#though do not eat the sesame cake he bites!!

[mspaintbladie]

happy(?) meal

#doodle #shitposting #honkai star rail #hsr #hsr blade #mochi's art #suggested by my mutuals on discord #well suggestion was actually 'sesame cake getting a happy meal' #but i thought it was funny playing it as if sesame cake could be the happy meal's contents #though do not eat the sesame cake he bites!! #do i tag pompom for the tiny pompom toy

[themissinghand]

One Piece: Of Sweet Donuts and Fortune Cookies [2]

Part 1! Part 3!

Summary: In which every child loves sweets, and loves her otherworldly treats. (Or Katakuri learns to love himself, and the person who taught him how to love.

Pairing: A little bit of Charlotte Katakuri x Immortal! Female! OC-insert

Note: This is Part 2 of this series! The female OC is a transmigrator that came from the modern world who (somehow) became immortal, and is a softie for Katakuri because I said so.

Yes, more puns, just because.

Life’s Batter With You

"You're so cute Katakuri!"

Katakuri flushed red when she squeezed his cheeks.

Cute?

"Cute? Are you kidding me-" Before Oven could finish, the lady was already onto him.

"Oven, you're so adorable~"

"S-Shut up!" He jumped back and then smacked a laughing Daifuku on the head.

"You shut up too!"

"Hey! Don't bully my favourite baldy!" And everyone burst out laughing.

"Don't call me that!"

"Oh, is this your little sister? Nice to meet ya, name's Theia, and this stoic grandpa is my big bro, Theseus." The butler bowed slightly in respect before unloading the pastries and displaying them for the day.

The two of them wore a chef's hat and an apron, though Theseus still had a suit underneath. Theia on the other hand was much more informal, wearing a shirt and a pair of leggings under.

To this day, Katakuri still find it hard to believe that they were siblings with their contrast in terms of personality and appearance, but then again, have you seen his family?

"I-I'm Brûlée! Thank you for saving me!"

"No worries! Those guys shouldn't bully people anyway."

Katakuri watched as more and more of his siblings opened up to the two travellers.

In fact, many of them have become regulars here at Sell My Soul to Cake to try out their unique offerings.

Indeed, fortune cookies are popular, just as much as their candy bars, tarts, and brioches.

Their little bakery has gained the attention of many locals, as such, many of their items are sold out by sunset!

"Would you children like to try our new product? We haven't released it yet but-"

"YES!" Even Katakuri was curious about what their new product is, after all, all of their items are delicious.

"Okay, what do we do after eating sweets?" She asks with her hands on her hips.

"Brush our teeth!"

"Good!"

"Here you go~ I call it, 'Sesame Ball'!"

Katakuri takes one of her sesame ball, and immediately took a bite. Inside was sweet red bean, and the outside was crispy as it was deep fried.

Before he knew it, he finished his ball, and went for more, because if he didn't his siblings would take it all.

"How is it?"

"It's really good!"

"Yay! I'll make more tomorrow, can you remind me big bro?"

"Yes my lady."

"Thanks! And would you look at that, it's all gone." There were a few disappointed children here and there, but Katakuri didn't really care too much.

After all, he has more than enough to last until tomorrow.

"Katakuri! You get back here! You stole all of it!"

In the midst of prying hands off of his snacks, he heard her laugh brightly and genuinely while Theseus shook his head.

With All of Her Tart

"And what do you think of yourself? Kata?"

"…"

"I mean, others think you're this and that. But none of that matters if that's what you think inside." She chuckled before tossing a cookie into her mouth.

"Ooooh! You should try this!" He easily caught the cookie in his hands. He stared at it carefully, tracing the ends and then looking up to see the woman. She stood up and then sent him a wink.

"Think about it okay, big boy? You don't have to change super quickly. I don't expect you to take off your scarf, heck, that's your choice completely." Then he almost jumped when she patted his head, he looked at and felt his cheeks heat up under his scarf.

"Remember, you're beautiful just the way you are. It's that everyone else is too judgmental."

He was just a child then.

"Love yourself first, before loving others."

There was something in her expression that made Katakuri frown. Despite her usual smile, her eyes showed a form of tiredness that didn't suit her.

Katakuri didn't know what it meant, for Mama never looked like that before, but he knew it was not good.

"Okay?" He nodded subtly, and it was enough to make her return to her bubbly self.

(Katakuri unconsciously let out a sigh of relief)

She then handed him a basket of donuts.

"Theseus made these and they taste AMAZING! Share them with your siblings okay? I'm gonna go now, see ya-"

"Hey! Old lady! What about us?" The door slams open, and Oven yelled out, "You're gonna leave us without even seeing us?!"

"Yea! You can't just favor Katakuri!" Daifuku pointed out, his hands on his hips.

"I want some sweets too!" Katakuri looked at his siblings who stood at the entrance of the bakery, blocking her exit.

"Hey! I gave Kata a basket of food, and whoever comes every day for you guys-" She was tackled down by Oven and Daifuku immediately.

"Ow! Don't pull my hair you brats-"

"It's Oven!/Daifuku!"

"Whatever Oven, Dai!"

"Why do you say Oven but not Daifuku?"

"It's too long!"

Katakuri and Perospero only watched as the woman and his two brothers brawl in the center of the house. Luckily, another man came and took all the food away before the brawl could ruin perfectly good sweets.

Perfectly good sweets that they have never seen nor tasted before.

"Theia." Theseus said, a tone of disappointment in his voice before he turned to the four children.

"Lord Perospero, Lord Katakuri, Lord Oven, and Lord Daifuku, I apologize for whatever Theia has caused-"

"Hey! They were the ones-" He pulled the woman out of the fray and Oven and Daifuku stopped.

"Theia. Behave."

"Yes." She drooped and pouted. The Charlotte siblings watched how easily the man, also known as Theseus, shut her down.

"Perorin~ Don't worry. We're just here to pick up some sweets."

"Of course." Katakuri noticed just how much more formal Theseus was, and perhaps it was because Theseus was the older brother of the two. In a way, Katakuri admired the man for his calm and collected personality. Formal and polite.

Whereas his sister was the opposite.

"I gave Kata the basket with all the sweets already! Dammit Theseus, don't accuse me of things I didn't do yet!" She yelled at her brother and crossed her arms

"Shut it kiddos!" Katakuri liked how she was informal with them, no honorifics, and just spoke as if they were friends. As if they were normal children.

As a child of Big Mom, one of the Yonko, he didn't know what "normal" was. His appearance proved it all.

But she wasn't afraid.

Neither was Theseus.

Two strange siblings, and yet, they are happy in their own right.

Katakuri wonders if he and his siblings will ever reach that level of closeness with one another.

But reality is not that nice.

Because if you're not useful, you'll only be a hindrance to Mama.

If you're a hindrance, Mama is not one to forgive.

Thanks For Pudding Up With Me

Just like that, a year passed. 

Although the children certainly grew, the two baker siblings did not, which was very strange.

"Guess we're just young forever! Ain't that right big bro?"

"Yes my lady." They always brushed it off like that, so they never asked.

While the bakers have not changed, the bakery became so popular that it caught the attention of Big Mom, and even across seas, to the point where they had to hire more people and expand to do the job.

Though...the new hires could never beat Theia and Theseus in terms of baking. As such, the children would always go back to them and ask them personally for treats, which they gladly handed them out.

"Katakuri?" But one day, Katakuri came alone on a rainy day. He was drenched in blood, and he had a scarf wrapped around his face.

The bakery had already closed for the day, so there was no one but the two siblings inside.

Honestly, Katakuri didn't know why he came here.

"Oh dear, come here. Theseus, can you prepare a room upstairs?"

"Yes my lady." The butler rushed upstairs whereas Theia walked over with a first-aid kit. Before, she had to kneel down to match their height, but now that Katakuri got taller, she only had to bend over slightly to treat his injuries.

"Are you alright?" She asked while wiping away the blood with a warm towel.

Katakuri nods, his eyes never leaving hers. 

"Looks like this isn't your blood...you got into a fight?"

Katakuri nods again.

"What happened?" Katakuri gripped onto his spear harder than before.

"Brûlée got hurt because of me again." Katakuri watched as her expressions turn from worried to sadness to contempt.

"I see, so you took care of them?" Like her voice, her eyes remain unwavering in front of his bloodied appearance. 

Katakuri nods. 

"And did you bring Brûlée to a safe place?" 

"Mhm." She smiles softly before patting his shoulder.

"Then everything will be alright. Come on, you're going to get a cold." She doesn't ask anymore questions as she leads him upstairs and to a clean room.

"My lady, I prepared a bath."

"Thank you Theseus." He bowed before nodding to Katakuri and went downstairs.

"Alright, go ahead."

Why does she not ask?

"What's wrong?"

Katakuri shook his head and pushed her out, and shutting the door on her.

When he finished, he switched out to a simple outfit she prepared for him, which was a little too big for his liking, but it would work for now. 

When he came down stairs, he was greeted with a cheerful atmosphere. 

"When in doubt, eat! Come here!" She patted the seat beside her. 

"You also join us Theseus!"

Donuts, cakes, and other strange otherworldly food is in front of him.

And he is confused.

"Try this! It's rice pudding!"

Rice in pudding?!

But it's good. And seeing the stoic brother eat it without a single doubt, Katakuri follows and he does not regret it.

He feels her hand on his head (something he got used to much to his dismay) and when he looked sideways, he saw a bright grin.

"Told you it's good!"

Katakuri looks away, staring straight at the sweets and thinks that everything will be alright. 

Brûlée is safe, and he will continue to be protecting her like the perfect brother he is. 

(Beside some of his siblings, who else could he feel secure with? Who else could he show his mouth to?)

But Theia's right, it's good and sweet as always.

(For a moment, he can relax a bit) 

#one piece #charlotte katakuri #charlotte perospero #charlotte brulee #charlotte oven #charlotte daifuku #manga #anime #anime and manga #pirates #big mom #one piece fluff #fortune cookie #oc insert #female oc #one piece x reader #one piece fanfiction #charlotte linlin

[e-milieeee]

four ways to say i love you

Summary: It’s the little things—such as waking up at five in the morning to cook for him or lending her a coat when she’s cold—that mean the world. 

Because Marinette loves her partner very, very much, and she’s so lucky that he feels the same. 

Notes: I was initially going to do one side of the lovesquare, but all sides are equal and therefore have all four sides in this oneshot :) Post reveal, established relationship. A commissioned piece for @mlbforblm—there’s plenty of talented artists and writers who still have slots, so make sure to commission! 

Or read on AO3

Adrien is brushing his teeth when Ladybug comes crashing through his window.

He’s a little later than usual today, still decked in his Ladybug pajamas that he’s so unashamedly  proud of. He has tied his bangs back with an elastic band, and it sits like a little tree on top of his head, water still dripping from his face.

“And here I was, thinking you’d be ready to eat breakfast,” she tsks playfully.

He grins back. “Sorry, M’lady. Plagg turned my alarm off.”

His smile is, as usual, contagious and in a way that can’t help but to smile back. Ladybug returns to his room and takes out the box from her bag, where she’d painstakingly prepared breakfast for him at the expense of a shattered bowl and spilled jug of milk. It’s still warm to the touch, thankfully, and her slightly rough landing in his room hadn’t messed it up too much.

Adrien joins her a couple minutes later. He has taken the hair tie out, but his bangs fall softly over his eyes like it does when he’s Chat Noir, and Ladybug wants to run her hands over it so to feel just how soft it is. She refrains herself, though, as they both settle cross-legged on the ground where she has laid their breakfast out.

His mouth drops open. “Wow,” Adrien marvels. “When you said you were going to make a feast, I thought you’d fry an egg or two and slap it between some bread and that would’ve been it. This is… can you describe food as gorgeous? Because this is gorgeous.”

“Just because that’s the only thing you can cook doesn’t mean it’s all I’m capable of,” she sniffs, but underneath, Ladybug preens at the compliment.

It’d taken a lot of effort, and Ladybug had collected the ingredients the day before and planned every single detail before going to bed. Then, at five in the morning, she dragged herself out of bed looking and feeling like a zombie just to prepare it.

There are four egg rolls drizzled with homemade sauce, then sprinkled with dried seaweed and sesame. Next to that are neat cuts of green onion cake, made from absolute scratch (she burned herself in the process of deep-frying them). Inside the longest container are fried fish, the ones her mother had prepared the night before. Finally, the leftover mooncakes from the Lunar Festival are in the little box, tied with a red bow. Marinette had spent careful care on that one.

“Miso soup,” Ladybug tells him as she hands him the thermos. “Uh… I think I added too much paste and it’s too salty, so you might not want to drink that one. And…” She opens the last box, where a variety of fresh-cut fruit awaits. “For health reasons, there are fruits. Oh! Also a cheese platter for Plagg, but he’s still asleep, so he can have it later.”

Adrien is positively beaming when she unpacks everything. “You’re the absolute best,” he gushes.

“Couldn’t have you starving on your diet, right?” The nonchalant act can only go so far when she’s grinning so wide. “I’m just hoping it tastes as good as it looks.”

“It’ll taste good just because you made it.” He throws her an exaggerated wink, then immediately reaches for his chopsticks to dig in.

Ladybug watches him take a bite out of green onion cake. He chews, swallows, eyes lighting up. “This is amazing, and I promise I’m not just saying that because my diet’s forced me to eat boiled chicken breasts with no seasoning of the past week.”

She giggles. “Just let me know when you want me to bring you breakfast.”

He places a hand on his chest. “I can’t believe Ladybug’s my personal delivery girl. Do you offer lunch services as well?”

“Only for you, kitty.”

His grin is worth getting up for at 5am.

***

Marinette is freezing at lunch break, but they’ve agreed to eat outside, so she sucks it up. At least the lunch she’d packed for her and Adrien is warm.

It’s late autumn now, and the last couple of leaves cling to otherwise bare trees. She regrets the outfit she picked—cute, but not practical. Especially not in this weather. Looking at Alya bundled up in a hoodie and combat boots, Marinette really regrets the dress.

The noodles in the thermoses are slightly soggy, but the flavour is still there. They chat for a while—about upcoming tests, about projects and the end-of-the-year field trip that is still months away, and everything is lovely. Lovely, but cold.

Halfway through, her noodles emptied, Adrien notices her shivering. “Are you cold?” he asks, eyes growing wide in concern.

Alya halts her conversation with Nino as well. “Wait, Adrien’s right, you’re wearing a dress. I’m chilly and I have a sweater on.”

Marinette, who has refrained from speaking for the past couple of minutes in fear of her teeth chattering too loudly, manages to shake her head.

She gets a scrutinizing look-over by Adrien before he makes his verdict. “This isn’t going to do,” he declares firmly. Then, with one fluid movement, he shrugs his own sweater off and drapes it over her shoulders.

“Oh, he’s smooth,” Alya remarks with a wicked grin.

Smooth, indeed. The jacket is wonderfully warm, and, with a content sigh, Marinette slides her arms through the sleeves. There’s also the faint smell of his cologne and it’s so very him that she can’t help the smile that crosses her face.

He opens an arm in a beckoning gesture and Marinette happily settles into his embrace.

***

Because of his father’s strict rules, it’s much easier for Adrien to come by as Chat Noir after school, which he does almost everyday. Sometimes it’s between his schedules, sometimes it’s after, late into the night when both his father and Nathalie believe he’s asleep. Marinette always listens for the thump on the skylight, an indication that he’s there. The trap door is always left unlocked for him, so she only needs to wait as he climbs down the ladder.

It’s nearing nine when he comes this time. She sits at her desk finishing up the rest of the notes when the door creaks open and Chat Noir climbs down.

“Evening,” he greets. “What—ooh, you brought croissants for me.”

He zeroes in immediately on the food that Marinette had, admittedly, prepared for him. Between Adrien’s schedule and that godawful diet his father insisted putting him on and his time sprinting across rooftops and fighting akumas, it’s a miracle that he hasn’t fainted from lack of nutrition. Marinette has made it her personal goal to make sure he’s properly fed, and she ensures there’s a snack waiting for him every time he drops by.

Half a minute later, he’s munching enthusiastically on the food and Marinette can no longer focus on the rest of her notes. She sorts them out—there’s at least four pages that she’d copied in her neatest handwriting—and then hands them to Chat.

“Here,” she tells him. “You missed both physics and mathematics today because of the photoshoot, so I copied the notes from class and re-organized them. I also added a review section from last class so it’s easier to figure out just where we are since the two lessons are connected. And…” She shuffles through her desk once more, producing the textbook. “It’s on page one hundred and twenty seven to one hundred and twenty nine, if my notes don’t make sense. You can study here, if you’d like. My parents won’t be coming back up anyway, so we should be left alone for now.”

The last time her mother had walked in on her and Chat doing homework together, she’d been understanding. Understanding, but skeptical. It had been awfully hard to explain why Paris’ superhero was lounging in her room like he lived there—and much harder more awkward to explain that Adrien was one hundred supportive of her friendship with Chat after her father had become defensive that he had ulterior motives.

Chat takes the papers from her. “You’re absolutely unbelievable,” he tells her, eyes shining in a way only his can. “Seriously, Marinette, have I ever told you?”

She pretends to count on her fingers. “Let’s see… only about six times today. Why? He shakes his head, a grin pulling at the corner of his lips. In one fluid movement, he leans down to pluck the textbook from her hands and plants a quick kiss against her cheek in the process. “What would I do without you?”

“Go hungry, probably? Start lagging behind in all of your classes?” Marinette tsks at him. “God, you’re right. What would you do without me?”

Chat’s laugh is wonderful and full and happy. “Then aren’t I lucky to have you.”

***

The akuma strikes at midnight.

Marinette, about to change into her pajamas after just sending off Chat Noir, curses to herself. She’s tired and not in the mood to transform, but when Chat comes crashing back down from the skylight urgently, she knows she has no choice.

“Akuma!” he informs her, as if the tremors outside could be caused by anything else. “It’s close to here. We should be able to take this one quickly.”

“Why is Hawkmoth even awake?” Marinette grumbles, but transforms nonetheless. Chat waits patiently on the side, though he’s drawn taut, prepared to scramble into action the moment she’s ready. Then they’re climbing out of the skylight, into the light, where the akuma has begun its rampage. The once-quiet night is ripped apart with panic and terror.

The akuma is relatively easy to deal with: a little girl, apparently inspired by Frozen, is decked in full Elsa, wielding similar powers. She covers the streets in ice, a snowstorm whirling around her, as spirals of icy sculptures rise and fall.

Both she and Chat have icicles hanging off them by the time Ladybug purifies the akuma. Even after she releases the Miraculous Ladybug, the cold from the girl’s powers haven’t seeped out of her bones. Judging from Chat’s chattering teeth, he feels the same.

Despite her watch reading 12:32 and the next day hailing as a school day , they stop by at a 24-hour-cafe for hot chocolate. A couple minutes later, seated on the rooftops warming their chilled hands, they’re huddled against each other and staring out at the gleaming cityscape.

“Another successful take-down, m’lady?”

Ladybug laughs as he raises his cup for a toast, and she obliges and bumps her own against him. Hot chocolate sloshes over the lid, splashing onto her suit. She flicks it off. “What a team we make, huh? Now, if only Hawkmoth would get the memo and stop creating his akumas so late. Why is he even up now? Say, do you think he has a life outside of being Hawkmoth?”

“He probably wants to catch us off guard in the middle of the night. Remember that one time we got woken up at three because there was an akuma attack? Plagg wanted to tape my mouth shut so I couldn’t transform.”  

Ladybug groans. “I did really bad on a test the next day because I got three and a half hours of sleep—I fell asleep halfway through the test! It’s— ugh. He’s so annoying.”

“There’s one good thing about midnight akumas, though,” Chat points out.

She takes a sip from the hot chocolate, which, during their conversation, has cooled down to just below scalding. “A good thing?” Ladybug echoes. “Name one good thing, chaton.”  

He nudges her shoulder. “You, m’lady. It’s nice just being alone like this without anyone else, right?”

Then, like he’s said nothing out of the ordinary, Chat goes back to drinking his hot chocolate with infuriating nonchalance.

Ladybug finds herself smiling. “You know,” she tells Chat Noir. “You’re ridiculously good at this. Where do you even get the inspiration to say these things?”

“You.”

“You are completely overdoing it.”

“You love me, admit that.”

“No.”

“So you would get up at five in the morning to make breakfast for just anyone, Bugaboo?”

Ladybug relents. “Okay, maybe a little.”

Chat Noir’s laugh rings crystal clear throughout the night, loud against the crisp air. Ladybug wants to trap that laugh and hold it close to herself. She can’t help but treasure it, after all: it’s a sound that chases away worries, soothes fears, and she thinks she's so, so lucky to hear it everyday.  

“I love you,” he tells her when his laughter dies down. “Don’t forget that, m’lady.”

Ladybug leans her head on her shoulder. “I love you too,” she replies quietly. “You better not forget it, either.”

Notes: Here’s my fics masterlist! 

#miraculous ladybug #ladybug #chat noir #adrien agreste #marinette #marichat #ladrien #ladynoir #adrinette #fluff #post reveal #established relationship #mlbforblm #my writing #mlb fic

[iwillhaveamoonbase]

Love at First Bite

Rayla is taken by a client to eat at the Italian-Korean fusion place in town and falls in love with the food, and later, the chef.

-------------------------------------------------

Rayla smiled at her client as they waited for their server to come.  Her boss had told her that they had to keep the contract with the client’s company no matter what, and if that meant going to a Korean-Italian fusion restaurant that would probably be too spicy for Rayla’s Scottish, fried-food-loving taste buds, so be it.  The client, Ms. Danvers, had been hyping the restaurant up all evening.  “You said you like potatoes?  This place as amazing kimchi-style potatoes and potato pancakes.”

Rayla nodded.  “My grandmother is Irish and there are always potatoes cooking in her house.”  Rayla subtly looked around the dining room. The walls were mostly white with a few panels a beautiful red.  There was artwork on the walls, ranging from sceneries to portraits.  They all looked to be done by the same artist but Rayla couldn’t place a name to them.  The air was warm and smelled of spices and herbs and cheese.  Rayla could see a row of cheeses on one of the shelves.  “Do they use a lot of cheese here?”

“Korean food pairs wonderfully with cheese.  There’s a rumor that all the vegetables here are from the local farmer’s market as are most of the cheeses.  It’s fusion, but it’s as domestic as possible, too.”

“You’ve really been talking this place up.”

Ms. Danvers flushed.  “It’s my favorite restaurant.  I come here for lunch once a week and get take-away whenever I’m having a bad day.  This place is known for Korean-Italian fusion, but they make a delicious Thai laksa and a vegetarian Tom Yum that is to die for.”

“Really?”  Rayla didn’t know that much about Asian food, but she knew that Tom Yum was common in Thai eateries.

“The chef is a quarter-Thai and a quarter-Korean, his grandparents being from Thailand and South Korea.  He knows the flavors well and plays with them, but when he goes authentic, he’s the best in town.  He will also make almost any dish vegetarian if you request it.”

“How accommodating.”

A server came up, a smile on their face.  “Good evening and welcome to Sarai’s Place.  Any wine to start this evening?”  Rayla shook her head, surprised when Ms. Danvers asked for Thai iced tea for the both of them.  “And what can I get started for you?”

“Ms. Burrows?”

Rayla looked down at the menu again.  “Hmm.  I’m not sure what to get.  I don’t have a very high spice tolerance.”

The server nodded.  “Scale of 1 to 10?”

“Maybe a three.”

“Do you like kimchi?”

“Never had it.”

“Then I recommend trying the kimchi potatoes, if you like potatoes, or the risotto, which features chopped kimchi, sesame oil, and garlic.  The chef makes two kinds of kimchi, one mild and one spicy, so he’ll use the mild for you.  For the main dish, if you enjoy cheese, a pasta dish that has mussels, a Korean chili paste and tomato sauce, and fresh parmesan.  Everything that can be local, is local and if you eat vegetarian, the mussels will be taken out and instead you will get mushrooms.”

“My grandmother is Irish so I’m very snobbish with my potatoes.”

“I would rate his potato pancakes a ten.  He takes the traditional Korean recipe and adds parmesan cheese and some rosemary and its cooked with the house chili oil, so when you cut into it, it’s cheesy and subtly spicy.  The house chili oil is made with both gochugaru and the type of dried chilis usually used to make olio di peperocino.”

“I’ll go with the pancakes and the mussels pasta you suggested.”

“Excellent choice.  And for you?”

Ms. Danvers smiled.  “Did he make Tom Yum or laksa today?”

“Laksa.”

“I will take a bowl of laksa while Ms. Burrows is eating her pancakes and I will also take the mussels pasta.  Can we also get an order of garlic bread?”

“Of course.  I’ll get your Thai iced teas ready.  Anything else today?”

“What’s the dessert of the week?”

“Since it’s summer, mango pudding, Thai coconut pudding, and strawberry-lime cheesecake.”

“We’ll each take a slice of the strawberry-lime cheesecake.”  The server nodded and walked away after reading back the list.  “I hope you don’t mind me ordering dessert for you, but he only makes that cheesecake when the strawberries are in their peak season and it’s worth it.”

Rayla nodded.  “No problem, Ms. Danvers.  I wouldn’t really know what to order otherwise.”

They chatted while they waited, pausing when the garlic bread came to the table.  Rayla had been expecting the kind of garlic bread Americans seemed to adore, buttery and almost artificially garlic-y.  Instead, they got small, fresh loaves that had pieces of roasted garlic and thyme baked into it, served with the house chili oil and garlic that had been cooked until it spread like butter on the bread.  Rayla was impressed with the flavor and how the pieces of garlic were not overpowering.

When the potato pancakes came, Rayla could smell the spice but trusted the server had not led her astray, eyeing her glass of Thai iced tea just in case.  One bite and she was in heaven.  The cheese and the heat from the chili only enhanced the potato flavor as did the light smattering of soy sauce and vinegar-based sauce.  Rayla almost ignored Ms. Danvers when the pasta came, inhaling the dish.  At the end of the meal, once the excellent cheesecake had been finished, Rayla was in love with the food.  “Well, Ms. Danvers, I suppose I should be thanking you for introducing me to my new favorite restaurant.”

Ms. Danvers chuckled.  “It’s good, isn’t it?”

“I would marry the chef in a heartbeat if I got to eat like this every day for the rest of my life.”

-----------------------------

Rayla brought all her clients and her coworkers to Sarai’s Place in the following months.  She tried almost everything on the menu, though she was still mildly terrified of the spiciness of the laksa if the smell alone was anything to go by.  Every Monday and Thursday, she got take-away and ordered the dessert whenever she ate in on Saturdays.  She was thankful she was single or else she would have to come here every week with someone and she liked dining alone in the quiet restaurant.

Sometimes, they played classical music, other times K-pop, and Rayla would always remember the night they had played an opera medley when several people with the Katolis Opera Company had dined that night.  The chef seemed keenly aware of who came to his restaurants at what dates and times and played music to fit their tastes but also made sense with the theme.

It was a popular spot with not only Foodies and high school kids, but a lot of Asian-Americans dined there.  Rayla had looked up the reviews and had seen it was highly recommended by the Katolis Korean and Thai communities, the Katolis restaurant circles, and the Commission for the Promotion of Local Ingredients and Farmer’s Markets.  No one said anything bad about Sarai’s Place without at least ten people defending the restaurant’s choices.

And now Rayla was sitting with her boss, Ahling Patel, and having to stop herself from inhaling the food in front of her.  The risotto was so satisfying and paired with chicken breast stuffed with kimchi, perilla, and ricotta.  “What do you think, Mr. Ahling?”

“It’s delicious.  I’ve always felt that fusion was a gimmick, but I’m sold by this young man’s food.  Young lady,” Ahling called the server, smiling good-naturedly when she nodded at him and finished up with her current customer.  When she came up to their table, she greeted them again.  “Is there anyway we can speak to the chef?”

The server blinked before nodding.  “I’m sure I can arrange it.  Dinner service is almost over and there are only you and two other tables.  Can I bring you dessert while I’m talking to him?”

“What do you recommend?”

“Our pastry chef made yakgwa, which are little honey pastries made with pine nuts, ginger, and sesame oil and they also made a yuja polenta cake and a play on Italian lemon cake, but with yuja.”

Rayla ordered the yakgwa and Ahling got the polenta cake and waited for the news.  Rayla couldn’t recall having ever seen the chef even though she came there at least twice a week, closer to three.  She hadn’t seen any pictures of him, either, surprisingly enough.  He was said to keep to himself and shunned the limelight, which is why he never made TV appearances.

A few minutes later, it wasn’t their server, but a man who looked be about 26 arriving with their desserts.  His green eyes were striking, as were his cheekbones and sharp jawline.  He gave them both an awkward smile as Rayla noticed his ring finger was bare and didn’t seem to have a tan line.  Was this the chef?  His coat would seem to say so.  “Nice to meet you both.  I’m Callum Evans, the owner and executive chef here at Sarai’s Place.”

Ahling smiled.  “It’s nice to meet you, young man.  I’m Ahling Patel and this is my employee, Rayla Burrows.”  Rayla nodded her head in acknowledgement.  “Your food is delicious.  How on Earth do you even think of this?”

The young man flushed, looking down at his feet.  “Um, I’m not that special.  Many people before me found that Korean and Italian food go well together.  Most of my recipes are riffs on family recipes and all my Thai dishes are family recipes.  I was originally going to go traditional Korean or Thai but there were no fusion places in the area and I’m part Irish and German on top of being a quarter-Thai and a quarter-Korean.  It felt…right, I guess.  I’m mixed and grew up with a variety of food cultures in my house, so why not do fusion?  Korean and Italian just made the most sense, so…”  He looked embarrassed at the praise, rubbing the back of his neck.

Rayla leaned forward a bit.  “I’ve eaten here at least twice week for the past six months.  I can tell you, without a doubt, it’s my favorite place to eat.”

“Thank you.”

Ahling cleared his throat.  “Are you single, Mr. Evans?”

Callum flushed even deeper.  “Ah.  Yes.  Being a chef requires long hours and running a restraint requires even more.”

“You need a good partner to help you find balance in your life!”

Rayla remained quiet as she watched them talk.  The only thing going through her mind was ‘I’m going to marry this man for his food.  I’ll eat well for the rest of my life.’  She stayed when Ahling said good night and while the restaurant emptied out.  Callum stayed at the table, fidgeting under her gaze.  “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“A date.”

Callum blinked.  “We have a sticky rice made with dates-”

“No.  A romantic excursion.  An outing.”

He gulped, looking her up and down.  “A date?  Really?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I fell in love with your food almost immediately after I tasted it and would like the chance to know the man who cooks it.”

Callum blushed.  “OK.”  They exchanged info and Rayla smirked as she left with his number in her cellphone.  There was no way she would be letting this one go.

------------------------------------------

After four months of dating, Rayla could confidently say that she was now just as in love with Callum the man as she was with his cooking.  Learning that his restaurant was named after his mother who died when he was in high school had endeared him to her, as had the knowledge that all the art on the walls were his paintings.  Was there anything he couldn’t do?

They were currently in Callum’s kitchen, him developing a new recipe while Rayla took down notes for him.  Even on his days off, he was always thinking about what he would do next and Rayla admired his passion to his craft.  When he brought her up to try the dish, she groaned.  “I will marry this man if it’s the last thing I do,” she muttered.

“I can hear you, you know,” Callum chuckled.

Rayla raised a brow.  “Then why haven’t you accepted my proposal?”

“Because you proposed to my food?”

“I hardly see the difference.”  Callum laughed at her, shaking his head.  “Hey, move in with me.”

“We’ve been together for four months.”

“Is that a problem?  Too short?”

Callum stared at her.  “You’re serious.”

“I told you; I fully plan on marrying you to eat your cooking ‘til the day I die.”

“So, it’s my cooking you love?”

“When have I hidden this?”  Rayla reached for his hand, pulling him closer.  “I’m serious.  Move in with me.”

“Why?”

Rayla shrugged.  “I’m happy when we wake up next to each other.  I like the idea of coming home to you or you coming home to me.  I don’t like sleeping alone, and, for the past month, the two of us have been alternating sleeping at each other’s places and it doesn’t make sense to pay rent on two places when we could be happy together?”

“That and I’m the only person willing to put up with your stubborn ass.”

Rayla gave him a mock offended looking, giving his arm a playful smack.  “You love my stubborn ass.”

“I do.”  Callum leaned down and captured her lips, letting her taste the dish he had been working on for the past hour.  When they pulled apart, he looked down into her eyes with his bright green ones.  “I think I love you.”

“That’s good, because I think I love you, too.”

Rayla would take that for now.  And in two years, when she would be standing next to him in front of their new house, matching rings on their fingers, and a very pregnant belly, she would remind him that he had his food to thank for their relationship.  “I fell in love with your food first.”

“I’m glad you did, because you kept coming back.”

“Lucky you.”

“Lucky me.”        

#moonbase fanfics #rayllum #rayllum fanfic #the dragon prince #au #love at first bite #this was just for fun

[bruh-haikyuu]

A miya osamu scenario where he’s having a quality time together with fem s/o in a quiet little coffee shop 💕💕💕 Thaaaaanks

A/N: miya osamu. your hand in marriage. now. ALSO SPOILERS IF YOU HAVENT READ UP TO CHAPTER 378 OF THE MANGA.

apricate. | miya osamu

word count: 2040

warnings: MANGA SPOILERS, slight hints of sexual content

(v.) to bask in the sun

The silver band wrapped around your left ring finger glittered warmly at the amber beam of light streaming from the tiny shop’s window. From behind the mosaic counter adorning the back of the cafe, the aroma of caffeine and freshly baked fruit tarts poured between the tables in the room. At this hour of the day, the establishment was unusually quiet, but you weren’t exactly complaining about that—

“Osamu, I wanna go home.”

You were almost apologetic that your husband was into his third sigh of the day. At some point of time, you would be the reason behind his slowly settling wrinkles. “Y/N, it’s only been 5 minutes since we’ve sat down.”

It wasn’t like he could blame you for it. You weren’t just upset, you were distressed. A parent to three rambunctious children, and you had left them with the family shop on their own. Though it was only for the day—and seeing that they had demanded that the both of you “go and enjoy your day off”—you didn’t get much of a wink of leisure.

“A-Are you sure it’s alright to leave Setsuko to take care of her younger siblings?” you rattled, a soft image of your precious ten-year old daughter forming in your head. “Oooh… what if Eiji causes her too much trouble and insists that he keeps workin’ instead of eatin’ ? And ‘Samu, did you remember to tell her where Kaori’s diapers are kept? M-maybe, I should call her just to check…”

As you unclasped your purse to look for your cell phone, your face paled at its obvious absence from where it should’ve been. When you looked up to meet Osamu’s lax face, his expression had said it all.

Raising your “missing” phone in his hand, he crossed his arms and shot you a smirk that said: I took precautions.

“Y’know, if Secchan’s been pesterin’ us to get out of the house for so long, she knows exactly what you’d do to her if we came back to the house up in flames. Plus, Eiji and I had a talk the other day about over-workin’ himself, so rest assured, he ain’t going to be doing that for a loooong, long time… And yes. I did tell Setsuko that Kao-chan’s nappies are on the bottom drawer of her room. ‘S all good. Anything else, Miya Y/N-san?”

Now it was your turn to sigh. “They’re my children, ‘Samu. Can’t help it.”

“Hey, I’m also a part of the family. Why ain’t I stuck on your mind all the time too, huh?” he said gruffly, a tone reserved to cheer you up whenever you needed it.

That’s right, you could never help it. They were your babies, the angels that were growing up too fast for your liking. It felt like it was just yesterday that your firstborn Setsuko, now at a double-digit age, was curled in your arms. Practically attached at your hip 24/7. The moment she’d bashfully asked you to stop plaiting her hair for her, you swore you could hear your heart shatter.

Moreover, it didn’t help that eight-year old Eiji (despite still being pegged as a “Mama’s boy”) was becoming more and more of a carbon copy of his father—too hard-working, but too oblivious. You weren’t one to scold your children about their grades, but with Eiji’s frightful progress at school, the lingering thought of your son saying that he’d consider dropping out of school to “be an adult” so Osamu would let him work full-time at the shop hindered you from any good night’s sleep.

But Kaori… Oh, your darling treasure Miya Kaori. Just a year old, fresh from your womb. Like so, “Kao-chan” was the apple of your older children’s eyes and the jewel of her father’s heart. The lone salvation of your livelihood was her innocent youth and you were desperately begging the gods to keep it that way. As soon as Kaori would start tying her own shoelaces and everything, you were sure you were going to turn into stone.

Your knees bumping under the picturesque, wrought iron table, Osamu gave you an endearing smile. “Relax. We have Fuji-san to keep an eye on ‘em in the shop, right? That guy’s got more nerves than his own body. If we’re worried about anythin’, it’s that the kids would get bored with him telling them to sit still.”

Your mind drifted to the thought of the young but unusually high-strung college student who’d been working part-time at the onigiri shop for two years. Osamu did make a point though. The bespectacled Fujiwara Chiaki was probably more dedicated to working than your own husband—a trait that he had likely passed on to your only son Eiji. The idea was concerning, but not to the extent where your head throbbed from it.

“They say if you think too much, you’ll grow old faster,” Osamu poked teasingly, while pushing a plate of a fragrant confectionary towards you. “You didn’t even notice that I’d brought back your favorite cheesecake.”

At the mention of the dessert, your eyes shot downwards to the platter. It looked just as sweet and luscious as it always did. From the first time you had it in high school as a “thank-you gift” from Osamu for helping him study for his exams, down to your wedding party where your friends had surprised you with an entire tower of it. You were sure Osamu would’ve been sick of tasting the velvety cream for 20 years and counting, but there was another suspicion you had that he’d feel gratified whenever he got it for you.

Holding out a forkful of cake, he said smugly at your twinkling gaze. “Open sesame, Y/N-chan.”

You didn’t hesitate for a second. When was the last time you got to enjoy yourself without any sniffles or pleading demands from your children? They’d inherited you and their father’s affinity for eating after all; a meal would never go untouched when it came to the Miya household. And if you’d brought this cake home, you know they’d bulldoze it down before you could grab a slice for yourself.

“So good…” you murmured, savoring the lightness of the dessert. Tangy and tethering on the border of being sweet and too sweet, this was indefinitely your next favorite thing after your family.

Osamu chuckled as you ate, tucking the loose strands of hair behind your ear. “Ain’t this getting too sugary for you? Y’know, I only gave you this the first time because I’d felt my teeth would fall out if I ate a bite of it.”

“You practically bribed me with it so I’d date you. If you think about it, you used this to bribe me into a lot of things!” your pout did not mask your amusement at all.

“Like how I used this so you’d finally catch a break from coddlin’ Secchan and have a better ‘time’ with your lovin’ husband? I’d say that it was a profitable compromise, my dear.”

You scoffed. “Profitable until you learn that having a second child was harder that you’d thought. How’d it feel tryin’ to feed Eiji the first time, huh?”

“It was a coincidence that Eiji just had to be a picky child growing up,” he shrugged. “Should I point out that you made it harder with spoilin’ him rotten, Mama Miya?”

You gave him your best, dramatized expression of offense. Oh, two could play this game. “Excuse you, Papa Miya. But who was the one who bought Setsuko an entire 50,000 yen-pretend kitchen as soon as she gave them one small tug on the sleeve?”

“C’mon, Y/N, you knew if I could afford it I’d buy it for her, no questions asked! The face she pulled when we brought it home could add ten years to my lifespan. There’s no way I would want to miss it,” his cheeks flared a vivid crimson. Hiding a snicker, you wondered how long it had been since you’d last seen that look on him.

“Miya Setsuko, the heiress of Onigiri Miya, already interested in the way of the stove at four years old! I couldn’t believe it. Ain’t she pretty darn cute in that apron we got in the set? Nah… that’s probably because Secchan’s pretty darn cute herself…” He was rambling now, eyes glossed over at the image of his daughter. Six years ago, she’d happily hopped into his lap when he’d finished tying up the frilly, daffodil-yellow apron, and gave him a hug that nearly pushed him to tears. Oh, how you wished you were there to see it.

“Osamu… Your gap moe* is showin’.”

“Oh, hush!” he spat, averting his gaze from yours as your leaned back on your chair, nearly doubling over in laughter. Though part of his face was covered by the large, ornate coffee mug, you knew he was smiling through and through.

The soft tinkling of the fake crystal chandeliers in your wake, your insides felt tingly in a way you haven’t felt for so long. What felt like hours, you spent talking with your husband about your little family, the shop, his brother (though this was quickly interrupted by another conversation about what Kaori’s first word would be), and all the things you’d never had the time to talk about since you were both so busy. It was just like high school all over again, only less melodramatic and more… wrinkly. But just as colorful as it always had been.

However, when Osamu fell silent, you knew something had gone terribly wrong. Setting down your fork, you leaned over the small table to observe his wallowing features.

“Osamu, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

As if he was being forced to shove an entire rock down his throat, he whispered, “… I miss ‘em.”

You stared at him, then did a double take. “S-sorry, say that again? Didn’t hear you.”

With reddened cheeks, he repeated himself anyway. “ I miss ‘em! All this talk about the kids… I know it’s only been a couple of hours but I miss Secchan already! M-my baby. My princess. Y-you know what it’s like, right, Y/N?”

You felt like a colossal force had lifted from your back. Grabbing your husband’s shoulders from across the table, you shook him while exclaiming, “Me too! I miss ‘em too! God, the entire time I was wishing I was feedin’ this cake to Eiji instead of myself. The way his cheeks puff up when he chews something… I have to see it…! And especially—”

“Kao-chan.”

“Kaori.”

And just as the planets aligned, your cell phone that had been sitting in Osamu’s coat the entire time rang. Taking it out of his pocket, he showed you the screen, displaying the name of the caller. Fujiwara Chiaki.

With your husband pressed close to your side, both cramped on one dainty seat of the cafe’s chair, you listened closely to the other side of the phone. “Hello? Fujiwara-kun?”

Chiaki’s meek but strangely jovial voice responded through the speakers. “Ah, Y/N-san, you picked up. The children wanted to speak with you about something. I think you’ll like this—”

“Chiakiii! You’re takin’ too long on the phone~ Hi, Mama! Can Papa hear me too?!”

Looking at your husband, you exchanged a smile. Eiji. Leaning his head on your shoulder, he cooed at your son. “I’m right here, Eiji.”

“Great! Because we have some ultra, big, super, important news to tell you—!”

A pop, a crackle and Eiji’s exuberant voice turned into Setsuko’s huffy, light one. “Eiji, Mama and Papa put me in charge so I’m gonna tell ‘em! …Mama, Mama, Mama, you won’t believe what happened!”

“Oh? What happened, Setsuko?” you giggled, heart softening at the lilt of your daughter’s voice.

“Kao-chan said her first word today!”

Literally swiping the phone from your grasps, Osamu, practically gleaming from the announcement, excitedly quivered as he spoke. “R-really? She did that, Secchan? What did she say? Was it ‘Papa’ or ‘Mama’?”

“Hmm… I think it was—”

“Second thought, don’t tell us. I want to see and hear it for myself.”

That was your cue. Unravelling your right arm into the air, you shot the waitress your biggest smile. “Check, please!”

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

Glossary:

gap moe - when someone does something that is the complete opposite of their habits

#haikyuu!! #haikyuu #haikyu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu scenarios #miya osamu #miya osamu x reader #miya osamu imagine #miya osamu scenario #inarizaki x reader #sfw #osamu x reader #bruh haikyuu writing

[adultingautistic]

Idk if this is normal. I have meltdowns when my (also autistic) partner and I have communication problems—like I’m trying to explain something and he’s not understanding because he’s taking it too literally. We both have very rigid thinking but in completely different ways. It’s SO frustrating because it makes me feel like I’m speaking a different language. And it ends in meltdowns so often but he just doesn’t understand why and thinks I’m overreacting just to be mean. :( I don’t know what to do

Oh anon, I am so sorry you’re having difficulties with your partner : (  It’s so hard when you fight, and meltdowns are just awful!  

If it helps, I went through this with my partner, too.  He isn’t diagnosed, but I suspect he’s on the spectrum, because of how well we relate to each other, and he has major communication difficulties as well, along with going nonverbal for hours or sometimes days.

The thing was exactly as you said- we had different perspectives and different understanding of situations (as ANY couple would!).  But because it’s so difficult for us to see the other person’s point of view, it made communication difficult for a long time.

But we both kept trying.  We both kept explaining our perspective, both listening as hard as we could, trying to understand the other person, and slowly, one thing by one thing, we started to get each other.  It took a long time, and it was hard work.  It requires both people to put in 100% effort.  

One of the BIGGEST fights we ever had was over McDonald’s.

I have severe taste sensitivity.  If I bite into a food and it doesn’t taste “right”, I will vomit.  I have puked because a pickle was in my burger.  I have puked because I bit into a sesame seed.  So you can imagine my anxiety when I order food (at anywhere), that my order be right, so I don’t vomit.

My partner, on the other had, has severe social anxiety.  He was raised to “Never make waves” and “never cause trouble” because “having an opinion is rude”.  So you can imagine his anxiety when I try to return an order that came out wrong!

We fought and fought and fought over this for years.  He would tell me “Stop making such a big deal over your food being correct!  Just fix it at the table, you’re embarrassing me when you fight with the cashier!”

and I would scream back “Do you want me to puke all over the floor?  Don’t I have a right to have food that’s edible for me?  I don’t care if the cashier thinks I’m annoying as long as my food comes out right!”

Because I don’t have social anxiety, and he doesn’t have food sensitivity, it was so hard for us to see each other’s side.  

It wasn’t until one day, when we were at his mother’s house, that I finally saw his side.  She asked him if he wanted more cake.  He said “No, I’m so full.” and she said “Eat more cake.” and put a slice on his plate.  And I watched him eat it.  Even though he was in physical pain.  Because for him, the fear of social repercussions was greater than the fear of physical pain.

Then came the day when he finally understood me.  We were on a road trip.  We were starving.  Both of us were soooo hungry.  We went to a McDonald’s, ordered our food, and then got on the road before eating it because we didn’t have time to stop driving, and ate in the car.

And my burger had a pickle in it.  I spat the chewed meat out, drank half of my soda, wrapped it up, threw it out the window to get rid of the smell, and started to cry.

“What on earth did you do that for?” he asked.

“I can’t eat it, it has a pickle.”

He looked at me, sobbing my eyes out, knowing how hungry I was, and finally understood what I meant when I said I can’t eat it, as in “can not”, not “don’t want to”.  It was inedible to me.  I was hungry, but it wasn’t food.  It was poison to me.  

“I’m sorry.” he said.  

Me: “For what?”

“For not understanding how...awful pickles must be for you, for you to litter, for you to throw food away when you’re starving.”

It was a true bonding moment for us.

After that, we finally, finally were able to have a discussion about the actual problem- How do I order my food in a way that makes sure it comes out right, without him having unbearable social anxiety?

So we talked, and we came to a compromise.  “I will be okay with you re-ordering food if it comes out wrong, as long as you’re very polite about it and kind to the waiter/cashier.”

So I agreed to work on my manners and tact, and he agreed to work on his social fear to allow me to speak up.

This took years.  And this was only one fight!  There were sooooooo many other topics that we also had to “figure each other out” on, where the communication broke down, as you said, and there were meltdowns and screaming and not speaking to each other for days.

But as long as you both keep trying, eventually, understanding will come.  You need to be willing to listen to your partner say “the same thing they’ve said before 1000 times”, because maybe this time, they’ll finally explain it in a way that you get it.  And you need to be willing to explain your side, 1000 times, trying each time to find new words, because maybe this time, the light bulb will finally go on for them, and they will understand you.

And sometimes, you don’t ever understand each other- but you find a way for you to both be happy.  My partner and I do not have the same special interests.  At first we tried to share each other’s special interests, but neither of us were interested in the other person’s.  So instead, we have “special interest time”, where we both go to separate rooms and spend a few hours alone, to get nice and buried in our special interests without interruption.

Whatever the problem is, anon, if you both are willing to put in the work, there is a solution.  There is a solution, and you will find it, as long as you both keep trying until you do.

#actuallyautistic #actually autistic #partnership #dating #significant other #communication #ask

[ka-za-ri]

Demon Brothers and Mid-Autumn Festival

Happy early 中秋節 !This spawned from me crying over pretty mooncake packaging. And then I fell into a hole of matching the boys to boxes and this Mildy AU stuff happened. Uh... so I know this isn’t the only way to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival, but it’s mostly based on my experiences and nostalgia. So excuse the super self-indulgence and have fun~ I tried to include links to things that might need some more explaining.

It’s my first time writing headcanons so pls be gentle on me .･ﾟﾟ･(／ω＼)･ﾟﾟ･.

Lucifer

“Mid-autumn festival? I may have heard of this before in passing.” 

“What is this? A Jewelry box?” 

Don’t tell him how long you went looking for the perfect packaging and flavor. 

Doesn’t celebrate the whole week, but will at least sit down with you for a night to share mooncakes

Prefers them without the yolk, but he’s not going to complain if they’re there.

Neatly cuts the mooncake into quarters and has to have it with tea 

Likes the wintermelon filled kind the best. The chewy texture goes better with tea. 

He’ll make an exception for black sesame lotus paste though

Unfortunately too busy to do any sort of moon viewing with you since he’s swamped with paperwork. 

At least he’ll share mooncake and tea with you while he does it 

Keeps the box and actually uses it as a lamp from time to time

You find out he’s using the tins to store wax seals and stamps too

He doesn’t have time for it, but appreciates the small bottle of osmanthus wine you leave at his door at the end of the festival. 

Finds you a month later on the next full moon to sit down and drink it with you. Offer him a Laopo Bing or leftover mooncake to go with it as a snack. (Of course there’s leftover mooncake) 

You share tea and cakes while sitting on a pavilion overlooking a lake. The moon’s reflected on the surface. Lotus flowers are blooming and the sounds of cicadas are in the distance. Wispy clouds float past the full moon but don’t really hinder its brightness. 

He brushes a stray strand of hair out of the way before maybe sneaking in a kiss or two. He’s much more entranced by how you look lit by the moon and not the moon itself.

Mammon

Got gifted a box of them from a designer as a gift after a photoshoot

You may or may not ogle at how pretty the packaging is. He teases you and taunts you with it. Of course they would only gift something so majestic to The Great Mammon. 

Doesn’t bother cutting into them, just eats them like a cookie 

Until he gets to the yolk 

“The heck is this? Who puts salted egg yolks into a sweet thing?” 

Looks up how much the mooncake box from a designer might sell for. 

So many gifted mooncakes

But he doesn’t eat any, unless you show interest in them. 

You find chocolate flavored ones among all the boxes 

Still doesn’t cut the mooncake up, but at least there’s enough to share. He’s less traumatized now that he’s had one that doesn’t have yolks in it. 

Spends the rest of the night sampling all of the weird ‘haute couture’ flavors of the year. 

The strangest one is the truffle and ham flavored one. 

He nearly spits that one in your face

Both of you are rushing to the kitchen to find something to wash away that taste. 

Thankfully there’s the bottle of Osmanthus wine you’ve saved for this occasion

He takes a giant gulp and nearly gags at how strong it is. 

Now you have a partially tipsy Mammon on your hands. 

Take him out on a long moonlit walk to get him sober. 

The air is crisp, the moon is bright, the leaves are just starting to turn color. There’s just a hint of dampness in the air but it’s refreshing. He takes your hand as you’re walking to make sure you don’t wander off. 

Ends the night kissing your forehead and thanking you for sharing so many memories with him this year. 

Doesn’t try to keep any of the boxes and tries to sell them all off if he can unless you find one that catches your fancy, then he’ll just give that one to you.

Leviathan

“Oh my gosh, it’s the Super Rare Limited Edition Ruri-Chan as Chang’e mooncake box?!?!?!?!?!?!” 

He doesn’t care what the flavor is. It’s Ruri-chan

Takes more care of the box than he does the actual mooncake. 

Prefers the small custard filled/lava ones 

They’re easier for snacking while he’s prepping for a raid. 

Raids don’t stop for holidays. Gaming must continue

Invites you to join him one night and gifts you the limited equipment from the current Mid-Autumn festival event in game. 

“It’ll look cuter on your character than mine.” Don’t question him on how long it took him to farm that gear. 

You end up playing games with him all night long and forget to watch the moon. 

Instead, the two of you decide to just watch the sun rise while snacking on the last of the cakes. 

Tea is in order, those things got really sweet really fast. 

The two of you are so loopy from staying up all night, you giggle at the dumbest things as you’re trying to sneak into the kitchen to get something to drink. 

“How long did you wait in line for that box?” 

Don’t tell him you just pre-ordered it like a normal person would. “Oh, maybe a few hours.” 

“Well, I guess I owe you a few hours of time as a thank you.” 

You nearly forget that tea’s done and almost wake up the house from the whistling kettle. Worth it for all the kisses you got in between that time though. 

Satan

“Oh yes, of course I’m familiar with the festival. I’ve read all about it.” 

He’s rather fascinated with how ornate the packaging can get for some sweets. “What’s so special about them?” 

Red bean paste with the yolk 

Cuts the mooncake into six 

Lets you eat on the bed as long as you make sure you don’t get crumbs anywhere. 

His room literally has the best view of the moon. It’s mandatory that you watch it from there.

Lets you gaze at the moon from his bed while he reads. 

Until you interrupt him and start reciting  Li Bai’s Quiet Night Thought. Mostly it’s to yourself out of homesickness

Moonlight before my bed/ Perhaps frost on the ground/ Lift my head and see the moon/ Lower my head and I miss my home. 

And then you start reciting “Drinking Alone Under The Moon” 

You really start drinking and living the drunken poet life. 

“You know, you’re not alone though.” 

He finally puts the book aside and joins you to watch the moon and listen to you recite poetry for hours on end. 

Asks you about Chang’e and listens as you drunkenly ramble off her story all the while nibbling on pieces of mooncake. He offers you the occasional piece so you’re not drinking so much on an empty stomach. 

Keeps the box and the tins but has no idea what to put in them so they end up gathering dust in the room until one day he needs something to put spell components in and he remembers it exists. 

Spends the week watching the moon and listening to you recite poetry or tell fairy stories. 

Often falls asleep in your lap, a half eaten piece of mooncake in hand.

Invites you over for moonviewings even after the festival.

Asmodeus

He can't tell if he should be more impressed by the packaging or by the cake designs. 

Snowskin mooncakes become his favorite

Rose and lychee flavors are preferred

He adores how pretty crystal mooncakes are as well

Absolutely no yolks please 

Refuses to watch the moon with you. Staying up late will ruin his skin care routine 

He will day drink the osmanthus wine you’ve save to go with the mooncakes while you watch operas

It sounds weird to him at first, but the makeup and the costumes draw him in. 

Cries at the end of Farewell My Concubine 

You end up spending hours telling him about the Four Beauties and China’s Four Most Handsome Men 

He’s upset that all of the stories end in tragedy

You try to cheer him up by going to a local festival and watch the lanterns and other festivities 

Gets super invested in lantern making and spends hours learning how to make one to hang up in his room.

While he’s gone, go buy him some Tanghulu Not only can he appreciate the bright red hawthorns, but they’re a delicious snack on the go while you let him explore the whole festival.

The two of you spend hours looking at cute packaging for mooncakes and buying them back for the others. He’s happiest with the one you gifted him though. 

Okay, maybe he can stay up late to look at the moon just this once. 

Take a small picnic to a grassy hill somewhere so you can admire the moon in its full glory. Most of the snacks are rice cakes and fruit and of course more moonakes. (Seriously, there’s so much mooncake)

He knows he’s supposed to be watching the moon, but he finds it easier and better to watch you instead. You’re just as ethereal as Chang’e in the silvery light of the night. 

Definitely keeps the mooncake box and uses it to hold parts of his makeup collection. It fits right into his room decor.

Beelzebub

You get him the biggest box with the most variety that you can find so he can try as many flavors as possible. 

He ends up liking the kind that tastes like Gai Zhai Beng (Sorry, I don’t know what this is in English?) with all the nuts the most since they’re the heartiest. 

Actually, he likes all of the more savory ones

If it’s sweet, it should have yolks. Four of them if they have those, if not, he’ll settle with the Cantonese style with two yolks.  

You take him to the festivals so he can try even more flavors

The best part is that you get to try them as well. He offers you at least a bite before downing the rest of the mooncake. 

Do the two of you go around eating everything until you feel like you’re about to burst? Absolutely. 

If you can’t see anything that’s going on during the performances at the festival, he’ll lift you onto his shoulder to get a better view. 

With how much time you spend at the festival and how much you’ve eaten, you don’t know if you can stay up late to watch the moon like you want to. 

He lets you piggyback on the walk home 

The sound of a pipa song from the festival echoes in your brain and you hum the song while half asleep on the way home. He gets it stuck in his head for the next month and a half. 

Worth it though, it means he’s reminded of the great time he had with you and all the food he got to try. 

Now he’s constantly asking you if you can make him mooncakes. 

Literally forgets the box and tins exist until he’s cleaning out his room for hidden snacks months later. 

Almost forgot about the osmanthus wine you gifted him as well. He hits you up on the next full moon to drink it while eating snacks and you get to tell him about all the legends behind the foods he’s eaten. 

“Next time, I’ll make you Crossing the Bridge Noodles.” 

“What’s the story behind that?” 

“I’ll tell you when I make them.” 

“Is that a promise?” 

“Of course.” 

Belphegor

Thinks a fairy must have visited him in his dreams when he rolls over and finds the box of mooncakes next to his pillow

Sleeps all day so he can watch the moon all night with you. 

Expect tons of cuddles while doing that

Find out when he’s halfway through eating the box that he prefers tang yuan over mooncakes

He covets the box you gave him regardless

Maybe you make the tang yuan with a little extra ginger to spite him

Too bad for you, he prefers it that way. 

Convinces you that the gardens is the best place for moon viewing 

He’s right since there’s an osmanthus tree there and it smells absolutely amazing this time of the year. 

His favorite dessert is pretty much impossible to transport, so he’ll have to deal with what you brought. 

Ends up quite liking sachima but not jin dui 

Beel drank the last of your celebratory osmanthus wine, it’s time to break out the baijiu

It takes only a few sip of this to have you both tipsy and slurring superlatives at the moon. 

“She’s just so beautiful. Look at her. So radiant and glowing and just the most magnificent isn’t she?” 

“I can’t tell if you’re describing the moon or if you’re describing yourself.” 

“The moon. Of course. She’s so beautiful that poems are written about her for thousands of years.” 

“I could do that for you too you know…” 

The two of you end up falling asleep in the garden under the tree. By the time you two wake up, you’re both covered in the tiny fragrant blossoms 

Take some back with you to make cakes and maybe some more wine to remind you of the lovely night you had. 

#Obey me! #Obey me Headcanons #Obey me HCs #Might do the undatables later #this took way more time than I expected #I just really want soft moon viewing times with them okay? #just soft things ; ; #pls let this do well #I know maybe all of 2 people would relate to this #Don't let my hours of staring at boxes go to waste pls #a lot of this was written at like 3AM #It likely doesn't make sense #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor

[rosethornewrites]

Fic: the thing with feathers, ch. 7

Relationships: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn & Yú Zǐyuān, Jiāng Fēngmián & Yú Zǐyuān, Jiāng Yànlí & Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn

Characters: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī, Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Jiāng Chéng | Jiāng Wǎnyín, Yú Zǐyuān, Yínzhū, Jīnzhū, Lán Jǐngyí, Jiāng Fēngmián, Jiāng Yànlí, Lán Qǐrén, Lán Huàn | Lán Xīchén

Additional Tags: Transmigration, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Illnesses, Family, Scars, Memory Loss, Angst, Crying, Music, Nosebleed, Fear

Summary: Lan WangJi spends time with Wei Ying and Jiang YanLi, until a memory Wei Ying shouldn't have pops up. Confusion abounds.

Notes: See end.

AO3 link

Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

------------------------

WangJi played the guqin for another half hour or so, with Wei Ying chattering at him intermittently about the music. He seemed to particularly enjoy a piece WangJi hadn’t yet mastered, “Jiukuang,” which was more lively than many guqin pieces, as well as “Guangling San.” He didn’t seem to be bothered that WangJi didn’t speak much, and he found himself enjoying his voice.

Jiang YanLi brought a tray of food for a late lunch with enough for both of them. Wei Ying’s arm shook after only a few bites when he tried to eat, his muscles unsteady after such a long coma, and she took it upon herself to feed him. 

“I’m sorry to trouble you, shijie,” he murmured, sounding embarrassed.

“My a-Xian is no trouble at all. Shijie is happy to help you recover.”

Jiang YanLi gently pinched the end of his nose, startling a laugh from him. His laughter was bright and happy like birdsong and fit his smile.

The soup, as Wei Ying had promised, was delicious. As WangJi adhered to vegetarianism, he placed the meat from his portion into the bowl Jiang YanLi was feeding him, as the extra protein would do him good. He knew the broth was pork, but the issue was more textural for him.

Healer Kang returned as they were finishing and gave permission for him to eat some of the treats gathered in town and preserved with stasis talismans by XiChen. 

The healer insisted Wei Ying get out of bed to be helped to the table under his supervision.

“You’ll need to work to rebuild the muscle you’ve lost, young master Wei,” he said.

Wei Ying didn’t complain, though his movements were slow and unsteady and he didn’t bear all his own weight. WangJi found himself trying not to hover, concerned. 

But the boy’s bright smile when he made it to the table and sank down on a cushion, looking at his gifts, filled WangJi with a simple joy of his own.

“The vendor who gave these said they were extra spicy, your favorite,” WangJi reported, gesturing to the steamed buns. 

Wei Ying took one and bit in, and the strong scent of chilies and spice filled the air. Though it was strong enough to make WangJi‘s eyes water, Wei Ying let out an appreciative sigh.

“Popo’s buns are the best,” he said. “She always sells out early.”

Then he paused, glancing between him and Jiang YanLi in wonder. “I remembered! She’s not my popo but she insists I call her popo.”

Jiang YanLi nodded, clearly too overcome with joy to speak.

“Would you like to try some?” he offered them.

She laughed, covering her mouth with a sleeve as befitting a young maiden of her station.

“Oh, a-Xian, you like them so spicy none of us can eat them without crying.”

He smiled again at the information.

WangJi set a small bottle of the jujube juice in front of Wei Ying, pulling the stopper for him.

Wei Ying sampled bits of each of the gifted food, insisting on sharing the cakes and candied haw and shaobing and sesame balls. Jiang YanLi unpeeled lotus seeds for them to share. Wei Ying and his shijie chattered at each other, and she discussed learning about healing and improving her golden core, referring to shufu as Lan-laoshi. WangJi was certain shufu was pleased to take on a student, particularly one who seemed as eager to learn as Jiang YanLi.

“Oh, you should bring some to Cheng-ge, shijie,” Wei Ying said abruptly, as though he had just realized his martial brother was missing.

WangJi could see a bit of guilt and embarrassment on his face at that realization—though he could not be blamed for the gaps in his memory. Jiang YanLi reached forward to pat his cheek affectionately, and it washed away under a smile.

“He’ll come visit later and you can share with him then,” she said. “He’s training now.”

When Wei Ying seemed finished with the food, much of it still remaining, WangJi slid the brush, charms, and dizi forward. He could see now, as he hadn’t when XiChen accepted the gift on behalf of Wei Ying, that the dizi wasn’t all black, but had carved lotuses painted a deep purple. For a child’s instrument, it was quite beautiful. He wondered if it had been crafted with Wei Ying in mind when word of his illness reached the vendor and his wife.

Wei Ying took the health and luck charms and slipped them in the sash of the simple sleeping robe he was wearing. He clearly recognized their purpose and took their intention seriously.

WangJi had expected to have to explain, but it was interesting what his mind had retained and what it had lost. At least from a purely academic perspective. For Wei Ying, less interesting and more disconcerting, as with their conversation about recognizing music.

When Wei Ying examined the brush, his eyes unfocused a bit. 

“Did… did I paint your picture, Lan Zhan?”

WangJi shook his head, surprised by the question; prior to his arrival at Lotus Pier, he had only met Wei Ying briefly in a Yiling alley.

“It’s weird. I get an image of painting you, and painting a flower in your hair, but you’re older in the painting, so it can’t be a memory.”

Confusion passed over Wei Ying’s suddenly-pale face, and a drop of blood began dripping sluggishly from his nose.

“Oh, that happened earlier!” Jiang YanLi said, fretting.

She called for the healer, and WangJi steadied Wei Ying as he swayed on the cushion.

Healer Kang wasted no time, bundling him back to the bed.

“Maiden Jiang, if you could get your father—”

She bowed quickly and scampered off. 

“Lan Zhan, I’m scared,” Wei Ying murmured, his voice a bit slurred. “Don’t go.”

At the healer’s nod, WangJi sat at the bedside, took Wei Ying’s hand when he reached out. He can see tears in the boy’s eyes.

WangJi remembered what he had overheard in his time in the infirmary, that Wei Ying had been attacked by resentful energy, that some was in his brain. He didn’t understand what that meant, but he knew it was bad, that it could be causing this.

He could only watch as Wei Ying fought to keep his eyes open, his grip weakening.

“Don’t let go,” the boy whispered, and WangJi squeezed his hand to try to reassure him. 

The healer checked his meridians quickly.

“Young master, don’t fear,” he murmured to Wei Ying, whose breaths were short and frantic. “You’re simply exhausted. I pushed you too much, I’m afraid.”

A tremor passed through Wei Ying, and a tear slipped down the side of his face. 

“Don’t want to forget again.”

His voice was weak. WangJi squeezed his hand again, understanding his fear immediately. Though he had slept peacefully only hours before and had woken without more memories lost, it was a natural fear.

“If you do, I will remind you, Wei Ying,” he promised solemnly.

The boy’s eyes alit on him, filled with a mix of fear and gratitude, eyelids drooping despite his obvious fight against sleep.

“Sleep may help you recover more memories,” the healer said. “You need more rest to heal.”

The reassurance didn’t stop Wei Ying from fighting sleep, but he succumbed anyway before a minute was up, his hand loosening in WangJi’s grip, his eyes fluttering shut.

“He will be fine, second young master Lan,” Healer Kang said. 

His voice was soft in that way adults spoke to reassure children, but WangJi found he didn’t mind—he wanted that reassurance. 

“But the blood?” he asked.

The healer pulled a piece of cloth from his robe to wipe it away. It wasn’t much blood, just a drop that had already partly dried against Wei Ying’s upper lip and philtrum. He wet a corner of the cloth in a basin next to the bed and gently removed the remainder.

“The resentful energy caused his brain to swell,” he said as he worked. “He’s still recovering from that. He may be susceptible to nosebleeds for a little while as a result, but his meridians don’t indicate any further damage.”

WangJi appreciated that the healer, even with the gentle tone, was speaking to him on this level. He stood to offer a small bow, though he didn’t let go of Wei Ying’s hand to make it proper.

“WangJi appreciates the explanation, daifu.”

Jiang FengMian arrived before the healer could reply, Jiang YanLi in his wake.

“A-Ying?” he asked, his voice tight with concern.

“Asleep again. Overexertion and a nosebleed. As I was explaining to second young master Lan, they seem frightening but there is no damage. It may be a byproduct of the swelling on his brain, but Healer Lan and I will monitor him.”

Jiang YanLi moved to the other side of the bed, making soft concerned noises as she reached out to brush her hand over Wei Ying’s cheek.

“He ate, at least. A good meal. We were showing him the gifts sent for him, and he got confused,” she told her father.

“He asked if he had painted me,” WangJi added. “He thought he remembered doing so, but he has not.”

“What would cause that?” Sect Leader Jiang asked.

The healer sighed softly. 

“At this point there is no way of knowing. His mind may be piecing together bits of memory to try to make sense of them, but I will confer with Healer Lan. I am sorry, Sect Leader, but he only woke today, and we simply don’t know yet.”

Jiang FengMian nodded, though he still looked unsettled. WangJi didn’t blame him—he, too, felt troubled. He kept hold of Wei Ying’s hand as he settled back in the chair beside the bed, reluctant to let go even bow. He had asked him not to, after all.

But he realized the sect leader was looking at their joined hands, and he felt his ears heat.

“He was afraid,” WangJi said reluctantly. “Asked me not to let go.”

“Afraid? What is a-Ying afraid of?”

“Forgetting again.”

A grimace passed over Sect Leader Jiang’s face.

“We’ll help him remember, Father,” Jiang YanLi said, her face set in a determined way.

“I told him,” WangJi added with a nod to her. 

Young maiden Jiang gives him an approving smile, and though his concern for Wei Ying is not for the sake of approval, hers is appreciated. The sect leader also looks pleased with him. 

Though he technically only promised Wei Ying he would remind him, he was promised help. WangJi was glad the Jiangs would offer theirs as well.

Pounding footsteps caught their attention before a disheveled and sweaty Jiang Cheng rushed in, clutching two swords.

“He’s asleep?”

The boy sounded disappointed.

“A-Xian ate,” Jiang YanLi told him. “But he had another nosebleed and fell asleep.”

Jiang Cheng stepped forward a bit further, peering at Wei Ying in concern. Jiang FengMian put a hand on his shoulder.

“He needs lots of rest to recover, a-Cheng. But I’m sure he’ll be glad to see his sword when he wakes again.”

The sect heir nodded and set one of the swords on the bed beside Wei Ying. Its hilt and pommel were wooden and sleek in shape, its sheath matching with an embossed silver design. Simple and elegant, and not ostentatious like the swords many cultivators carried.

“The townspeople sent gifts for him,” WangJi found himself saying. “Wei Ying wished to share with you.”

Jiang Cheng grinned, and WangJi couldn’t help but notice his smile was not as bright as Wei Ying’s.

“I’ll wait until he wakes up again and eat with him,” he said decisively. “I bet they sent all his favorites, and he likes to poison everything with spice. Plus I’m too hot from training to eat now. I’m all sweaty and gross. I just wanted to give him his sword. I polished it and everything.”

With that, the boy dashed from the infirmary. WangJi realized he’d come straight from training in hopes of catching Wei Ying awake, and a sort of fondness swelled in his chest. Blood or not, Jiang Cheng was a good brother to Wei Ying.

“I meant to ask, second young master Lan. Did he remember you when you gave him the rattle drum?” Jiang FengMian asked.

WangJi nodded. The rattle drum rested on a table next to him, and he took it with his free hand to place it beside his pillow, something Wei Ying could see when he woke, that might re-invoke the memory if he had lost it as he feared.

“He remembered a-Li’s soup, but none of us,” the sect leader said, sounding pleased. “It’s good for him to have someone he remembers nearby.”

He realized he needed to tell at least the sect leader the truth. Lying was forbidden, after all, even by omission.

“Sect Leader Jiang… when I met him in Yiling, I never told him my name. He did not recognize it when I told him earlier. I do not know why he called for me.”

He shifted uncomfortably when the three Jiangs and the healer stared at him but he added nothing more.

“But you still went to him?” Jiang FengMian asked. “And stayed with him?”

WangJi didn’t understand why that would be surprising. Had he been in Wei Ying’s state, he would have wanted comfort as well. Denying him would have been cruel.

“He was afraid, and sick, and crying. And I didn’t help him in Yiling.”

“As I said before, you have no reason to feel guilty for that.”

“I know,” WangJi said with a nod. “Wei Ying told me. But I still want to help him.”

Sect Leader Jiang sighed, turning to look at Wei Ying again, this time with a concerned frown. The boy was still asleep, unmoving and peaceful.

“We may never know how he knew your name, why he called for you,” he said after a while. “But I appreciate the information, and a-Ying is fortunate to have your help.”

“A-Xian really seems to like you,” Jiang YanLi added. “I’m glad you’re his friend.”

WangJi blinked, a little startled. Had he so easily become friends with Wei Ying? In less than a day of him being conscious? But Wei Ying had remembered him, and the sect leader had said he was the only person he remembered right now. Maybe that, too, was yuanfen, bringing them together.

The boy didn’t seem to mind his silence, had enjoyed the guqin music he had played, had shared his treats from the townspeople, had smiled at him.

Aside from xiongzhang, Wei Ying would be his first friend. He was surprised to find the prospect pleasing. 

“I will be his friend,” he avowed.

WangJi would help him, as he hadn’t in Yiling; though the Jiangs and Wei Ying himself did not blame him for his inaction, he now had the chance to do better. Perhaps they were meant to ride the same boat in this lifetime.

-----------------------------

Notes:

The last line is taken from a Chinese proverb, “It takes hundreds of reincarnations to bring two persons to ride on the same boat; it takes a thousand eons to bring two persons to share the same pillow,” which has to do again with yuanfen.

Easter eggs: “Jiukuang” was supposedly written by Ruan Ji, one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, whose lover was another sage, Ji Kang (who was at least famous for playing “Guangling San,” though it seems to predate him). They tried to avoid politics and ultimately Ji Kang was executed as a result. Hilariously the title of this song is basically “Wine Madness,” so I daresay QiRen might not know WangJi is learning it. Or because it’s famously a classic, maybe he does. He’d be more in favor of “Guanling San,” though it apparently told the story of an assassin who killed a prime minister (Nie Zheng, worth looking up as likely the inspiration for the Nie sect) in the Warring States Period. Supposedly Ji Kang played it as his swan song before his execution, which was an interesting choice and made it popular. Ji Kang was considered seditious and scandalous, someone who challenged established social norms and was not a fan of Confucianism. They were considered two of the geniuses of the 3rd century and I want to read more on them because they also wrote poetry, and I guess they remind me a little of Lan WangJi and Wei WuXian.

But anyway! I digress! Two pieces by cutsleeve lovers played by 10-year-old WangJi for Wei Ying, because I can. (Both of these songs can be found on YouTube played by guqin.)

Also, I can’t stop myself from doing these little Easter eggs, so I hope folks are enjoying them.

Someone reminded me in a comment about Wei Ying not remembering calling Lan Zhan’s name. The explanation is that he hadn’t yet lost his memories. His older self, still traumatized by Lan Zhan’s death, was fighting the spell without meaning to. As a result, he wound up unwittingly calling young Lan Zhan to his side, and the comfort of his presence allowed him to let go and allow the spell to seal his memories take hold. So, yeah, angst.

#my fanfiction #the untamed #untamed fanfiction #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #mdzs fanfic #mdzs fanfiction #chen qing ling #cql #cql fanfiction #cql fanfic #lan zhan #lan wangji #jiang cheng #jiang yanli #jiang fengmian #wei wuxian #wei ying

[purplesurveys]

914

Do you prefer bar or liquid soap? Liquid. I don’t like how a bar soap tends to slip out of my hands. What's the speed limit on your street? I live in a gated village with tiny streets and kids that can run out of their gates any time, so the maximum on our widest roads is 40 kph. In more cramped streets, it’s recommended to drive 15-20. When was the last time you wore your favourite article of clothing? With my favorite pair of jeans, it was at the start of the month. I don’t have a favorite top; I find them all nice. Do any of your family members have an upcoming birthday? I don’t know anyone in my family who celebrates their birthday in August. If there’s someone, I can’t place them at the moment. On a scale of 1-5, 5 being the best, rate your last kiss. 5.

What is your favourite flavour of Jolly Ranchers? I don’t eat those. Where was your Facebook profile picture taken? It was taken in the basement of my college, which had been converted into a makeshift photo studio for a few days so that we could take our senior photos there. The basement has several rooms so most of them got used for different purposes like a hair and makeup room, a changing room, the actual photo studio, etc. Do your parents smoke? No. I think my mom mentioned experimenting with cigarettes when she was in college, but she didn’t like it, quit as soon as she started, and hasn’t had one since. My dad never smoked, period. Would you rather bake cookies or a potato? Cookies. It’s more nostalgic to me, which makes the experience more fun. Who was the last person to stay the night at your house? Gabie, probs. She’s the only one who sleeps over anyway. Do you live close to a park? We have our own tiny parks in our village; but no, this country is generally not public spaces-friendly. Is your favourite animal endangered? One of them is. Have you eaten pizza in the last week? Nah man, I haven’t had pizza in a WHILE. Not since February, I’m pretty sure. Who was the last person you added to your contacts list? I don’t remember. I think it was my hair and makeup artist for a test photoshoot that I did last December. How long does it take you to shower? 7-10 minutes. Do you prefer a brand of bottled water over others, or is it all the same? Sure. There are brands that have a slightest taste, and I try to avoid those. Have you used Wikipedia today? Yes. I read at least one article a day, whether on purpose or coincidental. Idk I think that despite the fact that it’s not a credible source to include on essays and papers, I still think it’s super informative and helpful and it’s at least fun to read through and spend hours in if I’m doing leisure reading.   Are you better at writing fiction or non-fiction? Non-fiction BY A MILE. The idea of writing fiction terrifies me...I’ve never been able to reach that level of creativity. Do you know anyone who has moved to a different state? I’ve known people who have moved from one province to another (we don’t have states). But in terms of the US, I also do know someone who moved from one state to another. I went to school with this girl who migrated to Hawaii a few years back, then she moved to California last year. How many pens can you see from where you’re sitting? Zero. Have you ever dated someone one grade/year above or below you? Nopes, but I’d assume that’s pretty common.

What language do you think you’d be good at? Spanish for obvious reasons.

What language do you think you’d fail at? Russian. And the African languages that have click sounds in them; I’ve always found this SO fascinating, but I know I'd never be able to perfect those. Do you still have a landline phone at your house? Yes. I have older relatives who still prefer talking on landline, so we keep it around for them. What is your current desktop background? One of the default wallpapers on my laptop. I changed it recently though. My old one was a mountain shot that mostly had a pinkish hue; and my new one is still a shot of a mountain range, but now it’s orange-purplish-pinkish.

How big is the television you last watched? Haven’t watched TV in a while. Have you ever been stung by a bee or a wasp? NOPE, one of my biggest fears.

How many schools have you been to in your lifetime? Two. I went to my first school from kindergarten to high school and the only time I transferred was when I went to college. Are you of legal age in your country? Yes. I have been in the last four years.

Why did you last visit a doctor? I had been sick for days and I was convinced it was no longer just a fever because no medicine and amount of sleep were helping, so I got myself checked. Would you prefer an ice cream cake or a regular cake? Regular cakes. Omg I hate ice cream cakes...I was never sold on the idea of cake not only being painfully cold to bite, but also capable of melting and getting all liquidy. I’m not gonna hate on other people who are into those, but I honestly never saw the hype. How old is your best friend? Gabie’s 22. Angela’s turning 22 in September. What is/was your high school’s mascot? My old school doesn’t have a mascot. We have school colors but that’s it. Do you carry pain relievers with you at all times? No. I didn’t want to be too dependent on them (still don’t) when I was still in school, so I just left the pills at home. My headaches sometimes go away on their own, anyway. Where is your mother right now? She just went upstairs to settle in their room for the night. What was the last thing to make you smile? A meme Angela sent a couple of minutes ago. Are you currently saving up for anything? Not currently since I don’t have money coming in. I imagine I’d be saving up for Airpods and a new set of braces once I start having a salary, though. Priorities, hahaha. What’s the view like from your bedroom window? Not too impressive. I just see the houses behind ours. Generally speaking, do you prefer sweet or savoury? Savory. My cravings for sweet only come once I’ve had savory. What would you do if you got home and you saw your house had been destroyed? Check the scene and see if my dogs made it. I’d try asking neighbors and the guards if they saw what happened; and I’d be devastated and anxious as fuck, of course. When did you last go outside, and what for? I walked Kimi outside an hour ago so he can do his business. We’ve closed off the balcony for now (his usual spot) since it’s been raining all day and evening, so I walked him in the area of our house that’s under a shed. Who is your favourite Sesame Street character? Didn’t really grow on Sesame Street. I suppose I liked Big Bird most, but I was never too attached to the character. How often do you check your emails? Everyday at this point. Do you have any plans for this Thanksgiving? No. What colour is your backpack? Baby pink. Would you slap the last person you talked to for twenty dollars? It’s not completely off the table, but you’re gonna have to pay me a lot more for me to slap my girlfriend lol What search engine do you usually use? Google. How much did the shirt you’re wearing cost? Couple thousand bucks. It’s official WWE merch. Patrick Stump or Pete Wentz? I never compare members within the same band. I like them both. Do you know anyone who gives way too many hugs? Laurice. Not that that’s a bad thing. She hugs eveeeeeeryone, and she’s the sweetest for doing so. What time do you usually wake up on Sundays? 7-8 AM these days, like for all days. Have you whispered today? I don’t think so. What grade did you get on the last test you took? I never got to find out my grade in my Rizal exam since the lockdown happened shortly after. That’s the only test I got to take in the second semester.

#survey #surveys

[gluevah]

What did you put in your shrimp fried rice? What are your favorite meals and things to make and eat? What are your favorite restaurants?

I followed a recipe I found online, it included mixed vegetables (my blend had corn, carrots, peas, and green beans), sesame oil and vegetable oil to cook in, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and spring onion. The recipe also included egg, which I only added to half the batch because Jeremy absolutely hates eggs. Jeremy also added cayenne pepper to his half because he likes spicy. I would have done it, but I could not find the cayenne pepper and the spice cabinet is really tall and I'm not. 😆

Jeremy and I rarely like...go out to dinner. We'll get food somewhere if we're out but we don't go out just for dinner. We get delivery a lot though! My absolute favorite place to get delivery from is Wings 21. They always make the wings extra crispy the way I like, and the fries are well done too. I used to work at a Thai restaurant that also did wings, and they had the absolute best wings because they fried them halfway, and then fried them the rest of the way to order. They were so crispy, I've never found a place that has wings as good as theirs (also their black pepper chicken, I've never found a place that does it the same way) but Wings 21 comes close! I also really love Shake Shack, their chicken bites and cheese fries are the best. Also I love Texas Roadhouse (haven't been to one in years though) and Outback. Also there was this Mexican restaurant in DC that has the best Caesar salad I've ever had.

My favorite things to eat that aren't from a restaurant are probably my dad's lasagna, my mom's enchiladas (I know how to make those but we don't have a working oven so I can't make them anymore), my sister's chocolate chip cookies, and Jeremy's Korean bbq beef!

I don't really have a favorite thing to make, because I'm still learning how to cook. I was never really taught as a kid, and whenever I was in the kitchen as a teenager/adult, living with my parents, someone would make a joke like "oh what are you burning." And it became a running joke that I couldn't cook, so I didn't cook. But living with Jeremy, and having a lot of the cooking duties fall on me, has led to a lot of growth in my abilities and my confidence.

I made skirt steak recently, and it was really good! And cooked just the way I like! I like to make desserts, especially dump cakes/crock pot cobblers. I made a berry compote once, and it was good but I need a strainer if I wanna do it again because the amount of seeds was terrible! I've also learned how to make a chai latte and Thai tea!

[verdigrisprowl]

Apr 9 Dancitron Movie Night - Vertigo

The characters were very easily hate-able. That made the movie, by default, very easily hate-able. It was actually a well-written suspense movie, it just had loathsome characters.

But there was a brief semblance of harmony—if not peace—as everyone in the room yelled at the screen.

Today Specs 7:40 pm *in comes a dragon! she bears comfort food this time, rust sticks and oil cakes and tinsel cookies shaped like glitchmice.* Hello, Soundwave! ItsyBitsySpyers 7:40 pm *Soundwave was hoping to get a moment of dancing in before everyone got there, but he'll abort that leg flick and sit right the frag down.* Specs 7:41 pm *the dragon would never judge you for dancing, Soundwave* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:41 pm *Ravage IMMEDIATELY pokes his helm out of the stairwell* =I SMELL TINSEL.= Prowl 7:41 pm *Prowl arrives and tilts her helm at the music* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:41 pm [[Good evening, dragon, Prowl.]] Specs 7:41 pm You do! I was just experimenting a little with it, since it's the right sort of thing... You like tinsel? Prowl 7:42 pm Good evening, Soundwave. *nods to Specs and Ravage too she guesses* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:42 pm *Ravage's optics are so pale they're nearly white. Oh, does he ever. It's like catnip for murder felines.* =What you are wanting for all of them?= Specs 7:44 pm *the dragon just passes that platter to Ravage* Just tell me if they're suitable according to your refined palate. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:45 pm *He takes the edge of it in his mouth - can't use his paws, and someone might grab it if it's in his feeler/tail claws - and murmurs a thank you around it as best he can.* Shocky 7:45 pm Good evening ItsyBitsySpyers 7:45 pm *Soundwave sits up straighter and looks over. What's this, then?* Specs 7:45 pm *Ravage is always welcome to help himself to anything she makes. It's her privilege to make these and bring them in, and her delight.* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:45 pm [[Good evening. From which universe might you hail...?]] Prowl 7:46 pm *stiffens visibly* Smokescreen 7:46 pm /Smokescreen's coming in and is going to go immediately for the drinks./ Shocky 7:46 pm I believe you might know it as the 'prime verse' ((i have no idea, my shockers is kinda a divergent)) ItsyBitsySpyers 7:48 pm *Nods.*

((what's the url?)) ((so i can keep track of which ones he talks to about what when they're here)) Bull 7:48 pm ((*goes to get munchies*)) Shocky 7:49 pm ((@illogicalshockwave but if you want the actual link its https://illogicalshockwave.tumblr.com/ )) ItsyBitsySpyers 7:49 pm ((OH! i know yours already, hello 😀 )) Prowl 7:49 pm ((*follows* Smokescreen 7:49 pm /Smokescreen's going to grab a few drinks, before going to sit next to prowl. setting one down/ Prowl! It's been a little while- what've you been up to? Shocky 7:52 pm *Shockwave sits a respectful distance away from the two, examining the music with a half curious half confused look* Prowl 7:52 pm *Prowl relaxes a notch at hearing Smokescreen's voice* Hello, Smokescreen. I've been up to a great deal. Ultra Magnus and I had to reassess the police force's goals and plan training for the newest recruits. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:53 pm *Ravage tries to fuss at Smokescreen and finds he can't sound angry with a tray in his mouth. He runs up stairs with it to set it in his room, then charges over to Smokescreen and swats at his leg with a claw.*

=Payment!= *Soundwave nods again at Shockwave.*

[[We are watching an Earth film from this music's time period. It seemed appropriate.]] Smokescreen 7:53 pm /Smokescreen's looking up at Shockwave, and waves!/ Shocks! I don't think I've seen you here before- you like movies? Shocky 7:54 pm I have never had the time to watch one. I am interested to see what this film is about however Smokescreen 7:54 pm Ohh- did that all go well, though? that sounds like a lot of work- sounds like we've both been busy with stuff! Education systems don't build themselves, apparently. Smokescreen 7:55 pm Wait. Wait, really? Man- I'd love to show you some sometime! Some of them might be helpful science-wise? /Smokescreen's looking through his subspace, and is offering out a half-full cube of low-grade/ How's this? Bull 7:57 pm [*has chips and halfa*] ItsyBitsySpyers 7:57 pm ((what's halfa?)) Bull 7:57 pm ((meant to use out of character 😛)) Shocky 7:57 pm ...Indeed? I am unsure as to how fictional films would aid in scientific discovery, but I would be willing to listen Magnum Ace 7:57 pm ((the next time you come by, you should bring some over)) Bull 7:58 pm ((It's a candy; either made from sesame seeds or flour based)) Prowl 7:58 pm It is. We've only had a few... awkward adjustments. Bull 7:58 pm ((found it at the store and decided to try it)) Smokescreen 7:58 pm It could give you different ideas! And there's multiversal documentaries- they might have science advancements that even you haven't found yet. ... Awkward adjustments? What kinda adjustments are those? Magnum Ace 7:59 pm -pings Soundwave. Mind them coming over for movie night?- Shocky 7:59 pm ((i'm so jelly, i have to be on a diet now q.q fitness is going to be a pain in the ass to get started in but ehh)) Prowl 7:59 pm My understanding was that these were non-fiction documentaries. Prowl 8:00 pm Recruits with the wrong idea of what an enforcer should do. Nothing we can't fix with time. Bull 8:01 pm ((I wasn't even sure what it was when I found it; got that and some gunpowder green tea and black rice)) ItsyBitsySpyers 8:01 pm *Ravage growls louder.* =PAYMENT.= *SWIPE hard with the claws. Get some scratches, you.* Smokescreen 8:01 pm Ohhhh- oh, yeah. That kinda thing is pretty important! Come to think of it- I don't really know what's going on with law enforcement where I am Magnum Ace 8:01 pm ((you do find the weird stuff Specs 8:02 pm ((ayy gunpowder green tea)) Smokescreen 8:02 pm OW- ow, come on, Ravage. That was payment! What about helm pats? Orrr- I could tell you a story. From Alpha Trion. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:02 pm ((we will start soon-ish, get any snacks and whatever you need)) Bull 8:02 pm ((I want to get the ice cream cake looking deserts they had; and some Russian coffee)) Smokescreen 8:02 pm But I don't have any shanix. Prowl 8:02 pm I would advise you to ensure they're not abusing their position to abuse the civilians on your Cybertron. Magnum Ace 8:02 pm ((shhhhh, I'm getting hungry ItsyBitsySpyers 8:03 pm =Touch my helm and die, Autobot.= *Bares his glowing fangs.* =Story or items. Or bleed.= Bull 8:03 pm ((Then eat; I know you got yourself foods)) Specs 8:03 pm *this would be a terrible time to inform Ravage that he's the coolest cat this dragon has seen, but she's definitely thinking it.* *chimera, of course, is the cutest cat* Bull 8:03 pm ((and it better not just be Mountain Dew)) Magnum Ace 8:03 pm ((I did, but I want sweets now ((......... ((<.< Smokescreen 8:04 pm I mean- I don't really mind bleeding all that much, if I can still have the drinks! /Smokescreen's leaning down to take a sip of his drink./ Prowl 8:05 pm *lets out a small huff in amusement* Shocky 8:05 pm *Shockwave is just... baffled at how smokescreen is like this* annoying the hosts is most unwise, Smokescreen. Prowl 8:05 pm Just pay him, Smokescreen, before you wind up missing metal. Smokescreen 8:06 pm Hey, what? I'm not even trying to be annoying- and I've had worse ways of paying bots before. It's not like I'm letting Ravage rip off plating or something. Bull 8:07 pm ((I swear I will attack you with a leek next time I come over)) ItsyBitsySpyers 8:07 pm *Specs should tell them both later. They'll appreciate it more then, for sure.*

[[Indeed it is. You should listen to Shockwave. Ravage has been known to bite thieves.]] Magnum Ace 8:07 pm ((OAO noooooo ItsyBitsySpyers 8:07 pm [[And he's not known for letting go.]] Smokescreen 8:07 pm Well- I guess Ravage'll have to get used to living in my quarters, then, if he won't let go. Bull 8:07 pm ((eat healthier then)) ItsyBitsySpyers 8:07 pm ((we start at 8:15)) Smokescreen 8:07 pm ... But I guess I can give a story. VProwl 8:08 pm *Prowl has been here less than a minute, and he's already sick of Smokescr why is shockwave here* Magnum Ace 8:08 pm ((Maybe Shocky 8:08 pm What are the accepted forms of payment? Being a new guest to these events I am unsure if Shanix is, or something with more weight in the multiverse ItsyBitsySpyers 8:09 pm [[Anything we might find interesting or useful. We do not have a functional currency yet, and barter has been more useful.]] VProwl 8:09 pm *not what he needs. NOT what he needs.* Magnum Ace 8:09 pm ((ANYWAY, before I'm assaulted by leeks, should me and Bull just assume they're in the room now?)) VProwl 8:09 pm @Soundwave «Is he going to be sitting with you.» Bull 8:09 pm ((*has a bag of celery ready for the smacking*) Magnum Ace 8:09 pm ((PUT THE BAG DOWN ItsyBitsySpyers 8:09 pm ((crud was i pinged for a bridge? i've been scattered, lemme just--))

*Anyone who might've been asking for a way in now has one.*

@P: [[...No. Why would he?]] Bull 8:10 pm ((eat REAL food!)) Magnum Ace 8:10 pm ((I am! SHUSH! Smokescreen 8:10 pm I'm not a useful bot and you know it, Sounds. But for stories, stories... What kind of story would you want, anyway? Magnum Ace 8:10 pm ((and thanks snek VProwl 8:10 pm @S «I can't tell if it's yours.» *if he's not, though, Prowl is sitting next to Soundwave and making himself as unobtrusive as possible.* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:12 pm [[Vital events in that bot's timeline's history. Ones he wouldn't already have easy access to, that is.]]

@P: [[It is not.]] *He'll gently bump a knee while pretending to shift for comfort.* Magnum Ace 8:12 pm -and he's just going to trot through the bridge at a quicker clip than normal- ItsyBitsySpyers 8:12 pm ((LAST SONG GRAB YO STUFF)) Bull 8:13 pm *Bull follows in after* Smokescreen 8:13 pm ... Oh. Well, that's pretty personal- he was pretty private about slag, and I don't know what parts you would know already. VProwl 8:14 pm @S «Good. I've had quite enough of—everything, lately. People. People who can screw up reality.» Magnum Ace 8:14 pm ...I think Meckel is a bit angry. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:14 pm [[Greetings, Ace, Bull.]]

*He'll nod over to the small stepladder stashed next to one of the couches. Zori proposed it as a possibly helpful item recently.* Prowl 8:14 pm *clasps her hands together on the table and listens to the music/room* Magnum Ace 8:14 pm Hello, Soundwave! ItsyBitsySpyers 8:14 pm @P: [[...He apologizes for that.]] Bull 8:14 pm I was not sticking around to find out. Hi, Soundwave Magnum Ace 8:15 pm I...might have had something to do with it? VProwl 8:15 pm @S «You're only involved in half of it.» @S «... That's not true. Sixty-eight percent of it.» Bull 8:16 pm What did you do? *Bull was already regretting asking the question* Magnum Ace 8:16 pm ....... ItsyBitsySpyers 8:16 pm ((WARNINGS: idfk i wanted to go into this blind, it's hitchcock, that means murder mysteries. so, uh. murder, mystery, probably fifties sexism, a blond lady in trouble or causing it, and then the rest is whatever it is tonight.)) Magnum Ace 8:16 pm I may have.....decided to exit through a window. Again. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:16 pm ((oh, and heights, i guess, probably. it is called vertigo.)) Shocky 8:16 pm *There is an awful lot of bots here. He'll shift a little further away from people and quietly observe from there* Bull 8:17 pm Why?! *There was a slight whine to his voice; not liking the idea of an angry Meckel* Magnum Ace 8:17 pm -oh, look, he's being distracted by climbing up to the table- ItsyBitsySpyers 8:17 pm *Soundwave settles in and half listens to the talk about Meckel while the movie starts.*

@P: [[He will endeavor to be as realistic as possible for at least three weeks.]] Specs 8:18 pm *be mindful of where you sit, Shockwave. the dragon is only the size of a fox, and she tends to perch on the back of couches where no one else is sitting* VProwl 8:18 pm @S «I think I'm going to need more than three weeks, but I appreciate the effort.» Magnum Ace 8:18 pm -Guilt, what guilt, he's fine- Bull 8:19 pm *Bull follows Magnum to their normal spot; still giving his fellow leaguer a look* Magnum Ace 8:19 pm .... Omicron 8:19 pm *Ice queen stepps in, looking around* Magnum Ace 8:19 pm The other exit was blocked. By Richard. -who he still hasn't talked to- ItsyBitsySpyers 8:20 pm (("guys we forgot to make credits" "uhhhh my kid's got a Spirograph set?" "good, use that") Bull 8:20 pm Oh... *that was understandable* Specs 8:20 pm Ice Queen! *here comes the fluffiest dragon, looking to become the fluffiest epaulette* How have you been? Shocky 8:20 pm *Shockwave half looks at the new comer before focusing on the strange abstract film opening* Smokescreen 8:21 pm /Smokescreen's going to go ahead and offer the cube of high grade to Prowl!/ Hitchcock, huh? He did that bird documentary, right? Omicron 8:21 pm *Icy ducks her head and chirps to fluffy dragon, offering a wing for them to climb up to her back with racer* Magnum Ace 8:21 pm ....Carl may have seen me do that. And decided to try... ItsyBitsySpyers 8:21 pm [[Yes. And the murder surrounding the key.]] Magnum Ace 8:21 pm -That's why Meckel was mad at him- Smokescreen 8:21 pm And that movie about clowning around? Bull 8:22 pm No, he didn't... Oh Silkie's not gonna be happy either. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:22 pm [[...About what?]] Smokescreen 8:22 pm You know, it was about clowns doing the slag that clowns do? VProwl 8:22 pm *oh, police offic— oh. never mind.* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:22 pm *Well, that was an unpleasant opening.* Magnum Ace 8:23 pm He...did. He's being fixed, and...kinda my fault he has to be Specs 8:23 pm *floof floof* *dragon solidarity* VProwl 8:23 pm *oh, another police officer. one that's quitting but still.* Magnum Ace 8:24 pm .....he's really not going to be -he was bracing himself for that talk- Bull 8:24 pm *he really didn't want be in Magnum's place* Smokescreen 8:24 pm W. What saying I think she just wants to get rid of him Magnum Ace 8:25 pm -he's in for it- ItsyBitsySpyers 8:26 pm [[Ah. Then they do not date anymore.]] Smokescreen 8:26 pm War? Wait, what war? Shocky 8:26 pm *Shockwave likes this femme so far. Seems like a practical quiet sort* Omicron 8:26 pm *the big predacon settles in her spot to the side, crossing forelegs and gives fluffy dragon a lick, and grins as Racer tries to groom them too* Swoop 8:27 pm ((I'm ooc. Don't mind me.)) Omicron 8:27 pm ((what is the name of the movie?)) ItsyBitsySpyers 8:27 pm ((Yo)) ((Vertigo)) VProwl 8:28 pm Perhaps they shouldn't have done that next to the window. Bull 8:29 pm He's got it worse then me. *knows what it's like to be afraid of heights* Specs 8:29 pm *the smaller dragon chirps at Racer, and gives him a lick back too. HE'S certainly clean, especially in comparison to smokescreen. as long as he's careful and doesn't tug out her fur, he can try to groom her as much as he pleases.* VProwl 8:29 pm He's got the right idea, though. Gradual desensitization. Omicron 8:29 pm ((thanks!)) Smokescreen 8:29 pm whoa that's a fancy desk Magnum Ace 8:29 pm You're getting better with yours ItsyBitsySpyers 8:29 pm [[Hmm. He wonders how Blades is doing these days...]] Bull 8:30 pm *Bull gives a rueful chuckle* I don't know if I should thank or blame the Deus. Prowl 8:30 pm He's a grounder now. Smokescreen 8:30 pm ... Man, it's been forever since I've since those rescue bots where I am- I wonder if they ever learned about, uh, stuff. Magnum Ace 8:30 pm Both ItsyBitsySpyers 8:30 pm [[He knows that. He means afterward.]] ((... the phone rang once, stopped, and then about 30 seconds later rang once and stopped. what even?)) Magnum Ace 8:30 pm I'm surprised Windy isn't scared of heights after that though Omicron 8:31 pm Racer: *he's very clean! he just got groomed by one of his insecticon minders before coming! gives a rumbly like purr attempt as he tries to groom* Smokescreen 8:31 pm ....... Shocky 8:31 pm **That gavin fellow sounds an awful lot like the old senators* Smokescreen 8:31 pm . . . Bull 8:31 pm I think he'd hate volcanoes and lava more. Prowl 8:31 pm He avoids some of the higher roads according to Chase, but other than that, he's functioning well enough. VProwl 8:32 pm He's a fool. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:32 pm ((i was looking at the phone stuff, why is he supposed to be following?)) VProwl 8:32 pm Even if you don't believe those things, you investigate the situation to find out what's going on. Magnum Ace 8:32 pm True. I don't blame him, though. VProwl 8:32 pm ((this dude thinks that his wife is being haunted by someone dead and wants a retired detective to follow her and see what's up)) Specs 8:32 pm *chirps at Racer and licks the top of his head gently. the dragon's got a rough, catlike tongue, designed for grooming all that thick fluffy fur. not so good for cleaning metal.* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:33 pm [[He has heard that Earth felines and Earth canines sense ghosts. If this human thinks his conjunx is being haunted, he should get her one.]] Magnum Ace 8:33 pm ...that entire trip was just one disaster after another Smokescreen 8:33 pm Do you really need to snoop into her life that much? Bull 8:34 pm More or less. *They all had their experiences on that trip* VProwl 8:34 pm Has he tried getting involved with HER yet? Ask her about those apparent gaps in her behavior? Call out her contradictions? Rather than involving either doctors OR detectives? Shocky 8:34 pm *These health conditions with their conjunx is uncomfortably close to touching with issues with his own* Prowl 8:35 pm Doubtful if he's asking someone else to do it. VProwl 8:35 pm He doesn't know yet whether she's possessed or simply lying, and already he's having somebody stalk her. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:35 pm [[That is a good point.]] Omicron 8:35 pm Racer: *doesn't mind one bit, reflexively gives a lick back, little smoother of a forcked glossa, no drools or left over energon though! ....she might get gold dust shines though* Magnum Ace 8:35 pm Hopefully this season goes better Smokescreen 8:35 pm Maybe she's trying to get away from him? Bull 8:35 pm If anyone says we should 'take a vacation' or that we should go training overseas, I'll say no thanks. Omicron 8:36 pm *Icy just watches movie, little confused, but liking some of the humans* Specs 8:36 pm *nothing wrong with being a little sparkly! as long as there's no energon drool on her, Racer's a good bean.* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:36 pm *What went wrong on that trip, he wonders.* Magnum Ace 8:36 pm -snorts in laughter- I'm sure you won't be the only one Omicron 8:37 pm Interesting the difference between the views....wonder if any mech has been those cars Shocky 8:37 pm strange altmodes they drive in... Magnum Ace 8:38 pm I like my plating attached, thanks Smokescreen 8:38 pm They're ancient alt modes! Bull 8:38 pm I think I rather go training with Jurota in the mountains; gotta be safer. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:38 pm [[He will give the humans one advantage: it must be easier to follow each other in their cars since they do not identify each other by which one they are.]] Magnum Ace 8:38 pm -EVERYTHING went wrong on it- ItsyBitsySpyers 8:38 pm [[Or in their case, are driving.]] Omicron 8:39 pm this...is very stalker like Smokescreen 8:39 pm But can't they see each other inside the cars? Magnum Ace 8:39 pm ....just watch for storms. They get nasty up there Bull 8:39 pm Still; safer. Smokescreen 8:39 pm Her husband did pay him to basically professionally stalk because he doesn't want to talk to his own wife. Omicron 8:40 pm so...is smokescreen still not clean? *to specs* Magnum Ace 8:40 pm True. Less...everything that was that trip Specs 8:40 pm Unless I can prove he's taken a bath today, and it's not his first one this month? Absolutely not. Shocky 8:40 pm *looks at the one insisting on cleanliness and tilts his helm* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:41 pm [[Humans have terrible vision. They measure their visual acuity in lengths shorter than he is tall.]] Specs 8:41 pm *look, she grooms herself with her tongue. she HAS to insist on cleanliness. there's just too many bad things that happen otherwise.* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:41 pm [[They would consider it a badge of honor to lay on the ground and still be able to see the glyphs on his visor. It is sad.]] Smokescreen 8:41 pm /Smokescreen's snooping, and is staring at Specs right now./ Omicron 8:41 pm .....*grings at the fluffy dragon* want to get him over here and I can make sure he's clean? at least for the evening Magnum Ace 8:41 pm Still, at least we shouldn't have to do that again ItsyBitsySpyers 8:42 pm *The useless facts you pick up when you're investigating octopus eyes...* Magnum Ace 8:42 pm Unless Owner has another relative that's playing dead somewhere Smokescreen 8:42 pm Seriously? Humans have vision that bad? But isn't that why some of them wear glasses? so their vision can be as good as ours? Prowl 8:42 pm Glasses? Specs 8:42 pm ...*ooh, she's considering that* Does that qualify as a disruption, you think? Bull 8:43 pm .... *now that he thought about it; no one ever talked about her mother* Omicron 8:43 pm *Ice Queen isn't sure, staaaaaaaaares at Soundwave, and give him a ping* Magnum Ace 8:43 pm ..... Smokescreen 8:43 pm Yeah! They're kinda like visors, but they have two pieces of glass that by- I'm not exactly sure how it works, but it gives them super good vision. VProwl 8:43 pm *looks at Soundwave* ... How do they drive? Bull 8:43 pm *Then again that was a can of worms Bull was NOT gonna pry at* Magnum Ace 8:43 pm -please don't- ItsyBitsySpyers 8:44 pm *Ravage stumbles back downstairs and over to the dragons. He flops down, flips onto his back, and whispers.* =Very... very good.= *PURRING AWAY. Content felinoid.*

[[Please, do not forcibly bathe anyone onthe premises. If you must remove the stink, take them outside and use a hose.]] Shocky 8:44 pm these close up shots are quite unnecessary Prowl 8:44 pm Ah. Smokescreen 8:44 pm It's supposed to show what the humans are focusing on! ItsyBitsySpyers 8:45 pm @Prowl: [[The humans? Haven't you had them driving you before?]] Smokescreen 8:45 pm ... Wait, forcibly bathing? Why would anyone do that anyway? Specs 8:45 pm *that's one delighted chirp from the dragon* I think I'll make that again, then! *always nice to see someone appreciate her cooking* Omicron 8:46 pm hm... maybe outside. *blinks, lowers head and sniffs at Ravage?* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:46 pm *Ravage goes wide-opticked and bats at the nose.* *He then DARTS THE HELL OFF and into a corner* Magnum Ace 8:47 pm -what the hell was that blur?- Specs 8:48 pm *poofs up* *well, that's something* Magnum Ace 8:48 pm -it looked cat shaped- VProwl 8:48 pm @S «I didn't know they couldn't see that far.» Omicron 8:48 pm *big dragon blinks, well...did she do that?* VProwl 8:49 pm *he retroactively feels much less safe.* Smokescreen 8:50 pm ... Sounds, do you know how glasses work? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:51 pm [[-He- would like a question like that. He doesn't see what the Midge human has against it.]]

[[Of course he knows how glasses work. Some Cybertronians require visual assistance as well.]] Magnum Ace 8:51 pm ...-tempted to ask for a baseball, to see if it was a cat- Smokescreen 8:51 pm But what about glasses for humans? How do they make the glass that lets them see better? VProwl 8:51 pm Her issue with it is that it clearly wasn't his original question and he's dodging the question. @S «... What's up with Ravage?» Prowl 8:52 pm Ah, so they are the same as visors. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:53 pm @P: [[Tinsel cookies. Something about the substance overstimulates his olfactory sensors. Temporary glitch.]]

[[He does not know how the glasses are made. Only the ones they put in their eyes.]] Omicron 8:53 pm *Icy turns back and gives her hatchling and fluffy dragon a good few licks, purring under them* Smokescreen 8:53 pm Wait- the ones they put into their eyes? They what? Specs 8:54 pm *purrs and chirrups at the predacon. SHE'S clean, at least* Shocky 8:54 pm this investigator seems quite the rude type... ItsyBitsySpyers 8:55 pm [[Sharp, isn't she.]] VProwl 8:55 pm Quite. Omicron 8:55 pm *Icy approves of the clean!* oh, thought you might like to meet someone new by chance. Likely won't get her out from under her hiding place Prowl 8:55 pm She should be a detective. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:55 pm [[And why rude, do you say?]] *Not that he disagrees. He just wants to know.* Specs 8:56 pm Oh? Shocky 8:56 pm They are too abrupt in their treatment, to stern with no manners it is slighly vexing. VProwl 8:58 pm Why wouldn't he tell his own spouse these things about her own history. He's a terrible spouse. Omicron 8:58 pm *Icy nods at her left wing, shifting a little so her passenger can just hear a protesting mew under* Specs 8:59 pm Are genealogy records simply not available to these humans? *blinks and turns her head. there's someone there!* Omicron 8:59 pm apparently not....or not easy to find? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:59 pm *SOUNDWAVE HEARD A MEW.* Omicron 9:00 pm *There was a tiny mew!* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:00 pm *There is a cat in here and it is not Ravage. His screen goes ! and all.* Magnum Ace 9:00 pm -is there a cat in here?- -other than Ravage- Bull 9:00 pm !!! Specs 9:00 pm *chirrups and searches for the mewler* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:00 pm *It then goes ! brighter and redder. She threw herself off!?* Magnum Ace 9:00 pm !!! Omicron 9:01 pm whaaa...what? !! VProwl 9:01 pm Maybe she's being "driven mad" by a husband that sneaks behind her back, stalks her, and keeps secrets from her about her own family. Prowl 9:01 pm That seems a great deal more plausible than a ghost. Omicron 9:01 pm *specs can hear another little mew as icy moves, and Racer just...jumps on the spot* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:03 pm [[...He's not going to explain why she is there without her outerwear?]] [[Or who he is? Or where she is?]] Shocky 9:03 pm *shockwave is frustrated with the film now* why not simply call their conjunx? would it not be more rational? Specs 9:04 pm Racer! *why he jump on the mewler. wait...* *the dragon actually turns and noses around- could this be a second hatchling?* Omicron 9:05 pm Racer: *bounces on Icy's wing, its strong enough that he doesn't hurt, then he's showing the other small dragon how to get in under the big wing, squiring over to his sibling* Specs 9:06 pm *follows Racer, and then gasps gently. it IS another hatchling! hello, little one. have a lick.* Prowl 9:06 pm Rational behavior seems to have died with the officer on that rooftop. Magnum Ace 9:08 pm -what just happened?- Omicron 9:08 pm *little sparkling meeps, wide golden optic at new person! omgomgomg new person- oh, a lick...sparkling calms down* VProwl 9:09 pm Their sexual tension is boring, unconvincing, and distracting from the far more important mystery at hand. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:09 pm [[Agreed.]] Omicron 9:09 pm I agree Specs 9:09 pm *chirps at the hatchling again, before curling up nearby and purring as strongly as possible. the dragon's no motorcycle engine, but she can manage a decent rumble.* Bull 9:10 pm And she's gone... Shocky 9:10 pm perhaps not the wisest idea to turn their back on them ItsyBitsySpyers 9:10 pm [[He would not blame her for fleeing.]] Magnum Ace 9:10 pm ..... Prowl 9:11 pm Is that what the overly long wrist touch was meant to be? The audio description didn't go into detail. VProwl 9:11 pm Not at all. Omicron 9:11 pm RAcer: *noses his sibling, snuggling and loving on until little hands shyly reach out at take a small bat at fluffy purring thing-person of soft* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:11 pm [[He's following her AGAIN?]] VProwl 9:11 pm Yes, there was hand-touching and silent staring at each other. When characters silently stare at each other for no good reason, especially while touching, it's usually meant to indicate sexual tension. Prowl 9:12 pm Humans have strange ideas of what sexual tension is. Specs 9:12 pm *chirrups and licks the hatchling again. yes, she is a Soft and Safe purry furry dragon. you may touch.* Omicron 9:12 pm These are really strange humans.... Magnum Ace 9:12 pm -huffs- VProwl 9:13 pm *...... does his alternate have a conception of staring or is it all completely abstract to her. he doesn't know.* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:13 pm [[One moment. How did he get both of their cars to his home location after the fall into the water?]] Magnum Ace 9:13 pm This is... Omicron 9:13 pm ....that is a good question Prowl 9:13 pm *has a very good idea but since she's never discussed her blindness with her alternate, he wouldn't really know* Shocky 9:13 pm he must of walked there after getting her home VProwl 9:13 pm ... Perhaps he towed it? *no, he wouldn't. and he feels like it might be rude to ask. so he'll just wonder.* Omicron 9:14 pm *little hatchling slowly inches closer...and then sniffs...she bops her head int othe soft fluff* Magnum Ace 9:14 pm ...a bit uncomfortable ItsyBitsySpyers 9:14 pm [[A little more than a bit.]] VProwl 9:15 pm "A bit." Bull 9:15 pm ...Getting even creepier. Specs 9:15 pm *oh, that's precious. the dragon continues to purr, and licks the hatchling on the head comfortingly. hatchlings are perfect beings.* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:15 pm [[Drive off, human.]] VProwl 9:15 pm Leave without him. Magnum Ace 9:15 pm ...... VProwl 9:15 pm ... Well, as long as your stalker always knows where you are, you might as well always know where he is, I suppose. Prowl 9:15 pm Why are they pausing so much while talking? Is this another human sexual attraction thing? VProwl 9:16 pm Yes. I think so, anyway. Omicron 9:16 pm Racer: *wiggles over to flop on them both, going back to snuggling with his sister, and happy* ((9231y23tyhgsgsg!!!!!!!!!! That's WHERE I LIVE!!)) (Was part of this filmed in washington???) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:17 pm [[It's hardly the tree's fault she is an organic with a short life span.]] VProwl 9:17 pm ... So now she thinks she's the dead person. Has she thought that all along during their interactions? Smokescreen 9:18 pm wait frag I kinda got distracted what'd I miss Magnum Ace 9:18 pm .... Bull 9:18 pm .... *is getting a bad feeling* Specs 9:18 pm ((most of it was, probably- hitchcock either lived in washington or liked it a lot)) Magnum Ace 9:18 pm -same here, Bull- Omicron 9:19 pm ....the frag human VProwl 9:19 pm Oh, leave her alone. Omicron 9:19 pm (Mwahah! I know that rest stop) (good work with the camera angles to avoid it) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:20 pm ((lmao)) Magnum Ace 9:20 pm What.... Specs 9:20 pm *OOF. Racer is a good bean, but predacon hatchlings are so heavy! still, there are snuggles to be had, and hatchling foreheads to clean.* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:20 pm [[He refuses to be responsible for Wheeljack forever.]] Shocky 9:20 pm *shockwave hides a quiet snort* Omicron 9:20 pm That sound like something my insecticons would say ItsyBitsySpyers 9:21 pm *Soundwave wouldn't have minded if Shockwave snorted out loud. It's a miserable situation and he knows it.* Magnum Ace 9:21 pm ...... Omicron 9:21 pm *new hatchling smiles at grooming, and she pokes her glossa out off and on, petting dragon* Prowl 9:22 pm Madeline thinks she's a dead human. She and the ex-detective are having sexual tension while he continues to stalk her as instructed by her... huzband? Magnum Ace 9:22 pm -what is going on in this movie?- VProwl 9:22 pm Husband, yes. A conjunx that uses "he." Magnum Ace 9:22 pm ........ VProwl 9:22 pm Eugh. Prowl 9:22 pm Oh, and the ghost is trying to kill her. Specs 9:22 pm *yes. this is perfect. this is a blessed day all around. if the dragon could purr any more vigorously, she'd be at risk of shaking herself apart* Omicron 9:22 pm .....what in Primus' name you strange organics Bull 9:22 pm That's gonna cause trouble Magnum Ace 9:23 pm -facepalms- Shocky 9:23 pm ..... ItsyBitsySpyers 9:23 pm [[...What.]] Prowl 9:23 pm Primus. Tarantulas 9:23 pm *guess who's super duper fashionably late to the party and gonna linger at the back of the room next to the snacks for a while* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:23 pm [[Could we not have had a film about this Midge human? He likes her far more.]] Prowl 9:23 pm Hm, agreed. Shocky 9:23 pm midge is indeed much more interesting VProwl 9:24 pm She's intelligent, she's competent, she's got her life together. She's not emotionally unstable enough to carry a movie. Omicron 9:24 pm *Icy sniffs at the air, and looks over at Tarantulas, gives a soft chirp* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:24 pm *Soundwave huffs. That may be true, but he'd watch it anyway.* *Soundwave pings Tarantulas hello.* [[Ha.]] Tarantulas 9:25 pm *ping for soundwave, and a spidery-limbed wave in icy's direction* Bull 9:25 pm .... awkward VProwl 9:25 pm *tragically, hasn't seen tarantulas yet.* Shocky 9:25 pm it is quite the pretty painting... Prowl 9:26 pm *conjunx that uses he...* Is there an English word for a conjunx that doesn't use he or she? Omicron 9:26 pm *Icy shifts her wing, grings at the chirp and mew and shifts the cuddle pile under her wing to a better balanced spot* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:26 pm [[Oh, don't ruin it over him.]] [[It was a good message.]] VProwl 9:26 pm I think all humans use he or she. All the ones I've ever met or heard about, anyway. Prowl 9:26 pm Ah. Omicron 9:27 pm *looks at Prow* I think 'they' is used a lot? at least one human my crew liked did? *does that help?* Magnum Ace 9:28 pm . . . VProwl 9:28 pm ... I've heard of /one/ person who uses "they." They aren't human, though. Maybe it's just rare among humans. Smokescreen 9:29 pm !!! /Smokescreen's waving to Tarantulas!/ Prowl 9:29 pm I've only spoken with one human and she used she. Tarantulas 9:29 pm *there's no way tarantulas is gonna be able to catch up and pay attention to the movie is there, not this late and with - a shOCKWAVE. THERE'S A SHOCkwave in here, act natural tara* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:29 pm [[Who were they?]] *Looking at Prowl.* Tarantulas 9:30 pm *for now he'll edge his way over to smokescreen and say hello via a pat on the helm* Prowl 9:30 pm Ratchet's human partner, June. Smokescreen 9:31 pm ... /He wasn't expecting Tarantulas to come to him, especially when Prowl's here. The helm pat gets his doorwings wiggling, and Smokescreen's reaching to pat Messy back!/ VProwl 9:32 pm Chimera. Magnum Ace 9:32 pm ........ VProwl 9:32 pm *...which prowl were you looking at, soundwave* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:33 pm [[She's clearly uncomfortable. Desist.]]

[[...He didn't expect you to remember them. Few others do.]] Omicron 9:33 pm .....I don't think 'kissing' is supposed to work that way? Bull 9:33 pm *is not liking this* VProwl 9:33 pm They don't know each other at all! They're being absurd. Bull 9:33 pm don't let her go in alone.... Shocky 9:33 pm this is quite unrealistic Specs 9:33 pm *see, hanging in a cuddlepuddle with the hatchlings is far better than watching this ridiculous movie* Smokescreen 9:34 pm ... Is this what human religious buildings are like? VProwl 9:34 pm *puzzled look at Soundwave* Why wouldn't I remember them? Magnum Ace 9:34 pm Oh...that's not good Bull 9:34 pm *doesn't like where this is going; starts to duck his head* Omicron 9:34 pm *icy's tempted to stick her head under her wing too* .......... Magnum Ace 9:34 pm .......... Omicron 9:35 pm ..........what....the....frag Bull 9:35 pm *doesn't look up; he knows what happened* VProwl 9:35 pm ... Excellent work, detective. Tarantulas 9:35 pm *near smokey, not loudly* ...Oh goodness, I've come in at the most wonderful time, haven't I. Magnum Ace 9:35 pm -pats Bull's shoulders- ItsyBitsySpyers 9:35 pm @P: [[They are sparkless, and a Cybertronian creation, not a Cybertronian as they are commonly understood. Most who discover that dismiss and ignore them. The rest simply forget because Chimera is too shy to appear in person most times. That is why.]] [[...How unfortunate for the Madeleine human.]] Specs 9:36 pm *shifts a little so that she can poke her snout out from beneath Ice Queen's wing momentarily* Did I hear Chimera's name? Smokescreen 9:36 pm /Smokescreen's starting to cling to Tarantulas a bit, nodding/ You did- you mostly missed this one human being a jerk. It's good to see you again! VProwl 9:36 pm @S «Hm. Well. ... I haven't forgot them.» Smokescreen 9:36 pm the husband can be blamed for everything didn't even try to talk to her Omicron 9:37 pm Racer: *head resting on the the dragon poof, blep at her* Prowl 9:37 pm *will move a little away from Smokescreen so his new visitor can sit down if he likes* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:37 pm @P: [[...Thank you, in all sincerity. He will tell them that.]]

[[Yes. They're upstairs right now, playing a dice game with Zori.]] VProwl 9:37 pm *longing side glance at Tarantulas. he's all the way over there.* Bull 9:38 pm It wouldn't help... It's never that easy. Tarantulas 9:38 pm It's good to see you as well, Smokescreen. *another pet to the helm, and he offers smokey some snacks he'd snatched from the back table - but he's not sitting down, no, seems to just be stopping by* Smokescreen 9:38 pm ... /He's happy to accept the treat, happy to have Tarantula's company while he can./ Specs 9:38 pm How fitting, the cutest cat and cutest scorpion spending time together. *returns to the hatchlings and licks Racer right onna nose* Prowl 9:38 pm *oh good, Prowl's not up for strangers* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:38 pm [[They often do, those two.]] Specs 9:39 pm ((...what the FUCK is going on here with that coroner. does he know the detective? is he just a bitch?)) Windchill 9:39 pm *He's here, sorry.* Omicron 9:39 pm [he's being an aft] Specs 9:40 pm ((wait, judge? coroner? whatever. aft confirmed.)) Shocky 9:41 pm *Shockwave has seen quite enough of this story. It is far too tragic and unsatisfying for his liking. He gets up to leave* Omicron 9:41 pm Racer: !! 😀 *licks back, then licks his sibling, tugging on a little kibble bits to get her to make sound and wiggle a bit. other hatchling hides her head under specs* Windchill 9:41 pm This is one of those talking movies, isn't it? Shocky 9:41 pm good evening all, thank you for the evening. Tarantulas 9:41 pm *a ping to smokey with a promise to visit later? words are hard for tarantulas right now while he knows his science idol's nearby and - is he leaving? oh nooooo* Prowl 9:41 pm I thought Chimera was a serpent? *that's what Mirage's one report that mentioned them said anyway* Are they a shifter of some kind, Soundwave? Smokescreen 9:41 pm Awww- bye Shocks! Can I show you some more movies later? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:41 pm [[Farewell.]] ((oof i'm sorry to anyone about the colors changing)) Windchill 9:42 pm *He's not going to bother sitting down this late in the game.* Omicron 9:42 pm *Ice Queen nods at Shockwave, wary, but polite * VProwl 9:42 pm *not a fan of the flashing colors. Would rather they don't.* Specs 9:42 pm *chirps at Racer, gently reaching out to boop him on the nose* No, be nice to your sibling. She can hide if she wants. Shocky 9:42 pm perhaps Smokescreen. Good night. *he leaves promptly* Windchill 9:42 pm *Snorts.* Smokescreen 9:43 pm /Smokescreen looks a little disappointed- is Tarantulas going there already? Oh... Well, he's going to pet Tarantulas a bit more, before letting go, letting him go over to Prowl if he wants./ ItsyBitsySpyers 9:43 pm [[Chimera is a serpent, yes. And a bird, and a feline, when it suits them. You could call them a shapeshifter, yes.]] VProwl 9:44 pm "Triplechanger," I'd think. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:44 pm [[Oh, that /would/ be closer.]] Smokescreen 9:44 pm ... What is that place and what is that thing Prowl 9:44 pm It would be much closer if they're limited to only those forms. Magnum Ace 9:44 pm ....... Specs 9:44 pm *sticks her snout out again real quick* Chimera is a good person. VProwl 9:44 pm *... he's been committed, hasn't he.* *tenses.* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:45 pm *Overturns hand and pings.* Magnum Ace 9:45 pm He lost his mind, didn't he? VProwl 9:45 pm *... takes it.* Specs 9:45 pm *and there she goes again. gotta speak in support of that Good Chimera Friend* Tarantulas 9:45 pm *visibly loosens up a bit after shockwave leaves and comes over to vprowl - here, have yet another distraction* Prowl 9:45 pm I've never met Chimera personally. Smokescreen 9:45 pm Melancholia? Omicron 9:45 pm *The younger hatchling snuggles, then mews at the fluffy leaving !! she edges closer after, sniffing* Specs 9:46 pm *don't worry, little one. the fluffy returns. can't leave little bitlets unsnuggled for long!* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:46 pm [[A very good person. One of the best he's ever known, in fact.]] *Glances to the other Prowl, nodding at Tarantulas on the way.* [[He could arrange for them to drop by, if you like. They might like to have unusual company.]] Smokescreen 9:46 pm ... /shifting himself so he doesn't see Boxy Prowl or Tarantulas./ Prowl 9:47 pm *sorry Smokescreen, you're stuck with her* Bull 9:47 pm .... Smokescreen 9:47 pm /He's probably looking right at Rounder Prowl, scooting in again/ VProwl 9:48 pm *oh good. hello tara.* Magnum Ace 9:48 pm . . . Prowl 9:48 pm *can feel him scooting, yes?* Windchill 9:48 pm *That's a lot of red.* *He doesn't care for it.* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:48 pm *Thinks it's fantastic.* Omicron 9:48 pm Racer: *gives licks, but soon he wiggles out to bounce around on Icy's back, leaving his sibling to snuggle* Windchill 9:48 pm *All things in moderation please.* VProwl 9:49 pm *in what ways can prowl latch on to you.* Prowl 9:49 pm Is he going to stalk some one else now? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:49 pm [[Is he following another-- that is what he wondered.]] Omicron 9:49 pm it looks like it Windchill 9:50 pm (( Is anyone else's chat shifting up and down? It's starting to irritate me. )) Magnum Ace 9:50 pm -is concerned now- ItsyBitsySpyers 9:50 pm ((OH there's a fix for that update uhhhh hold on)) Magnum Ace 9:50 pm ((yeah Omicron 9:50 pm (a little) Smokescreen 9:50 pm /Yep! Smokescreen's getting pretty comfy, but is giving Prowl a bit of space so she can choose if she wants to get closer./ ItsyBitsySpyers 9:50 pm *Rubs thumb on Prowl's hand and delivers a question ping. Better now that he's out?* Bull 9:50 pm *Bull is internally noping* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:50 pm (( https://userstyles.org/styles/149395/rabb-it-css-fixup?utm_campaign=stylish_stylepage )) Tarantulas 9:50 pm *if vprowl's talking about latching onto tara - all the ways. he's settling in as near to prowl as he can get* Windchill 9:51 pm (( Okay no worries I was just wondering if it was me and I needed to update or something. Every time Rabbit does something new I suddenly don't know how to use it anymore. Me? Resistant to change? Yes. )) Prowl 9:51 pm *she'll allow him to hover nearby, that's close enough, but she's relaxed now that Shockwave has left* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:51 pm ((if it doesn't work right away refresh rabbit))

((and ye no prob we all hated it too, it's a bad update)) Specs 9:51 pm *that's okay. the fluffy is happy to ignore the movie and snuggle whichever hatchlings want snuggles.* Windchill 9:51 pm (( KK thanks! I'll update later now that I know I won't be plagued with it the rest of my life. )) Creepy. Magnum Ace 9:52 pm .... VProwl 9:52 pm *he's going to wrap a hand around Tarantulas's elbow.* Smokescreen 9:52 pm What a creep. Omicron 9:52 pm what...the frag human. Magnum Ace 9:52 pm .... VProwl 9:52 pm He's a jerk. He's been a jerk the whole movie and he's still a jerk now. Windchill 9:53 pm She could have kicked him in the nuts. Smokescreen 9:53 pm Are there really humans like this? Windchill 9:53 pm There are mecha like this. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:53 pm [[There are mechs like this as-- yes, thank you.]] Prowl 9:53 pm She should have closed the door in his face. VProwl 9:53 pm She should. Smokescreen 9:53 pm I know there are mecha like this- but are there really humans awful in this way? Bull 9:54 pm He shouldn't be there... He should just get away from there. Windchill 9:54 pm Humans aren't special. Omicron 9:54 pm There are some predacons alike too...but most of the time they will get bitten Magnum Ace 9:54 pm He...is a human I would not like coming near our compound ItsyBitsySpyers 9:54 pm [[She should have punched him and gone for assistance.]] Prowl 9:54 pm He should also know better than to follow others to their homes. Smokescreen 9:54 pm You don You don't have to apologize! He's the one being a creep. Prowl 9:54 pm No matter who they look like. Windchill 9:54 pm *Why is she taking pity on him, damn you script.* VProwl 9:54 pm I'd blame it on his emotional instability but he's been like this the whole way through. Prowl 9:55 pm Exactly. Smokescreen 9:55 pm I see bots that look like certain other bots all the time- doesn't mean I follow them and force them to feel bad for me. Windchill 9:55 pm Say no. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:55 pm [[Who in Primus' name would go on a date after that.]] Windchill 9:55 pm Damn it. Magnum Ace 9:55 pm ............. Omicron 9:55 pm *sparkling slowly inches up and careful flop of the fluffy dragon, she's about a third racer's side* Magnum Ace 9:55 pm -facepalms- ItsyBitsySpyers 9:55 pm [[Change hotels, human.]] Prowl 9:55 pm Foolish. Omicron 9:56 pm why...are you... leave woman Windchill 9:56 pm *Well, he might have, but he was in a darker place at the time.* Bull 9:56 pm *Bull ducks his head again* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:56 pm *Sits up fast* Prowl 9:57 pm Oh. Omicron 9:57 pm ...what the frag Smokescreen 9:57 pm Oh good she's getting out of there Windchill 9:57 pm One can hope. VProwl 9:57 pm Where'd she get a license from another state with someone else's name? Specs 9:57 pm *oh goodness. such a tiny little hatchling. so cute, so pure. snug snug.* Magnum Ace 9:57 pm Leave, don't...what? Smokescreen 9:57 pm Huh- she's left handed too? I heard that's unusual for humans. Prowl 9:58 pm Her real name? Smokescreen 9:58 pm Fake IDs are really easy to get if you know where to go Windchill 9:58 pm ...Huh. Omicron 9:58 pm what... VProwl 9:58 pm ... Aha. Windchill 9:59 pm Gross. Smokescreen 9:59 pm you know he's the kind to rummage through seemingly-stranger's trash though Windchill 10:00 pm It's that red again. Magnum Ace 10:00 pm ..... Omicron 10:00 pm *little sparkling gives a happy sound, tucks her arms and legs up into the snuggling* Prowl 10:00 pm Is there something wrong with the red? Windchill 10:01 pm I think they used too much. Omicron 10:01 pm *Icy lets racer down to sniff around the snack table* Smokescreen 10:01 pm They had a LOT of red paint Prowl 10:01 pm Ah. Windchill 10:01 pm Like a dark ritual meant to summon a headache. Smokescreen 10:01 pm Ugh. What a creep. You've gone one ONE date. Omicron 10:01 pm ......what the frag VProwl 10:02 pm You think you've known her one night. Magnum Ace 10:02 pm ....... Bull 10:02 pm Even if it was faked, he's broken... Magnum Ace 10:02 pm This is not going to go well ItsyBitsySpyers 10:02 pm [[She is no better for lying to him.]] VProwl 10:02 pm To be fair, in reality, he ALSO barely knows her. Prowl 10:03 pm She should have given him the letter and turned herself into the police for her part in the murder. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:03 pm [[And after having forced him through all of that.]] Specs 10:03 pm *oh, no. just when the baby's gotten all comfortable... five more minutes. she'll just keep purring and cuddling with the bitlet for now.* Windchill 10:03 pm Man. Smokescreen 10:04 pm The lying is wrong, but that doesn't make his behavior right. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:04 pm [[Neither should be anywhere near the other.]] VProwl 10:04 pm Hm. Of course, she should turn herself in. However, at this point I like him quite a lot less than her. And I don't like her. Windchill 10:04 pm She's got more paint on her eyebrows than I do. Impressive. Bull 10:04 pm *he knows exactly what he's trying to do* Omicron 10:05 pm Racer, go say hello if you want before its too late *Icy snorts, watches him scoot around to go doe that....then she snorts at the screen* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:05 pm [[...Is he attempting to dress her like the other?]] Smokescreen 10:05 pm ... Yeeeep. Bull 10:05 pm ...... Magnum Ace 10:05 pm ................ Windchill 10:05 pm What a control freak. VProwl 10:06 pm He needs to let go of her. Magnum Ace 10:06 pm He's a worrying type of human Smokescreen 10:06 pm Ugh. Omicron 10:06 pm ....little female smack him Specs 10:06 pm *the dragon stretches, and reluctantly scoots out from under Ice Queen's wing after giving the bitlet one last lick on the forehead* Good night, everyone! ItsyBitsySpyers 10:06 pm [[Who is this 'we'.]] Smokescreen 10:06 pm ... There really aren't humans like this, are there? Windchill 10:06 pm Of course there are. Humans wrote this about themselves. Smokescreen 10:06 pm ... Specs 10:06 pm ((gneh. normally I'd be able to handle this, but... night, everyone!)) VProwl 10:06 pm ((night)) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:06 pm ((night)) Smokescreen 10:06 pm ((aaaaa night night Prowl 10:06 pm ((night! Windchill 10:07 pm (( Goodnight! )) Tarantulas 10:07 pm (( night! Magnum Ace 10:07 pm ((g'night! Omicron 10:07 pm (good night!) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:07 pm ((next week's should be far more enjoyable and light)) Omicron 10:07 pm *icy gives a purr to her and a chirp goodbye* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:07 pm ((i think it's the whales Trek)) Prowl 10:07 pm It's only been a few days. Smokescreen 10:08 pm Did you really have that much fun? He kinda barged into your room Windchill 10:08 pm *Visibly shudders* Prowl 10:08 pm *thinks they should both be arrested at this point* Smokescreen 10:08 pm He's not worth it. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:08 pm [[It is her appearance! How does that not matter to her?]] Omicron 10:08 pm Why is she tolerating this.... even I can see this is unheathy Smokescreen 10:09 pm ... That's really bad. VProwl 10:09 pm She's saying "no" over and over, of course it matters to her. I think she's a far better judge of what matters to her than he is! Prowl 10:09 pm Because she believes she's in love with him. VProwl 10:09 pm *disgusted noise* Bull 10:09 pm ..... *Bull really does not like this* Omicron 10:09 pm *also gives a disgusted sound* Smokescreen 10:09 pm But that doesn't mean she has to change herself- she shouldn't have to Magnum Ace 10:09 pm This man is....uncomfortable Bull 10:11 pm One year is not enough time to get over such trauma. Staying in the same place only makes it worse. Smokescreen 10:11 pm ... This is like. If I went up to Megs and was like "I want you to keep leading Cybertron but can you change your alt mode to be a truck and also paint yourself blue and red" Omicron 10:11 pm love is not that, love is being able to lean on someone. To be able to let your guard down around them for a time. To know what energon they like and they know how you like it *grumbling to herself* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:11 pm ((man i had a slight spoiler that there was an impersonation somewhere in it but i had nooooo idea it would be this messed up a story. i mean i'm fascinated in that trainwreck way but damn.)) Windchill 10:11 pm *Blonde is not her colour.* Tarantulas 10:12 pm *hrm. tara's having a few uneasy thoughts but having little trouble shunting them into a mental box that might as well be a trashcan. not so much thoughts about the situation, but personal ones* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:12 pm *Is someone having a bit of an epiphany over there* VProwl 10:13 pm *makes another disgusted sound* Magnum Ace 10:14 pm -UNCOMFORTABLE- Prowl 10:14 pm *shakes her head* Bull 10:14 pm *Bull is fully noping again* VProwl 10:14 pm *and another for good measure* Omicron 10:14 pm Primus I'm glade racer has no interest in screens outside of consoles Windchill 10:15 pm If Ernie's is the red place I vote no. Smokescreen 10:15 pm ... Muss you? Prowl 10:15 pm Ruin her paint. Smokescreen 10:15 pm Ohhh. VProwl 10:16 pm ... Isn't she not supposed to— yes. The jewelry is a giveaway. Bull 10:16 pm *red flags again* Windchill 10:17 pm How long before one of them ends up dead? Bull 10:17 pm no.... no.... Prowl 10:17 pm Not long at this rate. Magnum Ace 10:17 pm ..... Windchill 10:17 pm He could crash the car and take them both out. Omicron 10:17 pm I would not imagine long Smokescreen 10:17 pm Nooo- Prowl, come on. That won't happen, right? Magnum Ace 10:17 pm Oh no Smokescreen 10:17 pm ... oh no VProwl 10:18 pm That's not ominous at all. Omicron 10:18 pm *snorts* Windchill 10:18 pm They've got a dark filter on the screen and everything! Omicron 10:18 pm Racer: *edging ever to sniff soundwave's pede* Windchill 10:18 pm *He's not taking this seriously anymore. Easier to cope that way.* Smokescreen 10:18 pm Primus Bull 10:19 pm Don't go back into the past... Smokescreen 10:19 pm Reliving this stuff only makes it hurt more Bull 10:19 pm *is ducking his head again* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:19 pm [[Scream for help, human.]] VProwl 10:19 pm He's done nothing but manhandle her the whole movie, regardless of whether they were strangers or lovers, getting along or fighting. Tarantulas 10:20 pm *ok now it's hard to ignore a brief flashback, tarantulas shivers* Magnum Ace 10:20 pm -burying face in knees- Bull 10:20 pm *this is leading to all sorts of bad places for Bull* Omicron 10:20 pm BITE him! Smokescreen 10:21 pm Why would you want to relive traumatic events anyway? It's easier to just... Pretend they didn't happen. And avoid the stuff- and I swear if he's responsible for her getting hurt again I'm gonna be Omicron 10:21 pm Something human VProwl 10:21 pm *felt that. He moves his hand to lace with tarantulas's fingers.* Tarantulas 10:22 pm *he's got no idea what's going on in the movie aside from someone impersonating someone else's loved one and being forced to relive the prior one's death, and while he knows prowl would never do that to him, still...* Magnum Ace 10:23 pm -nopenopenope- Prowl 10:23 pm *leans her shoulder against Smokescreen's, is certain she knows how this is going to end, either on purpose or accident* VProwl 10:23 pm *rest easy, tara. he likes your fuzz too much for that.* Tarantulas 10:24 pm *fair, but Trust Issues™️ * VProwl 10:24 pm *Trust Issues* Smokescreen 10:24 pm /Tensing up, leaning against Prowl as well- he doesn't like where this is going at all./ Bull 10:25 pm *is still not looking* VProwl 10:25 pm *disgusted noise* Windchill 10:25 pm How unsurprising. Prowl 10:25 pm *joins in with a disgusted noise of her own* VProwl 10:25 pm ... How did she—? She was nowhere near— Of all the stupid— Smokescreen 10:25 pm ... ItsyBitsySpyers 10:26 pm [[Well. That was horrid.]] Windchill 10:26 pm *Well. It wasn't a dead baby movie but it was pretty bad.* Magnum Ace 10:26 pm .......... Smokescreen 10:26 pm sounds why are there humans like that Prowl 10:26 pm That's it? No retribution for the murder victim? Her husband walks away free? VProwl 10:26 pm ......... *laughs* Bull 10:26 pm .......... Tarantulas 10:26 pm *is startled by the laugh, squeezes prowl's hand* Windchill 10:26 pm I think that was worse than Titanic, even. Omicron 10:26 pm *snarls at the screen* I dare say that was a flop. Sorry Soundwave VProwl 10:26 pm *he's just. gonna take back one of his hands. and laugh into it.* Windchill 10:26 pm Good job, Soundwave. You've outdone yourself. Smokescreen 10:26 pm I know, right? There's no real resolution, and- Primus, that's a pretty depressing end. VProwl 10:26 pm sh-she just fell. Bull 10:27 pm *knows he's gonna have flashbacks and nightmares tonight* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:27 pm *...Is mildly alarmed by this laughter, but.*

[[He has, hasn't he. He'll try not to break that record again.]] Prowl 10:27 pm Fell from her own clumsiness. VProwl 10:27 pm *IT WAS THE MOST ABSURD ENDING* Tarantulas 10:27 pm What are you - what do you mean? Windchill 10:27 pm *Applauds politely.* VProwl 10:27 pm *okay. okay. he's collecting himself. he pats soundwave's shoulder.* Magnum Ace 10:27 pm -pats Bull's back- VProwl 10:27 pm It was an excellent movie with detestable characters. Omicron 10:28 pm *icy shakes her head, checks on Racer to see who's pedes he's sniffing* Prowl 10:28 pm .... Smokescreen 10:28 pm ....... Windchill 10:28 pm It was as if they couldn't quite commit to writing him pushing her off himself. Smokescreen 10:28 pm Soundwave ItsyBitsySpyers 10:28 pm (( 😀 )) Smokescreen 10:28 pm did you really just Tarantulas 10:28 pm (( lmao VProwl 10:28 pm A solid, suspenseful plot. It didn't stop being suspensefffff-- *SOUNDWAVE.* Prowl 10:28 pm *was just startled by the music, not... Soundwave, really?* VProwl 10:28 pm *he's laughing again, give him a minute.* Magnum Ace 10:28 pm ........... -seriously!?- ItsyBitsySpyers 10:29 pm *Morbid humor, dear baseball player.* Omicron 10:29 pm *back to shaking her head* Windchill 10:29 pm *More polite applause.* Prowl 10:29 pm *huffs in amusement* Windchill 10:29 pm *He approves.* Bull 10:29 pm *has no humor about that movie* VProwl 10:29 pm *"falling for you" indeed* Magnum Ace 10:29 pm -huffs- Smokescreen 10:29 pm Sounds have I mentioned that you stink smellywave ItsyBitsySpyers 10:30 pm *Sometimes it's the only way to handle something deeply unpleasant. Soundwave's really, really uncomfortable with the idea of being controlled like that.* Prowl 10:30 pm *is still mad the murderer got away with it* Magnum Ace 10:30 pm Bull, are you okay? VProwl 10:30 pm I was—TRYING to say. Didn't stop being suspenseful, even when the mystery was revealed. Good. Tarantulas 10:30 pm *startled again, withdrawing from prowl a bit. their internal states are a tad dissonant* Prowl 10:30 pm I thought you were the one that was supposed to stink? VProwl 10:30 pm But loathsome characters. Omicron 10:30 pm agreed Smokescreen 10:30 pm Hey, what? I don't stink! I haven't gotten dirty recently. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:30 pm *Tries not to laugh harder at Prowl's comment about stinking.*

[[Very loathsome.]] Bull 10:31 pm .... no... I'm not recharging tonight *he is gonna avoid the nightmares anyway he can* Prowl 10:31 pm *chuckles* Windchill 10:31 pm *Why are these lyrics misspelled #offended* Omicron 10:31 pm Smoke screen have you cleaned since last time we met? Smokescreen 10:31 pm Well, no- but it's not like I'm particularly dirty. And I've been, uh, busy. Magnum Ace 10:31 pm ...I might join you in that ItsyBitsySpyers 10:31 pm ((also i've never seen james stewart be anything except that A Wonderful Life guy so this is very. very much a shock, i think)) Magnum Ace 10:32 pm How made do you think Meckel would be if he found out, though? VProwl 10:32 pm *looks at Tarantulas.* Sorry. *he's not sure what he did but it apparently drove Tarantulas away, which is very hard to do.* Magnum Ace 10:32 pm *mad Omicron 10:32 pm You said you washed a long time ago before that. It builds up mech Smokescreen 10:32 pm ... I mean, it's not that long ago. And I just haven't been up to get clean, anyway. Also Knock Out used all my polish anyway And he likes bathing more than I do- so I gotta save that stuff for him. Bull 10:33 pm I'll take his wrath... better than the alternative *Bull unconsciously rubs one of his wrists* Prowl 10:33 pm I'd have noticed if he stank. Omicron 10:33 pm You can see use a washrack without polish...I don't think I even have any Prowl 10:34 pm *interacts with an Ironhide that thinks medical attention means you probably stop the bleeding maybe* Tarantulas 10:34 pm *confused@prowl* Wh-? Why are you apologizing? Smokescreen 10:34 pm But the other soaps are also- I can't use them while Knock Out's at my place. He'll get way too upset if he doesn't have any. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:34 pm ((AND since I promised elsewhere: someone was gonna show this movie like a year and a half ago, and I couldn't stand the idea of watching it then and here is why it took until now:)) VProwl 10:34 pm Because I did something that made you move away. Omicron 10:35 pm Does your world have more then one washing area? or even worker insecticons? Magnum Ace 10:35 pm ...not a very good movie for you, huh... ItsyBitsySpyers 10:35 pm ((I watch Gotham and in it, the Riddler accidentally kills someone before he's the Riddler. Much later, this other very creepy lady who looks just like the first one appears and refuses to let him go. In an effort to make him love her, she changes her appearance to that of the first lady. How does this second lady look when she first shows up, you might ask? Well.)) Tarantulas 10:35 pm *hadn't realized he'd moved away, actually; attempts to settle back in* Oh - no, no you've done no such thing, hush. Smokescreen 10:36 pm Well, of course there are- but I just- I haven't been up to get washed. It's not that big a deal, really. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:36 pm ((complete with the evening dress, a necklace, blond hair, and the FUCKING SWIRLIES IN THE BACK)) Prowl 10:36 pm ((IsabellAH Bull 10:36 pm no.... Magnum Ace 10:36 pm ((hooooly shitcakes)) Windchill 10:36 pm (( HUH. )) Omicron 10:36 pm ... ....! *tilts head and listens to the music* VProwl 10:37 pm ((omg)) Omicron 10:37 pm *humms along* Prowl 10:37 pm ((fucking gotham still hasn't explained it and i'm so mad ItsyBitsySpyers 10:37 pm ((so everyone knew it was gonna be some kinda Vertigo play the moment she showed up, and that's how come i knew impersonation had Something to do with this movie but nothing else.)) VProwl 10:37 pm ((somebody in the gotham costume department is a hitchcock fan)) Magnum Ace 10:37 pm It's okay...we can talk later, okay? -scoots closer to pat Bull's back again- VProwl 10:38 pm I obviously did something, you don't need to pretend I didn't. Bull 10:38 pm *He wasn't sure he'd want to talk about it at all but nodded anyways* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:38 pm ((oh yeah, and like... i forgot to mark the time. i'll give 15 more minutes)) Omicron 10:39 pm *Icy worldless soft singing along to the tune, it sounds like something that's been played for her hatchlings* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:40 pm *Also: He saw that wrist rub. It is suspicious.* Magnum Ace 10:40 pm -Nods. Good. He hoped. Still, time to get going now.- You good to go home now? Tarantulas 10:40 pm It's not - *tiny sigh* You're fine, Prowl, it must've been your laughter, I'd wager. The movie - it was a tad disorienting. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:40 pm *Did someone lock them up? He's going to have to point that out to Prowl later.* Windchill 10:40 pm Well. *He shakes himself as if the grossness would dislodge itself.* I'm going to go home and invent something to complain about. VProwl 10:41 pm ... Oh. ... Sorry. It was—the end—took me by surprise. Omicron 10:41 pm Racer: *sitting beside Soundwave still...might be laying down really* VProwl 10:42 pm No, not—not surprise—just... the... non-sequitur-ness of how it was done. Magnum Ace 10:42 pm -stands up, and offers Bull a hand up as well- ItsyBitsySpyers 10:42 pm *Soundwave will idly stick a hand down to offer a quick pat to Racer before the youngling has to go.*

[[Goodnight, Windchill. Maybe your mate will have painted everything red.]] Tarantulas 10:42 pm I do think that was the point, wasn't it? *wry visor quirk, seems more at ease* VProwl 10:42 pm ... Was it? Windchill 10:43 pm Maybe... *he taps his chin.* Maybe I'll suggest it so I can complain about it. Bull 10:43 pm *After a moment Bull takes the offered hand to stand* Tarantulas 10:43 pm I hadn't seen the whole movie, but I do get the impression it was a sort of ironic twist. Omicron 10:43 pm Racer: *lifts his head into the pat, tryng to turn in into a pet, he had to say hi* Magnum Ace 10:44 pm -up to your feet, Bull. Time to get home to NOT sleep apparently- VProwl 10:44 pm Yes, but that doesn't mean the way it was done wasn't... absurd. Magnum Ace 10:44 pm -and he's helping him up- Windchill 10:44 pm *He won't, actually, he's caused enough strife without anything being painted red.* Prowl 10:45 pm *stands up with a flick of her doors* Goodnight, Smokescreen. Soundwave. *a nod to the rest of the room* Smokescreen 10:45 pm Aww- goodnight, Prowl It was nice seeing you again! Talk to you later? VProwl 10:45 pm Of course, somebody was going to fall. But after a movie where every element was precisely triggered by something that happened ten steps earlier, for it to happen by random dumb happenstance is—incongruous. Bull 10:45 pm Let's go... ItsyBitsySpyers 10:45 pm [[Goodnight, Prowl. He'll see about arranging for you to meet Chimera.]] Omicron 10:45 pm *Icy waves her free wing before getting up and streaching some* Magnum Ace 10:45 pm Yeah. Soundwave? Can we have a way home now? Windchill 10:46 pm *Creepy creeps away.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:46 pm [[Of course you may. Try to take care of yourselves.]] Prowl 10:46 pm I'm sure, Smokescreen, and thank you, Soundwave. I'd like that. Magnum Ace 10:46 pm Thank you. -and off he goes, tugging Bull behind him- Tarantulas 10:47 pm Ah - I see. *distracted by watching ppl leave and by settling down against prowl again, should he permit* Smokescreen 10:47 pm Oh yeah! Sounds- did you get the chance to share those educational documents? Are you guys close to setting anything up over there? Prowl 10:48 pm *and she's out the door* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:48 pm [[...It completely slipped his mind in all the ch-- in recent events. He will look into that soon.]] VProwl 10:49 pm *prowl will permit, but he doesn't reciprocate just yet. he still feels like he messed up.* Smokescreen 10:50 pm You know? That's fair- it's been pretty hectic. I haven't had the chance to do too much, either. Though I'm kinda wondering if there's any other public services like that that should be around, that'd make life nicer for everyone. Omicron 10:50 pm *rumbles and says something in predacon*

Racer: ...! *inches over to sniff at Prowls pede, not touching* pbbt...? biu? VProwl 10:51 pm *leans forward slightly and looks down.* Pbbt. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:52 pm [[Places for the public to make their own art and leave it on display until someone else covers it with their own. Buzzsaw would be furious if he didn't suggest that.]] Omicron 10:52 pm Racer: ! Pbbtowl! Tarantulas 10:52 pm *is rapt watching this exchange* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:52 pm ((two minute warning)) Smokescreen 10:52 pm OH that would be so cool- you know, I wanna see about getting that in. VProwl 10:52 pm Hello, Racer. ((a very loose definition of classical music, here)) Smokescreen 10:53 pm And maybe a proper theater of some kind? It'd be great for events that the outdoor theater in the gardens wouldn't fit as well. Omicron 10:53 pm Racer: *gives the pede a quite lick and bounces away in case of kick, then meeps at Soundwave as he starts to scuttle back to Icy* Smokescreen 10:53 pm Like performing or talks with larger audiences. VProwl 10:54 pm *huff. he can have that lick. prowl saw it coming so he's not going to kick for it.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:55 pm [[Indeed. He is in full support of theaters. But now it is time to close the building.]] *Soundwave beeps at Racer as he scuttles.* Smokescreen 10:56 pm Of course- thanks, Sounds. I'm gonna see what all we'll need to make those things happen. Have a good night. /Smokescreen's getting up and is starting to head home./ Omicron 10:56 pm *eerily quiet as she shifted up right then drops into a mock battle stance as Racer comes bounding over and floofs up at her, meeps as he's scooped up. She chirps a goodbye around her hatchling, might let the other one out next time if racer stays home* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:57 pm [[You're welcome. Goodnight.]]

[[And goodnight to you too, Ice Queen, Racer... unidentified young one. He looks forward to meeting you another time.]] Omicron 10:57 pm ((thank you for the stream,!)) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:57 pm ((np!)) Omicron 10:57 pm *soundwave gets a mew from under a wing as the predacons leave* Tarantulas 10:59 pm *referring to the Pbbt-owl* When did /that/ happen? Have I been absent from movie nights for that long? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:59 pm *And now he'll look over at Tarantulas and bob his helm. He didn't get to see much of the mech past Prowl's chest and the events on screen.*

[[Several weeks. It's...]] Choose your words carefully, Soundwave. [[Quite charming.]] VProwl 10:59 pm Maybe you haven't been coming to the right ones. Tarantulas 11:00 pm Obviously not, hyeh. VProwl 11:02 pm He's a Predacon newbuild. He's been learning to make sounds. Recently he's been moving up to whole words. *with just the barest hint of glee:* He can say my name. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:03 pm [[He said half of his the other night. Yours is far more complete.]] *Confirming nod* VProwl 11:04 pm Mine's shorter. Tarantulas 11:04 pm That's absolutely precious. That is - I've seen Racer around, but - the linguistic development. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:04 pm [[And requires a difficult sound at the front. It is impressive.]] Tarantulas 11:05 pm He must have taken a liking to you, hm? VProwl 11:05 pm *with slightly more than just the barest hint of glee:* Apparently. Tarantulas 11:07 pm *leans in to briefly nuzzle his forehelm against, visor-smile, it's just too adorable* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:09 pm [[You've no idea. Prowl seems to be quite good with younglings. He's held conversations, pbbt-ed repeatedly, let the little one climb on him and attack his foot...]]

*Casually ticking things off on his fingers.* [[Much more patience and kindness than most show them, to be sure.]] Tarantulas 11:10 pm *sw you're making tara's spark hurt with the cute* VProwl 11:10 pm *where did this nuzzle come from?* ... Ah. Well, I'm getting along with /a/ youngling, we can say that much. Tarantulas 11:13 pm I suppose that simply means we ought to have more of them around to increase the trial sample size, mm? *has like 2% regret saying that but it can't be retracted* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:14 pm [[That is a tall order. He doesn't exactly have any lying around, himself.]] [[That one will have to do for now, unless someone else brings one.]] VProwl 11:15 pm I don't see any need to further experiment. But yyyes, that /would/ be the way to increase the sample size. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:16 pm *Hears the extended y in that yyyes and wonders if he missed something here.* VProwl 11:16 pm *it's a "that's how it would be done if it were to be done but why is it something you want to be done" yyyes* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:17 pm *Because he's damned curious by nature, and Prowl's the one who insisted it was /a/ youngling. Soundwave kind of wants to find like three more and see.* Tarantulas 11:18 pm *tara's curious too, but he's got his own personal reasons tied into it as well, shh* VProwl 11:18 pm ... There's one youngling who sends me bad jokes. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:18 pm [[Swoop?]] Tarantulas 11:18 pm What sort of "bad"? VProwl 11:19 pm No. Time... something. Timeframe? Timewarp? Something. "Bad" like "negative four degrees looks like a human defecating." ItsyBitsySpyers 11:20 pm [[Timeline.]] VProwl 11:20 pm Yes. Tarantulas 11:20 pm ......... ItsyBitsySpyers 11:20 pm [[...What does a cold temperature have to do with organic digestive functions?]] VProwl 11:22 pm I went around with her for a couple of minutes trying to figure it out. Apparently you're supposed to treat the numbers like a pictogram. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:22 pm [[That's ridiculous. The four doesn't even have a head.]] VProwl 11:22 pm That's what the degree sign is for. The negative sign is the defecated matter. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:23 pm [[He prefers Swoop's jokes.]] Tarantulas 11:23 pm *vague facepalming* VProwl 11:23 pm Oh, and the pictogram only works if the four is in a font that makes the top half look like a triangle instead of parallel lines. I told you they were bad. Tarantulas 11:25 pm ...I take it Timeline's at a slightly more advanced stage of development relative to Racer, yet far from full maturity. VProwl 11:25 pm She can talk. I don't know what her "full maturity" is supposed to look like. She has, for example, already surpassed Smokescreen. Tarantulas 11:26 pm *snorts and feels a little bad* VProwl 11:26 pm *Dead Serious* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:27 pm *Looks thoughtful for a second, glancing up to the ceiling. Then:*

[[He'll buy that.]] [[But there are a great many mechs who can talk and have nothing sensible to say with the ability. Smokescreen's not alone in that respect.]] [[Would that /they/ were the ones condemned to silence and /he/ could enjoy being able to talk.]] Tarantulas 11:29 pm *confused squint* What do you mean by that? VProwl 11:29 pm *soundwave you know you can talk, right* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:30 pm *...Pauses and looks back at both of them.*

[[In a 'will they /please/ be quiet, my helm hurts' sense and not a tyrannical denial of the population's right to say anything, mind you.]] VProwl 11:30 pm Understood. And sympathized with. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:30 pm *And yes, he knows. Someone else here doesn't.* [[...Though if they have something crude or cruel to say about minicons, he would just as soon not hear it.]] *You know what, he's going to be quiet. This hole is getting bigger.* Tarantulas 11:31 pm Sure, but - condemned to silence? Is there something I'm missing, here? *he's going to pry, he's never known or asked about sw's silence, but apparently now's the time* VProwl 11:32 pm *Prowl's not answering that. Go ahead, Soundwave.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:33 pm [[If he could speak, and avoid subjecting himself to the brains of mechs like Smokescreen, don't you think he would.]] VProwl 11:34 pm *... does it count as lying to tarantulas if prowl doesn't contradict this blatant lie.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:34 pm *That is a lie of omission, and he doesn't count those, himself.* VProwl 11:34 pm *...... well as long as Tarantulas doesn't ask Prowl.* Tarantulas 11:37 pm *calculating pause* .../Can/ you not speak? I suppose I never thought you could or couldn't, one way or the other. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:42 pm [[You've heard him 'talk' through recordings played over his speakers,]] *Motions to them* [[But replaying files is all they are good for. They are not connected to a vocalizer.]] VProwl 11:42 pm *... translation: his vocalizer is not connected to his speakers.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:43 pm *Not to the ones he gestured to, anyway.* Tarantulas 11:47 pm *slight squint, can't help but ask* ...Do you /have/ a vocalizer? And if yes, is it a voluntary choice to have it disconnected? VProwl 11:48 pm *Ah, and Tarantulas caught the dodge. very clever, Tarantulas.* *he feels like he's watching a hax match.* *Tarantulas is, as usual, playing very aggressively tonight. Can Soundwave continue to evade.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:51 pm [[He has one. It is erratic enough to be considered nonfunctional and irreparable, and that was not a voluntary choice.]]

*Soundwave has told a hundred lies to thousands of people about his voice. He'll dance this dance all night.* VProwl 11:52 pm *well SOME people are OVERLY JUDGMENTAL if they think his vocalizer is nonfunctional and irreparable.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:52 pm *Of course. And seeing as it's not fully disconnected, no choices were involved in its severing, voluntary or otherwise.* Tarantulas 11:52 pm But you've chosen not to replace it? ItsyBitsySpyers 11:53 pm [[It is his, and he has other forms of communication.]] VProwl 11:53 pm *he can say "greetings" and "one," what else does he need to say.* Tarantulas 11:54 pm True, of course - and far be it for me to dictate how one ought communicate oneself. I'm simply trying to understand what the situation is. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:55 pm *Nods.* Tarantulas 11:55 pm *is itching with a few other questions, but sits on them for now* You could simply tell me what happened, but I'm aware that's not your style. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:56 pm < -- soundwave rn )) Yesterday ItsyBitsySpyers 11:58 pm [[No, it's not. There are some details about himself and his history he prefers to keep /to/ himself - and in the past, where they belong.]] Tarantulas 12:00 am *tiny snicker* I'd believe that if you hadn't just brought the topic up yourself, tangentially. VProwl 12:00 am ((if he ever wants to tapdance like that...)) ItsyBitsySpyers 12:00 am [[There is a difference between a widely known fact and the reason it /is/ fact.]] [[It's considered rude to ask Bumblebee what happened to his, and everyone actually knows that story.]] Tarantulas 12:01 am To be fair, /I/ don't, hyeh. VProwl 12:02 am And you'd ask him, too. Tarantulas 12:05 am Pft, you're not wrong - but it doesn't necessarily make it /rude/ per se. VProwl 12:05 am Soundwave just said it's considered rude. Rudeness is decided by social consensus, not by the actor. So it does necessarily make it rude. Tarantulas 12:07 am Hmmm, I'd think rudeness is determined by the person the so-called rudeness is directed toward - so, do you think I've been rude to you, Soundwave? VProwl 12:07 am ... Fair. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:16 am [[You've been invasive, and without asking if it is something you are welcome to investigate. He considers it rude, yes.]]

[[Being trapped in that Noisemaze for so long had to have had lasting effects of some kind, but you'll notice he isn't asking if your shyness around crowds has something to do with that.]] Tarantulas 12:18 am *squint* You're free to confirm with Prowl on that one - my relatively antisocial nature has been around longer than the Noisemaze has, to be sure. But - hyeh, I find that less invasive to talk about than you seem to find your vocal situation to be, so. VProwl 12:19 am ... I can't tell if this is cordial pecking at each other or bordering-on-hostile pecking, so I'm going to say now that if you two get into an argument I'm not refereeing. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:20 am [[Cordial with a mild hostility garnish. He dislikes it when a point or the area around it continues to be nudged at after he has made it clear he is unwilling to speak of it.]] *But hey, free factoid about Tarantulas.* Tarantulas 12:22 am I only nudged out of innocent curiosity, I promise. *the sincerity of that statement is yours to judge* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:23 am *He doesn't trust a single glyph, but he'll pretend he does.*

[[Naturally. Now, if we're done with that...? It grows late.]] VProwl 12:24 am *oh-so-slowly, oh-so-casually slides onto Soundwave's lap.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:31 am *Will oh-so-slowly-and-casually wrap a feeler around Prowl after Tarantulas is safely home and tug him backward down onto the couch. Tonight is a share a close space night, he thinks? It's been a while, and things having been what they were, well. It'll be good to remind each of them the other hasn't gone and isn't going anywhere?* VProwl 12:32 am *god yes, please. he desperately needs that reassurance right now. he's been a lot more shaken than he's letting himself show.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:34 am *Then he'll get it, and lots of it.*

#chat

[clamjumper5-blog]

Madrona Manor Sonoma

Madrona Manor Sonoma

This is the seventh and final post in our series on Sonoma California!  Other posts in this series include Harvest Moon Sonoma, La Salette Portuguese Cuisine, The Donum Estate, The Sunflower Caffe,  El Molino Central, and Saddles Steak House.

Behind every exquisite dining experience is the genius creativity and dedicated hard work of an executive chef and his or her team. In the case of the Restaurant at Madrona Manor, much credit is due to executive Chef Jesse Mallgren, who has been at the helm of this restaurant since 1999 (!).

Before heading up Madrona Manor, Bay area native Chef Mallgren trained under the area’s powerhouses such as Jeremiah Tower and Gary Danko. His training is decidedly French, but like most chefs in wine country, is very influenced by the local produce (including the restaurant’s garden), and more recently, by his trip to Japan.

Consistency is important, and Madrona Manor has consistently held onto its one Michelin star rating for the past ten years straight.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner there one our last evening in Sonoma. It was an excellent dinner, with many highlights which I’ll share in detail below. We decided to get the Tasting Menu, which requires participation of the entire table. $98 USD per person, with an additional $55 for optional wine pairing. For several courses there was a  choice between two options. We tried to pick the two different options so we could sample more.    We started with one of their signature dishes, The Smoked Egg. The presentation was dramatic, with an egg served covered with a glass full of smoke. As the server removed the glass, wisps of smoke wafted out and filled the air. Inside the egg was a smoked sabayon (a foamy thick cream made by whisking egg yolks, sherry, and lemon), watercress purée, prosciutto, and potato. I absolutely loved the burst of flavors in such a delicate presentation. It was a perfect way to start the meal. Bryan’s first course consisted of Bulgarian Osetra Caviar served with a shiitake gelee, cute dollops of creme fraiche, and tiny little slices of onion. It was excellent. I loved my first course, Hokkaido Scallop Crudo served with mountain potato, fresh wasabi, and persimmon vinegar garnished with just a bit of onions, cilantro, and large crystals of sea salt. I was tickled and pleased that they gave me chopsticks with which to eat this course. For the second course, Bryan had a delicious Onion Velouté that came with a slow cooked egg (he is breaking up the yolk in the photo), banyuls vinegar, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Lovely flavors. For the second course I enjoyed some beautiful, large French white asparagus, served with Mangalista lard vinaigrette, hazelnuts, and micro herbs. Mangalista is a breed of pigs from Hungary with distinctive curly hair (they sort of look like sheep) and known most for its lard, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids, is “lighter” than normal lard, and contains more unsaturated fat.

This dish was pleasant, although I personally preferred Bryan’s onion velouté during this course. We both opted for the King Salmon for our next course, served over a sunchoke puree and topped with a  lovely spring garlic pesto. A splash of Meyer lemon and tiny onion flowers completed the dish. The salmon was beautifully cooked, so soft and tender. The course screamed spring and brought back nostalgic memories for me of such great West Coast ingredients that I don’t see as much in Hong Kong. For the fourth course Bryan (who loves duck more than I do), had the Liberty Farm Duck with beluga lentils asparagus, black garlic, and sherry vinegar. Though I don’t love duck, I even thought this dish was very well executed. I got the Japanese Wagyu, which came with estate kale, rice topped with Japanese furikake (a blend of dried seaweed, sesame seeds, and seasoning) and aged soy sauce. The beef was absolutely delicious, and I enjoyed the accompaniments on the side. For dessert, we really enjoyed the dense German-style cake Almond Kuchen, which came with a rhubarb gel and a sour cream sherbet.

We finished off the meal with a simple assortment of mignardises including chamomile marshmallow bites, creamsicle truffles, and caramel honeycomb.

General Thoughts

We really had a lovely, relaxed time at Madrona Manor. The pace was perfect, the service was excellent, and the food was very, very good. The environment is definitely a bit older feeling, like you’re eating in another century in an old Victorian mansion. The word “Manor” is actually quite appropriate.

The restaurant is associated with the larger Madrona Manor, a distinguished Victorian estate built in 1881 that has several rooms where you can stay, the restaurant, as well as other relaxing activities (sit by the pool, perhaps?). It reminds me of other similar types of properties where you can stay at a cozy B&B like environment while enjoying phenomenal food on the premises — place like The Restaurant at Meadowood or Single Thread Farms.

Healdsburg, the city where the restaurant is located, is a lovely town to explore as well as use as a base for exploring nearby vineyards and wineries.

If you’re not quite ready to commit to a long tasting menu, the restaurant also offers an a la carte menu or even an “I’ll have One of Everything” share the entire a la carte menu served in five courses for $468 (I think you need a pretty large party for that one!).

Finally, there’s a lounge (no reservations) where you can grab a drink and a few bites, including a few of the dishes from the tasting menu (e.g., the smoked egg, scallops crudo, onion veloute), as well as upscale versions of bar standards such as a dry-aged beef burger, french fries, and wagyu tartare.

All in all, there are many reasons to come by Madrona Manor. It’s no accident that this place has been here for so long and has consistently been recognized for its excellent food.

Highly recommended

Madrona Manor Sonoma 1001 Westside Rd Healdsburg, CA 95448, USA

Related Posts The Donum Estate Weekend in Napa and Sonoma Exploring Sonoma Plaza Cafe LeHaye Sonoma Single Thread Farms Restaurant The Restaurant at Meadowood All restaurants in Sonoma The French Laundry Napa

Source: http://www.tinyurbankitchen.com/madrona-manor-sonoma/

[spare-aka-nanashi74-blog]

Banba, Lin, and the Carrot Conundrum (work in progress fanfic)

Note: The following is a fanfic is inspired by Chiaki Kisaki’s mini-story ‘Secret Ingredient’ for the New Days vegetable campaign. Kudos to @kimi_no_tsuki on Twitter for providing an English translation of the story!

As for my fic, it’ll probably be done by Monday or Tuesday this week (ETA: Sorry, I need to do a few more edits, so I’ll be posting the whole fic Wednesday tomorrow!). But here’s a sample (Fanfic complete! Read it below or at AO3):

An hour after the Calamitous Carrot Cake Banba Detective Office

Banba's just finished cleaning the rice cooker when his brown eyes light up. “Hey, hey,” he exclaims, light bulb practically appearing beside his head, “you know what, Lin-chan?”

Narrowing his own eyes at Banba, Lin warily replies, “What?”

The detective holds a forefinger up. “Carrots are like feelings.”

“... Huh?”

“If they're too much for ya to handle on your own,” Banba explains, looking well pleased with himself, “it's best to share them with other people.”

Lin folds his arms. “So we should give these carrots away; is that what you're saying?”

“Yep,” says the man. “I mean, let's face it: there ain't no way we're gonna cook 'em all up ourselves.”

“No thanks to you,” Lin sourly returns. What kind of weirdo adds spicy pollock roe to cake? Honestly. “Let's give the guys a call, then. At least most of them ought to know better than to add mentaiko to dessert.”

“Hey, it came out pretty good!” Banba insists. “Your taste just ain't refined enough to appreciate it.”

“No, it didn't.” Lin glares, stomping his foot. “And my taste's way more refined than yours.”

Damn Ban-baka.

So Lin and Banba contact the rest of the Tonkotsu Nine, telling them that they've got far too many carrots than they know what to do with, and to come to the detective agency if they want some. Please. And to give them more carrot-laden recipes while they're at it.

After all, 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,' as the saying goes. But when life gives you carrots?

“Make carrot juice,” Enokida answers over the phone. “It only follows, doesn't it? Oh, and could Banba-san send me the recipe for his 'spicy' carrot cake? There's a contest for the craziest—er, the most avante garde—”

Lin ends the call before the Mushroom could finish.

“Other than just eating them raw? Carrot soup,” is what Dr. Saeki suggests, happily collecting a bagful of the orange root vegetables. “Carrots are excellent skin food, as everyone knows. You should thank that client for gifting you a whole box.”

“And on that note, thank you,” chimes in Yamato, having also come along to help himself to a bag. “I've been wanting to make yakisoba. Maybe I'll send you guys some if it turns out good.” A pause, and then the host adds, “Or edible.”

Saitoh drops by barely an hour later with a good-sized sack for himself and Old Man G. (“Pickle the darn things,” the old stall owner had asked Saitoh to tell them. “Slice them carrots into strips along with daikon; sprinkle with rice vinegar, salt, and sesame oil. Perfect side dish fer jus' about anything.”)

“And me?” Saitoh appears to think hard. “Well... vegetable gratin, I guess?” he replies. “My folks sent me a recipe I could try.”

“I'll be making carrot tempura,” Shigematsu informs them when he next comes around. “Tasty, goes well with beer, and pretty hard to mess up if you know what you're doing. You two should try it.”

“Maybe we will.” Banba nods in agreement, seeing the officer off. “Tempura goes well with mentaiko, too.”

Lin snorts. “Anything goes well with mentaiko to you.”

“Only 'cause it's true,” Banba rejoins amiably. “Like, did ya know there's mentaiko-flavored ice cream? We gotta have that some time, Lin-chan!”

Like hell. “Have it yourself.”

“You sure? Enokida-kun's texted the address of the shop that sells it. 'Seems we get a discount if we come as a cou—”

“No.” Lin is adamant.

“But—”

“No.”

That damn 'Shroom.

“Carne guisada—that's what we call 'meat stew' back home—is what I'm gonna cook,” says Martinez, hefting the sack of carrots he's come to pick up. “'Though I doubt it could compare to what my abuela used to make. In any case, I've written down the recipe at the back of Jiroh's. He and Misaki-chan send their regards.”

Sure enough, they find the cooking instructions for Martinez's grandma's special Carne Guisada at the back of the last page for Jiroh & Misaki Tanaka's Love-Filled Omelet Rice <3.

“... They both seem kind of hard to prepare,” Lin remarks, reading through each recipe. “The omurice seems to take a lot less time, though.”

“Omurice, eh?” Banba strokes his chin, his gaze turning wistful with nostalgia. “I reckon the last time I ate one was back in middle school.”

Oh. “Then it's decided.” Lin holds up the recipe for omelet rice. “Banba, let's try making this next.”

Luckily, they still have plenty of eggs, milk and flour left over from their recent 'rice cooker carrot cake' attempt, as well as cooked white rice from this morning.

“So, carrots aside, all that's left is—” Banba quickly consults the list. “Onions, bell peppers, the meat—oh, and ketchup, too.”

Back to the supermarket they go to buy the rest of the ingredients. This time around, to match their new aprons, Lin also gets them some oven mitts and head scarves. (“Such a cute couple,” one store assistant whispers to another. “I saw them earlier today, too. I think it's sweet, them wanting to cook together.”)

It's already late in the afternoon when Banba and Lin return to their apartment, purchases in tow. Donning their respective aprons, they immediately set about preparing the omurice.

“'Guess we need to chop the vegetables first,” Lin notes.

“Leave that to me,” Banba volunteers.

Lin purses his lips. “You better not try to sneak in spicy pollock roe this time.”

“Really now.” Banba (so-not-cutely) pouts. “Ya say that like it's a crime, Lin-chan.”

“It should be.”

“Welp, the omurice I used to have always had mentaiko in it, I'll have ya know.”

Why am I not surprised? “... I guess we could put some in, if you really want,” Lin concedes, handing Banba the chopping board. Unlike with the cake, combining mentaiko with egg and rice seems perfectly all right. “But not too much; I don't want it overpowering the taste of everything else.”

“Just a quarter-cup or so should be fine,” Banba replies, breaking out into a smile. “Aww, Lin-chan, so ya do—”

“Less talking, more chopping,” Lin cuts in.

“Yes, dear,” Banba intones teasingly, and reaches for an onion.

Lin himself starts to heat the pan to cook the bacon in, ignoring the heat suffusing his own cheeks. Damn Ban-baka.

The next half hour or so elapses quickly. While daunting at first, Lin soon finds that making the omelet rice is simple enough, if you think about it as divided into three main stages:

1. Make the fried rice (A). 2. Make the cream sauce (B). 3. Make the omelet and put (A) and (B) in it.

Lin fries the rice in a bit of oil with the meat, carrots, and other vegetables. (“Looks like we can eat this as is,” he comments once he's done.) Banba makes the sauce, straying a little from Jiroh's recipe by crumbling and mixing two heaping spoonfuls of spicy pollock roe instead of cheese into it. (“We'll be using the remainder to garnish the omelets with,” Banba tells him.) The omelets themselves end up being a joint effort, Banba pouring the egg mixture to coat the interior of the pan while Lin—once the bottom part of the omelet has solidifed enough, naturally—spreads a portion of fried rice and the mentaiko sauce over roughly half of it.

“Then ya go and fold the uncovered half of the omelet over the other, easy does it—” Banba states, demonstrating accordingly, “—and we're done. Well, for the most part. We still gotta plate it, pretty it up with mentaiko and ketchup and such, but that's one good-sized serving of omurice with creamy mentaiko sauce.”

Together they slide the omelet rice onto a plate.

“Smells good,” Lin declares. He watches Banba put a piece of mentaiko the size of a marshmallow over the omelet, then squeeze out some ketchup to draw a heart around it. The result is a bright yellow, half-moon-shaped omelet, fluffy and piping hot, with a reddish-pink mentaiko 'dot' and tomato ketchup heart decorating it.

Now it looks good, too.

“Looks mighty appetizin', don't it?” Banba says.

“... Kind of,” Lin stoically returns, trying not to drool at the enticing aroma of egg, fried rice, and spicy pollock roe.

After making a second omelet for Banba, the two settle themselves on the usual L-shaped couch to eat.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Lin takes his first bite of the omelet rice.

His eyes widen in surprise. The salty-spicy taste of mentaiko, perfectly counterbalanced by the cream; the fried rice, bursting with the richness of the meat and the tart, crisp yet tender vegetables; all of it creating a harmonious medley of flavors encased in a silky layer of egg, delicate and mildly sweet.

“It's delicious,” Lin utters, amazed.

“Told ya it would,” Banba rejoins. “After all, it's got the secret ingredient.”

“I know.” Lin sighs, smiling in spite of himself. “Mentaiko, right?”

“Nope.” Banba shakes his head. “That ain't really a secret this time, Lin-chan.”

Lin blinks at the man. “Then what is—?”

Banba's grin is bright as the sun. “Love, of course.”

And with that, Banba takes a bite of his own love-filled omelet rice with obvious gusto.

***

~ Extra ~ A Future Text Exchange, Or: Mentaiko. It's Always Mentaiko.

[ Banba ] Lin-chan, are you mentaiko?

[ Lin ] ...? I don't think I want to ask 'why'. ... You're still gonna tell me anyway, aren't you.

[ Banba ] Ya know me so well. ^o^ Btw, the answer is: 'Cause I can't ever get enough of you.~<3<3<3

[ Lin ] ... . . . ... You're so lame, Ban-baka. But... Thank you.

------------------------

~ The End ~

#Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens #BanLin #Banba Zenji #Lin Xianming #New Days Campaign #Fanfiction #HTR fanfic #Banba and Lin in aprons <3 #complete #fluff #omelet rice #Spoilers for the New Days clear file mini-story #Warning: food porn

[jmuo-blog]

New Post has been published on https://jmuo.com/the-best-cheap-eats-in-new-york-city/

The Best Cheap Eats in New York City

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[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

We here at Serious Eats are always hungry. We’re also always on the lookout for great food that won’t break the bank. So we thought it would be a perfectly reasonable task to come up with a short roundup of our favorite cheap eats in New York City. Well, readers, we were wrong.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, our initial stab at a list was so expansive that it would’ve taken us years to write up and photograph—that’s what happens when you send a half dozen serious eaters out to eat wherever they happen to be over the course of a couple of months. To whittle it down, we decided to introduce some rules: First, we limited ourselves to dishes that cost between $10 and $15 (stay tuned for an under-$10 and an under-$5 list as well). Second, we excluded baked goods, desserts, and other sweets. And finally, we stipulated that each of the dishes had to be substantial enough to qualify as a meal.

After revisiting old haunts and checking out more recent additions to the restaurant scene over the last couple of months, we came up with 15 exceptional picks—delicious, affordable, destination-worthy meals from Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens.* And, though our finalists don’t encompass every cuisine available in New York City, you’ll find a huge range—good old American sliders, a richly savory Chinese noodle soup, a revelatory Mexican torta, and so much more.

* Sorry, Bronx and Staten Island residents: We also limited ourselves to the boroughs in which our staff members live—and we have a small staff. We promise to revisit some of our favorites in your ‘hoods and show you the appropriate love at a later time.

Of course, this list is by no means definitive. New York City is vast, and we’re well aware that there are phenomenal dishes we haven’t even tried that fall within this price range. We’re also confident, however, that whether you’re a tourist or a native, if you make it a goal to check off each item on this list, you’ll end up a very happy and satisfied eater with some new go-to restaurants under your belt (which may need a few new notches when all’s said and done). Here they are, in no particular order.

Grandma Chicken Mixian at Little Tong Noodle Shop

[Photograph: Vivian Kong]

You could argue that this list was drawn up with Little Tong in mind. In this pristine, minimalist space in the East Village, Chef Simone Tong offers six bowls of noodles, all priced at $15. For an even better deal, head there for a weekday lunch, when you’ll also have a choice of five small plates to kick things off—think ghost chicken, made with pickled red onions and fresh herbs, or Chinese broccoli salad with citrus soy and smoked egg yolk.

All of the bowls feature mixian—the slippery, tubular fermented rice flour noodles from Yunnan province—submerged in a variety of broths that are as stunning in their complexity as they are delicious. But my favorite is the Grandma Chicken Mixian: Tender and moist pieces of chicken confit, a tea-soaked egg, house-made pickles, and edible flowers lie atop the mixian, all of it submerged in a dark chicken broth flavored with black sesame chili oil. Every spoonful of soup is a thunderbolt of flavor—salty, sour, and just a little spicy. It may be the best bowl of chicken soup I’ve ever had in my life, and it’s certainly the most interesting. Sorry, Grandma Ida: Simone Tong has you beat.

Breakfast Frankie at Pondicheri

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

For a contemporary-Indian restaurant, Pondicheri is unusual. First of all, it’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Second, it doubles as a bakery, serving up treats infused with Indian spices, like masala cookies, turmeric shortbread spiced with cumin, and cardamom sponge cake shot through with heavy cream. If you can’t resist any of these, we understand. But we’re here to talk about the Breakfast Frankie, Houston-based chef-owner Anita Jaisinghani’s take on the popular Indian street food commonly filled with potatoes, meat, or vegetables.

Though nominally a breakfast wrap, this frankie comes with none of the tough exterior, rubbery egg, or indeterminate nuggets of protein endemic to wraps served in fast-casual concepts around the country. At the bright and airy NoMad restaurant, Ajna Jai (Jaisinghani’s daughter) scrambles two eggs and mixes in the house-made masala, a slow-cooked blend of diced fresh peppers, mustard seed, and celery seed. Jai adds cilantro chutney before finishing the eggs in the pan with spinach and gently placing them into a flaky sweet potato roti. A standard-order Breakfast Frankie will satisfy in the extreme, but meat lovers can also opt for the addition of the ground lamb keema, which is very savory and only mildly lamb-y in flavor.

Whole Pie at the Original Patsy’s

[Photograph: Vivian Kong]

Not all Patsy’s pizzerias are created equal. But the original Patsy’s, which opened in 1933, remains one of the best places in the city for a classic New York pie. There, you’ll find a sit-down restaurant/pizzeria, where you can order both standard Italian-American fare and the city’s best pizza bargain. For $12, you’ll get a perfect, smallish eight-slice plain pizza—thin-crusted, crispy yet pliant, with blackened edges, adorned with fresh mozzarella and simple crushed tomatoes in perfect proportions—made in an oven that looks like it hasn’t been replaced since the restaurant first opened. If you’re in a hurry, you can get the same pizza cut into six slices at the takeout window (more like a cubbyhole or a closet, really) next door, and you’ll save a quarter. You can use it to pay the meter. This is minimalist, old-school coal-fired-oven New York pizza, and you can’t find it anywhere else in the city at this price.

Dirty Shoyu Ramen at Ramen Shack

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Shoyu ramen might just be the most classic form of the Japanese noodle dish, featuring a clear broth made from chicken (and sometimes pork) and dashi, flavored with soy sauce. While you can get a very good version of shoyu ramen at Keizo Shimamoto’s Ramen Shack in Long Island City, Queens, it’s his Dirty Shoyu Ramen that’s worth going out of your way to try. The clear chicken-and-dashi broth is spiked with a dark, inky tare, or flavor base, made from fried dried sardine heads and fried green onions, all blitzed up with soy sauce.

The result is totally unique, and the strong but by no means off-putting fish flavor is something of an anomaly in the current NYC ramen scene. Into the broth go Shimamoto’s noodles, made in house; they get topped off with tender rounds of braised and torched pork belly, blanched spinach, a sheet of nori, thinly sliced green onions, marinated bamboo, and a slice of the fish cake known as naruto. The city is blessed with all kinds of good ramen these days—Ivan Ramen’s two locations in Manhattan, Mu Ramen (also in Long Island City), and, of course, the legendary Jack Nakamura’s shop on the Lower East Side—but the Dirty Shoyu is one of the very best, and it’s also one of the cheapest. Even if you add one of their excellent marinated eggs, you’re still out only $15.

Meatball Sub at Frankies 457 Spuntino

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Sometimes old standbys with long histories of serving quality food get lost in the never-ending New York City dining shuffle. And that means that a sandwich as good as the $12 Meatball Parmigiana from cozy Carroll Gardens restaurant Frankies 457 rarely gets its proper due. We’re changing that right now. Picture tender, lightly packed meatballs mixed with Pecorino Romano and studded with pine nuts and raisins; a generous ladle of tangy tomato sauce; and a blanket of melted cheese (you can get the recipe right here). The whole thing’s tucked into a split piece of Sullivan Street Bakery pizza bianca, a Roman-style flatbread topped with sea salt, olive oil, and fresh rosemary. When we ate here last, we left convinced that many sandwiches in this town would benefit from the pizza bianca treatment—it’s flavorful, delicious, and creates an ideal fillings-to-bread ratio.

Roast Pork Egg Foo Yong at La Dinastia

[Photograph: Niki Achitoff-Gray]

Roast pork egg foo yong is an old-school Cantonese-American gustatory pleasure from my childhood, when my parents would take us to the local Chinese restaurant every Sunday night. These disk-shaped omelettes, piled three to an order and filled with fried onions and roast pork, remain a fail-safe option at the old-school Cantonese-American restaurants left scattered throughout the city. They’re also a trademark of the few Cuban-Chinese restaurants left on the Upper West Side, which were opened by post-Castro Cuban-Chinese emigrés to the States.

Most orders of egg foo yong fill you up with a heavy dose of protein, saddling you with a bloated feeling and an increased cholesterol count as you leave the restaurant. But La Dinastia’s roast pork egg foo yong is light and remarkably fluffy, elevated by the omelette’s crispy burnished crust and the slices of fresh scallion that adorn it. When I asked how they accomplish this, my waiter said the chef makes it in a wok and knows what he’s doing. We recommend ordering it without the brown sauce, which is viscous and cloying—this egg foo yong is perfect on its own. The $14.75 price tag might seem like a lot, but the five eggs in every portion will feed two hungry people very well, and in terms of bites-per-dollar satisfaction, it’s undoubtedly a great deal.

Hummus Bowl at Dizengoff

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

For a long time, New York was adrift in a sea of decent but by no means transporting hummus. Then Philly uber-chef Michael Solomonov brought Dizengoff to Chelsea Market. There, he serves bowls of creamy, satiny, deeply flavored hummus, which come with pita, chopped salad, and pickles. The $10 classic bowl is excellent—much like in our hummus recipe, Solomonov soaks and cooks the chickpeas in water doctored with baking soda, which raises their pH level and promotes softening, and then whips them into a mousse-like consistency. But for a real meal, I recommend upgrading with one of the topping sets, like beets, apricots, and hazelnuts ($12); ground chicken, onion, and peas ($13); or a sabich-style bowl with hard-boiled egg, eggplant, and amba ($12).

I haven’t had a bad bowl yet, so you can go vegetarian or meaty, depending on how you roll. Just swirl your hummus together, mixing it with the good olive oil drizzled on top of it and whichever toppings you’ve chosen, and sop it all up with still-warm pita baked right on the premises. The crunchy Israeli pickles provide a little textural contrast and heat, and the small Israeli salad completes the virtuous meal. Or, if you’re more of a sandwich kind of person, order all of the above-mentioned ingredients and stuff them into a pita instead.

Pho Bac at Hanoi House

[Photograph: Vivian Kong]

Great pho starts with the care and love that go into making the broth. At Hanoi House, in the East Village, John Nguyen starts his savory, more-northern-than-southern-Vietnamese-style broth (according to Nguyen, northern-style broth is more subtly spiced and may seem saltier) by simmering shin, neck, and oxtail bones for 12 hours. They’re then joined by ginger and charred onion, along with fish sauce, rock sugar, and a toasted spice blend—coriander, fennel, star anise, clove, and cinnamon—and simmered for another four hours. For those of you following the bouncing broth at home, that’s 16 hours of cooking time. Right before serving the $15 bowl of pho, Nguyen adds blanched rice noodles, thin slices of long-braised brisket, raw filet mignon, and a garnish of fresh cilantro, scallion, and slivered onion. The result is a heady brew so full of flavor, it really doesn’t even need the pickled garlic and house-made hot sauce condiments (though they’re so damn delicious, you’d be remiss in skipping them altogether).

A Vegan Feast at Bunna Cafe

[Photograph: Niki Achitoff-Gray]

Bunna Cafe doesn’t just serve some of the best Ethiopian food in New York City; it does so at unbeatable prices. Unless you’re truly craving a particular dish, look past the wat (stew) à la carte and place an order for one of Bunna’s Feasts. At lunchtime, $13 will get you seven wat served over a sheet of injera, the tangy, spongy Ethiopian flatbread made from teff. (You’ll also get additional rolls of injera to scoop it all up.) For another two dollars, get a Feast for 2: eight wat, served in slightly larger portions. Come dinnertime, you can swing a Meal (five wat) for just $12, or upgrade to the Feast for $16; larger groups can enjoy Feasts for two or three, at similarly reasonable prices.

All the dishes at Bunna are vegan, but omnivores shouldn’t shy away: Servings are extremely generous, and there’s a hearty richness to be found in dishes like misir wot (tender red lentils in berbere sauce); enguday tibs (sautéed mushrooms with onion, ginger, and rosemary); and kedija selata (a cooling mix of kale and avocado, tossed with tomato and lime). If you’re lucky, you’ll also catch one of Bunna’s regular traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremonies, after which you can try a complimentary cup of the intensely dark, spiced brew.

Sliders at Shopsins

[Photograph: Niki Achitoff-Gray]

We’ve long appreciated the sliders at Shopsins (now located in the Essex Street Market on the Lower East Side), which Kenny Shopsin and his son Zach were making long before the slider boom hit New York. They come three to an order on mini Martin’s potato buns, each one a mound of perfectly cooked ground chuck, well seared on a flattop grill, with enough fat in the mixture to keep it moist. They’re topped with properly melted cheese and onions sautéed to a golden brown. What more could you want from an order of sliders? Better yet, at $12, they’re perhaps the best bargain on the Shopsins menu, which can get surprisingly pricey given the kind of gonzo comfort food the restaurant specializes in.

Yum Pak Boong Grob at Look by Plant Love House

[Photograph: Niki Achitoff-Gray]

There are many things to love at Look by Plant Love House and its sister restaurant, Mondayoff, whether you opt for the fiery Thai boat noodle soup enriched with pig’s blood, the crispy chive cakes, or the poached pork strips dressed with chili, garlic, and lime and made to pair with a beer. But the real standout on either menu is yum pak boong grob: Small bundles of watercress, coated in a light, tempura-like batter, are buried under a cascade of fried and fresh sliced shallots, ground pork, crushed peanuts, and cilantro, with several plump shrimp thrown in for good measure. The whole thing gets dressed with fish sauce, lime, and chili. (Your server will ask you how hot you like it—fair warning, they mean business when they say “spicy.”) It’s one of those dishes in which every bite is different, but all of them are delicious.

Manakeesh Jebne at Balade

[Photograph: Vivian Kong]

Manakeesh is a flatbread commonly found in the Levant, topped with anything from a simple sprinkling of za’atar to seasoned ground meat. At Balade in the East Village, the manakeesh jebne is the standout. The feta-topped dough is made in house and baked fresh to order, just like the city’s best pizzas. It’s an excellent starter to share with the table, but the dimly lit dining room, with its exposed brick and rustic beamed ceiling, will make you want to curl up on one of Balade’s cozy banquettes and keep this manakeesh all to yourself.

Crispy Fried Fish at Fu Run

[Photograph: Robyn Lee]

No trip to Flushing, Queens, is complete without a visit to Fu Run, a laid-back restaurant that specializes in the spice-heavy dishes of China’s northeastern region of Dongbei. If you’re heading there with a crowd, you can’t go wrong with an order of fatty, funky deep-fried Muslim Lamb Chops, which come smothered in a layer of cumin seeds, chili powder, and black sesame, or the whole flounder in faintly sweet, not-too-hot bean paste. But I can’t get enough of the Crispy Sliced Fish With Chili Pepper and Cumin ($14.95). The seasoning adds warming undercurrents of spice without overwhelming the expertly cooked flounder, which comes tender and just-done, encased in a crispy batter. These are the grown-up fish sticks I wish I’d grown up with.

La Nueva Yucateca at La Loncheria

[Photograph: Niki Achitoff-Gray]

Chef Danny Mena may be best known for his restaurant Hecho en Dumbo, but La Loncheria, his newest contribution to Brooklyn’s dining scene, deserves just as much acclaim. The brightly lit, modern space boasts an extensive tequila and mezcal selection to accompany the menu of elevated Mexican classics, like guacamole with chapulines (spiced grasshoppers), and tacos de cabeza, which pair thin-sliced beef tongue with meltingly tender braised cheeks, salt-rubbed cactus, and spring onions.

But the best bang for your buck is undoubtedly one of the tortas, all of which cost $13 and can easily feed two. (You can also opt for a half order for just $7.) Lamb lovers will gravitate toward La Niña Popov, filled with absurdly rich lamb belly barbacoa and pickled tomatillo, but our favorite of the bunch is La Nueva Yucateca. The sandwich is inspired by a Yucatán specialty, chilmole: a large pork meatball formed around a hard-boiled egg that’s served in a brothy sauce. For his deconstructed take, Mena marinates porchetta in a chilmole marinade of blackened red chilies, clove, and other spices. It’s served, tender and crisp-edged, between two halves of a pliant roll, nestled between spicy pickled onions, sliced avocado, turtle beans, and vibrantly pink slices of lightly pickled hard-boiled egg. The resulting sandwich, particularly with a drizzle of the house salsa verde, is spicy, fatty, meaty, and tangy.

Chicken Pot Pie at Margot Patisserie

[Photograph: Vivian Kong]

Chicken pot pie is like pizza—even when it’s bad, it’s pretty good. You may have to forgive the gloppy sauce, mushy filling, and greasy pastry, but in the end it’s still soul-satisfying. Truly delicious chicken pot pie, like the one sold at Margot Patisserie ($10.95, with a small, unremarkable salad), the tiny Upper West Side bakery/café tucked into the ground floor of an apartment building, is a cause for celebration. The golden-brown-topped crust is made with Margot’s light, crisp puff pastry (that’s why it’s called Chicken Puff Pie on the menu), kissed with sugar. The sugar took a little getting used to, but in the end I wholeheartedly embraced the notion. A properly proportioned filling features a delicate Mornay sauce, moist pieces of white-meat chicken, and chunks of potatoes, carrots, peas, and cauliflower. If you don’t have the time to make your own from scratch using Stella’s recipe, it’s comforting to know that you won’t ever have to settle for “pretty good” again.

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[opepin]

july: week one

03: i was so tired waking up. lol my back was sore af from the massage yesterday. x_x; i hopped on my laptop and then had some breakfast and did some work. my plan for the day was to record the rest of the videos today except for one that i don’t know much about... no one on my team was working today apparently. meh. kevin went to work for a meeting and ended up working a full day basically. i recorded a good amount of videos and found some that i need to record later too. i spent the rest of the day watching ff-x cutscenes on youtube. there is a full video of them that is 11 hours long. i want to get through it haha. kevin gamed when he got back. we also ate a very yummy mango when he got back. mmmm. it’s summer time~ i did some errands and then i exercised for 45 minutes and kevin eventually cooked at like 9 pm. we were excited for another “weekend” day tomorrow. after eating, we showered and then i gamed and did my pt stretches. i think i iced my feet as well when kevin came to the couch to play hollow knight. i got real tired and got a headache. staying up and getting up late in the day has not been good for my health :/ i told kevin this while he was gaming and i was half asleep, lol. i stayed awake for the rest of his gaming and then we brushed up and i went to sleep at like 1 am. i think kevin stayed up gaming with friends until 3:30 am...

04: ho hummm. i think we got up at like 12 pm haha. i still wanted chipotle so i called to see if the closest one to us was open, and they were! then we got up and drove over to the mall and found the chipotle. i got a chicken fajita bowl and kevin got a steak burrito. they didn’t fill my bowl up at all and didn’t wrap kevin’s burrito properly... womp womppp. it was below average for chipotle but still delicious because it’s chipotle. we stopped by clark’s to see their sale but i didn’t want anything so then we just drove back home and ate. we didn’t have plans today except to chill and bum. so kevin gamed for the majority of the day and so did i. kevin played a good amount of hollow knight so i was able to game next to him. i got into completing the beastiary, compounding abilities, and all the weapons and etc. i still have one more genome to get after i defeat the game though. i also gave up on waiting to buy dr. bronner’s lip balm and found out about hurraw lip balms and bought those instead on iherb for a very good discount and free shipping! yay! i got the night time chamomile, spf 15 sun, pitta one, and the earl grey one. i’m excited~ then we went outside to grill burgers for dinner. so we did something related to the 4th haha. i wanted ice cream for dessert so we drove over to kam man and we got mango and black sesame mochi ice cream as well as more canned fruits and coconut milk to make che thai.

i think i added too many chia seeds and palm seeds in it because it was super heavy... :( kevin confirmed after we chilled it and tried it out. next time, i’m only using half of that palm seed can and about half of the chia seeds lol. we ate the mochi ice cream right when we got back and found out one of the brands packaged the mochi individually...and was also packaged in the insulated bags inside of the cardboard box...that’s intense. kevin played more hollow knight and then when he went to play pubg, i picked myself up and did cardio kickboxing for an hour. i was so tired after 30 minutes... man, my cardio has gone down! then i cooled off, did my pt stretches, showered, and iced my feet while defeating the first boss of the end game in bravely default. it was around 12 am so i brushed and went to sleep at like 12:30 am. zzzz. it was hard to go to sleep that early tbh so i rolled around a bit before managing to calm myself and sleep.

05: i set my alarm for 8:30 am but i got up at 9 am, which i was still happy about. then i got myself to do some cardio even though i felt so sore from yesterday’s workout. lol kevin made rice last night and forgot to put away the rice and our food for lunch tomorrow. he also left the ‘keep warm’ feature on the rice cooker...derp. he went to sleep at 3 am again...tsk tsk tsk. i showered, he brushed his teeth, and we ate breakfast together. then he left for work and i figured out one of the videos i could record (yay me). then i started editing my videos and ate lunch and then continued on to make one pagers. it was a very quiet morning of work. i also got my book of the month in the mail along with my mom’s birthday gift (: i found a mint condition wan wan the dog crystal for her to complete the family collection ;D ! the rest of the day was super productive. i watched some ff-x cutscenes after work and then worked out my obliques while watching more haha. then i did my pt stretches and prepped the veggies for dinner.

kevin got back, we showered, and then started cooking dinner. i continued watching cutscenes and then we ate while watching some pokemon showdown streams. he played a bit of hollow knight after dinner and then washed dishes. i iced my feet and watched some youtube videos. then i brushed up and hopped into bed and read a bit of my new book of the month. i went to sleep before 12 am. zzzzz. it’s been hard sleeping because it gets so hot in the room -__-’ we have the a/c on but it doesn’t seem to keep the apartment completely cool all the time....

06: i woke up at 8 am but then went back to sleep to continue my dream?! i dreamed of a woman who loved hurting people with acid...O_O and then i did some shopping in that dream and got sick??? LOL. uhh... anyway, i got up at 8:50 am and then did a low impact workout because my feet aren’t completely healed. i’ve gained some fat :( and it’s definitely because of my eating habits right now. i don’t think we’ve been eating healthily even though we still cook most of the meals at home... then i showered and woke up kevin and started work! it was another productive day at work from home. i got to record three videos before i had to leave for physical therapy. my session today was fun and relaxing. bryan put heat packs on my feet and then massaged them. then i did my daily exercises and did a new one. then i got to scrunch up a towel with my toes and pick up marbles with my toes. then i got iced and made another appointment before i go to stockholm and copenhagen!

i did some editing work after i got home. kevin came back home from work and we spent the evening playing hollow knight. well, he gamed and i watched. we ate leftovers for dinner and then i did leg exercises before showering and getting ready for bed. i hope i get back on track soon. i just feel like kind of a mess but it’s possible for me to get out of it quickly. i spent some time packing during the evening as well. well, i spent like 2 hours trying to figure out what to wear to the club for nancy/ryan’s outing saturday night and i got it with the help of frandzzz, but mostly mindy because i spammed her haha. we packed and then went to sleep zzz. well, i went to sleep at like 12 am.

07: i was supposed to wake up early to exercise but my body felt weird so i slept in. kevin went to work and then i went straight into work so i could finish what i needed before leaving for the airport. i got a lot done, actually. i managed to fit in some exercise before leaving too. our flight got delayed by an hour so i got to do more work :P i washed the dishes and then put them away. then i made sure we had everything packed and turned off the a/c. i picked up my hurraw lip balms from the mail room :3 and took one for the trip, woot. when it was time to leave, i got drenched by a passing bus LOL. i also stepped in a deep puddle of water so my shoes were wet. oh well. i met kevin at the silver line stop and he got us mcdonald’s. we tried the lobster roll from there and it was alright. i think it made my stomach hurt though....eh heh heh. the airport was kind of full, but we made it through tsa with some time to spare. i got a pink drink, as usual. our flight was full of babies. we experienced the flight where one baby cries, then the next one, and then the next one. kevin and i just wore our earbuds for the entire flight.

i tried watching some movies that were playing but then i rq’d and played bravely default. omg, i beat the game on the flight! eff yeah! my mom was there to pick us up and then we got home where i ate my mom’s home cooking for dinner. kevin rested for a bit and then left to go to yeowoosai to see brittany and mike. i stayed the night at home and talked with my mom until 12 am or so. then my mom went to sleep, i showered, and watched some youtube videos while icing my feet with frozen bags of veggies. i stayed up until 1:45 am and then tried going to sleep but i couldn’t because i had to open the door for kevin; he doesn’t know how to open my front door with the keys. i ended up waking up at 2:45 am and waiting 10-15 minutes for him to get back because he was on his way home already from soundbar, lulz. when he got home and went to shower, i instantly knocked out. i think it was about 3:30 am or something when i went to sleep.

08: i woke up at like 8:30 am and figured that kevin was too tired to drive me to see hen. so i asked my mom and she drove me to logan square’s la farina. hen got there and i was so excited. i got a slice of raspberry lemon cake and a breakfast toast with scrambled eggs and side salad. i didn’t finish all of the food, but ate a good portion of it. we caught up, talked about adulting, and etc. then hen took me to her new apartment and i got to meet her boyfriend. :) then i left at around 11 am and realized the walk to the chicago diner from here was about 20 minutes, and i was meeting daniel at 12 pm. so i took my time walking there. i stopped by a thrift store and a game stop before getting there 10 minutes before 12 pm. daniel was stuck in some traffic but i put my name down before the rush of lunchtime people came in. daniel came in at a good time because they sat us immediately. we went ham on ordering because it was a vegetarian / vegan place and i was curious. daniel was cautious in his choice of meal haha. we split a cooke dough peanut butter shake, i got the white truffle mushroom lentil loaf, and daniel got the steak and eggs (safest choice). i also got this ginger ale made with cane sugar called, ‘blue sky.’ it was very light.

the shake was delicious and it didn’t kill my stomach so, it was 100% dairy free. i recommend getting their shakes. daniel’s seitan steak tasted like nothing with spices... it literally tasted like nothing. i felt empty eating it. we also didn’t know if his eggs were real or not but they were pretty true to the real thing if they weren’t. lol my loaf was interesting... it was seasoned perfectly but the texture of the loaf was goopy and thick... i felt healthy and fibrous when eating it though, haha. i only got it because it had a side of roasted potatoes and green beans... obviously, they were DELICIOUS. i took mine to-go after a while because i was so full. daniel and i caught up in between bites and it was nice chilling with this one. i’m glad he asked if i was free and that we should get lunch. i think i under-planned in a sense but it all worked out! daniel drove me back home and coincidentally, kevin just finished parking. i thanked daniel and said goodbye to him. then kevin and i went home and he showered.

we went to a nearby chase only to find out that they needed 1-3 days to get the currency to the bank to do an exchange :( the lady there was super nice though. i guess we’ll kind of wing it then? but now we know. this is the downside of living in massachusetts -- no chase banks. kevin drove me to my eye exam and i found out that my eyes got worse. i am now around -8.00... so there’s that. my exam was quick and then we drove back home. my mom took me to a last minute hair appointment when we got back. apparently, they were booked until 5 pm but then my mom made me call when i got back to check and they said they were closing at 4 pm?! i was so confused. they’re my mom’s friends so we rushed over there (i left kevin to nap or rest or whatever at home) and then i got my hair cut. my mom was supposed to cut my hair but i think she didn’t want to mess it up and she was tired. so i got an angled bob more than an a lob and i can look like an asian mom if my hair is a certain way. LOL. well, when we got back home, kevin was ko’d and i guess we were eating dinner at home.

i lazed around the house kinda tired but not really sleepy while kevin snoozed away. he took a 3 hour nap... we ate dinner when he woke up and then lazed on the sofa while watching tv with a bad signal. then we went upstairs and got ready for tonight. i decided to wear the sports bra and skirt outfit that mindy liked but i also brought my packable parka by clipping it on to my purse. hehe. kevin called an uber and we headed to arbella to meet up with brittany, her date, linda, and mike. this place was pretty fancy. kevin and i got here first and mike got there last. we ordered some tapas and i got the airmail drink, which was super yummy. linda got cognac ice cream, which was really delicious. oh, it was my first time meeting everyone in that group (except mike) in person. it was nice meeting all of them. then i bounced at 9:50 pm to get to the hotel for ryan’s birthday thing that nancy invited me to. i walked there kind of tipsy but i was ok. i met up with mindy and garrick outside then we went in together. i said hi to gbf in the hallway and when we got into the hotel room, we were bombarded with shots of vodka. i think i took three 1 1/2 shots in total there and i basically was drunk after that, but not puking drunk. it was nice to gauge my tolerance again without all the mixing of drinks and stuff. i also remembered that vodka burns like crap.

we took pictures, met everyone, said happy birthday to ryan, who was already gone in a sense, and then walked out to mercer. omg, i kept dropping the magnetic part of my wallet because i didn’t realize that the magnet was on the other side. thankfully, someone in the group picked it up and i am forever grateful. the two that picked it up kept asking me if i had my wallet the rest of the night when they saw me >_<” heh. when we got to the club, we met up with eileen and ada! then i just remember scurrying around to find mindy and hillary. oh, lol i gushed to rowan about how i admire him for what he’s doing -- i think i’m really in a rut about what i want to do with my career :/ so it’s really special for me to see people like rowan continuing to do what they want to do without the huge focus on money. yeah... i mean that’s what i’ve been feeling on the inside so i guess it came out when i saw rowan. but i was also just super excited to go out with gbf and rowan because i haven’t ever before!

anyway, mercer wasn’t playing any music that i remember... hilllary took care of mindy with garrick and i was there hoping to dance with them but mindy left early with garrick and by that time, hillary and i were too sober for this club LOL. gbf dragged me to the dance floor where i tried to dance but then i rq’d and asked hillary if she wanted to go home. so we said bye to everyone and we got an uber to got to the apartment in lincoln park. hillary and i talked before i got dropped off and then she took the uber home. kevin met me outside and we went into the sticky af floored club... the music was better here but not perfect... the dj played some interesting rock and rap selections... i got hyped because mike dancing is so fun to watch, ahah. we left at around 2:30 am. we showered and brushed before sleeping and then then ktfo. we also drank water because we were whoozy.

09: i somehow woke up at 9 am and then got ready to meet up with julie, juan, and jia at longman and eagle. i had a bit of a headache and was a little woozy but i felt fine. kevin was kind of dead so he told me to go without me and he’ll just sleep. my mom drove me to logan square yet again and i saw juan sitting outside and then jia came from a weird direction. LOL. julie decided to sleep in (haha no judgement there!) we got the last table for 3-4 people and then the breakfast / brunch rush came in. woo! i got the pork belly benedict, and it was delicious. i also got earl grey tea because i’m on a earl grey and chamomile roll. juan got the chicken and waffles but he also wanted the pbr breakfast. jia got the duck confit hash -- it was smaller than our plates but she said it was quite filling. i couldn’t finish my benedict so these two savages finished for me, haha <3 i had a really great time hanging out with these two :))) i’m so happy i got to hang out with them this weekend.

we walked to a nearby coffee shop after and just chatted about random things. we also took some pictures and then jia had to leave for lunch (she pushed back her lunch planz for us -- thank you!) and then juan and i walked over to the fullerton bus stop and just talked about life. i was gonna take an uber back but meh, mind as well save like $10 and take the bus to red line. plus, kevin was still ko’d. we waited for the bus for a while but our conversation was never dull. when we finally got to the red line, i realized i was a noob at ventra T_T i put in the wrong zipcode and juan just laughed at me and a person had to help me; she thought i was putting my credit card in incorrectly...haha. i said goodbye to da chubscrub and got off argyle. i always have a great time with juan and jia and julie whenever we hang. i know i can always leave our hangouts feeling a bit more understood and grounded. kevin was ubering to me so i went into pho 888 and ordered for us. we had to wait longer for our food because there was a large family dinner going on. then we ubered to ryan and terence’s apartment and ate our lunch there.

kevin rq’d his egg noodles and just ate toasted bread at the apartment. i managed to eat most of the che and my vermicelli noodles. sarah was deboning a chicken when we got there while ryan and terence were helping out. nluu was late, haha, but he got there eventually. we just chilled and then terence dropped off sarah at her apartment so she could get ready for her potluck and when he came back, we started playing with legos. we tried playing chromecast games but the connection was terrible. we also tried spyfall but the spy was clearly kevin ahahha. so instead, we wrote things on slips of paper for us to recreate with legos, mixed them up, and then picked from there. one person had to recreate it while the others guessed. lol tell me why i got trump, basketball player, and idk, kinda hard ones?! haha. ryan cried when i made the basketball player...”we don’t see color here.” LOL. 

when it was about 5 pm, we left and said goodbye to everyone. yeah, this visit was better than the last one... i hung out with almost everyone without stressing about seeing people. kevin and i dozed off in our uber back to my house. then we packed and i was grumpy because my family was kind of hovering about when to leave and kevin was feeling worse than before and he was kind of helping but not. sigh. packing to go back to boston is always stressful. well, we did it and stopped by my grandma and uncle’s house and he gave me my very late high school graduation gift LOL. i was grumpy because i napped in the car and had to wake up. my parents dropped us off, i said goodbye to them, and then kevin and i got in line for tsa. i told kevin that i was disappointed in his food choices (they were pretty terrible: sushi (my mom bought it), seafood egg noodle, and multigrain bread (i didn’t realize this until we got to the airport)) he could have eaten the congee in the fridge or zong zi... well, he told me not to be mad at him until tomorrow and i told him i was just worried.

our flight was delayed by like 20 minutes but when we got there, they started boarding everyone early? so i got to pee and then rushed back over. kevin got us mini water bottles before the flight so we could stay hydrated. i watched dateline, the cartoon channel, and shark tank on the flight. kevin slept and felt better after. we didn’t skimp out on the free snacks either. we got a total of like 5 bags of terra chips, 1 bag of pretzels, and 1 bag of skeeter’s chocolate chip cookies. i also got more water and ginger ale. i felt really tired prior to landing. i also needed to pee. we forgot food on the plane so we waited for people to get off and got it back, rushed to pee, and then took the bus and train home. i think it was 11 pm or 12 am when we got back. we unpacked and also ate a good amount of zong zi before sleeping at like 2 or 3 am? i’m not sure. i was so tired though. the two nights of 4 hours of sleep hit me right then.