i have never seen before . those rumors about her defeating a leviathan at sea ?? 100% true .
MORE ABOUT ALEKSEY : I -- you can call me a family man . . . i treasure my family above everything else . for them , i’d do anything ; they can call me and i’ll drop everything for them . they’re my entire life !!
MORE ABOUT ALEKSEY : II -- ahh . . . you’re eyeing maxim ?? no worries , maxim is a gentle soul . . . the rest of his pack is gentle too , you may have seen them wandering the outskirts of the village . they’re the pack that saved me when i went missing in the woods , they’re precious to me , they’re family .
MORE ABOUT ALEKSEY : III -- my cooking ?? it was a learning process , i couldn’t cook that well before , but those few weeks in the wild taught me that maybe i should know how . i enlisted the help from my mother and the cook at the tavern , and now , i can confidently say that i can make a pretty good meal .
ALEKSEY’S HOBBIES -- hunting is a good past time of mine , whenever i have time , i pick up my bow and arrow and head into the woods . on a good day , i can bring home a boar or two and share it with the neighbors ; on bad days , i just think of it as target practice .
ALEKSEY’S TROUBLES -- i wonder if ajax is getting enough to eat and taking care of himself . . . i’d send him things form home , but i wouldn’t know what . though i’ve been at his age , i have no idea what sort of things he wants or is going through . is it always this difficult to be separated from family ??
FAVORITE FOOD -- hm ?? ajax’s cooking !! haha , joking , joking . i’m not a picky eater , i’d say perhaps one with cured ham or something warm and hearty to offset the cold climate here .
LEAST FAVORITE FOOD -- i don’t really have one . . . mother used to say i hated carrots , but i eat plenty of that now !! i can’t believe how childish i was as a child . . .
BIRTHDAY -- were you just going to pass your birthday without telling me ?? that makes me so sad !! come , we must celebrate !!
FEELINGS ABOUT ASCENSION : INTRO -- how interesting !! i feel much stronger than i was before !!
FEELINGS ABOUT ASCENSION : BUILDING UP -- oho . . . so this is what it feels like to have more power , i feel like i can do anything !! now i can truly be a superhero for teucer !!
FEELINGS ABOUT ASCENSION : CLIMAX -- wonderful !! i never knew i had this potential in me and it’s all thanks to you , comrade !! come , we must celebrate !!
FEELINGS ABOUT ASCENSION : CONCLUSION -- without you , i’d have never reached here !! so i hope you’ll allow me to join you on your journey to become stronger !!
BATTLE & EXPLORATION :
ADDED TO PARTY -- thanks , comrade !! i’ll make sure this adventure won’t be a dull one !!
ELEMENTAL SKILL -- are you feeling warmer ?? / you’re going to need some ice for this
ELEMENTAL BURST -- not all wolves travel alone
IDLE -- see chats
SPRINTING -- no need to rush !! / let’s enjoy the scenery
GLIDING -- wow , i never knew the world looked like this from up here .
DAMAGE -- i should have paid more attention
KNOCKED OUT -- i can’t fall here . . .
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It was difficult to hide his need for blood, but Seoyun managed it. Being a daylighter had perks and he wouldn’t waste them. Having spent several years underground before the ‘curse’ put on him by his ex to make him appear human in every way but still need blood to survive, he relished in the warmth on his skin as he leaned back on a towel on the beach, sighing contently as he ate a snow cone, syrup laced with blood he’d placed in after the fact to make sure he didn’t get sick. He had learned a lot of ways to hide his obvious nature in the four years since his breakup, starting with his self chilling water bottle that always had a day’s worth of blood handy. Filling his spoon with another bite, he hummed as he watched the waves roll in and out along the beach.
Han-Gyeol coughed as he resurfaced after another wave hit him in the face. He laughed with his friends walked out of the water, a wave hit his back and he tumbled to the ground with another laugh. He walked over to the ice chest they had brought with them and pulled a beer from the ice. He closed the ice chest and sat on top of it. He opened the beer, cutting himself on the tab as he did so. He hissed and sucked on his finger. “Damn it.” He shook his hand and took a drink of his beer.
Seoyun was brought from his watching waves by the scent of fresh blood. His head turned of its own volition, tilting his head as he spotted the male just a few feet away. The blood was unique and it both thrilled and scared Seoyun. The last thing he needed was to be tempted. But the face that came with the scent was beautiful. He licked his lips before speaking. “You okay?” he asked, lowering his sunglasses to look at the other male.
Han-Gyeol head shot up and he smiled at he very attractive stranger. “Yeah, just a little cut.” Han-Gyeol pulled his phone out of his bag to take some pictures of the water. “It’s really beautiful here, don’t you think?” He stood to get a better angle for the next picture. “I don’t get to come out here often, but I wish I could.” The blood from his finger smeared on the screen of his phone. “For crying out loud. Do you have a band-aid?” His question was directed at the stranger but his focus was on the water as his friends called for him to come back. He waved his hands and made an ‘X’ with his arms to show he wasn’t coming back in for a bit.
Seoyun gave a tilt of his head. “It is. The sun feels amazing.” he ate another bite of his snow cone, humming at the blend of the syrup and the blood. It was an oddly beautiful taste. “I love the summer.” He frowned a little, reaching into the outsie pocket of his own cooler to pull out a small first aid kit. “I try to be prepared for anything.” he answered with a smile. “Though I don’t reccomend going into the water with a cut.”
Han-Gyeol smiled and walked over to the stranger. “Thanks. I don’t plan on going back in. We’re celebrating a friend’s birthday today that’s all.” He pulled at his white t-shirt that he’d worn in the water and was now sticking to his chest. “Hold on.” He pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it back to his ice chest. He reached for the first aid kit but thought twice and sat down next to the man, holding out his hand. “Would you mind? I don’t think I can put it on properly with one hand. By the way, what’s your name? I’m Han-Gyeol, Yoo Han-Gyeol.”
Seoyun nodded a little, leaning to place the bandaid over the cut. “I’d be sure to keep an eye on that. Finger cuts can get infected pretty easily.” He moved to cross his legs as he sat up, watching the other. The other was incredibly attractive, and even without the cut, Hangyeol smelled amazing. “I’m Seoyun.” he answered with a smile, fangs not showing since he’d fed with his little snow cone trick.
Han-Gyeol smiled and nodded as the man spoke. “I’ll have to keep an eye on it. If I don’t it could interfere with my job.” He turned back to face the water, it really was one of the most beautiful places he’d seen. “It’s nice to meet you, Seoyun. Thanks again for the band-aid, it really helps a lot.” Han-Gyeol paced to grab his beer, throwing up sand as he walked. He turned back to Seoyun and shook his beer. “You want one?”
Seoyun hummed as he took another bite of his snow cone. “Oh? What do you do?” he inquired, eyes returning to the other male. “No thanks. Not much of a drinker.” he admitted. “Thank you, though.”
Han-Gyeol took a long drink from his can, emptying it. “I’m a photographer, gotta have my finger to operate the cameras.” He wiggled his fingers a bit to emphasize their importance. He shrugged when Seoyun said he didn’t want a beer. “No problem. If you need anything just ask. I’ll be happy to help since you helped me.”
#athousandrealmsofhappiness#Hangyeol Y.#c; Seoyun#from my darkness there is light;; Seoyun Sun#picture perfect eternity;; Seoyun x Hangyeol#t; Beach Day
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sugar rush
(ao3)
The wooden amber planks creak so loudly with every step that the echoes of tired, laughing children and overhead seagulls fade into the background. Hands stuffed in deep jacket pockets and with nothing to do after Hunk offhandedly tells him to find Lance, Keith wanders along the boardwalk, passing by modest food shacks, beaten and weathered down by the elements but thriving with late afternoon traffic thanks to the current heatwave. He weaves easily through dwindling crowds, avoiding sticky popsicles and dripping ice cream cones, and finally when he reaches the edge of the ocean, the orange sun glaring in his eyes, he turns a corner.
Immediately, he spots her waiting near a pick-up corner for snow ice, standing out from the crowd with her silver hair low-braided in a bun and tied neatly with a glittery pink ribbon. From this distance, he observes the fascinated stares and hushed whispers from the detached circle formed around her. Keith notices the boy talking animatedly with her, attempting multiple times to edge into her personal space but somehow never succeeding as Allura laughs politely at the joke he tells her.
Keith’s hands come out of his pockets and he makes his way toward them. He strides into the circle, breaking the crowd quite easily with his presence, and he takes off his dark sunglasses, hooking them onto his collar.
“Keith!” Allura exclaims brightly, relief deeply entrenched in her tone.
Keith smirks, not missing the washed-out blond surfer next to her and watching the hope fall instantly from his face.
“Allura,” he replies smoothly, grabbing her full attention. “Where’s Pidge?”
“Lance came by twenty minutes ago and I got bored being a third wheel. They’ve just gone to the arcade,” she explains, meeting his eyes and sharing a wordless deliberate look.
He scowls. “He ditched us when Coran and Hunk started arguing about the best way to grill a kebab. And then Hunk banned me from the beach until sunset.”
“What?” Allura’s eyes widen in surprise.
“I only burned like five patties!” he blurts out defensively, averting his gaze and crossing his arms, then adding much more quietly, “...And I might have also spilled the marinade.”
Allura bursts into giggles, and her rings of saccharine laughter melt away the shallow grievance on his mind. Keith can’t seem to find it in himself to stay annoyed any longer. His shoulders relax, and he lets Allura tug at his jacket sleeve, pulling him with her off to the side of the stand and away from the attention of onlookers. Now standing in the shade under a slanted canopy, Keith turns and leans back comfortably against the wall.
“To be fair, maybe it’s better to leave food preparation to those more gifted in the culinary arts,” she teases. Her fingers playfully climb up his chest, gently tapping the frame of his sunglasses, taking in the way it drags down his dark T-shirt just so to reveal bare skin and a teasing hint of collarbone.
With a shy smile forming, she points at the corner of his frown, but Keith stares back at her blankly, not understanding. Allura’s eyes sparkle in amusement. She leans forward and gently presses her finger against his lips, pushing upward. Startled by her touch, a light blush spreads across Keith’s face. She bites her lip and pokes him again, facing down to hide her own flushed cheeks, and this time he can’t help but smile. His eyes fall on her lips, painted in the color of cotton candy. His heart racing, he grabs her hand and lifts it away from his face. Allura glances back up and finds herself struck by the intense fire in his eyes. With his other arm, he holds her waist and pulls her just a little closer. She can’t look away.
“Order 23!”
“Ooh, that’s me!” she says a bit too loudly, curiously out of breath and abruptly letting go of his sleeve.
She jumps out of his embrace and spins in the direction of the pick-up corner, her embroidered white sundress twirling against the wind. He’s struck by the grace in her step, fixating on the light bounce of her ribbon and the loose ends of her hair curling perfectly. Now he’s several steps behind her and the stardust aura of her silhouette tugs at his strings of his heart. When she turns around, she has a sizeable paper bowl of dark green snow ice in her hand.
Keith raises an eyebrow.
“Matcha?”
“What’s that?”
He points to the bowl.
“The flavor you ordered.”
“Oh…I only ordered it because it was the only one that had strawberries.”
He scans the menu and gives her a questioning look, not quite believing her.
“Without condensed milk,” she adds sheepishly.
“There it is. You know the whole thing’s ice cream, right?”
Allura grimaces as if Keith had committed a crime by pointing out the obvious. “Humans have disgusting diets. I’ve seen how you all get your milk.”
He shrugs, trying his best to hold back a laugh.
“I actually don’t like milk that much,” he reassures her, reaching out and sliding his fingers into hers. He grabs a plastic spoon and two napkins from the counter and leads her away from the snow ice stand.
“So what is matcha exactly?” she asks, matching his step as they start walking back to the main section of the boardwalk. Holding the bowl in one hand and Keith’s hand in the other, Allura turns and motions at him to give her the spoon. Abiding her request, Keith sticks the small plastic spoon in her mouth and receives a cheeky, appreciative grin. He quietly lets go of her hand so she can eat, and missing the warmth, stuffs both of his hands in his pockets.
“Crushed tea leaves,” he answers simply, stealing a quick glance at her just as she scoops a soft bite of the snow into her mouth. His throat parches, and suddenly Keith really wants something to drink.
“Well, I like tea,” she considers out loud, and her eyes light up when she finds that she enjoys the taste.
Excitedly, Allura licks her lips before taking another bite and Keith quickly diverts his attention from her to the small stand displaying an impressive round dispenser of freshly squeezed pink lemonade drenched in golden honey and topped with thinly sliced lemons. They stop to buy a cup, but receive a second cup – despite humble protest – free when the generous owner discovers that Allura has never had pink lemonade before, having come from a faraway galaxy. Keith ends up carrying two iced pink lemonades in his hands, too embarrassed to drink from either.
“Let’s find somewhere to sit,” Allura suggests, and soon they spot and claim an empty table on the beach side of the boardwalk, lined by windswept fences and hot sand spilling over from the nearby steps.
Keith sets down the drinks as Allura sits and places the snow ice bowl in front of her, dark red syrup drizzling down haphazardly around the bowl and mixing in with the layered green dessert. Allura leans in toward the table, trying to avoid the hard sunlight hitting her back and Keith readily reaches for the cool pastel rainbow umbrella, angling the pole closer toward Allura before swinging his leg and taking his seat across from her. Allura bites her lip eagerly and picks out a strawberry to eat from the bowl.
Idly, Keith gazes out toward the beach and in the far-off distance, he sees the rest of their group with the exception of Shiro – probably making a last-minute run for beer since Lance had inevitably announced to everyone in the car on the way here that he forgot to buy some – near the cove. He can barely make out the outlines of Hunk and Coran busily preparing food and Pidge smacking Lance on the head for trying to set off fireworks before sunset, the latter causing Keith to laugh.
Allura turns and looks over her shoulder to see what’s grabbing Keith’s attention, and when she finds their friends too, she smiles pleasantly to herself. They watch them quietly for a while, and Allura doesn’t realize how much time has passed until Keith unexpectedly interrupts her train of thought.
“Your ice is melting,” he observes plainly, head resting on his hand and watching the snow ice run down the side of the bowl as he takes a long sip of lemonade.
Allura swings back toward him, and gasps when she looks down at the bowl.
“Oh, quiznak!” she panics, rushing to clean the syrupy mess with a napkin before it touches the table and quickly working to eat around the edges. Keith laughs at Allura’s flustered reaction, much to her passing displeasure.
After he takes the used napkin and tosses it into a nearby trash can, they soon settle into a comfortable silence, with Allura carefully finishing her snow ice and Keith lazily pacing his lemonade as he watches people come and go. The chaos of overheard, excited conversations is suffocating, so in the end he pays attention to no one and nothing. As the stalls and restaurants begin to lock down their fronts and the crowds slowly shuffle and herd into parking lots on their way home, the walkway finally clears of beach-goers until only Keith and Allura are left. Keith exhales slowly, and then realizes he’d been sipping from an empty cup and unaware of the tension he’d been bottling.
When he glances over to check on Allura, he sees her playing with her snow ice, circling her spoon around and around the bowl and mixing suspiciously leftover toppings with the creamy snow until it resembles tasteful slush.
“Keith…” she says finally, giving up and looking at him wistfully. “Do you want the rest?”
Allura shyly pushes the bowl in his direction, and Keith’s eyes soften sympathetically. He holds his hand out for her spoon and she gratefully beams at him. He takes the bowl and spoon in his hand, assessing what’s left to eat, and notices the disproportionate amount of red beans off on the side.
“You don’t like these?” he asks with a genuinely surprised expression on his face. He scoops out a big spoonful of them to show her.
Allura averts her gaze, her cheeks matching the color of her markings. “Oh, no! I like them! It’s just…” she starts, and then hesitantly turns back to face him. “Those are red beans, right? The other day, you had a look on your face when you mentioned that you haven’t had them since you were a child, so I thought maybe…” She blushes furiously, directly confronted by her own self-consciousness.
Keith freezes, stunned speechless by Allura’s gesture and heat rising in his chest. His mind hastily rewinds back to the team’s chance conversation about favorite ice cream flavors and the shocked stares he had received that had prompted an explanation when he had casually answered red bean instead of something more characteristically ambiguous like I don’t know, rocky road? He hadn’t expected Allura to remember, let alone intentionally save some from her own dessert for him. He doesn’t recognize this strange, new feeling, the way it overwhelms his thoughts and sets his heart into hyperdrive. He doesn’t know how to react, so he frowns, and Allura’s face falls.
“I’ve made a mistake! I’m so sorry, Keith!” she says immediately, reading his expression and starting to spiral. It had been so silly to even assume. Of course he doesn’t want them. If he had wanted to eat them, he would have ordered some himself… She hides her face in her hands.
Keith’s eyes widen in light panic at her startled apology and he drops the spoon back in the bowl. He quickly stands up and leans over to grab her hand. Allura peeks out meekly at him.
“I…I didn’t mean it that way, Allura, I…” he pauses nervously, “Thanks.”
Her shoulders relax and he gently squeezes her hand. Without letting go, he sits back down, pulling her hand toward him. Allura chews on her lip and smiles halfheartedly.
“I’m glad you did,” he says, slowly and quietly, unable to meet her eyes. He tightens his grip on her hand, clasping it tightly, and Allura lets herself breathe again. When she’s at her most vulnerable, the fleeting moments in which she remembers she’s just a girl that had never asked to lead and win a war, never fallen in love before, Keith’s words are simple and understanding, a shining beacon calling her back into the world when she falls too deeply into herself. She finds a palace in the cast of his touch. She wants to tell him that much, someday. Regretfully too soon, he draws back from her and picks up the spoon again.
It doesn’t take long for Keith to finish the rest of the snow ice, and Allura finds joy in watching him. She starts drinking her lemonade, its unbearable sweetness both extraordinary and refreshing. The sun, now nearing the horizon, colors the sky in brilliantly deep shades of gold, magenta, and cerulean. Light reflects against Keith’s hair, messier than usual after diving into the ocean, and Allura swears it looks violet. She resists the urge to reach out and touch it.
Swallowing the last bite, Keith glances up, and Allura’s twinkling blue eyes transform into crescent moons. His heart involuntarily skips a beat. The sound of loud, crashing waves along the shoreline roars in his ears and drowns out his thoughts. He imagines the absence of their friends, him grabbing her with his hands, kissing her until dark, and pulling her infuriating ribbon until it isn’t perfect anymore.
A sudden breeze causes Allura to shiver, and it’s enough to pull Keith out of his daze. He shrugs off his jacket and gets up, rounding over to her side of the table. She looks up at him with wide adoration, hugging her arms, and he drapes his jacket over her shoulders. Without missing a beat, she grabs onto its collar tightly and sinks into the warmth. He grins and sits down next to her, facing outward. He leans back against the edge of the table, crossing his arms.
“You were staring at me for a long time,” he says.
“Well, I was thinking,” Allura explains, her teasing voice intoxicating his senses.
“About?” he asks, unsuspecting.
“How I have a really cute boyfriend.”
Keith’s face flushes dark in an instant.
“Oh,” he replies lamely, caught off guard and faltering, lowering his arms. He doesn’t know what to say and Allura giggles. She reaches for his hand and holds it tight, not needing any bigger reaction. Keith stares at their joined hands, and an easy calmness washes over him.
“I like this,” admits Keith softly, and Allura smiles warmly, shifting closer to him.
“Me too.”
Half of the sun and its light still remain, but he surrenders himself to Allura’s incandescent eyes. Keith leans in impossibly close, and Allura shuts her eyes before he does his. He kisses her lightly, tasting and savoring the sugar on her lips. Allura’s hand presses into his thigh and slides up, dragging the hem of his shorts with it and igniting a burning intensity within him. She breaks off reluctantly for air, and Keith eagerly grabs her waist, pulling her in when her eyes flutter open, then wide and she pushes him back with enough force that he loses his balance and nearly falls on his arm.
“Wha–” he starts, looking bewildered at her. Her face is scarlet and he sees her staring at something behind him. He turns around instantly to find a tall man, jaw slightly agape, carrying two large packs of beer with his robot arm and a small bowl of guacamole in the other.
“S-Shiro!” he chokes from shock.
“I, uh, got the beer,” is Shiro’s initial response.
Shiro looks at the both of them in frozen disbelief and doesn’t seem to remember how to move.
“Keith, you…you and Allura…since when have you two –”
“How long have you been standing there?” Keith asks weakly, cutting Shiro off. Almost timidly, Allura grabs Keith’s arm and doesn’t let go once she pulls him back upright.
“I didn’t see…much,” answers Shiro vaguely, unconsciously raising his arm to scratch the back of his head but remembering the guacamole and swooping down to catch it before it splatters. “So exactly how long has this…are you two…?” He gestures wildly between the two of them with the bowl.
Keith and Allura both flush darkly, neither trying to meet Shiro’s eyes.
“We’re…together,” Allura says slowly, “Is that how humans say it?” She glances at Keith.
“Dating.”
“Right. That.”
“Oh. That’s…great! When did you –”
“Two months ago,” Keith snaps, finally past the embarrassment of being caught and profound annoyance settling in over getting rudely interrupted. “Don’t keep the others waiting for those drinks.”
Shiro chuckles, satisfied with the return of Keith’s usual temperament. He starts his way down the steps toward the beach.
“By the way, is this supposed to be a secret? Who else knows?” he asks, looking over his shoulder.
“No one,” Keith answers at the same time Allura says, “Hunk does.”
“What?” asks Keith incredulously, hearing this information for the first time.
“He thinks he does. He says it’s suspicious that we’ve been spending a lot of time together recently.”
“Well, he’s not wrong,” Keith sighs in resignation. Then he faces Shiro. “Listen, we’re not exactly announcing this to the world, so…”
“I won’t say anything.”
“Thanks, Shiro.”
Shiro flashes an approving smile. “Don’t stay out here too long though. Hunk wasn’t serious when he said you couldn’t come back until sunset.”
They watch him walk toward the campsite where the others, obscured in the fading sun, have started to settle down and gather. When Shiro is far away enough, the two relax and slump back against the table. After a brief moment of awkward silence, Allura breaks into a fit of laughter and Keith groans while trying to repress his own grin.
“I can’t believe he saw us,” Keith laments dramatically.
“Serves you right. You kissed me first,” teases Allura. “Anyone could’ve seen us. Imagine if it’d been Lance.”
“He’d never let us live it down.”
He glances over at her and smirks. Allura quirks an eyebrow at him.
“It was worth it though.”
Allura bites her lip mischievously. “Oh really?”
“Definitely,” he assures her. Before she can react, he leans in and kisses her deeply, wanting more but holding back. They part breathlessly moments later, with Allura’s hand clinging tightly onto his shirt.
“Tastes like lemonade,” he says, and Allura blushes.
“It’s getting dark,” she whispers after a long pause, watching their combined shadow gradually shrink and disappear. “Let’s go.”
Keith nods in agreement, and Allura turns around to get up. When she gazes out to the ocean, Keith impulsively grabs her hand. She looks back at him and squeezes tightly. Her hair looks like starlight and it reminds him of home.
Allura lets go and excitedly runs ahead of him to reunite with the group, clutching tightly onto his jacket as it flies behind her. Keith follows after her, memorizing the way she laughs and calls out to their friends. The shape of her anchors inside his chest his heart, beating incessantly to remind him that it still exists. The cool sea breeze taunts his skin but he doesn’t rush back. He turns toward the ocean, studying a stray cloud as it passes through a field of awakening bright stars. Clarity strikes like a lightning bolt straight through his heart and then suddenly he’s so sure.
I love her.
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[ ALEKSEY VOICELINES ]
HELLO – my name’s aleksey , but many call me alex or alek or lex … ahh , don’t mind the title people gave me , it’s so embarrassing !! hm ?? oh !! i look familiar ?? it’s probably because you’ve met my little brother !!
CHAT : COMPANIONSHIP – travels are more fun when done with friends , don’t you think ?? plus , it’s safer and warmer .
CHAT : HUNTING – oh ?? you’ve never been hunting before ?? next time , we should go together !! i know a lot of good places for boars .
CHAT : THE FATUI – they’re not people you should be associating with … i know not all of them are bad , but you shouldn’t get too tangled with them .
CHAT : FAMILY – my family is so big !! i’d love to introduce you to all of them one day .
AFTER THE RAIN – in snezhnaya , i’d prefer snow over rain … water freezing can make it dangerous for so many people . but here , it’s not so bad , it’s refreshing .
WHEN IT SNOWS – i hope we have enough firewood … it’ll be dangerous for the kids to go out and get it .
WHEN IT’S WINDY – i’ve always wondered what it’s like to fly a kite … maybe one day i’ll be able to experience that joy
WIND IS BUILDING UP – feels like a good day for the sailors , we should head to the harbor for some fresh fish .
GOOD MORNING – did you sleep well ?? what would you like for breakfast ??
GOOD AFTERNOON – ah , right on time !! i saved a seat for you , come … what would you like ??
GOOD EVENING – hm , let me walk you home … it’s getting quite dark out , it wouldn’t be right for my to let my friends go home like this .
GOOD NIGHT – sleep tight , don’t let the bed bugs bite !! haha , sorry , sorry … i’m so used to tucking in teucer and the kids .
ABOUT ALEKSEY – the moniker lord of wolves was given because a child got lost in the wild and came back the leader of a pack of wolves , loyal only to him . they do not know the darkness and terrors the child faced , they cared only for the fact that the child had tamed a pack of rabid canines .
ABOUT US : COOKING – i think i’m a fairly good cook , i do work in a tavern , after all . but , i don’t get to cook much because my work has me away from home during meal times .
ABOUT US : INFORMATION – what’s that ?? information ?? i don’t know where you heard that … meet me at the back entrance , but you better be ready to pay the price .
ABOUT US : WOLVES – come , don’t be afraid . . . contrary to rumors , they’re quite the friendly bunch . give them a pat , promise , they don’t bite .
ABOUT US : SIBLINGS – the kids are a bit rowdy at times , but they’re good kids and mean well . i bet they’ll love you the moment you meet !!
ABOUT THE VISION – can’t say that i have much to say about visions … neither love them nor hate them , i just have it . it does make my life a bit easier , but i wouldn’t die without it either .
SOMETHING TO SHARE – fire-water made from different water sources tastes vastly different , here , i can show you !! our tavern owns a large collection , but let me tell you … the snezhnyy volk is the best brand .
INTERESTING THINGS – the snow around my home is very clean … you can make snow cones out of them ; i had a merchant purchase me some syrups for the kids to use , would you like one ??
ABOUT TARTAGLIA – ajax ?? ah … i wish that kid would come home once in a while , we miss him here . i don’t approve of what he’s doing , but i respect his choices . i just want him to come home safe .
ABOUT TSARITSA – she’s a ruler with many things she can learn from other regents and archons . that’s all i’ll say , lest i be captured for treason .
ABOUT DILUC – i remember that kid , he got caught by the harbinger’s once . we got really lucky in being able to break him out . i hope he’s been doing well , last i heard , he’s some rich tycoon .
ABOUT TEUCER – kid’s got adventurer’s blood in him ; courage like ajax and father , he snuck on board a ship and made it all the way to liyue harbor without issue . he’s going to go far one day .
ABOUT BEIDOU – a fearless leader that i aspire to be ; she’s got an amazing crew and strength i have never seen before . those rumors about her defeating a leviathan at sea ?? 100% true .
MORE ABOUT ALEKSEY : I – you can call me a family man … i treasure my family above everything else . for them , i’d do anything ; they can call me and i’ll drop everything for them . they’re my entire life !!
MORE ABOUT ALEKSEY : II – ahh … you’re eyeing maxim ?? no worries , maxim is a gentle soul … the rest of his pack is gentle too , you may have seen them wandering the outskirts of the village . they’re the pack that saved me when i went missing in the woods , they’re precious to me , they’re family .
MORE ABOUT ALEKSEY : III – my cooking ?? it was a learning process , i couldn’t cook that well before , but those few weeks in the wild taught me that maybe i should know how . i enlisted the help from my mother and the cook at the tavern , and now , i can confidently say that i can make a pretty good meal .
ALEKSEY’S HOBBIES – hunting is a good past time of mine , whenever i have time , i pick up my bow and arrow and head into the woods . on a good day , i can bring home a boar or two and share it with the neighbors ; on bad days , i just think of it as target practice .
ALEKSEY’S TROUBLES – i wonder if ajax is getting enough to eat and taking care of himself … i’d send him things form home , but i wouldn’t know what . though i’ve been at his age , i have no idea what sort of things he wants or is going through . is it always this difficult to be separated from family ??
FAVORITE FOOD – hm ?? ajax’s cooking !! haha , joking , joking . i’m not a picky eater , i’d say perhaps one with cured ham or something warm and hearty to offset the cold climate here .
LEAST FAVORITE FOOD – i don’t really have one … mother used to say i hated carrots , but i eat plenty of that now !! i can’t believe how childish i was as a child …
BIRTHDAY – were you just going to pass your birthday without telling me ?? that makes me so sad !! come , we must celebrate !!
FEELINGS ABOUT ASCENSION : INTRO – how interesting !! i feel much stronger than i was before !!
FEELINGS ABOUT ASCENSION : BUILDING UP – oho … so this is what it feels like to have more power , i feel like i can do anything !! now i can truly be a superhero for teucer !!
FEELINGS ABOUT ASCENSION : CLIMAX – wonderful !! i never knew i had this potential in me and it’s all thanks to you , comrade !! come , we must celebrate !!
FEELINGS ABOUT ASCENSION : CONCLUSION – without you , i’d have never reached here !! so i hope you’ll allow me to join you on your journey to become stronger !!
BATTLE & EXPLORATION :
ADDED TO PARTY – thanks , comrade !! i’ll make sure this adventure won’t be a dull one !!
ELEMENTAL SKILL – are you feeling warmer ?? / you’re going to need some ice for this
ELEMENTAL BURST – not all wolves travel alone
IDLE – see chats
SPRINTING – no need to rush !! / let’s enjoy the scenery
GLIDING – wow , i never knew the world looked like this from up here .
DAMAGE – i should have paid more attention
KNOCKED OUT – i can’t fall here …
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Unposted Fic Bits from 2017: Modern Marko/Prim
College student!Prim and bachelor baker!Marko in a disgustingly fluffy premise slightly inspired by Dharma & Greg. A snippet of this was previously posted as a writing check-in.
By 10am, it’s already been a long day, and I’m drowsily eyeing the clock in the corner of the register screen when a pale blur appears in front of the counter. I glance up, then down again at a young woman – girl, really; twenty at the absolute most – with a wide, merry mouth, high cheekbones, and hair like frost and cream, spangled with actual flakes of thawing snow.
A veritable Christmas angel, never mind it’s still a week to Thanksgiving.
She smiles up at me in greeting. Her eyes are a stunning shade of blue that just might be violet, and her skin is downright porcelain – even fairer against her mint-green sweater.
“I know this is ridiculous, but do you have gingerbread yet?” she asks.
I blink owlishly at the vision while I try to think where I left the forceps to remove that kidney she asked for, and she elaborates, “I mean: gingerbread syrup, for lattes. I know it’s not even Thanksgiving but it’s been snowing like crazy and I’m having a hankering for gingerbread.”
I shake off the trance and transition neatly into Customer Service Mode. There’s no need to get spoony over a pretty college student, never mind this is the first time it’s happened since…well, ever.
“We like Christmas around here too,” I reply with a grin and duck over to the espresso machine to lift the newly stocked bottles of Monin gingerbread and peppermint syrups for her to see. “We've even got eggnog in the cooler.”
“Oh, I love you,” she declares, and my heart skips a beat. “Can I get a grande eggnog latte with gingerbread syrup?”
Strictly speaking, drink-making isn’t really my job, let alone my forte, but Luka’s in the back wrapping grab-and-go sandwiches and Peeta’s not due till 11 today, and I’ll be danged if I let any of our new-hire “baristas” make this angel’s latte.
I decide to throw in a square of fresh gingerbread on the house; the dark, moist, cakey stuff that hasn’t caught on yet but I’m almost certain she’ll enjoy.
And then I get the most amazing idea. “Do you trust me?” I ask her.
“Well, I did just ask you to make me a drink, so I suppose that’s a yes,” she answers impishly. “It doesn’t have to be fabulous, just festive.”
“I want to make you something – something different,” I explain, breathier than I intend. “Still using the gingerbread and eggnog, and I’m fairly certain it’ll be tasty, but if it isn’t I’ll make whatever you want to replace it and you can keep both drinks, free of charge.”
Her antennae perk up at the word free but she quickly demurs, “That sounds awesome, but you really don’t have to do that. I’ll pay for whatever you have in mind –”
“I’m honestly not even sure how to ring it up,” I admit. “It’s a new idea that you just inspired.” She raises her brows at this and my cheeks burn. “I-I know it’s cold out, but do you drink cold coffee too?” I stammer. “Frappes, I mean.”
I wince as I say it, because the last thing I want is to imply that she’s a foofy college girl who goes to Starbucks for Caramel Waffle Cone Frappuccinos, and I’m relieved to my bones when she replies, without a flicker of offense, “Sure, if it’s unique and tasty. And there has to be actual espresso – the real stuff, pulled as a shot, not that syrup concentrate junk that they try to pass off.”
“I wouldn’t dream of giving you anything else,” I assure her. “Where are you sitting? I’ll bring it out.”
She gestures behind her at a booth, its tabletop filled with a neat assortment of textbooks, folders, and notebooks. “In for the long haul?” I tease, and she nods.
“Anatomy final tomorrow,” she replies gravely. “I know I’m probably overpreparing, but I kind of geek out on this stuff.”
“Two shots, then?” I say, and she grins.
“Sounds perfect,” she replies, and glances at my name tag. “Thanks, Marko,” she says cheerfully and heads back to her study nook, taking my flailing heart with her.
I’m grateful for the relative quiet as I pull together the makings of what absolutely needs to be the most amazing drink I’ve ever prepared and wonder what in the world has come over me. We get the gamut of clientele here – college kids, savvy new grads, career women on their way to work or a quick lunch hour, and more than a few pretty faces among them – but no one’s ever affected me like this girl; not even Greta, my grade school crush. I want to kiss her to bits and take care of her and fill her with fat blond babies all at once.
I shake my head fiercely and offer up a silent prayer as I drop a square of gingerbread into the eggnog-and-espresso mixture in the blender. Ice and a hearty splash of gingerbread syrup round things out, and I press my lips together in hope as the ingredients noisily break down to a sippable consistency: a deep golden beverage with dark flecks of gingerbread crumbs.
There’s too much of the resulting drink for even our largest cold cup to accommodate, so I fill the 20-ounce to capacity and toss the rest into a 12-ounce for myself. I’m both eager and reluctant to steal a sip but I needn’t have worried; while relatively new to drink-making, I’ve been in the food business for eons, and this gingerbread frappe is downright to die for – a must for our holiday drinks menu. I’d love to run a taster back to Luka because I know he’ll love it too, but I don’t want him to find out about the girl, for some reason. She’s like a dream that I want to keep just for me.
I garnish the drink with a towering, precarious heap of whipped cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg, top it off with a straw, and duck around the counter to carry it reverently to the girl’s booth.
She looks up as I approach and gives a delighted, giggling, “Oh good Lord!” as I place the cup in front of her. “That looks amazing,” she breathes, and takes a long, rapturous sip, punctuated by an exquisite little moan that makes something clench deep in my belly. “Oh my gosh, you have to try this!” she exclaims, offering the cup back to me. “Or did you already try it?”
For some reason this makes me blush violently. “I stole a sip of what didn’t fit in here, to make sure it tasted okay,” I reply, but she insistently passes over the cup. “You have to try it in context,” she says. “Properly, from the straw.”
I can’t comprehend her wanting to share a straw with a man she’s only just met, let alone the bakery employee who just made her drink, but I equally can’t deny how wonderful it would be to place my lips where hers were a moment ago. I bring the straw to my mouth and taste marshmallow lip balm before the frappe hits my tongue.
It's the closest thing to a kiss – a real one, not a quick, awkward peck at the end of a blind date, and more often than not on the cheek – that I’ve experienced in my twenty-eight years and I wonder if it’s excruciatingly obvious to her. “It’s good,” I gulp. “Even better than I expected.”
“Please, let me pay you for it,” she entreats. “I know I’m a poor college student so I shouldn’t be balking at any gift horses, but this is at least a five dollar drink, and I know you can’t write off everything as samples.”
And I realize: this is my moment. This is the part where I’m supposed to wink and give a debonair smile as I tell her, “No charge, but I’d love your number,” or maybe ask her out for dinner. If she likes me even a little she’s supposed to say yes, and if she doesn’t I can dismiss the mortification by thanking her anyway and insisting no charge for the drink. Mellarks may be terrible at the business of asking out the objects of their affection, but this opportunity practically flung itself into my lap. My heart is pummeling my eardrums and my breath is shaky and I blurt out the words in a rush.
“Will you marry me?”
I bite my lips together to prevent me gaping at her in horror. It’s the last thing I ever meant to say, but now that it’s out, I’m strangely glad. There was something inevitable about asking this beautiful girl to marry me and I’ll probably never see her again – it’s pretty much a cert after this – and at least now I can’t kick myself for “what might have been.”
Her brows are justifiably aloft but somehow, she doesn’t look offended or upset or freaked out, just surprised. “Um,” she says. “I’m a poor college student, so that really wouldn’t be me doing you any favors.”
“You’d be my wife,” I croak, and consider biting off my tongue. “That’s better than a lifetime’s worth of Christmas presents, let alone five-dollar frappes.”
She takes about five excruciating seconds to look me over from head to toe. I’ve been up since 2am and in the kitchen since 3:00, up to my elbows in flour and yeast. I showered before bed last night but I don’t remember the last time I ran a comb over my curls, to say nothing of tidying up my No-Shave Novembeard, which is mountain-man bushy and extends halfway down my neck.
I can only be grateful that the cold weather keeps the kitchen brisk or I’d be running around in an undershirt, looking about as sexy as my dad.
I’m about to turn around and scramble back to the safety of said kitchen when the girl says, or maybe decides: “Okay. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
I slide into the booth seat opposite her a split second before my knees give way. “You don’t have to humor me,” I tell her, my pulse flailing, but my voice and mind are oddly calm and clear.
“I’m not,” she replies, almost patiently, and reaches over to set a hand on mine, making me jump in my skin. “You’re good-looking, generous, and incredibly nice,” she says. “I’m flattered, to be honest, and I’d love to be your wife.”
“I’m off at 11,” some madman answers in my voice. “We could get married over lunch, if you want.”
She tips her head, considering, and gets up from her seat; to leave, obviously – but no, she simply comes around to my side of the booth and scoots in beside me. “Hold my hand?” she asks, and leans against my shoulder as I clumsily comply. Her hand is half the size of mine, all bird-boned wrist and slender fingers, and I swallow back a whimper at how incredible she feels. It’s all I can do not to dip my face and bury it in her fragrant pale hair.
“You smell amazing,” she sighs, nuzzling her face against my shoulder. “And you feel so good.”
“So do you,” I whisper, my voice a thread, as I dare to stroke the back of her hand with my thumb.
“Okay,” she says again, raising her head to regard me directly. “I’m done with class for the day. Let’s get married.”
“I’m Marko,” I croak, and she chuckles.
“I caught that,” she teases, tracing my name tag with a fingertip and making me shiver. “Mellark?” she wonders, nodding at the bakery logo beneath my name, and I nod. “I’m Prim – um, Primrose – Everdeen,” she says, with the smallest of apologetic winces.
“It’s a beautiful name,” I breathe. “You’re beautiful, Prim.”
She grins through an exquisite blush. “Aww, thank you,” she says. “I was beginning to think you only liked me for my taste in espresso beverages, or maybe my penchant for holiday flavors.”
“Well, there is that,” I reply, and she curls an arm over to hug me, making my heart swell and threaten to burst its bounds.
“Oh, Marko,” she sighs against my shoulder. “This really is going to work.”
I tentatively slip my arms around her torso, shyly hugging her in return and holding her close all at once, and she makes a delicious sound of surprise. “Oh my God, you feel good,” she moans. “You’re really sure you want to marry me? Because I want more than anything in the world to come home to you tonight and curl up in your arms on the sofa.”
“I only have a loveseat,” I warn in a rasp and she giggles.
“All the better for cuddling,” she points out, and leans up to peck my cheek, just above the line of my beard, with an impish kiss. “It’s a little out of the way,” she says, “but do you want me to run home and change into a dress or something?”
“No,” I answer firmly, because I’m terrified if she leaves she’ll never come back, and somehow this will all end up being an impossibly wonderful dream. “I want to marry you just like this,” I add, a little more softly, and raise a brave hand to her hair. “You’re so beautiful just as you are,” I whisper, shivering at the feel of silky blonde waves beneath my fingers.
“What did I do to get you?” she whispers back. “I was just looking for a place to study and this place had espresso drinks and WiFi.”
I grin, because Dad had resisted adding either one of those and I’ve never been happier that he eventually gave in. “Well, since I was the one who suggested we add the espresso machine, I’d call it fate,” I reply, and kiss the tip of her nose, making her squeak.
“Your whiskers tickle,” she explains, rubbing at her lips, where I must have inadvertently brushed against her with my beard, but she looks positively mirthful at the discovery. “This should be fun,” she says, tracing my mouth with a fingertip, and I swallow a yelp at an answering tug from my groin.
I’m a grown man with a very grown-up degree of self-control, but erections usually hit me at night; rarely in public and never at this proximity, and it’s all I can do not to peel Prim off my side and bodily return her to her side of the booth.
Then again, we could very well be married in an hour or two and go straight home to bed. I could be making love with my wife before suppertime –
“I should get back to work,” I blurt and make a clumsy lunge toward the edge of the booth, but of course Prim is still nestled between me and the exit and I end up flinging myself against her.
“You could’ve just asked me to move,” she says, confused but not quite hurt, and my perpetual flush burns crimson across my cheekbones.
“I’m so sorry,” I tell her. “I’m…incredibly attracted to you, and I was trying to make a run for it before I made a fool of myself.”
“What would be so bad about that?” she wonders, and I have the sudden horrifying-yet-wonderful thought that maybe she really doesn’t know what I mean. She’s too beautiful to have never slept with a guy – something I hadn’t stopped to think about before now and which makes me a little sad to acknowledge – or at the very least, to have fooled around with the equipment. And for pity’s sake, she’s in an Anatomy class, so she’s either training for some branch of healthcare or in art school. Either way, the workings of the male body can’t possibly be a mystery to her.
Or can they?
“I’m sorry, Marko,” she says suddenly. “I didn’t think about this being your family’s bakery, where the last thing you want is to be seen cuddling with a girl.”
“No, that would not be good,” I agree gratefully. “At least, not until I’ve taken her ‘round and introduced her properly as my wife.”
She smiles at the prospect and inches out of the booth. “You’re absolutely sure about this?” she says. “I mean, there’s no saying we can’t date for a little while – or heck, get engaged –”
“Would you rather?” I ask, slipping out of the booth to stand beside her, and she gazes properly up at me for the first time. She’s not especially short but her head is at a level with my heart, which feels strangely appropriate.
“You’re really tall,” she observes, and slips her arms around my waist, hugging me soundly. “And no, I don’t want to wait,” she murmurs into my chest as my own arms drift around her. “I want to marry you this afternoon, if you’re still okay with that.”
“I’m so okay with that,” I whisper, curling forward to kiss the crown of her head. Her body feels like heaven held against mine, slim and strong with alluring curves tucked here and there, and I lift her up onto her toes as I hold her closer to me. “I have to run back to the kitchen for a bit, sweetheart,” I murmur, “but I’ll be back as soon as I can and I’ll pack us a lunch to boot, okay?”
“So much better than okay,” she sighs, sinking back on her heels. “I’ve got more than enough studying to keep me busy till you’re free.”
I return to the kitchen on a cloud, my absence unnoticed by any but Luka, who’s frowning as he pockets his cell. “Peet’s in bed with stomach flu,” he says. “He says he tried to get up and dressed but he’s got a fever, chills, puking, the whole thing.”
“I can’t stay past 11,” I blurt, terrified I’ll blush, but my brother shakes his head.
“Wouldn’t ask you,” he says. “The baristas can fill in through lunch and Dad can probably hang out till 4, but I need help with the special orders this afternoon.”
#2017 in review#primko#virgin!everlark#:)#marko/prim#modern au#luka's married in this one#with baby elske to boot#and peeta/katniss will inevitably get pulled in over the precipitous union
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Electrics Popcorn Maker
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04/02/20 Tree runs in Revelstoke
On Sunday we had a lie in and made the most of our 12pm check out, leaving at 12:01 on the dot. New system of packing car seems to work. We drove about 2hrs, stopping off in Armstrong on the way to visit a cheese factory. They had a load of free tasters including cheese curds which are weird and apparently what they put on chips in a poutine. Also had haberno jack, maple cheddar and blueberry cheddar, all kinda weird but interesting to try. We bought some lemon cheddar and peppercorn jack from the half price bin yum.
We also stopped at a supermarket which turned out to be tiny and Sam saw someone doing the worst parking ever ramming their car into a snowbank.
We arrived in Revelstoke and checked into the Cube hostel, pleasantly surprised that we have a private room and breakfast is included. Breakfast consists of tasty bagels and freshly cooked waffles and gallons of maple syrup and home made cakes (to steal for the afternoon). We dumped out stuff and went out to a bar down the street to watch the superbowl.
The pub was massively busy but they found us a pair of seats right in front of the big screen, and we had a great couple of hours drinking beer and laughing at American adverts. American football was entertaining but silly how long 2 minutes of game play takes. The half time show was very 90s with Shakira and JLo and a bit too much vagina thrusting.
Monday we woke up to our indulgent breakfast and got ready for skiing in a fairly faffy way. Joey had lost all her buffs and then sam forgot his goggles. Eventually hit the road and drove 10minutes or so up to the ski resort.
The ski area consists of only 3 useful lifts, but these manage to cover an impressive amount of terrain. The gondola at the bottom is long and non-freezing, but must be followed by a chilly traverse and then the long, slow Stoke chair to get to the top. That day it was exceptionally cold, we calculated perhaps -24deg with windchill at the top. Very pleased sam has new gloves. We alternated doing short runs at the top and skiing all the way down to the gondola to try to warm up.
The snow at the top was deep and soft, despite being well skied on as it's been a while since any significant snowfall. There's a whole mountain face to play on, and endless tree runs - bobbing about in trees was our favourite thing about Revelstoke. Apparently the storm on Saturday hit them with rain and crazy windspeeds, so there are loads of trees down and needles, pine cones and lichen debris everywhere.
From the top of Stoke there's an option to hike up the "Lemming Line" and over the ridge to the bowls on the other side. It's a lengthy hike and without any new snow we decided to give it a miss. We did hit the North Bowl, skiing round to the Ripper chair on the back of the mountain. This offered its own collection of glorious tree runs and we're getting better at controlling over bumps and round obstacles.
A wonderful feature of Revelstoke which all ski resorts everywhere should adopt (along with Japanese heated toilet seats) is heated warming huts at the top of each lift. We ducked into the one at the top of Ripper to try to thaw our hands and feet, and found half the skiers on the mountain hiding in there eating picnics and drinking beer.
That first day we found a snowpark, but with obstacles a bit big for us. Sam did it masterfully and Joey crashed out on a big box.
Tuesday started with waffles followed by more chilly skiing. We stopped for hot chocolate mid morning in the Mackenzie hut, which actually helped a lot. We also found a small snowpark, hurray!
After skiing we went to the Aquatic Centre in town, entry courtesy of our hostel. It was an excellent place with a sauna, hot tub, river rapids, diving board, climbing wall over the pool, waterpolo net, water slide, and actual swimming pool. We were there for hours trying everything out and enjoying being warm.
Wednesday we ski ski skied, it wasn't quite so bitterly cold and we had a really delish chip lunch at the hut. Back in the hostel we had dinner and drinks and played Sushi Go which is an excellently silly card game. Had a fake third player who didn't win thankfully.
Went out to a local bar which was having an open mic night that we thought started at 9 but actually started at 10 and then they spent a year and a half setting up. Awks because we go to bed early these days.
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Hot, Chicago summers are generally, not very fun but somehow, we manage. This past month was nothing short of spectacular – even despite the sweltering, blistering, hell heat.
We kicked the month off with a visit to the very critically acclaimed Par-King miniature golf course out in Lincolnshire. Solely based off of the reviews on this place, expectations were HIGH. To ensue extra, satisfaction, I purchased a Groupon for an Indian Restaurant by the name of Marigold Maison through whom we purchased some bag-insulated yummers for dinner. I’ll save you the suspense and tell you the food was not good. Although I’m fairly certain we’ve become tikka masala snobs at this point. Service
was super awkward as well as the restaurant has a grocery attached to it with shelved goods that look as though they’d been there for god knows how long. In any case, I wouldn’t venture there ever again. But back to the golfing. We arrived mid-day on a Wednesday in hopes of beating any summer-time crowds. And much to our delight, the place was not busy at all. I will say we were gravely disappointed in the different themed courses that felt very lacking – especially after reading of the reputation of this joint.
The literal best thing about the entire course was the ‘roller coaster’ hole which well, Sharon grabbed some awesome video of so be sure to check that out in the montage (shameless plug). I would consider trying it again – maybe with the other course since the ‘cooler’ holes were all on the other game option. Let’s also take into account that Sharon was dealing with some mental and emotional bullshit right before we started playing so she wasn’t exactly in the right mind-set to even attempt enjoying the golf of minisculeness.
And then there was the Fourth of July. Which well, we usually don’t do much for – simply based on the elements of too many people being out and about in the world doing dumb and annoying things. But for some reason or rather, the lure of a Paranormal Circus presenting itself to us, did we become much bolder this year. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The day started off with a bit of work-from-home since I’m commission-based and don’t get PAID on days off. Following that, I believe the boozing commenced which involved a lovely rendition of Berry Vodka reminiscent of snow cone syrup. Following that, we baked some pre-bought chips and ate some previously purchased pasta and potato salads while we vegged on the couch to enjoy the down time.
Once it became a decent hour to leave, we headed out to the Paranormal Cirque located out in Orland Park. I had read that there was a pre-show to the event so of course, we arrived hella early (pun intended). Gates weren’t even open as we reached the mall parking lot where dark tents had been resurrected. Twas quite a strange sight, really. But we enjoyed taking pictures and videos of the tented darkness awaiting us. Once we were finally allowed in, we entered the main tent area where a table was set up selling masks. There was also a face painter in the corner adjacent which I considered partaking in but the artist was taking far way too long for my liking. As we stood around in the main area awaiting this ‘pre-show,’ we noticed a Mad-Max, steam-punk looking little person riding around on an electric wheelchair. She’d speed up close to unsuspecting victims, point her gun and scare creepily at them before slowly backing away. It was cool for the first couple minutes but eventually, we came to the conclusion that there really WAS no pre-show.
After we were finally allowed into the show arena, we met several, random performers who were entertaining, yes, but nothing extravagant. Once seated in our front-row elitist-ship, we watched a little person clown walk around and harass random people. He quite enjoyed throwing popcorn at me. As the time dwindled on, we become more and more annoyed with the fact that yet again, another show was NOT going to start on time. Sadly, the venue wasn’t very packed either. Once the show resumed, we were mildly entertained. The man ‘comedic’ character was hilarious but the crassness of the show was a bit too much for our liking. As such, we darted out at intermission to enjoy a colorful, sky extravaganza on our way home.
Next on the party-bus roster for July was Garden a Go Go – a burlesque show that sounded most intriguing. Situated in a warehouse-looking building in Humboldt Park (a clear indication nothing good could possibly come of us), we again, arrived very early in anticipation of much awesomeness. Unfortunately, our $20 donation didn’t seem worthwhile for the non-air-conditioned frenzy of annoyance we were met with. Granted, there was a very awesome hoop aerialist doing some ‘pre-show’ performance while we yet again, waited the untimely nature of the production. We sat and sweated and listened to DJ-ed music accompanied very ineloquently by a saxophone player. Not even the sax
could save our spirits. Let me also point out that drink tickets were mandatory and that no bottled water was available. After staying to watch the show until, literally, we finished watching the Abraham Lincoln performance, we left immediately and pondered actually picking up and dropping off a case of water for the poor souls continuing to suffer without quench.
As remedy to our disappointment for the Garden a No No, I suggested we stop off at my most beloved Sidekicks for a drink and song. Sharon was most agreeable and we headed over. This night was COMPLETELY turned around by this decision. Not only did we become cool with the karaoke guru, Joe, but we made friends with my waitress’s friends, Bart and Maria who were the coolest people ever. Bart was literally creating self-echoes over the mic and ended up buying us buttery-nipple shots at one point. I even discovered one of my dance student’s moms also waitresses there! Talk about your small world! Had a blast. We would end up at Sidekicks two more times that month. The second was just as fun. The last was well, not as anticipated but all in all, it’s a great default place to scout out any time.
Ah concerts. How I do loathe thee – unless you are outdoors and I have plenty of personal space which is precisely what we achieved this month! We grabbed some super cheap tickets for Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in Tinley Park for 311 even though we were actually going for the opening bands. After having our sunscreen and bug spray discarded my security (doh) and having to walk the perimeter of the joint to get the correct ‘will call’ window, I paid way too much for plastic mason jars of vodka. Lawn seat
were spectacular and we came prepared with Skip-Bo which, due to wind complication, involved putting every item we owned on every card pile to prevent throw-aways. The opening bands were good up until the last one before 311 at which point, we could not muster the will for it was quite horrendous. It was strange to pack up before the main band but quite satisfactory.
Ravinia. Can’t go wrong. Every year I try to make it a point to find SOMEONE to see here. Again, lawn seats are the absolute best for comfort. We again arrived with Skip-BO after venturing to Viaggio in Highland Park for some take-away dinner goods. The place was PACKED for arriving at 5 o’clock on a Sunday! I’d never seen it so full so early on in the day. But we valiantly made our way around the venue until we found a sufficient spot to lay our wares. The music performance was The Music of Queen with a vocalist named Brody Dolyniuk who, was an awesome singer but horrendous speaker. Guy sounded like
an infomercial. Several songs into the performance and after battling a swat of flies whom invaded one suspicious corner of our blanket, we headed out.
I never claim to be of Irish descent, although, my brother allegedly found out our family is a small percentage Irish, but that has never been necessary for partaking in the Irish Fest held every year at The Irish Heritage Center. We grabbed some food at a local spot conveniently across the street from Sidekicks, Old Irving Brewing Co. before making our way to the Irish Fest. After arriving we observed the place to be very much dead – which is always in our favor. We immediately grabbed drinks and headed to the outdoor tent area to take a gander at the vendors and musical performances. Sharon entered us in a Trip to Ireland drawing which we clearly didn’t win. We popped upstairs to take a look at
the indoor exhibits and watched some Irish dancing for a hot second before heading out an inevitably ending up at Sidekicks (which we’ve previously discussed).
What better way to spend a Tuesday evening than drinking and BINGO’ing? It’s not often I have Tuesday evenings available due to dance scheduling so we took advantage of an opportunity to visit Eris Brewery and Cider House for their special BINGO event. We’d previously been here for their cider and were a bit underwhelmed. The same was true this most recent go. But I will say, their sweet potato waffle fries with bacon and a bunch of other awesome stuff were off the CHAIN! SO good! BINGO involved maybe three tables including ours, there were about 11 of us total? And it STILL took several people leaving before Sharon’s ‘luck’ kicked in during the last three games. Brian, a brewer, was the caller who was most entertaining. His gibberish between games was hilarious – until he went on tangents about making cider at which point, I was buzz, tired, and pissed I hadn’t won and therefore, was no longer amused. Sharon came away with a t-shirt and a bunch of other, random, useless items. I came away with much embitterment, per usual.
If you’re ever looking for a delish, Philly’s cheesesteak, look no further than Monti’s near Albany Park. I loved this place since the first time I tried it. It’s cute, carefree and I’ve never experienced bad service. After parking a bit away and trekking endlessly in the blistering sun, we arrived, grab some $5 martinis and consumed some delicious goods! Martinis take #2 underwent and buzzed, we headed off to the second event for the night: K. Karaoke and Paint. Because what could POSSIBLY be better than drinking, painting AND singing? Oh yeah, yes, it’s also BYOB so we grabbed our insulated Moscow mule cans from the car and walked a short way to the storefront. Once inside, we grabbed our seats, iced some cups and awaited the rest of the attendees. Eventually, we began our painting project of a sunflower in between which, I sang a song or two. The more we boozed, the more ‘creative’ our paintings became. At one point, Sharon was beckoned to the make-shift dance-floor at which time, everyone forgot what they were doing. At the very end of the event, you guessed it, we headed to Sidekicks (again, already covered
this) and ultimately, took our paintings back home where I drunkenly decided to leave our art work outside the doorstep of our old-lady neighbor, as a gift. The following morning I barely remember this act of generosity and to this day wonder just what she was thinking when she noticed them.
We were very much looking forward to attending the Bristol Renaissance Faire this month, however, due to the heat severity, we determined it would not be the greatest idea to do so in July. As a replacement, however, we decided to get some tattoos. Sharon acquired a bridge and I, a sheep. Not a bad time for a lazy, hot Saturday.
The month of July was wrapped up with a few cat themes. Poor monkey-bear was taken to the vet due to violent, butt-licking tendencies which resulted in some prescribed laxative and pain medication. He’s doing much better now. I believe the demons haunting his butthole have vacated. Aside from that, we took in a performance of Cats downtown at the Nederlander Theatre. So here’s the thing on that. I don’t get it. I’ve never gotten it. Every time I try to understand that show, it fails. I couldn’t understand a
damn thing the actors were sing/saying other than ‘Jellicle Cats’ which til this day, I still don’t know what the hell they are! Does anyone? Someone respond to this blog with an explanation please. Again, we left at intermission, very glad to have at LEAST experienced ‘Memories’ which is always a good, inner cry.
All in all, not a bad month – despite my obvious, aforementioned bitching. Complications and let-downs aside, nothing was going to stop these queens from enjoying this sexy, hot summer.
First-Act Queens Hot, Chicago summers are generally, not very fun but somehow, we manage. This past month was nothing short of spectacular – even despite the sweltering, blistering, hell heat.
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Snow Cone - Newt Scamander x Reader
A little modern high school AU with our little resident Hufflepuff magizoologist. This was inspired by my friend’s encounter with her crush that played out a little bit like this, but the end wasn’t quite the same... You’ll see ;)))) (NO SMUT I DON’T SO SMUT GET YOUR MINDS OUT OF THE GUTTER FFS)
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It was that time of year again. Summer. The fair was back in town again, and this time you had managed to score a part time job helping out with the festivities as a way to earn some extra cash. It was the first day of the fair, and even though it was early on in the summer season, the sun was still beating down on you with an intense ferocity. Beads of sweat were already beginning to form on your forehead, and you swiped the back of your hand over the damp skin in an attempt to rid yourself of the sticky liquid. You had only been out in the heat for a couple of hours so far, yet your hair was already stuck down to your drenched forehead.
"(Y/N)!" The voice of your boss rang out through the bustling crowds. You put down the tools you were using to try to fix one of the games and turned to the lanky woman making her way over to you. She had her head bowed over a clipboard as she scribbled furiously.
"Yes ma'am?" You addressed her as you wiped your hands on your shorts. She clicked her pen and tucked it behind her ear before peering up at you.
"I need you to take over back at the snow cone truck. Scotty got heat stroke, the poor fella, and now the whole snow cone operation is being thrown out of whack!" She spoke quickly, tossing her hands around as she stammered on. Her hair was wild as she had visibly been running her fibers through it. Her forehead seemed to have a heavier sheen of sweat than your own did, which was a bit of a relief to be completely honest.
You furrowed your brows. "But, what about the game?" You asked her, motioning towards your half completed project. She simply shook her head.
"It'll have to wait. Now, hurry! Newt was already getting antsy when I left!"
You nodded and quickly scurried away, making your way through the crowds towards the snow cone truck in the center of the fair. You tried your best to ignore the butterflies that danced around in your stomach at the mention of Newt Scamander. He was, in your eyes, by far the cutest boy at your school. He was in a couple of your classes the year before, but you had never worked up the courage to approach him. It became evident around a week in that the soft spoken boy was too shy to approach anyone either. You managed to get through an entire school year without speaking to Newt a single time. Your friends made sure to scold you for this on the last day of school, causing your cheeks to turn a bright red and a feeling of hopelessness to settle itself down in your chest.
The brightly colored snow cone truck appeared in your view, and you took long strides to make your way over to it. You slipped through the crowds, muttering soft apologies as you went along, until you made it to the large doors on the back of the truck. You grabbed the handle of one of the doors and swung it open, causing a cool breeze to curl around your body. You reveled in the feeling for only a moment before bounding up the stairs and closing the door behind you.
"You guys called for backup?" You addressed the two people standing inside the truck with you. You recognized the shorter man from your science class last year. His name was Jacob Kowalski, and he always seemed to be bringing in the most exquisite pastries to share. Since you sat next to him, he would often sneak you an extra couple of the delicacies with a sly wink.
Next to him was the tall ginger man that made your heart beat wildly inside your chest. Newt's feet shuffled against the floor as he averted his eyes away from you and back to the paper cup half filled with ice clutched in his hands. You quickly shifted your gaze back to Jacob, who was looking at you with a grin.
"(Y/N)! Good to see you! You coming to help us out?" He asked in a bubbly tone. You smiled and nodded.
"Sure am. What can I do to help?" You rubbed your hands together, looking around the truck for something to do.
Jacob motioned to the place next to Newt, which was directly in front of the large window that Newt was taking orders from. "Newt's scooping the ice into the cups, so you can ask what flavor they want and I'll go grab the syrup so you can add it to the snow cone. That sound good?"
You nodded in agreement, and the three of you set off to work. You had to admit that it was a bit unnerving standing so close to Newt. The window was quite small, so in order for both of you to be able to speak to the customers you had to squish together, your sides pressed against each other. You refused to let yourself look at him, knowing that it would only make you more anxious. Instead, you did your best to ignore him and do your job.
Luckily, it didn't take long for the line to die down again. What was once around 15 people at once became about two of three people every five minutes or so. Your hands and arms were covered in snow cone syrup, so it was your worst nightmare when the bridge of your nose began to itch.
You raised a hand to your face to scratch it, only to freeze when your fingers were only inches away. You yanked your hand back and tried to use your arm, only to find that it was covered in the sugary substance as well. You let out a little whine of annoyance as the itch became more and more intense.
"Are you okay?" A soft British voice asked you in concern. You whirled around to look at Newt with wide eyes. His brows were furrowed and his head was tilted ever so slightly.
"O-Oh, yeah I'm fine, i-it's just... My nose itches, and..." You held up your sticky hands and wiggled your fingers around. The situation seemed to click in Newt's mind, and he chuckled softly.
"Here," he muttered, reaching a hand out and quickly scratching the bridge of your nose. The itch immediately faded away, causing you to sigh in relief.
"Oh thank God, thank you, Newt," you thanked him gratefully. He gave you a small smile and a nod in response. You turned around but stopped abruptly as you noticed something was missing. "Newt?"
"Hm?"
"Where'd Jacob go?"
You heard the sound of Newt's shoes as he turned and looked around the truck as well. "I don't know... When did he leave?"
You huffed and shrugged. "I'm not sure, but he better get back here before the rush starts again. I can't handle this on my own."
"Hey! What am I then?" Newt questioned, crossing his arms over his chest playfully. Your eyes widened and you bit your lip.
"N-no! I didn't mean it like that, it's just that I... These people like so many different flavors and the syrup is on the other side of the truck and I just-"
Newt cut you off with a chuckle, and you swore you could see the tiniest hint of a blush on his cheeks. "It's okay! I was only kidding," he assured you. You breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Don't do that to me, Scamander. You scared the living crap out of me."
He chuckled and turned back to the ice machine for a moment, leaving you in silence. You let out a soft sigh and peered down at your sugar coated hands. A maniacal grin spread across your face. If you were going to be in here all day with a cute boy, you might as well make it fun.
You tip toed up behind Newt and slowly reached out towards him before quickly smearing some of the syrup onto him and scurrying away. Newt let out a small gasp as he whirled around, peering down at his arm in shock.
"Did you just wipe snow cone syrup on me?" He asked you in disbelief. You grinned and shrugged.
"I dunno. Did I?"
He narrowed his eyes at you playfully, reaching over and grabbing one of the large syrup squirt bottles. He pumped a handful into his palm before slowly stalking over to you.
"W-Wait, Newt we can talk about this!" You tried to reason with him as you slowly stepped away from him. Your blood ran cold as your back hit the metal doors locking you inside. Your eyes widened. "Don't do this!"
"Sorry, (Y/N), it's only fair!" He shouted. He darted forwards and hurled the syrup at you. The dark purple liquid splashed against your fairgrounds employee shirt, causing the fabric to stick messily to your stomach.
Your jaw dropped in disbelief, and you slowly craned your neck upwards to see Newt standing there victoriously. You narrowed your eyes at the man. "This... This means war, Scamander..." You whispered. His eyes widened slightly, and you saw his Adam's apple bob with fear.
Without giving him any sort of warning, you rushed forward and grabbed the nearest bottle of syrup, which judging by the color and scent you assumed it to be cherry, and you pointed the bottle directly at him. Newt let out a squeak of surprise and held his hands up in surrender. "Don't shoot!" He cried pleadingly.
"Sorry, Newt! No mercy!"
You slammed your open palm down on the pump, causing the red liquid to shoot out in a steady stream towards Newt's chest. He tried to move his arms to cover himself, but he was just barely too late, and only ended up making a bigger mess. You lowered the bottle triumphantly and let out a joyful laugh.
You thought for sure that you had won. Newt's arms and shirt were dripping with syrup, and his head was bowed in an attempt to keep the stuff that had gotten in his hair out of his eyes. It wasn't until Newt reached over and scooped up a handful of shaved ice that you realized how wrong you were.
Newt used his free hand to brush back his syrup soaked hair. His other hand began to drip with little droplets of water as the ice began to melt. He gave you an uncharacteristic smirk before bring his arm back and hurling the ice ball at you with all of his might.
You let out a high pitched squeal as you spun on the balls of your feet. You seemed to turn just in time, because as soon as you turned you felt the icy cold ball hit you right in the center of your back. You quickly began to brush the ice off of your back to rid yourself of the freezing cold feeling.
You turned back towards Newt, your jaw dropped as he looked at you with a triumphant grin. "You did not!" You cried out in disbelief. New simply shrugged.
"You started it," he replied simply.
You scoffed and began stepping towards him, your pace slow and deliberate. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed a lump of fear in his throat, and this sight tugged the corners of your mouth upwards in a maniacal smile. Now it was Newt's turn to start stepping back until his back hit the wall, at which point you leapt forward and scooped up a handful of ice and chucked it at Newt with far less than expert precision. The ball of snow broke midair and showered the man head to toe in freezing cold ice. He was barely even able to cover his face before the impact.
Newt let out a small squeak as the ice hit him, and immediately he began to brush himself off just as you had done. You continued to go back and forth, throwing ice and syrup at each other and completely forgetting about the bustling fair outside.
Soon enough, you both grew tired. Your chests heaved with each gulp of air you took. Your lips and hands were a frigid shade of blue, and you could hear your teeth chattering even over the sounds of the crowds outside the truck. You looked up at Newt to see him in the same state as you as he shivered and rubbed at his arms in an attempt to warm himself up. Despite the cold, you both had pleased smiles on your faces. Newt's hair stuck flat against his forehead as the ice chunks in his curls began to melt, and you were sure that your hair looked similar.
"Well, that was..." Newt began, only for you to jump up and finish his sentence.
"Really fun," you blurted out hopefully. A feeling of relief washed over you as Newt smiled softly.
"Yeah," he agreed, nodding his head. "You know, when I heard they were sending you over here to help out, I was a bit worried," Newt admitted. He tipped his head downwards to stare at the ground as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. You furrowed your brows in confusion.
"What? Why were you worried?"
He shrugged before responding. "It's just, at school you seem so... Cool."
You couldn't help but laugh. "Me? Cool? All I do is make stupid puns and high five myself for them."
A small smile graced his lips. "Maybe so, but that's who you are. You're not cool because you're popular, you're cool because you're so... Unapologetically you. I've never seen anyone quite like you, and I just felt that I could never compare."
You took a tentative step forward and attempted to meet his eyes, but he only shifted his gaze away from you again. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I felt the exact same way coming here," you admitted as well. Newt finally looked up to meet your eyes, a small smile making its way onto his lips. He quirked an eyebrow upwards.
"Really?"
"Really really."
In a sudden surge of confidence, Newt leaned towards you and pressed his lips against yours. You froze momentarily before melting into it, allowing your fingers to tangle themselves in his syrup soaked hair. His lips tasted like cherries from the liquid that coated them, but you truly weren't complaining. You were vaguely aware of his hands as they snaked around your waist, pulling you closer to him. Any harsh chill you were harboring from your previous ice fight was long gone at this point as you felt a newfound warmth spreading through your veins.
You begrudgingly pulled away for air moments later. Your chest rose and fell with your heavy breaths, and both you and Newt had pleased smiles on your faces. "Wow," you whispered softly. He chuckled.
"Wow indeed," he agreed.
You simply stood in each other's arms for a moment, trying to cherish the moment while you could. Your moment didn't last long, however, because shortly after you heard the sound of the truck doors opening and closing.
"Uh..." A male voice droned questioningly. You whirled around to see Jacob staring at the two of you with a quirked brow. "Is this... A bad... Time...?"
You couldn't help but laugh at the concerned look on his face, and the three of you got back to work at once, only this time you didn't feel quite as awkward when your arm brushed against Newt's.
#newt scamander#newt scamander imagine#newt scamander x reader#newt x reader#fantastic beasts#fantastic beasts and where to find them#fluff#fanfic#wow i wish this was me smh#hufflepuff#i love newt scamander so much honestly#protect newt scamander at all costs
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No Pool? Fun Water Activities For Kids During the Texas Summer
Don’t have a pool? That doesn’t mean your kids have to be stuck inside to stay cool and resort to indoor activities to be entertained. They can still enjoy the Texas summer heat with splashes of fun right in your backyard. It’s time to get outside and spark imagination, boost creativity, promote fun exercise, and get a little Vitamin D.
Whether you want to set up a water olympics tournament, minute-to-win-it water games, or simply have outdoor activities to stay cool, check out these fun things to do with water and beat the heat!
Slip and Slide Games
Photo credit: O’Fallon First UMC
Slip and Slide Kickball — Set up four Slip and Slide tarps with “bases” at the end of each slide to create a kickball field, similar to a baseball field diamond. Then play ball!
Slip and Slide Bowling — Add objects at the end of a slip and slide tarp and play “human bowling,” where you use your body to slide and knock down the objects.
Slip and Slide Relay — Using one slip and slide, two people race to the end at the same time, or you can add two slip and slides parallel to each other for a relay race. There can be objects (like a sponge, flag, etc.) at the end of the slide that each member of the team has to retrieve and bring back to the next person in line. The team who finishes the quickest wins.
Water Balloon Games
Photo credit: Fraiche Restaurant LA
Water Balloon Toss — This traditional game requires a team of two, and can become a tournament with multiple teams. Starting out a couple feet apart, toss the water balloon to your teammate. If they successfully catch the balloon without popping it, both of you take a step back and toss the balloon again. See who gets the furthest without popping the balloon.
Water Balloon Volleyball — If you have a net or horizontal barrier, you can play 2-player volleyball with another team. Using a towel to catch the water balloon as it comes over the “net,” your team slings it back over to the other side. Whoever pops the balloon loses.
Water Balloon Corn Hole — Don’t have corn hole boards? You can use any type of board and just add tape for targets. Those standing on the other end of the board will get a good splash!
Water Balloon Piñata — Attach a water balloon to a string and tie to a tree branch. Grab a bat or other stick and make sure the participant is blind folded. Each participant gets 3 chances to burst the balloon.
Water Balloon Baseball — You don’t need a big backyard to “play ball” when you use water balloons. It’s a great way to practice your swing!
Water Balloon Dodgeball — It’s exactly what you picture with a regular dodgeball. Dodge the water balloon or catch it without letting it burst. If you let the balloon pop or get hit with a water balloon, you’re out. Last one standing wins.
Water Balloon Hide-and-Seek — It’s the outdoor game of hide-and-seek, but if you get found, you get hit with a water balloon.
Water Balloon Football — A friendly game of tag football just got better with water balloons. You can twist this game however you want, but one option is to use water balloons to “tag” a player with the ball that would act as a tackle. Or you can play flag football but protect the water balloon and try to reach the end zone without bursting it.
Water Tag Games
Photo credit: Best Apps for Kids
Water Gun Tag — Tag, you’re it! You can play water tag however you want. If you get sprayed with the water, allow 5 seconds for the other player to run and it’s your turn to chase.
Duck, Duck, Splash — The traditional game of Duck, Duck, Goose but everyone gets a little splash in this game. The person going around the circle will splash a little water on everyone’s head, but the person they pick to chase them will get the whole cup dumped on their head! They have to chase them around the circle and try to catch them before they sit down in their spot. If they don’t beat them to it, they are now “it.”
Water Gun Sharks and Minnows — Assign someone to be the “shark.” When the shark says “go,” all of the minnows run across the yard to the other side before they are tagged by the shark’s water gun. If they get tagged by the water, they become a shark and try to tag minnows the next round. Or you can set up a sprinkler in the yard to ensure everyone gets wet as they run across and instead of using a water gun for the shark, the shark has to run and tag the minnow.
Water Paint
Photo credit: Mas and Pas Parenting Village
Tie Dye Shirts — The goal is to not get wet while tie dying t=shirts, but it’s a fun activity using water nonetheless.
Ice Painting — Freeze paint into an ice tray and take them out to use as cold paint on a canvas, You can also do this with watered down chalk and freezing it to use on the sidewalk.
Water Hose Games
Photo credit: iSchoolsConsortium
Sprinkler Twister — The game of Twister just got slippery. Wadding a water sprinkler nearby the game tarp is a fun and cool challenge to this twisted game.
Water Silhouette — Have someone stand next to a dry exterior wall (preferably brick) and gently spray the person down standing directly in front of them for a couple seconds. When they move away from the wall, their silhouette will show in the dry part of the wall. A fun photo op!
Water Limbo — Use a water hose to do the limbo! If you get wet, you’re out. Last one left wins.
Water Sprinkler Jump — Young children love this simple activity of running and jumping over a sprinkler head.
Hydration Stations
Photo credit: Chegg Play
Flavored Water Competition — Everyone gets creative to make their own version of a flavored water, then each person does a taste test to vote on their favorite water. A fun way to stay hydrated! Winner gets to pick which ice cream, popsicle, fro yo, or snow cone stand they want to visit for the afternoon.
Popsicle Station — Dish out several fruits, treats, juices and syrups for everyone to make their own popsicles. You can add each of their concoctions to a popsicle mold or ice cube slot to freeze and serve later.
Cold Dessert Bar — Pick the main dish (ice cream, slushies, frozen yogurt, etc) and put out bowls of toppings to make their own fun cold dessert to stay cool.
Water Pong — This family-friendly version is a fun way to stay hydrated. Set 10 cups in triangle form at each end of a table and fill each one with water (gatorade, lemonade, etc). Each person has to get a ping pong ball into a cup at the other end of the table. If a ball lands in the cup, the other person has to drink what’s in the cup and remove the cup. The person who gets a ball in every cup wins the game.
Productive Water Activities
Photo credit: Free Range Kids
Wash The Car — Washing the car by hand can be a fun activity for kids to get soapy, wet and clean. They’ll never know it’s a chore!
Water The Garden — Just because you’re watering the plants, doesn’t mean you can’t get wet and stay cool too!
Wash The Dog — Not only will this fun activity make your fur baby feel super loved, but you’ll also love the way your pet smells once you’re done giving him a scrub.
Why does clean water matter?
Depending on where you live, your home’s water system could have high levels of chlorine, iron, or other contaminants that simply need reverse osmosis, water softener, or water filtration services. Even if you live in the city.
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Fun Places in DFW Where You Can Act Like a Kid
Sometimes the simplest things can take you back to your childhood in an instant. A glimpse of a lunchbox like the one you carried to school, a whiff of the fragrance your first crush wore, the taste of a dish just like your mother used to make. Sometimes that’s all it takes. But sometimes you want more than just reliving memories; sometimes you really want to let your inner kid out. Adults need to play too. We often play at more sophisticated pursuits, but if you really want to act like a kid again, here are some great places in DFW to do it. Bring your imagination (and fond memories) along.
Plane rides, skydiving, hot air balloon rides, zip lines. If you're going to risk your life doing crazy shit in North Texas, you might as well start with this list.
Take it for a Spin
If you’ve never taken a kid-like spin on a swivel stool at a restaurant counter, I highly recommend it. And if it’s simply been too long, I have just the place for you.
Photo courtesy of Highland Park Soda Fountain
Website | Location
Delicious shakes and malts, simple sandwiches, and breakfast favorites are some of the dishes that have stood the test of time at this old-time soda fountain. If you’re a parent or grandparent of youngsters or a PANK (professional aunt, no kids) like me, you have the perfect excuse to visit (or revisit) this magical place. But even without kids in tow, you can order a grilled cheese or a PB&J (no burgers on the menu here) and your favorite shake with no shame. The diner has more than earned its place as a Dallas icon – it celebrated it’s 100th anniversary in 2012.
Whatever you do, don’t forget to twirl on the bar stools. It’s a time-honored tradition still upheld and encouraged by current owner Gretchen Minyard Williams. (And yes, she’s part of the Minyard family you’ve heard of.)
Spin Till You’re Dizzy
Whether you grew up here or just arrived, you have to acknowledge that the ultimate playland in DFW is Six Flags Over Texas.
Photo courtesy of Six Flags Over Texas
Website | Location
Do you prefer the thrill-inducing rides like Harley Quinn Spinsanity and Catwoman Whip or something tamer like the Sidewinder or the Mini Mine Train? Either way, you’ll be ready to play all day at the 212-acre park with almost 50 rides.
The theme park has been open for close to 60 years, and its theme has changed a bit over the years. From the historic Texas references of its earliest days to its Cyrus Cosmo days in the 70s to today’s Looney Tunes and Justice League associations, the park has always had the right stuff to bring out the kid in you.
Air-Conditioned Amusement
Dave & Buster’s - Euless
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Also in Frisco, Dallas and Arlington
Around here where it’s summer nearly year-round, you might be wishing for an indoor amusement park. Dave & Buster’s is all games all the time. Its Million Dollar Midway features everything from skeeball to state-of-the-arts virtual reality games and rides. Speaking of skeeball – don’t you love those tickets?!? Feel free to wave around your winnings with honest-to-goodness big kid pride.
More Kidding Around
If you prefer old school games, you can get your fill of those at Free Play Arcade in Denton, Arlington or Richardson. At Quarter Lounge arcade in Bedford you can play retro video games to your heart’s content. ITZ in Euless has VR games, bowling, bumper cars, and more.
7 Places to Explore and Experience in Frisco
Wheels Keep Spinning
If you were a kid in the 70s or 80s in DFW, chances are you spent some time on roller skates. Those of you who came along later missed out on something great. The three rinks listed below all have Adult Skate nights. I’ve been told the adult nights at Southern Skates are epic.
Interskate Roller Rink – Lewisville
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Forum Roller World - Grand Prairie
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Southern Skates – South Dallas
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If you haven’t ever roller skated, it might take a few minutes to get the hang of it, but you’ll really like it. Think of it as your daily walk or jog while listening to your favorite tunes – except with disco lights. Seriously, skating rinks are the perfect place to enjoy the latest music, get a little easy and fun exercise, and feel like a kid again. First -timers welcome: fond memories not required.
Leave those Kids at Home
Not home alone – you’re gonna need a babysitter. You don’t want to miss these grown-up nights (with drinks!) at the science museums in Fort Worth and Dallas.
Science on Tap – Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
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Social Science – Perot Museum of Nature and Science
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For a night at the museum you won’t soon forget, check out the adults-only social nights at a Fort Worth or Dallas science museum. With drinks and food available for purchase, your ticket covers entrance into exhibits, special talks, music and other entertainment, and a chance to learn about science and technology in a fun way. The events happen approximately once per calendar quarter – watch the websites for announcements of coming events.
Do You Believe in Magic?
If you believe in magic, you may want to make a day trip to Argyle, near Denton, where you’ll find a couple of things that seem like they came right out of a fairy tale.
Photo courtesy of Kimzey's Coffee Shop
Kimzeys – Argyle
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GnomeCones – Argyle
→ Same address – shares a parking lot with Kimzey’s, Earl’s 377 Pizza, and Bumbershoot Barbecue
Kimzey’s really does look like it could be Snow White’s cottage. Except it’s larger – much larger. Each room has its own charms as do the garden areas outside. Something Kimzey’s has that Snow White may not have had is coffee – really good coffee. Espresso, cold brews, and other specialties are made with locally roasted beans from West Oak Coffee in Denton. It’s a coffee lover’s dream come true. You can also get milk shakes and baked goods or beer, wine and whiskey at this truly enchanted spot.
Photo courtesy of Gnome Cones
At a little white shack in the parking lot, you can experience a Gnome Cone, which is like a snow cone, but so very much better. The shaved ice cones served in a cup act as the gnome’s cap – such a clever idea! The cold treats aren’t just cute though; the unique flavored syrups are made from all natural (often organic) ingredients. The stand now serves gnome-sicles too.
Have a Kid-Free Kid-Around Day
If you’re an empty-nester without grandkids or childless for any other reason, Legoland might make you wish you had a kiddo around. But one night a month, adults get the kiddie playland all to themselves.
Legoland
It’s just ONE Friday night a month, so you have to stay on top of their calendar to get in on this one. Events are usually from 7-9 PM and have themes, games, and competitions just for grown-up kids.
With some ideas to spur your thinking, I bet you’ve come up with a few ideas of your own on how to play with abandon – just like kids do – in DFW. If I’ve missed one of your favorite spots, let me know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
The post Fun Places in DFW Where You Can Act Like a Kid appeared first on FunCity Stuff DFW.
source https://funcitystuff.com/fun-places-in-dfw-where-you-can-act-like-a-kid/
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