#Mozart Chocolate Liqueur | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

iphigeniainaulis · 2 years ago

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C means Coffee | What coffee shop drinks can be associated with Ikevamp suitors

I really wanted to participate in the content creation challenge hosted by @xxsycamore and @queengiuliettafirstlady but couldn't write anything satisfying. So, I ended up with short series about what I love most — coffee

Promt: Day 5 — Small shop AU

Characters: Mozart, Comte, Napoleon, Sebastian, Shakespeare, Dazai, Vincent

Warnings: minor spoilers

Lemon affogato — Mozart

Chances are you won't like it at first.

An affogato is an ice cream based beverage. A few drops of hot Nespresso make it taste less like crunched snow, but generally speaking it's better to take this drink slowly, especially if you have sensitive teeth.

The same goes to Mozart. He may seem distant and sarcastic, his room is always chilly from Parisian draughts even in summer, and his welcoming “I despise you” breaths with the cold of January blizzard, making your face twist in such grimaces as if you’ve eaten dozens of sour lemons at once.

But if you show patience, you'll actually see how quickly this colossal lump of ice melts under the warm light in your cosy coffee shop. That's when you learn that lemons are actually sweet, and ice cream is not as solid as it used to be at the beginning of your banquet.

And if you want to spice things a little bit, add a teaspoon of any rum liqueur, for example, Kahlua. You'll see how an iceberg can turn into a lava volcano. Or is it the same thing?

Espresso martini — Comte

The story behind the origin of this drink was literally one young lady coming to the club and asking for something that could “wake her up, and then fuck her up.”

Nobody described Comte’s nature better than her.

One of the reasons why Comte’s presence in the room is so thrilling seems to be his complicated nature that much like this heady brew of coffee and alcohol consists of millions of contradictory fractions mixed together in a single person.

The first feeling you get after taking a sip reminds you of tasting a rich viscous mixture of classical espresso and exquisite French liquor on the tip of your tongue — close in a way to trying mead or honey wine but with its top note having a bitter flavour. It’s similar to what you think of him when meeting the nobleman for the very first time. Honey associates with ambery sweetness and the serenity of evening sun, with the colour of his eyes and the ultimate comfort you enjoy in the company of the father figure of the mansion. Although deep inside you know there is this courteous nonchalance, the invisible distance that he prefers to keep between the two of you and that makes you ask yourself subconsciously whether the forbidden fruit is as sweet as they promise?

If you're bold enough to indulge further into the drink’s flavour, be prepared for another surprise.

The cocktail’s name provides an idea that Martini Asti — a sparkling strong but not too strong wine made from white muscat — may be on the ingredients list.

What do you end up with? Right, a wave of frosty heat is rushing to your chest. It's vodka.

Comte may act like a perfect gentleman, but you know that his true self doesn’t match such a flattering description. He is not about rules and etiquette — he is the rave of colours, the passion of wild nature, the deepest senses brought to their maximum.

Don't let fancy covers and titles misguide you. With good Comte you never get what you expect. What has been hidden under the dust of centuries of self-control, self-restriction and self-destruction may find its way out in your warm embrace, and in this case you better be ready.

Because his love will literally wake you up and then fuck you up.

Hot Peppermint Patty — Napoleon

Let me see the receipt. Hot chocolate, perfect!

Hot chocolate has this special power to warm you from inside and give some extra energy, to calm the nerves and distract you from dark thoughts.

One thing you can tell about Napoleon is that he is a giant, uncontrollable source of life. If he is not cooking in the kitchen, he is fencing with Jean. If you don’t meet him at école, you’ll find him in the stable or in the library surrounded by books.

Sometimes the residents — Isaac and MC in particular — mention “the elder brother” vibes Napoleon gives them, but there is nothing offensive about it. Them wording it this way is simply an attempt to explain that Napoleon’s presence is calming enough to feel protected. Mainly, because you have the whole controle over the situation. The man will never do more or less than you ask, because he has great respect for humans, especially those with a big and kind heart — you included.

No wonder he decided to become a bodyguard after his revival. This is what his nature — honest and protective, but never controlling or sermonising — demands to do.

Consuming chocolate generates endorphins which give you the feeling of being in love. Reminds you of a certain Monsieur de Wa-ha-ha whose charms make him loved by everyone around.

And when you see him, a wide smile always blooms on your face. Like a child laughing when seeing a pile of chocolate candies.

Also chocolate remained a privilege of the rich for a very long time due to the expensiveness of cocoa beans. The drink is worthy of kings or, as in our case, the great emperor and the Nightmare of Europe.

The hot chocolate taste is framed with the fresh scent of Crème de menthe made with Corsican mint — a symbol of protection and virtue now we know what colour Napo’s eyes are.

Mint is also famous for its calming properties. Sergei Rachmaninoff, for example, said that a glass of mint liquor steadied his nerves when performing an extremely difficult twenty-fourth variation of his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

Napoleon is a safe haven for those looking for redemption in calmness. He savours delicious food, nature and tries to find peace after many years of wars, losses and betrayals shining with the colour of blood. Maybe he cherishes tranquillity so much now because he was deprived of it in his previous life?

Mint is for “enjoying the moments”.

Which is a great part of Bonaparte’s story — his lover showing him how to stop seeing the world as an endless spiral of unpleasant unexpectedness and painful goodbyes. The flower field will wilt, the moon will follow the sun, nights will banish days. But as we live in the present we create, life is worth fighting.

Traditionally prepared cappuccino — Sebastian

Cappuccino is so trivial. Hell, no!

Well, there is no point in denying that this coffee drink is a must in every coffee house, restaurant and railway car all over the world. You may not find caramel cheesecakes, sandwiches or souffle pancakes with a stick of butter on the menu, but you will definitely come across the line with a word cappuccino written there.

Let’s put it another way round. Cappuccino is the foundation of any cafe and restaurant. Its flavour may seem colourless in comparison to other more “exquisite” coffee drinks, but this so-called flaw is what makes cappuccino so favourable.

Sebastian always hides in the shades of the residents of Comte’s mansion. He demonstrates neither Mozart’s musical genius nor a scent for writing like Arthur and Dazai do. He is ordinary, almost boring in contrast with the great historical figures he lives with.

But it's this “not so special” guy clad in nondescript grey clothes who MC can trust while adapting to her new life in a completely different place. It's this ordinary man who is always the first to mention her feeling sad, anxious or overwhelmed, ready to listen, to warn and to give her the best advice possible. Sebas is that particular person she can rely on taking her first, the most painful steps in 19th century France. To some extent he can be viewed as a symbol of MC’s stability in an extremely unstable environment. Because he was born in the same country and time period, thus reminding her of everything she’s lost after walking into that mystical door in the Louvre.

Now, let's get back to cappuccino once more. An interesting fact about this drink is that although it’s not so difficult to cook, even the smallest change in receipt may lead to unexpected results. Try to add a little bit more milk, and you’ll have latte. Add less and enjoy caffè macchiato. And this is a brilliant reminder to all of us.

Even if you don't consider yourself special, remember that there is no other person on Earth like you. You don't need to be famous in order to win one’s heart. Your character, motivation and attitude — that's what really matters. This thought is an important refrain in Sebastian’s route, don't you think so?

Lady Grey tea — Shakespeare

Shakespeare once called jealousy “the green-eyed monster”. Well, this beast definitely tortures Will every time he remembers that the Duchess of Bedford was the one who invented the famous british custom of afternoon tea.

He loves tea and with assistance from gentle Comte possesses a large collection of multiple types of tea from luxurious pearl oolong to bitter like oak roots redbush tea.

Though it should be noticed that the writer enjoys not the taste of tea per se but rather its ephemeral, always different fragrance.

Canonically, Shakespeare's villa is full of little boxes with various exotic oils, vintage bottles with flavoured rose water and amphoras with aromatic lilac petals inside. He adores exquisite perfume and he is pretty good at distinguishing fragrance notes — a sign of a delicate soul and true esthete. Also it reveals his inclinations towards psychology and observation since one’s preference for particular scents can tell a lot about this person’s traits, habits and manners.

Bergamot is known to be the queen of citrus in perfumery. Historically, its essential oil was used as an ingredient in cologne or simply as a skin or hair cream. Bergamot fragrance is so intense that sometimes Will leaves a cup with unfinished tea on the windowsill to fill the air in his cabinet with this rich scent of smoke in the night sky, cut grass covered in summer rain and tobacco cigars lighted in the darkness of the room.

Apart from bergamot aromatic properties, this fruit is famous for being the only citrus that can’t be eaten fresh. To be able to understand the true value of this fruit you first need to know how to cook it, then and only then will the original bitterness turn into rich tartness. Sounds pretty much like Shakespeare, right? The way you begin to see him after some time spent together is completely different from your first perception of him.

This particular trait of Will’s character brings him closer to Mozart, but the difference is that dropping a mask from Wolf’s face is possibly hard while doing the same to Will is hardly possible.

It doesn't mean that your relationship will be based solely on lies. But you should be ready that this Janus has two faces, and guessing which one he’s showing right now may be a real headache. Well, citrus bergamia is a capricious tree, after all. It blossoms during the winter, and never gives the amount of plants you were planning to gather.

This is not the whole story, by the way. Know how to distinguish Lady Grey from her famous counterpart Earl Grey? Cornflower petals, exactly.

In the language of flowers cornflowers mean hope in love. And who if not the great Shakespeare can chant the praises of love so strong that it still wins over Byron’s sorrow?

However, this flower has another hidden meaning — single wretchedness. That's why sometimes they call it “the Devil's Flower”. Will himself realises this dark, evil side of his, and it tortures him a lot. On the one hand, he wants to be where the light is, which is perfectly described through the metaphor with candles in his story. And this is why he struggles to follow Vlad’s orders when they may bring potential harm to MC. On the other hand, accepting this role of a fallen angel, Shakespeare denies himself the right to be revived and forgiven, thus struggling even more from the idea that his own decisions might lead to him not having a place in the world he is living in. He is a visitor — never a part of the cast. A lonely soul.

Isn't it the irony of fate that the first recorded use of the word "lonely" was in Shakespeare's Coriolanus?

“Believe't not lightly—though I go alone,

Like to a lonely dragon, that his fen

Makes fear'd and talk'd of more than seen—your son

Will or exceed the common or be caught

With cautelous baits and practise.”

Flat white with cinnamon — Vincent

Vanilla matcha latte — Dazai

Typically when people only get familiar with matcha, their initial reaction is to call this drink weird.

Since it's hard to describe. The first time you try matcha it tastes like plantains puree. The second round reveals the bitterness of vanilla roots, but you're still uncertain whether you like it or not as it's levelled by the spicy sweetness of flowers. The fifth time you order matcha you are already so in love with this neither-tea-no-coffee drink that you cannot imagine your life without it.

Nevertheless, matcha is a nourishing beverage. There’s never too much or too little when we talk about it. Matcha possesses this ideal balance between a soft subtle scent of tea leaves and deep, satisfying taste.

Dazai almost also has this ability to keep balance between compassion and respecting other people’s boundaries, between oddity and seriousness.

We first talk about Isaac. Are Dazai’s jokes really targeted against the apple boy? Does he want to make fun of him, to disappoint or, what's worse, to bully Ai-kun? No, never. Most of the scenes where the two men interact are about how Isaac feels embarrassed and uncertain of what to do, and Dazai takes a step only when it's clearly implied that the scientist needs some motivation or advice to move on. Bantering with Dazai helps him get rid of anxiety and usually leaves some food for thought.

The writer’s strange attitude is often backed up by the simple prose of life. Everyone remembers his dramatic appearance in the prologue. Adult Peter Pan in the window. But from the story with his point of view we can actually learn that Dazai did it after seeing MC’s worried face. She was a mere stranger, but Dazai wanted her to laugh and to feel at ease in the mansion. In other words, his childish trick was nothing more than an attempt to lighten MC’s mood.

This is where we should remember another important trait of matcha — its healing power. It's a famous antioxidant, metabolism booster and a remedy for tired mind and body.

If MC is anxious about something, self conscious or uncertain of how to react, Dazai’s emergency room is open 24 hours to provide help, support and so many more (especially in Mozart’s route). He’s here to listen and his jokes boost her spirit, giving MC the energy to face new challenges.

Flat white with cinnamon — Vincent

Milk and cinnamon are associated with innocence and purity, no wonder they are frequently used in pastel moodboards. Milk is usually mentioned when describing the scent of baby skin, the colour of sky on Bouguereau’s pastoral paintings and the wave of angel wings. And when we want to say that somebody is very kind and pure, the cinnamon roll is the first combination that comes to mind. By the way, in the language of spices and herbs cinnamon means “soothing warmth”. Just the right thing to say about our sunflower boy’s bright aura and (impressionistic) lust for light, sun and vivid oil paints.

An important feature of flat white is its deceiving softness. It can be easily confused with latte, but the difference is that in this coffee drink velvety milk notes only support the flavour while the dominating ingredient is fresh brewed strong espresso.

With Vincent it's easy to indulge into the cliche of an innocent angel. But Van Gogh’s angelic image isn't the result of him trying to escape reality by pretending to be a good, convenient guy. This is a voluntary act of accepting the world with all its flaws and loving it in spite of their existence. And that's what makes his palette so strong. Many emotions are hidden behind those milky clouds in his eyes. Childhood traumas. The passion for art. The envy of life. The sadness that will last forever. But he still chooses to be kind, naive and a bit shy. Not because he is obliged to, but because he wants to be like that even though his decision may bring a lot of pain and disappointment.

Victoria Erickson once wrote, “Honey and wildfire are both the colour gold.” She was right.

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