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#if he likes tea then what about the fermented kind
ranilla-bean · 5 months
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culture tips for writing asian settings: tea varieTEAs
atla's got major Tea Guy representation in iroh but let's be real, even non-tea guys are going to be drinking tea in an asian-inspired setting—you'd be served it instead of water most places. so, what kind of tea are you picking for them?
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as an east asian reader, it can take me out of the setting to see the characters drink something like chamomile (from europe/west asia) or... most herbal teas, to be honest. ngl it was weird to see iroh in the show, characterised as a huuuuuuge tea snob, drink stuff like jasmine (it's fine it's just basic, is all! imo!) or like.... a random flower he encounters in the wild.
when we're talking tea, real asian tea, we're talking about the leaf of the camellia sinensis plant. the huge variety we have of tea is actually from the different ways of processing that exact same leaf. popular varieties include:
green: the leaf goes through minimal processing, can have a bright and even leafy/grassy flavour (examples: gunpowder, longjing aka dragon well, matcha, genmaicha)
white: also undergoes minimal processing, with a lighter flavour than even green (examples: silver needle, shou mei)
oolong: the leaf is semi-oxidised, curled, and twisted—can be characterised by a tanniny flavour with a bright aftertaste. my personal favourite! (examples: da hong pao, tieguanyin, dong ding, alishan)
dark (black): note this isn't the same as black tea as we think of it in english. the leaf is fermented to produce an earthy tea with a flavour like petrichor (examples: pu'er)
all the teas listed in the "examples" are fairly credible teas that i think a real tea snob like iroh would drink.
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ok, but what about...
"black tea" as we know it in the west—assam and ceylon etc? this variety is actually called "red tea" in chinese. we don't drink it with milk but to be honest, i've just... never really heard of anyone drinking chinese red tea? which is why i've kept it off the list. (there's lapsang souchong, but i associate that with bri'ish people...) anyone who does drink it, let me know! on the other hand something like assam/ceylon, while extremely delicious and also asian, is a product of british colonialism and is consumed with milk. i think if you wanted to massage some of the traditions & have chai-drinking indian-influenced characters, though, that's cool!
do you actually not drink herbal tea? we do... but a lot of it is considered medicinal. we've got stuff like herbal "cooling tea" with ingredients like sour plum, mesona, or crysanthemum; tea that warms you up like ginseng or ginger. the whole concept of hot/cold in chinese medicine though... that deserves another culture post
camellia leaf murdered my family & i have a grudge against it; what else can my blorbos drink? there'a some good, tasty stuff made of wheat, barley, buckwheat, even soybean. wouldn't be egregious for the characters to drink that!
is milk sacriligeous? a real tea snob would think so, but a lot of asians nowadays are chill about milk in tea—usually in western-influenced red tea. hong kong, thailand, india, taiwan, and malaysia (among others) have their own cultures of milk tea, which has even become a democratic rallying point.
what do you think of iroh inventing bubble tea? my main issue with it is it's anachronistic! it was invented in taiwan in the late 20th century, but atla's set in the equivalent of the mid-19th century... you could also make arguments about whether iroh's too snobby about tea to invent it LOL
there's soooo much more i can say about all this so: keep your eyes peeled! i'll talk about medicine & tea ceremony in the near future <3
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headcanons-n-shit · 10 months
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how they move in with you (ff14 bois)
Thancred
What starts as “it’s too late to send you to an inn, stay here for the night” leads to “yeah i grabbed an extra toothbrush for you its on the bathroom counter” which turns into “this is your half of the closet :)”, and the next thing you know you’re waking up to the sound of him puttering around in the kitchen in the morning like he usually does. It feels like the most natural thing in the world. 
Urianger
You catch him sleeping in his workspace. There’s a padded bench and a warm-looking quilt, but it’s. Sad. It’s really sad, and you’re not going to stand for it. You bully him into your apartment and onto your couch/into the spare bedroom, and he just kind of. Forgets to leave. And you forget to kick him out. And the next thing you know his research is spread out on the kitchen counter and his favorite biscuits are in the cupboard and youre drinking the weird fermented tea he likes and handing him a mug when he wanders into the kitchen in his sleep clothes, all bleary eyes and rats-nest hair and.
Well. Youre certainly not going to kick him out now.
G’raha
Like a true cat: you bring him in from the cold ONE night, feed him ONCE, and the next thing you know there are piles of pillows in the sunniest spots in your house, scratches on the doorframes where he likes to swing around in his speed, and books. Everywhere.
Estinien
You dont so much invite him to live with you as you just. Dont object. You wake up in the morning and hes crashed on your couch, as unobtrusively as he can, his lance resting against the back and his armor in a little pile next to him. When you turn around hes gone, but theres his clothes in your laundry pile and his part of the grocery gil in the dish and his cheap romance novels on the coffee table. At some point he stops crawling onto the couch in the middle of the night and starts crawling into your bed instead, starts washing the laundry on weekends and watering your plants when youre out, and you couldnt rightly say when it started, but youre not about to stop it now.
Aymeric
You dont even realize whats happening until its already done. What starts with him not wanting you to stay in a place as dangerous as the forgotten knight (especially when you seem to make a sport of pissing off temple knights) turns into you asking to crash in his mansion whenever you get back from a clan hunt, which becomes you crashing at his place whenever youre in town, which becomes you making your travel plans with his house in mind, and then the next thing you know his majordomo is greeting you with "welcome home" and.
Yeah. His mansion is home for you now, isnt it.
Haurchefant
He is absolutely in love with your home. No, really. Hes lived in a lot of different places in his life, but your home is just so. You. And maybe he has to suddenly budget astheryte travel into the camp dragonhead budget, but. Its worth it for the opportunity to call your home his. To wake up to you every morning, to bump hips with you in the bathroom, to kiss you goodbye before you both leave for work.
Sidurgu
You got the house from Edmont after the Dragonsong war, and honestly you’ve only ever stayed in it once. You couldn’t bear to, not after. Haurchefant. Estinien. Nidhogg. Everything. But a fire tears through the Brume, and whether be it a candle left unattended or an intentional spark Sidurgu and Rielle find themselves with nowhere else to go. 
You really don’t mind though. A house should be lived in, and though you know they wouldn’t have accepted it under any other situation, you watching them settle in you cant help but feel like this place is a little more like home.
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What kind of drunk would the villagers of SDV be? 👀
Heh, it was so funny to write the answer to this ask right after my own hangover. Quite the experience, I would say 😅
I hope, anon, you don't mind if I don't write about Evelyn and George and the kids on this ask, because trying to imagine them drunk... is an unpleasant thought for me. But I will describe all the others (if I do not forget about someone). Thanks for your ask! ❤️
Drunk SDV villagers (except Evelyn, George and kids):
Oh what music! After 3 or 4 glasses of sambuca, Emily feels much more energetic (even more than usual) and simply has to find a potential victim partner to dance until they both fall to exhaustion. In the morning, however, she does not remember anything.
In general, Sebastian despises the taste of alcohol, but somehow he decided to try something like Amaretto coffee or Irish coffee (basically coffee with liqueur or whiskey). Yuck, Sebby didn't appreciate it. The taste of alcohol is terrible and now he feels sleepy and weak. And he can't ride his motorcycle in that condition. It sucks, now he's a mischievous and sleepy drunk.
Jodi is always busy cleaning the house and cooking, so she has almost no time to relax. But if she does get a chance to have a glass of wine with Caroline and Marnie, then she will be more cheerful and a little more chatty, nothing hardcore.
Preferring more green tea and coffee, Caroline, however, also agrees to hang out with friends with the bottle of something strong. Being slightly drunk from a couple of glasses of wine, Caroline will chuckle at her friends' every joke, and may even decide to order a stronger drink. True, all the energy leaves quickly and she immediately becomes drowsy drunk.
Cheerful and energetic, Abigail is ready to conquer mountains after a few strong cocktails. A drunk girl teeters on the edge of "noisy party soul" and "I'm ready to get into any fight for my homies." Luckily, she's not drunk enough to stubbornly go into the mines with a sword in her condition.
Marnie, having drunk about 5 glasses of wine, becomes flirty drunk. And Lewis's slightly angry comments about the fact that she can work on their secret relationship does not bother her at all. It's been a long time since she felt so cheerful and carefree, just like when she was young, ah...
Lewis, meanwhile, teeters somewhere between "paranoid drunk" and "sleazy drunk." At his age, it's not very useful to drink so much alcohol, and now to keep an eye on Marnie, who, as he thinks, will now blather everything about the two of them to everyone. Damn it, you can rest calmly without worries, you old fart.
Let's race, who's faster? Or let's fight on the hands? Alex wants the competition to prove that even though he's a little tipsy, he's still the best. Although the next day he will be ashamed if during the fun he broke some dishes or chair, and apologize to everyone.
Shane canonically is a depressed drunk. He sits in a corner of the Saloon and drinks mostly alone. Please don't touch him, otherwise he will transform from a depressed drunk into an angry drunk. And you definitely don't want to see Shane drunk AND angry.
If the Saloon has karaoke, then Elliott will be always there after drinking mugs of strong ale or wine. Apart from his loud singing, he becomes reckless enough to spontaneously do anything. Gus or the others often help Elliott get home before the failed singer (sorry Elliott, but you write so much better than you sing) hurts himself or others. The poor guy would later lock himself up in his cabin for a couple of days when he found out about his drunken adventures.
After an extra drink, Sam suddenly becomes overly affectionate and touchy-feely. In a state of intoxication, it seems to him that he did not hug someone enough, or that he was not hugged enough. Hug him please, he's like a little puppy.
Linus doesn't drink alcohol, but sometimes in the harvest seasons in the forest he often comes across fermented fruits and berries. Linus almost always processes them carefully before eating so that he doesn't get more intoxicated during dinner, but sometimes he can occasionally eat some raw fermented grapes before bed. He perfectly understands which fruits are more fermented or less. But he treats this without fanaticism, because the main goal is to eat, not get drunk.
"What if? No, it's impossible. But what if I use that formula, and... Nah, it still won't work. But what if I... No no no. Or maybe yes? Or maybe..." The constant ebb and flow of ideas for new inventions is a typical behavior for Maru when she has a drink that is quite strong for her. This will continue until she falls asleep. It is good that her brother is nearby and help her.
Ah, for old Willy there's nothing better than a bottle of mead after a hard day of fishing. So to speak, to celebrate a successful catch. He most often drinks alone, even when in the Saloon, but can occasionally tell his fishing stories to Marlon, Gil, or Clint with a few drinks. And no matter how much he drinks, he will remain the same. Honestly, as if in the mug not alcohol, but just water!
Penny will never touch a drink, but there was a case when she accidentally drank Sam's cocktail, confusing it with her glass of juice. She immediately became sloppy drunk, embarrassed by her condition and making haste to get home. Penny doesn't understand how her mother can enjoy such a state.
Oh, the doctor knows that in small doses, wine can even be beneficial to the body. But when, by coincidence, Harvey has to drink more than his body can handle, then this is a complete blackout. He doesn't remember anything and prays that he did not do anything obscene.
Pam is an aggressive drunk. This is even more noticeable when her order for another beer is delayed by more than five minutes. Mostly this is a verbal skirmish, Pam will not show physical aggression (unless it concerns her daughter. For her sake, she will grab anyone by the throat, and she does not need alcohol for this).
Usually Wizard is always strict about alcohol, but there are times when you just want to get drunk. Given that he always drinks alone, he is most often sad drunk, remembering the old days when he and his ex were still together. If anyone (Farmer) wants to console him, then let them mentally prepare for an hour-long story about his ex-wife, youth, and that "the grass used to be greener."
Marlon will also remember the old days with a glass of whiskey along with Gil, but unlike the same Wizard, Marlon's stories are more filled with fun and excitement. Usually he is strict and silent, but when a little drunk, he opens up a little more, with his comrade remembering their adventures when the young guys just embarked on the path of an adventurer. These old people deserve some rest and fun.
Pierre considers a couple of strong cocktails a well-deserved reward after a hard week at work. The alcohol in his blood makes him more talkative, but now his tongue is tangled up so that you no longer understand whether Pierre asked to repeat the order, or somehow insulted you.
The last cocktail was obviously superfluous, but Haley didn't care. She wants to have fun, and why is the music so quiet, and let's all dance, and she already changed her mind don't touch her, and anyway where is her other cocktail? Cheerful, energetic, but at the same time more capricious - this is how it goes.
Kent has been very wary of drinking since he returned to Stardew Valley. After all he's been through, it's very easy to drown at the bottom of the bottle, and he doesn't want to get to that point. He still has his family. So he asks Gus, Marlon or Willy to stop him if he gets depressed drunk after a mug of beer or two.
Ah, the tango began to play in the music machine! Robin will not miss the opportunity to dance with her husband to passionate music. She usually asks her husband, but after a few sips of ale, Robin pulled Demetrius off the table and onto the dance floor with almost one tug.
The same Demetrius, after drinking, was very sleepy, but the whole life flashed before the eyes of the poor scientist, when his dearest wife grabbed his hand and he heard the words "tango". Demetrius loves Robin and will not refuse her a dance, but still, a strong drink affected the scientist's vestibular apparatus, and he dances no better than a rag doll. But it looks funny Maru and Sebastian will definitely film this on camera as compromising evidence for the future.
Clint has a fairly high tolerance for alcohol, so he probably drinks almost every day. Even in the cinema, he manages to smuggle alcohol under the guise of Joja Cola. So you can call him secret drunk: no matter how much he drinks, he does not look drunk. Just like Willy.
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69misato69 · 1 year
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The Wind (Zhongli x Venti) ✦ 2k, smut, fluff, light angst
archive of our own ✦ twitter
masterlist pinned on my profile !
zhongli and venti have some private catching up to do after the lantern rite banquet
cw: blowjobs, anal sex, anal fingering, consensual unprotected sex, ejaculation, creampie
Top Zhongli x Bottom Venti
writer's note: explicit +18 content, please view at your own risk. thank you, have fun !
“I thought you would have departed by now.” Zhongli gazed at the bard sitting with his back turned, looking down upon the mountains of Liyue illuminated by moonlight and floating lanterns. 
“Fancy running into you again, Mr. Zhongli." he chirped and turned away, eyes squinting with the genuine smile that spread to his lips and cheeks instantly at the sight of the consultant he had ‘just met’ earlier that night.. 
Zhongli paced towards him, “Ah, I see you’re still committed to the act.”
Venti was cuddling a bottle of wine, his cape moved with the light breeze along with his braids while his legs swayed off the edge. Truly a reckless position for anyone but the Anemo Archon. “Well, at least I had time to practice. You were the real star of the show.” he jested. 
Zhongli looked down, “You flatter me, Barbatos. Would you like some company?” 
The warm glow of amber surrounding them faintly lit up Venti’s face, exuding excitement at hearing his name spill from Zhongli’s lips as he patted on the patch of grass next to him, “I’d like that.” 
Zhongli took the direction, taking his coat off and laying it neatly over the seating arrangement right behind them. He certainly didn’t find it odd that Venti was sitting on the ground in the vicinity of three chairs and a table. 
“Is that your drink of choice, or could I interest you in some tea?” Zhongli pointed towards the bottle in his lap when he settled down.
Venti unwrapped the glass of his clothing, lifting it lightly from its neck, “What? Oh, this? It’s sealed.” he handed it over to Zhongli, “I brought it for you.” 
Zhongli’s brows raised, he held the bottle in a delicate grasp, “Dandelion wine?”
“Yeah. I heard that you came all the way to Mondstadt and still didn’t have any.”
It was true, Zhongli recalled everyone at Angel’s Share attempting to talk him into trying it, oblivious to the fact that it was already a familiar taste for the archon. Though, their efforts had proven futile as Zhongli had sipped away on his tea all night.
“Well, it would be awful to embarrass myself in front of strangers.” he smirked, paying homage to what Venti said earlier during the banquet. 
He protested, “Hey! You can’t just steal my excuse.”
“Excuse?” Zhongli’s instant realization painted Venti’s cheeks red, “So that is not the true reason you refrained from drinking?”
Venti sighed as he fell back on the grass with a thud, he intertwined his fingers and rested his head on his palms. A few moments of silence passed while he deliberated, “If I tell you, then you’ll tell me as well.” 
Zhongli was a retired archon, but that didn’t mean that his duty of fulfilling contracts had ceased, “Of course, it’s only fair.” his eyes remained fixated on the scenery. 
“I—” Venti halted, the hesitation in his voice was unfamiliar to Zhongli, he wasn’t the kind to think before he speaks usually, but now it seemed like he was trying to choose his words with utmost care. 
“I would just… hate to forget about today.” 
Zhongli turned back, Venti was still laying down, staring at the stars. 
“There haven’t been a lot of days worth remembering lately.” a bittersweet smile formed on his lips, “But…Seeing you again, I’d like to remember that.” 
Zhongli turned forward, a lump began to form on his throat. 
“Now hold your end of the deal, God of Contracts.” Venti was eager to take the attention off of himself. 
Zhongli gulped, he leaned back to lay next to Venti, “I thought it was rather obvious.” he smiled, “Wine, essentially, is just a beverage fermented from plants, is it not?”
Venti sighed playfully, “You haven’t changed a bit. Yes, it’s just plant juice, go on.” 
“I digress. What I mean to say is that there is nothing inherently special about it.” Zhongli kept rambling as his hand assisted his words, suspended in the air making light motions, similar to how he would talk standing up, but now along a horizontal plane, “But the company of a friend, or a member of your family, or a… loved one maybe.” he turned his face towards Venti, “Isn’t that what makes it meaningful?” 
Venti seemed puzzled, “But you were already with Traveler and Paimon, weren't you?”
Zhongli hummed, “Dandelion wine is a deeply cherished one among my memories, though, whenever I reminisce upon it I find it to be associated with a…certain figure. It is not always so easy to change one’s ways, especially those created when one is young and full of life. I’m sure you would understand.” 
Venti’s eyes turned glossy at the words until eventually, a single tear broke loose and landed on the grass beneath his cheek. Zhongli reached his hand out, wiping away the wet trail under his eye lovingly, “Your absence pains me enough, even without a reminder. Therefore, I would not indulge in your gift, but I would still like to keep it, sealed as it is.” 
Another tear followed, then another one from his other eye, they streamed down from Venti’s face like the drizzle of rain, gaining speed until he was sobbing within Zhongli’s hold. 
He patiently and diligently dried Venti’s cheeks.
“I missed you, Morax.” he let out a sharp exhale, “So much.” 
“I know.” Zhongli cooed, his hand trailed down to Venti’s chest, hovering over his shirt for a trace of the Gnosis inside, yet he found nothing but pain. Only suffering and intense amounts of hurting buried in his chest, yearning and loss, the crushing burden of being alive, yet, still so much love. 
Love , for freedom and all that was beautiful in the world. Undying affection that kindled itself more and more with Zhongli’s touch. 
“Allow me to ease your sorrow, Barbatos. At least for tonight.”  
Venti held onto his wrist, almost afraid to let go, scared that Zhongli could disappear at any moment. 
But he didn’t. Instead he sat up, gently guided Venti onto his lap and pulled him in a tight embrace. A sought after reunion that both of them had been dreaming of for centuries. Zhongli buried his face on Venti’s shoulder, reveling in the familiar scent of dandelions.
He couldn’t contain himself any longer as tears pooled around his eyes as well. 
Venti pulled away, his hands brushing through Zhongli’s ponytail traveled up to his face, cupping his cheeks gently. 
“We’re too old to be breaking down like this.” he chuckled.
Zhongli moved closer to his face with a broken smile, “Speak for yourself, I’m still young at heart.” 
Venti burst out laughing, he wrapped his arms around Zhongli’s neck and brushed against his nose with his own. Time stopped, everything around them froze, the leaves no longer rustled, the faint voices of the festival quieted down, for a brief moment, the world ceased to exist. 
It crumbled around them, falling into a void as their lips touched. And suddenly, they really were young again. Just two archons in their early days with so much still unknown to them about the secrets of their universe.
Lazy afternoons they spent in Windrise, rolling around in the grass, sharing a bottle of dandelion wine and tasting it off of each other’s lips. 
Watching the night fall from Liyue Harbour after a hike in the mountains, releasing a lantern during the festival as Venti would fly after it, waving down to Zhongli while he would watch from the docks how both of them would disappear into the clouds. 
Only a kiss. 
Merely the touching of their lips with their bodies tangled together, yet it held so many memories of them, like a thousand frames of photographs frozen in an iceberg, suddenly being summoned again to be lit-up and unshackled from the unforgiving flow of time.
Zhongli pulled away, out of breath, as he examined Venti’s flushed cheeks and half-lidded eyes, a sight to behold, the most beautiful scene he ever had the honor of witnessing. 
“I’m glad the wind has returned to my side.” he whispered over his lips.
For the first time in years, the breeze around him felt alive. 
Venti held onto Zhongli’s shoulders as he desperately leaned in for another kiss, allowing Zhongli’s fingers to roam around his body and strip away the layers of clothing. Golden brown and viridescent colored fabric pooled up around them as Zhongli laid him down, finally taking off his white tights, careful not to rip them. 
Venti trembled with every stroke and every kiss that Zhongli left all over his thighs. His hands and lips gently traveled all over Venti’s body, generously stopping at spots he remembered to be sensitive. 
Venti’s worries and reservations vanished slowly, he couldn’t focus on anything but Zhongli’s presence, his comforting yet enticing aura, it sent a wave of heat between his legs. Zhongli nuzzled his face in his groin, leaving kisses and a wet trail of saliva leading down to the base of his cock. 
He enveloped the tip with his lips, sucking lightly as he slid down to engulf more of it inside his mouth and swirled his tongue around the length. Venti latched on the grass beside him, biting down on his lower lip to muffle his moans. 
His back arched as Zhongli’s head slid up and down, lips closing in to drive him even crazier. Centuries of companionship inevitably came with a well-rounded understanding of each other’s desires and weaknesses. 
Venti was writhing and whimpering, his toes curled up as Zhongli spread his legs even further and slipped one finger inside. He gasped at the intrusion yet soon enough, melted into it blissfully.
As his moans grew needy Zhongli added another finger, making sure to stretch him out thoroughly. Venti was twitching in his mouth, drawing near while his hips contracted impatiently. 
After a few more flicks of Zhongli's wrist and tongue, he felt Venti release in his mouth with a whimper, holding onto his hair and pushing his head down. 
Zhongli obliged, squeezing his tip on the back of his throat as warm liquid spilled down. He retracted his fingers and pulled away to find Venti as breathy as he was. He positioned himself on top, freeing the bard’s hair from the braids as the black and turquoise strands scattered over the grass. 
Zhongli caressed his face, leaving soothing kisses along his forehead and cheeks while he lined up with Venti’s entrance.
Venti reached down, wrapping his slender fingers around Zhongli to gently guide him in. After he was almost halfway in, he pulled his hand away, instead wrapping both of his arms around Zhongli and gazing into his glowing pupils. 
“Are you in pain?” he asked with a concerned tone.
Venti smiled, “I’ve never felt better.” 
He meant it. 
Zhongli hummed, he thrusted with his hips until he was all the way in, brushing against Venti’s prostate. The movement elicited a desperate shriek from the bard. He craved more, more of Zhongli, all of him. And who was he to refuse the request? 
He held Venti close, thrusting in and out as he drew a slight curve with his hips to push into the sensitive bundle of nerves deep within him. 
Venti’s eyes widened with every round, moaning and grunting into Zhongli’s mouth as he whispered sweet, loving words of praise. Venti was used to being bashed and thrown around ever since he had retired, it had been a long time since someone had called him precious, his beloved , his dear.
Zhongli spoke to him with lust in his eyes and love in his voice. 
His movements became shaky, thrusts turning sloppy as his legs began to tremble. Venti had noticed it as well, he closed his legs slightly, squeezing Zhongli even tighter than before as he groaned in a state of absolute euphoria.
He pulled Venti even closer to his chest, holding the back of his head to ease the impact as the moans that vibrated through his chest mixed in with his fast-paced heartbeat in Venti’s ear. Even as a bard that had dedicated his life to wine and song, it was a prettier melody and a sweeter taste unlike anything he had experienced before, neither as a god nor as a mortal. 
Zhongli filled his insides graciously, liquid seeping out to the ground below them as they stayed in the warm embrace. 
Was it the bittersweet end of a love story, or the beginning of a new one, Venti couldn’t help but wonder as he whispered in Zhongli’s ear,
“Morax…"
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joanquill · 2 years
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I just got a weird idea. It's up to you to write it or not but i just wanna share lol.
So most people in London probably loves tea. Lives with tea in their lives, but what about reader who just dislikes tea. Any kind of tea for that matter. And everyone's just baffled.
Especially Louis whose tea just got rejected lol.
Not My Cup of Tea
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A/N: This was fun lol but my brain gave up :')
Tag/s: Short (500 words), Crackfic
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"Now, for our next mission..." William started the meeting as Louis gave everyone a cup of tea.
"Oh, no thanks," you politely smiled at Louis as he gave you yours, surprising him.
"Do you not like lemongrass?" he asked, taking the cup back.
"Oh, it's not that," you reassured, "I just don't like tea," you shrugged your shoulders, catching everyone's attention.
"You don't like tea?" William asked, making you raise a brow.
"Yeah... I don't like tea," you confirmed, looking at everyone with a confused expression.
"What about chamomile?"
"No?"
"Chai?"
"Nope,"
"Not even mint?"
"No, thank you," you shook your head, "I don't really like any kind of tea, really,"
"And you call yourself British?" Sebastian teased, making you furrow your brows.
"What? You'd rather have me piss-drunk with you in a pub?" you joked in the most stereotypical British accent you could muster, making him shake his head with a smile.
"What do you not like about tea?" Louis asked, making you shrug your shoulders, stuttering an answer.
"I just... don't like it... It tastes like drinking grass," you explained, making William raise a brow.
"It tastes like grass to you?" he asked, making you scoff.
"Okay," you raised your palm at him, "I'm not gonna let my taste preferences be attacked by someone whose favorite food is literally a pie with poking fish heads,"
William rolled his eyes as he shook his head, drinking his cup.
"Maybe your taste isn't refined enough," Albert joked, making you scoff.
"Okay, rich boy," you mocked, making him chuckle, "I don't say crap about your addiction to fermented grape juice,"
"What's going on?" James asked as he walked in, confused at the conversation.
"Mx. (Y/N) doesn't like tea,"
"You don't like tea!?"
"THEY ARE LITERALLY LEAVES. IN. HOT. WATER!" you defended as you clapped your hands with each syllable, feeling attacked for your personal preference, making Jack-sensei laugh as others chuckled.
"Bonde is from America, and even he likes tea," Sebastian added as he pointed at him with his thumb.
"Well, congratulations!" you threw your hands up in the air in defeat as others laughed.
"We are literally planning on committing homicide, yet you all stopped to make fun of me for not liking tea?"
"Yes, apparently,"
You scoffed as you stood up and moved your arms, unable to speak.
"I-...I am done..." you huffed, sitting back down in defeat as you looked away from the group.
"Can we please go back to the mission or what? Do you want me to revoke my citizenship?" you asked, starting to get annoyed at the topic.
"Aw, don't be so hotheaded, Young (Y/N)," Jack-sensei comforted, patting your head.
"It's just..." he shrugged, "...rare to see someone in England who doesn't like tea," he explained, making you huff.
"Now, putting aside Young (Y/N)'s questionable drink choices..." Jack-sensei teased, making you groan and stand up.
"That's it. I'm leaving. You lot can go on the mission without me," you made your way out of the door, hearing the boys' apologies as you left, but you ignored them.
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quibbs126 · 9 months
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For a fan kid request, can you do Dark Choco and Earl Grey?
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Here you go, this is Dark Tea Cookie
So fun fact, she has been done for like, at least a month, if not more. The only thing that was stopping me from posting her was that I had no idea what to do for her sketches, but I didn’t want to just do nothing, since I always draw them for others, so she’s been stuck in this limbo for ages. But last night I finally came up with some ideas, and now I can show her
So she’s named after dark tea, which is different from black tea, due to it being fermented or something? I don’t really know. But dark tea is darker than black tea, and in the east, their names translate to “red tea” for black tea, and “black tea” for dark tea, since they’re named for the color of the tea themselves, not the leaves
I dunno, the whole situation is confusing. Just know that it’s because of the whole “Dark” prefix for Dark Choco’s family, and because Earl Grey is tea, and it’s not the same thing as black tea
Dark tea:
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So to be honest, I don’t remember much of the design process. I made her hair black because of the tea, and I gave her the streaks because Dark Choco has them, but made them the same color as Earl Grey’s hair
I made her eyes blue because of the whole “I give too many Dark Choco kids red eyes” thing, but I ended up darkening the color because I thought Earl Grey’s eye color was just too light and didn’t look right. I think it looks fine now though
I do remember that I’m pretty sure the bottom of her dress was supposed to resemble a tea cup, since well, she’s made of tea
I think at one point I was planning on basing her design off of Alice from Alice in Wonderland (the original Disney movie one), but after looking at the designs again, it doesn’t seem I went for that route
But all in all, I think her design does look good. I liked drawing it in the sketches I did
Anyways, so let’s get into her as a character
So she lives at Earl Grey’s hotel (hence why her outfit more resembles something from him than Dark Choco)
I’ll admit, I don’t have much on her, or at least whatever I made up of her originally I didn’t write down. But she’s a shy young girl who just sort of lives in the hotel, probably trying to do some of the upkeep in the hotel, or at least as much as she can
But last night I thought, what if I leaned more into the Alice in Wonderland inspiration? And so, I’m considering that she has a story where she ends up in some sort of weird world (perhaps she accidentally gets transported into whatever weird chess dimension Chess Choco seem to have going on, at least in their Trial), and is sort of the normal girl in this place of madness
In the left sketch, she’s supposed to be trying to get the other people to act less…crazy, saying that’s probably not a good idea. My idea is that she’s got a set of morals on her, and she can’t stand injustice, but she’s usually a bit too timid to do anything about it. Maybe this other world is how she learns to be more assertive
Also, she will fight if she absolutely has to (though she’s incredibly nervous about it), though to everyone’s shock, she packs an incredible wallop in her punches. She might not be totally aware of this fact, so she’s just wildly swinging punches hoping she lands a hit, and when she looks she’s taken out an entire crowd or enemies
And honestly, I think that’s about it
*sigh* To be honest, I really feel like I could do better on her character section. The only person she has any notable connection to is Earl Grey, and all she seems to have from Dark Choco is looks and strength, but I have no clue what kind of relationship she has with him, if he’s even there. And that’s not to mention the Chess Choco twins, who would be there as older siblings
I don’t know, I feel like I could do so much more with the proposed family dynamic, especially since I originally put this one up because I was thinking about the potential of this ship. I was going to do it purely because I wanted to, and then someone happened to request it so it’s a win-win. But I feel disappointed that I haven’t tapped the potential of it. Which sucks because I really like her design, but I have no clue how to work her as a character into everyone else
Maybe I’ll do another shot at this ship sometime, but currently I’m just not sure what else to do
Well regardless of all that, I hope you enjoy her
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thebangtancloud · 2 years
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cupid's paw ~ chapter 4; Kimchi
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Pairing: Jeon Jungkook x Reader
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Romance, University AU, Enemies to Lovers
Summary: In a world where two people are so similar that they can’t get along, Jungkook spends the majority of his time avoiding you for reasons unbeknownst to him. But when a certain four-legged angel decides it’s time to put a stop to that, Jungkook wonders why he ever wanted to stay away from the only person who could offer the love he always needed.
Chapter word count: 1,810
Series Masterlist.
Main Masterlist.
Chapter Summary: You’re introduced to your neighbor’s mother much earlier than you think you should’ve been.
← Chapter 3
Four days later, a loud commotion outside your apartment had you frowning in worry, quickly opening your door and peeking out to see a middle-aged woman standing in the middle of...a mess.
There appeared to be a vegetable storm around her feet, tomatoes and cabbages standing out the most among the few leafy vegetables and brinjals. Your lips pursed into a thin line at the sight of that vegetable, bending down to pick up the two pods of garlic that had rolled their way over to your door.
The woman looked numb, frustrated eyes still closed as she held onto the remains of what happened to be a cloth bag that was holding these vegetables; the handles that had torn off at the seams. You felt bad for her, picking up as many potatoes as you could before reaching for the beige cloth bag that looked essentially spent, worn out, and dirty from both inside out.
"Oh dear!" she gasped when she opened her eyes. "You gave me a fright!"
"I'm sorry," you bowed your head, continuing to pick up the bundles of spring onions that had fallen all in one place. The woman smiled at your kind gesture, moving to the side to take hold of the other humongous bag that looked...fine, opening it to check if anything had broken.
"Oh lord," she shook her head, "This will definitely be a task to clean up."
"Is there anything I can help you with?" you asked her.
Her hopeful eyes fluttered down to yours. "Would you mind letting me borrow a jar? The lid to the bottle of kimchi somehow opened- oh sweet lord… why am I so careless? It seems like it's all spilled in the bag," she explained.
“Of course,” you smiled warmly, picking up the bag of vegetables and standing up. “Where can I place these for you?”
“Oh,” she frowned, “The person I’m waiting for is not here yet, so I don’t have the key.”
“Would you like to come into my house? We can sort out the-”
“Oh no don’t be silly, sweet one!” she exclaimed with a laugh. “I wouldn’t want to be a bother.”
“You really aren’t,” you smiled gently at her. “Please come in.”
Twenty minutes into the whole ‘sort the kimchi problem’, you both were seated on the floor of the kitchen with red kimchi sauce over both of your hands, having finally pulled out the entire contents onto a large plate. The strong aroma of the fermented Napa cabbages had your nose burning, looking sorrowfully at the four beautifully stitched kitchen cloths that she had stitched dedicatedly and placed them under the jar of kimchi in the bag, now stained with an ugly red amoeboid pattern over the pastel yellow material.
You felt bad about that, but the moment you had reached for them to give them a wash, she refused profusely, insisting that it’s too much of hard work and she could simply just make new ones. You nodded, reluctantly of course, before sitting back down, sitting quietly and staring at the abnormally large quantity of kimchi over the plate.
“Here why don’t you-” she leaped forward, digging through the red fermented side dish before picking up a few jillions of carrots and motioning for you to open your mouth. “Try this!”
“Oh- oh okay,” you laughed, leaning towards her and letting her place the kimchi into your mouth. Your eyes widened in surprise before scrunching them shut, shoulders squeezing upward painfully at the pull in your ears.
“It’s sour!”
The woman laughed heartily, nodding and biting into a long piece of cabbage, tearing it with her teeth before shooting you a playful wink. “It’s supposed to be. Have you eaten Kimchi before?”
You nodded, wiping at your nose with the back of your hand. “My mentor is a Korean, so he usually gives me a batch when his mother sends it for him.” You looked down knowingly, smiling at the realization.
“You’ve prepared these for your son, right?”
Her eyebrows flew up in surprise. “Yes! How did you know?”
You giggled into your hand. “There’s only one Korean living on this floor, and that’s Jungkook. Plus, he looks very much like you, so I kind of figured…” you trailed off.
“You are really smart that way,” the woman cooed, watching you fondly as you gently touched the tips of your ears that were heating up.
“My son does that when he’s flustered too.”
“Ah,” you nodded, hands dropping immediately.
“So, what are you doing right now?” She asked, gentle eyes gazing fondly at you.
“Uh,” you cleared your throat, chuckling awkwardly. “I’m studying music.”
“Oh!” her eyes lit up. “That’s fabulous! My son is studying music too! Are you both in the same class?”
“No,” you shook your head with a little laugh. “There are many students and it looks like Jungkook had joined a little later than the rest, so he was put into the last batch.”
“Oh, I know,” she frowned. “He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to do this. But then his friends convinced him. He almost didn’t fill up the application form until the last day, and then he found out that Namjoon studies here too.”
“Namjoon?” you asked curiously. Did they know each other before?
“Kim Namjoon? I figured you’d know him-”
“I do,” you nodded. “He’s my mentor.”
“Oh, that’s lovely.”
“Did Jungkook know Namjoon before this?”
“Ah,” she nodded, picking up another piece of kimchi to bite into. “My son was really interested in dancing a few years ago. He still is. Back in Korea, he’d accompany his brother to those silly underground festivals and I guess he met Namjoon there.”
“Oh, sweet.”
“Yes. He’s an angel. We invited him over for dinner a few times and he was always so respectful. He’d always help clear up the dishes after we ate. But – oh lord!” she exclaimed. “Never ask that boy to cook something!”
You burst into a fit of giggles, knowing very well what she was talking about.
“That boy burnt my favorite pot! Believe it or not, it still has a burn at the bottom, no matter how much I’ve tried to scrub it out.”
“Really?” you chuckled knowingly.
“Of course,” she laughed along with you, deflating into a sigh and leaning against the cupboard. “Oh, I miss the days we’d be together.”
You smiled sadly. “I can imagine.”
“Are you living with your parents?” she asked.
“No, I live here alone. My parents are back in Korea as well.”
“Korea?!” She sounded very surprised.
“Yeah,” you laughed half-heartedly. “My parents had us shift to Korea when I was four.”
“Where about?”
“We stay in Daegu.”
“Ah,” she smiled softly. “How long has it been since you’ve come here?”
“Too long,” you murmured, looking down at your lap. “I miss home.”
“I can imagine, sweetheart,” she whispered softly. “I’ll be here for two weeks, whenever you feel like you need a taste of home, come straight to me, okay?”
That was exactly what Namjoon said, and it made you smile genuinely. “Thank you, aunt.”
The obnoxiously loud ringtone from her phone made her jump in surprise. You watched as se scrambled towards her bag, looking towards you helplessly and raising up her hands that were covered in Kimchi juice.
“Do you mind helping me?”
“Ah, yes – of course,” you leaped forward and unbuckled her handbag, pulling her phone out.
My Son
The corners of your lips turned into a soft smile, letting your eyes trace the few blue and white hearts that she had typed in before his name. Answering the call, you put it on speaker and held the phone towards her mouth.
“Eomma!”
“Jungkook-ah,” she cooed into the phone. “Where are you? Eomma has been waiting for so long.”
“I’m sorry eomma, I was with Namjoon hyung all this time. Are you still waiting out? I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“No, I’m not waiting out, don’t worry. Your lovely friend here has been kind enough to let me into her home until you come.”
Your eyes widened at her words.
“My friend? I have no friends in the…” you heard Jungkook trail off.
“Oh, her.”
“Yes. She’s the sweetest little thing! Why didn’t you tell me you had someone you knew in the complex? I would’ve brought some more side dishes. The poor thing misses Korea as much as you do.”
You winced.
“Korea? She’s not Korean.”
“She lives there. Anyway, come home soon! I’ll leave half of everything I brought you – for her. Is Namjoon-ah still with you?”
Jungkook’s mom was quite the talkative one.
“Uh… yes. He’s with me.”
“Bring him home! Let’s all have dinner together like the old times! And (Y/n) told me that Namjoon is mentoring her, so there’s no room for awkward silences.”
Little did she know.
“Okay, eomma.”
~
“(Y/n),” Namjoon mumbled softly, making a beeline towards you and enveloping you into a hug. “You okay?”
“Mhm,” you hummed wordlessly.
“Should I make an excuse and get you out of here?”
“He’s not my enemy, Namjoon,” you laughed lightly. “He’s not going to kill me.”
“He definitely sees you as an enemy for some reason,” Namjoon frowned. “He’s been silent the entire ride back home, ever since he heard that you’d be over for dinner.”
“Oh,” you took a moment to process his words. “Well, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“Are you feeling alright?” He looked at your face carefully. “Have you eaten?”
“No,” you shook your head. “Jungkook’s mom said I should wait for dinner.”
“When was the last time you ate?”
“Stop with the questions already,” you groaned, pushing at Namjoon’s elbow.
He frowned deeply.
“I’m not joking, (Y/n). When was the last time you ate?”
“I ate lunch, Namjoon.”
“What did you eat?”
You glared at him. “Ramyeon.”
His eyes widened. “Are you ser-”
“Dinner is almost ready kids!”
Both of you looked towards the kitchen when Jungkook’s mom called out, glancing back at each other and sighing.
“You’re lucky you have someone who's a mother that's going to feed you today. Keep this up and I’m telling her that you don’t eat well.”
“You wouldn’t,” you gasped lowly.
“Oh, I would. And you know what happens when a Korean woman finds out you don’t eat well. She’ll stuff you with food until you go into a food coma. Plus, she’s going to be here for a while, looks like you’re in for trouble.”
“Namjoon,” you whined, frowning worriedly. “Don’t do this to me.”
“Don’t do this to yourself, (Y/n),” he whispered sadly. “I can’t see you treat yourself so badly. You’re like my little sister. Don’t get upset with me for wanting to look out for you.”
“Okay, okay, father,” you rolled your eyes. “Okay. I’ll eat well. Now stop nagging me.”
.
.
.
.
.
Chapter 5 (Preview) ↓
"Uh... yeah, we have lots of fun!"
"Just not together," Jungkook added.
You looked up at him, watching him effectively avoid your eye and pick up a piece of meat. Namjoon tapped your foot again, wordlessly telling you not to say anything to that.
"My son is the shyest boy on the planet," Jungkook's mom looked over at you helplessly.
"He finds it so difficult to socialize, but at least now you have a friend who is like you!"
She walked over to stand beside Jungkook.
"Why did you never tell me about (Y/n)? She’s so kind, she even helped me when I was stranded outside, she let me into her house. The moment I saw her, I was reminded of you, Jungkook-ah.”
“Eomma,” Jungkook cleared his throat and looked up at her with slight annoyance swirling around in his eyes.
“Come sit, why don’t we all eat together?”
“I will,” she nodded, “but you eat up first.”
“No please,” you insisted, pointing to the empty chair beside Jungkook, really just wanting to avoid the conversation Jungkook had managed to cut off, “let’s eat together.”
Taglist: @tomhiho, @tinyoonsblog, @seokout, @yeo-out-sang, @blissedjoon, @bbl32
BTS Permanent Taglist: @joondiary , @0xnna0 , @cuteipat , @koalasandcuddles , @bangrauhl13 , @blissedjoon , @underratedbitch-number13 , @tinyoonsblog , @itachi-chi @sparkyprotectionsquad @scuzmunkie @uno7, @jhopesucker, @kitty-kair
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arcanesprite · 4 months
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The Lost City of Wonder; Arrival Part 1/? 801 Words Deimos and Bloodbane arrive in the City of Squall and by extension Ice itself.
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Stepping foot off of the ship Deimos had thought himself well prepared for the lands of the Icewarden, the idea of a place always shrouded in cold hadn’t bothered him. What he had not expected was to not quite understand what the word cold meant here. The burning sting of the slight breeze blowing over the harbour biting right into his exposed skin, shoving his hands into his pockets to save them. Holding this second age form was work yes, and completely unnecessary in every way. Every way but the show of magical skill required. His retainer would call it a waste of breath. Regardless he would indulge his son in his folly.
The dock's salt-soaked boards creaked under Bloodbane’s weight as he stepped from the ship, the heft of the drake himself and his battle-worn armor more than they could have ever been expected to hold. He lays his paw over Deimos’ mane, turning the man’s head to the port city of Squall.
“Is this not what you expected my lord? To me it seems the very picture of Ice.” Deimos huffed, grabbing the tundra’s wrist and pulling his hand from his head,
“Of course I expected this! Did you think I was unprepared? I know what I’m doing Bloodbane, I haven’t been a hatchling for more cycles than not at this rate!”
“No insult was meant, simply. You look cold. How about we stop and get you a warm drink and look for accommodation? We will need to find a heading before moving forward and a single letter is not much.” Their bags were hefted to the Tundra’s back, following Deimos as he trots toward shore, hands still shoved deep in his pockets.
“I wasn’t Insulted. Don’t insinuate as much about me. I will however find that drink. Tea helps me think.” Not looking back to hide the pout on his face, he quietly snaked his way through the crowds. Fighting the urge to allow his wings to manifest to shield him from the wind, the impressed look on passerby’s faces at his figure more than enough to fuel him on.
Squall was no stranger to travelers with it’s import docks being one of few leading to the interior of the Snowfields. The last gate of entry before the sea became so ice ridden that no ship dared sail farther south. In it’s readiness, the dock was scattered with maps and signs with direction to the many shops that had taken advantage of the location. Supply shops for travelers, Pubs and Inn’s scattered down the shoreline. Finally driven to just pick one of the options Deimos chooses the closest, thankful for the roaring fire tended by a little mith. Pushing logs into the hearth before jogging back to the Coatl managing the counter in the back. She trilled to him as he approached, feathered crests rising and flicking at him.
“Welcome! What would you like today dear? We have fermented Cider right from the shade of the behemoth all the way to the Warped teas from the starwood strand!” Her voice carried the distinct pop and hiss of her kind, the flame-like waver so distinct. “My name is Hazel by the way.”
“Pleasure. I am Lord Deimos, and this is my retainer Bloodbane. I will take some tea please.” The counters were smooth, polished by the many hands that used it over the years. Water stains dappling its surface in an echo of its patrons. Humble for such high offerings. “Bloodbane usually enjoys plague wine, if you’ve any here.” The happy rumble from his father was at least worth the bother of asking. Sitting to his right Bloodbane carefully puts his weight to the bench and deposits his helmet in his lap.
“Sure thing Honey, I’ll be right back.” Hazel leaves, the Mith climbing to the countertop to keep an eye while she’s busy. Its large eyes scanning the room in practiced waves.
“So my Lord, where would you like to begin?” Deimos chews his lip for a moment, rolling Squalls map in his head. His best recollection of it is imperfect but good enough he supposed. By the time he had an answer Hazel had placed their drinks down, gold pressed into her warm outstretched paw.
“Safely I think, The library. Perhaps the merchant’s guild if we can.” The tea smelled wonderful, easing his worries of the claims of origin being flashy marketing.  The swirling pearlescent lavender reminding him of the academy.
The bloodwine was to Bloodbane’s taste at least, Even if Deimos could never understand the appeal of such a ghastly drink. It always smelled of corpses and death to him.
“A Wise choice. Tomorrow morning then.” He paused, looking down to the wildclaw and raising a brow.
“Yes. Tomorrow Morning is fine; I want to rest.”
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iserlohndiary · 6 months
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looked at some photos of the inside of kowloon walled city and finally realized that part of what enticed me to those images are that they looked similar to what i would see in my childhood, visiting family relatives from my mother's side who were mostly merchants in the market in their hometown. the conditions of places that are very well used and not pretty but maintained by the users to the Best of their ability (the alley floorings had dirt between the tiles, but it was packed dirt, smoothed by daily sweepings)
sometimes my mother would shop alone and leave me with my uncle, who served for and delivered coffee and instant noodles to every part of the market. he was always busy running all over the place and so i actually got babysat by the people whose stalls were beside his. i remember an old lady who sold pots and pans, and an imposing man selling fermented cassava and yeast (the stall had this big scale installed on its ceiling that i always thought could be used to rock a baby to sleep). further out were some other family relatives, with trades ranging from school supplies to tea and rice. always came home with a full stomach, plastic wrapped snacks and soft cakes on my pocket, and some other new things
as far as i know the sprawling market had only one bookstore. it was kind of grimy but well lit and had a good circulation because it faced outside towards the dusty field that was the minibus station. because it was near the station i could always whine about how i hadn't got a new book in so long and my mother would concede, because we were going home and she was already so tired and only wanted to get into a minibus as soon as possible. the selection was not great. but the old man who manned the store was kind. almost always reading whenever we went in. most of the time i'd choose some attention grabbing magazines, but he would offered me something else that i didn't think i'd like but ended up liking anyway. if my love of reading started at any one place i think it was in that store
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abyssalzones · 1 year
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🍕🍀🎹 FOR ANYONE (everyone) IN EV YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT!!!!! id love to hear abt them all but do so only if youre in an infodumping mood don't force yerself <:)
Yasha you of all people should know that I am Always in an info-dumping mood. VERY LONG POST UNDER THE READ MORE
🍕 - What is their favorite food?
ROSE CUBBAGE: I'm fairly certain I've answered this before (feel free to dig through my OC tag to find a series of other asks that I went into depth with a little while ago) but I think Rose would love any type of food that is a sweet/savory combination. Foliaverds don't have strong "sweet" flavor receptors, being hyper-carnivorous, but the sugars you'd see in fruit do get across to their palette more or less. See this dialogue from the outline of a chapter:
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DOMINO: Domino is extremely picky about her food, something unusual for her species- who are usually content as filter-feeders, snacking on whatever bacteria and small animals (or even bits of dead animals- they aren't picky) make themselves at home in the caverns of Yxin, either colonizing the rocks or floating aimlessly through the densely-chemically-populated air- but she has an odd taste for salts. Odd, because that stuff is considered pretty acidic and foul to most moeboids. Keep an eye on her or else you'll lose track of your table salt.
VENUS: As with most Ikarians, Venus's diet consists mainly of insects. However, he normally has a very subdued appetite due to... multiple things. Their samefoods mostly consist of cold (or just not hot) things that don't have a very strong smell: frozen crickets, protein chips, dried fruit, and (expensively) tenjarian-tempered yogurt that's supposed to be digestible for every species, but most think it tastes... awful. Venus loves it, for some reason.
GILLS KVN: Herbal tea and pain pills. Well- that'd be the answer early on, anyway. He starts eating more regularly with time and feeling a little more comfortable actually getting out of his lab to visit the kitchen, and as per usual for his species, mostly favors raw seafood. He prefers animals with shells, though, since overly-mushy textures bother him immensely. As for his favorite favorite, I think he'd enjoy a bowl of south Kaaleran noodles (thin, dried parasitic eels native to Kaalera's coasts, cleaned and fermented with starch. Add steamed veggies, whatever eggs you have on hand, and plenty of spices), which is notoriously too hot for most species to handle.
SPARKPLUG: I elaborated on this a little before, similar to Rose, but I think Sparks is partial to sweets! Sweet for his species, anyway. He loves the kinds of tangy, metallic preserved pastries native to his home planet, recipes carried down and altered by his family for generations, across planets. I'm lazy so I'm just going to steal what I already wrote:
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Pie is a universal concept.
NORA ACTON: Peanut butter + banana + bacon sandwich. Simple, very filling. I like to think she only realized this after moving out and trying to figure out how to feed herself in her academy days.
🍀 - What originally inspired the OC?
Going to give you a catch-all answer for this to start with: the conceit of the comic, and subsequently most of the crew, was that it was originally a cast of Starbound OCs! That obviously has changed, but it's still in their roots. As for specifics...
-Rose was sort of her own thing, a position of leader and captain that needed to be filled- and she only really came into her own later in terms of development, inspired by characters like Alyx Vance or Ellen Ripley in particular- and my own personal experiences, actually. I think in a lot of ways Rose is closest to me.
-Venus's inspiration is weirdly difficult to pin. Taako from TAZ, maybe? A little bit of the Rito from when I played BOTW? He's kind of his own character, really.
-Gills, however, was definitely strongly inspired by Ford Pines. I feel like it's a little obvious sometimes. Then, a little later, characters like Spock, or Kim Kitsuragi.
-Sparkplug... draw your own conclusions based on the information above, particularly his dynamic with Gills. His arc, however, was also strongly influenced by my own ongoing struggles with chronic fatigue.
-Domino is inspired by a whole host of fictional characters, ranging from Lupin to Max from sam & max to Shiraishi from golden kamuy, but the most important part is that she was originally an OC created by my friend Addy, who I've known since the comic was in its baby stages. That part of who she is is extremely important to her core as a character.
-Nora is kind of like... a fusion of Sam Raimi era Peter Parker and inspector Zenigata from Lupin III. But british. and butch.
🎹 - Do they have any hobbies?
ROSE CUBBAGE: Worrying. Creating collages, actually, but those mostly consist of future plans and secret obsessive corkboards. She used to enjoy biking, and still has her bike from when she was an older teenager sitting around on the station, despite not using it much.
DOMINO: Stealing things to create "art" in her room. I think she'd love to branch out and create more multi-media type stuff, but she's mostly motivated by boredom.
VENUS: Between you and me, I think they write fanfic. Something he would no doubt label as extremely cringe and keep very close to his chest, but fun to kick back and knock out a couple hundred words on every once in a while. They mostly tinker with robotics, though that's less of a hobby and more the main thing he does around the station, so it can get a little boring. I think they could put effort into making video games if they really felt up to it, but they struggle with seeing the point in it. Creative passion projects are embarrassing, after all- from his perspective.
GILLS KVN: Aside from reading, I'm not so sure Gills has any hobbies to begin with. He spends most of his time working on projects in the lab, which while he might consider it fun, it's still ultimately work. I think he would really benefit from taking up something like terrariums or aquariums, maybe some casual gardening. That, and cooking- which is really another form of chemistry, if you think about it.
SPARKPLUG: Another damn workaholic. However, Sparks enjoys music as a hobby immensely, and is rarely far from a stringed instrument, such as his retractable banjo. When the joints in his hands get tired or locked up, I think he'd enjoy getting outside and doing a little nature-watching. Does that count as a hobby? It does now.
NORA ACTON: Nora is definitely the most visually artistic of the crew, something that she's never considered for a career but definitely enjoys as a hobby. She mostly does environmental art, studying things from nature and her surroundings- a fun practice for someone with such a photographic memory. Similarly, I think she loves using her camera, even if it's mostly something she picked up for work.
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moshintheteagaiwan · 2 years
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Puerh Storage Experiment
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Puerh. A tea category that holds endless wonders that never cease to amaze those new to it or those who have been drinking it for years. Puerh is a tea that has two kinds of effect on people. Either it’s unique flavors and aromas scare you awy or suck you in so deep that you dare not even thing about any other kind of tea but Puerh. But to those new and those well versed in this fascinating tea, the topic of how to store and age Puerh is always up for debate. Puerh is a tea meant to be aged, and with aged comes change in the tea’s characteristics. It can lose is bitterness and become sweeter. The flavor can become smoother and richer. And the value of tea grows higher and greater, especially when aged properly. But there is the million dollar question. How do you age/ store Puerh properly?
Without going into great detail, the two main methods are “Dry Storage” and “Wet Storage”. These names refer to two different methods where both temperature and humidity are controlled to allow for the desired outcome. Puerh that has been wet stored ages faster while Puerh dry stored ages slower. However if is worth mentioning that while these are the two most commonly discussed ways of aging Puerh, they hold little no value outside of China where these methods originate. Why? Because these methods were created naturally based on areas of China where Puerh is stored that either have naturally dry weather or naturally humid weather. But what about the rest of the world?
I live it Canada. Here outside of summer the weather tends to be on the dryer and cooler side. This is very different from the weather in China. Puerh is drank by people all over the world, yet we only discuss aging and storage methods used in China. All parts of the world have different weather conditions and therefore have different challenges in this field. And while your intention may not be to age your Puerh, weather and temperature in your location could also make all the difference when it comes to simply storing your Puerh so it stay fresh and maintains the characteristics you like. And so I finally decided to do an experiment.
I purchased 5 100g Puerh cakes from Yunnan Sourcing. All 5 far are the same cake consisting of raw Puerh from 2019. In this experiment my intention is not only test how naturally Canadian weather affects Puerh storage through a few different methods, but also to see how best to store your Puerh if you don’t want it to age, but want to maintain and save it’s characteristics that make you love it. In this experiment I am using storage methods that easily suit the everyday person. Yes, expensive humidors used for cigars and tobacco can be used to recreate wet and dry storage methods, but a humidors big enough to house all your Puerh cakes is not likely int he budget. This experiment is broken down into three parts. Part 1 is has to due with whole cakes. Part 2 has to due with broken cakes. And finally part 3 has to do with mao cha (loose Puerh). So let’s take a close up look at the experiments:
#1 - Whole Cake Aging & Storage
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Puerh has been pressed into may shapes, in many sizes throughout history, mostly for the purpose of easy storage and transportation. But how does being pressed into a cake or brick affect the tea’s ability to age? It is said that while the outer part of the cake slowly oxidizes inward from being exposed to oxygen, the cake also ferments slowly from the inside outward. This is due to a small amount of moisture that gets trapped inside during the steaming and pressing process. And so part one of this experiment will focus on storing whole unbroken cakes.
Cake #1 will be stored in it’s original wrapper and kept inside a cardboard box to help filter out any unwanted aromas as well as light. The box will also allow for some oxygen flow without being fully exposed to the outside elements. The purpose here is to see how the tea ages with controlled oxygen and minimal outside exposure.
Cake #2 also is being stored in it’s original wrapper, but is also being put into a sealed zip lock bag with all the air pressed out. It too will then be stored in a cardboard box. The purpose here is to see if by eliminating all contact to oxygen if we can protect and savior the current characteristics of the cake. The point being to prevent aging and maintain its current character, for those who like myself, may not want to age their Puerh but simply preserve it.
#2 - Broken Cake Aging & Storage
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In this part of the experiment we will be dealing with broken cakes. As mentioned above, cakes age due to a combination of outer oxidization and inner fermentation. It can be argued though that by breaking off pieces of a cake that we are exposing the inner part of the cake to a higher rate of oxygen, causing loss of inner moisture for fermentation and increasing outer oxidization, resulting in unbalanced aging. But unless you are storing a whole cake without any intention of breaking into until it’s aged a few years, clearly you must break off pieces in order to drink it now.
And so the purpose here is to see how well a broken cake ages once broken into and how to best preserve a broken cake.
Cake #3 was broken in half evenly down the middle. This severed the outer “membrane” of the cake, allowing for more exposure to oxygen and loss of inner moisture. one half was wrapped back up in it’s wrapper and placed in a cardboard box, while the other half has been placed in a zip-lock bag with all the air pressed out.
#3 - Loose Puerh Aging & Storage
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In this final part of the experiment we look into the theory of aging Puerh loose. Some argue that the only way to perfect age Puerh is to age a mao cha (loose tea) either by buying it loose or breaking your cakes up and storing the loose leaves.
Cake #4 was completely broken and divided evenly into thirds.
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One third was placed in a small ceramic jar with a loose fitting lid that allows for controlled oxygen flow. One third was placed in a ziplock bag with all the oxygen pressed out of it. And finally one third was placed in a simple brown paper bag to simulate being store in it’s wrapper. Here I hope to see how the tea ages loose and how well it can be preserved loose.
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Cake #5 is being used for drinking now in order to create tasting notes and take photos for documentation and comparison tastings after the experiment is complete. This experiment will run exactly one year starting Sunday April 17th 2022 - April 17th 2023. Until then the Puerh is all being stored in the same area of the house where temperature and humidity tend to naturally fluctuate in small amounts throughout the year, aka the tea room.
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In one year’s time I will be opening all these teas up again to due multiple side by side comparison tastings. Stay tuned for initial tasting notes from cake #5.
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rabbitcruiser · 3 months
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National Drinking Straw Day
Sipping a cold drink has never been more enjoyable thanks to these colorful tubes of fun that make every sip a delight!
Can you imagine drinking a milkshake without a straw? Or how anyone would manage a juice box? How many soft drinks would you have spilled on yourself in dark movie theaters if it weren’t for straws? I think we can all agree drinking straws have changed our lives for the better enough to deserve their own holiday, and that’s exactly what Drinking Straw day is about: celebrating the invention and patenting of the (paraffin-covered) paper drinking straw!
Learn about National Drinking Straw Day
National Drinking Straw Day has been designed to celebrate this humble invention. A straw may seem like such a basic thing, but it’s a necessity. From milkshakes to iced coffees; a straw is a must for a number of drinks. This is especially the case for cocktails with mint leaves in and other elements that you don’t want to swallow!
History of National Drinking Straw Day
The straws man ever used were made by the Sumerians, and were probably most often used for drinking beer, which at that time contained many solid byproducts of the fermentation process. Thousands of years later, in the 1800s, the rye grass straw became popular because it was cheap and soft. Unfortunately, it also had the tendency to turn to mush in liquid.
One day, while drinking a mint julep, inventor Marvin C. Stone became especially frustrated by straws’ shortcomings, as the taste of the rye mixed with that of his drink, giving it a grassy taste. He then patented the modern drinking straw in 1888. The first straw Stone made was just paper wound around a pencil to make a thin tube, and he then slid out pencil out from one end and applied glue between the strips.
This was already a great improvement on the rye grass straw, as it did not impart any flavor onto the drink being consumed. Stone later further refined his invention by building a machine that would coat the outside of the paper with wax to hold it together, so the glue wouldn’t dissolve in the Bourbon he liked to drink.
How to celebrate National Drinking Straw Day
One way to celebrate National Drinking Straw Day would be to spend the entire day drinking all liquids via straws—your morning orange juice, afternoon mineral water, you evening wine and so on. One thing to watch out for here, however, is the fact that sucking any liquid into your mouth via a straw heats the liquid up by a few degrees, and that’s why hot drinks, such as coffee or tea, should not be drunk using straws, as that could lead to scalding your mouth.
Another great way to celebrate this holiday would be to learn to make the drink that that inspired Marvin Stone to create a new kind of straw in the first place: the mint julep. Then, sit back, sipping your drink through a straw and be grateful it does not taste like rye grass! Cheers to Marvin C. Stone, ladies and gentlemen!
Mint Julep Recipe
Ingredients
Makes 2 cocktails
10 mint sprigs
1 ounce simple syrup OR 4 sugar cubes OR 4 teaspoons of sugar
5 ounces of your favorite bourbon whiskey
Mint sprigs for garnish
Place half of the mint and simple syrup or sugar into one special julep cup, or double old-fashioned glass, and the other half of the mint and sugar/syrup into another. Muddle the mint well with a spoon to dissolve the sugar and to release the oil and aroma of the mint. Pour half of the bourbon into one glass, and the rest into the other. Then, fill both glasses with crushed ice and stir quite energetically, until the glass becomes frosty. Garnish with the mint sprigs and enjoy!
If a Mint Julep is not for you, another drink that needs to be enjoyed with a straw is a frozen Margarita. The Margarita is a classic cocktail, which consists of triple sec, tequila and lemon or lime juice. It is traditionally served with a salt glass rim, however, there are many variations available nowadays and a lot of people opt for sugar instead. You will see a Margarita in various forms, such as straight-up – without ice, frozen – blended with ice, and on the rocks – shaken with ice. There are also fruity varieties and different flavours incorporated into modern versions of this drink.
The Margarita is definitely one of the best summer cocktails, as it is light, refreshing and bursting with flavour. Most people opt for a frozen margarita during the warmer months, as we like our drinks ice cold when it is sweltering outside. We are going to reveal one of our simple frozen margarita recipes to follow, so you can easily enjoy this drink at home.
To make a frozen margarita you will need tequila, Cointreau, white caster sugar, orange zest, sea salt flakes and fresh lime juice. You are going to begin by making a syrup by combining water with caster sugar in a pan over heat. Make sure you choose a low heat and stir the contents constantly until the sugar dissolves. After this, you should grate in the orange zest and squeeze the lime juice. Pour all contents into a container and freeze.
Once you are ready to enjoy your Margarita, you should take the frozen mix from the freezer and blitz it in a blender. Once you have done so, add Cointreau and tequila. Get yourself a glass and rub a lime wedge around the rim, roll it in a little salt and then pour the drink inside. Finally, grab a straw and cut it in half so it fits the glass. The only thing left to do is enjoy it!
Of course, you can always make non-alcoholic versions of these drinks! Or, why not make yourself a nice, cold frappe? To do this, you need to add some water and coffee to a glass. You can add some flavored syrup, such as vanilla or caramel as well. You then need to whisk these ingredients together until there is a nice froth on the top. Add some ice, top up with milk, add a straw, and enjoy!
We also recommend that you do your bit for the planet and ditch your plastic straws on this date (if you have any!). Instead, opt for a metal straw, which can be used again and again. These are much better than the paper straws, which can be rather frustrating!
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lunarmote · 2 years
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Davis trip, 8/28
(Writing as if this were August 28th)
I'm hanging out with a friend, M, who goes to UC Davis. He’s one of my oldest friends in this area who went to my community college.
He's late. I know he's a coffee connoisseur, so as punishment I make him get a regular Starbucks latte. He takes sips while driving, downing it like a champ before I get to even half of my drink.
We go to pick up his friend. The atmosphere in the car is light and social.
We commiserate with each other over the heat - I'm told that Davis commencement got canceled because people were fainting due to heat stroke. We tease M while he's driving about his choice in navigation apps. 
We muse, with great difficulty, over the meaning of the obscure emojis that are used over Discord. M's friend tells me about someone she knew who used the rocket emoji. I tell her about someone I knew who used the watermelon emoji. I tell the two of them about spamming a project group chat with random (e.g. peach, foot, thought bubble, injection, volcano) emojis to get the attention of unresponsive group members. At some point we realized, maybe there is no point in talking meaning, because sometimes there's no meaning behind what we do.
It's just like old times, except things have changed and it won't ever be old times, but we can get close.
UC Davis
M drops his friend off and we drive to Davis.
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Here's the main street in front of Davis.
We hit the boba shop right away and one of the only noncaffeinated options they have is a lychee icee thing. +1 in Davis's favor: unlike UCSD with TapEx, Davis actually has two real boba places on campus.
We walk outside and my senses are overwhelmed - by the heat, by the brightness.
A thing that jumps out to me is the lack of verticality. All buildings are one-story tall. We're surrounded by expanses of green. To get anywhere on campus you walk parallel to a grass field (or on it I guess, if you prefer). The average color of the Davis campus must be a kind of saturated apple green.
We walk by CoHo (Coffee House) and take a long stroll along the arboretum. (When M told me this word I couldn't spell it even though he kept mentioning it. Finally, I've looked it up)
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The colors are more vibrant in real life - it’s blown out on my phone.
Being on-campus during summer sessions is always weird. Alien. I feel like my mind keeps trying to fill in the emptiness with projections of people.
Dinnertime - we get fermented tea leaf salad and a Burmese rice dish. It's my first time trying any kind of fermented salad, and I have to say it's pretty nice!
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We go to pick up M's friend and start the long drive home.
Here's where as the shotgun navigator I get to also choose the music we play. Except, when nobody is fighting over it, it somehow doesn't feel nice to stick in random troll songs. So I provide a nice little warning before blasting Japanese screamo (Maruosa - Muscle Spark)...
M's friend: Oh hey I know this song!
M: What? How do you know this song?
M's friend: You showed it to me! What do you mean?!
Me: What? Why did he show it to you?
M: ...
I guess the warning wasn't necessary. In between screamo we also play old time goodies (Owl City, Train), German metal (Rein Raus by Rammstein of course), and clips of Bill Clinton advertising free stuff Toto's Africa. Lastly, I request Voyager by Daft Punk... which is my go-to song for long drives at night.
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Compare Ninja CE251 vs CE201 Model
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What portion of the espresso machine do you believe is generally vital to plan for making the best espresso? Numerous barista clients say that the flavor of espresso relies upon the recipe. Ninja CE251 is for a period without a maker that could do likewise. Its hot brewery innovation gives you high intensity for extremely hot espresso. He is given 15 seconds to put it on. This Ninja ce251 programmable brewer is completely chosen for espresso eaters as it permits you to mix hot espresso for as long as 24 hours. It permits you to require activity in front of investment presented by a couple of winemakers. How about we continue toward its definition.
Espresso creator Ninja CE251 can blend so you can get lovely or rich.
Its adaptable warming curls keep the espresso hot for as long as four hours.
This sort of Ninja Coffee includes a straightforward 60oz water repellent. The 24-hour brew plan gives you something hot early.
This bottling work incorporates a mid-mix breaker that permits you to snatch a glass of mid-brew.
The Ninja CE215 Programmable Brewer accompanies an adaptable stove that gives you extremely hot espresso for as long as 4 hours. The Ninja Ce201 espresso creator accompanies a short warming plate to keep its warm intensity for 4 hours without heat.
Espresso as well as tea has an astounding taste. Its flavor gives the espresso a scrumptiously sexy, sensitive, blossom fruity fragrance. This superb espresso program has a straw processor to convey the espresso to guarantee you have a warm, scrumptious espresso.
The hot innovation of this sort of Ninja doesn't allow you to ponder hot espresso. Its hot blazes have an adaptable temperature blend for ideal hot espresso at the right temperature.
It has a 60oz water stockpiling tank that can hold up to 12 cups of carafe milk. It has a very much depleted water tank that permits you to fill the tank without the mess.
A foamy icing framework gives you a lot of milk making for a delectable cappuccino.
This kind of Ninja accompanies different frills like a long-lasting channel, a ninja scoop introduced, and a 12-glass screen.
What clients say regarding the Ninja CE215 Programmable Coffee Maker
Ninja CE215 Programmable Coffee Maker enjoys a significant upper hand over its clients. Ninja has thought of many models. In any case, this kind of espresso of the Ninja party celebrates all that of its ancestor. He utilizes a great deal of rapture with this brewer. For amateurs, they share a few hints so they can play out the unrewarding brewery and get it.
The most ridiculously contacting portion of this is all there is to it carafe. Any year clients can utilize it since it is not difficult to introduce. It permits you to drink espresso the entire day without complaint. Mobile water tanks are an extraordinary expansion to moment cleaning. As indicated by them, this is an espresso creator with remarkable quality. The pot of the espresso producer doesn't bubble as fast as the supposed espresso pot. Be that as it may, barely any clients have grumbled about its frying pan. They said his hot plate couldn't keep the espresso warm. In any case, this producer is faultless. They support it without a doubt. Likewise, you can find the best Keurig espresso model to consider. A significant piece of the Ninja CE215 Programmable Brewer
The capacity to brew
The Ninja CE215 Programmable Brewer accompanies a hot and cold shower framework so you can blend new espresso and tea quickly.
Ninja clients can make foamy specialty wine by adhering to their guidelines and directions. No other espresso producer conveys espresso and tea as rich and exemplary as Ninja Coffee Maker. You don't need to stress over brew size. It gives you the legitimate temperature for a brief time frame and doesn't give you harsh or hot espresso. To make the fermenting system simpler, it offers bottling works.
An implicit pinner permits you to quantify how much espresso, milk, and different fixings make a solid espresso.
Cleaning and support
This programmable espresso machine gives you great espresso while you clean it routinely. To clean it, you want to wash the portafilter, super durable channels, and carafe. If you have any desire to keep your machine exceptionally spotless, you can clean it. On the off chance that you think it generally looks great, you can utilize a cleanser and clean water. In the wake of completing the espresso, wipe the machine with a spotless fabric.
If you have any desire to clean it appropriately, you can dismantle the machine. Complete directions you can find from Ninja espresso producers or their client support organizations.
Life span
Typically, the Ninja CE215 allows you one year guarantee. However, here and there this machine has a great deal of discussion about making a round brew and water tank. You can expand the life expectancy by accomplishing cleaning work or supplanting the parts. As per client numbers, this maker labored for quite some time. Be that as it may, it relies upon your utilization rate. Then again, countless clients say it just labors for a half year. Assuming that it is a half year old, you can contact client support and they will fix it. You might be intrigued to know the Ninja Coffee Bar CF091 Carafe System Review
or on the other hand, think about the Delonghi America BCO430 Review - Is it the equivalent?
Ninja CE215 Coffee Maker FAQs
Is it hardened steel?
No. It is plastic. In any case, a few sections are metal. In any event, when it is made of plastic, it doesn't separate rapidly. Is it treated steel? No. It is plastic. Be that as it may, a few sections are metal. In any event, when it is made of plastic, it doesn't separate rapidly.
Is the dish light?
Indeed. The hot compressed air firearm has a fire. At the point when it illuminates, the buttons light up.
Last Thoughts
Ninja CE215 is more than an unrivaled program engineer. To provide you with some espresso in the first part of the day, there is no foe. Getting it for not exactly $ 100 would be a savvy choice. So put away your cash accurately.
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I wonder if Levi likes kombucha
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glazelilyy · 2 years
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curse this city
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pairing - diluc ragnvindr x gender neutral reader [MODERN AU!]
word count - 3224
genre - hurt/comfort, bittersweet fluff, happy ending!
format - fic
warnings - alcohol mentions, exes to lovers, cursing
summary - while back in your home city, you curse yourself for seeing your ex lover wherever you go...except that he's actually there, and real, and- oh god he's coming this way.
a/n - found this in my drafts from frickin JULY ?? it was pretty much finished and i just needed to write the cliche airport scene LOL but i hope you enjoy! i adore exes to lovers and modern au diluc is *chef's kiss* MWAH
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you had only meant to come back to the city for a week or two. you had grown, matured, and were sure that you had settled all the dirty laundry you had that you left to air within the familiar streets where echoes of your youth chatted away at nearby cafes and parks. “a trip down memory lane” soon turned into “oh shit oh shit oh shit i regret all my decisions” when your eyes fell upon that all too familiar mop of red hair sitting at a table at that cafe you used to frequent back in your high school days. seeing him felt like remembering the bitter aftertaste of a once delectable, sweet pastry.
and yet there wasn’t a day that went by where you didn’t think of him, or what could’ve been if he hadn’t decided to choose his career over you and take off on that plane to some faraway country.
he looked so different; he’d shed the skin of an openly gentle, serene young man for that of a clenched jaw, lines near his ruby red eyes, and furrowed brows. the sharp business suit layering his skin only contributed to the unrecognizable appearance of the man you once loved.
continued utc!
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you went back and forth about approaching him but you weren’t given the opportunity to make that decision when his crimson eyes looked up from his steaming cup of coffee and widened upon seeing your face.
“you’ve changed.” his lips stretched into a thin line.
“...we both have.” you replied with a smile that didn’t meet your eyes.
you wanted to go off on him—ask him all the questions that had fermented in your mind after so many years of wondering why he chose to abandon you. but, instead, you sent him one last longing glance before brushing past him and hurrying back to your hotel room to organize all your thoughts into manila colored files in the hopes of sorting them neatly into metal cabinets in your brain to never look at again.
what you hadn’t expected, however, was to repeat an odd pattern of running into him whenever you were out in the city. you bumped into him while skimming your fingers across cookbooks in your favorite bookstore, enjoying tea and cakes at your favorite pastry shop—even feeding the ducks near that lake you both once jumped into with midnight impulse and reckless youth running through your veins. you even saw him sitting on that familiar bench under a grove of weeping trees where you first confessed your feelings for him all those years ago and he replied in kind with a kiss on your forehead and a promise of the world.
frustrated, you marched up to the bench and looked down at him with a scowl. “are you stalking me?”
your blood practically boiled when he merely raised an eyebrow and looked up from whatever book he was reading, “i like to think i have better things to do than stalk you.”
diluc knew better though. his heart had been scuttling towards each and every one of your favorite places as soon as he touched down in the city—he was merely trying to keep up on his legs. from your favorite bookstore where he knew you loved to skim through cookbooks despite being a terrible cook, to your favorite pastry shop where he ordered those same cakes and flavored tea you once loved, to the lake where you once took his hand and gave him the courage to plunge below the icy depths of the water—and that all too familiar bench that rekindled fuzzy feelings he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
you opened your mouth to retaliate, but all your words fell flat once you read the title of the book clutched in his hands. “i-...why do...why do you still have that?”
he smiled faintly and ran the tips of his fingers over the golden, carved letters on the lacquer cover, “it was a gift from someone i once loved dearly. i could never part with it.”
confusion, anger, resentment, sadness—you weren’t sure what to feel exactly. you hadn’t expected him to still carry around the copy of pride and prejudice you gifted him so many years ago.
“i didn’t take you for someone who enjoyed romance. that gift was part gag.”
“...and i thought you hated rubies?” from your neck hung a thin, golden chain looped through a ring embedded with clinquint glitter and a single, neatly cut ruby in the shape of a diamond. hastily, you shoved it back down your shirt.
“i do,” you wanted to say. but even you knew that you were kidding yourself—not a day went by that you didn’t palm the ring you once swore to never take off and hold it against the thump of your heart.
you scurried away before he could peer over the towering cement walls you built around yourself in the wake of his destruction and left him without so much as a reply.
then it was over—you thought you’d never see him or interact with him again until he turned up beside you at an art gallery one evening, holding grape juice in a wine glass.
“what are you, five?” you snorted, taking a sip from your own flute of champagne while your eyes danced over another rembrandt.
“i’m not fond of alcohol.” he mumbled into the rim of his glass, staring at the large canvas in front of him by your side. “you look nice.” coughing into his fist, he eyed you from the side.
“your complimenting skills have gotten stale.” you snickered.
“i haven’t used them in a long time.”
curious, you cocked your head over to him. “what do you mean?”
“i haven’t...seen anybody since we parted ways.”
your jaw would have swung off of its hinges had you not held it in place. how it was possible for someone as handsome and well-liked as diluc ragnvindr to not have had a partner in so many years? the mere thought alone baffled you, let alone the actual fact that it was true. his hands hadn’t traversed the bodies of others since they gripped your hips, cupped your face and held your own like his life depended on it.
“i see…” barely audible, you replied with a salt lined smile on your face.
“and you?” diluc found your lidded eyes with a curious glint in his own.
“same boat.” you muffled the sour tone of your voice with the sweet taste of bubbly champagne.
you both left it at that for the night.
and for a while nothing happened. the end of your vacation was beginning to creep up on you and you knew you’d soon have to bid farewell to the city you grew up and fell in love in. your encounters with diluc had memories—both fresh and stale—stewing in the back of your brain. new questions and possibilities popped up left and right and you found that you couldn’t sit still.
so you found yourself sitting on the steps outside of your old high school, hands in your lap with your memories on your sleeve.
“we’ve got to stop meeting like this.” you jumped and whipped your head up to see someone you least expected to be standing in front of you.
“i’d hardly call it meeting if you’re stalking me.”
“like. i. said. i have better things to do than stalk my ex,” diluc grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest, “i just felt a bit nostalgic, that’s all.”
“what a coincidence,” you mused, looking back at him with a smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes, “i felt nostalgic as well.”
diluc toed the asphalt with the front of his dress shoe, averting his eyes from your own in favor of the ground. the glimmer of a golden watch pepped out and glistened in the moonlight from where he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his charcoal dress pants. how was it, you wondered, that he always dressed so formally as if he were two seconds away from revealing a marketing plan that would conquer the world? the diluc of your memories—the one who let you place leather jackets and his father’s old rayban aviator sunglasses on his body and call him a “bad boy” was long gone, you thought so at least.
a thick silence fogged the air that surrounded the two of you, and the questions that burned away in the pits of your stomach had the sudden urge to regurgitate themselves and spit acid.
“did you ever really love me?” barely above a whisper, you asked the question that had been simmering in the back of your mind since the day he left you standing alone in the airport.
he shot his head up from the ground, undecipherable emotions swirling within the pools of his face. “what are you saying? of course i did-”
“then why did you leave me diluc?” you rose from your seat and walked down towards him, “you flew halfway around the world and only left me a note that said we were finished! by the time i got to the airport you were already gone!” tears had begun to trickle down the sides of your cheeks despite your desperate attempts to swipe them away with your trembling hands.
“i...i deeply apologize...i handled it in the worst way possible.” he stretched his hand out towards your own, but paused midair almost as if he were afraid to traverse further. you hesitated at first, but stretched your own tear soaked hands out towards his and clasped both your hands around his palm.
“y-you hurt me...so much.” the words you’d rehearsed so many times in your head over your years of grief had all but disappeared into nothingness.
his free hand came up to your neck and slipped under the fine strand of gold, hot from resting against your burning skin. he tugged the ring out from underneath your shirt and pinched it between his forefinger and thumb.
“you didn’t deserve to endure having to wait years for me to come home to you, i did what i thought was best but i’ve come to realize,” he paused to look you directly in the eye, still holding onto the ruby ring like a lifeline, “it was the biggest mistake of my life.”
suddenly, you were eighteen again, lovesick with eyes only for him and dripping putty in his hands. you wanted to yell or scream at him—call him the biggest idiot and menace that you’ve ever met in your entire life and curse him for casting a spell on your heart that made it long for no one but him. but, instead, you buried your face into his shoulder and heaved the sobs you’d repressed deep down for so long. you clung to his black dress shirt with your life, too terrified to let go in fear that he’d disappear like dust in your arms.
diluc responded in kind, his grip on you left no room for gaps and yet he held you in such a way that you could step back and leave if you wanted to.
but you didn’t.
“i s-still love you...even a-after all these years i still do.” his heartbeat drowned out your confessed whispers of love, yet he heard you clear as crystal. the thump in his chest sped up far exceeding your own. with no answer from him at all, you pulled away and dragged an arm over your eyes.
“it’s okay, you don’t have to give me a response.” your lips stretched into a strained smile, matching the equally strained thinness of your voice.
“i leave in two days, my flight is at six,” your hands reached up, unclasped the golden string from around your neck and pooled the necklace that held the ruby ring into the palm of his hand, using your own to cover his fingers around the burning hot piece of jewelry, “perhaps i’ll see you again someday.”
and you left him standing dumbfounded in an empty lot.
you’d gone back to your hotel room and cried a reservoir into your pillow until the dusk of your vacation came upon you. the tips of your fingers would come up every now and then to where the ghost of a promise laid on your chest, only to be met with air instead of the smooth surface of the ring.
nothing—you heard utter silence as you stood in line for baggage checking. no voices that made your heart soar like his does. you had ceded to your deep rooted feelings, but now what? soon you’d be on a plane far away from his embrace with your heart in two and an emptiness in your chest. part of you cursed yourself for coming on this wretched trip to begin with—if you’d stay home, far away from your past, then perhaps you wouldn’t be leaving with you soul in pieces and an emptiness in your chest.
just as you began to slip off your shoes for the x ray, you heard a desperate call of your name followed by a clamber of noise and thumping footsteps.
“(y/n)!”
on the eve of your high school graduation you had taken diluc up to a grassy hill, spread a gingham blanket, and used his chest as a pillow while you talked about everything and anything. it was then, you remembered, you joked about him being a prince that must’ve hopped out of one of your novels. he replied with something along the lines of “i’m far too tired to be a prince.”
but you’d only wish that he could see himself now. because in front of you stood your prince whose heart pounded desperately in his throat.
bloodshot eyes blown wide open and frantic, clothes a mess of wrinkles with heaving breaths flying past his lips—he was a far cry from the well-ironed, put together man you first saw sipping coffee two weeks ago.
and yet you loved him all the same.
in a haste you wrangled all your items together, slipping a quiet apology to the guard and the others in line behind you with only the thought of him, him in your mind—the man who held your heart and whose ruby red eyes gripped onto your mind with a fiery spirit you never thought possible.
you couldn’t wait to put on your shoes or sling your carry on bag over your shoulders. they dropped to the ground as soon as his arms encircled your body and crushed you against his chest like a lifeline. you didn’t care about the crowd of people that had stopped to watch the circus that was your love life unfold, you didn’t care that the ground made your socked feet itch and burn in an icy manner, you didn’t care that you’d miss your flight if you stayed incubated in his arms any longer.
“i left you once,” his firm hands moved to cup your cheeks and wipe away the tears you hadn’t noticed had begun to fall, “but i won’t let you go again.”
it was only then that you felt the cool metal of the golden chain wrapped around his fingers as he caressed your skin. his shaky hands—you’d never seen his hands shake, but this diluc rangnvindr wasn’t eighteen anymore and there was so much more about him that you wanted desperately to know about—slipped the ring off the fine, golden chain and raised your right hand up within his own. the band of the ring gently pressed against your ring finger and his eyes found yours with reservation swimming amidst pools of ruby.
“what are you saying?” you hadn’t spoken a word and yet your voice sounded hoarse, weighed down by years of emotions that you thought you had locked away for good.
he swallowed—tried his best to quiet down his hammering heart and placate all his doubts. when you bestowed the necklace to him, diluc realized you left him with your heart in his hands. but little did you know, you had always had his heart embedded in the shining jewel that always sat snug next to your beating heart, warmed beneath the comfort of your clothes. he was eighteen when he fell in love with you and he still felt eighteen. time had frozen the minute he wrote the note that would shatter your heart and boarded a plane to a future that remained uncertain in his eyes—a future where you would not be able to stand by his side.
“this is for their own good.” he convinced himself over and over and over again—you’d be trapped in a loveless, long distance romance with him where the love would slowly fade, and diluc believed that he could not endure such a fate.
but after running into you in all those familiar places, seeing you as you’ve grown and matured and seemingly found yourself, he couldn’t help but fall in love all over again. you were the light in his life—what made everything worth living for, and he’d be damned if he let you slip through his grasp again.
“i’m saying that i love you. i always have.”
“curse you, diluc ragnvindr.” you wanted to mutter. his words shouldn’t make your heart flutter or spread warmth throughout your body—but they do and it terrifies you. this beautiful, sweet, dangerous man sent jolts of electricity and fireworks through your veins and you were but a helpless mess in his arms.
“if you’ll have me, i’m all yours.” he whispered; the metal of the ring still teetered on the edge of your fingertip when you found his eyes—watery and hesitant and all but putty in your hands.
a mangled sob bubbled up past your lips as you pushed your finger onto the smooth, golden band. your heart was bursting with emotions you thought you’d never feel again. your mind was overtaken with him—all of him and everything about him.
he smiled—you loved when he smiled, and it was an image that you did your best to erase permanently from your memories but seeing it on his aged face with little lines creeping from the edges of his jaw made your heart flutter all the same. diluc felt the ring brush against his cheek when your hands wiped away his tears and brought him down closer to your lips.
“i love you too, you big oaf.”
with only a single kiss, diluc managed to reignite the embers that you thought had longed cooled in your heart. his lips were ever so clumsy and meshed messily against your own but you couldn’t stop yourself—you were insatiable, longing for the taste and feel of this brilliant man that made you melt and you were sure he felt the same.
curse this city, filled with memories of holding hands, late night kisses, and pebbles thrown at windows. curse this trip, for having aligned with fate to make you cross paths with a man who burnt every part of your soul and yet constructed it to form a beautiful palace.
and curse diluc ragnvindr, who whispered words you wished he had said long ago against your lips:
“stay with me.”
with how your heart jostled and danced against his own, you knew you would.
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date published: february 28th, 2021
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