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x0401x · 4 years

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Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun: Ghost Hotel’s Café (Part 1)

Sneaking into a collaboration café that has the image of a “ghost hotel”! A cute and horrific space where one can feel at home for an “eternity”.

The Ghost Hotel’s Café, a collaboration café for “Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun” - one of the mangas currently being serialized in G Fantasy (Square Enix) -, was held in Tokyo, Ikebukuro’s AniPara Café, for a limited period from 12/05/2019 to 02/11/2020. In this collaboration café, the inside of the shop was decorated with “Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun”, where people can taste collaboration food and drinks, as well as purchase exclusive goods that cannot be acquired anywhere except in this café. This time, Pash! PLUS has been there for the first half of the event, which lasted from 12/05/2019 to 01/08/2020!

Welcome to the interior of the “Ghost Hotel”. You can relax here forever.

Ikebukuro’s AniPara Café is located on the 7th floor of a building that sits at a five-minute walk from the east exit of Ikebukuro (the Seven-Eleven on the 1st floor is a landmark!). This time, the collaboration café is based on the image of “Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun” x “Ghost Hotel”, and when the door is opened, the characters of “Hanako-kun”, who became employees at the “Ghost Hotel”, will welcome you.

The adorable characters drawn by AidaIro-sensei are everywhere in the store! As there were already many pop-like and cute illustrations in display at the entrance, we were stuck there for a while. However, this is a “ghost hotel”. Perhaps something more than just cute may be waiting...!?

Enormous panels of Hanako-kun, Nene and Kou were installed at the entrance to the main floor. By the way, if you looked veeery closely at the panels, there was a certain hidden message in them, or something like that. What’s more, the characters of “Hanako-kun” were hiding around the store in miniature versions... Check out every corner if you visit this collaboration café. The playfulness of the “ghost hotel’s employees” may be hidden all over.

Moreover, an original story by AidaIro-sensei was posted on the official Twitter of this collaboration café (@hanakokuncafe). If you check the backstory that led to the opening of the Ghost Hotel in advance, you may enjoy it from a different perspective!

In addition, there are many display panels of “Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun” around the store. It is a luxurious space where you can enjoy the adorable and vivid world drawn by Aida-sensei during the meantime until the collaboration menu arrives. It’s cute everywhere.

And when it comes to the place where the protagonist Hanako-kun belongs to, it has to be the toilet. This collaboration café’s toilet is a beautiful one at first glance, but when you sit down...

Just like ghosts, they “suddenly” appear everywhere in the store. While at this collaboration café, it may be best to pay attention to signs of their presence, so that you will be ready to encounter them anytime.

Check out the cute food and drinks inspired in “Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun”!

When it comes to collaboration cafés, the food and drinks are indispensable! This collaboration café has the “Ghost Hotel’s Café Afternoon Tea”, which includes an invitation to the Ghost Hotel; Hanako-kun’s favorite food, “Hanako-kun’s Floaty Doughnut”; “Mistuba’s Showy Pasta”, a pink pasta that aims for “flashiness”; the sparkly “Mokke’s Delightful Candy Cake”, modeled after candies, the Mokke’s staple food; and “The Edible Plots of Nene from the Gardening Club”, which looks almost like a plot and has a connection with the fact that Nene is part of the gardening club.

Cute and unique foods and drinks such as “Natsuhiko’s Room Service Cocoa”, which has chocolates shaped as screws as its main point, and “Teru’s Holy Exorcist Blue Soda”, which seems to be refreshingly purified by a combination of blue syrup and lychee soda, also made an appearance.

On the occasion, we ordered “Hanako-kun’s Vampire Berry Tea” and “Nene’s Welcome Drink” out of the many menu items. We actually tried them!

■ “Hanako-kun's Vampire Berry Tea” 700 yen (tax included)

Berry tea with the image of a “vampire” Hanako! At first glance, it has a dark red, tomato juice-like color (metaphor), but it is a beautiful drink that looks like rubies when you hold it in the light.

On the topic of berry tea, there are many people who wonder, “Doesn’t the taste of the black tea get too light because the taste of berries is too strong?” but Hanako-kun’s Vampire Berry Tea presents a good balance between the taste of tea and of berries, so we wound up humming without thinking, “I was waiting for this balance!”. There are three types of berries as topping and you can enjoy their texture, so for the people who are indecisive about their drink, we recommend Hanako-kun’s Vampire Berry Tea!

■ “Nene’s Welcome Drink” 600 yen (tax included)

Nene’s Welcome Drink welcomes the visitors into the Ghost Hotel. Gold leaves floating on a pale bluish ramune soda, and rather than being “a nostalgic drink from childhood”, it has a mysterious beauty that makes you feel like you “might be able to go to a different world” if you drink it.

As the name “Welcome Drink” implies, you can enjoy a refreshing feeling with this beverage when it goes down your throat. It might be a good idea to firstly have a toast with Nene’s Welcome Drink, and then order the food and drinks that you are curious about!

Now, if you order a “Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun” collaboration food and drink, you can get a random coaster (9 types in the first half/12 types in the second half). ♪ (Picture is from the first half.)

And these story cards (12 types in total) are available at random for each visit!

Also, if you eat at the café for more than 1,500 yen and collect three stamps, you can get an original can mirror. This, too, is cute!

Come to this a cute and slightly horrific (?) space interwoven by “Jibaku Shonen Hanako-kun”. Is it up to you whether or not you will become unable to ever return from the cozy Ghost Hotel.

Check out the latter half’s menu!

■ “Kou’s First Special ☆ Egg Benedict” (price: 1,300 yen/tax included)

The first egg Benedict that Kou made for Nene and Hanako. It has soft-boiled poached eggs and thick bacon slices.

■ “Nene’s Mermaid Salad” (price: 1,050 yen/tax included)

A beautiful mermaid salad with a blue dressing, inspired by Nene, who swallowed a mermaid scale and became the princess of the mermaid world (!?).

■ “Mokke Curry” (price: 980 yen/tax included)

The cute Mokke turns into a curry!

■ “Crazy-Risky Soup made by Teru” (price: 750 yen/tax included)

A pretty dangerous soup made by Teru, who is bad at cooking. The appearance is quite wicked, but the taste is...?

■ “Watchkeeper’s Tart with Fruits” (price: 1,200 yen/tax included)

A tart with a clock face printed on it, modeled after Aoi Akane. It is delicious to eat with pears and grapes. ♪

■ “Pipe Dream Cake” (price: 900 yen/tax included) ※limited number of slices per time

A colorful, cute five-layer cake. A marine-blue jelly with the flavor of a refreshing blue curaçao is laid out on it.

■ “Tsuchigumo’s Specialty Pancake ~Won’t Let You Run Away Anymore~” (price: 1,170 yen/tax included)

Tsuchigumo-sensei’s pancake, which recreates a cobweb with a purple sweet potato cream and chocolate sauce poured over it.

■ “GHOST HOTEL’S CAFÉ Afternoon Tea” (price: 2,400 yen/tax included)

An afternoon tea set that comes with an invitation to the Ghost Hotel’s Café. It has many cakes, so we recommend sharing it. ☆

■ “Hanako-kun’s Floaty Donuts” (price: 850 yen/tax included)

Hanako-kun’s beloved donut, decorated with blueberry sauce!

■ “Kou’s Specialty Rice Omelet” (price: 1,280 yen/tax included)

Kou’s special rice omelet with a melty egg coat over it. You can also get a card of Kou with it!

■ “Mitsuba’s Showy Pasta” (price: 1,300 yen/tax included)

Mitsuba’s flashy pink pasta, consisting of fettuccine and beet sauce.

■ “Amane and Tsukasa Twin Parfait” (price: 1,300 yen/tax included)

A twin parfait inspired by Amane and Tsukasa. Plenty of black sesame sauce on a panna cotta and shiratama. Plus, it is topped with cheesecake and chocolate cake!

■ “Amane’s ‘I wanted to be an astronaut’ Potatoes” (price: 850 yen/tax included)

Outer space-like potatoes inspired by Amane, who wanted to be an astronaut. Two kinds of potatoes with cheese sauce and basil sauce.

■ “Tsukasa’s Dismemberment Squid Ink Pasta” (price: 1,200 yen/tax included)

A completely black pasta of fettuccine and squid ink. You cannot resist the seafood richness of this item.

■ “The Edible Plots of Nene from the Gardening Club” (price: 850 yen/tax included)

An edible plot named after Nene, from the gardening club. The upper part is a finely crushed chocolate muffin, and the inside of the flower vase contains mascarpone, chocolate mousse and berries.

■ “Akane’s Self-Made Chai au Lait” (price: 700 yen/tax included)

You can mix the tea and milk to your tastes and enjoy your own original chai au lait!

■ “Aoi’s Fairy Forest Fruitball Juice” (price: 850 yen/tax included)

A cherry-based carbonated drink with fruit balls with the image of Aoi, the fairy.

■ “Sakura’s Good Night Mint Tea” (price: 650 yen/tax included)

With green tea flavor and mint syrup added to make it a little refreshing. The perfect hot tea to drink before going to bed.

■ “Hanako-kun's Vampire Berry Tea” (price: 700 yen/tax included)

A bright red, fruity berry tea, suitable for the vampire Hanako-kun.

■ “Nene’s Welcome Cocktail” (price: 600 yen/tax included)

A cocktail that welcomes guests into the GHOST HOTEL’S CAFÉ. Gold leaves on ramune soda!

■ “Kou’s ‘gotta be careful on full moon nights’ Squash” (price: 700 yen/tax included)

Lemon squash inspired by Kou, the werewolf. With lemon slices shaped like a full moon.

■ “Mitsuba’s Stay-Up-Late Hot Strawberry Milk” (price: 700 yen/tax included)

A warm drink with a layer of white milk and one of sweet strawberry inspired by Mitsuba, the mummy.

■ “Tsukasa’s Mixed Calpis Cola” (price: 700 yen/tax included)

Mixed Calpis Cola, in which the Calpis sways under the Cola just like the ghost Tsukasa.

■ “Mokke’s ‘you’re next’ latte” (price: 700 yen/tax included)

Mokke made into latte.

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hexenmoron · 3 years

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A day late as power went out and then our internet service was being repaired., but here is my contribution to Hagging Out! Before I really dive in, a quick thank you to @graveyarddirt for organizing the event and pulling everything together! <3

So a bit of history: my grandmother could not cook. Not for anything. She used to throw plain hamburger and frozen tater tots in a casserole dish, throw it in the oven at 350F and call it a day. She made a good turkey and fantastic chocolate mousse, but beyond that? It was beyond her. A weekly family special was shit on a shingle*, I shit you not.

As a result, all of her children learned how to cook as a method of self-preservation. They’re all honestly super fucking good in the kitchen, but the only one who has a true love of being in the kitchen was my mother. She loved cooking and food and tradition so much she started several herself because she couldn’t resist the sense of community it might bring us.

As a kid, so many of them were beyond my ability to enjoy. The flavors were complex or the texture wasn’t simple enough, but as I grew so did my appreciation of the work I saw go into these things. And with that appreciation came a finer palate (thank fuck).

So below is my first ever attempt at this fall favorite in the Hex Household. (I was never once allowed to make this with her – I was always shooed out of the kitchen since the sugar can get so hot as to leave really bad burns). Since she recently passed, I thought I would give a recipe that we dearly loved but never made together a shot. I think these turned out lovely.

You can make two varieties of this treat. The first is to make one large 9” tart and the second is to use tartlet tins to make minis. I personally prefer the mini because they are 1) super cute and 2) they really are a satisfying serving. The instructions are basically the same, the difference is in cook times.

First you have to make the tart shell. You’ll want to add 1/3 cold cup butter & ¼ cup sugar and beat until it’s fluffy. Some people will tell you this is best done with a wooden spoon and those people are masochists. Get out the damn mixer. Once it’s fluffy, add an egg yolk and beat well. Once everything is that same eggy color you know it’s beaten well enough to gradually add 1 cup of unsifted flour. This should be very crumbly – you’ll likely think for a moment that you did it wrong.

Here is where you choose to either make one large tart or a bunch of tartlets. For either size you want the tart tins with the removable bottoms. If the tartlet tins are vintage, the bottoms may not be removable and then you need to spray them the tiniest bit to make sure they don’t get stuck.

For one large tart simply roll it into the best ball you can (you may need to chill it for a bit if it took you awhile to get it all mixed properly), set it in the middle of the tin and start to flatten it, making sure to pinch the edges so the shell comes up along the sides. Bake at 375F for about 12 minutes or until it starts to ever so faintly brown. For tartlets it’s the same process, but divide the shell into smaller parts. Vintage tartlet tins can be pretty small and I know I have an aunt whose tins are so tiny she can get about 16. I ended up with 8 with my modern set because they’re a fair amount bigger. (Note: only 6 made it to the photo!) With the small ones she bakes them at 375F for 8 minutes, I ended up doing 10.

While those are in the oven, gather your other ingredients. If you need to chop your walnuts, do that now. Once the tins are set aside to cool you can start making the rest. The recipe says to cool completely, but I don’t think anyone in my family has actually done that. The duration of time it takes to make the filling is adequate so long as they’re not cooling on the stove top.

In a sauce pan, add 2/3 cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup butter, ¼ cup dark corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Stir constantly, bring to a boil and let boil for a minute. Quickly toss the walnuts in the bottom of the shell or shells (you can do this right when they’re out of the oven, but you’ll likely end up with them piercing the bottom of the shell and hitting the tin, making a bit of a mess for yourself later. It won’t hurt the flavor though). Once done, pour the hot syrup over top of the walnuts filling the shells. For large single tart, bake at 375F for 10 minutes. For tartlets bake at 375F for 6-10 minutes depending on size of tin. Either way you want the filling the be bubbly.

Set aside to cool and allow to cool (completely this time) before removing the tarts from the tin by pushing up at the removable bottom. Optional: beat about a ½ cup of cream until it is stiff and refrigerate until the tarts are cool enough to serve. The original 2 tablespoons can come from this ½ cup and you can also add a bit of vanilla flavoring if you like. I think methods of making the whip cream that use even more sugar would be too sweet for how sweet these tarts already are.

And now for the pictures!

*Skip all the other recipes online for shit on a shingle if you want the true experience of eating shit on a shingle. This one on Urban Dictionary is even a little more complicated that what grandma used to make because she found some way to basically make it a one-step process and serve it on the leftover crusts of bread.

#hagging out

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peach-jaehyunie · 4 years

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The Descent

Pairing: Lee Taeyong x OC, (minor) Johnny Suh x OC x OC, (former) Kim Taehyung x OC

Rating: 18+

Warnings: swearing, suggestive content, implied drug use

Pt. I

Words 4,263

Genre: Fantasy, Fallen Angel AU, slow burn

Synopsis: Vada spends her days working in a restaurant, letting all the desires of her true nature remain mostly unfulfilled. Where passion had once been in her life she is left with only half memories—secrets of her past that haunt her heart. A man with blue hair catches her attention he and his friend begin to ignite the feelings within her that have long been dormant.

You had known a man like that as a sophomore in college. He had been your dorm roommate’s boyfriend, and he had radiated an unfamiliar energy. He was ethereal and his aura pulled you in. One time you asked how he got the two scars on his back “I had my wings ripped off,” he joked. He was gorgeous, but one day he was just gone and your roommate curled up in her tiny bed to weep over everything Kim Taehyung had taken and given.

He had made you look twice when you had first seen him a month ago. He rode a bicycle and his blue hair ruffled in the wind, you couldn’t help but look at him—the ethereal beauty you had seen before in someone else. It had become routine to see him as you walked to work: he would fly past, his shirt billowing, sometimes followed by a hooded figure with downcast eyes on a longboard. Eventually, his eyes would catch yours as he passed: they were deep brown and calming, there was always a twinkle of hope to be seen in them for a fleeting moment as he sped by. You noticed days you didn’t see him, they felt slightly emptier and work would be lacklustre.

“Vada?” You snapped to attention as your coworker said your name,

“Yeah, sorry, what did you say?” You quickly replied as you went back to whisking a pastry cream twice as hard.

“Katerina needs to know what to put on the menu for the desserts this week.”

“Oh, um,” Devo had caught you at a bad time as you were daydreaming about a blue haired stranger. “I made a white cake filled with almond pastry cream between the layers and an Italian meringue icing; I have blood orange panna cotta setting right now, which will be served with a blueberry sauce...oh! I’m making trifle with the leftover cupcakes, and I’m going to make a chocolate cherry mousse and serve it in martini glasses.” You noticed that Devo didn’t write any of this down and braced yourself for when Katerina would inevitably come and nitpick your work. You furiously whisked in the eggs yolks and were relieved that the cream remained perfectly smooth as it took on a yellow hue. You felt as though you could probably whip up a triple batch of pastry cream in your sleep, so thinking about the two men that chose a bicycle and a longboard as their methods of transport in a hilly city like San Francisco kept your brain busy.

A handsome man caught your eye for a second as you walked home with your bag of groceries. His eyes met your gaze and you felt unable to turn away. A chill came over you and you felt that his eyes were enough to suffocate you in the crowded sidewalk, every step drew each of you closer together. You fought back a grimace as the street narrowed and the mass of people were forced closer together. You were able to force your gaze from him, but the stranger’s arm bumped into your shoulder as he walked past. The hair on your neck prickled, your stomach felt like ice; he felt wrong. You couldn’t shake the feeling of repulsion even when you got home and set your TJ’s bag on the counter and began to unpack it.

“Hey, Vada,” your roommate greeted you without even looking at you as she breezes from the bathroom, through the tiny living room, and into her bedroom before shutting her door. You could hear two voices through the door; Brian must have been over and now they were getting ready for a night out. You considered an evening spent at home alone: you weren’t much of a Netflix watcher, and a string of bad first dates had left you in a dry patch romantically. You couldn’t go out with Ana and Brian, because you had fucked Brian first and now it felt awkward because he wasn’t quite your sloppy seconds; he just mostly was.

You ate the dinner you had brought home in a to-go container from work; it was delicious and the flavours were balanced, an array of textures should have been enough to excite your palate, but tonight it felt as tantalizing as eating cardboard. You picked up a book; any attempts to read it failed as you continuously got up to scour the cupboards and fridge for anything attractive. You spent the evening fidgety and almost...hungry. It was an odd sensation, a mix of physical hunger; for food, excitement, sex—anything to pull you from the mundane— and an even deeper hunger: a yearning. You thought of the blue-haired man on the bicycle, a warm and pleasant feeling filled you. It was the exact opposite sensation that you had felt from the other stranger while walking home. A streetcar outside the window clanged and you rolled over in bed, irritated by its sound.

The next day the blue-haired man was not to be seen on the way to work. A somewhat familiar feeling of unfulfillment took hold of you upon reaching your apartment at the end of the day. While you got ready to out to a bar with Devo you remembered someone else filling you with that feeling before: warmth, hunger, and insatiability that you couldn’t describe. You flinched like a wounded animal when you recalled the sharp grip of guilt that had clawed at you in punishment for giving in to such base desires.

“Here, you look like you could use it,” Devo said, sliding you his Manhattan as he ordered another.

“A Manhattan?” You looked at him skeptically.

“Sophisticated; like me,” he immediately quipped “No, but seriously, what happened in the two hours since I last saw you?”

“I guess I’m just kinda bored and very lonely.” You take a sip of your drink, already regretting the lasting taste the alcohol leaves on your tongue and the cloying aroma it will leave on your skin.

“What about your roommate?”

“She’s out with Brian,” you weren’t jealous, or at least not of the Brian factor, but no one would have possibly known that from the way you gulped down the rest of your drink.

“The one you fucked first?” Asked Devo.

“Yes,” you replied with a laugh in his direction, “The one I fucked-first. I’m very generous that way, you know, bringing people together like that.”

You and Devo’s friend, Adrian (boyfriend, but Devo’s parents don’t approve and, no, he doesn’t want to talk about it) must nearly carry poor, drowsy Devo back to his little bachelor apartment. It’s tidy but dark; there’s enough room for two men in love as long as lavish amenities like oxygen aren’t that important to you. The only pieces of furniture are a bed, two bean-bag chairs in front of a TV sat on the floor and a table in the kitchen area that’s used as an extra counter when Devo is experimenting with a new culinary delight at home.

“Vada, let me walk you home,” Adrian tells you right after you two have put Devo in his bed.

“Sure, thanks,” you tell him. You like Adrian, but he proves to be a slow walker and a fast talker on the way home. He asks you what Devo is like at work—Devo is the first guy he’s gone out with since moving to San Francisco from Ohio.

“What brought you out here?” He’s young and curious: Devo is the mutual friend, but no one talks about your past because the parts you make public are boring and you keep all the gritty and smutty stories to yourself.

“UC Berkeley,” you sighed, but not audibly. “My dream school; I dropped out Junior year, first semester.”

“Shit, didn’t like it?”

“Nah, it’s a great school, it just wasn’t what I wanted at the time.”

“What did you do after that, I mean before working as a pastry chef?” Damn, could he walk any slower.

“Just kinda bummed it on what I had leftover from student loans,” Liar. Someone had gotten you a lucrative job as a stripper in a club off of Broadway. You thanked Adrian and quickly left him out on the street as you hurried up the two flights of stairs to your apartment. There wasn’t a sound from Ana’s room, but empty takeout containers sat on the counter illuminated in the dark kitchen by a strand of lights that hung above the sofa. Your mouth felt dry as your senses were suddenly overcome with the bass of loud club music and a hint of chemical cleaner to cover up the odour of spilled alcohol. Your skin felt sticky with sweat and your hands felt grimy from money—but when you opened your eyes it was just a little two-bedroom apartment in a house with a blue facade staring back at you. It was not special, it was not grand; there were fairy lights strung up and a half-dead cactus (too much water) in the corner. You could close your eyes and remember a room for special guests who wanted a private show...after they inhaled from a blue balloon they were too out of it to do anything more to than slip a hundred into your g-string.

That night you had a dream (or maybe it was a nightmare, but it wasn’t all bad) that you were back in your Berkeley dorm. You laid in the bed and felt warm and full, it felt like happiness but there was a dusting of excitement: a *secret*—which is sometimes just a cute word for a lie. Your limbs felt tangled and you could hear yourself whispering, which was strange because you felt that you were alone until Ally came in and saw you on your little bed and started crying as she shouted and threw items from her side of the room at you. She didn’t want your apologies—were they yours? The dream began to feel claustrophobic; Ally wouldn’t talk, only cry and push away any comforting hands and you could feel yourself standing there...were you apologizing? watching? All you knew was that guilt was suffocating you.

You felt him before you saw him. For the first time, you were aware that you weren’t the only one who looked at him as he passed by on his bicycle. His gaze was as welcoming as a lover’s kiss and his eyes still felt hopeful and warm. You thought (foolishly? hopefully?) that he only looked at you.

You saw him again the next morning and you brazenly returned his gaze: his eyes were like a deer’s, you wanted to spend hours staring into them because they felt safe, welcoming, nonjudgemental. His sharp jawline made your mouth water, but the small smile that broke from his beautiful lips made you feel warm and happy.

Devo came to where you worked in the kitchen to complain about the new line cook.

“Does he ‘Yes, Chef!’ too much for your liking?” You ask him with a straight face.

“No—“

“Oof, he reeks of Axe—“

“No,—“

“Does he have mutton chops like the last guy? Those were gross.” Devo often came to you to complain about the new staff. You enjoyed listing off his complaints about coworkers more than you would like to admit.

“This dude just...creeps me out. Like, he seems nice and everything, but fuck, this sounds ridiculous, I just get this really bad vibe from him, you know? It’s like bad...energy.” You stifled your laugh because Devo was so earnest.

“Well, I feel like I have to meet him now.” You say wiping sticky sugar from your hands and setting a timer on your phone.

“He’s nice! He just makes my skin crawl,” Devo nodded and laughed as he said this before heading back to his prep station.

“Behind, oven door!” You said loudly as you stepped onto the line to put a sheet of rolls on the oven.

“Oh, hey, Vada?” The chef addressed you,

“Yes, chef?”

“This is our new line cook, Johnny.”

The tall cook turned to you and despite having not seen his face before today you knew, you felt that he was the man on the longboard.

“Hey,” Johnny gave a small wave “Vada...I like that name, have I seen you somewhere before? You look really familiar.” He looked at your face intently for a moment before you spoke.

“Um, no I don’t think so. I haven’t worked at many restaurants before.” Being under his gaze felt like a microscope, but...it wasn’t a bad feeling. He shook his head as if to get rid of a thought.

“Well, it is nice to meet you, Vada.” Johnny offered his hand for you to shake. There was a strange and sudden internal pull when you grasped his hand and he must have felt it too by the way he smirked at you.

You couldn’t be sure that he was the longboard guy; when Johnny left work he left on foot to catch a tram. He was talkative and easygoing, behind his outgoing demeanour there seemed to lurk a sedate and tormented individual. You could only see it sometimes: it was there behind his eyes as he worked, sometimes it was written on his face for just a second before the jovial mask would return. Devo avoided him as best he could and Johnny (strangely) didn’t seem at all offended, regardless of how obvious Devo was.

“Drinks and staff night out at Gus’s tonight!” Katerina yelled into the kitchen as closing started. You quickly cleaned up your work station and grabbed a bucket of cutlery for polishing to help the servers get out faster. An hour later the group of you were turning out the lights and locking up, stuffing the split tips into a safe place to be spent later on. Gus’s Bar was a short walk and extremely casual and therefore suitable for a bunch of sweaty kitchen workers.

“First round is on me,” Katerina stated as she sat down at the bar and the old barkeep slowly approached while he was polishing a glass. He nodded and remained quiet as everyone placed their orders, never writing anything down, and began to make drinks more efficiently than you had ever seen in your life. The barkeep (possibly Gus) soon had a row of drinks up for all of you. As soon as Johnny downed his first in one go he exclaimed with a mischievous glint in his eye:

“Third round is on me!” He winked at you as you realized what that meant because no one had offered to buy a second round.

“I guess I’ll buy round two,” said one of the waitresses with a chuckle, her long, blonde waves shaking as she laughed. You felt pleasantly buzzed after round three, not really needing a lot more but also not anywhere near turning down an offer for another one. You ordered a whiskey sour—neat; this one you were paying for. You sat between Miles and Johnny at the bar: Miles was laughing at everything anyone said but paying you no mind because you just wanted to sit there and enjoy the feeling.

“I know where I know you from now,” Johnny spoke resting his arms on the bar comfortably.

“Oh yeah, where?” You grinned at him, unfazed.

“The Velvet Angel,” he said it loud enough that you knew you could only hear him, but you still felt that your heart stopped for a few moments. His eyes stayed on your face, but your thoughts raced and your mouth felt dry when you realized what this meant.

“How did you—“ you began licking your lips

“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything—it’s our secret.” He assures you upon noticing your hands shake as you tried to bring the whiskey sour to your mouth. You looked at him, blushing at how kind and welcoming his gaze seemed despite the fact you felt nearly like drowning. You wanted to run away...but you couldn’t, not from Johnny. Everything seemed foggy, but you finished your drink and ordered another. Adrian came and you felt the brush of his hand on your back as he said ‘hello’ and you thought you must have said something back but you couldn’t remember. Miles fell asleep with his head on the bar as Johnny comfortably nursed a beer on your other side. Strangers came and went, and one by one your coworkers left until it was just the three of you—two if you considering that Miles was passed out.

“Do you know where he lives?” Johnny asked you as he finally finished his beer.

“No,” you had to clear your voice as it cracked from disuse. Why weren’t you more shattered, why did this not feel so bad to have Johnny know of your past life.

“I have someone in my couch at my place, can Miles crash at your place?” You wanted to ask Johnny if it was the blue haired man of your fantasies that was on his couch. That thought felt silly and hopeful, especially because you were nearly just operating off of a hunch.

“Yeah, I don’t think my roommate will mind. Wait—“ You grabbed Johnny’s arm as he moved to get up and, you thought, leave. “—I don’t think I can move him by myself,”

Johnny chuckled at your panic, and you felt your face heat up even more than just from the alcohol.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get him home for you; I won’t leave you.” He said as he gently patted your shoulder. Johnny went to help Miles up, but the young man turned out to be drunker than expected and your jaw dropped as Johnny picked up Miles easily and began to carry him out.

“Are you okay to carry him by yourself? That’s not what I meant when I said I couldn’t; I can help if you want!” You called after him, nearly tripping out of your barstool and trotting to catch up with his long strides.

“No, I’m fine, he’s light. Just walk us in the right direction.”

It’s quite a few minutes before you pluck up the courage to say anything to Johnny about The Velvet Angel. You choose your words carefully, wanting to keep the conversation lighthearted.

“No offense, but you don’t really seem like the type of person that would have frequented The Velvet Angel.” You finally say.

“A man?” Johnny joked after a moment. His breathing wasn’t laboured even though he was carrying another person up a hill.

“No, I mean, like that place had other stuff going on.” You began to feel uncomfortable, maybe you had completely misread him.

“Oh...you mean the private rooms and the balloons...well, I try to avoid that a bit now, but I haven’t always.” His voice was soft and low, you turned to look back at him and there was that sad tortured look again. You regretted saying anything.

“I think I deserve some credit for remembering your face, though.” Johnny suddenly quipped with a shy smile.

“Yes, that was very gentlemanly of you,” you replied sarcastically.

“It was the expression you wore on your face,” he began after a pause, “Some of the women...you could really tell that you were just paying to see their body, and some liked to play as if they were teasing you, but you—your face was that of a lover.”

“A lover?” You dubiously queried.

“It’s… You looked like someone in love, your eyes invited an intimacy if you looked closely enough. You didn’t look fake or cheap, it was all art and the beauty of love in your face.”

Your mouth felt dry, and your walking slowed down as Johnny spoke. Love, what did that even feel like? Did you remember, had you ever known it? There was a void where memories of feelings like that should be stored. All you could remember was guilt...disgust, remorse, and guilt. You had slowed to a stop without realizing it.

“Are you okay?” Johnny asked, worried as he stopped by your side. You looked at him, unable to form a complete thought until the building behind Johnny took shape in the dark.

“This is my house.” You finally manage as you lick your lips and think to take keys from your bag. You unlock the main front door and hold it open as Johnny walks in carrying Miles.

“I live on the second floor, I’m so sorry,” You grimace thinking of him having to carry another man up the stairs.

“I said not to worry about it, Miles is light.” And he easily carries him to your apartment where Miles is laid on your sofa with a pillow from your bed and a spare blanket.

“Thank you so much, I hope you don’t have too far to go.” You tell Johnny as he walks toward your door to leave.

“Nah, it’s fine. It would be faster if I had my longboard, but I can catch a bus.” He shrugged.

“You have a longboard?” You asked, hoping you didn’t sound too curious.

“Yes,” he turned to you and chuckled a little “But you already knew that.” He couldn’t see your blush in the dark. How could he have known that you suspected him?

“Vada,”

“Mhm,”

“If you ever want to meet Taeyong...all you gotta do is ask.” In the hallway, a streetlamp illuminated his face enough for you to see his grin and wink in your direction before turning around and trotting down the steps and out.

———————————————————-

The blue haired man is absent for the rest of the week, but on Saturday night you follow Johnny out the back door to shout after him:

“I want to meet him; I want to meet Taeyong.” Johnny sets his longboard down and pulls his phone out to check it before he answers you.

“Okay,” he looks at you with a slow grin, “I’ll find out when he’s free. Now get back to work, I gotta hot date I have to meet.” He winks at you as he gets on and rides off.

You feel giddy—butterflies like a schoolgirl when you get back inside the restaurant. You have trouble sleeping that night: trying to figure out every possible scenario as to how Johnny knew about your hunch; all the ways you could meet Taeyong, and imagining a first date in which you were overflowing with wit, intelligence, and good things to say; and also a terrible dread and anxiety that Taeyong was just some random person and not the man with the blue hair.

Your eyes are bleary the next day, the cookbook in front of you seems to keep going out of focus.

“Fucking shit!” You curse as you burn your hand on a cake pan, a silent stream of fucks threatened to be uttered by your tongue as you cup your tender wound. Disheartened, you peer into a mixing bowl of clumpy custard. It will need to be strained. Nothing is going right and you feel frazzled. You check the fruit purée in the freezer to see if they have set in their molds yet—they haven’t. You go up to the main kitchen and pour yourself a coffee with extra cream, avoiding the warmth of the mug with your burnt hand. It’s not a glamorous place to enjoy a coffee or a five-minute break, but the sun lights up the alley and even the dumpster doesn’t look too bad in this lighting.

He hops lightly off his bike as he reaches the alley corner, his frown is matched by your own. The hood of his sweater is up but it doesn’t stop the blue fringe from peaking out. He walks straight up to you with his bike, his frown softens and his eyes look like two inviting pools of melted chocolate.

“Is Johnny here?” He asks after a moment of you staring at him. You nearly choke as you try to speak and swallow your spit at the same time—

“Um, no he hasn’t come into work yet.” You finally manage after clearing your throat. The beautiful man’s frown returns and he almost seems to scowl at the back of the restaurant.

“He was off early last night, and said he was meeting up with a hot date.” You added, it felt rude but you were really unable to take your eyes off of him.

He looked back at you, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. His expression was safe and inviting and you suddenly felt less bad for having been staring at him.

“He didn’t come home after his date, and I can’t reach him on his phone; so I thought I’d check here just in case.” His grip on the bike loosened and tightened. Finally, he shyly averted his eyes for a second before offering you his hand to shake.

“It’s nice to finally meet you; I’m Taeyong.” His eyes confidently search yours out when he says his name.

“I know—“ you want to slap yourself as the words fall from your lips, but your hand meets his and you feel a warm and familiar pull in your very core. “I mean, my name is Vada.” You blush as you stumble over the words.

“I know,” and a soft blush breaks out over his smooth cheeks, his grip on your hand never loosening.

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goddesstrolls-archive · 4 years

Note

for when you wake up :3c 🍥🍥🍰🍨 sweets time. 1 -5 for hera. 6 - 10 for nari. 11 - 15 for nictis. 16 - 20 for sveket. annnnnNDDDD 21 - 25 for howler.

under the cut bc this is Long

Hera

1. what’s my character’s favourite dessert?She likes really decadent desserts. Mousse torte, chocolate truffles, ect. Also chocolate. She probably doesn’t have an absolute favorite, though.

2. is my character a ‘sweet tooth?’ how bad is it?Nah. She likes some chocolate now and then but she doesn’t really have a sweet tooth.

3. what’s my character’s favourite sweets flavour? ( ie strawberry, chocolate, lime, orange etc. )Chocolate or orange.

4. do they have dessert after dinner every night, or is it for special occasions?Only for special occasions. Usually only if she’s at a restaurant lmao

5. does my character bake? how good are they? how often do they do it?She can bake, and she’s fine at it, but she doesn’t do it very often.

Nari

6. Does my character prefer handmade or store-bought desserts?He doesn’t care/can’t really tell the difference, tbh.

7. what dessert does my character have for their birthday?He hasn’t celebrated his birthday in sweeps and he doesn’t really remember when it is.

8. chocolate or vanilla? why or why not?Chocolate since vanilla is too plain.

9. white, dark, or milk chocolate? why or why not?Dark chocolate since he doesn’t really have a sweet tooth.

10. chocolate and vanilla, chocolate and peanut butter, chocolate and caramel or chocolate and mint? why or why not?Chocolate and mint, he does like that combo.

Nic

11. what’s their go-to plastic penny-candy / pick-and-mix / bulk candy bag?Any hard candies, preferably butterscotch. He’ll go through a whole bag while he’s working and not paying attention lmao

12. strawberry, vanilla, or chocolate milkshakes? why or why not?Vanilla. He doesn’t really like the taste of chocolate.

13. cookies or brownies? why or why not?Cookies, preferably not chocolate chip ones. Again, doesn’t like the taste of chocolate. It depends on the texture, though; He’ll pick soft brownies over crunchy cookies.

14. how often did my character have sugar growing up? why or why not? is it the same as an adult?He had it a decent amount until he joined the Fleet program; At that point it was a rare treat.

15. what was my character’s favourite dessert growing up? is it still the same now, or is it something else?Cheesecake. He hasn’t had it in sweeps though, so he doesn’t know if he still likes it or not. (He does)

Sveket

16. how does sugar affect them? do they ‘sugar-rush’ and then ‘crash’ after?Nah, it doesn’t affect him. Unless he had like, a lot, but he wouldn’t have that much.

17. pie or cake? why or why not?Cake, but he’s picky about it. Pie is too messy.

18. italian ice / snow cones, ice cream, ice custard or frozen yoghurt? why or why not?Ice cream cuz he’s basic lmao

19. what’s my character’s fro-yo cup look like? what flavours and toppings?Just plain chocolate or vanilla with One topping. Something like chocolate shavings or cacao nibs.

20. what’s my character’s ice-cream shop order look like? how many scoops? what cone? what flavours and toppings?Again, plain chocolate or vanilla- Maybe cookie swirl if he’s feeling sassy- Two scoops, waffle cone, no toppings.

Howler

21. what’s my character’s cafe / bakery order–what do they pick with their coffee or tea?He won’t get anything- He literally won’t even get coffee or tea. He’ll go to a cafe if someone invited him tho. Just for the atmosphere/company. 22. what’s their go-to sundae? ( chocolate-fudge brownie, banana split, cookie sundae etc. )HE’S LACTOSE INTOLERANT MAGGIE(He’d like anything tropical/fruity)

23. edge, centre or corner brownie?He can’t have gluten or chocolate so None

24. soft or Cronchy cookies?Assuming gluten free again, cronchy

25. what’s their LEAST favourite dessert? why?Most of them, tbh. He doesn’t like the taste of cane sugar at all and avoids it like the plague.

#hera about #hera answers #nari about #nari answers #nictis about #nictis answers #sveket about #sveket answers #howler about #howler answers #stickertrolls

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ursae-minoris-world · 5 years

Text

A peaceful evening

G, 1355 words, chapters : can be read independently, but is the third chapter of “It’s not rocket science” (chapters 3/4, 3093 words so far).

This happens in the first part of season 7, after Krolia's departure. The team has landed on a friendly alien planet for restock and repairs. They get some time off to relax.

This was written for @hidge-week, day 3: date night!

Read it here on AO3, here on pillowfort, and find it here on twitter!

---

Hunk closed the metallic panel and patted it fondly. Blue looked down at him, giving a little nod as if to thank him. Hunk smiled at her. “You're as good as new, Blue!” He stretched and yawned. “I'm done with the repairs, Coran!”

“And I'm done with analyzing the data collected by the Lions.” added Pidge. “According to my calculations, we can continue following the same course. Do you want to take a look?”

“This is something we can all discuss tomorrow. Why don't you take some time to rest? Today's work is done, and the night is still young.”

Shiro smiled. “We all could use some down time.”

Allura, who had been sitting with Lance and Romelle, stood up and joined her hands. “The Ebrilians are welcoming, and the city of Ytrep is known for its beauty. Our hosts encouraged us to visit it, so anyone interested shoud do so.”

Keith crossed his arms. He seemed tense, but he spoke softly. “We were told the city is safe, and there were no incidents while re-stocking. Civilian clothe will make it easier to fit in. But stay alert, and keep your comms with you. We are Paladins of Voltron, and could be targeted by anyone wanting to sell us to the Galra Empire.”

Hunk shivered. Way to ruin the mood! He couldn't blame Keith for being careful, but now he was unsure if he still wanted to visit the town. Too bad. It had seemed nice enough, and there were a place or two that he had been wanting to return to. He exchanged a look with Pidge.

“You want to go?” she asked. She spoke in a way that was meant to be detached, but she wasn't good at hiding her hopeful expression. All his hesitations melted away.

“When Coran and I were shopping for food, I noticed this cute little place. Some kind of café or tearoom. Not sure if they're still open at this hour, but…the pastries on display looked delicious.”

“I trust you on this, Hunk” Pidge replied with a half smile. “Sounds like a plan!”

“Sounds like a date!” teased Lance.

Hunk rubbed his neck, feeling his ears grow hot. “Well, you know, it's like… you can't...”

Much to his embarrassment, Lance sat up, eyes widening. “Wait… You're not denying?”

That somehow managed to get everyone's attention, and Shiro, Keith, Allura, Romelle, Coran, all looked in their direction. Hunk felt his brain fill with static. They hadn't told anyone about their relationship yet, and Matt had kept his mouth shut. Now he was blundering spectacularly. Everyone had expressions of surprise or amusement. Keith and Shiro exchanged a look, smirking.

Lance leaned forward, squinting suspiciously. “Huunk?”

“Oh, shut up Lance. Mind your own business.” Pidge snapped. She patted Hunk's arm and he turned to her. She was frowning, determined. “Let's go.”

That warmed Hunk's heart, and he felt strength come back to his numb body, as if her support had reignited his quintescence. He smiled and she smiled back at him. It felt like time had stopped and everything around ceased to exist.

“Hunk?” she asked. Her voice brought him back to reality.

“Yeah yeah I'm coming.” They walked away, ignoring the whispers behind them.

----

They took Green's speeder to get to the city.

The sun was slowly coming closer to the horizon, but they had still a few hours of daylight. Ebril was on the outskirts of the Empire, so far away that, akin to Earth, it had never been colonized by the Galra. The Rebels had found them first and had formed an alliance with the planet, establishing headquarters there and helping with protection.

The city of Ytrep was all white domes out of some translucent material and red dust streets filled with aliens from all over the universe. Hunk guided Pidge towards the café he had in mind, only noticing after a while that they were holding hands somehow.

The café was established in a small dome nested under a gigantic tree; the smooth, purple trunk twisted gracefully and finished in a crown of branches forming spiral-like patterns and bearing long, bluish leaves. The building's walls were completely transparent and slightly iridescent. Inside, small white tables and seats were surrounded with plants; wines were growing up the inside of the facade. It looked like a soap bubble used as a greenhouse.

“It's… beautiful” sighed Pidge.

“It reminded me of you”, admitted Hunk. After their visit to Olkarion, Pidge had started collecting plants from the places they visited, and growing them in a special place from the Castle. Coran had assisted her with this project, and Hunk had collaborated too, growing herbs, vegetables and fruits to have fresh food on board. They had lost most of it when the Castle was destroyed, aside from a few potted aromatics that Hunk had saved.

“Oh, Hunk.” There were tears in her eyes.

Woops. He didn't expect her to get that emotional. He squeezed her hand gently, and landed a peck on her nose, earning a chuckle from her.“Wait to see their pastries,”he suggested, pointing at the display. There, set on translucent shelves, were arranged hills of cakes, forests of multicolored cones-shaped delicacies, clouds of creamy mousse, lakes of pies covered in jewel-like fruits, cities of delicate rolls.

Pidge leapt in excitement. “They look amazing! We have to go in”. Pulling him by his hand, she guided them through the entrance.

An Ebrolian, all dressed in white, came to greet them. Their pink exoskeleton displayed elegant decorative paints of blue leaves, matching the leaves of the big tree towering above the tearoom.

They invited them to sit at a small, white table. Around them, white pillars were supporting potted plants, their blue leaves and orange flowers cascading down. They could see outside, the sun getting down over the city's skyline, it's rays filtering through the big tree's foliage above them.

They didn't know anything on the menu, so, on their waiter's advice, they took the most popular hot beverage. It turned out to be made of the sap of a specific plant, mixed with fruit juices. Hunk appreciated it's creamy texture and rich taste, with notes of dark chocolate, coconut, and roasted chestnuts. Pidge was delighted with it as well. They also both took pastries, which they shared. They were intricate in their combination of savors and textures. Hunk's one was green and had fluffy layers alternating with more crispy ones, associating citrus-like taste and more herby accents. Pidge's one was a pouch filled with cream, flowery flavors with a honey aftertaste.

They talked about small things, avoiding topics like the war and the state of the Earth. They discussed space science, the planets they discovered, the various cultures they came across, the things they learned.

When they were done, they went for a walk, admiring the city. The domes were reflecting the changing colors of the sky, pinks and purples and golds and blues. The streets were still busy, but there was a relaxed atmosphere. People of all kind of origins were walking or discussing in small groups, children were playing, multicolored scaly creatures were flying around and being fed by locals, and the vehicles used inside the city were mostly small and quiet. It was hard to believe that this place was involved in a war. They had rarely in their travels come across places that seemed that peaceful.

After a while, they took the speeder again and found the rest of the team where the Lions were still sitting. They had set up a campfire and were sitting around it, talking quietly. They greeted them when they joined them, but this time no one made any undesirable comment.

The night had fallen, and the sky was spangled with stars. The planet's big, blue moon was full, casting a celestial light on everything. Pidge sat huddled against him, her body heat keeping him warm against the chillness of the air. The flames were dancing a hypnotic dance, and the team's discussion had fallen into a comfortable silence. Hunk closed his eyes, wishing for this moment to last forever.

#hidge week 2019 #hidge #voltron #hunk #pidge #first dates #café #food descriptions #fluff #fanfiction #my fics #my stuff #long post #team punk

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frangwilde · 5 years

Text

Sweet tooth

I don't know how you can be so doubtful and so suspicious. My behavior, you say. Too easy. If you can't understand my passion it's your problem, not mine. But I don't want to waste time arguing or getting lost in pointless and misleading recriminations. You're just a typical male, you wouldn't understand. Moreover a coquettish moon is already throwing lustful glances at you. I'm jealous, so whatever is going through your mind, I don't want to spend this night in anger or sadness, I prefer to enjoy even if it means surrendering to you. I'm in a strange mood tonight. A sort of intriguing, electric ecstasy. You're so gorgeous and I'm weak of a weakness that makes me tremble, but for desire. This is the right time for getting undressed. Stay there, close your eyes and relax. I'd like to play a game with you. Do you trust me? Don't open your eyes and please don't speak. I want to make you reach that secret place where we hide our deepest feelings, those ones we only release when we are alone. Let my voice be the velvet caress that makes you feel like unlocking the door of that place. I can't lead you there because I don't know where it is. You know it. I want you to share with me the emotions you get from unlocking that door. Don't worry. We're not supposed to perform our best show, this is not a stage. It's only you and me. Now open your mouth. It's a spoon. It isn't the "getting undressed" that you expected , but trust me. It's gelato. That kind that's called "warm gelato" a zabaglione mousse, precisely. Don't complain and focus on the texture and taste. Smooth and fluffy and yet it gently pervades your mouth. It's like having a cloud on your tongue. Then this cloud softly embraces the taste of Marsala and Marsala enhances the warmth of the cloud to reach together a perfect balance, a perfect harmony. Something very close to heaven, don't you think? There are some bonds that are stronger than anything. Stronger than ropes or chains because they are the spontaneous expression of the wish to embrace and enhance each other. No need to claim the ownership. We naturally belong where we feel loved and comfortable, where we can reach our harmony. As a matter of fact, I love you. What I really wish now is to be your comfortable place. Keep your eyes shut, sweetest love of mine. Get ready for another sensation. This is my finger. Open your mouth. Yes, mousse again, but with something new. Sponge cake soaked with alchermes which is as red as blood. A cloud and bleeding flesh, a contrast that's almost brutal. But we're flesh and soul together and passion can break the rules of harmony, but it can't break an embrace. Amore mio, when you yearn for belonging to someone no sudden flames or gusts of wind can change a thing of that craving. And now, sweet king of my heart, I will annoy you a little bit more with my words. Don't leave me now, I need to feel that you’re close to me, even when it seems that I'm going astray. But in fact, I'm not. I'm only giving you hints. Open your mouth again. After heaven and flesh. what comes next? Dark chocolate. Hard and flavorous. A powerful flavor much closer to a sinful pleasure than to a heavenly sensation. If the road to hell is paved with good intention, maybe the road to heaven is paved with bad behaviors. And maybe we are both heaven and hell with flesh in-between and our bodies together are the place where they meet, collide, fight and make peace. Amore mio, now that I've started getting undressed, would you get undressed too? But most of all, now that I showed you how to eat a gelato, would you be my sweet tooth?

#prose #prose poetry #writing prose #spilled ink #spilled prose #writing #creativewriting #amwriting #twcprose

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blankdblank · 5 years

Text

My Pearl Pt 3

Pt 1 - Pt 2 -

Smut warning, so, ya...

Tags –

@himoverflowers, @theincaprincess, @aspiringtranslator, @sweeticedtea, @ggbbhehe4455, @thegreyberet, @patanghill17, @jesgisborne, @curvestrology, @alishlieb, @jogregor, @armitageadoration, @fizzyxcustard, @abiwim, @jotink78, @evyiione, @deepestfirefun, @thequeenoferebor

…

No matter what he did Thorin couldn’t sleep. The image of you with your arms wrapped around the neck of another paired with the momentary pressing of lips to the stranger’s face led him to a boiling rage the longer his mind played it again and again. Yes you had turned out to be relatives but that momentary sting just dug at him. He trusted you, completely, there was no doubting that, his main pain was in realizing just how much this quiet little stranger had worked her way so deeply into his heart without even trying. Minute by minute he replayed each moment you had spent together in the kitchens and the two times you had spent alone weren’t enough to find out if you had cared for him in return. There was respect there and grounds for a pleasantly playful relationship between you mixing in with your clear welcoming of collaborating on dishes in the future, should the union hold.

Hoping it would hold he did what he always did to wear himself out, bake. One idea had been lingering in his mind all day and he felt a smirk ease onto his face when he had finally gotten to it. Meringues, five of them in varying mixtures, nipping at his lip his eyes wandered to the hall leading to your home. Without reason he walked to your door and pressed his ear to it and smirked at the sound of music playing. In an abrupt turn he collected two of the pies and walked back to the doorway he’d quietly propped open. A smirk eased onto his lips as he spotted you lounging on an arm chair twirling a pen between your fingers with a notebook resting on your lap. Quietly he left the pies on your counter catching a glimpse of your sitting up on his path to grab the others, your eyes trailing over his shirtless muscular form with just a pair of cut off sweats coating his every rippling fluid motion.

In his momentary absence you hopped up and darted into your room to claim a pair of shorts then walked through the house toward the kitchen eyeing the stomach churning cakes and pies he set out before you. After wetting his lips he stated, “I was thinking, Amad has been pestering me for what to specialize for next week’s menus, and, meringues came to mind.”

You nodded and flashed a weak smile accepting the fork he offered you before he turned to grab a set of plates from your cabinet and raised the slicer he’d brought along with him to cut a fairly good sized piece of each of the brightly covered dishes. Each one you tasted and managed to hide your puckers and shivers at least until you reached the last one, ginger and lime, a single forkful and as he returned with a glass of water for you both after his sharing in the tasting he froze at your fork shifting in your hand you held in front of your mouth as you painfully chewed and swallowed. The glasses met the counter as he grabbed his fork for a taste of his own, “Did I mix the salt and sugar in the crème?”

Your head shook just a moment before your body shivered and you drew in a breath and softly stated, “I like the ginger. Texture’s good.”

He blinked at you curiously after sampling his forkful, uncertain of what had bothered you with it forcing to fill his fork again as he furrowed his brows, “What was that reaction for? What is wrong with it?” He asked before shoveling his forkful into his mouth with a determined scowl testing it as he chewed.

“Nothing. It’s good. Certainly up to par with being specials for a week.”

He blinked at you curiously after swallowing, “Then what was the shiver for? No one has ever had that reaction to any of my dishes.”

You wet your lips and grabbed the meringue cake you split the meringue from the chocolate sponge layer and you filled your fork with it again, “When I was five my Nana got this client, couldn’t afford to pay for the alterations and costumes she made, so she baked. Unfortunately she lived on a great stretch of land where they grew orchards of just about every fruit,” he nodded and claimed another bite of one of the other pies, “Her specialty was meringue.” Your next mild shudder at the memory drew a weak smirk from him, “There was a bad winter, and, it changed the soil, which made everything tarter. And somehow it’d affected the chickens as well, the eggs, it just all, was off. Then everyone that had their pies got sick, and I haven’t been able to eat it easily since.”

His cheeks rose as he smirked and glanced at his plate, “Ah, I have a few dishes like that. Eel for one. Any other dishes you don’t like?”

With a brush of your fork you stripped the almond layer from the side of the sponge replying, “I don’t like nuts in desserts, or mushrooms.” He nodded, “And my kin rarely enjoy seafood. A few common breeds of fish are fine, but outside of that-.” His smirk halted your words earning an eye roll from him as you raised your fork, “Now you’re the one with a look.” Shoving the mouthful into your mouth with a playful glare at him.

His smirk grew as he swallowed his mouthful, “You certainly cut down a great deal of my famed dishes with those limits.”

Covering your mouth you replied, “Cook what you like. I’ll eat what’s put in front of me.”

He raised a brow at you, “You’re not a child, and I certainly am not going to force you to eat something you dislike, or makes you shiver like that.”

“Hmm, I’ll try to remember that.”

He rolled his eyes then glanced at your pantry then back to you, “So, mousse, how easy of a recipe is it?”

You smirked and helped him move his desserts back to his kitchen then used his kitchen, at his instance so he would know the full process to repeat it later. Step by step you couldn’t help but smirk at his peering over your shoulders, just barely touching them to ask random questions as the heat from his body right behind you. His awed smile growing as he watched the masterful creation of the mousse after he’d whipped up the square sponge you would layer it on. The whiskey you would use for the chocolate drizzle kept getting lower and lower at your sips between shared comments and joking stories about when you’d first tried your dishes. While it set in the fridge you spooned the last of the mousse and offered it to Thorin. His smirk broke as he accepted the spoonful from you with a pleased hum. In a low rumble he praised it and claimed another for himself smirking at you after wetting his lips.

Clearly the whiskey had set in as your joking conversation grew a bit more difficult at the distance closing between you. A soft ding split you apart as his lips had just barely ghosted against yours, snapped back to reality you placed the cooled dessert on the counter and sliced a piece free once you’d removed the plastic guard holding the mousse in place until it set. Leaving that in the sink you went to pass the plate to Thorin only to pause at his arm crossing over your chest with fork in hand to claim a bite. His spot remained there as he hummed happily and went to claim another bite. A crumble and a drip of the chocolate sauce later a pair of warm lips met your neck to claim the drizzle he had dropped there.

With parted lips your head tilted as his head tilted to press his lips a bit higher on your neck. The heat from him now melting through your skin when he pressed against you drawing your attention to the truth behind his murmured Khuzdul purrs against your neck came when a firm pulsing muscle was felt against your backside. Tender strokes of his fingertips brushed along the bare strips of skin under your brushed up tank top, a simple tilt of your head brought his warm purrs to an end when his lips melted against yours. Between the low moans and firm hands trailing over you your hands smoothed around his shoulders while his sank lower to pull your hips closer to his, that made his arousal even more evident to you in your place pressed against the pantry door. Quickly your hands dipped under his waistband pushing his sweats and briefs down while stealing a firm graze of your fingers over his ass. A deep chuckle came from him as he stripped you of your shorts and panties and sank into you.

Firmly his lips met yours again in the deepening kiss muffling your moans through his thrusting into you. A soft cry broke from you when his mouth returned to your neck when he shifted your hips to sink deeper into you hoping for earning louder cries of pleasure from you. Each thrust and deliberate teasing of his lips, teeth, tongue and fingers over your skin bringing you startlingly to a coursing wave of pleasure through you until the firm dragging of your nails across his back and ass earned a low chuckle from him as you pulsed around him in your climaxing slump against his shoulder and chest.

Tenderly his lips trailed along your neck and cheeks through another wave of purred sentiments slid across your skin between kisses. Firmly his hands shifted your legs around his waist and he carried you to his bedroom chuckling as you giggled against his lips on his laying you back and slipping out of you to trail his lips lower past your navel. His eyes hungrily taking in the details of the eagles and petals inked onto your hips and eased your thigh he stroked and nipped at gently before he turned to your core. Lapping and teasing you his smirk returned at your soft gasps and arches between cries of ecstasy.

Propped above you his eyes shifted to his drawer as he purred, “I bought something, did you want to try it?”

A nod later he’d slid the ring around his shaft and broke your muffled moan as he sank inside you again causing you to release your lip you had nipped at to melt into the heated kiss in your tangling of tongues. Deeply his thrusts began as his hand switched on the vibrating ring that drew a soft gasp from you. Firmly he held your hips up while on his knees, smirking as your legs wrapped around him through your near whimpering moans through his deepening thrusts while your hips worked against his. In a snaking you’re your fingers latched onto his hair earning another deep chuckle from him at your holding him into another kiss allowing him to work his tongue against yours when you darted yours between his lips.

Two more near breath taking climaxes later he gripped your ass with one hand as the other slid under your shoulders lifting you onto his lap when he sat up on his knees. Gently his lips peppered across your skin as he let you steady your breathing and collect yourself before your hand gripped his now drooping bun to firmly press your lips to his in your next wave of spiking lust and rocked above him. The hushed whimper from you drawing his hand to switch the ring on again when the lack of it spurred an ache in you. When it switched on he chuckled weakly as your head rested against his shoulder and your hands left another white pressing trail across his back in your whimpering moan at the toy being just where you needed it for full body tingling waves to course through you as it easily drew you towards the edge again.

Instinctually while Thorin’s hands gripped your ass and smoothed across your back with a deep moan himself at your hips rocking against his. Again he drew you closer to him and thrust deeply upwards between your rocking motions. Moans and cries came from you both as he joined you nearly finishing on your first clench around him when the toy was turned on again. Finally his hips gave one last trust against yours when you slumped against him in your shared climax. Slid out of you again his lips met yours for a tender kiss on his path to slide to the end of the bed to guide you to the shower. Your lack of soaps spurred him to grab his soap and a new pair of briefs, then followed you to your room to join you in your shower.

Adoringly soapy hands coated the both of you before your hair was washed and you both exited and dried, stealing the chance to help one another with a simple braid, redressed and slid into your bed. Warmly you curled together for as much sleep as possible in the short time you had left.

A low grumble trailed after the distant doorbell sounding. Blinking awake Thorin’s head rose as his body shifted to press against the body scooting closer to his for warmth. In a glance down as a grumble sounded from you his mind raced through the night before with a smile easing onto his face that only flinched back at it occurring after remembering the alcohol that had brought it on. Through his panicking thoughts about your reaction another distant ring sounded causing you to roll onto your side with one eye open that promptly shut as you sighed, “It’s the boys.”

The pounding in your heads earning another groan from you as he mumbled, “I, um. The boys needed a lift to work.”

Distantly fists pounded on the door calling out his name making you grumble again and press your hands to his chest giving him a gentle push, “Go shut them up.” He couldn’t help but chuckle weakly at your trying to burrow under the covers again. Leaning in his lips met your forehead, “We can talk later.”

As he sat up you groaned and buried your head under your pillow at your shrill alarm sounding. “For the love of Eru!” Your Elvish mumble muffled by the pillow as Thorin turned it off and turned to go shut up the boys in his struggle to stay upright through his pounding migraine.

With an unsteady glare Thorin answered the door to his two grinning Nephews who eyed him curiously, “In the shower?”

Thorin shook his head watching as they brushed past him. In a staggering stance he turned closing the door and grumbled his way to the kitchen where the boys were too distracted by the desserts on the counter to catch him grabbing your panties and shorts he shoved into the pocket of the sweats he pulled on again.

Kili smirked at him gesturing to the counter, “Couldn’t sleep?”

Fili curiously looked over the mousse asking, “Sharing recipes?”

In a deep sigh Thorin turned to walk to his room to change as he mumbled, “Yes to both.”

Their smirks grew and Fili called back, “We’ll start on breakfast then!”

Thorin growled back as he rubbed his temples, “Whatever you do, do it quietly!”

Fili’s brow rose then fell as Kili nudged his elbow and raised the now empty bottle of whiskey, chuckling as he said, “I think somebody had a party.” Making the Brother’s chuckle again.

Slowly you pulled out from under the covers and pulled on your work clothes then trudged to your kitchen starting on a hangover shake after brushing your teeth. The second shake you made rested in your hands on your path to Thorin’s kitchen where the boys smirked on your approaching the stool beside Thorin in his hunched over stance. His low groan ending when your glass sat on the counter in front of him, curiously he raised his head eyeing the oddly purple mixture and turned his head to see you downing yours in one go. Raising it he sniffed it only to furrow his brows at the orange smelling drink he only tasted after you mumbled between sips, “Don’t ask.” A tight pucker of his lips was struggled through to down the mixture that instantly cleared his pain freeing him to enjoy the sub par egg scramble the boys had lazily slapped together between curious glances your way.

On the short drive over you could feel all eyes on you nearly the entire time while you trailed off in your own mind running through the night before in a frozen struggle trying to understand what would be expected next. Quietly you exited the car and walked to the door beside the men and joined them inside. On your path to start on the dishes all the Durins started arriving stealing their own glances at you through their first tasks between hushed inquiries with Thorin about why you had withdrawn into your own mental world. Through the shift you’d woven through them all as usual while Thorin just barely managed to make it through without hungrily brushing his lips against your neck each time you passed in hopes of hearing your heavenly sounds again.

Lost in the focus of his cooking each caress and firm trail over his skin occurred once again earning a heated gaze he held onto his skillets in front of him. Only glancing up when you neared him to answer his purred requests he tried and failed to reign in his obvious urge to take you back home again. A struggle he and the others only attributed to your withdrawal leading them to assume you’d possibly had a fight. When the kitchen was cleaned and you had helped clearing the dirty table cloths you waited near the door and flashed a weak smile at Thorin when he approached you from the kitchen.

After wetting his lips Thorin eased the door shut on your side of his vehicle and walked around to open his own door and climb inside. In a glance at you he flashed you a weak smile and asked, “Are you upset with me?”

Your eyes shifted to his as you shook your head, “No.”

“Then,” He wet his lips as his brows furrowed curiously, “You’ve been so quiet.”

“Thorin,” you paused as you caught his flinch of a smile at your stating his name, “We’ve spoken only a couple times and in the past couple days we’ve filled out contracts and I’ve been moved into your place, then, last night obviously-.”

“You’re regretting it?”

“What? No.” he nodded wetting his lips again, “I just, it’s a bit, different.”

Near a whisper he repeated, “Different?”

“I really don’t know how to word it.”

He nodded, “Well,” he shifted his hand to rest on yours, “I don’t regret it. It wasn’t ideal, downing a bottle of whiskey beforehand.”

Your sharp gasp drew his brows to raise curiously as you covered your face and you mumbled, “I forgot the strawberries.”

He couldn’t help but smirk, “Strawberries?” He let out a soft, “Oh,” remembering the chocolate dipped strawberries and cherries you had added to your freezer when his was filled with the desserts he had made, “I’m certain they are fine.”

“The chocolate’s going to be bitter without the proper drizzle though.”

He patted your hand, “I’ll make you more. Now, I give you my word, how we move on from here is on your terms.” His eyes locking onto yours adoringly, “If you wish for it to be a one time thing then that’s what it is.”

“You just-.”

“For my people a woman’s safety is everything. We were inebriated, I don’t expect to maintain that intimacy if it is not your wish to do so with me. So, from before last night, nothing has changed in our agreement. I will still care for you and protect you no matter your decision. As slow as you wish to take it, and as much time and space you need to settle into all the changes.”

Another soft gasp came from you as you jumped at Fili’s knock on the window, you turned and looked at him with a quick smile when Thorin lowered the window for him to ask, “So, Gran wanted to know, Meringue for next week, right?”

Thorin nodded, “Yes.” Easing his hand a bit farther around yours as your fingers on your free hand slid across your mouth.

In a glance at you Kili asked, “Alright there Jaqi? You’re looking a bit pale.”

You nodded lowering your hand, “Ya, just, meringue makes my stomach turn.”

Fili nudged his Brother’s arm, “Ah, so that’s why you were so quiet.”

Kili nodded looking at Thorin, “Uncle, you really shouldn’t have made her sit for your tasting last night.”

Fili met your eye, “No worries Auntie, if you don’t feel better tomorrow then Uncle can let you rest at home till you do.”

You couldn’t help but smile as they turned calling for their Cousins and raced off to spread the discovery. Thorin chuckled softly and rolled the window up again softly saying, “At least now they won’t believe we fought anymore.”

With a sigh you settled back in your chair as he started the car and drew his hands back to the wheel, “I assumed it would be better than the alternative.” He glanced at you, “They hear we had sex in your kitchen they might not ever stop teasing for little ones.”

Thorin smirked at you, nearly purring, “They wouldn’t rush Children. Plus, if Amad heard we had sex in my kitchen she’d scold me on betraying the boundaries of the kitchen.”

You rolled your eyes through his chuckle and watched their group growing in the parking lot as you pulled away to head home again. Easy on the wine you both prepped the meal you’d agreed to and served it out onto two plates. With the movie Bofur had mentioned to you both playing on the large tv in Thorin’s living room you ate quietly and lounged after he’d cleared the dishes and you carried the thawed chocolate covered fruit to the couch with the mousse left over. The pair of you relaxed sharing the desserts through the following film as well before you left to shower and change with an agreement to watch the third after if you couldn’t sleep still.

Pacing in the living room after finishing the last of his glass of wine Thorin turned to walk towards your house as he nervously adjusted his waistband and ring on the way. Wetting his lips he entered after his knock went unanswered, curiously glancing in each room until he peeked inside your room and smirked at you laying back across your bed in your underwear beside your towel and comb after what he remembered to be a very strenuous task of combing and braiding your hair. Stepping closer he gently brushed down the covers and lifted you to his chest, moving you fully covered under the covers after tossing the towel into your hamper. In his rise to return home your hand slid over his arm drawing him closer to you, wetting his lips he pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead, then covered you and shut off your lights when he pulled his arm free from your grip. Quietly he left you to sleep and cleaned up for the night then went off to bed to lay there aimlessly watching the tv along the wall.

A few hours passed and your eyes opened to the sound of the ac kicking on. With parted lips you sat up curious about how you’d gotten to bed, eagerly you sat up and slid out to walk towards your closet grabbing a tank top and a pair of shorts. Silently you walked through Thorin’s home wondering where he was, the sounds of a row of explosions and soft screams brought you into the doorway of Thorin’s bedroom. Across the room his eyes turned to the doorway at your appearance. With a quick finger wave you flashed him a weak smile missing his hand slipping free from his waistband at his passing thought to ease his arousal at the former night passing through his mind again.

Softly you said, “Sorry I fell asleep on you.”

Thorin, “The movie didn’t wake you, did it?”

You shook your head asking, “Any good?”

“Not particularly.”

With a smirk you asked, “Want some company trashing it?”

He smiled and nodded, “Always.” Beside him he brushed the covers back and watched you settle against his pile of pillows beside him. Warmly his arm draped across your legs resting against his as you tried to ignore the obvious pulsing muscle under your knees. Slowly you settled beside him and focused on the film while his fingers trailed in small circles on your legs. A sigh left you when you could no longer focus on the film as you dozed off again, your hands moved to curl around his arm as you settled against his side making his smile grow. His lips met your forehead and he nuzzled as close to you as he could manage without moving you and closed his eyes finally feeling himself drifting off to sleep when he was sure you were fully covered still as he purred in Khuzdul, “Goodnight My Precious Pearl.”

Pt 4

#Thorin x Reader OC #Hobbit #lotr

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idlelitany · 5 years

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Tunes for the road: Magic Pie and The Ultracheese

Located on a bustling street corner between a pub and a Mediterranean restaurant, Lulu’s Chocolate Bar is a cozy dessert shop that specializes in homemade sweets and fruity cocktails. Like most buildings in downtown Savannah, this one is snuggled against the one beside it. It’s a modest place with typical architecture for the time—prominent red bricks and green window panes along the upper floors. The latter serves as a reminder that these buildings were once inner city apartment complexes.

Lulu’s Chocolate Bar Front

Lulu’s Chocolate Bar Side

(Click photos for a bigger view.)

The first floor, where Lulu’s Chocolate Bar is located, was a general wholesale store once upon a time. If you come early enough (or if you have better eyesight than me), you can still see its faded green sign right above the shop. It was renovated years ago to fit the bar’s image.

Before you even step through the door, you can already tell what Lulu’s is about.

First off, I want to say that they do have food, y’know what people call “actual food”—fancy dishes like Saucisson Sec, Prosciutto, and Mousse of Duck Foie Gras—but it isn’t the first thing people look at when they open up their menus. It sure as sin wasn’t my first choice either. It would be downright disrespectful. Lulu’s has been voted the best dessert joint in Savannah since 2008 by readers of Connect Savannah Magazine… and with good reason.

They’ve got an array of desserts to choose from. Aside from their house specials (like their mouthwatering strawberry suspension cake, which is all held together by a sleeve of chocolate), the desserts change every other day! So, you can sample something new every time you visit.

Each dessert is presented the same way. There are two twists of whip cream off to the side and, depending on what you order, they include messy squirts of either chocolate or condensed milk scattered all over the plate.

My friend and I settled on three desserts because who can stop at just one? (Please don’t judge us.)

THE DESSERT

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake

A combination of the classics? Sign me up! This was a cold, melt-in-your-mouth slice of cheesecake that featured an oreo bottom to add a little bit of crunch to every bite. The cookies n’ cream flavor exploded in your mouth.

My main issue? I only ordered one slice.

Cookie warning: the mini oreo on top of the cake was soft since they stored it ready to go in a refrigerated area. I personally liked that, but if you like your oreos less mushy, then you’d probably want to set it aside. Maybe replace it with one of those dollops of whip cream they add for you?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

This was a mouthful of decadent Reeses-esque goodness. Soft, gooey peanut butter was sandwiched between a sleeve of chocolate, which gave the cake more texture. The pie had a hard outer shell made of cookie and featured peanuts sprinkled on top. I originally thought that the peanuts were put there for presentation and would detract from the overall taste, but that definitely wasn’t the case. The peanuts weren’t salted, so it gave the final bites a certain coarseness that made it easier to eat. Yay for crunch!

What I didn’t like was that the bottom was made of the same chocolate layer as the top, which made me get tired of it fast… really fast. For this, you need to order a drink or a different dessert to break up the flavor and consistency. I thought it would’ve been better to have the hard cookie layer on the back extend to the bottom like a cheesecake.

Honey Lavender Cake

This one confused my senses, but in a good way. I admit, we ordered this because we wanted to feel posh by having something purple with an elegant name laid out in front of us. But damn, if eating this wasn’t a ride for our taste buds.

It tasted like… aroma.

Even I have no idea what in the world that means.

It had a lavender hint to it that reached my nose every time I chewed, which messed with my senses. (It’s kind of like those instances when you smell something so strong that you end up tasting it, but the other way around.) Other than that, it tasted pretty much like vanilla cake with a dab of honey for extra zest.

Despite making me question its existence, I thought this cake was well worth its price ($8.50). It was made of three layers of spongy vanilla that was broken up with lavender icing. The frosting was creamy, but not so thick that it was a chore to chew. The amount of sugar was just right.

Overall, the taste was one-of-a-kind. The design was cute, and trying to figure it out made me enjoy it the most out of the three. Still, it was confusing… maybe they designed it to be that way? They’ve certainly got me talking about it.

THE DRINKS

At Lulu’s, you can even drink your dessert! Different kinds of martinis and cocktails dominate their menu. They get insane bonus points for serving them in big glasses. Even their “shots” are served in regular-sized cups. Their shape is the only thing that gives them that shot-glass-pass.

Lulu’s Chocolate Russian Shot

(You’re on thin ice, over-sized shots.)

We ordered three drinks to match the number of desserts. I’m not a cocktail connoisseur, but I can tell you that they each had a fair amount of alcohol. I’d definitely advise against buying three. They might upset your stomach, especially if you’re having them with cake.

From left to right: Peanut Butter Cup Martini, Lulu’s Chocolate Russian Shot, B-52 Coffee

Expect varying degrees of bitterness in each drink. Despite their sweet names, they’ve got kick. If you order something with chocolate like what we did, then you need to mix it with a small spoon or drink it fast because the chocolate tends to clump at the bottom.

Strangely enough, I didn’t feel like the added sweetness in the drinks did much (except add extra calories and afford them cool names). It still couldn’t mask that bitter bite of alcohol after every sip, and it would often interfere with the flavor of the dessert I was eating. They did make a good palette cleanser between cakes though.

B-52 Coffee

The other drinks were decent, but the B-52 Coffee had me setting it aside after only one sip.

Coffee is great on its own. B-52 is great on its own. Together? It tasted like a viciously hot latte with an aftertaste of sour Skittles because who values flavor?

I strongly believe that the only reason the whip cream was there was for mercy. It was meant to be scooped up with that strategically placed spoon they included to get rid of the flavor.

(Don’t worry, I still braved it afterwards. No, I wasn’t dared. Yes, I count it as a life achievement.)

THE STAFF

Early Bird

Everyone was really friendly and easy to talk to. I feel like the quickness of service here depends on what time you come. Like all places, waiters and waitresses are limited. It can get packed in the evenings, and you can actually spot them running in and out of the kitchen if you sit nearby. But they’re all sweet, patient people that don’t rush you, despite the line they’ve got outside.

THE PLACE

Lulu’s atmosphere enveloped me as soon as I walked through the door. The dim lighting told me that this was, indeed, a bar, despite the many seats and tables littered across the scant distance in front of me. Standing there felt akin to lingering on the sidelines of an upscale lounge without all of the stuffy awkwardness that came with actually lingering on the sidelines of an upscale lounge. The brick walls and dark wood furniture combined to give Lulu’s a chic, yet cozy look.

Dessert Display Case

Podium

(Click photos for a bigger view.)

The podium in front of the door caught my attention. While there was a high-tech looking music player immediately to my left, my eyes were swiftly drawn to the display case chockfull of desserts. I’d like to say that the well-stocked bar in back of it didn’t interest me, but that would be a lie. (Under 21 habits die hard.)

(Click photos for a bigger view.)

To the right, were sturdy, wooden tables and a long line of chairs. Paintings hung from the walls. They were small and blended in with the faded bricks they were propped on top of. Each was unobtrusive enough that my eyes easily wandered away after a moment. Honestly, I’d feel awkward if they weren’t inconspicuous because once people began coming in and sitting in the seats in front of them, it’d be embarrassing to be caught gaping. Thankfully, the place wasn’t too packed when we had our desserts. But it was small enough that you could hear the conversation of the next table over.

I found them easy to tune out because echoes of rock bands that I loved cut through the air by the time we were served; it was a great playlist of Queen, Foo Fighters, and Audioslave. (I don’t know who put it on, but bless them.) It made sitting fun.

On the upper-left above the register, they missed an opportunity to say: ‘Cakeout here’ 😦

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Lulu’s is a cool place with rad desserts, great atmosphere, and friendly staff. The price isn’t bad, though they might be steep for folks that don’t like splurging on desserts. Their drinks are creative, but can be a hit or miss. Thankfully, their sweets more than make up for it. I recommend it as a place to go to after a late lunch, then top it off with some shopping along Broughton Street or a stroll near the Savannah River.

The best hours to pop in are immediately after they open and near midnight. 6pm to 10pm are their peak hours, so you might not be able to find a seat.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Contact: Website | Directions Hours: 2pm – 12am (Sunday to Thursday); 2pm – 1:30am (Friday & Saturday) Happy Hour: 2pm – 6pm daily (Bonus: different drink promos every day) Reviews: Yelp | Trip Advisor

Lulu’s Dessert Mania! Tunes for the road: Magic Pie and The Ultracheese Located on a bustling street corner between a pub and a Mediterranean restaurant, Lulu’s Chocolate Bar is a cozy dessert shop that specializes in homemade sweets and fruity cocktails.

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kemikorosu-archive · 2 years

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Haru to Tsuna (TYL) Vday Drabble

((Here is the last of the owed drabbles! Thanks for requesting for a Vday gift from Haru! As usual, do with this as you will. I hope you enjoy it!))

She’d delivered many gifts today and it was no joke to say that she’d kept herself quite busy. Even so, she didn’t feel an ounce of regret. She enjoyed spoiling people with her efforts and seeing them happy over their gifts.

It was time to deliver her last gift. She walked into the office (she knocked first, of course) and saw Tsunayoshi Sawada sitting at his desk. She could only assume that he was looking over some paperwork.

Perhaps it was damage reports? She wouldn’t be surprised if that were to be the case. “Tsu-na-saaaaan. Happy Valentine’s day-desu!” As she did this annually, no one could be taken by surprise that she was going around giving people sweets today.

Honestly, it would be more of a surprise if she had stopped doing so, considering she’d already been at it for 10 years now. With a slight hop to her step, she walked into the room, humming a joyful melody. Quite proud of her accomplishment this year, she set a plate down on his desk.

“Haru prepared for Tsuna-an a Tiramisu cake this year, but it’s no ordinary one. See here, the spongecake is chocolate flavored. It was of course, soaked with espresso coffee. The cream is Namelaka instead of the classic mascarpone cheese. A dusting of cocoa powder is classic.”

Though the name ‘Namelaka’ was Japanese, having a meaning of ‘extremely creamy,’ it was actually invented in France in the Valrhona test kitchen. The recipe of this ingredient was posted on their website if you dug around.

Though it had been invented a couple of years ago, it wasn’t very popular, except for in Italy. That in itself caught Haru’s attention.

Pulling out glasses from seemingly nowhere, it was time for a mini lesson from Haru-sensei!

“Ahem, allow Haru-sensei to explain. Namelaka is a very delicate cream which is similar to white chocolate ganache, but it’s also a white chocolate mousse. This cream is special in the way that it actually contains no eggs or flour! Though it only takes 10 minutes to make, you have to refrigerate it for 10-12 hours before you can use it. This is because you need to allow the cocoa butter in the white chocolate to crystallize. It’s great as it has a creamy texture with a beautiful shine.” Leave it to Haru, the sweets connoisseur to take the time to start teaching about her new baking endeavors, but it was important! It’s important to listen, she’ll have you know.

“The Namelaka uses milk, and you can infuse flavors into it, like fruit, coffee, spices, etc. It initially confused Haru as the name is Japanese, but it was actually invented in France.”

Casting a sidelong glance at the dessert, she smiles meaningfully. She had a reason for why she chose to make Tiramisu and why it differed from the classic. Though it wasn’t perfect, she did her best to create a well-thought meaning behind her gift.

“Tsuna-san is a lot like this Tiramisu cake. Both Japanese and Italian. Living in Japan but you have strong ties with your Italian roots because of the Vongola. Haru can’t really relate to your circumstances, but she thinks it’s a wonderful thing that you’ve been doing your best making the best of the circumstances bestowed upon you. Both Japanese and Italian, you’re put in odd situations sometimes but Tsuna-san never gives up, and that’s very respectable, Haru thinks.”

From how she saw it, he did his best to accept parts of both of his ancestry, not denying one or the other. The Vongola was changing according to his ideals and Haru could see that there were changes being made for the better. It was something to be proud of. Something to marvel over.

The Vongola as it was now, was different from how it was in the generations passed, but that wasn’t a bad thing. Different, but still good. Just like this Tiramisu. A classic Italian dessert.

It was different, but Haru could attest that the taste was good. “It’s unfortunate that the Namelaka wasn’t invented in Japan, but she will settle for a cream ingredient that was given a Japanese name. Haru wanted to use try a fusion of Japan and Italian, but she didn’t think putting Anko would be a good idea. She did consider matcha, but that’s too… conspicuous? Haru wanted to create a Tiramisu that visually didn’t look all too different from a regular Tiramisu.”

In other words, exhausting all other options, she settled for the Namelaka after much research.

“The fact remains that Haru made this in hopes that you remember no matter where Tsuna-san goes in life, you have your roots to fall back to. You’ve done well for yourself, making your ancestors proud on both sides. Haru’s sure of it.”

She didn’t know if he ever felt conflicted or at odds with his heritage, but she hoped that he could one day feel comfortable with it, if he wasn’t already at that point in his life.

“Again, happy Valentine’s day, Tsuna-san. Thank you for everything you do for us.”

#submission #tsuna : incharacter * save #queenharumiura #( i love this so much!! ugly sobbing. haru is so precious )#( and all her gifts are so meaningful )#( tsm neo!! )

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skyswancocoa · 2 years

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Alkalize kakao to make fat-reducing mousse

Many friends who are losing weight want to eat desserts but are afraid to eat them, so I will bring you a reduced-fat version of cocoa mousse today. But even though it is a reduced-fat version, don't be greedy. Replace the cream cheese with whole milk + a small amount of cream. Although the fat is reduced, the taste is not bad at all. The aroma of cocoa is endless! If you don't count Oreos, the calories of a single 6-inch mousse are about 933Kcal.

Let's take a look at what materials are needed. Here is the amount needed for the six-inch mousse. You can increase or decrease it according to the situation.

material

Oreo cookies 70g

Butter 20 grams of unsalted butter about 36Kcal

Whole milk 100 grams about 70Kcal

Whipped cream 200g about 600kcal

Alkalize kakao 20 grams about 70kcal

2 pieces of gelatin, total 10 grams, about 33kcal

20g white sugar dissolved in milk+20g whipped cream (160kcal)

How to reduce fat version of 6-inch cocoa mousse

1. Put the Oreo biscuits in the fresh-keeping bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.

2.20 grams of butter melt in water.

3. Pour into Oreo and stir evenly.

4. Pour it into a 6-inch movable-bottom mold and compact it, and put it in the refrigerator.

5. 100 grams of milk is melted by adding sugar.

6. Then sift 20 grams of Alkalize kakao into the milk liquid three times, be sure to mix it evenly, so that the taste is delicate. Cocoa does not melt well and needs more stirring to make it even. When I make too much, I pour the Alkalize kakao directly into the milk and mix it through a sieve.

7. Soak the gelatin tablets softened in cold water into cocoa liquor and mix well. (The temperature of heating through water should not exceed 70℃, otherwise it is not conducive to the solidification of gelatin tablets.)

8. Then 200 grams of cream plus 20 grams of sugar to beat 60%, with a little texture, then the cocoa liquor is added to the cream in two parts, cut and mixed, and then poured into a 6-inch mold.

9. After pouring, put the 6-inch mold in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

10. After removing the mold with a hot towel or a hair dryer, sift in the Alkalize kakao.

11. Our reduced-fat version of cocoa mousse is ready, taste it, it is very delicious, the calories are not too high, you are not afraid to eat half of it. If you are not afraid of getting fat, you can use 250 grams of cream.

Tips

Generally 20 grams of ordinary butter is about 140 calories. Unless I buy low-fat butter, I now only use 6 slices of Oreo + 15 grams of ordinary butter for a thin bottom. A thin bottom is 361Kcal, mousse 933kcl, and the whole cake is 1294kcal, 8. One part is 162kcal.

In fact, the base of the cake is more delicious, but it is too much trouble! Regarding sugar, if you mind, you can use xylitol, which is lower in calories, but it is not always available at home, because the cream cheese is removed and it is already considered fat reduction. If you can, you can also choose defatted Alkalize kakao.

Wuxi Skyswan Food Technology Co., Ltd. is a professional and leading cocoa product supplier in China. The company specializes in the manufacturing of a full range of cocoa powders.

The main products are "Skyswan" brand of Cocoa Powders: Natural Cocoa Powder, Alkalized Cocoa Powder, Dark Alkalized Cocoa Powder, Black Cocoa Powder, Small Packaging Cocoa Powder, etc. The products are widely used in the production of chocolates, biscuits, candies , pastry, ice cream, drinks, etc.