#European whiskies

[winewomanww]

Wine Woman Whisky Whisperer

Website: https://www.winewomanww.com

Wine Woman Whisky Whisperer specializes in importing exclusive, organic European wines and Japanese whisky. With a focus on eco-friendly and sustainable practices, they offer a unique collection of wines and spirits, alongside private label wines for wholesale. Their services extend to private tastings, degustation events, and hospitality training, emphasizing their commitment to quality and environmental sustainability.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Winewomanww

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winewomanwhiskywhisperer/

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[skyeavenue]

Whisky Tasting, Fine Dining, and More: Discover the Best Restaurants in Surrey, BC

 Surrey, British Columbia, may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of culinary adventures, but this vibrant city has a lot to offer, especially in the realm of fine dining and whisky tasting. Whether you're a local looking to explore new dining experiences or a visitor seeking the best Surrey has to offer, we've got you covered. In this blog post, we'll take you on a journey through the top restaurants, whisky bars, and dining experiences Surrey has to offer. From whisky tasting to chef's table experiences, Surrey has something for every palate.

1. Best Whisky Bar in Surrey, BC:

First stop, whisky enthusiasts, make your way to Surrey's finest whisky bar. SkyeAvenue.com is known for its extensive collection of whisky, offering a variety of whisky flights, rare finds, and expertly crafted cocktails. Whether you're a whisky connoisseur or just looking to expand your palate, this is the place to be.

2. Fine Dining Surrey:

For those seeking a fine dining experience, Surrey offers a range of upscale restaurants that will tantalize your taste buds. Explore the culinary wonders at SkyeAvenue.com, where you'll find a diverse menu that combines local and international flavors in an elegant setting.

3. Best Brunch Restaurant Surrey:

Brunch lovers, rejoice! Surrey boasts several restaurants that serve delectable brunch offerings. Visit SkyeAvenue.com for a brunch experience that's not to be missed. From classic eggs benedict to creative omelets, you'll find it all here.

4. Patio Restaurant Surrey:

Enjoy the beautiful British Columbia weather at one of Surrey's patio restaurants. SkyeAvenue.com offers a delightful outdoor dining experience where you can savor your meal while soaking in the sun and the sights of Surrey.

5. Whisky Lounge in Surrey:

Take a step into the world of whisky at Surrey's top whisky lounge. SkyeAvenue.com's whisky lounge provides the perfect ambiance for an evening of whisky tasting and mingling with fellow enthusiasts.

6. Chef's Table Experience in Surrey, BC:

For an unforgettable dining experience, reserve a seat at the chef's table. SkyeAvenue.com offers a unique opportunity to witness the culinary magic up close as the chef prepares a personalized menu just for you.

7. Private Dining Surrey:

Planning a special event or an intimate gathering? Surrey offers numerous restaurants with private dining rooms. SkyeAvenue.com can accommodate your needs, providing a private and customized experience for your guests.

8. Best Italian Restaurant Surrey:

Indulge in the flavors of Italy at Surrey's finest Italian restaurant. SkyeAvenue.com's Italian cuisine is a culinary delight, serving up traditional dishes that will transport you to the heart of Italy.

9. Whisky Flights Surrey:

Whisky flights are a fantastic way to explore the nuances of different whiskies. SkyeAvenue.com offers a curated selection of whisky flights, allowing you to compare and contrast the flavors and aromas of various whiskies.

10. Best European Restaurant Surrey:

Explore the diverse culinary traditions of Europe in Surrey. SkyeAvenue.com offers a range of European dishes that will take your taste buds on a journey across the continent.

Conclusion: Surrey, BC, may not always be in the spotlight when it comes to culinary adventures, but it's clear that the city has a lot to offer. From whisky bars and fine dining to brunch spots and European cuisine, Surrey's dining scene is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. Whether you're a local or a visitor, SkyeAvenue.com is your go-to resource for finding the best culinary experiences in Surrey. So, set out to explore and indulge in the flavors and spirits that this charming city has to offer. Cheers to an unforgettable dining experience in Surrey, BC!

[outlanderskin]

Dear Whisky Tasting Anon.

This blog you sent me is wrong in so many ways that I'll start with a very simple one: the friendship bracelets were not a gift from Sam. They were given by a very kind fan who wanted to do this kindness by giving other fans something that they would take as a souvenir of that moment. So, see how well informed "this person" is.

About European laws and drinks: do you really think that LandCon, Sony, Sassenach are companies without a legal department? The "blogger" in question thinks searching the Internet makes him a law expert, but he forgets that Sam, Sony, LandCon, and Co. have people working for them in this area who are in fact lawyers, people who went to universities to study the laws, who have professional experience and not simply someone who throws two or three words into the Google search bar. BTW I live in a European country addicted to bureaucracy and imagine you..... Whisky Tastings are held here with products sold only in foreign countries. That is exactly what makes these events interesting because these are the whisky that we don't find here easily.

One other thing: be wary of anyone who is bothered by how other people spend their money, because this is clearly a big sign of an envious soul. I didn't buy a ticket for the whisky tasting because I don't drink whisky. But I applaud all the fans (adult women) who participated in this moment, and I tell you one thing: I focused on buying everything Tobias was going to participate in. And if he was going to do a "Tap Water Tasting," I would pay as much as they demanded, just to be able to stay closer to him for a few minutes and drink tap water. Again, about friendship bracelets: a friend brought one for me, and it made me very emotional because I've never received one before (It wasn't common when I was younger). I'm very happy that Taylor Swift fans started doing something like this, and this idea has spread to other fandons. Whoever doesn't like friendship bracelets is because they've never gotten one.

[sgiandubh]

Whiskey, not whisky

Kentucky bourbon it is, for McTavish, as formally announced on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvxuLwXBDgt/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D.

Website, here: https://mctavishspirits.com/. Very instructive: The Sassenach vs. The Warchief. How original.

With a hefty pricetag. Heh, and Mordor thought the Sassenach was a rip-off?

The similarities apparently also extend to the marketing pitch: young, struggling actor dreams big, goes to the States, finds relative critical success there, walks down memory lane. And shares with the world his real, real passion he's "been working on for a while".

Yes. I am selling it. I don't have to pay for it, but... you do. Ugh. I have no words, wow. Oh, the entitlement and the smugness. Completely expected.

Let's unpack:

This is by no means or stretch of imagination a whimsical, vanity project and is carefully differentiated from a white label, which would have meant that the guy was basically lending his beard and voice to the (generic) product, in the hopes it will sell well enough and for as long as possible. No: it is, to quote the leaflet, "meticulously hand selected". Oh.

This is also a long-shot, well prepared blow:

Sorry: the website thinks I am a robot, even if there's just one and only R2D2 in our universe, but you should be able to get more details by yourselves. It is an LLC (easy-peasy, no hassle), filed on July 27 2023.

For the moment, the SM reactions are rather glacial. Sam's crowd is not amused, and with good reason:

I saw it coming, now the elephant is on the couch in the middle of the parlor and I have to say I am still perplexed, in a way, even if I shouldn't.

Sam's project is not the only thing he copies, btw. Check this out:

Yes, it's a Scottish brand I know absolutely nothing about (all input welcome), but still (http://thespiritscompany.com/portfolio/sir-mactavish-scotch-whisky/?age-verified=4b7d1b53bb):

McTavish, Sir Mactavish... Potato, potahto. In Europe, and specifically the EU , it would go to court for trademark infringement in 4, 3, 2, 1, especially since it could cause confusion, deception, or mistake. For comparison, Sassenach's German lost legal battle was sparked by way less than that: a mere partial homophony with the (obscure?) Sasse distillery in Schoppingen, somewhere in Westphalia (https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity/sam-heughan-loses-legal-battle-25578518 - this is the link I found first). But McTavish is clever enough to clearly go for the US market first and foremost.

And as a reminder, in S's situation, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)'s position has been particularly, and might I add, gratuitously, aggressive. I am intrigued enough and might get back to this in a separate post: don't hold your breath, though.

I still need to digest that and the question asked a couple of evenings ago remains open: what prompted S's sudden change of schedule? McTavish Anon might have been onto something, perhaps.

Tu quoque, McTavish? MIK, my earasaid. Now you understand why the sudden, subtle change on S's Twitter bio? Not only related to the SAG-AFTRA strike, I bet whatever you want on it (there's only a limited number of times I can bet my farm, heh).

[Much later edit, November 2023: It turns out this is an unashamed white label project. My bad for not immediately seeing it.]

[pommedepersephone]

You Say Potato, I Say Excellent! Or blocking, dialogue and legacy of morality tales in ‘The Resurrectionists’ minisode PART I

Alternate title: how Aziraphale’s naivety in this episode was supposed to make you a bit outraged

I have to shout out to @bowtiepastabitch for their AMAZING historical analysis of this minisode - it prompted me to finish this long ramble that has been drifting in my notes. Anyway, I have a major obsession with the ways blocking and dialogue interplay in Good Omens - you can check out my analysis of the blocking in the flashbacks in S1. But The Resurrectionists is really something special. This got so long I am splitting it into two parts. See Part II here!

I should start with three important caveats that brought me to this analysis -

If we accept that S1 is narrated by God, then I propose that S2 is being told from the viewpoint of our Ineffable Man Shaped Beings - and they are NOT reliable narrators.

All three minisodes share a feeling of being… stories. They feel like a slightly exaggerated version they might be told between two old friends sitting in the back room of a bookshop, soused off wine and whisky. Like a journal entry that you don’t actually expect outsiders to see.

All three minisodes have some relation, in style and structure, to film and literature. I'm focusing on the lit aspect here. A Companion to Owls is very illustrated bible. Nazi Zombies from Hell is a pulp fiction master class. So what is The Resurrectionists? A morality tale.

My first thought when we opened on the romantic graveyard date in Edinburgh was “OH it’s like a penny dreadful!” but it didn’t take me long to reassess. Morality tales are a genre of children’s literature that was extremely popular in the early 1800s where the minisode is taking place. But THIS morality tale itself is a more nuanced version of these stories, more along the lines of what an author important in the Good Omens universe would pen. So, first, a little bit of history behind morality tales and a very important author to know, then we get to the blocking and dialogue!

Morality Tales for Children

There had long been differing views in European circles of thought about the nature of children - were they born innately tainted by Original Sin, or were they born as blank slates? In the late 1700s to early 1800s, the view of the blank slate was winning with the help of highly influential educators like Friedrich Froebel (who coined the term kindergarten and emphasized the importance of play in learning.) 

At this same time, there was a rise in literature produced specifically for children. One of the most popular children’s genres? The morality tale. These stories showed Good triumphing over Evil and the importance of leading a respectable, Christian life. The stories were extremely binary, black and white in their presentation of morality, something which deeply influenced many authors who were raised reading them. Authors like G.K. Chesterton.

G.K. Chesterton 

Over his career, Chesterton wrote several plays, 80 books, 200 short stories, 4,000 essays, and several hundred poems. He’s an interesting guy, but suffice to say for our purposes - he was deeply Christian, and his work contains a lot of religious themes and symbolism which he used to write serious commentary on politics, economics and philosophy. If you haven’t read the book, you should know that it the dedication reads thus: 

The authors would like to join the demon Crowley in dedicating this book to the memory of G.K. Chesterton. 

In fact, Crowley says in the book that Chesterton was “The only poet in the twentieth century to even come close to the Truth." So it is probably relevant that Chesterton had opinions about children’s morality tales. He once wrote -

Many people have wondered why it is that children's stories are so full of moralizing. The reason is perfectly simple: it is that children like moralizing more than anything else, and eat it up as if it were so much jam. The reason why we, who are grown up, dislike moralizing is equally clear: it is that we have discovered how much perversion and hypocrisy can be mixed with it; we have grown to dislike morality not because morality is moral, but because morality is so often immoral. But the child has never seen the virtues twisted into vices; the child does not know that men are not only bad from good motives, but also often good from bad motives. The child does not know that whereas the Jesuit may do evil that good may come, the man of the world often does good that evil may come.

In summary, we know that children’s morality tales were supposed to teach important lessons about Good and Evil. We also know that later authors like G.K. Chesterton were aware of this genre and it influenced their writing (which in turn informs the Good Omens universe). So why pick this framework for this minisode? Because it is FRUSTRATING to watch, on purpose. We are meant to be annoyed with how Good has so little relation to right, to see how complicated doing real good can be, and it lays out a strong case for the complete inadequacy of black and white world views - and not just religious ones.

So (grabs gloves and a knife) let’s dissect the blocking and dialogue, shall we?

Part II: Blocking and Dialogue

[argentcochon]

Band Recommendations Part 1 - 2000’s Garage Rock Revival

I know y’all love Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines, Interpol, and the Strokes, but this genre has so much to offer. Here are some of my favorite bands and some info on them.

1. Franz Ferdinand

I fuck with these guys heavy. My favorite band of all time.

Genre(s) - art rock, post-punk, dance-rock

Franz Ferdinand is a Scottish band that was pretty popular in the early 2000s, but people don’t know much from them other than “Take Me Out” or “This Fire” from their debut album.

Their visual style is pretty unique, with their music videos from their debut album and You Could Have It So Much Better taking inspo from Bauhaus and 1960’s ish European advertising.

Their first two albums are super consistent thematically, and their third album, Tonight, has a bit more of a dance-y vibe but is still recognizably Franz Ferdinand. I honestly can’t recommend this band enough.

They have a new album, The Human Fear, coming out January 2025.

Favorite Songs - “The Fallen”, “Bite Hard”, “Darts of Pleasure”, and “Evil Eye”

2. Maxïmo Park

Genre(s) - electronic rock, post-punk, alt rock, indie rock

The fact that these guys never made it to the same level of mainstream as Franz Ferdinand or Arctic Monkeys is tragic.

Honestly, I don’t really know what to say about this band other than that they sound like garage rock injected with psychedelic rock. I don’t even know, but they are incredible

Their first album, A Certain Trigger, is absolutely amazing. It’s fast paced and has literally zero skips. The second album, Unearthly Pleasures, definitely has a more rock sound, but is still fucking awesome.

They just came out with a new album, Stream of Life, a couple months ago.

Favorite Songs - “Graffiti”, “Quiz Show Clue”, and “The Unshockable”

3. Dirty Pretty Things

Genre(s) - indie, post punk

This band was a one-off project from Carl Barât of the Libertines, but I wish we had seen more of them. The band has a weirdly nautical, almost shanty-ish sound mixed with the garage punk of the Libertines. They released one album in 2006 so it’s not a huge commitment.

Favorite Tracks - “Bang Bang You’re Dead” and “Bloodthirsty Bastards”

4. The Fratellis

Genre(s) - alt rock, indie rock

Definitely one of the more popular ones on this list, but they are totally unlike any other band. They have some odd rockabilly influence and a knack for narrative, making their style of music totally unique.

Costello Music, their first and most popular album, is absolutely amazing. Don’t think there’s a single skip. I personally have t listened to much of their recent stuff, but I cannot recommend their first few albums enough.

Favorite Songs - “Chelsea Dagger”, “Creepin’ Up The Backstairs”, and “Whisky Saga”

5. Klaxons

Genre(s) - new wave, dance-punk, electronic rock

I love this band. They have a sort of chaotic sound that meshes so well with the electronic dance influence.

They only released 3 albums, the most recent from a decade ago, but their music definitely stands the test of time.

Favorite Songs - “Totem on the Timeline” and “Golden Skans”

6. We Are Scientists

Genre(s) - post punk, alt rock, pop punk

Another great band, totally underrated. They feel like if the Strokes went to Hot Topic. They totally have that pop-punk sound, very reminiscent of Fall Out Boy or early Twenty-One Pilots.

I haven’t listened to their whole discography, but their first album, With Love And Squalor, is absolutely fabulous. It’s super high-energy and lyrically fun.

Favorite Songs - “Inaction” and “This Scene is Dead”

[thesilliestrovingalive]

Updated: November 24, 2024

Reworked Character #12: General Morden

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised due to references to death, alcoholism, and torture.

Real name: Donald Humphrei Morden IV

Aliases: Devil Rebirth and Your Excellency

Occupation: General of the Rebel Army, Vice Admiral of the Marine Corps (formerly), Tactical Commander for the Intelligence Agency (formerly), Commander of the Middle Eastern Garrison (formerly), and Field Marshal of the European Garrison (formerly)

Retirement plans: Buy a secluded tropical island, build a cottage in the northern forests of New Brunswick, and raise more exotic pets

Special skills: Political science, wilderness survival, strategic negotiation, planning for ambushes and tactical assaults, and sniping with heavyweight firearms

Hobbies: Reading classical poetry and Shakespearean plays, playing complex piano compositions, studying geopolitical events, building wooden cabins, and hunting

Likes: Forested landscapes, his remaining family, the fearless devotion of his army, finishing things straight to the end, and smoking Cuban cigars before leading off to a battle

Dislikes: Ignorance, objectivity, people with no ambitions, governmental and military corruption, and a lack of proper etiquette and table manners

Favourite food: Creamed salmon spaghetti and maple walnut ice cream

Favourite drink: Scotch whisky

Sexuality: Heteroromantic sapiosexual

Gender: Male

Age: 49 (in 2022), 55 (in 2028), 57 (in 2030), 59 (in 2032), 61 (in 2034), 68 (in 2041), 70 (in 2043), 71 (in 2044), and 74 (in 2047)

Blood type: AB+

Weight: 249 lbs. (113 kg)

Design: He’s a 6’ 5” (195.58 cm) Canadian mesomorph with a chiselled musculature, an upside-down trapezoidal chest, and broad shoulders. He has limestone skin (it was once a rose beige), a cleft chin, a brownish mole on the left side of his nose bridge, sparkling sapphire blue eyes with flecks of blood red, and bushy eyebrows. He has wrinkles on his face, characterised by forehead lines, frown lines, crow’s feet, and nasolabial folds. He has neatly trimmed, chin-length caramel blonde hair with sideburns, a similar moustache that the impostor Morden Robot has in Metal Slug 4, and an encircling band of silver-grey in the centre. When Morden becomes a cyborg, he possesses a revolutionary self-resurrection mechanism. A rhombic dodecahedron microchip embedded in his spine springs into action whenever his vital systems fail. The chip emits a low humming frequency and flashes a cyclical pattern of blue, white, and red for precisely 50 seconds. After this brief interval, he awakens in a newly prepared cyborg body, fully restored and operational with all of his memories intact.

His right eye has been brutally gouged out, which is indicated by the heavy scarring from six stab wounds. This would be replaced by a cutting-edge, cybernetic implant, expertly crafted by the Amadeus Syndicate. The cybernetic orb's sclera has a dark, polished chrome finish, adorned with crimson micro-circuits that mimicked the appearance of veins. At its centre, a pupilless blue-grey iris radiates a soft, luminescent glow. When it transitions to a fiery amber, its intensified brilliance signals heightened alertness and strategic recalibration. Equipped with cutting-edge scanning and data-processing capabilities, this cybernetic implant enables visual recall of critical information, threat detection, and instant recognition of key objects and individuals for future reference.

General Morden wears a pair of rusty orange boxer briefs, a glossy black eyepatch over his cybernetic right eye, and a Persian indigo armband on his left arm, adorned with the insignia of the Rebel Army. He wears a feldgrau military beret, distinguished by a scarlet band with white piping and an embroidered emblem featuring a black dragon's head swallowing a winged gold sword. He wears a white dress shirt and gloves, a flame-coloured tie, a metal dog tag necklace with his name, and a brownish-black leather belt secured with a gilded snap-on buckle.

His shoulders are draped with a long brownish-black coat featuring cuffs edged with scarlet piping, golden maple leaf clasps linked by a chain, a Persian indigo, and a prominent fur collar dyed a pinkish-orange. He wears feldgrau army cargo pants, tucked into black combat boots with spike soles and lined with coyote fur. He wears a feldgrau military coat featuring a left-side white aiguillette, two breast pockets, and a scalloped rear vent with flap pockets. It also features scarlet cuffs and a turned collar with Persian indigo piping, gilt-brass buttons, and golden shoulder boards adorned with two vertical white stripes.

He wears five badges: a black bar with two vertical golden stripes and a horizontal white stripe above his left breast pocket; a gilded skull with draconic wings on the pocket flap; a silver circle with a scarlet X on a white-edged red-orange ribbon and a gilt-brass roaring dragon's head on an ultramarine ribbon, both on his left breast pocket; and a gilded six-pointed star with a scarlet-edged white circle hung on a jade ribbon, secured with a gold clip on his right breast pocket. Morden's belt supports a sheath for his combat knife and a secure strap for his military baton, featuring a white elephant ivory shaft, a scarlet velvet-wrapped grip, and flat-topped gilt-brass end caps, each set with 12 circular rubies.

He wears a drop leg holster for his Chiappa Rhino 40DS revolver and a black bandolier, slung over his left shoulder, holding .357 Magnum cartridges for the firearm. His military coat pockets contain a rose gold lighter, keys to his personal Space Tank, and a treasured photograph of his late family. The pockets of his army cargo pants carry around a pack of Cuban cigars, the Ajirabian Teardrop, a copper-hued flask of Scotch whisky, and a walkie-talkie. He wields an M20 rocket launcher, designed with a leather shoulder strap and featuring an olive green, tan, and dark grey camouflage pattern, which fires anti-tank missiles.

Morden owns the greyish-green Space Tank, a floating tank saucer emblazoned with the Rebel Army insignia on its front. Constructed as a birthday gift and token of allegiance by loyal Rebel Army members and the Pipovulaj Army, this vehicle incorporates advanced Martian and Tuatha Dé Danann technology. The Space Tank's upper body bears a striking resemblance to the Dai-Manji, while its dark grey chassis is reminiscent of the Nop-03 Sarubia's. The tank boasts extremely thick armour, a silver antenna protruding from its left side, and a gold-painted rim accented with a scarlet edge. Primarily serving as his personal transportation, the Space Tank can also be deployed on the battlefield when necessary.

It features a built-in metallic blue cannon that can only be activated by inserting the Ajirabian Teardrop into a designated slot within the tank. This action opens the front compartment, exposing a large cannon similar to the Denturion's. When deployed, the cannon extends, allowing Morden to tap into the laser power of the Ajirabian Teardrop

Character summary: Previously, General Morden was a compassionate, dependable, and reliable leader who deeply valued the lives of every soldier under his command. However, the tragic loss of his family, exacerbated by the government's and military's corruption and culpable inaction, ignited a desire for vengeance. He seeks to topple an unjust system, even if it requires dismantling all governmental powers. His vision for the New World involves unifying warring nations under a rigid, authoritarian regime, achieved by overthrowing the Earth Federation and eliminating its allies through forced assimilation and strategic neutralisation. Despite being a charismatic and adaptable leader with a strong sense of justice, he ultimately descended into ruthlessness and megalomania, becoming a bumbling madman. Upon encountering his enemies, he frequently erupts into mocking laughter, regarding them as feeble-minded and ignorant foes. Nonetheless, even in the face of humiliation and defeat, Morden’s dignity, charisma, and commanding skill always remains the same.

Despite being an atrocious person who comes across as mean and cold, he’s surprisingly sweet and kind, especially towards those who support his ambition, work alongside him or are part of his family lineage. He's a tough, efficient, and introspective individual who can be demanding of his soldiers, yet he feels genuine empathy and understanding for his troops. Although he's prone to frustration when missions don't go as planned, he never gives up. Despite the challenges, he consistently demonstrates resilience and determination, always pushing forward to achieve his objectives. General Morden is a man full of pride, often boasting about his greatest feats on the battlefield. Depending on the situation, he'll abandon his position behind the battle lines and fearlessly charge into combat. He lives by a personal code of honour that prioritises restraint, avoiding unnecessary violence whenever possible. He isn't afraid to make sacrifices when necessary and occasionally spares or even helps civilians, showing a glimmer of empathy beyond his military duties.

He's an exceptionally intelligent and cunning strategist, always thinking several steps ahead of his adversaries. A skilled manipulator, he expertly entices others to do his bidding through false promises and strategic persuasion. However, he's highly resistant to manipulation himself, and his sharp wit and worldly wisdom makes him immune to naivety. If he discovers someone attempting to deceive him, he'll confront them directly and give them a nasty glare that conveys a clear message: he sees through their ruse, and denial will only worsen their situation. When he's drunk, he becomes sorrowful, careless, and overly attached around Sagan and Logan, grows increasingly agitated, and frequently mumbles incoherently and gazes blankly upwards.

Whenever he encounters a pair of glowing red eyes, he's tantalised by their whispered promises of safety and growth. Yet, he hesitates to follow, unsure if the allure is genuine or just a product of his own fevered imagination. He's a melancholic, cautious, and headstrong individual who shows mercy to his subordinates, excels at evading capture, and indulges in life's luxuries. Loyalty and camaraderie are paramount to him, but betrayal from within the Rebel Army is an unforgivable offence. Morden’s intolerance for failure is absolute; those who deliberately falter face severe punishment or elimination. His ego is easily bruised by ridicule or underestimation from his enemies, threatening his self-image as a fearless warrior and exceptional leader. He has no qualms about torturing and executing enemies and traitors, whether publicly or privately, and considers advancements in military technology to be essential to achieving his objectives.

He struggles with mild alcoholism as a coping mechanism for the loss of his family, borderline personality disorder, practognostic dyscalculia, trypophobia triggered by honeycombs and decaying flesh, and the fear of dying a dishonourable and gruesome death. He views domestic cats as a far cry from their majestic ancestors and larger wild relatives, often going so far as to forcefully shoo them away. Although capable of aggression and violence, he usually maintains a calculating, serious, and calm demeanour. However, beneath his surface lies a volatile temper that periodically ignites into explosive outbursts when overwhelmed by intense feelings of rage, shame, and self-loathing. Despite his resolute ambition, he secretly grapples with the moral implications of his actions. His doubts are ever-present, but he consistently prioritises his goals over his conscience. His courage falters only when faced with extremely bleak circumstances or painful reminders of his family's tragic loss.

He generally tolerates his troops' actions against external parties, but draws a firm line when it comes to harming their own comrades. He's a strict disciplinarian, swiftly addressing conflicts and misconduct amongst his ranks. When issues arise, he demands accountability, forcing the offending soldier or group to apologise, backing this demand with the threat of demotion or public embarrassment. He views the Rebel Army as a surrogate family and enjoys celebrating victories and spending downtime with them. He cherishes Allen's friendship, appreciating him as a trusted companion for casual nights out and lively conversations, but Allen's impulsivity and relentless drive for action often test his patience. He feels a pang of jealousy towards Allen, which he keeps secret, because Allen's family is still alive, whereas his own family is either deceased or estranged.

He gets along well with Doctor Amadeus, who demonstrates genuine interest in his cause and the technological advancement of the Rebel Army. Although he admires her genius-level intellect, finding it captivating and beautiful, he’s sometimes intimidated by her calculating and enigmatic nature. He secretly harbours a deep-seated fear of Rootmars, knowing she has the power to effortlessly crush him and his army if he incurs her wrath. Despite this, he holds Rootmars in high esteem, admiring her leadership skills and formidable reputation, even if their visions for the New World greatly differ. He regards Ptolemaios with skepticism, stemming from his disdain for cults and religious extremism, compounded by their past confrontation during the Arms Deal Barrage. Additionally, Ptolemaios' reluctance to engage directly on the battlefield raises concerns. Nevertheless, he acknowledges his exceptional wisdom and deeply respects his unwavering commitment to leading the Ptolemaic Army.

He’s fiercely devoted to his younger cousins, Sagan and Logan, the only family members he remains in contact with, and will stop at nothing to ensure their safety and happiness. He’s extremely protective of Sagan and Logan, treating them like his own children. He goes out of his way to safeguard them, swiftly and aggressively defending them against anyone who poses a threat, causes harm or violates their personal boundaries. However, when Sagan and Logan disagree or get physical with each other, General Morden calmly intervenes, resolving their conflicts with a gentle yet firm, understanding, and patient approach. He has zero tolerance for Sagan's habits of casually issuing death threats and making crude remarks about her comrades, whether jokingly or seriously. He also dislikes how Logan occasionally disregards Sagan's wishes, intentionally doing things she's explicitly forbidden, which often escalates into heated arguments or fights. Furthermore, Logan's tendency to engage in physical altercations with comrades and getting disoriented when exploring the wilderness consistently gets under his skin.

Morden and Tequila were once inseparable friends, sharing stories of their lives over drinks and exploring exotic destinations that Tequila had always wanted to visit. He deeply admired Tequila's worldly wisdom, courage, and profound insight into the human condition. However, their bond was severed when Morden's lust for global domination took hold, driving Tequila away and forcing him to turn against his former friend. The betrayal left a bitter taste in Morden's mouth, a painful reminder of the friendship he had lost. He has a deep-seated hatred for Marco and Tarma, as they foiled his nearly successful plan to achieve his vision of a New World during the Great Morden War. He especially despises Marco, who gouged out his eye at the end of the Great Morden War and played a role in getting the original Sagan killed during the Extraterrestrial Alliance Clash.

Backstory: Donald Oghma Morden IV was born on January 24, 1973 in New Brunswick, Canada. He hails from a long lineage of hunters, courageous soldiers, militant commanders, esteemed politicians, and wealthy businessmen. However, whispers abound that he's the direct descendant of a legendary Tuatha Dé Danann sovereign, fabled to have played a pivotal role in the downfall of Atlantis. The Morden name originates from a British family that served as royal advisors, food merchants, and nobles in the 19th century. Although they were of British origin, they resided in Germany, specifically within the Fortress of Königsdrache. From this strategic location, they exerted significant influence on the country's politics and military affairs. During the Napoleonic Wars, the Mordens distinguished themselves as exceptional leaders and skilled soldiers, renowned for their strategic intellect rather than brute force.

He was born into a large, middle-class Canadian family, being the sixth of eight children with three older brothers, an older sister, and a younger brother and sister. His siblings, from oldest to youngest, are Edmund, a successful woodcutting industry businessman; Quentin; Timothy, a Private in the Eurasian Garrison; Kourtney; Reynold; and Vanessa, a supervisor in food packaging manufacturing. His grandfather, Donald Humphrei Morden III, was a seasoned, worldly-wise veteran who retired after the birth of his fifth grandchild and subsequently pursued a career in hunting and sustainable meat production. His father, a Corporal in the North American Garrison, was known for his adventurous and carefree spirit. His mother, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps, balanced stern discipline with tender affection. Due to their demanding military careers, his parents had limited time with him and his six siblings, relying on his grandfather to provide regular care and support.

Although Morden keeps his childhood private, a few details have emerged. Remarkably, all of his siblings demonstrated exceptional intelligence, but Morden's rapid development surpassed them all. This stirred jealousy among his older siblings, who admired his swift intellectual growth, while his younger siblings looked up to him in awe. Despite this, he was incredibly close to his siblings, sharing countless hours exploring the nearby woods and enjoying board games together. Donald III taught Morden entrepreneurship basics, war history, and practical skills like hunting, wood-chopping, and shelter-building. Whenever his mother was home on leave, she would delight him with piano music, fostering a deep love for the instrument. At just 7 months, he spoke his first word: "papa”. Between ages 2 and 5, he demonstrated remarkable autodidactic abilities, exploring diverse subjects that he grasped with ease, including sociology and legal theory. By age 6, he had become a budding piano prodigy and began reading Shakespearean plays and sonnets.

At the age of 7, Quentin was diagnosed with sickle cell disease, a condition prevalent in the Morden family. Tragedy struck again a year later when Reynold went missing during a nature walk, and his father was fatally shot in combat. Six months later, he stumbled upon Reynold's mutilated, rotting corpse, infested with maggots and covered in fungal growth. The gruesome sight triggered his trypophobia, and ever since, the image of honeycombs infested with bees and decaying matter would evoke unsettling memories of that incident. Before Morden turned 10, Quentin died from health complications. Just a month later, his mother was tragically killed in an unexpected airstrike ambush. At age 12, Donald III mercy-killed Kourtney, who suffered from multiple sclerosis and debilitating complications following numerous surgeries that severely impacted her health and mobility.

As Donald III struggled with a terminal brain tumour, he made the difficult decision to place Morden and Vanessa into the Regular Army's orphan program to ensure their care. Meanwhile, Edmund relocated to Saskatchewan with Timothy, seeking a fresh start and a brighter future for the two. The series of tragic losses had left the family fractured, and Donald's remaining siblings lacked the emotional resilience to keep the family together. Morden felt deeply abandoned and betrayed as Edmund and Timothy departed, leaving their dying grandfather and younger siblings behind. Vanessa, overwhelmed by grief, deliberately distanced herself from Morden. In contrast, the Regular Army provided Morden and his younger sister with stability and support, covering their essential needs. He wondered if he had more relatives and set out to find additional family members while balancing his education, but eventually abandoned his search when he couldn't locate any direct blood relatives.

He met his future wife, Penelope, in grade 11 and began dating her, forming a strong romantic connection. After graduating at the top of his high school class with highest grades, Honour Roll distinction, and six prestigious awards (five scholarships and one bursary), he went on to study geopolitics, jurisprudence, and Marxist sociology at university. At 22, he married his high school sweetheart in a shotgun wedding after learning she was pregnant with their daughter, Dorothy. Three years later, they welcomed their son, Lawrence.

After graduating at the top of his class from university, he relocated to Riyadh and enlisted in the Regular Army Marine Corps. His exceptional leadership skills and tactical expertise propelled him to attain the rank of Vice Admiral. He then assumed roles as Tactical Commander for the Intelligence Agency and Commander of the Middle Eastern Garrison. Following his transfer to Cumbria in North West England, he was reassigned to the European Garrison, where he achieved the esteemed rank of Field Marshal. During his time in the military, he earned a reputation as being a tough, efficient, and caring officer of the Regular Army, and is held in high regard by his troops as he treated them with equal amounts of respect. He was also known for being a devoted and compassionate father to Dorothy and Lawrence, and a loving and supportive husband.

After Morden joined the Regular Army, Sagan and Logan became aware of his existence due to his impressive reputation and some family photographs their father had received from Edmund. Intrigued, they were surprised to learn they had an older cousin. Eager to connect, they decided to arrange a meeting with him. They sent Morden a letter inviting him to meet with them in Bavaria, where the Fortress of Königsdrache is located. When Morden travelled to the location, he met Sagan and Logan, and they had a warm and engaging conversation, getting to know each other and finally uniting as family.

Alongside Sagan, Logan, and other key figures in the Arms Deal Barrage, he would learn about the Regular Army's deep-seated corruption, but he kept it a secret. He was primarily responsible for conducting investigations, planning attacks, and launching ambushes on the Serapion Fellowship. However, he did join the fight once his team reached the fortress. There, he and a platoon of his loyal soldiers faced off against Colonel Hilde Garn in his Metal Strider. Despite their efforts, they were unable to capture him in time, as a group of Serapion Fellowship guerrilla fighters caught them off guard.

In 2023, during a trip to Ottawa, the Central Park bombing shook the city, claiming the lives of many innocent victims, including Penelope, Dorothy, and Lawrence. Having survived the devastating attack, Morden discovered that it was allegedly linked to an intelligence failure within the Regular Army and widespread corruption within the government and military at the time. After relying on alcohol to cope with his sadness and anger, he resigned from the Regular Army, retreated from public view, and began secretly planning a rebellion. Many loyal followers from his Regular Army days chose to stand by him, and with the support of Sagan, Logan, and his most trusted soldier, Allen O'Neil, he initiated plans for a coup aimed at rooting out corruption within the government and military.

He assumed the rank of General and formed the Rebel Army, drawing support from disillusioned Regular Army personnel and multiple radical organisations sympathetic to his ideology. During his time building up the Rebel Army, Sagan and Logan transferred ownership rights of the Fortress of Königsdrache to General Morden. As the last remaining Armitage family members, Sagan and Logan originally inherited the Fortress of Königsdrache, but chose to bestow it upon General Morden as a token of gratitude and respect. Morden was also gifted six exotic pets by his most loyal men: a serval named Othello, a Burmese python named Sycorax, a blotched blue-tongued skink named Troilus, an African grey parrot named Cymbeline, a Czechoslovakian Wolfdog named Banquo, and a capybara named Desdemona.

His mental state deteriorating, he amassed power and resources for a large-scale offensive. In 2026, Morden initiated his coup d'état, seeking to dismantle the Earth Federation and its alliances and establish global dominance. The Rebel Army, led by General Morden, swiftly defeated the Regular Army and seized control of all major cities worldwide within 170 hours. Upon receiving intel from Madoka that the Regular Army had begun mass-producing the SV-001, codenamed "Metal Slug”, following successful testing, Morden launched a strategic attack. His objective was to destroy the factories manufacturing the SV-001 and capture the units already built.

Upon learning of Morden's betrayal, his ruthlessness, and his remarkably swift coup d'état, as well as the destruction of the SV-001 factories, the US President declared him as the reincarnation of the devil. As Marco and his resistance approached the Rebel Army's base, he and his forces launched a surprise ambush, intent on halting their progress and clearing the way for Morden's plan for global dominance. By eliminating the resistance, Morden aimed to unlock the Metal Slug's full potential without further interference. He would be responsible for brutally executing Tequila, Gimlet, and Red Eye in front of Marco and Tarma, shooting them in the head with his Chiappa Rhino 40DS revolver. Before the execution, he gruesomely gouged out Marco's left eye and then ordered Allen O'Neil to sever his left arm.

In the final showdown of the Great Morden War, Marco gruesomely gouged out General Morden's eye, avenging the torture he and Tarma endured and the execution of his comrades and friends. The Great Morden War served as a stark wake-up call for the Regular Army, prompting a significant shift in their approach to counterterrorism. In the aftermath of the war, the Regular Army began to take terrorist threats with utmost seriousness, reevaluating their strategies and protocols to prevent future attacks. He felt a sense of pride knowing that his efforts had contributed to the Regular Army taking terrorism more seriously, marking a small but positive change.

After escaping imprisonment with support from the Rebel Army and Pipovulaj Army, he secretly allied with Doctor Amadeus to exploit her knowledge of Tuatha Dé Danann technology and bioweapon development. This alliance would pave the way for the mass production of specialised cyborgs and lethal mechanical constructs for Rebel Army use, the enhancement of Königsdrache Fortress through the integration of mechanical and defensive upgrades, the creation of Wysteria, the revival of Tequila, Gimlet, and Red Eye, and the development of terrifying creations such as the Flying Killers and Mutated Soldiers. He planned to utilise Wysteria as the ultimate bioweapon to achieve global dominance, and deploy Tequila, Gimlet, and Red Eye as super soldiers to serve the interests of the Rebel Army and Amadeus Syndicate.

When he formed an alliance with Doctor Amadeus, she gifted him a canine experiment named Enobarbus, who could breathe fire, as a sign of respect. This is made possible by the dog's salivary glands, which produce enzymes that generate heat and flames when they react to oxygen. This canine experiment is a 8’ 1” (246.38 cm) burly wolf with razor-sharp silver-grey teeth, prominent fangs, glowing amber eyes, and a thick Prussian blue coat that gradually transitions to a watery blue and pure white at the ears, paws, and tail tip.

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Sam Heughan’s Sassenach whisky brand loses the final legal fight in a trademark dispute in the European Union 🇪🇺

Sam Heughan launched his whisky brand "The Sassenach" in 2020, nickname his character uses for his on-screen love interest in the time travel drama "Outlander". Since 2021, Heughan has been embroiled in a legal battle with "Sasse" a German distillery over the name of his whisky brand, arguing that the Sassenach whisky would confuse customers who might think he is linked to them.

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), which resolves trademark disputes, ruled in favour of the German company and issued a decision upholding the opposition saying The Sassenach could not use the name as a whisky brand. After losing the initial decision at the Fifth Board of Appeals in 2021, Heughan's legal team appealed in 2022 to overturn the decision.

His legal team said there was no risk of confusion as Outlander was popular in Germany. Lawyers for the Sasse distillery, however, said: "The television series may be as popular as the other side claims, which we deny, nonetheless it is not sufficient to assume that the average consumer knows the meaning of that term. Both parties in litigation were given time to present evidence and arguments in their defence and after the Examination period, the Opposition Division’s decision was taken this year 2023.

Great Glen Company or its representative never commented on the EU decisions until last October, in New York when Sam Heughan was asked about Sassenach whisky situation in the European Union in a chat with Mark Gillespie at the Whisky Cast podcast and Heughan's response was very limited, deflecting the question talking about the name in dispute but not the EUIPO's decision, regarding Sassenach whisky that was supposedly aware of the official communication from the European Union Intellectual Property Office - Opposition Division- sent to Great Glen Company in July 2023, which considered that the disputed trademark 'The Sassenach' must be rejected for all the contested goods.

It's a bit curious that after the EUIPO decision, Sam Heughan appeared on a surprise visit to New Orleans, which included podcasts, and events with @sgwinespirits on Tales of the cocktail with an unscheduled tasting of his drinks at the Ritz-Carlton in Nola. Later on, he began his Sassenach sales tour around the United States last summer. If these people had known what had happened with his Sassenach brand in the EU would be different?

In addition, Great Glen Company (GGC) applied to register a new trademark with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and the EU, following the EUIPO decision, following its earlier idea to build on all the Outlander ideas, the new trademark is called "LALLYBROCH SPIRITS" (Lallybroch means "lazy tower" in Gaelic). It will not use Midhope/Lallybroch as a distillery. This new trademark has nothing to do with or relate to the grounds of Midhope Castle, the site of a new whisky distillery with a different brand and ownership. Its new application is already registered in the United States.

It's pending resolution in the EU, Canada and the United Kingdom where Heughan requested its registration.

WIPO

EUIPO

THE SASSENACH UNIQUE SPIRITS

The Great Glen Company, Sam Heughan’s firm, applied to register the brand name Scotch whisky THE SASSENACH UNIQUE SPIRITS as a future trademark to sell the whisky across Europe, but Theo Sasse e.K brand distillery in Schöppingen-Germany, objected claiming the name was too close to its trademarked name, which it uses to sell whiskies and brandies spirits.

On 20th July 2023 the Opposition Division takes the following:

DECISION

1. Opposition is upheld for all the contested goods.

2. International registration is entirely refused protection in respect of the European Union.

REASONS

On 24th November 2021 the opponent Theo Sasse e.K filed an opposition against all the goods (Class 33) of international registration designating the European Union. The opposition is based on, inter alia, German trademark registration ‘Sasse’ (word mark). Also, the opponent invoked Article 8(1)(b) EUTMR and Article 8(4) EUTMR.

LIKELIHOOD OF CONFUSION �� ARTICLE 8(1)(b) EUTMR

A likelihood of confusion exists if there is a risk that the public might believe that the goods or services in question, under the assumption that they bear the marks in question, come from the same undertaking or, as the case may be, from economically linked undertakings.

The opposition is based on more than one earlier trade mark. The Opposition Division finds it appropriate to first examine the opposition in relation to the opponent’s German trade mark registration.

a) The goods

The goods on which the opposition is based are, inter alia, the following:

Class 33: Alcoholic beverages, excluding beers. Alcoholic beverages, except beer are identically contained in both lists of goods (including synonyms).

b) Relevant public — degree of attention

The average consumer of the category of products concerned is deemed to be reasonably well informed and reasonably observant and circumspect. It should also be borne in mind that the average consumer’s degree of attention is likely to vary according to the category of goods or services in question. In the present case, the goods found to be identical are directed at the public at large.

c) The signs

The relevant territory is Germany.

Contested sign The global appreciation of the visual, aural or conceptual similarity of the marks in question must be based on the overall impression given by the marks, bearing in mind, in particular, their distinctive and dominant components. The earlier mark is the word mark ‘Sasse’. The protection of a word mark concerns the word as such and not the specific graphic or stylistic elements accompanying that mark.

The verbal element ‘SASSENACH’ of the contested mark has, contrary to the allegations of the holder, no meaning for the relevant public and is, therefore, distinctive. Likewise, the unicorn device of the contested sign has no particular meaning in relation to the goods and is distinctive.

THE SASSENACH’ in the contested sign are the dominant elements as they are the most eye-catching.

Visually, the signs coincide in ‘SASSE’, which represents the entire earlier mark. The signs differ in the representation of a unicorn and the additional letters ‘-NACH’ (after SASSE) and the non-distinctive elements ‘The’ as well as ‘UNIQUE SPIRITS’ in the contested mark. Thus, the single word element of the earlier mark is fully contained in the most distinctive verbal element of the contested mark. That fact alone is a clear indication of a visual similarity. Therefore, the signs are similar to a below-average degree.

Aurally, the signs coincide in the syllables ‘Sas-se’, which is the sole and distinctive element of the earlier mark and the beginning of the most important verbal element of the contested sign, ‘Sas-se-nach’. The signs differ in the last letters of this word (one syllable), ‘nach’, and in the first verbal element of the contested sign, ‘The’. The fact remains that the earlier mark is entirely included at the beginning of the most important verbal element of the contested sign.

Conceptually, the signs will always be dissimilar as the contested mark will be understood with at least one meaning, namely the unicorn in the contested mark. As the signs have been found similar in at least one aspect of the comparison, the examination of likelihood of confusion will proceed.

d) Distinctiveness of the earlier mark The distinctiveness of the earlier mark is one of the factors to be taken into account in the global assessment of likelihood of confusion. In the present case, the earlier trade mark as a whole has no meaning for any of the goods in question from the perspective of the public in the relevant territory. Therefore, the distinctiveness of the earlier mark must be seen as normal.

e) Global assessment, other arguments and conclusion The goods at issue are identical. They target the general public, who possesses an average degree of attention. The earlier mark has a normal degree of distinctiveness. The signs are visually similar to a below average degree and aurally similar to an average degree since the sole and distinctive element of the earlier mark, ‘Sasse’, is entirely reproduced at the beginning of the contested sign’s only fully distinctive verbal element, ‘Sassenach’. Evaluating the likelihood of confusion implies some interdependence between the relevant factors and, in particular, a similarity between the marks and between the goods or services.

Considering all the above, especially taking into account that the earlier mark is entirely reproduced in the contested sign and used for goods that are identical, the Opposition Division finds that there is a likelihood of confusion on the part of the public. Therefore, the opposition is well founded on the basis of the opponent’s German trade mark registration It follows that the contested trade mark must be rejected for all the contested goods. As the earlier right German trade mark registration leads to the success of the opposition and to the rejection of the contested trade mark The Sassenach for all the goods against which the opposition was directed.

The trademark status was "totally refused", meaning that THE SASSENACH UNIQUE SPIRITS trademark cannot be registered in the EU. If SH's trade mark application is refused, he can file an appeal. He must file his notice of appeal within 2 months from the date of the refusal decision (August-September) and the grounds of appeal must be filed within 4 months from the same date of notification (October-November). But, He did not appeal and last November the EUIPO confirmed by letter the provisional refusal of his trademark and refused its protection in the European Union. The final decision was published on 14 December 2023.

Conclusion

The EUIPO’s decision of the Board of Appeals, regarding its whisky has a “displacement” because Sassenach whisky cannot be registered as a trademark in the EU, the Sassenach trademark was refused. SH must be aware the significance of the total refusal decision regarding its whisky brand. If he was planning to recover from a legal dispute by putting his gin on an impromptu Sassenach tour around US last summer, proving that his recent EU legal battle was a mere bump in the road, he should have thought twice. He lost a legal battle to register his Sassenach whisky brand as a European Community trademark ® in 27 states. It is a big difference. It seems that if Heughan wants to continue selling its whisky, it will have to change the name.

LALLYBROCH SPIRITS registration:

United Kingdom

Canada

USA

[blueiscoool]

Bowmore Arc-52 The Mokume Edition  

A unique decanter specially designed by Aston Martin featuring a one of one 52 year old vintage whisky, never to be repeated.

The unique whisky is made up from two casks types; European oak sherry seasoned + American oak Hogsheads and is a marriage of 1962 and 1968 vintages, bottled at 43.5% abv.

[jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka]

Summary: Happy Halloween! Here is what was supposed to be a oneshot about vampire Jake and happy little solo artist Danny but I kind of took off with it. Originally it was posted in two parts on AO3.

Pairings: Jake Kiszka x Danny Wagner *slash please don’t read if it’s not your cup of tea

Warnings: absolutely no minors! m/m sex scenes, oral m receiving, angst, biting, drinking blood, sharing blood, if I missed anything please let me know

For the vibes:

Word count: ~12.4k

Chicago, fall of 1973, it was exactly 50 years ago on the dot and the old rustic bar still stood its ground in front of you. Its brick structure was crumbling around the edges, but stubbornly holding onto its life and its place amongst humanity just as you were.

Memories of your last night here all those years ago still played freshly in your mind like reels from the first moving picture you ever saw.

It was a lifetime ago for anyone who didn’t have the time you had. An eternity.

Piwnic Cellar, was the name of the bar. Paying homage to the original owners Polish heritage. Although you always found it foolish that the name literally translated into ‘basement’ cellar, which was a little redundant, the place held a home in some corner of your still-beating heart.

The place oozed a European atmosphere even with it being over 4,000 miles away from its point of influence.

Not many Chicagoans knew of the bar's existence. Even far less than the last time you had visited you came to notice upon entering. The ones who did, more than likely knew of its reputation for housing the damned. Typically only those curious of the fantasy, or outsiders wandering too far off the tourists' beaten path, found their way in and mingled with the dark that resided within.

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes” a caramel coated voice smoothed its way into your ear as soon as you found a secluded seat at the end of the old wooden bar. You liked to associate feelings with what you remembered food tasting like, just one more annoying and tattered string still holding you together to your past self.

“I could say the same” you replied with a smirk, looking over to see a familiar face underneath decades of styling changes. “Didn’t know if I’d still find you here”.

Irene had become a close friend to you back in your Chicago days. Although then she had long naturally dried wavy locks, hand painted freckles to make her complexion more friendly and like it had seen the sun in less than a hundred years.

Now she didn’t bother with the makeup, her pale skin glowing in the moonlight. You were sure yours looked paper thin since it had been so long since you had fed you were wearing yourself dangerously thin. Her hair was cut short now and pin-straight, surely having to change it up so that her endless youth wouldn’t go too noticed.

The look did give her a more mature edge than the groovy flowery girl you had come to adore before. Though when she smiled at your unexpected visit, you knew she herself hadn’t changed and she was just as glad to see you after so long as you were her.

“What brings you back to town? Where the hell have you been?” Her smile never broke as she hounded you with questions all while retrieving a glass from under the bar and pouring you a whisky neat from a cloudy unmarked glass bottle. She knew how you liked the aged liquor.

“Europe mostly” you answered as you swirled the amber liquid around before tossing it back and placing it down for another.

“Figures, you always talked about spending more time there. I took a break from here for a bit. Went to South America for a few years. Had some wild times even you wouldn’t believe”. She laughed when your brows raised at her, knowing all too well that you had surely gotten yourself into some more trouble at one point or another as well.

Your eyes scanned the vast room while she left you to sip on your next glass to help another patron. The interior of the bar had changed just a bit. An upgrade in furniture, new upholstery on the booths, and lighting fixtures, but it still felt the same.

Besides Irene, there wasn’t anyone else you knew there tonight. Though you didn’t know who, you knew all too well exactly what the majority of them were. They were like you. Lost souls doomed to roam the Earth in misery and darkness.

“If you’re searching for anyone from your group of vigilantes, most of them left when you disappeared. The couple that stuck around didn’t stay quiet and got hunted down. Poor fools”. Irene clicked her tongue and shook her head at having to be the one to inform you that some of your friends had died, but that wasn’t why you were here.

Matter of fact, you didn’t know why you were back here. When you left you left for a reason. You didn’t want to run in that crowd anymore, it was becoming dangerous, and from the sounds of it you were glad you got out when you did.

There were those out there who thought your ailment was a gift. An endless number of chances to get life done right, and you had succeeded for the most part. You had money, like you even needed money at this point, you had traveled far and wide, you even picked up a few languages on the way like Portuguese and Latin.

Besides everything you’d experienced, you had come to realize just how lonely you were.

Your kind was meant to pack together, otherwise spending all this time alone could easily drive one insane. Obviously you had tried to fit in, make yourself a part of a group, a family, but your stubborn unwillingness to treat other life as mere food had alienated you from a lot of your kind.

So you found yourself alone most of the time, sticking to the shadows and only taking from those what you needed to survive. That’s what your life had been reduced to, primal survival, and now here you were searching for something more. Something to keep the madness from taking you, for any emotion other than loneliness, and for love.

More time passed than you had even realized, only knowing how close to dawn it was getting by the way your body started to feel drained. You needed to feed at some point tonight, the whiskey wasn’t going to hold you over much longer.

Just as the thought crossed your mind, the door opened and an intoxicating smell entered in along with a tall curly raven haired man.

What is he doing here? You thought to yourself, as you held your breath, eyes carefully following the figure as he walked confidently through the bar and took a seat at a booth. Is he alone? Is he waiting for someone?

You couldn’t tear your eyes from him as you waited to see what his presence in the bar was for. Finally, someone else approached him and he smiled, getting up to greet the person like it was the first time meeting before they both sat down together.

“Like that one do you?” Irene asked you from behind since nearly your whole body had turned in the chair to get a better look.

“Do you know him?” You asked back, desperate for any bit of information you could learn about this strangely appealing man.

“Never seen him before, but you know humans only make it in here if they’re looking for something, or they were lured. By the way you and his friend is looking at him I’d assume-”

“You know I’m not like that” you cut her off, turning back around in the chair and resuming staring off into the distance instead. The whisky stung as it slid down your throat, you were so raw that it tasted metallic.

She shrugged her shoulders and left you to be again. You tried to remain calm, but your ears were subconsciously tuning into their conversation.

“Thank you so much for coming, I thought maybe I had scared you off by asking you to come out so late and to this bar of all places” the man accompanying him at the table spoke.

“Of course, and I don’t mind, I like antiques and old places like this”.

You and the man laughed under your breath, like antiques do you? You don’t even know who you’re talking to.

You could hear his heart beating loudly, echoing off the stone walls, the only heartbeat around in a room full of people. You knew why he was here, but you didn’t want to acknowledge it.

As your breath quickened, you forced your attention away from the two of them. Just the thought of feeding was sending you spiraling and you knew you would have to get out of here soon if you were going to hunt before the night was over.

You closed your eyes, trying to listen to anything other than their conversation or the sound of the heartbeat behind you until the banging started to get louder.

“What can I get you?” Irene asked the person who was now standing next to you ordering a couple of drinks.

Irene was the best damn bartender you had ever met, but she took her time making the drinks, prolonging the time the two of you shared a small space.

“Hey, are you alright?” He asked, placing his hand on the bar top next to where you were doubled over in pain.

Straightening up quickly, you were met with his hazel gaze looking right at you. A softness in his expression that only someone who wasn’t troubled with a thing in the world could manage.

“I’m fine, thanks for asking” you tried to sound sincere and warm, but your breath ended up coming out forced and icy.

“I’m Danny” he lifted the hand resting on the bar in an offer to shake, and smiled showing all his pearly white, straight, and non-threatening teeth.

“Jake” you accepted his invitation, hesitantly reaching for his hand with yours.

His skin was so warm, hot even, and you could feel the blood rushing just under the thin skin. You pulled away quickly, and if you could blush with embarrassment then you were sure your face would have been painted. “Nice to meet you”.

“Are you here alone?” Danny collected the two glasses from the table but paused to continue to speak with you for just a bit longer.

You didn’t have to answer, it was obvious.

“Would you like to join us?”

You could feel the man sitting at the table behind you closely watching the interaction, more than likely listening in on your entire conversation like you had theirs.

“No, I don’t think your date would want me interrupting”. You hoped maybe Danny would deny he was here on a date, but he only shrugged his shoulders “If you change your mind we’re just over there”. He flashed another toothy smile before leaving you alone again, you trying not to turn your head and watch him walk away for fear you might just get up and follow him. You were not in the best head space right now to be socializing.

As the hour changed from late night to early morning, you maintained your spot at the end of the bar and kept your ears tuned into the two behind you sharing stories and laughs wishing it were you that was the one casually getting to know Danny.

Even though he wasn’t talking to you, you heard everything he said. He was soft spoken, and incredibly cheerful considering he was in dangerous company. Gullible wasn’t a word you would use to describe him though. He held an air of confidence, did not for one moment let it slip that he was maybe a little too out of place here.

The patrons that remained were thinning as dawn was just around the corner. Once Danny and his date decided to leave, you found yourself silently stalking behind them.

You had to make sure he would be safe, nervous beyond hell that his companion was just waiting for the right moment to get him alone and devour him in one go.

Thankfully, they parted ways at the end of the block.

Although Danny had no idea you had followed them from the bar, the man turned and made eye contact with you hiding in the shadow, shooting you a challenging look before disappearing down the next street.

Danny made it to the train station, alone, before you decided he was in the clear and high tailed it back to your hotel.

Once inside your room you double checked all the windows were covered and popped open the mini fridge. Because you took the time to follow Danny you’d eliminated the chance to eat again.

There were three blood bags left after you took one, ripping the top off and downing the whole thing too quickly.

It burned your throat as you drank, but you immediately grabbed another and finished it in the same manner.

After having your fill but still feeling empty and drained inside, you flopped onto the bed face first and tossed the light down comforter on top of you, effectively shrouding yourself in even more blackness until you drifted into another dreamless sleep.

The next few nights you found yourself at the bar again, just waiting for Danny to show back up. He did return, every night for that matter, but never with the same person.

“Jake”,

“Danny”.

Those were the only words you said to each other when he would slip away to say hi to you as he ordered whatever he was in the mood for.

And you held onto that.

Everyone in the bar seemed to enjoy his company. He was a refreshing addition to the usually dull and stagnant atmosphere. The embodiment of a ray of sunshine through the endless nights. Laughing and flirting with just about anyone who waited for their chance to get him a drink. No doubt all sharing the same hidden thought and intention. Who was going to be the first to get a drink of him?

You didn’t join in on the consorting. Instead, you kept your safe distance.

Although every early morning before the sun came up you silently walked behind him. Ensuring again that he got to the train station in one piece without any problems from any of his nightly companions. You wondered just how long it would take him to realize that the longer he hung around, the more he put himself in jeopardy.

“Jake” he nodded his head in your direction as he waited for Irene to make his first drink of the night.

You held your tongue this time, even though his name was the only thing you had been able to hear in your head as you had held your breath in anticipation for his arrival.

He cocked an eyebrow at your even more than usual silence, turning his body to lean his hip against the bar.

“Everything alright?” He questioned with a bit of a snicker in his tone since he knew you were just going to brush him off like you had the first time he’d asked you how you were doing.

You bit your lip, hard, nearly drawing blood from the pressure. Your mind was running wild with thoughts of what you wanted but were too apprehensive of acting on until your mouth opened and the words spilled out.

“Do you want to get out of here?”

His mouth fell open for a moment as he tried to comprehend what you’d just said, before the corners twitched up into his characteristic bright smile.

“I thought you’d never ask”.

You waited for him to finish the drink he’d just ordered before the two of you left together. He didn’t seem to mind the others watching, but you could feel their hungry prying eyes, ripping you to shreds.

“Where do you want to go?” You questioned as soon as you had him out onto the street. Your plan, or lack thereof, had ended the moment you got him outside.

The only way you could tell it was a cool night was the way the gentle breeze raised tiny bumps on his beautifully sun-tanned skin. Yours stayed cold as the brisk air and pale from lack of exposure.

Danny chuckled, catching onto your nervousness. “Well, I figured ‘get out of here’ kind of alluded to your place?”

“Oh, you did?” You let a small laugh fall from your lips as well at his boldness. People these days really didn’t have anything to be ashamed of did they? You didn’t mind though, because Danny was partially right. You just wanted to get him alone, so tired of seeing him mingle with everyone else but you and at your own fault.

“I’ve seen the way you watch me Jake. Know you’ve been interested” he simpered as he continued to walk beside you towards an unknown destination. “Why didn’t you ever say something?”

You hadn’t said much to him at all, although you felt like you knew him from the way you’d watched and listened. Or at least you knew the bubbly, friendly, flirtatious person he presented himself as at the bar and now as the two of you strolled through an old park filled with rolling grassy hills and abstract art sculptures, stopping every so often to marvel at them.

“They just don’t make art like they used to” you mumbled under your breath while examining a particularly odd hunk of crafted metal trying to understand the idea behind the piece.

“And what type of art do you prefer then?” Danny questioned, not quite ready to leave the previous subject behind, but still willing to talk to you about anything and everything. From your peripheral you caught him eying you instead of the sculpture as he waited for your response.

“Art with meaning, emotion, an intention to cross boundaries and cause unique thought” you answered him, continuing along. “What about you? Do you like art?”

“I like anything that makes me smile, and feel good. Some art does that, some I don’t quite understand” Danny replied honestly, not very profound, but still endearing.

“There are a plethora of emotions to explore Danny, not just happiness, and art can bring those emotions out of you if you allow it to”.

“Sure, but don’t you want to be happy all the time? I’d much rather watch a funny movie rather than something that will make me want to cry” you had walked ahead, but Danny caught up with you, his hand brushing against yours as he met your side again. “What emotion do you feel the most?”

He was serious in his question this time, up until now having been mostly playful in his tone and conversation.

You thought about what to respond with, thinking surely this gentle giant might be frightened away by the depth of turmoil you felt, but the answer you gave surprised yourself. You looked around the dark cityscape, having made your way out of the park and onto another street lined with closed shops just waiting for the morning to reopen their doors and go about their business.

“Nostalgia”.

“Ah, that’s a complicated one” Danny nodded his head, allowing his hand to brush against yours once again, this time seemingly on purpose.

“It is” you agreed, complicated indeed and you had been struggling with the complication since your return.

“Can I ask you something else now?” You proposed to Danny, him nodding his head again to tell you to go ahead. “Earlier you said ‘I thought you’d never ask’ and you ‘know I’ve been interested’, why didn’t you say something? Or, is this all just a game to you?”

You swallowed down hard, trying not to be afraid of the question you’d asked and of the answer he might give.

Danny allowed himself to take your hand for real this time, stopping you and pulling it towards his chest so that you could feel the heat radiating off of it and the loud thumping sound returned to your ears.

“I’m not playing a game Jake. I’ve noticed because I like the way you look at me. Not like I’m just some form of fleeting entertainment, like I actually mean something”.

He brought your hand up to his mouth, and ran your knuckles against his lips, his warm breath caressing your skin with every exhale through his nose. Then he flattened your hand across his cheek, and leaned his head into it.

He didn’t seem to notice the icy cool of your touch, or if he did, he didn’t mind as his eyes fluttered closed and you used your hold on him to drag him down into a kiss.

The two of you drifted through the night on the streets, hand in hand and bodies pressed close against each other until you found yourself staring at him from across the elevator on the long ride up to your room.

“You staying in the pent house or something?” Danny chuckled breathily as he watched the little red lights above the doors increase in number the higher you went.

“Yes, actually” you replied dryly, not for the luxury factor though, out of certain necessity he wouldn’t know.

A quiet ding finally signaled the elevator had reached its requested floor, just before Danny launched himself at you. His hands wrapped into your hair and pulled you back into a heated kiss as yours trailed up the expanse of his back. Walking backwards you guided him out into the small hallway and to the door of the only room on the floor.

You had to break the kiss long enough to find the keycard in your pocket, Danny sighing in frustration at the lack of contact until you were kissing him again, blindly slapping the card around behind you.

Finally the key hit just right and the magnetized lock whirred as the door clicked open and the two of you fumbled inside.

Danny reached down to pull your shirt off you first, showing that he wasn’t planning on wasting anymore time with ‘getting to know each other’.

His hands explored your bare skin, lighting a fire in their wake, his thumbs slowing to a stop as they found your nipples.

You exhaled against his lips, him using the parting as a chance to dive his tongue inside to explore there next.

You whimpered and pulled away though, afraid that you wouldn’t be able to control yourself for much longer and sharp teeth could accidentally pierce the wet muscle.

“Are you alright?” He asked, this time expecting an actual answer as he held your shoulders and peered down at you.

“I’m just scared of hurting you” it came out in a whisper, but when you looked back up to see his face, calm and smiling, you knew he’d heard you.

“You won’t hurt me Jake” he assured you, unaware of how easily it actually would be despite the size difference.

He cupped your face with one palm and placed tender kisses on the opposite cheek, trailing them down until he was dropping to his knees in front of you and unbuckling your belt.

“Danny, the bed is right there” you pointed out that you had stopped just short of the large king mattress still messy from your last sleep.

“I know” he replied, successfully unbuttoning your pants, drawing down the zipper, and freeing your hardened length.

He laid more gentle kisses on the tip, and down the shaft, until he was licking a stripe back up and wrapping his lips around you.

A moan escaped and you tangled a hand into the hair at the top of his head only to ground yourself.

Was this really happening right now? After all the time you had laid awake during the day, imagining any form of intimacy with Danny, here he was pleasuring you.

It had been years since you had been with someone you actually cared about. Someone who actually stirred those feelings inside you that had stayed dormant for so long. Emotions? What emotions do I feel now?

Desire, serenity, adoration, happiness… Danny made you feel happy.

Danny was a work of art that the both of you admired. For you, the kind that brought you the range of emotion you yearned for, and for him the kind that brought happiness.

“Danny” you growled his name, causing him to look up through his lashes from where he was working. His mouth was full of you so all he could do was hum around you sending an electric shock of sensation up your spine.

“Up. Bed. Now”. You said each word through a tight jaw as you helped him up and tore his own shirt from him.

He fell back into the bed, his mop of hair sprawling out around him like how some artists painted glowing halos or crowns around their subjects.

You felt like the animal you were as you crawled on all fours and stalked him up the bed until your arms and legs were wrapped around him and you were burrowing your face deep within the crook of his neck.

You sucked the skin there between your lips, careful to not nip it with your teeth, and lapping over it with your tongue. You could hear his heart rate increase, the way the blood pumped faster through his veins just under the surface.

Your senses were completely envaded and engulfed by him. The taste, the smell, the feeling, all him.

“Oh god, please, just do it Jake” Danny whined, one hand coming up to thread his fingers between your hair at the back of your head and hold you there. “Bite me”.

Yes, bite him, drink, make him yours. A tempting voice rang through your head, the voice of the rabid beast you kept hidden within you.

Your gums ached, teeth begging to sink themselves into any bit of flesh they could get a hold of. No!

“What?” You panted, pulling back just a bit but not yet able to tear yourself away. You tried to calm yourself, telling the voice in your head that he could just like it rough, he could like the occasional teasing bite. He was by no means suggesting you feed from him.

“Jake, it’s ok. I know you’re hungry, and I don’t want to stop. I want you to have me in every way you need”.

Wait, he does want me to feed on him? You were confused, torn. You didn’t want to stop either, you wanted to ravish him completely. But you were so hungry. The past few nights of neglecting the hunt yet again had put you past your limit.

“Danny, what? I… do you…?” You couldn’t form the right words, unable to pry from him if he truly knew what he was asking of you.

“I do, I know what you are, and it’s ok” he brought his other hand up between your shoulder blades, rubbing his fingers in and pushing you back down until you were buried in the whirlwind that was his intoxicating scent again.

Without further question, unable to deny yourself any longer, you felt your fangs emerge. Flicking your tongue over them once, ever so slowly and as soft as you could possibly manage, you sunk your teeth into the curve where his neck met the top of his shoulder.

He gasped in a high pitch at the momentary pain, until the endorphins took over and he relaxed all of his muscles.

It was an unnatural reaction, but one your supernatural powers had subconscious control over. It wouldn’t be an easy task to stay hidden and feed while your prey screamed and feebly attempted to fight you off of them. Instead your species had somehow developed a chemical reaction to the bite that tricked the brain into thinking that the pain was actually pleasure.

Danny seemed to really enjoy it though, slipping a hand between your bodies and groping himself over his pants as you drank him in.

You seized his wrist and pinned it up on the pillow over his head, sliding your hips over until they were square with his and grinding down.

He let out a moan that trailed off into a whimper as you managed to unlatch your mouth and drag your tongue over his fresh wound. With not even a single drop spilled, you moved from his neck, littering open mouth kisses across his chest that left behind slightly pink blotches until you reached his hips.

He lifted them to help you as you shucked off his pants, taking his underwear down with them and tossing them both onto the floor.

You wanted to return him the favor as you saw him perked up over his stomach. Ready and waiting for a touch, a kiss, anything, but your mind was preoccupied still with what you had started.

Your hand smoothed up his legs, stopping on his knees and spreading them open for you to fit between them. You connected your mouth to him again. The skin here was still as smooth but roughened your lips with the hair. It was a nice feeling though, as you drug them across his inner thigh, the muscles there quivering and tightening.

This time he cried out when you bit down, his back arching off the bed. Your hands had to circle around his thigh to hold him still as you drank again.

He was intoxicating. Tasted like crisp apples steeped in whisky and syrup. An interesting combination but oh so delicious.

You could have tasted him all night, but you knew you’d taken enough, at least enough to satiate you for now.

Once you released him again, you pricked the pad of your thumb before letting your fangs retreat. You had to be quick at rubbing your thumb over his wounds before yours healed, watching as his skin slowly mended with nothing but a raised flushed bruise in place as a reminder of what had happened.

You kissed the bruise, Danny groaning and twitching still underneath you until you rose to see he was coming down from an orgasm.

“Oh, did you?” You couldn’t help but let a smirk cross your face as you took in the sight of Danny’s release glistening across his abdomen.

“Shut up, you don’t have to say anything about it” Danny’s face somehow managed to turn red despite the amount of blood you had taken and the amount that was still circulating through his lower half.

“Don’t be embarrassed, minha arte” you comforted him by tucking a lock of hair behind his ear and noticing he still had the wound on his neck.

He stopped you before you could move to try and heal it, grabbing your hand and placing it on his cheek like he’d done before.

“Leave it, doesn’t hurt. What was that? Spanish?” He let you continue to touch him, questioning what you’d said in hopes you might say something more.

“Close, Portuguese” you smiled down at him, savoring in the calm he emitted.

“Now, I have some questions for you before we continue”.

━─━────༺༻────━─━

You sat quietly in a chair next to the window playing over in your head all that had happened in the night hours.

Not sleeping during the day was always difficult, and if you hadn’t had the pleasure of a warm meal then your body probably would have given out hours ago. Even if sleep sounded wonderful, you weren’t 100% sure you could trust leaving yourself so valuable in your current company during the day. Though they had done nothing but peacefully sleep since you left them in bed.

You straightened your back against the wall and gently pulled the heavy black curtain covering the window next to you to the side, sending a ray of sunshine through the unnaturally dark room. You were careful not to draw the curtain back too far, just enough to drown the body in your bed in a pool of warm light.

Danny didn’t stir, not even a flinch or twitch of his brow when the sunlight engulfed him. He just continued to soundly sleep.

In the light, you could see the color in his skin, tanned and pink with blue-green veins just underneath the surface. A few purple bruises littered his otherwise perfect skin, evidence of how you had completely ruined him. He slept on his stomach, one leg free of the covers and nearly falling off the side of the bed, and one arm tucked up underneath his pillow. His raven hair was a dark contrast to the crisp white but visibly softer in comparison.

Some might think you were eying him with hunger (after having a taste the beast within was definitely scratching at the back of your brain, but you had learned to keep that side of yourself at bay for the most part). Danny had looked past that though and seen the real way you looked at him. In awe.

Letting the curtain slide back into place the sun disappeared back behind it. Your eyes hurt. From not sleeping after the night you just had, and from the residual UV you were no longer able to see for more than just a few brief moments at a time. It only took a minute for them to heal though and you were back to yourself. Sight adjusting to the dark the way it was now designed to be.

Danny had answered every question you’d hurled his way, which mostly satisfied you, but more questions still pricked at your mind.

“First of all, how did you know what I am?” You asked after Danny had so calmly and wantingly let you feed on him.

You remembered the way Danny sat up in the bed, causing your faces to come only centimeters apart. Your head was spinning from smelling the blood underneath the wound still on his neck.

“It’s sort of a long story, but I kind of know a few others, and once you know, it’s easy to spot you guys out. Especially when you all hang out in the same shitty bars every night” he’d flashed a crooked smile, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you even closer until you were having to crawl into his lap.

“Know a few others?” Your eyebrows knit together as you attempted to pry for more information. Yet you still placed your hands on his shoulders, careful not to get too close to his neck in case it was now tender to the touch.

He sucked his teeth, he knew this conversation would come, but there were so many other things on his mind right then. Like the way you felt when he used his grip to rock your hips into him, your still hardened length rubbing against his that was spent but quickly regrowing.

“I’ve been to nearly all the old grungy bars in Chicago, befriended a guy named Giovanni. He was a weird guy, always talked like it was the 20s or something. He told me his secret then just disappeared”.

“At first I didn’t believe him, I just thought ‘damn that guy is crazy’. But then I thought, ‘what if he wasn’t lying?’ So I went looking for him. Guy knew a lot of people around here, guess he was some kind of mob boss back in the day and still had a lot of loyal friends. That probably kept me out of trouble, because no one wanted to mess with one of Gio’s guys”.

“He told you his secret?” It was obvious what he meant, but you couldn’t believe this Giovanni guy had just casually revealed such a thing to a human and for no particular reason. Then your face felt uncharacteristically hot, a sudden possessiveness overcoming you. “Did he ever feed on you?”

Danny looked up, his hand moving up your back in feather light brushes of his fingertips along your spine until it came to rest on the back of your neck and he pulled you down into a kiss.

“No,” he quickly became shy, knowing now what an intimate experience it could be, “just then was the first time”. His breath came out hot against your cheek as he let his lips trail down to your neck now.

You shuddered at the feeling, that really was such a sensitive spot, and yet Danny had let you there knowing what you wanted to do all along.

“So, did you end up finding him?” Danny was doing a good job trying to distract you. Kissing and even nibbling all along the curve of your neck and across your collar then over to the other side, but you needed to know the rest of the story. How it ended with him walking into that particular bar the same night you returned to Chicago.

“No, I haven’t, but someone told me a few places to check. I’d go to a spot, stay a few nights and see if he’d turn up, then move onto the next one. Piwnic Cellar was the hardest one to find and the last on my list.”

“Where are you going to look next then?” You hadn’t found a reason for why you had come back to Chicago yet, but if Danny asked you to, you would help him look for his friend, even if every fiber of your being would want to fight to keep him all to yourself.

Danny unlatched his lips from your cool skin with a slight whimper of disappointment from you, liking too much the way his mouth heated you up everywhere he kissed. He shook his head “I don’t think I’m going to look for him anymore. If I haven’t found him yet, then I don’t think he wants to be found.” He took a moment to organize his thoughts, the friction that had been steadily growing between your bodies slowing if only for a moment. “Besides, I’ve found someone better”.

“He was a good friend, helped me in a lot of ways when he was around. He was always just that though, and he left me”.

A new wave of emotions washed over you, protectiveness of course, but also the want to comfort him, slight pity, and disdain for your kind’s fleeting habits. Before you could correctly put together what you truly wanted you blurted out “I can be your friend Danny”.

A breathy chuckle left him, his chest rising and falling against yours with how close you were holding yourselves together. “I don’t want to just be your friend Jake.”

A sly smile played itself on your face, because Danny was telling you that he felt the same way you felt in this moment. “Then what do you want?” You had to make sure though, you wanted him to tell you, to hear him say it and revel in the way his voice sounded the words.

“I want to be lovers, starting tonight, right now”.

You crashed your lips back into his, the impact so hard that his bottom lip was slightly cut open against his teeth.

“Sorry” you apologized, tasting the hint of sweet blood again and turning you on all the more.

To fix it you bit down onto the tip of your tongue and used your thumb to gently pull on his swollen lip so you could investigate the damage. Right in the middle was the tiny gash in the delicate glistening skin. You licked over the cut, immediately healing it, and then continued to kiss him only this time slowly and more carefully.

“When you said you want me to have you any way I needed?” you began to ask another question when you pulled back, only this time your questions would hopefully lead to something fun.

“Mhmmm” Danny hummed, nuzzling his face back into the crook of your neck and beginning to wiggle his hips upwards from underneath you hoping you would get the hint.

You used just a little bit of your strength to push him back down onto the pillows, his eyes blowing wide with surprise and then glowing with excitement.

“Well I want to…” you let your voice trail off, not because you were embarrassed, but because you liked the way Danny was squirming from the anticipation. You were still straddling him, but you moved a knee between his legs, then the other, until you were spreading them back apart and ghosting your fingers along the pink mark still left on his thigh.

“You want to what Jake?” He lifted a leg and let the back of his calf hook around your waist in an attempt to keep you there this time.

The next move he made sent you into an absolute frenzy. He ran his hand up the expanse of his torso. You could hear his breath quicken at the way even his own hands made his body feel as he touched himself. Then he ran his fingers through his hair at the crown, letting his full body be on display for you. His other hand sneakily came to place on his completely hard again cock. “You want to fuck me now Jake?”

You held your breath, not like it was hard for you when you didn’t really need to breathe at all, as your eyes scanned everywhere they could. From the way his fingers dug into his scalp as he pulled gently at his roots, the way he brought his lip between his teeth, no residual pain from the cut only moments ago. The slight concave of his chest between his pecs to the rosy color of his hardened nipples. The tautness of his stomach though not defined, definitely toned.

You were careful and diligent with preparing him making sure he would enjoy it, though eager to connect yourselves again. As soon as he was begging for more you were already lining yourself up and pressing inside with a slow exhale to steady yourself.

You started off pacing yourself though quickly losing it at the sound of his whining for you to go “faster”, “harder” until you were both creating a rhythm with your bodies.

“I can be your lover too” you whispered when he was nearing his second orgasm. “And I won’t leave you”.

“Sleep well?” You asked when Danny finally stirred at the smell of food.

“What’s all of this?” He questioned with a shocked smile, looking around at all the plates of food covering nearly every surface of the room.

You moved from where you had taken occupancy at the desk onto the corner of the bed, feeling kind of silly now that all of the food was here. It was a lot more than you had expected.

“I knew you would be hungry when you woke up, but I didn’t know what you liked, so I ordered one of everything off the room service menu”.

“You did what?” He laughed, though the light in his eye as he searched for the plate that smelled the most delicious showed that he was actually quite thankful for your decision- as over the top as it was. “There's no way I can eat all of this though”.

“Well, have whatever you’d like. We can store some of it in the fridge and I’ll dispose of the rest” you watched as he got out of the bed and made his way to the desk you were just sitting at, grabbing a plate of some sort of pasta on his way.

“I’d hate for any of it to go to waste though” he took a bite and you guessed it must have been good since his eyes closed and he let out a content little hum. “You can’t eat any of this?”

You were nervous at first to reply truthfully, but after watching him sleep all day you’d started to feel a little more trusting, just a little.

“I could if I had to. To keep up appearances or whatever, but I’m afraid it wouldn’t go anywhere. I’d have to cough it up later”.

Danny raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly, taking another bite graciously knowing that at least he could enjoy this.

“I wouldn’t want to eat any of it though. Human food doesn’t really taste good anymore”.

“Is that so? That’s unfortunate because this pasta is heavenly”.

You smiled over at him, glad he was liking it and hopeful that he would be able to regain some of his strength after filling his stomach.

“Does blood taste good to you then?” The question caught you off guard as he turned the conversation around though he didn’t seem unnerved by it at all.

“Seemed like you liked it quite a lot last night” he added at the end with a smirk between more bites.

“Seemed like you liked it a lot last night too” you replied, leaning back onto your hands and crossing your legs.

Danny was still shirtless, having not bothered to put any clothes on after waking up and smelling all the food, and you let your eyes wander over his body again. A hollowness grew in your stomach that was not from years of a lack of eating food, but from the images of him lying underneath you last night flooding back.

You’d remembered everything that happened, but now that Danny had a good sleep did he still feel the same way? Does he still want to be lovers?

What a silly thing to be worried about you thought to yourself. You were anxious like you had never been in this position with anyone before. Perhaps it was your past that made you so apprehensive and careful.

“Hey,” Danny set his utensils down and moved from the desk back over to where you were on the bed, dropping down to his knees in front of you and placing a gentle hand on your knee that was crossed over the other. “You look far off, is everything okay?”

He seemed worried as well, but confident enough to approach you about it.

“I was just thinking about some things you said last night and wondering if you still felt the same”. Your eyes were avoiding his, so instead you fixed your vision on his hand and the way his thumb was ever so slightly rubbing into the fabric of your pants in a subtle massage.

“Depends on which things I said you’re thinking about” he replied with a lopsided smile, not helping your nerves at all.

Reading the energy in the room growing darker with your worry he quickly corrected himself, “I’m kidding! You’re talking about wanting to be lovers right? Of course I still feel the same, why wouldn’t I?”

It was comforting to hear him say that, but now you were only worried he might think you were second guessing things if you didn’t clarify yourself. “I thought maybe you were just in the mood, you know. Just wanted to make sure now that you got it out of your system it didn’t change things”.

“Got it out of my system?” He laughed and knocked you onto the bed as his arms came to wrap around your shoulders. “You think I’ve ‘gotten it out of my system’ after only one time? Not even close Jake!”

If your heart still beat then it would have jumped from your chest. You weren’t sure what you’d done to suddenly deserve someone as bright as Danny but it was increasingly becoming easier to let your guard down around him.

Danny didn’t leave your hotel room for four nights. The two of you becoming completely lost within each other without a care for the outside world until one night Danny woke up next to you and started to get dressed without a word.

“Going somewhere?” You questioned as he was slipping on his boots, trying not to sound too overbearing but honestly intrigued by where he was suddenly in a hurry to get off to. He was free to come and go whenever he wanted to of course, but you didn’t want him to go even after all the time you had spent together.

“Have to go to work tonight” he answered matter-of-factly. With all the conversations you shared, you were surprised his mystery job never came up before now.

“Work?”

“Yeah, I have a show tonight”.

Show?

He laughed at your confused expression, understanding that it was very sudden that he was leaving and that he hadn’t brought it up sooner.

“Would you like to come?” He offered instead of an explanation, and without anything better to do you agreed.

After a quick stop at his apartment for him to change into new clothes, some tight black jeans, a patterned button up with the top three buttons left undone, and a brown leather jacket since it was another cold and windy night in Chicago, you were entering one of his frequent grungy bars.

“Hey! There he is!” A few guys immediately recognized him and sent a wave in his direction.

“Hey man, this is Jake” Danny quickly introduced you to his friends. This guy really did get along with everyone didn’t he.

“Is Tony in the back already?”

“Yeah he’s getting you set up. Going to be another good show tonight?”

“Always is!” Danny flashed his bright smile and waved again before taking your hand and leading you through another door into the back area of the bar.

This room was larger than the front but with less tables, and situated in the corner was a small stage with a few old looking speakers on either side.

“Here, this is the best seat” he led you to one of the few tables and pulled out a chair. It was a tall table, so although there were quite a few people standing around in front of the stage, you still had a good view. “I’ll see you in a bit then”. He squeezed your hand before letting go and walking over to the stage.

You felt out of place. Though the bar was just like many others you’d wasted nights away in, this bar was different in the way that it was full of life not the undead. You focused in on a few random conversations as you watched Danny disappear through another door behind the stage.

When he returned his long raven hair was pulled back into a messy bun and he was carrying a scuffed up old acoustic guitar. One that was colored in fiery oranges that faded into near glossy black around the edges. He picked up a cord that was connected to the amps and plugged it into the bottom of his guitar before perching himself against the stool and adjusting the mic to the correct height.

“How’s everyone doing tonight?” His voice resonated through the rattling speakers, soft and meek even though it was being projected through the room.

The conversations died down as everyone started to turn their attention towards Danny, excited that the show they had come to see was finally getting started.

“For those of you who have seen my set before, I usually start with my song Alive about overcoming challenges, but tonight I’d like to start in the middle of the set instead” he paused to look around and make sure everyone was on board with his split decision, and although there were murmurs no one objected.

“Truth is, I met someone who has made me feel very important. Someone compassionate, and a little edgy, but beautiful” his eyes flicked over to you for a moment, only long enough for you to catch them but not long enough for anyone else to really notice. “So tonight I want to start with Moonlight instead and it’s about falling in love”.

The music filled the entire room as he strummed a heartwarming melody and then his voice came back, this time in song. It took you by surprise, much like many things that involved Danny did, but in a good way. He played beautifully, and his voice was quiet yet powerful, having almost a folky feeling with his own personal touch.

The energy in the room was swarming as Danny’s set continued. A few people moved further towards the front of the stage to try and get Danny’s attention while he strummed away at his guitar but he merely closed his eyes and rocked along on the stool letting himself feel the music his fingers were producing. A few others were feeling the music as well, pairing up and dancing with each other, swaying through the little crowd.

A young girl approached you from behind, asking if there was anything she could get you from the bar.

Though you briefly gave her your attention, your eyes flickered back over to Danny who was now also watching your interaction from up on the stage. You suddenly remembered all the nights you watched from your seat at the bar as Danny pranced around with guy after guy, locking eyes with you from across the room just like you were now.

“Yes actually” you smiled over at the girl who seemed to be rather interested in who you were since you weren’t one of her regulars. “I’ll take your best whiskey, double, neat”.

“Of course, I’ll be right back” she flashed you a smile back and left to get your order. When she returned only moments later she set the glass down onto the table but her hand lingered even as you reached over to take it. Your fingers brushed against hers as you reached for the glass and you could see the way her face flushed with the slight touch before she retreated and you took a sip.

“Perfect” you commented when she didn’t leave right away, making sure the whiskey was to your liking.

“Anything else I can get for you?” She was stalling, she wanted you to talk to her, ask her about her night or tell her something about yours. Although you could still feel Danny watching, your animalistic instincts started to overcome you as you reached over and brushed her long wavy hair over her shoulder.

Yes, there is something else you could get for me. The voice in your mind echoed as you examined the curve of her neck and how her pulse beat quickly in the large vein right there on her jugular.

Though you had managed to sneak away into the bathroom while Danny slept to drink from your few remaining blood bags, you really needed to feed again.

All you had to do was sneak her out back somewhere while Danny was busy playing. She would know the way and she seemed like she’d be more than willing to escort you if you asked. You’d only take a little, just enough to hold you over, to satisfy the beast.

Just when you were about to make the suggestion, your eyes flickered back over to Danny who had a sour look on his usually cheerful face. Your stomach turned. Did he know you were thinking about making this girl your next meal? Was he disgusted by you?

“I can make you another if you like it?” She spoke up. Though she wanted to wait around with you she did need to get back to work.

Your shoulders fell a little, but you nodded your head and watched as you let your chance at a fresh drink get away from you.

What were you thinking, being on the hunt while Danny was so close. He had been so calm and accepting of your existence, but that didn’t mean he’d want to see you sneaking away with someone knowing what you were off to do. Even if you wouldn’t hurt her, it must weigh on his conscience to watch.

She brought you another glass, only this time she just set it on the table and left. You tossed back that one just as you had the first and waited for the alcohol to start to take its effect.

If there was anything you were glad you could still experience it was getting a good buzz.

Danny finished his last song and gently set his guitar down in the corner before turning to chat with a few guys. They started to have a look at one of the speakers. The one you noticed had a slight rattling sound coming from it though were certain no one else noticed. Danny had noticed and you were impressed, he had a good ear.

Another drink started to sound like a good idea. Just as Danny finished up his conversation he started a b-line through the crowd towards you.

Before you could suggest visiting the bar he was murmuring into your ear “Follow me” and his hand was in yours again, tugging you along through the door he had disappeared behind earlier.

It led to a small tech room, practically a closet, full of old dusty equipment and his guitar case.

Danny pressed you up against the wall and attacked your mouth with his.

“You know how hard it was to watch you from up there and not want to tear through that crowd and take you right there on that table?” His voice was quiet, slightly rasped from the exertion of singing for the last half hour.

A moan fell from your lips as Danny’s hand cupped you over your jeans, the heat from his palm already causing you to buck your hips up into it.

Though you had both explored each other's bodies extensively the past few days, Danny had willingly been on the receiving end every time. It’s not that you were opposed to any other position, it had just worked itself that way, at least up until now.

“Then take me now Danny” another moan came when his other hand had already started to work at undoing your jeans. “God, I want to feel you so fucking bad”.

You were gripping onto his shoulders and pushing back against the wall to hold yourself up as he pulled your pants off and tossed them to the side. There was no remembering if Danny had stopped to lock the door, or if there even was a lock on that door, but by this point you were already half naked and didn’t care.

“I will Jake, but you have to be quiet” he commanded as he kissed up your neck and behind your ear. “Don’t want someone interrupting us while I’m making a mess of you do we?”

So the door doesn’t lock, great. It shouldn’t be a problem you thought. You were a predator, stealth and being quiet when necessary were a few of your talents, but oh were you wrong.

“Quiet Jake, I said you have to be quiet” he kept muttering into your ear as he pounded up into you and you were crying his name over and over with each beat. He had one of your knees hooked around his arm to hoist it up and the other was beside your face with his palm pressed against the wall behind you.

“Here, bite me” he moved his hand on the wall closer towards you but you hesitated, unsure what he was really telling you to do.

“It will quiet you down, it’s okay, just bite me”.

You turned your head and was met with the silky expanse of Danny’s forearm. Ropes of muscle taught against the skin from holding himself up.

Letting your lips latch onto him first you thought it might be enough. Your voice did calm, but as you kissed and sucked further down his arm you could feel his pulse fluttering.

Instinct took over and you did bite him, your mouth filling with the hot delicious liquid. It was smoother than the whisky, searing its way down your throat in a soothing rush.

Danny’s head fell into your shoulder as his hips staggered, but he persisted with his upwards movements until the coil in his stomach snapped and he was filling you up just as you took your last drink.

You healed his wound quickly and he eased you back onto both feet, fighting to catch his breath and catch his head from spinning.

“I don’t want you to be with anyone else like this” he confessed, wrapping his arms around your shoulders and pulling you into his chest. The sound of his heartbeat thundering through your head. “I saw you with that girl and I knew what you wanted. It made me jealous”.

“Jealous?” How could he have been jealous of such a thing? And how could you have been so wrong when reading him? Then it hit you, both times you had fed from him it had been during sex. Though it wasn’t always such an experience, he didn't know it any other way.

“I see, I’m sorry” your hands came up and wrapped around his lower back, holding him just as tight as he was holding you. “I didn’t mean to upset you but I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to hurt anyone. It’s my folly, the sick and twisted joke of the fate of my damned existence”.

“You’re a gentle soul Jake, don’t let what you are define who you are” he squeezed you tighter, moving to rest his cheek on the top of your head. “I’m sorry too, I don’t usually act that way, I guess you just bring out another side of me I didn’t know was there”.

“It’s okay Danny” you moved to look up at him and he matched your gaze, adding a quick kiss to your cheek “I kind of liked it”.

Danny’s lips pulled into a smile against your cheek and he exhaled a sigh of relief you didn’t know he’d been holding in.

“Come on, I'm going to go back home for the night. Get some rest; cook myself a meal. You should do the same” Danny explained, insinuating that despite his confession only moments ago he was going to give you some room to hunt in solitary. Though you didn’t want to be parted from him, he had the right idea, so you agreed and headed out while he stayed to finish up a few things.

Walking the dimly lit streets you had everything but the search for a meal at the forefront of your mind. Worry was the most prominent as you fought off thoughts of Danny needing space to reevaluate his position.

He had said he was jealous, that meant he felt possessive in a way as well. It still perplexed you though how accepting he was of your needs.

You’d tried every argument with yourself over the years. That it was only natural, following a simple food chain. That you had taught yourself to be careful and only take what you needed l, never more.

Sometimes you had nights like tonight where it just felt like excuses. Those nights were the ones that your inner beast would take over and you would take a little too much, you would nearly hurt somebody. So instead while your mind raced with doubt, your feet carried you towards your old bar and you sat in your same spot hoping another drink would dull the pain.

“Where the hell have you been?” Irene questioned with a wicked smile when she saw you occupying your seat. Then she saw you were alone, face even paler than she’d seen it before.

“I’d say you look like shit, but I’m sure you already know that” she pulled out a glass and your usual bottle as she spoke. “Have a rough go with your new friend?”

“Danny” you corrected her. Even if you were in a worrisome state, you still couldn’t stand the sound of Danny being referred to as just a ‘friend’. The thoughts of that first night coming rushing back to you again were at least a comfort. “Actually, I just had the best few nights I’ve had in at least a decade”.

“Then what are you doing back here? I figured once I saw you two disappear out that door you wouldn’t be back for a bit, but less than a week?”

“He's… giving me space to find someone to feed on. Can’t say I have much of an appetite right now though”.

She raised a brow as she worked on cleaning a few glasses while you talked, with it still being rather early in the night she wasn’t that busy yet. “So he knows then?”

“Yeah, knew before we even met. Some guy named Giovani told him. That name ring any bells by the way?” Since Danny had told you his story about learning vampires really existed you were itching to get to Irene, the only one still left in Chicago you trusted.

“I’ve heard of him, he didn’t come around here much. Had his own place he ran closer to downtown, in fact I think it’s named Gio’s”. Her eyes trailed off into the distance, memory always being a difficult thing to navigate when you had so many years of them to shuffle through. Never knowing when even the most insignificant of them would someday be of use. “Naming his bar after himself sounds right, he was a little arrogant”.

“Any idea where else he might be? Apparently he’s given a few people the slip”.

“I’ll see what I can dig up for you. Will I be seeing you in here more often again?”

You sighed, swirling the amber liquid that was left in your glass around a few times before tossing it back. “Not sure, tonight I just needed somewhere else to be other than alone in my room”.

“Damn Jake” she filled your glass once more, reaching over and squeezing your hand for a bit of reassurance. “I haven’t seen you so love-sick since Helen”.

Helen. You hadn’t heard that name spoken aloud in so long. Weren’t even sure if your lips could still form it working quivering.

“Sorry” she noticed the way you slightly winced, figuring it was still too soon even after just over 70 years passing.

“No, you’re alright. I’ve actually been thinking about telling him about what happened. It’s interesting, I don’t talk about it much, but I’d found myself thinking about them just before I came back. I’m sure that’s partly the reason why I did. To find some closure or something. Then I met Danny, and you’re right, I haven’t felt the same with anyone, until now”.

Her worried expression softened and a small hopeful smile appeared, “I think you should, she was a big part of you, still is in some ways. He’d want to know”.

“Thanks love” she left you to nurse your last drink, trying to fill as much of your time with the slight comfort of a familiar surrounding before kicking your feet back to your hotel.

Once back to your room you took your shoes off and undressed so you could get into the shower, turning on the hot water while you did so to let the steam fog up the bathroom before getting in.

Just when you were about to step in, a knock racked across the door.

You grabbed a fresh towel and wrapped it around your waist, unsure of who could possibly be at the door at nearly 4am.

Not even bothering to check the peephole you swung the door open, immediately being surprised with who you saw.

“I couldn’t sleep, can I come in?” Danny sheepishly asked, his hands stuffed into his pockets and his shoulders hanging.

You pulled him inside and into your arms without a word, his lips coming down onto yours in a silent acknowledgment of your shared relief.

“Were you about to take a shower?” He chuckled, pulling back to take in your state of near undress.

“Want to join me?” You smirked and he leaned over to kiss you again as you both stumbled into the bathroom.

“I want to tell you a story” you began as you turned his hand over in your grip. You were nestled into the crook of his arm, legs tangled together underneath the covers, and hair still drying from the long shower. The curtains in the hotel room were pulled tightly shut before the two of you crawled into bed together in anticipation of the sun rising soon. It felt right to have him back here with you. Although just laying in each other's arms sounded like a perfect end to the night, after having some time to think you knew you needed to talk.

“What’s it about?” He replied, voice slow and fighting sleep.

“It’s about the two people who were most important in the world to me”. You looked up and watched as his eyes opened wide, a rush of energy lighting him up again.

“I don’t really know where to start” you began, shuffling down further into the bed and wrapping an arm around his chest to hold onto. “I guess it would be the fall of 1949, that’s the year we met Helen. She was a war widow, a young one, and a respected member of the community”.

Danny could tell where the story was leading, Helen being one of your past loves, but there was one detail he needed clarification on.

“We?”

“Well, Josh and I, my brother”.

“You have a brother?” He sounded excited, definitely not having expected to hear about a blood relative of a vampire as old as you were.

“Twin actually”. There was a story to how the two of you came to be vampires together, but that was one for another night.

“Helen caught both of our attention. She’s the sweetest girl I’d ever had the pleasure of meeting, but she had a fire to her too, one that made courting her all the more fun. Even though I knew my brother liked her too, I sought her out for myself and she did become mine, for a while at least”.

“Eventually I couldn’t keep my secret from her. I was so afraid she would hate me when I told her. You see I had never told a human that before and telling people at that time was very dangerous. She still wanted to be with me though, wanted to be with me forever actually. I couldn’t do it. Couldn’t change anything about her even if I knew it meant one day I’d lose her. I felt like having her the way she was for as long as I could would be enough”.

“That was until she got sick. It happened so fast, at one point she was healthy, and then she was dying. I panicked, I knew her time compared to mine would be short, but that was too short. I still couldn’t do it though, so I took her to Josh, begged him to save her, and he did. Josh turned her and everything changed”.

“The thing is, our kind typically mate for life. You’re drawn to someone and it’s like once that connection is made no one else makes sense, just them. I thought Helen was it, the one I was drawn to, but I wasn’t it for her. Josh was, and when he turned her the feelings only heightened. I guess because we’re twins, share the same DNA, the love she felt for me as a human was just a manifestation of that bond she and Josh now share”.

“I was heart broken for years. Thought I was doomed to face my long life loving the same person as my brother. So I moved away, came to Chicago in the 70s, tried to start another family, messed around a little and got into some trouble. The time away helped a little, but it still felt too fresh, too close, so I moved even further away. Europe was a good distraction, but I started to realize the more I tried to numb the pain, the more I started to cut off all emotions”.

“I couldn’t live like that any longer, alone and homeless, so I decided to move back. I’m still not sure exactly what I'm doing or where home is, but I guess the point of telling you this story is that for the first time in a long time I'm letting myself feel everything”.

“I want you to know that for the first time in a long time you have made me feel happy. There’s a light in you Danny that I thought I’d never see again. It’s big and bright and beautiful and I want to let it envelop me in its warmth, but it also scares me. I’m afraid the darkness in me will dim the light in you. I’m afraid of putting my heart out there again. I’m afraid of losing y-”.

Danny had been patiently listening to everything you told him up until this point when he interrupted you by wrapping his arms around your shoulders and pulling you to lay on top of him. “Jake, you have nothing to be afraid of. I came back to you tonight didn’t I? I’m not going anywhere”.

You shuffled onto your knees, one on either side of his waist, and pulled yourself up leaving just a few inches between your faces. “You did, and you don’t even know how happy that made me. I want to promise you that I won’t make the same mistakes I made before”. You cupped his face tenderly in your hands, taking in the slight flush in his cheeks and the mossy shine in his irises as he stared back up at you. “I’ll do anything for you Danny. I’m yours now and I hope with all that I have left in me that you will be mine”.

Danny placed one of his large palms on top of your hand and pulled it across his cheek until he was pressing the pads of your fingers into his mouth. “I’m yours Jake” he whispered, his lips moving against your fingers in a hot tickle. “Thank you for telling me about Helen and Josh. I hope to meet them one day. When you’re ready. Until then I’m here with you”.

He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly, letting his hand fall back down to rest on your hip and giving you back control of your own. You let your fingers trace the shape of his lips, then down to the shape of his jaw until you were digging into the hairs at the back of his neck. You lowered yourself again until your lips met his and you kissed him passionately.

It wasn’t an I love you yet, but you felt safe here as Danny kissed you back, sealing your promise.

[skyeavenuekitchen]

Unveiling the Epicurean Haven: Sky Avenue — Surrey’s Culinary Gem

 Nestled in the vibrant city of Surrey, Sky Avenue stands as a testament to the region's culinary finesse, offering a plethora of dining experiences that cater to even the most discerning palates. From its exquisite whisky lounge and chef's table experiences to its charming patio setting, Sky Avenue sets the stage for unforgettable moments of gastronomic delight. With a blend of sophistication and warmth, this restaurant promises an unparalleled dining experience that lingers long after the last bite.

Surrey's Finest Dining Destination:

Sky Avenue is not just any restaurant; it is a destination that embodies the essence of fine dining in Surrey, BC. From its intimate private dining rooms to its upscale European-inspired menu, this culinary haven redefines the art of gastronomy. Sky Avenue's exquisite blend of contemporary flavors and traditional techniques positions it as one of the most sought-after dining spots in both Surrey and Vancouver.

Elevating the Whisky Experience in Surrey:

Discerning whisky aficionados are in for a treat at Sky Avenue's exclusive whisky lounge, where the selection of whisky flights tantalizes the senses and transports patrons on a journey of rich, nuanced flavors. With an array of carefully curated options, the whisky lounge at Sky Avenue offers a space where connoisseurs and novices alike can appreciate the nuances of this revered spirit.

The Art of Exclusivity: Chef's Table Experience in Surrey, BC:

For those seeking an extraordinary dining adventure, Sky Avenue's Chef's Table Experience in Surrey, BC, is the epitome of exclusivity. Guests are treated to an immersive culinary journey, where the chef's creativity and expertise are showcased in every meticulously crafted dish. The intimate setting allows patrons to witness the culinary magic firsthand, creating an unforgettable and personalized dining experience.

Indulge in Surrey's Best Patio and Italian Delights:

Sky Avenue boasts the best patio restaurant experience in Surrey, where guests can relish the picturesque surroundings while savoring delectable Italian delicacies. From authentic pastas to tantalizing desserts, the menu reflects the culinary passion and dedication to serving the finest European-inspired cuisine. The harmonious blend of flavors and the serene patio ambiance create an enchanting atmosphere that lures patrons back time and again.

Conclusion:

Sky Avenue is more than just a restaurant; it is a symphony of flavors and experiences that enthrall and captivate. From its alluring whisky lounge to its intimate private dining rooms, this culinary gem in Surrey sets a new standard for upscale dining. With its impeccable service, diverse menu offerings, and an ambience that exudes warmth and sophistication, Sky Avenue promises a gastronomic journey that is as unforgettable as it is indulgent. Treat your senses to an unparalleled dining experience at Sky Avenue, where every visit is a celebration of culinary excellence.

[fake-married-my-dead-fiance]

Okay, this was probably obvious to other people who are more familiar with Korean culture, but I'm pretty certain Gu Won's story arc in King the Land isn't just about falling in love with Sa-rang, it's about falling in love with Korea itself.

I thought on the first watch that Gu Won was always super excited when he ate "poor people" food, but no, it's when he eats traditional Korean food. Most of the fancy dinners are foods famous in other cultures (most often Western, but also Japanese) and the drinks are all Western and even said in English loan-words (wine, whisky). Even the meal Gu Won makes is European. The meals Sa-rang serves or treats him to are primarily traditional but also said in Korean and she also drinks domestic beer or soju.

Gu Won's been living abroad for years, so it makes sense that he would be more familiar with foreign food, but I think it's also a critique of rich people wanting Western markers of wealth instead of Korean ones. In Ep 8, Gu Won leaves the hotel's Western style sauna and joins Sa-rang in a Korean style sauna, where he again eats a traditional Korean food and loves it. He even has a bad dream in the foreign sauna and they make it clear that he's never even been to a Korean one.

His first meaningful interaction with his father is over the traditional beef-head stew, and then his father asks for soju to have with it after being offered three Western drinks instead. His father also mourns that the stew isn't being made properly anymore.

And it's a big deal at the end when Gu Won's sister doesn't send her son back to America to be educated but keeps him in Korea...

The entire thing was a massive commercial for Korea (except for the Thailand episode) and a critique of the rich thinking that foreign things are better.

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: The Stars We Steal

Author: Alexa Donne

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2020

Genres: fiction, science fiction, romance, fantasy, retelling, LGBT+, dystopia

Blurb: Engagement season is in the air. 18-year-old Princess Leonie "Leo" Kolburg, heir to a faded European spaceship, only has one thing on her mind: which lucky bachelor can save her family from financial ruin? But when Leo's childhood friend and first love Elliot returns as the captain of a successful whisky ship, everything changes. Elliot was the one that got away, the boy Leo's family deemed to be unsuitable for marriage. Now he's the biggest catch of the season, and he seems determined to make Leo's life miserable...but old habits die hard, and as Leo navigates the glittering balls of the Valg Season, she finds herself falling for her first love in a game of love, lies, and past regrets.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 8.23

Holidays

Asian Corpsetwt Day [Every 23rd]

Battle of Kursk Day (Russia)

Black Ribbon Day (Baltic states)

The Blitz Begins (WW2; 1940; UK)

Daffodil Day [also 4th Friday]

European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism (EU)

Find Your Inner Nerd Day

Flag Day (Ukraine)

Goldfinch Day

Grand Mahal de Touba (Senegal)

Hashtag Day

Health Unit Coordinator Day

Hebron Massacre Anniversary (Israel)

Hug Your Sweetheart Day

International Blind Dog Day

International Day For the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition (UN)

International Redhead Day

Internaut Day

Liberation from Fascist Occupation Day (Romania)

National Cheap Flight Day

National Doctors’ Day (Iran)

National Holiday (Socialist Republic of Romania)

National Levi Day

National Physicians Day (Iran)

National Plumber's Day

National Poetry Day (New Zealand)

National Sneak Off to the Beach Day

One-Way Street Day

Permanent Press Day

Pilot 823 Day

Purple Poppy Day (UK)

Ride the Wind Day

Sacco-Vanzetti Memorial Day

Schueberfouer Shepherd’s Fair begins (Luxembourg)

Singin’ in the Rain Day

Slavery Remembrance Day

Tansy Day

Tuberose Day (French Republic)

Umhlanga Day (Eswatini, f.k.a. Swaziland)

Valentino Day

Victory Over Germany in the Battle of Kursk Day (Russia)

William Wallace Day (Scotland)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Buttered Corn Day

Cuban Sandwich Day

National Spongecake Day

Peruvian Coffee Day (Peru)

Swedish Meatball Day

World Vada Pad Day (Maharashtra, India)

Independence & Related Days

Aerlig (Declared, 2001) [unrecognized]

Hong Kong (UK Takes from China; 1839-Non-Aggression Pact; 1939)

Kharkiv City Day (Ukraine)

Mexico (Treaty of Aquala Signed; 1821)

Open Rebellion Day (UK declared US Colonies; 1775)

4th Friday in August

Brother’s Day [1st Friday after Full Moon]

Comfort Food Friday [Every Friday]

Daffodil Day (Australia, Southern Hemisphere) [4th Friday]

Five For Friday [Every Friday]

Flashback Friday [Every Friday]

Forgive Your Foe Friday [Friday of Be Kind to Humankind Week]

Friday Finds [Every Friday]

Fry Day (Pastafarian; Fritism) [Every Friday]

International Pozole Day [4th Friday]

TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) [Every Friday]

Weekly Holidays beginning August 23 (3rd Full Week of August)

Health Unit Coordinators Week (thru 8.29)

Festivals Beginning August 23, 2024

Askov Rutabaga Festival and Fair (Askov, Minnesota) [thru 8.25]

Big Feastival (Kingham, United Kingdom) [thru 8.25]

Bosque Chile & Music Fest (Albuquerque, New Mexico) [thru 8.24]

Butler Italian Festival (Butler, Pennsylvania) [thru 8.25]

Chorus Inside International (Rovinj, Croatia) [thru 8.28]

Colorado State Fair (Pueblo, Colorado) [thru 9.2]

DeKalb Corn Fest (DeKalb, Illinois) [thru 8.25]

Espoo Ciné International Film Festival (Espoo, Finland) [thru 9.1]

Fallon Cantaloupe Festival & Country Fair (Fallon, Nevada) [8.25]

Fête Rouge Food & Wine Fête (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

German-American Festival (Oregon, Ohio) [thru 8.25]

Hill City Wine, Brew and BBQ(Hill City, South Dakota) [thru 8.24]

Humungous Fungus Fest (Crystal Falls, Michigan) [thru 8.24]

Indianapolis GreekFest - Indianapolis, Indiana

Mammoth Rocks & Music & Food Festival (Mammoth Lakes, California) [thru 8.24]

Northwest Art and Air Festival (Albany, Oregon) [thru 8.25]

Nebraska State Fair (Grand Island, Nebraska) [thru 9.2]

Old Fashioned Corn Roast Festival (Loveland, Colorado) 9thru 8.24]

Oregon State Fair (Salem, Oregon) [thru 9.2]

Potato Days Festival (Barnesville, Minnesota) [thru 8.24]

Roots Festival (Paola, Kansas) [thru 8.24]

Shrewsbury Folk Festival (Shrewsbury, United Kingdom.) [thru 8.26]

Soybean Festival (Mexico, Missouri) [thru 8.24]

Sylvester Swine Festival (Sylvester, Georgia) [thru 8.24]

Washington State Garlic Fest (Chehalis, Washington) (thru 8.25]

Whiskies of the World (Boston, Massachusetts)

World Food & Music Festival (Des Moines, Iowa) [thru 8.25]

Feast Days

Allan Kaprow (Artology)

Appollinaris Sidnonius, Bishop of Clermont (Christian; Saint)

Appreciate What You’ve Got Day (Pastafarian)

Ascelina (Christian; Saint)

Asterius, Claudius, Domnina, Neon, and Theonilla (Christian; Martyrs)

Chǔshǔ begins (China) [Thru 9.7]

Claudius, Asterius and Others (Christian; Martyrs)

Day of Hephaestos (Pagan)

Day of Nemesea (Old Roman Goddess Nemesis, defender of the relics & memory of the dead from insults)

Dick Bruna (Artology)

Dollond (Positivist; Saint)

Dunadd in Argyll (Celtic Book of Days)

Éogan of Ardstraw (Christian; Saint)

Ernie Bushmiller (Artology)

Eugene Lanceray (Artology)

Eugenius of Ireland (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Nemesis (Goddess of Fate; Ancient Greece)

Gaura Parba (Women’s Festival to Goddess Gauri; Nepal)

Great Feast of the Netjeru (All Gods/Goddesses; Ancient Egypt)

Hammer Fraggle (Muppetism)

Hannah Frank (Artology)

Janmashtami (Lord Krishna Nativity; Hindu)

Justinian the Hermit (Christian; Saint)

Keith Tyson (Artology)

Kirvis (Harvest Festival; Lithuania)

Lupus (a.k.a. Luppus) of Novae (Christian; Saint)

Nemeseia (Ancient Greece)

Nuclear Accident Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Philip Benitius (Christian; Saint)

Quiriacus and companions, of Ostia (Christian; Saint)

Rose of Lima (Christian; Saint)

Second Festival of Vertumnalia (Ripening Fruit; Ancient Rome; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Theonas, Archbishop of Alexandria (Christian; Saint)

Tydfil (Christian; Saint)

Vertumnalia (Old Roman God of the Change of Seasons)

Vulcanalia (Ancient Roman festival to Vulcan)

William Ernest Henley (Writerism)

Willy Russell (Writerism)

Zacchaeus of Jerusalem (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

A-Hunting We Won’t Go (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1943)

Alice Adams (Film; 1935)

Angel Has Fallen (Film; 2019)

Animal Crackers (Film; 1930)

Barton Fink (Film; 1991)

Better Off Dead (Film; 1985)

The Big Sleep (Film; 1946)

Birdland (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1935)

Canadian Capers, featuring Farmer Al Falfa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1931)

Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White, recorded Perez Prado (Song; 1954)

Club Life in the Stone Age (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1940)

DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year (WB Animated Film; 2016)

The Death of Superman (WB Animated Film; 2018)

Drinking Buddies (Film; 2013)

Freeway (Film; 1996)

The Girl at the Ironing Board (WB MM Cartoon; 1934)

Going! Going! Gosh! (WB MM Cartoon; 1952)

Grace, by Jeff Buckley (Album; 1994)

Henry IV, Part 2, by William Shakespeare (Play; 1600)

Knighty Knight Bugs (WB LT Cartoon; 1958)

Lover, by Taylor Swift (Album; 2019)

Pass the Biscuits Mirandy! (Swing Symphony Cartoon; 1943)

Scotty Finds a Home (Rainbow Parade Cartoon; 1935)

She Loves You, by The Beatles (UK Song; 1963)

She’s the One (Film; 1996)

Sir Army Suit, by Klaatu (Album; 1978)

The Sun Also Rises (Film; 1957)

Superior Duck (WB Cartoon; 1996)

Superman: Man of Tomorrow (WB Animated Film; 2020)

Teen Wolf (Film; 1985)

That ’70s Show (TV Series; 1998)

Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz (WB Animated Film; 2011)

Woody’s Magic Touch (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1971)

The World’s End (Film; 2013)

Today’s Name Days

Isolde, Philipp, Rosa, Zachäus (Austria)

Rozalija, Ruža, Ružica (Croatia)

Sandra (Czech Republic)

Zakæus (Denmark)

Signe, Singe (Estonia)

Signe, Varma (Finland)

Rose (France)

Isolde, Rosa, Zachäus (Germany)

Bence (Hungary)

Fabrizio, Maria, Regina (Italy)

Benjamins, Ralfs, Spriditis, Vitālijs (Latvia)

Girmantas, Pilypas, Tautgailė (Lithuania)

Signe, Signy (Norway)

Apolinary, Benicjusz, Filip, Laurenty, Sulirad, Walerian, Waleriana, Zacheusz (Poland)

Filip (Slovakia)

Rosa (Spain)

Signe, Signhild (Sweden)

Eugene, Eugenia, Geena, Gena, Gene, Genie, Gina, Jina, River, Zacchaeus, Zaccheus (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 236 of 2024; 130 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of Week 34 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 21 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Ren-Shen), Day 20 (Ji-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 19 Av 5784

Islamic: 17 Safar 1446

J Cal: 26 Purple; Fryday [26 of 30]

Julian: 10 August 2024

Moon: 80%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 11 Gutenberg (9th Month) [Dollond]

Runic Half Month: Rad (Motion) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 65 of 94)

Week: 3rd Full Week of August

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 2 of 32)

Calendar Changes

Rad (Motion) [Half-Month 17 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 9.6)

[originallandlockedmariner]

For three years running…

2020

Kobe. Pandemic. Lockdown. Koalas on fire. Harry and Meg retire. Toilet paper hoarding. Alcoholism. Impeach the f*cker. Parasite. Bonnie Henry. Tiger King. Working from home. Sourdough bread. Harvey Weinstein guilty. Zoom overdose. Dip your body in sanitizer. 6 feet. Quarantine. OK Boomer. Home schooling (everyone passes). Murder hornets. Dolly Parton. Don’t hug, kiss or see anybody, especially your family. Chris Evans’ junk. TikTok. Glory holes. Face masks. CERB. West Coast wildfires. Stay home. Small Businesses lose, big box stores win. F*ck Bozos. ‘Dreams’ and cranberry juice. Close yoga studios, but thumbs up to your local gym. Speak moistly to me. George Floyd. BLM. F*ck Trump. Phase 2, 3 and Summer. RBG. Baby Yoda. Biden wins. Bond and Black Panther die. No more lockdown. Back to school and work. Just kidding... giddy up round 2. Giuliani leaks shit from his head. Resurgence of chess. UFOs are real. Restrictions. Dave Grohl admits defeat. Monolith. “F*ck... forgot my mask in the car”. No Christmas shenanigans allowed. Bubbles. Alex Trebek. Use the term ‘dumpster fire’ one too many times. Jupiter and Saturn form 'Christmas Star'. Happy New Year Bitches!!!! 2021... you better not sh*t the bed!!

2021

“We love you, you’re very special”. Failed coup attempt at the Capital. Twitter, FB and IG ban Donny. Hammerin’ Hank goes to the Field of Dreams. Bozo no longer richest man but still a twat. Leachman, Tyson, and Holbrook pass. The economy is worse than expected. Kim and Kanye split. Brood X cicadas. Dre has an aneurysm and nearly has his home broken into. Bridgerton. MyPillow CEO is a douche. Covid restrictions extended indefinitely. Captain Von Trapp dies. Proud Boys officially a Terrorist Organization. Richard Ramirez. Cancer takes Screech. Travel bans. Impeachment trial (again?… oh and this was barely February? WTF??!!) Suez Canal blockage. Myanmar protest. Kong dukes it out with Godzilla, while Raya watches. Olympics. Friends compare elective surgeries. F9. Canada Women’s Soccer Gold. Free Britney. Multiverses. Residential Schools in Canada unearth children’s bodies. Kate is Mare of Easttown. Cuomo resigns. Disney and Dwayne cruise together. Wildfires. Delta variants. Musk passes Bezos. Candyman x 5. Capt. Kirk goes to space. F*ck Kyle Rittenhouse. Astros didn’t win. Squid Game. Goodbye Bond. Dune is redone. Angelina is Eternal. Astroworld deaths. Meta. Omicron. Three Spidermen. Tornados in December? World Juniors cancelled. Pills against Covid. School opening delayed. And Betty White dies. 2022… my expectations are ridiculously low…

2022

Wow… eight billion people. Queen Elizabeth II passes away after ruling the Commonwealth before dirt was invented. The monkeypox. Russia plays the role of global asshole. Wordle. Mother Nature rocks Afghanistan. Hover bike. Styles spits on Pine. Olivia Newton John, Kristie Alley, and Coolio leave us. Pele was traded to team Heaven. FTX implodes. Madonna and the 3-D model of her vagina. Pig gives his heart to a human. Beijing can brag that it is the first city ever to host both the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics. Uvalde. $3 trillion Apple. Keith Raniere gets 120 years. The Whisky War ends with Canada and Denmark going halfsies. Mar-a-Lago. Nick Cannon brood hits a dozen. Shinzo Abe is assassinated. Inflation goes through the roof (if you can actually afford to put a roof over your head). Volodymyr Zelensky. European heat wave. Bennifer. Salman Rushdie is stabbed on stage, Dave Chappelle tackled, and Chris Rock is only slapped. Thích Nhất Hạnh. Heidi Klum goes full slug. Cuba knocked out by Ian. Liz Truss and 4.1 Scaramuccis. Taylor Swift breaks Ticketmaster. Human shitstain Elon Musk ignores helping mankind and buys Twitter instead. Riri becomes a mommy. NASA launches Artemis 1. Trump still a whiny little bitch. Music lost Loretta Lynn, Christine McVie, and Meat Loaf. Democracy died at least three times. Pete Davidson continues to date hottest women on the planet. Microplastics in our blood. Alex Jones is a cunt. So is DeSantis. Argentina wins the World Cup. Meghan and Harry. Eddie Munson rips Metallica in the Upside Down. tWitch. Roe vs Wade is overturned by the micro dick energy of the Supreme Court. CODA. James Corden shows he is a "tiny Cretin of a man". Amber (and the shit on the bed) Heard (round the world). Sebastian Bear-McClard proves he’s one of the fucking dumbest men alive. Latin America's ‘pink tide’. Anti-Semitic rants by Ye. Bob Saget. A verified blue checkmark. Godmother of punk Vivienne dies. And, Tom Cruise feels the need for speed yet again. 2023… whatcha got for us?!? Nothing shocks me anymore.

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Credit Sony Pictures Home Ent FR @SPHEFR Official Twitter Account. VOD publisher. TV series.

A dram with SH: 🥃 The Unfair Commercial Practices

When promoting (tasting), selling or supplying products in any country of the EU you must give enough accurate information to enable you to make an informed buying decision. If you fail to provide this information. You are in the category of unfair commercial practices: Misleading practices.

Misleading practices, either through action (giving false information) or omission (leaving out important information) such as not reporting that his whisky is not registered in the European Union because the trademark was rejected. In fact, there are obstacles that make it difficult to sell advertise or promote his products in the whole EU and actions contrary may be considered Unfair Commercial Practices.

In certain situations, it is acceptable to invite guests on stage to share their stories, and anecdotes, and engage in Q&A sessions. However, it is not fair to conduct tastings exclusively for average consumers under a rejected and non-registered name. This practice is considered unfair and therefore, it is prohibited in the EU.

Alcoholic beverage promotion in France is regulated by the Evin law. It prohibits promos that incite the public to consume them, and the most cherished dream of its fans is a dram with SH, who served as a waiter to a group of women, charging them €350 per person that included a generic Taylor Swift Friendship Bracelet for Fans, ( SH wore that bracelet during the convention) a little spices bag and a Sassenach dram 🥃 violating the European law 🇪🇺 and French law 🇫🇷 That Is Not a Good Idea!

All promoting alcoholic beverages must include a preventive health message, regardless of the use: “L’abus d’alcool est dangereux pour la santé” ("Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health")

@25sandrine25 X

It is worrying what some women may think when they do not drink alcohol or do not know how to drink it properly, with a lack of sense of self. In this specific scenario, a fan who was undergoing cancer treatment was present. It is important to keep in mind that consuming alcohol during cancer treatment can have harmful effects and even reduce the effectiveness of the treatment. Additionally, research suggests that women who are long-term cancer survivors may have a higher risk of their cancer returning if they consume alcohol. Despite these risks, SH still encourages women to drink alcohol.

At Landon, some of his fans breached European law and violated the Evin law in France, where the promotion of alcoholic beverages is strictly regulated. They must be so proud, by €350 they allowed themselves to be used for a particular purpose. 🙄

Posted 17th April 2024

#TheLandCon6