#Cindy's story is the only thing she believes and even that is far-fetched

[oculusxcaro]

What do you think about Batman?

Oh hell, she was afraid of getting a question like this. Khare glanced away, her gaze equal parts shifty and apprehensive as she fought to find her tongue. "Batman? Well... I'm still not entirely convinced he exists, you know? Sure he's in the papers and the news, but it's hard to believe one man can tackle half the crime in the city." Not just half, but take on some of the most hardened criminals she'd ever heard about. She was glad she hadn't crossed paths with any of those just yet. "I know, I know it's dumb to think that. Just... it sounds like the kind of thing you have to see to believe. The GCPD come in every morning with stories about what they've just dealt with, how this bat guy swoops in and handles situations that would take a trained squad to deal with. Cindy herself got saved by Batman one time, when this... Mad Hatter? Thought she was his Alice. Apparently he's got a thing about blonde hair, see..." Khare's voice lowered, her hand pulling away from gesturing at her hair before returning to making coffee. If she had her way, she'd be happy not meeting him or any of the people who got on the wrong side of the law on a nightly basis.

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Main Story Chapter 1-3: 命运的拐点 Destiny’s Turning Point Translation

“Destiny is like a gust of wind… Red leaves flutter, flying away in the face of it.  And it is when the winds pick up ― That you meet once more…”

“And just where are you running off to now? “

*Light and Night Master-list *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join the Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *Main story tag will be #For Light and Night

Police: Name?

Cindy: My name’s Cindy. My earrings are gone! I’ve spent an entire week on them. Please, you must help me find them!

The girl who was desperate to the brink of tears was none other than Cindy, the oldest contestant amongst us all.

Half an hour ago, Cindy had suggested reporting this to the police seeing as how many of the designers had their accessories go missing. Now, she was the first one to undergo questioning by the police.

Police: Earrings, you say? Alright, I’ve noted it down. Has anyone else lost anything?

Designer A: Me. I lost an Emerald hairpin.

Designer B: My pearl ring is gone too.

MC: I’m (Y/n), my brooch has also gone missing.

Police: I’ve gotten the gist of the situation here. All of your items were found lost after less than half an hour after having been left here.

Police: My colleague went to check the surveillance tapes. There was no one suspicious who entered and left the room during that time frame.

Cindy: How can that be…

Police: But there are blind spots where the surveillance cameras cannot reach. Plus, things don’t simply disappear for no reason at all.

Police: So, I’m asking everyone to think carefully about it again. Did any of you see anyone who was acting suspicious?

MC: A suspicious looking person…

The image of the figure dressed in black and wearing a mask flashed into my mind along with his skull pendant and flickering silver chains.

MC: I saw someone that I didn’t recognize walk out of the room, but I thought that he was a model…

MC: But now that I think about it, no model would come here.

Police: What did this person look like?

MC: He’s very tall and looks to be around 185cm. He wasn’t wearing a staff uniform.

Police: Can you give me a detailed description of his appearance and how he was dressed?

I nodded, trying my hardest to remember what I’d seen in that split-second.

MC: I couldn’t make out his features since he wore a black mask, but I remember his clothes…!

MC: He wore a black leather jacket paired with light grey jeans and a pair of studded boots.

MC: He had a long silver necklace with a skull pendant hanging from it along with a few silver chains hanging from his waist.

MC: His countenance is hard to describe. He appears to give off a very mysterious vibe, but honestly, the design of the pants he wore needs to be optimized…

I continued prattling on, unaware of how the policeman who’d been recording my descriptions down stopped short.

Police: Optimized?

Suddenly realizing what I’d just said, my face flushed in embarrassment.

MC: Sorry, but that’s pretty much all I saw…

Police: Alright. We’ll look further into the matter with this information.

Police: However, considering the large number of people here, the vastness of the venue and the small number of missing items, it’ll be quite difficult to find them.

Police: You’d best be prepared.

Everyone lapsed into collective silence after the police left. The solemness of the atmosphere in here was tangible, like a heavy cloud that hung over all of our heads.

Cindy had already succumbed to despair. She silently squatted down; head buried into the crook of her arm.

★Night Choice: Settle your own problems 

Even though I want to comfort Cindy, I know very well that whatever I do or say will only pale in comparison to how she feels right now.

Why don't we just spend the time to think our next step through, instead of being overwhelmed by negative emotions?

Most of the contestants around her have already recovered from the brief turn of events, returning to their tasks at hand.

The contest was just this cruel. Everyone couldn’t afford to be distracted in this race against time as they all raced to the finish line where the ultimate goal laid.

MC: How about just making another one since the chance of finding it is so slim?

MC: But there are only 3 days left… What if I can't finish it in time…

I subconsciously glanced out the window. The huge poster screen of Sariel greeting my wandering eyes once more.

MC: There's no time to be pondering over this.

MC: If it were Sariel in my shoes, he wouldn’t waste time worrying over things that may or may not happen.

The perplexing feeling of loss and the sadness I felt over this incident disappeared almost immediately as I immersed myself into re-making it. The light of the sunset shines through the glass window, bringing about a tinge of warmth.

☆Light Choice: Comfort Her

I walked up to her, gently patting her back.

MC: Don’t worry, I’m sure the police will be able to help us all find our missing accessories.

Cindy: You guys are all young and talented… you’ll have other things to fall back on if you fail here, so of course you wouldn’t be too worried about it… but such a thing doesn’t exist for me…

Her soft voice was distorted by her sniffling, so much that I could barely distinguish what she was trying to say between sobs.

I’d overheard the others talking about her before. Cindy was originally a white-collar worker who’d eventually resigned and got a loan to study design overseas. It was a do-or-die situation for her, in a way.

I didn’t know what I should say to comfort her, for everything I say right now would only pale in comparison to what she was going through. All I could do was to gently pat her back.

Cindy: Why did this have to happen now…? It took me such painstaking efforts to get this far…

All the doom and gloom that she exuded was contagious, and I soon felt my heart drop along with her worsening mood.

???: What are you crying about?

Wu Yue: Those who whinge and always feel sorry for themselves but do nothing to fix it will never succeed.

This was the first time I’ve ever heard her speak off-stage.

I couldn’t help but to be surprised at the look of dead seriousness on her face.

MC: There’s still another 3 days before the competition, so let’s hurry and start re-doing what we’ve lost.

Gao Cheng: I… I can help everyone fetch the materials they need. You can also ask me for help if any of you need an extra hand…

Designer A: I’ve already long since wanted to change my hairpin design! I’m sure the new one this time will turn out a hundred times better! You guys better watch out!

More contestants started inputting, and the gloomy atmosphere soon dissipated. Cindy had also stopped crying, vigorously rubbing at her eyes.

Cindy: You guys are right. I cannot give up here…

Despite all of us not knowing what results awaited us 3 days later, and despite all of us being fellow competitors, we were all teammates now, working hard with the same goal in mind.

After getting our moods in check, everyone returned to their own working space, making the best out of the remaining time left to continue with their respective creations.

❖☆———————————★❖

The hands on the clock had already moved past the 8 PM mark by the time if gotten up for a good stretch.

MC: The gown’s pretty much good to go, and I’ve also finished drawing out the new brooch design. Everything’s turning out pretty well~

Gao Cheng: Your design’s inspired by the starry skies, right? It’s really pretty…

Gao Cheng’s faze lingered on the draft of my design for a while before he seemingly snapped out of it. He raised his head, frantically waving his hands in front of him with a flustered look on his face.

Gao Cheng: S-Sorry, it wasn’t my intention to peek at your design. I just happened to get attracted to it when I walked past…

MC: Don’t worry about it, you came at a great time. Could you tell me what you think about it?

Gao Cheng: Is the brooch meant to represent the brightest star in the sky?

MC: Yup, it represents the north star.

Gao Cheng: But Polaris isn’t actually all that bright. It shines at 2nd magnitude, so you can use a darker gemstone to represent it.

It was as if he were an entirely different person when it came to the topic of stars. He gushed enthusiastically about it with unrivalled passion and seriousness.

Gao Cheng: Ah, I just like astronomy, so I know about it a little more than others. Please don’t get mad at me…

MC: Why would I be mad? I’m actually extremely thankful for your input!

I’d previously searched up pictures of the starry sky up on the internet to use as reference pictures, but what Gao Cheng said reminded me once again that even though the pictures captured by a camera’s lens turn out beautiful, it still isn’t as real as the real thing.

Nothing beats seeing it with your own eyes and ascertaining it for yourself after all.

MC: Maybe I should go up to the rooftop and check the stars out.

❖☆———————————★❖

The cold air of the night greets me as I push open the doors to the rooftop. The vast night sky was spread out before my eyes, the many little red dots beneath it denoting lights of the thousands of households below.

I held onto the railing with both hands raising my head to inhale deeply.

It was then that my phone rang to life as messages from An'an came pouring in one line after another.

An'an (SMS): I’ve gotten my hands on the guest list!

An'an (SMS): You won’t believe how elaborate this guest line-up is! Osborn’s actually coming, you know!? His club’s going to be collaborating with the Warson Group!

MC: …Osborn?

An'an (SMS): Please tell me you still remember him. I’ve shown you a picture of him before! He’s my favourite R1 racer who has won 4 consecutive championships!

I hadn’t yet had the chance to truly think back on it when I suddenly heard a faint noise. It was the familiar sound of metallic chains clinking against each other.

There had been no one here when I came up to the rooftop.

My heart leapt to my throat as I unwittingly headed towards the direction of the sound.

There was someone hidden within the shadows, standing silently in one of the corners where the moonlight never reached.

Seemingly having noticed my gaze, the person moved forwards, stepping out of the shadows.

❖☆———————————★❖

I finally managed to vaguely make out his appearance. He was tall and intimidating even from a distance away. He wore a black jacket across his shoulders, the moonlight glinting off the skull necklace that rested upon his chest.

MC: That’s the guy I saw back in the corridor!

I hadn’t yet recovered from the initial surprise of seeing him here when I suddenly noticed that he was holding a red earring between his fingers.

Cindy’s Earrings! So, he really WAS the thief!

The clouds blocked off the moonlight, darkening the skies as my heart raced, pounding loudly in my ears. Did I interrupt him in the middle of something? Am I going to be “silenced”?

All hesitation flew out the window the moment my thoughts stopped there. I immediately turned and made a dash for the exit.

However, just as I was about to pull the door open and make my escape, a well-defined hand pressed against the door, blocking off my escape.

??: And just where are you running off to now?

❖☆————— ⊹ For Light & Night⊹ —————★❖

Previous Part: (Chapter 1-1) | Next Part: (Chapter 1-5)

[love-geeky-fangirl]

Ranking every teen drama I've watched

I have gotten really into teen dramas lately, because it's quarantine I can't go out and have fun, but I can still watch other people my age going out and having fun and doing things I don't get to do. Anyway I haven't seen all teen dramas, I was never interested in supernatural ones, so you won't find Vampire Diaries and similar shows on this list.

From worst to best:

The Secret Life of the American Teenager

I will never understand how this show ran for five seasons. It will forever remain a mystery to me. This show is so bad it's good. The writing resembles a wattpad story, Amy's pregnancy is inconsistent (like how was she five months pregnant for like five or six episodes, aren't the episodes supposed to be set a week apart?), the acting is bad (that is not to say that Molly Ringwald or Shailene Woodley are bad actresses, obviously they're not, I'm talking about Amy's sister that has the same facial expression no matter what her mood is supposed to be), some of the views this show expresses are very old-fashioned and damaging (the madonna-whore binary, the fact that they can't even utter the word abortion) and every single male character on this show is a creep and a cheater. I can't believe I watched like thirteen episodes of this. I will never get that time back.

Weirdest moment: "I'm a whore!" "Well, you're my whore." (Was this supposed to be romantic??)

Best moment: none

Glee

This is going to be unpopular and don't get me wrong, I like Glee, but I feel like the writers put much more thought into the musical numbers than the storylines. Again, Quinn's pregnancy is inconsistent (but I'm starting to think TV shows are always inconsistent about pregnancies), the characters don't look like they're in high school at all, the cheerleaders wear their uniforms 24/7 for no reason (Quinn even wore it to her sonogram, like seriously?) the whole celibacy club thing is weird and Mr Schue is a terrible teacher. However, the visuals and the musical numbers are great, Sue Sylvester is iconic (albeit also a terrible teacher) and some of the scenes are really emotional (Kurt singing I Wanna Hold Your Hand made my sister cry) so overall, it's pretty good.

Weirdest moment: Finn praying to grilled cheese (what??)

Best moment: Quinn giving birth to Bohemian Rhapsody, Kurt singing I Wanna Hold Your Hand

Dawson's Creek

I LOVE their 90s' outfits and Joey and Pacey are really otp material, but I just can't stand Dawson! He got mad that Joey didn't tell him about his mother's affair, as if it was her place to get involved. She was 15! It's understandible she didn't want to get tangled into that mess. He also slut-shamed Jen in a really gross way. He literally stopped talking to her for a day when he found out she isn't a virgin. Why are both Joey and Jen into this guy?? This would've been a much better show if it was called Joey's Creek or Pacey's Creek.

Weirdest moment: the way Dawson's mom confessed her affair to her husband. I don't think any irl human would use this choice of words. Also that scene where Dawson's father was teaching him how to kiss while Joey was watching. Cringe.

Best moment: any time Joey and Pacey are bickering. My shipper heart!

Pretty Little Liars

I loved the book version of this, but the TV version seems way too dramatic. First of all, they romanticized Aria and Ezra's relationship (ewww) and made the whole thing seem much more overdramatic. I don't know how to explain it, I mean the books are also dramatic but the TV show somehow took it to a whole new level. None of the girls look like they're in high school, but I love the way they dress and do their makeup. It's almost as though the writers put more thought into their outfits than storylines. I still loved watching it until Netflix took it off, though.

Weirdest moment: Spencer somehow trying to block A's number from her laptop in the middle of a park and then being confused that it didn't work. Weren't you supposed to be the smart one, Spencer?

Best moment: Haleb in the shower, hiding from Hanna's mom.

Skins

This is a classic. Effy is iconic (I somehow heard about her even before watching Skins) and the musical number at the end of season 1 was out of nowhere but still somehow fit perfectly into the story. I also give this show point for being one of the few TV shows where teen characters are actually played by real life teens. They look their age, talk their age (no "I reject reality" or other cringy lines like that) and aren't unrealistically perfect like characters from American teen dramas tend to be. They look like people you might actually meet in high school. However the show loses points for all the continuity errors (are 8 episodes supposed to be the whole school year??) and the number of unneccessary death/tragic accidents. It seemed kind of over-the-top and unneccessarily dark and brutal at times.

Weirdest moment: Chris's graphic death

Best moment: Wild World

Euphoria

The Gen Z American version of Skins, but with better visuals. Much better. I loved the aesthetic, the colors, the lighting and glitter. Zendaya's a great actress and I give this show points for casting an actual trans actress in the role of Jules. However I find it weird that all guys on this show are complete irredeemable assholes (except of Jules's dad and Ethan that is). Are we supposed to just root for the girls and not the guys? Also I find it hard to believe that any of these characters are actually 16/17. They have sex all the time (yeah teenagers have sex sometimes but on this show they treated Kat as some kind of a chaste nun for being a virgin at 16) and have seemingly no rules and no curfew. It would've been much more believable if they were in college.

Weirdest moment: Nate breaking into Tyler's house, beating him up and then taking a shower. The audacity this guy has!

Best moment: "You did this to me!" and Rue having an anxiety attack on the stage in theater class

Gossip Girl

I know this is also an unpopular opinion, because many claim Gossip Girl is the best teen drama ever, but for me it just got way too soapy as the seasons went on. The first two seasons were believable, even though they didn't really look like they were in high school, but after that it was just more and more weird plot points. I will give this show points for the fashion (I mean Blair's headbands and school uniform inspired a fashion line), the acting ("I killed someone"- iconic) and the choice of background music (Nate and Serena kissing to Paparazzi, Thanksgiving with Watcha Say). Despite the wild twists and turns of events, I just had to keep watching because this show had me hooked.

Weirdest moment: Bart Bass somehow flying off the building for no reason (seriously, what he did there had no logical explanation and defied laws of physics), Dan being Gossip Girl, Bart faking his death and returning more evil than before, Serena becoming Gossip Girl, the affidavit, everyone randomly stopping going to college... there are so many but Bart takes the cake I guess

Best moment: the Thanksgiving flashbacks from season 1, Dan placing a plastic crown on Blair's head

Freaks and Geeks

This is one of the few shows where high school is depicted realistically. It's not all glitter and parties and not everyone has sex and does drugs. Okay, I admit, the bullying was over the top and it was weird how no adults cared but other than that, it was pretty spot-on. It was emotional without being too dramatic and far-fetched and also had funny moments. Yes some of the characters may have been stereotypes but at least the show seemed self-aware of that. It's truly a shame we only got 18 episodes of this show, while The Secret Life of the American Teenager somehow got five seasons??? I don't get it.

Weirdest moment: when Cindy suddenly got super mean once she started dating Sam

Best moment: Daniel showing up at Kim's doorstep, Sam breaking down in tears in the end of 'Garage Door'

Gilmore Girls

I'm not sure this one counts as a teen drama, maybe it's more of a dramedy but I'm still including it here. It's funny, the dialogue is witty and full of obscure pop-culture references and the relationships between generations complex. Same as with Freaks and Geeks, the portrayal of high school is pretty realistic. Characters are shown studying and taking tests and not just partying all the time. However the show loses points for getting weirdly soapy in the 7th season. The dialogue wasn't as good and the camera angles were soap opera like and the storylines weren't very good either. You could really tell the show changed show-runners. The earlier seasons are the best. It's hard to explain but something about them feels cozy like a warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate on a rainy day.

Weirdest moment: Lorelai marrying Chris and then making the whole "you're the man I want to want" speech, Lorelai defending and loving Dean for no reason

Best moment: Rory's graduation speech, Rory yelling at Chris and calling him out for not having been there for her, Then She Appeared, "Yes Emily, you may go first"... there are so many!

[amethyst-starr5]

Fear Street Spoilers ahead!!!!! Just to clarify: it got tiresome writing Shadyside and Sunnyvale so I'll refer to them as SS and SV. Ok, now this might be far fetched but I think (and hope) that this is the direction that Fear Street part 3 will take.  I think that what happened was that back when SS and SV were The Union, things were bad for the people who lived there. I believe that someone (most likely the person who accused Sarah of being a witch) decided to do a deal with the devil (oh just like SV's football mascot)and Sarah discovered them.  She wanted to reveal what they were doing but was used as a scapegoat; she was accused of witchcraft, sliced her hand off to give credibility to the narrative, efectively silenced and made to blame for all of SS's misfortune.  I think that the culprit(s) most likely had a faction of followers who would eventually move to SV and make sure that no one ever found out the truth. Hence why everyone in SV acts/feels superior to SS. Of course this could just be that typical rich/poor or privileged/disadvantaged. But the extremes to which SV people go to mention the witch over and over seems a bit like it's their parents/adults egging them on and keeping the story alive. Not to mention the fact that " Sarah Fier's minions" never actively try to harm people who are from SV. Yes, in part 1 Peter is killed, but I think that only happened because he was directly in front of Sam when he gets killed. Also, none of the children murdered in part 2 are from SV. I think that up to 1992, the deal that the culprit made with the devil was still working, resulting in prosperity and wealth for SV while SS paid the price. It would be a great way to misdirect attention from the real culprits by having SS people "just snapping", drawing suspicion away from SV. Everytime that people from SS are killed, they are serving as human sacrifices to continue upholding the deal. What is extremely suspicious is that it seems like someone is still actively trying to make sure that no one reunites Sarah Fier's body with her hand. Someone even bothered to move her body from beneath the hanging tree and left a taunting message in a rock; that body was then left in a random place off the road. Not to mention that we see a hooded figure who is in the cave when the SS murderers are being brought back. The fact that they were wearing a hood makes me think it might be someone from SV (maybe the mayor) who continues practicing witchcraft in order to make sure no one finds out the truth.  If no one finds out that Sarah Fier was innocent, SV continues to reap the benefits that SS's misery gives them.  The newspaper clippings in part one set up the juxtaposition of SS vs SV and it's honestly pretty SHADY. NO violent crime! In a rich town? Anyone could have gone from a different town to commit crimes there, especially SS kids with a grudge. Now in part 2, we see that after Alice touched the "heart" in the cave, some of the past SS killers come back. For some unknown reason, they had been hibernating in that part of the cave (instead of being used by the witch to create even more terror) and come back. In part 1, we only see three of the killers, one of which is the killer in part 2. I think that the curse might be weakening. And that gives Sarah a chance to look for someone who can break the curse on SS. That's where Sam comes into play. Up to this point, various people have helped set up the stage so that the curse can be broken. Nurse Lane researched a lot about Sarah Fier, uncovering the map of the cave, a map of The Union from the past, the list of the SS murders and an entirely different chant from the one that SS and SV kids knew; this chant was crucial in helping them figure out where the hand was and how to break the curse.  Ziggy, Cindy and Alice played a part in finding more about the curse and locating the hand.

Then, Sam inadvertently stumbles upon Sarah Fier's bones that Ziggy and Cindy were unable to find. I think that when Sam's blood came into contact with the bones, Sarah Fier showed her images to try to help her understand what had happened to her. Because of that, the real culprit makes it so that the past SS murderers will target Sam in order to keep her from finding out the truth.  Sadly, she becomes possessed and Deena has to step in.  The reason that I am so convinced that Sarah Fier is not behind the curse is because back in middle school, I read many Fear Street books. R.L. Stine always includes twists in his books.  In the Fear Street trilogy, he explains why bad things happen in Fear Street. As soon as they mentioned "the witch" I remembered The Betrayal, which includes a character that gets accused of witchcraft, Susannah Goode. Yes, Goode, not Fier. Benjamin and Matthew Fier are the ones who accused her, and her mother, of witchcraft to seperate Susannah from Edward Fier, Benjamin's son. Ironically, the real witch was Susannah's father, William Goode, AND Matthew Fier.  I think that in Fear Street part 3, it'll be revealed that Sarah's last name is Goode, not Fier.  Thanks to Deena going to C. Berman, who then goes on to relate all of what she knows, Sarah Fier's body and hand are reunited. And the stage is set.

[chilledfoodtin]

Ignis’ Favorite Foods (And What They Say About Him)

1. Fluffy Chiffon Cake

This is my favorite of Ignis’ favorites.  Chiffon cake is one of the bets cakes. I it’s light, airy and not too sweet.  It’s also one of the newest--it has only been around since the 1920s.  An American insurance salesman invented the cake, but he carefully guarded the recipe.  He served the cake at a chain of restaurants in Hollywood (The Brown Derby) where it became popular with celebrities.  It was eventually sold to General Mills and the recipe was released nationwide in 1947.  It was backed by a big marketing campaign that made it a hit (source).

Ignis initially seems like a man who isn’t much for desserts and sweets, so this favorite surprised me, but I immediately found it endearing.  This no nonsense, hard working badass loves chiffon cake.  After a little investigation, I discovered that Japan has its own unique take on chiffon cake that may help explain Ignis’ love for it.  Japanese Chiffon cake is very similar to the traditional American recipe, but it’s often prepared in different pans and sliced like the one yousee in game (check out this guide).  It is also prepared as a cupcake--like these Hokkaido chiffon cupcakes.

It’s easy to imagine Ignis coming across one of those Hokkaido style Chiffon cupcakes at an Insomnia coffee shop.  Maybe he frequently stopped at a coffee place that sold them (we know he’s a coffee addict). It makes me happy to think of Ignis enjoying a piece of this cake with a cup of coffee.  It is an uncomplicated pleasure that he richly deserves.

More faves after the cut!

2. Breaded Cutlet with Tomato

This dish looks a lot like Japanese chicken Katsu.  Chicken katsu is similar to Western schnitzel dishes.  It’s got a tasty, crunchy, panko exterior and is often served with a tart sauce (the Japanese version seems to be served with curry quite often).  The FFXV version includes a Lucian tomato sauce.  I wonder if this dish is a bit of a “comfort food” back in Insomnia.  I can imagine Ignis eating a dish like this a lot when he was growing up. It’s hearty, but somehow light and no doubt one of the few dishes involving vegetables that Noctis would readily eat.

3. Fisherman’s Favorite Paella

Paella is a classic (and delicious) Spanish dish (specifically from Valencia).  The word “paella” is derived from the Spanish word for pan -- a reference to the special kind of pan used for paella.  The foundation of a paella dish is saffron infused rice.  The aromatic saffron makes it delicious and gives it the distinctive yellow hue.  There are many kinds of ingredients you can put into a paella--chorizo, chicken, seafood--it all depends on the variety of paella you want.  

Ignis’ favorite paella is a seafood version.  Seafood paella is definitely one of the more popular forms.  All kinds of seafood can be used, but it’s traditional to include some shellfish (like the mussels you see in the photo of Iggy’s favorite).  Paella is a hearty, aromatic dish that is very popular worldwide.  Ignis’ preferred version, though, speaks of someone with slightly more expensive tastes (though that depends greatly on what part of the world you live in).

This dish is acquired by ordering it at the Mother of Pearl restaurant.  Given Ignis’ penchant for seafood, it’s not surprising one of his favorite dishes comes from one of the best seafood restaurants on Eos.  When you visit Galdin Quay, Ignis will “idle” around the Mother of Pearl, watching Coctura cook.  Occasionally, I’ve seen players suggest Ignis has a “crush” on Coctura, but I think this is a professional sort of interest--one chef admiring another.

4. Horntooth Meatpie

I know Ignis only has a British accent in the EN version of the game, but this meat pie is a very Anglo choice.  You get the recipe for this dish by observing a female hunter eating it outside the Meldacio General Store (I’m always amused by scenes like this--4 guys staring at you while you eat).  The fact that it’s a hunter favorite suggests this is a very hearty dish.  This fave is just more evidence that Ignis isn’t particularly snobbish about food.

5. Tomalley-Filled Dumplings

I thought I knew a lot about food going into FFXV, but I had never eaten “tomalley” before and didn’t have a very good idea of what it was.  Some seafood fans probably already know this, but tomalley is actually the pancreas/liver of a cooked shellfish (oftentimes a lobster).  It has a soft green color and, according to Cook’s Illustrated, is valued for its creamy texture and intense flavor.  It’s typically used in sauces or in compound butter.  I was surprised to discover that some people believe it's not safe to eat.  This is due to the fact that tomalley ingestion can sometimes lead to the contraction of “paralytic shellfish poisoning”, but evidently it’s mainly a risk during red tides.  Ignis likes to live on the wild side!  In the JP version, the dish references “kani miso’ which loosely translates to “crab brain”.  The “kani miso” however refers to the same thing tomalley does (a green paste of innards).  Maybe it feels better say you are eating a crab brain instead of a mish mash of its organs?  In any case, it’s also considered a delicacy in Japan.

I think this dish further confirms that Ignis has a refined palate and a taste for expensive seafood.  Someone who frequently eats lobster could very easily develop a taste for the rarer bits of that celebrated crustacean.  Noctis even jokes that Ignis should be thrilled when they fight giant crabs with bone crushing pincers (but Ignis replies “what they have gained in size they will have lost in flavor”).  Apparently Ignis has a shellfish reputation.

To unlock the Tomalley-Filled Dumplings, you have to read Oric’s Culinary Chronicles, entry 5 (which is sitting on a bench near the bridge in Old Lestallum).  It makes sense a story about a “river crawler” would lead to a recipe involving tomalley.  What else can we infer from this?  I’m not sure we can really connect the entry to Ignis (or Old Lestallum).  That said, there was once a theory Ignis was related to Oric, but that will have to wait for another post.

6. Feast of the Divine

Next to Kenny’s Original Recipe, this is the strangest item on Ignis’ list.  This dish is prepared by Gentiana in the Comrades DLC (before Comrades became a standalone you could only acquire te recipe after she made it).  Noctis’ favorite Comrades dish is prepared by Cid, Prompto's is made by Cindy and Gladio’s is prepared by Cor.  Many speculated that Ignis’ fave would be Aranea’s, but not many guessed it would be Gentiana’s.

Genti’s dish is complex and beautiful to look at.  It features extremely expensive ingredients and gives good buffs.  Does Ignis love this dish simply because it is the most sophisticated?  The best tasting?  The most beautiful?  Any of those could be good answers., but if you break out the tinfoil you can go further.  Does Ignis love Gentiana’s dish because he knows her well?  Is Ignis himself some type of astral?  Or a messenger?  

Very far fetched, but since we have very limited background info on Ignis it’s tempting to invent theories to explain his past.

7. Kenny’s Original Recipe

This one is hard to reconcile.  How could a man of such culinary sophistication love something like this??  I’m not even sure what it actually is. It is clearly a salmon fillet, but it’s not clear what is covering it.  Some believe that it’s pastry, others think that it might be a cheese topping like some sort of cursed tuna melt.  Personally, I think it looks like mozzarella cheese.  I did come across a bizarre thing at Japanese KFCs--deep fried salmon bites.  That might be similar to Kenny’s.

You might think this is just something that Ignis settles for when the bros go to the Crow’s Nest--a sort of adaptation to cope with their many visits to Kenny’s place.  This would seem like a good explanation, but he doesn't just tolerate it--he loves it!  The little sprite Ignis leaps for joy when you select it.  It almost seems hypocritical after Ignis’ snarky remark to Prompto implying Crow’s Nest fare was unhealthy and fattening.

It’s possible the dish holds some special place in Ignis’ heart.  It seems like the Crow’s Nest chain is only outside the walls of Insomnia, but it’s possible a Crow’s Nest or two made it into the city.  Maybe Kenny’s Original Recipe reminds Ignis of some fond moments from his childhood.  Maybe it was a dish someone from his family really loved.  Maybe he saw an ad for it when he was small and always wanted to try it.  Maybe his inner Guy Fieri is coming out.  Maybe Kenny intimidated him into liking the dish.  

Who knows, but the fact that Ignis loves this is just one more of the many mysteries about Ignis.

Taken together, these dishes reveal a man who has sophisticated, yet not elitist tastes.  A man who appreciates fine dining and the comfort of a home cooked meal.  Most importantly, we know that he appreciates a good cake.  I hope you get to have all of your favorites today, Ignis.  🎈Happy birthday!! 🎈

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Main Story Chapter 1-3: 命运的拐点 Destiny’s Turning Point Translation [3rd Beta Test]

*Light and Night Master-list is under WIP *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Game is slated for release this summer! (Estimated to be 8/8/21) *Beta Test’s main story tag will be #Dreams of Light and Night

Police: Name?

Cindy: My name's Cindy. My earrings are gone! I've spent an entire week on them. Please, you must help me find them!

The girl who was desperate to the brink of tears was none other than Cindy, the oldest contestant amongst us all.

Half an hour ago, Cindy had suggested reporting this to the police seeing as how many of the designers had their accessories go missing. Now, she was the first one to undergo questioning by the police.

Police: Earrings, you say? Alright, I've noted it down. Has anyone else lost anything?

Designer A: Me. I lost an Emerald hairpin.

Designer B: My pearl necklace is gone too.

MC: I'm (Y/n), my brooch has also gone missing.

Police: I've gotten the gist of the situation here. All of your items were found lost after less than half an hour after having been left here.

Police: My colleague went to check the surveillance tapes. There was no one suspicious who entered and left the room during that time frame.

Cindy: How can that be...

Police: But there are blind spots where the surveillance cameras cannot reach. Plus, things don't simply disappear for no reason at all.

Police: So, I'm asking everyone to think carefully about it again. Did any of you see anyone who was acting suspicious?

MC: A suspicious looking person…

The image of the figure dressed in black and wearing a mask flashed into my mind along with his skull pendant and flickering silver chains.

MC: I saw someone that I didn't recognize walk out of the room, but I thought that he was a model…

MC: But now that I think about it, no model would come here.

Police: What did this person look like?

MC: He’s very tall and looks to be around 185cm. He wasn’t wearing a staff uniform. 

Police: Can you give me a detailed description of his appearance and how he was dressed?

I nodded, trying my hardest to remember what I’d seen in that split-second.

MC: I couldn’t make out his features since he wore a black mask, but I remember his clothes…!

MC: He wore a black leather jacket paired with light grey jeans and a pair of studded boots.

MC: He had a long silver necklace with a skull pendant hanging from it along with a few silver chains hanging from his waist.

MC: His countenance is hard to describe. He appears to give off a very mysterious vibe, but honestly, the design of the pants he wore needs to be optimized...

I continued prattling on, unaware of how the policeman who’d been recording my descriptions down stopped short.

Police: Optimized?

Suddenly realizing what I'd just said, my face flushed in embarrassment.

MC: Sorry, but that's pretty much all I saw…

Police: Alright. We'll look further into the matter with this information.

Police: However, considering the large number of people here, the vastness of the venue and the small number of missing items, it’ll be quite difficult to find them.

Police: You'd best be prepared.

Everyone lapsed into collective silence after the police left. The solemness of the atmosphere in here was tangible, like a heavy cloud that hung over all of our heads.

Cindy had already succumbed to despair. She silently squatted down; head buried into the crook of her arm.

★Night Choice: Settle your own problems (Didn't select)

☆Light Choice: Comfort Her

I walked up to her, gently patting her back.

MC: Don't worry, I'm sure the police will be able to help us all find our missing accessories.

Cindy: You guys are all young and talented… you'll have other ways to spring back if you fail here, so of course you wouldn't be too worried about it… but such a thing doesn't exist for me…

Her soft voice was distorted by her sniffling, so much that I could barely distinguish what she was trying to say between sobs.

I'd overheard the others talking about her before. Cindy was originally a white-collar worker who'd eventually resigned and got a loan to study design overseas. It was a do-or-die situation for her, in a way.

I didn't know what I should say to comfort her, for everything I say right now would only pale in comparison to what she was going through. All I could do was to gently pat her back.

Cindy: Why did this have to happen now…? It took me such painstaking efforts to get this far…

All the doom and gloom that she exuded was contagious, and I soon felt my heart drop along with her worsening mood.

???: What are you crying about?

No one actually expected Wu Yue, of all people, to be saying something this harsh. She strode out of the crowd under everyone's surprised gazes, walking in front of Cindy and pulling her back upright. Her expression was a tad savage.

Wu Yue: If you don't want to let all your previous effort go to waste, then you'd jolly well shut your trap and redo it. Do you really think it was all so easy for everyone to get this far!

Wu Yue: Those who whinge and always feel sorry for themselves but do nothing to fix it will never succeed.

This was the first time I've ever heard her speak off-stage.

I couldn't help but to be surprised at the look of dead seriousness on her face.

MC: There's still another 3 days before the competition, so let's hurry and start re-doing what we've lost.

Gao Cheng: I... I can help everyone fetch the materials they need. You can also ask me for help if any of you need an extra hand...

Designer A: I've already long since wanted to change my hairpin design! I'm sure the new one this time will turn out a hundred times better! You guys better watch out!

More contestants started inputting, and the gloomy atmosphere soon dissipated. Cindy had also stopped crying, vigorously rubbing at her eyes.

Cindy: You guys are right. I cannot give up here…

Despite all of us not knowing what results awaited us 3 days later, and despite all of us being fellow competitors, we were all teammates now, working hard with the same goal in mind.

After getting our moods in check, everyone returned to their own working space, making the best out of the remaining time left to continue with their respective creations.

❖☆———————————★❖

The hands on the clock had already moved past the 8 PM mark by the time if gotten up for a good stretch.

MC: The gown's pretty much good to go, and I've also finished drawing out the new brooch design. Everything's turning out pretty well~

Gao Cheng: Your design's inspired by the starry skies, right? It's really pretty…

Gao Cheng's faze lingered on the draft of my design for a while before he seemingly snapped out of it. He raised his head, frantically waving his hands in front of him with a flustered look on his face.

Gao Cheng: S-Sorry, it wasn't my intention to peek at your design. I just happened to get attracted to it when I walked past…

MC: Don't worry about it, you came at a great time. Could you tell me what you think about it?

Gao Cheng: Is the brooch meant to represent the brightest star in the sky?

MC: Yup, it represents the north star.

Gao Cheng: But Polaris isn't actually all that bright. It shines at 2nd magnitude, so you can use a darker gemstone to represent it.

It was as if he were an entirely different person when it came to the topic of stars. He gushed enthusiastically about it with unrivalled passion and seriousness.

Gao Cheng: Ah, I just like astronomy, so I know about it a little more than others. Please don't get mad at me... 

MC: Why would I be mad? I'm actually extremely thankful for your input!

I'd previously searched up pictures of the starry sky up on the internet to use as reference pictures, but what Gao Cheng said reminded me once again that even though the pictures captured by a camera's lens turn out beautiful, it still isn't as real as the real thing.

Nothing beats seeing it with your own eyes and ascertaining it for yourself after all.

MC: Maybe I should go up to the rooftop and check the stars out.

❖☆———————————★❖

The cold air of the night greets me as I push open the doors to the rooftop. The vast night sky was spread out before my eyes, the many little red dots beneath it denoting lights of the thousands of households below.

I held onto the railing with both hands raising my head to inhale deeply.

It was then that my phone rang to life as messages from An'an came pouring in one line after another.

An'an (SMS): I've gotten my hands on the guest list!

An'an (SMS): You won't believe how elaborate this guest line-up is! Osborn's actually coming, you know!? His club's going to be collaborating with the Warson Group!

MC: ...Osborn?

An'an (SMS): Please tell me you still remember him. I've shown you a picture of him before! He's my favourite R1 racer who has won 4 consecutive championships!

I hadn't yet had the chance to truly think back on it when I suddenly heard a faint noise. It was the familiar sound of metallic chains clinking against each other.

There had been no one here when I came up to the rooftop.

My heart leapt to my throat as I unwittingly headed towards the direction of the sound.

There was someone hidden within the shadows, standing silently in one of the corners where the moonlight never reached.

Seemingly having noticed my gaze, the person moved forwards, stepping out of the shadows.

❖☆———————————★❖

I finally managed to vaguely make out his appearance. He was tall and intimidating even from a distance away. He wore a black jacket across his shoulders, the moonlight glinting off the skull necklace that rested upon his chest.

MC: That's the guy I saw back in the corridor!

I hadn't yet recovered from the initial surprise of seeing him here when I suddenly noticed that he was holding a red earring between his fingers.

Cindy's Earrings! So, he really WAS the thief!

The clouds blocked off the moonlight, darkening the skies as my heart raced, pounding loudly in my ears. Did I interrupt him in the middle of something? Am I going to be "silenced"?

All hesitation flew out the window the moment my thoughts stopped there. I immediately turned and made a dash for the exit.

However, just as I was about to pull the door open and make my escape, a well-defined hand pressed against the door, blocking off my escape.

??: And just where are you running off to now?

❖☆————— ⊹ Dreams of Light & Night⊹ —————★❖

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